"Well, I'm open to any suggestions at this point" Michael told the others as they held a private meeting in the ballroom of Kingston Castle. Himself, Cameron, Mark and Lizzie were having the first little group meeting they had had since before Michael was ousted as Arcana's Pokemon Champion by Ryan. Though it was far more laid back than the later military meetings would no doubt be, he could not help but worry that their lack of any traction on ideas would get them into trouble. Even on an evening like this one, when nothing was expected, they felt like they were failing.

"What sort of development were you expecting the four of us to make?" Mark joked. "In case you haven't noticed, we're not the same minds we used to be."

"Let's not remind ourselves just how old we are" Lizzie added. "I have a hard enough time accepting it sometimes."

"I'm still young...ish" Cameron commented. "But I do get it. We're a little dry on ideas."

"Why is that? It's not like we're not used to doing stuff like this."

"It's because we knew what our enemies were planning before" Michael recalled. "Elezar wasn't too unpredictable, and neither were Hunter or Cassius or most of the Syndicate." He stared blankly at the table as his memories of just how lethal and dangerous the combination of Mewtwo and Courtney were flowed into his head. "Courtney has proven to be an enigma. We know what she wants, but the ways she wants to try it always get worse and more cruel. As for Mewtwo, we don't know how he plans on destroying us. Or what could be a way for him to stop us. We're going up against a total wild card of an opponent." He looked to the others. "We had to have missed something. Some sort of angle. Something we might have overlooked. Right?"

"Other than that proclamation about wanting to kill us all" Cameron reported, "Mewtwo hasn't said anything. And besides the attempt to drug Julia, Courtney hasn't done anything. Our only chance of learning about their plan would have been Hunter, but no sense going there anymore."

"I don't think people can tell us much when a sword goes through their chest" Mark laughed.

"But he could have had some knowledge" Lizzie frowned. "We didn't think of that when we tried to trap him. We just wanted to get the Mythical Pokemon back."

"There has to be something that we're not looking at" Michael insisted. "What else has Mewtwo been after? The Pokemon were wrestled from us, even though some of them have been coming back, Koopa himself coming back not too long ago for me. He still has everyone from the World Tournament besides us trapped as fodder for his Dream Harvester. And he got rid of Ryan and Uncle Robert with Hunter's help. But all of that doesn't add up to why he's been so reluctant to make a move on us. Why, when the only thing we can do from here is get stronger?"

"Do you think he's not afraid of us?" Cameron asked him.

Michael closed his eyes, as if trying to see if he could use his mind to probe into Mewtwo's, but it would seem his link that was forced onto him when he was Courtney's prisoner was not working right at the moment. "I can't see him being afraid of us, but I can see him being paranoid enough to think he'll make another mistake like he did last time. He'll want to make sure he has all of his basics down. Nothing overlooked." He glanced at Lizzie. "Do you know what Hunter did after he attacked you in Hoenn?"

She shook her head. "Mark and Greta took me to the hospital. That's all I remember."

"I wish we knew what he did" Cameron agreed. "Because one of our scouts spotted him with Claude around the time of our attack on Taghwan City. That was only a few days before Claude died, too."

Mark, while thumbing through his Poke Gear, noticed a news story from the Kanto Press. "Hmm? I didn't know something happened to Professor Oak's lab in Pallet Town." He continued to read. "Apparently, a heavily armed maniac came in, disabled Oak and his grandson and then took one of his guests hostage six months ago. The guest was Professor...Helen Wong?"

"Never heard of her" Cameron remarked. "Can we keep it focused on things that are relevant?"

"Heavily armed maniac sounds like Hunter" Lizzie theorized.

"Helen Wong" Michael repeated. "Why does that name ring a bell?"

Mark went pale. "I kinda...you know...tried to set you two up a long time ago." When both Lizzie and Cameron gave him dirty looks, he shrugged. "Look, she was worried about losing her father, Michael was dealing with the Fury and both were single teenagers. I thought it could work."

"I can assure you it didn't" Michael laughed sadly. "In my life, I've only ever been with...two women..."

"Two?!" Lizzie gasped. "That seems low for you."

"Not when you've known this one your entire life" Cameron cheekily replied. "Well, Julia's a given. Who's the second?"

"How is this relevant to what we were talking about?" Michael demanded. "Besides, that's not why Helen's name is familiar. It's the last name. I remember reading some work done by another Professor Wong years ago. He was supposedly into some shady science stuff."

"Shady like Balthazar or shady like...evil shady?"

"He worked for Professor Urbine, who was into Pokemon Gene Splicing and Cloning. So that could mean basically anything."

"Why would Hunter kidnap Professor Wong?" Lizzie asked. "What does he gain from it?"

"It's not him who gains" Cameron concluded. "It's Mewtwo."

"Then what does he gain from all of this?" Mark wondered. "Professor Wong...Mewtwo...cloning? Is Mewtwo's DNA collapsing or something?"

"We're not going to get that lucky, though I think we all know a certain fair maiden who would be elated to know she doesn't need to become the White Mage over this."

"Let Addison enjoy any time she can get" Michael concluded. "So much of our future rests on her. It's not fair to her, but life is very rarely fair."

"I mean" Cameron agreed, "can't we get something good to happen? Like, something we really need? A break on this Mewtwo thing?"

"We've gotten a lot of good things to happen lately" Mark reminded her. "Let's not tempt fate to reverse things."

"I agree" Michael chimed. "Julia's staying, our Pokemon are coming back and Hunter is gone. Let's keep this high going as long as possible." He meant to add more, but a knock on the door interrupted him. "Yes?"

"A thousand pardons for interrupting, Your Majesty" Gerard anxiously called from the other side of the door. "But there's been an unexpected development. A truly-truly remarkable one."

"Oh boy" Michael frowned. "That doesn't sound good. Alright, what is it?"

The doors burst open. A man slid right past Gerard and puffed out his chest proudly. "BOOM BAM BABY! I'M BACK!"

Michael was frozen in shock. No. No it can't be...

Cameron and the others were just as stunned by this. His younger cousin in particular was eyeing the new arrival as if she had just seen a ghost. Mark and Lizzie were flabbergasted and speechless over this development. It truly was a remarkable one, as the butler had put it.

Christopher Kingston looked at the four in the room in confusion. "Oh don't get up on my account. It's not like you last saw me months or even years ago."

Lizzie was the first to rise. "Chris!" She raced over and hugged him.

Mark followed her, by rising and shaking his friend's hand. "This is incredible. How did you manage it?"

Chris shrugged. "Well, I can't say I know exactly for sure."

Mark laughed and joined in on their embrace. "That's Chris, alright. Good old, Chris."

As their hug broke apart, Chris put his arms around them and sighed happily. "Man, it really does feel like good old times with you two back. This time, don't be strangers."

"We have no intention of leaving" Lizzie assured him. "At least not until all this clears up."

Michael watched as Cameron walked past him and towards her brother. Chris stepped in front of Mark and Lizzie and offered a hug for his little sister. "Hey Cam. Bet you're really happy to see me."

Cameron walked slowly up to him, doing her best to maintain her composure. But Michael could tell she was shaking in a pool of emotions she usually tried to suppress. She was breathing heavily and looked as if she were about to breakdown, making him feel as if he would prematurely do the same himself. She reached for her brother's hand and grasped it. "Chris? Is it really you?"

He nodded. "I don't know which of you did it, but I'm back here somehow." He put his other hand on her cheek and seemed to be about to weep. "You guys never stopped lighting my way back. All I could ever think about was you. You, Piper, Mike, all of you. And now that we're together again, I-URRGH!" He had been so fixated on spilling his emotions to his sister that he failed to realize her knee was gearing up to smash right into his groin. He immediately let go of her and crumpled to the floor, squealing like a little girl and massaging himself to try and prevent more pain from coming. "Ow!"

Cameron was seething and crying at the same time. "IF...YOU...EVER...DO THAT TO ME AGAIN...I'LL...I'LL...ERGH! I'LL BREAK YOUR STUPID NECK, YOU JERK!" Without waiting for a reprisal or retort from anyone, she stormed out of the room, but not before looking back at him, putting her hand over her heart and breaking out into a smile.

Realizing it was his turn to address him, Michael walked over and knelt down by his cousin. Chris peered up at him and spoke in a higher octave. "Please tell me you won't kick me there too."

"That depends" Michael replied sternly. "Are you going to listen to me next time I tell you to leave me behind?"

Chris slowly made his way to his feet and shrugged. "Probably not."

Unable to contain himself anymore, Michael grabbed Chris, pulled him to his feet and brought him into a hug. He squeezed his eyes shut as the tears fell from them. "This is real. You're here!"

"Of course it is" Chris told him, patting his back. "I came back for ya, big guy."

"Gotta admit, it was real boring around here without you" Michael joked.

"I heard otherwise. But hey, if this place needed a little more life in it, I'm the guy to call." Mark and Lizzie, seeming to get the message, took their own leave of absence and left the two prodigal brothers alone. As they came apart, Chris shook his hand proudly. "Wow. King of all of Arcana. I couldn't believe it when Aunt Alison told me. My best friend is a King!"

Michael shrugged. "Well, I figured, why stop at just being a Champion or a Lord?"

Chris broke out into laughter. "Gotta shoot for those stars, right?"

Michael shook his head, trying to fight off more emotions. "Chris, I-I almost lost hope."

"Well that wasn't very bright" his cousin told him. "I exist to make yours and Cam's lives interesting."

"But how? How did you make it here?"

"One minute I was on Mirage Island" Chris recalled, "the next I was in a beam of light shooting out for here. And after that, I appeared on Parlor Beach where Aunt Alison and Kayleigh were." He laughed again. "I couldn't tell you, even if I wanted to."

Michael brought him into another embrace. "I'm just glad you're here, bud. I was so...so lost without you."

"That's something I expect my favorite Pines girl to say" Chris joked.

Michael made a wry grin at this comment. "Oh, and what's this about you kissing my wife?!"

This made Chris tense up. "Oh come on, Mike. That was a long time ago and you were-"

Michael laughed. "Gotcha."

He exhaled. "Wow, you had me going there for a sec."

Michael bobbed his head out the door. "She's in the Royal Chambers with Queen Julia. I think she's going to be just a surprised as we were."

Chris rubbed his pants nervously. "Well, I'm just hoping she doesn't give me the same affection Cam did. But the odds of that increase the longer I'm here and Piper doesn't know. So I'll take a bit of an absence, if His Majesty doesn't mind." He made to head for the door, but stopped in the doorway. "Oh, by the way. I have a message for you. 'Keep up the good fight'."

Michael folded his arms and smiled. "And who sent this message? Avery Frost? Amanda?"

"Ryan."

{}

Piper, despite being overjoyed to learn that Julia was feeling better, was even more content to just be in her company in the Royal Chambers. While Michael sat in a meeting with his old Elite Four (or Elite Three at this point), the two prodigal sisters just enjoyed each other's company while Julia went about at her own speed filing through paperwork Annie had left for him to fill out. It was not surprising to find that Annie was pregnant, with the next generation of Kingstons looking as strong as the last. But what did surprise Piper was when she found out that Michael and Julia were going to have a third child. Naturally, she was ecstatic at the news, but was a bit more reserved this time than she was when either Arya or James had been announced. Not just because the state of the world had dramatically changed over the course of a year since James's birth, but that she was beginning to question if she would get her chance to add to the next generation of kids being born in Arcana. Though she was quite young (at only twenty two years old), she was seemingly content with never accepting another into her heart with Chris gone. For now, she would enjoy being the loving and spoiling Aunt she had always been. Motherhood could come later.

As Julia hummed along to the song she and Michael had danced to at their wedding, Piper sat in one of the adjacent chairs and looked on with joy. "You're happier than I've ever seen you."

"Why wouldn't I be?" she responded, as if in a daze. "For once, something is going right for us. I thought when we lost Ryan and Robert, that it was going to be the end of it all. But we're in this too deep to think that now." She signed off a piece of paper and smiled warmly. "I've got the greatest man in the world by my side, two perfect little angels and a third along the way. And I've got the best sister a girl could ask for in you."

Piper nodded courteously. "And you always will. Abuela said that we need to look after each other."

Julia set aside a small stack of papers and addressed Piper personally. "So, who's bright idea was it to have Michael get with Olivia if I went out?"

Piper shrugged. "I can assure you it wasn't me."

"It was actually a clever move" her cousin admitted. "Olivia is...probably better suited at being Queen than I am. Probably better than anyone in Arcana not named Annie."

"Olivia is not better than you" Piper corrected. "She can barely hold together in pressurized situations."

"I know that" Julia replied, somewhat sadly. "It's a little strange that she chose to leave so abruptly. I wanted to thank her for keeping Michael's head straight. And for promising to care for James and Arya."

"The only person who would know why she left early is Michael" Piper thought aloud, though she knew quite well what had gone on between Olivia Novren and Michael the night prior.

Julia rolled her eyes. "I was being facetious. I know why she did. I just don't understand why she thought I'd get mad at her."

Piper giggled. "You think she might have been better than you at something, huh?"

"No smart comments" Julia snapped teasingly.

"All I'm saying is that it's the worst 'best kept' secret in Arcana" she laughed. "Even Matthew guessed it fairly early."

"How did you find out?"

"I put the pieces together. Your husband had the most shameful look on his face this morning and Lizzie told me he seemed otherwise occupied when she talked with him last night. Abuela may have only raised one Professor as a granddaughter, but she didn't raise an idiot for the other." She laid back in the chair and stretched her nimble and thin body. "Well, hopefully things stop becoming this exciting for a while. I for one could use a bit of a quiet stretch."

"The quiet stretch can come when that monster stops threatening me and my family" Julia concluded, a tone of harshness coming from her.

"Addison will find a way to quash that genetic freak" Piper assured her. "Mewtwo won't last long."

"Him too."

Piper paused. "Wait who...oh. Courtney."

"At this point" Julia frowned, "I'm not sure if she wants Michael as her own or just hates my guts more. It seems like a bit of both. But I don't take threats to my children lying down. Michael isn't the only one who can get serious when they need to."

A knock on the door came, but Piper waved it off. "Not now, the Queen is in the middle of something. Please come back later."

"It could be important" Julia opined.

Piper rolled her eyes this time. "Oh please. It's just some more paperwork Annie neglected to give you. Trust me, this quality time is more important than that."

"You can't really say that to the Queen of an entire region" Julia beamed happily. "I have a whole flock to worry about."

Another knock on the door came. Piper glared at the door for a minute before resuming her conversation. "Like I said, if it was important, the doors would have been opened already. Now, I know you have a lot more people to worry about in Arcana than you did previously, but you can't just think that we stop needing you after a while. We're family, Jules."

"And we will always need you, sweetie" Julia responded kindly. "Thank you for reminding me of that."

"And you will always be able to-." A third knock set Piper off. She fired her temper back at the door. "DO YOU HAVE COTTON IN YOUR EARS?! I TOLD YOU THE QUEEN DOES NOT WISH TO BE DISTURBED! SO GET LOST!"

"Fine, I'll leave" a voice called from the other side.

Piper's heart almost leaped out of her chest. "What the-"

Julia was up in seconds. "Wait a minute. I know that voice. Chris? Sweetie, is that you?"

"I'm here to pay my humble respects to two Queens of Arcana if I may" Chris called from the other side.

Piper shook her head. "It could be a trick. It's Courtney or Mewtwo or something. Don't let him in!"

"You think I'm going to leave him outside?" Julia answered.

"Yeah, don't be a stick in the mud, Your Royal Uptightness" the voice bantered from the other side.

Piper gasped. "No...it can't be..." She couldn't move from her spot on the chair. She simply stared blankly into space as Julia rose and rushed past her to open the door.

"CHRIS!" Julia cried out as she leaped at him, bringing one of her best friends into a loving embrace.

"Good to see you too, Jules" Chris replied.

"I don't get it" her cousin called, almost at the brink of tears. "How? How are you here?"

"Haven't the foggiest" Chris admitted. "But I think I was willed here, somehow."

Piper's eyes widened. If he's dreaming under Darkrai's influence, I just want him to have a good dream. And if he's awake, I would like you to give him his heart's desire, if you can. No matter what it is. I just want him to be happy, wherever he is. Those were the exact words she had told Arceus and Jane when she stood before them in the Celestial Plains. Had Arceus worked a miracle for her?

"Oh, I'm just glad to see you" Julia cried out. "You've got a lot to catch up on!"

"I can only imagine. As glad as I am to see you, Julia, believe me I'm absolutely elated, I actually came to see the other Queen of Arcana."

Julia looked past the door and at Piper, who's cheeks now flared as red as a candle's flames. "I'll...I'll give you two a minute." Julia kissed Chris on the cheek before departing from the Royal Chambers. Piper could only stare at the doorway as Chris walked past the doors and looked down at her in the way he had done ever since they had confessed their feelings for one another on Mirage Island.

"Hey Pipe" Chris winked. "I'm back."

Piper was unable to say anything. The complete shock of finding Chris not only awake but in the same room as her after months of sleepless nights worrying about him was a lot to take in for her. She just stared at him, a swelling of emotions preparing to burst out onto the surface. Joy, adoration, confusion, hurt, anger, astonishment and complete elation all fighting for the right to be smack on her face at the same time.

"Did you hear me? Piper, I'm back."

"I heard you" Piper responded, rising to her feet and staring at him, allowing her anger to take control first. "Did you hear me, though? All the nights of drunken depravity? The crying? The worrying? Did you hear my heart breaking? Did you hear any of my or Cameron's fears haunting us every night? Did you hear Michael or Julia sick to death of fearing the worst about you?! Or did you not think of that when you ran off to try and be a hero in that nightmare nest?!"

Chris sighed. "I kinda deserve it, I guess."

"YOU GUESS?! DO YOU NOT REALIZE HOW HEARTBROKEN I WAS?! HOW PETRIFIED THAT WAS THE LAST TIME I'D EVER SEE YOU?! HOW I CAN FINALLY GET YOU TO TELL ME HOW YOU FEEL, ONLY TO WATCH YOU GO RUN OFF TO FIGHT THAT WITCH COURTNEY?! WHY COME BACK NOW AND NOT WEEKS AGO? MONTHS AGO?!"

"Do you think I wasn't trying to?!" Chris snapped back. "Do you think that you weren't at the forefront of every thought I had?! Do you honestly think there were other girls or I was enjoying my time as Mewtwo's hostage?! The only girls I could speak to on that godforsaken island were the ghost of Avery Frost and Amanda, and trust me, I know she's off the table and I'm not interested. I love Billy and I like my face the way it is and would prefer it not get rearranged by him!"

"HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO TRUST YOU AGAIN?! TO KNOW THAT YOU WON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID TO TRY AND BE BRAVE?!" She turned away from him and fell onto her knees, weeping.

"Piper" Chris tried to explain, "I need to ask you an honest question, but you don't have to answer it now." He knelt beside her. "Do you really think you'd have me any other way?"

"Did you just-"

"Just listen" Chris interrupted. "It's that reckless abandon that I used to get Michael to help me rescue you from those Fossil Freaks. It's the same thing I did when I took you on that quest to get the Spirit Key at the Altar of Fire. It's the same thing I used when I found out my best friend was in danger. And I will not hesitate to do it again, especially if it means I get to make sure the most important person to me in the whole world is safe. And before you try to make a snide comment, that person is the one I'm sure is the reason I even got here, because she's the only one who wants to kick me in my crotch and hasn't done it yet." He sat beside her. "You were every dream I had. Every hope I had. Thinking of you was the only thing keeping me sane when I was stuck with Amanda and Elezar. Getting here, to see you, was what kept me motivated not to go back to sleep. Not even my best friend or my damned sister got that benefit. Hell, I'm here seeing you before I even told my parents I'm back."

"Then go see them" Piper declared, practically thumbing her nose at him. "Maybe they'll want to actually hear you-" She paused when he grabbed her and turned her body around to face him. Within seconds, they were kissing and the same explosive spark she'd felt when they had first done so came back like the explosions of a fireworks bonanza. All of her anger and frustration about him melted away within seconds of their lips connecting. She was in such an emotional state, that she hadn't even noticed he had brought the both of them to their feet. She did take notice, however, when Chris swept her off her feet and took her into his arms. "Ccccccc-Chris? What are you-?"

"I may be back for good" Chris told her, winking down at her. "And I intend on making sure the world knows it. But for the remainder of this day, nothing else matters to me but you, Miss Pines."

"I-I-I-I-"

"There are more vowels than that" Chris grinned.

"You impossible ass!" she blushed.

Chris took her out onto the balcony and let out a whistle as Piper put her arms around his neck. In a flash, his Charizard flew down and readied himself for flying. He stretched out his wings and let out a loud and boisterous roar. "Ready for a flight?"

"Well, I-"

"Too late!" Chris settled her down on his Charizard before climbing up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and whistling to his Pokemon to take off into the evening skies. As the sun set in the distance, Piper couldn't tell if the sky was more colorful, or her face. Finally, she had a bit of joy in her life. Not just joy. Elation. Chris had come back. And he had come back for her.

{}

The soft opening crowd for Titanio Park was surprisingly tame despite the biggest entertainment destination in all of Arcana opening that night. Only a few dozen came to see how the park looked after months of occupation and the war that had torn Titanio City apart. The lights were on and sparkling, the rides were just begging to be ridden and the food to be tasted, but the melancholy mood of Arcana had permeated into the crowds, who were less than enthused for this than people had been hoping for. Even Matthew had to admit the dour mood was a bit concerning. Even with him being his usual stick in the mud self, the rest of the audience seemed to be in a bit of a mood that did not scream Arcana's Greatest Entertainment Complex. But at least Tommy was having fun.

Gung ho about running around and riding everything he could, Tommy would drag one or two of the group on each of the rides, while the others remained behind. Matthew refused to ride anything, giving Tommy a dirty look every time it would be his turn, which in turn would force Holly or Addison to ride with him. He simply stood with the group and drank from a cup of Frozen Lemonade and wondering why he had agreed to go along with this.

Once Tommy was finally worn out from all of the rides, the group made their way over towards the famed Isle of Food to sample the foods. Tommy pigged out on a giant tray of snacks brought over to them as a gift for their participation in this soft opening, ripping through corn dogs, nachos and pizza like it was his last supper. Dawn and Lucas, not yet into the repulsive and grotesque 'puppy love' phase of their relationship, sat together and were discussing Lucas's latest theory about Time Travel or whatever. Holly and Addison were quiet, both reflecting on how miserable they were without their boyfriends. Matthew had no real memory of Jeremy Lockhart, but given how much his absence was affecting Holly, he must have been a decent man. But to Matthew's relief, Addison was holding together a bit more than she had been. Somehow, she was able to hold herself together even as the pressure was building on her. He was eager to help her any way he could, but his attention kept getting drawn to the hyperactive and ravenous boy devouring everything in front of him.

"Do you ever stop to drink anything?" Matthew asked in astonishment.

Tommy made to speak first, but with a mouth full of food, he took a minute to swallow the food inside of him, while his older sister rolled her eyes. "At least he has the common decency to not talk with food coming out."

"The ladies love a guy who has an appetite" Addison teased.

"I'm curious if Tommy is still in the 'cooties' mode of thinking" Dawn inquired.

Tommy finally swallowed the food and took a deep breath before speaking. "Firstly, of course I do. I'm just really hungry. I didn't eat before coming here. Second, Mom and Dad made sure I took those manners classes since I'm apparently the future of the Queensburys. And thirdly, Dawn and Addy don't have cooties, but other girls do, including Holly."

"Why do I still have cooties?" his sister demanded.

"Friends who are girls lose their cooties after a long while" the boy explained. "Addy and Dawn have finally lost theirs. But sisters and other girls never lose theirs. I wonder how Jeremy can deal with it."

Seeing Holly sadden at the mention of Jeremy, Matthew chose to come to the rescue. "Oh, Tommy. Don't you get it? The cooties have overtaken us. All boys and girls have them. Jeremy was consumed by it the same way that all of us were." Holly giggled at this, while Tommy's horrified face only got more scared as Matt continued. "They creep up inside of you and change you. But instead of you thinking you're sick, they makes feel better than you ever have before. Only on small occasions, will you be able to break free from the confines of cooties and realize, you're stuck forever. Soon, you'll be buying jewelry, texting sappy messages and listening to love songs on the radio."

"He's lying! He's got to be!"

"I don't know Tommy" Lucas joked. "The cooties aren't too bad." He rose to his feet and pretended to act like a mindless slave. "I worship the cootie carrier named Dawn."

Dawn burst into laughter, while Tommy slowly inched his chair away from the group. "NO!"

Matthew looked past Tommy and frowned. At the table beside them, sat another group of daters. Morgan Augustine and her beau Ethan Clarke and her sister and Matthew's ex-girlfriend Jasmine Augustine and some pompous looking young man that was no doubt her date. He seemed to make eye contact with Matthew and smirked at him, no doubt knowing who Matthew was. He was slim, but seemed to have gone through the opening stages of puberty, as he had a bit of a goatee while both Morgan and Jasmine looked like girls their age were supposed to. He wore highly fashionable clothing and had a look of superiority about him that made Matthew's blood boil.

"Oh, hi guys" Jasmine eagerly waved over to them. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Yeah" Matthew grumbled. "Fancy that."

Morgan, seeming to not get the awkwardness in the air, simply laughed it off. "Well, since we all got the day off today, I figured we'd get some quality time in."

Ethan nodded to the group. "It's been a while guys. Hopefully you're all doing as well as possible."

"If we were, you know you wouldn't have to say it" Matthew snapped.

Jasmine's date rose to his feet and walked over to the group. "Then I take it things aren't going well for you?"

"What's it to you?" Tommy growled, Matthew surprised that even someone as dense as Tommy could tell someone had ill intent.

"It doesn't take much brain power to see how things are going in Arcana" the young man laughed derisively. "You Kingstons really have let things fall apart."

"It's not the Kingstons fault" Addison answered, herself seeming to be annoyed by the newcomer.

"They even have sycophants like you toading for them, Miss Tenton? Simply pathetic. My family was right to hightail it out of Arcana while they could. Too bad my mother and I stayed to support Lord Jacques. But as long as it means I get to watch you Kingstons flop around like Water Pokemon, I'm fine with it."

"Don't you have some sewer to crawl back down into?" Dawn answered bitterly.

"Simon" Jasmine pleaded, "I thought we agreed you wouldn't-"

"Flop around?" Addison repeated, before it all made sense to her. "Oh. I get it. You must be Betsy Seissuon's son."

"Simon Seissuon, Miss Tenton" he grinned. "Mother was quite upset that you convinced everyone else to name that killer Michael a King. But I told her you were simply following what your beloved Ryan would have done." As Addison lowered her head at the mentioning of Ryan, Simon kept going on. "But salvation will come for all of us. The people of Charizark Town saw it. And soon, all of Arcana will. And we will be there to reap the rewards of the glories of The Grand Master!"

"The Grand Master?!" the group cried out.

Matthew made a disappointed glance back at the Augustine girls. "You guys are associating with one of Mewtwo's goons?"

Morgan was quick to deny it. "NO! Never! If we had known that-"

"SIMON!" Jasmine demanded. "I told you no starting things with people over this!"

"Don't tell me you're a part of this, Jasmine" Holly accused.

"Don't like discerning opinions in Arcana?" Simon snorted. "Man, have you all truly been whipped by that arrogant Kingston slime."

"I don't recall us ever even wanting to speak to you" Lucas concluded.

"I come with glad tidings" Jasmine's date declared. Jasmine could only look on in horror as Simon walked to the middle of the Isle of Food to speak to the sparse yet curious crowds there. "People of Arcana! You do not have to follow the Kingstons to the grave! Their arrogance will destroy our homes and everyone of us with them if we allow them to go unchecked. Throw away your loyalties to this Pretender King and his Court of Clowns! Abandon the words of Arceus, which they have twisted to their advantage. Seek the protection of the one true being. The Master will protect us all and cast away the enemies of man and Pokemon alike!"

"Can someone throw this joker out of here?" Tommy asked angrily. "He's starting to tick me off!"

"Gladly" Matthew fumed, rising to his feet. but Simon merely laughed him off. "Don't think for a minute I won't throw you off this pier for this?!"

"For espousing my beliefs?" Simon mocked. "Has Arcana's new King already stripped these rights away from us?!"

"You're Betsy's son alright" Holly sneered.

"Stop it!" Jasmine pleaded.

"What made you think for a minute dating this slime bucket would do anything for you?" Dawn asked Jasmine. "You went from Matthew to this?"

Simon snickered. "Ah, I get it now. Don't like Jasmine being with someone else, Matty?" Matthew was already out of patience for this man, but it took everything in his power to keep himself anchored in front of Simon and not assaulting him. "Well, tough crap. Jasmine is with me, now. But I'm sure you're used to finishing in second place for everything, eh Matt? Second fiddle to your brother all your life, not even on the romantic radar for Addison or Holly and soon to finish second place to The Grand Master when he comes back to Arcana to finish you all!"

Matthew glanced back at Addison, who did not dare to look him in the eyes, but she seemed to be mouthing words to him. "Hold it together, Matt."

"This date is over, Simon!" Jasmine declared.

"I think we should all go somewhere else" Ethan offered. "Maybe to one of our houses?"

"How long will running from facts keep you safe?" Simon demanded to know. "The Grand Master will come for all of you who do not bow to him! He will answer you all with the promise of judgment!" He glared at Matthew. "And no one will be safe from him, least of all the Kingstons and anyone who clings to them for protection. Truth be told Matt, I thought you would have been smart enough not to get back involved, considering it was that stupidity that got that treacherous bitch Jocelyn Aced what she-"

"STOP!" Jasmine ordered.

"Oh shut up!" Simon fired back. "Just sit down, keep your mouth shut and look pretty, while I dress down little-"

Matthew's fist struck Simon in the face harder than he had ever punched anyone. Simon crumpled to the floor in a matter of seconds, while Ethan and Dawn were quick to keep the two separated. Holly took Tommy with her and hid behind Matthew, while Addison joined in separating the group. Jasmine was paralyzed at the table, shocked from both Simon's words and Matthew's actions.

Simon was on his feet a few seconds later. He wiped some blood off of his upper lip and laughed menacingly. "Enjoy that shot, Kingston. Because it's the last one you'll ever get!" He wiped his face clean with a part of his jacket and looked coldly at Matthew. "How does it feel? To know that you're considered so worthless to everyone in Arcana that you got sidelined for Kingston Fodder for your brother's girlfriend? To know that no one in this region ever missed you and the one being you could have been useful to, you betrayed. And for what? More scorn and derision? I'll bet the Grand Master has a special punishment in line for you." He tossed his jacket on and glared at the group. "You all want to defy the Grand Master, that's fine. But ask yourselves this. Is it worth your lives to defend someone like him?"

"What do you mean 'someone like him'?" Lucas angrily shouted. "Matthew may have done some bad stuff in the past, but he's nothing like you!"

"I'm simply speaking the word of the Grand Master, as are all who speak his word after he appeared to us from one of his angels from the sky" Simon declared, though Matthew knew all too well he didn't mean a single word of it.

"You're using hysteria to fuel discord?" he asked.

"All I am is a follower of The Master" Simon went on, ignoring Matthew's accusation. "I'm not the one who kidnapped Addison and tortured her for Elezar Aced. I'm not the one who tried to have poor Tommy killed or willingly let his good friend Holly Queensbury be used in experimentation. I'm not the one who manipulated poor Jasmine into thinking I loved her." He puffed out his jacket and gave Matthew a cheeky grin. "If The Master is the monster you all claim he is, what does that make Matthew Kingston?" He then grabbed Jasmine's arm and pulled her out of her seat. "Let's go, sweet cheeks!"

Jasmine grabbed her pocket book and struck Simon in the head with it, prompting him to release her. "You do not get to touch me, Simon! Not now and not ever again!"

"Looks like you did just use Jasmine for something" Holly pointed out. "Go crawl back to Mommy!"

Simon recovered from this blow and raced off towards the Isle of Food bathrooms to dampen his new blows. But his words had struck home for Matthew. While the rest of the group cheered Simon being chased off, he looked at himself in the reflection of one of the mirrors that was overlooking some of the food stands. He saw nothing but the same boy who he had been trying desperately to get away from. He saw the same one who had used his friends, betrayed his family and nearly got his brother and best friend killed. A face he was sick of seeing. Without waiting another second, he simply moved away from the others and went off on his own. When he heard the others calling after him, he just moved faster.

He found some solitude by one of the few rides that had not been tested yet in the Sky Drop Scorcher. He sat on a bench in front of the ride and found himself once more locked into dark thoughts. In times like these, in his moments of greatest doubt, he could turn to Jocelyn. But she was long gone. And he was left on his own to pick up the pieces of his life without the only person he knew was capable of bringing out the best in him.

"Why?" Matthew asked himself quietly, though he hoped Arceus could hear him. It was the question he had wanted to ask Arceus when he was in his presence, but was too intimidated to do so. "Why did you take Ryan? Why did you take Jocelyn? Why did you take my Dad?!" He rose from the bench and shouted at the heavens in anger, hurt and frustration. "WHY DID YOU TAKE THEM AND LEAVE ME?! None of them deserved to lose anything! I deserved to lose everything! So why make them suffer and leave me here?!" The skies had no answer for him but stars twinkling billions of miles away.

Before you rush off and make any decisions you might regret, Matthew, you have to ask yourself this question you've been dodging since your journey began two years ago! Who are you, and what do you want?

"Why were things so much more clear when I had them here?" he asked himself, finally deciding to move on in the night time air of Titanio Park. "Dad, you never gave up on me. Jocelyn never gave up on me. Even Cynthia said that Ryan never gave up on me. So why did you guys have to leave, when I'm on the verge of giving up on myself?!" His wandering had brought him towards the shops near the entrance to Titanio Park. And it was here, finally, when someone caught up with him.

"MATT!" Jasmine cried out. She was running as quickly as she could to catch up to him, but Matthew tried not to notice. She finally came up to his side, wheezing from all of the running she did. "Why did you go off like that? You had all of us worried. We're all out around the park looking for you!"

"Because he was right" Matthew responded. "About all of it."

"He was right about nothing!"

"He was right about everything!" Matthew argued. "I did use you to try and make Addison jealous. I only thought of Addison as a prize while Ryan saw her for what she was. I was willing to let terrible things happen to my own brother and two people who were once my friends all because I couldn't handle Ryan being better than me at some things. Simon may be a jerk, but he's right about me. I'm just as much a monster as Mewtwo is or ever will be!"

"You are not a monster, Matt" Jasmine countered. "You're nothing like the boy who did all those things. You're a better person."

"It's your actions that define who you are, Jasmine. And mine make me out to be a beast!"

"Then what does that make me?" Jasmine asked. "Because I only agreed to date Simon because...because...because I wanted to make you jealous. If I had known how much of a grease ball he was..."

Matthew was floored. She wanted to make me jealous? Was what she had said to him at the wedding only a protective mechanism? Did she truly want to get back together with him? Any bit of joy he might have had at this revelation was overshadowed by the girl with the chestnut-colored hair he had admired all of his life.

"You made a mistake. One mistake in a lifetime of doing the right thing. I've done far more than that to more people! As far as I'm concerned, you were just trying to make things even." He kept his back to her. "All my life, I wanted to be a hero. Someone who saved the day, got the girl and was adored by people from Craft Terrace to Magenta Grove. But that wasn't my path. It was my brother's. It was Michael's. And despite how much I wanted it to be my own, it's not meant to be. That leaves only one path for me to take."

"That leaves you with hundreds of paths" she insisted, finally forcing him to face her by spinning his body around and picking his chin up with her index finger. "So what if you aren't a hero. You can be more than that."

"I intend to be" Matthew answered sadly. "I am going to ensure that Addison gets everything she needs to defeat this freak. Even if it kills me, which I suspect it will."

"That's not what I meant and you know it! You can stop trying to follow that path and...I don't know...come with me!" She put her hands to his cheeks. "Matthew, since you came back, you've changed so much. And knowing how much you want to do the right thing, I know that you can do anything you set your mind to. Which is why I want you to come with me! Be with me! We can put Arcana behind us and do anything we set our minds to."

Matthew took her hands off his cheek and sadly shook his head. "Before Ryan died...before Jon and Annie's Wedding, I might have taken you up on that offer. But at that Wedding, someone gave me some good advice, Jasmine. Advice I have to live with. Advice I know is what defines me." He could not look her in the eyes as he knew he was only going to devastate her worldview. "You were right. I still love Addison. With all of my heart, I can't not do anything to help her. I am ready to fight and die for her, even if I get nothing in return. Because love means more than just being with who you want to be with. It's about putting their needs above your own and sometimes in spite of them. And I can do that. In the name of my love for her and the memory of my brother, I will do it. I'm sorry, Jasmine."

Jasmine did seem hurt by his decision, but she nodded and flung her arms around him. "Then I wish you nothing but the best, Matty. Good luck."

Matthew hugged her back. "Thank you."