Though their reunion had been passionate enough, the last few hours for Piper Pines were something that could only be described as magical. Christopher Kingston had returned to Arcana and after seeing to a few of his own personal affairs, had swept her off her feet and taken her to the most romantic place he could think of: Sunset Hill. The hill was a tall yet peaceful bump in the earth that was said to be the perfect place for a couple to...well...get to know each other as the sun set. It was located on a small islet off the coast of Titanio City and was only accessible by Flying Pokemon.

After what felt like the most perfectly crafted moments from her dreams, the two now lay in the grass, side by side, with only a scratchy blanket covering the two. She was contently plucking the petals off of a flower and humming while her beloved rested beside her, his arm wrapped around her body. She took in every single moment of this bliss, sniffing the flower before turning over and giving her gallant prince a peck on the cheek. "This has been...I can't even say anything else has been more perfect than this. You brought out all the stops, Lord Kingston."

Chris opened an eye and grinned. "Well, I try to appease those close to me."

"And you haven't taken anyone else here?" Piper inquired, a bit of her jealousy of Chris's womanizing past flaring up.

But she needn't have worried. "Nope. Sunset Hill is too special of a place to waste on grains of sand like them. Not when I found the diamond I've been looking all over for."

Piper could feel her entire body blush at this. "You incorrigible ass."

"Eventually you'll run out of words to add before ass" Chris winked. "But I don't think I ever want to see that day." He exhaled and looked up at the evening skies. "And I don't even care if anyone comes and sees us, right now. Let 'em. What have we got to hide?"

"Our decency?" Piper laughed.

"My cousin's the King" Chris chuckled. "And yours is the Queen. Do you think we should care about the decency of some old prudes? We're fine just the way we are." He stretched the arm that was wrapped around Piper and sighed to himself. "I finally found it. The reason why."

"The reason why?"

"The reason why I want to fight and protect Arcana. Everyone has theirs. Michael has his family and friends. Mark has his Pokemon. Cameron has her pride. Addison has her friends. Ryan has a mix of all of those things. For me, it couldn't be more obvious. I spent so much time trying to figure out why Michael was the way he was, but all I needed to do was realize I was right by his side the whole time. He had us. And now, I have that power base of my own. Him and Cam will always be there with me, but I needed someone to fill that Julia hole for me." He looked down at her. "And that's where you come in, Milady."

"Well, don't think I'll be sitting on the sidelines" Piper declared proudly. "Or else all that training you and I did will have been for nothing. I won't be missing out this time, not even to keep Julia company while she's got her bun in the oven."

Chris cracked a bright smile. "My cousin's got guts to go past two kids."

"Hey!" Piper slapped his chest playfully. "I want kids too, you know."

"If my beautiful little hurricane of a niece is any indication of what a kid of Michael and Julia's could be, I'd think they would want to be more cautious."

"I was thinking maybe three or four for us."

"Three or four?! We're not even married yet."

"How about we do that?" Piper rolled over on top of the man she loved. "Tonight. Go down to the Town Hall and make it official?"

Chris put his hand up to her cheek. "If only we could. But I made a promise to myself while I was on Mirage Island. I wouldn't marry you until I was sure our wedding outdid Michael and Julia's by every single facet." He then put his head up to hers and kissed her nose. "Until then, we've got to go back."

"Back to what?"

"You didn't think that these magical moments would be for all time, right?"

Piper frowned. "But..."

"Pipe, I came back because you willed me here. And I cannot be more grateful to be with you right now than I already am. But I'm here for more than just you. That monster Mewtwo is still a problem. One I don't think Ryan and Amanda can handle on their own. And it's going to take everything we have to beat him, that freaky witch Courtney and whatever else they conjure. Me, you, Cam, Mike, Billy, Jon, Mark, Lizzie. All of us and then some. And as much as I want to do nothing but lay here in the grass with you until the end of time, we can't. Not when there's a war on the horizon."

Piper pouted. "I'm sick of war. All I want is for us to never have to worry about it again."

"We won't have to if we finally and firmly stick our boots up Mewtwo's...whatever he has. But we won't get our chance unless we go back to take care of the other people that matter to us." He gently caressed her cheeks with his fingers. "Come on. Don't tell me you have no care for what happens to our beloved little Goddaughter. Or that walking pain in my crotch that happens to be my little sister."

She beamed. "Well, I do love my little munchkin of a niece."

"And we'll get plenty of time for our future when we make sure there's going to be a future at all" he promised her. He reached for his bag and pulled out his shirt. "Come on. Gotta be presentable if we're going back to the Castle. Now that there's a King and all."

"What happened to not caring about our decency?"

"Look, for all my sister talks about liking Cynthia, if she saw you without clothes on she might try to take you from me." He flung the shirt onto his body and stretched his body out. "And considering I lost one Pines girl to one of my siblings, I don't plan on losing another."

Piper rolled her eyes and laughed. "Still all about Julia, isn't it?"

"Julia is the hot librarian" Chris joked, earning a series of slaps from Piper until Chris caught her hand. "But you'd be the goddess librarian and you know it."

She huffed and grinned haughtily. "That's much better. You're finally learning, Lord Kingston."

"You'll find I have a hard time retaining things I learn. I'm a shoot from the hip, kind of a guy. But considering I think your idea of getting married is your way of asking if we could get married one day, I think you'll have to get used to that, soon to be Mrs...uh I mean, Lady Kingston." He then kissed her hand and Piper, already enraptured in their feelings, felt like she could swoon.

{}

"She said it was urgent" Julia mentioned to Michael as they made their way up to the nursery.

"Nothing is urgent for her" Michael growled. "She always uses that word as an excuse to get her way. I'm the King and I won't have her trying to dictate my life anymore!"

"She's still your mother, honey" his wife sighed.

"Biologically speaking, yes. She hasn't emotionally been my mother since I was a baby and didn't know any better."

The Royal Couple stopped at the doorway and quietly opened it. Erin Kingston was seated in the rocking chair closest to Arya's bed, reading her granddaughter a story from her book. To the couple's surprise, Arya was sound asleep, sucking on her thumb in bed and a stuffed Teddiursa in her arms. But while Julia was ready to coo with delight, Michael folded his arms and brooded.

"The end" Erin whispered, before closing the book and setting it aside on Arya's nightstand. She turned and rose to her feet and curtsied politely to the King and Queen. "Your Graces have such wonderful children."

"We do" Julia answered quietly. "And one more on the way, with all our fingers crossed." She slowly made her way over to her son's crib. James was already sound asleep, but woke up when his mother took him into her arms. "It's time I fed the future king."

"You could have a wet nurse do it for you, Julia" Erin offered.

"No, I feel it's important bonding time for a mother and her son. Especially once I know they'll both become older and run off after their father." She looked to Michael with loving eyes. "But that's because he's such a good man, kind and forgiving man."

Michael glared at Julia's obvious set up line, but remained quiet for the sake of his children as Julia fed their son. He returned his attention to Lady Erin. "And what brought you here? You said it was urgent?"

Erin nodded. "I'd rather not speak of it in front of the babies."

"Then by all means, let's get this over with." Michael ushered his mother out the door and the two walked a bit of a way from the nursery. Once they had made it to the closest balcony, where Michael recalled reconciling with Julia and having Cameron promise to set things right for him, he then stood by the doorway as his mother walked out. "This had better be important."

"Your father told me about you going after Leonard" she spoke quietly yet concisely. "To see if he had a role in this whole cult thing."

"And?"

"Knowing him and how rocky your relationship is, he asked me to speak on his behalf."

The King rolled his eyes. "As if our relationship is so perfect and smooth."

"I know you're not a superstitious man, Michael, but I can't help but feel this is the kind of thing you shouldn't be doing. Family is the most sacred of all bonds that if tested and strained may never recover. And going after your cousin like this could have damning consequences."

Michael grunted in anger. "So, now all of a sudden, you care about breaking the bonds of family?"

"As someone who has had to live with her mistakes for nearly twenty years, Michael, yes."

"Did it ever occur to you to do this when your son was, say, in a prison about to be condemned for murder after he was kidnapped and tortured?!" Michael could feel himself boiling up inside, but used everything in his power to control it. "You had no problem burning bridges when it was beneficial to you, so why stop doing it now?"

"Because I cannot take this anymore" Erin exclaimed. "Constantly walking on eggshells with my only son."

"THE SON YOU ABANDONED TO PROTECT YOUR OWN HIDE!"

"Do you think I don't regret every minute of my life that I didn't protect you? Do you think I sit around and act like nothing is wrong when my baby boy thinks more highly of Jane Kingston than he does his own mother?"

"Jane Kingston died to protect me" Michael snarled. "Why should I think more highly of you when you couldn't even act like I was your son my entire life?!"

"What do you want from me, Michael?! All I have ever wanted was for this to have never happened, yet it's all you ever bring up when we're around! Tell me! What do I have to do to end this?!"

"The one thing you've been too proud to do these last seventeen years. The same amount of pride Grandma held with her all the way until she died. That's all I ever wanted from you and Dad. Dad already said the words. Why can't you?"

"There are some things more important than personal pride and desire" Erin responded.

Michael almost laughed. "Now you're trying to equate me distancing myself from you with what you did? The only reason I have ever distanced myself from you is because of what you did! How dense do you have to be to not see this?!"

"Because I don't want to see you making the same mistakes I did" Erin shouted. "Your father and I weren't the best parents. He chose his career over you and your sister and I chose to protect myself and Tori over you. All of those things are choices we made because we were afraid of the consequences of what would happen if we didn't take those paths. Would I have left your father because of how little he brought to our relationship financially? How could he know? He was too afraid to ask and I was too afraid to answer. How could I know if the entire family would have collapsed after what happened to you? How could I have realized ostracizing you would leave such a painful scar on my heart when all I could think of was protecting myself? Now, all I see is you about to walk into the same chasm I did."

"Over Leonard?"

"Family bonds are sacred" Erin explained. "When you break those bonds, it can have horrific consequences on you. I've broken them with my son and now here I am reaping what I sowed. If you do so with Leonard, it could have damning consequences for you. Why would you forgive Olivia for her past transgressions but not him?"

"Because Olivia knew when to admit she was wrong" Michael answered, calming himself. "Do you think I'd ever invite Donnie back here? Or Leonard? Or anyone who is too dense to realize they're at fault? I wouldn't have ever wanted to see her again if her first instinct when we met wasn't to apologize for the way she treated my wife when we were kids. Even Chris and Cam knew to say they were sorry when we met again in Orre. Leonard threatened me and abandoned me when I needed him the most, twice. First when he and Cameron let Cassius go for basically nothing and second when he refused to defend Ryan for his hearing. Any bridge to be rebuilt was shattered when Cameron threw him down the stairs. I never want to see him again and if it comes back to haunt me, so be it. I won't be around for too long to regret it, anyway."

"How can you even say that?"

"Because this world tends to reward people like Claude, Betsy, Elezar, Cassius and all other sorts of malcontents and monsters" he argued. "Leonard is proving to be just another parasite. And if I have to take him down along the way of quashing this little uprising that's going to start yet another war, I won't hesitate."

"I meant about the whole 'being around' thing" his mother shrilly demanded.

"Because I won't" Michael reiterated. "Either Mewtwo is going to wipe out mankind and leave me as a corpse or as Courtney's mind slave, or Mewtwo is destroyed and I succumb to the stress and burdens on my heart brought about by those same cretins I mentioned and those who turned their backs on me."

Erin seemed eager to argue more, but relented. "Michael, there are more people out there who will be devastated when you die. Not just the ones you think." She then turned and left Michael alone on the balcony.

{}

"Your mental prowess has grown exponentially, Addison" Rosemary informed her pupil. "You're starting to see things with more of an open mind. And the progress you've made has been impressive to say the very least. But now, is the time to see just how the fruits of your effort have grown. Today is the day we begin to test your capabilities to their fullest."

"I'm okay with that" Addison said, a twinge of fear in her voice. "But I still have that...that man in black on my mind. Do you think that will serve as a distraction?"

"I think it will serve as motivation" the Countess answered. "People are often never convinced to ascend beyond their perceived limitations unless they have a manifestation of a hill they need to climb. And this strange warrior might be the one to help you reach those levels you were always meant to." She waved her scepter in the air around them, thus prompting the candles surrounding them to wane in brightness.

Addison, though solo for this training as Galatea was with her egg that seemed about to hatch any moment, was going to be leaning in on her own power this time. So she did her best to concentrate and keep herself focused on what her mentor was saying. "I'm ready to learn."

"There are things we need to comprehend about the world" Rosemary continued. "And you're beginning to understand that very well. You know that even though we can perceive things before they happen, we cannot change things because of it. Nor can we alter things as they are meant to come, as it could have damning consequences for the world. You've seen for yourself some examples about how the world would slide into the depths of darkness if even one small detail is changed. You could have saved Michael from a terrible fate, but the dark forces at work would simply move down the list of candidates. And you know now that your friendships with my great nephews had to change for either better or worse. Now, knowing these details, we shall begin to test your power to ensure that you have been taking in what I've been teaching you."

"I'm not so sure it will work for me" Addison remarked.

"You're afraid? You have no reason to be. The scepter answered to you when you sought answers. It will answer you again." The Countess let the scepter float out of her hand and towards Addison. "Take it. It is your destiny." Addison reluctantly took the scepter in her hand and returned her attention to her mentor. "Now, your first task is to harness that energy inside of you. When you have done that, you are to illuminate this room once more."

"How do I do that?"

"Simply concentrate on the candles" the Countess explained. "Do not let any outside influences cloud your feelings."

Addison raised the scepter in her hand and waved it. The candles did not respond. She tried a second time. This time, they did, but Addison knew it was only because she waved the scepter close enough to the candles to simulate a gust of wind. "It's not working."

"You lack focus, Addison" Rosemary concluded. "Your mind is in far too many places and you've become distracted because of it."

"You make it sound like it's so easy" Addison argued. "To just make some candles glow like it's nothing! But it is something. It's a whole lot of somethings! I'm just one person! I can't make things glow without a fire starter or fly in the air."

"You who has entered the minds of others and influenced them are declaring other things impossible? You also have foreseen events before they occurred. These are impossible for others to do, but not for you."

Addison frowned. "That was different."

"It was not."

"IT WAS TOO!" Addison cried desperately. "Because-because I had him." She looked at the scepter and frowned. "All of this is happening because I saw Ryan's death coming in my dreams and I didn't try to stop it. I can't do this. He was the one who should be here. Not me!"

"The temptation to change the past is great, but it takes far greater strength to not do it. I told you what would occur if you did alter what wasn't meant to be. You would willingly risk the entire universe's stability to have a moment of relief?" She calmed herself when she realized how vulnerable Addison had emotionally become. "You tried to reach out to him, didn't you?"

"If what you all think is true, he's on Mirage Island right now" Addison declared. "We can go to him. We can save him! We can help him! We can stop Mewtwo from doing all of these things before he does them. But we're sitting around here and giving Mewtwo time to become stronger and to enact his plans! Why can't we just go and stomp him out now?!"

"You want to take on Mewtwo without any preparation? To risk the lives of those you love for a microscopic chance at being with Ryan?"

"Everything made more sense when I had him. When I knew it was just going to be him and me in the future. But you all just want me to let go of the person that meant the most to me in the entire world." She handed the scepter back to Rosemary. "I can't let him go. Because if I do, that part of me we shared will be gone forever." She then walked towards the door, her heart grieving immeasurably for the loss of Ryan.

The elderly Countess sighed. "Addison, we never let go of those we love. Those we share deep and personal connections with. And no one has asked you to let go of him. What I am asking you is to make him a part of you. The same way I have my brothers and those I've lost." She cracked her wrist and waved at the first of the six candles that was closest to her. It shined brightly with a red flame that reminded Addison of the burning rage she would see from those locked in the Crimson Fury, particularly Michael. She was surprised to see the flames glowing like a torch rather than a candle.

"How did-"

"Love is the source of much of your power" Rosemary observed. "But you are forcing yourself to grieve rather than let your heart express itself in the ways it always has. Ryan may never be by your side again, but that does not mean his heart and yours have separated. You are still connected, so long as you still love him. The same goes for your father, your Pokemon and everything else in this world that you've lost." She waved her hand at the second candle, which shined with an Orange glow.

"You are never alone so long as you hold those in your heart close to you" the Countess declared. "My brothers have been gone for many years, but I still feel their presence around me so long as I hold them in my heart. Love can change and manifest into many different shapes and sizes. The companionship I had for James and Roddy has passed into those who follow me. The love I had for my mother became an admiration for my master. And I never lost my caring for the rest of my family. Nor those who have fallen over the years. It has followed me and guided me through my darkest and most worrisome moments." A third candle illuminated, shining with a golden glow. "Grief is not what defines you heart, no matter how much loss you have endured. The world is not just made up of light and dark or truth and lies. Loved ones come and go and things we've known can sometimes become things we don't. But so long as you do not let the doubt and the unknown cloud your judgment, the world can always be a place of wonder and beauty." A fourth candle shined, this time with a green flame.

Addison was astonished. She slowly walked back towards the Countess, the light from each candle shining with bright radiance off of her face. Despite a multitude of feelings going through her heart at the sight of this, she had no words to describe what was transpiring right in front of her. A fifth candle shined with a bluish glow, leaving only one color short of the rainbow.

"Your power grows and diminishes based on your depth of feeling, Addison" her mentor assured her. "You aren't weak for feeling alone. You are simply hindering yourself from growth. You know deep down you are not alone and never will be. Everyone you've encountered, you've known, you've lost, you've loved, you've hated. Everyone of them has left an indelible mark on who you are. I do not ask you to deny these parts of you, because you can't. If you deny who you are, you will always remain a frightened and scared child. The world is no place for someone who cannot be true to who they are. What it needs is more people like you, Addison. Someone who loves before loathing, trusts before mistrusting and above all, never allows herself to question if she should deny who she was. You will never be alone, in any sense of the word. The wisdom of those who've taught you, the love of those who've cared deeply for you, all of them are with you in one way or another. And it's because of that, I know that you will find yourself in these lessons. And when you find yourself..." She let the scepter float towards Addison once more. Addison took it in her hands again and waved her hand down. The final candle glowed with a violet hue. "...you will know inner peace."

The candles shined brightly like a rainbow, showing for Addison a similar sensation to the one she had when she saw the Rainbow Bridge the Spirit Keys formed on Mirage Island. "It's beautiful."

"The world is as beautiful as you will make it" the Countess spoke softly. "One day, it will be yours to do with it what you will. For when my time comes, my sight of the world will fade as well. The universe and all it's makings will be to your making and sculpting."

"I have this power in me?" Addison gasped. "I don't...I don't believe it."

"Your greatest challenge, my dear" Rosemary warned, "will be believing in yourself."

Addison looked out into the evening skies and gasped when she saw Galatea waiting outside the window. She was gesturing for her to come with her. Addison looked to Rosemary desperately, who nodded and waved her off. "We're finished, Addison. Go and see the child of Achilles and Galatea. We will resume your training...tomorrow." In truth, Rosemary looked exhausted and eager to rest.

Addison bowed. "Thank you, Countess." She then rushed outside onto the balcony to see where her Gardevoir meant to take her. "Has it happened?"

Galatea nodded. Yes. It has. I want you to meet our daughter.

Addison wrapped her arms around Galatea and closed her eyes. When she reopened them, she was in Bonnie's Rose Gardens, where Galatea and Achilles had left their egg. Addison followed her Pokemon into the bushes and saw that indeed, the egg had opened. A small, mushroom shaped Pokemon crawled out of the egg and directed it's red feeler around for support and in seeking to gather knowledge. Addison knelt down to the Ralts's side and smiled brightly. "Welcome to the world, little one. I'm Addison."

The Pokemon did not respond and instead looked worriedly towards her mother. Galatea scooped the Ralts into her arms and held out the feeler for Addison. Touch her feeler, so she will know you as I do.

Addison did as her Pokemon instructed and touched the feeler with her index finger. The infant's worldview suddenly became clearer to her. And the Ralts did not seem to fear her as much as she might have. Addison smiled down at the baby in her Gardevoir's arms. "Do you see now? I'm your friend."

Friend, the Ralts repeated telepathically.

"That's right, friend."

Galatea held the child in her arms. You will carry a great legacy with you, young one. One of a father who loved you and a mother who's love you will never doubt. She looked to Addison. The name choices you and your mate made for mine and my own were perfect. I believe I should default to you for the choice of our child's name.

Addison looked to the Ralts carefully. "A child of Galatea and Achilles? That deserves a name all to itself." She thought for a moment, until the name clearly sparked for her as much as Galatea's had. "Helena."

Helena? the Ralts asked. That will be my name. The Pokemon looked to it's mother and Addison and tried it's best smile. Thank you, mother. Addison. Helena is a perfect name for who I wish to be. Then, without warning, she vanished out of her mother's arms.

Addison gasped. "WHERE'D SHE GO?!"

Galatea appeared to be more calm than she was. To see the world. As everyone of our species does. The words she spoke with were dripping with sorrow. Though I see her off with pride, I cannot help but feel hollow. She will no doubt experience what Achilles and I did, but will I ever see her again? Will she be okay in this world? Will she find a trainer as I have? She sat down and quietly sobbed. I will need some time. Please, leave me be, Addison. I will come to you when I am ready.

Addison nodded and patted Galatea's slim shoulder. "Take as long as you need." She then crawled her way out of the rose bush. But as she reached the exit, she ran into two human legs. She looked up and saw Matthew. "What's wrong?"

"Lose something?" he asked curiously.

"No, I just-Galatea's egg hatched. And she's-she wants to be alone right now."

"No one should have to be alone in a time like this" Matthew answered. "Least of all you two."

"She's pretty clear she doesn't want my help" Addison shrugged.

"Then what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Do you feel the need to be alone right now?"

Addison smiled and shook her head. "No. Because, as the Countess showed to me today, I never am alone. I haven't lost anyone so long as I hold them in my heart. And I think it's the same for all of us." She looked up to Matthew and winked. "We may miss Ryan more than anyone, but I don't think we need to grieve for him. So long as we keep him in our hearts, we won't need to miss him."

Matthew nodded in agreement. "He may have been a pest, but he's my pest. And yours, to a lesser extent."

"A lesser extent?" Addison giggled. "I'm in love with him, so how does that make him your pest more than mine?"

"I knew him longer" he responded. "Brotherly love beats that love you two had, Addy."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say."

"And I don't think he'd want us sitting around and moping" Matthew suggested, offering the girl a hand up. "Come on."

"And where would we be going?" Addison asked suspiciously.

Matthew reached into his pocket with his other hand and pulled out his Poke Gear. "It may be a long shot, but Corey was tinkering with a Poke Radar app for those people who lost Pokemon after Mewtwo made his move. I figured we could go out and see if we could find any of ours or anyone else's with this thing. I know I'm still missing a few and so are you. I like our odds a bit better against Mewtwo if we reconnect with some of our Pokemon. Ariel I'll bet helps, but who's to say those other Pokemon you had won't also be out there?"

Addison thought for a moment and grinned. "Out hunting Pokemon like the good old days? Sure, why not."

"Then stop laying around in the mud and let's go." He reached down for her a second time. Addison let him take her hand and help her to her feet. Once there, Matthew called out his Noivern. To his surprise, Addison moved to get on the Dragon Pokemon's back. "Wow. No snarky responses?"

"Why would I?"

"I think the last time you rode on a Noivern's back with me, it was when I took you to get captured by the Syndicate" Matthew glumly replied. "I figured it would be an easy shot for you."

"Actually, the last time I did was when you and Jocelyn helped me knock some sense into Avery's head" she responded playfully. When he didn't give her any indication of laughing, she put her hands on his shoulders. "Matt, you're my friend. You always were. And you always will be. It may never be the same with us, but seeing how much better of a person you've become, I want to see where this road takes you. Now come on. I'm tired of flying around with someone. If we find my Altaria again, I'll be able to fly solo." She then stepped aside and let Matthew climb onto his Dragon Pokemon first, before taking his hand once more and climbing up behind him. "Where to?"

Matthew looked at his radar. "There's some strange commotion coming from Charizark Town. What's say we figure out what's going on there?"

Addison gave him a thumbs up approval. "Let's go see." She then took a conservative grasp of Matthew's jacket as the duo took off into the late evening skies.

{}

A familiar yet strange feeling hung over Cameron as she concluded her most recent training session at the King's Bay. She was alone, yet perfectly capable of going along on her own. She had done so for many years. When serving as Michael's chief lieutenant on the Elite Four during his tenure as Champion, she would often recuse herself to train constantly. While Lizzie took her alone time with her Pokemon, Mark went onto his game shows, Michael spent time with Julia and Chris constantly spent his time flirting and being turned down by basically every woman in Arcana, she would train to get stronger. To be so strong that nothing and no one would ever take from her or her family again. Even after Ryan's rise, whereas Daniel would spend time slacking off with Billy, Giselle would be out there trying to improve her public appearance, Ryan would be with Addison or his friends and Chris was again swinging and missing on girls, she would be training. Preparing for the inevitable day she would rise and become Champion of the Pokemon League.

Now, she had it. Even if it was on an interim basis, she was Arcana's Pokemon League Champion. But she could not feel more empty.

The seven she had the honor of serving with, in some way or form, had evolved past her in other ways. Lizzie was developing such close bonds with her Pokemon that it would not shock her if this equated to League Competition success in the future, not to mention her seemingly unable to grasp yet feelings for Justin Jacques. Mark had moved past his obsession with game shows and found a new hobby in building and architecture, as well as a secret love for his partner Greta. Daniel, for all his snark and arrogance, was on the fast track to becoming a better and more well-rounded man than she had anticipated. Giselle had more than cleaned up her reputation, even earning her brother's forgiveness for any action she might have had in their mother's demise. Cameron knew for sure that she had earned at least her respect and the shame of failing Giselle when she needed her would haunt her for the rest of her life.

As for the other three, well, they had gone past her in leaps and bounds. Christopher had finally grew out of his womanizing ways and settled on Piper. A perfect fit as far as she was concerned. Piper was gorgeous and took excellent care of herself, but she was also extremely opinionated, stubborn and always eager to speak her mind. She would keep Chris on ground level at the very least, so no need to keep haranguing her brother about that. Michael remained the deeply caring and passionate big brother she had always admired, even if her own personal opinion of his wife was a bit less than endearing. He was not the Champion anymore, but he still fought valiantly for the safety of others and would take his role as King as seriously as ever. And Ryan's birth by fire into the role of hero had won Cameron's respect. He didn't run around arrogantly proclaiming himself a hero, but followed in the footsteps of Chris, Michael and even her. She loved all three of them dearly, still kicking herself for not being there to possibly save Ryan when she could have. But despite that, she was deeply proud of the three of them for evolving into the best forms of themselves.

For all of their changing and transforming however, here she was doing the same things she always had. Training to get stronger, make herself harder and more steely and prepare to avenge something or another. From trying to overthrow Giselle's oppressive regime, to hunting down members of the Syndicate, to one day besting first Michael then Ryan and now to avenge her immense blunder of letting a facade of Cynthia trick her into unleashing Mewtwo back onto the world. Courtney would get to taste her vengeance firsthand, soon enough. For all of their advancements in emotional or physical attributes, Cameron had not advanced much, if at all.

Ryo, her Lucario, seemed to sense this and tried his best to keep her in good spirits as they prepared to make the long walk back to the gardens and eventually to the Castle. Her Pokemon were all that she could be emotional with at this moment. Since the Pokemon had begun to return, she had reunited with her Salamence named Azure and her Venusaur named Trops. Some were still out there, but she was content knowing that at least at the moment, she had somewhat of a fighting force. The Pokemon loved her dearly. So why then, could she not love herself?

She walked up the long hill that would lead to her grandmother's garden, but paused when she saw Cynthia looking up at the moon just a few feet from Lady Bonnie's Lilies. While some Lotads floated in the ponds nearby, Cameron slowly made her way up and walked past her idol, intent on making it to the castle to get some rest and brood as needed.

"I think it's admirable that you're still training" Cynthia pointed out, keeping her gaze on the moon above them. "Change can be a good thing, but so too is keeping things the same."

"I disagree" Cameron countered.

"With what? That change is good or that keeping things the same is okay?"

"With everything" she responded bluntly. "Nothing has been good for me. It's probably why I'm in this rut."

"I didn't take you for being one who can be so easily snared by ruts" the gorgeous blonde responded.

Cameron paused and looked towards Kingston Castle in the distance, a palace of light shining in spite of the darkness of the night. "Everyone in that castle has changed so much over the years. Mark and Lizzie are almost nothing like the two I grew up and trained with. I mean, they sort of are, but they're not at the same time. Lizzie was such a homebody that it would take coercing from basically all of us to get her to come out and do some press junkets with us. Now, she's being a leader and finding someone she might be able to be in a relationship with. Mark always used to talk about starting a family, but now he's actually beginning to plan it instead of getting distracted by some title or plans. Michael is a father and a husband and a King. All of those things make him an even better person than he was before. And Chris...you'd be amazed with how much he's changed since even a few months before the World Tournament. Piper brings out the best in him."

"And you're happy for them?"

"Of course I am. I love all four of them. They're the family I've looked up to for the last nearly thirteen years." She frowned and looked at herself as if she was disgusted. "But look at me? I haven't changed. I'm still the same old Cameron from when I first tried to succeed Michael as Champion. What do I do in my spare time? Train. What do I do in response to things going well for others? The same thing I've done for over a decade. Trying to fight for an opportunity that wasn't destined to even be mine. I had to get named Champion because the one who was ranked higher than me died. How is that fair? Ryan loses his life and I'm the only one who can fill his boots because the other three Elite Four members are incapacitated?"

"Sometimes, you don't need to change" Cynthia theorized. "You may be one of those people who doesn't have to." The blonde finally looked her way and took her gaze away from the moon. "But, in more subtle ways than you think, you have changed, Cameron. And for the better, if I may say so."

"How have I changed?"

"You couldn't string together consecutive comprehensible sentences around me when we first met" she pointed out. "You were just a star struck woman when we met. Now, you're calm enough to vent to me. Even if what helped you overcome those boundaries was Courtney, it did help you improve yourself."

Cameron clenched her fists angrily. "I'll settle the score with her, soon enough."

"Why? Is she really worth all of this anger?"

"She tricked me! She tortured Michael and kidnapped Chris! She beat you within an inch of your life! How can you say she isn't worth it?"

"What did I ask you a long time ago, Cam? When you got to be Champion, what happened next? Now, I ask you a similarly worded question. What happens to you when you get your revenge? Will your lust be satiated by this one victory? Or will you want to keep going until everyone who's hurt you is brought to justice? The problem with revenge, is that you're never satisfied with just the one. Matthew learned this lesson against Hunter."

"And Hunter almost killed him for it!"

"Would Matthew continue to keep becoming a better person if he had shot Hunter?" Cynthia asked. "I don't think so. I think he would have gone back down that same path he once walked. Going after what he wanted and craved at that moment over what was for the good of everyone. You got the Mythical Pokemon back. Mission accomplished. Hunter's death got you nowhere. In fact, considering we have no way of trying to figure out what Mewtwo and Courtney are up to, Hunter dying was a worst case scenario for us." She looked to Cameron. "You aren't the vengeance seeking monster you want to be, and you know it. That's not the Cameron I know."

"Then who is the Cameron you know?"

"The Cameron I know is brave, honest, virtuous and always wanted to follow in the footsteps of Chris and Michael. She wouldn't put personal pride over what was for the good of everyone. And that's precisely what killing Courtney will get you: just a few pride points and nothing else."

"You'd be surprised what Michael is capable of" Cameron remarked. "When pushed to his very limits-"

"No one is perfect, Cameron" Cynthia concluded gently. "Not even him. He admits that killing Cassius wasn't one of his proudest moments. If Julia hadn't intervened, he might have been the one to knockout Elezar too. But what would it have gotten him? He'd have just been Mewtwo's puppet more than he already was. Ryan may have had to destroy him in that scenario. And nothing good would have come from that. Michael knows this, which is why he won't be going after Courtney for blood, not even after she nearly caused Julia to leave him. And your brother, I don't think he has a vengeful bone in his body." She picked up Cameron's drooping chin with her finger and smiled at her. "Being a gruff and angry loner isn't going to make you stronger, Cam. It's the love and desire to protect others that makes them strong. Maybe you ought to stop trying to emulate their power and instead try to emulate who they are as people."

"I've been the voice of reason for the two of them for so long" Cameron laughed sadly. "It's almost impossible to imagine me not doing that role."

"Give that a try, then" Cynthia smiled. "And who knows? Maybe you won't be the only one who likes that side of you." She patted Cameron on the shoulder and prepared to go back inside.

In a movement that even surprised her, Cameron caught the Sinnoh Champion's hand. "Cynthia, about the other night...when I-"

"Don't worry about it" Cynthia laughed. "You passed out almost right after you made your move. And you're a lot lighter than I thought you'd be." She flashed a grin back. "And even if you were drunk, I have to say your marksmanship was on point. You didn't miss." She winked back at Cameron and gave her hand a squeeze before letting go and continuing back towards the castle. "Say, how about you stop all this moping and eat some Coco Pina Bliss with me, Cam? Apparently I ordered a bit too much and the cook needs the freezer space for other foods."

Cameron smiled to herself. If she no longer had to feel nervous around Cynthia, why would she need to be thinking completely about vengeance? "Sure. But, I thought you said for no one to touch the ice cream. Not even Michael."

"Oh, I've caught Michael sneaking a spoonful or two. But he's the King, so I can't exactly ream him in for it. You on the other hand, I give permission to. So what are you waiting for?"

She eagerly raced up to her idol's side and the two walked back through the gardens together.