Julia sat upright and remained as calm and tranquil a Queen as she possibly could be while awaiting the arrival of the rest of the King's Council. Though the morning had barely started, she sat in her chair beside her Husband and two seats away from a deeply nervous and shaking Annie. Michael was saying nothing and kept his focus on the doorway that led out, where soon Betsy Seissuon, her son Simon and his own cousin Leonard would be charged and either convicted or exonerated of their crimes, which were so steep and terrifying that Julia was afraid to ask if they were true.
She hadn't slept much the night prior, with Michael informing her before they retired for the night that they would be holding a quick trial for the three people accused and that he needed her to emotionally support him through it and prevent him from doing anything rash or reckless. When she had asked him why he couldn't depend on Annie to do this, he admitted he feared he would simply use the crown to overpower any observations or recommendations she might make and that the only person he was sure could keep him levelheaded during this was his wife. Julia gladly accepted, promising to tether him down and ensure nothing went wrong with this extremely delicate situation.
The audience was already packed, with the entire ballroom being split between those who had been victims or who were witnesses to the crimes and others who were either in defense of the prisoners or, in the case of Big Mike, just making sure peace existed in their family. Big Mike did not dare a look up to either his son or his son's wife, but Julia could feel his heart breaking over what might become of his nephew. Big Mike's family was closely knit, but had endured countless issues resulting in a relatively dry generation of children. As the remnants of their cousins were female, Leonard was the only one capable of carrying on the family name, as Michael had been named a Kingston at birth instead of his father's name, which Julia wasn't even sure she knew. She had called him Big Mike or Dad for so long that she could not tell if she had ever been told it. But the damage would be done if anything happened to Leonard. She could only guess that this was why Michael desperately wanted her there to ensure he didn't overstep himself. The Council had proved to be studious and loyal, but even loyalty has limits when a power gap exists.
The other half of the audience for this event were people that either wanted justice or blood for those who had wronged them. Amos and his fellow Charizark Town villagers were present, with Amos having taken in the two children that had nearly been burned alongside Matthew in the effigies. Michael was saddened to see more people without loved ones, but if Amos was willing, he was content. Also present on this side were Matthew Kingston, Alison Kingston, Deidre Tenton, Countess Rosemary and Addison Tenton, all of whom were firmly aware of the guilt of those accused. Julia could tell that there was not going to be such a trial as Ryan or her Michael got now. It was only a matter of whether or not the desires for revenge could be contained, which she suspected was part of the reason she was there.
Finally, the six Council members entered. Rebecca Eighern, Jack Duon, Cameron, Garret Fiveroux, Caitlin Setenn and Elmont Queensbury all shuffled into the Throne Room and sat in their assigned seats below the King and Queen. Only Caitlin made a token gesture to them, as the others were either fatigued or fed up with Betsy and her actions and demanded justice. The left most table, containing Garret, Cameron and Rebecca, seemed to have already determined the guilt of the accused, which alarmed Julia for a number of reasons. Though she did not have any room in her heart to care for someone who was unrepentant at calling her "common street trash", she did have an idea for justice, chiefly when her family wasn't in direct danger. With the Cult of Mewtwo upended and it's leaders captured, the threat was gone. For now.
"Your Graces" Caitlin bowed. "Wonderful to see you again."
Michael gave her a head nod. "Hey, Cat."
"Thanks for making it, Caitlin" Julia responded kindly.
"Doing my duty to Arcana" the woman winked before sitting down next to Jack.
Michael rested in his chair and called to the guard at the door. "Bring in the prisoners!"
While the Guards brought in Leonard, Simon and Betsy Seissuon in for their sentencing, Julia leaned in to her husband as she overheard he and Annie getting into a conversation over what would happen. She could not hear the first few words, but was well aware of what was being discussed the closer she got.
"...ensure that they get a chance to defend themselves."
"They will" Michael assured his Vizier. "Whether or not they recant or renounce their actions will determine what happens to them. I doubt they will, but it will be interesting to see which of them cracks first."
"Honey" Julia whispered sadly. "We're here for justice, remember?"
"The people of Arcana need to know they can rely on me while they call me King" Michael answered gently. "Or else our delicate balance will not last long." He grasped her hand for a moment and winked at her. "I know you're with me, Jules. Just, do the best you can to keep me curbed."
"I will, my love" Julia replied as the prisoners were finally brought before them. Julia did not look at either Betsy or her son, but her pity was running deep for Leonard. She wasn't entirely sure what befell the relationship between him and Michael, but it had to be deep enough for Leonard to lose out in a crucial election and ultimately defect to being one of Michael's most hated foes since Cassius Sinclair. She wanted desperately for them to reconcile, for Michael to see that there was no reason for hate to exist between them. But that was not how the world worked. And she knew that the Michael she was married to would never rebuild a bridge until the one who burned it admitted their fault. Big Mike had finally done so, Lady Erin was almost on the verge of breaking and Olivia was as changed a woman as Julia had ever seen. Could Leonard follow them? Or would he tail Cassius into the darkness?
As if she did not have any respect for the group in front of her and despite the handcuffs binding her wrists, Betsy seemed to have complete control of the moment. "I trust this is the part where you demand our heads? Showing your enemies up the same way you always have, Michael?"
"The King is not the one who will determine your guilt" Jack Duon declared. "Your actions have done that, Lady Seissuon. And this Council will be the jury you must convince of your innocence."
"A jury of only six?" Betsy laughed. "I believe it's the Thirteen Families, not the King's stoolpidgeys."
Michael scoffed at this. "So you want the remainder of the Thirteen Families here, Betsy? Because Justin Jacques, Addison Tenton, Wendell Tress and Adrian Fouritz are already here and it would only take a few minutes for Olivia Novren and Piper Pines to join us. If that's all you need, by all means I can wait."
Realizing she had been trapped, Betsy slunk backwards. "That-that won't be necessary. But I do ask that one thing of this Council. I want you to spare my son."
"Spare someone who was willingly spreading your propaganda?" Elmont asked. "Your son is charged with his own crimes outside of yours."
"He's just a boy. If we're going to be condemning children for their actions, why is Matthew Kingston not on trial?"
Julia flashed a glance at Matthew, who nervously fidgeted in his seat. "Matthew has answered for his sins in more ways than you or your son ever has. Unlike you, he has recognized his mistakes and is righting them."
Betsy derisively thumbed her nose at Julia. "Who invited this street trash into the castle? We letting in the Muks from the sewers wear crowns now?"
"Speak with respect for the Queen or do not speak at all!" Annie replied sharply.
"Your son will have his chance to explain himself" Jack commented. "As will you and Leonard Skye."
"Skye?" Julia whispered at her husband. "So that's your last name?"
"Kingston is my last name" Michael replied before looking to the prisoners himself. "You all have been charged with conspiracy, sedition, multiple counts of property damage, racketeering, kidnapping, home invasion, obstruction of justice, and over thirty counts of first, second and third degree murders. Those are simply the charges you share. Simon Seissuon also added charges of physical assault and attempted murder, while Leonard Skye added his own charges of embezzlement and attempted murder. The final charge brought before you is blasphemy against Arceus the Creator."
"Do you have any proof of these crimes?" Betsy demanded.
"Witnesses to these crimes are present" Annie chirped. "Enough to know that calling upon all of them to recount their points of view would be redundant and repetitive. This will be your chance to explain yourselves. If you have seen the error of your ways, now is the time to ask the Council, the King and more importantly the people of Charizark Town for your forgiveness." She looked to Simon Seissuon. "Simon, you may proceed."
The nervous teenaged boy rose to his feet. "Your Honors, I stand before you a boy. A child who is going to be condemned his entire adult life for the actions of others. I never harmed anyone, nor did I raid any homes or burn any houses. I am simply a convert to the Cult of Mewtwo, a supreme being who will place his judgment upon us more fiercely than Arceus ever could. Will you charge someone for their beliefs? A child, even?"
"A child who called for the burning of Matthew Kingston alongside the children of residents of Charizark Town" Cameron snarled. "Spare us this pity nonsense."
"I was corrupted by those in the organization who sought to use it to undermine the regimes of Arcana" Simon lied. "The remnants of Lor-uh, that criminal Claude Jacque's Army have hijacked our Cult and are using it to spread chaos and disorder. I simply want to practice my faith in peace and to do so alongside my mother...and my father."
This caused a stirring in the courtroom. Michael raised an eyebrow. "Your father?"
Simon looked back towards Leonard. "Leonard Skye is my father."
Julia gasped. "Leonard?!"
"So much for all that 'street trash' talk" Rebecca dryly replied.
"Do you mean to say the cousin of the King is Street Trash, Rebecca?" Betsy smarmily demanded.
Rebecca shook her head. "No, what I am saying is that you've spent all of your life degrading the people outside of the Thirteen Families and you went and married outside of them to have children. You treating Julia like she's less than you while you went and married below your social standing is nothing short of ironic and laughable." Another of her old rivals who had bullied and tormented her as a girl glanced back at Julia and smiled at her. Julia was surprised, but welcomed it all the same.
"We never married" Leonard explained.
"Man, this story gets juicier and juicier" Cameron grinned.
"We were together for a short time" Leonard explained. "She got pregnant, but continually refused to marry me. When Simon was born, I had my name stricken from the record so no one would know who fathered Betsy's son and she could say whoever it was. She promised to marry me when things had calmed down in Arcana and Giselle and her allies took complete control, but that same day she promised we'd wed was when Michael returned to overthrow Giselle."
"This seems a little too convenient" Annie answered. "If this were true, Simon would be the King's nephew."
"He is" Betsy replied with a cheeky grin towards Michael.
"Unless you had a witness to this" Michael replied bitterly, "I will hear no more of-"
"I was there" Big Mike rose, causing an uproar in the ballroom until the guards demanded they quiet. "Leonard's parents were too afraid to say anything. So I stepped in and swore myself to secrecy. Simon Seissuon is actually Simon Skye if he retained his father's last name, a custom that is not usually allowed for those who marry outside of family lines here." He looked to Michael. "These people are your family, son. You can't condemn them."
Julia could tell the anger inside of her husband was growing and took command of the situation. "What matters isn't the birth of Simon. What matters is that he committed crimes. Whether he knew the things were wrong or not, he is a bright boy. One who clearly has a sense of what is right and wrong. And if he doesn't, that's a sharp failure on his parents."
"I should also point out that practicing this religion is against the law in Arcana" Caitlin pointed out. "Had you not been terrorizing people in Charizark Town, you would have known the King ordered this yesterday, as Mewtwo is a sworn enemy of the people of the world."
"A clear misconception" Betsy spat out. "Mewtwo does not wish for his followers to die..."
"As someone who was forced to obey him for a time" Michael laughed derisively, "I can tell you that's a lie. I don't know whether you're dumb enough to believe it or are blatantly lying to the Council." He looked to everyone in the Ballroom. "Mewtwo hates all mankind. Not just some of us. All of us. He thinks of us as a disease on an otherwise Utopian world. A pestilence he feels the need to surgically remove. He will wipe out every last one of us if he gets his way, which we are fighting to ensure does not transpire. He had plenty of people hoodwinked, including Claude Jacques and apparently the Seissuon Family here. My own blood was also buying his lies for a time. But all of them are tools at best and puppets at worst. No one will be spared by him. Not even the Pokemon who stand with us." He then turned his attention towards Leonard as the ballroom quieted again.
"Do you wish to say anything in your defense, Elizabeth Seissuon?" Annie asked formally.
"It's clear that you won't listen to anything we say without throwing it back in our faces" Betsy snarled. "So, I'll pass. This is a farce, anyway. No due process, no hearing period."
"Leonard Skye?" Annie called. "Will you speak?"
"Arcana was never meant to be in the hands of one person" Leonard defiantly replied. He looked out to everyone in the audience. "There's an old adage out there that was written a long time ago. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. No one was ever meant to have supreme authority over the world. But in the last ten or so years of my career, I've watched as what few things we could control got stripped away. I realize now that the adage I knew long ago isn't quite right. Power doesn't corrupt, it instead reveals. If one has supreme power to do what they will, they will not hesitate to show us what it was they always had planned. It was wrong for those who supported him to think Claude would be anything else but a tyrant and Michael is no different. Condemning us without a trial, destroying my campaign to run for District Attorney and attempting to treat my own son as a convict are just some of the many petty things that will get done if we do not keep his power in check."
"You're calling Michael corrupt?" Cameron roared. "You, who embezzled money you raised for your campaign into this little terror organization? You who was willing to let people die horrific fates for a cause you don't believe in?"
"I am a convert of-"
"Don't give us that crap" Garret raged. "You three believe in nothing but what would benefit yourselves! Claude yesterday, Mewtwo today, who knows tomorrow. You're roaches out for yourselves and nothing more! And I've had enough of you polluting in Arcana!"
Julia could see the depth of feeling in her husband's face as he studied his cousin. "You chose not to defend Ryan because of Betsy and Donnie being the prosecution, didn't you?"
Leonard frowned. "That's partially true. In reality, my uncle convinced me not to defend him. It would decrease my chances of Betsy and I marrying in the future and cause trouble for my son. He told me it would destroy my reputation as DA as well. If you're going to blame anyone, it's the King's own father!"
Julia grabbed her husband's hand to soothe him as she saw his anger rising. "Honey..." she whispered.
Michael shook himself out of it and looked to the Council. "The vote for condemnation needs to be unanimous. What say the Council?"
Rebecca rose first and shook her head disapprovingly at her old friend. "Guilty."
"Guilty" Garret growled.
Cameron, who seemed to be enjoying this more than anyone, gave a cheeky wave bye to the accused. "Guilty."
"Guilty" Caitlin answered sadly.
"Guilty" Jack spoke softly.
"Guilty" Elmont concluded.
"And I vote guilty" Michael proclaimed. He cleared his throat and gave his speech of condemnation to the three in front of him. "You fail to realize that our world is in a precarious position. No one is safe until we destroy Mewtwo, if we even can. But rather than use the crisis to come together and fight as a people, you all allowed your avarice and greed to get the better of you. You chose to support a monster who would annihilate anything that stands in his way over your fellow men and Pokemon. I have spent my entire life fighting to protect this region from people who would cause chaos and crisis. Giselle, Cassius, Elezar, Claude, Courtney, Hunter, Archer and many others have risen and fallen in that time. But no threat is greater to our world than Mewtwo. Unless we band together, it won't matter who's father is who and where we sit on the caste system. These are simple facts that are not to be taken lightly, nor are they to be treated as such. But it is also obvious to all. Children know it. Adults know it. Even Pokemon know it. I will not let willful ignorance of the well-being of Arcana stand against it's wishes. And you three have done nothing but attempt to cause strife and disorder while we're trying to protect the world. You have chosen your paths and we have ours. It's clear they diverge and it will cause the roads to be forever blocked!"
Julia sighed. I want you to smile again. To be happy again. To not have so many cares again. Her thoughts lingered on the tattoo in his arm. Could it be another sign that Michael was prepared to burden himself with more? Could it possibly be...
"Leonard Skye" Michael barked. "For your crimes against the people of Arcana, you shall be disbarred from the Legal Practices in Arcana, fined seven and a half million Poke Dollars for restitution and repayment of your debts and shall be banished from this region for a period no less than ten years and no greater than twenty." He then made a look at his cousin that Julia knew he wished he could have given to Cassius. "You should know that I'm choosing to spare you. Treason under the law is life banishment or death. This is on the memory of our brotherhood and what could be salvaged upon your return, should you choose to when your sentence has ended."
Leonard could not say anything and kept his head down.
"Simon Seissuon, as you are a minor, your punishment shall also be lighter. You will join your father and be banished from Arcana for a period no greater than fifteen years. If you are my blood, which I still doubt, this is an attempt to assuage tensions between us. I expect you to return to Arcana with a new sense of decorum and respect for your peers. And to remove the stench of Mewtwo from you forever."
Simon echoed his father and said nothing.
Betsy, against the wishes of her son and his father, snorted. "Oh dear. The King's lost his spine if he ever had it."
"You'll mock me for being lenient and lie about me being a tyrant?" Michael demanded.
"You're nothing but a sham, Michael Kingston!" Betsy hissed. "And I'd rather sleep with a Garbodor than ever call you my King!"
"Betsy Seissuon" Michael continued, ignoring the jape, "your sentence shall be far greater."
"Michael" Annie whispered.
"First, I will have it known from this day until the last days of Arcana that the Seissuon Family will be stripped of all lands, titles, privileges and personal fortunes in Arcana! To begin to repay the massive debts of both the Seissuon and Jacques families, the Crown will be seizing the assets of the entire family to the tune of 978 million Poke Dollars and their non-developed lands will be immediately forfeited to those who suffered at the hands this oppressive cult, including the villages outside of Charizark Town and up to the entrance to the Magenta Grove. Their role in the Thirteen Families shall be replaced by that of the Augustine Family, who shall also now claim their ancestral home in the Grove. Any of the Seissuon name who remain in Arcana after this day shall be ordinary citizens with no luxuries of comforts to speak of. A second debt shall then be levied against the family, with which the Arcana Police Force shall seize all monetary assets in the homes of every Seissuon in Arcana, to the tune of 45 million Poke Dollars, which shall begin to cover the construction costs of Klefki Prison."
Betsy's confidence fell from her immediately as she realized the depths with which the King's fury would fall on her. Even Julia began to pity her.
"As for you Betsy, you too shall be stripped of your licence to practice law and be disbarred from ever being able to regain it. To pay for the damages caused to Charizark Town, you shall personally pay 100 million Poke Dollars to the people who's lives you have upended. And lastly, you shall be banished from Arcana...for life!"
"LIFE?!" Betsy choked.
"And if any of you are to return prior to the sentence being lifted" Michael warned angrily, "you shall be executed! Court adjourned!" With that, Michael departed from the Throne Room. Julia made to follow him, but paused when she saw the mess Betsy Seissuon was in, bawling her eyes out and begging for mercy as she was being hauled away by the Police Force. While the families who's lives had been ruined rejoiced and Matthew and Addison seemed relieved by what had unfolded, she could not join them. She had seen that look in Michael's eyes before, when she had told him of her affair with Peter. Someone else was going to get the brunt of his anger and she knew it would be his estranged father.
She did not beat Big Mike to the antechamber, as he rushed inside after his son. The shouting that came immediately afterwards gave her all she needed to know that her father in-law was now in as bad a place as Erin had ever been with Michael, perhaps even worse. Annie came up to her side shortly afterwards and the two listened as the explosive argument went on just a few feet in the other room. Cameron joined in as well, but kept herself a few paces away. Though she was further away, she could hear as clear as day.
"Michael will very rarely rebuild bridges twice" Cameron warned. "Big Mike may have crossed a line here."
"You sound as if you're rooting for him to end his relationship with his own father" Annie admonished.
"I'm tired of trying to sit around and act as if these things that hurt him didn't happen" she replied. "Besides, Big Mike wasn't much of a father to him. Heck, my Dad was more of one to him. But Grandpa was the father he would have chosen."
"We all know that Big Mike and Erin were lousy parents" Julia snapped. "That doesn't matter anymore! We need all the help we can get going forward and Michael sliding backwards isn't going to help."
Cameron rolled her eyes. "Hopefully, Michael will realize that repairing these relationships isn't worth it when people show you how disloyal they are."
Julia felt as if Cameron had just slapped her in the face. "You're talking about me, aren't you?" As if expecting Armageddon, Annie leaped in between the two to keep the peace.
"Count your blessings I love him enough to see he needed you to function" Cameron growled. "If it were up to me, I'd have burned that bridge ages ago!"
"Where does this unbridled hatred of me come from?" Julia demanded. "What have I ever done to warrant it?"
"You really don't want to stir up that Beedrill's nest right now!"
"I kind of want to, now!"
Before anything came of their feud, the doors burst open and the three leaped backwards as Michael and Big Mike's feud came outside the antechamber. Even Julia was shocked at the unrelenting anger in her husband's face.
"HOW MANY OTHER LIES HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING FROM ME?!" Michael demanded.
"You act as if I hid this maliciously" his father countered. "Stop acting like you need to know every single little thing that goes on!"
"Why did I think you two could ever change?! It's almost as if your DNA actively refuses to let you stop being the worthless parents you've always been to me!"
"Oh, woe is you because you had bad things happen to you. Here's a newsflash, Michael. Everyone has bad things happen to them. But we grow up and accept them as a part of life instead of bottling up our anger."
"Oh, I accepted a long time ago that you two would never be tolerable parents to me and that you somehow hoodwinked Tori into unconditionally trusting you. And thanks to this, I can assure you that I have no reason to even keep up the facade of a relationship with you. All you have ever done is condescend towards me and belittle your own son and I've grown sick of it. Go belittle someone else, because I'm done with this."
"You're going to give me the same cold shoulder you've given your mother?" Big Mike asked, his tone softening.
"Lady Erin at least has the common decency not to try to cover her own ass with stories" the King raged. "I can't even look at you right now. Go!"
"When are you going to learn that things don't always end up rosy and sweet? I'd have thought losing the kid would have knocked that sense into you."
Julia moved with such speed that even she was amazed with herself. In a quick movement, the trio of women isolated the two from coming to blows, with Cameron and she hauling Michael into the antechamber and Annie escorting the King's father out of the ballroom and away from his son. Michael was seething with rage, prompting Julia to force him to sit down on the bench and calm down while Cameron reached into his pocket and plucked out the Pokemon Ball containing Celebi. The Mythical Pokemon was out of the ball and quickly landed on his head, giving soothing and calming energies to his dear friend.
"I think it's best we keep you two apart for the time being" Cameron suggested. When she saw how tenderly Julia was caring for her husband, Cameron gave her a cold glare before following Annie out the door.
Doing her best to ignore her impending confrontation with Cameron, the Queen approached her husband as lovingly as she could. "Honey" Julia asked nervously, "why is this happening again? The Crimson Fury hasn't hurt you since we got the Brand removed."
"The Fury was always there" Michael replied, in intense physical pain as Celebi tried to calm him. "Whether it was buried or being repressed doesn't matter. This is going to haunt me until the day I die, Julia."
"The Brands were supposed to-"
"They failed!" her husband despaired. "Despite Krane's best efforts, the Fury is still deep down inside of everyone who has been impacted by it. He only succeeded in removing it on the surface level. It's the reason why Betsy's little gang was scattered by Addison and it's the reason why Ryan killed Claude. This feeling is going to keep burning inside of us until we can't contain it or it destroys us. The only silver lining is that I won't be made prey to the feelings anymore."
"That's what your tattoo means, then?"
"Huh?"
"You can control it now?"
Michael's frown only deepened. "Ye-yeah. It's true. That's what I got when I went to the Celestial Plains with the others."
Julia paled, but remained as gentle and caring as she could. "Well, it's not ideal. I'd rather it be gone forever, but since you feel you need this to help stop Mewtwo and Courtney, I won't get in the way." She gave him a weak and unmotivated smile. "I guess this is why you didn't want to tell me at first."
Michael shook his head. "No. It's not that. I was afraid you were going to leave."
"Why would I-"
"Because you had no memory of me. Or James. Or Arya. For all I knew, when you recovered from the medication we gave you, you'd still have no memory and would have left us as soon as you were able. If you were gone, the only thing that mattered to me was giving James and Arya a world they can grow up in. The same kind of world my parents left to me."
"But Erin and Big-"
"Those two will never be my parents" Michael hissed. "I can't trust them with the lives of my children. Or yours. My grandfather and my true mother were the ones who left us this world. And I intend on leaving our children with a world that's twice as better than what they came into the world with."
Julia sighed. "Their world will be even better...if you're there with them."
{}
While her hunt for The Master's enemies remained unsuccessful, Courtney took a moment to meditate and try to find them with a more clear and forward thinking mind. While her men rested and pitched tents for themselves, the lavender haired maiden reached deep into the recesses of her mind to block out any distractions and meditate on the two goals she held nearest and deepest to her heart: locating her enemies and completing the scheme of wooing her soul's mate: Michael Kingston. Unfortunately, neither goal was attainable at this time.
I bet Avery Frost is using Darkrai to shield them from our Psychic powers, she lamented to herself. Should have gutted that little twerp when I had the chance! Oh well, maybe I'll get my chance with a little bit of work when I find out where they're hiding.
The question is, how could she uproot a group of pests when she had no idea where they were. The answer to the question seemed simple enough. To draw them out. But with what alluring bait could she use to snare Ryan Kingston now? His memories were no longer free to manipulate, thanks to Avery defecting. But perhaps there could be a way to lure the trio into a trap none of them could either anticipate or escape from. If the Master was keen on making Ryan suffer, she would gladly accommodate him.
Everyone in this universe has a weakness. It's only a matter of learning and exploiting it. There is nothing Ryan Kingston can hide from me that I cannot see. All it takes is knowing where to look.
And seeking out the mind of Ryan Kingston should be easier than she thought. After all, the two did share a fascination and appreciation for Michael. But whereas hers was motivated by their intertwined fates, his was more of a childish adoration. Ryan's desire to do right and good by others was only buoyed by his love for his friends and Pokemon. All of which he got from that precious big cousin of his. Or at least trying to emulate him. His compassion for all things good in the world, even with his heart likely in a darker place after his ruthless expulsion of Kage, would be his undoing.
Wait a minute. His compassion? That little Frost girl could be...no. No, not this time. He's dense, but he's not that dense. Even Ryan had to have his limits with trickery and betrayals. Hold on a second. The compassion he feels doesn't have to be for the girl, or that little Addison. But what if we were to snare him up in a trap with one of his Pokemon? She had sensed the presence of familiar Pokemon when she was trying to locate him earlier, including the auras of a Jolteon and a Walrein. She had initially chalked it up to coincidence, but could it be possible that those Pokemon came to Mirage Island after their trainer was struck down? Finding out the truth about these Pokemon could be the key to her plot unfolding.
"Man, I have got to figure out how these losers develop bonds with their Pokemon" Courtney said to herself. It was a strong and powerful concept, bonding with one's Pokemon to bring out the best in them as well as themselves. Save for the Camerupt she had raised from her youth, she had chalked it up to being irrelevant. She had always had a natural gift with her telepathy. But now, with their backs to the wall and running low on options before the Master's foretold arrival to destroy his enemies, it was a theory worth exploring at the very least. But not now. Instead, she had a much better way of using the bond between Pokemon and their trainers. All she had to do was know where to find the links. And tracing down Ryan's famed Jolteon might be easier than finding the actual Kingston. That would become easy once she had her quarry.
"Mistress Courtney" a guard called to her. from nearby. "One of our scout parties has located that Jolteon you mentioned earlier harassing some guards by the entrance to the Temple of Dreams. I know it's not the boy, but-"
"No" Courtney corrected. "The boy is indeed not there, but he will be. His Pokemon senses it. And the Jolteon will lead to his trainer's undoing." She pressed her finger to the marks the Master had placed on her head. "Did you get that, Master?"
Can these men of yours acquire the Jolteon?
"If they fail, I'll get him" she smirked.
Then you had better hurry, child. I can sense the tide turning against us in Arcana. Some of the Pokemon I managed to speak sense to have thrown their senses away to reunite with their trainers. If they somehow become strong enough to-
"You needn't worry, Master" Courtney assured him. "Even if they are stronger than you thought, so long as Professor Wong completes her work, not even Michael's mighty Dragonite will be able to last against the Cloned Pokemon. Things will be going in our way, this time for good."
Very well. You have my consent. Do not forget your mission. I want Miss Fouritz and Ryan Kingston brought to me and Avery Frost removed from the equation.
"And you shall have them" she replied with her trademark giggle. She then returned her attention to her men. "Let's go, boys. We have a Jolteon to catch."
{}
"Isn't it supposed to get warmer the deeper we go in here?" Ryan heard Amanda cry as their group continued through the cavernous tunnel they had gone into some time ago. She was already as bundled as she could be, but the moment she saw her breaths in the air, she knew something was wrong. "It's as cold as a tundra in here!"
Ryan, however, felt only a slight temperature difference, likely due to how hardly tethered to life he was and he and Avery continued on only slightly inconvenienced. "Cold temperatures can only mean one thing, Amanda. We're getting close to finding Tusker."
"And you're shhhhhhhhh sure of this?"
"Call it a trainer's intuition" he laughed. "Besides, the worst of it is behind us."
"You say that" Amanda grumbled, "but forgot that Courtney and Mewtwo are still here."
"Somehow" Avery replied in a bit of a more confident mood than Ryan had been expecting, "I think they still don't know either where we are or how to deal with us. I mean, Ryan completely stuffed Kage. Maybe they're afraid Ryan is the White Mage and we're going to keep going right to the top!" She looked ahead and noticed the water from the stream below the cliffs they were traversing down was beginning to freeze. "Look! Something is freezing the water."
"That's got to be him!" Ryan exclaimed happily. "Man, finding Simba and rescuing Terra was one thing, but adding Tusker would mean that only Sparks is left to find." He was about to run, but nearly slipped on the cold ground, prompting Avery to catch his hand and anchor him back down. "Well, maybe we should go about this with a bit more grace than that."
"Maybe we should let Simba warm this room up a bit?" Amanda offered selfishly.
"Simba hates the cold almost as much as he does rain" Ryan declined sadly. "Looks like we're going to have to do this-WHOA!" Ryan took another step and slid once more, this time his hand fell from Avery's and he slid down the path and towards the freezing water. He would have landed into it as well, had Achilles not teleported to his location and warped him to a nearby ledge. "I thought I was done for. Thanks, bud."
It would not be prudent for you to continue down the path so recklessly, his Pokemon warned. Use more caution.
"Don't worry about me. But you can worry about one thing. Is this wintry weather being caused by something?"
You refer to Tusker? His Gallade concentrated for a long moment before he looked back at his trainer and nodded. I can sense his presence. He is in this cave. Which in turn could explain the altered weather and increased chance for blizzards. He pointed deeper into the cavern, where a deep reflecting pool could be seen, which had not yet succumbed to the freezing temperatures. For some strange reason, this area was shining brightly, almost as if it was guiding them into it's depths. Those lights are crystallized ice from the cave. As good a place as any for us to begin our search for our missing friend.
Ryan looked up and saw Avery and Amanda slowly following them down, each clinging to the rocky wall of the cave for dear life. "Hey guys! There's a hidden cove over here where Tusker is. Let's check it out." Before Ryan could add any more, the entire cavern began to shake wildly. Achilles fell to his knee immediately, while Ryan was flung about like popcorn. "What the-?"
"What was that?!" Amanda cried out.
"The Island!" Avery gasped. "It's changing."
"How can the island be changing?" Ryan asked.
"I told you" his friend replied, slightly annoyed, "Mewtwo controls the island. When he grows in power, the island can morph into whatever he wants it to." The cavern finally stopped shaking as Avery and Amanda slid down towards where Ryan and his Pokemon were. Darkrai, weakened but still strong, emerged from the darkness to collect Avery, while Ryan and Achilles both leaped and saved Amanda from falling further. Once their group had reunited, Ryan looked down towards the cavern. The lights were flashing wildly.
"I don't like this" Amanda nervously chattered.
"Now, neither do I" Ryan admitted. "But it's the only way we can go forward." He took a deep breath and crawled into the now bitterly cold cavern below them. When Ryan emerged into the cove, he saw that a massive series of crystals hung from the ceiling of the cave were shaking wildly from the last shakeup. Some of the more loose ones fell into the reflecting pool just below them. Ryan looked down into the water. There was something down there, alright, but with the crystals swinging as wildly as they were, he could not determine with clear accuracy who or what it was.
Finally, the form shot out of the water and fired an Ice Beam directly at the crystals, freezing them into place and causing the room to again brighten. A familiar growl and grumble made all of Ryan's uncertainty melt away. A massive Walrein hobbled out of the water, his fat body jiggling as he surveyed his new playground. He looked up on the ledge and barked playfully at the newcomers.
"TUSKER!" Ryan cried. He again sprinted on the icy path, sliding only once before landing by his Pokemon. The Walrein hopped over to him and barked again at him. Ryan happily hugged his Ice Pokemon. "Oh, buddy. I'm just glad you're okay." The Walrein barked a response that Ryan was hopeful was him also being happy to be reunited.
Achilles landed nearby and probed the Pokemon for what he was saying. It would seem that Tusker is more than happy to see us. As if sensing what Ryan was going to say next, the Gallade shook his head sadly. He too, like the rest of us, is tethered to life but for this reunion. It would seem the pain in his heart for losing you has helped your Pokemon come to their senses.
The Walrein sadly grumbled towards Ryan, before licking him with a surprisingly warm tongue. Ryan pet his Walrein on his head, tussling it as Michael had done his own hair so many times. "Don't feel bad, bud. I'm just glad knowing you're okay." He reached onto his belt and plucked off his Walrein's Poke Ball. "Listen, Tusker. We're in the middle of a very dangerous mission. We have to stop Mewtwo. Simba and Terra have already signed on. Do you think you can help me one more time?" Tusker the Walrein clapped his fins and barked proudly before assuming position. Ryan tossed his Poke Ball casually at the Walrein, snaring it quickly. As Ryan took up the Ball, he looked to the last one that he held on his person. The only one that was still missing the Pokemon that went inside. "Sparks..."
"He's bound to be here" Avery said reassuringly. "Don't give up."
"Hopefully he has better sense than to be stuck in the cave like this" Amanda shivered. But she paused her shivering when she noticed where the cove led. Another tunnel, but this one was just as bright with shining crystals as the cove had been. "Look! It's beautiful. And I think it's the only way we can go for now."
"I'm game" Avery laughed.
"Then let's see what this crystal cave has to offer" Ryan winked to his friends as he and Achilles led the way.