When Addison opened her eyes, she was nearly scorched by a stray Fire Blast coming from the skies. She leaped out of the way as the flames engulfed the grassy area around her. Her eyes darted in every which direction she could have them. The battle was in full force. Pokemon and trainers from both sides were engulfed in a struggle over the freedom of Arcana.
People who had been nothing but memories to her just seconds earlier were right by her side in the fracas. Big Mike, Tori, Greg and so many others were fighting as if the nightmare of Mewtwo's schemes hadn't come to pass.
Because it hasn't! Galatea cried. Lucas did it!
"We did it" Addison assured her friend. "All of us. But now, we have to see if this was the right moment of not." She looked around as to her location, primarily focusing on where she was. She stepped aside as she saw Holly Queensbury taking her brother and his Donphan off the battlefield and towards the infirmary. Though she was saddened to find that she could not prevent the severe injury the boy had endured at the mauling of Houndooms, she knew that people were going to be hurt regardless of the outcome of if she succeeded. Tommy would ultimately not be alone in the infirmary.
She glanced Matthew taking off into the skies to combat the Pokemon giving Mark and Lizzie a hard time. Her heart was joyous at seeing her friend unharmed, but she knew she could not relish the moment. Not yet. She had work to do.
From out of the corner of her eye, she spotted him. The Black Knight looming atop one of the Crag Hills, staring down at her as the warzone engulfed this once otherwise peaceful area. Knowing time was of the essence, she made her way up the hill to confront him. Rather than engage him in a war of words or arms, she had an alternative plan in mind. One where she hoped she would be able to fix everything that went wrong. She walked up to him, Rosemary's scepter gleaming in her hand as the Knight finally addressed her.
"I see you have exponential power, Mage. More than my Master even anticipated." Her beloved Ryan held out his arms, the tonfas on his arms glowing with the power of flames as they had once before. "But as you can see, I have reached levels you could only dream of. You are indeed powerful, but you are not a challenge to him yet."
"This is where it ends, Knight!" she growled. Without waiting a second for the Knight to retort, she moved quickly. She used her and Galatea's combined telekinetic powers to subdue the Knight. His limbs restricted themselves, forcing him into an at attention stance like a rookie in military boot camp. He was clearly struggling to free himself, but Addison would not allow it.
"Urgh! You! What do you-"
"Somewhere, deep down inside all of that hate" she began as she moved closer to the Knight, "is the boy I swore I would spend the rest of my life with. I don't care what Mewtwo did to turn you against me, but I'll fight to keep you safe. Because I made a promise! A promise to plunge into the darkness and bring you out of it!" She was finally right in front of him, her eyes showing her intent.
The Knight made one last attempt to free himself, his limbs seemingly glued to his torso. "You wouldn't dare-"
She grabbed his helmet and threw it aside. She then ripped his mask right off of his face, showing her the face she had always adored. She took his cheeks into her hands and planted a kiss right onto his lips. She refused to move away from him. Not to breathe, not to do anything. She would break through to him. She absolutely had to. After several seconds, she let go of her telekinetic grip on him, her face still pressed against his own. To her joy, Ryan did not resist her. The two were sharing a kiss. One Addison was sure she would tell their children about in the future.
{}
From inside the Throne Room back on Mirage Island, Courtney and The Grand Master oversaw the events transpiring in Arcana via the Singularity. The war they had been dreaming of was finally at hand and the intense battling could only further drain Arcana of strength to oppose their regime. In his haste to try and overcome them, her precious Michael Kingston will have brought about Arcana's ultimate defeat. All they needed was for the Black Knight to deal with the White Mage in his own order. A feat which Courtney still doubted.
"Master" she inquired, "could it be possible that the Knight isn't ready for this?"
I can sense that The Mage's power is impeccable. I must say, I did not expect Addison Tenton to be capable of such feats. A truly impressive human if not for her arrogance. But the resolve of the Knight to destroy her is equally strong. Who would have guessed hatred could run so deeply?
Courtney nodded. He was right. After all, she personally had it practically implanted into the head of the Black Knight that he was their ultimate weapon of war. The Master giving him the Mark of the Singularity did the rest of the job for her. The Knight was the ultimate weapon. A combination of man and Pokemon. Fueled by nothing but a bitter hatred and rage. When one was in such a rampage, could even uncommon traits as Addison's triumph over him? "Besides, Master. If he does fail, you can sweep that little tramp aside like it was nothing." She giggled, hoping the Master would enjoy her brown nosing, but he did not.
The Master did not return her remark. She sensed his mood had changed dramatically. She looked up to him as a look of pure shock came over his face. His eyes flashed open and he fell backwards, almost out of the throne he had made for himself. NO! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!
She was about to question his worries, when she felt a disturbance somewhere in the lower levels of the Syndicate Base. It was an all too familiar encompassing feeling of light lurking just out of her sight. It's power was small, but it was growing. And rapidly. "Cresselia? But that's-how did-"
The Master's rage caused the lanterns that adorned his Throne Room to explode. The flames inside of them danced around until they extinguished themselves. HOW? HOW COULD SHE HAVE KNOWN?!
"Master" she remarked. "We have a problem, here!"
Forget whatever problems vex you! he demanded of her. We have a much greater crisis at hand! Addison Tenton has reached into the Knight's heart and found Ryan Kingston!
"You broke him" Courtney remarked in shock. "This is...this is bizarre!"
Mewtwo glared down at her. GET THE CLONES READY! WE NEED TO MAKE OUR MOVE NOW! THAT WRETCHED MAGE HAS BROKEN MY HOLD OVER THE KNIGHT! PREPARE FOR BATTLE IMMEDIATELY, COMMANDER! In a sound of thunderous fury. Mewtwo vanished out of sight, prompting Courtney to rush to make sure their Clones were ready. But now, Courtney realized they were in a very precarious situation. If she let Cresselia gain power unabated, she might be able to waken all of the trainers put under the Dark Void nearly eight months earlier. But if she went to stop Cresselia, who was to say that this little Mage didn't have the power to beat them after all? She had to act the only way she knew how: doing as the Master ordered while also focusing on her own desires. She would help the Master obliterate this little shrew who had dared to defy them and she would secure Michael Kingston as her own. With new resolve, she rushed to prepare the clones for war.
{}
When the two came apart, Addison watched as Ryan stumbled backwards, falling onto his rear end in both a daze and complete confusion. She took her breaths in, slowly and deeply to ensure she wouldn't fall over herself. She would still be needed for this battle, after all. When she noticed he was beginning to come to, she knelt down beside him and threw her arms around him.
"Ugh...ergh...who?" he grumbled.
"Ryan!" she cried, burying her head into his torso. "I did it! I saved you! Like I promised you I would." She looked up at him with teary eyes, even as his did not look at her, as if he were still in a trance. "I promised you I would come back for you. And I always will. You never have to feel like that again, Ryan! I am never going to leave you again!" She felt someone flying down to check on her and her heart nearly leaped when she heard his voice.
"Uh, Addy?" the King asked. "Are you making out with the Black Knight?"
Addison pulled her head out of the way and looked up at Michael. "Look! It's him! It's Ryan!"
Michael knelt down and was in complete awe. "It's not possible. How did-"
"I'll explain it later" she replied happily. "We'll get through to him, one way or another. He's going to come home with us!"
Michael smiled, a tear forming in his eye. "Ryan. Buddy. It's us." But while Addison was completely mesmerized by his return, Michael knew better than to ignore the battle that was forming around them. And the rumbling of the clouds above them. He grabbed Addison's arm. "We have to go!"
"NO!" she argued. "I JUST GOT HIM BACK! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME LOSE HIM AGAIN!"
Michael yanked her up and dove out of the way as a bolt of lightning struck the ground where the two had been standing. The two recovered in time to see the form of Mewtwo appear in front of them, bringing the battle to a grinding halt. Syndicate Goons paused at the sight of their almighty Master, while the defenders of Arcana took a moment to recuperate. Michael helped Addison back to her feet as the two glared down Mewtwo.
To say that the mighty genetic Pokemon was apoplectic would be an understatement. He was beside himself with complete and unrelenting hatred. His eyes glared down at the two of them as he cursed Ryan for being drained by a mere kiss. YOU! YOU WRETCHED LITTLE SHREW! HOW DARE YOU?!
"You're the one who tried to turn Ryan against us!" Addison spat back. "Maybe you should explain yourself!"
I OWE YOU NOTHING! Mewtwo sent a powerful Shadow Ball directly at her, but Addison batted it aside with her scepter. Michael whistled for Rhaegar, who flew into a Dragon Rush that forced Mewtwo backwards, but he used his Psychic powers to push the Dragonite off of him. I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU FOOLS TO IMPEDE MY WORK AGAIN!
"Looks to me like we already did" Michael mocked. "You aren't as powerful as you thought you were, oh mighty Master."
Mewtwo looked like he was about to explode in rage. NO HUMAN WILL DARE TREAT ME AS SUCH! He then raised his hands and sent a wickedly powerful Thunderbolt down at Michael. Addison stepped in front of it, blocking it with her scepter, drawing in it's power instead of deflecting it. Realizing he was being used as a lightning rod, Mewtwo grunted in rage. Fine! I will allow you to have this momentary joy! But allow me to ruin it! He raised his hand and sent a pulse of dark energy into the skies. Several bolts of lightning fell on the battlefield, resulting in more portals opening. Addison gulped as she saw the same clones from before charging out of the smoky portals, resulting in the Beta and Gamma groups rushing into the fray almost immediately to engage them.
I will remedy this situation, immediately! You all can face your destiny in Oblivion! Mewtwo used his telekinetic powers to snare Ryan in his grasp. Ryan, who was struggling to determine who was his friend and who wasn't, was trying to squirm free from his grasp. This one seems to need a bit of rehabilitation! He'll be back when he remembers who's the master here!
"RYAN!" Addison cried out. She lunged forward to rescue him, but Mewtwo and his captive vanished into the darkness. She rose to her feet and prepared to try and follow them to Mirage Island, but Michael's hand on her shoulder stopped her. "But Michael-"
He shook his head. "We need to finish the job here, first."
She was about to argue, but she begrudgingly nodded in agreement. "You're right. We'll find him when we've dealt with the uninvited guests."
Michael remounted Rhaegar and grinned down at her. "Now you're getting it." He then took off into the skies to resume the aerial battle.
Addison tried to focus on the battle, but found a massive and angry Copperajah horde stampeding towards her. Knowing that neither her Fairy or Psychic powers would work well on the Steel Pokemon, she prepared to run for it. But before she could, she saw Greg's Rhyperior Bulldoze most of the herd down and pummeling them into submission. Some managed to break free and continue their rampage, while others continued to move more rapidly. One in particular eyed Addison and bounded down towards her, intent on crushing her in it's wake.
She prepared to counter the mighty Pokemon, but a Machamp leaped in front of her and grabbed the Copperajah by it's tusk, launching it backwards several hundred feet. Big Mike hurried over to her and patted her on the shoulder. "Steel doesn't break so easily, Milady! Let me handle these beasts! You go and help the others out a bit!"
"Can do!" Addison replied cheerily. She hurried down into the fray to assist her friends more as Big Mike and his Machamp went to war with the Copperajah herd. A few stray trainers and Pokemon tried to get in her way, but she simply used either a Psychic or a Fairy Wind to blast them aside. She desperately looked for a friend to help, discovering Holly and Olivia trying desperately to fend off a wave of six Arboks encircling them. The vicious reptiles coiled for the strike as Olivia's Clefable prepared to withstand their poisonous fangs.
Two Arboks struck early, with one narrowly missing using a Crunch attack on Holly's Roserade, while the other succeeded in wrapping it's coils around her. As Holly squirmed in it's grasp, Addison made her move. She used a Psychic attack to ragdoll two of the Arboks that had not attacked yet. The Clefable countered with a Meteor Mash that managed to help Holly free herself. As she broke free from their coils, she then used an Extrasensory attack that managed to repel two more, leaving only one Arbok left to deal with. The Clefable then used a well timed Double Slap to knock the Arbok backwards.
Addison rushed forward and embraced Holly, causing the girl to laugh. "Is everything okay?"
"I'm just glad you're safe!" Addison exclaimed.
"Of course I am" her friend giggled. "It's only been five minutes or so."
Addison paused and sadly smiled. She would never know what Addison did. To have seen everyone she knew and loved turned to stone. The sight alone would haunt her for many years. But for now, she would enjoy whatever time she had with her friends. "Yeah. But still. We are friends. We have to look out for one another."
"LOOK OUT!" Olivia screamed. She pushed Addison to the ground. Addison recovered in time and shrieked in horror. The Arbok that the Clefable had slapped aside recovered and prepared to bear it's fangs and dig them into Addison in an attack. Olivia's lone act of bravery caused the poisonous fangs to dig into her side. As Olivia fell over in pain, Addison slammed her scepter into the head of the Pokemon before using another Psychic attack to launch it and the rest of the attacking Arboks into the flames in the distance.
She fell down to Olivia's side as she winced in pain. "They got me" she cursed. "They got me good."
"You've been poisoned" Holly said sadly. "You should get off the battlefield and-"
Olivia waved her off. "No. I have to keep fighting! I owe it to someone I love."
"Your son?" Addison asked.
Olivia smiled, even as the pain ripped at her insides through the poisoning. "Fine. Two people I love." She then limped back into the fray, with her Clefable constantly trying to heal her with gifts of moves like Softboiled and Milk Drink.
"If she doesn't get treatment soon" Holly worriedly commented, "she might not make it."
Addison sighed. "It's her choice to make. I'm sure she knows her tolerance levels better than we do." She then looked to her friend. "How is Tommy?"
Holly turned away. "Jenna didn't like what she saw. She's cleaning him up, but those-those monsters!"
Addison took her friend's hand and held it. "Don't worry. We'll finish the job here and then go and check on him!"
Holly nodded. "As The Mage commands."
"Let's go find Matt!" The two, having survived the hell of war once, were now determined to do so again. If they found Matthew and reunited, they would stick this thing out and leave the rest of the fighting to Michael and his Elite Four. Addison's showdown to save Ryan and destroy Mewtwo would come later. Arm in arm, the two raced back into the battlefield.
{}
In lockstep with each other, Cameron Kingston and Cynthia led the Beta Group into battle upon seeing the horde of Mewtwo's Clones coming down upon them. Having spent weeks training together, the two now knew how the other functioned and what was better for them. And it was proving to be quite a powerful command group. When Cynthia unleashed her Garchomp on some unsuspecting Syndicate Goons, Cameron led her brother and Cynthia in a three vs one assault on a Clone of a Metagross. Cynthia's Garchomp would use a well timed Earthquake to rattle the Metagross, while Chris's Blazekin named Chocobo would use a Blaze Kick to knock it backwards and Cameron's Lucario would use one well placed Aura Sphere to finish the job. This continued with any clones that just happened to belong to Hoenn's former Champion in Steven Stone, an idea that she could tell her brother relished in.
"It's like beating that pretty boy jerk all over again!" he exclaimed. "WOO HOO!"
"You know, you can stop gloating at any time" Cynthia teased.
"The only reason I will is that he officially can't steal Piper from me now!"
Cameron rolled her eyes. "Why? Because Piper can't choose for herself?"
"I mean she can" her brother reasoned. "But I doubt she'd want to go through all the messy divorce paperwork."
"Divorce?" Cameron gasped. "WAIT! DID YOU TWO GET MARRIED?!"
"Piper Pines-Kingston" Chris bragged. "OH ARCEUS, I LOVE THAT NAME!"
"AND WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME?!" Cameron snarled. "Your own sister?!"
Chris gulped. "Oops. I guess only Katrina knows since she was our witness."
"YOU PICKED KATRINA OVER ME?!"
"Can we talk about this later?!" Cynthia demanded. "We've got more company!"
Cameron thumbed her nose at her brother as a horde of Tauros raged their way towards them. "Go take care of your wife, Chris! Cynthia and I have this sector locked down!" Not waiting for her brother, Cameron sent Ryo the Lucario into the fray, allowing him free usage of Force Palms and Aura Spheres while Cynthia's Garchomp used Dragon Rush to slam down the incoming horde. When the bulk of them had either been defeated or steered away, Cameron glared back to where her brother had been, but he was long gone. "Stupid jerk!"
"Don't you hate weddings?" Cynthia joked. "I think I saw you once at Jon and Annie's and I even offered to meet you there."
"This is still my brother!" Cameron hissed.
"Be that as it may-" Cynthia began, before another swarm of Pokemon appeared out of the smoky portals Mewtwo had left open. The two turned to face an incoming Waillord and a handful of Gyarados rampaging their ways into the battle. The Wailord unleashed a massive Water Spout that singlehandedly wiped out an entire group of Kingston defenders. Putting her serious face on, Cynthia prepared to make her move on the Wailord to prevent further damage being done to their morale. But before she could set up a game plan with Cameron, the two spotted a Staraptor flying at the Wailord with incredible speed.
"WHAT IS SHE DOING?!" Cameron exclaimed as she saw Dawn flying straight for the enormous Water Pokemon.
They watched as Dawn called out her precious Luxray, who unleashed as strong a Thunder as it could. The blow struck home for the Wailord, who flipped over on it's side and collapsed, causing immense damage to the forests. As Dawn recalled her Luxray and flew back around, saluting the women as she did, Cynthia proudly shook her head. "That girl. Just like her father."
Cameron grinned. "I guess there isn't much she can learn from us anymore, is there?"
Cynthia shook her head. "She's eclipsed me by her age. Now all that's left for her to do is become a Champion."
Cameron nodded. "She'll get there. I don't think there's a thing anyone can do to stop her at this rate." She paused when she noticed the flames getting bigger and grander in a nearby area. She raced up the hill to see what was going on. To her delight and fueling her anger inside, Cameron saw a Magmortar scorching the woods and causing trees to fall on a few Arcana Police Force members nearby. She clenched her fists. "Courtney!"
Cynthia grabbed her arm. "Cameron!"
"Don't try to stop me!" she hissed.
The golden haired beauty sighed. "I wasn't going to. I just...let's do this together."
"I was about to say that" she replied. Cameron called out her Salamence, Azure, to fly them closer to Courtney's location. She pulled Cynthia along behind her and the Dragon took off into the skies. At his trainer's command, Azure blasted down several clones that were assisting in Courtney's campaign of terror. Courtney looked up to the heavens and saw them, giggling as she always did. Cameron piloted her Salamence down and leaped off of his back. "Azure! Go and help the others. Make me proud!" As her Salamence took back off, she and Cynthia stared down Courtney.
The Team Magma Admin stared them down. "I was beginning to think you two reprobates would never seek me out. It's no fun scorching these inexperienced mall cops down."
Cameron's Lucario was out in seconds, her eyes burning with anger. "I've waited a long time for this!"
Cynthia was by her side, her Garchomp out to compliment Ryo. "So have I!"
"Sorry, girls" Courtney mockingly laughed. "But this time. I can't leave you alive. I'm going to destroy the both of you, roots and all. The only light you'll have to look forward to seeing is the light of Arceus's Realm!" She sent out a Talonflame and her trusted Magmortar to fight on her behalf. The Talonflame used Flare Blitz on the Lucario immediately, while the Magmortar rained it's Lava Plume attack all around the field. The Garchomp attempted to use a Rock Slide to counter the attacking Magmortar, but the flames had made the rocks hard to lift up. Ryo dodged the Flare Blitz and sent a Bone Rush of it's own towards the Magmortar. Ryo and Cynthia's Garchomp succeeded in double teaming the Magmortar. The Magmortar looked to his trainer for assistance.
Mewtwo's second in command whistled for her Talonflame, who almost boomeranged back to her and slammed hard into the Garchomp with a Brave Bird attack. The Garchomp fell backwards and landed on top of Cynthia, but not before Ryo the Lucario could grab the Talonflame by it's throat and used Iron Head to slam it down to the ground in submission. Cameron cursed Courtney's name as her Magmortar and Ryo clashed, while Cynthia desperately tried to get back into the fight.
Courtney savored the moment. "Now this looks familiar, doesn't it Cameron? Where have we seen this before?" She mockingly put her finger up to her cheek as if deep in thought. "Let me think. Hmmmm."
"Shut up!" Cameron hissed as her Lucario and Magmortar clashed. Her Lucario dodged another Lava Plume and used Bone Rush to knock the Magmortar back. Cynthia was grunting in pain as her dazed Pokemon's sharp fins now seemed to be digging into her skin.
A spark of evil flashed in Courtney's eyes. "Oh yes! I remember. This was like when I tricked you into helping me eliminate Giselle, wasn't it?"
Cameron snarled. "SHUT UP!"
{}
With the Clones on the rampage all around them, Chris was doing his best to ensure that Piper was looked after while also maintaining his own battling prowess. After all, he was one of their best trainers. He needed to be on guard, to protect both himself and his wife from battle. Of course, spending more time with Piper made him feel better, but the less she knew of how much he was protecting her, the better. She had a temper, that one.
Though, from the outset, she didn't seem to need him as much. Her Tsareena was doing a fine enough job taking down the Cloned Pokemon and any of the Syndicate Goons that came their way. In fact, it was almost a game to her. He had to admire how much she had improved since he and she had begun training before the Pokemon World Tournament. She was almost a natural at battling. But he could see in her eyes that something was bothering her. Realizing she might need him more emotionally than physically at the moment, Chris sent his Chocobo forward to use a series of Blaze Kicks to knock down the Magnezones that had surrounded the Tsareena and chased them off. Piper did not immediately say anything to him, but elected to once their situation had calmed down and Chocobo returned unharmed.
"I didn't need your help" she declare proudly
"Not physically" Chris assured his wife. "I meant emotionally."
"If you're trying to insinuate that we-" Her face went beet red. "It's in the middle of a battle!"
"NOT LIKE THAT!" he shouted. before leaning in to whisper to her. "But if you mean it..."
She pushed him playfully. "No, that's not what I meant!" She looked around at the people, their Pokemon and the hundreds of clones tearing each other apart and she frowned. "Why does it have to be this way? These clones should want to live their own lives. Not fight like this!"
Chris put his hand on her shoulder as they observed Adrian Fouritz and Kevin Tress double team a Haxorus that had been cloned with their Tyrantrum and Armaldo respectively. The Pokemon were vicious, tearing each other apart as if there was no remorse from either side. "Remember, Pipe. These clones all have Mewtwo's hate inside of them. They don't get the free will that we let our Pokemon have. Mewtwo is forcing us to do this."
She shook her head. "It's just not fair."
"I agree, but if you and I want to have a future beyond this battlefield, we need to keep going."
Piper beamed up at him. "Then I guess we should keep going, then."
"I'd welcome it" a voice called from behind them. Atop his Mudsdale, Jack Duon rode into the fray and looked to his cousin and his bride. "Not for nothing, but it would be nice to have two highly potent trainers like you fighting instead of observing it like a couple in their final days. I've got twenty years on you and even I don't even do that!" His Mudsdale stomped his hooves angrily as he eyed an incoming horde of Tauros. "Looks like we've got some company!"
"Didn't Cam and Cynthia already send these things packing?" Chris grumbled.
His wife called over to her Tsareena, who leaped in front of her trainer to protect her. "Ask later. Battle now!"
"Let's go, Chocobo! Low Sweep!"
"Mudsdale! Bulldoze!"
"Tsareena! Trop Kick!"
The three Pokemon moved in unison as the stampede of Tauros thundered down on them. Piper's Tsareena managed to knock a few of the herd into one another, grinding the horde to a halt. Jack's Mudsdale trampled over the Tauros, with Chris surprised that his cousin's Pokemon was bigger and stronger than those Tauros that Mewtwo personally cloned. Chocobo used a Low Sweep attack that knocked a Tauros over and had it crash right next to the Tsareena, who proceeded to kick it back towards the rest of the herd. In a frenzy, the Tauros herd snorted and charged again. Jack managed to hold his own, kicking a few that tried to attack him down while his Mudsdale continued to trample over the others in his way.
Chris and Piper were not as fortunate. While their Pokemon leaped out of the way for their own safety, Chris was immediately tackled and thrown to the ground by the rampaging Pokemon. He tried to roll out of the way and find his wife, only for another to ram right into him. He rubbed the pain away in his chest, only for his hand to return red. "Oh. Blood. Goody."
A scream immediately drew his attention. He leaped up into the air and saw Piper dodging the Tauros with all of the nimble speed she could muster. But as the last charging one turned around to attack again, Chris felt his heart stop. Piper managed to leap out of the way, but her belt caught onto the horn of the Tauros. Her body was violently jerked backwards as the Pokemon dragged her towards the rampaging battle just in front of them. Chris leaped for her hand and nearly grabbed it, but another Tauros trampled over him, kicking him in the face. Chris could only watch in terror as his wife disappeared into the smoke and flames.
"PIPER!" he roared. He stumbled back to his feet to rejoin the fight, but Jack stopped him.
"Chris! We need you to help command!" his cousin warned him.
"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU NEED!" he spat back as he tried to call out his Charizard to begin an aerial search for her. Jack grabbed his wrist and lowered it. Chris had half a mind to punch his cousin in the face. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"CHRIS?!" Jack yelled at him. "I understand how much she means to you, but we need you here to help command. With your sister and Cynthia missing and both the King and Commander Jon on the battlefield, command falls to you! We need to focus on reorganizing our lines and-"
"HANG THEM ALL! I'M GOING TO SAVE MY WIFE!"
Jack did everything he could to keep him in place. "Everything hinges on these next few minutes, Chris! We're not out of the woods, yet. The clones may overpower us or Courtney may make her move! We need to be prepared!" When Chris almost managed to wrench himself free, Jack stepped in front of him and stared him down. "What do you think Piper would do if she were in your position?"
Chris's anger became restrained at this, but he was still deeply horrified for Piper. He looked beyond into the sea of flames, smoke, debris and fallen clones, Pokemon and trainers alike and cursed under his breath, shaking violently as he knew he had to let her go for the moment. "She would keep up the fight." He then turned a threatening finger towards his mother's nephew. "If I find her, promise me you won't stop me again!"
Jack sighed and nodded. "I see more of my Aunt in you every single day." The two men then joined forces to rejoin the battle and hopefully not find a mangled bride.
{}
Amanda didn't know what to be more surprised by: either the fact that they were so close to actually getting Cresselia to full power to wake up the slumbering captives here on Mirage Island or by the fact that Mewtwo or Courtney were not there trying to stop them. Something must have gone horribly wrong in Arcana for him to be so focused on it and not on what was transpiring right under his nose. Despite her giddiness for something right happening for once, she knew to keep it all in until something happened for sure. Even at full power, it might take Cresselia a bit of time to waken all of the trainers. After all, it had taken days to wake her and Chris up.
There was one other thought that was vexing her, but it was Professor Wong who asked Avery the question. "So Avery, how do we get these trainers to Arcana to help in time?"
Avery winked. "There are ways to get off of the island that even Mewtwo doesn't know. It's going to take a lot of will, particularly from me, but I think I can manage it."
Amanda noticed that Avery was less than confident in herself at the last words she spoke, but knew not to say more on the matter. She glanced over to Cresselia, who's glow now shined throughout the entire chamber. "I think Cresselia's ready to go."
"Now, all we need to do is make sure the Harvesting Machine will release them" Avery answered. "Are any of you good with computers?"
Helen raised her hand. "I think I am. What do you need me to do?"
"Head to the machine and wait until I say go. When I do, I need you to punch in the following code: #XVC-000150. That is the emergency release hatch. All of these trainers will be released." She walked up to Darkrai and Cresselia, speaking tenderly to the both of them. Amanda did not know what she was saying, but both Pokemon seemed saddened by her words. Nevertheless, Darkrai resumed his protection of the group while Cresselia floated up towards the pods, it's bright light shining all around her. "You ready, Professor Wong?"
Wong nodded. "Ready!"
"Cresselia! Bathe them with Light!"
Amanda folded her hands. "Please let this work!"
As Professor Wong punched in the emergency code to release all of the trainers from their pods, Cresselia shined brightly, blinding the young Professor temporarily and forcing her to shield her eyes with her arms. After about thirty seconds, the light faded and Amanda felt safe enough to open her eyes. The hatches all unlocked and the trainers, some of them more droopy than others, fell onto the ground just beneath their former prison. Others, whom Amanda had recognized either from when they visited Michael during his time as Champion or from hearing about them, woke up and acted as if nothing had happened.
"Man, that was some nap!" Iris of Unova exclaimed, stretching her long, nimble body, he thick purple hair shaking itself loose.
"I was having such a lovely dream, too" Caitlin of Unova yawned. "Can't we go back to sleep?"
"All you cretins think about is sleep" a burly man with a strange matching eyebrow and mustache set grumbled as he climbed up to where his saviors had come. He addressed them with a boisterous laugh. "Well I'll be. A few little ladies saved us. You have the thanks of Gonzap and the rest of Team Snagem."
"Did we get sent back to the ship?" Serena of Kalos inquired as she was helped to the level by her 'knight' Calem. "I hope so. I need to find my-"
"Sissah!" a voice called out. Serena spun around and embraced her little sister.
"Good to see things are just as confusing as before" Lance of Johto responded.
"Hey, Lance!" Steven Stone spoke up as he crawled up behind the Johto League's Champion. "We never got our match."
"Did you already forget this whole Tournament was a trap?" Wallace of Sootopolis City demanded.
Amanda was trying to keep up with everyone as they climbed back up and got out of their daze and confusion, but paused when she saw a familiar face scrambling up to their side. Though it was not a face she was giddy to see, she relented when she realized any trainers would truly help. "Giselle!"
Giselle Odelia pushed herself up onto the same railed ledge that Amanda and the others were on. She eyed Amanda and nodded. "Good to see you're not dead. Won't Billy be glad to know that?!" Amanda blushed, but Giselle said no more. "Don't worry. I'm not here to tease. I know we've got work to do." She whistled down below. "Auntie Giselle is still babysitting against her will! Jeremy, Annette! Let's go!"
Amanda almost wept at the sight of Jeremy Lockhart and Annette Fiveroux crawling upwards, with Jeremy sliding in first before taking Annette's hand and helping her all the way up. Both trainers were elated to see Amanda was safe. "AMANDA!" Both trainers flung their arms around her, hugging her tightly
"Long time, guys" she replied. She noticed Avery ducking the two of them, no doubt from guilt over her actions.
Professor Wong made her way through the heavy crowds and got to Amanda's side. "We need to get their attention! Remember: Arcana needs us!"
Amanda gently tapped Annette and Jeremy to let her go so that she could call them to attention. "Excuse me!" she called, but her voice was being drowned out. "Everyone! Can I have your attention please?"
"CAN IT YOU INSECTS!" Giselle snarled, prompting the entire group to silence. She then gave way to Amanda. "All yours, Miss Fouritz."
"Thanks, I guess." Amanda cleared her throat. "Listen, everyone. I know how confused you all must be and I'd be happy to help fill you guys in on whatever you guys might need. But right now, we're in an extremely dire situation."
"Who are you?" a voice called out.
"She's pretty, Bro!"
"I'm not battling another Kingston just because you have a crush, Bryce."
"WOULD YOU SHUT UP?!" a man demanded, prompting more side talk to quiet. Amanda spotted a man in a blue trench coat with silver hair nodding to her. "Keep going."
Amanda smiled desperately. "My name is Amanda Fouritz. I am the Junior Professor under Maria Pines in Arcana. I'm sure all of you know that the World Tournament was hijacked by some evil people. The Syndicate, chiefly Mewtwo and Courtney, are the ones who did it. They tried to sideline all of you to allow them to take over the world unopposed."
"Mewtwo?" Annette shuddered. "How did he get out?"
"That dummy Cameron betrayed us all!" Giselle hissed.
"So what happens now?" the man who helped Amanda asked.
"I need your help" Amanda begged. "The world needs your help. Right now, Mewtwo and his forces are attacking Arcana. If he wins, there is no one left to stop Mewtwo from enacting his plans to wipe out mankind and the Pokemon who fight with them."
"Arcana?" a voice snarled. "Forget it! We need to get home!"
"How long has it been since we were home?" Iris asked Amanda. "I mean, we do have things to do, you know. Loved ones to take care of, regions to defend."
"It's been seven months" Professor Wong explained.
Lance strode to the front of the group and addressed Professor Wong respectfully. "Thank you, Professor. But, seeing as how it's been seven months of us being away from our families and homes, I think it's time we got back there." He gestured to everyone to begin to move. "We need to move, people!"
"But guys!" Jeremy exclaimed. "We need your help!"
"Sorry kid, but we've got our own people to worry about. What chaos is unfolding in Johto now that we've been gone?"
Amanda gulped. "No! Please! Come back!"
Giselle grabbed Amanda's arm. "How bad are we talking? This battle, I mean."
"Yeah" Annette asked. "Is everyone okay?"
"Not if Mewtwo wins" Amanda answered. "Everyone will fall. I don't even think Michael can stop them."
Giselle grinned. "Leave it to me." She rose up and shouted to the group. "A fine group of people you are. Turning your backs on your friend when he needs you the most."
This caused the group to pause. Lance was the first to address her. "What's this? Who are you talking about?"
"Lance" she hissed, "who was it that stopped Team Rocket from taking over Goldenrod City's Radio Tower?"
The Dragon Master replied in confusion. "Mark Lionel and Michael Kingston, but what does-"
Giselle turned to Steven Stone next. "And you? Mr. High and Mighty Hoenn Boss. Who was it that prevented all of Meteor Falls from collapsing in on itself when Hunter tried to destroy it in search of Jirachi?"
Steven turned to her and sighed. "Michael Kingston."
She pointed to Iris. "Hey, Miss Dragon Queen! Who was the one who mentored you about being a Champion? I can assure you it wasn't the Old Man, Alder!"
"Was that really necessary?" a middle-aged man with spiky scarlet hair asked.
Iris held her hand to her heart. "Michael Kingston."
Giselle looked to the man who had helped Amanda and winced. "Do I even need to ask how close you and he were, Wes?"
Amanda gasped. "Wes? The Hero from Orre?"
Wes folded his arms and looked down contemplatively. Giselle continued her tirade. "I can keep going, but I don't think I will. I can think of stories off the top of my head for every one of you who runs a region or a Pokemon League in the world. Leon, Diance, all of you! Everyone of you here has been touched in some way, shape or form by Michael. And do you know why you all got to meet him?" She pointed to herself. "Me. I'm the reason. I did horrible, evil things to that boy and got him exiled from Arcana. He wouldn't have been in Johto for the Rocket Takeover of Radio Tower if it weren't for what we did to him! He would never have met any of you if I wasn't such a vindictive and cruel person to someone who only ever loved me." She glared at all of them. "But that won't stop me from going back to Arcana to help him! This isn't some run of the mill tournament or bad guy, people! This is Mewtwo! There isn't much worse than him! The macho, supreme bad guy! How can all of you claim to be such friends of this man if you're all so willing to let him die?!"
While some in the group were still unsure, the Leaders of each Region looked down in shame. No one dared to utter a word in defiance or contradiction. Amanda took the opportunity to continue. "It's not just Michael fighting there. Cynthia of Sinnoh, Mark Lionel, Lizzie West, the rest of the Kingstons and down to the small little Tommy Queensbury. People of all shapes and sizes in Arcana are fighting for everyone's safety. If they fall, you can kiss the rest of the world goodbye. No one will be safe if they lose!" She fell onto her knees. "Please!"
Wes pushed up to the front of the group and eyed Amanda with surprisingly gentle eyes. "I've had to bail Michael out of quite a few scraps back in the day. And he's returned the favor in more ways than one." He glared at the others and held his fist in the air. "Unless you think Michael Kingston wasn't worth knowing, you'd better be going with us to Arcana!"
Iris nodded. "Yeah. He and I are friends."
"You never forget people like him" the actress Diance responded gently.
"I won't have my friend's blood on my hands!" Lance growled. "And neither will any part of Johto or Kanto!"
"Then what are we waiting for?" Steven Stone insisted.
Avery Frost walked over to the front of the group and held out her hand. "Okay everyone. I have a way of getting you back home. It's going to take a lot of my-"
Caitlin let out a loud yawn. "Oh my. Can't we take the portal down the hall and to the left?"
"The what?"
"The portal down the hall to the left" she repeated. "I saw it in a dream. Mewtwo used that portal to send his Clones to destroy Arcana. We can likely use it for ourselves if we want."
"Caitlin, you magnificent genius!" Iris exclaimed. "I knew there was a reason I kept you around."
"Sure there was" the woman responded, doing her best not to yawn again.
"Down the hall and to the left" Wes answered proudly. "Let's go!" At once, the massive horde of trainers from all corners of the world raced off and out of the Harvesting Chamber to the rescue of their mutual friend. Amanda and the rest of the Arcanans were about to follow suit, but Avery stopped them.
"Before you all go" Avery said sadly. "There's something I need to tell you."
"What is it?" Annette asked.
"Is everything alright?" Jeremy inquired.
Avery winced. "No. It's not. Because I can't go back there with you."
Professor Wong nearly yelped. "Why not?"
She showed herself to the Professor. "I'm not alive. Remember?"
"But...but we saw you" Annette recalled in disbelief. "We met you and hung out and everything."
Avery frowned. "One day, Addison will tell you the story. But I can't go back with you all without disappearing. And I'm still here. Barely, but I am." She looked up to the skies at Darkrai and Cresselia. "I think I know why I am still here. Ryan needs me."
"Ryan?" Annette gasped. "What happened? Is he okay?
"Why aren't we helping him, too?" Jeremy inquired.
"If you'd stop interrupting" Giselle growled, "she might get around to answering."
Avery's face only drooped more. "Amanda, you and I went here in search of finding a way to reawaken everyone and to save Ryan. We did one part. Now, let me take the rest from here."
"But Ryan was-"
Avery let out a tear. "Ryan's here. But Mewtwo would rather you call him 'The Black Knight'."
Professor Wong cried out. "THAT was Ryan Kingston?"
Avery pushed them all along. "Go on! Get going! You guys need to get to Arcana. I'm sure your friends and family are waiting for you!"
Amanda waited behind as Professor Wong, Giselle, Annette and Jeremy raced off without her. Amanda smiled sadly at Avery. "You know something, Avery? You may have done some bad things in your lifetime. But you're still going to be my friend. Both here in our dreams and in the real world. And it's not because of someone you were pretending to be. It's because of the person you showed me. That is the person I'm sad to see go."
Avery nodded. "Thank you, Amanda."