Pokémon: Links Between Worlds

by TheNMan64

The Crimson Fury story reaches its final climax in this fourth and final chapter of the saga. While a heroine seeks to find a way to reunite with her lost love, she gets entangled with a villainous conspiracy and must join forces with a strange boy from a place far from anywhere she had ever been before: the future. And on top of that, she's got schoolwork! Welcome to Paldea!

3. Chapter 3: Agents of Change

In the many years she had been in Arcana, Lizzie West could not remember the last time she was able to sit around and truly relax. To enjoy things outside of Pokémon Battling and trying to save the world from catastrophe on a daily basis. Being Michael's friend was truly rewarding, but fighting in the battles to save the world was exhausting to be sure. And with all the free time in the world, Lizzie now could do almost anything she wanted. Not fighting wars, not serving in an Elite Four, not even set to become a Gym Leader in Annette's new regime. She was free to do whatever she wanted. Which now was to get back into doing the other most important thing her family was known for: Pokémon Breeding.

Knowing she couldn't rely on the Kingston's to finance her forever, Lizzie took a large percentage of her earnings as a part of Michael's Elite Four and used them to purchase for herself a small cottage on the outskirts of Alchemiburg within which she could resume the Day Care Center she and her grandparents had run years earlier. She would do all the things she loved best, in particular raising a new team of Pokémon for herself and a generation of Pokémon for those trainers who simply did not have the time or patience to do so on their own. As an adult now, Lizzie knew of all the responsibilities of the grown-up world. There wasn't always time to dedicate to every single Pokémon. The world was too complicated for simplicity to become commonplace.

That was where her grandparents came in. Many years before they welcomed their two grandchildren into the world, Freddie and Pearl West were known as the greatest Pokémon Breeders in the entire Hoenn Region. They won contests for their impeccable work, were constantly consulted by the rest of the world's known breeders and were even offered the opportunity to serve as personal breeders to some of the most famous and wealthiest people in the world. However, similarly to their granddaughter, both Pearl and Freddie had no intention of living the lives of celebrities and simply chose to settle down and raise a family, which in turn spread into another generation. But the idea of breeding lasting beyond them was not taken as seriously, once their children showed little to no signs of wanting to follow in their footsteps. They simply continued their favorite pastime in raising Pokémon for trainers who were ill-prepared for how much work a Pokémon could be or simply could not bear to keep their Pokémon in a computer forever, with the occasional journey to an ancient family secret hidden in Meteor Falls to add some spice their lives.

They were looking forward to a long and lengthy retirement until they were asked to look after their granddaughter, Elizabeth (or Lizzie for short). They did so without a second thought and doted on her in ways her parents simply could not, dealing with various health complications with their youngest child and Lizzie's brother Kyle. And when Lizzie showed herself to be quite adept at raising Pokémon at such a young age, they took her on as an unpaid assistant to play with and help the Pokémon of various trainers grow and develop to their trainer's standards or desires. While many trainers would come and go over the years, Lizzie recalled one who was so excited at the new powers of his Jolteon, that he neglected Freddie's advice that an egg had been left behind. He thus allowed Lizzie to have it and she doted over the egg until it hatched into the Eevee she now called Jazz.

So much had changed for her since those days. Lizzie would never hear her grandfather reading the newspaper or hammering away on a new coop to keep the Torchics in. That joy had been taken from her by the vicious and cold-blooded poacher Hunter Bastion, who longed to possess the wish granting powers of Jirachi for his own. She had not raised any Pokémon since being once more uprooted from Hoenn by Hunter when he stole Jirachi from her and left her for dead within the ruined Shrine of Jirachi. She had hardly spoken to her family since the final confrontation with Mewtwo or the Master Cup's completion. Because they had not been witnesses to what could have been the end of the world. How could she commune with people who think she was off playing "hero" with her friends when she had seen people suffer and die by the thousands? She would sometimes send messages but would keep to herself or entertain her Pokémon instead of fielding calls.

Her friends remained there for her in spirit, but they were all off to bigger and better things. Mark and his fiancé Greta were already prepping for their wedding ceremony. Michael was ruling the entirety of Arcana, with his wife Julia while raising a cavalcade of young ones. Chris and Piper were newlyweds, off to enjoy each other's company in Alola for the foreseeable future, or at least until the Pokémon League in Arcana was set to reopen. The League, to which Lizzie had devoted a decade to her life, was also under new management. Though the newly crowned champion, Annette Fiveroux, claimed she had been considered for her Elite Four. Lizzie knew it was not meant to be. Matthew Kingston, Jeremy Lockhart, Giselle and Chris would take on the mantle. She even turned down a Gym Leader role in the new order, choosing instead to focus on her breeding career.

And now, once her business was set to open in the next few weeks, she was able to experience her own kind of adventure. One she could take at her own pace and not overstimulate herself. Her family would always remain a part of her and she was always a phone call away from them or her friends. But now was the time to focus on what she wanted.

At least, it would be, if Lizzie didn't have an anomaly to deal with. The anomaly being whatever kind of relationship she had with Justin Jacques. Justin was her friend, arguably her closest now that Mark and Michael were off being family men. But he got so much attention from others, in particular women of Arcana. She could never see why. He was certainly nice and friendly enough, but the way women like Madeline or Caitlin Setenn had taken to him initially, she thought there was something wrong with her in how she didn't do the same. It took her a while to see that both were intensely attracted to him, whether it be his accent, his kindness or his looks, Lizzie could not tell. She only sought Justin's friendship because he seemed to understand her. They got along well, as Lizzie did not smother him, at least she didn't try to. She knew he was as uncomfortable around people as she was and acted appropriately around him.

And yet, her friends seemed fit to try and "matchmake" them into a couple, which both didn't need to sully what was good in their current friendship. Sure, there were sometimes when Justin was all she could think of, but there was no way this also had something to do with something like how Michael and Julia were...right? She didn't act all doe-eyed and lovey-dovey with him like she had seen Julia do for more than a decade with her friend. So it couldn't possibly be love. She told her friends as much and that what she and Justin had was it's own special thing that didn't need to be impeded upon. And besides, she had no interest in having a family of any kind that wasn't furry and raised from eggs like the rest of her Pokémon. That was all the family she needed and she was sure it would remain that way.

And then, she showed up. Or, more appropriately, she "returned". Bridgette Duon, arguably one of the kindest and most easygoing people she had ever known, shows up out of the blue to mend a wound that had opened up in her family. She and Justin hit things off more quickly than Lizzie had thought possible. Justin would, on occasion when they would hang out, be thinking about Bridgette. He would mention something Bridgette had done, which Lizzie had known about for years, having been a League Official with her for eight years. Justin was usually never one to talk about one subject on repeat, even for someone with a very popular internet vlogging channel. But when the topic of Bridgette would come up, he would repeat facts and opinions about her more than her brother Kyle would when he was at the library. It would get aggravating seeing the two of them get so into a topic, only for Lizzie to storm off. She tried all in her power to keep the attention away from her and the two apart as much as possible. But she had her own dreams to navigate. She couldn't play gatekeeper for him forever.

Which is why she let him go off on his own after running him ragged at Titanio Park. She was tired and he seemed eager to find some camaraderie elsewhere. She left for home. Since then, the only thing Justin has spoken about is the graphic posters she had commissioned him to make for her. He didn't say a word about Bridgette. She found that odd but played it off as hopefully a step in the right direction. Though she knew how much Bridgette meant to the men in her life, the less she heard that woman's name, the better.

It was mid-morning in the "Age of Annette", as the celebrations from the Master Cup finally seemed eager to wind down and Lizzie sat in her own abode, sipping a cup of coffee to help stimulate her awake while her Umbreon nibbled on some curry she'd made special for him. He would occasionally perk up from the bowl and bark happily at her before resuming his breakfast. She would, in turn, resume her own morning ritual, expecting Justin to arrive at any moment with her supplies done as only he could.

"Well, it's almost ten" she told herself and Jazz. "Justin will be here soon. Let's head out onto the porch and wait for him."

She tapped at her side and Jazz, after finally licking his bowl of curry clean, leaped up to her side in an instant and used a lightly powered Dark Pulse to push the door open in front of her. The Umbreon seemed excitable that morning before leaping onto the banister overlooking her simply property and sunning himself. Lizzie hardly made it to the porch herself before she looked at the much humbler property of hers when compared to Kingston Castle. There was enough room for her to build a play yard for the Pokémon she would look after, but nothing like the grand gardens and almost endless seas of greens that would lead out to the King's Bay. She could spruce up the place, but would likely be in need of a loan to make it as nice as she would prefer.

It stinks to not have everything built before we begin our business. But I suppose it will all come later. She was already deeply indebted to the Kingstons for finding her the property to begin with and all the other great things they had done, not including Chris and Michael, because she knew those boys would never hold a debt against her. She did not want more able to be held against her. She did, however, have a few berries planted and looking like they would blossom, courtesy of the Berry Family Farm that was a mile down the road. The woman who ran it, Wendy, she recalled had a past with Michael, but knew little more than that besides that Julia was almost ferally jealous when it came to the two of them as kids. She appreciated Wendy's generosity all the same and chose not to let Julia or Michael know of the donation until they were both in better health.

While looking over the rows of bushes that would soon sprout a fresh crop of berries of all kinds, she spotted Justin sauntering his way up to her home, a folder in his hands. But despite seeming to be his usual cheery self, she could tell immediately something else was on his mind. Knowing not to press the matter, she simply waved him over.

"There you are" she remarked cheerfully. "I was beginning to fear I gave you the wrong directions."

He shook his head. "No. I wrote it on my hand just in case." He showed her the scribbles on his hand, which had been smudged by sweat from his anxious and clammy hands. "Well, at least I remembered them well enough. I brought the graphic designs you asked for. I know you didn't want anything too explosive, but I figured I'd give you some anyway, as a thanks for your business."

Lizzie shook her head playfully. "I just welcome having you come for a visit." She offered him the chair beside hers and plucked the folder from her hand. She looked over his initial sketches and was astonished. "Wow, I must say. You are quite the artist, Justin. You really did these yourself?"

He nodded. "My education had to come in handy at some point." He sighed. "Guess it won't be worth much now, since I'm expected to take on my uncle's fortune and become an aristocat or whatever it's called."

"An aristocrat. But you don't need to be anything like that old codger uncle of yours. Just be yourself and things will come naturally."

"There are expectations on me now that he's gone. As if I'm the only one who can carry on the family name and repair all the damage to it he caused."

She pitied him, but at the same time, Justin also had enough money to retire five times over on top of funding his own web series without the need for online donations or taking a salary. His own wealth was decidedly less than a Kingstons, but he was far from being in a position of being destitute. He could learn everything he needed from anyone for any fee.

She resumed admiring the art he had drawn for her, shocked that he had taken her own simple ideas and made them better than she could have envisioned it. This one had her business name in bold letters, with four different Eeveelutions on each corner of the picture. While the sketches of the Vaporeon, Espeon and Flareon were all crude, he seemed to have put a lot of effort into drawing the Umbreon. Her hands touched the Umbreon on the poster, it reminding her of Jazz, who lazily ignored the conversation around him and sunned himself, rolling onto his back in the process.

"Lizzie" he spoke up after a moment of silence. "Is there something...wrong with me?"

Lizzie eyed him curiously. "You look fine to me. You sick or something?"

He sighed. "I wish I knew. I feel like I did a bad thing at Titanio Park the other night. And it made Miss Duon feel uncomfortable enough to run off from the King and I."

There he goes again. She rolled her eyes and continued to examine his drawings. "I don't think you could have done something as repugnant as you think. Otherwise, the whole of Arcana would be gossiping about it." Realizing this was why Justin was in such a bizarre mood, she took a deep breath and tried to be more accommodating. "Alright. What happened?" He went on to explain how he had accidentally interrupted a serious conversation between the King and Bridgette after finding them near Annette's celebratory party. She listend intently to every detail, on what he said, on what she said and could not find something he did wrong. "You mean, she just started being weird when she saw you without a shirt on."

Justin nodded. "I fear I may have caused a stir due to my lack of decorum. I mean, I sweat right through my shirt thanks to all the rides we went on at the park." He unbuttoned his shirt and showed his body off to her. "Do I have something wrong with my body or something? Please, I've been worried I-"

She shook her head. "Nope. Nothing wrong. Maybe she was just caught off guard by you just taking your shirt off. Arcana isn't known for being a very progressive society. They do have a King, for Arceus's sake." She knew she was joking at Michael's expense, but she knew if there had to be a monarch of a region, no one fit that mold better than him. "I doubt Bridgette is used to someone doing that."

"I should apologize the next time I see her. But I don't know when that would be."

"Well, Bridgette can wait. I think your drawings are amazing. Maybe you could add a Leafeon and a Glaceon to it? One on the top and bottom?" She wanted to keep him on point before this devolved into yet another conversation about the gorgeous but inconsequential surfer. "Or do you think it would detract from the logo?"

Justin shrugged as he once more buttoned up his shirt. "I could add some. These are just preliminary draw ups. The true final product will be ready in the next few days, so long as nothing unexpected happens. Then again, so much has since I arrived." He reached into his shirt and pulled out a letter. "Why, just this morning, I received a summons to appear before the Royal Council tomorrow morning."

Lizzie paused. "Wait. A summons? From the King?"

"I do hope I haven't done anything wrong."

"Why would Michael want to see you?" Lizzie could only wonder why her friend would want to see Justin. But before she could ask why the King wanted to see him, she suddenly realized what their plans were for the next day. "Hold on a second. Tomorrow is the day we were supposed to go and shop for the playground equipment for my Day Care Center. Don't tell me you forgot!"

"Oh, I didn't" he assured her timidly. "But I think, as a subject of the King, I must answer his summons before all else."

Lizzie began to steam with anger. "Ugh. What ever happened to 'friends stick together'?! Michael goes off and becomes King, Mark goes off to become Greta's new beau and now YOU'RE abandoning me?!"

Justin began to panic. "No, no. no! Not at all. My morning will be occupied, but after that-"

"I have to meet with a supplier for special nutritional foods tomorrow afternoon! The morning was the only block I had available!" She growled. "Why is it that I can't count on anyone to help me when I need it?!"

Justin could not come up with an answer for her and simply stared at her in genuine shock and shame of the situation. He tried to stammer a few words out into a sentence, before their argument was cut short by the arrival of Mark on the back of his Charizard. Justin bowed to her in a sign of apology before sprinting back up the road towards Alchemiburg and out of sight. Lizzie sighed in shame as her childhood friend walked up to her, glancing behind his Charizard at the sight of Justin running up the road.

"Mark" she chirped.

"You know that's not how to make friends, right?" Mark reminded her, with a slight hint of scolding in his voice. He sighed as he too lost sight of Justin. "Didn't think I'd have to lecture you on that as you push 30."

She shook her head. "i didn't mean to-"

"Liz, I know you're going through a lot, but that doesn't mean everyone else has it easy." He fed his Charizard a Qualot Berry from his pocket before properly addressing her. "Justin's got a lot on his plate too, you know. Learning how to be a part of a society you never expected to be in has to be stressful. And I think he was hoping for you to help him gel well."

"I know as much about it as he does" she grumbled. "Besides-"

Mark put his hands on Lizzie's shoulders, signaling one of his many "big brother" speeches she was used to him giving her and Michael was incoming. "Liz, we need to talk." He led her over to the steps leading onto her porch and sat her down. "Look, whether you like to admit it or not, I know you care about Justin. Maybe not to the extent of a 'love', but it's clear he means an awful lot to you." He held his hands up to calm her as she felt she was being targeted. "I don't mean to accuse or anything, but I think you should be a bit nicer to him going forward. You never know when he is going to disappear from your life."

Lizzie contemplated Mark's words but found something wrong with the last sentence. "Disappear? What do you know that I don't?"

Mark, realizing she was missing the point entirely, decided to confide what he knew. "I can only say what I've heard. Daniel mentioned that there's something big going on in the Royal Council. Michael, Annie and Elmont Queensbury have something big planned. I don't know what, but Greta and I think it might have something to do with the school Tommy is being sent to. Daniel suggested that Justin might attend with him."

"You mean a 'gentleman school' or something else?"

"Haven't the foggiest" he admitted. "And since I have to begin preparations for my claiming of Charizark Town's Gym on Annette's behalf, I won't know until the official announcement tomorrow, I suspect. But considering how often Paldea has been thrown around the last few weeks, I would think that they would be headed there. And in case you haven't noticed, Paldea is on the other side of the world. Closer to Orre than it is Arcana. You won't be seeing Justin for a very long time if you catch my drift."

Lizzie was shocked. "Paldea? But if he goes there-"

"Any chances you may have had to become better friends with him falls by the wayside. He may find his footing there, learn enough about the culture or even set himself up there. Who knows what the future will hold for a kid like him?" He looked down at the path, expecting to see Justin, but the boy had long retreated from the wrath of Lizzie. "So, when I tell you that your time with him may be coming to an end, take it as I say it. You never know when the last conversation you'll have is. And you never know what words there'll be to say or actions to take."

"How can I do anything about that if he leaves and I run my Day Care Center here?"

Mark shrugged. "How should I know? Only you know what you want, Lizzie." He walked over towards Jazz the Umbreon and pet his belly, the Umbreon purring in delight upon being stroked so lovingly. "It's a harsh lesson to learn in life. We learned it with your Grandfather and Cameron, right?"

"Justin isn't going to die" Lizzie replied. "And he isn't going off to Paldea. The school's probably in Kanto or something."

Mark shook his head. "You believe what you will, Liz. Now, let me see what I can do about this router of yours for your office." As Mark entered her home, Lizzie was left alone to ponder his words and her own memory of lashing out at an innocent Justin. Was Mark right? Could her friendship with Justin begin to wane if he goes to Paldea? Were they just destined to drift apart? Or what if something worse happened? What if while she was away, someone else waltzed their way towards him and plucked him away? It had almost happened with Madeline. Could it happen again?

No. Couldn't. Not in a million years. Besides, Bridgette isn't even going. Right?

{}

Within the former chambers of Countess Rosemary, which both Michael and Julia had so generously made her own honorary meditation chambers, Addison and the remaining forces of the White Guardians (namely Morgan, the Countess's Alakazam and Galatea), were setting up the room for their daily meditation session. Though some would recoil at the idea of being given a room where a woman had passed away some time ago, Addison felt a strange warmth in the room. As if even though the Countess had been gone for several months, her old mentor was still in there giving her guidance and wisdom from beyond the grave. And that exact location was precisely where she was longing to get next. Because that was where she believed Ryan was. After all, when Mirage Island disappeared, he and Avery Frost had been the last known denizens of the island. Where else could they have gone?

While she would normally meditate to find answers to the questions that vexed her, today Addison simply wanted to clear her mind of any and all distractions that could get in the way of her end goal. Anything that could be considered such needed to be removed from her path, if just temporarily. She could not afford to lose more time. She needed her answers.

Addison, Morgan and Galatea sat in a triangle formation trying to meditate and empty their minds, while Zam (which Addison had come to call her old mentor's Alakazam) floated above them, having long ago mastered the ability to keep distractions from his mind. And though it was largely a successful endeavor for him, the girls were having a much harder time. It was a part of her lessons that Addison had never truly mastered, as her mind often thought of those she cared about. Galatea could never do so either, often worried about the child she and Achilles had together, Helena the Ralts, wherever she was out in the world. And Morgan, unlike the others, had no true psychic powers to speak of and often had her own things to worry about. But Addison respected Morgan for her loyalty in those regards all the same. With Holly and Morgan's twin Jasmine off to Kalos with Jeremy, and Matthew and Annette learning how to run a Pokémon League on the fly, she needed all of the friends she could get.

It would seem we are going to be interrupted, Galatea opined to her trainer.

"The only one interrupting my meditation-" Addison began.

I see someone at the door, Zam warned. Perhaps it would be prudent to allow the visitor in?

"Aren't we trying to concentrate here?"

Morgan's eyes fluttered open. "Is everything okay?"

Addison shook her head, not wanting to be distracted by the Pokémon anymore. "No. These two just think that-" Sure enough, there was a very light rap on the door. Addison opened her eyes and ignored the cheeky look she got from Galatea and the light chuckling from Zam to address the newcomer. "Yes?"

"Addy?" a man's voice called from the other side of the door. "Hope you've got a minute for your favorite old man."

There were not many people that Addison would pass up a moment of meditation for. But since he had finally returned to her life after spending months as a fossil in Parlor Town, her father would always be an exception to the rule. She stretched her body and rose to her feet. "Come on in, Daddy. We haven't started meditation, yet."

We haven't?

She would have snapped back at Zam if her father did not enter and blind the group with the light from the halls of Kingston Castle. She had not seen much of her father these last few weeks, having doubled down in her devotion to find Ryan. But whenever she did see him, she was reminded of how much she cried when he was freed from his frozen form by Matthew's selfless wish by Jirachi to free those who had been imprisoned that way, including Jocelyn Aced and Daniel Kingston. He seemed more tired than she remembered him being, but she chalked that up to how much extra work he had to do around the house with the family expecting another child.

Warren Tenton was not in the room for ten seconds before Addison raced over and hugged her father tightly. He happily embraced his daughter, chuckling to himself as he did. "You act as if we didn't just see each other this morning."

She shook her head. "I never thought I would after seeing what Mewtwo did to you."

"And I have you and Matthew to thank for freeing me" he replied gently, holding his daughter there. "But no matter how many great deeds and vicious monsters you slay, you will always be my little girl first and foremost." He kissed her head and stepped away. "With that being said, coming to give my angel a hug wasn't the only reason I came. I do need to give you something. Morgan as well."

Morgan rose to her feet at this. "Huh? Me?"

"What's going on, Dad?" Addison asked, folding her arms in worry.

Warren reached into his jacket and pulled out two small pieces of rolled up parchment paper. He handed them both to his daughter. "These are Royal Summons. On behalf of the Royal Council of Arcana, Chief Councilor Elmont Queensbury, Secondary Council Members Jocelyn Aced, Garret Fiveroux, Rebecca Eighern and Jack Duon, the Royal Vizier Annie Tress-Kingston and the King and Queen themselves, the two of you have been summoned to appear before the Royal Council at eight o'clock tomorrow morning."

Addison handed one of the summons to Morgan, who was equally baffled at this turn of events. "The Royal Council...wants to see us? Are we in trouble?"

"I doubt it" Warren responded. "We just need to speak with you two about something important."

"What is it, Daddy?" Addison interjected.

He shook his head. "I was told to keep my lips sealed. All will be explained tomorrow."

"But Daddy!"

He smiled down at his daughter and playfully acted like he was using a zipper to close his mouth. He then kissed his daughter's head once more before departing from the room, leaving both teenaged girls confused at the unexpected turn of events. Addison looked to the Pokémon for answers, but they did not seem keen to give them any. She and Morgan approached the two nervously.

"Come on, guys" Addison begged. "Give us anything."

I know as much as you do, I'm afraid, Galatea responded. Our minds are still tightly linked. And because of that, I do not sense things much better than you do unless we're meditating. Which we've yet to do today.

The Alakazam remained aloof. Addison expected him to say something, but the Pokémon remained locked in his own meditation, prompting her to sit down on the ground beside Galatea again, with Morgan soon joining her.

Morgan let out a disappointed sigh. "I wish I had the kind of connection you do to Pokémon, Addy. It sounds so intriguing."

Addison gave her a wry smile. "I don't think you do, to be honest. You miss a fair amount of Pokémon sass, that way."

I do not sass my trainer, Galatea insisted.

"I'm sure you don't mean too" Addison giggled.

The Alakazam opened his eyes and looked down upon the trio meditating, his mustache furrowing like a Furret in the morning. It would appear that one gate has closed, only for another to open in its stead. And with it, the links between worlds are forged and our destiny's paths laid.

Morgan, having understood that the Pokémon was trying to communicate with them at the very least, looked to Addison for an answer. "What did he say?"

Addison pondered the words carefully. "One door closed, and another opened in its place. What could that mean?" She attempted to riddle out the meaning of the Alakazam but found herself getting nowhere fast. "And what was that about links between worlds? And destiny's paths?" She glanced over to Galatea for an explanation, but she did not seem keen to give one at the moment. Her Gardevoir simply eyed her trainer with a melancholy look and simply communicated but a single phrase.

Our time has come.

{}

Matthew was not expecting the early wakeup call from Giselle to get a move on. He was even less expecting how awake and eager Annette would be as she bounced about the living room as he slugged his way down the stairs of his home in Parlor Town. And if possible, the last thing he was expecting was to find his mother and sister also awake and eager to see him off on his first day of work at this ungodly hour of the morning. He simply made his way down the steps, hoping his outfit matched and his Pokémon were on his belt before turning towards the kitchen where his mother and sister Kayleigh awaited him with love and care.

Kayleigh was growing quickly, having sprouted into an intelligent and softspoken young girl of three. Her vocabulary was growing, seemingly at a symmetric pace to that of her best friend and fellow rambunctious toddler, Princess Arya. And while she would not call her brother "Broboo" anymore, she still had loving eyes for no other but her big brother she now called "Matty". She rushed over to her brother and hugged him until Matthew picked her up into his arms and she could shower him with kisses.

"Good luck kisses" she insisted. "So Matty has the best day ever!"

He tapped her nose playfully. "And I appreciate that, milady. Maybe you should give Jocelyn the same wakeup kisses when she has to be woken up rudely."

"Jocelyn is already up" his mother, Alison Kingston, reminded him teasingly. "She set off for Kingston Castle earlier for something regarding the Royal Council. Not everyone sleeps the day away, you know."

"How have I slept the day away when it's barely daybreak?"

"Champions and their Elite Four can't be laying around" she told her son. "Your brother would be up and about around this time too, many days."

"That's because Ryan was allergic to sleep" he grumbled. He lowered Kayleigh to the ground and he walked up to his mother. "Guess I'm off to work?"

"You're gonna do great, my boy" she smiled, handing her son a homemade sandwich in a brown paper bag. "For lunch, assuming Giselle doesn't treat you two to lunch."

"Depends on how we behave, Mrs. Kingston" Annette responded from the doorway, trying to keep her voice down despite the excitement.

"You would never disappoint her, Annette" Alison assured her son's girlfriend and Arcana's newest Champion. "You have that same bubbly attitude about the job that all three Champions I've seen had, so I think you'll be fine." She then kissed her son's cheek. "You don't want to keep Giselle waiting, Matt. You two go off and have fun."

Matthew could only nod as he made it to Annette's side. "I'll be back around sunset."

Alison's eyes widened. "Oh, Matt. Make sure you tell me if you'll be able to fill in for Jocelyn tonight. I need someone to babysit your sister."

"What's up?"

"You two aren't the only couple who goes out and enjoys their time" his mother explained. "She and Garret are making plans for some kind of getaway for the two of them."

Matthew rolled his eyes. "I know that. I meant with you. This is the third day this week you've needed a babysitter for Kayleigh." Before he could get his answer, Annette grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door. Matthew looked back towards the house and only saw Kayleigh peeking through the windows on the door, anxiously trying to wave to him. He then let Annette lead him towards the road, where Giselle and her Aerodactyl were waiting for the two in the thick of night. Matthew would not have picked out that it was her if it were not for the massive prehistoric Pokémon she rode.

"Don't keep me waiting on patrol days" she warned. "I had to wait for your brother since he was the Champion. I won't do it for someone ranked below me!"

"Who says I'm ranked behind you?' he snapped back.

"I want you all on equal terms, Giselle" Annette replied, but she seemed to be more begging than strongly enforcing it. "If anything, Chris would be the one in charge since he's been in three different Elite Fours. But with him and Piper off on their honeymoon, I need my present Elite Four to get along. So please?! Matty? Giselle?"

Giselle bowed respectfully. "As the Champion orders."

Annette made her way to her boyfriend. "Matty?"

Matthew sighed. "As you wish, milady." He then called out his Noivern, who howled at the sight of Giselle's Aerodactyl, who did not acknowledge the new flier. Matthew, knowing Annette had not yet chosen a "flyer" for her own team, as her Hawlucha was not the kind of Pokémon one could simply ride around places, took his girlfriend up behind him and the two mounted his loyal Dragon Pokémon.

Giselle looked to the young couple on the back of the Noivern and snickered to herself. "Alright, you two. We've got a first spot we patrol in. At least, that's what my regime once did." Matthew made to make a retort about her dictatorial regime, but Annette placed a hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek to keep him quiet. She gestured in the northern direction. "We start atop Iron Mountain. There's something you kids should see." Without another word, Giselle's Aerodactyl flew high into the air, leaving a powerful tailwind behind her.

Matthew sent his Noivern into the air after it, wondering what horrific idea of mentorship she had in store. He kept his trusted Noivern as close to the Aerodactyl as physically possible. The air was still crisp and cool and the sun was hardly visible on the horizon, which made flying a bit difficult. But somehow, as if her arms wrapped around his waist could give him a boost in confidence, Annette's presence made him feel stronger and more capable than ever before. Any doubts he may have had for their relationship, if any existed, were gone as soon as he saw how special she made him feel. He simply kept his Noivern flying as briskly as it could.

As if feeling his mood shift, Annette glanced up at him. "What's up?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

She rested her head on his back. "Good. You're smile is much better looking than your scowl."

Matthew couldn't help but feel color flush to his face at her words. Since losing to his brother on Mt. Heatmor, in virtually every single facet, he had longed to have what he had. Not just the kind of Pokémon who would give their all for him and not just the publicity he received. But the most humiliating and humbling loss Matthew endured to his brother that day was losing in their ultimate competition: Addison.

All of their young lives, he and Ryan had competed against one another in everything. But their most ferocious competition was to gain the affection of their mutual best friend. The girl with the amethyst eyes and the peach-colored skin. The girl who had been the object of his deepest and most personal affection. The one who until eight months ago, he had been convinced he and only he could ever truly love. He had been convinced much of his young life that it was only natural that they end up together. She was the smartest, bravest and most beautiful of their female friends and he was the strongest, fiercest and most like Michael between him and his brother. It was only natural they would pair up while Ryan, whom he had viewed as the lesser of the two brothers, would pair with someone like Holly or one of the Augustine girls.

And yet, life had a strange way of showing him how wrong he was. Addison rejected him, soundly and thoroughly, and Ryan became a much better trainer, lover, friend, brother, trainer and man than Matthew could have ever expected him to be. Ryan crushed him in all fields of battle. He stopped the Syndicate. He sacrificed his own life to save his friends and loved ones. He stopped Mewtwo. He was the one who beat Michael and became a Champion.

And Matthew? His own destiny was destroyed completely. He betrayed what his family stood for. He nearly got his friends and family killed. He used his Pokémon like weapons of war. He joined forces with the villains of the world instead of fighting them. He ended up in exile on the other side of the world, with nothing but the clothes on his back and an often aggravated and frustrated "guardian" of sorts in Jocelyn Aced. He longed for revenge, an opportunity to right the wrongs his brother had done to him.

But the closer he got to his goals, the more he hated the person he was becoming. One who was so focused on revenge, that he was willing to keep hurting people. When all he wanted was to get out from his brother's shadow, he found himself losing his way. His mother was put in danger, his family in Arcana was barely holding together in the face of a true menace and Ryan was falling prey to the machinations of the Syndicate and their Grand Master, Mewtwo. Matthew elected to defy his former allies and rescued Addison and his brother, only to find himself in a peculiar place with everyone. His old comrades from the Syndicate branded him a full-fledged traitor, while his family and former friends were hesitant to trust him. He only found solace in the company of his younger sister, Kayleigh, and then eventually his mother when she was rescued.

Eventually, Matthew would return to the good graces of his family, but at great personal cost. His father and brother would die in a Syndicate plot, he would suffer emotionally by being rejected twice, first by Jasmine Augustine and finally by Addison. He would constantly be reminded of his past, by those he was trying to earn forgiveness from as well as enemies, such as that pompous pretty boy Simon Seissuon. He struggled to keep himself afloat, which did manage to win him some support from Michael and the others, but he feared he would never be treated as an equal or friend to those ever again.

He would receive the seal of approval from his old friends, but only after enduring emotional and physical pain he was certain he would never have survived without some being in his camp. He and Addison had rekindled their friendship, affirming they had as strong a relationship as possible without a hint or romance. He got some tepid respect from the likes of Tommy, Dawn and Lucas. Even Holly, who had been the coldest to him by far, warmed up to him eventually. He saved Jocelyn from her own dark fate while also receiving an unexpected amount of affection from the most unlikely of places in the red-haired and shy girl he'd not even known existed until he met her on the field of battle. The one who now had his heart under lock and key without much effort. The one who now held her hands around his waist and hugged him with all the love he could have ever asked for. He had found his reasons for fighting. His reasons to get up in the morning. And he was not too willing to relinquish them anytime soon.

The Flying Pokémon finally brought their trainers to where Giselle had wanted to be: the peak of Iron Mountain. It was still dark enough for visibility to be low, yet Matthew could tell the sun was just about to peak out over the horizon. He landed his Noivern on a more open portion of the mountain before sliding off and petting her behind her ear as she always loved. While his Pokémon screeched with delight, he then came over to her side and gladly let Annette fall into his arms. She flirtatiously bopped him in the nose with her finger before he let her stand on her own and the two made their way over to where Giselle stood. Matthew had questioned the whole way from Parlor Town why she wanted them to go atop Iron Mountain at all, until it finally dawned on him. The dawn, that is.

The sun exploded onto the scene, painting the skies in an ocean of reds, pinks and oranges reminding him of the many berries his mother grew in her personal garden. Even the rushing cold winds of the mountain air did little to sway Matthew away from feeling the sun's warmth as it illuminated what felt like the entirety of the region. He looked out in awe over Arcana, a land that he had long ago only thought of as a place that housed Pokémon for him to catch and train. His eyes were open to the majesty of it all and it further made him realize just why Michael was so protective of the region now as it's king. This was a sight he would never get to witness for the first time again and it moved him in ways he hadn't been since meeting his sister what seemed like an age ago.

"This" Giselle regaled, "is what is at stake if we don't do our job. Our home."

Annette was in as much awe as her beau was. "This is incredible. Why don't more people do stuff like this?"

"Most people don't look past their noses" their mentor explained. "Myself included. If I had taken this sight for what it truly was when I first saw it, I might not have gone down that path I did."

Matthew didn't have many words to add and simply stared into the openness he'd never experienced before. "This was what my grandfather saw every day, wasn't it?"

Giselle nodded. "A true champion sees the world for what it is, instead of what they want it to be. They see the world for what it is, it's beauty and its darker underbelly. Most, unfortunately, never get to see the world quite like this. It's why I could never be half the champion your grandfather was, or a fraction of that kind of leader the King is. Even your brother saw this world for what it was."

Matthew stared at it all in disbelief. The villages that looked so tiny to him there, would soon be teeming with life, bursting at the seams with Pokémon and people joining together in daily rituals of battling, shopping, building, selling, growing and prospering. He recalled many occasions being on this very peak and never seeing this view before. "Elezar trained me here. A lot of my tendencies came from his sessions grinding me into the dirt. My desire for power, to dominate my brother and be the kind of leader he wanted me to be. I would never have fallen in with his group if I had known this was what the world looked like from here."

Annette, seeing how emotional he was becoming, simply reached for and grasped his hand. "Matty..."

Giselle kept her gaze out onto the horizon as the sun climbed it's way higher into the sky with every passing second. "Not for nothing, kid. But you and I have more in common than you think. And it's not the only lesson you're going to have to learn from me." She pointed down to the people beneath them. "All of these people. Those in every town, village and city of Arcana. They will be depending on us to keep them safe from dangers and troubles. To preserve peace on behalf of the Pokémon League and the King and Queen. It's why our job is so important. Every single person, from the oldest to the youngest. And every Pokémon from the weakest to the strongest, still needs us to help ensure that each and every day will be just like the last." She frowned. "One day, the people in our lives that teach us these things are going to be long gone. The sun will set on this day and age, and we'll be left on our own to lead the world and show others the way."

Annette was puzzled by this. "Is our job to do this so important now? I mean, we have the King to help us."

"Who did you think I was referring to when I said the people we learn from will be gone?"

Matthew looked at Giselle nervously. "Michael isn't going anywhere, is he?"

She did not make eye contact with them, as if she knew they were not going to be ready to hear her answer. "His Majesty is far from the dashing hero he once was. The Age of Heroes is at an end and it's time for him to be able to rest and live his life. He's done enough for us for one lifetime, or in my opinion, multiple ones. He's going to need us to take the mantle from this point forward. You two, me, that old lay about Chris and his wife, all of us are going to have to shoulder the duties of protecting Arcana on his behalf." She lowered her head. "And then, we'll have to impart these same lessons we've learned onto his son, the future King."

"Fortunately, those days are far off into the future" Annette remarked. "Besides, I'd like some more hands on experience at the job."

"I think I could use some too" Matthew admitted. "To keep making him proud."

Giselle nodded. "Then I guess we'd better get going. We've got a long day ahead of us. Patrolling Arcana for all signs of trouble and danger." She shivered as the last of the late-night breezes took her. "But first, I think we should get ourselves some coffee or cocoa to keep warm. And the best place for both of those things is down by Iron Colosseum." Though Matthew expected her to mount her Aerodactyl, Giselle simply began walking down the path that would lead to Iron Village. "Let's get a move on, you two. Love may be eternal, but this day certainly isn't."

Annette squeezed Matthew's hand before running down the path after Giselle. Matthew remained behind to contemplate the former tyrant's words. Were they truly going to be assuming the responsibility of running Arcana, even with Michael on the throne? How much had his fighting years truly taken from his former hero? How long would Michael get to enjoy the fruits of his struggles and his labor? How much would he have to look after those children the same way Michael had doted on Ryan and him? Any answers to those questions would come much later and Matthew dreaded the answers that would form. Instead, Matthew decided to follow Annette and Giselle down the mountain path.

He caught up to the two as Annette was being mobbed by people eager for her autograph. Curiously, Giselle had moved away to simply observe as Annette signed memorabilia, posed for pictures and made video messages for those fans eager to meet the young maiden deemed the most powerful Pokémon Trainer in the world. Matthew walked over to ensure his girlfriend did not need rescuing, only for a few of the fans to spot him and look away nervously. Matthew cocked his head at this and again tried to push past them to get to Annette. He could not shake off the looks of fear and the frustrated glares he was getting and eventually, while Annette was making a video for one fan, he gave up his pursuit and backed away towards where Giselle was. He stood beside her and remarked jokingly at her.

"Man, who would have guessed these fans would think I'm cutting in front of them?"

Giselle shook her head. "Come on. Even you know that's not why they were staring at you, right?"

"What do you mean?"

Giselle kept her focus on Annette's rising popularity in front of them. "I envy her. I really do. She's got the talent, the moxie, the popularity and the adoration of the people all in the palm of her hand. And she's too good to see how she could use that to her advantage." She folded her arms. "Never having to know the looks of fear, derision, hate. Never knowing what it feels like to be scorned by people. To be known more for the bad things you've done than the good."

"People still look at you like that?"

Her eyes never left the scene in front of them. "And I'm not the only one who has that issue."

Matthew frowned. "You mean me? But I-"

"They're never going to forget, Matt. No matter how many good deeds you do or people you save or even if you get the forgiveness of those you truly wronged. They will always wonder in the back of their heads, how long will it take for you to snap back into the monster who helped kidnap people, who had his own father beaten to a pulp and sold his own brother off. That dark past, the one you've been trying to get as far away from as physically possible, will never truly leave you. Because these people will never let you forget. Those looks of fear, some of hate, some of loathing. Some simply questioning how someone like you could end up in the presence of someone so good."

Matthew had no response to this. He'd thought that once Addison, Ryan and Holly could forgive him, he could simply move past it. But evidently, his actions would linger around for the rest of his life.

"Take me for instance" Giselle pressed on. "Jane Kingston has been dead for almost sixteen years. Anyone who knows the situation knows that I didn't authorize Cassius to abduct her and 'silence' her as he did. But the stigma surrounding her death plagues me even now. Cameron never let go of that hatred for me even though her brother did. I will never be looked at as 'Elite Four Member Giselle', no matter how much I may want to. Instead, all I'll get is reminders of what I did. Who I hurt. And how I'll never be good enough in their eyes." She put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't make the same mistakes I did. Train yourself to endure those looks. And don't let them beat you down. Because the more you do, the more you'll begin to wonder if that part of your life is ever truly gone."

Matthew looked on as Annette posed for pictures with her fans, making faces that shined so brightly that he couldn't help but feel the light was casting a shadow that fell upon himself and Giselle as they looked on. How long could he justify being a member of the most prestigious organization in the world, after all he had done? The wicked, brutal, evil things he did in pursuit of power. No matter how much he wanted to blame Elezar, Cassius, Courtney, Mewtwo or Hunter for what they helped mold him into, in the end, he made those choices. He chose to hate his brother for usurping his role as being the one who held Addison's heart. He chose to betray his family. He chose the dark path. But even if he was about as far from that path as he had ever been, what was stopping him from going down that path again? Was it Annette's love? His sister? Or did he know the consequences of what was in store for him if he dared defy his family again? He had no answers and simply watched in a bit of envy as his girlfriend soaked in all of the praise and love she deserved.