Chapter - 14

"How do we know it's true?" Cameron asked. Within the shared living

room of Julia and Michael, she had rapidly gathered all of the Elite

Four together upon learning of the unexpected news. She sat in the

center of the couch, with Mark and Chris sitting beside her. Lizzie sat

on the steps that led to Michael and Julia's bedrooms, petting

Mufasa as he nuzzled up to her. Julia sat in her lounge chair,

shaking her head in disbelief. Michael was pacing angrily near the

entrance to the Ranch's kitchen, with Julia's Sylveon looking on,

deeply concerned.

"They wouldn't be announcing something like this if it weren't" Julia

reasoned.

"I thought Claude was a friend of the family" Cameron replied. "This

doesn't make sense."

"It makes perfect sense" Michael responded in frustration. "The guy

is a creep. Plain and simple!"

"Creep or not" Lizzie replied, "we can't just assume the worst of the

guy. He was a friend of your grandfather's, Mike."

"He was also a friend of Balthazar Aced" Cameron cautioned.

"So was James" Julia reminded the group. "Who he was and who he

is now doesn't particularly matter at the moment, you guys."

"Has Grandma said anything?" Michael asked his cousins.

"She's staying tight lipped" Cameron answered sadly. "I don't blame

her. She's already been through enough since Grandpa died."

"Shouldn't Claude be on our side?" Mark inquired. "I mean, Claude

was a master Pokémon Trainer in his time and a law professor. The

law doesn't help Cassius in any case he tried to pull with him."

"Someone had to have paid Claude more than the prosecution was

willing to" Lizzie said.

"Elezar" Michael spat out.

"No one has seen Elezar in nearly ten years" Julia told him. "Mike,

you can't just-"

"C'mon, Julia" Chris finally spoke up, after a moment of thinking.

"Who else hates us enough to want to keep Cassius out of prison?"

"We don't know if that's what Claude is after" Mark suggested.

"Maybe we should have a meeting with him."

"Or maybe he's been listening to The O'Hara Hour " Cameron mildly

put.

"The what?" Lizzie asked.

"It's the new show all our parents are watching" Cameron explained.

"Walter O'Hara basically sits in front of a camera and tells the

audience what they want to hear. I don't listen to him because I have

a brain, but unfortunately, it seems many in Arcana don't."

"Why?" Julia asked.

"It's the #1 Show on ArcTV" she responded. She turned on the

television and flipped the channel to ArcTV. "I wouldn't have even

known it existed if Uncle Anthony wasn't watching it last night."

"Oh goodie" Michael growled. "Another reason to be thankful he's

only my stepfather."

"Shhh" Cameron shushed her cousin. "This is it."

The six suddenly fell silent as the pink and plump Walter O'Hara

went on what had to have been his third or fourth monologue of the

show. "-happened to transpire. The fact is we don't know, but the

higher ups think that we should just keep our heads down and think

nothing of them snatching someone up off the streets and putting

ridiculous charges on them. The courts will prove that this sham trial

is an excuse for Michael Kingston to take after his mentor in Giselle

Odelia and try to take control of the Arcana Region from all of us."

"Turn it off" Michael whispered, though no one seemed to be

listening to him.

"I mean" Walter continued on air, "this is really ridiculous of him to

think that we will just sit by and let him run this nation without due

process. I know he's a Kingston and they think that they can do

anything they want, but this isn't a dictatorship and the Kingstons

cannot hold all the power."

"Turn it off" Michael replied, louder. Julia was the only one to react to

him, and eyed him worriedly. He was shaking angrily and violently.

She glanced back at Mufasa, who was doing the same by Lizzie,

who was too transfixed by what the TV was saying to notice the

flailing Pokemon beside her.

"Sweetie, are you okay?"

"I would say I expect more from the Elite Four when it comes to

questioning the Champion, but he seems to be enjoying filling the

ranks with his sycophantic cousins and foreigners."

"Oh give me a break" Lizzie said bitterly.

"I'm not a sycophant" Chris responded.

"Turn it off!" Michael again called, but no one moved to turn off the

TV.

Julia jumped out of her chair and ran to his side. "Mike?"

The TV seemed to be getting louder. "I implore the few Kingstons

who once questioned this tyrant a long time ago to reconsider their

positions. Family does matter, but so does the integrity of Arcana.

Ask the Champion to put power back where it belongs, or stand

aside for those who have our region's best interests at heart."

"TURN IT OFF!" Michael roared. In immediate response, Mufasa

jumped to his feet and charged into the television, knocking it off the

wall and causing it to shatter. At the sight of the Arcanine barreling

into the television, the others looked towards Michael, who was

clutching at his heart and had fallen to his knees.

"Give him some air" Julia told the others as they all were about to

rush over to his side. She then looked towards the man she loved.

"Mike, where is Celebi?"

Michael reached for a Poké Ball on his belt. Julia beat him to it and

called out the mythical green Pokémon. Celebi turned towards

Michael and gasped, quickly flying to his side and swirling around

him. Finally, as Michael stopped tensing, Celebi landed on his head

and smiled down on him in Julia's arms.

"Thank you, Celebi" Julia graciously spoke to it.

Celebi smiled back at her, but remained sitting on Michael's head as

he soon relaxed.

"It's getting worse?" Chris asked, concerned for his cousin.

"I'll be sure to contact Professor Krane in Orre" she remarked.

"Michael needs to have that surgery sooner, rather than later."

"Does he think it will work?" Lizzie asked.

"I'm not sure" Julia answered, cradling Michael in her arms. "We

haven't heard from Professor Krane since the last time there was

trouble there. I just hope it will at least stop the tensing from

happening."

Cameron frowned. "It's getting closer to the Crimson Moon" she

reminded the present crowd. "What do you think will happen if we

don't hear from Professor Krane by then?"

Julia shook her head. "We can't think like that, Cam" she responded.

"But I know Michael won't be able to survive more moments like this.

For now, I think he needs to take things a little easier." She looked to

the Elite Four. "Can I count on you guys to lighten his load a bit?"

All four nodded in agreement. "I'll do some patrolling" Lizzie

volunteered.

"I'll take care of the commencement, tomorrow" Cameron

proclaimed.

"I'll keep in touch with the other Regions" Mark insisted.

"Nice guys" Chris laughed. "Way to give me my relatives as a

problem to deal with."

"Actually, Chris" Julia spoke up. "I could use your help here with

Mike. Cameron can handle the rest of the family while we keep Mike

in good spirits. We have a date tonight, but tomorrow, I'm sure he

could use some quality time with his cousin."

"That's a lot better than talking to the family" Chris answered,

relieved. "I'll do it."

Cameron, Mark and Lizzie then set off on their tasks, while Chris and

Julia helped Michael back onto the couch. Mufasa trotted over to his

trainer's side and sat beside him. As they put him down on a pillow,

Chris sighed. "I wish I had been there for him. I wish he wasn't the

only one in the world who had to deal with this."

Celebi hovered over Michael, sharing some of it's healing light with

him.