Couples Retreat

Couples Retreat is the forty-sixth episode of Ben 10: Ultimate Alien and the fourteenth episode of the third season.

Plot
The team chases Darkstar to Kevin's garage, where he tears out a page of Gwen's Spell Book and easily flies off, with Fasttrack pursuing him. In flight, he casts a spell from the page and summons the Door to Anywhere. As he finishes the spell, the door appears and causes him and Fasttrack to crash. Charmcaster comes out from the other side of the door and is intrigued by Darkstar, taking him with her through the door.

The door disappears as Kevin and Gwen catch up, while the latter recognized that the spell Darkstar used was to conjure the Door to Anywhere. Gwen blames Kevin because he moved her spell book from her desk to his garage, claiming it would be safer that way. Gwen then informs Kevin that she had cast fifteen security spells, making her house safer than anywhere else. Gwen remains angry and ignorant of Kevin, referring to Ben to tell his 'friend' each time she instructs something as if he isn't there. Ben tries to get in between them, saying Darkstar probably went to Ledgerdomain, and Kevin states that Charmcaster will probably destroy him, so they shouldn't bother pursuing him. Gwen agrees that something bad might happen, and that is why they have to go there.

In Ledgerdomain, Charmcaster finally has a companion to share her time with, referring to Darkstar. The realm has given him back his looks and evidently Charmcaster and Darkstar have a mutual attraction to each other. Charmcaster expresses her childlike joy, while Michael appears to care for her, filling the void left by her father's absence. Charmcaster says that her absolute reign of the realm doesn't matter when she doesn't have someone to share it with. It is only when he finds out a kiss from Charmcaster feeds him with so much mana that he turns gold, his ideas change. In the night Michael tries to get back to Earth in order to exact his revenge. Charmcaster finds out he is running off from her but lets him be, even telling him that the secret to magic is true names. She marks his hand with the name of the realm so Michael can come and go as he pleases. On a final note, she tells him her real name, Hope.

As Gwen is trying to open the Door to Anywhere, Kevin and Ben notice it starting to glow. This causes Gwen to turn around just in time to see the Door disappear. They track the Door's energy to a power plant, where they find Michael Morningstar. Michael causes a commotion in the power plant as the trio try to incapacitate him. Gwen notices Michael is having problems absorbing electricity, since he is so accustomed to mana by now. Gwen performs a spell and drains the mana from him, returning it to Ledgerdomain. This prompts Darkstar to return to the realm in order to retrieve his powers. Ben notices that Michael had a mark on his hand and the trio use the symbol to cross the realm as well. They successfully arrive at Charmcaster's castle.

They speculate that either Charmcaster and Michael are voluntarily teaming up, or he is using her by subduing and forcefully taking her power. In her chambers, Michael explains to Charmcaster about his dilemma of losing power so soon in Earth and Charmcaster explains that it is standard, to which she adds she can be of some help to him. The two share a kiss, with Michael turning golden once again as the trio walk in on the scene. Charmcaster is surprised that these are the enemies Michael had spoken of before, and Michael is also surprised that Charmcaster knows them.

In the ensuing commotion, a combined blast of Michael and Charmcaster's mana is shot, leading to a fight outside between Ben, Kevin and Michael while Gwen remains in the castle with Charmcaster. Michael displays vigorous strength, as Ben and Kevin notice. He is also able to summon rock golems (monsters) powered by his energy. Gwen, whom at this point realizes Charmcaster is in love with Michael, tries to talk her out of helping him. This causes Charmcaster to grow skeptical of how Gwen knows his real name to which Gwen admits that they dated in the past. Enraged, Charmcaster commands her rock monsters to destroy Gwen, but seems to take back the order shortly after. With the monsters halted, Gwen continues attempting to get Charmcaster to come to her senses.

Gwen and Charmcaster both inspect Michael's fight from atop. He remarks vain, confident and selfish things about conquering Earth and Ledgerdomain. Charmcaster says that Michael is beautiful, but Gwen states that she should see what he looks like on the inside. Charmcaster still remarks that he loves her deep down. Then, Michael boasts that he'll take 'lovely Gwen' as his trophy, making Charmcaster angry and sheds tears. Gwen meekly defends herself, but an angry Charmcaster pushes her off the balcony with a burst of magic energy only to be safely caught by Ben.

Michael flies up, hoping to combine his power with Charmcaster to destroy the trio. Snidely, she asks if he'd really destroy his 'lovely Gwen'. He defensively replies it was a casual mistake in the heat of the moment, and that Charmcaster's power was the ultimate one, calling her beautiful. He offers out his hand, declaring that together they can rule two worlds. Charmcaster hesitates and doesn't quite let her hand touch his. Gwen, Kevin and Ben watch this in anticipation.

Charmcaster softens. She tells Michael that he always calls her beautiful, never calling her by her real name. He tries to defend himself, stating that he does call her by her name. This encourages Charmcaster to ask Michael her name. After a pause, he answers "Heather", causing Charmcaster's wrath to come out in full force. The trio is magically transported back to the power plant as Charmcaster's castle collapses. Gwen kisses Kevin on the cheek, surprising Kevin and saying that "all things considered", he's a good boyfriend.

The Door to Anywhere opens, with Charmcaster kicking a powerless Darkstar out. After sharing a serious look of compromise with Gwen, she goes back to Ledgerdomain, locking the door behind her. Darkstar starts banging on the door, begging her to let him back in, still calling her by wrong names. Kevin calls him a loser, and he turns to find that he is under the mercy of Ben, Gwen and Kevin, whom he has unfinished business with. Charmcaster stands alone in the ruins of her castle, sadly gazing at Michael's mask that was left behind.

Characters

 * Ben Tennyson
 * Gwen Tennyson
 * Kevin Levin

Villains

 * Michael Morningstar

Neutral

 * Charmcaster
 * Stone Creatures
 * Palorfayg
 * Scrutins

Aliens Used

 * Jetray (2x)
 * Fasttrack
 * Four Arms
 * Diamondhead
 * Humungousaur
 * Ultimate Humungousaur

Spells Used

 * Contego (Gwen)
 * Vita (Charmcaster)

Errors

 * When Jetray was talking, he only had 3 top teeth.
 * Gwen's Spellbook was missing the gold outline on the cover.
 * When Ben is reading the spell and shows the page to Gwen, it is empty.
 * When Kevin and Ben are talking about Charmcaster beating Darkstar, the thickness of Ben's shoulder stripe changes.
 * When the scene switches back to the team, Ben seems to have become Four Arms for no apparent reason.
 * Although, he may have been needed to help lift something heavy off-screen.
 * One of Gwen and Kevin's arguements may have also intensified to the degree of an actual fight (as they were shown not getting along very well for most of the episode), and Four Arms may have broken the fight up.
 * When helping Gwen up towards the end of the episode, Kevin is no longer in rock form.

Trivia

 * It is revealed that Darkstar can perform magic spells.
 * If you look closely at Gwen healing Kevin after he was attacked, you can see for a second a skull-like appearance.
 * It's revealed that Gwen went out with Darkstar twice.