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Only a day had passed since the large, yet unnamed Gyarados launched its attack on Azure, and yet, against all expectations, the town was almost completely repaired by the townsfolk, and they were able to continue on with their lives thanks to the efforts of Luke, Volcan, and the rest of Team Valiant. The Gyarados had been taken into custody, given a cell specifically meant to accommodate large Water-type Pokémon, enclosed within a cage of iron bars sunk into a body of water, with an iron-reinforced door for extra security to keep him enclosed.

So far, the great water beast had remained comatose, resting quietly in his cell as he recovered from the extensive damage inflicted upon him by the rescue team, especially their Captain, Luke, with his almighty Aura Storm.

A new admiration and sense of respect had grown between Luke and his new Blaziken friend; Volcan had come to understand the lengths Luke would go to in order to protect his home, while Luke, after hearing of how Volcan battled the Gyarados, understood that there was no danger the Blaziken would not face, even if he had a clear disadvantage. Luke was a Guardian, Volcan was a Warrior. Yet, as their methods and intentions overlapped, it only added to their friendship.

On the evening of the day after the Gyrados' attack, Volcan had accompanied Luke to the store to purchase ingredients for that night's dinner. On their way out, though, as they rounded a corner to head out of town, something caught Luke's eye; he turned to the wall they were passing, over which a poster had been stuck to the wall of the store. The title of the poster was 'Challenge of the Warmachine' and below it, in brightly coloured letters, 'A competition of strength and teamwork.

"Hello." He muttered as he suddenly took a detour to get a better look at what was written on the poster, reading it over slowly and carefully.

The poster read as followed; "Rescue Teams and promising fighters of the Green Continent, if you are looking for the chance to test your might against the best fighters in the land, then look no further than this contest hosted by Gold-ranked Rescue Team Warmachine. Enter a choice between a division for teams, or stand alone in a division for lone wolf fighters! Enjoy a complimentary trip aboard a luxury vessel enroute to the tournament grounds, and compete for fabulous prizes!'

There was more below, but Luke stopped there. The Lucario's curiosity was piqued, feeling his 'inner Nido' kicking in as the thought of fighting in this competition fill his mind. A small smirk formed on his face, before turning and calling out to Volcan, who hadn't noticed Luke had stopped and kept walking. "Hey, Volcan. I think you may want to check this out!" Luke called to the Blaziken.

Volcan turned on his heel as Luke called him, noticing the poster Luke was reading before he walked over and examined the face of it himself, mumbling the first few words. "Team Warmachine... Challenge -hey!" He said gleefully, his eyes widening with intrigue. "Now this looks interesting."

"I know right?" Luke asked, feeling just as excited at Volcan. "It's not often you get to challenge one of the top rated Rescue Teams in the world." He added, looking to Volcan. "What do you think?"

Volcan opened his beak to speak, but paused, before he turned and looked around the town. "I... don't know; do we have time for it?"

"We'll just have to make time." Luke returned. "The town looks almost to be back in good condition anyway."

"Which surprises me. I mean it was only a day ago this place was hit; these people rebuild so fast you'd think this happens every day," Volcan commented, before he eyed Luke warily. "...It doesn't, does it?"

Luke shook his head, laughing light-heartedly. "No, don't worry. Events like with the Gyarados don't happen often." He assured Volcan. "The people of Azure are just highly productive, I suppose, and there are often storms around here that require a bit of tidying up after." He then gestured to the poster with his paw again. "But I honestly think we should at least look into this; it would be an excellent way to test you -and us for that matter. See how we measure up. So, what do you say?"

"Let's see here..." Volcan examined the poster. "Looks like we register in Westport; how far is that from here?"

"I think that's about a day's worth of travel." Luke answered, looking to Volcan.

He hummed as he read over more of the poster. "Doesn't appear that registry begins until tomorrow and goes on for about three days, so we've got lots of time yet," he said. "Ample time to decide who goes and who ought to stay."

"The way I see it, Doug would have to stay behind. He can't travel on boats because well... He's a ground type for one, and he'd wreck the boat by digging around within it."

"True enough, but just him to watch the town?" Volcan asked. "Call me over-cautious but I have a hunch that Gyarados isn't the only one looking for me. He said he worked for someone; someone who definitely wants me for something."

Luke rubbed his chin a little in thought. "Let's weigh the options; we'll need all the help we can get if we for this tournament, although if someone _does_come looking for you, they won't have to tear up the town looking for you if the populace knows you're gone. In a way this actually makes Azure safer but none the less the town should be protected." Luke muttered. "I could ask Wade, but knowing him, he'll want to compete in the singles division. The same goes for my elder brother." Luke muttered.

"What, Mikhail would want to compete?" Volcan asked.

Luke's ears flicked up as Volcan made his inquiry, realizing that Volcan had not met all of his family yet. "Oh no, Mikhail's not fond of combat. I was referring to my eldest brother, Rigel." Luke corrected.

"Oh, there's three of you," said Volcan, nodding. "Alright; so we can't ask Rigel."

Luke narrowed his eyes a little as he thought of one other who might be of help. "I... could ask my mother. Or perhaps ask Kage if his son could keep watch in our stead."

"You think they could handle anything that comes along?" Volcan asked.

"I'm pretty confident, yes. After all, my mother's got much more combat experience than I do."

"Alright. Then I'd suggest we confirm that before we go wandering off; eager as I am for this little contest, I can't say I'm eager to leave this place unguarded..." He trailed off a bit as his gaze lowered. "To be hit by anyone else who comes after me."

Luke nodded, sharing his concern. However he had a more positive demeanour as he began walking away from the poster. "Things will be alright, Volcan. Just remember you're no longer alone in this battle."

"I don't even know when 'this battle' started," Volcan reminded, a little harsher than he intended, but after calming himself down, he spoke a little softer. "But it is good to know someone's got my back."

Luke smiled more, giving Volcan a reassuring pat on the back. "Absolutely," he stated. "Now, come on; let's go see my mother."

Volcan nodded, and walked with Luke as they carried on through town, passing through the various streets before exiting and heading back to Luke's house, where they dropped off the groceries only to depart again and head off in another direction, to find his mother's house. Luckily she wasn't too far away from Luke's residence; she lived a couple of groves away, outside of town as, Volcan had learned, a few members of the team seemed to, including Luke and Katsu.

But when they arrived at a clearing, they were greeted with the sight of one female Lucario squaring off against two others. One of them Volcan recognized as Mikhail, as he was wearing glasses, the other had boxing tape wrapped around his paws and legs, and was on a rather heavy assault on the female while Mikhail was blasting from a distance.

"Looks like we've stumbled in on their training regiment." Luke commented.

"Two against one?" Volcan asked, questioningly. "Hardly seems like a fair fight."

"Wait for it." Luke returned, watching as the fight continued.

Within seconds, the female Lucario suddenly began turning things around, parrying the Lucario assaulting her hard anough to make him stumble, then she Force Palmed his chest to send him reeling onto his back, then began firing her own Aura Spheres at Mikhail. The poor Lucario tried to keep up, but he was quickly overwhelmed and forced to try and dodge the blasts, only to be met with a backhand across the face by the more experienced Lucario, sending him onto his side, his glasses flying off his face.

"Not bad boys." She commented after calming down. "However, you still haven't gotten past your faults. Rigel, you're far too arrogant and eager for a close quarters fight. Your arrogance leaves you sloppy and open to attacks." She said to the bandaged Lucario as he stood up. "Mikhail, you're still hesitating...you need to let go of your fear. Once you're in a fight, fear is the last thing that should be going through your mind."

"B-But mother...you know I dislike fighting. I want to be a surgeon, not a war mongrel like Rigel," Mikhail returned as he retrieved his glasses.

"Hey! Fighting's fun man! Don't go bashing it like that!" The other male Lucario, obviously Rigel, barked back at Mikhail.

"Ouch... that looked painful," Volcan commented, cringing from the result of the battle and the severe beatdown the two younger Lucarios had endured.

"Don't worry, she was holding back." Luke returned with a reassuring tone.

The female Lucario's ears twitched and she looked over to Luke and Volcan's direction, smiling when she saw her youngest. "Ah Luke. Good to see you again, son." She bade him, and so Luke and Volcan proceeded into the yard to meet her.

Luke smiled and met his mother halfway, embracing her in greeting for a moment. "Good evening, Mother," he said warmly. "Still working them hard I see."

"Of course. My boys should always be able to protect themselves." She said, then looked past Luke to Volcan. "You've brought a friend I see."

Volcan nodded his head respectfully to her. "Nice to meet you, ma'am," he said, politely.

"You too..." She paused, humming slightly and looking at Luke, not sure what to call the Blaziken.

"This is Volcan, mother." Luke introduced him. "He's currently helping out with my Rescue Team."

"Another recruit?" She asked. "Luke, you already have six members, don't you think seven is a little too much?"

"I'm... just a temporary member," Volcan replied. "See, I'm actually new in town."

"Oh." She returned. "My apologies, I didn't mean to assume anything."

Volcan looked at Luke, leaning down to whisper to him. "Should we tell her?" He asked.

"About your dilemna?" He whispered back, humming in thought at the question. "Perhaps not; she might get a bit suspicious."

"Any less suspicious than Kage already is of me?" He pointed out.

"Fair point," Luke returned. "Well, the floor's yours..."

Volcan stood back up, sucking in a deep breath before he looked at the female Lucario. "I'll be honest with you, miss..." He paused, realizing he didn't catch her name.

"My name is Luminara." She said, crossing her arms as she spoke.

"Luminara," the Blaziken acknowledged, nodding. "The truth is this..." And he went on to explain his predicament, about how he had come to be in town just over a week ago, having crashed a boat he had been driving, only to awaken with no memory of who he was. Mikhail even stepped in to vouch for part of the story, having been the one to treat Volcan when he landed. He once more checked with Luke, before going on to mention the Gyrados that had apparently come to Azure looking for him. "And that's how I've come to be in Azure," he said. "Finding myself in Luke's care."

"...Quite a conundrum you're in, Volcan." Luminara commented, then looked to Luke for a moment, who nodded to her to further convince her it was all true. "Well, I have heard of worse predicaments, but still, it's nice to see my son sticking his neck out for others in need. I can already tell you two are fairly close."

Volcan smiled at that. "Yeah. He's been a very kind and gracious host since I arrived."

Luke nodded. "Which brings up another topic." He added. "My team and I, as well as Volcan, were thinking of participating in a competition out at Westport City. I was wondering-"

"If I could watch over Azure in your stead?" Luminara finished, cutting Luke off. "Luke, you do realize being on a team doesn't mean you can just take vacations whenever see fit."

"M-Mother! It's not like that at all." Luke stated. "It's a competition for Rescue Teams to test their limits against one another, not some vacation. I thought it'd be good for my team to test themselves and gain some experience."

"And you don't think that with Volcan here," she gestured to the Blaziken, "being pursued by strangers, with even him not knowing why they are, the town won't need your protection?"

"If I may," Volcan chimed in. "I think the town might actually be safer if I'm gone. That Gyrados attacked to draw me out, I think, but if the next one understands that there is a team here, watching for more danger, they may take a more subtle approach, find out where I am, but if they find out I'm actually not here, they'll have no choice but to look elsewhere."

Luminara eyed him blankly for a moment, as if considering his suggestion, before she nodded. "You assume much on a gamble, but you raise a fair point," she admitted, arms crossed and deliberating for a moment. She was silent for a while, letting out a small sigh before she finally gave her son an answer. "Well... I suppose I can do so for you, Luke. I can see you've already made up your mind, and far be it from me to try and stop you." She said with a nod. "Go on then. Knock the competition out of the water."

Luke gave a firm nod and a smirk. "I plan to; thanks Mother." He said, and then looked back to Volcan. "Now we alert the rest of the team."

Volcan nodded. "Lead on," he said.

Rigel then popped up next to Luke as they started to walk away, eyeing his little brother with a grin. "A competition you say?" He asked. "Where do I sign up?"

"Enrollment is in Westport, but it doesn't start..." Luke didn't even finish before Rigel broke into a run, heading off in a sprint back towards town and leaving his youngest brother, mouth agape, to watch him run off before hearing the rest of his explanation. "...Until tomorrow," he finished, grimacing and letting out a sigh. "So impulsive."

"You said it," Volcan agreed.

Mikhail stepped over, appearing between them and chuckling. "Worry not; he is always like that," he said, mostly to Volcan. "This competition could be quite an adventure for both of you?"

"Without a doubt," Luke agreed.

Volcan suddenly seemed to have an idea. "Hey, Mikhail?" He asked.

"Yes?"

"Why don't you come with us too?" The Blaziken suggested. "Not as a fighter -I saw from your sparring match you're not as into combat as Rigel. But we could use a team medic; guaranteed some of us are going to get pretty roughed up in this tournament so having our own doctor to tag along seems like it'd be a good idea."

"That is a good idea," Luke agreed. "Well, Mikhail; what do you say?"

The Lucario tipped his glasses as he considered the proposition, putting a paw on his chin and humming a little. "Well, I'd certainly get some practice in my craft," he admitted. "Alright; I'll see if it can be done," he replied with a nod.

"Excellent," Luke returned.

"We'll see you tomorrow then," Volcan replied as he and Luke carried on towards town, waving at Mikhail who altered course for his own house to prepare, while the other two went to address Luke's team.

~~~~~

Luke led the way back to his house with Volcan in tow, where the Lucario retrieved an earpiece communicator from his bedroom, stepping back outside and using it to contact his team. They did not have to wait long before the members of team Valiant started arriving. Eagle Eye was the first to get there, followed shortly after by Hank -who made his presence known by leaping out of the trees above Volcan, yelling _'Boo!'_at him and scaring the poor Blaziken out of his wits, which left the Zoroark rolling on the ground laughing until Volcan tried to kick him in the ribs, but the Zoroark rolled away in time to avoid it.

Next to arrive were Katsu, Kage and Doug, who appeared at almost the same time. The Samurott, Greninja and Dugtrio joined Eagle Eye and Hank as Luke explained his idea to them, telling them about the competition. They all listened with intrigue -although with Kage it was hard to tell as his expression never changed.

"A Tournament eh?" Eagle Eye asked, shifting his wings slightly and cocking his head to the side in consideration. "Sounds like it could be fun! Against a top ranking team too! How often do ya get to do that?" He exclaimed.

"I concur." Katsumoto said with a nod. "It should be a fine way to test our prowess both as individuals, and as a team."

"Hell I'm in, so long as I get to bust some heads." Hank added with a smirk.

"More power to you guys." Doug said. "I can't go on boats, so you guys are just going to have to win this one in my place."

"Sounds like we're all in agreement then," said Volcan.

"Indeed." Luke said, then looked to Kage. "If I could ask you a favour-"

"I'll have Hageshi watch over Azure with your mother and Doug." Kage abruptly interrupted him.

Luke gave a small scowl. "...What is it with Pokémon and cutting me off like that today...?" He muttered to Volcan.

"I know, right? That's three times now," said the Blaziken.

"You're not exactly hard to read..." Kage pointed out.

Luke flinched at that, sighing irritably before collecting himself. "Regardless, it will be a day's worth of travel from here to Westport; registry begins tomorrow and goes on for three days after so there's no real rush. Make sure you're all well rested and properly equipped for the journey tomorrow." Luke said, and dismissed the team.

With that, the group scattered off to get ready for their long journey ahead, leaving Luke and Volcan alone once more after watching the others depart. "Alright; seems it's all in place," said Volcan.

"Yes." Luke returned as they began to walk back inside. "We should do the same. Chances are we'll be leaving as early as we can to get there as soon as possible." Luke added, looking up to Volcan. "Guess dinner's going to be a little early tonight. Shame; I was hoping to try a new dish tonight."

"What says you can't? It's still light out," Volcan reminded. "And like you said there's no real rush."

"Well, I suppose I could. Still, the recipe said it would take a long time to make. It's a slow roasted pulled pork with jalapeno spices and barbecue sauce." Luke explained as he opened the latch to his home.

"That sounds delicious," Volcan commented, licking his beak as he imagined the dish.

Luke began to smile again. "Well then better get comfortable." He said, holding the door for his friend. "It should be done after an hour or so."

"I can wait," the Blaziken said as he descended into the house, heading over to the couch, pausing briefly to look around for something to entertain himself with. Though there wasn't really much to help pass the time. A few books, a chess set in one of the drawers. There was a rather thick book laying alongside the chessboard though. Judging from its size, it looked like some sort of photo album.

Volcan didn't touch it, though. 'Luke's memories, not mine', he thought; he hardly had any right to go looking through such a personal item. Instead he opted to pick another book from the shelf and began to read it.

Luke kept busy in the kitchen as he prepared the meal, occasionally referring back to a recipe book he had propped up next to the stove so he could go back and forth between the meal and the book. "Let's see; two pinches sait..." He mumbled incoherently for a moment or two, adding more ingredients and continuing to mutter as he worked. "Slow cook for an hour..." Once or twice he would glance back toward Volcan, allowing himself a small smile as he saw him read through a book, then went back to his meal, still wearing that broad smile even as he worked.

It took roughly an hour and a half, but Luke finally finished the dish, serving it on two seperate plates before walking back to Volcan. "And here we are." He said, setting the plate down before Volcan, along with some utensils and a napkin. "Sorry for the wait."

"No problem," Volcan said, marking his place in the book with a folded corner, before he set it aside and reached for his plate. "Thaaaank you," he said.

"Heh, you sound like you're starving." Luke said with a chuckle.

"Fire-types burn a lot of energy," he said as he dipped his fork into the food. "So we need lots to eat."

"Fair enough. Eagle Eye's the same way I suppose." Luke commented as he took a bite of his meal. "...Mmhh ...this is why I always prefer making my own food. It always tastes so much better when you make it yourself."

Volcan took his first taste of the dish which at first, exploded with flavour in his mouth; a harmonious combination of meat, sauce and tasty spices just flooded into his mouth upon that first bite...

It seemed Luke got a little TOO carried away with the spice, as the sliced Jalapenos felt like an eruption was going off on his tongue. As Volcan swallowed the first bite, his eyes went wide open, and he put a hand over his mouth as smoke exhaled from his nostrils. "Hmph!" He grunted, before he belched out a small fireball that made Luke jump; he made sure nothing burnable was in its path as he exhaled the fireball. "That is hot!" He exclaimed.

Luke stared, wide-eyed, at the Blaziken for a moment looking down at his meal. "I didn't think it was that spicy..." He said, before setting down his food and quickly running to the sink to grab Volcan a glass of water, then trotted over to Volcan and handed it to him. "I've heard of throwing up your food... but flamethrowing up is something I'd never expect." He commented, then slowly started to smirk and snicker from his own little joke.

Volcan fanned his mouth for a moment before downing the glass of water. "It was unintentional," he said, a little wheezy. "Seems like it was hot enough to set me off. But wow! That's a lot of spice."

"Funny. I didn't find it that hot." Luke admitted. "I guess I used a little too much. I'm sorry." He said, flattening his ears a little.

"It's okay," Volcan said, assuredly. "I still liked the taste of it; just wasn't ready for that heat." He looked around. "Glass of milk or some bread, I can still eat it."

Luke nodded, running back to the kitchen and pouring a glass of milk for Volcan this time before trotting back to him. "Here, this should he-eeeelp!" He hollered, suddenly tripping over his own feel clumsily, sending himself flying forward and smacking face first into Volcan's chest, the glass of milk hitting him as well, splashing milk all over Volcan's chest and Luke's head.

"Gah!" Volcan yelped, caught by surprise as Luke tripped and sent falling onto his backside, with Luke landing on him and the glass rolling off of the Blaziken's chest and onto the floor -thankfully not shattering from the drop, but leaving both Luke and Volcan soaked in milk.

Luke groaned, feeling disgruntled from his own clumsiness. He shook his head a bit after lifting himself up on his paws, still laying prone over the Blaziken. "I'm so sorry, are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Volcan, wiping away some milk that got on his face. "What happened; did you trip?"

"Yeah, I guess I tripped on my own feet." He said. "I'm normally not this... clumsy..." He trailed off as he looked up into Volcan's eyes. He then blushed, realizing the position they were in. He was almost laying on top of Volcan, staring up into his eyes with his nose almost touching the Blaziken's beak. For whatever reason, Luke started blushing a bit on the spot, stuttering.

"Uh, are you okay?" Volcan asked, wondering what Luke was getting so flushed about.

He didn't answer, still looking up at Volcan's eyes despite being drenched in milk. His blush began to grow more prominent. Then he blinked a little and cleared his throat a bit. "Erm, here..." He said, taking an end of his scarf and gently wiping off the milk still dripping off of Volcan's face, still blushing prominently.

"Uh, thanks," he replied, before he slid out from under Luke and started to stand up, offering him a hand in the process. "You feeling alright? Or was that pork spicier than you thought?"

"Uh, Y-Yea." Luke said, taking his hand and lifting himself up on his feet with Volcan's help. "I guess it uhm... it was a little spicier than I thought." He answered, chuckling a little nervously and scratching the back of his head.

Volcan snickered. "Might want to hold back a bit next time," he stated.

"Y-Yeah; sorry." Luke returned, smiling a bit more at him. "Well uhm...other than that, is it good? The meal I mean."

"Once you get past that first bite, yeah; it's good," Volcan replied. "But, we better get back to it before it gets cold." He knelt down, picking up the glass that had been dropped before, checking it for damage. "Hmm... pretty quality glass," he muttered.

"They're pretty sturdy yes." Luke said as he went back to the couch. "They cost me a pretty penny, but it was worth it I believe."

"Especially for moments like that," Volcan remarked with a chuckle, until he expression went blank. "Er... sorry; that was a low blow," he said before heading into the kitchen to pour himself another glass of milk.

"It's alright." Luke said, then looked down at his food for a moment. '...What the hell just happened there?' he thought to himself. 'Why was I suddenly so flustered while I was near him?'

Volcan clearly hadn't thought much of it, as he didn't bring it up again after returning, simply eating his meal in peaceful silence as if nothing had happened, soon able to eat all of it and then downing a second glass of milk. "Whoo! That clears the sinuses," he said.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Luke returned, stretching a little and wiping his face with a napkin. "Next time I'll ease up on the spices."

"Good call," Volcan said, chuckling. He had a thought at that moment, and then looked over at Luke. "May I take your plate?" He asked.

"S-Sure." Luke returned, handing him the plate and nodding.

With that, Volcan stood up, taking both of their dishes and heading back out into the kitchen. A few seconds later, Luke heard the faucet of the sink running, followed by the sound of the Blaziken placing the dishes into the sink. "Hey uh, where do you keep your soap?" He asked.

"Cabinet under the sink," Luke replied.

"Okay," he called back. "And, washcloth, sponge?"

"Drawer to your... right," Luke replied, narrowing his eyes before standing up and heading into the kitchen, arriving in time to see Volcan adding soap to the sink water and, after a moment of letting the sink fill and suds form, dipping the sponge clenched in his talon into the soapy water, which he then used to start washing one of the plates. "Volcan you don't have to wash the dishes for me." He said. "You're a guest here. You shouldn't have to feel obligated."

"Just because I'm a guest doesn't mean I should sit around like I'm on vacation," he replied. "If I'm going to be staying here any longer, I should be expected to contribute. That's how I feel, anyway."

"That's..." Luke paused for a moment, feeling his blush return once more. "...That's actually pretty noble of you."

"I guess... it was how I was brought up," the Blaziken said with a shrug, not even looking back at Luke. "At least I think so; just feels right, you know?"

"I can't say I wouldn't feel the same way. Still, I guess I just wasn't expecting it." he said. "So... thank you, Volcan."

"Anytime," the Blaziken returned. "You go relax; I'll probably head to bed myself after I finish out here."

Luke nodded, heading on to his room and shutting the door behind him. He sighed, laying back on his bed and staring up toward the ceiling with his paws tucked behind his head, letting his mind wander. But his thoughts kept drifting back to that moment he was laying prone over Volcan, and how, for whatever reason, his heartrate had increased, his body warming and most of all, he had wanted to stay like that. 'What is wrong with me?' He wondered. 'Why did I feel like that near him?'

_ _ He shook it off, letting out a sigh before rolling over in bed. "It was probably nothing," he said, before he shut his eyes and waited to fall asleep, not thinking back to that awkward moment again.

~~~~~

The following day brought a clear mind for the Lucario, forgetting about the awkward events of the night before as the new day began. He awoke feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day's events. Today was the day they would travel to Westport to sign up for the tournament; already the warrior in him was brimming with anticipation for the challenges ahead, and practically jumped out of bed, heading for the door to his bedroom.

Out of the corner of his eye as he reached for the knob, he noticed a piece of paper tacked to the back of his door, signed from Volcan. He reached up, plucking it from the door and read over its contents. It said, "Don't panic; I just went outside to get some exercise. Volcan." And sure enough, when he stepped out of his room, he saw the guest room door was wide open, and Volcan was nowhere to be seen.

Luke sighed a little and smiled. 'At least he was courteous enough to leave a note this time, and he remembered how to write! He's getting better,' he thought to himself as he made his way to the front door of his house, swinging it up and hopping out before taking a look around for the Blaziken

Fortunately, Volcan had not gone far; he was just a stone's throw away from the front door. When Luke saw him, the Blaziken was practicing his fighting technique, going in a slow motion at first to let his muscles memorize the movements themselves, before he unleashed several combo attacks against imaginary opponents. The look on his face was one of anticipation rival to what Luke had felt just moments before; no doubt for the competition they were heading for that day, being the warrior that he was. The chance to test his mettle against new opponents was something any dedicated warrior yearned for.

Luke approached Volcan from behind as he got in his morning exercise. "Looks like I'm not the only one who enjoys a good morning sweat." He said.

Volcan paused mid-kick as he heard Luke speaking up, looking over his shoulder at the Lucario. "Oh; morning Luke," he bade, politely, before going back to his practice.

"Good morning." Luke said. "Thanks for leaving the note by the way."

"Figured I should at least make sure you knew where I was, in case I didn't come back before you woke up," he said. "Sleep well?"

"Slept fine actually, thanks." Luke returned. "So today's the big day..." He added. "Have to admit I'm a little nervous, but I guess that's normal."

"I... can't says I know," replied the Blaziken, leaping forward and whipping around with a Blaze Kick done in a roundhouse kick pattern. "If I've done something like this before... well, you know."

Luke nodded. "I understand; regardless, this should be quite an experience for the both of us," he stated.

"On that, we're agreed," the Blaziken returned, nodding. "From what that poster implied, sounds like this Team Warmachine is a pretty big deal."

"It did mention they were Gold rated. That's the highest rank a Rescue Team can earn." Luke stated. "We can't take them lightly. When we face them," he paused, correcting himself, "if we face them, we'll have to give it our all."

"Agreed; the competition's going to be tough," Volcan said as he performed another roundhouse kick to the air. "But... I wonder..."

Luke hummed curiously as he looked over to Volcan. "What's up?"

He relaxed his stance, straightening his posture and staring at the ground until he looked over his shoulder at Luke. "Do you think it's possible my old team might show up there?"

Luke's ears twitched at the question, admitting silently that he hadn't actually thought of that before. He put a paw to his chin in thought as he formulated his response. "It's a possibility," he agreed. "They might even have the same idea you're having; that maybe they can find you by heading to this competition. It's a long-shot, but it's still possible."

"Hopefully, they'll stand out enough that I can recognize them," Volcan commented.

"Do you remember any distinguishing features they might have?" Luke asked. "Articles of clothing? Scars? Tattoos?"

"Well," Volcan began, rubbing his chin in thought. "I do remember that Minato wears a long, black coat, but that's only because I saw him in that flash of memory the other day, when we fought that Hypno out in the woods." He crossed his arms, shutting his eyes and deliberating. "But the other two, Tristan and Serena..." He grimaced, struggling to find something buried deep in his memories that might help but nothing appeared. He let out a long, exasperated sigh. "Sorry, Luke; it's all still too foggy. All we can hope, maybe, is that they at least recognize me."

Luke gave him a small nod and gently patted his shoulder. "I'm sure they will," he said softly to Volcan. "Anyway, if you're finished with your workout, let's go back inside for some breakfast, then I'll raise the team and have them meet us here."

Volcan nodded in agreement. "You go ahead; I'll be right there," he said.

"Alright then; any preference on what you'd like?" He asked.

The Blaziken shrugged. "Not really... something simple but filling, I guess," he replied.

"The usual then." Luke said as he turned on his heel and walked back to his house, dropping back inside and heading for the kitchen to prepare some bacon, eggs, toast and hashbrowns for the both of them.

Volcan hadn't said so to Luke, but the thought that his team might be suffering the same memory lapse that he himself was recovering from was plaguing his mind. He was worried about them, not just for their sakes but his own as well. If by some horrid coincidence that they were also mere shadows of their former selves when they were the only connections to his past that he knew of, he might never find out who he really was...

~~~~~

After a hearty breakfast later on, Luke had raised the rest of his team to meet with him outside his home. The entire team had gathered before Luke within minutes of his call, even Doug, despite the fact he wasn't coming along. Kage though, had a couple others following with him; Wade, the Dewott Volcan had seen fighting off those three thugs a few days after his first arrival, and another Greninja, this one wearing a dark hooded cloak and was slightly shorter than Kage.

Volcan guessed that this other Greninja was Kage's son, whom Luke had mentioned, remaining silent and watching as the team gathered.

"Alright, I take it we're all here then." Luke stated, looking over to Kage. "So you're bringing Hageshi and Wade with you as well?"

"Hageshi will be staying here in my stead." Kage returned. "Wade however, will be joining us in the competition."

Wade nodded in agreement. "I'll be partaking in the single's division." He stated.

Hank looked down at the smaller Dewott. "Sure you're up for it kiddo?"

"He's ready." Kage replied abruptly before Wade could answer for himself. "I personally oversaw his training. He will not lose."

"...Someone's not lacking in any confidence." Hank muttered.

"We're up against some heavy competition in this contest," Volcan stated. "Best to make sure every one of us is prepared in every way possible."

"Allow me to help with that." Spoke another voice from behind the group. When they turned, they saw Mikhail approaching the group, carrying a case in his paw, presumably containing medical tools and supplies.

"Ah, Mikhail; you made it," Luke stated.

"You asked your bro to come along?" Hank inquired, looking at Luke

"I did, actually," Volcan correct. "Like I said, we're facing some competition; Rescue Teams old and new, Bronze to Gold rank; some of us are without a doubt going to get at least a little banged up."

"An excellent precaution, Volcan," Katsu complimented. "A field medic would be beneficial in case one of us suffers from broken limbs or other serious injuries."

Luke gave Mikhail a nod of thanks as the older Lucario walked over to stand with him at the front of the group. "Alright then." He said. "So with Mikhail and Wade joining us, that will make eight of us in total travelling as a group." Luke commented. "Right. If we're all set, then I say we depart right now. It'll take us a day at least to get to Westport, so we'll have to move as fast as we can."

"I think that poster said registry lasts three days, so we have plenty of time as Westport's only a day away," Volcan pointed out. "Still, I'm just as anxious to get there."

"Agreed." Luke returned. "Let's head out then." He stated firmly before he turned and began walking along the road, followed shortly by the rest of the group -minus Hageshi and Doug who stayed where they were, bidding goodbye to their friends as they all slowly accelerated into a brisk run and began their trek to Westport City...

~~~~~

It turned out to be a very sunny journey for Team Valiant most of the way to Westport; the skies remained clear almost the entire way there as the road carried them over rolling foothills within sight of the coast, filling their nostrils with salty, ocean air as they made their way to the city bathed in sunlight.

It wasn't until their final approach to the city that they finally found the weather taking a turn for the worse; a rainstorm began to blow into the area, riding upon a cold, brisk wind that chilled the air around them. But they were so close to Westport now, they kept going rather than stop, increasing their pace a little. They made it to town just before the heavier rainfall could begin.

Westport was like a larger version of Azure, consisting mostly of wooden buildings as they made their way into the streets, though with slightly more ornate architecture as opposed to the simpler taste of Port Azure. Most of the populace seemed to consist of Water-types as well, but there were still Pokémon of all varieties to be found there, some of which were rushing to get home in order to escape the storm -a good idea, the team thought, and began to wonder where they would find the registry office.

Just as they considered they might need to ask for directions, Volcan spotted a sign that had the same picture on it as the poster that had initially brought them to Westport. "Check it out, guys," he called to the team. "Says here we register at the Green Brother's Inn; there's directions too..." He turned, pointing straight ahead of them. "Two blocks that way, and then we hang a left."

"Then let us make haste to the Green Brother's Inn." Katsu said.

"What he said." Eagle Eye chirped from his perch on Katsu's back, shaking himself to fling the water from his feathers and puffing up slightly as he shivered. "I'd rather not sleep out in the rain thank you."

Luke lead the team through the town until they found the structure -easily spotted by the sign over its door that was carved in the likeness of a pair of Kecleon, with the inn's name in bright bold lettering in front of the carving. Entering one at a time until they were all inside, Luke then scanned the room they were in, taking in the layout. Much of the inn's furniture had evidently been moved in order to make space for a single desk on wheels stacked with papers, sitting at which was an Empoleon, who was just taking one such sheet of paper from another individual -a Grovyle, wearing black armbands on both biceps, both of which were marked with dark green shapes like two crossed scythes.

When the Grovyle finished writing on the sheet of paper laid out in front of him, the Empoleon slid the sheet around to look at it -as he had no fingers to pick it up with- and nodded in approval to the Grovyle.

"Team Kama, Bronze Rank but you have a very good track record," stated the Empoleon. "Very well; you and your two teammates qualify and are now registered." He gave the Grovyle leave to depart, before calling for the next one.

The Grovyle whistled and dance-walked away from the desk as he began to head for the door, pausing as he spotted the members of Team Valiant who had stepped inside and practically filled the doorway. "Nowhere near happy hour yet; you guys must be here for the contest?" He asked, partly in jest.

"We are, yes; just arrived actually." Luke returned with a nod. "I guess that means we'll be competing against one another for the top spot." Luke said with equal humour back to the Grovyle.

"Seems so," replied the Grovyle, chuckling. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "You'll want to talk to Leon back there; he's the representative for Team Warmachine."

"Ah, so that's Leon then?" Volcan asked.

"That's him," replied the Grovyle, nodding. "So who're you guys, if I might ask?"

"We're Rescue Team Valiant." Luke answered. "We're... kind of not that well known among the populous. Mostly we stick to work within our hometown of Azure."

"I see," he returned, nodding. "Team Valiant... " He rubbed his chin in thought. "I think that does ring a bell or two... but I can't be sure; I do know where Azure is anyway so I probably heard about you from someone passing through there. Certainly a hardy looking bunch, I'll admit." His eyes widened suddenly before he let out a cough. "Excuuuuse me; I didn't introduce myself. I'm Sickle, with Team Kama based out of Bluegrove." He held out a hand to Luke, since he was the closest. "Nice to meet you."

Luke smiled, taking his hand in his paw and shaking it firmly. "A pleasure to meet you, Sickle; my name is Luke." He said, releasing his claw afterward. "You look rather strong yourself. I look forward to meeting you in the ring." He said with a nod.

"Likewise," the Grovyle seconded. "So, what rank are you guys? Bronze or Silver?"

Luke hummed at that question, eyes rolling to the side slightly. "Honestly I've never really paid attention to the ranking system that much." Luke answered. "If I had to guess, I'd say Silver."

At that, Sickle's eyebrows twitched. "Higher rank than me," he said. "But I won't let that stop me," he added with a wink. "See you guys on the ship, alright?"

"Alright; we'll see you then." Luke returned, stepping aside to let Sickle pass.

"Best of luck to both our teams," he bade as he passed between the other members of Team Valiant. "Pardon me, fellas," he said as he carefully tried not to bump any of them while the parted to let him through.

"Well, that one seemed friendly enough," Volcan commented, nodding. "It's good to see not all of the competition will be... well, overly competitive."

Luke nodded. "I can already tell he and I could get along just fine."

"Yeah; he does seem pretty cool," Hank agreed. "And I heard the Penguin say that his team's got a good track record. Should be pretty fun when we meet him," he said with a snicker.

Luke then turned back toward the desk and stepped toward the Empoleon sitting behind it as the last contestant signing up departed, giving them access to the desk with his team close behind him. "Excuse me...Leon is it?" Luke asked.

"That'd be me," he replied. "You here to sign up?"

"We are yes." Luke answered.

"Alright; do you have your Rescue Team badge with you?"

Luke tugged a little at his scarf and rummaged around for a moment, then pulled out a small deep blue badge with a gold-plated V on the front. "Will this do?"

"That'd be it," he said, holding out a flipper for it. When Luke handed it to him, he examined it closely, looking it over as if checking for Authenticity before passing it back to Luke. "Team Valiant, wasn't it?" He asked.

Luke nodded in response. "Yes, from Port Azure."

He poured over a few documents on the desk for a moment, before tapping one of them. "Ah, there you are," he said, before nodding. "A very good track record with missions, I'll say that much for you," he stated. "It appears you're a Silver-ranked team; I presume you're all signing up for the Team Division?"

Luke gave a nod. "Yes, I'd say that's about accurate." He responded.

"If you ask me, we should be gold." Hank muttered under his breath.

"You're almost at the required quota to reach that rank, but it's a very select ranking," Leon pointed out, catching Hank's comment. "And you're still a relatively young team yet, according to this."

"We've been in the business for about a few years, so yea I can see why others would think that." Luke returned. "Honestly, ranking's never been an importance to us. We only strive to keep our town safe from any threat that could endanger it, no matter how big or small."

"Indeed; that is the nature of Rescue Teams. Well said," Leon replied as he slid another sheet of paper across the desk. "I'll need names, your total number of team members -guests if you have any are to sign on that smaller list to the right, and at the bottom I'll need a signature from the appointed team leader."

Luke looked to Mikhail and nodded for him to write his name down on the guests list, while Luke and the rest of his team wrote down their names and the number of members competing. Wade stepped up to request to be signed up separately for the singles division, given another form to fill out himself. "That should about do it." Luke commented, leaving his signature on the paperwork once everything was in order.

"Okay then; as of now, you're signed up for the competition," he said. "Registration continues tomorrow so the ship won't be here for you until after that." He gestured to the inn with his flipper. "Team Warmachine has funded this inn to accommodate anyone waiting for the tournament until it is ready to go; speak to the innkeeper and he'll get you rooms. But only the rooms; food and drinks, you'll have to cover yourself."

"Thank you, Leon." Luke said to the Empoleon before turning toward the innkeeper to get their rooms.

"Free rooms?! Dude these guys are awesome!" Eagle Eye squawked happily. "I could so get used to this."

"Don't bother..." Kage said in a low tone. "We're here to compete, not to take a vacation."

"C'mon Froggie, lighten up a little." Hank said, crossing his arms. "Stop ruining the moment and just kick back."

"Besides, people are probably coming from a long ways away," Volcan added in. "If Warmachine didn't give them accommodations there wouldn't be very many competitors. Some probably arrived long before we did."

"Too true." Luke concurred. "On the topic, how shall we split the rooms?"

"I'll take one for myself..." Kage immediately stated. "I prefer the solitude."

"Jeez...how does your woman put up with you?" Hank asked. "Well anyway, I'm cool with sharing a room if we gotta."

"Well first let's make sure the innkeeper has enough for all of us," Volcan suggested.

"Good idea," Luke said as they approached the Innkeeper. "Excuse me. We're competing in the competition set up by Team Warmachine. Are there any rooms available tonight?" He asked.

"Yes; I still have some rooms left," the male green kecleon at the bar counter replied. "Two singles, six doubles; take your pick."

"I'll be taking a single." Kage answered.

Hank rolled his eyes and groaned. "You'll never change..." He muttered, then looked to Katsu. "Wanna bunk?"

Volcan glanced at Wade. "I'm guessing you're taking the other single then?"

"Unlike Shishio, I don't mind sharing a room with others." He returned, then looked to Mikhail. "I think I'll share with Luke's brother."

Volcan turned to Luke. "Well, you and I are already living together right now; think you can tolerate sleeping in the same room?" He asked, partly joking as apparent by the smirk on his face.

Luke smirked at the Blaziken. "Considering the first night you stayed at my place, we ended up sharing a bed?" He said. "I think I'll manage."

Volcan blushed darkly at that. "Did you have to mention that?" He asked, eyes darting from left to right and back at the group, seeing them all looking at him oddly.

Luke laughed a little. "No, but I figured it would keep the mood light." He said with a smile.

"Maybe," Volcan replied, rubbing the back of his head. "But it makes me feel like some little kid that runs into his parent's bedroom to stay with them after they have a bad dream."

"I'm sure the room will have two beds. I'm only pulling your leg after all." Luke said.

"Alright, alright," Volcan mumbled, defeated, before changing the subject. "Do you suppose Rigel's staying here?"

"Probably." Luke returned. "Not sure if he's doing the singles or team division though." Luke replied, looking around at his team as they discussed their accommodations to each other. "I imagine he'd be competing in the singles division though. He always preferred fighting alone, unless it was with myself or Mikhail."

"Understood," Volcan returned.

~~~~~

The team waited in Westport for the start of the competition. On the evening of the last day of registration, they were informed by Leon to rest well, for they would be competing in a testing round against members of Team Warmachine upon getting onto the boat, and before it would be casting off, there would be fewer teams on board. This obligated the group to meet on that same evening after Leon finished with the last of the registrars, to decide who among them would be their opening man.

"Right." Luke said as the group got together to begin their discussion. "We don't know who will be testing us or what sort of test they'll have in store. We'll have to decide carefully as to who should be our opener."

"Let me! Let me!" Eagle Eye stated. "I'll blow em all away with my speed!"

"Speed isn't always everything, Eagle Eye." Katsu stated to the Talonflame..

"I think opening with a solid defense would be our best bet," Volcan offered his opinion. "Someone who can take damage, and handle roughing it up."

"Then I suggest Katsumoto." Kage spoke up. "Out of all of us, he is by far the strongest physically."

Everyone looked to Katsu for a moment, to which he gave a small nod. "I will do it then." He stated, pounding his chest firmly with his paw. "There is no challenge I will not face."

"Then that's our plan?" Volcan asked.

"It would seem so," Luke returned with a nod. "Alright, if there are no further questions, then we're done here. Return to your rooms and rest well. We've got a very busy day tomorrow."

The team all nodded and then disbanded, each of them heading to their rooms to retire for the night.

"I guess that goes for us, too," Volcan said to Luke, letting out a sigh. "I saw some of those teams that came in to register; some of them look pretty tough. We're in for one hell of a challenge." Despite how nervous he sounded, there was still a wry grin trying to creep its way onto his face...

Luke saw the grin forming and chuckled. "Don't try to hide it...you're just as excited about all this as I am."

"Well I am still a Fighting-type," Volcan pointed out. "A challenging opponent is something I live for."

"I can't deny that I'm pretty anxious about all this too," Luke admitted. "This will be a great chance for all of us to test our skills and push our limits."

"Agreed," returned the Blaziken. "What I still wonder about though is Team Warmachine themselves." Volcan glanced over where Leon's desk had been; earlier that day one of his team members had arrived at the Inn and helped him collect the documents and desk to take them out of the building, allowing the innkeepers to put back the pool table that belonged there, which was currently in use by a pair of Pokémon that had come in earlier. "I got a good look at Leon; although he seems unassuming on the outside, I could just feel strength coming off of him -he's much more powerful than he looks, and he was just here to sign people up. I'd hate to see if there's anyone even tougher than him there."

Luke nodded to Volcan in agreement. "Yes; his aura was vast, that much was clear when I sensed him the night we arrived." Luke said, crossing his arms. "Still, we won't know for certain until we finally see all of Team Warmachine in action."

Volcan nodded. "Then we better make damn sure we're strong enough to do so," he said, standing up from the table. "I suppose we ought to go get some sleep, then."

"Indeed." Luke returned, turning to head for their room to rest the night away, mentally preparing himself the for the day ahead.

Later that night, as Luke and Volcan were resting peacefully, the Blaziken's dreams would once again turn to a nightmarish recall of his past... once again, he saw himself in the town, the burning buildings all around him, but just as suddenly he found himself thrown from it, landing in a body of dark water, swimming to the surface and sputtering as he got his head back up into breathable air, where he then saw another figure -a Blaziken like himself, standing atop a building overlooking the cliffs that led down to the water where Volcan -was now...

Just as suddenly the image of that being turned into something horrific, as if an enlarged version of them appeared in front of Volcan and grabbed him out of the water, slowly crushing the life from his body in their hand...

Volcan's fearful moaning and writhing in bed roused Luke awake, especially after hearing him calling out for help, as if he were in danger. Luke opened his eyes and quickly sat up, and then he turned to look across the room, he saw the Blaziken tossing and turning, tangled in his own bedsheets and silently weeping in his sleep.

Throwing off the covers, he quickly crossed the room to Volcan's bed, kneeling next to him on the mattress and gently shaking the distraught Blaziken. "Volcan! Hey Volcan what's wrong?" He asked in a concerned tone.

The Blaziken didn't respond right away, still too deeply locked in his nightmare as Luke spoke to him, unable to respond. Luke shook him harder still, using both paws and tapping his cheek a little. "Volcan!" Luke said in a much firmer, more commanding voice, which proved to be enough.

Finally, he awoke; Volcan jolted awake, throwing his arms out instinctively and forcing Luke to back up as he flailed around, only to find that he couldn't move his legs, resulting in him awkwardly tumbling out of bed and hitting the floor with a dull thud and a grunt. "Ow! Fucking...!" He cursed, rolling over onto his back and seeing his legs tangled in his bed sheets. Angrily, he pulled them off, throwing the sheets aside to fall soundlessly onto the floor before putting a hand over his eyes. "Ugh... damn it! Not again!"

Once Volcan had calmed down enough, Luke approached him and knelt down by his side, resting a paw on his shoulder and rubbing it gently to help calm him down, speaking softly to him. "What happened this time?" Luke asked.

"It was that same dream again," Volcan replied, panting slightly as he tried to collect his thoughts. "But there was... more this time... more destruction; more horrors... this is all my mind keeps showing me and it gets worse every time." Volcan kept his hand rested over his eyes, his body becoming very slack as he teetered over and lay against the side of his bed. "...What am I going to do, Luke?" He asked, running his talons over his face before placing his knuckles against the temples over his head. "All these nightmares, all these questions about who I am... I'm losing my mind."

Luke stared at him quietly for a few moments before giving his response. "...I really don't know Volcan," he answered honestly. "All I can say is keep holding onto the idea that you will remember what happened, as well as the thought of reuniting with your old team." He said, gently embracing Volcan to help comfort him.

Volcan felt Luke's embrace, letting his hands fall away from his head to look at Luke out of the corner of his eye, seeing him resting his head on his shoulder as he gently held his friend. Volcan leaned his head against Luke's, stifling a sob. "I don't know what to do anymore... even if I find my old team, will these memories go away?" He shut his eyes again, tears leaking out. "Or is this the first step of post-traumatic stress?"

"I'm trying not to think of the latter..." Luke said softly. "Like I said, I really don't know what else to tell you other than to keep holding on and press forward..." He said as he lifted his head away to look into Volcan's eyes. "No matter what happens though, I'll be right there with you."

Volcan reopened his eyes, finding Luke's staring back into his, and once more leaned against him, raising one arm to place his talon over Luke's shoulder. "I couldn't have been luckier than to be found by you," he said. "You've been a great friend, since the day we met... I can never thank you enough."

Luke shook his head slowly. "You don't have to thank me, Volcan, nor do you owe me anything." He returned. "I promised you that I'd help anyway I could, and I intend to follow through on that promise."

Volcan nodded to him. "I know..." He said. "Nevertheless, I feel as if I'd been found by anyone else besides you, they'd have either left me there or dumped me off at some medical center. So... I also thank you for standing by me, even if I am falling into madness."

"I think you've still got a ways to go before you sink into complete madness." Luke said with a bit of a smirk, and then he held Volcan tighter and rested his head on his shoulder again. "That said, I'll work as hard as I have to so that you never do..."

Volcan let out a relieved sigh, allowing himself to stay there in Luke's arms. As he had since the day they'd met, he felt safe around the Lucario... be it because he reminded him of a past comrade, perhaps, or it was simply a special gift that Luke had, the Blaziken couldn't be sure. But he did not argue it.

Eventually, he fell asleep in Luke's arms, as became apparent when his weight became noticeably more prominent, slumping against him and letting out a light snore. Luke felt pulled off of his shoulder and began trying to lift Volcan back up off the floor and onto the bed, which was a bit of a struggle thanks to Volcan's larger body and heavier weight. Nevertheless, he managed to get Volcan back in his bed and pulled the covers over him, stroking his forehead a little when he was finished.

"Please sleep well, my friend," he whispered, then gently leaned down and nuzzled his forehead a bit before backing away and crawling back into his own bed, pulling the covers over him and falling back to sleep shortly after...