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Port Azure, the following morning.

After a much-needed night's sleep, Minato was on his way to Volcan and Luke's shared home outside the borders of Azure. He had been to check the boat, making sure it was properly up to code in maintenance before he took it on such a long voyage. He had a personal mission to carry out, and though he was still healing from their most recent one he was eager to get started.

'Sure hope I haven't caught him while he's sleeping,'_he thought, and then rolled and eyes and shook his head. It always surprised him how late Volcan slept in, ever since they had resettled in Azure. He seemed glued to his pillow some days. '_If he keeps that up he'll get out of shape. Even if he was able to beat Sol, he's got to keep his edge. Maybe Victor can help him with that too.'

As he cleared the trees and reached the open ground where the house waited, nothing could have prepared him for the sight that awaited him. His heart fell into his stomach as he saw the house. If he'd been carrying anything in his paws at that moment, he'd have certainly dropped it. The roof of the house had caved in, with the entire top of the underground hovel having sunk into the earth, burying the interior.

"VOLCAN!" He screamed in horror, running up to the pile of rubble.

He was about to start digging into the rubble, but he soon stopped himself, letting rational thought take hold. He forced himself to calm, and shut his eyes, tuning to his Aura Sense - he couldn't help Volcan if he didn't start digging where he was. That is, if Volcan had survived the collapse...

To his relief, he sensed no aura trapped within the rubble, only traces of Volcan's residual aura littered within the area of the collapsed house, traces that were many hours old... and not alone. Someone else had been in the house as well, he sensed. He had not been in contact with Luke often enough to really know the younger Lucario's aura off the top of his head, but he did not recognize the other signature regardless. Whoever it was, they had been in the house the same time as Volcan.

"Who the hell...?" Minato muttered, reverting to his regular senses and opening his eyes. He couldn't make heads or tails about the situation at the moment, but one thing was clear. He had to warn the others. Quickly, he turned on his heel and began dashing as fast as he could through the woods, darting for the closest aura signal to his immediate vicinity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katsu pushed aside the brush obstructing his path as he traversed through the forest toward the residence of Nido and Luminara. He was mildly nervous, not so much because of who he was going to meet, but more so about the news he took upon himself to deliver to the Nidoking in question. He had already delayed a day, catching up with Serena and mustering his courage to step forward to the most powerful being in all of Azure - likely the most powerful being in all of the East. How he would take this bombshell was a mystery to the Samurott, as it was by Nido's claw that Sol was exiled from Azure. He mentally prepared himself for the worst possible scenario...

He stepped through another bush and into the clearing, arriving at Nido's residence and taking a gander around the immediate area for any sign of the Pokémon in question. The ground of the clearing was torn and dishevelled, covered in scrapes and dried patches of grass. The occasional thumping of the earth was the first sensation Katsu felt to alert him to Nido's presence. He spotted the Nidoking sitting atop a circular stone seat with his right elbow tucked near his knee. In his palm was the handle of a dark black dumbbell, lacking any numerical values on the side to give its weight. However, the weight he was bicep curling must have been quite excessive by the pulsation of his veins under his purple arm. Even sitting down, the enormous Nidoking possessed great size and definition, nearly the same height as Katsu and easily half a foot wider in shoulder width, perhaps more...

For a moment, the Samurott went unnoticed, crossing the clearing slowly and cautiously. Eventually though, Nido took notice of him, lifting his head and rolling his eyes to meet Katsu's. In nearly an instant, Katsu's courage waned, and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Katsumoto..." The Nidoking said in his deep, gritty voice as he set aside his dumbbell. "This had better be important if you are interrupting me in my workout."

"It...is of great importance, sir." He replied calmly, doing his very best not to show his intimidation as he approached Nido. He had to stand up on his hind legs to be at proper eye level to the Nidoking, and even then all Nido had to do was stand and he'd be dwarfing the Samurott all over again. "I will spare you the suspense and get right to the point. Your son, Sol, has been granted parole and has returned to Azure under our supervision."

The Nidoking's ears raised, along with his head. He shifted on his seat, his tail sliding over and knocking the barbell off the stone. Rather than keep rolling, though, the heavy weight hit the grass and imbedded itself so deep in the soil it stayed where it fell, giving more credence to the unimaginable weight Nido had been curling with a single arm.

"Son of a bitch... he's out..." Nido said to himself, having an undertone of hope rather than anger or fear. "Where is he now and what were the conditions?"

Nido's surprisingly hasty and hopeful response caught the Samurott off guard, making his expression change from intimidated to outright slack jawed, his mouth hanging open slightly as Nido's reaction finally settled in. "You...aren't angry?" He asked after the initial shock went away. "But... it was by your hand Sol was exiled from Azure after his last destructive rampage."

Nido gave a near paralyzing glare when he heard that remark, his eyebrows narrowing and plumes of smoke coming from his nose. He put his palm against his seat and pushed his massive frame off his butt, now standing a good few feet above Katsu.

"You think I banished Sol because I was angry at him? I was disappointed, certainly. He had amazing power, but no restraint. He let his anger go wild, and it caused him to hurt a lot of people." He lifted his other hand, the one that had been free since Katsu arrived, staring at it for a moment and clenching it into a fist. "I banished Sol because I hoped it would teach him restraint, not because I wanted him gone. That's the _opposite_of what I wanted, but he was too dangerous."

He lowered his hand and looked at Katsu. "You'll understand this yourself someday, Katsu. But if you ask any parent what the hardest part of being one is, they'll all tell you the same thing. Punishment is the hardest thing, even if what they're doing is wrong... it still hurts you to have to hurt them, even to teach them a lesson."

Katsu took a moment to completely register what Nido was saying before he understood what he meant. All this time, his team had been under the wrong assumption about what was going through Nido's mind at the time of Sol's exile, and since he wasn't a parent himself, there was truly no way for him to fully comprehend the pain that went through the Nidoking's heart when he did give Sol his punishment. Banishing Sol from Azure must have broken Nido's heart, he realized. It would have been the first true failure of Nido's life, the first time he had been powerless to change the outcome. A failure both as a warrior... and as a father.

Katsu cleared his throat before he spoke up again, adjusting his kimono slightly. "I owe you an apology, Nido," he said mournfully, lowering his head for a moment to express his regret, and likely that of his team as well. He would have to explain the proper situation to them when they had time... He wondered if even Luke understood why Nido had banished Sol. Had Nido even confessed the real reasoning to him, his closest friend and practically another son to him?

Clearing his throat, the Samurott continued, lifting his head again as he spoke. "If you wish to speak to your son, he is currently resting aboard Team Phalanx's airship until we find him a proper shelter. Though... I would advise caution. He has made it very apparent that he wishes not to enter our borders, and he might respond with hostility toward you should you go see him."

Nido cracked a subtle smirk at that remark. "He could punch me right in my front teeth and I wouldn't mind. My next stop is that carrier so I can see my boy with my own two eyes." He stated firmly, not about to let anything get between him and his boy.

Katsu nodded softly. "As you wish. I shall-"

He then flinched as the sound of a twig snapping behind him. Instinct and battle-honed reflexes prompted the Samurott to whirl around, his Seamitars snapping into his paws as he faced the bushes, blades ready even as Nido remained impassive behind him. From the bushes, Minato stopped short the second he saw the blades, instinctively making him back up and lift his paws in surrender. "Whoa easy! It's just me!" He exclaimed.

Katsu blinked, registering the voice, the dark blue fur and the long black coat of the visitor, realizing quickly who it was. "Goodness, forgive me." He said as he sheathed his blades back into his armguards. "What are you doing here?"

"I'll explain later! Right now I need you to come with me! It's an emergenc-" His words died in his throat as he looked past Katsu to the behemoth standing behind him, shocked by how they dwarfed even the Samurott, who was by no means a small Pokémon. "Hoooooly hell he is big..."

Nido gazed around the Samurott to study the Lucario, sizing him up like he was a picture on a menu before grinning. "I guarantee I'm allot bigger where it counts." He shot out a lewd comment, apparently finding the Lucario's appearance attractive enough to be hit on. He did have a soft spot for Lucario after all. He snorted steam once again before speaking. "So, who are you and what are you doing near my home?" He asked much more aggressively.

"Erm..." Minato was taken aback by the comment, adjusting his coat before answering Nido's question. "My name is Minato of Team Phalanx. I'm here because I'm trying to gather up Luke and Volcan's teams for an urgent meeting." He replied before looking to Katsu. "We don't have much time. Just come to Luke and Volcan's home and I'll explain everything."

Katsu nodded back to Minato quickly upon answering. "Very well. Go ahead, I will follow." He returned, allowing Minato to nod to him and politely gesture an apology to Nido before turning and heading back the way he came. The Samurott turned back to Nido and gave a small shrug. "I suppose it will have to wait for now. Forgive me." He said respectfully.

"Nonsense." Nido said dismissively. "You've given me all the information I need.... you say Sol is on an air ship? That should be easy to find." Nido waved the two of them off "Now go ahead and take your big blue butts outta here. I've got some preparations to make."

"As you wish. Good day then." He returned before he turned and followed the same path Minato had taken, making his way back to town.

~~~~~

When Katsu arrived at Luke's home, his heart sank into the pit of his stomach at the scene that awaited him. The house had collapsed in on itself, bringing the entire mound atop it down to bury what lay beneath. Already, Tristan was digging into the rubble. Lashanne, despite having one arm in a sling, assisted as best she could with her psychic power, and Serena watched the spectacle with tear-filled eyes, terrified at what might lie beneath the ruin. Standing beside her was Caulin, staring wide-eyed as the others worked to uncover the wreckage. Likely the only reason he was not there helping was because Minato or one of the others had told him to stay back with Serena.

As Katsu approached, a shadow passed over him, and he saw Lighris flying overhead with Eagle Eye, both of them circling around for a landing, and he heard Minato running through the woods behind him, followed by Hank, Doug and Sickle. The three of them skidded to a halt, Hank and Doug looking on in pure shock at what used to be their team captain's home. Without a word, Doug already disappeared underground and began to search the area from beneath, but when Hank went to join in, Minato put his arm in front of him and shook his head slowly.

"There's no use in trying to dig anything up." He assured the Zoroark, then spoke loud enough for everyone else to hear. "He's not under there. I did a quick check for his vitals and only found traces of his aura. He wasn't inside when the structure collapsed."

Serena, hearing Minato's words, looked up at him hopefully. "But what happened to him?" She pleaded with him for an answer. "What did this, and where is Volcan?"

"All very good questions," agreed Sickle, kneeling beside her and offering a comforting claw, placed on her back. "We'll find out."

"We'll only find those answers after we dig this place up!" Lashanne called over, having heard the Vaporeon and Sceptile.

"She's right... I couldn't identify the perpetrator during my initial scan, though I admit I was in a panicked state when I tried sensing him out." Minato admitted as he stepped forward and held both of his paws out.

Concentrating his mental energies, he slowly started to lift multitudes of debris from the collapsed house through his telekinesis alone, slowly moving the chunks of rubble off to the side before letting them drop safely to the ground. Hank and Katsu were already rushing in once the debris had been safely removed, both of them hurling chunks of rock, dirt and leftover debris in a frantic search for any sort of clue that could identify what exactly happened to Volcan. Doug had surfaced near Minato and Lashanne, flicking his headlamps off before he spoke up.

"Who or whatever did this, it wasn't natural, that's for sure. I couldn't detect any sort of tectonic fracturing or disturbance in the ground, so whatever happened here, it was one hundred percent deliberate," he confirmed.

"Then someone is going to pay," Lighris said in an ominous tone as he and Eagle Eye landed. "If someone attacked my brother, they are going to regret it."

"That goes double for me!" Caulin shouted in an equally angry tone. "Nobody hurts Uncle Volcan and gets away unscathed!"

"Cool your jets, both of you!" Minato snapped sharply. "Save the proclamations for when we find out who exactly did this. Right now, all we know is that Volcan was attacked and is now MIA."

"Where do we start?" Eagle Eye asked, flapping his wings frantically. "If this attack occurred overnight, then whoever did this is probably long gone by now! Azure's a small town with a lotta ocean and forest between it. Wouldn't be hard for anyone to just sneak off and vanish."

Sickle rose from his position beside Serena. "I'll go back into town and have a word with the dock crews. If anyone left by boat, maybe someone will have noticed," he offered. "A long shot, but worth a try."

As Sickle departed, Tristan finally dug away the debris around what had once been the house's entrance, lifting away pieces of the door until his claws closed around something that wasn't made of wood. Digging in a bit further, he extracted the item, and pulled out a length of leather and metal, turning it over in his claw before realizing what it was.

"Look here!" He called, holding it up to show the others. He was holding Volcan's harness, with the Blazikenite still housed in the metal plate the leather was attached to.

"Looks like whoever got to him must've taken him by surprise." Hank remarked as Minato approached, taking the harness from Tristan's hands. "Chicken Legs always has that on him just in case he needs it." He then growled and scratched at his mane a little. "Damnit... could really use Froggie right now. He'd have this all figured out in a jiff."

"Regardless, t'was an act of a coward, attacking a warrior during his time of rest." Katsu firmly stated.

As the others speculated, Tristan was already back to digging into the rubble, when he found something that caught his eye. "There's also this," he said as he pulled a large piece of treated wood from the rubble, showing it to them. "If I my construction, I'd say this was part of the main support for the house, right?" He asked, holding up the piece of timber. "Take a look at this."

Lashanne held up her paw, bringing the wood over to her and examining it until she found what Tristan had been talking about. "There are indentations in the wood," she said. "Not like cuts... more like impacts." She showed it to Minato.

"I know fist impressions when I see 'em," Tristan added confidently. "Someone punched that pillar out, brought the whole house down because of it."

The three dents in the wood were each easily an inch wide, Minato noted, and it was just the one set - no sign of anything else having hit it. The wood was easily eight inches thick and shaped to a perfect square, not to mention made of solid pine. He knew Volcan's strength - even powered up by Mega Evolution, he did not have the striking power to break this piece of wood with a single punch. Beyond that, the indentations were too big to be his - the fist that had struck the pillar belonged to someone with _enormous_hands, and incredible strength to boot.

"Well that narrows things down." Eagle Eye commented. "So all we gotta do is look for anyone that could break down an entire building with just their fist eh? Not many that could pull that off here in Azure."

"You think it coulda been Sol?" Doug would ask. "I mean, he coulda waited till Volcan was asleep and then went to get back at him for beating him before."

"Not unless he went out when I was asleep," replied Lashanne. "As far as I know, Sol was on the airship all day after Volcan went home. Besides, that impact is too big to be from Sol - even if he's strong enough, his paw's nowhere near big enough to leave damage like that."

"...I don't think he's the culprit. That would be too much of a coincidence and judging from what I've seen from Sol so far, he doesn't strike me as the kind who would go out of his way to beat someone while he's down." Minato remarked.

"Buddy, you weren't there when he went fucking postal on some poor Alakazam at the Warmachine tourney." Hank commented.

"That is irrelevant in this case," stated Katsu, earning a shocked look from Hank. "I am not defending Sol's actions that day. Simply pointing out it does not suit him. Sol is violent, but he would never strike someone who isn't in a position to defend themselves, even if he were angry with them."

"He's right... Sol ain't no coward." Eagle Eye added. "Well, guess that rules him out at least."

"We can rule out anyone from Calhoun's band too," Lashanne added. "No one we've encountered so far could cause this kind of damage. Besides, they don't even know where Volcan lives, right?"

"Sash and that big Gyarados _did_both come to Azure looking for him," Hank pointed out. "They at least know he's here so, wouldn't rule them out just yet. They could've hired someone too."

Lashanne perked up at that. "Hired..." she repeated. "On second thought there _is_someone who could have done this. Seji." She didn't notice it, but Minato's ears stood up as she mentioned the name. "When we encountered him out west, Seji seemed to know about Volcan and Luke, about them seemingly being killed by Calhoun. Sol also said he saw an Alakazam there the night he was sprung from prison. I bet anything that was Seji, and if he's here, his hired muscle, Zann, might be too. Zann could easily have done this." She pointed to the timber. "But... no... Nevermind. It couldn't have been him."

"Why not?" Hank asked.

"Fist is the wrong shape," said Lashanne. "Besides, Volcan mopped the floor with Zann once before. He'd never be able to take him without a fight."

Minato did well to hide it, but the mention of Seji had stirred something in him. Volcan knew that Minato was acquainted with the Alakazam, but no one else present at that moment did, nor did it have any bearing on the situation, so he kept to himself as Lashanne pondered. But as his eyes scanned over the ground, something caught his attention in the grass. A sign of the grass having been pulled up, like something had dug at it.

"Hey... did anyone else see this?" Minato asked, pointing at the scuff in the grass. "Looks like something dug into the ground here."

"Tracks? Buddy, that's _my_schtick." Hank said with pride. "Scoot on over and let the master show you how it's done."

As Minato stepped aside, Hank dropped to all fours and leaned low to the ground, examining the scuff mark closely. From that point on, he was a completely different Pokémon, his usual snarky and arrogant demeanour completely replaced by a calm, focused expression as he studied the track closely, feeling the scuff mark with his claw digit every so often. After several moments of silence, he finally stood up and looked to everyone else.

"Well, whoever did this was a pretty big dude. Not quite Lunkhead's weight, but still a heavy guy," he searched over the ground. "He approached from the forest on the left there..." he pointed with his arm. "Came out of the brush... not the direction of town, so he probably took a wide-angled route so he wouldn't be seen. Came up to here... dug in and charged - probably to break down the door."

Then Caulin took a gander at the mark in the ground, specifically around the toe print where Hank said the culprit had put the most pressure on it. He squinted his eyes as he could make out a rough design of the print, noticing that the print divided in the middle. "...Hey Dad?" He called for his father. "...This kind of looks like a hoof mark to me."

"A hoof mark?" Minato echoed.

Hank came back over again, studying the mark once more. "Yeah, the kid's right," he said. "Too big to be a Tauros... and the divide in the middle suggests a cloven hoof so, wasn't no Rapidash either."

Minato jerked as it clicked with him then. A heavy Pokémon... strength enough to break down a door and collapse a house, motivation to attack Volcan. "Grom..." He said aloud.

"Wait, Grom?" Lashanne asked, hearing the name clearly. "That Emboar?"

"You think it was Grom?" Lighris asked Minato directly, coming to stand beside him.

"Thinking about it... Yes, it makes sense," replied Minato. "He's more_than strong enough to do this. And, he has motive. He's held a grudge against Volcan ever since we came to Azure - he thinks Volcan abandoned Arc Island during the attack, that he ran away instead of defending our home. Which is _not_true - _I sent Volcan away from the island, to save his life and to find help. He didn't run away, but Grom thinks he did."

"Oh, he knows the truth, he just won't accept it," Lashanne piped. "Luke told him directly when Grom met him and Volcan outside the post office before the mission to Hadleigh. Rather than believe him, Grom just slapped him and told him off."

"...I'm sorry, wanna run that by me again?" Hank asked, growling as he lifted his head and revealing his scowl. "The piece of pork did_what?"_

Katsu and Eagle Eye were both equally angered by what they just heard, already entertaining thoughts of vengeance against the Emboar. Though, not nearly as much as Lighris at that moment, who promised a painful vengeance upon the Emboar once they found him - a sentiment shared by Tristan. Minato had to raise his voice and motivate everyone to cool their tempers before the conversation could continue, though a moment of silence fell over as everyone reined in their temperament.

After a moment, Lashanne cleared her throat and broke the silence. "Okay... We have a suspect. What next?" She asked.

"Besides beating Grom to a pulp," Tristan added, punching his fists together again.

"I_meant_," Lashanne snapped, glowering at the Aggron, "What's our next move? We have to confront Grom of course - does anybody know where he is?"

"If he _is_the culprit, he'll have skipped town for sure," said Lighris. "No way he'd stick around surrounded by my bro's friends if he made a move like this. But I do know he was staying at the inn back in town. He and his teammates have been living there since they got here to Azure."

"Maybe he left a clue," Serena added hopefully.

"I'll go look!" Caulin offered.

"Absolutely not," Minato said firmly. "This is for us to deal with."

"But Dad! I wanna be more helpful!" He complained. "There's only so much I can do from that old lighthouse."

"No means no, Caulin. End of discussion." His father stated more firmly, in his most stern, yet fatherly tone.

Caulin crossed his arms and turned his head away from his father, pouting.

"We won't learn anything from here," Lashanne added. "Let's head to the inn and get some answers. Eagle Eye, mind going to check in with Sickle - see if he found anything out?"

"I'm gone already!" Eagle Eye replied before he took off into the air and headed over toward town as fast as his wings could carry him.

"Hank, Doug, see if you two can find which way Grom went after he abducted Volcan. If he didn't leave by boat then he's travelling on foot," Lashanne instructed further. "Serena and Caulin, you two stay here with them for now. Katsu, Tristan and Minato, with me - we're heading to the inn."

"I'm coming too," Lighris stated firmly, and he cast Minato a freezing glare as the Lucario was about to speak up. "Don't even _think_of trying to stop me. That's my little brother. I want answers and I'll get them, with or without your permission."

Minato sighed, knowing he'd be wasting his time trying to talk down the hot-tempered Zapdos. Plus, he knew that Volcan would do the same if their roles were reversed. 'Likely', he admitted to himself, 'I would too.'

"Alright, but don't lose your cool. We can't have you destroying possible evidence should the place be empty." Minato relented. "Let's go, we're wasting time."

~~~~~

The Innkeeper, a Hawlucha - likely related to the one that handled the town jail as he was only the second they had seen in Azure - had been hesitant to break guest confidentiality when Minato and Lashanne approached him about Grom, but upon Katsu showing the Team Valiant emblem to him - something, Minato realized, that they needed to look into getting reprints of their own emblem. After seeing it, the innkeeper opened up, telling them that Grom had checked out of his room the day before, along with two others. The other members of his team, Morganth and Quake. They had left the same time as their leader.

"It was strange," the innkeeper explained. "They just walked by, dropped their keys and said they were checking out. It was mid-afternoon - he'd already paid for another night and everything, but he didn't even request a refund. When housekeeping went up to his room later they found some of his belongings were still here too. As per our policy, we stored it all away for him to pick up later if he came back. That was the last I saw of him."

"We're going to need to see those items," said Lashanne. "I know it's abrupt, but it's urgent - we have reason to believe Grom has done something criminal, and we have to find him to find out the truth."

After a moment, the innkeeper gave a nod, and disappeared into the backroom behind the counter, bringing out a cardboard box moments later, which he placed before them. It was only half full. "There wasn't a lot in the room," he replied. "But here you go. Everything he left."

Thanking him, the five of them took the box over to the waiting area to the right of the desk; a small lounge with a jukebox playing music and seated themselves around a table as they searched the contents of the box. There was not much in the box. Lots of papers, mostly of jobs that Grom had been hoarding since coming to Azure, as well as a coffee mug, some food items including instant coffee mix, and other junk he'd likely received as payment for the jobs he'd completed and not yet had time to sell for proper cash.

Lashanne held up the papers telekinetically, sorting through them while the others searched the box, until something caught her eye. "Hey - what the hell is this?" She asked, catching their ears.

"What did you find?" Minato asked, lifting his head from the box to look at Lashanne and what she had discovered.

"Something a bit scary," she said as she extracted six papers from the stack, holding them out to Minato for him to look over.

The six papers each had sketches on them, each of a different Pokémon. But what really caught his eye was the layout of the paper's contents; a sketch, followed by a posted reward below them, and contact information of where to collect it. These were wanted posters, there was no mistaking it. One of the posters had Volcan's likeness sketched in charcoal pen by a skilled sketch artist, capturing his image well, and below his picture was a reward for over ten thousand Poks. His name was not listed, but it was not just him either. Along with him were Luke, easily recognized as the sketch included his signature scarf, and Sickle when he was still a Grovyle. They lacked the fame to have their names listed but whoever had sketched the pictures knew exactly what they looked like.

The next three however, could not be mistaken for anyone else, even if their names weren't listed. But they were this time. Torolf of Team Warmachine, Romulus of Team Phobia, and Jake Talonclaw of the Red Talons, all of whom had rewards for triple that of Volcan's. Thirty-thousand Poks a head, 'Dead or Alive' in bolt letters.

Katsu and the others had also approached Lashanne and looked down at the posters, the large Samurott's expression in complete shock as he saw the wanted posters, his mouth hanging open and unable to form words to express his shock. Minato on the other hand was almost to his boiling point, clenching the poster of Volcan in his paws and staring at it intently, fighting off the urge to crumple it up right then and there.

"...It's bad enough you hate him for frivolous reasons, now you resort to full on treason??" He growled angrily, wishing Grom were there to hear his scathing words.

Lighris was reading over Minato's shoulder, his talons audibly scraping the floor as the meaning behind the poster's contents became clear. "He kidnapped my brother... To collect a _bounty?!"_He demanded, electricity surging over his body as his temper spiked. "I'll kill him... I swear to Arceus, I will _end_that pig!"

Katsu thumped Lighris on the back, enduring the jolt he received from contacting the Zapdos. "Calm yourself," he said firmly. "We cannot allow ourselves to be blinded by rage. We now know his motives. It is only a matter of finding him before they venture too far."

"He's already got a head start," said Lashanne. "But thankfully these posters show where to go. Some town called Marilogne." She set down the posters she held, and stood up from her chair, starting for the front counter. "I'll go see if the innkeeper has a map."

"Should these posters also be shown to the Council?" Minato asked after taking a moment to follow Katsu's advice and calm down. "They'll want to know they have prices on their heads."

The mention of the Council made Katsu freeze for a moment. "Oh dear..." He muttered softly.

"Shit... Luke... he doesn't know yet," said Lighris, understanding Katsu's sudden concern.

"Oh boy, he is _not_going to be happy," agreed Tristan.

"We'll have to cross that bridge when we get there." Minato returned. "For now, let's all stock up on supplies and reconvene back at the airship. I have a feeling we're going to be in for one long trip."

"You guys should take those posters with you," Lighris stated. "Grom might go after the others if he's already willing to take Volcan. He could be heading to Hadleigh to go after them now, if he knows that's where they are."

Minato then cast Lighris a wry smirk in his direction. "If Grom is smart, he'll stay as far from Torolf as possible if he doesn't want a repeat of what happened last time he tried to muscle in on our last mission."

Tristan gave a hearty chuckle. "Yeah. Torolf put the big pig in his place in ten seconds flat."

"That doesn't mean he won't target Luke," Lighris pointed out.

"Lighris has a point," said Lashanne as she returned to the others. "By all accounts, Luke's in the safest place he could possibly be, but Grom's got leverage. He's got Luke's boyfriend - it wouldn't be hard to draw him out with _that_kind of incentive."

Minato grimaced. Lashanne had a point, and he berated himself for not considering it.

"Fortunately, we may still be able to beat Grom to the punch," said Lashanne, showing them the map she held. "I found out where Marilogne is. Let's round up the others - we'll need everyone to come up with a plan."

The group stood in a circle around the map as Lashanne showed them where Marilogne was located, tapping the finger of her paw on at its location while Minato held it open for her, as she only had one arm to work with.

"By my calculations, using Hadleigh as a landmark, which is about five days from here," Lashanne explained, "It'd take about nine days to get to Marilogne on foot. If that's how Grom's travelling, his best bet would be taking a boat from Westport and sailing the rest of the way which would cut the journey drastically, but we'd still be quicker. If we take the airship and head straight to Hadleigh, we can get some reinforcements there and head him off here." She tapped a spot on the road north of Marilogne. "Stop him before he ever gets near the town, with at a few hours to spare if he goes to boat. We can nab him when he makes the exchange. If he walks the whole way, we could even get there first with days to spare."

"Eagle Eye and I could fly ahead and find out if he took to the sea," Lighris offered. "Even if he's on a boat, there's not a one in the world that can outrun us."

"And no one ever looks up, so we'll pretty much be safe while we spy on 'em from above." Eagle Eye commented confidently.

"Then we'll leave the aerial reconnaissance to you two then." Minato said with a nod. "Though if you do manage to see them, inform us of their position first. Do _not_engage them until we've arrived." He said, looking specifically at Lighris. "We don't want them to know we're tailing then until we have them right where we want them."

Lighris let out a breath but nodded. "I'll restrain myself..." He promised. "We'll meet you guys in Hadleigh."

Minato nodded in confirmation. "Make sure you pack some supplies for yourselves and set up an outpost to rest your wings."

Eagle Eye chuckled and smirked at Lighris. "You do a good enough job this time around, and _maybe_I might let you lead the charge next time." He teased the Zapdos before he took off back to his nest to grab any amenities he would need for the mission.

As Lighris took to the air after Eagle Eye, Lashanne turned to Minato. "Now begs the question of who's going," she said. "We just got back from a rather taxing mission, and not all of us are at our best. Certainly, I'm not," she admitted as she looked at her right arm in the sling. "As it is, I can't even fly the airship myself - that'll be Toby. I'll only be along for navigation."

"And you sustained some serious injuries yourself against Calhoun," Serena added, directly addressing Minato.

The Lucario grumbled slightly, but he couldn't deny the truth that he hadn't fully recovered. "I guess I'll have to stay behind for this one." He remarked hesitantly. "If I were to try and take Grom on as I am now, my wounds might become aggravated, and he'd end up flattening me..."

"I know I'm goin." Hank remarked. "I ain't gonna let some stupid ass pig get away with the guy I played matchmaker with."

"I swore an oath to protect Luke no matter the cost. As Volcan is his betrothed, that responsibility also extends to him as well. I too shall journey with you." Katsu remarked as he folded an arm in front of his chest as if to honour his oath.

"I'm coming too," said Sickle. "Without Minato you guys are down some muscle. Besides, Volcan's my friend too - I'd see him brought home safe."

"What about me?" Tristan asked. "Sure I'm roughed up from the fights but I'm as ready to go as ever!" He pounded his fists together again.

Indeed of all of them he didn't seem to be in poor shape, and with Grom and his team consisting entirely of heavyweights, it would be best to keep the tally as even as possible. "Alright, then you're coming too," agreed Lashanne. "Just don't push it."

"Same goes for you." Minato remarked, gesturing to her slung arm. "You better not come back with that other arm in a sling, or you won't hear the end of it from me _or_Caulin." He added with a wink.

At that, Lashanne looked over at Caulin, who had been silent throughout the conversation. He wore a pouting look on his face, clearly still unhappy that he was not going with them to help Volcan. "Hey, chin up, sport," said Lashanne. "You can still help out here, you know."

"How?" He suddenly burst out, looking to Lashanne with that angry look in his eyes. "What _else_can I do aside from just sit in that lighthouse all day long? My uncle's in danger and for once I wanna be there to save him, just as he saved me and my Dad!" He exclaimed. "How am I gonna know if I'm ready for bigger challenges if I don't try them?"

"You will get your chance one day, Caulin, but this is a bit much," replied Lashanne. "We're on a full-blown Rescue Mission, the namesake of this trade." She cast a look at Minato, as if to say, 'that's right, isn't it?' as she was still rather new to the practice. "But we're up against a rogue rescue team who already know every trick in the book. Even for us, it's going to be a challenge."

"But I've seen Grom fight! And Dad beats him all the time! If he can do it, then so can I!"

"You haven't even evolved yet." Minato pointed out firmly. "Grom's many times your size and weight. He'll _crush_you."

"You always bragged about taking on challenges bigger than you were when_you_ were my age!" Caulin argued back.

"Look, Caulin, we're on a time constraint here," Lashanne pleaded with him before an argument could erupt. "If we wait too much longer, Grom will get too far ahead. We _have_to go, now." She stood up, picking up the map she had brought in the process, and looked to the others. "Come on, let's get going." She looked at Caulin apologetically. "Sorry, kiddo. I'll see you when we get back, and we'll bring your uncle back."

Again, Caulin pouted, crossing his arms in front of his chest and looking away from the group as they headed off. Though when they had their backs fully turned to him, he peeked an eye open as he had an idea come to mind...one that would definitely get him into trouble in the long run, but it would mean he would be there for his Uncle just as he was for him...In his mind, it was worth whatever punishment would await him at the end.

~~~~~

Earlier

Sol was leaning against the railing of the airship staring off in the direction of Azure's borders, his mind swimming with thoughts about his return to his hometown. The one he had been kicked out of by his own father, not so long ago. Ever since they had arrived, he'd felt uneasy... He was sure at any moment a mob would come looking for him, looking for payback for the damage he had caused all those years ago... Damage that, with time, he grew to resent himself for causing, though he never openly admitted it.

He wondered what his family might think if they knew he was there... He was certain Luna hated him for his actions, though the Zangoose was so soft-hearted he'd probably forgive Sol regardless. He wondered if his mother was still around, if maybe she had waited all this time, hoping he might one day return to redeem himself... As for his father-

"An airship huh?" A voice spoke from below, causing the hairs on his neck to rise as his mind registered who it belonged to. "Definitely not the next place I expected to find you. Did they let you out early for good behavior or the good looks we gave ya?" Nido asked as a joke, closing the distance between the two of them one heavy step at a time.

Sol stood frozen for a moment, watching as his hated father approached the ship. His shock soon gave way to anger, and he leapt over the railing to land on the ground below with a heavy thump, his blazing blue eyes fixed upon his father. His breathing was heavy, instinctively reining in his anger. He had questions for the man... though his initial thoughts were to blast him where he stood.

"...You," he growled. "...You've got balls coming here, old man."

Nido continued his walk towards Sol, easily able to feel the anger radiating off him but felt undeterred by it. "You know plenty well I've got balls to spare." Nido joked, trying to keep the moment as lighthearted as he could. "I'm happy to see you out alive you know. And-"

The Typhlosion growled, and rather than let his father continue, he lunged forward and drove his fist into Nido's stomach. The Nidoking had been expecting the punch, Sol realized, as he absorbed it with little trouble, though he still let out an audible grunt. The force of the punch had been loud enough to scare some nearby birds as well, sending them scattering away in retreat.

"Nice shot..." Nido grunted, his face clenched in pain despite his preparedness from the blow "I'm thinkin'... you ain't exactly happy to see me."

"Try fucking infuriated!!" Sol suddenly roared, and twisted as he delivered a second punch, this time to his father's cheek. "You fucking kicked me outta town in one fucking shot! You have _any_idea how fucking humiliating that was?" The flaming vents on the back of his neck smoked with his anger, ready to flare up at any given moment.

Nido said nothing for a moment, letting the pain in his cheek ebb away before he replied. "Yeah, I did. And if you are looking for an apology you aren't getting one..." Nido stated as he faced Sol again.

Once again, Sol struck him, this time punching him on the opposite cheek. "I don't want your fucking apology!" He roared. "I want _nothing_to do with you! You kicking me outta town only proved that you always favoured Luna over me!"

He punched Nido several more times, until he was starting to run out of breath. Never once did his father try to block the punches. "Admit it!" Sol gasped, panting hard. "You _always_doted on him and made him feel _so_damn special!" He took in a breath. "Meanwhile, you always kicked me off to the side like I was just an afterthought!" He looked like he wanted to swing again. He almost did, but he stopped. "Not once... when I did something to earn your approval did you even _once_acknowledge me!!" He further reamed at his father, and finally threw the punch he'd been holding.

Nido again took the strike directly to his face, sinking into his jaw, and this time it did throw Nido off balance. The Nidoking stumbled to his side, falling to one knee so that he was lower than Sol. He remained like that for a moment, and despite the beating and bruising he'd surely feel later, the Nidoking never struck back, nor raised his voice despite the ringing in his large ears as he turned to his son and spoke again.

"...You think I love Luna more than you?" Nido repeated, rising to his feet again. "I guess you are right to say I don't love you the same as Luna... but not because I love you less, Sol. Someday you'll learn that there isn't a limit to love." His words were soft, and he was steadfast, ever prepared to take another punch from the Typhlosion. "Do you remember when you were a Quilava, and you set that old man's house on fire? A Shiftry I'm pretty sure. Do you remember who built it back up?"

"That was a fucking accident, and you know it!" Sol growled angrily, dodging the question and turning his head away from Nido for a while. Eventually after a long period of silence, he answered. "I have no fucking clue... I just figured the fuzzball got his team to pitch in and rebuild it for him."

"Sol,_I_rebuilt his home," Nido stated. "I did it and begged him to forgive you in exchange. I never told you about the damage you caused because I didn't want that weight on your conscience - I _knew_it was an accident." Nido explained and shifted topics. "How about when you were even younger. Remember when you wanted to be a magician? You dressed up in a little top hat for a couple Pokémon and performed your first show. Luna sat in the front, and I stayed silent in the back." Nido recited.

That made Sol's ear twitch when Nido even brought such a memory up, causing his demeanour to change slightly and even turn his discoloured eyes to look back at Nido. "You... You were there?" He asked softly, then he frowned again and turned to face him. "Then why didn't you fucking show yourself?? As far as I knew, you were off doing fuck all! Hell, TY fucking showed up in your place! He was more of a father to me that day than you _ever_were to me!"

Nido shook his head. "I can't decide who you call father. If you don't think I deserve it then I can handle it, but you will always be my son," Nido responded, a pang of genuine remorse in his tone. "Sol, I watched but never told you because I thought that was what you wanted. You were at that age when everything your parents do is 'old and uncool'. I thought if I told you I thought it was amazing, then you wouldn't ever do it again."

Nido's next proclamation was spoken with absolute seriousness. "But if you want proof that I care, then maybe you should know that I was the one that got you that audience in the first place." He revealed "I was the one that bought you that top hat - the one Luna gave you... that made and handed out invitations so some more kids would watch. I even invited a few of my adult friends to come and watch. I wanted to give you the attention I thought you deserved but couldn't give you all on my own..."

The more Nido dropped this bombshell on Sol, the more the Typhlosion's expression changed from hatred and anger more into genuine shock and disbelief. He even felt his heart skip a beat and felt his eyes water up a bit, only for him to blink them away and shake his head furiously. "I don't believe you," he said defiantly, though his composure betrayed his real thoughts. "Yer fucking lying! That ain't in your character to do that! It was all Luna - it had to have been..."

Nido stepped in close and put his large claw on Sol's shoulder, offering him his support as he continued on. "...Do you remember when you were still a Cyndaquil, and it was your third birthday? Your brother got you a new action figure set of AMST... Adolescent Mutated Samurai Tortoises, or something like that, all I got you was a bag of coal?" Nido said, bringing up a much sadder memory, one Sol probably remembered quite well. "Even Ty got you something that day... I'll never forget that sad look on your face when you saw my gift..."

Those same sad eyes Nido saw from Sol as a Cyndaquil were present even as the Typhlosion he was now, meeting his father's gaze again. He vividly remembered that day and how upset he was for getting such a dismal gift, whereas he got such amazing gifts from his brother and what he referred to as his father figure. This time, a couple of tears did roll down his cheeks as he spoke.

"...Why did you even give me anything if you could only give me something so damn disappointing?" Sol asked.

Nido sighed. "It wasn't Luna who bought you those toys, Sol. _I_bought them for you." Nido said with hope, softly rubbing on his shoulder blade to comfort him. "That day, Luna was going to give you cookies that he baked all by himself. However, that plate got eaten before your eyes ever even got to see it. He was devastated, in tears, feeling like he'd be letting you down when you didn't receive a gift from him."

He pulled Sol in closer so he could lean more comfortably about his chest as he went on. "I gave him the tortoises to give you so that you wouldn't see him cry, and after I did that I only had a few minutes to get you something else. In my head I thought as a Fire-type you might actually get a use for coal... but the look on your face told me how wrong I was." He said with sadness. "I knew you loved those superheroes... Razael was your favourite one, right?" His expression showed genuine regret as he went on. "I never meant to make you sad Sol."

At that, Sol growled, his neck flames flaring again. "Fuck you," he said, even as tears rolled down his cheeks freely. He pushed Nido away and raise both his arms up above his head as if to strike him, but when they came down, all force disappeared from them, landing weakly on Nido's shoulders instead. Then, the flames on Sol's neck went out, and he threw himself into his father, wrapping his forepaws around the back of his neck and hugging him so tightly as the anger ebbed away, knowing in his heart that everything Nido had told him... was the truth. All of the anger and hatred he felt, he knew then and there, had been for naught. Volcan had been right about him...

Nido returned Sol's embrace, gently shushing him. "Hey hey hey... It's okay Sol, it's all okay," he whispered in his ear. He rocked back and forth, feeling Sols breath becoming erratic and stuttered from the intense emotional surge within him. "I love you Sol, and I'm so sorry I ever made you feel like I didn't... that was my own failure as your father. I was never more hurt by anything, than when I threw you out of Azure... I worried for your safety every day and hoped that one day you'd understand why I had done it. But I was so... _so_wrong, son."

He did something then, that Sol had never thought his father capable of. "Please, forgive me..." he begged him. _Begged_his son... The most powerful Nidoking of his species, veteran of countless battles, undefeated to many, feared by more, the all powerful Nido... was begging for forgiveness, putting aside pride for his son.

"Dad," Sol whispered as they held one another, his eyes opening slightly and revealing the discolouration in them had faded slightly, looking more like a tinted grey and turquoise, like they had partially reverted to their original colour. "Shut the fuck up and just hold me." He said in a slightly more aggressive manner, his paws actively digging into his father's back.

Nido grunted slightly from how hard Sol was gripping into his body. He always knew his son had quite the grip since he did inherit his strength after all. He moved one claw up Sol's back and softly scratched along the back of his neck, letting him lean against his shoulder. His breathing was strong and firm, providing a rock of security for the vulnerable Typhlosion to cling to. It was the least he could do for one he had unintentionally wronged but had truly loved so dearly.

~~~~~

When the group reached the airship, they saw the giant Nidoking taking his leave, with Sol staring after him as Nido made his way back into the woods. Sol first became aware of their arrival when he heard their collective footsteps approaching, seeing the mixed band heading for the airship's ladder - save Lashanne and Minato who came over to him first.

Lashanne looked in the direction Nido had gone, and then looked back at Sol with a look of apology. "I... hope we didn't interrupt anything," she said.

Sol didn't say anything at first, only staring on after his father as he disappeared into the woods back to his settlement. Only when the large Nidoking was completely out of sight did Sol turn his gaze toward the two, and there they saw it. His eyes had changed slightly, the black sclera was now a more smokey grey, and the deep blue of his irises were now more of a light turquoise colour. His overall demeanour seemed less intimidating and more calm,and the anger behind his gaze was replaced with guilt and remorse.

"...Nah." He said solemnly toward the Delphox. "Just clearing the air a little."

Lashanne nodded, but then bit her lip hesitantly. "Unfortunately... we have a bit of a bomb to drop," she said. "There's been an incident. And don't worry," she put up her paw when she saw Sol tense. "It's not connected to you."

"Was gonna say." The Typhlosion remarked, letting his shoulders relax when Lashanne assured him he was not to blame. "So what happened then?"

"There's no way to sugar coat it, so I'll just come out and say it," Minato said as he stepped in. "A Rescue Team has gone rogue, and they've kidnapped Volcan in order to turn in a bounty for his capture. We're heading out to get him back before we lose him for good."

Sol's ears perked up and his eyes widened in surprise at this news. Whatever remorse he felt had quickly burned away into that fiery rage he always possessed. "Well then." He said as he brought his paws up and smacked them together firmly. "I guess I gotta kill a bitch or two today." He said. "I'm in."

"Fire up the engines, Toby!" Lashanne called up to the helm as she drew her wand.

"Aye aye!" The Meowth called back.

Sol leapt up to the deck of the ship while the others made their own ways aboard, finding a place to settle down for the journey as the engines of the airship hummed to life.

Lashanne turned to Minato. "We'll get Volcan back," she promised him as, with a wave of the gnarled branch, she began to levitate. "I'll make sure of it."

Minato nodded softly as she began to ascend to the airship's upper deck. "Just don't push yourself," he warned her, showing an unusual amount of concern for her in that brief moment.

"Don't worry. I'll be staying out of the fighting," she said. "...Though don't think I won't pass up a chance to club the pig that took our friend if it comes." She added with a wink before she was over the railing, and the airship's propellers started to spin up, the exhaust ports spewing fumes and black smoke.

Minato took a step back and watched as the airship started to rise into the air. A pang of regret made him wince, wishing he could go along with them to recover his best friend from Grom's clutches. Alas, he would just have to grit his teeth and bear with it for the time being, giving the occupants aboard the upper decks a quick salute before he turned his back and began his trek back into Azure's borders, putting his faith into his allies.

"Alright, son. Let's head home..." He said as he began his trek back to Azure's borders. "I'll treat you to something at the local diner for-" He paused as he turned his gaze back to where the airship once stood, expecting to see the young Riolu still standing there staring after it. But he wasn't.

"...Caulin?" Minato asked, his smirk fading into a growing look of concern as he frantically searched the area for his son. "Caulin? Where are you!?" He exclaimed, now on the verge of having a full blown panic attack. "This isn't funny, kiddo! Where are you??"

He then paused as a thought hit him, thinking back to their little argument they had at Luke's destroyed home, then quickly looking up toward the distant airship about to disappear beyond the treeline. His panic slowly turned into a fuming anger as he clenched his paws at his sides. "You didn't..." he whispered.

'_Oohh...he's gonna get one hell of an earful when he gets back...'_He thought to himself before sighing heavily and turning back to Azure, knowing there was nothing he could do now...

~~~~~

"Okay, let's see..." Lashanne mumbled to herself as she searched the storeroom. "Where did I leave those supplies?"

She searched the shelves carefully, but with growing curiosity she could not find the box of preserved food she was there for. The shelves were lined with multiple other items she kept in stock - glass bottles of water, purification tablets for when they needed refilling, extra blankets, and so forth. But the spot where she usually kept her food stocks was bare.

She searched the room, wondering if maybe it had been mis-shelved, and sure enough she spotted the box on the floor, at the foot of the shelf it should have been on. "What're you doing down there?" She asked aloud as she seized it with her psychic power and started to lift it away...

A pair of red eyes stared back at her from the lower compartment of the shelf, and both she and the owner of the eyes shrieked in unison, throwing themselves back. She dropped the box and stumbled, nearly falling into the wall behind her. Collecting herself, Lashanne kicked the box aside, reaching for her wand but stopping as she saw the eyes again. Her mouth fell agape as her eyes adjusted to the gloom and she could see the person hiding in her shelf clearly.

"C-Caulin?!" She demanded, lowering her paw from the grip of her branch. "What're you doing in there?"

After he took a moment to recollect himself, he crawled out from his hiding place and stood up. "Isn't it obvious?" He asked. "I'm here because I'm going to rescue Uncle Volcan from that stupid pig!"

"You snuck aboard the ship?" She asked in disbelief. "What were you thinking - do you have any idea how much your dad could be freaking out right now?"

Before Caulin could answer, there was a shout up the hallway, calling for her as two sets of footsteps came charging down. Sickle and Hank appeared at the door, nearly overshooting it before they saw Lashanne on the floor, and the Riolu across from her.

"What the- Caulin?" Sickle asked. "What's he doing here?"

"Apparently joining our mission, so he says," Lashanne replied dryly.

"It's true!" He said defiantly. "My uncle's in trouble for the first time since our home was attacked, and this time Mister Luke's not around to help him! I'm _sick_of being benched on the sidelines, unable to do anything, pinning my hopes on everyone else! My dad's too hurt to fight, so I'm going to save my uncle and no one's gonna stop me!"

Sickle shared a look with Hank, neither one of them able to really come up with an argument, before they looked at Lashanne, who was still watching Caulin with concern. "Your ship, Lashanne. What do you think?" Sickle asked.

She leaned back her head and groaned, running her paw over her face. "We're seven hours from Azure already - if we turned back now, we'll lose Grom for sure," she said. "I don't like it, but we're just going to have to take him along... Remind me to send Minato a letter when we get to Hadleigh - I'm sure he knows by now that Caulin's here, but it wouldn't hurt to be sure."

Hank let out a groan and rubbed his face with his claw for a moment. "Oye, this is gonna be an interesting trip." He muttered before he shrugged helplessly. "Well, ust don't go messing about in our work, kid. I don't doubt yer strength and all, but yer still a kid. I'd REALLY hate to have to tell yer old man that you got hurt, or worse, during this little trip." He said before turning and taking his leave out of the storage room.

"And don't think I'll have your back when your dad comes to tan your hide," Lashanne said pointedly, tapping her finger on Caulin's chest.

The Riolu shook his head at Lashanne. "I know I'm going to get into a lot of trouble when I go home..." He remarked plainly. "But as my grampa Victor used to say, 'sometimes you have to be in the wrong in order to do the right thing'."

Lashanne stared at him in silence for a moment before letting out a groan. "Lotta wisdom in that," she said, rising to her feet. "Sickle, mind taking this up to the deck?" Lashanne asked, seizing the box of rations in her telekinesis before levitating it over to the Sceptile.

"Sure thing," he replied, taking the box in his arms and following Hank back toward the upper deck.

"Come on," Lashanne said, offering her paw to Caulin. "Better let the others know you're here too, before you give someone else a heart attack."

Caulin nodded softly, slowly taking her paw in his and smiling a little. "...Thanks for understanding." He said in a slightly more calm and innocent tone this time.

"I really do, but you're still on your own when you have to face your dad. Or, your uncle, when we find him," she remarked with a grin. "Or more immediately, probably Serena."

This time, he did gulp nervously as they left the storage room, but he knew of the consequences of his actions and he was ready to face them so long as it meant getting his uncle back...at least he _thought_he was ready...

Indeed Caulin got more of an earful than he expected from Serena when they reached the upper deck. The normally timid Vaporeon seemed to enter what Sickle described as an 'inherent mother mode' as she scolded Caulin for his behavior, which surprisingly had Caulin standing at attention almost like a soldier under a drill sergeant. Even Katsu, who had thought he had come to know Serena quite well by this point, was taken aback at how strict she could be.

"Making your poor father worry about you by throwing yourself into danger like this," Serena fumed, storming in a circle around the Riolu. "It is highly irresponsible and unbecoming of such a well brought-up young man like yourself." She stopped in front of him, looking his square in the eye as she finished. "You will not last long in a rescue team if you cannot think things through, do you understand?"

Eventually reverted to her usually timid, gentle personality, seating herself in front of Caulin and sighing. "You are so much like your father," she said. "He started out this exact same way you did. Impulsive, but always for the right reasons. I don't doubt the lecture I'm giving you, he probably received from your mother more than once."

"Only every time he came home with an injury." Caulin replied meekly, smiling a bit while he scratched the back of his head. "It was really the only times I'd ever seen her angry at him."

"Hard to imagine _any_spouse not being angry when their lover's been hurt." Hank remarked with a snicker, before his expression soured. "Which is gonna happen pretty damn soon, now that I think about it..."

Serena shot Hank a glare, reminding him that it was too soon to be bringing that up before she looked at Caulin again. "Just promise you'll stay by one of us at all times," she pleaded, lifting a paw to rest on his shoulder. "We can't save Volcan if we have to be worried about you too."

"I will stay," The Riolu replied with a nod.

Serena gently pulled Caulin into an embrace then, kissing his cheek as she hugged him. "That's our boy," she said. "We'll get your uncle back, and things will be as they should be again. I promise you."

Caulin nodded, and was about to open his mouth to speak when he felt a shadow cast over him, making him slowly turn his head and look up at Sol towering over him with his arms crossed in front of his chest. The smaller Riolu gulped nervously as he looked up at the Typhlosion leering down at him in silence, but he still held his ground and stared right back up at Sol, putting on a brave face in return. Serena pulled Caulin closer to herself instinctively, her emerald eyes looking up at Sol worriedly.

Sol narrowed his eyes slightly, watching as Caulin stared back at him bravely before he gave a small nod of approval. "...I like this kid." He said before he squatted down and patted the Riolu's head a few times. "Reminds me of myself a bit when I used to defy my folks so I could do things my way." He added before he stood tall and continued on his way.

Both Hank and Katsu looked at one another quizzically. "...Can you get a read on that guy? Cause I'm confused as all hell as to what _that_was all about." Hank muttered.

"I am as much of a loss for words as you are, my friend. I don't know what Volcan did to make him change so drastically, but it is giving me mixed feelings on the matter." Katsu remarked.

"Well, at least he's on _our_side for a change and not on another rampage..." Hank said with a shrug.

"Aye...that much we can all agree on." Katsu remarked absently.

Sickle walked up to the helm where Lashanne stood watching the ship's flight path, helping Toby keep an eye on the skies ahead. He moved to stand beside her, and spoke lowly to her. "So... worked out what we're going to tell Luke?" He asked.

"Not... really," she admitted, frowning, "We're going to have to drop quite a bombshell on him. This isn't really my specialty..."

"Do you want me to do it?" Sickle asked. "Luke knows me pretty well. I can soften the blow."

"That might be best," she agreed. "Either way, it's going to be a bad day for him when we get there..."

~~~~~

The Guild Council Hall, Hadleigh.

"...Therefore, I propose we expand our horizons and ask for any available Flying type Rescue Teams to patrol their respective regions for any leads on the whereabouts of Calhoun's new base of operations." Luke concluded, resting his chin in his paws in a pondering manner. "There's no doubt in my mind the Red Talons will assist in providing us with some aerial reconnaissance, as they have helped us before, but they're only one squadron in a large world and can't be everywhere at once.

"The idea is sound," Meilin agreed with Luke. "Aerial patrols will help reduce bandit activity in the region and give Calhoun less freedom of movement without being sighted."

"Indeed the Red Talons would be a viable choice to start," Valorin agreed. "My own Team Raptor has worked with them in the past, and I can speak well of their abilities. But I also know they are fliers for hire and do not come cheaply."

At that, Luke smirked a bit. "Well, it just so happens that one of my own teammates is not only a former member of the Red Talons, but is also Captain Jake Talonclaw's only child." He remarked with confidence. "If I can get in contact with my team in Azure, I can have Eagle Eye convince them to join our cause while compensating them in a way that won't damage our finances in the long run."

"It would not hurt to ask," agreed Romulus, nodding. "Very well. We put this bill to vote. All in favour?"

To Luke's joy, nearly every council member lifted a hand - or leg, in the case of Cedaris and a wing for Valorin - in favour of the plan. With that vote, it was approved; air patrols would now become a new Guild standard.

Kage would lean down to Luke and whisper into his ear. "It would seem your influence is rubbing off on them...Even Romulus has calmed significantly to the point where we all can think rationally and work as a well oiled machine."

"I know...It's hard to believe how far we've all come in such a short time, even without Torolf being here." He whispered back, smiling happily. "We may just turn the tide of this conflict into our favour yet."

"Don't get your hopes too high... Life is full of surprises." The Greninja cautioned Luke before leaning back and allowing the meeting to continue.

The council discussed further topics such as potential candidates for taking over as leaders of guild halls, with the most likely being gold-ranked captains who were either retired or nearing retirement age to be invited back, as well as prioritizing locations for reconstruction of the halls that had been destroyed in the attack, and finding out what the locals at each location knew of them, as there had been some new information from Team Storm's investigation in Lindenburg that the attacks may have started from within. It seemed not only the guild council had been infiltrated by Calhoun. Now there were saboteurs and traitors about who needed to be brought to justice.

When the meeting reached its conclusion, Luke and Kage were one of the first to leave this time. They decided it might be a good idea to visit Torolf at the hospital and give him a quick update on the latest session so he could be up to speed for when he could return to active duty. They were greeted by Neilla and their other friends along the way, taking a little time to catch up before they had to part ways, eventually arriving at the hospital and practically beelining it straight for the elder Swampert's room.

They arrived to find the Swampert awake and in the midst of receiving an examination from one of the doctors, checking to see how well he had healed so far. Through the window they saw the doctor make a comment about something, which earned a scowl from Torolf. "At _my_age?" He asked, his booming voice easily heard by Luke, and his lips read by Kage. "I'm no spring Torchic but I'm not over the hill yet, Doc."

"Still, you should take it slow until you've recovered," the doctor - a Hypno, said as he stepped out. "The bones will heal, you just need to give them time." He noticed Luke and Kage standing outside. "You seem to have visitors. I'll leave you be," he said to Torolf, holding the door open for the two. "Go on in."

"Thank you." Luke answered with a nod, allowing the nurse to pass by before he and Kage entered the room and approached Torolf. "Seems even bedridden, you still manage to cause quite an uproar. We could hear you three rooms down with that booming voice of yours." The Lucario jested.

"So I have an issue with volume control," the Swarmpert said with a shrug. "Or you just have good ears." He pointed at Luke's tall ears with his finger.

"Can't it be both?" Luke asked as he extended a paw to shake Torolf's hand cordially.

Torolf reached out to grasp Luke's paw gently between his index finger and thumb, his hands too massive to properly hold the Lucario's paw without utterly crushing it. "Good to see you," he said. "I hear you're making quite a show of yourself up there in the hall."

"We've been making a lot of progress actually." Luke answered with a nod. "We came by to inform you of some of the changes we've made, as well as other policies we plan to implement to better combat Calhoun's forces in the future."

As Torolf listened to Luke's reflection of the council's recent activities since Eberon's attack on the city, a look of absolute pride appeared on his face, as well as a sense of relief that the council had not come apart in his absence.

"You've done well, Luke," he said. "All of you have. Subduing the Black Titan united the council and now we're finally making progress."

"Shame that it took an attack from the world's most wanted Pokemon to finally bring them all together..." Kage remarked off-handedly.

"Better late than never, Kage." Luke answered, shooting Kage a warning glance as he continued his report. "We've just passed a vote that will give us more of an edge against Calhoun. We're going to request help from every Flying type Squadron to perform aerial recon over their respective regions in order to limit Calhoun's expansion in both his ranks and in territory."

"A brilliant strategy," agreed Torolf. "With active patrols Calhoun will have a hard time moving about on land henceforth. Volcan would be proud," he then looked at Luke. "Speaking of, a little songbird told me that Volcan's accomplished his mission, recapturing the criminals of the Siphon Prison?"

"That, and he managed to accomplish another feat that I thought was impossible." He remarked. "He not only managed to defeat Sol single handedly, but he somehow convinced him to see the error of his ways and...now he wants to fight on our side." He explained, and swallowed when he saw Torolf's smile fade. "We passed a bill granting him parole not too long ago on the condition that my team is held accountable, in the event he does turn his back on us, but I'm confident that won't be an issue..."

Torolf hummed in thought as he considered the implications of a reformed Sol. "Not sure what I think about that one," he admitted. "What about you - you think Sol's really turned for the better?"

"I haven't seen him since you arrested him, so I can't say for certain if he has or not." Luke answered honestly. "That being said, Volcan seems to think he's worth a second chance, because he was the one that requested Sol be released and put on parole. I have no idea what he did to change Sol's mind, but the way I see it, it's better to have that kind of raging power on our side than out in the wild."

"I don't disagree. But I don't know if I could beat Sol a second time," admitted Torolf. "So I hope you have a plan to take him down if he _does_turn out to be playing us."

"That's just it though... I don't think Sol is playing us." Luke answered. "If I know Sol, he wouldn't consider changing sides unless he feels he owes a debt to someone, and he doesn't like owing debts."

"You think he feels he owes Volcan, then?" Torolf asked.

"That's what I believe, yes." He answered firmly. "And he'll do anything to repay that debt, even side with us to take down Calhoun."

Torolf looked at Kage. "And what do you think, Kage, as Luke's councillor and second to his team?"

"My honest opinion? He should remain locked up and never see the light of day again..." He answered in a cold, calculating tone before he gave a relenting sigh. "However...that is not my call to make. Luke has granted him parole based on nothing more than a hypothesis and his gut feeling. As horrible an idea as that is, I must support his decision to allow Sol into our ranks and prove his worth."

Luke's scowl was deep, and his eye twitched with annoyance"...If you're not being too callous, you're being too paranoid." he said. "Seriously, you need to find a middle ground somewhere in that overclocked mind of yours."

"Well at least he's honest, if blunt," Torolf remarked, quirking an eyebrow before turning to Luke again. "So what comes next? Is Volcan on his way here?"

"Yes. I received a letter from Volcan that contained his request for Sol's parole. He said he would take a day to rest up in Azure before making his way here." He said with a spark of joy in his tone. "Frankly, he can't get here soon enough... I really need his-"

"Business before pleasure, Luke. Keep your personal life to yourself." Kage interjected sharply.

Luke shot Kage a dangerous look. "Can I not have a moment without you berating me all the time?"

"Indeed; that one was uncalled for," agreed Torolf. "At least you and Luke can get out and mingle. I'm stuck in here with four broken ribs and a busted leg."

The Greninja scoffed and turned his gaze away, but that didn't save him from Luke's scorn. "Besides, last I checked you also have someone back home waiting for your safe return. Don't you start calling the kettle black, Kage."

"Unlike you, I know how to keep my lives separate," he retorted calmly. "I understand you miss him, but this is hardly the time or the place for that kind of talk. Save your emotional words for when he does arrive."

Which, wasn't much longer, Luke knew. It had been nearly a week since he had received Volcan's letter. Another day, maybe more, and he'd reach Hadleigh, so long as he had encountered no delays along the way.

Luke eventually gave a heavy sigh and nodded. "Yea, I know," He relented, rubbing his eyes in his paw before addressing Torolf again. "Well, that's about all that we came to inform you about...Is there anything we can get for you while we're here?" He offered.

"Eh, nothing that comes to mind," he replied. "Doctors said they might be able to release me tonight so long as I don't push myself. They're just waiting on some test results."

"That's promising news." Luke said optimistically. "If that's the case, perhaps after tomorrow's summit, you should drop by the Library I'm staying at. I can prepare something hearty and healthy for you to help keep your strength up."

Torolf tilted his head. "You're staying at a library?" He asked.

"Aerendyl's Library to be specific." Luke answered. "He was kind enough to offer me one of his guest rooms during my stay here in Hadleigh.

"Well at least you have lots to read on the slow days," replied Torolf with a chuckle. "Alright, I'll let you get to it. Good day, you two - I'll see you once I'm out."

"You too, Torolf." Luke answered back with a friendly smile before he and Kage turned and exited Torolf's room, with Luke gently shutting the door behind him before they went on their way.

The two of them barely made ten steps out of the hospital before Luke's ears caught a familiar sound coming from above. Both he and Kage looked up, and his eyes lit up with utter joy when he saw the familiar airship that belonged to Lashanne.

"They're here..." He whispered, his heart beating rapidly as he saw it fly overhead to find a suitable spot to land in. "He's finally here!" Luke explained joyously. "C'mon Kage!!" He urged his comrade before he took off in a mad sprint after the airship, leaving Kage to chase after him in his own manner.

The airship was making its course towards the overview park; the same place it had touched down on its last visit to the city. Luke was there in record time, watching as the ship descended to a safe altitude for the passengers to disembark, and he watched with anticipation as familiar faces, one after another, descended over the side and down to the ground, starting with an Aggron and Samurott in a kimono, followed shortly by a Zoroark, and a... Sceptile?

'_Who could that be?'_He wondered.

The others saw Luke approaching them. Katsu was immediately beaming and making his way over to meet him halfway. Luke braced himself, fully expecting the bearhug that followed. He tried to return the embrace but Katsu's bulk made it hard for him to reach his arms around the Samurott's body.

"Good to see you again, Katsu." Luke said in a slightly strained tone.

"Aye, it has been far too long." He returned with a nod. "We all missed you, my friend. Hank especially."

"Hey, we _all_missed him equally as much as you did tough guy." Hank remarked before he and Luke embraced one another quickly. When they pulled apart, Hank then turned his attention to Kage. "And Froggie! How's it hanging bud?" He asked, holding out his claw to Kage.

Kage scoffed, though reluctantly took Hank's claw in his own webbed hand. "Glad to see you're still in one piece," he replied. "I trust catching those prisoners left no lasting damage."

"I see he's as charming as ever," the Sceptile remarked as he came over to join them.

"Hey, long time no see, pal," Tristan greeted Luke, holding out his fist for a bump.

"Hey Tristan." Luke greeted the Aggron, fist bumping him in return before he set his sights on the Sceptile. Something about him seemed familiar to the Lucario, but he couldn't quite put his paw on it. "...I'm sorry, but do I know you?" He asked.

"What, have I changed that much?" The Sceptile asked, holding out his arms as if in a helpless shrug... and that's when Luke saw them. The black armbands with two crossed scythes; a mark he knew well.

The second he saw those armbands, his mouth fell agape. "S-Sickle??" He exclaimed, studying the Sceptile again and recognizing that smile and the amiable person behind those eyes. Luke beamed with joy. "I'll be damned, it finally happened! Congratulations!" He said before throwing himself into the Sceptile's arms and hugging him.

Sickle practically scooped him up to share the embrace, lifting him off the ground and holding him tightly. "It's great to see you, Luke," he said. "Glad to see you're safe, too, after the last time we met up."

"Oh I've never felt better! Lately things have been going swimmingly." He said with a smile, staring right back into Sickle's eyes as they held one another. "I think we're on the verge of turning this war around, what with the decisions the council have all agreed on with each other."

"That's good to hear," said Sickle, setting Luke back on his feet. "And look at you, gold-ranked, and a guild councilman! Moving up in the world aren't you?"

Luke blushed and rubbed his neck slightly. "I'm just doing what I can to make the world a better place. That much hasn't changed in the slightest." He assured Sickle. "I'm just trying a more... diplomatic approach to it."

"Hey, if it works," Sickle replied with a shrug, then noticed a sideways look from Hank. "Uh..." He cleared his throat. "Hey listen, Luke... there's something you need to hear."

Luke tilted his head slightly. "What's up? Did something happen?" He asked curiously, then his gaze soured. "It's about Sol isn't it? What'd he do this time?"

"I ain't done shit!" Sol boomed from above, making Luke go rigid in fright before his head tilted back to see the Typhlosion standing against the railing on the airship. "Nice of you to assume I've been up to no good again, considering you're the guy who approved my release!" He added sarcastically.

"...Oh sweet Arceus, he's here..." Luke whimpered, feeling a shiver ripple through his body.

"Take a chill pill, will you?" Lashanne said to Sol as she and Serena started making their way down to the park.

"Y-Yes, I was going to mention that," replied Sickle. "But, he's not the thing I needed to tell you about..." He began. "It's about Volcan."

Luke's expression changed a bit, looking up at the Sceptile in confusion. "What do you mean? Did...something happen?" He asked, his expression growing more and more worried. "I-Is he sick? Did he get hurt?"

Sickle took in a deep breath, before reaching out to rest his claws on Luke's shoulders. "No, Luke. He's been kidnapped." He said, as gently as he could to try and soften the blow.

It took a long while for the words to fully sink in, the Lucario wearing a blank expression until it finally hit him, and his expression slowly started to change into one of immense concern, his eyes shrinking into beads as the word 'kidnapped' rang in his brain over and over. "....Wh-What?" He asked in a soft, shaky tone, his complexion paling and his breathe coming harder to him.

Kage stepped forward. "When?" He asked sternly, immediately back to his more serious demeanour. "When did it happen?"

"We think he was taken shortly after we returned to Azure a few days ago," Lashanne answered the Greninja but left it at that, to let Luke come to terms with what they were telling him.

The Lucario slowly staggered out of Sickle's grasp, his breathing becoming more erratic as he struggled to cope with the reality that just dropped on top of him like a bombshell. He even clutched his chest as he began to hyperventilate, fear and anxiety overwhelming his sense of reason, his mind already jumping to the worst possible conclusions. Sickle was back by his side, holding him and trying to reassure him as the Lucario fought to collect himself.

"Wh-Who did it?" He finally asked in a laboured tone. "Who... Took my beloved?"

"We'll tell you," promised Sickle. "But first, is there somewhere quiet we can all talk? There's a lot to discuss."

"Y-Yea... we can go to Aerendyl's Library..." He said, still panting hard as he struggled to keep it all together.

"Okay. We'll tell you all that we know," Sickle assured him. "Lead the way."

Luke sipped gently on the tea that Neilla had brought for him, letting its soothing warmth flow through him and help steady him as he sat between Neilla and Sickle on the long sofa. The others formed a circle around the seating area. Lashanne, Hank, Katsu and Serena with an unexpected passenger on her back. Caulin, much to the utter dismay of Luke and Kage, was present. Lashanne was quick to fill them in on why he was there. Also present were Neilla's team, and Jora, who's presence surprised the rest of the team - save for Caulin since he did not know who she was.

As Luke took a few moments to collect himself, Lashanne leaned over to Hank next to her, whispering a question to him. "Any clue why _she's_here?" She asked, pointing in Jora's direction. The Salazzle was sitting quietly on the floor by the table, watching Luke as most others in the room were.

"No idea, though knowing Luke, I imagine he gave her a second chance and she's living up to it. I think it's safe to assume she's on our side." He whispered back.

"I hope so. Haven't forgotten how she was able to seduce or poison him," she remarked.

As Luke finished his drink, Neilla took the cup for him. He took another moment to collect his thoughts and steady himself, taking long, slow breaths. When he was ready, he turned to Sickle. His calm demeanour did not hide the fires of anger behind his eyes, directed not at the Sceptile, but whoever had dared to take Volcan from him...

"Tell me everything, Sickle." He said firmly. "Who took my boyfriend?"

"Based on the evidence we've collected," Sickle began, "we believe it may have been Grom, the leader of Team Kopis. Minato went to your house the morning after we arrived, and he found the place completely trashed and Volcan was nowhere to be found."

Luke's brow contorted into an angry frown when Grom's name came up, clenching his paws in his lap. "That damned pig!" He growled as his anger began to fume. "Where is he taking him? Why did he kidnap him?" He demanded angrily, his composure already deteriorating rapidly.

"We think, for this," replied Lashanne, producing a stack of papers she had brought with her and offering them to Luke for him to look over.

Luke took the papers from Lashanne and quickly looked them over. He was shocked to find that they were wanted posters, each with portraits of himself, Sickle - as a Grovyle - and Volcan, but even more frighteningly of Torolf, Romulus and Jake Talonclaw.

"The six captains who led the attack on the fortress," said Kage, taking the poster of Romulus and studying it. "This can only be more of the Crusade's handiwork."

Luke's paws trembled as he held the wanted poster of Volcan, baring his teeth as he growled. "They kidnapped my Volcan... In order to collect a BOUNTY??" He blurted out the last word, slamming the poster down on the table. "Damn them!"

"I can't believe this," Neilla said, shaking her head in disgust as she saw the posters. "Grom betrayed a fellow Rescue Team Captain for _money?_How low can you go?"

"Pretty damn low, and he's hit rock bottom," Breenelle added distastefully.

"This betrayal cannot be forgiven," said Azrael with a growl.

Luke looked over to Sickle and the rest of his teammates. "This needs to be addressed to the rest of the councilmen. If there are bounties on their heads as well, then none of us are safe." He stated. "But first, _please_tell me you guys have a lead on where they've taken him." He pleaded desperately.

"The bounties list a location," replied Lashanne, pointing to the bottom of the poster resting in front of Luke. "A small town south of here, called Marilogne."

Neilla perked up at the name. "Marilogne? That's a slum town down the coastal road," she said, distastefully. "It's a total dump. No one goes there unless they have no other choice."

"But that's where we're going." Luke said angrily, standing up abruptly from his seat. "How long will it take us to get there by the airship?" He asked Lashanne specifically.

"A few days, maybe less if we can get out there quick enough," replied Lashanne. "Lighris and Eagle Eye are also looking for Grom, to tail him until we get there."

Luke nodded softly. "In that case, start stocking up on supplies. I'm going to call an emergency meeting with the council and inform them of this recent development before we head out." He said quickly.

"We didn't think for a second you'd be sitting this one out," Lashanne replied. "Toby's keeping the engines warm for us. We'll be ready as soon as you are."

"Good." Luke said before he practically stormed out of the room. "I swear, that damned pig is going to regret ever taking my Volcan from me!" He said aloud.

"Hold." Kage said firmly, clasping his hand atop of Luke's shoulder. "Remember what I told you, Luke. Do _not_let your personal feelings cloud your judgement on this one." He began, frowning sternly at Luke. "You'd be wise not to defy the council should they deny you clearance to pursue Grom and his team."

Luke practically slapped Kage's hand off of him before glaring angrily back at him, earning a silent 'whoa' from Hank as they watched the situation unfold before their eyes. "That

bastard has my fiance and is planning to turn him in to a contact of Calhoun's and collect that bounty on his head!" Luke practically screamed at Kage. "Don't you dare tell me to leave my feelings out of this! If it were Mizu or Wade, or even _Hageshi_that had been kidnapped, you'd chase them down to the ends of the_fucking_earth to get them back! Don't you dare try to deny that!! I don't care what they say, I'm going to get my beloved Blaziken back, and I'm going to make that swine _pay_for taking him away from me!!"

With that said, Luke stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him so hard that the entire room shuddered from the force behind his exit. Everyone stared after him in stunned silence, taken aback by his aggressive, almost violent behavior.

"Was... was that really Luke just now?" Neilla asked, stunned. "Have any of you ever seen him blow up like that?"

All of Luke's teammates slowly shook their heads in response. "This is the first time I've seen him _that_royally pissed off..." Hank admitted, tugging at his tribal necklace and swallowing nervously.

"He has displayed episodes of anger before, but never to this extent." Katsu further confirmed, feeling a deep pit welling up in his stomach. "I fear this time, his fury might actually consume him."

"Of course it will." Kage replied sharply, still staring at the door that Luke had slammed shut. "He does not want a repeat of what happened when his heart was broken thrice before meeting Volcan. If he were to lose him, he will _never_recover from the heartbreak that will ensue after..."

"Then we better make certain it does not," Serena stated firmly as she walked past Kage, making her way over to the door. "We must get Volcan back, whatever it takes."

Neilla watched as the others started to follow Serena's example, with many of them, even Jora, following them. "Jora. You too?" Neilla asked.

"I owe Luke my life many times over," Jora replied. "I know the town of Marilogne. I have been there. I don't know how I can help... but I wish to try."

Neilla watched as more of the group cleared out, her expression souring as she watched them leave. Aerendyl saw his captain's mood shifting, and moved to her side, hopping onto the couch beside her where he could put his paw on her shoulder in a reassuring manner. She looked at the Espeon and gave him a nod of appreciation.

"Do you think we should go with them?" Azrael asked, looking at Neilla. "Maybe we can help."

"I want to... but I don't know if we should," she replied. "We're all still beaten up from fighting Eberon. I think in our present condition, we'd just get in the way."

"Then all we can do is hope for their safe return," said Aerendyl, looking over at his sister and brother-in-law, who both nodded in agreement.

Bree leaned against her husband. "The world keeps becoming a stranger place... First we hear about Team Storm's renegades in Lindenburg, now another team kidnaps Volcan. What can happen next?"

Neilla stared longingly at the door, hating herself for not being able to help them. Even as she reconsidered the idea, her ribs throbbed painfully as if to remind her that a few had been broken during her fight with Eberon. Aerendyl still had one bum leg, and both Breenelle and Azrael had suffered horrid beatings from the Incineroar. Worse still, Sarth remained hospitalized, recently undergoing surgery to realign his spinal rings and save him from paralysis. Team Plainsrunner would be out their air support for some time...

"Good luck, guys," she whispered, putting her paws together in a silent prayer for her friends. "Bring him home safe..."