FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Port Azure, three days later.

"Target is fleeing the crime scene. Pursuing from above." Kage spoke quickly, leaping across the gap to the next tree without even needing to look where he landed, so great was his familiarity with the woodlands around Azure. He had his sights set on a fleeing Liepard that had just exited out of an antiques shop with a priceless totem in its jaws.

The Liepard ran for all of his worth with the treasure he had stolen, taking to the trees to try to escape his pursuers. He was not yet aware of the Greninja following him, leaping across the trees to keep up pursuit, nor of the others that were quickly closing in, taking a shortcut through the woodlands to try and head him off.

As the Liepard approached a thicket, thinking to hide in it, a Talonflame swooped down from above, making a beeline for him. The natural feline reflexes were all that saved him from the talons as Eagle Eye made a grab for him; he bobbed left just as Eagle Eye had to pull up to avoid crashing, keeping low of the swooping bird before he continued toward the thicket.

"He's headin' for the thicket!" Eagle Eye squawked as he continued his fly by.

"Alright Hank, you're up!" Luke's voice hollered into his team's earpiece.

Moments after Luke told Hank to spring into action, the Liepard's surroundings started to fizzle and warp about, making the thief stop in its tracks. He was then suddenly surrounded by several Tribal Zoroark all snickering mischievously as they started to slowly close in on the Pokémon, flexing their claws and grinning like maniacs as they closed in.

The Liepard backed away, turning in a circle to see himself surrounded. Then, after taking a moment to collect himself, he stopped and sniffed the air. Around his prize, he smiled, and dashed forward, running in a wide circle, drawing close to each Zoroark but never quite in reach of them. Each one tried to swipe at him, but he was too fast. With a sharp turn, he made a dash for one of the Zoroark directly, leaping as though to attack. They instinctively pulled back, but in the feinted pounce, the Liepard fell short of his target, turned and dashed off in the opposite direction, running through one of the projected illusions.

'Clever bastard,' thought Hank as he lifted his ear to his radio. "He's headin' South, he's seen through my trick!"

"I see him! He's mine!" Luke hollered back before he cut the feed.

The Lucario had indeed caught sight of the fleeing Liepard from where he stood and quickly gave chase using his Extreme Speed. Thanks to the quickness of the move, he was able to catch up and ultimately overtake the Liepard, darting ahead and quickly swinging his arm out in a haymaker punch as the cat Pokémon ran toward him. True to his heritage, the Liepard reflexively ducked under the fist, sliding under Luke's outstretched arm with a hiss through his clenched teeth and then veered left, seeking more cover. Luke was on him like a hive of aggressive Combee, resuming the chase. He conjured several Aura Spheres, hurling them at the Liepard. The projectiles zeroed in on their target fast, coming down like a bombardment.

The Liepard took a hard right, the spheres chasing after him. He made it to a tree before the first sphere caught up, bark exploding from the trunk as the sphere hit the tree instead, but the second one cleared it and continued to chase the Liepard. Desperate, it turned around and dropped the totem into its paw, firing a Dark Pulse from its maw at the sphere to intercept it. The two attacks collided, and eventually the sphere dissipated.

The Liepard leaned down to pick up the stolen totem again, but thanks to Luke's Extreme Speed he managed to catch up with the Liepard and smacked it _hard_along the face with his Bone Rush. The Liepard fell onto his side, groaning and blinking the stars from his eyes, before Luke was upon him again, pressing the Bone Rush into his forehead.

"Yield... You're under arrest." He growled dangerously at the thief.

"Sorry pal, but my pa happened to be a Raichu!" The Liepard said before he triggered Double Team, multiple copies of himself forming out of his prone body and scattering all about, laughing mockingly.

Luke flinched as he saw the Liepard replicate himself into multiple copies. He frantically looked about at each individual, gritting his teeth as he struggled to identify the real one. In a panic, he started firing Aura Spheres all around him in a vain attempt to find the real one. Not a single one found its target with his frantic throwing, and before long, he felt something tackle him from behind, dropping him onto his face.

By the time Luke roused himself, the totem had disappeared again, retrieved by its previous captor but none of the clones he saw seemed to be carrying it as they ran in circles or jumped off trees around him, some of them beginning to fade from existence. There was a sound from the bushes, and Hank and Eagle Eye arrived just as the last of the copies disappeared, without any sign of the real Liepard to be found.

"Yo boss, what happened?" Eagle Eye squawked as he perched on Hank's shoulder. "Where's the culp?"

Luke angrily slammed his paw into the ground angrily. "The bastard got away," he growled. "He used a Double Team when I had him cornered and used the distraction to flee..."

When his teammates didn't reply, Luke looked toward them, and saw both the Zoroark and Talonflame staring blankly at him, bearing no recognition on their faces - like Luke was someone else. He grew fed up with the stares, and asked in an annoyed tone "What?"

"...Dude, you _did_remember you have yer Aura Sight thing, right?" Hank pointed out. "Couldn't ya just... Sense him out or something?" He further inquired.

Luke blanked, his jaw falling open. He had completely overlooked such an obvious counter to his opponent's distraction. He slapped his forehead, letting out a groan. "Crap," he said. "I didn't even think of that..."

"Ya know, you've been kinda off your game since ya came back from Hadleigh," Eagle Eye said, tilting his head. "Boss... You doin' okay?"

"Asking the real questions..." Kage chimed in as he dropped down from the trees above, landing next to Hank and Eagle Eye.

"Yes, I'm fine," Luke quickly and abrasively answered, turning his head away from his team. "Just... having an off day I guess."

"More like an off month," Kage pointed out firmly, daring to take a step forward toward Luke. "You have operating at minimal efficiency some time now, and it is impeding your ability to lead this team." He stood over Luke; his gaze unyielding as he crossed his arms. "I think it's time you came clean, Luke. What is going on?"

"_Nothing_is going on, Kage." Luke snapped back, staring dangerously back at the Greninja with grit teeth. "I suggest you stop pushing my buttons."

"Whoa boss, chill!" Eagle Eye squawked, flapping his wings frantically.

"Ya know, the Frog's got a point man... You've been acting real strange and It's gettin' pretty concerning." Hank chimed in, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Now that I think about it, every time we see ya, yer always on yer own. What happened ta-"

Hank stopped speaking the moment Luke's gaze shifted to him, bearing a warning look that Hank dared not put to the test. "Not. Another. Word."

Hank took a step back instinctively. The motion surprised him, and he looked down at his foot as if it weren't part of him. Did he actually feel a need to retreat...? From Luke? The very idea...

"Look," Luke added quickly, his posture relaxing. "Nothing is wrong, alright? I'm just having an off day. That's it. Now if there are no further questions, I need to file this mission as a failure and send it to the council." He added as he stormed through the three of them, roughly pushing past Kage as he did.

The tree of them stared after Luke as he stormed off, Hank and Eagle Eye wearing the most dumbfounded looks on their faces while Kage wore a stern frown on his.

"The hell's going on here? Did I miss sumthin' big?" Eagle Eye asked, looking between his teammates.

"I'm startin; to think that" Hank answered. "And I think I have a good idea on what the problem is..."

"Seems we're on the same page," Kage remarked, turning his gaze to look at Hank out of the corner of his eye. "I think it's time we got to the bottom of this situation."

"Took the words right outta my mouth, Froggie." Hank remarked with a nod. "...And I got a good idea on where to start first. Methinks, it's time to pay Chicken Legs a visit."

~~~~~~

Sol had been in better spirits ever since patching things up with his brother, and it showed in his work as he helped Tristan put up the walls for Volcan's new house. He even held back any abrasive remarks as he took the other end of a massive log, holding it in place while Volcan and Katsu nailed it down with their hammers. As they put the finishing touches on the first of the house's exterior walls, Caulin returned to the site, pulling a cart loaded to the brim with food they had ordered from town, paid in full by Volcan.

Much to the Blaziken's chagrin, his act of generosity had all but depleted his budget for that week. But he voiced no complaint about it - it would be worth it to see his team fed for their continued work. Besides, he had made a promise to Sol.

"Alright crew, break time," said Volcan, setting aside his tools. "Wash up your claws and paws and let's dig in."

"Dibs on the double cheeses!" Sol announced before heading over to the basin they'd set up for washing up.

"Hey no fair! I wanted a double cheese!" Caulin pouted after Sol headed off.

"Yo, you hungry Katsu?" Tristan asked as he found a rag to wipe his claws with.

"Aye, such activities have worked up quite a ravenous hunger within me." He answered, using his own water powers to wash his paws.

Running his hands under some water and using some sand to degrease them, Volcan rinsed his hands again and shook them dry before he started for where the others gathered for lunch. He paused mid-step though when he noticed a familiar figure trotting over. He turned, seeing Hank, and noticed a concerned look on the Zoroark's face as he approached.

"You guys go ahead and start - I'll be right back," he said to his team before approaching Hank, wondering what was wrong.

Once Volcan was close enough, The Zoroark practically grabbed Volcan by his shoulder, pulling him aside. They went behind a tree, where Hank spun the taken aback Blaziken and put him back against the tree, looking squarely into his eye. It was the most serious Volcan had ever seen the Zoroark, normally a laid back, cocky individual. Right then though, he looked borderline furious.

"You and I need to have a little chit-chat, Chicken Legs." He said, with firmness to match his expression.

"What happened?" Volcan asked, fearful.

"I think you already know..." Hank answered. "What the _fuck_is happening between you two??"

Volcan, catching on quickly, let out a long breath, hating that he had to recount this awkward situation again. Hank was one person he definitely would not be dishonest with, not even for his own sake. So, without hesitation, he answered. "Luke and I... we're not on speaking terms right now," he began, and went on to explain the events that had led up to it, starting back in Hadleigh and detailing it just as he had to Minato and Sol.

The Zoroark listened intently to Volcan's story, nodding a few times at certain points as if confirming something in his mind. By the time Volcan had finished, his expression softened slightly, but he still wore that firm glare of his as he looked at the Blaziken.

"Well, that alleviates a few mysteries at least." He remarked. "Like why he's always in such a sour mood and looks like he's ready to explode whenever you're even mentioned." He added before crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Still, what the _fuck_man?? I ain't takin' any sides here, but what you did _was_a pretty dickish move, man."

"I didn't _do_anything!" Volcan said defensively, losing his composure but dialing it back as he continued. "At least, not intentionally," he then frowned. "Okay, yeah, that's a weak answer. But I never got the chance to talk to Luke about it - everything just happened so fast."

"I fuckin matched you two together because you both needed the push, and I'll be fucking damned if I see you two break up over some stupid disagreement." The Zoroark stated as he poked Volcan's chest with his claw. "We're gonna fix this, and we're gonna fix this now!"

"I'm trying!" Volcan snapped again, shaking his head. "I wrote a letter to give to Mikhail, to hopefully pass onto Luke, but I haven't been able to catch him on his breaks. After getting sucker punched by Rigel and finding out Nido walked out on them, I don't _dare_go near Luminara's house. I cost her her husband - I do _not_want to find out how angry she is with me. I know that sounds cowardly but I don't know what else to do."

He turned from Hank then, scratching the back of his head feverishly with both hands. "I _want_to fix this Hank, believe me. He doesn't even know what happened up north - he didn't see what you and I saw. But the moment he found out I agreed with Romulus, that Calhoun should be killed, that was it! Even when I caught him at the old house all he did was tell me to leave, and the way he spoke to me..." Tears started to form in his eyes even as he spoke. "It's like I was some unwanted visitor... He wouldn't give me a chance. If he'd just let me talk to him..."

Seeing the tears starting to well up in Volcan's eyes made Hank sigh heavily and slump his shoulders. He hated seeing Volcan in such a sorry state, and it pained him to see his relationship with his Team Captain becoming so strained to the point where they were on the verge of breaking up entirely. Nevertheless, he maintained his composure and lifted his claw to his earpiece.

"You get all that, Froggie?" He asked suddenly.

"I did. Already enroute to intercept package." Kage's voice returned before the feed was cut.

Hank noticed promptly Volcan was looking at him, his expression cross and annoyed. "You could've mentioned Kage was listening in," he remarked, sounding offended.

"There's a reason for that. Fer now, come with me." Hank said as he grabbed Volcan's arm and pulled him along as he started walking toward the forest. "The short version is, Luke's been off his game ever since he came back. He's been sloppy and angry all the time, and even the very mention of yer name sets him off. Froggie, Wings and I have all been on the receiving end of his outbursts, and we're gettin tired of it." He explained.

"What has he been saying?" Volcan asked, following Hank without argument.

"Mostly excuses, like he's just having an off-day n' shit. He's also been really sloppy during missions. Like just today, we were chasin' a thief. Said thief pulled a Double Team on him. Rather than trying to sense him out, he just started firing Aura Spheres at random and the alley cat flew the coop - no pun intended."

"Fu- what?" Volcan asked, gawking. "That _really_doesn't sound like him..."

"That's what _we've_been saying." Hank returned while spreading his arms out frantically. "And it's all because of this feud he's got with you!"

"I never meant for any of this to happen!" Volcan retorted angrily. "I had no idea my report to the council would make them go so far! I never explicitly stated I thought Calhoun's threat level should be raised to _S-_level, not once! Just that we needed to-"

Hank stopped walking and put up a claw to stop Volcan. "Look, that's neither here nor there, man. Point is, you two are fighting and it needs to stop, regardless of who's at fault here, before it destroys both yer lives." He said as they came to a stop in a clearing. He then pointed to a fallen log. "Have a seat. Froggie should be here in a few minutes."

"To do what?" Volcan asked, sitting down as instructed.

"You'll see when Froggie arrives." He replied, standing a fair distance away from Volcan and leaning against another tree while they waited.

Sure enough, after a few minutes of waiting, Kage did arrive at the clearing. When the Greninja saw Volcan sitting across from Hank, he looked to the Zoroark and nodded to him before stepping aside, revealing a confused Luke behind him. Volcan tensed at the sight of the Lucario, feeling an angry remark welling up within him, which he would've directed at Hank, but he couldn't bring it forth or turn his eyes from the Lucario.

"This better be important Ka-" He stopped mid-sentence when Kage stepped aside and revealed him to Volcan. The second he saw the Blaziken, his eyes furrowed into a furious glare as he stared at him. "...What is_he_doing here?" He asked, his voice already raising.

At that point, Hank pushed himself off of the tree and went to stand with Kage. "Luke... This is an intervention." He announced calmly. "You've been actin' completely out of character lately and it's affecting yer ability to lead and make strategies fer our missions together."

"Now that we know the cause of your shift in behaviour, this is the most appropriate course of action to take in order to not only bring you back to your former self, but to restore your relationship with Volcan." Kage added, then gestured to the log Volcan was sitting on. "Sit."

"You've got a lot of nerve, you two." Luke answered in a growl. "If you think for one second I'm-"

He suddenly received a harsh slap across the fact from Kage's tongue, sending Luke reeling backward toward the log. "I said... SIT!" Kage commanded sharply.

"H-Hey!" Volcan exclaimed, shooting to his feet. It was one thing for Luke to be angry at him but he was hardly going to let someone assault him like that!

Hank came in between Kage and Luke before the Lucario could stand up and retaliate, keeping them apart with his claws. "Whoa, Froggie! Tone it down man - we're trying to _help,_remember?!" He scolded the Greninja before he turned and grabbed Luke by his shoulders. "Just sit down okay? Ya don't have to be close to him but trust us. This is fer your own good." He said.

Luke tugged himself out of Hank's grasp, glaring angrily back at him for a moment. He looked like he was ready to outright sock him, but he eventually turned on his heel and stormed toward the log, taking a seat on the opposite end as far from Volcan as possible. At that, Volcan seated himself as well, saying nothing, but giving both Kage and Hank disapproving looks for putting them in this awkward position - more a glare to Kage for his actions.

Once he was seated, both Hank and Kage stepped forward and stood before the two of them. "Alright, let's get this started." Hank began, looking to Volcan first. "Ta kick things off, why don'tcha explain ta Luke _why_ya did what you did, cause from what you told me, he didn't give ya a chance to explain yerself."

"And Luke, you're going to listen to everything he has to say." Kage added sharply. "You're not to try and leave prematurely or interrupt Volcan until it is _your_turn to speak." He stated before looking to Volcan and nodding for him to start.

Volcan took in a deep breath, casting a sidelong glance at Luke before he started from where he felt was best. "Back in Blackcoast, when we encountered Sol," he began. "We realized that he wasn't in control of himself. I recognized his behavior as being akin to the mind control Bialo used on Team Warmachine back at the tournament. I knew that meant he had to be nearby, and so I sent Minato and Lashanne to track him down, while Tristan, Serena and I stayed to deal with Sol."

He shifted in his seat, getting to a more comfortable position. "I'll skim over the fight with Sol, but after it was over, I got a radio call from Lashanne. She said Minato was fighting Calhoun; he had been guarding Bialo himself, and she sounded panicked. I left Sol and ran to help them, as fast as I could. By the time I got there, Lashanne was already down, and Minato too. Sickle and his team had made it there before me, but not even they could overwhelm him. I charged in, already Mega Evolved from my fight with Sol, and engaged Calhoun myself."

"Of course, Calhoun was already Mega Evolved as well," Volcan went on. "We raced all over that clearing trading blows, but then my evolution expired, and he took me out with a single kick. As a last resort, Minato, already on death's door, hit Calhoun full force with Reversal - doing so left him in critical condition after." This caught even Luke's attention, turning to look at Volcan for the first time. "Calhoun was literally blown away. Flew so far from the clearing we couldn't even see where he landed. We thought for certain that he had been killed..."

Volcan looked up at Hank then. "But, as Sickle and Tristan reported to us... it wasn't the case. We learned that day that Calhoun seems practically impervious to death," he shook his head. "The curse... gives him some grotesque ability to reset his bones without someone else's aid. According to Minato and Lashanne he suffered broken bones throughout their fight, but they all just reset themselves after Minato thought he had beaten him. Then Sickle and Tristan find the same thing - his entire body, broken and battered, reforming itself right before their eyes, after taking an attack no Pokémon had any right to survive... and then he was gone. Teleported away - probably by Sash or, Mewtwo."

"I wrote a detailed report about the whole battle and to the council after we returned to the prison. Of course I wrote it after the parole request for Sol, which the prison's messenger had already flown to Hadleigh," Volcan went on. "So, my report was delayed, and we set out as soon as Minato recovered enough to travel - I assume the messenger needed to take a couple of days to rest before he took my report to the council. Then I got back to Azure and, well... you all know what happened then."

Despite it now being Luke's turn to speak, for the most part he was speechless. He stared back at Volcan with widened eyes, stunned that he now knew the real reason as to why Volcan felt the way he did about their enemy. It wasn't out of hatred, revenge, or wanting to bring a swift end to the crisis as other captains like Mustaf had...

Volcan_feared_Calhoun.

As the reality of the situation sunk in, he lowered his gaze a little before looking away, rubbing his face with his paws as he struggled to come up with something to say.

Hank then spoke up when Luke didn't. "Look, Luke... I told Chicken Legs that I wasn't here to take sides or anything, but... hearing about what kinda monster this Calhoun guy really is... Don'tcha think that _maaaaybe_we should forgo this whole no killing policy? Just this once?" He asked, which made Luke snap to attention. "Before you say anything on the matter, just think about this for a moment!" He quickly exclaimed; claws raised. "No one said _you_had to be the one to do it. Hell, I'll fuckin kill the bastard and take the fall in yer place! Just... Like it or not, this Calhoun guy's only gonna cause more trouble if we keep him alive."

"Take one life to save the lives of millions of others... That seems like a fair trade off to me." Kage added with a nod.

Luke shot Kage a horrified look. "_You_were the one that pushed the notion forward when I brought up the concept of a no-kill policy, and _now_you want to change it??" He demanded.

"Just this one time, man!" Hank pleaded. "And I just said that you didn't have to be the one to do it! Hell, you don't even need to_be_there for it!"

Luke looked over at Volcan. The Blaziken had a guilty look on his face, showing his agreement with their words, but not even he had the courage to say it aloud. The Lucario sighed once more as he took in the information as best as he could. Now that he was thinking more clearly and not completely clouded by anger, not even _he_could deny the facts laid before him. Calhoun was a much bigger threat than he could ever anticipate, and while he wasn't there to see what kind of monster Calhoun really was, he _had_seen firsthand the kind of damage his corrupt power could do.

At that, Romulus' words echoed back through his mind. 'Sometimes to defeat a monster... you have to be able to think like one.'

Slowly, Luke pushed himself up to his feet, still rubbing his face with his paws. "I-I need time to fully process this." He remarked softly, then he slowly turned to look at Volcan. This time though, his expression wasn't one of utter detest or hatred, but one of regret and apology, even if he didn't outwardly say it. Slowly, Luke made his exit, leaving the three of them in the clearing all by themselves to consider their next move.

Volcan hung his head, letting out a groan. "I dunno if that made things better or worse," he said.

"Well, he didn't look angry at ya, so... Silver lining?" Hank offered, taking a seat next to Volcan and placing a claw on his shoulder. "I mean, we all saw the look in his eyes after we laid out the cards for him, and now that he knows _why_you did what you did, that at least has to make him think twice about hating ya...right?"

"I don't know what I saw there," said Volcan. "Now he understands, yes... But I still don't think he can accept it..." He sighed. "And... I still don't know if he blames me for Nido leaving, something I _know_Rigel does. Probably Luminara too."

"If he's smart, he'll inform them of his folly and convince them to change their view on you." Kage remarked. "One thing is certain though. He now knows the truth, and it will be up to him to choose what he should do next." He added as he looked toward Volcan. "If he even remotely still loves you, I guarantee you he will seek you out."

Volcan was momentarily stunned, hearing reassuring words coming from Kage of all people for the first time since he had ever met him. The Blaziken looked up at him, the surprise clear on his face, but too speechless.

The Greninja then turned his back on Volcan. "I've said my piece. The rest is up to the two of you." He said before disappearing into a plume of water.

"...Even in the face of such a grim situation, he's always showin' off." Hank remarked with a light chuckle.

"I think he surprised me today more than he ever has before," Volcan admitted.

"Well, that's Froggie for ya. Just when ya think ya know everything about him, he finds some way to surprise ya." Hank returned, gently pulling Volcan so he was half hugging him. "C'mon bud, let's get ya back to the gang. I think there's a morsel with yer name on it if we hustle."

"Heh. Long as Sol and Tristan haven't eaten everything," the Blaziken returned, putting his arm around Hank. "Thanks man... Whatever comes of this, I know you had good intentions, and I appreciate it."

Hank smiled. "Hey, I put you two together, I'm gonna do my damnedest to make sure you _stay_together." He remarked while patting Volcan's back. "Besides, yer pretty much like family now. Family's gotta stick together, amirite?" He added with a wink.

Volcan smiled and nodded. "Absolutely," he said.

Shortly after, they returned to the rest of the group to find everyone still enjoying their lunch. Volcan said goodbye to Hank, letting him get back to his own business while the Blaziken went back to his team. Tristan looked up at him as he approached, giving him a curious glance after swallowing a mouthful of food.

"Hey. Where'd you head off to?" He asked.

"Just some... Unfinished business," replied Volcan. "I hope you guys left something for me."

"Just barely." Sol remarked, tossing Volcan a double cheese. "Had to make sure the tyke didn't steal it while you were away."

"I wasn't gonna take it!" Caulin exclaimed defensively.

"Calm down, I was kidding!" Sol remarked, rolling his eyes.

Volcan, after unwrapping the burger, allowed himself a small laugh before taking the first bite. He was about to sit down with the others when something caught his eye out in the bay, prompting him to stand tip-toed to try and get a better look at it. He couldn't quite make it out though, as even for his eyes it was still far away, but whatever it was had broad wings, too big to be Eagle Eye or any other flying Pokémon he knew lived in town.

Caulin noticed Volcan's distracted look and stood up, walking over to him. "What's wrong, Uncle?" He asked.

"Somethings out in the bay," he answered. "Flying over it, actually. Don't know why but it looks familiar..."

The others turned to see where he was looking, and saw a dark, winged silhouette flying toward town, approaching quickly. It was steadily getting larger, until Tristan made the obvious observation.

"...is it just me or is that thing coming our way?" He asked, standing up.

"Looks like it is." Sol remarked, wiping his face as he stood up, pounding his fists together. "And it looks like he's just asking for trouble."

"..Wait a minute." Caulin piped up, squinting his eyes to try and get a better look at what was approaching. As the figure grew closer, the Riolu could make out more of its distinguishing features, namely its white scaled underbelly, long neck and axe shaped wings.

The second he saw those features, his expression became incredibly gleeful, and he started hopping on the spot rapidly. "Holy crap, that's Bellator!!" He exclaimed happily.

"...Who?" Katsu remarked, looking to Tristan for an explanation.

"Wait, Bellator?!" Tristan exclaimed, shadowing his eyes. "Oh dang, I think it _is_him!"

Volcan scratched his head, trying to remember who Bellator was. But he didn't have long to wait before the dragon was swooping down toward them, seemingly in a nosedive. "Uh, what is he doing?" Volcan demanded, feeling his fight or flight instinct kicking in.

"He's going in for a three-point landing!" Caulin answered before he shot forward, waving his arms as if to signal the dragon Pokémon. "Over here Bellator!!" He called.

The Salamence let out a loud roar as it shot for the ground, seemingly about to crash. At the last moment, he reared back, beating his massive wings hard and skidding on the ground as he tried to slow. The skid kicked up a cloud of dust that obscured Caulin from view, and by the time it cleared, they could hear the Riolu laughing. They saw the Salamence had Caulin pinned, nuzzling and licking him with clear delight.

Tristan guffawed with laughter "Ha! Like a Pigeotto to a Caterpie, he zeroed right in on the kid!" He said.

"Indeed. Some things never change, it seems." Another voice returned, coming from the dragon's back.

Caulin's ears perked up, and he scrambled to push himself away from Bellator enough to see who the voice belonged to. Once more, his eyes lit up when he saw two more figures he recognized. A tall, scarred Lucario in a cloak, and a lithe, yet beautiful Gardevoir standing just behind him.

"GRAMPA!! GRAMMA!!" He exclaimed, tears of joy rolling down his cheeks as he launched himself to the two Pokémon.

The elder Lucario caught him with his arm, laughing softly as he held Caulin against his shoulder. "Hahaha! Good to see you're in good health, my boy!" He said with equal enthusiasm.

"Looks like Minato found you guys!" Tristan exclaimed as he walked over and patted Bellator on the back of the neck. "Hey big fella," he said to the dragon.

The dragon looked to Tristan for a moment, sniffing him up for a moment and snorting lightly before he began to gnaw on the Aggron's horn a few times.

"It seems Bellator missed you too, Tristan." Claire remarked with a giggle. Then her eyes befell upon Volcan and she smiled brightly. "Bless my stars!" She said as she levitated off of Bellator and landed in front of the Blaziken. "Hello again, Volcan!"

"Hello Claire," he said with a nod as he stepped closer, both of them embracing each other. "It's good to see you again."

When Claire's arms fell across Volcan's back, she felt the scar that stretched across it. She gasped, brushing her fingers over it and pulling back from Volcan, motioning for him to turn. There, she beheld the horrific wound in full, covering her mouth with horror "My goodness, where did you get that scar?" She asked.

Volcan frowned. "The island attack... a Gallade, called Sash," he replied.

"Oh dear," She whispered as she gingerly felt along the scar again, her features contorting into a small frown. "It's too far gone for me to heal, I'm afraid." She said, looking sadly at him. "I'm sorry, dear..."

He gave her a reassuring smile. "It's alright. I was well-treated when I landed here in Azure," he said. "I've learned to work with it."

"Well that's good then." She returned, a smile reforming on her face.

"Are Minato and Lashanne okay?" Volcan asked, looking out toward the bay.

"They aren't far behind." Victor returned as he placed Caulin back on his feet. "I imagine they'll arrive within the next ten or so minutes."

"Well then, let's go greet 'em!!" Caulin exclaimed happily.

Volcan nodded in agreement and smiled at Claire again. "I bet my mom will be glad to see you two as well," he said. "We could stop by the bakery to see her on our way over to the docks."

"That sounds delightful~" Claire remarked. "It's been so long since I've sampled one of Degra's incredible pastries. Oh how I've missed them."

"Well she doesn't run the one here. Not yet anyway," Volcan added with a chuckle.

"Oh I imagine she will eventually." The Gardevoir remarked with a wink. "Now, let's get a move on now. Minato will want quite a welcoming party greeting him." She added before gently floating ahead of the group, with Victor quick to join her as they headed for the docks.

"Who's all coming along?" Volcan called back, addressing Katsu, Sol and Tristan.

"Ya know I am!" Tristan replied.

"Eh, might as well." Sol remarked with a shrug. "Got nuthin' better to do anyway."

"I would advise against that." Katsu returned. "You forget that everyone still either is fearful or resentful toward you because of your previous actions."

Sol stiffened for a moment as he remembered, then turned to Katsu and glared back at him. "Shut yer face! I knew that!" He exclaimed angrily.

"Of course. Forgive me." Katsu returned with a slight chuckle.

They headed to town, leaving Sol to wait for them as they entered Azure. As Volcan had suggested, they made a detour to the bakery to stop by to visit Degra. The elder Blaziken was sitting bored-looking behind the counter - clearly a slow day for business. The bell rang, indicating a customer had entered, and she turned to face them, ready to offer the usual free samples to possible customers. But the words died in her throat as she recognized the two, her face lighting with joy despite the wide-eyed disbelief she bore.

"V-Victor? Claire?" She asked.

"Ah, hello Degra!" Victor called.

"Arceus above!" She exclaimed as she rounded the counter and practically ran up to the two, hugging them both. The two shared in a heartfelt embrace with Degra, hugging the Blaziken tightly against them and patting her back softly.

"I feared the worst had happened when I didn't see either of you at the survivor's rally point!"

"We managed to escape on Bellator's back and fled to one of the neighbouring deserted islands." Claire answered with a smile. "I'm just glad you are alive as well."

"Indeed. I prayed to the Gods above that you were not part of the inhabitants that were enslaved by those demon's forces..." Victor added with a small nod.

Degra pulled back and shook her head. "Lighris made certain that did not happen," she said, "he blasted anyone who got near us until a fisherman's boat came close to the shore, and we were off. They never laid a hand on me." She let out a sigh as she hugged them again. "So few managed to escape, though... I had all but surrendered to the idea that you two had fallen with the defenders."

They both looked at one another for a moment. "We... Actually did not arrive until _after_the attack had ended." Victor admitted. "We fled the second I met gazes with the one Minato called Calhoun." He added with a slight shudder. "I dared not try to face him at that time, for he would have ended me right then and there..."

Degra shuddered. "For even you to be afraid of him, Calhoun must truly be a monster," she said, stepping back, and then looked at Claire sympathetically. "I... I also heard about Linda... I'm so sorry."

"It's alright..." Claire returned, grateful for her sympathy. "She is in a better place now, and our grandson and son-in-law still live to fight on her behalf. We have mourned already and are ready to do our part in this conflict."

Degra nodded. "I too wish that I could... But sadly I am not the warrior my sons are," she said, sighing, she then looked over the two of them, seeing Volcan outside with his friends watching the bay. "I take it you met him first when you arrived?" She asked.

"We have," Victor returned. "Well, more accurately, we met him and his allies when Bellator decided to show off for young Caulin." He added with a slight chuckle. "It was a relief to see he still recognized the lad even after being so far apart for so long."

Degra snickered at that. "Oh, that Bellator could find Caulin if he were lost at sea, I swear. He seems so drawn to him."

"I suppose he is just very fond of children," Claire replied, then both she and Victor broke into laughter for a fair bit. "Regardless, it is good to see you're in good health, but I am in the mood for some of your fine pastries. Might we have a sample?"

Degra let out a sigh. "Sadly, I've been on the counter all week so nothing of mine is up front here. But you're welcome to browse the selections," she said, returning to her place behind the counter. "I'll even risk using my staff discount for you."

"Wonderful," said Victor.

Outside, Volcan caught the rope to the boat as it was thrown to him by Minato as the boat slowed to a stop. The Blaziken hastened to tie up the boat as Minato came ashore, but it was still Caulin to reach his dad first, pouncing onto him and hugging around his neck tightly.

"Welcome home, Dad!!" He exclaimed happily.

"Haha, hey kiddo." Minato returned, embracing his son and swinging him around a little while holding him. "Hope you didn't miss me _too_much."

"You kidding?? I kept heading to the lighthouse every evening to see whether or not you and Lashanne were coming home!" He added, then quickly squirmed out of Minato's grasp and launched himself at the Delphox.

Lashanne had just time to brace herself before the Riolu slammed into her, laughing and patting his back as she returned his embrace. "Hey sport," she said. "Keeping busy?"

"I've been helping Uncle Volcan build up the houses!" He added as he nuzzled into her cheek happily. "And he's been helping me with some fighting moves while you two were gone!"

"That so?" Minato remarked, casting a look at Volcan.

"Hey, he wants to be in a Rescue Team it pays to have the skill to do it, right? You and I were both accomplished fighters even before we started," he reminded. "Speaking of which, I see you found them." He looked back toward the bakery. "They met us on their way in, and they're with my mom right now."

"Figures." Minato returned while rolling his eyes before giving Volcan a nod. "It... Wasn't exactly a warm reunion, but the short of it is that we've reconciled and they're willing to fight with us against Calhoun."

Volcan nodded. "Good to know," he said. "We'll need all the help we can get." He looked past him to Lashanne. "Hey professor. How's the arm?"

"Treasure hunter, not professor, 'captain'," she returned. "All good. Still not a hundred percent strength but strong enough to pick up this little rascal," she said as she lifted Caulin to her shoulder.

"As well as deliver a mean hook if anyone steps out of line." Minato added with a small smirk.

"That too," she said. "Of course I was very near to hitting somewhere a lot more painful at one point or another on this trip." She added with a menacing undertone, casting a look Minato's way.

"Yeee..." Volcan and Tristan said in unison, both leaning away from Lashanne.

They stared at one another for a little while, her menacing glare and his stoic gaze locked on each other until he blinked and broke the silence. "Anyway." He said as he turned to his son. "Why don't you show me what you've learned so far?" He offered, smiling at Caulin.

"Wait, you wanna spar? Really??" Caulin asked, his face beaming with excitement.

"Really, really." He returned with a nod, then gestured for him to follow. "Let's see how well your Uncle's been keeping you in shape." He added, casting a wink at the Blaziken as he walked past him.

"Alright. I guess it's time for the rest of us to get back to work on the houses," said Volcan, turning then to Lashanne. "You need a rest or, can you come lend a hand?"

She shrugged. "I had a good sleep. I'll come help out."

"Alright, let's go," he said, turning and leading the group back to the worksite, leaving Minato to catch up with his son.

~~~~~~~~~~

Minato was quite surprised at how much progress Caulin had made in the days he was away. Despite the fact he was holding back for his son's sake, Caulin was holding his own very well against his father, managing to feint him out a few times and land some solid hits on him. Their sparring match went on for a good few hours, finally ending when Caulin managed to pull off the low sweep to jump kick combination Volcan had taught him, sending the Lucario onto his back and leaving him stunned.

"Alright!! I did it!" Caulin exclaimed happily while throwing his arms in the air triumphantly.

Minato slowly pushed himself back to his feet, rubbing his chest a little and laughing softly. "Well, colour me impressed. Volcan's been training you well it seems." He remarked. "That was a very well executed combination, and your form's much more polished." He added.

"And I'm only gonna get stronger!" Caulin replied, rubbing his nose confidently.

"At this rate, you're certainly well on your way." Minato returned, then took a moment to look up at the sky, only just then noticing that the sun was almost completely set. "Jeez, we've been at this longer than I thought..." He muttered softly, then looked back to his son. "Hey, why don't you head on over and play with Bellator for a bit. I've got something I need to take care of."

"Alright!" Caulin returned, then leapt up and quickly hugged his father, nuzzling his cheek happily. "Good to have you back, Dad." He said before releasing him and trotting off to play with the aforementioned Salamence.

"Good to be back." He muttered softly as he watched his son wander off. His smile slowly faded once Caulin was out of his sight, letting out a long sigh and rubbing his eyes with his paws. "Well... time to face the music." He said in a low tone, turning and walking toward the direction of Lashanne's airship. It was time for him to clear the air with the Delphox that went out of her way to help him on his journey...

The others were in the process of cleaning up the worksite as the sun descended behind the wall of water on the west horizon, stealing most of their light. Minato saw how much work they had managed to do on Volcan's new house, seeing at least two walls were now up with the third well on its way; impressive, to say the least, considering they had been short two people for almost a week now.

There, he saw Lashanne, just finishing with the cleanup of the tools and helping Sol load up an armload of them to take back to the airship with them. She was starting that way when she saw Minato coming over; she studied him and seemed to gauge that it was her he wanted to see. She grimaced, but to his relief she didn't try to walk away from him.

She looked at Sol. "You go on ahead - I'll bring my share of the tools when I get back. Just uh... got something I need to do first."

Sol shrugged. "Whatever, lady." Sol remarked, casting a glance to Minato before heading on his way to the airship.

She watched after Sol as Minato came over to her, her hands on her hips as she stared sourly at him. "Still a charming ray of sunshine, that one," she muttered out of the corner of her mouth. "I thought he seemed like he had toned down since we got back but he still has that 'I don't give a shit' attitude."

"I guess some things never change." Minato returned, crossing his arms in front of his chest, staring after Sol until he was out of sight before he looked to Lashanne. "I see Volcan's house is well on its way to being finished." He remarked.

"Yep," she agreed, looking at the house. "I think in a couple more days we'll be ready to start putting the roof on."

He nodded softly, then a silence fell upon them for a moment as they stood there together. "Caulin's made a lot of progress in his training while we were gone." He remarked, breaking the silence after a little bit. "Managed to sweep me off my feet."

She cast an odd look at him for his choice of words. "Really?" She asked.

"Well... Yea, he managed to Low Sweep me then Jump Kick me in the..." He paused as the realization of his words hit him. "...Wait... I didn't mean it like that." He clarified, blushing in embarrassment.

"You obviously came here to say something, Minato," she said. "Let's walk a bit."

"Y-Yea." The Lucario concurred, then began to walk alongside her as they wandered aimlessly together. "Listen, Lashanne... It would be an understatement for me to say that I owe you an apology after all the stuff you've put up with during our journey..."

"Maybe... But I've dealt with worse," she said with a shrug, trying to make light of the situation. "Least you don't complain as much as Toby."

"True." Minato returned with a light shrug himself. "Well regardless, I'm... sorry for the way I treated you during our trip." He added, hanging his head low and rubbing the back of his neck with his paw. "You selflessly went out of your way to help me find my master and make peace with my nightmares... or at least attempt to." He remarked softly. "For that, you should have had my thanks, not my scorn..."

Lashanne shrugged again. "I have a thick skin, Minato," she said assuringly. "Most women will say 'I'm fine' and behind it, what they _really_mean is 'I hate your guts and want you to die in a fire', but that's not me. I was bothered at the time, yes - I'll fully admit that. But after seeing what kind of pain you were in... I already forgave you for it all."

"Even so, it wasn't right, and I still feel guilty for it." Minato returned, stopping to fully face her. "I'm willing to take responsibility for my actions, whether you've forgiven me or not..."

"And what is it you want to do to take responsibility I don't hold you accountable for?" She asked.

"The way I've also been awkwardly behaving around you when we're alone." He replied, slowly lifting his paws to touch her shoulders. "And the... tension I might have created between us..." He added, then sighed and lowered his gaze. "There's something that's been on my chest ever since Tadpole Bay, and I need to get it out or else I'll go insane..."

She made no move to stop him, seeming frozen as she heard what he said and almost certain she knew what was coming. "Minato..." She whispered cautiously, as if to warn him if they went any further, there'd be no turning back.

He understood the warning, but he felt he just _had_to continue. He sucked in a deep breath before he found the words he wanted to say. "Lashanne..." He began. "...You drive me utterly insane."

Her expression flattened and her shoulders, previously tense, slumped "What?" She asked, blank.

"Just hear me out." He said, releasing her shoulders and holding his paws up in defense. "Yes, you heard me right. You drive me insane, but not for the reasons you might think." He added before placing his paws gently back on her shoulders, staring right into her eyes. "Your witty mouth, your independent attitude, your take no prisoners approach... All of those traits you possess, and the fact you're not afraid to get your paws bloody if you need to, are traits that I've come to admire and... admittedly, grow attracted to you as a result, and it just... It's driving me insane that I'm entertaining the idea that I... I...!"

He stammered at the end of his sentence, clenching his eyes shut and grunting as he struggled to finish his sentence.

Lashanne's eye twitched, feeling the tension returning as she stared at him floundering over his own words. Then, with a stamp of her foot, she jolted him back to awareness as she exclaimed. "Spit it out already!" She said, flustered.

"That I love you!!" He suddenly exclaimed, shouting at the top of his lungs right in her face as he made his confession, his angered expression suddenly turning into shock as he realized he just told her without even realizing it.

They stood there in stunned silence for a moment, staring at each as the words had finally been said, neither one seeming to know what to do next as they stared at each other. A blush formed on Lashanne's face, crossing her paws across her belly as she shifted, trying to process it. Part of her had expected the words, hadn't she? But somehow, she was still rendered speechless when she heard it from Minato himself...

After another long silence, Minato finally spoke up again, trying to recompose himself. "...Yeah, you heard right." He said softly, slowly reaching to grasp her paws in his and step a little closer to the Delphox. "And no, I'm not saying this because I'm desperate, or because I yearn for the love that I lost back on Arc..." He assured Lashanne. "This is me, starting fresh just like Volcan did when he first arrived here in Azure, asking you if you'd like to start a new life with me..."

"I-I..." she sputtered, trying to find words to say, but they wouldn't find their way to her lips. She let out a breath, gently extracting her paws from his, and taking a deep, steadying breath. "I need... a bit of time to think," she said. "Can we... can we meet up later?" She asked him, looking at him apologetically.

Minato's expression saddened a bit at first, feeling a sting akin to rejection, and his composure deflated as Lashanne posed her question. "Sure. Just... name a time and place." He answered solemnly. He knew that her choice of words wasn't exactly a rejection, but now he was left thinking that he was pushing things too forward too quickly.

"My cabin, tonight," she said. "Maybe... In an hour or two. Just long enough to get my head on straight."

His ears lifted at that remark, filling him with a small spark of hope. "A-Alright. I'll be there." He said quickly.

"Alright. See you there," she said, nodding to him and walking slowly past him to head back to the ship, letting him go his own way.

Unknown to the two, they had attracted the attention of an audience, watching them from around the corner of one of the nearby houses. He had been drawn to Lashanne's voice rising suddenly, followed immediately by Minato's, and had come just in time to see them give their parting words, feeling a pain in his own heart as he realized he was watching the start of something he had once had...

Luke's expression began to sadden slightly as he watched them part ways, lifting his paw to touch his own chest as he started thinking back to how he and Volcan first met, and all of their adventures they shared before and after they had confessed their feelings to one another. He then thought back to when he began resenting Volcan for his view on how Calhoun should be dealt with, and how he had treated him up until Kage and Hank's intervention, where Volcan was finally allowed to explain himself as to why he felt the way he did.

Then, he stiffened and his eyes opened wide in shock as another thought entered his mind, more specifically a sentence he had said to Volcan once during their journey to the Fortress, and again before they were buried in a sand funnel out in the West.

"I'll never abandon you, no matter what..."

".... What have I done?" he whispered softly as tears began to flood his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief. He grabbed his head with his paws, sobbing. "Oh Arceus, what have I done?!" He demanded of himself in a louder tone before frantically looking around. He then ran off down the street, not having a specific direction to go - he simply needed to move. He needed to find the man he'd wronged so badly...

But he didn't know where to find him... Where had Volcan been living since their house was destroyed? He hadn't even bothered to ask anyone, and in his frantic state, he didn't think to use his Aura Sense to try and home in on the Blaziken. Instead, he found himself running aimlessly around and within Azure's borders, searching desperately for any sign of Volcan, or at least a trail that he might have left leading to him. Several of the townsfolk still about gave him odd looks, wondering why the captain of their local rescue team was behaving so oddly. He ignored them all, and just kept running and looking...

He had nearly run himself ragged going all over town. Only when his frantic run had taken him to the docks did he find what he had been looking for. His search had brought him to team Phalanx's boat, realizing soon that he should have tried there first. Inside, he saw him. Volcan was there in the boat, having a rice bowl for dinner and sitting alone at the table in the cabin. He hadn't noticed Luke yet, having sat down with his back to the door.

'Found you!' Luke thought to himself, taking a few moments to catch his breath and regain his composure, wiping away any tears that ran down his cheeks as he ran with his paw before he began to step toward the boat.

He then tried to step as lightly as he could onto the boat so that he didn't give away his presence to the Blaziken, but try as he might, the second both feet were on the boat, the vessel shifted slightly due to the added weight, making it rock more against the calm ocean waters. Volcan jerked as he felt the boat rocking, looking ahead to the console first before turning in his chair to look out the back, going as still as a statue when he saw Luke standing there, their eyes meeting instantly.

The Lucario was as still as Volcan was when their eyes met, even with the boat still rocking, he didn't move an inch. His eyes appeared stunned at first, but then his expression quickly started to wane into one of sorrow and apology, tears still flowing from his eyes as his shoulders bobbed and shook.

Slowly, Volcan stepped out of his chair, and seemed about to approach Luke, but stopped, looking out at the town behind him. He met Luke's gaze again, and then his eyes fell to the rope securing the boat to the dock. Luke quickly understood his meaning when Volcan stepped back into the cabin, passing his unfinished dinner to approach the control console, knowing what he was asking the Lucario to do for him.

He wanted this to be between just them... As it always should have been.

Without any hesitation, Luke walked back to the deck and began unfastening the rope securing them to the dock, pulling it aboard when the knot was undone and giving a nod to the Blaziken when they were free to pull away from the dock. Volcan nodded back, starting the engine and taking the wheel in one hand as he eased the throttle forward with the other, and the boat began to head out onto the rapidly darkening waters of the bay. He steered them out to open water but made a point to drive around behind the high rise upon which the lighthouse rested, putting them out of sight of the town but still close enough that if the boat started to drift, they'd see the light house's glow and know where to go.

The very instant he cut the engine and started to turn around, Luke was practically flying at him. The Blaziken did not hesitate, catching the Lucario in his arms even as he knocked him back against the wheel. From that moment on, Luke's lips were firmly planted onto Volcan's beak, kissing him wildly and with repressed passion set free, his paws digging firmly into his lover's back and his legs wrapping around Volcan's waist as he proceeded to make out with the Blaziken like it was the last time he would ever see him again.

Volcan returned the passion with fervour to match, his arms seizing Luke in a tight embrace as they kissed, failing to keep his balance and not even caring when he fell into the wall, making sure that it was him who took the brunt of it and not Luke. Even lost in the haze as he was, he remained conscious enough to carry them both over to the cot, falling onto it with Luke on top of him. The Lucario had already moved so that his chest spike didn't accidentally impale Volcan after they fell on the cot together, paws already caressing along Volcan's body desperately and his body rubbing firmly along the Blaziken's. He had so many things he wanted to say at that moment, but for now, his actions were more than enough to convey the message he was trying to send during their intense making out.

Things escalated further as the night went on, throes of passion filled the air, coming from inside. Before any words were shared, the two made up for all of their lost time, making love vigorously in the darkness of the cabin, and they continued until both of them were ragged - not only from the day's events, but the heated exchange, and they collapsed, hot and tired side by side on the cot.

As they caught their breath, Volcan clung to Luke, and his gasps turned to sobs as he raised his head and looked at him with tear filled eyes. "I'm so sorry Luke," he said, his voice breaking as he spoke his first words to his lover - words he'd wanted to say for so long now, they seemed to come out as if backed by pressure. "I'm so, so sorry..."

Luke slowly shook his head in response, stifling a sob of his own as he gazed back down at Volcan. "_I'm_the one that should be sorry, love..." He whimpered softly, touching the Blaziken's cheek with his paw. "I didn't listen to you... I nearly broke my promise to you back when we first confessed..." He added, then buried his face into Volcan's chest where he began to sob freely. "I almost lost you for good, and this time it would have been _my_fault!"

"But I broke your heart.... And I broke up your family," he buried his face in Luke's neck, still sobbing as he clung to him. He had no words to follow up there, too lost in the mix of guilt and relief to find anything to say.

Luke kept nuzzling Volcan's chest even as he went for his neck, his sobs slowly turning into soft whimpers, his arms still having a death grip along Volcan's back. "...Well, that's changing as of right now." He whispered softly, pulling himself away so he was looking back down at Volcan. "I think Kage and Hank were right... and you were right too... but I was too blinded by my own inability to see the truth to accept it..." He admitted softly. "That said... I can't be the one to do it, love..."

"I never would've asked you to," replied Volcan, wiping his eyes and pushing himself up on his hands to meet his lover's gaze. "I'd never make you go against your ideals."

"I know... I realize that now." He returned softly, then he sighed and shifted a little so he was sitting properly in Volcan's lap, cupping his cheek in his paw. "I know we're not exactly wedded just yet, but... I'd like to make a reclamation of vows... if you'll have me."

"Of course," Volcan replied, sitting upright and holding Luke loosely in his arms. "My mind hasn't changed; you'd have to scramble my brains before I'd ever go back on my decision to marry you." He added in the most humorous manner he could muster.

This time, Luke smiled and shared in the small chuckle. "Even after going through such an emotional roller coaster, you _still_find ways to turn a grim situation on its head."

He shrugged weakly. "Call it a coping mechanism," he replied, smiling. "Or something to deal with stress. Either one works."

"Well, don't ever change." Luke returned, then took Volcan's hand in his paw and held it firmly. "Volcan, my love, my beloved Blaziken... From this moment onward I hereby vow to never leave your side ever again. Through thick and thin, in the best and the worst of times, I will always be there for you, be it on the battlefield or anywhere else." He said as tears of joy began to roll down his cheeks. "I love you, and I'll never stop loving you, even after we've left this world to go onto the next..."

"And I return these vows, profoundly and solemnly," Volcan returned. "I will never betray your trust again, and I will do everything I possibly can to make up for the harm I have caused your family." He leaned his forehead against Luke's, sniffing. "I just hope they can forgive me, as you have..."

"In time, they will." Luke assured Volcan. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now though..." He trailed off as that grin of his crossed his face. "Well... I'll let you say it this time."

"Shut up and kiss me," the Blaziken returned flatly.

"Gladly, you handsome beast!" Luke exclaimed before he lowered himself down to make out with Volcan once more, growling playfully as he proceeded to try and pin him down with his sudden kiss.

Volcan did not fight it, sliding back down onto the cot with his lover pinning him and accepting the kiss eagerly, holding it for as long as his and his lover's already tired lungs could hold out.

When they broke the kiss again, Volcan was smiling. "There's... something I want to show you," he said. "If you... would like to."

"Can it wait till morning, love?" Luke pleaded softly. "I just want to be with you right now, alone with no one to disturb us."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose it can," he said. "Probably too dark to see it properly anyway."

With that, he pulled the cot's sheet over them, and held Luke tightly to his warm body, beneath it, resting his head atop the Lucario's as they made themselves comfortable, and slept out there atop the dark waters, the only source of light the circling beacon of the lighthouse above...

~~~~~

Minato had been generous and waited the full two hours before he decided it was time to approach Lashanne once more. Upon arriving at her airship, he leapt up onto the boat deck with his strength alone, but at the peak of his jump he used Psychic to slow his descent onto the deck rather than land as roughly as he usually did. He waited a few seconds to make sure he hadn't alerted anyone before he quietly made his way toward Lashanne's cabin. He didn't want anyone else walking in on their moment together and ruining it, regardless of Lashanne's answer to his earlier confession.

The two hours had been well spent for him too, to mentally prepare himself for whatever answer waited for him. He was fully prepared to accept her rejection if she decided she did not share his feelings. They had been through much together since she had come to Azure; she had knocked the sense back into him following his loss of Linda - literally and figuratively. She had fought beside the team at Hadleigh, and beside him against convicts and the leader of the Dark Crusade himself, and with no promise of reward she had accompanied him on a selfish journey.

Did she love him back? This was where he would find out...

Knocking on the cabin door, he heard her call out "Come in," and he stepped inside, entering the dimly lit accommodations of the former treasure hunter - once a typical ship's stateroom reserved for the captain before the vessel had been repurposed into an airship. Inside, he saw Lashanne hunched over her desk. Beside her, a bottle of hard liquor, and a shot glass which sat full and untouched beside it, as if she had decided not to drink it - he could smell the liquor, but it wasn't coming from her as far as he could tell.

She looked back over her shoulder, as if to confirm it was him. Her tail flicked to and fro as she took in a deep breath, now resorting to taking the shot and knocking it back, coughing slightly as she took it too quickly and in the middle of a breath. "Oof... Dummy..." she muttered.

"You alright?" Minato asked as he closed the door behind him gently before he dared to approach her. "Why do you have a bottle of liquor with you if you're only just starting to drink it?" He inquired.

"I knew if I started when I got back, I wouldn't be able to stop until the thing was empty," she replied. "So... Been trying to find other ways to steel my nerves, and..." Her voice lowered as she finished. "And think."

"I see." Minato returned, stopping just behind the Delphox and placing his paws on his hips casually. "I take it you've come to a decision then?" He asked softly. "Or... would you like more time?"

"No... There's only one way I'm going to find an answer to this," she said, still not facing him as she took a second shot from the glass, huffing. "I don't know how it all goes out here. I just know you easterners tend to take things a little slower. Back on the West Continent... we have a certain way to approach life. To live every day like we expect it to be our very last. Threat of being consumed by the desert always hanging over us and all that... It's why I loved the work I did back there." She chuckled.

"For relationships... it's no different. We never expect them to last, so there's no dating or courting, or anything like is done here. We approach them the same way we do everything, like it's a fifty-fifty shot." Minato wasn't sure where she was going with her words, until he saw her shrug her shoulders, and her leather vest went up, sliding off her arms until she tossed it aside to lay in the corner, and only then did she turn to face him.

It was his first time ever seeing her without the vest on. Like the rest of her, the fur underneath had been cut short, making it easy to see her form underneath. She had a highly athletic figure with a strong upper body, lacking most of the curvature of the average female, though hints of that were still present.

"When we think we like someone," she carried on, "We dive right in, and hope that our instincts are on point." She held out her paws invitingly. "So... While I still have my nerve... Are you ready to come and find out with me?"

Minato was still processing what was just happening even after she invited him to join her for the night. He shook his head to clear his doubts in that moment and took a step toward her, his gaze was blank and unreadable at first as they stood before one another in complete silence. He stepped closer, now in arm's reach of her, feeling her paws on his shoulders.

Then, in a sudden swift movement, he wrapped an arm around Lashanne's hips and yanked her toward him, leaning forward himself and locking his lips with hers in a deep, tender kiss. They held it, and then he then dipped her backward, her feet slipping out from under her as he put her back on her desk, sending the empty shot glass rolling aside. She moaned with excitement, her legs pressing into his hips as she met his kiss, not protesting to his rather aggressive approach as he made out with her on the desk.

She pulled back from the kiss then, panting. He could still taste some of the alcohol on her tongue, yet despite that, the kiss had been well-received by both.

"Over there," she said, pointing out her bed with a cock of her head.

Wasting no time, he hoisted her up and carried her over, Lashanne stared up at the ceiling, her eyes wandering as if in a dream as they left her desk and approached her bed. But as soon as they were near the bed, Minato felt a psychic hold engulf his body, freezing him in his tracks, and before he could say anything, he was suddenly thrown head-over-heels through the air, landing hard enough on the bed it nearly knocked the wind out of him.

"Whoof! Hey!" He exclaimed. He started to sit up, but the instant he did, she was on him again. She threw herself over him, straddling his body with her legs and panting heavily.

"S-Sorry," she said. "But I don't want to lose my nerve before we start... So don't waste any time or hold anything back, Minato. Let's do this... Like it's our last day on earth."

At that, he smirked and slid his arms back around her again, pulling the Delphox closer to him. "With the state of the world being as it is, it may very well be." He returned with a nod. "I'm ready for you, Lashanne."

"So am I," she said in a whisper. "To find out if you're the guy... I'd share the end of days with."

Once again, her lips locked with his, and the two finally caved to their needs there, in the dark of the airship's cabin...

~~~~~

Volcan led Luke through town at a steady pace, paw in talon as he walked with surprising eagerness. He had been itching to take Luke to see what their new home would soon be ever since they had reconciled the night before, but saw no reason to rush it. Luke matched his pace all the way through town, his heart light and soaring as he walked with his beloved once more, realizing only now how much he had missed it since returning home to Azure. Everything felt like it was as it should be once again, like the missing pieces of a puzzle had been place where they belonged and made the complete picture.

As they stepped outside of the town, and moved to the construction site, Volcan led Luke up to the half-finished house sitting next to one that had already been built, taking in a deep breath of relief as he stood with his arm around Luke's shoulder.

"Well, here it is," he said. "It's not quite done yet... But it's getting there."

Luke stared at the half complete house, blinking and gasping as he soaked in the sight ahead of him. "Oh my..." He whispered softly. "You... Were building this for us?" He asked, his face beaming with joy as he tore his gaze away to look at his fiancé.

Volcan let out a sigh. "I admit it _is_basically a last-minute addition to our project lineup. I never actually planned to build one for us since we had your house. But, even when we got started, even while you and I were... You know... I always held onto the hope you'd live in it with me." He turned his gaze to meet Luke's, smiling weakly. "I know it isn't the home Nido built for you, but I still hope you like it when it's done."

Luke sighed softly. "I've gotten over the loss of my old home by now... It's gone now, and there's no point in crying over it." He returned, never losing his joyous gaze. "Honestly, we could be living under a crude shelter made of leaves and sticks and I'd still be happy to call it home... Because it would still be _our_home."

"Well, I definitely think I'm doing better than a lean-to with this place," he returned with a chuckle. "With the progress we've been making, and now that Minato and Lashanne are back to help out we might even be able to get the last two walls up and start framing the roof. Then it'll just be the interior left to do."

"How long do you predict that will take?" Luke asked with anticipation. "I can start moving all the stuff I salvaged from the old house out of my mom's house once the interior's almost finished."

"At least today, maybe tomorrow before we start framing the roof," replied Volcan. "Hopefully today we'll get an early start and make plenty of progress. Katsu's been really helpful throughout the project - nearly all of the logs we've been using, he brought for us."

"Well, with my help, we might get it all done sooner." Luke offered with a nod. "If this house is meant for the both of us, then it's time I start pulling my weight and assist with what I can."

"More hands the better. Or paws as it were," Volcan remarked, earning a light laugh from both of them, before he turned his head toward the sound of approaching footsteps, seeing Tristan approaching with Serena walking beside him and Katsu just behind her. "Morning, guys!"

"Mornin' Volcan!" Tristan called back.

Serena looked their way, and noticed Luke immediately, the surprise seeing him there evident on her face, but that surprise soon turned to joy, happy to see the two of them together again. She looked back at Katsu, who had already seen his captain, and he shared in her enthusiasm to see both his and her captains back together again.

Without a second thought, the large Samurott quickly lumbered toward the two and grabbed them in a hearty embrace. "Salutations and good morrow to the both of you!" He said with a hearty laugh. "I see you two are back in better terms with one another!"

Luke returned the gesture. "Yea, it was quite a learning experience, but now we're even tighter than we ever could have imagined." He added with a nod.

"Exactly," returned Volcan, nodding in approval. "So, you guys ready for another day of work?"

"I'm determined to get this place livable before the end of the day," Tristan replied, pounding his fists together.

"Haste makes waste, Tristan. Gotta put time into it or the quality suffers," replied Volcan.

"Says the guy who can run between towns in five minutes flat," returned Tristan as he started unpacking the tools he'd brought. "So, where's Minato at?"

"Maybe he slept in?" Volcan asked. "I'll go get him."

Leaving Luke's side, Volcan headed over to the other house, with Luke staring after him, briefly confused as he recalled the night before, having seen Minato with Lashanne. 'Does he... Not know?'

Volcan knocked on the door of Minato's house, waiting for a response. The door soon opened after a few moments of waiting, only to find that it wasn't Minato that answered the door, but Caulin instead. The tired Riolu yawned and rubbed his eyes as he looked up at the Blaziken.

"Oh... Hey Uncle." He remarked before yawning again.

"Hey sport. Sorry, did I wake you?" Volcan asked, kneeling to meet Caulin's eye.

"Kinda," He returned. "Jeez, what time is it...?"

"Just after eight, last I checked," replied Volcan, glancing up at the sun and shadowing his eye. "Maybe half-past by now?" He shrugged and turned to Caulin again. "Was just coming to fetch your dad. Is he up?"

Caulin yawned again. "Must've stayed up too late playing with Bellator," he grumbled about himself before nodding to Volcan's question. "Yea, hang on, I'll fetch him." He returned softly, shutting the the door behind him and heading upstairs to his father's room. Another few minutes later and the door flung open quickly this time, with the young Riolu looking up at Volcan, looking puzzled.

"...He isn't home." He said plainly.

"Wait, what?" Volcan asked. "When did you last see him?"

"Last night. We were training and he told me to go play with Bellator after we were done." Caulin explained. "I guess I lost track of time, cause I just went to bed when I got home, thinking he was already asleep."

"And he left you here alone?" Volcan asked, rising back to his feet. "Where could he have gone?"

"Beats me," Caulin said with a shrug.

"I think I might know where he is." Luke chimed in as he approached Volcan and Caulin. "Call it a hunch, but I think he's at the Airship... with Lashanne."

"Wait, what?" Volcan asked. "How do you know?"

"Because I saw them last night." Luke answered. "I stumbled upon them saying some parting words before they went their separate ways. She mentioned something about him meeting her in her cabin about an hour or two." He explained.

Volcan looked at Tristan and Serena, all of whom shared in his puzzlement. "Okay, I definitely feel like I've missed something," he remarked, rubbing the back of his head.

Serena piped up as she looked past Volcan, calling his name and lifting a paw to point behind him. He turned, and they saw Minato and Lashanne approaching the worksite, arriving together. Volcan shared a puzzled look with the Vaporeon, and then turned his gaze back to the two as they got closer.

By then, Minato saw his team had gathered outside his house, with Caulin standing at the door. The Liepard was out of the bag now, he knew. Much to his surprise, he also saw Luke there, but he noticed the shorter Lucario did not seem as surprised by seeing them arrive together as the others did.

"...I think they've caught on." Minato whispered to Lashanne as they drew closer to the group. "So much for our surprise."

"I think only Luke has caught on," Lashanne replied. "Volcan and Tristan look totally lost, but I think Serena and Katsu are piecing it together. I can see it by how they keep looking at one another."

"Either way, I can't wait to see the looks on most of their faces when we drop the bomb," Minato added with a small smirk, stopping with his arms crossed in front of his chest and looking at everyone in the group staring at them. "...You all look as if you've seen a Gengar. What, you guys have a bad nightmare or something?" He joked.

"...I think I'm starting to get it," said Volcan. "An explanation would be welcome, but I'm not the one I think it's owed to." He cast a glance at Caulin, who was watching the two of them still. Taking that as a cue, Volcan moved aside and motioned for the others to back up, taking his place by Luke.

"...Dad? What's goin' on here?" He asked, looking between the two of them.

Minato glanced to Lashanne for a moment before he sucked in a deep breath and lowered himself down to Caulin's level. "This... Might be a lot to take in, son, so bear with me alright?" He asked softly, waiting for Caulin's permission to continue. The Riolu nodded slowly, and Minato continued with his explanation. "To put it simply, last night I met with Lashanne in order to get something off my chest that I've been holding in since we started working together as a team. I've... been developing some feelings toward her, but I didn't feel it was right to act on them because...well...I was still trying to get over the loss of your mother..."

"...This sounds familiar." Luke whispered to Volcan, nudging his arm lightly with his elbow.

"Indeed. Scarily so," Volcan returned, keeping his voice low, though Lashanne still cast them both a dirty look; she had not heard what they said but she knew who they were talking about. "Damn fox ears - she could hear a pin drop on a ship deck."

"No kidding..." Luke returned quietly.

"In the end though, I met with Lashanne last night and well... Needless to say, I finally confessed." He said as he stood back on his feet and gently took Lashanne's paw in his own. "As of last night... She and I began testing the waters to see how things go, but for the most part, she's become part of our family..." Minato concluded.

The Riolu was silent, taking his time in registering his father's words as he looked between the two of them, then at their paws joined together. "...So what you're saying is... Lashanne's gonna be my new mom?" He asked softly, tilting his head to the side a little.

At that, Minato moved aside to let Lashanne come forward, taking his place as she knelt in front of the Riolu, and did her best to meet his eyes. She was clearly struggling to find the words she wanted to say. He could almost see her uncertainty, venturing into territory that she was not familiar with...

"Caulin," she began. "I... I know I can't replace her." She began. "I heard so much about your mother, from your grandparents and your dad. I don't think I could ever live up to the standards she set... She sounds like she was an amazing woman, and the perfect mother. But if you're willing to give me a chance... I am willing to do my best to try for you." She let it hang at that, waiting to see how Caulin responded to her.

Again, Caulin was silent for a good long while, making things rather awkward for the entire group during that silence as he just stared at Lashanne, unmoving except for the occasional blink of his red eyes. Then, he stepped forward and quickly slid his arms around Lashanne's neck, hugging her tightly and nuzzling into her cheek warmly.

"I wasn't gonna ask ya to be my mom in the first place," he said softly, pulling back and smiled happily at Lashanne. "But I'd be glad to have you as one..." He added with a giggle.

She smiled back, and shared another hug with the Riolu, holding him tight to her and kissing the top of his head. "Thank you," she said. "I will do my very best, Caulin. I promise you."

"Just one question." Caulin asked. "Would ya rather I keep callin you Lashanne? Or can I call ya mom?" He asked happily, his small tail wagging quickly behind him.

She chuckled at that. "The 'mom' part I'll have to get used to myself," she said. "But whatever works for you is fine with me."

"Mom it is then!" Caulin returned, then hugged her tight again and giggled happily as he embraced her.

Minato smiled brighter than he had in many months, both overjoyed and relieved to see his son readily accept Lashanne as his foster parent. He knelt down next to the two and began sharing in a three-way hug with his son and his teammate turned girlfriend, nuzzling between the two of them softly.

"Welcome to our family, Lashanne..." He whispered softly.

Back with the others, everyone was watching the scene unfold with a unanimous awe between them. Serena had moved to Katsu's side and leaned happily against him as she shed a joyful tear for Caulin, and Tristan watched it all with arms crossed and wearing a proud grin on his face. Volcan held Luke a little tighter to his side, happy to see his best friend and self-styled nephew finding their own happiness and filling a void left by Linda's passing...