FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The hum of the airship's motors was the only sound to be heard as the vessel passed slowly over the forest below, its two propellers whirring and whistling as they sliced through the air, pushing the ship forward. At the helm stood Lashanne, hands on the ship's wheel and steering them along course, keeping the northbound road directly below them. Occasionally they veered off-course to avoid taller trees or accommodate for sharp bends but never strayed too far from sight of it. The road was the only landmark in the ocean of trees below them.

Even having only lived in Azure a short time, Volcan knew these woodlands were vast and untamed land. Dangerous to trek through alone, but they were all that sat between the middle and northern reaches of the East Continent. They were a stark contrast to Hadleigh, surrounded by open planes, or Arc Island which was surrounded by sea and lesser islands. Here there were only trees, and he wondered what mysteries they could be hiding.

Lashanne and Toby reviewed their navigational instruments, charts and compasses alike. When they reached a consensus on their location, Toby spoke up. "We should be almost there," he explained "There should be a fork in the road ahead, and if we go right it'll bring us straight over Bluegrove."

"Think Sickle will be surprised to see us?" Volcan asked.

"I imagine with the attention we'll get, he'll know before we find him," remarked Serena. "I recall there were many stunned reactions from the people of Azure when they saw this ship the first time." She looked at Hank for emphasis.

"Oh no kidding. Everyone thought there was another invasion goin' on or something." Hank replied with a chuckle. "Took us a fair bit to calm everyone down before we could all head on over to meet ya after you touched down."

Volcan looked up from his map reading, giving a smug grin. "Can't say Luke and I don't know how make an entrance, eh?" He asked.

Hank snickered. "I'll admit, it was more dramatic than anything I could pull off." He added.

"The trees are thinning ahead," said Lashanne, adjusting the ship's course. "Looks like a big clearing coming up." She inhaled deeply. "Something smells _really_good, too."

Just as Lashanne had claimed, the trees below parted suddenly and revealed a long, open space beyond the canopies, alive with colour from their current altitude. Yet for a moment they wondered if they had even cleared the forest as it seemed there were many tree stumps filling the clearing. On closer inspection though, they discovered that these stumps were enormous, and extensively altered - chimneys, doors and windows could be seen cut into their frames, and they lined either side of the main road snaking its way through the town, from one side to the other. It took seeing more conventional structures further to the back of the town and a marketplace brimming with activity to convince some of the team aboard the airship that they had indeed found civilization again.

A sea of blue stretched out before them, with flowers of sky, azure and sapphire colours growing in abundance across the community below, some even growing on vines strewn across the stump houses. What seemed like thousands of Combee swarmed over the flowers, drawing nectar and pollinating the abundant grove. A creek trickled its way through the town, beginning in the shadows of the trees on the northeast side of the clearing, and on a few occasions, they saw Pokémon drawing water from the creek, sweeping buckets against the current to fill them. Lastly, they saw a break in the flower fields and houses, where there stood an acre of hives where the Combee seemed to originate from. Among them, Beedrill flew about in synchronized flight patterns, seemingly guarding the site as the Combee brought their harvested nectar back to the hives.

"Well, I certainly see how this town gets its name," remarked Toby as he stared at the town over the railing.

"Yuuuup." Hank said as he held his arms behind his head and took in the view. "Looking at it from up here though? Sure beats the first time I absorbed its natural beauty." He commented with a blissful sigh. "Wonder if ol leafybutt's gonna be happy to see me again on such short notice."

"Only one way to find out," said Volcan. "Lashanne?"

"As I thought, no real way for me to land here," she replied. "For the moment I'll just have to find somewhere I can hover without anyone being bothered. You may as well go down and find your buddy, see if he can give us a suggestion. I'll make another circle in the meantime."

"Can do," said Volcan, looking to Hank. "Ready for the express elevator?"

"Of course I am!" The Zoroark exclaimed, grinning.

Volcan looped his arm around Hank's waist, getting a firm hold on him and looking back at his friends. "Back soon!" He called before jumping over the rail, taking the Zoroark with him, dropping twenty feet to the ground, taking the impact for both himself and Hank to spare the Zoroark the jolt.

Hank grunted as they hit the ground, and rubbed his stomach as Volcan put him back on his feet. "Well, clearly that's your favourite mode of descent." He said with a chuckle, then burped and covered his mouth. "Can't say my stomach agrees though..."

"You said you were ready," replied Volcan, patting Hank on the back.

"I overestimated my resistance to vertigo." Hank huffed, but straightened his posture, feeling his queasiness pass.

"So, which way to Sickle's house?"

"Right this way." Hank returned, taking the lead for Volcan as they headed into town.

A few people gave them passing glances as they weaved their way through the town, having seen them dropping from the airship now starting to circle. Responding to their unspoken questions, Volcan spoke up, his voice high and as calm as he could muster, introducing himself and Hank - including their respective teams.

At the mention of Sickle's name, the audience seemed to relax, and parted way for them as they continued through the street, leaving the more crowded areas of town to the collection of tree-stump houses. Hank led the way to a small house halfway to the town exit, single story and with a single window, door and a small chimney. It was largely unremarkable, decorated mostly by the vines and flowers that seemed to drape over most of them. A sign above the mailbox was etched with Sickle's name and had the crossed scythes of Team Kama below it.

"Well, doesn't seem he minds everyone knowing where to find him," remarked Volcan.

"Hey, makes it easy for those that need his help for stuff." Hank said with a shrug, then he would walk over to the door and give it a few firm knocks.

As he waited, Hank spread his arms out and grin, looking back at Volcan and winking at him before turning his gaze forward and waiting for the door to open. But when it opened, it was not the Grovyle who stepped out. While the figure who met them was indeed reptilian, it was a Charmeleon who stood in the doorway. It took a moment for Volcan to recognize him, having not seen him in quite a while.

"Hot damn. What're you guys doing here?" Kaen asked, surprised.

Hank's arms dropped, and Volcan saw the disappointment clear as day on his face before he answered the Charmeleon's question. "Eh, we just arrived a few minutes ago." He said as he looked past Kaen. "The man of the house around today? We got sumthin we gotta ask him."

"Not at the moment, no. Probably at Kima's place," replied Kaen. "He's there most days now. Guild business is at a dead stop lately."

"There is a reason for that," said Volcan, grimly. "Kaen, do you mind rounding up Howler and Blaster? We have a lot to discuss, and I'd rather say it just once. We'll meet back here once we've collected Sickle."

Kaen shrugged. "Sure. But is there something wrong?"

"To put it bluntly, yes."

Kaen grimaced. "Okay... sure, I'll go find 'em."

"Thanks. Where does this Kima person live?"

Kaen leaned out the door and pointed back to the main road. "Follow it out of town until you get to the fork, then go right. Can't miss it - it's the biggest house in the area."

Volcan nodded. "Thanks Kaen," he said. "We'll be back soon."

With that, he and Hank left the house, with Kaen following them out after closing the door but heading off in another direction.

"So, who's this Kima person - a friend of Sickle's?" Volcan asked.

"Eh, I'd go as far to say she's more of a motherly figure." Hank replied. "She's the one who raised him for most of his childhood."

"Oh, so _she's_the proprietor of the orphanage he grew up in," said Volcan, looking up and rubbing under his beak. "I remember Luke mentioning that. So, she basically is his mother, then."

"Yea, pretty much." Hank conformed with a nod. "The guy is really good with kids, too. Maybe because he understands what it's like being them, with no family or nuthin'."

"She raised him well," said Volcan. "I look forward to meeting her."

They soon reached the fork. Following Kaen's directions, they turned their course right, and followed the road as it reached a large, fenced property, marked by a swaying sign by the front gate -'Bluegrove Orphanage', it read in bold letters. Beyond the gate stood a large two-story house, large enough for at least two sizeable families to live comfortably within. The building was in decent shape, with solid wooden walls and an angular roof with well-weathered tiles.

On the wall of the house, the two could make out a very distinctive form. They saw a Grovyle, clinging to the wall with his clawed feet and left arm, while using his right to clean a window, his rag wiping all the dust and dirt from the glass before he transferred it a pouch belted to his hip, and started crawling along the wall to the next one. Below him, several young Pokémon were watching him work. On the porch, sitting comfortably in a rocking chair, was an elderly Marowak, their scaled body dark and rough with age and the bony mask that encompassed their face did little to hide their tired eyes even as they watched the children, though their gaze quickly shifted to Volcan and Hank as they walked onto the premises.

"Is that Kima?" Volcan asked, looking toward the Marowak.

"That'd be her." Hank replied with a nod. "Don't let her old looks fool ya. She's as feisty and lively as they come... least for Pokémon _her_age."

"Understood."

The Marowak rose from her seat, limping forward and peering out to look up at the Grovyle crawling along the wall. "Sickle. We have visitors."

Sickle looked up from his work, peering upside-down toward the new arrivals before turning his head around to see them more clearly. His eyes widened, and he pulled back the rag to put back into the satchel on his hip before he leapt off the wall and landed on all fours on the grass. The collection of children turned to look toward the two with keen interest as Sickle started toward them.

"Volcan! Hank! Long time no see!" He chimed; his arms held out in a welcoming manner as they approached.

"Eyyy, sup Leafybutt!" Hank replied, being the first to trot over and give the Grovyle a nice, big bearhug and a few pats on the back.

"Good to see you, fuzzball," he returned, giving an equally hearty hug and pat on the back, before pulling back to look at Volcan. "And you, back from the dead again. How many times is that now?"

"Bite me," Volcan returned with a wink.

"Oye, there are children present," Sickle reminded him before he also hugged the Blaziken. "Good to see you, Volcan. I know I heard you were alright, but still to see you in the flesh brings me relief."

Volcan nodded to him, pulling back from the Grovyle. "Believe me it was no summer vacation."

"So what brings you two all the way out here?" Sickle asked.

"I wish it was for better reasons but there's some trouble about," replied Volcan, his smile fading. "I asked Kaen to round up your team, to fill you guys in."

Sickle turned his head slightly. "Is it... him?" He asked in a low voice. Volcan nodded slowly to him. Sickle frowned, looking back at the kids behind him before turning to Volcan again. "Alright. Just let me finish up here, and I'll be right with you guys," he said, turning away from them and addressing the children. "Hey guys, come meet my friends!" He said, bringing back a cheerier demeanour so as not to let his concerns show.

With that, the Grovyle had left them at the mercy of these curious children -although some of them knew Hank from past visits, they only knew Volcan from stories Sickle had told them -stories which it seemed he had embellished a little, based on the questions they asked.

"You're the Blaziken who took on Shamshir of Team Warmachine?"

"Did you really fight Mewtwo?"

"Is that a Mega Stone?"

This was only a few of the questions they were barraging him with, giving him no time to answer and clearly leaving the Blaziken overwhelmed. Hank didn't remember a time he had ever seen the Blaziken so flustered - it seemed he had met his match, in the form of curious children. And the thought was hilarious.

Eventually, Kima made her way over and stepped in, rescuing Volcan the onslaught of questions. "Welcome to Bluegrove," she said. "Good to see you, Hank."

"Good to see ya too." The Zoroark replied in a mildly surprisingly formal manner, even taking her hand in his claw and shaking it gently. "Hope these little tykes haven't been wearing you out too much."

"I am not so far over the hill yet, my boy," she replied, leaning on her bone like a cane and turning to Volcan. "And you must be Volcan, the Captain of Team Phalanx. Sickle has told me much about you."

"Hopefully just the good stuff," he replied in jest.

"Come. Sit with me on the deck, while we wait for Sickle to finish," she invited them, turning and starting back toward the porch.

Volcan and Hank fell in behind her, and in some hope to keep the conversation going, the Blaziken asked, "so, how long has this place been here?"

"I first opened this orphanage twenty-five years ago," she replied. "There was much conflict in this region, oozing out of the festering wound of Blackcoast City, north of here."

"I have heard of it," said Volcan, nodding.

"Though peace was restored to this area by then many children were left homeless, so I had this house built, and began taking in any I could find. Some are brought here from as far as Westport, which does not have any sort of facility of its own," She ascended the steps, using her bone club for support with each step. She returned to her chair and gesturing to the long bench across from her, where Volcan and Hank seated themselves. Behind them in the yard, the children had begun playing, laughter and excited shrieks rising every so often.

"And... was Sickle one of those children?" Volcan asked.

Kima shook her head. "No. His case was... different. Almost storybook," she replied. "His father, a Heliolisk, arrived here. He looked like he was starving, and all he had with him was a barely hatched Treecko. He begged me to take him, to give him a better life than he could." She leaned back in her seat, rocking gently. "That was all... I never saw him again.

Hank grimaced. "Somethin' tells me that his old man either tried really hard and just wasn't cut out for the job, or that he was hanging with a bad crowd and didn't want Leafybutt getting involved with it." The Zoroark commented with a shrug. "Eh, ain't really my business to say otherwise, but I will say that was probably a smart move on his part, considering how well he's doin' now." He added, looking over his shoulder to see Sickle playing with the children.

Volcan hummed in thought. "I guess it's a logical conclusion. Any good parent would do what they could to protect their children from something like that," he said.

"I did my best with him," returned Kima. "He is kind, charitable, and willing to stand up for others, but that was not always the case. For years, he had much resentment in his heart." She sighed. "You wouldn't think so to look at him, but in his adolescent years, he was a terror. But now... he's a fine young man." She spoke proudly and had a smile to match.

"Just goes to show that not all strength is big muscles and the hardest punch." Hank commented, keeping his eyes on Sickle as he spoke, his wry smirk becoming more and more like a gentle smile the longer he looked at him. "And to think, if it weren't for Chicken Legs here, Luke might have scored one hell of a Grovyle as his partner. Hell, I know _I'd_be one lucky man to have a guy like him in my life."

Volcan cast a quizzical look at Hank. "Implying maybe I should've kept to myself, and let them hook up?"

"Oh hell no. I'm just saying if you didn't wash up ashore like ya did, then maybe the outcome woulda been different." Hank replied. "But hey. Luke's happy he's got ya, and by extension, I'm happy for both of ya, so it all works out."

"Nice comeback," teased Volcan. He then looked at Kima, a wry smirk on his face. "I'm curious... when did Sickle first find out he was... well... into other guys?"

Kima's mouth stretched into a wide smile. "That is quite a story, actually, but I think he would rather tell it that one himself. Let's just say... it was quite a birthday party."

~~~~~

After saying goodbye to the children and Kima for the day, Sickle left the grounds along with Volcan and Hank, making their way back to town and taking the time for some catch up.

"So you and Luke got tossed all the way to the West Continent by Mewtwo?" Sickle asked, baffled.

"Teleported actually, but yeah," replied Volcan. "Woke up under a scorching hot sun atop a stone mesa in a sea of sand and mesas. It was not pleasant, and even worse for Luke."

"Gods. I think I'd have shrivelled up under conditions like that," agreed Sickle. "How'd you guys get out of that?"

"Well after nearly getting buried alive beneath the aforementioned sea of sand, we happened to stumble across some ancient city in a cavern, once inhabited by Archeops and Aerodactyl as we found out," explained Volcan. "There, we met a treasure hunter named Lashanne, a Delphox - and not one of your bookworm types either, this lady is as tough and sassy as she is smart. We explored the city, took on a fucking Regirock, and then got jumped by some thugs employed by a guy called Seji, and things got _really_complicated then. The guy is actually the former comrade of Minato's mentor! As if the world couldn't get any smaller, when he ambushed us outside Princeport, I was reunited with my mother after she mopped the floor with him."

Sickle stared blankly at Volcan for a moment, clearly trying to wrap his mind around the rather fantastic tale. "...That seems kind of a stretch, Volc." He spoke.

"I am being a hundred percent serious."

Sickle blanched, jaw falling open. "Freaking hell, man - how do you keep getting yourself into these things?"

Volcan threw up his arms, practically crowing. "I don't knooooow!!!" The volume of his voice sent some Pidgey in the nearby tree scattering, startled by his outburst.

The three laughed hysterically then. Not at the Pidgey, but Volcan's dramatic outburst was as comical to all of them as it was likely relieving to the Blaziken to let out.

"And who can forget, of course, things went far from quiet when we came back," Volcan went on when they stopped laughing. "We then had to go stop a siege, as a cherry on top of this sundae of madness."

"Oh stop, you're making me hungry," remarked Sickle with a laugh.

"Well, we can always swing by that hive and get some of that honey if you're feeling _that_peckish." Hank suggested.

"I'm short on Poks right now," returned Sickle, shaking his head. "Job board's been blank lately, so I've been conserving what money I have until we get another one." He rubbed the back of his head. "But it's getting worrisome. "

Volcan and Hank stopped mid-step, sharing a look, and then turned to Sickle. "Actually, that's part of why we're here," said Volcan.

Sickle stopped and looked back at them. "What do you mean?" He asked. "You guys know why the jobs have stopped?" He then perked up with realization. "Wait... this has to do with _him_too?"

"Yup." Hank replied, shaking his head slowly.

"Come on. Let's get your team in on this conversation as well," urged Volcan.

Back in town, the airship had parked itself strategically above the flower fields with help from Blaster, allowing the team aboard to come down to the ground. For Doug, it was a relief as he was finally able to get out of the tub he had been confined in for hours and desperately needed some fresh soil to dig into... after having to be brought down via Tristan's method of picking him up and bounding over the side. Most were just glad he didn't land on a house on his way down. Volcan, Hank and Sickle regrouped with their friends shortly after everyone was back on the ground. As Minato and Lashanne were rather new faces to Team Kama, introductions were in order.

"I'm glad to see how well you healed after Kage and I got you out of that cell," said Sickle, looking Minato over and then up to meet his gaze, standing a little shorter than the Lucario.

He sighed softly. "It was a rather long road to recovery...one that required a bit of outside help." He added, sneaking a glance over to Lashanne briefly before smiling and looking back toward Sickle, raising his paw to him. "Though I will say that's it's a great pleasure to properly thank the Pokémon that helped save my life. I owe you a great debt, Sickle."

"Think nothing of it," he replied, shaking the Lucario's paw. "Any friend of Volcan's is a friend of mine, and your son is a good kid - I was glad to give him his dad back."

"Glad to hear he's been making new friends since arriving here." Minato replied with a nod after shaking hands with Sickle.

Sickle nodded, then turned his attention to Lashanne. "And you must be Lashanne," he said, "the treasure hunter from out west, right?"

"Am I _that_famous?" She asked rhetorically. "I feel so loved."

Volcan chuckled, not missing the rhetoric. Sickle went on to introduce his teammates -Howler, Kaen, and Blaster, each one nodding as he said their names. "So, what is it you needed to talk to us about, Volcan?" Sickle asked, turning to the Blaziken.

At that, Volcan's face grew serious. "Right. I'll start at the beginning," he said. "I'm sure you four have noticed the sudden decline of guild jobs, right?"

"Yeah, I've been wondering about that," replied Blaster, crossing his arms. "Sent off a letter to my old teammates to see if they knew what was going on. Haven't heard back yet."

"Well, if they haven't heard already, you will now," replied Volcan. "To make a long story short, the guilds were attacked."

"Attacked?!" Kaen echoed incredulously. "Are you serious? Who would attack the_Guilds_?"

"Kaen, keep your voice down!" Blaster snapped in a hushed tone. "You want to throw the village into a panic?"

"...It was them, wasn't it?" Sickle asked, his eyes narrowing.

Volcan nodded. "According to Torolf, yes. It was an act of retaliation against not just my team or Luke's, but the Rescue Team guilds in general."

"Including us," said Blaster with a rumble in his throat.

"Their leader's name is Calhoun," said Volcan. "He's the Dark Blaziken we saw at the fortress, and according to Torolf he's also put out bounties on everyone who attacked the fortress. A few teams have probably already been hit."

"We've yet to encounter any bounty hunters," Kaen added with a shrug. "Besides, who would be stupid enough to go after Team Warmachine and Team Phobia? They were there too."

"There's no shortage of people willing to shed blood for money," Lashanne remarked. "Especially not where I'm from."

"Regardless, Calhoun's made his move. He's hit us right where it hurts and basically has left us a ship without a rudder." Minato added in. "At least, until recently. Torolf himself came to Azure not too long ago to inform us of this retaliation from Calhoun, as well as a contingency plan he's put into effect."

"What sort of contingency?" Sickle asked.

"He's gathering the captains of all of the region's gold-ranked Rescue Teams to act as a temporary council, to keep the guilds in operation," replied Volcan. "That's why Luke and a two-thirds of his team aren't here with us today."

"Wait, Luke got called to-" Sickle paused, both him and Kaen sharing a simultaneous look of dismay. "No way... Team Valiant is _gold-_ranked now?"

"As of the siege of Hadleigh's conclusion, yes," replied Volcan. "My team also got elevated to silver-rank."

Kaen slapped his forehead with his claw. "Wow. We are falling way behind."

"Better step up your game if you want that sweet, sweet promotion, gents." Hank would utter in a bit of a smarmy tone.

"Well maybe after this mission, you'll get there as well," replied the Blaziken.

Sickle perked up. "Mission?" He asked.

Volcan nodded. "Calhoun's rampage doesn't stop with the guilds. After his defeat in Hadleigh, he's lost a huge chunk of his army. He's headed to the Siphon Prison and has apparently tried to break in and free the prisoners. We're to head over that way and stop him, or if he's already succeeded- recapture the prisoners."

"Oh hell yes!" Kaen hollered, pumping his arms into the air. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

"Sounds very high risk. Are you sure we qualify?" Blaster asked.

"You helped us at the fortress, which was already beyond your stations. I would say more than qualify," Serena answered confidently.

Sickle glanced at each of his team members individually. None of them spoke - not that Howler could speak, but it was clear all four of them were in a unanimous agreement. Sickle looked back at Volcan, grinning. "Count us in. When do we head out?"

"Whenever you're ready," replied Lashanne. "My ship can leave at anytime."

"But try to hurry," Volcan put in. "We don't know how long we have before Calhoun manages to break into the prison, and let's not forget, Sol is in there - along with Arceus knows how many other dangerous convicts."

Sickle nodded. "We'll be quick then." He turned to his teammates. "Alright guys let's move! Go get your gear and be back here in ten!"

Team Kama dispersed, each of them rushing back to their homes to gather what they'd need for the trip. When they were gone, Volcan turned then to Lashanne. "Let's take the time to study the map Torolf gave us one more time and plan our route from here."

She nodded. "Good call. See you above," she said as she drew her branch and started to levitate up to her ship.

Volcan turned to Minato. "Go with Hank and Serena and see what supplies you can get in town - we'll have four additional mouths to feed so we better stock up. Keep it to non-perishables."

"On it." He replied.

"Gotcha boss." Hank returned with a casual salute, following Minato and the Vaporeon to the market.

Within the hour, the crew had gathered aboard the ship, restocked and geared up for the mission. Sickle and his team watched in wonderment and awe as the airship ascended, seeing their hometown falling away below as they climbed above the treeline, the ship slowly turning its course westward. It began to accelerate, propellers spinning and giving propulsion, leaving Bluegrove in the distance as they made their way to the Siphon Prison...

~~~~~

Hadleigh...

It had not been long since Luke had visited the beautiful city of art, but so much had happened during his visit here it brought many different feelings to him as he looked upon it from the river. On one paw, the city hadn't lost any of its splendor, even with its citizens clearly still in the process of rebuilding their thriving community, and he was certainly looking forward to seeing his new friends in Team Plainsrunner and Team Storm again -momentarily wondering what their role in this new system would be. This was _their_city, but now rescue teams from all around were coming in, to lead the Rescue Teams from within a city that up until now had no guild hall within its borders.

On the other hand, the scars that had yet to fade upon its once inviting image still brought mild feelings of dread when he remembered what had happened before. The battles that had consumed the city streets, not the least of which battling with the possessed Lugia that had emerged from the depths of the ship _Oppression._The cursed vessel was still there, sticking halfway out of the bay ahead of him, its iron hull still fresh with the damage that had sunk it -warping caused by heat, sections of the hull that had seemingly melted, and a blackened, burned deck. Luke could swear he could almost still smell the smoldering wood and metal, even though the fires had long since gone out. The ship was hideous when compared to the beauty of Hadleigh, and seeing it there brought a hint of disgust from within Luke. He hoped the populace found a way to remove it soon...

Luke's ears twitched as he heard silent footsteps approaching him, turning his head and noticing Kage approaching the railing he was leaning against. He caught sight of the wreckage of the Oppression and narrowed his eyes slightly, studying the damage it had taken and crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I can only imagine the catharsis Volcan must have felt when he incinerated that ship." He commented off-handedly, then turned his gaze toward the city and his hardened expression softened slightly. "...A wreckage such as this only sullies the radiance this city emanates, even from afar. Despite the damage it has supposedly sustained, it is recovering well from the siege you fought off." He added.

"Yea..." Was all Luke could reply with, keeping his gaze forward toward Hadleigh as the Peacemaker crept closer to its borders. He still had a lot on his mind now, what with his own personal doubt that he was up to the task of being part of the new Guild Council, and the fact that he was already missing not only his home, but the rest of his team, his family, and especially his betrothed.

Kage noticed Luke's vacant expression and rolled his eyes softly. "Stop dwelling on the fact you're so far away from home." He stated irritably. "You agreed to this position, just as Volcan agreed to take part on his mission. It's far too late for regrets now. All you can do is provide as much input as you can for the council and help influence it for the better."

"I know, Kage. It's just... this is all so much to take in still." He replied softly. "Again, we've only _just_been promoted to Gold Rank, and within the span of a few months, Calhoun murders the old council and leaves us a ship without a rudder. Those guys were veterans, the best the guilds had to offer." He went on.

"Then you'll just have to prove you're better than they were..." Kage replied plainly.

'Easy for you_to say...'_ Luke thought to himself, rolling his eyes at Kage's cynicism. While the Greninja did have a point, his direct and often tactless approach did irritate Luke a fair bit. Nevertheless, he shut away whatever retort he was thinking about and took in a deep breath to calm his nerves, knowing he had to be completely focused if he was to blend in with his new peers.

The ship slowly crept into port, the crew catching lines thrown by workers on the docks with which to tie up their boat, with the crew also pulling on said lines to bring the ship closer to the dock. In his subconscious, Luke could imagine Torolf being able to do such a task by himself. But then, he might've pulled the wharf away from the shore! A light chuckle escaped him, earning a glance from Kage, but he gave no reply.

Much to his own surprise, as Luke descended to the pier, he found a familiar face waiting at the end of the dock, speaking with two of the workers, pointing at a few of the ships currently in port... The light-brown furred form of a Lopunny stood facing away from him, and he wasn't sure of who it was until he got closer. He saw the tie around her ears, pulled back to keep them out her face, and he recognized her voice as he stepped closer.

Smiling, he approached the Lopunny while her back was turned to him, waiting until she was finished talking with the workers before he would announce his presence. "Nice to be greeted by a familiar face." He spoke.

The Lopunny turned sharply, obviously startled, but relaxed rather quickly as she found the Lucario looking back at her, a pang of familiarity crossing her features. "Luke?" She asked in surprise.

"Hey, Neilla." Luke returned with a nod, offering his paw to her. "How've things been since I left?"

"Good, all things considered," she answered, gladly shaking his paw and giving him a friendly smile. "I honestly didn't expect to see you back here so soon, but it's good to see someone who's _not_whining about... something or other, for once today."

"Oh dear...that bad, eh?" Luke asked. "Lemme guess... Drogo?" He added with a flat expression.

"No, actually, it's mostly the citizens and visitors complaining right now," she replied, gesturing at the two dockworkers she had been speaking to. "All of the ships coming into town for the summit of the New Guild Council have the docks pretty full up, and more than a few people are raising a stink about it. I direct them to Lindenburg and some of the outlying towns, but of course they'd have to walk the rest of the way here, and that's the big com-"

She froze mid word, her eyes darting to something past Luke as she shifted weight in her legs as though she were about to enter a fight. Luke looked behind him, and saw Kage had once again crept up, soundlessly as always, and appeared for her to see.

"What's he do-?!" She started to demand before pausing a second time, taking another moment to study the Greninja. "Wait... that's not Hageshi," she said, relaxing slightly. "Who's he?"

"I see my son has left quite an impression on you." Kage commented, keeping his arms crossed as he regarded Neilla calmly.

"Oh, this is Kage. my team's espionage specialist." Luke answered after Kage made his comment. "Kage, this is Neilla, Captain of Team Plainsrunner. Kage's here with me to serve as my...well, advisor for lack of a better term."

"Advisor? For wha-" For the third time, she stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening as she seemed to piece the answer together for herself. "You're _attending_the summit?" She asked.

Luke nodded. "Torolf himself came to Azure and asked me to represent the new Guild Council, seeing as I was now a Gold Ranked Team meant I qualified for the position." He explained. "Frankly, I just hope I'm up for the task..."

Neilla smiled, reaching out a paw to clap his shoulder. "Well, for what it's worth coming from me, I think they'll benefit from having you there," she said. "Some of these guys could use a little compassion in their midst. Besides that, not many of them can say they've actually made contact with Calhoun or his forces, something _you_have."

"Yea, I guess you do have a point there." Luke admitted, rubbing the back of his head slightly with his free paw. "Well, as much as I would love to spend all day catching up, I'm afraid I'm here on a business trip. I should head on over to the Guild Hall."

She nodded. "Alright. I'll see you around town then," she said, stepping aside to let him pass. "If you need anything, you know how to find me."

"Take care." Luke replied, giving her a wave as he and Kage stepped past her to find the Guild Hall.

After waiting for Torolf for a time, the Swampert eventually joined them, apologizing for his tardiness, and showed them the way to where the new hall was being built, further up the hill to the very peak of the ridge upon which Hadleigh had been built, in what was known as the sculptor's district. The Swampert led them to the very top of the ridge, making a right at the last fork in the road after they had passed through most of the city, and towards a tall structure that seemed more like a temple than a guild hall, and indeed out in front of the hall was a fountain with a statue depicting Groudon, water flowing out of its mouth the splash into the rippling waters around it.

The structure behind the statue was narrow, seemed to be built to fit onto the edge of the ridge, almost to the edge of a straight drop to the quarry below, and fit in so well with the white cliffs of Hadleigh that it was little wonder Luke had missed it on his last visit -it looked like it was part of the ridge itself! The angular roof stretched out above the entrance, supported by two white columns, and the between them was opened invitingly for arriving visitors. Banners bearing the emblem of the Rescue Team Guilds -an emblem depicting Cobalion standing before a rising sun on the horizon behind him, hung from the pillars, waving steadily in the wind.

"Before the new council repurposed this place -quite recently, as you can see, this place was a site of worship to Groudon, who many considered to be an earth god at the time of the city's founding," explained Torolf. "It's actually older than the city itself, but you can tell by all the buildings we passed where the inspiration for their architecture came from."

"Repurposing a place of worship into a Guild Meeting hall..." Kage stated as he looked at the structure from top to bottom. "Can't say I expected to see that...Though I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures."

Luke shot Kage a warning glance, silently cautioning him to watch his tongue lest he offend Torolf or anyone else that might have heard him. "Yea, I can definitely see the inspiration." Luke replied to Torolf, looking at his direction. "Though I have to ask, were the townsfolk in agreement with turning a sacred structure such as this into a place of business?"

"This structure hasn't been in use for about a hundred years," explained Torolf. "Most of the townsfolk have forgotten what it used to be for, until work started to repurpose it. There have been a few protests, I won't deny. But Calhoun left us with little choice, leaving many of the halls in ruin."

Luke nodded softly in return. "Well, no time like the present." Luke replied. "Let's head inside."

"Brace yourself," warned Torolf. "Some of the gold captains are not easy to get along with."

"I'll be ready for them." Luke assured the Swampert as they headed into the newly claimed Guild Hall.

Torolf nodded, leading the way into the former temple. They passed through the open double doors and stepped into the main hall. A stairway on their immediate right led up to a second level, but they passed it, heading instead down the short corridor to an archway lacking any sort of door, the way beyond obscured by thick curtains currently drawn. Beyond the curtain, they could hear many voices, some raised, one of which was familiar to Luke and Kage.

Torolf parted the curtains, letting them through into the great hall beyond. The changes made to this room were obvious even to the two uninitiated Pokémon as they took in the sights. Where numerous pews likely had filled the room -and indeed they saw some had been moved to line the walls, more for decoration than actual seating, the center of the room was now occupied by a giant oval table, with another statue of Groudon looming over it standing upon a pedestal - or perhaps an altar - and looking down as if the great stone replica god of the continents was expecting a feast to be laid out before it upon this table resting at its feet, though instead it had an odd assortment of Pokémon gathered before it, bickering audibly.

The ceiling, held aloft by six massive columns reminiscent of those at the entrance, was probably the only part of the room that had been left untouched, and was carved with an array of images that seemed to tell some story of their own. Luke tried not to focus on it, not wanting to be distracted however much the carvings fascinated him, because the room was quickly falling silent, and he suddenly became aware of the many pairs of eyes now upon him.

The only one in the group he recognized was Romulus, the leader of Team Phobia - a Houndoom as menacing to look at as he was respected, by both friend and enemy alike. A leather cross-harness was worn tightly around his chest, the brass centerpiece adorned with a Mega Stone, glinting slightly as the light caught it. He sat near the very end of the table closest, across from an empty seat Luke assumed was for Torolf.

Going clockwise around the table, he counted seven other Pokémon. The first, a male Pyroar, easily recognized by their thick, brightly coloured manes, sat next to Romulus. From him, a Feraligatr, covered in enough battle scars to make Tristan blush and big enough that he stood taller even than Torolf. The Feraligatr was also accompanied by another Pokémon -a Breloom, standing idly behind the watery giant and keeping a careful watch on the others in the room. Next was a Mienshao, wearing an elegant, effeminate robe over their already elegant form, staring on with neutrality and little regard for the others present.

The fourth Pokémon was a Jynx, taking in her surroundings with a controlled curiosity, studying the others present in detail, including the new arrivals entering the room. The fifth was a Staraptor, wearing a blue bandana around their neck, stitched with an emblem resembling a flock of diving, golden birds. The sixth seat -speaking metaphorically as the figure was in fact standing and not sitting, was a Sawsbuck, currently transitioning into his spring form with a thinning coat of brown fur and his antlers blooming with small, spring flowers. Finally, the seventh Pokémon, the only Dragon-type in the mix, and Pure one at that, was a Goodra that Luke found looked familiar - he had met this one before... but where?

Luke had little time to consider it, feeling a deep unease welling up within him. All of the Pokémon at the table - veteran Rescue Team captains, each one with experience far outclassing his own, were looking at him. _Him._These captains had all been a part of the Rescue Team trade longer than himself, and he could not even begin to compare his own experience with theirs - surely even the lowest among them would outright eclipse the young Lucario's. The unease in him did not relent - not even Romulus had made him so uncomfortable when they had first met, and now he too and others equal in status to him were here... watching him.

Luke couldn't help but gulp audibly. The pressure and anxiety he had felt before even leaving Azure was coming back to him with a vengeance. It took every ounce of his willpower not to faint right then and there and make an embarrassment of himself before the meetings even began. He had to remind himself repeatedly not to panic and fought hard not to let his anxiety show. Kage as always remained stoic, staring back at the other council members with as much, if not more, neutrality than the Mienshao staring back at them. He did not utter a word. It wasn't his place to. That responsibility belonged to either Luke, Torolf, or any of the others to break the silence that filled the room.

"Torolf," Romulus began, nodding to the Swampert and casting a withering look at Luke. "Why have you brought him here?" He asked, seemingly not knowing - or not caring, that he sounded mildly derogatory in how he made his inquiry.

"He has achieved gold-rank in the guilds," replied Torolf. "I have brought here to join in with the new council. This is Luke of Team Valiant, from the port town of Azure to the north."

Romulus' eyebrows raised slightly, clearly not expecting such news, and looked at Luke, his expression unchanged. "Congratulations are in order then, Captain Luke. Welcome to the elite."

"Isn't he a little lacking in experience to attend this meeting, though?" The Mienshao asked, the sound of their voice marking them as a female, moderate in pitch yet carrying with it a regality that reminded Luke a little of Lady Cinnia, albeit much colder than the singer.

"You all set the requirements, I chose someone who met them," replied the Swampert, slightly defensive.

The Mienshao nodded, turning her head away. "So be it. He may take the last free seat, between yourself and Keirrot," she answered, gesturing to the seat adjacent to the Goodra.

Luke gave a small nod in return, adjusting his scarf slightly as he and Kage moved over to the last free seat. Luke sat himself down and looked over to the Goodra, giving him a friendly smile for a moment before his attention shifted forward once more, calming his nerves as best he could so he could focus on whatever topic they'd be discussing today.

As Kage moved to stand behind Luke, Torolf took his own seat across from Romulus, though this left a space between the two of them, wide enough for another seat. After making himself comfortable in his chair, which was barely large enough to accommodate the bulk of the Swampert, Torolf cleared his throat, ensuring he had everyone's attention.

"Gold Captains of the Guild-Sanctioned Rescue Teams, thank you for coming today," began Torolf. "We are still waiting on one more, who should be arriving shortly. While we wait for them, let us take this moment to familiarize ourselves with one another, to ensure our cooperation. As many of you know, I am Torolf of Team Warmachine," he began.

The Pyroar scoffed. "Really, we would never have guessed," he said rather derisively. "It was only you who called all of us here, Torolf. I say we skip the formalities and get this meeting over with."

"Mind yourself," Romulus growled at the Pyroar. "You would do well to show the proper respect."

"I have waited within this city for many days now, and I grow weary of its confines," the Pyroar shot back. "The open plains call to me, and I aim to return to them before this day is out."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't be interrupting Captain Torolf," the Mienshao chimed in, without looking at the Pyroar, yet even with her voice so neutral it still gave off an aura of condescending, and the Pyroar growled audibly.

"Well this is off to a _great_start," the Goodra next to Luke muttered, just loud enough for Luke and Kage to hear him. They looked at him, and saw the pained expression on his face, shifting in his chair as if uncomfortable.

Romulus slammed his paw on the table hard enough to make Luke jump. "This bickering will stop immediately," he growled. "We face a crisis. One that many of you until now it seems, were blissfully ignorant of, so let us proceed with this summit so that you may be made aware of the gravity of the situation."

"I agree," the Sawsbuck piped up. "We all know of the attack on the guilds. What we don't know is who or what caused it or how to respond."

Once more Torolf cleared his throat, looking at Romulus and reminding him of his earlier suggestion. With a huff, the Houndoom complied. "Romulus of Team Phobia, Gladiator City."

The Pyroar. "Mustaf of Team Pride, Linden Plains."

The Breloom spoke next. "Eddresdi of Team Steeljaw, Highriver. My Captain is unable to speak at this moment - he is recovering from a throat injury. By use of mind reader I, Musharoo, will convey his words on his behalf."

"Meilin of Team Tao, Westwatch Temple," the Mienshao introduced herself.

"Sorana of Team Hex, Hailabbot," the Jynx.

"Valorin of Team Raptor," the Staraptor - likely a team that travelled aboard, like the Red Talons.

"Cedaris of Team Oaken, Opalade Village," the Sawsbuck.

"K-Keirrot of Westport," the Goodra, though he did not mention a team name.

"Luke of Team Valiant, Port Azure." Luke chimed in once his turn was up, then he would look over to Torolf once the attendance was in order. "Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Torolf, but... Which Team Captain are we waiting on before we start?"

"The last arrival is not a team captain at all, actually," answered Torolf. "However, it is thanks in no small part to her contributions that we are able to have this summit."

"If I may, sir Keirrot," began Meilin. "I notice you did not mention what team you represent. Is there a problem?"

"Well... I... I don't... actually have a team," replied Keirrot. "At least, not anymore. I retired from active duty some years ago and became an administrator at the Guild Hall in Westport."

Collectively, the captains looked at Keirrot with intrigue, except for Torolf. It stood to reason that he would have already known this, since he had organized the summit. "An administrator? Then, were you at the hall when it was attacked?" Sorana asked.

"N-No, I wasn't. I was on holiday, and at the end of my vacation time, I came to the hall and..." The Goodra shuddered, visibly perturbed by the memory. "The hall... it was... it was horrible. Everyone... the Councillor, my cohorts... some of them, my friends..." He was quickly losing himself to despair, his slimy exterior quivering like a gelatinous mass.

This Goodra... Luke remembered him now. He had been at the Guild Hall in Westport, when he and Volcan had been enroute to Hadleigh months before, in response to the call for aid. They had never heard his name while they were there, but the Goodra had been friendly and informative when they had spoken to him. Now, it seemed, out of sheer luck he was one of the few, if not the only survivor of the massacre Calhoun had unleashed upon the guilds, in retaliation for the interventions by the rescue teams.

The Lucario lifted a paw, reaching over and gently rubbing Keirrot's back to comfort him. As he did, Kage spoke up in Luke's stead. "It stands to reason that Calhoun attacked us not only because of the trouble we have caused his operations, but also as an act of desperation." He stated. "He now views us as a credible threat to his plans, especially after my Team Captain managed to free Lugia from his dark influence."

This caught the attention of everyone, especially Torolf and Romulus. Unlike the other captains, they had been present to witness Lugia engaging Mewtwo in battle, following the successful siege and rescue at the fortress in the islands. Neither of them had known what had happened to Lugia after that, let alone that it had been transformed into a Shadow Pokémon. Romulus echoed this as he turned to look at Luke.

"Lugia... a Shadow Pokémon?" He asked. "And you... freed him?"

Luke gave the Houndoom a nod. "It was a gamble, but I figured out a way to extract the Shadow Energy from Lugia, and in turn, destroy it with my own power." Luke explained. "Granted it took quite a lot out of me...and I ran the risk of being corrupted myself, but it worked out in the end."

"You were able to extract the curse?" Valorin asked. "How?"

"I can answer that," Meilin spoke up. "Shadow corruption has long been a taboo topic among my order, but we have studied it in detail before. It manifests itself as a crude imitation of the same life force energy that runs through all of us," she looked at Luke squarely. "Am I correct in presuming that you too figured this out, and extracted the energy by manipulating it much the same way you would your own Aura?"

Luke nodded back to the Mienshao. "Hence where the risk of it corrupting me came into play." He added. "If I were to mess up even the tiniest amount of control required to perform the task, well...I wouldn't be sitting here right now talking to all of you."

A long silence fell over the leaders, each of them sharing concerned glances, though Meilin never took her eyes off Luke. He had managed to win her respect with his latest feat -though Lucario were not the _only_ones able to wield Aura among Pokémon, with Mienshao also having the ability to some extent. Even she had to acknowledge such a thing as beyond her own ability, though. Yet to find this Lucario, younger than her by at least several years able to do something even she could not accomplish, clearly intrigued her.

"That was a great risk, Luke, but no more than if Lugia remained in Calhoun's hands," said Torolf. "Well done."

At that moment, the curtains parted, and all eyes turned to entrance as another familiar figure entered the room. Neilla? Luke wondered what the Lopunny was doing there -surely, she was not the last attendee to the summit?

That thought was quickly dashed from his mind when the Primarina, Lady Cinnia, slowly dragged herself into the room, passing the curtain held open for her by Neilla as she made her way inside. She did something unexpected, then lifting her lower body up as though she were trying to stand, only to them fold her tail under her, and used it like a third limb as she crossed the room, with movement reminiscent of a quadruped missing a back leg. It was somewhat comical to watch, but she crossed the room rather quickly, reaching the last, unoccupied chair at the far end of the table opposite the Groudon statue. Once Lady Cinnia was at her seat, Neilla excused herself, leaving the captains to resume the meeting.

"And she arrives," said Torolf. "Captains, I introduce you all to Lady Cinnia of Hadleigh."

"It is my pleasure to meet you all," the Primarina replied, giving that warm smile that Luke remembered seeing melt the heart of an adoring fan the first time he had watched Lady Cinnia singing when he had first come to Hadleigh.

But the effect was not unanimous among the group, as once more the fiery-tempered leader of Team Pride spoke up. "Objection. This woman is a civilian - what cause has she to be here?"

"Lady Cinnia is currently offering her services as our financier," stated Torolf, glowering at the Pyroar. "It is by her aid we fund this summit and the renovations of this temple into the new council hall."

Mustaf frowned, looking away. "Objection withdrawn," he said.

Kage leaned slightly over to Luke. "That one is going to be a problem..." He whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

Luke glanced over to Kage briefly, then back to Mustaf. He silently admitted that Kage did have a point, but for the time being he remained silent.

"Now that we are all here, the summit can begin in full," began Torolf. "As we were discussing, we face a crisis, and at the center of it all is a Blaziken, corrupted by the essence of Shadow energy, and leading a contingent of insurgents. The Blaziken's name is Calhoun. My team has been seeking him out for many months now, but we have still not located his center of operations."

"Was it not that fortress that we heard you raided in the West Islands region?" Cedaris asked.

"Indeed, we thought the same at first," admitted Torolf. "But as my team's findings suggest, that fortress was only a staging point. A prison, as it were, to hold captives who would later be sent off to an unknown location, by the ship known as the Oppression- which now sits in ruins in the river running parallel to Hadleigh."

"My team also has had similar findings," Romulus added. "Like Team Warmachine we still do not know where the enemy base is, but we did discover that much of his recruitment has been on my own homeland of the West Continent. As you all know, the presence of the Guilds there is virtually non-existent, save for myself and my teammates. There is no shortage of desperate Pokémon on the West from where Calhoun can bolster his ranks. The same can be said about the Great South Islands and isolated regions of the North Continent. Our influence, and thus our ability to halt Calhoun's movements, are too limited."

"Then we have little other choice than to expand our influence," stated Valorin. "But such a thing would take time, and during that time, this 'Calhoun' character would be unopposed. There is little stopping him from bolstering his ranks, while we restore the guilds."

"Indeed, the task before us is vast," Meilin commented.

"But many opportunities, it does present," Sorana added, her large five-fingered hands wringing together eagerly. "Let us see the benefit of this situation. While Calhoun is indeed a threat, he has exposed a weakness in the guild. Our influence is too small. As Valorin said, we must expand it, and quickly. We should call upon the other Rescue Teams across the land, send them to more isolated towns and further extend our reach."

"The rescue teams are too few to accomplish such a task," Cedaris protested, shaking his head. "Such action would not limit Calhoun's movement. We would spread ourselves too thin, and only make it easier for him to exploit us."

"Cedaris is correct," Romulus added. "As it stands, we can't inhibit Calhoun. I move that we must actively search for him - commit what resources we can to tracking him down and removing him." The Houndoom rose in his seat slightly. "That does mean, of course, that we must elevate his threat status. The Guilds previously had him listed as Threat Level B - capture and contain. I cast my vote we elevate him to Threat Level S - to be killed on sight, by any means, and to do the same for his cohorts as well."

That suggestion sent Luke's heart dropping into his stomach, hearing what Romulus was suggesting. He was talking about turning this into a full-on manhunt! He immediately stood up and placed both paws on his table in objection. "No." He firmly stated toward Romulus. "Calhoun may be a huge threat to our society as we know it, but that doesn't mean we must haphazardly take such extreme measures to take him down." He added. "Elevating Calhoun's threat level would turn this conflict into a full-scale war, and we _cannot,_under any circumstances, run the risk of involving the general public in this crusade you're suggesting."

"The public is involved whether you like it or not, Luke," returned Romulus, fixing the Lucario with a withering gaze. "Calhoun targets unprotected settlements, to capture Pokémon who can't protect themselves. We still don't even know what he does with them. For all we know, he is corrupting every one of them, raising an entire legion of Shadow Pokémon. There is no doubt, we are _already_at war."

"Even so, Threat Level S has never been used for any Pokémon, has it?" Cedaris asked. "If we use it now, what backlash might we receive from the public?"

"But it _has_been used before," returned Romulus. "In fact, it was created specifically for a certain prisoner, at the Siphon Prison to the north, built long ago through the efforts of Torolf and myself. At the time Prisoner Zero was placed there, the Threat Level S designation did not exist, hence why he lives still. But he bears that designation now and were he to escape he would indeed be eliminated on sight, by any means necessary." His paw slammed the table fiercely. "Calhoun presents an equal, perhaps even _greater_threat than Eberon the Black Titan. We cannot see him as any less."

"You're suggesting that we not only eliminate Calhoun, but the entirety of his allies and henchmen indiscriminately, not taking into account the fact that some might be working for him against their own will." Luke pointed out, his gaze hardening dangerously at Romulus as his paws clenched tightly against the table. "...That makes you no better than them, Romulus." He dared to accuse the Houndoom, so much that it even made Kage flinch and look to his Captain incredulously.

The glare that Luke received from Romulus could have melted iron. "Mind your tongue, boy," he growled.

Torolf slammed his hand on the table loudly. "Enough!" He bellowed. "Romulus, you have spoken your mind. But this is a summit of captains our actions will be determined by a majority decision."

"Bah! I agree with Romulus," Mustaf chimed in. "Marking this 'Calhoun' as a kill-on-sight would bring a swift end to this whole crisis."

"Such things are rarely ever so simple, Mustaf," Cedaris returned. "Eliminate one, another can take their place."

"Then our best move remains to expand our influence and limit his movements!" Sorana pressed.

"You have already been told that wouldn't work!" Valorin shot back to her. "Unless you have a small army at your disposal, there are too few of us!"

The captain's growing tensions began to mount, their voices raised to the point that even Torolf struggled to stop them. Each Captain had their own opinions on how to proceed, except for one who still had yet to speak -or at least have his representative speak for him. Throughout the whole of the meeting, Musharoo had said nothing, and by extent his captain had nothing to say either. The giant Feraligatr merely sat watching, his expression largely unchanging. Keirrot tried multiple times to speak, but he lacked the assertiveness to make himself heard, drowned out by the boisterousness of Mustaf and the shrillness of Sorana and Valorin.

With the summit having gone out of control, Torolf struck the table so hard, the opposite end of it upturned, nearly striking several of the attendants in the face before it fell back onto its legs, attention now shifting fully to him. "Tensions are clearly high right now. Our own rivalries and ideals must be put aside for this meeting to be successful."

"If I may," Lady Cinnia cut in, "I move that we take a break, and let everyone return in a more relaxed state of mind."

"I concur," added Meilin. "We all have much to think about and need more time to do so. We should reconvene this evening, after everyone has some food in their stomachs and rested away the long journeys some of us had to make to get here."

Luke sighed and let himself fall back into his seat. "I also concur...I imagine it's been a long trip for us, some more than others." He chimed in while he rubbed his temples.

Cedaris, Keirrot, Valorin and Musharoo -speaking for the first time since the summit began, also agreed with Luke, and so the summit was brought to a short pause. One after another, the captains vacated the main hall, until Luke, Kage, Torolf and Lady Cinna draped across the Swampert's back, were the last to leave.

"Too soon," growled Torolf. "I shouldn't have arranged the summit today - it was too soon."

Luke gently placed a paw atop the Swampert's shoulder. "I'll admit, it was a bit short notice..." He replied realistically. "Though you had the right idea in doing so."

"This is all a very new experience to all of us, Torolf," said Lady Cinnia. "We're bound to make a few errors."

"I thought organizing a meeting like this would be no different than a team meeting," replied Torolf. "I underestimated the gaps in priority between all of us. Everyone has their own agenda to push, and it will keep us divided."

"We'll weather through them." Luke replied optimistically. "We have to... for everyone's sakes."

Torolf nodded to him. "I certainly hope so, Luke. If we can't make these captains cooperate, then Calhoun has already won."

Luke gave a small nod in agreement, then closed his eyes and tilted his head back a little, as though he were trying to conjure up a solution to their current conundrum. At the lack of solutions that came to mind, he found himself wondering how his beloved Volcan -so far from his touch, was faring on his own mission...