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On the morning of Minato's departure from Azure, Katsu roused himself from his sleep at the crack of dawn as he usually did. He took a double take as he felt the body sleeping next to him, taking note of the Vaporeon curled up in an almost catlike manner, her back pressed against his chest as she slept soundly beneath the covers. He froze for a split second, fearing that his movements might wake her. When she showed no signs of being awoken, he gingerly slipped out from under the covers and stepped away from the bed, admiring Serena's sleeping form.

Sleeping with someone right next to him was certainly going to take some time to adjust to, he knew. But it was a challenge he was more than happy to face, having the timid but brave young woman in his life...

After putting on his loose fitting pants, he took a moment to gaze back at the sleeping Vaporeon and couldn't help but smile as she slept so peacefully. He almost felt bad for nearly disturbing her slumber earlier, but as a man of strength he had to stick to his regime if he were to continue his duties as the team's invincible warrior. That said, he did take a moment to lower himself down and peck Serena's cheek lightly before turning and heading outside to begin his training, this time slicing down as many as four large trees with his Seamitars and catching them on his shoulders before beginning his first set of reps.

The sound of the falling trees brought Serena out of her deep sleep. She took a moment to realize where she was as she opened her eyes, and remember what the source of that sound was, made more apparent when she saw the vacant spot next to her on the bed. Standing up, she yawned and stretched, letting the blood flow return to her limbs before she hopped down from the bed and retrieved a drink of water. With that, she turned and headed out the door, finding Katsu in the middle of his workout down by the lake.

She could hear him grunting with exertion even from the door. He was working up quite a sweat as he worked, his muscles tensing visibly as he pushed himself to his limits. He was about five reps shy from one hundred reps before he could feel his body fighting against him, his movements becoming slower and more ragged, but he still persisted until he finally hit his one hundredth rep with a mighty roar. He then threw the trees in front of him, unable to draw his blades before they hit the ground with a thunderous crash because of how exhausted he was, his whole body burning from the intense workout he forced himself through.

"Are you alright?" Serena's voice piped up as she approached him, giving him a moment to catch his breath before making her presence known.

He stiffened when her voice reached his ears before turning to look over his shoulder at Serena, smiling awkwardly back at her. "Oh... My apologies, did I wake thou from your slumber?" He asked, falling to his forelegs as he turned to face her fully.

"Kind of difficult to sleep through the sound of falling trees," she remarked as she approached him, seeing a redness on his shoulder, rising onto her hind legs to lean on him before projecting her aqua veil where some skin had been torn by the bark of the trees.

Katsu sighed in relief as his scrapes and sore muscles were being healed, letting himself lean lower down to her level so she could more easily access his shoulder. "I apologize, my dear. Perhaps I should wait until you are fully awake next time before I begin my training."

"It is fine. Probably for the better I woke up now anyway," she replied as she directed her healing waters across his body, making sure she did not miss a spot. "I have a job to do today. I applied for volunteering at the clinic."

"Oh? What made-" He caught himself before he finished asking his question. "Of course. You are a nurse by trade." He added with a small chuckle. "I suppose I should not be surprised. After all, I imagine the clinic will need more hands on deck for the coming storm." He added in a more serious manner.

"Yes. I thought I might start as a volunteer, and move up to part-timer, so that I can still go about guild work as usual," she said, before pulling back from him, her work finished. "So, will we be retrieving Tristan to help you carry these trees to the construction site?"

"Nay, I think I can manage thanks to your healing prowess. My thanks, dear Serena." He returned before lowering his head to nuzzle along her snout lightly, expressing his appreciation in an affectionate manner and purring lowly as he did.

She matched his expression, rubbing her cheek against his and giving him a light kiss. "You are most welcome," she said, softly.

Katsu stared into her eyes for a long moment in silence, soaking up her beauty before he started to snicker a little. "I still picture the shock in everyone's faces when you revealed you wanted to stay with me, and when I revealed we were interested in each other." He uttered before his smile turned into a cheeky grin. "A moment sure to go down in history."

She giggled at that. "Most of them already knew we were seeing each other, I'm sure. Especially Volcan and Minato," she replied. "I guess they just did not know how far our relationship had come until I told them I was moving in with you."

"And I am glad you did." He returned before he stepped toward the large trees and drew his blades, slicing each of them in half before using his rejuvenated strength to hoist them over his shoulders with a hearty grunt. "For my life has been made much sweeter thanks to you, my dear."

"Are you sure you can carry those all the way to town by yourself?" She asked, her smile fading with her growing concern.

"I will be fine, Serena. I have lifted much heavier items before." He assured the Vaporeon with a nod.

"Just please don't overexert yourself," she said, letting a hint of the smile return. She cast a glance in the direction of the sun, and then looked back at Katsu again. "I better get some breakfast and be on my way. I am due at the clinic soon."

"Aye. I shall grab something quick myself before I begin aiding Team Phalanx with their second house." He added with a nod. "I believe it shall be Volcan's residence this time..." He started to trail off a little, and his expression seemed to falter slightly as a thought crossed his mind.

"Volcan_and_Luke's... I hope," Serena shared the thought, and then lowered her head. "I just can't understand how such a rift could have opened between them... Their love was so strong before, I thought it unbreakable. But now..."

Katsu sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "...Whatever the reason, I pray they patch things up posthaste. Luke has already suffered enough broken hearts, and I dare not wish the same to happen to Volcan either." He added softly.

Serena nodded, and started making her way back up to the house as Katsu set the timbers aside to follow her.

They shared a quick breakfast before they started toward town. Upon clearing the woods to see the port town's structures before them, they said goodbye and veered off in different directions, with Serena increasing her pace to a gentle trot as she started toward the clinic, eager to get to work. Upon her arrival, she met with the nurse at the front desk, taking the time to fill out extra paperwork before she was allowed in, given a coat for quadrupedal Pokemon to wear while on shift, and then instructed to report to the surgeon's ward.

She was not fully prepared for who she met when she arrived there, finding a familiar Lucario with glasses waiting for her. Mikhail, having already been told a new volunteer would be joining them that day, was equally surprised to see who it was. They'd never spoken to each other directly, but both of them knew who the other was, and they briefly stared in disbelief at the unexpected turn.

Serena cleared her throat, and nodded to the Lucario. "Good morning. Uh... Mikhail, right?" She asked for clarification.

"Y-Yes, that's correct." He stammered before he quickly adjusted his glasses with his paw. "You're...Serena right? Of Team Phalanx?" He asked for clarification in return.

"Yes, that's me," she replied. "I... I guess I'm working with you today." She then cleared her throat again, and affirmed herself to keep business and relations separate for the time being. Mikhail was Luke's brother, but what was going on between Luke and Volcan was their business, and it would be wrong to press Mikhail for information. "Where shall we begin?" She asked, straight to business.

"R-right erm... let's see." Mik returned, flipping through his clipboard to check his list of tasks. "We have today's first appointment scheduled in the next half an hour, then a few more scheduled an hour apart later on in the day." He began before lifting his head to look back at Serena. "I uh, suppose I could give you a quick tour of the facility to help you become better acquainted with your work environment." He offered.

"It's not my first time here," she assured him with a smile. "But, I will follow if you feel it necessary."

"In my experience, it never hurts to undergo a quick refresher." He returned before gesturing politely to follow him down the nearest corridor to show her around.

They spent the next few minutes touring the clinic. Given that it was a small community medical center it did not take long to explore the full depth of the facilities, but even for a small town clinic they were remarkably well-equipped, and Serena took it all in with growing appreciation as Mikhail showed her around.When the tour was over, they addressed their first of the list of appointments Mikhail had that day.

Their patient was a Zebstrika who was complaining about a constant jabbing pain in his left foreleg whenever he put pressure on it. Upon being asked about his occupation, he explained that he worked at a farming village outside of Azure, pulling the plough for them. After asking the Zebstrika a few more questions regarding when he first started feeling the pain, Mikhail jotted some notes down and quickly deduced that the pain was a result of Tendonitis due to overexertion. He provided a list of physiotherapy exercises for the patient to follow before and after work in order to reduce the inflammation and ease the tension on his limb, as well as advised him to consume some Sitrus Berries whenever his leg acted up despite his exercises.

The next patient they met with was a Golduck, but he was led in by a friend - a Poliwhirl, as the Golduck was wearing a shade mask over his eyes. He was suffering from perpetual migraines, which were normal for him back when he was a Psyduck but unlike others of his species they had persisted - even worsened following his evolution. They were often so painful that even a glimpse of light could lay the poor Golduck flat. Fortunately the headaches tended to be weeks apart, but when they came, they were severe.

After asking his questions and examination, Mikhail and Serena came to the same conclusion that this Golduck was a victim of chronic migraines, and Mikhail prescribed him a potent painkiller to take when the headaches flared up. Mikhail also provided him a doctor's note to give to his workplace at the docks advising they give him these days off when he showed signs of another episode. By the time they finished with their two patients, they had some time before the next was due, and it was just in time for their coffee break. They headed to the cafe next door to the clinic, and bought themselves refreshments to enjoy while having their break.

Throughout most of the day, they had been able to keep their focus purely on work, but now that they had a moment of free time, the two of them had questions they wanted to ask the other; it was obvious to them, but Serena was too shy to voice her own.

"Sooo..." Mik began, scratching the back of his head and averting his gaze slightly, hesitant to bring up the topic at first but ultimately worked up the courage to do so. "How has... Volcan been as of late?"

Serena looked up at him with some surprise, though her earfins slowly lowered and she bit her lip. "Not... well," she replied. "He pushes forward, but... He is distracted. Depressed, even."

Mik's ears flattened a little. "Because of what happened between him and my brother, right?" He asked in a sad tone, his ears lowering as well as he addressed the Donphan in the room.

Serena nodded. "Yes," she replied, seeing no reason not to answer honestly.

He sighed. "I was afraid of this..." Mik answered softly, then his expression contorted into a scowl. "He probably wouldn't be as depressed if my idiot brother didn't lose his temper when Luke informed us of what happened." He added with a bit of venom in his tone.

"Ah, you know about that as well," Serena added, and then cleared her throat. "Yes... That was unexpected. Volcan... didn't even fight back against him either." She then looked up in alarm. "I... wait, sorry. That was irrelevant."

"Oh trust me, my mother did give him a firm scolding when he returned, as did I." Mik returned. "Both she and Rigel hold some level of contempt toward Volcan, Rigel more than my mother. But rest assured, she's not one to hold grudges for very long." He said softly. "Though it's Luke I'm worried about... He's completely slipped back into that unresponsive, depressive state he was in when his last wife cheated on him..."

Serena looked at Mikhail pleadingly. "Volcan has _tried_to talk to him, but Luke won't let him. What can he do?"

"I... honestly don't know." Mikhail answered solemnly. "I've been trying to comfort him as best I could, but he's just become so unresponsive... Any mention of Volcan's name just makes him angry or dismissive about him, like he's his worst enemy or something." He remarked. "All this drama because of one stupid report... and his own stubbornness to accept the facts..."

"He still has not even heard what happened up there, when we faced Calhoun in Blackcoast. Tristan and I missed the battle, but Minato was comatose when we arrived. That alone is frightening," she shuddered. "But it was their description of how Calhoun recovered that nearly made my stomach turn."

Mikhail's ears perked up slightly. "Wait, recovered?" He asked, turning his head to look at Serena curiously. "Did he suffer a fatal blow during his battle with your team?"

Serena nodded. "As I said, I was not present, but during Minato's fight with Calhoun, he inflicted severe damage upon him, twice," she explained, and went on to describe - in the best detail she could, how Lashanne had described the battle. She described how Calhoun's body, despite being broken in several places, seemed to force itself back into alignment - even a broken jaw had realigned itself, all of it happening as though some otherworldly force was holding the Blaziken together.

She also added Sickle and Tristan's account - when Minato had struck Calhoun with a Reversal. They had sought out Calhoun's body, and when they found him, they were certain he was dead if not close to it. But once again, before their very eyes, his body had begun the sickening process of reforming itself again. They could tell Calhoun was feeling tremendous discomfort throughout the ordeal, but otherwise life-threatening injuries seemed to stabilize of their own volition, and broken limbs became realigned.

"What's more, when we saw him in Marilogne... he was walking again," she said, shuddering. "More than that, he was strong enough to take out Grom when he made an attempt at him. With all the damage he received, Calhoun should not even be able to stand yet, let alone fight. It's as if some otherworldly power is sustaining him..."

"That... That completely defies the laws of both nature and medicine." Mik whispered in disbelief, holding his paw up to his mouth and idly gnawing on the spike as he processed the information Serena had given him. "Recovering from near fatal injuries, broken bones and joints forcefully put back into place... He really _is_a true monster." He added. "Luke will definitely need to hear about this."

Serena took a sip of her latte before she went on. "Volcan detailed all of this in his report, but I don't think Luke read all of it or he would know this. I think this is what made Romulus and the council take back their earlier decision, to keep Calhoun at B-level threat." She looked at Mikhail. "We know Calhoun can spread the Shadow corruption to others - we've seen him do it to two Pokemon already. Mewtwo, and Lugia. What if Romulus is right? What if Calhoun... Is trying to make more like him?"

That thought made Mikhail's blood run cold. The idea of Pokemon that could recover from any injuries without treatment would be incredible, the doctor in him knew, but the price of that - to be inflicted with a curse of madness and murder to achieve...

"As a doctor, it is my solemn oath to preserve the lives of other Pokemon to the best of my abilities." He began. "But Calhoun... That_thing_... Is no Pokemon, and I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but I agree with Volcan, and with Romulus raising his threat level." Mik firmly stated. "The problem is, my brother just refuses to see things that way. He thinks that deep down, even someone as evil as Calhoun can still be redeemed."

"If Luke knew what really happened - better, if he could have been there to see it..." Serena started to say, but trailed off, knowing that her conclusion was unlikely. "No... he probably still wouldn't change his mind about killing Calhoun. But maybe at least he wouldn't hate Volcan for it."

"Yes, that is the unfortunate part..." Mik returned, then he sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I will try talking to Luke myself. Maybe then he'll ease up a little and give Volcan a chance to explain himself." He added hopefully.

She nodded. "I did not think it my place to ask you to talk to him, but I wanted at least someone else to know how it came to this."

Mikhail nodded. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Serena." He returned gratefully.

She nodded back. "Thank you for hearing me," she said, and then cast a glance at the sun, once again gauging its position. "I think it's time we get back - our break will be ending soon." She said.

"Indeed, and we still have a few more patients to attend to before our shift is over." Mikhail returned with a nod before standing tall. "Let's get going, shall we?"

She nodded again, taking another moment to finish her drink and wipe her mouth on a napkin before dropping out of her chair and trotting to Mikhail's side, walking with him back to the clinic.

~~~~~

It had been two days of constant sailing before Minato and Lashanne were in sight of the West Islands, revealed on the evening of the second day when the setting sun showed them darkened spots of land on the horizon. They brought the boat to a stop as the light began to fade, and Lashanne carefully made her way out to the bow with her navigation instruments. Minato could not even identify half of the equipment she had brought with her - a queer contraption with a mini telescope mounted atop it in particular. She explained to him that it was a sextant - a device used in celestial navigation by measuring the placement of the stars and using them to determine one's own location. It was beyond his realm of expertise, and he was more appreciative to have her along for it.

When Lashanne came back in, she moved over to the compass on the console, examining it before moving to the sea chart, which she had tacked onto the wall to keep it open. "Okay... so, according to my calculations, we should be right about here," she tapped a spot on the chart, placing them at the south-eastern ends of the islands. "Arc Island is up here." She moved her finger to their destination. "We're another day and a half away, at least."

"Damn, still that far away huh?" The Lucario muttered softly as he examined the map and took note of her calculations. "Still, I suppose it's better than if I were to try navigating these waters on my own, what with my limited navigation skills." He admitted while rubbing the bridge of his nose with his paw.

"We'll be out of open water by the time the sun goes down, and I spotted clouds coming our way," Lashanne added. "Doesn't look like a storm but it'll be harder to navigate without the stars." She tapped an island near their position. "There should be a fisherman's port here. Maybe they can put us up for the night."

"Here's to hoping. Frankly I could use a proper bed for a change." Minato remarked, rolling his neck a little and arching his back, feeling it pop a little. "That cot is far too cramped to get a proper night's rest... How the hell do Volcan and Tristan get _any_semblance of sleep without contorting themselves into pretzels?"

"You get used to it," replied Lashanne with a shrug, herself long accustomed to sleeping in such conditions - although having been in the stateroom of her airship, Minato knew for certain she had upgraded her sleeping arrangements from what had been the norm.

"Yea well, remind me to request that we get some updated beds for this thing when we get home." He remarked offhandedly, turning away from the map and approached the helm again to take control of the vessel. "How much farther till we hit that port?" He asked.

"Shouldn't be more than an hour," replied Lashanne. "The port's on its south side according to this. Angle nine o'clock and take us past that island on the left there."

"Understood." Minato acknowledged, turning the helm to port until the boat was at her designated heading before giving the engine full throttle. "You know, a thought just occurred to me..." He piped up again as they headed on their way around the island. "How _did_you procure your vessel anyway? Living out in the West, I imagine there couldn't have been many bodies of water out there for you to acquire your airship, if any at all."

"Oh, well..." Lashanne began, putting a finger to her chin as she thought back. "Was about six months after I left the academy. I was hired by this guy in Gladiator City to locate the wreck of a ship he owned, which was sunk by a storm. After I learned the course the ship had been taking before the storm, the next challenge was finding where it had gone off course and where it sank. It was carrying a precious cargo - a haul of gold, as I found out later."

She grimaced. "Unfortunately, after I found the vessel, divers he sent down to explore it found the cargo was gone, and that there were signs of a battle. It turned out the storm wasn't what took the vessel - it was a victim of piracy. As a result, he didn't have the means to pay me for my work. After a little coercing and reminding him I'm not to be screwed with," she reached over her shoulder to tap her wand for emphasis. "He gave me the ownership of the last vessel he owned, which wasn't even finished being built."

"By this time I'd met Toby, and with help from him I met a few tinkers who were eager for an opportunity to mess around," she smiled. "They removed the mainmast, and gouged most of the innards to rebuild until the thing was certainly never going to sail. Instead, they attached a big gas bag to it, filled it up with helium - it took some trial and error before they achieved enough lift but soon enough, it was flying."

Minato blinked before looking back over his shoulder at her. "...So you're saying you procured your vessel, because your employer at the time was unable to pay you for your services... And through the use of intimidation, were given his unfinished ship that you and Toby gutted into the airship you now currently possess." Minato summarized, casting an odd glance as he spoke to the Delphox. "...When it comes to Mystical Fire Mages, you certainly break the mold."

"The west is a very different place, Minato. Out there, you do what you have to," she replied, shrugging again as if it didn't matter. "And for the record, the guy sicked his goons on me _before_I beat him."

"Ah, so he had it coming. Fair enough." Minato returned calmly, then a smirk started to cross his features as he turned his gaze forward. "You know, I like you. As I said you certainly break the mold when it comes to your species, and I mean that as a compliment." He added as he guided the vessel around the island.

She cast an odd look his way. "How many Delphox have you met? We're not known for travelling abroad."

"None. You're the first." Minato answered. "I'm just going by what my master told me about them back when I was a child."

"I'll have to ask him what _he_would know about them. Those of us who don't live at the academy usually stay in cities or isolated regions where we can study and hone our skills peacefully," she remarked, but then shrugged again. "Not me though. Studying is fine, but I like being able to put those skills to use. So yeah, I guess among my kind, I'm largely unique." She allowed a hint of smugness to show at that remark.

"Which is a good thing in my books." Minato remarked, still smirking as he looked to Lashanne over his shoulder. "Means that there really is only _one_Lashanne in the world."

She gave him a rather unreadable glance, but said nothing in response to the compliment, feeling mildly flattered by it. 'Not a feeling I'm used to,' she thought. '_Sheesh... first Volcan and Luke break me with an act of kindness, then-'_She paused, and then looked at him. "Hey wait... Is this your way of hitting on me?" She asked, catching him off guard with the question.

"Eh??" He exclaimed, turning to face her fully as his expression changed from a smirk to a look of astonishment. "What gave you that impression? Can't I compliment a teammate without them thinking I'm hitting on them?" He demanded.

"I've been around the block before and some have used that 'one of a kind' thing before," she replied.

"D-Don't be ridiculous." Minato remarked, quickly turning his gaze forward to better focus on guiding the boat toward the port. At that moment he started to blush, even going so far as to pop up the collar of his coat to better hide his face from her. 'Damn... She really is_perceptive... I didn't think I was being_ that_obvious._' He thought to himself.

"You know I just saw you do that, right?" She asked, sending him rigid. "Your body language is a dead giveaway, matey."

"S-Shut up! Stay focused on what you're supposed to do!" He retorted abrasively, still keeping his gaze forward.

"Speak for yourself," she muttered, but turned back to the sea chart and resumed her own work.

A silence fell upon the wheelhouse as Minato turned the vessel into the small cove leading to the port within. His blush still remained present on his face many moments after the small altercation he had with Lashanne. That sassy, smug attitude of hers was really starting to get under his fur, though not because she genuinely annoyed him. The truth was he felt oddly comfortable around her presence... almost like when-

He shook the thought furiously out of his head before it could fully manifest into his brain. 'Focus, damnit. Don't get sidetracked by a vivid coincidence.' He scolded himself internally. '_She's gone... just move on and focus on the mission at hand...'_And shame on him too, he decided, to have such thoughts when part of the reason he was out here was to come to peace with his wife's passing...

The fishing hamlet was known as Tadpole Bay, and its name became apparent as Minato steered the boat up to the docks, travelling down a narrow funnel that brought water into the midst of the community. Surrounding the bay was moist sand that ended in high stone walls, in which he could imagine filling the whole cove with water at high tide. Which explained the structural choice of the inhabitants. Rather than living around the water, they lived in stilted houses built into the cliffs and the ledges above, the supports constructed of sturdy bamboo poles supporting catwalks of the same material, upon which Pokemon of all shapes and sizes - mostly water-types from what Minato could see, travelled between buildings.

The bay was thankfully large once they were past the mouth of the funneling water, and he found they had cleverly designed docks that rested atop rows of barrels, acting as floatation devices to raise the docks when the cove became filled with water, and lower accordingly, also built of sturdy bamboo that shaped well to the receding tide.

"Quite ingenious," Minato heard Lashanne remark as she studied the town's architecture, impressed by their construction.

"Yea, no kidding. The residents of this place certainly knew what they were doing when they constructed all of this," Minato complimented as he admired the structures himself, guiding the boat along the docks before shutting the engine off once they were resting against them.

"Necessity really is the mother of invention," Lashanne added in admiration as she climbed out of the boat, teetering slightly as she stood on the dock. "Whoa... Feels like there's some give under it." She said, studying the bamboo wharf. "Huh. They're all held together with rope - there's no foundation. Just bamboo and barrels roped together. That's gotta take years."

"The payoff was probably very rewarding though." Minato pointed out as he tied the boat down to the docks before joining the Delphox. "I imagine that because of the simplicity of how everything's held together, there's very little needed for maintenance."

"Well they certainly don't need to worry about being tide-locked. With this design, the water level and the height of the docks will always be matched. I wonder who built this?" She rubbed her chin in though, a glint of curiosity crossing her features at the idea of learning the advances of this seemingly isolated fishing hamlet.

As they stood upon the wharf, they saw someone looking down at them from the catwalk above, looking between them and the boat. A rugged turtle Pokemon that Minato didn't recognize, but Lashanne did, and she seemed genuinely surprised by the sight of him.

"A Carracosta?" She asked, bewildered. "I thought there weren't any of them left."

"Wait what? Why?" He asked curiously. "Are they Fossil pokemon or something?"

"They are," she replied. "They're an ancient race, as old as Archeops or Aerodactyl - maybe older. Fossilized remnants of them are often found on lake beds out west. By the time I joined the academy most professors thought they were all gone." She let out a snicker. "Boy, there's one I know who'd have some questions for our... curious friend." She paused mid-step as she finished her sentence, as she realized the Carracosta was now down on the same level as they were, and coming toward them.

"Tell me about it when we have another moment." Minato whispered back to Lashanne before he took a step forward to greet the Carracosta approaching them. "Hello and good evening to you, sir."

"Good evening," he returned with a nod. "I don't mean to pry, but are you the owner of that boat?" He asked, pointing down the wharf to their vessel.

"It actually belongs to my team. I'm just borrowing it for a little excursion of mine." Minato answered. "My name is Minato of Rescue Team Phalanx. This is my colleague, Lashanne." He added, gesturing to the Delphox.

"Hello," she returned with a nod.

"A pleasure," he replied. "My name's Mort - I'm a fisherman here in Tadpole Bay. You said Team Phalanx. You would know a Blaziken by the name of Volcan, then?"

"...Yes, actually. He's my Team Captain and best friend." Minato answered with a bit of apprehension. "How'd you come to know that name?"

"He was here, a few months ago," replied Mort. "I never forget a boat, and when I saw you coming in I thought you might be him. When I saw you hop off, thought you might be the same Lucario that was here with him as well, but..." he tilted his head. "Getting a better look at you, I can tell you aren't. I apologize if I was intruding in any way."

His expression seemed to light up a little upon hearing the mention of another Lucario. "Wait, you saw another Lucario here??" He asked quickly. "Was he wearing a long cloak with a scar over his left eye?"

"No, nothing like that. He was a little shorter than you, with a lighter fur hue and wore a blue scarf," replied Mort.

"Oh... that was Luke, then," Lashanne stated, looking at Minato.

"Damn..." He cursed softly under his breath before clearing his throat. "Well, regardless. With your permission, we'd like to moor our vessel here for the night. We've been out at sea for the past couple of days in search of the Lucario I asked about and frankly, I'd like to rest on something more comfortable than a small cot." He added, rubbing the back of his neck with his paw absently.

"Well if you want to tie up your boat here, you'll want to see the dock keeper, over there," the Carracosta instructed, lifting a flipper to point further down the pier, to a set of stairs going up to a cliff looking over the bay. "He'll give you a slip to put on your boat so the dock patrol doesn't penalize you. For accommodations, you'll want to go up there," he pointed further up the cliff, to the highest point of town. "The Balcony Suites is where the visitors stay."

"Alright, perfect. Thank you for your assistance Mort." Minato replied with a nod and a smile before he turned to Lashanne. "Can you run up and get us a room while I pay a visit to the Dock Keeper?" He asked.

"Sure thing," she replied.

"If you need anything, my house is six doors down from the inn," Mort bade. "Volcan helped us out while he was here - any friend of his is welcome in Tadpole Bay."

"Oh? What'd he do exactly to earn your good favour?" He asked inquisitively.

"There was a gang of Tentacruel and Tentacool harassing us just before the winter," explained Mort. "They locked us in the bay and were extorting money from us, but Volcan - along with an Aggron, that Lucario I mentioned and a Zoroark drove them off." He put his flipper to his chin. "Come to think of it, the Aggron said something about knowing the Tentacruel too - that they had fought them before."

At that, a memory flashed through Minato's mind. One of Team Phalanx's earliest missions when they formed had been against a trio of troublesome Tentacruel on Bronze Island - the three had been attacking fishermen out on the water near the isle, stealing their catch and often leaving the fishermen injured. The Lucario fondly remembered levitating one of the three Tentacruel out of the water with Psychic, where they received a nasty drop-kick from Volcan that sent them skipping over the water like a stone, much to the hilarity of the team and a few of the island's fishermen who had watched the fight.

'_Even after getting beaten by us, they went on to cause more trouble,'_he thought, disappointedly. "Hmm, I thought that sounded familiar." He admitted while rubbing his chin. "Sounds like the same group that my team and I kicked about the first time they tried such a stunt against a neighbouring island." He couldn't help but smirk afterward. "Have to admit, it was mildly cathartic sending them flying back out to sea."

"Well, we haven't seen hide nor... tendril of them since they received quite a beating from your friends," Mort said with an amused smile. "Hopefully this time they learned their lesson."

"Hey dad!" A voice called up from the upper catwalk, and the three turned to see a Squirtle leaning over, looking down and waving a flipper at the Carracosta. "Mom says dinner's almost ready!"

"Okay, be right there! Thanks, son," Mort called, and looked at Minato. "Seems I gotta go. Good to meet you." He said, offering his flipper for a friendly shake.

"Likewise." Minato returned, gently shaking the Carracosta's flipper in his paw. "Thank you for your assistance, Mort. Have a safe night."

"You as well," he replied cordially, smiling as much as his stone-masked features allowed him to before turning and heading for the nearest stairs, joining his son as they started for home.

"Huh. Heck of a coincidence that Volcan was here before us," said Lashanne, crossing her arms. "And of course, he made some friends while here. Funny how that happens wherever he and Luke go."

"Volcan's always had that effect on others. I guess when paired together, they really do make quite a lasting impression on those they help." Minato remarked with a small smile, one that soon faded when he remembered Volcan and Luke's current situation.

Lashanne cleared her throat, shifting the topic before things could descend too far. "Well, I'll see you at the inn," she said, and turned to head toward the same stairs Mort had used to ascend to the second level of town.

"Yea, sure." Minato returned, waving her off absently as she left. A heavy sigh escaped his mouth as he turned toward the Dock Keeper, rubbing his eyes a little with his paw to fight off the coming fatigue that was slowly trying to overtake him.

The stairs did little to help Minato's fatigue, having to climb one flight first to reach the dock keeper, and after paying for the permit to place on the boat, he had to go back up three more flights of stairs before finally reaching the level the inn was on. '_Why did they have to put it up so high?'_His tired mind whined in a tone he hadn't used since he was a child.

When he reached the inn, it seemed rather unassuming up close. The 'Balcony Suites' lived up to its name, as it seemed there was a single large catwalk following the circumference of the entire building, which itself wasn't that large - barely the size of a house, which made him briefly wonder where exactly the rooms were supposed to be even before he stepped into the lobby.

After giving his name to the innkeeper, he was directed to a room on the right - the _only_room on the right, he found as the inn had only two rooms. Passing through the door - which was really more of a bamboo shutter with a bolt, he was greeted by the smell of fresh air, and peering into the room he quickly found out why.

The 'room' was not actually a room at all, having only two walls to speak of. one facing the north, and the other being the wall separating the space from the lobby he had just passed through. It had a bathroom - at least that was enclosed and private, and the beds - of which there were two, were built up against the north wall enclosed in almost cubicle-like spaces, to shield them from the wind, with a heavy blackout curtain to afford some measure of privacy. But the rest of the room was otherwise exposed aside from the ceiling, the furniture consisting of varnished wooden chairs, a palm-frond carpet under a bamboo dining set for two, and a cast iron stove in the dead center of the room, built into a chimney that fed out through the ceiling.

"Now I get why it's called the Balcony Suites." Minato muttered with a soft chuckle, a bit amused that he didn't think to take the name that seriously. A yawn then creeped up on him, a loud one, that made him quickly shut his mouth as soon as he was finished. "Dear lord, I'm that exhausted already?" He openly questioned himself.

"Over the past two days you've probably only slept about eight hours, if that," Lashanne piped up as she stepped out from behind the chimney, carrying a tea kettle that was blowing steam through its spout as she crossed the 'room' to the table, a pair of cups floating after her as she went, wrapped in her psychic grasp.

"Makes sense, I suppose." The Lucario admitted, once again rubbing his eyes and stifling a yawn as Lashanne approached, gently taking one of the cups in his paw when she was close enough. "Still, I didn't think I'd be affected this badly by a lack of sleep..."

"Everyone has their limits, Minato," she replied as she raised the kettle to pour, green-tinted water into his cup. "This tea's filled with chamomile - should help you sleep soundly tonight. Came complimentary to the room, so I figured I'd prepare a batch."

"Thank you." Minato returned, nodding to her as she poured him a cup before taking a small sip of the tea. He smacked his lips a little, finding the taste to be slightly bitter, but he wasn't about to turn down a sleep aid in his current state. "And... sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to snap at you like that." He added.

She waved it off. "Maybe I read too much into it," she said with a shrug. "Don't worry about it. Just as long as you don't try climbing into my bed while I'm sleeping," she added with a wry smirk to show she was joking.

He cast a glance over at her, raising an eyebrow at the Delphox. "...Maybe I'm the one reading too much into it, but... that almost sounded like an invitation." He stated, losing his stunned expression midway through his statement as his face contorted into a snicker by the end.

"You are," she stated flatly, the smirk fading from her features. "Let's just focus on finding your mentor. I hope you have some clue where to start once we get to Arc."

"Right, sorry. Bad joke." He returned, clearing his throat and sipping some more tea. "Well, when we get there, I'll start by searching around the area for any sign of his residual aura. I'm... kind of banking on that to tell me the direction he and Claire departed during the attack." He admitted.

"The place was hit _months_ago. Will there even be any residual aura left?" Lashanne asked.

"You'd be surprised how long a trace like that lasts." Minato returned. "Especially if left behind by one as powerful as he was."

She shrugged, not really having any way to dispute what he said as she knew next to nothing about Aura or its properties, let alone that of the ones who could harness it. "What do you plan on saying to him?"

Minato sighed. "That... I'm still working on." He returned while shaking his head. "The last time we talked before the attack happened, we didn't exactly see eye to eye with each other and... It ended poorly."

"Poorly how?"

"We traded blows." Minato simply answered.

"Over what?" She pressed.

Again, Minato sighed, averting his gaze slightly and tapping his foot on the ground for a moment before he gave his response. "From my perspective, he basically was telling me to undo everything that I had learned while under his tutelage and I called him out for being a hypocrite." He answered. "During my time as his pupil, he taught me that strength is something to be earned, not given or taken from. I took those lessons to heart, which is why I'm as strong as I am today. Everything I am now is because of those words he instilled into me as a child."

His expression started to sour a bit as he went on. "He then tells me that I need to be more open in my methods in gaining strength, to which he showed me his Lucarionite and tried to force me into accepting the power it offered..."

"Right... You don't like Mega Stones," Lashanne remembered, nodding. "But why? You've seen Luke and Volcan use them, to great effect. Heck, even Neilla has one, and from what we heard, she'd have been in quite a spot without it, when she and Hank fought those Trevenant."

"Because the way I see it, Mega Evolution is a crutch if used incorrectly. One can easily get drunk on that kind of power to the point where they become reliant on it. I've seen it happen far too many times during my career in the Guilds." He explained, his tone becoming more venomous the longer he talked about it. "Seeing my master in possession of one, and then try to force me into accepting it as a viable source of power, was the final nail in the coffin for me."

He then lifted his paw up. "Before you restate your earlier comment, yes I'm aware that Luke, Volcan and Neilla all use Mega Stones. The difference being is that they don't view it as part of their power, but rather as a last resort, so for that reason I can let them slide."

"And what about Calhoun?" She asked, pointedly.

His expression flared into a furious rage at the very mention of his name. "A tyrannical monster that deserves nothing more than to have his heart run through by my sword, and I won't rest until that becomes a reality!" He exclaimed.

"Yet you saw for yourself how powerful he was," she said calmly, not giving any indication that his outburst affected her. "He matched you blow for blow and then busted out a Mega Stone of his own, tipping the scales back in his favour and then he _creamed_you, and Sickle, his whole team and even took down Volcan who _was_Mega Evolved. You landed that Reversal because he didn't expect it, and even _that_didn't stop him!" Her voice was climbing even as she spoke. "And that's not even mentioning how that Reversal nearly _killed you_in the process, so your last ace in the hole didn't even work."

"Lashanne, please shut up!" He announced firmly, reining in as much of his temper as he possibly could while in her presence. "I'm _aware_of all of that, and I don't need you reminding me of the events that took place that day!" He added before taking a sip of tea to help calm himself down. "I don't know how I'm going to overcome the gap between us, but mark my words I won't stop until that..._thing_is dead at my feet."

Her expression soured at him, an uncomfortable silence falling over the two as she stared at him. When he didn't speak, she reached for her tea, downing the whole cup in one go before rising from her chair.

"Pride before the fall, Minato," she commented before she walked toward one of the beds, shutting the blackout curtain without another word to the Lucario.

He scoffed in return, turning his back to her and sliding into his own bed. The Lucario then tossed his coat onto a nearby chair before flopping onto his stomach with a heavy sigh, followed by him silently cursing at himself for his behaviour. This woman had done nothing but aid him in this excursion, and there he was practically treating her like garbage... She had done nothing to earn his contempt, and Minato knew better than to incur the wrath of a woman's scorn.

For now though, he needed sleep. His tired mind couldn't process how to make amends with Lashanne at the moment. Within minutes he was out like a light, snoring softly into the pillow he had buried his face into.

~~~~~

The next morning, Minato awoke feeling refreshed, but got the sense that he had overslept drastically when he stirred, hearing the sound of crashing waves on the shore as he gained his senses. When he stood up and pulled the curtain aside, he had to blink his eyes as light reflected off the wall opposite him. Stepping out into the center of the room, he looked outside, surprised to see the sun was already high in the air. He found a clock in the room, and gawked when he saw that it was already half past eight - the sun had barely set when he had gone to bed and yet he had slept almost three quarters of the morning away.

"Son of a-!" He muttered in disbelief, lifting his paw as he wrapped his coat in Psychic and pulled it over to him, frantically pulling it on.

He scanned the room for any signs of Lashanne to see if she was still around, but he did not see her anywhere in the room. Guessing that she had stepped out while he had slept, he tapped into his aura sense to get a more accurate picture of where she might be. His first guess was that she might be at the boat getting things ready for their departure, but after a brief search he saw that while she was down at the docks, she was nowhere near the boat, as far he could tell.

Curious, and mildly apprehensive to discover why she was down at the docks, he tuned out of his aura sense and practically dashed out of the room, making a beeline straight for the docks. As he ran, he began to formulate an apology for the way he treated her last night, as he still felt rather guilty for his outbursts toward her. Now that he was well rested, thinking back on her words he had to admit she did have a point... his own power alone wasn't going to be enough to beat Calhoun, but he still abhorred the idea of using a Mega Stone... it would be a hard obstacle to overcome regardless.

When he stepped outside, he was greeted by the smell of fish and burning pine, rising up from the lower levels near where he sensed Lashanne's aura. As he descended the stairs of the bamboo catwalks, he eventually saw her, standing at a stall where a Monferno was smoking fish in a cast iron oven while Lashanne watched. He watched her from where he stood on the dock, the smell of the smoked fish reaching his nostrils and already making his mouth water from how succulent the fish smelled. His stomach then started to rumble as a result of his rising hunger, loud, making him stiffen intensely and blush profusely in embarrassment, silently praying she didn't just hear his stomach practically roar like a hungry Pyroar.

Inevitably, she did notice him coming. She cast a sidelong glance his way before turning her attention back to the fish cooking, waiting for what he could only guess was her order. "Good morning," she said as he came to stand beside her, her voice even and unreadable.

"H-Hey..." Minato returned softly, looking at the fish being cooked before their eyes. "...I erm... I hope you had a restful night." He added, averting his gaze slightly.

"I did," she replied, flatly. "Thought I should replenish our rations a bit with some smoked fish, since we'll probably be out here in the islands for a few more days."

"Good idea." Minato returned softly, then let out a long sigh and shut his eyes as he addressed the Gyarados in the harbour. "Listen, about last night..." He began, slowly turning his gaze toward Lashanne. "I'm... I'm sorry for my outburst."

Finally she turned to him, arms remaining crossed over her chest as she replied. "I have a hunch there will be plenty of apologizing to come yet," she stated, "if we do find your teacher."

"Maybe, but right now I'm trying to apologize to _you,_not Victor." Minato returned in a more firm tone, then took a moment to relax and regain his composure. "I was tired... I wasn't thinking straight, and the mere mention of that demon's name only served to set me off on a tirade that you didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of, so for that I apologize." He continued, lowering his head in shame as he finished. "I have a lot on my mind right now... i'm not asking you to forgive me, just... To understand what I'm going through right now."

She let out a sigh, and uncrossed her arms as she gave him a more sympathetic look. "I accept the apology," she said with a nod. "I'm sorry too, if I started getting pushy. But when you talked about using mega stones as crutches," she held up her left arm, over which she wore her looplet. "It made me wonder what you thought of this."

He took a gander at the looplet, recognizing it and let out another heavy sigh. "I... forgot about that." He admitted softly, rubbing his face with his paw. "There's... no right or wrong answer to that question, is there?" He asked rhetorically.

She gave a smirk at that, offering only that as an answer. Minato gave a nod in response. "Thought so." He said softly, then rolled his head along his shoulders a little. "Well, I accept your apology as well..." He added, lifting his right paw to her. "Are we...okay now?" He asked with a bit of a wince.

"We better be or this is going to be one long trip," she joked with a shrug as she reached out to grasp his paw and shake it. "We have a ways to go yet."

He nodded back, shaking her paw in response, but his smirk grew all the more as a thought entered his mind. "No kiss and make up then?" He joked right back.

"Don't push your luck," she said, her smile remaining even as her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I haven't come this far in life by playing it safe." He returned with more confidence, daring to take a step closer to her.

But she put up her paw and held it against his chest, her fingers spread over his pectoral and stopping him as her smile faded. "Minato..." she said evenly. "Don't forget where we're heading."

The Lucario's smile faded at that, and his expression saddened. "Right..." He agreed with a nod, taking a step back and flattening his ears. "My apologies, Lashanne... We should get going."

She nodded, and turned as the Monferno spoke up, offering her a paper bag. "Six orders of smoked fish. That'll be eighteen, please."

Lashanne nodded and floated some poks into the Monferno's open palm as she took the bag. "Thanks, pal," she said before turning to Minato again. "You want to take these and get the boat ready? I'll go get us checked out of the room."

"Sure thing..." Minato returned, taking the bag in his paw and turning on his heel to depart for the boat to get it started.

He walked a few steps, slowly. His gaze lingered on the planks below, shocked by what he had nearly done just now. He was on his way to bury his late wife, and yet there he was, trying to make advances on Lashanne? "What the hell was I thinking?" He whispered to himself, slapping his forehead with his other paw. "I need to stay focused..."

They set out from Tadpole Bay before the turn of the hour, Lashanne learning of the location of the landmark Volcan had given them - Needle Point Rock, from one of the local fishermen. Comparing the directions she received to the location on her sea chart, they were soon approaching the aptly named stone pillar rising out of the ocean.

"It's supposed to be a straight shot north from here," Lashanne stated. "You'll probably recognize the island itself better than I will, so... All you from here."

Minato nodded, grasping the helm of the vessel tightly and sucking in a deep breath. "Here we go," He muttered as he engaged the throttle to full speed. "Arc Island, ho." He added, trying to make light of the situation.

Lashanne offered no reply. Even as he tried to hide it she could sense Minato's apprehension clearly, even giving him a sidelong glance from behind. What he managed to hide from his face, he could not keep from his body language. She saw how tightly his paws gripped the ship's wheel, seeing his shoulders rising and falling with each breath giving away his tension, and every so often his shifted his footing - a sure sign of unease, akin to when someone began pacing.

She huffed quietly, looking at the chart and studying the islands displayed across them to distract herself, trying not to let his unease get to her.

As the next hour passed, Minato was starting to feel like he was in his home territory once again, several of the islands they passed giving senses of familiarity.

"We're getting close." Minato informed Lashanne, keeping his gaze forward as he spoke, squinting them slightly as he tried to see through the thick fog ahead. "...Always forgot how thick this fog was sometimes. Kinda helped to keep our location hidden." He added with a half smirk.

"Better slow down a bit - we don't want to run aground," Lashanne suggested, moving to stand beside him. "Strange... It's the middle of the day. Strange time for fog."

"It happens from time to time. I always questioned that myself," Minato returned, pulling back on the throttle to half speed.

Then, as they cleared the veil of white, another island rose up in their path, with a high rising cliff face to greet them as it revealed itself to them. Minato felt his breath catch in his throat as he realized he knew that cliff all too well. "We're here..." he whispered, feeling his tail and ears twitch in apprehension as he gazed upon a part of his former home, his paws shaking as they gripped the wheel tighter...

"This is Arc?" She asked, looking up at the island where she could just barely make out the roof of a structure over the crest of the cliff.

"The one and only," He returned after shaking himself out of his trance, gritting his teeth and steeling his nerves. "Bringing her about to the cove. Be ready to drop anchor." He informed Lashanne firmly, turning the boat hard a starboard.

They approached the island's southern dock, which to Minato's dismay had fallen into disrepair, or suffered an act of vandalism. Their first clue to the island's abandonment was the sight of the docks, the support pillars having begun to rot away, causing several parts of the wharf and pier to collapse and float precariously in the water. The broken wooden structure was held in place only by the pillars that had not yet given in to the elements.

The Lucario winced as they closed in on the ruined dock, pulling the engines to a full stop just before them. "Drop the anchor." He informed Lashanne, stepping away from the wheelhouse. "I'll be going to shore from here."

"Are... You sure you want to go alone?" Lashanne asked. "There's no telling who else may have moved in here since..." she trailed off, not wanting to finish what she was about to say.

"I'll be fine." He returned, stopping before her. "Besides, it's better if I go alone... I've already experienced this nightmare once. I wouldn't want to expose you to it as well..." He added softly.

"You haven't seen the aftermath," she replied. "And... We both know you're here for more than just looking for Victor." She lifted a paw to rest on his shoulder. "You have one bit of unfinished business here, don't you?"

She had voiced it as a question, but he knew Lashanne meant every word of it to say that she had known for a while now what else had brought him to Arc. "You don't have to be alone for this," she added in a gentle voice, still holding his shoulder.

Minato's expression saddened even further, his shoulders slumping heavily as he felt the weight on them increase tenfold. Slowly, he turned to face her and lifted his paws from his sides to hold onto her shoulders. "...Please," he whispered in a slightly more desperate manner. "Let me do this myself... So that I can have closure." He added.

She let out a sigh, letting her paw slide free of his shoulder and nodding. "Okay... But if you're gone too long, I'm coming up," she added. "So don't do anything stupid."

He nodded back. "I can agree to those terms." He whispered, then to her surprise, he leaned forward and held her tightly against him. In that embrace, she could feel him trembling despite the brave face he put on. "Thank you." He added.

She was hesitant at first, but she soon returned his embrace, holding him tightly in her arms as he rested his head against her collar. She could feel him shaking, and felt her heart weeping at the pain she could feel radiating from the Lucario, knowing he was fighting to keep his own composure. She silently wept for him even as he pulled away, not meeting her gaze as he left the boat.

He tried to make a running jump for the shore, but the splashing of a wave against the hull threw off his leap, and he landed in the water. Fortunately he had made it far enough he only landed up to his knees, and waded the rest of the way to shore. Wasting no further time, he started up the cliffside path that led up to the island that had once been his home.

Minato could feel the memories trying to resurface, but he pooled as much of his willpower into suppressing those memories as he could as he drew closer to the cresting top of the path...

When he arrived at the entrance of the town, his heart almost split in two at the sight. The burnt down and ruined homes, the charred soil at his feet, half decayed corpses of what used to be his fellow townsfolk, and the half destroyed statue of Arceus himself. The head of the statue still lay where it had fallen, dusty and in the beginning process of accumulating moss over the stone face of the Creator. The images of the attack that destroyed his island home all came rushing back to Minato like a stampede of rampaging Donphan, making the Lucario's legs buckle as he fell to his paws and knees as he re-lived those gruesome moments.

Tears were already starting to run down his cheeks as he knelt there, his paws clenching into the charred earth below, struggling not to completely break down into madness as the images of the attack kept flooding his mind. Eventually, the images stopped coming, and Minato was given enough reprieve to force himself to his feet, wiping his eyes against the sleeve of his jacket. "...Focus damnit." Minato cursed himself, stifling a few sobs before he would proceed to step deeper into the ruined town. "You have a job to do..."

The Lucario got straight to work, calming himself as best he could and tuning to his Aura Sense to pick up any trace of his master's aura. He extended his range as far as his limits would allow, gritting his teeth as he struggled to maintain his focus despite straining himself so hard. His search would take several minutes, but eventually he found something. A trail of residual aura that belonged to both his master and his master's wife. Granted the trail was faint, but he was still able to follow it until it suddenly stopped at a cliff's edge roughly ten kilometers Northwest of the town he was standing in.

"...Got you..." He muttered softly before he finally allowed himself to relax, panting and grasping his head with one paw as the stress finally caught up to him, making him feel a little lightheaded as a result of him pushing his Aura Sense so far.

However, no sooner did he recover from overstressing himself did his gaze befall upon something off in the distance, a makeshift grave next to a broken down house that he strangely recognized. After a few moments of piecing it together, his heart sank in his chest when he came to the conclusion that that particular spot used to be his home....

Which to him, meant that the grave near the abandoned home belonged to only one pokemon...

Slowly, he forced himself toward the broken down house, tears once again starting to well up in his eyes as he stepped through the burnt down debris that was once his family's home. He recounted several events leading up to before the attack, how he met his late wife in the first place, when they started dating and eventually became a married couple, to the birth of their only son and all the time spent raising him to be the Riolu he was today...

He stumbled as his foot stepped on something that made a cracking noise when he stepped on it. Lifting his foot away, he saw a charred old photo frame laying face down in the dirt that, when he picked up and turned it over, revealed a picture of himself and Linda, as well as the rest of his friends and allies that were present at his wedding day. Minato stared silently at the picture, having to blink a few times as the tears began to cloud his vision, until he eventually had to clench his eyes shut and wipe his eyes on his sleeve once more, before standing tall and stuffing the photo into his coat pocket.

He then turned to the grave near him, slowly stepping toward it until he was standing right on top of it, then slowly fell to his knees and placing a paw gently over the mound of dirt that housed his late wife's remains, marked by an improvised gravestone - a wooden cross engraved with her name and the words 'Loving Wife, Mother and Friend'.

Once again, he began to break down into tears, his body shuddering as an overwhelming sadness took him over, eventually leaving him sobbing heavily and pressing his forehead against the headstone.

"Linda!" He whimpered in between sobs. "Oh Arceus... I'm so sorry, my dear Linda.l" He went on, the pain in his heart becoming so unbearable that he clenched his chest hard with his other paw. "...I wasn't strong enough to save you, my love. I hope... That wherever you are now....it's a hell of a sight better than what you left behind" He went on, lifting his head off the headstone and gazing at it sadly. "After your passing... I nearly lost myself, and in turn, nearly lost those important to me... Volcan... Serena... Tristan... Caulin even. I'm so ashamed of myself, disgracing your memory like that... I know you would have expected better of me."

He clenched his eyes shut once more, gritting his teeth firmly and digging his paws into the soil below him. "I failed you once....But... I-I will not fail you again. I'll bring to justice the ones responsible for destroying our home, and taking you from me." More tears fell, wetting the soil below him. "I just-" He trailed off as another wave of sadness took him over and he began to break down into tears again. "I-I just... I just wish you were still here Linda! I miss you so damn much!" He whimpered softly, curling into a ball and pulling his arms tight to his face as he sobbed, drenching his arm with his tears.

Once, he even reared up, throwing back his head and letting out a roar of anguish. In that vengeful call to the heavens, he let out all of his rage and sadness for what had been taken from him. Then, throat sore, he collapsed again, descending into another fit of sobbing.

He didn't know how long he sat there, wallowing in grief at the loss of his wife. It seemed like only minutes had passed, but as something brought him back to his senses he realized that his shadow was no longer where it was when he had first arrived there, and the ground in front of him had been left damp by his tears.

He was also suddenly aware that someone else was there. Another shadow, rising beside his own. He looked behind him, and saw Lashanne standing just a meter away, the sun at her back and casting most of her in darkness, but he could still see the sympathetic look on her face as she stepped closer. She knelt beside beside him to look at the grave, reading the improvised wooden grave marker.

"...We should make her a proper headstone," she offered in a hushed tone, turning her attention toward the Arceus shrine. "I might have an idea about that," and then looked at him again. "If... You want to, that is."

He sniffled in response as he nodded toward the Delphox, casting a glance her way as he spoke. "She deserves it," he answered.

Lashanne nodded. "Okay. I'll be right back," she said, rising to her feet again and heading toward the shrine.

Some time passed before Lashanne returned to the site of Linda's grave, bringing with her a large block of marble that she levitated with Psychic. Minato could see by a few tool marks that she had already done some work to prepare the block, chipping off the mortar that once held it as part of the wall of the shrine, now to be repurposed as a headstone. It was still improvised, but at least this one would last longer than a piece of wood.

Setting the stone down in front of her, Lashanne produced a hammer and chisel from the pocket of her vest, and held the latter over the marble while she looked at Minato. "What do you want it to say?" She asked.

Minato took some time in thinking about what words he wanted to put on her gravestone. After taking a glance at the previous headstone, he finally came up with a response. "How about... 'In memory of Linda. Loving wife, doting mother, and dear friend to all who knew her.'" He then stood tall as he added another statement in a different tongue. "Requiescat in Pace.."

With that, Lashanne got to work carving the words into the marble block, working carefully to make them as clear and as elegant as possible. Her extra care and attention made the task take that much longer, to the point where eventually Minato had to run back to the boat for a lantern to give her light as the sun started to set.

It was fully dark by the time she was done, but the letters were perfectly eligible as she used Psychic to lift the stone up, removing the wooden marker and replacing it with the marble block, moving aside some of the dirt to put it a little deeper into the soil, to ensure it would not fall.

With a sigh, she stepped back to study her work, and offered a few words of her own. "I may not have known you, Linda. But I truly hope you find the rest you have earned in the next world. I'm not a lady of faith, so I hope I don't butcher this but, here goes," she put her paws together reverently, and said. "May Xerneas' light guide you to everlasting peace."

"What she said," Minato added, wiping his eyes against his sleeve as they had began to water up once more. "Farewell, my darling wife... Until we meet again in the next life." He added before biting his lip and clenching his eyes shut in order to fight off another wave of tears trying to force their way out.

"Hey," Lashanne said softly, bringing her paw up to his shoulder and guiding him over. "Come here." She added as she wrapped Minato in an embrace, letting him lean on her as he wept again.

He desperately returned the embrace, clapping his arms around her tightly and began to openly sob once more as he continued to mourn for his late wife. His knees started to feel weak once more the longer he wept, his sobs turning into cries of anguish moments after they started holding one another.

"D-Damnit, Volcan was right. I wasn't ready to handle this, not by a long shot." He whimpered softly. "P-Part of me feels I should have adhered to his warning and just... Stayed away..."

"He did not tell you to stay away," Lashanne said, supporting him even as she spoke. "He just wanted to make sure you knew what was to come. But he, as well as you, knew this had to be done, so you and her could both be at peace."

"I can't keep doing this, Lashanne," He whispered back, eventually pulling back to look her square in the eyes through his own tear stained gaze. "It's all too much to bear on my own. You were right about me before with that whole 'pride before the fall' talk back at Tadpole... Maybe it _is_time for a change, even if I'm vehemently opposed to it..."

She tilted her head slightly as she considered his words. "Have you decided then what you're going to say when you find him?"

"Yes... First, I'm going to apologize for all the things I said to him, and that... I'm ready to start broadening my horizons in order to even the playing field." He said softly as he pressed his forehead lightly against Lashanne's. "That... And I will try to convince him to aid us in our fight against that monster and his posse..."

"But, will he?" Lashanne asked, skeptical.

"I can only hope he will..."

"Well, only one way to find out," she said, pulling back from him. "We have a heading?"

"We do." Minato returned, releasing Lashanne as she stepped away from him. "Northwest from this town, I found a trace of his and Claire's signal still lingering about. I've a hunch they've probably holed up on an island not too far from Arc."

"Let's get back to the boat and consult the chart then, see if we can spot some likely candidates."

"Right." Minato returned with a firm nod, seemingly finding his resolve again as he started to walk ahead back to the boat.

A long silence hung over the two of them for a while. They were nearly back to the boat before Minato mustered the courage to speak again. "Lashanne," he said as he stopped just before her, looking over his shoulder toward the Delphox. "Thank you. I mean it, thank you for being here with me on this voyage... Not just for your navigation expertise. I... I don't think I could have done this alone, even if I_did_know where I was going..."

She smiled, blushing as she rubbed her arm absently. "Well... We're a team, so it's the least I could do," she said, but then sucked in a breath. "And... I also did it for Caulin. Wanted to make sure he'd get his dad back."

Minato started to smile a bit in response to her claim. "...He's really taken a shine to you." He admitted before turning his gaze forward and walking ahead again. "...Almost like a second mother." He added with genuine sincerity in his tone.

She cleared her throat at that, her arm moving to rub the back of her head, the other behind her back, trying to catch her swaying tail. "I d-dunno about that," she said nervously. "But," she added in a more certain tone. "He's certainly grown on me... I never thought I'd have much interaction with kids with the life I've led, but then he showed up one day, just asking for a telescope. Now... I genuinely love being around him - he's so bubbly and spirited and he really loves my stories. I never imagined I'd enjoy recounting my adventures so much with anyone else. Not like I ever could with Toby since, he's always right there with me. I guess, thanks to him, i learned something new about me too."

"You'll have to tell me those stories sometime then. If my son likes them, chances are I might as well." Minato returned. "And if it's any consolation, Lashanne, you've kind of grown on me too." He admitted in response to her claim about Caulin growing on her, blushing a bit himself.

At that, she coughed. "Let's uh... Let's discuss that later," she said, struggling to maintain her composure, and started walking back to the boat. "Time and place, you know," she added.

At that, Minato remembered they were still standing near the grave of his late wife, and decided then it was time to leave, before he did something he regretted. "Right, sorry. Let's get out of here before I start weeping again." He concurred, quickening his pace and catching up to Lashanne on their way back to the boat to resume their search for his old master.

They walked the last few steps to the wharf. During the trek, Lashanne tilted her head back and smirked as she seemed to have an idea. "Hm. Caulin likes my stories, now you want to hear them. Maybe I should write a book sometime," she remarked.

"If you do decide to, know that both he and I will be the first at your autograph session." Minato returned, crouching low once they had reached the docks. He then gestured for her to approach while he was crouched low. "Here, hold on to me. I'll take us both back at once." He offered.

She cast him a smirk and arched her brow, before snapping her fingers as she started to levitate. "You forget that I am _actually_Psychic-type, Sir Gallant?" She asked rhetorically as she floated past him.

"...So much for chivalry." He muttered with a shake of his head before he followed her, using his own Psychic to carry himself the distance and avoid landing in the water again.

With that, they started up the boat and slowly sailed away from Arc Island. As Minato steered the boat, he looked out the side window to the island, wondering if he might ever return there again...