FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Lucky number... seven?" Lashanne asked wearily as they approached the next of their stops.

With their fifth day in the West Islands drawing to a close, they had so far turned up nothing of Victor's location. All of the islands had been uninhabited - some of them, perfectly suitable for settlement but largely untouched save for wild Pokémon and an old smuggler's den they happened upon - long abandoned, fortunately. By Lashanne's professional estimate, the old den had once had plenty of traffic, which she judged by the unmarred footprints within the cave, preserved by the enclosed space protected by the outside weather along with hundreds of abandoned crates, most of which were empty.

The islands had each taken hours to search, and not a one among them bearing any hint of Victor's presence. Minato left Azure believing he had thought this whole mission through. Now, after searching seven islands, and realizing that his course was taking him on a wild Swanna chase, he started to wonder if he might be wasting his time.

But, he kept to it, even with his waning hope that he'd find his teacher eventually.

Lucky number seven, as Lashanne had called it, did very little to renew his hopes. It was, once again, another fairly habitable island. But other than a colony of Primape and Mankey that shouted at them from the show in a guttural tongue Minato didn't know, the island seemed uninhabited. A sweep with his Aura sense confirmed to Minato that there was not a trace of Victor's Aura there, not that he imagined his teacher would want to live near xenophobic Pig Monkey Pokemon.

The eighth island they checked was bringing them ever closer to the very edge of the islands. "Like the rest, this one is supposed to be isolated and uninhabited - only migratory bird Pokémon ever land here," Lashanne said as she referenced her sea chart on the wall. "Fits what you set... but what I don't understand is why?" She turned to Minato. "Why do you think Victor would settle on isolated islands like this? He lived on Arc, which was heavily populated, right?"

"It was," Minato confirmed. "Arc was home to more than five thousand Pokemon in total, more than triple Azure's population. But it was among the biggest of the islands of this region. It wasn't hard to find a faraway spot for those who prefer isolation, and that's just what Victor did there." A thought occurred to him then, and he looked at Lashanne. "Are there any port town islands near this one?" He asked.

She turned and studied the map, running over it with her finger. She hummed as her finger settled on one island. "Not really. The closest one is Silverport but that's about six hours south of us." She then turned to him questioningly. "But you said to avoid such ports."

"He still needs somewhere to buy supplies," replied Minato, feeling stupid for not thinking of this sooner. 'Three days!'_He berated himself. _'Out here for three_days and I didn't consider this?'_ The entire reason for Victor living on Arc Island was because of its convenient proximity to a populated town, where he could find anything he might require. At least, that was the base of his idea.

As if reading his mind, Lashanne suddenly asked. "...Wait, did you actually not think of that before?"

"...Maybe." He answered in a half whisper. He had expected her to be annoyed, even angry that he had wasted so much time.

But, to his shock, she only let out an exasperated groan. "Well, it can't be helped," she said.

"You... You don't think I'm dumb for not thinking of this sooner?" Minato asked.

"Even I have had slow times where I was looking for a certain ruin, and then have a forehead-slappingly obvious revelation after I thought I'd tried everything," she said. "Sometimes, your mind isn't in the game, and even the most obvious things can slip by you, and leave you going 'D'uh, why not try this'?" In the reflection in the window, he saw her making an exaggerated gesture.

"Any... Examples?" He asked, looking back over his shoulder at her.

She turned her head away, rolling her eyes and pursing her lips. "None I care to mention," she said innocently. "Nor as big as your oversight just now."

He scowled, but at the corner of his mouth there was the hint of a smirk at her trademark sass. Then, he pulled back from the wheel. "Take over for a moment, if you would?" He asked.

She moved to take his spot at the wheel. Stealing a glance over her shoulder, she watched him studying the chart on the wall, studying its layout. Then, he tapped a spot on the map. "Here. Forget that island ahead - it's not the one."

"How do you know?"

"Based on my new hypothesis, this one is too far from any sort of place where he could resupply," said Minato. "Even with Bellator doing most of the lifting he could only carry so much so he'd have to shorten the trip. Take us toward Silverport."

It was late into the afternoon when they reached the area Minato designated on the map. In sight of Silverport, they headed for the nearest of the islands. As with many others before, they found very little there aside from a few bird Pokemon and a couple of fruit trees. Then, they had to make the briefest of stops in Silverport to refuel the boat, as it was nearly on fumes by the time they arrived.

While they were there, Minato took a moment to test his hypothesis further. He shut his eyes, reaching out with his Aura Sense and searching through the town, focusing on what he suspected was likely the marketplace for the town. Amidst an area that was awash with the trace of so many Auras, it was a fruitless gesture - even an Aura as powerful as Victor's wouldn't stand out enough for him to see it through all of the trace Auras. However, he did see something that caught his attention. A draconic aura, standing apart from the rest. It was an aura he _did_know... He was sure of it - the energy was familiar to him.

Further reinforced he was making the right call, he wasted no time getting them back out to sea. When the boat was refueled, he hastily told Lashanne to get back aboard so that they could get moving while there was still some light left, following the direction that the trace of Aura had pointed him in.

"This is the one," he said with certainty as the boat approached a heavily forested island, only an hour's flight from Silverport. Close enough for convenience, but far enough away that anyone who lived there would not have to worry about intrusions on their privacy. Exactly the kind of place Victor would call home... "He has to be here," he added.

"Can we really be sure?" Lashanne asked, giving him a sympathetic look. "We're just running into the wind here."

The Lucario remained silent, ignoring her question as he steered the vessel along the coast until he found a suitable spot to bring it alongside. "There, that looks good." He muttered. "Be ready to drop the anchor when I give the word."

She sighed, but gave a nod. She left her chart and marched outside to retrieve the anchor as Minato eased back the throttle and slowed them down as he brought the boat closer.

He heard a light scrape, and decided that was close enough. "Drop anchor!" He called, bringing the throttle all the way down.

When the anchor dropped and the boat was secured, Minato stepped away from the cabin and headed right for land, leaping over the railing and landing on terra firma without a second thought. "Be on watch. This place may be inhospitable, but that doesn't mean wild pokemon won't see us as a threat."

"Uninhabited, not inhospitable - there's a difference," she corrected as she floated over the water and landed on the beach to join him.

"Semantics, Lashanne." Minato returned quickly, tuning to his aura sense and scoped the area around him for any sign of life, then tailoured his sense to lock onto any sign of Victor's signal as he began his trek along the island.

But he did not have long to look, before he heard Lashanne speaking incoherently, sounding slightly distressed. "Ma-Ma-Minato?!" She babbled, and he opened his eyes and looked back at her to see her pointing into the air, her eyes wide.

He followed her gaze, but barely had time to register the bulky form as it fell upon him, giving him no time to react. He let out a surprised holler as he was knocked onto his back, feeling a large weight pressing down upon him while he blinked the stars from his eyes, clearing his vision until he saw his assailant.

Right there, pinning Minato under its massive forelegs, was a Salamence, growling down at the Lucario as it leered dangerously down into his eyes.

"Minato!" Lashanne cried out, brandishing her wand and charging a Psybeam, intent to blast the Salamance off the Lucario.

The large dragon opened its large mouth wide, seemingly ready to utterly crush Minato's head in his gaping jaw. What followed next was something not even Lashanne could prepare herself for. The dragon pokemon did lunge its head down toward Minato, but rather than bite his head clean off, the Salamence instead clamped its jaws around Minato's noggin and began gnawing at him repeatedly.

"Ow! OW!! Hey, knock it off!!" Minato hollered, scrambling underneath the Salamence as it continued biting at his head. The dragon then released Minato's head, only to run its tongue along his face a couple of times. "Gah! Really?!" He exclaimed as he was covered in dragon slobber, then was finally given some reprieve as the Salamence stepped off of him and allowed the Lucario to stand back up again.

Minato shook himself a little in a vain attempt to get the slobber off his face and chest, casting an annoyed look at the Salamence. "...You have any idea how hard it is to wash this stuff off?" He asked, to which the Salamence reared its head back and made a laughing noise in the form of repeated, guttural growls.

Lashanne's arm fell, the undischarged Psybeam fizzling out of existence as her branch head hit the sandy beach while she stared dumbfounded at the scene unfolding before her, mouth hanging open. Then, she snapped to attention, staring at the Salamence in realization.

"Wait... Is this-?" She asked, remembering the dragon Minato had told her about that travelled with Victor.

Minato finished shaking as much of the gunk off of his body, shuddering as he still felt the dragon's saliva in his fur despite his efforts. "I'm gonna need a long bath after this..." He muttered. Then he saw the Salamence try to lick him again and he held his paw out to stop him in his place. "Nah ah ah ah ah! Once was enough!" He said firmly, which made the dragon pout slightly as he was denied his advance.

Minato then stepped toward the dragon and gently scratched under his jaw with both paws, making the Salamence rumble lowly and wag his long tail quickly behind him as he was scratched in a pleasure spot. "I'm glad to see you're alive, Bellator," he whispered softly to the dragon.

"Can I get an explanation here?" Lashanne asked. "This is the Salamence you said lives with Victor?"

They both turned to look toward Lashanne in response. "You are correct. Which means that if he's here, then Victor and Claire-"

"Are not too far behind..."

Minato froze for a second as those words reached his ears, recognizing the tone almost instantly. Slowly, he turned, Lashanne following his gaze as they looked over to the pair that stepped out from behind the trees. A Lucario, and a Gardevoir, well into their elder years.

Victor was exactly as Minato had described him as back at Tadpole Bay. A tall, aged Lucario with a scar over his left eye that sealed the socket shut, and donning a long, tattered brown cloak that hid the rest of his features. Despite the apparent lack of depth perception, the look he had in his one eye spoke of a man of great wisdom and combat experience; definitely not someone to underestimate.

The Gardevoir, Lashanne deduced to be Claire, had a kinder, gentler look in her eyes, and her elegant posture defied her age even though she looked about as old as Victor. Unlike the battle scarred Lucario though, her body was completely free of any lasting injuries or scars that told a story of her life on the battlefield, but a deeper look into those gentle eyes of hers revealed a calm flame that could easily erupt into a blazing inferno if the right buttons were pressed.

Once they landed, Minato immediately turned to fully face them and dropped to his knees, then bowed lowly to them as any student would their master. Victor merely scoffed at the act of submission and lifted his paw through his cloak to signal for the younger Lucario to rise.

"On your feet boy." He said firmly. "You're a grown man now. You need not lower yourself so submissively." He added.

"Dear, be gentle." Claire said softly. "Let's save any harsh words you might have for after we've been properly reacquainted." She added before turning her gaze to the Delphox looking at them. "As well as get to know his new friend there."

"Uh... hello," Lashanne returned, nodding her head. She wasn't sure what else she should say to the two, who she now knew without a doubt were the ones that Minato had been searching for. With her keen eye for reading people, she could already tell these two were in a league of their own, well beyond her - beyond likely anyone on Team Valiant _or_Team Phalanx...

The Salamence snorted and slowly lumbered toward Lashanne, standing in front of her and staring at the Delphox through its intimidating glare. It cautiously then lowered its head and began to sniff at her a few times to get a good whiff of her scent, then to everyone's amazement, it began gently bumping the side of his head against her while rumbling in content.

"...Well that's interesting." Victor remarked calmly as he watched the event unfold. "Bellator normally doesn't warm up to strangers_that_quickly."

"Maybe he smells some familiar scents on me?" Lashanne offered, hesitantly lifting a paw to rest on the back of Bellator's neck. When he didn't growl at her, she ran her paw along his neck, and he rumbled contently, letting her know he was fine with her attention.

"Unlikely. He probably can sense what kind of pokemon you are, and decided that you are a friend." Claire pointed out.

Minato had a slight pout on his face as he watched the two start to bond. "...I can't help but feel a tad jealous." He admitted. "It took me _years_to earn Bellator's trust, and he just trusts you right off the bat? I call bullshit on that."

Lashanne gave a helpless shrug, having no explanation to the dragon's swift acceptance of her. She wondered if it had to do with Caulin - she remembered the Riolu mentioning he had spent a lot of time with Bellator, and certainly his scent would be on Lashanne for all the times he sat beside her or on her shoulders to hear her stories.

"In any case." Victor remarked, interrupting the sentimental moment. "I am relieved to see you are alive and well, Minato, and that you haven't been taken by those demons that attacked Arc Island all those months ago."

"Well, actually," Minato remarked with a heavy sigh. "There's... a lot to unpack here, but I'd rather not do so at this moment."

"We understand, dear." Claire returned with a nod. "Come. Our abode is not far. You can tell us everything after you've cleaned yourself and have eaten a proper meal. I imagine you must be tired of rations by now."

"Believe me, you have no idea," the younger Lucario remarked with a dry chuckle.

Victor then let out a short whistle, to which Bellator's earfins twitched at the sound of and quickly turned and lumbered over to Victor and Claire's side. "Let's be off then." Victor stated as he and Claire turned and began walking along the hill they jumped off earlier, with their Salamence close behind.

"Well, it took some time, but we found them," remarked Lashanne, moving to walk beside Minato.

"Yea, and still as charming as I remember them to be." Minato replied. "I'll admit, I'm kind of surprised that Victor's so calm toward me. I was expecting him to act as if he hated my guts when we finally found him.."

"Because of the fight you two had?"

Minato nodded. "He did talk down to me after we exchanged blows, so I expected him to hold a grudge. Either he still does and he's hiding it, or he's let it go and moved onto more important matters." He said with a shrug. "Or maybe I'm just thinking too deeply about it, kind of like-" He paused mid-sentence, stopping himself internally from finishing that statement.

"What? Kind of like what?" Lashanne asked, tilting her head.

He lifted his paw and waved it dismissively. "It's nothing..." He returned softly. "We should pick up the pace, we're being left in the dust." He remarked, quickening his pace in order to catch up with his masters and their dragon, who had gained a fair amount of distance during their talk.

"Why do I have a feeling this is going to end in blood and tears?" Lashanne mumbled to herself before she began to walk faster, keeping the four Pokemon in sight.

~~~~~

After a half an hour's walk, the group finally arrived at Victor and Claire's residence on the island. On the outside it didn't look all that appealing, considering it was mostly made of thatch and wood, but both Minato and Lashanne had to remember that this island was supposed to be uninhabited, and that Claire and Victor had to make do with whatever resources were available to them. At the very least they chose a location that had a cave next to the house for their Salamence to sleep in.

Once inside, Minato was given the chance to wash himself off and properly clean Bellator's saliva off of his body and coat before joining his masters at the table for a meal. Claire had prepared a hearty meal for them while Minato was cleaning himself, and by the time he returned, she had just plated the food, which was a healthy balance of meat and some berries that they had forraged for not too long ago. They all then spent the evening catching up with one another at first, with Minato properly introducing Lashanne to them and explaining that she was one of their newest recruits to Team Phalanx, and had proven to be a valuable ally thus far.

When the topic of Arc Island was brought up again, the atmosphere went dark very quickly. Hesitantly, Minato recounted the events that happened during the attack, then going on to when he was held prisoner with the rest of the survivors in their fortress, skimming over the part where he was an absolute mess after discovering his wife's death, all the way to rejoining his team in their battle against Calhoun and the Dark Crusade, as well as his last encounter with the Dark Blaziken.

Both Victor and Claire were shocked about Minato's capture, but were even more saddened to hear that their beloved daughter did not survive the attack. Claire was nearly beside herself in tears when the news dropped, and Victor had to gently comfort her as best he could while they listened to Minato's tale.

"...I see." Victor muttered softly after Minato had finished. "This Calhoun is far more powerful than you were led to believe it seems... Even after taking a full force, point blank Reversal, he still managed to put himself back together. He mused.

"I can vouch for the fight with Calhoun. I was with Minato at the time," she rubbed her previously broken arm subconsciously and remembered the grotesque sight of Calhoun's body pulling itself back together - not something she would even call 'healing'.

She then gave the two a sympathetic look. "I'm truly sorry about your daughter... And that we couldn't bring her killer to justice," she added.

"It's alright... You did all that you could." Claire returned softly, still silently mourning for her deceased daughter. "It's just... hard to come to terms with the fact." She added while wiping her eyes on her arm.

Minato's expression saddened even further, remembering back to when he first discovered her gravesite and how distraught he became. He almost felt like he would be reduced to tears as well, but he held them back for the sake of saving face. He was done mourning for his late wife, and he was here to move on from the past, not relive it.

"Our daughter will be dearly missed... She was a kind soul with the heart of gold..." Victor added softly before turning toward his pupil. "With that being said, I suspect there's more to your arrival here than to inform us of what has happened as of late."

Lashanne said nothing, looking instead to Minato as it was his mission to carry out.

The younger lucario sighed heavily, leaning forward on the table and resting his head in his paws. There was a long silence that followed afterward that made the moment feel rather awkward, until Minato finally spoke up.

"...Two things." He began, turning his gaze to Victor. "First... I owe you an apology for what happened that day."

Victor narrowed his eye slightly at Minato, offering no further reply at first, giving Minato the chance to continue. "You were right. I was too narrow minded and proud of my own strength to accept Mega Evolution as an alternate means of gaining power, and after both witnessing and facing off against it firsthand, I've realized that my strength alone won't be enough to beat Calhoun..." He admitted. "I'm ready to broaden my horizons, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to prove that I'm worthy."

The elder Lucario sighed softly as he considered his proposal, humming slightly before answering. "Apology accepted, son," Victor replied with a nod. "You've definitely matured since the last time we spoke, I will give you that." He admitted. "What else is there that you have to say?" He asked, getting straight to the point.

Minato leaned back in his seat, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders and letting out a breath. "Alright, the second thing is... I'd like to ask you to help us in our war against the Dark Crusade." Minato answered. "We need all the help we can get, and someone of your wisdom and combat experience would be a welcome addition to our forces."

"...So you wish to recruit me." Victor returned, his tone lowering and sounding a little disappointed in his reply.

'_Uh oh,'_thought Lashanne, already reading the elder Lucario's shift in mood. She had a good idea what his answer was going to be...

"Lad... You need to understand something." Victor answered, slowly standing up from his seat. "My warrior days have come and gone already, as has Claire's. I don't think we will be of much help to your battle, and frankly, this seems to be a Guild related problem - something neither myself or Claire have any business getting involved with." He concluded. "I'm sorry, Minato, but I cannot help you."

Minato's expression remained flat for a few moments before he let out a sigh. "Cannot, or just won't?" He returned softly, then his gaze hardened as he too stood up from his seat, looking at Victor square in the eyes. "Is it _really_because you don't want to get involved with the Guilds? Or is it because you're _afraid_to." He asked with a bit more venom in his tone.

Those seemed to strike a nerve with Victor, as his expression changed from disappointment to mild anger in a matter of seconds. When he didn't respond, Minato continued. "If you won't answer that question, then answer me this." He added, his brow furrowing dangerously. "On the night we were attacked by Calhoun's forces... Where the hell were you during the whole ordeal?"

"Now you two, let's not have another argument." Claire warned, trying to step between them and de-escalate the situation, but their glares remained ever present, and any attempt by Claire to move her husband was for naught.

"...You fled, didn't you?" Minato further pressed, his paws clenching tight at his sides. "When our island home was attacked, you turned tail and ran away rather than worked with the rest of the warriors on the island to fight them off." He added, slowly stepping around the table so he could stand before the elder Lucario, practically nose to nose with him.

"If I were you," Victor growled back. "...I would choose your next words carefully." He added, his cloak gently fluttering as bits of his aura started to leak out from around his body the more his anger started to rise.

"Minato," Lashanne cautioned. "You're taking this too far. This isn't what you came out here for."

"Answer my question!" Minato suddenly shouted at Victor, completely ignoring Lashanne. "I'm sick of your cryptic answers and riddles! I want you to give me a straight answer for once!" He demanded. "Why did you flee? Your friends and family were in danger, and with your help we could have routed Calhoun and his forces! But you fled with your tail between your-!"

He was then met with a heavy backhand from Victor's paw, the force of the impact actually sending Minato off of his feet and spiralling through the wall next to him.

"Victor!" Claire exclaimed angrily. "That is enough! Minato has come to us for aid, and _this_is your response?!" She demanded.

"I warned him to choose his next words carefully," he answered plainly. He was about to speak further, but he suddenly felt an invisible force around his neck, catching him off guard and making him gag from the sudden grip, then he was suddenly yanked forward and out of the hole he created, landing in a tumble before a _very_angry Minato, sword already in paw.

Lashanne was out the door in seconds, finding the two Lucario out in the yard and making a beeline toward them. "Minato, stop!" Lashanne shouted, darting in front of him and trying to put herself between Minato and Victor, to stop the fight. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

She then felt Victor grab her shoulder and pull her out of the way, then in the same motion, he created his own blade with the same paw and swung at Minato, who blocked the attack with his own sword. From there, the two Lucario held a stalemate with one another for a few moments before they broke off, and began a furious duel. Their blades leaving streaks as they were swung through the air, and sparks as the weapons clashed with one another, briefly illuminating their faces with each clash.

Claire arrived at Lashanne's side just as the two began to fight, pulling her further back to avoid the chance of her getting caught in the crossfire. That said, she was still looking rather angry herself as the two Lucario kept fighting.

"Both of you _stop!"_She yelled at the top of her lungs, but her words fell on deaf ears. They seemed to be lost in their own little argument while they fought, drowning out her words. "For Xerneas' sake, this is getting far too out of hand!"

"Can't we do something? Those two are going to kill each other at this rate!" Lashanne demanded, scratching her head furiously.

"Trust me, I have tried. The last time they fought, even after I restrained them with my Telekinesis, they managed to break out with their sheer strength alone." Claire returned. "They're just too powerful for me to restrain."

"Ugh! If I knew this was going to happen I'd have brought Volcan and Tristan with us!" Lashanne grumbled. "What now?"

"We wait until they exhaust themselves, then we move in and restrain them," Claire answered softly. "It will still likely take the both of us to hold them down even when they're exhausted, so I hope you're experienced in your Telekinesis." She added.

"Plenty, believe me," Lashanne replied, reaching for her branch wand and laying it across her palm, sneering. "Though frankly I've half a mind to just club them both and call it a day." She added with a growl.

The two Lucario continued their duel, both combatants on relatively equal footing with one another in terms of skill with their blades, but Minato had the advantage of being able to throw Victor about with his own Telekinesis, something he exploited to its fullest extent whenever the opportunity arose.

Eventually the fight dragged on to the point where Victor was forced to reveal his Lucarionite, tapping into its power and calling upon the added strength it provided after his evolution was complete. The Evolution also blew his cloak away, revealing the rest of his features and battle scars the elder Lucario had earned throughout his life... as well as reveal the obvious lack of a left arm in the process. From that point on, the fight was tipped more to Victor's favour. The buffs of his Mega Evolution offering him a suitable counter to Minato's attempts to use Telekinesis.

That being said Minato still pushed on, his strikes becoming more fierce and driven by his growing rage. The two danced around one another for another good long while before eventually reaching a stalemate yet again, their eyes shooting daggers into each other as they struggled to overpower each other.

"I looked up to you!!" Minato finally shouted, pushing harder against Victor's blade, making him step back "You were my idol, my inspiration! The very reason why I am still alive! It was through_your_teachings that I became the man I am today, and it was through _you_that I was introduced to the most wonderful woman I ever had the honour of both marrying and bearing my child!" He added, then lunged forward and slammed his knee into Victor's stomach, causing him to lurch and lose his focus enough to releasehis blade.

From there, Minato then grabbed at the Mega Lucario's neck and held him high into the air before slamming him physically into the ground.

"You taught me that the measure of a man was gauged by the strength of his back and the sweat from his brow, that hard work and perseverance was the one true way to become strong! But when the time came that Arc was under siege and we needed your help, you didn't fight back, or seek out help! You _ran!_Like a cowardly Lillipup with their tail between their legs!!!" He further screamed, kicking Victor away.

The elderly Lucario managed to roll back to his feet and create his blade right before Minato was on top of him again, blocking multiple strikes from his enraged student. "If you stayed and fought, Arc Island might still be standing!!" He continued reaming furiously. "We wouldn't have lost our home! Our friends! Those we swore to protect! If you stayed, I wouldn't have had to endure torture beyond your wildest dreams while I was captive at that damned Fortress!"

Minato then blasted Victor onto his back with a powerful Force Palm, running after him and standing on his arm to pin him down. He then raised his blade high above his head with the blade pointed right at Victor's skull. "IF YOU HAD STAYED, LINDA MIGHT STILL BE ALIVE!!!" He roared out before thrusting his blade down at Victor.

From Claire and Lashanne's perspective, it looked as if Minato had just skewered his master's head with his blade, but upon closer inspection, they saw that the sword had just barely missed him and had dug into the ground next to his left cheek. The younger Lucario then stepped away from Victor, his composure completely shattered as tears began to roll down his cheeks, both in realization at what he had done, and from remembering the events leading up to his capture, and the death of his late wife. Slowly he fell to his knees and began to sob heavily, paws digging into the ground as he wept, his body shaking heavily as well.

Lashanne lowered her branch as she saw Minato collapse, staring at the broken Pokémon kneeling in the dirt. "I... Don't think we're going to need to restrain them," she said, dryly.

"So it would seem." Claire concurred. "See to Minato. I have a few choice words to share with my husband," she added before storming over to the one armed Lucario that was just now starting to sit up and gaze at his broken pupil.

Lashanne nodded to her as she slid her branch into the holster on her back, and crossed the yard to her sobbing friend, kneeling beside him and laying a paw on his back. He flinched at first to her touch, but upon looking over to his right and recognizing the Delphox he relaxed and began leaning gently against her for any means of support and comfort. She put her arms around him, holding him gently and reassuringly as he continued to weep.

After being hoisted to his feet, Victor received quite an earful from the Gardevoir as he continued to watch his pupil weep and mourn for his loss. A look of deep regret soon crossed his features as he now saw firsthand the turmoil Minato had been going through up until this moment. He felt his heart drop slightly in his chest, and even as Claire continued to ream him out for his behaviour, the elder Lucario slowly turned on his heel and began to head back to his home, both to give Minato the space he needed, and to reflect on his actions up until this point...

Minato eventually calmed down after several more minutes of sobbing, the ground around his paws practically soaked from how hard he had cried. With Lashanne's help he stood tall on his feet again, looking to her and giving a small nod in appreciation for her comfort.

He then asked. "...Could you give me some time alone? I-I just need to reflect on all that's happened so far..."

Lashanne let out a sigh, but she nodded and gave him a pat on the shoulder before she turned and walked away, slowly. He in turn went in the opposite direction, specifically back toward the boat so he could be in complete privacy while he contemplated his thoughts.

Back in Victor and Claire's residence, The elder Lucario and his wife were sitting across from one another at the dinner table in silence for a time. Their argument had continued even after they departed from the battle against his pupil, his eye staring down at the table as he thought back to the words that were spoken during the fight.

The last thing Minato said before nearly stabbing his head really stung, making him wince every time they echoed in his head. If he _had_stayed, then perhaps he might have been able to save his daughter from certain death, but the damage was done, and his daughter, his pupil's wife, was no longer among the living.

He sighed, lifting his gaze toward Claire. "...I feel Minato might be right this time," he said softly, resting his head in his paw. "We should have stayed and fought back. Arc Island would still be standing if the three of us pitched in and did our part..."

Claire's shoulders slumped slightly as her gaze fell. "Or we might have perished with them... It's impossible to know," she said, being realistic. "Alas... What could have been is out of our hands now." She looked at him squarely, her eyes bearing venom toward her husbamd. "First thing in the morning, you need to seek Minato out and apologize for your transgression, as well as inform him of the truth... He does have a right to know your reasons for leaving."

"I know," Victor returned with a small nod. "In the heat of the moment, I guess I did not want to be reminded of why I fled the way I did... In hindsight it _was_cowardly in nature, but as you said, it's done now and cannot be undone."

"Why_did_you leave?" Lashanne asked, unable to keep back the nagging question. "Especially knowing your family was there?"

They both stiffened and looked over to Lashanne, having not noticed her enter the house. They glanced at one another for a moment, with Claire motioning for Victor to give the answer she was looking for. He sighed and nodded back before turning to Lashanne. "Please, come sit." He returned, gesturing for the Delphox to take a seat with them. She did, though never took her eyes off them as she moved to take the offered seat, lowering herself onto it and crossing her arms as she listened.

Victor took a moment to find the right words to say before speaking up. "We were off island when the attack happened." He began. "Claire and I were returning from the West after visiting an old friend, riding atop Bellator with a gift in hand for young Caulin. When we saw the smoke coming from Arc, we immediately rushed in to investigate what was going on." His gaze lowered before he closed his eye and shook his head sadly. "We were unprepared for what we saw... The town was in complete ruins. Bodies of dead or dying pokemon littering the streets along with debris from broken houses..."

Victor took a moment to rid himself of the images that flooded his mind, folding his paws to stop them from shaking. "The last thing we saw were those that survived being loaded onto a massive ship by those that I assumed were the ones responsible for the attack. I couldn't get a clear picture as to who exactly they were, but one figure did stand out from the rest."

"A Blaziken, one as black as the night sky with eyes of amethyst onlooking the destroyed city from the destroyed statue of the island's namesake. I can still picture the twisted grin he wore as he looked on at the destruction he and his forces wrought... The sadistic glee in his eyes as our gazes met." He paused again for a moment. "In that moment, I was filled with a sense of dread. I knew right then and there that if I engaged him, he would have killed me. So I made the decision to flee, grabbing Claire and taking off aboard Bellator to one of the neighbouring islands where I knew we'd be safe..."

Lashanne unfolded her arms, the realization dawning on her as she stared at Victor in shock. "So, you've seen him too," she said, almost in a whisper.

"I did... and I knew right away he wasn't normal. As I said, he had a sense of dread about him... and his aura was dark, unnaturally so." He replied. "I take it he is the one named Calhoun?"

Lashanne gave a slow nod. "Yes, that was him," she said. "He's the leader of that whole group, and... from what I've gained from Minato and Volcan, the one... Who killed your daughter."

Claire grimaced slightly and turned her gaze away when their daughter was brought up, leaving Victor to continue. "Minato has every right to believe I am a coward for fleeing... I have indeed wronged him, and as his master, it is my responsibility to right this wrong that I have inflicted upon him." He admitted with a heavy slump.

Claire then lifted her gaze. "On the topic of Linda... Did Caulin survive the attack?" She asked in a pleading tone. "Or was he one of the unfortunate victims?"

Lashanne looked at her, not responding immediately. But soon, a reassuring smile formed on her face. She rose from her seat and approached Claire, placing a paw over the Gardevoir's arm. "He's alive," she replied. "Alive and healthy, right now under the care of Volcan back in Port Azure."

They both let out a collective sigh of relief, with Claire resting a hand over her chest to steady her beating heart. "Oh thank Arceus..." She whispered softly.

"That is indeed wonderful news." Victor returned, actually smiling for a change at the news of his grandson's well being.

"I've spent some time with him, when I first went to Azure myself," Lashanne stated, wanting to bring them some comfort. "He spoke a lot about you two. I think he really misses his grandparents."

The two looked to one another again, with Victor rubbing his chin slightly as a thought ran through his mind. "...Perhaps we _should_pay the young lad a visit," he mused. "I still have that gift I meant to give him the day the island was sieged."

Claire smiled at that. "I think that would be a wonderful idea." She concurred. "It's about high time we vacated this island anyway. We've been here for far too long, and I think Bellator has been rather restless as of late as well."

Lashanne smiled and nodded. "I'm sure that'll make Caulin very happy," she said. "He's a brave kid, brave to the point of being reckless." She rolled her eyes, letting out a breath. "But he needs his family. All of them."

Victor's smile faded a little after hearing that. "...Reckless how?" He asked. "I hope he hasn't been taking what I once told him _too_literally."

"If that something is that you sometimes need to do something incredibly dangerous to do the right thing, then yes, he definitely is," Lashanne replied, returning to her chair and falling back into it. "See, a little while back, Volcan was kidnapped by this Emboar - are you familiar with the name 'Grom'?"

"Ugh,_that_buffoon?" He asked with mild disgust. "What did he do this time?"

"Short answer, he took up some hair-brained scheme to draw out Calhoun, by pretending to be trying to collect a bounty the Dark Crusade placed on Volcan," Lashanne explained. "We caught onto it shortly after he trashed Volcan's house in Azure, and chased him to a town called Marliogne where he was supposed to make the exchange."

"Minato was laid up in Azure, too weakened from his fight with Calhoun to go on the mission, but Caulin stowed away aboard my airship. We ended up taking him along, so that we wouldn't miss our chance to catch Grom, and during the fight at Marilogne he slipped away and tried to free Volcan. It nearly cost him his life when Seji caught him, and-"

The sudden shift in Victor's expression caused her to trail off, seeing Claire's face and her husband's one good eye shift from disdain for Grom's actions, to a look of complete and utter horror. Claire even gasped as the name was brought up before she looked to Victor.

"...Would you care to repeat that name, miss?" Victor said in a low whisper.

"Seji. An Alakazam," she replied, taken aback by his shift in mood. "He works for Calhoun now, and before that, he was my rival in acquiring ancient artifacts." Her eyes narrowed as a memory returned to her, of when she - along with Luke and Volcan, encountered Seji outside Princeport. "Wait... I just remembered, Volcan said he knew Seji from somewhere, but he-" She paused, and looked at Victor again. "Wait... Y_ou_know him?"

"...He was my brother in training, back when we were younger. Friendly rivals of a sort." Victor answered softly, his horrified expression still present as he spoke. "He was...quite overzealous in his pursuits, but he meant well in his endeavours." He then lowered his gaze as his horrified look turned into disappointment. "I never imagined he would be swayed so easily by that demon Blaziken... Tell me, did he reveal to you why he joined this 'Dark Crusade?'" He asked.

Lashanne shook her head. "No. I didn't even know he was part of it until I saw him at Marilogne," she said. "Until that day I assumed he was just some thug sending his hired muscle to do his dirty work, to take artifacts I uncovered for his own gains."

Victor shook his head. "Seji isn't that simple. He wouldn't join a cause unless he was offered something of equal or greater value," he confirmed. "Calhoun must have promised something truly worth his attention..."

"No shortage of psychos and murderers in that lot," Lashanne added with disgust, shaking her head. "Perhaps Seji just wanted power, and he saw it in this group."

"Perhaps." Victor returned, slowly standing up from his seat and shooting Lashanne a firm look. "Either way, this changes everything. If Seji is involved with Calhoun's heinous plans, I cannot sit by idly and watch as he plunges the world into whatever hell he has planned." He added with a nod. "Lashanne, was it? Please inform my pupil I have made my decision."

"You've decided to come with us?" She asked, rising to her feet.

"I have." Victor confirmed with a smirk. "I will join your cause."

"As will I." Claire returned, standing tall herself and standing by her husband.

Lashanne nodded. "Okay. I'll tell him. When should we head out?" She asked.

"Whenever Minato is ready to return." Victor answered. "We'll begin preparing for our departure while you inform him of the good news." He added with a smirk.

She nodded again, and turned to run out of the house, making her way back to the boat in a brisk jog.

~~~~~

Back on the Phalanx boat, Minato was laying on his back on the cot with his paws resting on his chest, staring absently at the ceiling as he let his mind wander. He reflected on the fight he and Victor had just had, making him grimace as he recounted the words he shouted to the elder Lucario during their duel. In hindsight, he really couldn't pin the blame on Victor for the death of his wife and the destruction of his island home. He was just so angry at that moment that he needed an outlet of some sort to direct his anger at, and Victor unfortunately happened to be the closest target...

He let out a heavy sigh, cursing himself internally for his actions. He originally sought Victor out to reconcile with him, and instead of patching things up he made things worse between them, and like with the last time they fought, it was all because of a temper tantrum for not getting his way... He was better than that and he knew it...

After several minutes of berating himself, the Lucario finally decided he needed to make things right once again. He willed himself to hop off of the cot he lay on and headed for the boat deck, where he leapt off of the boat and entered a light jog up the hill back toward Victor's household.

As he turned around some bushes, he nearly ran into Lashanne, who stopped just in time to avoid crashing into him. "O-Oh. Hey," she said. "Was just looking for you."

"Really now?" Minato asked before he stepped around Lashanne to continue on his way. "It'll have to wait. I need to speak to Victor again." He added quickly.

"Part of why I'm here. Come on," she replied, turning to head back the way she had come from.

"I take it he sent you to check on me?" He asked as they travelled back to the house together. "Make sure I wasn't doing something I'd regret further?"

"Something like that," she replied, looking over her shoulder at him. "You know, you really flew off the handle today."

"Part of the reason why I'm going back." Minato returned softly, lowering his gaze slightly. "I know I overstepped my boundaries greatly... I came here to reconnect with my master, and I ended up distancing the gap even further between us. I need to rectify that before I leave..."

"Overstepped?" She asked, spinning around to face him. "You nearly stabbed your teacher through the fucking _head!"_She blurted out, throwing her arms out widely. "I would club you for that one if my good arm wasn't fresh out of a sling!"

"You still have your left." He returned, keeping his gaze forward and fully anticipating her to hit him right at that moment.

"You're right," she replied, leaning forward with her left arm raised as it ignited with fire. "And I think I know just where to put it to make it hurt." She added, speaking through gritted teeth.

He stared right back at her, feeling the heat of the fire on her paw as she stepped forward. He said nothing more on the subject, only watching her to see what she might do next. He was fully anticipating her to strike him, and with the hint she dropped he was clenching his legs to prepare for the worst pain imaginable.

But then, after a moment or two of glaring at him, the flames around her fist went out and she lowered her arm, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Look... I may not know what happened that night," she said. "But this anger boiling up in you, that nearly drove you to making a huge mistake minutes ago... You have to get it out. To let it go somehow, before it gets turned on someone else."

She stepped forward then, driving her finger into his chest as she went on. "Especially if that might be Caulin," she growled. "You made that boy suffer enough once already and I for one will not see you do it again."

With that, she turned away from him and resumed their walk, her tail flicking angrily behind her as she continued toward Victor's house.

Minato sighed and waited until she was a fair distance away before he followed after her, unable to think of any words to defend himself. He had none - he didn't _deserve_to be defended. Not after the mistake he had made...

When they arrived at the house, Victor and Claire were already patching up the hole in their house from when the elder lucario punched Minato. They stopped when Lashanne entered first, watching her silently as she entered the house until they saw Minato enter seconds later. When their gazes met, Victor motioned for Minato to approach with his paw, to which the younger lucario hesitantly obliged.

There they stood in silence for a long while, with Lashanne's and Claire's eyes on both of them intently to see what would come out of this second encounter. What followed next stunned them all, as Victor suddenly lifted his arm out from his cloak and pulled his pupil into a light embrace. The unexpected action made Minato go rigid as a plank of wood, surprised by the affectionate gesture.

"...I'm sorry, son," Victor whispered gently to Minato.

Claire let out a small sigh of relief, holding her hand across her chest. She feared that they would enter another argument that would escalate into another brawl between the two, but when she saw her husband actually express regret and offer comfort to Minato, her fears were quickly put to rest. Lashanne was similarly relieved, letting out a breath she had been holding as she saw them reconciling and moved to lean against the wall.

Minato however didn't reciprocate the embrace. His arms hung loose at his sides for the longest time in Victor's embrace. He then lifted his paws and lightly pushed away from Victor, lifting his gaze to meet the elder Lucario's.

"No... I'm sorry, Master," he returned softly as his expression saddened. "I let my temper fly off the handle and I nearly killed you as a result. And it isn't the first time... Long before I found you, I ended up flying off the handle with my colleague over a similar matter," he added before lowering his head in shame.

Victor sighed and shook his head slowly. "It's clear you're suffering, my boy. And it is understandable," he said softly. "You are burning inside... Part of you is longing for vengeance, while the other for peace. You are conflicted, filled with grief and anger. It is tearing you up inside, and I have not been there to help you quell it. And, you were right... It _is_partly my fault. I have grown soft in my golden years, and it stopped from acting when I might have done something." He clenched his paw angrily. "But I will correct that mistake."

"How?" Minato asked, keeping his gaze lowered. "You've made it clear you have no desire to return to the battlefield, so what more could you-"

"I've changed my mind." Victor cut Minato off, making the younger Lucario's ears straighten up and lift his gaze to meet Victor's. "Thanks to your colleague, I now have a reason to become involved..." He added, gesturing to Lashanne with a nod.

"Soon as I dropped Seji's name, it was a new game," remarked Lashanne, crossing her arms.

"You're kidding!" Minato whispered, looking back and forth between Lashanne and Victor. "_That's_all it took to change your mind??"

"After Lashanne informed me of Seji's involvement in Calhoun's conquest, my thoughts on the matter changed." Victor returned. "You're aware that he and I were once fellow students under the same teacher, and were friendly rivals of a sort. I'm choosing to involve myself because I need to know for sure _how_Seji was lured to Calhoun's side... And on top of that, why."

Minato then started to smile, perhaps for the first time since arriving on the island. He then turned to Lashanne and blurted out. "Lashanne, I could _kiss_you!" Without even realizing it.

She arched a brow at him, as if to say 'did you really just say that?' And a long, awkward silence fell over the room. Victor and Claire both stared at Minato with mild surprise, their eyes widened in shock after their pupil's sudden announcement.

Minato quickly caught onto the sudden silence and tried to save face by coughing a bit and clearing his throat. "Uh-I mean... Thank you." He remarked, trying to retain his composure, his tail twitching in apprehension.

"Uh. Sure," she replied, looking away slowly.

"...Well, with that out of the way." Claire spoke up. "We can leave as early as tomorrow. Victor and I have already begun packing our things for the journey, so I suggest you two make sure you have everything you need before turning in for the night." She suggested.

"Everything we need is already on the boat," Lashanne replied with a shrug. "So, I guess all we need then is rest. I'll plot us a course to take us back to Azure before I turn in tonight."

"I'm... Probably just going to turn in right now actually." Minato remarked. "Is there a spare bed here?" He asked.

"We have one, yes." Victor returned. "But, sadly _only_one, and after that little outburst," he remarked, glancing to Lashanne to gauge her reaction.

She turned her head to hide her blush, clearing her throat. "I can sleep on the boat," she assured them. "I slept in a hammock for two years - I can manage with the fold-out cot."

"N-No, it's fine." Minato quickly piped up. "You can have the spare bed, Lashanne. I'll sleep on the boat." He offered.

"I have to go out there to plan out our route anyway," she countered. "All of my navigational equipment is out there."

"Even so, I insist you sleep in something more comfortable." Minato returned. "Regardless of the fact you're used to it, after all the crap you've endured from me during this-"

"And_I_insist you spend time catching up with your in-laws," Lashanne returned, gesturing to Victor and Claire. "These are your family, not mine. I have work to do on the boat, so it only makes sense I sleep out there - I have no business sleeping in their house." She added the last part with a tone of finality. "If you want to do me a favour just give me the privacy to do what I came to do - make sure _you_don't get lost. Now, I've got work to do."

With that, she turned and started for the door, opening it to step out. Minato reached out to try and stop her, but the door had slammed shut before he could get a single word out. An awkward silence befell the three of them for a time, making things rather uncomfortable for Minato as he stood there and contemplated her words.

"She_does_raise a good point." Claire finally piped up. "It has been a while since we last spoke, and I'm sure you've plenty of experiences you'd like to share." She offered before gesturing to the table. "Come. Sit. Tell us about your exploits."

Minato sighed and let his shoulders slump a bit. "Fair enough." He admitted as he turned to face his masters, scratching behind his head before he went to take a seat with them. "Where to start..."

The rest of the evening was spent with Minato reciting his exploits up until they departed Azure to seek Victor and Claire out, with the two of them listening intently and offering their own praises to Minato's progress in his exploits. He did feel his old self starting to return as he caught up with his masters, but part of him still felt that bit of doubt in the back of his mind. Not so much about his capabilities this time, but more geared toward Lashanne and how he'd been treating her as of late...

When he retired for the night, he had a hard time falling asleep for a good long while. His thoughts were still focused on the Delphox who volunteered to help him in this journey, and how rocky their time together was throughout the trip. The more he reflected on how he treated her, the more it started to clue in that... maybe... the reason he was acting so abrasively toward her was because he truly_was_developing an attraction toward her, but his subconscious was actively trying to push it back down out of fear that the same thing that happened to his late wife would happen to her as well...

'Do I dare do it, and risk having my heart broken again?'_He asked himself. _'Would i survive going through that again?'