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The silence between Luke and Romulus had long carried into the zone of uncomfortable as they stared each other down, separated only by the table between them. Luke was still breathing hard, trying to hold himself back, while Romulus remained stoic and passive, patiently waiting for the Lucario to speak. Luminara and Volcan had moved into the kitchen, not wanting to distract the two from what was already a very uncomfortable situation for them both - mostly, for Luke. Occasionally, they snuck a peek inside to check on them, finding them both exactly the same for nearly twenty minutes straight.

"The tension in there is so palpable I could use it for a guitar string," Volcan muttered to the elder Lucario female, pulling his head back as he checked on her son and their 'guest'.

Not that he was any less rigid in her presence, something Luminara was keenly aware of. He had been very uptight from the moment they had walked into the house, and remained so as they stood there alone in the kitchen.

"You're rather tense too, Volcan." Luminara remarked, using her paw to poke his back when he looked back into the dining room. "Is it because of Romulus' presence here? Or are you nervous about being in _my_presence?" She inquired, her tone flat and very difficult to read.

Volcan swallowed hard. "A little of both, maybe," he replied. "But... No, that's bull. It's more the latter." He admitted. "I'm worried how Luke will take this visit, true, but... I haven't forgotten my own offense either."

"Rightly not." Luminara concurred. "You crossed a very thin line, Volcan, and as a result, my son almost fell back into the pit of despair that you helped pull him out of. Rigel to this day still curses your name."

Before Volcan could get a response in, she lifted her paw to silence him. "With that being said," she began. "I did get a chance to talk to your mother about all of this, and it's clear to us that what happened was a result of poor communication and my son's unwillingness to listen to your reasons. I am willing to give you another chance, just as Luke has." Her eyes narrowed, her face a mask of sternness, showing Volcan that he had better heed her every word. "But I want you to remember this incident. Let it serve as a reminder to you that trust and communication are a huge part of my family, and if either one of those traits falls short, there _will_be consequences... Do you understand, young man?"

"Absolutely!" He replied, likely louder than he intended as he stood at attention before her, lowering his voice again before he continued. "Message received. But..." he relaxed slightly. "All this time, you were mad at me for Luke?" He rubbed the back of his head. "I thought you were angry because of... Well..." He struggled to say the words, but Luminara knew what he meant.

"That... Was my own fault." Luminara admitted, lowering her gaze. "I was more upset by the fact that Sol had returned, rather than by your involvement, or Nido coming to his defense... I let my temper and my personal vendetta against Sol get the better of me. It cost me my husband, and Luke's best friend and father figure..." She said with a heavy sigh. "I've been watching the boy since his return, and it seems whatever you did for him, it has clearly knocked some sense into him... He seems much calmer and less temperamental than he was before Nido exiled him."

Volcan nodded in understanding, his hand rubbing the back of his neck before he turned to her, cupping both hands together. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I _never_wanted to break your family apart like that... I thought I was doing the right thing, giving Sol a second chance and... A chance for a father and brother to have him back." He recalled the day he had taken Sol to Luna's house, and how overjoyed the Zangoose had been to have Sol back, even if Sol himself was uncomfortable the entire time. "I just... Sol was a good person once... I wanted to see if I could help him become one again. But I never wanted it to affect you, or your relationship with Nido."

"I know you never meant to do that... And putting my own prejudices aside, you did do the right thing by giving him a second chance. I could see that Nido was very pleased that his son had returned even if I could not look past Sol's past misdeeds. I've also since noticed Luna has been walking with more of a spring in his step when I see him in town with his family. I have not seen him so happy in a long time." She offered Volcan a small smile. "I suppose you've taken after Luke a lot more than I expected."

Volcan smiled back. "He's a very inspirational man," he replied.

"And he is very lucky to have you in his life." She returned, stepping forward and opening her arms to Volcan for a warm, motherly hug.

Volcan accepted the embrace without hesitation, putting his arms around Luminara and holding her as tight as he would hold his own mother during moments like this. He stifled a light sob, the relief in his heart letting all the tension melt away in a single tear.

"I make you this promise, Luminara. I will_never_. Hurt him again," he vowed.

"I know you won't, Volcan... You love him too much to do that willingly." She whispered softly, pulling back to look him in the eye with a warm gaze... which then turned into a devious one as she poked his beak with her paw. "That... and I know where to find you if you do..."

Volcan swallowed again, his expression akin to a Deerling caught in a searchlight. But as their conversation came to a close, they heard Luke finally speaking in the next room. His voice was almost menacing as he asked the Houndoom a single, straight to the point question, not even trying to hide how much Romulus' presence angered him. They dared to look back into the room as the conversation began.

"You mind explaining to me why the _hell_you're here in Port Azure? Under my mother's roof, no less?" The Lucario growled, his paws clenched tightly against his sides as he struggled not to explode right then and there.

"I meant to find you directly, but you were away," Romulus replied plainly. "As for why I'm here, there was news I needed to bring you that I didn't want to risk being lost in postage." He leaned forward slightly. "It's about your friend, Kage."

Luke's left eye twitched at the mention of the name of his second. "Yea, I know you were in contact with him. Saying that you needed his help with some secret mission of sorts." Luke remarked, still shaking in rage. "What does that have to do with you being here?"

"Because the mission went awry," replied Romulus, finally getting the Lucario's full attention. "Kage has been taken captive by the enemy, while searching the South Islands. Only one of the team managed to escape, to tell us what happened."

Luke's fur bristled, his breathing increasing as his eyes fixed upon Romulus. "...I'm sorry, run that by me again?" Luke asked, tilting his head and pretending to have not heard him correctly. "Because I'm pretty sure you didn't_just say that Kage was captured... By _the enemy." He repeated, his eyes slowly shrinking into beads as he repeated Romulus' earlier statement.

"I'm afraid that is exactly what I said," he replied. "The reason I am here, is that I am putting together a-"

Luke did not let him finish. He launched himself at Romulus, flying over the table and grabbing him by the throat. The couch Romulus sat on tipped back as Luke carried him through the air, slamming him against the wall with a feral snarl. His face was such a mask of rage, it was akin to when he had been corrupted at the monastery. But this time, the rage was his alone, as was the hatred he felt for the Houndoom choking in his grasp.

"YOU MANIPULATIVE PIECE OF SHIT!!!" He roared at the top of his lungs. "You sent my colleague behind enemy lines, knowing_there was a chance of him getting caught and possibly _killed! When exactly were you planning on letting us all in on this little half baked idea of yours, Romulus?!" He demanded, baring his fangs at the Houndoom as he held him against the wall, squeezing his neck in his paw firmly.

Romulus gagged, unable to form a reply. Instinctively, he pulled back his legs and kicked out with all four paws, hurling the Lucario off him and allowing the Houndoom to drop to the floor on all fours, coughing. Luke started to run at him again, when someone shouted his name and he felt a pair of hands seizing him from behind, pulling him back, while another - his mother, moved to Romulus' side to help him.

"Luke, stop!" Volcan screamed at him, refusing to release the thrashing Lucario. "Pull yourself together!"

"_Let go of me!"_Luke roared back at Volcan, thrashing wildly against his grasp. "He sent my friend to his death! He's going to pay for it, one way or another!"

"Luke, enough!" Luminara shouted back at her son, causing him to flinch and cease his movements, frozen by her commanding voice. "You are out of control! Calm down and let Romulus speak!"

"He's said enough!" Luke growled back in defiance, his eyes leering dangerously at the Houndoom even as Luminara helped him back to his feet and nurse his throat. "You once told me, Romulus, that sometimes in order to fight a monster, you have to _become_a monster. Well look at where that line of thought has brought you!"

He finally pulled himself free of Volcan's grasp, but when he didn't attack, Volcan stood back and let him speak. "I was right about you after you passed that decision to raise Calhoun's threat level... You really _are_no better than him!"

With that, Luke turned on his heel and immediately ran for the door, not even slowing when Volcancalled after him. The door slammed behind Luke, only to be opened again as Volcan hurried after his distraught boyfriend.

Romulus coughed as he rubbed his throat with a paw. "It seems... I have overstayed my welcome," he rasped.

"I apologize for his actions, Counsellor Romulus." Luminara said softly, placing her paw around his throat and applying a Heal Pulse to ease the pain away.

Romulus let out a relieved sigh, feeling the pain in his throat fade and letting him speak normally again. "Thank you," he said. "But, I am no longer a Counsellor. This new mission is to be my final executive decision before I return home to Gladiator City. I meant to tell him everything... But he hasn't forgotten how I wronged him."

"I've only ever really seen him _that_angry only a few times; he's normally a very patient young man." She explained to him. "I don't know what you did to anger him so, but regardless, he had no right to lay a paw on you like that..."

He looked to her, meeting her gaze as he spoke. "The short of it is, I discredited him in the council, in order to get things moving again. When he left to rescue his man from the rogue, Grom of Team Kopis, we were back in a perpetual stalemate - they would not come to a decision without him. Soon after came the report from Team Phalanx, about Calhoun - about what they had seen him do up north." He lowered his head. "I had to slander Luke's name to get things moving again. I argued that he had left for personal reasons and we did not even know if or when he would be coming back, when he was effectively throwing himself into the enemy's waiting hands. He also had a bounty on his head at the time.."

Luminara stood up with him, a light scowl present on her face after hearing the reason as to why Luke hated Romulus so much. "Personal reasons?" She repeated in a more firm, scornful tone. "He left to save his future husband, the man he wishes to spend his life with. His _family!"_She added. "What part of that logic do you not understand? Luke has always put those he holds dearest to him before his own desires, and I would think that, as Captain of one of the highest ranking Rescue Teams, you would understand that as well."

He lowered his gaze then, the expression on his face almost heartbreaking to look at. There was no empathy there, nothing to show he understood. "I'm afraid I don't, miss Luminara," he said in such a glib tone, he might as well have been a featureless statue. "There was only one who I thought I was ever precious to. That same one... Threw me into a pit of fighters before I was ten years old."

The statement left her so stunned, she could not formulate a response. Without another word, Romulus started for the door, and left the shocked Lucario female to consider what he had said. By the time she thought of anything she could say to him, the Houndoom was already gone...

"Luke, slow down!" Volcan called after his betrothed, having to jog to keep up with him as he walked back to their house, still fuming.

He stormed through the front door, not even waiting for Volcan to enter as he began pacing around the living room. He was breathing hard, his paws clenching and unclenching, wanting to hit something. He started considering throwing everything that was closest to him against the nearest wall just to vent some of that anger out. Alas, when he picked up a picture frame in his paw and aimed to hurl it as hard as he could, he stopped. Frozen in place and breathing heavily for a few moments before he slowly put the picture back down, then slumped to his knees as he started to sob lightly.

"Damn him!" Luke whimpered, his ears flattening as the despair grew within him once more. "Damn that bastard! Who does he think he is, sending _my_friend to fight on _his_behalf!" He hollered. "He had no right! He had no right, damn him to hell!" He slammed his paws on the floor, striking the wood again and again as tears flowed from his eyes. "Damn you, Romulus!"

Volcan ran over to him , kneeling beside him and grabbing both of Luke's shoulders. He turned him to face the Blaziken. "Luke!" He shouted in his face. "Look at me!" He met Luke's gaze with an intense look of his own, his hands holding Luke's shoulders in a vice-like grip. "You need. To settle.Down." He stated slowly and in a calmer tone than he really felt

"How can I?" Luke practically bawled at Volcan. "Kage is my second in command! I don't give a damn what Romulus has to say or why he did it, he sent my friend on a suicide mission!" He added before going back into a sobbing fit. "He's gone too far this time!"

"Romulus didn't say Kage was dead," Volcan stated, getting Luke's attention. "He was captured. That means he's still alive. We can still save him. Maybe that's why he came here, to help us get him back!"

Luke gave a small pause after Volcan finished his statement, looking back to him with a small bit of hope in his eyes as the possibility of saving his comrade hung over him. Slowly he stood back up and wiped his cheeks with his paw, taking a few moments to try and calm himself before he spoke up again.

"You're right... He didn't say that he was dead, only captured." He admitted, nodding softly. "We can save him, just like we saved those from Arc Island from their old fortress."

"Yes, exactly," Volcan agreed, still holding his lover's shoulders, though his grip had lessened. "We haven't lost him yet. We can save him - we _will_save him."

"That's exactly what we're going to do." Luke agreed. "But we're doing it on _our_terms, not his. We'll gather up everyone that's been involved in this crisis one way or another, we'll take the airship, and fly over to where they're holding him captive..."

"Wait, just us?" Volcan asked. "What if there's already a plan in place? We could have-"

Once again, Luke didn't want to hear it. "I don't want to hear another word about that two-faced bastard." He growled angrily. "Kage's _our_friend. _We're_going to rescue him, not Romulus." He stated firmly, then looked to Volcan. "Radio your team and tell them to meet at our place. I'll do the same for mine, as well as anyone else who has a history with Kage."

"Luke, wait," Volcan pleaded. "You know I will support you whatever we decide to do, but think about this. This isn't a single fortified location we're going to this time, it may be their base. We barely got out of the last one and there were six teams there. You're talking about going out with only two this time."

"This time is different. We _know_more about Calhoun and his forces than we did during the first raid. We were pretty much going in with almost no knowledge of who or what Calhoun really was." He said as he grasped Volcan's hands in his paws. "This time around, we'll be better prepared. We know how Calhoun became a Shadow Pokemon, as well as the kind of man he used to be. On top of that, we've also discovered that Dark Types are immune to his corruptive abilities. We have a better chance against him than we did the first time around."

"Well that may all be true, but still-" Volcan started to say, when there was a knock on the door. He turned to it, and in walked Minato, followed by the rest of Team Phalanx.

"I could hear shouting from next door," Lashanne remarked. "What happened? Please don't tell us you guys are fighting again."

"No, nothing like that," assured Volcan. "But uh... Well, there was quite a surprise guest waiting for us at Luke's mother's house."

"Who?" Serena asked, tilting her head.

"Romulus," replied Volcan.

Tristan sputtered, shaking his head. "Wait, Romulus is _here?_In Azure?"

"Why?? What reason would a Counsellor have to visit this backwater port town?" Minato remarked, then looked over to Luke. "No offense."

"None taken." Luke said before he heaved a heavy sigh. "You all may as well get comfortable. I'm holding an emergency meeting for both our teams... And what we have to share is pretty heavy to say the least..."

"The others should be along shortly," replied Lashanne. "Eagle Eye was out of town running an errand. They're just waiting for him and then they'll be heading over here."

"Where's Sol? Did you not find him?" Volcan asked.

"He's coming too. He was also outside town, training in the woods," replied Lashanne.

"Yea, that sounds like him..." Luke muttered, rolling his eyes. "He takes a lot after his father, even if he flat out denies it." He said, then he lifted a paw to his earpiece. "Hank, you there? I take it Eagle Eye informed you about what's happened?" He asked, then paused as he listened to his comrade. "Good... Get here as fast as you can. If you're able to, bring Wade as well. He's going to want to hear this..."

Soon, everyone was gathered in the now fairly crowded living room, waiting on their captains to speak. The house wasn't designed to accommodate so many, but they made it work, seating themselves where they could and standing when there were no options left. Once everyone was gathered, Volcan started the meeting.

"Okay. There's been a slight change in plans," he began. "We're still going to fill you all in on what happened up north, but we have a new emergency to deal with. I'm sure everyone sees we're still down a man. Well, he's the purpose of this meeting. We just found out Kage was taken captive by the enemy at their base in the Great South Islands."

All of Team Valiant, plus Wade, were completely shocked at this revelation, with Hank being the first to speak up about it. "No fuckin' way! You're lying!" Hank hollered in denial. "There's no way Froggie coulda got caught! He's the best at sneakin around and being all stealthy ninja and all that jazz!"

"I'm afraid he isn't lying." Luke answered. "Earlier, we had a visit from... A certain Houndoom... And he informed me of Kage's capture." He explained to his team. "The secret mission he was a part of involved him getting behind enemy lines, specifically Calhoun's, and he ultimately was captured by them."

"Well, why are we all just standing here cooling our jets! We gotta go save him!" Eagle Eye hollered frantically.

"We will," said Volcan, waving his hand in a gesture for Eagle Eye to settle down. "But first we need two things. First and foremost, we need a guide. We don't know those islands, and only one person made it back from the mission, who we also don't know or what their status is."

"But we don't know anyone who's been to the islands, do we?" Serena asked.

"We do," Lashanne put in. "In fact she's_from_them, right?"

Luke perked up. "Right! Jora! She's from the South Islands, maybe she could help us!"

"But, last I checked, wasn't she still down in Hadleigh?" Hank piped up. "And even then, would she really wanna go back there after all this time? I mean, she didn't exactly give the place a stellar review."

"She's the only one I can think of that can help guide us along the South Islands." Luke answered. "If we don't at least try, it'll take us longer to search for Calhoun's new base, and in that time, who knows what they'd do to Kage... We can't take that risk."

"So our first stop then will be Hadleigh," said Volcan.

"Think we can get the other teams there to back us up too?" Tristan asked.

"I wish we could. But Team Plainsrunner is down their flier," said Volcan. "And Neilla has to worry about her home too, same with Team Storm."

"Volcan's right," said Luke. "Hadleigh has become the new center of the Council. They need as many hands as they can get to ensure the city remains protected. We're going there only to convince Jora to be our guide, and then we're going straight to the South."

"Peh. If you ask me, we should just torch the fucking base when we get there." Sol remarked offhandedly.. "He's a Water Type, he'll be able to resist whatever we throw at him."

"We don't even know how big the base is yet, Sol," Volcan pointed out. "And, Kage's not the only one who was on that mission-"

He paused as Lashanne stood up suddenly, putting a finger to her lips as she walked toward the door. "Okay then," she said, drawing her wand. "We'll need to prepare some supplies, get a map of the islands if we can find one, and - YOINK!" She pointed her wand out the door, and then gave a pull. A figure came flying inside, dragged by their own clothing by the Delphox and hurled back first into the counter.

She put her foot on the Greninja's chest, pointing her wand at his face as he looked up at her. "So, care to explain how long you've been eavesdropping, kid?" She demanded.

Wade's jaw fell open, immediately recognizing the intruder when the hood fell away from their face. "Hageshi?" He demanded.

Everyone in Team Valiant brandished their tools when they saw the hooded Greninja in their presence, already expecting him to attack at any moment's notice. He looked at them calmly before raising a hand. "Put your weapons away... I'm not here for malicious reasons..."

"Then answer Lashanne's question,." Luke warned Hageshi.

"...I heard enough to understand that my father is in mortal danger." He said calmly, turning his gaze away from Team Valiant over to Lashanne. "I'm going with you to save him."

"Like _hell_you are!" Hank hollered, flexing his claws dangerously. "You think we'd just let you waltz in and do whatever the hell you want after the stunts you pulled in Hadleigh, fuckwitt?"

"I couldn't care less about how you feel about me, or your take on the situation... One way or another, I'm_going_ to save my father..." He retorted with a stern leer.

"Over my dead body, you little punk!" Volcan yelled harshly, walking up to the Greninja. "If you've been listening, you might have heard us mention a certain Salazzle. The one you_tried to skewer, in cold blood, in front of one of her _children!" He hoisted Hageshi up by his hood, glaring him in the eye as he held him up. "What makes you think any of us would be stupid enough to let you _near_her again? At the mere sight of you we'd probably lose her support!"

Hageshi kept that stoic gaze of his despite Volcan's rambling. The sheer likeness to his father was disturbingly uncanny. "...Over these past few months, I've taken the time to reflect on my actions during my life... I've spent time away from civilization and lived solely off of the land and the resources it provides." He began. "Through my time in solitude, I've come to at least somewhat understand what my father has been trying to teach me in terms of life and how precious it really is... And while that doesn't absolve me of my transgressions, I am at least trying to develop a different outlook on life."

He then opened up his cloak, revealing to Volcan that he was completely unarmed in order to prove his point. "As I told your comrades, I am not here with malicious intent. I am here because my father is in danger, and as his son, I must do what I can to bring him home..."

"Yea, likely story." Eagle Eye squawked, flapping his wings. "I bet you the second we let him outta our sight, he'll start goin' on a killing spree. Just watch."

Wade watched Hageshi as he listened to his words, narrowing his eyes somewhat. Out of all those present in this room, he was the only one who really knew the kind of Greninja Hageshi really was, save for his parents. He has always known Hageshi to be cold, ruthless and relentless in his own twisted pursuit of justice, and yet here he was, practically pouring his heart out, albeit in his own stoic manner, and asking to help in rescuing his father.

Finally, he spoke up, and what came out of Wade's mouth stunned everyone. "...I say he should join us."

Volcan looked over at Wade, studying him for a moment, and then looked at Hageshi again, lowering his hands so that the Greninja's feet were resting on the floor comfortably. "Luke," said Volcan. "Jora trusts you most out of all of us. Do you think you could convince her to work with Hageshi?"

"I can certainly try..." Luke answered as best he could, but then stepped toward Hageshi and leered at him dangerously. "But I swear to Arceus, if you step out of line even_once_ during this excursion, I will personally incarcerate you and throw you into the Siphon Prison for the rest of your life... You will follow our every order. You don't move unless we say you can. And under NO circumstances will you be allowed to kill _anyone._This is a rescue operation, not a assassination job. Am I clear...?" He asked firmly.

"Crystal..." Hageshi returned calmly.

Volcan released his cloak then, allowing Hageshi to step away from him. He then turned to regard the others, meeting each of their gazes. He could tell none of them were pleased about the arrangements. But, he knew as well as they, without Kage himself they were still down a stealth master, and Hageshi was as close as any of them were going to get. He counted heads; his team, numbering six. Luke's, numbering five without Kage. Two add-ons - three counting Jora and that was without factoring in Lashanne's co-pilot, Toby. A total of fourteen. Less than half of what they'd had when they met Calhoun the first time, but a solid force with many skills and strengths.

"We're going," he said. "Lashanne, prep the airship. Minato, go get Caulin and take him over to Victor's or to my mother. We may be gone for a while. Everybody else, grab everything you need and collect all the supplies you can - non-perishables or long shelf life preferred."

Minato nodded once, then silently excused himself as he went to fetch his son to take him to Victor's place first. Everyone else began exiting the house one after the other, all of them returning to their residences to gather up what supplies they could carry, and to gather and long lasting food they could afford.

The last one to leave was Sol, who was watching Hageshi intently the whole time even as he left the building. He approached Volcan from the side and leaned close to him. "...Ya think you can really trust that little shit?" He asked quietly. "Don't get me wrong, I've done some pretty bad shit before you showed up, but killing a parent in front of their child? C'mon even I'm not that cruel..."

"We _will_be watching him," Volcan assured Sol. "I don't trust Hageshi, but we're going to need every advantage for this mission to work." He looked at Sol. "Especially if we run into their big guns. You up for it?"

"That a rhetorical question, dumbass?" Sol retorted before punching his fists together. "I've been _dying_to get another crack at that asshole since he broke me outta prison. Last time he caught me when I was weak... THIS time, I'm gonna burn him to the ground and spread his ashes to the wind..." He growled, smoke emitting from his nostrils as he spoke.

"Keep that fire tempered until we have eyes on him," said Volcan. "After that, make like our artillery and rain hell down on 'em." He patted Sol's shoulder. "Grab everything you need. I'll see you on the ship."

"Yea... Sure thing, Cap." Sol remarked, calming himself down and stepping out of the house to grab whatever he had at his disposal, leaving Luke and Volcan to their own devices.

Volcan turned to Luke then, studying him closely and trying to get a sense of where his lover was at. Luke was staring off into the distance, his mind wandering a little as he thought about his decision to rescue their friend. He gave a heavy sigh and looked back over to Volcan once his thoughts had cleared out of his head.

"We should start packing some things for ourselves..." He said softly, his tone still slightly downtrodden, but at least he wasn't fuming anymore...

Volcan smiled. "We never even unpacked what we took with us the first time," he said, reaching his hands behind Luke and, to his surprise, hoisting him up bridal-style, much like the night they had confessed.

Luke couldn't help but smile softly as he was lifted up in Volcan's arms, letting himself relax and lean slightly against Volcan's chest. "So we have time then?" He asked hopefully, resting his paw lightly along Volcan's cheek and caressing it slowly.

"They won't begrudge us a few minutes," said Volcan as he carried Luke to the bedroom, shouldering the door open and then closed again. "And you need something to clear your mind before we go." Gently, he laid Luke down on the covers of their bed, and then lay beside him. "I only know one way to do that~." He added in a sultry tone.

Luke's smile broadened as he gently tugged his scarf off of his neck and placed it on the dresser next to his side of the bed. "Where the hell have you been all my life, Volcan?" he whispered as he rolled along covers so that he was pressed against Volcan gently.

"Doesn't matter where either of us have been," he replied, wrapping Luke in his arms and turning over to put the Lucario on top of him. "Only matters where we are now, and where we'll stay henceforth."

The Lucario blushed and continued to smile softly down at Volcan, his paw moving from his cheek to scratch lightly under Volcan's beak before he leaned in close and planted his lips firmly against the Blaziken's beak, passionately kissing him right from the get go. Volcan welcomed him into the kiss, embracing his lover tightly and letting Luke express himself as he needed to.

The moment was short, but passionate, and gave the two exactly what they needed before they headed out. Cleaning themselves up, they locked up the house, leaving a note on the door for anyone who might come looking for them, and headed out to join their teams. Everyone had gathered at the ship, and were in the process of loading the supplies as the two arrived. They joined in the work, helping bring the items up to the ship's deck, and then down into the hold.

No one left behind this time. Not even Doug, nestled in the large tub they used to transport him - and sadly unable to help in moving the supplies. Toby was doing a diagnostic of the ship to make sure it was in working condition before takeoff, and assured them it was good to go as they finished. With no other reason to wait, the airship lifted off and started its course south for its latest voyage.

They arrived at Hadleigh in three days time, delayed slightly by the weather, and landed in the Park. Only Luke disembarked from the ship, the rest helping Lashanne give their vessel some maintenance while he went to find their guide. The first place he thought to check was Aerendyl's library - Jora had been staying with the Espeon when he'd last seen her. If she was still in the city, she would still be there, or so he hoped...

He arrived at the library and stepped inside, and entered the main area looking for its caretaker, the chime of a bell announcing his entrance. "Be right with you!" A voice called from one of the back rows.

Moments later, the Espeon stepped out into view. He blinked when he saw Luke, taking a moment to be sure he knew who he was looking at. "Luke?" He asked. "Well, what a surprise! What brings you here?"

"Hello Aerendyl." Luke greeted the Espeon with a smile. "I apologize for the sudden visit, but I'm actually here seeking Jora out. Is she here right now?" He asked.

"She moved out of town, actually," he replied. "Her clan made a small home for themselves down by the river, on the road toward Lindenberg. It's not far." He tilted his head. "Is everything alright?"

"Let's just say I'm dealing with an emergency that requires her help." Luke said with a serious tone. "Down by the river you said? I'll go pay her a visit then. Thank you, Aerendyl." He said as he gave him a friendly wave as he turned and headed for the door in quite a hurry.

Following Aerendyl's directions, Luke found the small camp easily. Jora had made her home close to the river, but safely enough off the road that she did not hinder any travellers. She had been donated expertly-made tents and coals for the fires to keep warm, and the camp had been erected as a neat circle where the Salandit moved about with ease. They saw the Lucario arrive. A few bristled, but some recognized him, and calmed the others. One of the larger moved up to him and stood on his hind legs as he regarded the Lucario.

"We recognize you as friend to clan," he said in a surprisingly coherent common dialect. "How may offer assistance?"

Luke gave the larger Salandit a small bow before he spoke. "I come seeking your Matron. Is she home at the moment?" He asked calmly.

"Right this way," answered the Salandit, dropping back to all fours and leading Luke through the camp.

The Salandit moved aside for him, allowing the Lucario to pass through their home, until they reached the back of the tents, to the largest among the canvas structures. Luke had to duck to enter the tent. This did not come as a surprise to him, since he knew Jora usually moved on all fours and only stood upright when she needed to. Inside, he found the Salazzle tending to a pair of newly hatched Salandit, gently feeding them food she had chewed for them and rocking one of them in her arms. She looked up when she heard someone entering, and her face lit up at the sight of the Lucario.

"Luke," she said in a hushed, but overjoyed tone.

"Hello, Jora." Luke returned, smiling more himself as he approached the Salazzle, arms open invitingly as he walked closer to her. "I hope things haven't been too hectic after we last spoke."

Still cradling her baby, she rose and held out an arm to him, accepting his embrace and even nuzzling his cheek with hers. "It has been well, all things considered," she said, seating herself again and inviting him to sit with her. "We are managing to make a new start here. Likely we will move with the change of seasons as is custom, but it is not hard to find sustenance here. Much of the wilderness is untouched and rich." She nodded. "I think we will prosper here in our new home."

"I'm glad to hear that." Luke returned, nodding as he took a seat and scooted closer to her, getting a better look at her newborn. "I take it this is a new addition to your growing family?" He asked, gently lifting his paw and stroking the baby Salandit's head.

The baby let out a sound almost like a throaty squeak, and leaned its head back to nuzzle Luke's paw, smelling him. Jora nodded to him. "Yes," she said. "They will adapt well to this new home. It was hard for most of us, growing in a place where the seasons cycle differently, and some are still ac-" She seemed to struggle to find the word. "Accli... I cannot remember the word Aerendyl used."

"I think the word you're going for is 'Acclimating'." Luke answered, chuckling some at her own expense as he let the baby sniff his paw, allowing it to recognize him as a friend before he pulled his arm back. "Even so, I'm happy to see you're making good use of your second chance, Jora. I knew I was right to trust you, and thanks to your help, we're slowly making progress in our fight against those who forced you to serve them." He returned, before his expression soured slightly. "That said... I come here seeking your help, Jora."

She looked at him again, tilting her head. "My help?" She asked.

"Yes." Luke answered, his ears flattening as he looked to her baby once again. "I know you have a lot on your plate already, but there's really no one else I can turn to for this... You see, Kage was sent on a mission to infiltrate the enemy's fortress down in the Great South Isles, but he's been taken prisoner. I've put together a rescue operation to help free him from their clutches, but... We've never been down to the South before, and we could use a guide." He said, his gaze shifting to a more pleading look as he finished.

"And... you want me," She said, nervously. She looked down at the ground as she considered.

Not wanting to keep her in the dark either, Luke continued, "Now, before you give your answer, there is something important you should probably know." He said, sucking in a huge breath and holding it in before he continued. "Kage's son, Hageshi, is also a part of this rescue operation. He was insistent on joining us, claiming that he's started to change his outlook on life, and is now starting to value his father's teachings to him... He believes that rescuing him will alleviate some of the guilt he's currently being assailed with." He went on. "I know you and him have a rather violent history, but would you be able to at least tolerate his presence on this mission?"

She tensed as he mentioned Hageshi, but she let him finish his explanation before she spoke up. She trusted him enough to hear him out. But the wary look never left her face, even as she considered the proposition. "...You ask much, asking me to trust that one," she said, closing her eyes and standing in silence for another moment. "I owe you a debt that can only be repaid with blood, Luke." She opened her eyes and turned to him. "I will accompany you. But, only me. I refuse to take my clansmen into danger any longer. I'll just need time to address them, and let them know I will be gone for a while."

Luke gave a huge sigh of relief. "Jora, I could kiss you." He said in silent joy. "Rest assured, we _will_have him under constant surveillance, and he understands the consequences if he acts out of line." Luke assured the Salazzle. "That said... if he does decide to approach you, I ask that you at least hear him out. You don't have to forgive him, just listen to what he has to say... alright?"

"That will depend on the manner of which he approaches me," she said firmly, meeting Luke's gaze as she spoke. "Make sure he understands that trust will not come easily."

"Oh, we've made sure he understands that. It's not just your trust he has yet to earn." He assured the Salazzle, then he slid off his seat and knelt in front of Jora. "Thank you.. Seriously. This means more to me than you can imagine." He said in a whimper.

"I know," she said, reaching up to rest a claw against his cheek. "As I said, I owe you much for giving my clan and I our lives back. I am more than willing to do this to save your friend, as I did to save your lover."

Luke instinctively leaned into her claw, rubbing his cheek against it lightly and even turning to softly kiss it. "Which I still am eternally grateful to you for." He said softly, smiling and holding her claw in both his paws as he stood up again. "Take as long as you need to inform your clan of your departure. Our airship is resting in the park within the city." He informed the Salazzle.

She nodded. "I will be there soon," she promised, and looked at the Salandit who had stayed by the entrance. "Gather the circle. Let them know I wish to speak with them."

"Yes, Matron," the male returned. "Shall I escort the Lucario out of the camp first?"

"Luke is a friend and ally to our clan. He may move about freely as he wishes," she replied. "He'll know the way out." She looked up at Luke and nodded to him. "I will see you shortly."

"Yea, for sure." Luke said with a nod. "And thank you again, Jora." He added, slipping another embrace in for a quick moment before he pulled back and proceeded to return to the airship, nodding to the Salandit watching him as he walked by.

When Luke returned to the airship, he found Lashanne going over a list of the candidates who had volunteered for the Special Operations team, which she had received from the Guild Hall from Skyler - a member of Team Raptor and apparently, the lone escapee of the team.

"The other three after Kage are a Weavile named Reaper, an Inteleon named Fisher, and a Scizor - wait, that's Shamshir! From Team Warmachine, right?" She showed the list to Luke. "All five of them volunteered for the mission. Skyler could only give us landmarks to follow which should bring us close enough. They're all listed on the back of the page. Along with a few ominous instructions about some of them." She arched a brow. "Such as, 'staying off the first island no matter what'."

Luke rolled his eyes. "He even got Shamshir involved... The bastard." He growled angrily before he took the list from Lashanne and gave it a quick once over. "...Did Skyler give any other instructions, other than just 'stay off the first island?'" Luke asked, looking back to Lashanne.

"They're all listed there," she gestured to the paper. "He mentioned a few of the Pokemon they had to fight, particularly when they were attacked on the water. No risk for us there, since we're flying. But, it looks like our old friends Crane and Seji are creeping around too. Where they are, Zann and Karth won't be far away."

"Good thing we have ways of dealing with them, and Volcan and I have beaten them before on our own. I don't think we'll have much to worry about with them." Luke answered. "That said, Seji might be a problem, and there's also any of the other lieutenants that might be there, and of course... him." Luke added.

"Skyler said Calhoun wasn't there," said Lashanne. "Instead we've got that wolf bitch from the Hadleigh battle to contend with. She may not be as powerful as Calhoun but we've seen that her guile is as dangerous as her claws. If she was able to outwit Kage and Shamshir we can't underestimate her."

"I know." Luke returned. "We'll devise a strategy in dealing with her as we travel to the South. I also imagine Hageshi would want another crack at her after she beat him last time..." He added while rolling his eyes.

"That won't be up to him," said Lashanne. "Until we know what we're dealing with there's too many variables."

As they spoke, the sound of footsteps against the side of the ship caught their ears. Multiple team members on the deck became alert, watching the side with the sound, but relaxed as the Salazzle climbed over the side, slinking down to the deck fluidly and regarding them. "Bringing quite a number of fighters with you," Jora said observantly.

"Eeeey, there she is!" Hank exclaimed with a grin. "Was beginnin' to worry you weren't gonna come!" He added as he casually approached Jora and gave her an over exaggerated bow. "Welcome aboard, m'lady."

"Thank you... Hank, wasn't it?" She asked, and he nodded. "It is good to see you again."

"Hey Jora!" Eagle Eye squawked, flapping his wings in greeting.

"...Lords, she is... Quite astoundingly beautiful." Katsu couldn't help but admit as she first laid eyes on her. A nudge from Wade broke him out of his trance, and when he looked over to the younger Samurott, he gestured to Serena giving him an odd look. "E-Erm! Of course, not nearly as much as you, my fair maiden." He quickly added, trying to save face.

"How very smooth..." Wade muttered with a smirk of his own.

Serena giggled. "It is fine Katsu. I agree, she _is_beautiful," she replied.

"Not gonna lie, I have to agree with Katsu on that one. She's quite the looker." Minato admitted, then smirked at Luke. "No wonder you almost lost yourself to her." He teased.

"M-Minato!" Luke exclaimed back at him with his face flushing read, taken aback that he said such a thing out loud. But the elder Lucario just shrugged in return, still smirking at Luke.

Jora smiled shyly at the praise of her looks. She looked up as she saw a familiar Blaziken approaching her. "Hello, Volcan," she said.

"Good to see you again, Jora," he said. "Thanks for coming along."

She nodded. "I will do everything I can to help," she replied.

"Then let's not waste any time," said Volcan. "Let's get this ship in the air and head for the islands. It's time to go get our friend back."

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Luke agreed, then looked to Lashanne. "Get us moving, Cap'n. We're on a tight enough schedule as it is."

"On it! Toby, fire it up! Let's go!"

"Aye aye!" The Meowth called, turning the ignition and bringing the propellers roaring to life. "Off we go to lands unknown!" He practically sang as the ship began to ascend again.

As the ship ascended, Sol happened to walk by her, casting her a side long glance and flashing a grin her way before clicking his tongue and pointing at her, implying that he thought she was hawt and would take her out to town before he continued on his way. When he left though, Jora also caught sight of Hageshi, leaning against the railing farther away and staring right back at her.

His gaze was stoic and lacking emotion, hers was hard and unforgiving. Eventually he averted his gaze away from her and his expression shifted, showing his guilt only briefly before he lifted up his hood to conceal himself. Then, he turned and moved to the stern of the deck. She watched him go, but made no effort to follow. She wasn't ready to talk to him just yet...

On the fourth day from Hadleigh on their journey southwards, Volcan and Luke finally shared the story of their journey to the north with everyone, who gathered on the deck like they were campers around a fire as the two recounted their journey. They skimmed over most of the trip between Valvatna and Calygrad, admitting that it was a fairly lacking journey all around, beyond seeing a few interesting sights enroute. But it was in the city where they really began to see some astounding things, including variant species of Farfetch'd, which carried bigger leeks as weapons, had their own evolved form, and were naturally born warriors.

Far more interesting to Eagle Eye were the Corviknights who made up the city's skyborne defenders. When he heard that they were Flying/Steel-types, like Volcan and Luke had he thought they might have been akin to Skarmory but that idea was quickly dashed when Volcan described them. They had nothing in common with Skarmory, as Corviknight were bigger, and far more intimidating.

"Our biggest surprise when we entered the city?" Volcan asked. "Without a doubt was when we were called to the palace, for an audience with the king himself. And yeah, I know that sounds like a tall tale but I'm dead serious."

"You met King Calyrex in person?" Lashanne asked. "What did he look like?"

"Words can't really describe it, but from what I could gather, he looked like a lapine pokemon with a really large head and a very slender body." Luke tried to describe as best he could. "He also claimed that he was several hundred years old, and has seen most of the world's wonders, if not all of them."

"When you say big head you mean like, just really heavy like a Gyarados?" Lashanne asked.

"No, more like..." Volcan put his hands atop his head. "Below here, it's normal, but then above the forehead it just goes..." He made a wide circle. "Honestly when I first saw it I thought it was some kind of pillow or headgear but it looked pretty on there when I saw him up close. So that big green thing on his head was in fact, his head."

"Geez, if his head's that big, how does he move about?" Hank asked.

"He levitates, for the most part." Katsu answered. "And dare I say, he has very potent healing abilities - perhaps even greater than yours, my dear." He added honestly, looking to Serena.

"He was a healer?" She asked, intrigued.

"A very generous man all around," Volcan replied. "He did a lot for us while we were there, and even helped us on our way to finding the monastery. That part..." he let out a breath. "That part is when things went _really_wild."

He went on to explain their first encounter with Chen, who had come to warn them away from the area. After convincing him to hear them out, they helped him to subdue Zheng, his elder brother, who had been corrupted by the Shadow Curse.

"Another victim," said Lashanne. "But you guys managed to free him, right?"

Volcan looked at Luke then, gauging his expression. He knew this part of the recounting was where it would become sensitive for him and he didn't want to force Luke into anything he didn't want to talk about. Luke lowered his gaze slightly, rubbing his arm with his other paw as he recounted that memory mentally before he found the words to explain what happened. He explained to them that he managed to subdue Zheng with Chen's, Volcan's and Katsu's help, but when he went to purge the curse, he was unprepared for what was to come.

"It was as if I saw a smoky visage of Calhoun himself, grinning maniacally down at me... like he _knew_I was there. I couldn't react in time, and..." He looked away, his words dying in his throat as his expression saddened heavily.

"...You were corrupted." Minato finished, causing the rest of Team Valiant, minus Katsu, to stare at Luke in utter shock.

The Lucario nodded, but he didn't have the will to continue the explanation, instead leaning against Volcan for some measure of comfort.

"Aye, he was." Katsu answered in Luke's stead. "Though it would seem fate was on our side, as Master Chen was able to purify Luke from the curse _without_becoming corrupted himself." He explained.

"Wait, what?" Lashanne asked. "Is Chen another Lucario then?"

"No. His species is called Urshifu," replied Volcan. "He is an Aura wielder, but not on Luke's level. Hell, I think even the weakest Lucario would technically still have more control."

"Wait, I'm confused," said Tristan. "This aura stuff is over my head, but it's pretty clear you're saying this Chen guy can't use it as good as Luke can."

"Yeah, Tristan's got it. If even Luke couldn't protect himself, how did Chen?" Lashanne asked.

"That, is where this story gets interesting," said Volcan, looking at Luke and deciding to let him finish.

He sniffled a little, having gotten over the mental trauma from remembering what he did and gathering himself before he spoke again. "It all has to do with a pokemon's typing." Luke answered simply, which earned him a lot of confused expressions from his colleagues.

"...Hah?" Hank asked.

"When I was trying to fight off the corruption within me, I saw Chen's aura approaching me when he was trying to free me. The corruption went to attack him, but when they made contact with his aura, it just disintegrated into nothingness." He explained. "I think I can show you what I mean."

"For this part, we'll need a few of you," said Volcan. "Hank, Sol, come up here."

They approached Luke, standing in between Volcan as Luke stood up himself. He lit his paw with his own aura and placed it atop of Volcan's chest, and a steady blue life orb appeared around him. "As you can see, most pokemon have a typical blue aura signal." He said, then he released Volcan and placed that same paw on Sol's chest, and his body seemed to light up like a high powered headlight, causing everyone to shield their eyes. "Blessed Pokemon, like Sol here, emit a shining bright aura. I'm assuming it's to emulate their connection to the God they've been bonded to." He added.

Then he came to Hank, gently placing his paw over his chest mane. Hank's aura was... different. Unlike Volcan's, his was a sort of flat grey colour that seemed to have its own set of writhing tendrils about it, almost like one corrupted with Shadow Energy.

"This is a Dark Type's aura signal." He stated, looking at everyone else to gauge their expressions.

Wade was the first to catch on, and he glanced over to Hageshi as well, who was present in the meeting, but kept his distance from the rest of the group. "I think I understand." He said softly. "You're saying that a Dark-type is unaffected by the curse?"

"Exactly." Luke confirmed as he pulled his paw away from Hank's chest. "Master Chen's species has two different variants. He was a Fighting and Dark Type, while his brother, Master Zheng, was a Fighting and Water Type. Chen was able to free me without consequence _because_of his Dark subtyping."

"Well, good to know I'm exempt from being turned on you guys." Hank remarked with a bit of a snicker, trying to make light of the situation.

"...Not the time or place." Minato scolded the Zoroark.

"Wow..." Lashanne said. "This is... a lot to process." She rubbed her head with both paws. "So... Dark-types are immune... But... How? What makes them exempt? We've seen that even a Pokemon as powerful as Lugia couldn't repel it, but you're saying Hank or," she gestured to Hageshi, "he, could?"

"That we really don't have an answer to," said Volcan. "Though we did learn more about the corruption itself. We went up the mountain, trying to find the place where Calhoun was originally corrupted, using directions from the diaries he left behind. We still have them if anyone's curious." He cleared his throat. "We found where it happened. Turns out what we ran into was some kind of... nexus, a focal point, where the energy that makes up the corruption gathers in some way. Chen couldn't really explain it, as these places were supposed to be a myth. They aren't supposed to be real, but it seems they are. Calhoun found one, completely by happenstance, and it turned him into that creature we know now."

"That's not all." Luke continued. "It turns out that nexus was one of four, each of them hidden within one of the four continents and are guarded by a descendant of what Master Chen called 'Spirit Warriors.'" Luke went on.

Tristan let out a sputtering sound. "Wait, one of four? You're saying there's three more Calhouns out there?!"

"Too far ahead, Tristan; let him finish," Volcan chimed in, motioning for his friend to calm down.

"What I'm saying is," Luke went on, "that there are three more of these nexus' that are chalk full of Shadow Energy, positioned at the compass points of the world. One in the East, one in the South, and one in the West. My theory is that Calhoun is trying to uncover these nexus' and absorb the Shadow Energy from each of them, further increasing his power and his corruptive abilities or, more terrifying... Making others just like him."

"So in summation, we cannot allow Calhoun to control any of those sites," Wade piped up. "If he gets his hands on even one nexus, our chances of defeating him shrink drastically."

"That's ominously accurate, Wade," replied Volcan. "Yes... if Calhoun secures another of those shrines, the least he can do with it is make another Pokemon like him. A second Calhoun, essentially. At worst... well, we barely have a grasp of how powerful he is now, but we know he's still getting stronger. A second site... could make him unbeatable, at worst"

"Well then the answer's simple." Sol remarked, snorting smoke through his nostrils. "We find those sites and blow em up to hell and back."

"That's the idea, but the challenge is_finding_ the sites first." Luke answered. "Calhoun stumbled upon the Northern Nexus by accident - sheer bad luck. We have no idea where to even start looking for the rest."

"Our only saving grace, really, is that Calhoun doesn't know where they are either, otherwise he'd have them already," added Volcan. "All that does for us though is buy us time."

"Time that we don't have a lot of." Luke went on. "Once we save Kage and the others, we're going to have to really buckle down and figure out our next move before we act. We're going to have to exhaust every resource available to us in order to find these sites, so we can destroy them before Calhoun gets to them."

"A challenge still waits for us there too," said Volcan. "Each site is also guarded. The Northern Site was guarded by a warrior called Marshadow. The other three sites will likely also have protectors. The only clue we have are their alignments - Storm, Forest, and Light."

"And chances are, they will _not_be too friendly. The Marshadow that Calhoun encountered attacked him pretty much on sight, though that would probably attribute to the idea that it was probably corrupted as well." Luke returned.

"Hopefully the other guys can be reasoned with if we run into em." Eagle Eye squawked. "Luke's talked to a lotta different pokemon and managed to convince em to see things his way. Hopefully that tongue of yers still works its magic when dealing with these guardians."

"I can only promise to try." Luke answered with a nod.

Lashane stood up from her seat, pacing across the deck as she was clearly racking her brain to come to terms with everything she'd heard. Eventually, she stopped dead in the middle of the deck, holding up her paw. "Okay... I may be talking out from under my tail, but I have a theory," she said. "About how Dark-types are immune to the curse. We've only seen one Shadow Pokemon, besides Calhoun, and that was Lugia, right?"

"Well, if you don't count Calhoun himself, there's also Mewtwo," Volcan reminded.

"I wasn't there for that," Lashanne countered. "But anyway... We saw how it alters their appearance. We know from Sol," she gestured to the Typhlosion, "that Calhoun spreads the corruption through touch. He has to do it consciously, otherwise every Pokemon he'd touch would become a living... 'virus' is the closest comparison I can make. We also know from Sol that he gets a mug of 'fuck you' from the other half of a Blessed Pokemon - at least one who's carrying divine power like Reshiram's."

She paced back the other direction. "Now we know Dark-types are also unaffected," she went on. "There's too little info to go on, but from the sounds of things, it's like... Almost like the corruption is like a virus. Some sort of metaphysical virus or... I don't know if there is a comparison. We've seen from research notes, Shadow Pokemon lose all sense of self when they're corrupted, but now we know they sometimes aren't completely lost, and those ones can be saved by an Aura Master," she gestured to Luke. "Like, removing an infected tissue in a way during a surgery, only again. Metaphysical."

"Right, we know all this," said Volcan. "So?"

"So... if I'm right, and the corruption behaves _like_a virus," said Lashanne. "Then maybe the reason it doesn't take over Dark-types, is because it doesn't see them as hosts. Dark-types," she looked directly at Hank and Hageshi. "And I swear I mean this all in the best way possible," she turned again. "Already possess a power that is sinister in nature, which is why another word for them is also translated as 'Evil' - though there's a reason we don't use that designation because not all of them _are_evil - no more or less than any other Pokemon can be. But I digress. In the case of the corruption, maybe it sees Dark-types as... maybe a lesser strain of themself?"

"I'm... completely confused here," said Tristan.

"I understand what she means," Serena piped up. "But the comparison is more akin to a plague than a virus. Viruses evolve, but diseases do not. Once a generation becomes immune to its effects, the plague disappears from the population it affected. Dark-types appear to be that 'immunized generation'."

"Right. Maybe Dark-types are like a sub-strain of the infection, and as such it can't attack their cells because they're already developed against it," Lashanne finished nodding in thanks to Serena. "In a nutshell, Dark-types can't be affected because they already carry evil power within them, so something just like it has nothing to attack."

Luke started to understand a little of what Lashanne was getting at, tapping his foot on the deck as he ran the information through his head. "...Are you suggesting that Dark Types could potentially hold a sort of cure or strain of the corruption that could be used as a sort of vaccine?" He asked the Delphox.

"Unfortunately, no," she said. "This was more to explain why they're not affected, but other Pokemon are. For a cure, I think Aura Masters like you are the only thing we have."

"Then I'm going to have to do some work on my aura manipulation then..." Luke answered, looking at his paw again. "Until then, I'm going to need a second Aura User to help me in extracting the corruption from this point on." He said, looking to Minato.

"Say no more." He returned with a nod. "If it helps us hamper Calhoun's plans, I'll do my part in cleansing the world of this disease." He added.

"I guess for now this is the best weapon we have against Calhoun," said Volcan, sighing. "I hate every minute of it..."

Luke gently touched Volcan's chest. "I know... I don't like it anymore than you do, but what choice do we have?" Luke asked softly. "Until we find another method, this is what we have to work with. I should be fine with Minato helping me, since he's more skilled with Aura than I am."

"Even so," said Volcan, turning to Luke. "If you guys can find any way to give yourselves more protection from the corruption, it'd _really_take a load off my mind..."

"How about this?" Luke asked. "We'll work on developing some sort of barrier we can conjure between us so that we can better fight off the Corruption while we're purifying it. Would that help ease your concerns, my love?"

"If you really think you can do it, most definitely," he replied.

Kra-KOW!

Over the days of their travel, the skies had been quiet. Yet the sound of thunder and the flash of lightning that preceded it were so sudden that even though it was far away, everyone on the deck still jumped. They looked around, staring at the sky around the ship looking for the source. The sound had very clearly been thunder, but the nearest storm clouds they could see were back in the north, the way they had come, and certainly _too_far away for them to hear.

"What... The fuck was that?" Tristan asked.

"Volcan, did Lighris follow us again?" Serena asked.

"No way. We'd have noticed him by now," replied Volcan with a shrug. "Even if he did, what would he be striking at?"

"Then what was it?" Doug asked frantically, looking around for any sign of a thundercloud, but could not find anything. "The skies are clear with no visible chance of rain, let alone a thunderstorm, so what gives??"

"...Perhaps it didn't come from above." Hageshi pointed out, looking over the edge of the railing he leaned on casually toward the ocean below.

"Enough with the riddles, Hageshi. Just tell us what you mean." Wade stated firmly as he walked over to the railing and took a gander over the edge himself.

As they watched, another flash of light came from the far south, in the direction they were travelling. But the clouds they could see in that direction did not look like storm clouds either, and the lightning bolt that they could see... Appeared to be shooting directly upward, not coming down from above.

At the starboard deck, Volcan, Luke and Jora followed where Hageshi and Wade were looking, peering southward in time to see another bolt shooting into the sky. "Hey... is that coming from the islands?" Volcan asked, looking at Jora.

"If our heading is right, yes," the Salazzle replied. "But... That storm is not moving. It is like it is held above that tiny island."

Luke narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he watched the spectacle from afar, and quickly tuned to his aura sense to get a better idea on what was going on. He extended his range as far as he could go, until he finally found the aura signals he was looking for.

He saw several signals gathered in a small area, all of them clashing against one larger signal, and getting blasted back whenever it launched an attack. "...From what I can see, it looks like a fight is breaking out. Several smaller signals are attacking a larger one, and whenever they get blasted back, it seems the larger signal emits an electrical charge." He explained to the others.

"We're still a ways away," said Lashanne. "Are we going to help them, then?"

"If nothing else we need to take a look," Volcan replied. "It's a slight detour but if someone's in trouble we have to try to help."

"Ugh, what a fuckin pain." Sol remarked, rolling his eyes and groaning. "Fine, whatever. Least it gives _me_a chance to cut loose for a bit." He added offhandedly.

"Eh, I'm kinda with the walking nuke. I've been itching fer some action myself lately." Hank added, flexing his claws and flashing a sinister grin of his own. "So what say we get a move on, eh?"

"Toby, full speed ahead. Let's cut the time as much as possible," Volcan called.

"Aye aye! Hope we don't blow a gasket, though!"