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The battle had taken a dreadful turn...

At first, it seemed the heroes were winning - the forces they had brought to supplement their numbers had proven ineffective in the long run, leaving the elites to stand alone against opponents who held the advantage. Tristan and Katsumoto focused on the swarms of reinforcement from the boats, supported from overhead by Eagle Eye who dropped Fire Blasts onto the enemy ranks when they tried to flank the two heavyweights, until he was engaged by a cackling Noivern who chased him all over the skies, forcing Eagle Eye into an evasive pattern until he could get his own attack on the Noivern.

Seji's blade clashed with Lashanne's cudgel, reinforced by her own psionic power to stop him from cutting through it, while Wade fought the ever-elusive and cruel Sash, supported by . Hank engaged Crane, the two trading equally fierce blows up close or at a distance alike, both cunning fighters that neither could properly outwit. Lastly, Hageshi had once again engaged the Lycanroc, Asya, who was now wise to his underhanded tricks and was keeping him on the defensive with her wild, swinging claws.

The fight was in the hero's favour. Calhoun was, as always, their best advantage when lacking in numbers, but he had moved away from the main body of the fight. But it was when they saw Mewtwo that everyone nearly lost hope. Calhoun had summoned his ultimate ace in the hole to the field. The Crusade's almost certain defeat, in that instant, seemed to become a certain victory and they fought with renewed vigour.

Among the heroes, Sol stood triumphant over his opponent - the Machamp, Zann. Strong as Zann was, even his might was not enough to overcome the Blessed Typhlosion. If truth was to be told, Sol felt the fight had been underwhelming - he remembered Volcan mentioning he had fought Zann once before, and the Machamp had been a worthy opponent for him, but even red-skinned and with fists flying like a hail of arrows, Sol had easily bested the Machamp.

But now Sol had his sights on a new opponent. He had never seen Mewtwo with his own eyes, but the rumours and reputation - and firsthand accounts by Volcan and Luke themselves - spoke volumes of how mighty the legendary Psychic-type was. Now he saw him, there above his master who had turned him into nothing more than a twisted puppet. Even Reshiram seemed to tremble - he could feel her concern washing through him the longer he stared at the Psychic-type.

"This does not bode well... Mewtwo is among the most powerful Psychic Types on the face of the earth, and now he has been summoned into battle!"_She said to Sol through their link."You cannot face him! He will rip you to atoms if you-"_

"Lady, shut your fucking yapper." Sol growled back. "I ain't no fuckin coward. If that thing's gonna cause trouble for us, then I'm just gonna burn it to the ground, plain and simple!"

He tensed his body heavily, his neck flames exploding out of his vents and quickly turning blue before he dashed forward as fast as he could, coating his body in Flame Charge to add more speed to his sprint.

Out of the corner of his eye, Wade saw Sol rushing past, and his intended target. The sight of Mewtwo made Wade's blood go cold. "No! Sol stop!!" Wade hollered, his voice unheard. He was forced to guard himself again as Sash struck once more, attempting to take advantage of the young Samurott's lowered guard.

As Sol charged up the hill, Calhoun took notice of his approach. The instant the Dark Blaziken's eyes found Sol, Mewtwo turned in his direction. Sol flew at the Psychic-type, but he was halted dead in midair when Mewtwo lifted one of his hands, a suffocating pressure engulfing the Typhlosion. Sol could barely take in a breath as he was seized in Mewtwo's grip, gritting his teeth against the pain.

With a mere flick of his finger, Mewtwo sent Sol careening back to earth, slamming into the ground hard. Sol was not down for long, though, as he emerged from the dust cloud caused by his impact into another Flame Charge, only this time to be met by a Shadow Ball from Mewtwo that sent him back to ground again. Volcan and Minato attempted to jump in while Mewtwo's back was turned, only to both be repulsed from a burst of telekinetic energy Mewtwo released without even looking at them.

Knowing Calhoun was the direction for the puppeteered Mewtwo, Luke attempted to rush him. With only one good arm, Calhoun's combat effectiveness was reduced, leaving him vulnerable - or so it appeared. Calhoun's swift reaction speed allowed him to dodge out of Luke's way, even with the Lucario powered by Extreme Speed, and Mewtwo turned his power upon Luke then, a flick of his wrist sending Luke hurtling through the air to collide with Volcan and Minato.

Lashanne saw her team in battle against Mewtwo out of the corner of her eye, barely lifting her club in time to parry Seji's following strike. Teeth bared, she pushed back against the Alakazam. "You... Really... Know how to... Pick your friends... Don't you?!" She growled.

"I chose the side I was confident would survive." Seji retorted, putting pressure on her as he proceeded to push her back slowly. "As a fellow denizen of the West, you ought to understand that rule all too well... Survival of the fittest, and all that nonsense."

"Point... Made," she returned through gritted teeth. "But answer me this; do you really think Calhoun plans to share power forever? He's a lunatic - he makes Karth look stable! Even if he succeeds in whatever mad scheme he has planned, do you think his insanity will end there?!"

Seji narrowed his eyes as he continued to stare the Delphox down, then his gaze lowered slightly to the ground. The strength he committed to their deadlock waned - ever so slightly, but she felt it. She could see it, clear as day, in his eyes. Lashanne may not have been able to read minds, but her uncanny ability to read others through their body language and physique told her that in that very moment, her words had brought forth a pang of doubt from the Alakazam's subconscious...

"...I've made my decision." He said in a lower tone, closing his eyes for a split second. "As long as I continue to prove my worth, I will survive." He added, then he glared back at Lashanne as he summoned his two spoons from the holsters on his waist, each of them taking aim at her and firing Signal Beams at point blank range.

The hits caused her to falter, and Seji won the deadlock. Lashanne was thrown off her feet, landing on the sandy beach on her backside, but as Seji started to move in, she spun her wand and launched a Mystical Fire at him. Poorly aimed, but enough to make him back off from the roiling heat. She levitated herself back onto her feet, ready to re-engage.

"At least with my side," she said. "I know I don't have to look over my shoulder, expecting to see _my_friends about to drive a knife in my back. But you do... From _both_sides."

Seji didn't catch the hint until it was too late, not noticing Hank sneaking up on him. The Zoroark grinned as he tapped Seji's shoulder with his claw, and when the Alakazam turned to face him, his eyes widened in alarm. The Zoroark's eyes shone a bright yellow as he cast an illusion over Seji, The Alakazam screamed, stumbling away from Hank and swinging his psionic blade at unseen threats, though the blade fizzled out of existence as his concentration slipped away. Lashanne lunged at him then, and clubbed Seji across the back of his head, sending him reeling into unconsciousness.

"Sleep tight, motherfucker." Hank growled sinisterly, then looked over to Lashanne. "You holdin' up alright, Treasure Huntress?" He asked.

"Yeah, I've lived through worse," she replied, rubbing her chest where the beams had hit her. "Thanks. What about Crane?"

"He's down for the count too," assured Hank before his smile faded as he looked up the hill. "More worried about Luke and Chicken Legs now..."

Lashanne followed Hank's gaze, watching as Sol made another failed attack on Mewtwo, followed immediately by the Legendary Psychic bringing up a barrier to stop an Aura Sphere from Minato and another to stop a flying drop kick from Volcan. Not one of their attacks reached him, repelled easily by Mewtwo's perfect defense and reaction speed to their attacks, as if he could see them coming before they happened.

"So... that's him, huh? That's Calhoun's secret weapon slash boogeyman?"

"That's him." Hank returned with a grim nod. "I think we pissed him off with that stunt Luke pulled off, and I mean really pissed him off." He added as he pointed to the Dark Blaziken, standing off to the side while his puppet whittled down the heroes... "He ain't holdin' back anymore."

"We need to come up with something fast if we're getting out of here alive," said Lashanne.

"Well, our two best strategists are currently being hounded by tall dark and gruesome over there, so it looks like the heavy thinking's on you, pumpkin." Hank remarked. "If ya got a plan, let's hear it."

"Hooray for me," she said sarcastically, tapping her knuckles against her head. "Okay... First thing, we need to get everyone clear. That Gallade can chase us down - Wade and Hageshi are holding him back but we're not getting away if he teleports after us either. Can you get him the same way you got Seji and Crane?"

"Haha, you kidding? He'll never see me comin'." Hank returned confidently. "Sit tight toots, I'll be back in a jiff." He added with a wink, then he vanished from existence entirely with his Illusions.

In the meantime, Lashanne turned her attention to Katsu and Tristan. They stood amongst a cluster of unconscious hired thugs, their chests heaving as they caught their breaths. Above, she saw Karth and Eagle still engaged in a deadly air battle, the crazed Noivern's sonic attacks keeping Eagle Eye from landing a decisive blow on them. Fortunately, the distracted Karth did not have the attention to see Lashanne's attack coming as she sent a Psybeam at him from below.

Karth took the hit directly to his wing, and fell awkwardly to the ground, repeatedly screaming, "cheap shot!" as he fell.

Meanwhile, Hank got the drop on Sash as planned, successfully putting the Gallade under an illusion that blinded him to his opponent, allowing Wade to land a decisive blow with his sword. Sash recoiled from a wound in his chest, shaking off the illusion only to see stars as Wade bludgeoned him with the flat of his blade. For good measure, Hank then spun artfully from the downed Sash, and landed a Night Daze on Asya as she slapped aside Hageshi's ice shuriken, the Lycanroc letting out a howl of agony from the surprise attack.

With that, Lashanne let out a sharp whistle, getting the attention of her colleagues. "Everyone, get to the ship, now!" She called out to them, pointing toward the mound, behind which waited their ride.

"Right!" Wade confirmed.

"On the way!" Katsu agreed, he and Tristan both breaking into a run.

Hageshi stared back at Lashanne in silence for a moment, looked back to the beach where Asya lay, nursing her side where Hank's attack had landed. He caught Lashanne's wary look, and sighed before he turned and followed the others.

Katsu, however, stopped in his tracks as his eyes fell upon Mewtwo. He froze in shock at the spectacle he saw upon the mound, watching as Sol, Volcan, Minato and Luke alike futilely tried to overwhelm the legendary Psychic-type. Vivid flashbacks of when he saw Mewtwo holding Luke and Volcan in his psychic grasp back at the fortress and crushing them to death.

"No...!" He breathed softly, then he began rushing over to the mound as fast as he could go, his judgment clouded by his blind loyalty to protect his captain and his lover. "YOU WILL NOT TAKE THEM!! NOT AGAIN!!" He roared louder, drawing his blades and forcing his Torrent ability to activate, his kimono top almost ripping to shreds from how large his muscles swelled up.

"Wait!! KATS!!!" Eagle Eye squawked, flying after Katsu to try and intercept him.

Mewtwo noticed him approaching, and held out its hand to catch Katsu as the Samurott leapt at him, then used its power to hurl him high into the air before releasing him and letting him drop. Volcan raced past as the Samurott fell, moving to intercept the falling Katsu, but he saw his descent slowing as Katsu neared the ground. Volcan looked down the hill, and found Lashanne, her arm raised and pointing her wand at the sky, saving Katsu from a painful landing.

Volcan then turned to face Mewtwo once more. Using the speed he had accumulated, Volcan dashed out of sight of the Psychic type, leapt at the mound and rebounded, flying at Mewtwo with his leg outstretched. He didn't take into account Calhoun watching his every move, and was unprepared when Mewtwo spun to face him and then blasted him back to the ground with a single Psychic push.

"Ow..." Volcan groaned as he sat up.

Calhoun guffawed with laughter as he watched Volcan's failed attack. "You certainly live up to your reputations, but you cannot beat Mewtwo! No one can defeat him!"

Volcan looked over at Calhoun, and then noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He saw a figure slinking along the ground toward Calhoun, unnoticed by the Blaziken. Volcan hurriedly looked away, not wanting to give Calhoun any hint to what was coming his way. He looked over at Luke and Minato as they came to stand beside him.

"I'm okay," he told Luke in advance. He then added in a low voice, pointing with a finger at what he saw. "Keep Calhoun talking for a moment."

Luke and Minato looked at Volcan curiously, unaware of what he was planning. Still, they knew better than to question his plans and nodded in understanding before they stood tall and stared at Calhoun, with Minato breaking the silence first.

"You know, for a former monk with incredible power and fighting prowess, you're not all that impressive." He goaded, aiming to keep his attention on him. "You're only as powerful as you are because of that curse. I bet that without it, you're just a third rate washout..." he added with a smug grin.

"I believe you saw firsthand at Blackcoast that I am more than skilled enough to best one of you," Calhoun retorted, then looked at his previously severed arm. "I'd be glad to prove it again had you not sliced off my limb. Until the nerves regenerate, I am rather handicapped."

"Be ready to run and grab Serena," whispered Volcan to Luke. "I'll get Koa - the Zeraora." He added, remembering that Luke hadn't heard Koa's name before.

Strangely Mewtwo remained immobile throughout the exchange, watching the three soon-to-be victims below him. Volcan was glad the creature was at an angle where he couldn't see the figure sneaking up behind Calhoun as Minato continued to insult him. Nor did it seem Mewtwo could read their minds, when his mind was not his own, else he'd already know what Volcan was thinking.

Minato carried on. "Excuses... If you _really_were trained as well as you claim, you'd be able to fight with said handicap." Minato continued to taunt Calhoun. "Hell, my own master is missing an arm and an eye, and he's the most skilled swordsman out there. You're telling me that losing one arm to you means you're unable to continue fighting?"

Calhoun scoffed. "I beat you once, I have nothing to pro-" he paused, frowning. "Wait... You're trying to bait me into something, aren't you?"

Jora rose up behind Calhoun slowly, the pink markings on her body igniting as she breathed in, inhaling deeply. Then, she unleashed her attack, engulfing Calhoun with a cloud of poison gas. Calhoun turned as Jora hissed, coughed and recoiled away from her, but she pursued, keeping him trapped in the cloud as he stumbled blindly. Then, she blasted him with Venoshock, taking advantage of her toxins to inflict more damage. Calhoun screamed in agony - and so did Mewtwo, much to their shock. The creature grabbed its head suddenly, eyes rolling back into their sockets as it thrashed in midair.

Volcan, however curious the sight was, was immediately put back to the present when the ground suddenly shook, reminding him of the next phase of the plan. "Go! Let's go!" He shouted as he got up, and ran for the hut. "Minato, get Jora and get her to the ship!"

Needing no further encouragement, Minato dashed over to the Salaazle and picked her up in his arms before dashing as fast as he could toward the airship. Luke made a mad dash for Serena just as he was instructed to, but not before glancing at how both Mewtwo and Calhoun were reeling in pain despite only Calhoun taking the attacks. He put the sight in the back of his mind as he turned and ran toward the airship, with Hank and Katsu following closely, and Eagle Eye soaring overhead and hollering for Sol to get moving as well. Sol had been knocked down multiple times by Mewtwo, and was certainly not thrilled to be running from an unfinished fight, but he complied, and made for the ship.

One by one the teams scrambled aboard the airship. Volcan arrived with Koa in his arms, and passed him off to Lashanne who levitated him up to the deck. Then, Doug popped out of the ground beside Volcan, and the Blaziken looked down at him.

"There you are," said Volcan, relieved. "Is it done? Did you bury the Nexus?"

"Oh I did more than that, bud! Managed to score a Magnitude 10 on it and well, let's just say the whole damn mound's now just a sinkhole of collapsed rubble and dirt." Doug replied happily. "It'll take a lifetime to uncover it now."

"Good, because it's time to go," said Volcan, retrieving Doug's tub and scooping the Dugtrio inside. "Minato! Lashanne! Bring him up!" Volcan called, getting his friends to levitate Doug aboard before jumping up himself.

Toby didn't even need to wait for orders once a quick headcount told the Meowth everyone was aboard. "We're outta here!" He declared as gunned the engines. The propellors spun fast, and Toby ignored the tops of the palm trees they scraped over as he accelerated, letting the ship climb gradually while he focused on gaining distance.

Everyone collected themselves, and began to move about the deck as they caught their breath from what they hoped was an escape. But fate, it seemed, had other plans, for as Tristan lumbered over to the railing, looking back toward the island, and then he saw him.

"He's after us! The crazy naked cat is comin' fast!" Tristan barked. "Anyone else getting deja vu right now?!"

"I am!" Hank hollered as he looked over the stern, seeing Mewtwo approaching. He looked over his shoulder to Toby at the helm. "Yo! Crank that throttle already, he's gaining on us!!"

"We're already going as fast as we can!" Toby replied, trying not to panic. "These things aren't built for speed!"

"Dammit, now what?" Volcan demanded. "We can't fight him in the air - we only have one flier!"

Sol watched in silence as Mewtwo approached the airship, paws clenched at his sides so tightly they were trembling; both out of a mixture of fear and rage. He wanted more than ever to just jump overboard and pummel Mewtwo to the ground, but after the beating he received not too long ago, even he wasn't too happy about his chances... He needed more power.

"Sol..."_Reshiram's voice echoed in his mind. _"I know you want to continue the fight, but you stand no chance as you are now."

"Ya do realize you could up those chances right now if you'd just let me use it." Sol retorted vocally, catching everyone's attention as he communed with Reshiram. "This ain't a fucking debate. If you don't lemme use yer power, it ain't just gonna be me that bites it here."

"What can you do against the most powerful Psychic type in the world?" She demanded desperately.

"I can burn him to a crisp and scatter his ashes to the wind, that's what." Sol answered aggressively. "Or I can lay down and die - that's about our only other option right now and it's not one I'm gonna take. So don't make me repeat myself - I ain't no coward. I don't run from a fight no matter how bad the odds are. If I did, I'd _really_make my old man's legacy look bad..."

He then lifted his paw in front of his face, clenching it so tightly his knuckles cracked. "On toppa that, I made a promise..." He added, casting a sidelong glance toward Volcan, ignoring the surprised looks he was getting from the rest of the group. "...A promise to a friend that I plan on keeping until I die..."

A few of the team had moved away from Sol. More than one of them had thought the Typhlosion had snapped from the pressure. Tristan even muttered something about 'multiple personalities'. Those who knew better, however, watched him keenly.

Volcan leaned over to Luke. "Can he... Actually talk to Reshiram?" He asked.

"It's said that those who are linked to a legendary can speak to them through a spiritual link." Luke answered. "Or at least, that's what Nido told me after he became one himself."

There was a silence in Sol's mind for a few long moments, and Sol wondered if what he said had scared her off. However, it was quite the opposite. He started to hear a giggle in his mind, which made him sneer slightly in annoyance. He was about to demand what was so funny before he suddenly jolted, eyes wide open as a familiar sensation washed over him.

"It seems that you've finally learned what it means to fight for something other than your own selfish goals..." She said to him as his body started to radiate a faint glow shortly after. "Very well, then. As of this moment, my seal shall be lifted. You shall have full access to my power once again, and will have the privilege of knowing my true identity."

"Tch... About fucking time..." Sol remarked off-handedly, the glow quickly turning into red hot flames that slowly started enveloping his body.

"Hear me well, Sol. I am the God of Truth. I am the vanquisher of all that deny the Truth and commit themselves to avarice and deceit. Today, you shall earn the right to my power, and in doing so, shall become my enforcer that will show even the most tainted of souls the wrongs in their lives! Most call me Reshiram... But you shall forever refer to me as..."

The flames around Sol intensified, turning a bright blue as they shot toward the sky. From within the flames, both Sol's and Reshiram's voice could be heard, saying only one word in complete harmony.

"RAYNE!!"

The flames then died down as quickly as they appeared, allowing everyone to finally lower their arms that shielded them from the blazing inferno that appeared before them. They were greeted with the shock of a lifetime, but a welcome one at least. Sol's neck vents were now emitting long flames in the shape of burning blue wings, his forearms now shrouded in fiery claws of the same colour, and the irises of his eyes changed to a bright aquamarine, but his sclera remained normal instead of turning black as they did before. Everyone stared in wonder at the sight before them, stunned to silence.

"...Well I'm impressed," Lashanne remarked off-handedly.

"Hooooly shit, he got his God powers back..." Hank whispered softly. "...That's a good thing, right? Guys?"

"He didn't just get them back." Luke added. "Look at his flames. Last time he used this power, they were a deep orange. This time around they're blue, just like in his enraged state..."

"...The power of a God..." Hageshi whispered in silent awe, for even he was utterly stunned by such a display of power.

Sol marched to the back of the ship, to face their pursuer. Mewtwo was closing in quickly, already conjuring a massive Shadow Ball to destroy them all, growing so large that it had to hold the sphere over its head.

The Typhlosion cracked his head along his shoulders, allowing himself a moment to readjust to his now fully awakened powers before setting his sights on Mewtwo. He exhaled slowly, steam exuding from his mouth as he did before he suddenly sucked in a deep breath, rearing his head back as he did, then closing his mouth. He held that posture for a few seconds, then suddenly lurched forward and unleashed a massive wave of blue fire toward Mewtwo, too large for him to evade around and approaching too fast for him to teleport to safety.

Mewtwo thrust its shadow ball forward, trying to push through the flames instead. But the intensity proved too much, and the sphere waned rapidly. Only by bringing up a barrier did Mewtwo avoid being incinerated, but the heat was still intense, and forced it to retreat. The fire abated, and the legendary Psychic-type was nowhere in sight...

Sol panted slightly after he finished his attack, still hunched forward as he caught his breath. He noticed that Mewtwo was nowhere in sight, but he knew better than to assume he'd won. Slowly he started looking around for any sign of his opponent, flapping his large fiery wings idly in case he needed to take flight when he found him. But the psychic type never reappeared...

"Hot damn, I think he did it!" Volcan exclaimed.

"BOO YAH!!" Hank hollered and even jumped into the air in celebration. "I never thought I'd ever hear myself say this, but the Devil of Azure's back, baby!!"

"Haha!! Well done, Sol!" Katsu also chimed in, raising a fist into the air.

"Shut the FUCK up!" Sol hollered back at all of them, glaring at the others over his shoulder as they all fell into a surprised silence. "It ain't over yet. There's no way he'd just quit after tanking a blast like that."

"Dude, you just torched him into nothing but smoke!" Eagle Eye squawked. "There ain't no sign of him anywhere! You torched him, just like you said you would!"

"That's the fuckin' problem." Sol growled. "...There ain't no sign of him...Not even a trace of ash or smoke..."

"So, he's still alive," said Lashanne. "Minato, can you or Luke sense him anywhere?"

"I've been trying, but I can't get a bead on his signal. He must have teleported away," Minato returned. "That said, both Luke and I used up a lot of our power cleansing that Nexus, so our focus is a little shoddy right now."

Volcan climbed to the upper deck and moved to stand beside Sol, staring out to sea and back in the direction of the island. He couldn't see anyone - not Mewtwo, or any of the Crusade. He narrowed his eyes, knowing the sound logic behind Sol's claim.

"All we can do is stay on guard then," said Volcan. "If nothing else, Mewtwo has to be hurt or drained from that attack. All we can do is try to be ready if it shows up again. Still, for now," he clapped Sol gently on the shoulder. "I think you just saved us all, Sol."

Sol glanced down at Volcan after he clapped his shoulder, his expression relaxing somewhat as he turned to fully face the Blaziken. "...Part of my job, ain't it?" He asked before slowly lifting his fist out in front of him.

Volcan bumped fists with the Typhlosion, smiling and nodding at him. "We all should thank Jora, Hank and Lashanne too," he called out, "Lashanne rallied everyone while Luke and I were otherwise engaged. Hank stopped any chance of pursuit, and Jora landed quite a hit on Calhoun that took him out of the fight. They got us off the island, and Sol protected us from Mewtwo. I'd say we owe these four a heap of gratitude."

"No kidding." Luke concurred, smiling as he looked toward Jora with a nod. "Nice hit there. No doubt he'll be feeling that for a while at least."

"As much as I hate to admit it..." Jora began as a surprisingly devious grin spread across her face. "I felt no shortage of satisfaction doing that."

"He had it comin' and _then_some, what with everything he's done so far," Hank added with a grin of his own. "Still, that'll keep off our backs for a little while yet; enough time fer us to find his new fortress and get Froggy back."

"...Well done." came Hageshi's voice, directed toward Jora. He was facing away from her as he spoke those words, but she could sense his words were genuine despite his standoff-ish demeanour. "...You're more of a combatant than you let others believe..."

"I know how to defend myself," she replied, keeping her voice civil despite her clear trepidation.

The celebrations were cut short when Toby's raised voice called over the sound of the rotors and the wind. "Hey, Lashanne! I think something's wrong with the ship!" Toby called.

Lashanne groaned and rubbed her temples, grinding her teeth. "Oh for the love of Solgaleo's shining ass!" She exclaimed, flustered. "What now?!"

"We're not getting as much thrust, and there's a bit of a... A pull to port or something. I'm having trouble keeping us on a straight course."

Sol growled. "Oh it better not be who I think it is..." He exclaimed, looking over the closest ledge and getting ready to jump over it. But he saw nothing there.

Everyone searched over the side of the ship, looking for anything that stood out to them. Tristan went to the stern and looked down at the props. "Uh... I think I found the problem!" He called. As Luke and Lashanne, who were closest, came over, he pointed down to the port side propeller. "Is it supposed to look like that?"

The propeller was misshapen. Even spinning as fast as it was, Lashanne could see it. Some of the blades on the prop looked like they had been partially melted, causing the metal to bend out of place from the rate of the spin. They had taken a jagged appearance, and they were sure they would be able to smell hot metal if the ship wasn't in motion.

"Son of a bitch!" Lashanne cursed. "The prop must've gotten heated when Sol blasted Mewtwo - it's warped." She looked over her shoulder. "Get us as far as possible and find us some defensible ground to land on. We're going to have to make some emergency repairs."

"Just when we think we're home free," Toby remarked sadly.

"Damnit... the more time we waste, the less chances we'll get to Kage and the others in time." Luke growled, clenching his paws tightly at his side. "Just when we scored a victory on Calhoun too..."

"I don't like it either but if we keep going like this, we'll cause more harm to the ship," said Lashanne. She moved to Luke and rested her paw on his shoulder. "We have a replacement prop in the hold. I'll fix it as fast as I can. I'll just need a few hands."

"I'll help." Minato offered.

"Shit... Well I guess since I probably damaged it, I'll have to pull my weight." Sol grumbled as he powered down from his Blessed State. "Fine. I'm in too."

"Don't feel bad, big guy," said Tristan. "You saved our asses back there. We'll get this thing fixed and be on our way before ya know it."

‾‾‾‾‾

The flight to the closest island was awkward, as the ship - having propulsion from only its starboard side, continuously tried to veer to the left, forcing Toby to keep the wheel turned right and rely on the rudder's angle to keep the course. The act was tiring on his arms, and eventually forced Lashanne to take over and give the Meowth a rest, as the flight itself took hours, until approached a large isle with a single, smoking mountain at its center.

The surface of the island was dotted with scattered rainforests of various scale - from small copses of trees to vast jungles that stretched on for miles. The jungles were surrounded by open grasslands, and the passengers of the airship could make out multiple beaches dotting the edges of the island, where the land did not become sheer cliffs overlooking the water. There was not a trace of modern civilization to be seen anywhere, nor any hints that anyone of modern society had ever set foot on the island. The only traces of community that they could see were distant plumes of smoke, likely from bonfires, but they steered clear of those areas.

At the stern of the ship, Jora was staring out to the island. She had not spoken a word since they had come in sight of it, and her body language was enough to give away her trepidation at seeing it - it was clear she knew where they were, and the revelation disturbed her.

"Jora?" Luke spoke up as he got closer to the Salazzle, noticing her trepidation from afar - and seeing more of it when she jumped at her name. "You look like you're shaken up about something. Is everything ok?" He further inquired, standing next to her.

Jora took in a steadying breath, and then looked out to the island again. "...This is Kia He," she said, in a voice so low she was almost whispering. "My birthplace."

"Your..." Luke looked back between the island and Jora a few times. "Right, I remember you mentioned you were from here when we had that talk in Hadleigh, before Asya and her forces besieged the city..." He added, placing a paw along her back in a comforting manner. "I take it the memories of the day Calhoun recruited you still haunt you?"

Jora shook her head slowly. "Much more than that happened to me on this island, Luke," she said, somberly. "There are things that happened here that have scarred me deeply. Things I wish to forget, and pray to the sun god every night that my children will never have to suffer as I did. Even if it was all for their sake."

"I see." The Lucario muttered softly. "Well, unfortunately we don't have much choice but to land on this island. The ship won't go much further."

"I know," she assured him.

"We'll make the repairs as quickly as we can, but until then... maybe it might be better if you stay indoors until we can take off again, if that will help ease your worries," Luke offered.

"Perhaps... but you may need me as a translator, if anyone approaches us," she reminded him. "There are many people - tribes, packs and clans that call these islands home. We cannot be sure we won't encounter them."

"...Fair point. I didn't think of that." Luke relented. "Alright, but stay as close to us as possible. In the event we do run into any of your past grievances, we'll need to be able to protect you at any cost." He informed the Salazzle.

"I have no intention of wandering away," she assured him. "And I would advise your friends to do the same. There are many dangers on this island."

"Care to elaborate?" Luke asked, feeling a bit perturbed himself. "I'd like to know what we're walking into before we actually... Well... Walk into it." He added for lack of a better term.

"The worst by far are the Kommo-O warchiefs and their tribes," replied Jora. "They are warriors, bred to fight, and the warchiefs are the strongest of the tribe. In fact..." She tilted her head as if she heard something. "Listen. Do you hear that sound?"

Luke pricked his ears up to listen. At first, he couldn't make out much more than the sound of the engines, but as he listened, another sound reached his ears. A sound like clattering metal on the wind, as well as voices letting out an aggressive chant. Looking over the side, he was able to make out the direction the sound was coming from, startled by how loud it was when he couldn't see the cause.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw only two others were alert to the sounds - Hank and Lashanne, both having their ears raised and looking off in the same direction as Luke. Nobody else seemed to have noticed the sound yet, or couldn't pick it out from the sounds of the ship. But both of the foxes seemed as perturbed as himself, hearing the aggressiveness in the voices that accompanied the clanging.

"That is one of the warbands now," explained Jora, when she was sure Luke could hear them. "Before a battle, they engage in a ritual war dance. That clanging you're hearing are their scales, as strong as any metal you could think of, and as much a weapon to them as their own bodies. The sounds they can emit can be deafening, so I am told. They will be the greatest of threats we could encounter, should we cross them, but they will not be the only one. Regardless, I advise we stay out of their way at all costs."

Luke nodded softly. "I'll inform Lashanne to land as far from that sound as possible." He assured her. "Anything else we should know about, or is that all?"

"There are also the Lycanroc," she said. "By day there is little concern for us. The Packs will not challenge a group as large as ours - they usually only hunt in numbers of two to eight. But the Midnight ones, like Asya, if any of us stray off they could come out of the dark and drag us away, and we'd never hear them. They are deadly hunters under the night sky. If we land near any of the jungles, we must be especially vigilant - they often use the trees for cover."

"Got it." Luke answered, then gave her back a small pat before he went over to inform Lashanne of the information Jora left him with.

Unfortunately they did not have the luxury of choice as the engine began to sputter from the excessive strain of the journey. They were over a rainforest with a low hill, and so picked out a clearing in the trees and descended, carefully, to the ground below. They managed to turn away from the trees just before one of the props collided with them, adding yet another close call to their day. Then, they reached a low hover above the ground, and got to work.

In the distance, they could still hear the war song of the Kommo-O chieftain and his warriors. But there was another sound that followed suite. A collection of howls, loud and courageous, which caught their attention. This time, everyone on the ship heard it, even those whose hearing wasn't as keen as Luke's.

"Jora... What is that?" Serena asked, fearfully backing up to rest against Katsu.

"It is a pack of Midday Lycanroc... Strange to hear them at this hour," said Jora, curiosity and wariness both present in her tone. "Usually, they retire as the sun begins to set... Unless there is danger. I believe we have found the warband's intended target - they mean to engage the pack."

"How far are they from our location?" Minato asked.

"Difficult to say... The voices can carry on the winds for many miles," the Salazzle replied, her eyes narrowing. "Strange, though... the Packs would normally flee from the warbands, not engage them. Why would they-" She paused. "Wait..." She dropped to all fours, and began scanning the ground, as though searching for something.

Everyone watched her with mild confusion as she searched along the ground. Everyone but Hank that is. He narrowed his eyes as he watched the Salazzle look along the ground, then looked down at his own feet and dragged a claw through the soil, lifting a small clump up to his face and examining it closely.

"...Soil's a little more moist than usual." He muttered softly. "Sumthin tells me I know what she's trying to figure out."

"Wanna clue the rest of us in, then?" Lashanne asked, shrugging.

"There are children among the pack," replied Jora, lifting her head. "Rockruff, they are called. The pre-evolved form of Lycanroc. The Pack isn't fleeing because they mean to stand their ground and protect the children, or at least buy the mothers time to carry them away..." She grimaced. "They will be slaughtered..."

"You're kidding!" Luke exclaimed in disbelief. "They'd go so far as to slaughter children for the sake of territory?"

"That's how the wild works, man." Hank remarked somberly. "There are no rules of engagement or codes of honour. Out here, it's survival of the fittest, and everyone's a target."

"I'm afraid Hank is correct," agreed Jora, sadly. "For the Kommo-O, the killing of others is nothing more than an honour to their forebears, and their own path to spiritual ascension. It doesn't matter to them who or what they are."

"We can't just let them slaughter children," said Volcan, sounding agitated. "Isn't there something we can do? Maybe approach the pack and offer to help them?"

"We cannot even be sure how far away they are," Lashanne pointed out, logically. "Like Jora said, their howls are being carried on the wind. For all we know, the warband could already be between us and them."

"That's not going to stop me from trying." Luke remarked firmly, already tuning to his Aura Sense and searching the area as far as his limits would allow.

"Luke... I understand your desire to help them, but be realistic here." Wade piped up. "They are wild Pokemon; you won't be able to just talk them down like any other Pokemon."

"As much as it pains me to admit it, Wade is right." Hageshi remarked stoically. "No matter what you do, there will be blood spilled. By being involved, you will risk adding our own blood to the mess."

Luke ignored them, focusing as hard as he could as he searched for either of the tribes. After a few seconds, he flinched as he found an abnormally large signal, wild and quadruped in shape and nature.

"Found them!" He announced. "Twenty clicks to the Northwest. If we hurry, we might be able to come between them before they start fighting!"

"Looks like we're doing this, then," said Lashanne, shrugging helplessly

"Not all of us," said Volcan. "Hank, Jora, you're with us. Minato you keep watch with your Aura sense here in case anything else shows up. We can't let the ship get damaged if we're going to get out of here."

"What about the rest of us?" Eagle Eye squawked, flapping his wings. "Ya can't expect us to just sit tight and wait for you guys to come back alive."

"We need to keep the group small if we're going to avoid drawing attention."

"Just send me, then," Sol added, punching his fists together. "Yer gonna need some muscle in case those fuckwitts decide to attack during yer 'negotiations.'" He added while making air quotes with his paw digits.

"No offense, Sol, but the very sight of you could alarm the Lycanroc. Especially if they're protecting pups," said Volcan. "You cut a really imposing figure, you know. Besides, you're still tuckered out from fighting Mewtwo. You took more hits than any of us back there."

Sol huffed, annoyed that Volcan had caught on to that.

Then Lashanne spoke up. "Then you shouldn't be going either, Volcan," she stated. "Mewtwo knocked you around like a golf ball, and you fought Calhoun besides that. You're in worse shape than Sol."

Volcan hesitated, not wanting to argue when time was of the essence. Sol was right that they'd need muscle, and he was willing to put himself in that mix. But Lashanne was also correct that Volcan wasn't in the best shape after the battle. He considered their other options - Katsu and Tristan, both of whom still looked pretty fresh despite their own battles, however he also knew that Tristan had about as much subtlety as an angry Loudred.

"Alright... Katsu, you go with them, if you think you're able," said Volcan

"Aye, I am more than able and willing." The large Samurott nodded firmly. "Time is of the essence. Let us be off."

"I couldn't agree more." Luke stated, motioning for the three of them to follow as he took off into a sprint, leaving behind a dust trail as he ran as fast as he could.

"Jeez, slow down man!! Not all of us can run marathons for days!" Hank hollered as he, Jora and Katsu chased after the Lucario.

The jungle was difficult to navigate, even with Jora's guidance and Hank's experience in such environments. The trees and foliage around them were thick, leaving no clear path to move through. They had to rely on Katsu hacking his way through the excess foliage with his Seamitars to clear the way for them, slowing their progress even further.

Their first obstacle came as they cleared away a large fern, only to be met by a creature with a pale, skinny body and a massive purple mushroom atop its head. Even under the cover of Hank's illusion, the creature was surprised when it heard noise behind it, shrieking and beginning to shake itself rapidly. Jora hurriedly warned them to get back as powder exploded from the crown of the mushroom, scattering around the unknown Pokemon and showering the plants nearby.

"That's a Shiinotic! It puts others to sleep and then feeds on their strength for nourishment!" Jora warned.

"Yea, no thanks. Keeping as far away from that thing as possible." Hank remarked as they moved around the Shiinotic in order to avoid getting hit with its spores.

"How much farther are we from the tribes, Luke?" Katsu asked.

"We're close, but all this foliage is making things harder for us." Luke informed the Samurott as he tuned to his Aura Sense to check the Pack's status. "...Oh no! The Warband's getting closer!"

"We must hurry," said Jora, taking the lead again and taking them around the Shiinotic, being mindful of other Pokemon hiding among the foliage.

A howl filled the air, followed by the voices of multiple others. They knew the Lycanroc were already preparing to engage the warband. From what Luke could sense, the numbers were even... But one side had much larger auras than the other, not the least of which being an especially large one, which he could sense was draconic in nature.

"Damnit... I can't take this anymore!" Luke growled before he began to run ahead, pushing through the thick foliage with his paws as he ran.

"Luke, no!!" Katsu hollered, already moving to chase after him.

"Slow down!" Jora called after him as the three pursued.

"Ahhh balls...!" Hank muttered as he gave chase as well, focusing as hard as he could to maintain their cover as they chased after the frantic Lucario.

Their calls fell on deaf ears as Luke rushed through the foliage as fast as the terrain would allow him. The uneven terrain prevented him from utilizing his speed to its fullest, let alone using his Extreme Speed. A few times he nearly slipped on the wet ground or tripped over an exposed root, but his determination to reach the pack before the warband reached them kept him going.

Then, he heard something else. An all too familiar sound that gave him flashbacks to the Battle of Hadleigh. Stopping to listen, he heard them more clearly. Impacts... explosions... As well as cries of agony to accompany them. He couldn't see it through the foliage but he was almost certain he was hearing a Draco Meteor attack.

Almost immediately after, he heard more howls, this time filled with rage. These howls were closer than the first set. The cries of battle followed suite - they didn't sound far away but now he knew he was already too late.

"No... No! NO!!" Luke hollered as he rushed forward as fast as he could, following the Aura signals coupled with the sounds of battle taking place. The battle may have started, but he could at least save_some_ of the Lycanroc if he moved fast enough. "Come on, come on! Move Luke!" He kept telling himself as he pushed past the dense foliage ahead.

Finally, he cleared the jungle... Stepping into a scene of horror.he was no sooner out of the trees when a canid body fell into his path, covered in multiple lacerations and obviously dead before it hit the ground. He'd seen Midday Lycanroc at Hadleigh, and they had been challenging opponents. But what he found beyond the jungle was nothing short of a slaughter.

The dragonoid beings that the Lycanroc engaged were bipedal, with long bodies of a light gray. They were covered in scaly plates that were a mix of yellow and red, and their limbs were a darker shade of gray. Most of them were no bigger than the Lycanroc, but there was one among them that was huge by comparison. Standing nearly as tall as Sol, with a body entirely gray in colour and even more scaled plates.

It walked at the head of its warband, unbothered even by having three Lycanroc attacking it all at once, biting, hurling Rock-type attacks and even slamming into them on some occasions. But this creature shrugged off their every attack with ease, and when his claws caught one of them in a swipe, blood sprayed from the Lycanroc and he did not get back up again.

Luke could only watch in utter horror as the large dragon pokemon effortlessly slaughtered the three Lycanroc attacking it, his eyes were wide open as he took in the ghastly image, and already he was having vivid flashbacks of the attack on Hadleigh, where they were assailed similarly by a Draco Meteor barrage before the ground forces moved in. His paws started to clench to his sides as horror turned into rage, his aura beginning to radiate around him as his emotions grew more and more unstable, glaring solely at the large dragon pokemon in front of him.

It hadn't taken notice of him yet, currently engaged with the Lycanroc as it was. He might be able to land a surprise attack and defend the other two it was fighting. Maybe if they saw him fighting their enemy, they'd know Luke was a friend. He acted right in that instance, powering up his Aura Surge and rushing into battle with Extreme Speed. He summoned his Bone Rush weapon and made a mad dash for the large dragon, swinging his weapon as hard as he could and socking it right along his jaw just as he was about to attack another group of Lycanroc.

The dragon let out a yelp as he was struck, surprised by the sudden attack. Then he whirled on this new attacker, glaring down at the Lucario who had dared to strike him. He bared his teeth at him before swiping at Luke with a Dragon Claw. The Lucario deftly jumped back from the attack, then rushed forward again, stirking the dragonoid with his Bone Rush twice - both times blocked by the Kommo-O's arm with a metallic ring as the weapon struck the creature's scaled limbs.

Luke backed away hurriedly as it swiped at him with its claws again. Around him, Luke heard the smaller dragonoids whooping and cheering as their leader battled. Of the pack of Lycanroc, only three were left, and they stood panting for breath, nursing wounds and watching the battle. 'Maybe if I can beat their leader, the rest will break off,' he thought. 'That'll spare the Lycanroc from any further loss.'

He banished his Bone Rush and cupped his paws, charging a Focus Blast while meeting the gaze of the Kommo-O, who met his eyes with a sadistic grin. He did not even try to dodge the attack as Luke thrust his paws forward, calling the Kommo-O's bluff. The dragon grinned toothily, and thrust his chest out to take the hit.

Nothing. The Focus Blast simply burst upon striking the Kommo-O, leaving no visible damage. Luke's mouth fell open, his mind racing for some explanation, and he barely ha time to react as the Kommo-O charged again. Gritting his teeth, he spun his weapon in his paws and pointed it toward his opponent.

There had to be a weakness to this creature, he just needed to find it. He looked down slightly as he thought up a hypothesis before he rushed forward again. However, rather than attacking, he jabbed his weapon into the ground and vaulted over the Kommo-O, preparing a Dragon Pulse attack as he reached the peak of his jump, then discharged it as he fell toward the ground again.

This time, the creature recoiled, growling angrily as it grabbed its head where Luke had struck him. Luke grinned as he landed behind the dragon pokemon, satisfied that he had found an exploit to the dragon's mighty strength.

'So Pulse attacks still work on it despite its armour... and it's a Dragon Type, which means my Dragon Pulse will deal more damage.' He thought as he prepared for the next round in their fight. 'Good... Now I have a means to lure him away from the Lycanroc so that they can escape...'

But then, the Kommo-O lifted its arms, holding them out for a moment before slamming its arms together, turning its wrists so that the inner part struck one another. Its tail began to shake and with the repeated motions, face contorted with clear discomfort, it continued, a sharp rattling sound filling the air and causing Luke's ears to ache from the sound.

It wasn't quite deafening, as he could hear around him the smaller dragonoids - likely the pre-evolved form of Kommo-O, erupting into cheer at what their leader was doing, unbothered by the sharp sounds his actions brought. He could also hear the chieftain chanting as he made motions akin to some kind of dance. The few Lycanroc that remained had flattened their ears against their heads and were backing away, the sound overstimulating their keen hearing.

He yelped out and instinctively covered his ears as the ringing continued, slowly backing away and gritting his teeth as he fought the pain off. "Th-the hell is all this about??" He demanded as he looked back at the Kommo-O with a pained expression, trying to fight off the ringing that was quickly overstimulating his sense of hearing.

When the Kommo-O stopped dancing, he spread his legs into a wider stance, let out a breath, and with a final shake of his tail... His body visibly tensed, his musculature becoming immediately more defined from the neck down, and Luke suddenly had a sense of foreboding as the chieftain's eyes opened. When he came forward, he was even faster than before, closing the distance between him and Luke in seconds and swinging a glowing fist at the Lucario.

Time seemed to slow down as the creature moved in on Luke, who was unable to dodge nor counter the attack. However, right as the attack was about to hit him, the Kommo-O suddenly jerked to the side and stumbled past Luke, as if he were struck by an invisible force. Luke turned to where he thought the attack came from, but he couldn't see any sign of the body that attacked the Kommo-O...

Until Hank's illusion dropped, and Katusmoto was revealed, reared on his hind legs, with his forelegs raised, one blocking the Kommo-O's outstretched fist, the other buried in its flank from a powerful punch it hadn't time to prepare itself for.

"Katsu...!" Luke exclaimed.

"Ye will not lay a finger on my captain," he growled threateningly before he flexed his entire body, forcing his Torrent ability to activate and empower his body before he started pushing the Kommo-O back step by step.

There were cries of outrage from the smaller dragonoids, and some looked intent on interfering one what they had evidently come to see as a contest between them and their leader. One ran at Luke, baring teeth and claws flexed, until it was struck by a wad of Toxic, causing it to recoil and try to wipe off the sludge. The poison took effect in seconds, the warrior doubling over and clutching his stomach as sickness took hold.

But it was what followed that surprised even Luke, for out of nowhere, the air shimmered once more and a massive shadowy dragon figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The creature had no recognizable shape, but the massive beast was an absolute terror to behold, even to the smaller dragon pokemon as they gazed up at it in stupefied horror. The creature let out a frightful roar as it glared down at the dragons below it, one so loud that it made their armour visible shudder and filled them with a sense of dread.

The Hakamo-O began screaming something in their native tongue before they turned and began to run, their cries of horror catching the ear of their chieftain still engaged with Katsu. In that split second that he was distracted, Katsu struck, pushing the Chieftan back and attacking with a Razor Shell as his opening strike along its torso, then followed through with a Megahorn directly between the eyes before socking it square in the jaw with his offhand. He finished his assault with a point blank Hydro Pump, blasting the Kommo-O with a high pressure torrent of water directly at its face.

The mighty chieftain fell back from Katsu's onslaught, skidding on its feet but managing to stay upright despite it. It glared back at Katsu, but then looked back at the shadowy giant looking behind him, as well as the Lucario who had now come to stand at his side. The odds were not in his favour, and he knew it. With a glare, and a curse in his native tongue, he turned and followed his tribesmen as they fled.

The shadowy figure dematerialized once the chieftain fled, returning back to the form of a Zoroark in tribal garb, and a Salazzle beside him. Hank grinned and raised a claw up in the air, shouting after the war chieftain. "Yea, you better fucking run, bitch!!!"

"Luke, are you alright?" Jora asked, coming to the Lucario's side.

"Yea, I'll be fine." Luke assured the Salazzle. "Still a bit of a ringing in my ears, but nothing permanent."

"You are fortunate that is all you suffered," she said scathingly. "You ran ahead of us - you could have been killed had Katsu not managed to catch up."

"Yea, what she said." Hank remarked, flicking Luke's nose with his clawtip. "You coulda been killed man. How the fuck were we gonna explain that you got stomped on by a hulking Dragon thing?"

Luke looked down slightly after rubbing his nose with his paw. "I-I... I couldn't take it." Luke stammered. "I wasn't about to let those damned things kill those Lycanroc over territory when they were nursing young ones."

"Damnit, Luke! I told you that this is how nature is!" Hank exploded on him. "There are no rules! There is no code of honour! In the wild it's kill or be killed. Survival of the fittest. You either fight to see the light of tomorrow, or you become someone else's meal!"

"As I said before, Hank is correct. Though we chose to get involved. It does not appear we affected the outcome very much," Jora said sadly, looking at the fallen Lycanroc bodies around them. Among the dead, only two of the dragonoids had fallen, with the Lycanroc having suffered no less than seven casualties. "It appears this was also a balance crossing."

"A what now?" Katsu asked, tilting his head curiously at Jora.

"Think of it as a communal boundary, the halfway point between two of your 'towns'," explained Jora. "In this case, such crossings are used as a meeting place between the packs. There are too many Lycanroc here to all be from one pack - it is likely these ones chose to meet to find mates for their females among the other pack. It's how they prevent inbreeding among their generations."

"And the Wartribes just... happened to stumble upon this land and wanted it for themselves?" Luke asked.

"They are nomadic, much like my people," said Jora. "It is more than likely they were after any food and resources the Lycanroc might've gathered, once they knew they were here. Whether or not they were aware of the balance crossing, I can only guess..." She looked off to the north-west, in the direction of the smoking hillside where the Draco Meteors fell. "That site... It's far from the battle. The Kommo-O chief must've done it to provoke the Lycanroc males into engaging him. Wretched coward..."

"Aye... A being that uses such a tactic to put the odds into his favour is no warrior..." Katsu spat in agreement.

"...Just like how Calhoun attacked all those islands, and with the Siege of Hadleigh," Luke pointed out, causing the others to look at him for a moment. "Flush the enemy out with a bombardment... Then weed the resistance out with a blitzkrieg assault. It's everything the Dark Crusade does down to the letter."

"The strategy was pioneered by Asya... It's certainly possible she learned it by observing the Warbands, whom she expressed admiration for," said Jora. "She once said to me, that a unified fighting force of Kommo-O warbands would make for a deadly army... Perhaps she sought to emulate them in some way, by incorporating their tactics.."

"Sheesh... I don't even wanna imagine what she could do with a full tribe of those fuckers under her command." Hank remarked with a visible shudder. "Let's just check on the survivors and report back to the others."

"Yea... Good idea." Luke concurred.

With that, they headed toward the pillars of smoke, unsure how many survivors they'd find in the devastation they were sure to find...

To the relief of the group, there were few casualties at the blast site, but not all of the females had escaped. Three were lying dead in the charred grass, with no sign of their pups. Hopefully that meant any infants that were among them had escaped with the other females when they had fled... It was wishful thinking, perhaps, but so far the evidence seemed to support that possibility.

"So terrible," said Jora, a claw over her heart as she eyed the three Lycanroc with empathic sadness.

"This is just... So senseless." Luke whispered, his expression saddening as well as he gazed at the dead wolf pokemon before him. "They didn't have to die like this..."

"There ain't nuthin you coulda done to prevent it, man." Hank tried to console his captain, clapping a claw along his shoulder. "We're lucky it was only these three that got hit... With any luck, the others got away with all their pups."

But then, much to Luke's surprise, the female in front of him moved. He jumped back slightly startled, thinking that she might still be alive. But the movement seemed little more than a twitch, even as it happened a second time. Jora stepped forward, down on all fours as she studied the deceased female. Then, her eyes widened.

"Turn her over!" She said, hurriedly. She moved to the Lycanroc's side, and with Hank's help, they were able to lift her off of whatever she was covering... And there they found a survivor.

A young, brown-furred puppy, with colourings akin to those of the Lycanroc, but smaller. The ears were floppy instead of pointed, and the tail had an inward curl at the tip. The puppy shifted and whined in discomfort, though its eyes were shut. As though it were having a bad dream.

"Oh no..." Luke whispered softly, covering his mouth with his paw.

"Shit man... The ma died protecting her kid," Hank muttered, his expression souring as he turned away from the sight, deeply disturbed by it.

Jora stepped forward, gently nudging the Rockruff as if to see how he responded. Indeed he shifted at her touch, and she began to gently pick him up, cradling him in her arms as she looked him over. "He seems unharmed," she said. "She must have shielded him from the bombardment with her whole body..." She looked closer at him, using two claws to gently part his mouth. "Hm... This one's not a newborn," she said. "He has all of his teeth, and he's fairly heavy... Three, four years, perhaps. Almost old enough to accompany the hunters, if I remember their customs well enough."

"The poor rascal," said Katsu. "No child should ever have to endure such a trial at such a young age."

"Nor live without their parents..." Luke added, stepping forward to get a closer look at the Rockruff, trying to fight off tears as he gently touched its head with his paw. "...It's Arc Island all over again..."

Jora looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Minato's kid was found in a similar way, back when Luke and I went with Legs to check on his ruined island home," Hank spoke up, still keeping his back turned and holding his arms in his claws. "His ma kept him alive as long as she could, then when we found her, she passed on what little life energy she had left into the tyke, to make sure he survived. She gave her life so he could live on..." The Zoroark cringed and clenched his eyes shut as he remembered the heart wrenching moment. "Poor Serena was fuckin' devastated; Legs even more so. Can only imagine what Caulin felt, finding out his ma was gone..."

"Gods... I didn't know..." Jora whispered, her tail drooping.

Suddenly, the pup in her arms shifted, his eyes opening wide and looking up at Jora. He let out a surprised yelp and began to immediately struggle. Jora tried to hold onto him, but when he bit her on her paw, she nearly dropped him. The loosened grip was enough for the pup to jump out of her arms, landing beside the body of his mother and rounding on them, teeth bared and growling lowly as he stood between the four strangers and his deceased mother, poised to lunge at the first person to approach him.

"The lad doesn't even realize his mother is no longer alive," Katsu muttered solemnly. "He's trying to protect her."

"...Lemme try sumthin." Hank offered, slowly lowering himself down on all fours and crawled closer to the Rockruff. He then began using his uncanny talent to communicate with wild pokemon by mimicking the Rockruff's actions and sounds, trying to convince the young pup that he wasn't an enemy.

The Rockruff's growling lessened, and he blinked his eyes with clear curiosity at the Zoroark, studying him but not moving from where he stood. Hank crept a little closer once more, offering the pup his claw to sniff and growling lightly to keep implying he wasn't an enemy; that he was here to help him. He wanted to earn the pup's trust before he could even think of dropping the bombshell on the poor Rockruff.

Eventually, the puppy did step forward to smell him briefly, but after doing so it backed away again, returning to its previous position and watching them all warily - though the growling had stopped.

"Tch... damn. He won't trust me enough to let me handle him," Hank remarked, slowly backing away and standing upright when he was with the others.

"Miss Jora." Katsu piped up. "Perhaps you could try that technique you used to pacify the young... ah, curses, I forget what his species is... The guardian of the Nexus Luke and Minato cleansed earlier."

"Zeraora, and his name was Koa," Jora reminded. "But it won't work on this Rockruff - he's too young. Males must be more developed before my pheromones have any effect on them." She looked at the Rockruff sadly. "What do we even do with him? The pack will be far away by now and his mother is gone..."

"We can't leave him here..." Luke muttered softly. "He needs shelter from the elements, and any other wild pokemon we might encounter while we're here..."

"Yea, but... how do we calm him down?" Hank asked with a shrug. "He clearly ain't budgin' from his ma's corpse."

Jora rolled her eyes to the side as she thought. "...Hank. You used illusions to subdue Seji and Sash on the island, subjecting them to terrors. Can you do one that could calm him? Perhaps show him something soothing?"

"Wha-me?" Hank asked, pointing at himself with his claws. "I mean... Shit, I've never really used my Illusions fer anything comforting. Only to scare the ever living shit outta my opponents."

"Well, now's your chance to get a little more creative, Hank." Luke remarked, gesturing for the Zoroark to work his magic. "He won't come with us otherwise, and we can't just force him. You're our best shot here."

"Ugh... aAright, I'll give it a go..." Hank relented, rolling his eyes and going back down on all fours again, crawling slowly toward the Rockruff so as not to appear threatening in any way, shape or form. Once he was close enough, he started to growl softly at the pup to get him to relax, then his eyes gleamed and he began casting an illusion on himself that made him look like the pup's deceased mother.

The Rockruff relaxed as the illusion was cast, looking behind him briefly before looking back at Hank again. The pup wasn't unintelligent, clearly, but certainly confused as it stood there baffled by what it was seeing. Hank then took things a step further once he had the Rockruff confused, flashing his eyes again to make the Rockruff imagine he was in the warm, soothing confines of the mother's fur, aiming to further relax the pup and hopefully lul him to sleep in a peaceful manner.

The pup responded well to the soothing sensations, his eyes closing halfway as a drowsiness crept over him. As the spell continued, he took a step forward, walking closer to Hank until he was able to lie down against him, curling his tail around himself and letting out a yawn as he shut his eyes, convinced that all was well.

When they were sure the Rockruff had drifted off, only then did anyone dare to speak - and no more than a whisper.

"Well... That worked." Hank muttered, dropping the illusion and gently scooping the pup into his arms. "Took a lot more effort than usual though..."

"True, but it still worked regardless. Good job Hank." Luke commended his teammate. "Let's get back the airship before something else decides to jump us."

"Agreed," said Jora. "Well done, Hank. This pup owes you his life."

"Yeah... No problem," Hank said slowly as he looked down at the Rockruff, grimacing. "Just what the heck do we do with him now...?" He asked in a whisper as he turned to leave with his friends.

For a time, they struggled with the idea of giving the deceased Lycanroc a decent burial, but they knew they were already pressing their luck being so out in the open and so far from their friends. Furthermore, with at least ten deceased Lycanroc - including the fallen males from the battle - such a task would take hours and the sun was already near to setting.

With heavy hearts, they left the dead where they lay, and began their trek back to the airship...