FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Despite their initial delay travelling to Azure, taking time to find a language tutor for Koa and instructional material to take with them, Jora and her clan were on their way to Azure. Avoiding Westport City - as she feared her alien entourage would draw attention, she continued parallel to the main road. Along the way, they made camp in the forest before resuming their journey at the rising of the sun, passing a building under construction on the way.

By noon the following day, the town was at last in sight, with a sign introducing the town by name - not that it was of much use, as Jora still had yet to learn how to read, but according to the directions they had received from Aerendyl, this seemed to be the right place. Jora paused to take in the community and looked at Koa.

"Follow me, young one. We shall locate our friends," she said, speaking in the islander's tongue.

"These places we see... They are so very strange to me," Koa admitted, following Jora while the rest of her clan hid themselves in the trees, "Buildings of stone, metal tools, growing their food themselves instead of foraging or catching... It is so different. How can we hope to live among them?"

"I thought much the same when I first came to this land," admitted Jora, "But we will learn to co-exist with them."

"I do hope you are right. We have come so far."

"We have."

Jora dropped to all fours again as they approached the town. A few of the residents paused to give them quizzical looks. Certainly no one in Azure had ever seen their like before - two very unique Pokémon, alien to them. Koa shifted uncomfortably under the weight of the stares. Jora, moreaccustomed to such attention, rose on her feet and offered a cordial bow to those watching them.

"Greetings," she said, speaking in the more common dialect of the civilized world so that she could be understood, "We seek Luke of Team Valiant, or Volcan of Team Phalanx. Might anyone direct us to them?"

From the crowd, a Blaziken emerged. Jora initially thought it might have been Volcan, but on closer inspection she knew it couldn't be him - although it did not escape her notice that this Blaziken was a darker red than him, with shorter crests that were white instead of tan like the male Blaziken's were. Yet, Jora noticed this Blaziken's eyes were very akin to Volcan's.

"You seek Volcan?" The Blaziken, apparently female, asked.

"Yes," she replied. "My name is Jora, of the South Islands. This is Koa." She gestured to the Zeraor,. "We are friends to Volcan."

"He's told me of you," the female Blaziken assured, "My name is Degra. I am Volcan's mother."

"We are pleased to meet you," Jora said, bowing her head, "It is an honour to meet the one who raised such a capable son."

"Thank you," the Blaziken replied, nodding graciously to Jora, "Follow me. I'll take you to him - though I can't promise he will be home. He's been very busy of late."

"Understood."

Jora beckoned for Koa to follow. The two fell into step with Degra, who led them through the town. Jora and Koa endured more stares from the curious townsfolk, though they all steadily began to go about their day as Jora and Koa moved further away. They left the main body of the town, ascending a small rise near to the forest, where a row of newly built houses stood. Degra led Jora to the first of the houses and knocked on the door. Almost immediately, there was a yipping sound inside - two short, high-pitched barks, followed by a calming voice.

The door opened and revealed Luke, with Ignus cradled in his arms. He saw Degra first, and the two shared their greetings before Degra stepped aside to regard Jora and Koa standing behind her. Luke's eyes lit up when he saw the Salazzle and Zeraora before him, practically running over to her and embracing the Salazzle in one arm happily.

"You made it!" He said with genuine happiness as he hugged Jora, then turned and offered Koa a cordial paw shake, "Welcome to Port Azure, you two. I hope your journey wasn't too hazardous."

Jora accepted Luke's embrace and translated his words to Koa, who shook Luke's paw - more comfortably than the first time he'd done it. He'd clearly taken time to learn a few eastern customs before they had come to Azure. He spoke to Luke in the islander's tongue, and Jora translated. "He said, 'I am glad to see you again'," she translated, and then again when he spoke further. "And that he hopes that he can learn to fit in 'as you easterners say'." She added, giving a helpless shrug as she looked at Luke.

"Well, I'm sure given enough time, the rest of the townsfolk will treat you as if you were one of their own." Luke answered with a warm smile to Koa. "You must be rather exhausted after such a long journey. Please, come in!" He offered as he stepped aside for the two of them to enter.

"I shall leave them in your care then, Luke," said Degra, giving the Lucario a goodbye hug and a kiss to Ignus' head, earning a few licks from the Rockruff in return, "Have a good day, and give my son my love when he gets in."

"I will! Thank you Degra!" Luke called back to the Blaziken as she took her leave, waving her off before he smiled down at his son, "Let's go help our friends feel more at home, shall we?" He asked with a chuckle, in which Ignus yipped happily as Luke walked back inside to tend to his guests.

Jora and Koa had moved to the living room, taking in the interior of the house. Koa made a remark, and Jora translated. "Such a structure. Nothing at all like back home."

Luke remembered the hut that he and Volcan had entered when they first met Koa, which they had found to be the Zeraora's home. "Well, over in the East, things are a bit more civilized. We have a trade system that brings in goods that we trade for profit, and then those goods are sold to the townsfolk," he explained as best he could. "We all help each other out in a sense, and it allows us more commodities as a result."

After hearing Jora's translation, Koa gave a nod of understanding, and made a reply. "'My people did not trade with others. They were too wary of outsiders or being found by the Warbands'," Jora reiterated for Luke.

"So I've been told." Luke answered, bringing in a couple glasses of water for Jora and Koa to drink as he went to sit down with them, with Ignus leaping up onto his lap once he was seated, "Thankfully you won't have to worry about warbands or the sort here. Like I said, the townsfolk here support one another in one manner or another," he assured the Zeraora with a nod,"You're among friends now, who'll watch your back and help you whenever you need it."

Koa nodded again after hearing Jora's translation and watched as Luke seated himself before deciding to join him on the couch. He lowered himself onto it, sinking into the cushion. He was surprised, and bounced on the couch a few times. "S-soft," he said, speaking common dialect though heavily accented. He seemed to like the couch, sitting cross legged and sinking into the back of it. "Olu'olu," he added, purring as he settled in.

"He's been making progress on learning the language," explained Jora, "Only basic so far. Not quite enough to hold a conversation. That second word was 'comfortable' by the way."

"Well, with you as his teacher, I imagine he'll get a grasp on our dialect soon enough." Luke answered with a confident nod to the Salazzle, "Are either of you hungry? I can whip up something quick for you in the kitchen if you'd like."

"I am," Jora admitted. "But, we should attend to important matters first. My clan waits outside the town, for wherever it is we are to settle ourselves."

"Oh, right." Luke answered, clearing his throat and returning to business. "Well, Azure has no shortage of lumber and other materials we can use to help build you a settlement with. I'm sure Volcan and the others would be more than willing to help you with whatever else you require during your stay here."

Jora nodded. "We would be both honoured and grateful," she said. "Though for a start, I would suggest we keep a fair distance from this town for a time until we all have a chance to mutually adjust. Given how much attention our presence seemed to draw before Degra intervened, the people here may not yet be ready to see a whole clan of alien creatures wandering their streets. Is there anywhere you might recommend for that?"

Luke hummed in thought for a moment as he recalled the area around the town, trying to think of a suitable spot for the Salazzle and her circle to thrive in. "Well, there's my friend's old training grounds... He left a fair bit ago with no intention of returning, so I don't think he'd mind if that becomes a home for your people." He answered. "It has enough space for you to roam freely and is far enough away from town that you won't have to worry about random passerbys, but is also close enough that you can walk to town and gather whatever you need whenever you need supplies."

"That sounds fine," said Jora, nodding in approval. "Might we travel there, to see this place? If you have time, that is."

"We can go right now if you don't mind having a rather rambunctious little pup joining us," Luke answered with a chuckle, petting Ignus' head, "Or we could wait for Volcan to come home so I can pass our little one to him while I show you around."

"I would not mind having him along," she said, leaning forward to let Ignus smell her. "He might enjoy playing with some of my children." She added.

"Alright, it's settled then." Luke answered as he stood tall from his seat. "Let's get your new home plotted for renovation."

Jora spoke to Koa, probably letting him know it was time to go. Koa groaned, clearly enjoying the couch, but he compliantly stood up from the seat and followed the two as they left the house. Ignus hopped out of Luke's arms and trotted beside his adoptive father as they left the house and headed into the woods. Jora and Koa followed Luke, heading into the trees with Azure shrinking away behind them. As they walked, Jora let out a trilling sound into the trees, and one by one her clan emerged from the woods. They had never left sight of her even when she had approached Luke's home, it seemed.

As they ventured deeper, they heard sounds ahead. Luke had to tune to his aura sense to find the source of the noise, and saw eight familiar auras ahead. Five were in a line and two were tangled in each other. He recognized Volcan's aura immediately and knew the rest were likely the rest of his team. It seemed Volcan had chosen to use the grounds for training that day, but they only occupied one far corner of the clearing, the one closest to town.

Luke stepped out into the clearing first and saw the five auras in a line belonging to Volcan, Minato, Lashanne, Caulin and Qiang, doing push-ups while Lighris stood over them, observing and counting for them. Three of them were working in sync, but Caulin and Qiang seemed to be going faster than their older tutors, as neither of them were doing their reps in time with the others. Off to the side, Sol and Tristan were wrestling, throwing each other about while Serena supervised, and likely to offer healing as the two were not holding back with one another.

"Well, this couldn't be any more convenient." Luke remarked with a chuckle as he saw them training in their own way. It was refreshing to see them actively taking his words to heart and working on advancing their strength, but it was also a reminder that he needed to work on his own strength as well... In the event that Calhoun ever decided to attack when they least expected it, he had to be ready to face him again, this time on more even ground, and with the mindset to end his crusade once and for all...

"And a hundred. Okay Lashanne, take a break," said Lighris, turning his attention to Minato and Volcan who continued their workout.

Lashanne pushed herself up to rest on her knees, rubbing her arms. "Damn, I haven't done this in a long time," she said. "Even carrying gold I uncovered was less strenuous than this."

"You just aren't used to the repetitive motions," said Minato, "It'll come with time."

Volcan looked over at Caulin and Qiang. "What's their count at?" He asked, huffing.

"I lost count," admitted Lighris. "They seem to be more focused on outdoing each other rather than timing with you two."

Indeed, Qiang and Caulin were both almost red in the face as they kept going, both reserving their breath to keep themselves going rather than taunt each other. Yet as with the first night they met, Ignus brought a swift end to the competition by leaping out of Luke's arms and rushing over to the two boys. First, he barrelled into Qiang and forced him onto his back, licking his face happily before he moved to Caulin, who barely had time to fall to his side and catch Ignus as he went for a lick attack on him next.

"Hehehehe! Hey Ignus!" The Riolu greeted the Rockruff with a heartfelt hug and some nuzzles of his own.

Qiang sat up and groaned in annoyance. "Silly little beast! You made me lose," he said. In response, Ignus left Caulin and went for Qiang again. "Gah! Relentless!" He cried as he struggled with the Rockruff.

"Ignus? What're you doing out here?" Volcan asked, ending his push-ups and getting to his knees. Looking past Lighris, he saw Luke approaching with the entourage behind him, "Oh! Jora! You made it!"

"Hello!" She called to him, waving her claw in greeting.

"Sorry for dropping in unannounced, love," Luke answered as he stepped forward to hold his mate for a quick moment, "They literally just arrived, and we're looking for a suitable place for them to set up camp. I figured Nido's training grounds would be a good place to start, but... seems you beat us to it."

"Oh, sorry," he said, rolling his shoulders and stretching out his arms to loosen up his muscles, "We could find another training spot if need be."

"Not necessary at this time," assured Jora, "There seems to be plenty of room here."

"That's true, Nido's field IS rather large. There are other areas we could use for settling in." Luke offered with a nod.

Caulin, having managed to get Ignus off of Qiang, looked over to Jora and was about to greet her himself. But before the words left his mouth, his gaze snapped to the Zeraora besides her and he froze. He found his gaze transfixed upon the lightning cat, unable to look away from him as his eyes explored his form, absorbing the colours, posture and striking face of the Zeraora. He felt his heartbeat quicken in his chest, followed by Butterfree in his stomach...

As the conversation between the other adults continued, Lashanne took notice of Caulin's speechlessness. She reached over to tap his shoulder, "Hey, you okay kiddo?" She asked.

"Huh?" He blinked and snapped out of his trance, looking sharply to Lashanne for a moment before stammering a response. "Oh, uh... y-yea I'm ok." He answered quickly. "Just... Daydreaming I guess."

"You were staring at Koa," she said observantly, giving her stepson a knowing smile.

"S-so? Maybe I just think helooks really cool!" He blurted out in denial, pouting and looking away from his mother.

She chuckled and reached over to pat his head. "It's alright. He is quite fascinating," she said. "He's a Zeraora, a species rarely seen even on the islands. And yes, the same islands Ignus is from. Unfortunately, he doesn't speak our tongue yet. But you can still say hello. Just make sure Jora is around to translate for you."

"Hmph! I was gonna even without you telling me," Caulin pouted, keeping his head turned as he spoke and approached the Zeraora, trying to carry with him an air of confidence as he approached. He made sure to catch both his and Jora's attention as he stood before them and offered Koa his paw. "H-hey there. My name's Caulin." He stammered slightly as he introduced himself.

It occurred to him just how tall Koa was as he stood before the Zeraora. While not quite as tall as Volcan he was at least as tall as Minato. Caulin also became acutely aware of the sheer size of Koa's paws as he knelt in front of the Riolu, reached out and grasped Caulin's paw gently. Caulin's paw was not even half as wide as Koa's, yet still had a gentle touch, and the fur was soft. Caulin's arm furs stood on end, but it wasn't clear if that was from the natural static of the electric-type Zeraora... Or his own nerves

"Aloha," the Zeraora said.

"He is saying 'hello'," Jora translated.

"A-a-aloha." Caulin replied back, stammering as he shook the larger paw and blushing a deep shade of red as he continued with his introduction, "W-welcome to Azure, um... Koa, right? I erm... I hope you enjoy your stay here." He blurted out.

Koa tilted his head, eyeing Caulin quizzically even as Jora seemed to have trouble translating his words, her eyes fixed on the Riolu and struggling to hide her smile as she finished repeating Caulin's words to Koa. "M-Mahalo," he said and then turned to Jora, "Ua ma?i ?o ia? Ke ?ula?ula nei ?o ia," he said to the Matron.

Jora, however, was too occupied with stifling a laugh to translate Koa's question. Minato noticed that Lashanne also seemed to be trying to suppress a laugh as well, holding a paw over her mouth as she watched the exchange.

"...Am I missing something here?" Minato asked as he looked between his lady and Caulin's interaction with Koa.

Lashanne looked at him and leaned over to whisper in Minato's ear. "Ever heard the term 'puppy love'?" she asked, keeping her voice low.

"Uh... yea, why do you-" he paused as he noticed the blush forming on his son's face, and it clicked immediately. "Oh... Ooohhh." He muttered before he started stifling a chuckle of his own, "Well, this just took an interesting turn."

"Our boy has his first crush~" she whispered, and this time Caulin did catch part of what she said.

His ears perked up and he looked back at his parents, his whole face going red with steam practically pouring from his ears from how embarrassed he was. "I-I do not!" He exclaimed in denial. "I-I just think he's really cool! That's all!"

"Uh huh..." Minato remarked, giving his son a knowing smirk of his own.

Behind his parents, Caulin could just see Volcan and Luke were also snickering, with Volcan even casting a wink his way. Caulin's face was turning redder by the second, having to turn his head away so no one could see his increasing blush.

Luke decided then to come to the Riolu's rescue and change the topic before the poor boy could pass out from embarrassment. "Anyway, love. If you're not too busy, think you could help me map an area for Jora and her circle to call home?" He asked the Blaziken.

Volcan rubbed his beak as he quelled the snicker in his throat. "Sure thing," he said. Then, he turned to Tristan and Sol who, throughout the conversation, had kept wrestling. "Hey! Take a break you two. I gotta head off for some business for a few minutes."

Tristan, pinned by Sol at the moment Volcan called out, didn't seem bothered by his position as he answered. "Why do you need us to stop for that?" The Aggron asked in a somewhat laboured voice as Sol was twisting his arm behind his back.

"So that if you two need to be broken up, I'm not out of earshot," Volcan returned plainly.

As the Blaziken walked away with Luke, Jora, Koa and the Salandit swarm trailing after their matron, Tristan looked back at Sol over his shoulder. "Hmph. Spoilin' our fun, ain't he?" He asked.

"More like stealing a win from me." Sol remarked with a scoff. "I was winning that bout and you know it."

"Never said ya weren't," replied Tristan with a shrug, "I ain't no sore loser. We'll call this one your win." He concluded as Sol released his arm and let the Aggron stand up to dust himself off.

"Hmph... Doesn't feel like one." He grumbled irritably, shaking some dirt off of his fur before storming off. "I'm gonna get some grub...don't follow me." He added with a snort.

"Don't be such a sourpuss! Day ain't over yet!" Tristan called after him as he went over to join the others, "Man, that kid has an attitude..." He mumbled.

Volcan, Luke and Jora spent some time discussing plans for the new settlement. They explained to Jora that better options than mere tents and lean-tos were available, such as constructing their own house. The Salazzle was unfamiliar with the concept, but listened nonetheless, and they took Jora back to theirs to show them what to expect but to imagine it on a grander scale. It still seemed a strange concept to her, but Jora was intent on keeping an open mind and agreed to consider it. That night, she retired her clan behind Team Phalanx's houses, while the rest went to bed. Qiang returned to the hostel to join his father and uncle for the night after saying goodbye to Caulin.

The following morning, Caulin was awake before his parents, needing a drink of water. He went to get one, taking a long drink, and noticed a folded letter on the floor by the front door. On closer inspection, he found it was addressed to him and didn't have the postal service's stamp on it - it was too early for letters to be received regardless. Opening it, he read the contents. The letter was from Qiang.

'Caulin,

Father told me the dojo is complete! We will be heading out today at noon to our new home. I wanted to invite you to come with us, since you will be studying there too. He also wanted me to tell you to bring someone to walk with you home again after. We'll be at the hostel until noon - don't be late!

Qiang.'

"...No way, for real??" He almost shouted, but quickly brought his paws over his mouth before he spoke too loudly. Despite that, he could hardly contain his excitement. He started jumping on the spot and eliciting subdued squeals of joy for a bit, then looked up at the stairs to his parent's room. He contemplated waking them up right away to inform them of the news, but he remembered that his father was not as much of a morning Pokémon as he was, and he didn't want to rouse him early and have him being cranky all day.

"...Ten more minutes." He decided with a nod, folding the letter back up and heading back to his room to wait.

At breakfast, he told his parents everything. Minato and Lashanne considered Qiang's invitation, and decided it'd be rude not to accept. "You should go with him," Lashanne suggested. "Maybe you can train with those two today, and I'll go practice with Claire."

"Can uncle Volcan and Uncle Luke come too?" Caulin asked after swallowing a mouthful of pancakes, "I bet they could learn a thing or two from Qiang's dad and uncle."

"I don't see why they couldn't," Minato mused, "We're supposed to be using this time to improve. If they can add more skills to their repertoire, then all the better for us when the time comes to face our adversaries again."

"Sounds like a plan then," said Lashanne, cutting away a piece of pancake from her plate and putting it in her mouth, "Mm. So much better when you don't mix up the sugar and salt, aren't they?" She asked, giving a wry smile as she remembered the last time she had made pancakes.

"I have to admit, Luke would be impressed." Minato returned with a wink back at his lover.

"I kinda liked the ones she made before," Caulin remarked with a shrug before he downed another mouthful of his breakfast.

"Yea, and that concerns me..." his father remarked as he rolled his eyes to the left.

"Tastebuds like a Tauros, I'm telling ya," remarked Lashanne.

"I'm starting to wonder what his grandparents fed him whenever I left him with them back on Arc..." He muttered out loud.

"Oh, just stuff from the woods. Berries, meat cooked over a fire." Caulin answered with a giggle. "Grampa liked adding a lotta salt to the meats."

"...Well that explains a lot." Minato remarked.

"Salted meats, eh?" Lashanne chuckled. "You might have actually enjoyed ship life - although it gets boring sometimes."

"Well, if Uncle Luke and Uncle Volcan found ways to stay entertained, I bet I could," The Riolu answered.

"They played chess and read books mostly," she pointed out.

"...Sounds boring," Caulin stated flatly.

"Like I said," she replied.

"Well, then." Minato piped up, wiping his face on a napkin, "Caulin, why don't you go get yourself ready for your trip, while I help your mother clean up?"

"Okay!" He answered happily, sliding off his chair and trotting to hug Lashanne. "Thanks for breakfast, mom~" He added before turning and heading upstairs to get ready for the day.

The small group was on its way out of Azure by noon as planned, meeting the Shifu brothers and Qiang at the hostel. They left via the main road, the two Urshifu burdened by massive burlap sacks filled to the brim with supplies. Despite the apparent weight of these items the two ran with relative ease, keeping the lead of the pack. The group arrived at the dojo by early evening and were stunned by the exotic structure that waited for them.

The dojo had been built with a more oriental-style architecture, the likes of which were found further to the east, far from any land Luke or Volcan had ever been to, with the main building having a wide flaring roof. An outer wall ringed the structure and seemed to support multiple living areas inside the wall itself. The quarters of students, most likely. Otherwise, there was only a single structure, a well, and space for planting a garden. The yard sported a paved footpath leading to the main building, forming a ring around the aforementioned well and lined by statues at each curve in the path.

"Welcome to our new home," said Chen.

"...Woooooow!" Caulin remarked, his mouth hanging open as he stared in awe at the dojo. "It's amazing!!"

"You can say that again," Luke piped up, almost dropping his things as he admired the structure, "I've never seen a dojo quite like this before."

"That was the intent," Zheng answered with a tinge of pride in his tone, "To bring a taste of northern and eastern culture and architecture together into one."

"Shall we show you around?" Chen offered, leading the way up to the front door and pulling it aside.

While the yard had been vast and wide, the inside was also spacious. The room into which they stepped was vast, with a fighting ring marked into the floor of the chamber. The ceiling was high, supported by wooden beams that formed an arch in the rafters, and with the columns placed safely away from the fighting ring.

"Our personal chambers are in the back," explained Chen, "We have twenty-four rooms in the outer walls. Beyond that, there is not much here yet, but this," he turned, gesturing to the main room dramatically,"Will be where it all happens."

Volcan nodded his approval as he took in the dojo interior. "Congratulations to the both of you on this fresh start."

"Thank you, Volcan," replied Chen, bowing his head. "You are welcome here anytime, as are you, Luke and Minato. I'm sure our students would learn much from the three of you as well."

"Well, I wouldn't mind showing off a little," Minato remarked, rubbing his nose with his paw and chuckling softly.

Luke rolled his eyes a little at Minato's claim but nodded to Chen all the same. "I'd be honoured to pass on what I've learned to your students." He answered. "...When they start arriving, that is."

"And I... actually have a favour to ask," said Volcan, stepping forward, "Would you two consider also allowing me to train here? I wish to study and understand the Rapid Strike style, and possibly practice the Single Strike style as well."

The brothers shared a curious glance between them before turning to address Volcan again.

"We did make a promise to help you train," Chen recalled, "But we did not realize you were interested in studying our ways."

"Though... Might I ask why you wish to learn from us?" Zheng asked.

"Two reasons," said Volcan, before he dipped in a low bow, "and the first, I apologize in advance for saying so. But it is part of my plans to defeat Calhoun," He left it there to let the meaning of his words sink in for Zheng.

The Rapid Style Urshifu tensed upon hearing the Blaziken's open admission of reason. He blinked as images of when he trained the young Combusken flashed in his memories, up until and including when he was consumed by the Shadow Energy and attacked the monastery without any warning or provocation. He quickly shook his head and rid himself of those images as he regarded Volcan, a hesitant expression present on his face.

"... I can understand your reasons for wanting to learn our ways," he began softly, then his gaze shifted to the side, unable to meet Volcan's gaze, "though... I am not certain I am ready to take another pupil under my wing just yet... I am still haunted by what transpired at the monastery."

"That's why I only want to understand the style, not practice it," replied Volcan. "I don't feel I'd be the right fit for it. Which brings me to my second reason," he looked at Chen. "Having seen what you can do, Master Chen, I am intrigued by the Single Strike style. I want to learn it, and maybe hone my own technique with it."

Chen nodded in understanding. "I would be happy to teach you, and help you hone your Art of the Eight Limbs should you wish."

This time it was Volcan's turn to look surprised, staring at Chen aghast until he collected himself, "You know what I practice?"

"We recognized it when we saw you sparring, on our visit to Port Azure. We learned of it from a world travelling warrior who visited our monastery years ago. He challenged both of us, and he was a magnificent fighter. Tell me, what species was your teacher?"

Volcan scratched his head. "I... Sadly, I don't remember. According to my mother he was another Blaziken. I don't remember his name, or if he was on Arc the night of the attack,"

"Ah," Chen replied in understanding, "Of course. Your bout with amnesia. Forgive me."

Volcan waved it off. "It's alright," he assured Chen.

"Well, if you are only looking to understand its principles of my style to better understand how Calhoun fights, I suppose I can instruct you on its fundamentals," Zheng relented, scratching the back of his head slightly, "Specifically the art that Calhoun practiced during his time at the monastery..."

"I believe you referred to that as the Capo Variant," said Volcan, "That was his preferred style, correct?"

"Yes. A very unpredictable art that utilizes momentum to its fullest. It is a kick-oriented style, with the users' hands mostly being used for defense or as a means of balance as they perform their 'dance' in a manner of speaking." Zheng explained, "It was derived by one of my predecessors, as a means to tutor Pokémon who were less inclined to use their hands in combat, or couldn't, such as Hitmonlee or someone who suffered injuries to their hands that made them unable to use them for combat."

Volcan nodded. "Sounds about right," he said.

"Very well, then." Zheng said in a firmer tone this time, "I will show you as much of the Rapid Style as I can before Master Chen begins instructing you in the Single Style." He added. "I do hope you are prepared... This will be unlike any training you have experienced in your life. You will have to be one hundred percent focused throughout the lessons, or you will be doomed to fail. Do you understand?"

Volcan nodded to him. "I do, Master Zheng. I will not fail."

"I suppose now, we ought to show Qiang and Caulin their new uniforms," said Chen, lightly clapping Zheng on the shoulder before he approached a closet, tucked away in the back corner of the chamber. "I had them custom-ordered and delivered only a few days ago, just as the finishing touches were put on the dojo."

The two boys exchanged excited looks and followed Chen over to the closet. He opened it, and inside were folded gi tops, each one in one of three colours: white, black, and blue. Chen reached for one of the white tops, looking it over before offering it to Caulin.

"The white gi, like a blank canvas yet to be coloured, is a symbol to one who is yet to choose his course," said Chen, "Depending on whether you choose to follow the Rapid Strike or the Single Strike path you shall earn the blue or the black respectively. The choice will be yours," he lay the folded gi in Caulin's paws. "Are you ready to become our student, Caulin, son of Minato?"

"I was born ready, Master Chen!" Caulin answered as he accepted the Gi, taking a moment to look at it with excitement and anticipation, "Let's get started! I'm already rarin' to go!"

"Then try that on," said Chen, retrieving another Gi for Qiang, "Here you are, nephew."

"Thank you, Uncle Chen," said Qiang, nodding.

"Now. Volcan, Luke and Minato, would you three care to join us for a demonstration?" Chen asked.

"I'm game," Minato answered, not missing a beat.

"Sure, I would be down for that." Luke answered as well.

"A show for the kids, is it?" Volcan asked, punching his fist into his other hand.

"You could say that," Zheng answered with a grin of his own, "It also means you get the showdown you wanted." He pointed out to Minato.

The Lucario grinned. "Now you're speaking my language," he said.

Caulin and Qiang sat in the corner, watching as the five fighters, divided between the brothers and the rescue team, faced off. Qiang was already grinning as he watched Zheng step forward and faced off with Minato. In comparison, Zheng was much larger, in both height and bulk, than the Lucario, with Minato barely reaching his chest. Yet, Minato's face showed only anticipation for the coming contest, smiling and meeting the gaze of his opponent.

"My father will win," stated Qiang.

"Nuh-uh! My Dad's gonna trounce yours! Just you wait and see!" Caulin returned confidently.

"My uncle is going to win too," Qiang added without missing a beat.

"You wanna bet?" Caulin replied with a smug grin, "Cause _my_uncle managed to beat one of the Guild's strongest captains ever. What's your Uncle got goin for him?"

Qiang huffed, "He is one of the greatest fighters in all the world. Only my father is better than him, and even that is by little."

The fighters shifted their postures to their respective fighting style's defensive form. Zheng stood balanced on one leg, both paws raised with his fingers curled down, knuckles up and left arm leading as he shifted his posture sideways. Chen took on a wide-legged stance, his dominant arm lifted vertically before him and the other tucked down by his waist, cocked back like the arm of a catapult ready to launch.

In response, both Luke and Volcan, followed by Minato adopted their respective stances, each of them having their sights set on their targeted opponents. While Luke was the more patient one of the two Lucario, Minato didn't seem to share in that trait, as not even three seconds after they prepared to fight, he was already rushing forward toward Zheng. Their fists met when Minato closed the gap, causing them both to freeze in place for a second before the Urshifu broke the stalemate by withdrawing his fist and letting Minato stumble forward into a rising knee toward his stomach.

Minato took the knee to his stomach, but he managed to prepare for it by flexing his abdomen as hard as he could right before the point of impact. He smirked at his opponent before he slapped his leg away with his off paw and attacked with a Force Palm in retaliation. Zheng's movements were as swift as his fighting style described. He effortlessly shifted his stance when his leg was swatted away, lifting one of his hands and parrying Minato's attack while striking at one of his pressure points with the other multiple times.

Again, Minato flexed his body and amplified his aura to defend himself from the multiple attacks, catching the Urshifu's hand in his paw and pulling him forward into a heavy uppercut right into his jaw. Zheng recoiled from the attack, grunting as he handsprung away after taking the hit and landing in his stance again. He felt a little bit of blood run down his lower lip, but for the most part he was unfazed by Minato's attack, while he was smirking after managing to score the first visible injury on his opponent, rolling his head along his shoulders and feeling his neck pop in a few places.

"You're fast, but your strikes don't have a lot of punch to them," he pointed out, "It's going to take more than speed to take me down."

This time it was Zheng's turn to smirk. "Your shield isn't as infallible as you might think, young one," He replied calmly. "Every defense has a fracture, and once it is exposed, I will claim a swift victory in this bout."

"The question is... Will you find it before I pummel you to the dirt?" Minato remarked with a bit of arrogance in his tone while he took his stance again.

Meanwhile, the second battle had already begun, opening with Volcan engaging Chen. The Blaziken, following his teammate's example, charged Chen and went into a blur of motion as he kicked out at the Urshifu, who blocked his leg. He struck back, but Volcan was out of reach. Chen lunged forward and barely missed a direct blow to Volcan's chest. The two of them struck and swung about - Chen took more hits than Volcan, but seemed to largely shrug them off as the Blaziken could not land more than quick strikes upon him. Heavier blows were either deflected or met with an equally heavy return.

Volcan utilized every technique he had. Switch kick, before shifting to punches and elbow strikes when Chen closed in. He landed a solid blow on Chen with a snap of his elbow, but Chen returned it in kind with a headbutt that Volcan leaned aside from, only to take a jab to the gut, and then a second punch across the cheek. Volcan staggered back, taking a breath before he went in with a roundhouse, then dropped into his Low Sweep maneuver as Chen put up his arm to block the first kick. Much to his surprise though, when his leg met Chen's, the Urshifu's foot remained firmly planted.

Chen's fist, coated in dark energy, struck Volcan directly, and the Blaziken went sliding across the floor until he came to rest almost exactly where he had started. That was when Luke moved in, leaping over Volcan as he slid along the floor and pulling out his Bone Rush, twirling it over his head before he brought it down toward Chen's face. When Chen blocked the Bone Rush, Luke cancelled the attack out and snapped forward with a quick Bullet Punch barrage to stun him, then skidded to his flank and lashed out with a double Force Palm right to his side. Chen skidded from the attack, grabbing his side where Luke hit him, but grunted with approval.

"You tricked me with the bone rush to open a gap in my defense and landed a fine hit," he complimented, before he reverted to his stance again, "But that will not be enough to bring me down, my friend."

"I'm only just getting started, Master Chen," Luke answered as he got back to his stance again, "And don't forget, I'm not your only opponent." He added with a slight smirk of his own.

Chen's eyes widened in realization, and he turned his head just in time to see Volcan launching himself into a drop kick toward him. He jumped, backflipping over the flying Blaziken and landing on his feet again. "How silly of me," he said, chuckling as he regarded the two again.

Volcan whirled on the Single Strike Urshifu and came forward with a Blaze Kick. Chen blocked the kick, and Volcan had to pull his leg back before the Urshifu could land a punch on his exposed abdomen. This time, Volcan let Chen come at him, timing his movement to step out of the way of the punch and snap forward with a switch kick; a move that usually resulted in landing a punishing blow to the enemy's head, but Chen blocked the kick masterfully, despite coming from the side of his dominant arm that he had attacked with. He snapped forward with another punch, and Volcan was thrown off balance, but Chen didn't pursue him.

Volcan's body ignited, about to use Flame Charge. But before he could even take a step, Chen suddenly shot forward. He moved so quick, he might have been teleporting, and delivered an uppercut that nearly threw Volcan into the ceiling, causing the Blaziken to let out a strained breath of air. With that, Chen before rounded on Luke, correctly predicting the Lucario would choose now to attack. He parried Luke's Force Palm with the back of his off hand, delivering a quick but punishing punch to Luke's gut; Luke stumbled, but didn't slow, attempting another Bullet Punch in a flurry. To his chagrin, Chen managed to bring his hands to block or deflect every punch Luke threw, seeming able to read the Lucario's every move even though Luke was not attacking in a particular pattern - certainly not one Chen had seen before.

As Luke threw his last punch, Chen caught his paw, and landed a knife-hand chop to Luke's face, striking between the Lucario's eyes and sending spots dancing across Luke's vision before releasing the Lucario's paw and letting his stagger back. He grunted shook his head to clear the spots from his eyes, facing Chen once again. He kept blinking to clear the spots out of his vision as he thought about his next plan of attack.

'Okay, so a rapid onslaught isn't going to work. I suppose that isn't surprising; that's exactly the way his brother seems to fight - he's accustomed to it,' thought Luke, 'He's diverting my blows away to keep me from exploiting his type-weakness; he's being patient, rather than trying to power through. I'm sure he used Sucker Punch against Volcan, and some other move I didn't recognize but he hasn't used any other attacks against me... He's gauging me, waiting for the right moment.'

Suddenly, while Luke planned his attack strategy, Chen's face contorted into a nightmarish scowl and his eyes flashed brightly at Luke. The Lucario flinched as he felt a wave of fear wash over him, making him dig his feet into the ground and rob him slightly of his usual speed advantage. He instinctively retaliated with multiple Aura Spheres, sending them all out rapidly and in a wide arc that encompassed Chen before they began to home in on him from multiple directions.

Chen charged power into his fists, a brilliant Aura of Fighting-type Energy coating his fists. He struck the Aura Spheres before they could reach him, dispersing them, and as the last of them winked out he went straight for Luke, taking advantage of his reduced speed to drive the mighty blow home.

Thinking quickly, Luke in response brought his arms up and blocked the attack. He grunted as he felt his arms endure a seething pain before they almost went numb from how powerful the Focus Punch was, fearing that if his feet hadn't been so firmly planted into the ground he would have been sent flying regardless of his defensive posture.

The Lucario then looked up at Chen through his guard, and his Aura Surge ignited around him shortly after. However, rather than constantly burning around him, the flame started gathering around his paws and caused them to glow slightly once all of the aura had been collected into his limbs.

He then threw his arms out, forcing Chen's to be spread apart as well, and in that split second, Luke thrust his paws forward with what looked like another double Force Palm, but the force behind the attack was at least twice as powerful as the Focus Punch Chen threw at Luke. Chen let out a grunt as he was sent skidding backward, clutching his chest where Luke had struck him and actually dropping to one knee.

"Such... power!" He said, letting out a cough.

Luke started rubbing his forearms with his opposing paws one after the other. "Minato isn't the only one who knows how to turn their opponent's power against them." He replied, still keeping a stern look about him.

"It seems I have underestimated you, my friend," said Chen, still holding his chest as he lowered his head, his other fist resting on the floor. "For this round, I shall yield."

Luke relaxed and sighed, lowering his arms as he approached Chen and offered him his paw to help him back to his feet. "You're really something, Master Chen." He said with a smile. "I don't think I'd be able to come out on top if we faced each other a second time, especially with your skills and experience."

"Perhaps not, now that I have a better sense of your ability," agreed Chen. "Nevertheless, it is clear that my own training must continue." He looked over as Volcan picked himself up off the floor, grunting.

"Damn, love... Your Aura Sphere packs way more punch than it used to," he remarked, rubbing his side where the deflected Aura Sphere had struck him, and his gut where Chen had punched him. "Oof... I got the drumsticks kicked offa me."

Luke instinctively ran to Volcan's side, helping him back to his feet and rubbing where the Aura Sphere nailed him. "I-I'm so sorry, are you alright?" He asked frantically.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I've certainly been hit with worse," he said, rubbing his stomach some more. "But Master Chen has one hell of an uppercut..."

"He's an experienced martial arts master; what did you expect?" Luke asked in jest, chuckling as he went in for a hug once Volcan was back on his feet again.

"Fair enough."

The battle between Minato and Zheng, however, was faring differently. Zheng was proving an even better fighter than his brother, not only for the speed of his paws, but how easily he read Minato's techniques as the fight went on. The Lucario was indeed at quite a disadvantage against Zheng, but he kept persisting and countering every blow the Urshifu threw at him. By now they were both bruised and had small dribbles of blood running down their lips, but they kept their fight up despite the injuries they had sustained with each blow they inflicted upon each other.

The two entered a stalemate, each of them catching each other's paws and struggling to overpower the other. It was in this pause in the conflict that the others could see the absolutely elated grin on Minato's face as they continued their struggles. For Volcan, it was the first time he had ever seen Minato truly enjoying himself in a brawl despite his injuries. The sentiment seemed to be shared with Zheng as well, as he was grinning back at his opponent as well. His woes seemingly vanished as he lost himself in the fight, focusing solely on his opponent.

They then broke away from their stalemate and began a deadly dance with each other, each party parrying, dodging and blocking every attack thrown their way, though some blows did manage to connect during their skirmish. Nevertheless, it seemed like this duel would go on for quite some time..

"They seem... Evenly matched," said Chen, surprised. He looked at Volcan, "Your friend is mighty, to match blows with Zheng so well."

"He had a couple of really good teachers," was all Volcan could think of to say in reply.

Right as Volcan said that, Zheng managed to dodge a punch that Minato threw at him. The Urshifu's eyes glinted as he found his opening, then he took an unorthodox stance before he started unleashing a rapid flurry of strikes on Minato before he could react. Steams of water trailed from his arms like ribbons as he unleashed the flurry, with barely a second between each strike.

All of Minato's pressure points were struck before the Lucario could even try to get away, causing him to tense up and widen his eyes as he felt his body go numb from all those consecutive strikes. In conclusion, Zheng kicked him hard and sent the Lucario skidding onto his side, shuddering as he tried to fight off the pain he was enduring.

Caulin was in utter disbelief as he saw his father thrown aside by the onslaught. "...No...No way!!" The Riolu said, standing up from his seat and calling to his father. "C'mon Dad, get up!! You can beat this guy; I know you can!!"

Everyone watched with anticipation, waiting to see if Minato would rise to his feet again. He grunted and growled as he fought through the pain, shakily moving his limbs and pushing himself back to his feet with great effort. He cast a glance over to Zheng after spitting some blood out of his mouth, followed by a slight grin as he spoke up.

"That... All you got?" He said in a ragged tone.

Zheng narrowed his eyes at Minato, his expression unreadable as he continued to stare at the Lucario for a moment. To everyone's surprise, however, Zheng lowered his fists, returning to a neutral posture and shaking his head at Minato. "No. This battle is finished." He stated firmly.

"Like hell it is!" Minato countered, "I've still got some fight left in me!"

"You barely have any strength to even stand up straight, let alone continue fighting. All your pressure points have been struck by my Surging Strikes," Zheng stated, almost shouting at Minato as if he were scolding a child, "your strength and combat prowess is impressive, there is no question about that. You've fought well, but I will not risk injuring you any further in your current state." He said as he stepped closer to Minato, towering over him as he stared him down. "This fight is therefore finished. There is always next time, young one."

The Lucario scoffed and looked away from Zheng, though he eventually started to relax and sigh as he wordlessly admitted defeat. He started staggering a little as the adrenaline died down and the pain from his wounds started to overcome him. Volcan was by his side quickly, and helped steady his friend as he led him over to the side to sit down.

Qiang had a triumphant look on his face, but the look on Caulin's stopped him from gloating and caused his grin to lessen. The Riolu was in utter disbelief, blinking his eyes rapidly as if he were trying to wake up from a dream. He then frowned heavily and stood up from his seat abruptly, running off to another part of the dojo without a word. Volcan saw him leaving and called after him, but he was ignored.

"Oh dear..." said Chen, suspecting he knew what had upset the Riolu.

"Does it have anything to do with the fight?" Luke asked after Caulin practically slammed the door behind him as he left.

"I don't think Caulin was ready to see his father lose," said Volcan, frowning.

"I will get him," offered Qiang, "we were both boasting about who would win... Perhaps I was being too competitive."

Zheng nodded softly to his son, "I will tend to his father's injuries personally," he replied, gently placing his hand around Minato's shoulder. "Come. We have an infirmary this way," he said as he gently guided the Lucario away from the main area.

Qiang left through the same door Caulin had gone through, and jogged out a few steps before looking around, seeking the Riolu. He didn't have to look very far, as he heard the sound of wood being punched coming from outside the dojo. The Kubfu followed the sound until he found the Riolu, all dressed in his new gi, punching and kicking at a rotten stump he had found. Caulin had a look of quiet rage in his eyes as he kept hitting the stump, grunting each time his paw made contact with the wood.

"Caulin?" Qiang spoke up as he approached, cautiously.

He didn't respond at first. He just kept hitting the stump until exhaustion finally caught up to him, making him stagger back and take a moment to catch his breath, rubbing his paws a little to ease the soreness he felt.

"Caulin. Why did you leave the dojo?" Qiang asked, stepping forward a little more, but not so close as to be invasive.

"Because I needed to be alone," he stated, keeping his gaze ahead. "I needed to get some of this aggression out, and I didn't wanna take it out on you."

"I have not come to gloat," Qiang promised.

"I know." Caulin returned sharply, "I just..." He started to say, but the words died in his throat, and he started to hang his head. "...I just don't like seeing Dad suffer..."

"Suffer?" Qiang asked. "Suffer how?"

The Riolu turned to look at Qiang square in the eyes. "He won't say it out loud, but... I know he's still thinking about what happened to our home, and the last time he went up against Calhoun," he answered, "normally he doesn't really mind taking a loss or two. He told me once that you can learn from failure even more than you could from success..."

He turned away again, his eyes falling to stare at the ground. "But right now, he doesn't want to fail. He's still thinking about how he failed to save his home, and my mom... And when he had the chance to take down Calhoun for good, he failed at that too. I think... it's finally starting to get to him..."

Qiang looked to the side, considering how best to answer Caulin. "I cannot speak for your father," he said, "But do not forget, he is not the only one who suffered Calhoun's actions, nor failed to stop them. Remember, Calhoun was my father's student."

"What's worse, Qiang?" Caulin suddenly snapped, rounding on the Kubfu, "Losing one student, or losing your entire_home, all of your friends and family, and having to watch from the sidelines while everyone else goes to fight and you can't do _shit about it!?"

Qiang's brow furrowed as he regarded the Riolu, his paws tightening to fists as he spoke, slowly, showing he was holding back a far more colourful retort. "You really think I don't know what that is like? Or that my father doesn't?" He asked, "Calhoun and I were not the only students at the monastery, Caulin." He stopped there, letting the meaning of his words sink in.

"W-Wait, you weren't?" Caulin asked, his anger turning into surprise as he jerked his head back as he regarded Qiang. "Then..." He began, lowering his gaze as he realized that Qiang had literally been in the same position as himself, and his heart sank in his chest when he came to terms with that revelation.

Seizing the moment, Qiang explained, "There were, including my family and I, and Calhoun, twenty-six of us," he said, the effort it took for him to relive that night clear on his face as his paws clenched tighter at his side. "To my father and my uncle, their students were all like family to them, especially Calhoun. Many of the students looked up to him, among them my uncle's star pupil, Lian. I saw_all_ of them fall and I could do nothing... My father and uncle watched all their students perish, despite their best efforts. Not even they together could stop him... Whatever Calhoun had become, the power he had achieved had surpassed them both."

He looked at Caulin, his eyes half-closed from the depth of his scowl. "I never felt more helpless in my life, watching them fight him, and yet ultimately fail. And I knew I could do nothing to change it all... If even my mighty father and uncle were no match for him, what chance did I have against Calhoun?"

"Q...Qiang." Caulin whispered softly, now deeply regretting his outburst and turning his head away from the Kubfu. "Jeez... now I just feel like a jerk for saying all those things."

Qiang's paws unclenched, and he took a deep breath to steady himself. "I will let it go this time," he said, "But know Caulin, that there are others who understand both your father's pain and your own."

He moved to stand beside him, putting an arm over him as he led them back to the dojo, "My grandfather had a saying that he taught to his own students, including my father and Uncle Chen. 'There is no shame in defeat, so long as the spirit is unconquered. So long as you draw breath and aim high, you will one day grasp victory in your paws'."

"I think you're gonna have to say that to my dad next chance you get." Caulin answered, lifting his head and managing a smile as he looked back to Qiang, "Still, I guess I should say sorry for what I said to you..."

"As I said, I am willing to let it go," he assured Caulin, "I understand how disappointing it can be, to see someone you idolize fail."

Caulin nodded softly in return. "Well... Then I'll just have to try and succeed where he failed." He returned, pumping his arm in front of his face as his usual confidence came back full force.

Qiang smiled, and looked ahead as they approached the dojo. He pulled away from Caulin to be the first to the door and held it open for him, letting Caulin back inside to witness the rest of the demonstration, and begin their own training.

~~~~~

By the time the sun was setting, Caulin was sore and battered. He'd spent the afternoon practicing with Qiang, exercising and being pushed to his limits in three rounds of sparring. Volcan offered to carry him part of the way home to Azure with his father and Luke, but the Riolu was adamant he walk on his own. He may have been tired and battered from his training with Qiang, but he didn't want to appear so weak that he had to be coddled on like a child.

"I'm not a little kid anymore, Uncle," was his response. "I gotta be able to stand on my own feet at some point, so I may as well start now."

"Perhaps, but there is such a thing as overtaxing yourself," Luke pointed out to Caulin. "I understand you're growing up, but it's never a bad idea to ask for help if you feel you need it."

"Exactly," said Volcan. "But for what it's worth, you did good today." He looked down at Caulin, "Do you like it there at the dojo?"

"You kidding?? I can't wait to go back!" Caulin exclaimed gleefully. "I'm so pumped for tomorrow I dunno if I'll be able to sleep tonight!"

"Oh, I'll make sure you do," Minato said with a slight smirk, "and if I don't, your mother certainly will."

Volcan chuckled and put his arms behind his head as he looked at Luke. "Out of all of us though, you were the only one of us three who managed to pull through," he said, "Chen mopped the floor with me."

"Well, I keep telling you that I'm used to battling Pokémon with larger builds than me," Luke answered with a chuckle as he thought of Nido, "though I will admit, if I didn't know Reversal myself, I might have been toppled over with you."

"That's how you got him?" Volcan asked in surprise, "Huh. It looked like you just landed two big Force Palms on him. I don't think even he saw what really happened."

"Like I told Chen, Minato isn't the only one around that can turn their foe's power against them," Luke added with a smirk cast in Minato's direction.

"Har har," the elder Lucario retorted, rolling his eyes to the side, "he'll most likely expect that next time you two clash, you know that."

"Oh, I'm aware. Before then though, I plan to learn as much from them as I can." Luke answered with a bit more firmness in his tone, "I think you could learn a lot from them too, Minato."

The Lucario grimaced, turning his gaze forward once more before sighing. "Maybe..."

"Hey, we have a dojo within walking distance of Azure," said Volcan, "I say we take full advantage of it. Especially if it helps us get stronger by learning from two martial arts masters. We can only get so far training with each other."

"Yea, what Uncle Volcan said!" Caulin piped up, nudging his father's side with his arm, "I mean, I found a rival in Qiang. Maybe you could find one in Master Zheng too. Someone that can really give you a good fight rather than fighting against Uncle Volcan and Tristan all the time."

"...Fair point." Minato admitted. The prospect of a new rival that could really push his limits did strike a chord with him, "I'll really have to push myself before I think I'm ready to face Zheng again though. As much as I hate to admit it he's much stronger than me."

"As will I, to be able to square off with Master Chen," agreed Volcan, "especially if I want to learn how to use the Single Strike style myself."

"I plan to learn from both, myself." Luke answered. "While the Rapid Strike might be more my style, I need to be more adaptable in my approach, and I can't rely on my own self-taught style forever. Switching fighting styles on the fly might be the most effective way for me to counter Calhoun's Capo style."

The four unanimously agreed and continued their walk to Azure. When they arrived, most of the town's streets were empty, lit up only by the streetlamps along the more well-travelled roads. All the stores in town had closed for the night, all of the fishing boats docked at the pier. The only activity they could see were townsfolk in the pub or one of the restaurants, ending their busy days on a high note. They passed the town by, making their way to their own houses.

They reached Volcan and Luke's first, and Volcan turned to bid the two goodnight, "See you first thing in the morning, a'ight?" Volcan said.

"Sure thing." Minato answered with a nod, "Sleep well, you two."

"Bye Uncle Volcan! Bye Uncle Luke!" Caulin added with a wave to the both of them.

Luke chuckled at that. "Still getting used to being called that," Luke admitted as he waved back at the two taking their leave.

With that, they entered their home, greeted by Degra and an excited Ignus who ran over to meet his fathers, welcoming them home with his usual excited licks and wagging tail. Meanwhile, Caulin and Minato went next door to their own home, and found Lashanne in the living room as they entered, though she was already fast asleep. She was propped up on the couch, an open book in her lap ready to slide off to the floor at any moment. Her head drooped, and she snored lightly.

"Looks like she started without us," Minato remarked with a chuckle, gently walking over to her. He took the book from her paw, placing a bookmark in it and leaving it on the table before gingerly scooping her up in his arms. "Think you can get yourself ready for bed, kiddo? I have my hands full right now," he added, causing the two of them to quietly laugh for a moment before Minato carried Lashanne upstairs back to their room, leaving Caulin to get himself all set for bed.

The Riolu performed his nightly chores as instructed before he headed back to his room, crawling into bed and shutting the light out before laying on his back. He stared aimlessly up at the ceiling as he waited for sleep to take him over, but as he waited, his thoughts started travelling back to the events that took place that day... Specifically to the time where he first met Koa and how he reacted toward him.

He started to blush the more he thought about the Zeraora, squirming in bed as he continued to think about him. He couldn't put his paw on it, but something about Koa really stuck out to him. His striking appearance, his golden mane, the fierce look in his eyes...

'...Why am I feeling like this?' Caulin asked himself internally as he rolled onto his side, trying to shut his eyes and force himself to sleep, but the Zeraora continued to flood his mind and keep him awake for the next hour or so. He started picturing himself spending time with Koa, befriending him and taking him across Azure, showing him all of the points that he felt were the most interesting to him, which ultimately led them to the lighthouse.

As he drifted off, he pictured the two of them getting closer to each other, more so than what would be considered friendly, and as his consciousness faded, the last thing he managed to glimpse was the two of them sharing a moment together... A scene that made the Riolu smile subconsciously as he drifted off to dreamland for the night.