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The sounds of sparring filled the dojo as Caulin and Qiang went through their daily practice. Chen watched the two closely as they battled, utilizing the techniques they had been learning for the past several weeks. But both students showed the experience they already had in how they fought. Qiang already utilized several techniques from both the basics of the Single and Rapid Strike styles, while Caulin also had his martial training from his father and Volcan, the latter in particular showing the most whenever Caulin delivered a kick.

As they went on, the door opened, and who else stepped in but the Riolu's two mentors, each of them carrying something as they entered. Volcan carried a bakery box and a rolled-up poster under his arm, and Minato had another kind of box tucked under his. Chen looked their way upon seeing the door open before looking back at the two, and calling for a break.

"Caulin, it seems you have visitors," he said.

"Hmm?" The Riolu perked up and turned to the door. He beamed when he saw his uncle and father approaching and immediately ran toward them excitedly. "Dad! Uncle!!" He shouted as he barrelled headlong into his father in a tackle-hug.

"Whoof! Hehe, hey kiddo," he said, almost dropping the box he held under his arm and embracing him with his free arm. "How's the training going?"

"Great, actually! I'm learning a little bit of both styles from Master Chen and Zheng!" He answered with a fervent nod.

"Think you've decided which one you're going to pursue?" Volcan asked encouragingly. "Hit hard like Master Chen or paws like lightning like Master Zheng?"

"Honestly? I kinda like both styles." Caulin answered. "Like... I was thinking maybe I could find a way to hit hard and fast; find a balance between the two, ya know? Mix it up."

"...That sounds like something Luke would say," Minato remarked with a chuckle, casting a glance to Volcan. "Seems he's taken more than a few pointers from you guys when he was under your care."

"I guess? But he gets all his power and spirit from you," reminded Volcan. He looked up as Chen approached with Qiang. "Good day, master Chen. Hello Qiang."

"Good day," returned Qiang, bowing politely.

"You come bearing gifts, I see?" Chen asked.

"We do, because it's a special day today," replied Volcan, looking at Caulin.

"Wait, it is?" Caulin asked, tilting his head curiously at Volcan, and then at his father, noting the smile he wore. "Wait... Is today what I think it is??"

"Yep," Minato answered with a chuckle while ruffling his son's head with his paw. "Today's your fourteenth birthday, kiddo."

"And have we got something for you," said Volcan as he knelt and presented the bakery box in his hands to Caulin. "Mom made your favourite cake for ya."

"No way!! Chocolate mousse??" He exclaimed as he pulled the box open to reveal the cake inside. His eyes beamed with pure glee and his mouth watered slightly when he gazed upon the dessert, reading the message inscribed on the top layer in icing before he pounced on the Blaziken. "Thank you, Uncle!! Tell Mama Bird I said thanks too when you next see her!!"

Volcan chuckled and hugged the Riolu. "You bet, Caulin. Happy birthday."

Minato gently set his box down next to Caulin once Volcan released him. "I have a feeling you'll like what's inside," he said with confidence, "Your grandparents had a hand in picking out this gift for you as well."

Caulin was on that gift like a Venomoth to a flame, practically tearing through the packaging to get to the box itself, then tearing the lid off of it and throwing it aside to peer into the box's contents. Inside he found a bundle of items neatly stacked together, prompting Caulin to pull them out carefully and admire them with growing curiously.

"...Landweights?" He asked as he studied the bands he had pulled out.

"Those were the same landweights my master gave to me when I was about your age. They were instrumental in developing the strength I have today, and now I feel it's about time I passed them on to you," Minato answered with a nod. "Train with these, and I promise you you'll see results given time. When I was accustomed to them, I was able to punch through solid rocks without using my aura, and I could run fast enough to almost catch up to Volcan here." He added, gesturing to the Blaziken next to him.

"Whoooooaaa..." Caulin gasped in disbelief, looking at the weighted bands and putting one around his wrist. Immediately he felt his arm becoming many times heavier, making him grunt and struggle to elevate his arm back up again. "Wow, that's heavy! But if it'll help me get stronger, then I'll use them in my training." He added with a nod. "Thanks, Dad!"

"Very intriguing," remarked Chen, leaning over Caulin to look at the weighted bands, one hand rubbing his chin as he studied them. "Where might I find land weights like those? They could be a worthwhile addition to our training equipment."

"You'd have to ask my master, He gave them to me while I was still on Arc Island, and I never bothered to ask how he procured them," Minato answered honestly, "Though I do agree, they could be a useful asset to your students when you start getting more." He turned back to Caulin again. "Also, that's not all I got for you," he said, gesturing to the box again.

Caulin tilted his head, looking back at the box and peering inside it again. His face lit up once more as he reached in and pulled out the other items that lay at the bottom of the package, holding them by the handles and giving each of them a few test swings.

"No way!! Tonfas?"

"Hand-picked by your grandfather himself," Minato added with a confident smirk.

Qiang studied the tonfas in Caulin's paws with interest, admiring their design. Then, Volcan took the rolled-up item from under his arm.

"Got one more thing for you," he said, "And Qiang, this might interest you too."

"Oh?" Qiang asked, curiously.

"What'cha got, Uncle?" Caulin asked as well after he put the Tonfas down and undid the weighted strap from his wrist.

"Tristan found this when he went out to Westport yesterday to buy some supplies for Jora," explained Volcan as he unrolled the poster, revealing the contents written on it.

Chen leaned forward, seeing the image sketched on the poster of two Machop with their fists outstretched, and read aloud the bold words below it. "'Junior tag team martial arts tournament'?"

"...Hey, is this what I think it is?" Caulin asked, looking at his uncle for confirmation.

"Your chance to test yourself," Volcan said, "Tournaments like this are a popular stop for aspiring rescue teams. You're old enough now to attend one, and your dad here agrees - although Lashanne took a bit of convincing." He added.

"Hehe, of course she would," Caulin remarked, snickering, then looked over at Qiang, "Whaddya think? Feel like kicking some butts and taking names while we're at it?"

"Absolutely!" Qiang exclaimed, "This is a perfect opportunity to acquire some exposure for our dojo!"

"Not so fast there, nephew," Chen said in a stern voice, crossing his broad arms as he looked down at Qiang, "You will need permission to enter this tournament and you do not have that yet."

"But uncle, surely you as a master of this dojo would want me to attend?"

"As a master, yes, but that is a decision for your father, not me," returned Chen, "We shall consult my brother when he returns." He ignored Qiang's disappointed groan and looked at Volcan. "When is this tournament scheduled to begin?"

"In about two weeks," replied Volcan, "and it's taking place in Westport."

"Then we have plenty of time," said Chen. He looked at Caulin, "First, I believe you have a cake to enjoy. I hope you'll share with Qiang."

"Well duh! I can't eat all of this by myself!" He answered quickly as he picked up the box containing the cake. "C'mon Qiang! Let's take this thing and chow down like there's no tomorrow!"

"Don't overdo it," Volcan cautioned. "Luke's preparing dinner for all of us tonight so make sure you don't just fill up on cake."

"Well then come eat with us!" Caulin countered, waving his paw to his uncle and father. "You too, master! There's enough fer all of us!"

"Well, it would be rude to refuse," said Chen, "I'll have a small piece."

As the group chowed down on Caulin's birthday cake, Zheng returned to the dojo. As he shared a piece that Caulin offered him, they told him about the tournament and the idea of Caulin and Qiang entering.

"I told Qiang we should consult you first before anything was decided," stated Chen.

"Please father, can't I attend?" Qiang pleaded, "It will bring honour to our dojo and draw in more students."

"Hmmm," Zheng hummed in thought as he considered the idea, rubbing his chin with his paw. "This would bring more students in. Though I must ask, my son. Are you certain you will be able to work with Caulin without letting your rivalry get in the way?"

"I shall compete alongside him as a fellow student and no less," promised Qiang.

"I'll be along too as their supervisor," added Volcan, "I'll make sure everything goes smoothly."

"Very well then. I will believe your words, Qiang," Zheng answered with a nod, "We have some time to hone yours and Caulin's techniques and your teamwork. After you have finished snacking on his birthday cake, we shall begin."

"Okay, father! Thank you," Qiang said, bowing his head before he ran up to embrace his father.

Volcan looked at Minato. "When it comes to team synchronization, no one's better than Team Phalanx amiright?" He asked, grinning confidently, "What do you say we give them a few pointers?"

"I'd be down for that," Minato concurred with a nod and a smirk, "Might earn us a few rep points as well after they win the competition," he added.

"Is that really a priority?" Volcan asked rhetorically before he stepped forward, "If we may, masters, Minato and I are quite accustomed to tag teaming. We'd be happy to help with honing their teamwork skills."

"I think that would be a splendid idea," Zheng answered, looking to his brother for his input.

"Agreed. Though Zheng and I have battled together before, having someone who specializes in tag-team combat will be much better," Chen agreed.

"Well, that just means we'll have more ways of working on how to fight as a team!" Caulin remarked with a confident grin, "When the day the tourney comes, we'll be unstoppable, right Qiang?"

"Right! The Dojo of the Shifu Brothers shall reign supreme!" Qiang stated.

"Then let's get to work," said Volcan, "We'll start with the rules of tag-team tournaments."

After going over the attacks known by both Caulin and Qiang it was clear that the frontline combat would be the focus of Qiang. His movepool was limited almost exclusively to Fighting-type moves, with Aerial Ace and Headbutt being the only attacks he knew outside his natural typing. He did have a fair repertoire of effective moves, but nothing for distance combat - nor did Chen or Zheng for that matter, as their species, despite their own ability to wield Aura to a degree, could not actually manifest it into projectiles, only to enhance their own striking power.

Caulin, however, made up for it. His offensive attacks were fewer than Qiang's, but of the pair he was the only one with a distance attack - Vacuum Wave, and had tactical moves such as Double Team and Quick Guard that would protect him from enemy attacks. Qiang knew Detect, but that was his only non-offensive move.

Over the next eleven days, they trained hard, practicing their attacks and their teamwork. They followed demonstrations and examples from Volcan and Minato on the basics of tag-teaming, making sure that they knew they could switch whenever one of them needed to step out. In addition, in order to bolster their teamwork, Volcan also drilled them on maneuvers for fighting simultaneously; they wouldn't need them at the tournament, but the Blaziken felt it was still worthwhile for them to learn.

On the twelfth day, the last day before they were due to set off for Westport, Volcan challenged the two of them to a test. "Okay," he said, "you two have one job - to reach me, and land a strike on me, using the team maneuvers I've been teaching you." He punched his fist into his hand and cracked his knuckles. "So, think you two can manage it?"

"Yes!" Qiang said confidently, shifting into a battle-ready posture.

"Bring it on!" Caulin added, shifting to a stance himself that mirrored his father's fighting stance, albeit with a few alterations to his posture.

"Alright then," said Volcan, shifting to his own fighting stance, "Come at me!"

Caulin glanced to Qiang for a moment, giving him a small nod before he took the lead, running toward Volcan as if he were going to make the first strike. However, he smirked as he projected his aura into five more doppelgangers of himself with Double Team, each of them fanning out in an attempt to confuse and overwhelm Volcan as they closed in.

"Good, like I taught you," said Volcan, "Don't make your approach too obvious..." he spun as Qiang leapt at him with Aerial Ace, deflecting the Kubfu's kick and giving him a light push to send him back. "All the same though, make sure you only strike when you have an opening. Especially if they have good reflexes."

When Qiang was pushed back, One of Caulin's doubles appeared in front of Volcan in an attempt to obscure his field of vision, while the real body slid under the Blaziken and swept at his feet with a Low Sweep attack. Volcan felt his legs knocked out from under him, and Caulin hastened to add another kick to the maneuver while Volcan was airborne. But this was Volcan's own maneuver, and the Blaziken easily avoided it, landing on his hands and cartwheeling aside before Caulin could land the kick.

Qiang spotted his opening while Volcan's attention was on Caulin. His fist glowed, and he charged in with a Dynamic Punch. At the same time, Caulin came at Volcan from the opposite direction with a Force Palm, hoping to catch Volcan while he defended against Qiang, or hold his attention to let Qiang land his strike - either way, they had him.

Or so they thought. As they closed in, Volcan turned sharply, surprising them as he angled his body to let Caulin pass behind him and bent back to let Qiang fly over him. He then snapped around in another twist, snatching Qiang by his leg and Caulin by his arm.

"Two-pronged attack. Good," he complimented before he spun and hurled the two through the air, deliberately aiming for a shrub to break their fall.

Qiang spat out a leaf as he clambered out of the shrub. "He taught us most of our team tricks. How do we reach him if he keeps predicting our attacks like this?" He asked.

"He taught us the tricks, but he didn't say we couldn't be creative with them," Caulin answered, "Uncle Volcan uses surprise or advance planning to beat his opponents - that's why he's so skilled. But we can pull off a surprise of our own."

"You have a plan then?" Qiang asked.

"Kinda... It's not perfect, but it's better than rushing in blindly," Caulin answered, never taking his eyes off of Volcan, "I'll need you to act as bait for it to work though." He said as he gently placed his paw on Qiang's shoulder, subtly casting a Helping Hand on the Kubfu before he backed up and let him take the lead.

Caulin had been saving this for the day he'd have a partner in battle, and he'd never told Volcan that he'd learned Helping Hand. He was counting on that to give them the edge they needed.

Qiang nodded to Caulin and stepped forward. Slowly, his walk accelerated into a run, and he went in with a Rock Smash. Volcan easily blocked the punch striking back with a jab, but Qiang - by use of Detect predicted the incoming Counter to bank out of the way and swung out with his leg. Volcan barely leaned out of the way of the kick, jumping back to get some distance from Qiang's following kick, impressed by the Kubfu's combination attack.

They traded several blows, though Volcan remained ever wary of a follow-up attack from Caulin. The Riolu was strafing around the two of them as they engaged in their skirmish, watching Volcan's every move as he circled around to his flank and skidded to a halt.

There he waited for his opening, watching the fight drag on until the Blaziken parried one of Qiang's attacks and went in for a second Counter. In that instant, Caulin quickly drew his arm back and threw his fist forward, launching a Vaccuum Wave that zeroed in on Volcan and nailed him before he could land his punch on his comrade. Volcan did not predict the projectile, and it successfully stumbled him, allowing Qiang to land an uppercut that knocked the Blaziken onto his backside, grunting painfully.

"Huzzah! They got him!" Chen cheered as he saw Qiang land the punch.

"Well played, the both of you!" Zheng added with a nod of approval.

"Hehehe... That's my boy," Minato muttered, wearing a broad smile as he felt himself swelling with pride.

Volcan, despite the double whammy he had taken, was laughing as he sat up and saw the two boys standing over him, waiting for his approval. He grinned and nodded to them. "Never show your full hand to your opponent," he said, nodding in approval to Caulin before looking between him and Qiang. "Congratulations, boys. You pass."

"YES!!" Caulin hollered, leaping up into the air and performing a celebratory backflip before he slapped his paw with Qiang's. "That was awesome! Nice work!"

"The same to you!" Qiang returned. "The timing of that Vacuum Wave was perfect!"

"Well, it is a priority move," Caulin answered, "I knew that whatever Uncle Volcan was gonna throw at you, my attack would have to hit first and give you the opening you needed."

"Be that as it may, the timing was absolutely on point," Minato remarked with a proud smile. "It's almost like you knew exactly when Volcan was going to parry Qiang's strike."

"Keeping in mind I was slowing down on purpose," Volcan whispered to Minato as he got to his feet. "Either way, your only objective was to knock me down once, and you did that. So, you two ready to head to Westport and get ready for the competition?"

"More than ready!" Caulin answered excitedly, "I can't wait to mop the floor with those other tag teams! We're gonna take this thing by storm!"

"Overconfidence can be a detriment, Caulin," Chen cautioned, "Temper your gusto with caution and patience, lest if you fail you will feel a much greater sting of defeat."

"Right, right. Sorry, Master." Caulin replied, standing straight up like a stick when he addressed him. "I'm just really excited for this thing."

"Excitement is fine. Just remember not to hang onto the idea of victory so strongly," replied Chen. "Nevertheless, I look forward to hearing that you two give it your all."

"We will, Uncle," promised Qiang.

"Well, now that we've judged how ready these two are. Shall we start getting our things ready for the trip to Westport?" Minato asked in a more lighthearted manner.

"Agreed," said Volcan, looking at the two, "Okay, go grab whatever you want to bring with you, but try to pack light. We're going to be jogging to Westport."

"Wouldn't have it any other way!" Caulin answered with a nod, then turned on his heel and began running back to his quarters to grab whatever he felt he would need for the trip to Westport.

"This is going to be interesting," said Volcan, chuckling as he turned to Minato, "Are you going to bring Lashanne to watch the tournament too?" He asked.

"I was about to ask if you were going to bring Luke along." Minato countered,"Frankly I'm surprised he isn't here now. You're never apart from him for more than five seconds as of late." He teased.

"Well, that was before we were raising a kid of our own, and trying to get stronger before the summer ends," the Blaziken remarked, "He was supposed to meet us here with Ignus, but I guess he got held up." He looked down the road toward Azure. "Hope nothings wrong..."

"Knowing that little pup, I imagine everything's going wrong," Minato answered with a laugh. "You guys go ahead. I'll head back home and see how your man is doing before I ask Lashanne if she wants to come watch-"

"Hey!!" Luke's voice hollered, making the two of them turn and see him running down the road toward the dojo, with Ignus running beside him, yipping excitedly.

"...Okay, nevermind then," Minato muttered,"Guess I'm only making a short trip home as opposed to a long one."

"You made it!" Volcan called, walking over to meet his lover with open arms.

Luke practically jumped into Volcan's arms and held him as tightly as he could with his free arm, kissing his cheek over and over fervently. "Sorry, I'm so late. I ended up losing track of time while teaching this little one here how to speak." He said, pointing to Ignus running by his feet.

"Oh yeah?" Volcan asked, crouching to look at Ignus at eye level. "What'd you learn today, little guy?"

Ignus hopped up into Volcan's arms when he crouched low, licking his face happily before he spoke up. "Hi Daddy~" he said clearly and concisely.

Volcan beamed as he heard the words leaving Ignus' mouth, unable to resist the urge to hug him and trill with delight - a sound even Luke had never heard him make before. "Oh, such a smart boy," he said proudly, turning on his heel while holding the Rockruff. "He's learning so fast~"

"...How come I've never heard you make that noise whenever we're alone?" Luke asked while raising an eyebrow at his betrothed, "Because that sounded awfully close to a purr of some kind."

"Asking the real questions here," Minato teased.

"Like a p- wait, I did a what now?" Volcan asked, puzzled.

"It sounded like you just purred when you hugged Ignus after he greeted you," Luke repeated. "To which I ask again - why haven't I heard you do that whenever we're alone?"

"He probably only just now remembered how to do that." Minato further teased, snickering slightly and earning him a slight scowl from Luke.

"I... Didn't even realize I did it," said Volcan, lifting a hand from Ignus to rub his throat. "Is that what's called trilling? Huh. Guess it's my 'real-proud-dad' sound," he remarked with a chuckle.

After sharing in a small laugh with Volcan, Minato finally let out a sigh and turned toward the direction Luke came from. "Well, your man's here, but my lady isn't. Think I'll go grab her and meet you two at Westport later."

"Oh, here," said Volcan, reaching into a pocket on his harness, and producing a key. "Take our boat to get to Westport. It'll get you there in half the time, and way cheaper than the airship," he said as he tossed the key to Minato.

The Lucario caught the key, and gave Volcan a casual salute before he began jogging up the road from the direction Luke had come, heading back to Azure.

Luke gently leaned softly against Volcan and nudged his side with his elbow. "Soooo... I wonder what else it'll take to make you trill like that~" He asked with a suggestive grin on his face.

"Luke! There are kids present," Volcan retorted promptly, though he was laughing.

"I'm kidding. Jeez, you really can't take a joke, can you?" He asked with a laugh of his own.

"I was playing along," said Volcan, petting Ignus' back before turning back to the dojo. "Oh, and speaking of kids, here come Caulin and Qiang."

"Perfect timing as always," Luke commented with a smile.

"Alright, we're all packed and ready to go!" Caulin announced as they stood before the two of them. He paused for a moment when he saw Luke in place of his father, looking behind him after a little bit. "Where'd dad go? Isn't he coming with us?"

"He will be. Just headed home to get your mom," replied Volcan, setting down Ignus so he could run up to see his two friends, "They'll meet us in Westport."

"Ohh, okay," Caulin answered before he was pounced on by Ignus, almost flooring him and showering him with puppy licks. "Aack, hehehe! Hey Ignus!"

"Hi!" He yipped back happily, giving him a few more licks then turned to Qiang and went to pounce on him as well. "Hi!" He repeated.

"He can speak now?" Qiang asked, turning his head away as Ignus licked his cheek.

"Not quite. He's learned a few new words since last time, but he's making considerable progress nonetheless," Luke answered as he watched Ignus shower Qiang with affection.

"I could not be more proud," remarked Volcan, holding Luke tightly to himself.

"He is in good hands," commented Chen, "Now, best you all be on your way if you want to get to Westport before dark."

Caulin looked back at the Shifu brothers curiously, "You're not coming, masters?" He asked.

"As much as we would enjoy watching the fruits of your labour, we must stay and tend to the overall maintenance of our dojo." Zheng answered,"Fret not. We will be with you in spirit, young ones. I am confident you will represent our dojo well, regardless of your final position in this competition."

"Be sure to bring up all of the details of the tournament," said Chen, putting his hands together and giving a cordial bow to the two students.

Caulin and Qiang repeated the gesture, and Qiang said goodbye to his family before falling into step with Volcan, Luke and Caulin, with Ignus trotting along between them. The brothers watched until the five were out of sight, and then turned to head back into their dojo to await their return.

The sun was nearly set when Volcan led the way into town, leading the others to the nearest inn he could find and getting them rooms for the night. Then, they had to find a registrar for the tournament - Volcan had already entered the names for Caulin and Qiang when they'd decided to enlist for the tournament, but they still needed to sign in to confirm they were there. Once that was done, the five of them sat down to a meal before retiring for the night.

"Will Caulin's father not be joining us this evening?" Qiang asked.

"He's on his way," said Volcan, "Even if coming this way by boat is quicker it'll probably still be well into the morning before they get here. I'll go down to the docks tomorrow and see if the boat's there or if they decided to stay over in Azure and come here tomorrow. Either way, they'll be here in time for the tournament."

"I hope so. I wanna see em watching me in the stands while we kick everyone's butts left right and center!" Caulin exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air, with Ignus barking happily immediately after. "Yea, you said it, buddy!" The Riolu added as he ruffled the Rockruff's fur with his paw.

"Just remember what Master Chen told you, Caulin. Overconfidence can and will lead you to defeat," Luke remarked cautiously. "Keep your pride reined in and your focus on the moment, and nothing will stop either of you," He added as he fed Ignus some cut strips of meat which the Rockruff dug into ravenously.

"Alright, off to bed with you two," said Volcan, "Get some rest. We'll take a day to enjoy the city tomorrow, and then the day after, the tournament begins."

"Gotcha. See ya tomorrow!" Caulin returned after he finished his meal, then he and Qiang wandered off to check back into their rooms to retire for the night.

"And then there were three," Luke remarked with a chuckle, patting Ignus' back before picking him up and scooting closer to Volcan as they both caressed and hugged their son. "... He's adjusted so well to life out here, and is already on his way to forming coherent sentences,"he stated, lightly scratching Ignus' head.

"He's our smart little boy," said Volcan, holding the Rockruff in his arms and rocking him gently.

Luke gave a small sigh, resting his head along Volcan's shoulder as he watched Ignus start to lull to sleep from Volcan's rocking. "...When do you think we should start planning for our wedding, love?" He asked suddenly, lifting his gaze to look up at his beloved.

"Hard to say... We've had so much to do lately," replied Volcan, looking back at him. "Between training and raising this little guy, I guess we've been filling our timetables," He hummed as he considered a few ideas, "We definitely should set a couple of days aside for it... maybe we should put it close to the end of summer? That gives us a couple of months to plan yet."

"Plenty of time to put together a guest list and plan out who should be our pastor," Luke concurred with a nod. "Maybe your mother could use her bakery skills and conjure up a cake for us too."

"Wouldn't be the first wedding she catered. She did Minato and Linda's too," replied Volcan, nodding. "But who would fit the role of a pastor? Does Azure have a mayor who could act as one?"

"It does. A Slowking; he spends most of his time at the community hall, though there aren't a lot of events for him to moderate there," Luke answered. "I don't think he'd be able to refuse a direct request from a Gold Ranked Team Captain~" He added with a wry grin and a wink.

"Alright, that's one option then," said Volcan. "And we already know who our respective best men are going to be." He added with a chuckle. "I wonder... think we could get Lady Cinnia to attend? I'm sure the guests at the celebration would love her singing."

"Are you kidding? She was going to be the first Pokémon I put on the guest list!" Luke answered with a small laugh of his own, "I'd be crazy not to invite her."

Volcan nodded. "Perfect. And I wager Ignus and Caulin would enjoy playing with her kids too," He looked down at Ignus, seeing the Rockruff was almost asleep.

"Especially Ignus," Luke added with a chuckle, then he yawned a bit and rubbed his eyes on his paw. "Starting to feel drowsy already... Jeez, I've forgotten how much energy raising a child takes."

"Yeah, no kidding. Especially when you're teaching two others how to fight as a tag team," Volcan added with a chuckle as he rose and moved to the bed, still cradling Ignus in his arms as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

Luke followed suit, walking around to the other side of the bed and crawling onto it, sighing as he lay on his side and waited for Volcan to join him when he was ready. He laid down shortly, resting Ignus between them. The Rockruff was already falling asleep when his head was set down on the pillow, blinking sleepily as he looked between his parents before letting out a small yawn.

"...Best...Daddies..." he said sleepily before sleep finally claimed him.

Luke's heart skipped a beat when Ignus whispered those words, looking over at Volcan with eyes wide in shock. "...Please tell me I'm not dreaming."

"I did not teach him that..." Volcan said in a whisper, equally shocked, looking back at Luke. "Did you?"

"N-no, I didn't!" He almost exclaimed, a smile starting to creep along his face as his eyes watered up. "He actually said that... all on his own."

"Didn't I say it before?" Volcan asked as he put his arm over both Ignus and Luke. "Our smart little boy~. He's even learning new words on his own!"

"Yea." Luke whispered, gently taking Volcan's hand in his paw and kissing it repeatedly as they snuggled closer together. "Our smart, special little boy..."

As Caulin and Qiang came downstairs for breakfast that morning, they found Luke waiting for them with Qiang at one of the tables to the inn's complimentary breakfast. Luke was feeding Ignus a selection of soft foods he'd found among the presented items, including apple sauce, eggs and oatmeal, testing to see what Ignus liked. Qiang and Caulin seated themselves at the table as Luke fed Ignus a spoonful of apple sauce.

"Where is Volcan; did he sleep in?" Qiang asked.

"He left some time ago to see if Minato and Lashanne had arrived at the docks," Luke answered, "Considering he's not back must mean they're not here yet... Or they got held up sightseeing on the way here."

A few moments later, Volcan arrived to join them. He approached and slid into the seat next to Luke.

"No sign of the boat yet," he said, "I guess by the time Minato got back to Azure it was too dark to take it out. Still, even if they only left Azure at dawn, we'll see them by noon. I left a note with the dockmaster where to direct them to us when they come in."

"Awww man, that sucks," Caulin remarked, pouting slightly at the news.

"Don't fret. They'll still make it to watch you fight," Luke assured Caulin with a pat to his back. "If anything, it means we'll have a head start on touring around Westport."

"Yeah. I've never really had the chance to check this city out in detail," said Volcan. "Everytime we've come here it was either to attend a competition - like today - or just passing through enroute to Hadleigh," he then added out of the corner of his mouth, "Or when I was kidnapped," he mumbled.

Luke nudged Volcan's hip with his elbow and looked at him warily. "None of that," he whispered to the Blaziken before clearing his throat, "Anyway. Why don't we do a little touring while we have the chance? Take in the sights before Minato and Lashanne join us," he offered to the kids.

"I'd be down for that!" Caulin answered eagerly.

"Okay," agreed Qiang.

Making short work of their breakfasts, they left the hotel and headed out to explore the streets. As a major trade port for the region, Westport had a vast array of goods available at its many shops in the market. Sailors were everywhere, and as rowdy as Luke and Volcan remembered from their time in Princeport. It seemed that with life at sea, having a thick skin was likely a requirement with how many insults they tended to hurl around - especially at each other.

On the waterfront, there was what appeared to be a small carnival taking place, likely somewhere for the youth not entering the tournament to attend. Ironically, or perhaps deliberately, located outside the very building in which the competition was taking place. A moderately sized domed structure, which looked new. The locals referred to the structure as the Arena, though it was not strictly a combat arena as according to them it had also been used for sporting events and even an indoor carnival the previous year.

"So, this is where it's to be held, eh?" Volcan asked, studying the dome, "Well, maybe more modern than the coliseum on Torolf's Island but I can't help but feel this place lacks a certain air to it."

"Probably because it's in an enclosed arena," Luke offered with a shrug. "The arena we fought in at Team Warmachine's tournament was open to the sky."

"Hehe. Doesn't matter what kinda arena it's in, Qiang and I I are gonna wipe the floor clean with our opponents!" Caulin boasted with pride, wearing a confident grin on his face as he made his claim.

"Caulin," Volcan reminded, "What'd master Chen say?"

"I'm sorry, Uncle! I'm just so dang excited for this thing! I've never entered a tournament before and the suspense is just getting to me!" He countered with a helpless shrug. "Everything's all happening so fast I'm having a hard time trying to cope with it all!"

"A fair point, but if you let your excitement run away from you, else you'll run into an outstretched fist while trying to catch up with it," cautioned Volcan.

"I knooooow," Caulin whined, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Well, it's clear on where you get your competitive nature from," Luke remarked with a chuckle, "It looks like the fair isn't meant for competitors... But that doesn't mean we can't at least check it out."

"Let's see if we can find something for Ignus then," said Volcan, looking down at the Rockruff walking at his side. He barked up at Volcan in response, wagging his tail happily before running around him once and standing up on his hind legs as if wanting to be picked up again.

"He's certainly excited to try a few rides I think," Luke remarked with a chuckle, "Hopefully they have a few rides he can enjoy on his own." He then paused as he imagined Ignus on a ride by himself. But he started shuddering at the possible things that could go wrong in that scenario. "...Actually, forget I said that..."

"Best he stick with us," said Volcan, kneeling down to lift up Ignus in his arms. "You're a genius, Ignus, but a little too hyper to leave on your own," he remarked, petting his adoptive son's head. "Let's see... ah! A ferris wheel. That looks like a good place to start." He looked at Luke. "What do you think?"

"Something for all of us. Yea, that'd be a good place to start." Luke answered, then looked to Caulin and Qiang. "You two should be fine on your own for a bit," he said as he handed them each some Poks out of his pouch, "Go treat yourselves while we're gone. We shouldn't be too long."

"Thanks Uncle Luke!" Caulin said happily as he accepted the money being handed to him.

"Keep an eye out for your parents, too," Volcan added, "they should arrive in a few hours and they'll be looking for us."

"We will," promised Qiang.

"Say bye, Ignus," Volcan said to the Rockruff, gently lifting Ignus' paw to wave it to Caulin.

The Rockruff struggled a little, but eventually he managed to form the word he wanted to say. "Hhhh...Buh....Bye!" He said before yipping again.

"That's our boy." Luke remarked with pride, reaching to scratch his head gently.

"Where to first?" Qiang asked Caulin as Volcan and Luke departed.

"Let's check out some of the carnival games. See if we can win some prizes to take home with us," Caulin offered, jerking his head toward said games, "and hopefully expose you more to what life is like out here in the East~ Can't have you constantly being all uptight and boring." He teased with a laugh as he ran ahead of the Kubfu.

"I am quite content as I am," replied Qiang, crossing his arms defiantly.

"Please, you could stand to loosen up even a little bit," Caulin remarked as they reached the games corner, "I mean, haven't you ever let loose before? Just have fun and take a load off?" He asked as they approached the first tent, a simple ring toss challenge with prizes strewn all over the back wall of multiple varieties.

"I have a legacy to live up to," Qiang replied dismissively, taking in the sight ahead studiously. "Ring throwing?" He asked.

"Yea, well I have one to live up to as well, you don't see me being all uptight about it," He added as he placed some Poks on the counter. "I'll take a game, please." He said to the clerk behind the counter, who promptly slid the Riolu three rings for him to try his luck with.

"This does not look so hard," said Qiang, leaning on the counter and watching.

"You'd be surprised," Caulin answered as he stared ahead, focing on a target before tossing a ring at the spike furthest back and missing by a hairs length. "Dangit... " He cursed as he tried again, the ring catching on the tip of the spike and spinning precariously before it fell onto the counter it rested on.

He threw the third one soon after and managed to score a direct hit, but because he missed the first one, he could only claim a minor prize for his reward.

"Darn.. well, two outta three isn't so bad, I guess." He said as he picked out his prize from a shelf next to the wall, deciding on a bobblehead of a Swampert.

Qiang looked at the bobblehead curiously. "There's a name written on there," he said, pointing to the base of the bobblehead.

Caulin lifted the bobblehead and read the name along the base. 'Torolf', in big golden letters.

"Oh... OH!" Caulin remarked, his eyes widening in glee as he looked at the name on the bobblehead, "Jeez! Forget this being a minor prize, I just scored the JACKPOT!"

"Er... how?" Qiang asked, confused, "Is that someone important?"

"Are you kidding me??" Caulin practically exploded, looking at Qiang incredulously. "Come on!! You have to have heard of Torolf even back at your monastery! Leader of Team Warmachine? Strongest Swampert in the world?? Took on freaking Groudon and walked away from it??"

"Well, when you put it like that, I believe that does sound familiar," replied Qiang, rubbing his chin, "I think my uncle spoke of him once after coming back from the city."

"The guy's famous, man! He helped in the raid against the Dark Crusade's first fortress and brought my dad back home from their clutches!" Caulin answered, still ogling at the bobblehead in his paws, "Aw man, I'm gonna put this in a display case when I get home~"

"I guess it is my turn then," said Qiang, stepping forward to address the attendant. "One round for me, please."

The attendant slid three rings to Qiang after taking his money, nodding to the Kubfu as he took a step back and let him have his turn on the ring toss. Qiang tested the weight of the ring, gauging the distance between himself and the target. He made a flick of his wrist, too hard. The ring flew over the peg, rebounded off the back wall, and nearly took Caulin square in the face when it came flying back. Fortunately, Caulin bobbed his head out of the way of the ring, and then shot Qiang a dirty look.

"Eh... oops? Lighter than I expected," he said, shrugging sheepishly, "Sorry."

"Eh, it's ok. Not like it woulda hurt." Caulin returned dismissively. "Try again."

Qiang went to retrieve the botched ring, placing it back on the counter before he picked up a new one, this time timing his throw a little better. The ring landed partly on the post but caught on the edge, causing it to tumble off to the floor. On the third throw, he managed to properly land it, and they watched the ring spiral down the post before touching down at the base.

"And that's enough for a minor prize!" The attendant remarked, stepping away from the wall of assorted small prizes of many assortments. "Take your pick, kiddo."

Qiang hummed as he looked them over, seeing a miniature figurine of a Mienshao among the minor prizes. Not a bobblehead like Caulin's prize, merely a model. He requested it, and Qiang read the name on the base of the figure. "Meilin," he said. "Hm... that also sounds familiar." He added, rubbing his chin.

"Hmm... I don't recognize the name myself... Maybe Uncle Luke or Uncle Volcan would know who they are." Caulin offered optimistically. "Well either way. Let's go check out what else we can do!" He said as he grabbed Qiang's paw and practically dragged him along to the next venue.

Minato left a handful of Poks in the dockmaster's hands to pay for the docking fee to keep the boat tied, and then stepped out to rejoin Lashanne. With that, the two headed into the city, their eyes immediately drifting to the carnival taking place just off to the left from the pier. They mutually agreed that that was probably where they'd find their friends and their son.

"Pretty big town, isn't it?" Lashanne asked, peering into the streets of Westport ahead. "What's this place... around eleven thousand people?"

"More or less, judging from what I've heard about it," Minato answered with a nod.

"Probably the least sleepy town North of the plains," Lashanne added. "From here to Hadleigh I recall there being a lot of remote communities."

Then, she turned as something caught her eye. "I spy with my little eye," she pointed toward the carnival, "Check it out, in line for the Pendulum."

Minato followed her finger, and he saw Caulin and Qiang in line for one of the carnival rides. He started to chuckle at the sight and shook his head. "Hoo boy... they're gonna be cleaning up quite a mess after they get off a ride like that." He remarked, looking over to Lashanne. "Caulin never could really handle getting dizzy very well."

"Hope he didn't have too big a breakfast," Lashanne remarked, "Let's meet them at the exit once they're off."

"This looks like it is going to be fun!" Qiang exclaimed as they climbed about the ride's seat. Over the past few minutes he'd really started to get into the carnival and seemed to really be having fun. As soon as he saw the Pendulum ride, he had made a beeline straight for it.

"Wow, you're actually having fun?" Caulin answered, giggling as he teased the Kubfu, sliding onto the seat next to him and pulling down the safety harness until it clicked into place. "I guess he can be taught after all, hehehe."

"I can't deny it. I am having a very good time!" Qiang agreed.

The ride began once the seats were loaded, and the arm began to sway. Back and forth it went, just like the pendulum in a clock as the name implied, building momentum with each swing powered by the motors of the mechanical arm. When the arm reached the peak of its swing, the motors stopped, and the arm swung of its own volition, the momentum of each swing carrying it into the next. Back, and forth, the wind rushing from ahead or behind them with each swing.

Caulin was already whooping with glee as the machine got going, throwing his arms up into the air as he was swung left and right. Once the mechanism started spinning though, the Riolu closed his eyes tightly as best he could, trying to fight off the dizziness that was coming from being spun around so quickly. Qiang didn't seem bothered by the spinning, whooping in delight as they swung and spun through the air.

The ride was only thirty seconds long, and soon it was over. But Caulin was teetering as he and Qiang stumbled through the ride's exit. "Oohhh..." He groaned as he stumbled off the ride and leaned against a railing. "I-I don't... feel so good..." He added, holding a paw over his mouth and lurching a bit, trying to fight the urge to throw up right then and there.

"Uh oh," said Qiang.

Then, Caulin felt a pair of paws on his shoulders and someone leading him aside. "Grit your teeth and take a few deep breaths, kiddo," a familiar female voice said as he was brought to a bench to sit down.

"M-Mom-HURK!" He exclaimed, the shock of hearing her voice making him lose focus long enough for him to let loose the contents of his stomach onto the pavement... or at least it would have made contact, but rather it just floated above the ground in a mound and slowly hovered over to a garbage bin and was deposited inside.

"Ah, crap, that backfired," said Lashanne, regretfully, "Sorry, Caulin."

"Honestly, kiddo. You know you get a little motion sick," came Minato's voice from behind him, making the Riolu crane his head back and look at him from where he sat. "I hope it was worth it, though. You and Qiang looked like you were enjoying yourselves quite a lot."

"Ehehehe... Yea, we're having fun. A lotta fun actually," the Riolu answered, his tail wagging behind him excitedly despite his little episode. "Heck, Qiang even admitted he was having fun here!"

"You say that like it's a world wonder," Qiang scoffed, crossing his arms and turning his head away.

"Well, you're always so serious man! I keep telling you to lighten up and now that you are, it's... Well, it's a miracle!" Caulin remarked, causing Minato to laugh slightly at his exclamation. "What?? It's true, Dad!"

"Oh, I believe you. I just think this whole interaction is rather funny," he said, "You two are complete opposites, and yet you mesh so well together."

"Agreed," replied Lashanne. "Now. Let's find you something to drink." She went to find a concession while Minato stayed with the boys, sitting down beside Caulin.

The boys decided then to show Minato their souvenirs. The bobblehead of Torolf was first, making Minato chuckle softly as he took it into his paws to examine it more closely. "Haven't seen this face in a while," he remarked as he poked the head and watched it bobble about a little before he handed it back to Caulin, "I imagine you'll be keeping this nicely polished every day?"

"Oh of course! I mean, it's Torolf!" Caulin remarked, "I'm gonna put this in a glass case so that it'll last forever!"

"Would either of you happen to know who this is?" Qiang asked, showing the figurine he had won. "The name on the base says Meilin, which does sound familiar to me."

"Meilin..." Minato answered, taking a look at the figurine of the Mienshao. "...The name doesn't ring any bells for me... Though if anyone would know, it'd be Luke or Volcan, since they've pretty much travelled the world by now."

"What's that about us?" a voice called from behind Minato, and he looked over his shoulder to see the aforementioned pair approaching, though somewhat struggling to hold on to an excited Ignus.

"Sorry, we just hopped off the Ferris Wheel," said Volcan, "Ignus here had a blast."

"Almost gave me a heart attack when I thought he was going to jump out," Luke answered, looking down at Minato and the boys and noticing the bobblehead and figurine they held. "Hey, where'd you get those?"

"We won 'em at the games corner," Caulin answered. "I got a bobblehead of Torolf, and Qiang got one of some lady named Meilin. We were wondering if you knew anything about her?"

"Knew her?" Luke answered, chuckling a little. "I used to work with her. She's a member of the Guild High Council."

"And the captain of Team Tao, right?" Volcan asked.

Qiang perked up. "Team Tao?" He repeated, "Team Tao is made of members of the Order of the Fist!" He looked excited, looking at the figurine with greater appreciation now. "She looks so regal."

"Yea, she's quite a sight to behold, and her skills match her beauty," Luke answered with a bit of a sigh. "Wonder how the rest of the council is holding up since I left..."

"When we go there for our honeymoon, we can find out," Volcan offered, smiling at Luke.

"We have to have the wedding first, love," Luke pointed out, smiling back at his beloved Blaziken.

Volcan chuckled, and looked over to see Lashanne coming to rejoin them, carrying a cup that she offered to Caulin. "Here you go," she said. Then, she looked Volcan and Luke's way, and waved. "Hey guys."

"Hey," replied Volcan. "How long ago did you two get in?"

"Not even an hour," she answered. "We left Azure just as the sun came up and got here in good time."

"That you did. We still have a good chunk of daylight left to enjoy the sights this town offers," Luke offered, "You feel like trying any of the rides here? The Ferris Wheel gives you a good view of the harbour when you're at its peak."

"My airship can fly higher," said Lashanne, shrugging. "But in all seriousness, I just want a hot meal and a drink right now."

"That can be arranged." Luke answered with a nod. "There are a few spots we can all sit down and eat at. My treat."

"I swear Luke, sometimes you spoil us," Minato joked.

"It's one of the qualities that made me fall for him," Volcan remarked, putting an arm around Luke and pulling him close to his side. Close enough to earn Luke a lick to the face from Ignus, still held in Volcan's other arm.

"Hehe, I just do what I can to make everyone else feel safe and happy," Luke answered with a shrug, leaning over to nuzzle Ignus' head gently, then craned his head up and kissed his beloved on the cheek. "Let's get a move on. We're not doing our stomachs any favours by just standing here."

"After that ride... I'm not sure I should eat again..." Caulin remarked, rubbing his stomach and glancing back at the pendulum again. "I still feel a bit queasy from that ride..."

"We'll get you something light," Lashanne offered as she helped Caulin to his feet, "Just keep drinking that, rehydrate yourself. We'll see what we can find."

"I did not get sick," said Qiang, grinning confidently at his apparently stronger constitution over his rival.

"Oh, bite me Qiang..." Caulin retorted bitterly, sipping on his water carefully so his queasy stomach didn't up chuck that either.

The following day, the tournament was set to begin. Junior level fighters from all across the region had gathered for the tournament, with both solo and tag team competitors. In the latter's case, significant to Caulin and Qiang, there were thirty-two total teams, meaning there would be five rounds of the tournament as the numbers ticked down by half each round. They approached the front counter and received their number.

"Nineteen," said Qiang, reading aloud the number on the plate that the clerk had presented to him. He looked past the clerk to the chart on the wall. "So, whoever gets number twenty will be our first opponent, correct?"

"That's correct," said Volcan, nodding.

"Look after our boy now," said Lashanne to Volcan, "We'll be watching."

"He and Qiang will have my full attention," he promised.

"Good luck you two," Luke offered with a smile, followed by an encouraging bark from Ignus as well.

"Give em a good show," Minato added with a raised fist.

"You got it, Dad!" Caulin answered with confidence, raising his fist in return.

"Let's get into our waiting room, fellas," said Volcan, waving to their family as he led Qiang and Caulin through the access doors and down the stairs into the competitor's area of the arena.

Their waiting room was a cramped space. Partly they had expected a shared locker room with the other competitors, otherwise they had anticipated a posh space for fighters to relax between rounds like on the Kyogre's Rest and Team Warmachine tournament. The space they had, was neither. It was a tiny room, with a single long couch that Volcan could not stretch out on without taking up the while thing, a coffee table, and a few basic appliances for preparing hot drinks out of a selection of freeze-dried items, or just a glass of water from a faucet or cooler. A shower sat in the corner, hidden behind a false wall and a curtain, with a big sign on the wall beside it that said "Sixty second time limit."

A miniature cooler sat in the room below the appliances - emphasis on miniature as it was barely large enough to store a carton of milk let alone any reasonable amount of food - a few protein bars if they were lucky. It was fortunate that Caulin and Qiang had already had breakfast and that there was a reasonable amount of time between most of the early rounds. Though what they would do was a big question, since the room was too small even for them to have any practice.

Caulin cringed as he looked around at their resting spot. "Jeez, this place blows." He openly commented. "The quarters back at the dojo had more space than this dump, and they look way nicer too."

"Agreed. This seems rather sparse," said Qiang.

"Yeah, this is pretty lame..." agreed Volcan, "Torolf certainly isn't hosting this one... Well, all we can do is make the best of it, especially since you two aren't up for eight rounds yet."

"But what are we supposed to do? We can't practice tag team combos in _this_shabby hovel." Caulin pointed out, spreading his arms out and waving them to emphasize his point.

"I could see if I could find a deck of cards?" Volcan asked, shrugging. Both Qiang and Caulin gave him an incredulous look. "Okay... maybe there's somewhere we can spectate the current matches. Come on."

He led the two back out into the corridor. As Caulin exited the room, he bumped into someone passing by the door. He felt practically no resistance from the figure, who seemed to bend sideways as Caulin collided with them, causing the Riolu to stumble. He fell onto his side, while the person he bumped into seemed only to wobble.

He looked up at them and found a cephalapodian Pokemon the likes of which he'd never seen before. It was like an Octopus, with a distinctively bipedal body shape, mostly blue in colour except for a yellow marking around its eyes, resembling a jagged mask, and yellow spots along its limbs, marking its suckers. It wore one tentacle around its midriff like a martial arts belt, and its last three limbs supported it like legs - likely why it hadn't fallen over, with a wider center of balance.

"Oh, excuse me," the octopus-like creature said to Caulin. They had an undeveloped voice but it sounded male; it was hard to tell with the anatomy of this being what gender they were. "Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize to him," another Octopus-like being said, coming up behind the first one. The one was bigger than the first - much bigger, and definitely male by his deep voice.

The first cephalopod was only a few inches taller than Caulin. This second one, though, was easily close to six feet, taller than Minato or Lashanne but not quite as tall as Volcan. His limbs were thicker and his body was decorated by a big belt, allowing him to use his eighth tentacle as another leg. The belt was thick, dark leather and embedded with a golden plate on the front, studded by matching gold beads around the round front of the belt.

"I bumped into him, dad," the first one reasoned, "It's only right to apologize."

"That's not how a pro speaks to the competition," the bigger one chided.

Beside the smaller octopus, a crab-like Pokémon stepped forward. Another oddity, it had two long forelimbs ending in round claws, seemingly more for punching than pinching, and supported by four skinny legs. Its body was mostly purple in colour, with yellow undertones - including two antennae that curved upward from atop its head, above its eyes. The crab and octopus looked at each other, concerned, and looked apologetically at Caulin as Volcan turned to face the larger cephalopod with crossed arms.

"Why would you criticize your son for being polite?" He asked.

"Not your business, drumstick," replied the octopus, "I'm here to teach my son to be a pro wrestler, and that's just what I'm going to do. Now if you don't mind," he shouldered past Volcan without giving him another look, motioning the two younger Pokémon to follow him.

Out of sight of their senior, the younger cephalopod and the crab bowed apologetically, the former mostly directed at Caulin, before falling into step with his father and leaving the three behind to watch after them. Volcan watched them until they were out of sight, rounding a corner, before turning to Caulin and Qiang.

"Well, that was a sour experience," he said, reaching out his hand to help Caulin up, "You okay, Caulin?"

"Yea, I'm good," Caulin answered as he was pulled to his feet, brushing himself off and staring at the direction the trio had gone, scowling. "That older octo-dude's a prick, but his kid's an ok guy at least... I've half a mind to get my dad to talk to that old fart and teach him some manners..."

"Don't bother. I know that type," said Volcan, "he'll be way too stubborn to listen to words. Can only get to him by putting him in his place."

"What was that belt he was wearing?" Qiang asked, "It looked symbolic."

"My guess, a pro circuit wrestler," said Volcan, "A highly competitive sport."

"I don't see the need to be so rude though," Caulin said, "I'm in this because I think it'll be a lotta fun fighting other Pokémon from different regions. If I win, great. If I lose, oh well. At least I had fun."

"Believe me, I wish everyone thought that way," said Volcan.

"You have competed in a tournament too?" Qiang asked.

Volcan nodded. "Shortly after I arrived in Azure," he explained, "I filled in on Luke's team at Team Warmachine's competition while waiting to get my memories back. We squared off against some heavy hitters, and many of them did not like to lose. Especially not the first team we fought, Team Drake."

"Wait... Waiting to regain your memories?" Qiang asked.

"Very, very long story. But the short answer is I got hurt badly, and amnesia followed," said Volcan, absently reaching behind him to rub the scar on his back.

"He can tell you after we win this thing," Caulin assured the Kubfu, gently patting his back with his paw, "For now, let's just stay focused on kicking some butts and taking their names."

Volcan chuckled. "You know, your dad used to say that a lot when we first started our team."

"He did?" Caulin asked, then he tilted his head a little. "Wait, how would you know that? I thought you lost your memories up till you started staying with Uncle Luke?"

"I have some of them back," corrected Volcan, "Long talks with my mom and your dad have filled in a few gaps and dislodged some memories over time. I may not ever get all of them back, but I remember the stuff that matters," he looked down at Caulin and smiled, "Like when I used to read to you. 'The Knight of the Hollow'; you found that one utterly spine-tingling as I recall." He teased.

The Riolu smiled as he recalled those memories, "Ohh yea... Hehe, that was a good story," He answered, closing his eyes and hugging himself as he remembered feeling so excited whenever he heard that story being read to him.

"'Cackling through the trees as he rode toward the town, his horrifying voice heard through the doors of every house while the people quaked in fear, each one praying it was not them for whom he hungered'," Volcan recited in a tone like he was trying to sound spooky, even lifting his hands to wiggle his fingers. He chuckled and patted Caulin's head as the Riolu giggled, "You had a nightmare the first night I read that to you."

'Hehe, I remember... Then Mom got real mad at you when she found out," he added before he burst into a fit of laughter, "Your face never looked so pale!"

"Hey, Linda could be scary when she wanted to be," returned Volcan defensively, "Delicate until provoked. Then, even a mad Tyrantrum would get out of her way."

"Well today, I'm gonna make her proud. Just you wait," he said as he looked up absently to the ceiling, "So you better be watching, Mom, cause I'm gonna win this for you!" He added, lifting a clenched paw high into the air.

Volcan managed to find a balcony overlooking the arena where he and the boys were able to watch some of the ongoing fights, taking in some of the competition. One of the fights they were able to see happened to be none other than the wrestlers they had met in the hall. The boy's name was Neoco, and his friend was named Malaco. His father was announced as well, as a 'Wrestling Legend' by the name of Coleo. Neoco and Coleo were, according to another spectator, a species known as 'Grapploct'. Boneless, but powerful, with their bodies packed with strong muscles. Malaco was known as a Crabrawler - sturdy shell and a nasty punch.

"A wrestler and a boxer. Interesting combo," Volcan said aloud.

Their fight had been with a duo of Water-types, but only lasted one round. The first one up was a Marshtomp against Neoco. Despite Marshtomp being quite strong and sturdy, Neoco, to the surprise of all, made short work of the battle. He managed to maneuver enough that the Marshtomp foolishly exposed his back to him, and then the octopus had him in a powerful grapple, seizing his arms with two tentacles and using another to put the Marshtomp into a sleeper hold, eventually knocking him unconscious where the bell rang to announce Neoco the winner.

"How do the rules of this fight work?" Qiang asked Volcan, who was reading a pamphlet.

"The fights are best two out of three," he explained. "Only one fighter goes up at a time, but at any time he or she can tag out with their partner. If one of the fighters is knocked out or surrenders, the round is lost. Neoco forced a win by knock-out just now," he grimaced, "Grapplers are a problem in tournaments like this. If they can get a hold of their opponent, that opponent can't even tag out with their partner if they aren't close enough - the two fighters can't be in the ring at the same time or it's a disqualification."

"So, we have to be sure we can tag out if things get too bad," Caulin said, watching the fight closely until it ended, "Best thing we could do about the wrestler would be to not get caught in his grasp. I could try to trip him up with Double Team so that he won't know which one to go after."

"Good thought," agreed Volcan. "I'm trying to remember a trick Tristan taught me; something about what not to do when fighting grappler-types... If I could just remember what it was." He paused as the bell rang, and this time it was Malaco stepping up, facing off with a Poliwhirl. "Aha, that's why they chose a boxer." He rubbed his chin.

"What do you mean?" Qiang asked.

"Look at the Poliwhirl closely. What did his Marshtomp friend have that he doesn't?" Volcan asked.

They looked at the Poliwhirl, studying him as Volcan had directed. He was broad and bulky, with big hands and stumpy legs. His eyes rested at his body, watching his opponent carefully, hands raised defensively. Then, Qiang spoke up.

"He doesn't have a neck," he said, "Neoco can't choke him out like he did the Marshtomp."

"Exactly. Neoco isn't the ideal choice against this one," said Volcan, nodding to Qiang with approval, "That's why Malaco is fighting this time. He's the backup for opponents Neoco can't handle."

"Gotta admit, they came into this thing prepared," Caulin remarked, still watching the fight intently. "But so did we, cause we got the best strategist in the world as our coach."

"I can only advise you two, I can't directly intervene - can't even speak up while you're fighting," Volcan reminded, "For now, keep a close eye on the fight. Learn all you can from here."

"Already am." Caulin answered.

They watched Malaco and the Poliwhirl fighting. The Crabrawler landed an effective Sucker Punch when the Poliwhirl prepared a Water Gun. The Poliwhirl reared back, and suffered two hard jabs to the torso before the crab retreated, shockingly nimble despite his short legs. The Poliwhirl recovered and tried a Bubblebeam, but once more the Crabrawler avoided the attack, hurrying to the side, and moved back the other way when his opponent chased. The frustrated Poliwhirl left himself open for another Sucker Punch, followed by a hard uppercut to the gut.

"Ah, this Malaco guy is an out-boxer," said Volcan, nodding in understanding.

"An out-what?" Caulin asked, taking his eyes away from the fight to look at Volcan curiously.

"Out-boxers are patient, calculated fighters. They wait for their opponent to make a mistake or leave an opening while prepping an attack," explained Volcan, "Very good against slugger-types who rely on overwhelming their opponents through brute strength. Tristan taught me the basics."

"So Neoco and Malaco's tactics focus on giving their opponent the first move, and reacting accordingly," said Qiang. "It tests the patience of the adversary and forces them to play by their rules."

"And opponents who are easily frustrated and unable to adapt-" Volcan stopped talking to wince as a single, hard uppercut from Malaco knocked the Poliwhirl clean out, sending the tadpole Pokemon falling to the ring floor in a heap. "End up like that," he finished before referee declared a knockout, hence making Malaco and Neoco the winners.

"You're a patient guy, right Qiang?" Caulin asked, looking to his rival. "You probably should take Malaco. You're a bit more observant than me, and you have a Flying Type move that could save you during the bout."

"All true," agreed Qiang. "But we still have to make it through _our_match, Caulin, and we do not yet know who we fight. This is only the first round, for both us and whoever was assigned the number twenty."

"The first round is even ground," recited Volcan, "Come on, let's head back down to the waiting room. They'll be calling us soon."

"You got it, Uncle." Caulin answered with a nod.

The three of them left the balcony then, heading back to the waiting room to wait until they were called up for their first match.