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Victor was out for a walk through the quiet streets of Port Azure, making his way through the town to take in the sights. Though it was not his first time doing so, he still always found Azure comparatively quieter than Arc Island had been - a large part of why he had chosen to live outside the town proper. Azure, though, did not have the hustle and bustle of a popular port town - it was a simple fishing village, with little traffic and not a frequent stop for trade ships.

He and Claire had purchased a house in town - temporary accommodation until they found the time to build a place of their own or found something more suited to their tastes. In the meantime, Claire was spending her days keeping the house maintained, as well as constructing a suitable den for Bellator to stay in. He was far too large to fit inside the structure without causing some damage to the home.

As Victor walked, he looked up toward the town's lighthouse. He knew Caulin was probably up there by now and thought perhaps his grandson would appreciate some company. As he approached the lighthouse though, he could hear the sounds of punches and kicks being thrown and blocked from around the back. Curious, he stepped around the lighthouse and saw Caulin and Qiang sparring together, with Caulin utilizing his Tonfas during their match and showing some significant progress in learning to wield them.

"You can't block me forever!" Qiang exclaimed as he came in for another strike, going low, then high, attempting to break through Caulin's guard.

"I know I can't!" Caulin countered, blocking the low strike with one weapon, then weaved under the other, skipping to Qiang's flank and spinning his left weapon in his paw toward the Kubfu's abdomen to get him to back away. "Just waiting for the right moment!"

Qiang backed out of reach of the tonfa, and weaved side to side, trying to goad Caulin into striking out and creating an opening as he closed in again. The Riolu did just as Qiang predicted, coming in close and trying to strike with a double swing into a leaping kick combination. Qiang took that second to strike, charging in and delivering a painful uppercut to Caulin's stomach mid-leap, stopping the Riolu in his tracks and knocking the wind out of him.

"Ooogh!" Caulin groaned, stumbling back, and holding his stomach as he tried to regain his footing, coughing a bit as he tried to catch his breath. "O-Ow... Dang. Good shot," he wheezed.

"Jumping at an opponent who can strike back is not a smart move," said Qiang, "It may work for your uncle, but he can leap considerably higher than either of us." He offered Caulin a paw to help him stand.

"T-Thought I'd try it at least once," Caulin answered, accepting Qiang's paw and straightening up, taking a moment to take a deep breath and spinning his weapons in his paws again before taking up a stance. "Alright... Lesson learned. Let's get the next round started."

Qiang grinned and started to shift to his defensive posture when something caught his eye. "Oh. Isn't that your grandfather?" he asked, pointing at the one-eyed Lucario coming toward them.

Caulin looked to where Caulin was pointing and smiled when he saw his grandfather approaching. "Oh, hey Grampa!" he exclaimed, running over and giving him a hug.

"Good to see you again, lad," the elderly Lucario answered, gently catching Caulin in one arm and giving him a firm embrace before letting him down, "I see you've been keeping up with your exercises, and you've found a partner to train with," he added, giving Qiang a nod.

"Yea, it's amazing! Qiang makes for one heck of a rival!" Caulin answered with a smile. "Every time I gain a lead, he catches up just like that, and then pulls a fast one on me! It's like a game of tug o' war!"

Victor nodded. "A healthy relationship to have," he said, "So long as neither of you have any ill thoughts about one another after a bout."

"None whatsoever, sir," replied Qiang, "I view Caulin as a fine rival, and a friend."

"Good," Victor said, smiling, then crouched down to the Kubfu's level, "That being said, I do not believe we've been formally introduced," he said as he offered his paw for a shake, "My name is Victor."

"I am Qiang," replied the Kubfu, bringing his arms to his sides and bowing at the waist, "It is an honour to meet you, Victor."

Victor started to chuckle softly, "No need to be so formal, my boy," he said, then looked between the two of them for a moment. "...Might I offer a suggestion that would pique both your interests?"

The two shared a brief look, before turning back to Victor again and nodding in unison. The Lucario continued. "You two have been practicing against one another, but I must know... How is your teamwork?"

Caulin shared a look with Qiang for a moment before answering. "Well, Qiang and I scored fourth place in the Juniour tournament a while back," he answered, "It was tag-team, but we fought one at a time."

"Hmm, impressive... But I know you boys can do better," Victor answered, "Perhaps you'd like to see how well you can manage against an old veteran such as myself," he stated with a smirk, knowing Caulin wouldn't refuse such a challenge.

Caulin's face started to beam with excitement. "You wanna challenge us to a fight?" he asked, "Oohhh you're asking for it, Grampa," he added, before he then turned to Qiang, "Whaddya say? Wanna knock him down a peg?"

"Is... Is it fair?" Qiang asked, "I mean no offense, sir, but... I can't help but notice you are missing an eye."

"You think that my lack of depth perception makes me any less of a warrior than you?" Victor asked, looking at Qiang squarely.

"I..." Qiang stumbled on his words, realizing he'd just talked himself into a corner, "I am sorry, sir."

"Do not be sorry, my boy." Victor answered, smirking a little, "If you really want to apologize, do so by showing me how well you and Caulin work together."

Qiang looked at Caulin briefly, and then back at Victor. "If you insist," he said, and widened his stance in preparation.

The Lucario's smirk turned into a small grin as he widened his stance a little, lifting his arm up in front of him in a defensive posture. "Ready when you are, boys."

Caulin knocked his tonfas together a few times before getting into his stance alongside Qiang, grinning from ear to ear. "Let's show 'im what we learned from your Dad and Uncle. I'll take point, you follow."

"Got it," Qiang agreed.

With that, Caulin sprang into action first, running at Victor and immediately started with a Double Team, making about four doubles of himself that spread out and closed in on Victor from all angles. However, to the Riolu's dismay, Victor easily saw through the ruse and spun toward one of the doubles, reaching out and grabbing him by the face before throwing him against the lighthouse wall.

Caulin grunted as he hit the wall, sliding back down to his feet and shaking his head. The doubles vanished after his focus was disrupted. "O-Ow..."

"Going to have to do better than that, son," Victor remarked, "I'm an old veteran. I've seen that trick performed millions of times."

At that, Qiang came in from the side, moving quickly with a Rock Smash at the ready as he lunged at Victor from the side with his missing eye. Victor's ear twitched for a moment, then he turned and swung his arm across his front to deflect Qiang's strike, then gently pushed him back with a side kick. With that same paw, he conjured an Aura Sphere and prepared to throw it, but Caulin was on the move again, pushing off from the wall and striking Victor's arm upward so that the sphere was sent flying into the air before he could throw it.

Qiang moved in again, this time from the front, jumping over Caulin and striking with Aerial Ace, in the form of a pair of sweeping kicks. This time, Victor could only parry one of the kicks, taking the second kick clean to his face and sending him stumbling back a moment before he regained his footing, rubbing his cheek and chuckling.

"Good," he said with a nod of approval, "You're adapting, and your teamwork is rather sharp," he added, though his smile faded into a more serious expression as he got into a ready position again, "But it can always be made sharper."

"Trust me, Grampa, we're just getting started," Caulin remarked excitedly, hopping on the spot and striking his weapons together.

"We are both students of the same masters, after all," Qiang added.

"Then perhaps I should make things a little harder for you," Victor said, lifting his arm out of his cloak. With a blue flash, he had summoned his blade and held it in a defensive posture, "Try and see if you can disarm me from my weapon."

Caulin was grinning from ear to ear now, seeing his grandfather brandish his weapon. "I was waiting for when you'd finally get serious," He said, spinning his weapons in his paws, then he leaned over to Qiang to whisper in his ear. "Go for his left side. He's vulnerable there."

"Got it," said Qiang.

With that, Caulin sprang into action, rushing headlong into Victor and swinging at him with his offhand weapon. The elder Lucario moved out of the way of his strike, and when Caulin turned for another, he blocked it with the flat of his weapon before pushing him back and pressed an attack of his own, forcing Caulin on the defense with his swift and precise swordplay.

Qiang made his move then, thinking to take Victor while he was distracted and go for his left side as Caulin instructed, bringing up his paw for another attempt at Rock Smash. The plan was partially successful. Victor had sensed Qiang coming from his blind spot and managed to push Caulin away. However, halfway through turning to face the Kubfu, the Rock Smash connected with his side, causing him to grunt and stagger back a little before gently falling to one knee, dematerializing his sword to hold his side.

"U-Urf...! Well played, boy," he said, smiling despite his injury.

"I-I'm sorry, was... Was that too rough?" Qiang asked, fearing he had really hurt the Lucario.

"Grampa?" Caulin called out, seeing Victor on one knee and running over to check if he was alright.

"I'll be fine," he assured the two of them, "It was a good strike, Qiang," he added, trying to stand up but feeling his wound flare up when he did, "Oof... Perhaps too good."

"Maybe we should take you down to the clinic," suggested Qiang.

"Yea, that might be a good idea! Serena can patch you up in no time!" Caulin offered, gently moving to Victor's right and wrapping his arm around his shoulders. "Help me, would ya?" He asked Qiang.

"On it," Qiang said, coming to Victor's left side and letting the elder Lucario put his arm over him, taking some of his weight for him and letting Victor take weight off his hurt left leg. However Qiang was quick to notice that Victor didn't rest his left arm over his shoulder, but before the Kubfu could let his curiosity grow any further, Victor grunted as he was slowly lifted back to his feet thanks to Caulin's help.

"Let's get going, Grampa," Caulin urged as he started easing him forward, "Gramma would have a fit if she saw you on your knees in front of a pair of kids," he joked.

Victor weakly chuckled at that. "Y-Yes, I suppose that would be a rather embarrassing sight," he concurred.

"I won't tell," Caulin replied, winking back at his Grandfather.

~~~~~

Down at the clinic, the nurse at the desk received them as they entered, leading them to a room where they helped Victor onto a bed to await service. The nurse took the time to examine his leg, confirming there were no open wounds left, and took note of the events leading up to the injury before she stepped out again.

Several minutes later, a large figure walked past the window, but they were only the second to enter. The door opened, and a familiar Vaporeon stepped into the room, followed by a Feraligatr in a doctor's coat.

"Victor!" Serena exclaimed, stepping over to the Lucario, "When I saw your name on the patient list, I was worried. Are you alright?"

"I'll live," Victor answered with a nod, "A consequence of offering the boys some incentive to improve on their craft."

"...You were fighting kids?" the Feraligatr asked.

"_Sparring_with them, yes," Victor clarified.

"I scored a Rock Smash on his leg; perhaps I overdid it," said Qiang, sounding guilty.

"Which side?" Serena asked.

"Left."

Serena came over, rearing up onto her hind legs and resting her fore legs against the bed for balance as she examined Victor's thigh. "No visible surface damage, though I do see some swelling starting," she said, and used her paw to brush aside some of the fur. "Is it tender?" She asked.

"A little bit. The boys helped me get here safely," Victor answered with a nod.

"You can heal him, right Serena?" Caulin asked hopefully, "You got that magical healing touch of yours. This should be a cinch."

"It can help with the pain," said Serena, "It should reduce the swelling as well, but..." The Vaporeon frowned, not comfortable with what she had to say next, but she managed to get it out; it was her duty as a healer to make sure her patient knows what she thought, "Victor, I know it isn't what you would like to hear, but you are getting too old for this. There is a large bruise on your leg; it will heal on its own, but it will be there for a few days at least. I can only make it more bearable, but I cannot completely heal it now."

Caulin's peppy smile vanished when he heard Serena tell him the truth, looking between her and Victor for a moment. "Wait... so you're saying he's not allowed to fight anymore?" He asked.

"Well, no. Nothing's going t stop him from making that choice. It's his call after all." Gex answered, "What she's saying is that her usual treatment won't work for him because he's past his prime. Any injury he suffers is going to take longer to heal as a result, so if he continues to fight, well... He's got to deal with a longer recovery time."

Serena nodded. "That is correct," she said, "At his age... He just cannot heal the same way he used to."

Victor let out a heavy sigh, looking down at his injured leg, then absently feeling along his shoulder, still hidden within his cloak. "I suppose the time has come for me to think about putting away my sword," he admitted, somberly. "If I can't even hold my own against two budding warriors, then why push myself any further?" he asked, chuckling as if he were telling a joke.

"We... We just scored a lucky hit, that's all!" Qiang offered, "Surely there are years ahead of you yet, master Victor! Besides, you were only fighting us with one paw; surely you were holding back!"

Serena looked at Victor, realization dawning on her face. "He doesn't know?" She asked.

"...Know what?" Gex asked.

Victor closed his eye for a moment, then looked back at Qiang with a sad smile. "The truth is, Qiang, that I was indeed holding back... But not in the context you are thinking." He said, then shifted himself so he was sitting on the edge of the bed and lifted the left side of his cloak, revealing to the young Kubfu the reason why he was only fighting with his right arm... He had no left arm. The only trace of the missing limb was a small stump of blue within the black shoulder ring.

"Oh..." Qiang said flatly, the realization dawning on him, as well as surprise that he had not noticed that Lucario had only one arm, even with his cloak...

At that, Serena looked at Caulin, her expression cross as she regarded the Riolu. "You told Qiang to strike from Victor's left, didn't you?" she asked.

"I-I mean... I did, but..." Caulin answered, his eyes darting back and forth as he thought of a way to defend his actions. "I was just..." he tried to say, but the words died in his throat.

"Serena, do not be harsh on the lad," Victor spoke in Caulin's defense, "Besides, the blame falls upon me for even issuing the challenge in the first place. I offered them the chance to improve on their teamwork, and like any warrior, he informed his comrade of a weakness, and he exploited it well."

Serena let out a sigh. "Just the same," she began, "a simple sparring match shouldn't lead to such a result."

Victor started chuckling a little. "I agree... But at the same time, treating the sparring like an actual fight helps aspiring warriors learn faster than just shadow sparring," he said, "And while I acknowledge that it might not be the best example, look at how well Caulin's Father turned out because of my drills."

"...As a medical practitioner, I can't exactly condone that kind of mentality," Gex chimed in, "Though, speaking unprofessionally, I can see where you're coming from. The best teacher in life is experience, after all."

"And failure," Victor added quickly.

"In any case, we can give you something to help with any discomfort the bruises cause you but we'll have to let it heal on its own," said Serena, turning to Victor again, "And, while as a medical practitioner myself I shouldn't say this, for Claire's sake do try to take care of yourself, Victor."

"Oh, I think after today, I'm more likely to take better care of myself." Victor assured the Vaporeon, then turned to the boys and offered them a smile. "As for you two. Your progress is indeed promising. I foresee you two will become great warriors as you grow up," he said, then looked toward Qiang, "Be sure to keep him on his toes and knock him down a peg should he get too proud of himself," he added with a wink.

"Yes, sir!" Qiang replied enthusiastically, thumping a paw against his chest.

"Good lad," Victor added, "Caulin's lucky to have found a rival in you."

"Darn right I am," Caulin proudly said, wrapping an arm around the Kubfu, "And I couldn't ask for a better rival."

"Alright, off you boys go now," said Serena in her usual, gentle voice, "We'll get Victor back on his feet in no time."

Caulin and Qiang left the room then, leaving Serena and the Feraligatr to tend to their patient. The two headed out of the clinic and back out to the town and started to make their way back to the lighthouse.

"That uh," Qiang began, "what was she again; a Vay... Vapour-eon, yes?" Though it was not technically wrong, the Kubfu had failed to pronounce the name correctly.

"Yea, she's a Vaporeon," Caulin answered, giving him the correct pronunciation. "Why, what's up?" He asked curiously.

"She's the first one I've seen," replied Qiang, looking back at the clinic. "I have only encountered a few Glaceon before, but no other of the Eevee evolution line. She seems... Nice."

Caulin smiled, "She's the sweetest lady you'll ever meet, Qiang," he remarked. "She's got a real motherly vibe to her, ya know? Caring and gentle, but she can put her foot down when it's needed - should've seen the chewing she gave me when I snuck on mom's ship to rescue Uncle Volcan. Plus, she fills the healer role on my Uncle's team; makes sure they're able to keep fighting after they take some hits."

Qiang nodded, and was about to say more when they were approaching a corner, only to jerk to a halt as two figures appeared from around the bend of the shop on the right. Caulin, however, who wasn't looking, walked into something - or rather, someone bright yellow in colour. Caulin grunted when he bumped into the figure, stumbling back a bit and looking irritably at whoever he bumped into.

"Hey, watch where you're... Uhm..." he tilted his head upward to the Zeraora he just bumped into, his eyes widening and his cheeks starting to turn beet red as he gazed at him, irritation turning into mild surprise, "U-Uhm... Hey there. K-Koa, right?"

Koa looked at him, titling his head as his ears twitched. From behind the Zeraora, a familiar reptilian form stepped into view. "Good morning, Caulin," said the Salazzle, smiling at the flustered Riolu, and then regarded the Kubfu, "And who might you be?" She asked.

"Q-Qiang, ma'am," the Kubfu replied, taken aback by the Salazzle's sudden appearance.

"Oh yes, I remember you now," she said, standing on her hind legs, "You were with Caulin that day when Luke was showing me where to settle my clan."

Qiang nodded. "Yes, ma'am," he replied.

Jora looked at Caulin again, and he was still staring up at the larger lightning feline with that deep blush along his cheeks. Eventually he managed to snap out of his trance and clear his throat before trying to strike up a conversation. "S-So uhm... How're ya doing?" he asked Koa, "You're looking... Uh... Good."

"We are well," said Jora, and translated Caulin's words to Koa, who smiled warmly at Caulin and gave him an appreciative nod.

"Good... Day," he said, struggling to speak the words, but managing to form them so that they were understood.

"Uh, yea! Yea it is a good day today!" Caulin exclaimed, perhaps louder than he intended. He took a moment to recompose himself before continuing to speak. "Hey uhm... You wanna maybe... Hang out sometime? Just do stuff around town together?" He asked nervously.

Jora translated for Koa what Caulin was saying. The Zeraora appeared to consider the idea for a moment, looking out to the water as if searching for something. "Hee-nalu?"

Jora hummed. "I don't believe they have surf-riding here, do they?" She asked, directing the question at Caulin.

Caulin tilted his head. "...Surf riding?" He asked. "Wait, you mean surfboarding? Like... grabbing a board and riding the waves?"

"That sounds similar to what he means," said Jora, "The Zeraora clans have many athletic games they enjoy. Wrestling, foot-races, dart-throwing and what you just described by the sounds of it."

Caulin started to beam a bit at those suggestions. "Oh, we can wrestle for sure. Racing? Well, I think he'd beat me to a pulp in that sport. Dart throwing I've never tried, but I'd like to try it at least," the Riolu went on, "Surfing, well... I'm sure there's some driftwood lying around we could use for that."

"I think the waters in Azure are too calm for that, at least at present," Qiang suggested, "And to be honest, Caulin, Koa is twice your size. I am pretty sure he would utterly crush you at wrestling."

At that, Caulin turned to look at Qiang and grinned. "And since when has that stopped me?" he asked bluntly, "You know I'm always ready to take on a challenge, and if I don't succeed, then I'll just try again until I do."

Qiang rolled his eyes. "I'll try not to laugh when he has you pinned like a Rattata," he remarked.

"Hey, at least I'll have tried something you haven't," Caulin shot back, grinning smugly, "Or are you not man enough to try~?"

Qiang scowled at him. "You think I'm afraid?" He asked, indignant. "Fine! We shall try it then!"

Jora smiled, and looked at Koa. "Hakoohu?" She asked.

Koa looked at the two, taking a moment to study the two before he grimaced, arching an eyebrow. Caulin knew that look; the Zeraora was sizing them up and did not appear to be impressed with what he saw. Facial expressions, it seemed, were universal even if languages were not.

Caulin understood exactly what Koa was trying to convey with his expression, and in turn he shot back with a hard gaze of his own, giving off the impression that he wasn't afraid of Koa, and would gladly take him on no matter the difference in size or skill. The Zeraora seemed to read his expression, his grimace turning to a light smile, and then looking out to the water, and pointing with his large paw.

"Kula'kulai," he said, looking at Caulin again while still pointing.

"He said 'water wrestling'," translated Jora, "He's trying to give you an edge, as his greater weight will be less of a factor in the water."

"Trying to give me a handicap, eh?" Caulin asked, his hard gaze turning into a confident grin as he lifted his paw toward Koa, "Challenge accepted."

The paw went unshook, with an awkward Caulin reminding himself Koa did not know civilized gestures or mannerisms yet...

"Is there somewhere away from the docks we can go?" Qiang suggested, "We don't want to get in the way of the fishermen."

"Yea, there's a beach further down the coast. We can have our match there." Caulin answered, pointing beyond the docks to a long stretch of land further down, "Hardly anyone goes there, so we'll be able to have some fun uninterrupted."

"Lead the way," said Jora, "you know your way around better than we."

"With pleasure," Caulin answered, quickly walking past the three of them with a prominent spring in his step. His heart was racing a mile a minute in his chest, but he also wore the largest grin on his face. He was... Excited, perhaps more so than when he found a rival in Qiang. He couldn't explain why, but he didn't really care either. He was happy he was finally able to spend some time with the Zeraora, even if they were about to engage in friendly combat.

After a short walk, they reached the beach that Caulin had been talking about. The waters were calm that day, and it seemed like a good place to do the water wrestling. As Jora and Qiang seated themselves on the beach, they watched as Caulin ran ahead to the water, with Koa following behind.

As the two ran to the water, Qiang chose that moment to voice a concern he'd developed enroute to their destination. "Koa is of the electric type, is he not? Will that be an issue?"

"No need to worry," Jora assured him, "Zeraora do not actually generate their own electricity, unlike other electric types. He would need to recharge from an external source, and even then, so long as he doesn't use an electric-type attack, he will not be electrified. Caulin is in no danger."

"Well, okay," said Qiang, looking out to the water again as they got into position.

"Now, Caulin!" Jora called out, "The rules of water wrestling is simply to get your opponent under you - it is a contest of strength to make the other lose balance and land on the ground. If you or Koa accomplish this, you are to immediately disengage so that neither of you are held under the water. Understood?"

"Got it! Pin him down and then pull away right when I do!" Caulin called back, then grinned as he stared back at Koa, "Hope you don't regret giving me that handicap when I give you a face full of sea water."

Koa turned to face him, and widened his stance as he slapped his paws against his thighs for a second. "Ka! Ora!" He shouted before he lifted his paws in preparation for their contest, his eyes locked on Caulin's.

Caulin's gaze hardened and he repeated the gesture, minus the exclamation, then got ready to engage himself. He was already thinking about ways he could potentially take Koa down while making sure he didn't get caught himself, but he knew Koa had the advantage since he was more familiar with the sport. Not to mention, as Qiang had said, being much bigger...

Koa made the first move. The Zeraora moved so sharply, plumes of water were kicked up around his legs, and he seized Caulin by his shoulders, trying to push him back. Caulin grunted as he was seized, but he managed to recover before he could be bowled over and pushed back against Koa, grabbing his shoulders and pushing back against him as hard as he could. However, he quickly realized just how much stronger Koa was than him, and he was quickly starting to lose ground.

He tried a daring move, letting Koa push him back a little more before he suddenly dropped to his knees and leaned back, bracing himself with his arms as he tried to let Koa's own weight throw the Zeraora onto his back behind him. Koa's greater height nearly sent him off balance, but Caulin's gamble unfortunately did not have his intended effect, as the feline regained his balance, picked Caulin up and then jumped into the water with Caulin pinned under him.

Jora called out, and Caulin was lifted back out of the water, sputtering, as Koa released him and stepped back. He shook the water out of his fur and looked up at Koa, stunned at first, then gently snapped his paw as he pushed himself back to his feet.

"Shoot. Coulda sworn that was gonna work," he remarked as he rolled his shoulders, "Thought I'd try using your own weight against you, but you saw through it."

"As a feline Pokémon does possess very fast reflexes," Qiang pointed out, standing and stepping over, wading out to the shallows, "I suppose it is my turn, then."

When Caulin stepped aside to let Qiang have a turn, the bout was short. The Kubfu did not last any longer than Caulin had, unable to contend with the upper body strength and speed and size difference between himself and the Zeraora. Both tried a few more times, but it was clear that it was hopeless until either of them evolved.

They attempted a wrestling match with one another, and the odds were much more even, and the contest lasted more than a few seconds. During his short match with Qiang, Caulin seemed to have an idea on how Koa preferred to wrestle, and when it came his turn again, the Riolu had an idea on how to proceed next time so that Koa wouldn't beat him so easily.

When Jora gave them the signal to start, the second Koa made a move, Caulin backed up enough to cause the Zeraora to stumble. Then Caulin quickly jumped onto Koa's back and forced him down into the water, holding him down for half a second before he jumped off and allowed Koa to stand up again. The move caught Koa completely off guard and he emerged from the water surprised and sputtering, looking at Caulin with a blank expression.

"Well done!" Jora called.

"BOO-YAH!" Caulin exclaimed, jumping once and pumping his arms triumphantly after he landed. He turned and saw Koa's blank expression and smiled, offering him his paw in a sportsmanlike manner, "Good fight~"

Koa looked at Caulin's paw, and seemed to remember something before he raised his paw to gently take hold of Caulin's. It was still baffling just how _huge_Koa's paws were, utterly dwarfing Caulin's...

Caulin started to blush once they grasped each other's paw, his heart rate started increasing as he tightened his grip on Koa's claw, still smiling, but he was as rigid as a board as they stared at each other.

"Ua hana maika?i ?oe," said Koa.

"He said 'you did well'," Jora translated for Caulin.

Caulin beamed even further upon hearing that, but he tried his best to keep a calmer disposition as they shook paws. "You're really amazing, Koa. This was a lotta fun!" He answered enthusiastically, "Let's do something like this again sometime!"

Jora translated Caulin's words to Koa, and the Zeraora smiled warmly, and spoke again, "A?e, ho?oma?ama?a paha k?ua i ka mokomoko?" He asked.

Jora seemed to have trouble finding the words to translate at first. "I think he said, 'next time we might try practicing...'" She hummed, rubbing her chin, "I am trying to find a similar word to what he suggested," she said, "It is a combat sport, played one-on-one, involving combat using one's fists, battling under set rules."

Qiang perked up. "Boxing? You are talking about 'boxing'?" He suggested.

Jora looked at Qiang. "Does that not mean to simply pack an item into a box?" she asked.

Of course... Koa was not the only one still learning the languages and customs of the east. Caulin had to stifle a chuckle before he gave an answer. "No no no, that's a different type of boxing, Jora," Caulin explained, "The _sport_of boxing is when two fighters get together and duke it out using only their fists. Here, lemme show you," he said, motioning for Qiang to step in front of him and entered a typical boxing stance.

When the two squared up, they gave Jora a small demonstration as to what boxing was by engaging in a quick sparring session using only their fists, stopping approximately thirty seconds after they started. "Like this, see?"

Koa perked up as he watched the two, lifting his paws and putting them together. "Mokomoko!" he said, happily.

"It would seem even separated by entire landmasses, some cultures developed a few similarities," said Jora, intrigued.

"Well, what's your guys' equivalent of Boxing?" Caulin asked inquisitively.

"You just heard it," Jora replied, gesturing to Koa. "The Zeraora call it 'mokomoko'. My own people, we have no such combat sports, but the Zeraora are a warrior people."

"Well hey, if that's what he enjoys then I'd be willing to try it with him too. Besides... It sounds like a way we could both improve as fighters." Caulin added.

"It certainly couldn't take away from it. I shall have to have Koa teach me the rules, so that I might better supervise when the time comes."

"Great! Then it's a date!" Caulin remarked, standing tall and placing his paws proudly on his hips. His eyes then shot wide open once he realized what he said. "U-Uh, I mean... T-Then we got a new activity to do! ...Yea, that's what I meant."

Qiang and Jora shared a laugh at Caulin's expense. Koa simply gave a curious tilt of his head, not understanding what the other two were laughing about...

~~~~~

Daffodil Valley was, as its name implied, a low area of land stretching between mountains to the east and rolling foothills and low ridges to the west until they met the coast and accessed by a single large pass in the north, leading out to the open plains surrounding Hadleigh. When they flew over the pass, Volcan remembered it as the place he and Hageshi had fought the renegade Onyx that had been posing as a stack of fallen boulders that blocked access to or from the Valley.

Trees and small bodies of water lay spread in scattered formations, with the namesake flowers growing in abundance near the water, some of them in patches larger than even the airship's keel, creating spots of white across the land.

Locating the Assassin's fortress took some time but was thankfully easier than the group had dared hope. After taking a little more time to study records related to the attack on the former home of the Kaeru Assassins, they gained a rough idea of where to search, using Gildhorn as a landmark from which to begin. They flew along the mountainsides, flying low to survey the land for any signs that might lead them to the fortress.

Volcan, thanks to his keen eyes, was the first to spot an oddity on the mountainside; from below it would not have been visible, but from above, he could make out the sign. A weathered trail over the rising and falling curvature of the mountainside. They followed it from above, until it brought them to a scene of carnage long past.

The trail ended at a stone ravine in the mountainside, ending at a wall piled high with boulders that had come loose from the cliff faces above. Though the signs of the cause of the landslides had long since faded away to time, the pile of rocks were easily spotted for how out of place they were.

"Jeez," said Lashanne, "they really did blow it up to keep the Kingdom out..."

"If we weren't looking for it, this would have been so easy to miss," said Volcan, "No wonder nobody ever found this place before."

"Even if they did, it would take a lifetime to clear that carnage," Lashanne added, pointing down at the pile of boulders.

"Then it seems our only option is to try and find an alternative way to the temple... assuming there even is one," Luke remarked, letting out a soft sigh, "Starting to wish we brought Kage along. If anyone would know about hidden passages, it'd be him."

"Unlikely. They left this place long before he was born," Minato pointed out, and then flashed a grin as he continued, "Even if he did, it'd probably make things too easy. Where's the excitement if there isn't even a smidgen of a challenge to overcome?"

"Now you're starting to think like a treasure hunter, hun," said Lashanne, grinning at Minato.

"Please. One of yous is bad enough," Toby remarked.

"Heeey," Lashanne said in a warning tone to the Meowth.

"I believe Luke is correct," Zamazenta spoke up, looking over the railing, "It would not make any sense for the assassins to trap themselves, and given the presence of your comrade Kage, they did not. There must be another way inside."

"Somewhere the Kingdom of Nido could not easily reach," agreed Lashanne, "So... We need to think like them. Think of where they might put a secret escape."

They all started quietly brainstorming on what they might have used for an emergency escape in the event they were attacked, with Luke pacing back and forth as he thought and Minato leaning against the railing and gently gnawing at his paw as he tried to come up with an answer. To their collective shock, it was Zacian who came up with an answer, having looked at each of them expectantly before rolling her eyes and speaking up.

"...Well since you lot are thinking too hard for the answer, why don't I just say it then?" She remarked, drawing attention to the sword wolf, "Greninja are primarily water types, correct? It stands to reason that they would most likely have an escape path that takes them into a body of water of some kind."

Minato stared at her for some time, both in shock that she contributed to their search in some way, and in stunned stupor for not thinking about that single fact himself. Regardless, he smirked and gave her a nod of approval.

"Well well, she finally has a good idea," he remarked in jest, making Zacian sneer at him, but she said nothing in retaliation.

"She does have a point," agreed Lashanne, "And, it works further because their opponent - Zenayda, was a Nidoking, a Poison and Ground-type. He wouldn't be eager to go diving into any pools of water."

"So, we're looking for a lake or river... Probably concealing an escape tunnel," said Volcan, "This mountain has a snow-capped peak; there could be glacial melt lakes not far away."

"Look for the most eroded side of the mountain - that's likely where the water has flowed down," suggested Lashanne as she directed Toby to steer the ship on a new course. "We find that, we should find our body of water below."

"It's worth a shot," Luke agreed with a nod, "We'll find that lake and then plan our next course of action from there."

The group took positions on different corners of the ship, searching for any sign of bodies of water as they circled the mountain. They stayed below the clouds circling the mountain, keeping their vision of the ground as clear as possible. The mountains on the edge of Daffodil Valley were rocky and largely barren except for some spots of pine trees, which had to mean there was some water somewhere...

It took a few hours, but eventually Minato spotted it first. As they passed over a fog bank, he squinted his eyes and could make out just the hint of a body of water concealed below it.

"Down there, starboard bow!" He called to the others, pointing in the direction he saw the body of water. "Toby, bring us around!"

"Did you find something?" Luke asked as he and the others joined him.

"Yea, but it was pretty hard to spot what with all this fog. There was a gap in the clouds that gave me enough of a clue," Minato replied.

"...You are a Lucario. Couldn't you just sense it out?" Zacian asked matter of factly.

"Aura Sense doesn't work that way, sister," Minato answered sharply, "It allows me to lock onto living aura signals and home in on them, and even then, I only have a limited range to work with." He remarked. "Seriously, you've been alive for what, five hundred years, and you've never thought to ask how a Lucario's Aura Sense works?"

Again, Zacian shot him a stern leer, but held her tongue and turned her head away from him, snorting in annoyance from Minato's attitude.

"Let's hope this is it," said Lashanne as Toby brought the ship down, slowly and carefully.

They descended low into the fog, stopping just shy of the lake it hid below its white expanse. The lake was crystal clear and calm, with only a few small waves lapping in the light wind that day. The mountainside above had been eroded smooth by wind and water flow, filling this glacial melt lake with water from the ice caps.

"Well, this fits what we're looking for," said Volcan.

"It's a lot bigger than I was expecting," Luke commented as he peered down to the lake below, "And a lot deeper... Despite how clear the water is, I can't see the bottom from up here."

"Well, only way we're going to find if there's some tunnel or something then is if we get a closer look," said Volcan, "So... How do we do that?"

"If you'll excuse me!" Minato suddenly stated as he hopped up onto the railing, then before anyone could react, he fell into a freefall toward the water below, straightening out and diving into the waters below with a small splash.

"Minato!" Luke hollered in fright, "Are you insane?!"

"That lunatic!" Volcan exclaimed, "We're still thirty feet up!"

"Toby, put us down on the shore so I can clobber my boyfriend!" Lashanne demanded.

"Yanno, Lashanne, you kinda did that same thing to me all the time back out west."

"That was different; I had a bungee cord, and I can levitate!" She retorted.

"Still scared the hell out of me," Toby muttered, steering the ship toward the shore of the lake.

Zamazenta looked at Volcan. "Does Minato usually do something like that?" He asked.

"He has a tendency to be a thrill seeker," Volcan returned, leaning on the railing and sighing in exasperation, "No question which parent Caulin gets it from."

"...Clearly," Zacian remarked, "I shudder to think how reckless his son is if his father dives headfirst into danger so haphazardly..."

"We're working on it..." said Volcan, looking over at Lashanne. "Rather, she is, ever since she became Caulin's sort-of-stepmother."

Lashanne was pacing the deck, ranting something under her breath. She was pantomiming with her paws, seemingly squeezing something between them - and everyone who saw it could easily guess that she was imagining Minato's neck between her paws. When the ship was low enough, she was the first one over the side and stormed over to the shoreline, her tail flicking with irritation.

Eventually the Lucario surfaced after everyone had disembarked from the airship, treading water for a moment to reorient himself and turning to look over at his comrades on the shore.

"Found something while I was down there!" He called as he began swimming back toward the shallows.

"I hope it was worth it," Luke muttered under his breath, nervously eying the Delphox next to him as Minato swam to shore.

Minato waded toward them once his feet touched solid ground, shaking himself and flinging cold water all around him before exhaling sharply. "Whoo... Water's a bit nippy, but not too bad," he remarked casually, as if his stunt was not so abnormal.

"You better talk fast, pal," Lashanne said scornfully, glowering at him, "What'd you find?"

"There's an underwater tunnel about fifty meters below the surface against that wall over there," he replied, turning and pointing to the right wall along the lake, "I couldn't exactly examine it further since I was starting to run out of air, but it looked more than big enough for a Greninja to slip through... Least from where I saw it."

Lashanne shared a look with Volcan, who shrugged. Lashanne sighed. "Well, I suppose that stays me from slapping you silly for scaring us like that," she said, "But, we can't dive that deep without equipment for lake diving, including scuba gear."

"Have you done it before?" Volcan asked.

"I have. But it's a risky business," replied Lashanne, "and a lot of my gear is old - I wouldn't trust it. Besides, I only have enough for one."

"We'll have to take a trip to the closest town and gear up," Luke said, sighing irritably, "Question is, where would be the closest town that would offer scuba gear?"

"Can we requisition some from the nearest Guild Hall?" Volcan suggested.

"Possibly," Luke replied with a shrug, "I never really needed to because I had two water types that could perform underwater ventures for us in my team."

"Sadly, this time we don't have either of them," said Volcan, "and by the sounds of things, even if we'd brought Katsu along, he wouldn't fit in that tunnel Minato found. It's up to us then."

"We better head back to Gildhorn then and find the gear we need," added Lashanne. Then, as Minato passed her, she drew her arm back and slugged him in the shoulder with her paw.

It wasn't a hard punch, but it was enough to make him let out an "Ow!" He rubbed his shoulder and looked back at her with an arched eyebrow. "...So, the fact that you decided to slug me means you didn't have faith I'd resurface?" He asked.

"Oh no, I did," she said, "and if you hadn't, I'd have dove in to get you. That was just for scaring me with that high dive."

Minato smirked. "Love you too, babe." he answered, then stole a quick smooch as he continued walking past her.

He was stopped when Zacian got in his way this time, looking at him with as equally stern a look in her eyes as Lashanne initially had. "...Really? You too?" he asked.

"That was a reckless and completely unnecessary risk you took," The sword wolf remarked in a scolding manner, "For all we know, there could have been something waiting in that lake for you, such as a Gyarados or a Basculegion."

Minato stared at her for a second before he cleared his throat. "First of all, Gyarados are sea dwelling Pokémon. You'd never find one in a Glacial runoff lake like this one; they're in the ocean, or in lakes with rivers that feed to the ocean - which they can migrate to. Second, even if they weren't, that lake is far too cold and too small for them to properly thrive in; I've seen some big Gyarados in my life and I know they need lots of room. Third... What the hell is a Basculegion?"

Zacian had her mouth open to explain, but quickly shut it and shook her head dismissively. "Forget it. It'd be a waste of time explaining it to you," She retorted abruptly, "Just know that what you did was foolish and haphazard."

"And you using your signature move against me in a sparring match wasn't?" Minato countered, then rolled his head along his shoulders, "Sure, I'll admit it _was_pretty stupid in hindsight," he said as he walked past her, only stopping to whisper into her ear. "But unlike you, I know when to come up for air..." He concluded as he continued back to the airship.

Shortly after, the airship was off again, taking them toward Gildhorn once again. Like Lindenberg, the former capital of the Kingdom of Nido was an old city, but unlike its more historical counterpart, much of the old part of the city had fallen to neglect, with newer constructions the focus of the populace. From above, it almost appeared there were two cities, with one of them in disrepair except for the castle that was still home to the town's council, the mayoral office and doubled as a Guild Hub, with an entire wing of the castle set aside for the Guild's use.

Luke, Volcan, Lashanne and Minato entered the castle, following the signs to the Guild's office. At the counter, they found two Pokémon; one of them was Zangoose with glasses resting upon the tip of his nose, a clipboard held in one paw. The other, across from him, was a Serperior who looked vaguely familiar to Luke and Volcan... Though they weren't sure where they had seen him before.

As they approached, the Serperior looked over at them, and a flash of recognition showed on the Serperior's face as he studied them. "Team Valiant?" he asked, his gaze resting mostly on Luke and Volcan as he asked.

Luke turned to the sound of the voice, laying eyes on the Serperior and squinting slightly, "...Have we met?" He asked curiously.

"Not directly," the grass-snake replied, pointing at himself with the tip of his tail. "But we once enrolled in the same competition. I am Fernidas of Team Orochi."

Volcan perked up. "Oh yeah, I remember you now. You fought Team Kama in the first round of Team Warmachine's tournament."

"And lost, sadly," the Serperior remarked with a grimace.

"Oh right!" Luke exclaimed, slapping his forehead with his paw, "My apologies, it's been a long time since then, and we've been very busy as of late."

"Not a problem," he replied, slithering closer to them, "What brings you all the way here to Gildhorn?"

"We're on a mission, seeking entrance to an old ruin up in the mountains," Volcan explained, retelling the details of their mission to Fernidas. Meanwhile, Lashanne went up to the counter to speak to the clerk about their equipment.

When Volcan was finished, Fernidas lifted the end of his tail to tap his snout in thought. "Ah, I know of that fortress," he said, "I always wondered what that was doing up there, but I saw no way to access it. You believe this passage you found in the lake is the answer?"

"Only lead we have," replied Volcan with a shrug, "and it's part of an important mission we're on."

Fernidas nodded. "Understood. I hope you find what you seek then," he said, "Also if you happen to see Captain Sickle, would you mind letting him know that I look forward to battling him personally at the next competition?" He added with a smile.

Luke smiled back and nodded in response. "I'll be sure to pass on the message first chance I get," he assured Fernidas.

"Much appreciated," he said before he slithered around them and headed to the door. "Good day to you, my friends, until we meet again."

They watched as the Serperior left the hall, and Volcan gave an approving nod. "Seems a friendly fellow, eh?" He asked.

"Very much so," Luke agreed, looking back toward his husband, "Glad to see they don't have any ill feelings toward Sickle's team."

Volcan nodded, and looked up as Lashanne came back over.

"Well, good news - I got us a voucher to rent some lake-diving equipment," she said, "we'll have to cover the deposit but after that we'll be good to go."

"Good thing we came prepared. Nice work, Lashanne." Luke complimented. "How much is the deposit?

"About a hundred and fifty Poks for each set. Given there's four of us, that's about six hundred total."

"That much?" Volcan asked, gawking at her.

"Hey, this stuff is expensive," Lashanne replied, putting up her paws.

"It's a cost we'll have to pay if it will help us on our mission," Luke said, determined.

Volcan sighed. "We better get back to the ship then and count out how much we brought with us," he said.

"Worst case scenario, we'll have to sell a few things to get the money we need," Luke remarked, grimacing at the thought, "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Fortunately, as the team pooled their funds together, they found they had enough to cover the deposit on the equipment they required - it would leave them with little money afterwards, but they could at least continue their mission, and if all went well they'd get all of it back when they returned the equipment. After retrieving it from the Guild Quartermaster, they were on their way within the hour, with Lashanne showing the two Lucario and Blaziken how to put on their diving gear as the airship carried them back to the lake.

"Two things, very important, to remember," Lashanne explained, giving them a crash course on the important parts of diving. "Breathe normally at all times - the oxygen in these tanks is limited. There's plenty to get us through this dive but still, never waste any of it. Second rule," she added pointedly, "_never_split up, for any reason. Divers always travel in pairs at least, and for lake diving, this is even more important."

"What makes lake diving more dangerous than diving in the ocean?" Volcan asked.

"No buoyancy in freshwater," said Lashanne, "You can float much more easily on salt water than in here. And, for lakes, the deeper you go, there is a lot less natural light and less open space to navigate. Far easier for accidents or mishaps to happen."

"So don't panic and stay in pairs. Pretty easy to remember," Minato remarked, "Putting it into practice will be another thing..."

"We don't have the time nor the resources for a trial run or drill, so we're going to have to learn on the fly... or swim in this regard," Luke added.

"This is going to get uncomfortable really fast," said Volcan, "Fire-types are not meant to be in water. I swear it leaves me with a bad rash if I'm in for too long," he was already rubbing his arm as he thought of it.

"Oh, suck it up," said Lashanne, paws on her hips as she scolded Volcan, "you grew up on an island, I spent most of my life in a desert. If I can put up with it, so can you."

"She's not wrong, love. You did have to swim with myself and Romulus back to your boat during the siege on the fortress," Luke remarked.

"Adrenaline does crazy things," Volcan pointed out, "We were running from Mewtwo, don't forget."

At that, the Royal Knights, sitting passively across the deck from the four, perked up, ears raised. They turned sharply, looking over at the Blaziken.

"Did you say Mewtwo?" Zamazenta asked, alarmed.

"That monster has Mewtwo under his control??" Zacian exclaimed, "Why did you not mention that detail before??"

"...You never asked," Minato calmly answered.

"We shouldn't have had to! That one detail changes everything about fighting Calhoun!" Zacian countered.

"Take it easy!" Volcan put in, "we just never found an opportunity to mention it."

"Perhaps not... But nevertheless, that is troubling news," said Zamazenta, "We never grasped just how powerful Calhoun could be, to command one such as the mysterious child of Mew..." Then he narrowed his eyes as he thought, "Hold... Is Mewtwo corrupted by the Shadow Essence?"

"He is," Volcan replied, nodding.

The two knights shared a look with one another, and then turned back to the others. "...So not even he is immune to the curse, then," the shield wolf said solemnly, "Which means, in all likelihood, neither are we."

"Don't worry, you two." Luke lifted his paws up in reassurance. "During the Battle of Hadleigh, I discovered a way to fully purge the Shadow Corruption from any Pokémon affected by the curse. I've made sure Minato knows this trick as well, so if any of us become affected, we can purge it out of you."

"How many times have you done that?" Zacian asked for both of them.

"First was Lugia... Then I tried freeing Master Zheng, but that was a botched attempt," Luke listed off, "After that, Minato and I sealed the Southern Nexus together, and then we freed a Zapdos... I think that makes three out of four successful attempts so far."

"Lugia... Master Zheng, and even Zapdos," Zamazenta repeated, "Truly the corruption is indiscriminate."

"Not so," said Volcan, smiling, "we might have mentioned before, Master Chen saved Luke from the corruption that seeped into him after he freed Master Zheng. That is when we learned that Dark-type Pokémon are immune to the curse."

"As well as Pokémon who have become Blessed," Lashanne added, "they are also immune."

"...Curious," Zacian remarked, looking up to the sky in thought. "It is a topic we will have to explore when we have time."

"She's right - we're here," Toby pointed out as the ship started to descend.

"Alright then," said Lashanne, adjusting the scuba tank on her back, "Goggles on. Make sure your valves are open; test by taking a short breath."

"Here goes..." Luke muttered nervously, gently sliding his goggles over his eyes, and making sure they were snug against his face, then he opened the valve of his oxygen tank, putting the respirator into his mouth and taking a short breath to see if it was functioning properly. He felt a small wave of air enter his lungs that he exhaled through his nose, giving an ok sign to show that his was working.

The others followed his example, and each of them confirmed their tanks were working. "Alright, Toby. Skim the water's surface, bring us as low as possible."

"On it," Toby replied, turning the ship's wheel, and pulling back the control lever for the gas bags further, drawing more oxygen into the outer bags to bring them lower. In a few moments, the heard a light splash, and Toby gave a nod. "We're now afloat."

"Okay, boys, jump in," said Lashanne, bringing her respirator to her lips. "One at a time. Geronimo!" She shouted before hopping over the side and putting her respirator in her mouth just before she hit the water with a splash.

"Did we ever do this before?" Volcan asked Minato, leaning over the railing and peering down to where Lashanne had jumped into the water, seeing the ripples expanding outward from where she went in.

"No but... Never too late to learn," Minato remarked, sensing Volcan's hesitation and giving him a hearty push to get him going.

"Hey!" Volcan sputtered as he tumbled over the railing. "You fucking-!" the rest of his words were lost in an incoherent babble before he splashed into the lake.

Luke shot Minato a disapproving look as he stepped up next. "One of these days, karma is going to bite you in the ass," He remarked before he stepped off and fell into the lake.

"Maybe... but not today." The elder Lucario muttered under his breath, turning and letting himself fall over and into the water shortly after Luke submerged.

The four regrouped below the surface. Lashanne was already waiting in sight of the tunnel, looking over her shoulder to see the three approaching. She used gestures with her paws, pointing to herself and at the tunnel, before pointing to Luke next, followed by Minato and then Volcan. After a repeat of the gestures, they understood her directions, and entered the tunnel one after the other, swimming into the blackness...