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When Calhoun reappeared on the deck of the Ravager, the equally battered Seji and Asya could see that their leader had fared no better in his attempt to seize the Nexus himself. Calhoun was bruised and sporting several cuts, all of which were already in the process of healing. Nevertheless, it was clear to them that he had failed...

The East Nexus was lost to them.

"We were so close," Asya said in a low voice.

"It was right there," Calhoun rambled, pantomiming with his hands like he was reaching for something above him. "It was so close... But that damned Lucario got in my way again!" his voice raised, his hands clenching into fists. "I don't understand it... How did he get so much stronger so quickly?!"

"Based on what Asya has informed me when we returned, the boy has trained in the art of the Single and Rapid Strike Styles of martial arts," Seji offered an explanation, "As for why he's so strong, well... It... Might be possible that his potential for growth is just that vast... Dare I say, perhaps he has more potential than even you do."

Seji expected Calhoun to glare at him, or give a snappish retort - such an act would have been unlike him, and further proof of the madness Seji feared was setting in. Yet, he did not; Calhoun retained his composure, despite how clearly angry he was. He breathed deeply, tilting his head back, and clenching his eyes as though he were suffering another headache, but it was brief.

"...This has gone on long enough," said Calhoun in a low voice, before he looked at Asya. "Give me a casualty report - how many did we lose at the temple, and who do we have left?"

"The Kommo-o Chieftain perished by the blade of the other Lucario - the one in the black coat," explained Asya, "He has received the blessing of the Royal Knight, Zacian. Many of the Century we took on the expedition perished as well - the Bisharp survived, but only barely. We don't know when he will be fit for combat again. Many of the Pawniard accompanying us did not make it, nor did the Vikavolt Swarm."

She took a moment to do a count in her head before she finished. "As it is, we have eighty of the Pawniard remaining, but they are leaderless - they have a second in command ready to step up. As for the Warband, they will now have to decide amongst themselves who is fit to lead them; the chieftain had a brother who is freshly evolved but still inexperienced in his new body."

"Then we will have to help him train as we go," said Calhoun.

"Who will train him though?" Seji asked. "Not all of us are familiar with their culture, and what if he turns out to be as temperamental as his predecessor?"

"We only seek to help him learn how to use his new body - the last thing we need is an inexperienced dragon blundering his way into the attack," said Calhoun.

Asya tilted her head. "Attack?"

Calhoun turned from them as he spoke. "The ship is enroute to Port Azure," he began. "We are still two days out, give or take."

"So, you are planning to hit the home of our enemies," said Asya, though she had already suspected that had been Calhoun's plan.

Calhoun scowled. "It is the least they deserve for their transgressions," he said bitterly, "we will go in there, and reduce that town to rubble... No captives this time... I want no survivors of this attack. I want to make the message very clear when those two return home," his scowl deepened as he spoke.

"To challenge the Dark Crusade... Is to court death."

On went the Ravager, bearing the forces of the Dark Crusade, unaware of the eyes that watched them from afar as they made their way toward the unwitting target of Port Azure. After following the ship for a time and correctly gauging where it was bound, the red-feathered bird altered their course, and flew westward with all haste...

~~~~~

Luke, Volcan and Minato parted ways with Kage after they exited the Nexus chamber, the Greninja detouring back toward the Chamber of the Serpent while the others all headed back toward the main courtyard. When they were outside, they saw what remained of the Brotherhood all gathered around a large funeral pyre, flames soaring into the air as they silently mourned the loss of their leader. They were completely motionless as they watched their leader's body slowly burn away and become ash, though some did cast the three of them a glance as they passed by.

"...They wasted no time in getting that set up," Minato remarked as they walked past the pyre, "Cold efficiency... I can see now why Kage is the way he is. Old habits dying hard and all."

"Not the types to dwell on loss, I suppose," said Volcan, "not even for their leaders."

"More power to them," Luke remarked softly as he watched them mourn. "If it were one of us on that pyre, I'd be bawling my eyes out..." he added.

"Agreed," Volcan put in. Then, he looked at Luke, his gaze lingering on his husband for a moment before he cleared his throat. "Luke... Mind if we talk for a minute?" He asked.

"Hm? What's up?" Luke asked, turning to give Volcan his full attention.

Volcan put his arm around Luke and led him aside where they could talk privately. After double-checking to ensure they were out of earshot of anyone else, Volcan knelt in front of Luke, looking him straight in the eye.

"What happened down there, when you were fighting Calhoun?" He asked, his voice level, but making it clear that he would not accept anything less than the truth.

Luke's heart skipped a beat. He knew... Volcan knew... He stared back at him with wide eyes for a long moment of silence, his mouth moving but no words were coming out of his mouth, at least not at first. After a few moments of silent stuttering, he finally managed to get out some words.

"I-I... I didn't... I mean..." He stammered, his eyes darting back and forth slightly, his tail drooping behind him.

"Hey," Volcan said softly, putting his hands on Luke's shoulders, "Take it easy... I'm not angry with you, truly."

Still, Luke panicked slightly, swaying from side to side before he finally just pressed his forehead to Volcan's. "I just... I just want this war to be over, honey," he whispered, keeping his eyes shut. "I thought... I thought I could do it. That I could end it all and we could go back to our normal lives," he opened his eyes and touched Volcan's face. "Back to our Ignus."

"I know," Volcan replied, nodding in understanding. "I want this war to be over too... More than anything. I'd just like to go home and get back to our regular lives, where we were helping people and only had to fight criminals and not international terrorists," he let out a sigh, making no effort to hide just how much he wanted that...

Then, he looked at Luke. "I just want to be sure... That you won't let it change you, whatever happens," he said, gripping Luke's shoulders a little tighter. "We've come so far... Seen so much - endured so much. But I don't want it to ruin either of us along the way."

Luke quickly lifted his paws to touch Volcan's face, his ears flattening to the sides. "I'm not going to change, love," he assured him with a nod. "I was... It was only going to be the one time, and I thought I could do it... but I faltered in the end, and he got away."

"No one blames you for it," Volcan assured him, "nor does anyone expect you have to be the one to do it if it comes down to that." He lifted his hand to Luke's face, gently laying it against and caressing his cheek. "You understand?"

Luke nodded softly back. "I understand," he whispered, rubbing his nose on Volcan's beak softly. "I just thought I could do it when it mattered, is all..."

"Not all of us have it in us," said Volcan, "but I'm glad you didn't go through with it, knowing how much it bothers you - not to mention," he whispered, "how much you scared Kage."

"...Wait what?" Luke asked, his ears perking back up as he stared at Volcan incredulously. "I scared Kage?? That man doesn't fear anything though!"

At that Volcan smiled, light-heartedly "He may not have put it into words, but I could tell when he told me about you. Think ya know a guy, eh?"

"Yea, go figure," Luke returned softly, allowing a light chuckle. His ear then twitched as he started hearing murmurs from behind him, causing him to look over his shoulder at the commotion. "Speaking of which..."

The other Kaeru Assassins had all dispersed from the pyre and were gathering around a collapsed portion of the wall. Atop of it was Kage, holding a sheathed sword in his hand as he looked around at the other Greninja. They in turn looked back at him with a mixture of intrigue, concern, or disdain... more so the latter, as most of them still viewed him as a deserter.

"Something tells me we may need to act as crowd control... This may get bad pretty fast." Luke muttered.

"Agreed," said Volcan, adjusting the harness on his chest and fingering the housing of his mega stone, ready to use it when he needed it.

Kage then raised the sword up into the air, then with his other hand he drew it out of its scabbard, revealing a jade-coloured blade with several small jewels lining both faces of the sword. After taking a moment to look at the blade, he addressed his former clansmen and spoke.

"I am not one for long speeches, so I'll make this brief," he began, lowering the blade to his side, "With Fusaku now gone, the Brotherhood is without a leader... I may have left this order over twenty years ago, but as my Father's heir, the responsibility of leadership now falls into my hands. With a heavy heart, I reluctantly accept the role, however!" he paused, "There's going to be some changes as to how this Brotherhood will operate!"

Already there looked to be unrest among the Assassins, and one of them eventually spoke up against the Greninja claiming the title of their leader. "You say you accept this role with a heavy heart," he stated, "Your heart didn't seem that heavy when you decided to abandon our order not long after Sakkaku was ostracized."

Other Assassins nodded in agreement. "Perhaps if you remained loyal to us, we would not have suffered such a crippling loss," another spoke up, "You are a disgrace to this Brotherhood, and you do not deserve to hold that sword!"

The rest of them all started to riot against Kage, jeering at him and cursing his name as they protested the idea of him leading them. Luke cast a worried look at Volcan as they began to riot, wondering if they should step in or not.

However, before they could even consider intervening, Kage sucked in one deep breath and unleashed the loudest croak he could muster, the air around him reverberating and causing everyone close to him to recoil and cover their ears. Minato and Luke especially had to shield their ears from the loud echoing croak, even falling to their knees from how unbearable the pain was to them. Even Volcan cringed at the sound, having to cover his ears and take a step back.

"Since when could he do that?!" Volcan demanded.

"WHAT?" Both Luke and Minato shouted back at Volcan, wincing from the constant ringing in their ears.

Kage was left panting heavily after unleashing a croak that loud. He took a moment to catch his breath before he continued speaking.

"I could have left you all to die today at the hands of the Dark Crusade!" he began, speaking angrily down at the rest of his kin, "I didn't have to return to these accursed swamps to warn you about them. In fact, the only reason that I did is because we discovered that the Nexus was here in the Aporagorev Boglands and that we had to cleanse it before that demon Calhoun got his hands on it!"

He paused to collect himself before continuing his speech. "You're right. I _don't_deserve to hold this sword. My loyalties to the brotherhood ended the day I abandoned this Arceus-forsaken place," he stated, "Yet here I stand, sword in hand, and not one of you have even bothered to try and take it from me. You want to know why? Because none of you have the guts to even try. You've all become complacent, relying on my late father to make your decisions for you like Mareep to the slaughter."

Kage raised the Emera Blade once more. "That's changing as of right now. I could care less about this brotherhood, but I won't let its potential to do actual good in the world go to waste. I present to you all a choice: Stay here and vanish into obscurity for the rest of time, or you can follow my lead and put a stop to the man who killed your former leader," he concluded as he lowered the sword, "The decision is yours and yours alone. I suggest you choose wisely."

The assassins all looked at one another as they weighed their options, some even looking back at the burnt-down funeral pyre behind them. More murmuring ensued amongst their ranks before they all faced Kage again. They all collectively put their hands together and gave Kage a collective bow.

"We will serve your will... Lord Kage," One of them spoke up.

Kage sighed softly before giving a nod in response. "Then we don't have time to dawdle. Start collecting any and all supplies you can carry. Tools, weapons, rations. We leave by nightfall," he commanded.

With that, the other Greninja began to disperse, spreading to every corner within the fortress to gather everything they could in preparation for their new mission.

When Kage went to rejoin the others, Volcan was the first to speak. "Did you decide where you're sending them?"

"I've given them the choice to either make a difference or fade into obscurity. _I'm_not sending them anywhere," Kage remarked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Then... What you said before," Luke began.

"I want them to make their own choices, not follow me around like a flock of Mareep," Kage replied quickly, "As I said, I don't care for the Brotherhood, I care for the good they are capable of doing."

Volcan looked over to the temple, and the various Greninja stepping in and out of it. "Do you think they know where they even want to go?" he asked, "They've been hiding here for so long."

"They'll figure it out... For now, having a stealth force that can look after Azure in my stead should be a decent first start into them leading their own lives," Kage answered.

"...I'm not so sure I'm going to like the implication of that," Minato remarked.

"Deal with it. Better to have such a force on our side rather than theirs," Kage retorted.

"Didn't I already say that earlier?" Volcan asked.

"...Some phrases are worth repeating," Kage returned quickly.

"Right," Luke muttered. "Well, I'll signal for Toby to come pick us up. You guys wanna get the Knights over to this side so we can extract them too?"

"On it," Minato answered, turning and trotting back toward the outside and using his jumping strength plus Psychic to leap over to the other side of the moat, with Volcan following suit.

Zamazenta and Zacian were waiting patiently on the other side of the moat when Minato and Volcan returned. They came over to greet the two, and they caught up on all that had happened inside the temple during their absence. The two listened attentively, staying silent until they were done and chewing on the two's words.

"The guardian was a Zarude?" Zamazenta asked, "I had not expected that."

"I don't think any of us were," Minato returned with a shrug, "Either way, he's no longer bound to the Nexus now that it's been purified. As to what he'll do next, well... That's his choice."

"Pity he did not decide to join in our fight against Calhoun," Zacian remarked. "Zarude are powerful physically and have a near unrivalled control over nature itself."

"Yeah, so Luke said," Volcan commented, "The guy had grown his own arboretum down there that he could control at will. That is pretty impressive, especially considering he was sitting in a dark chamber with no sunlight for eight decades."

"And Calhoun himself was there?" Zamazenta asked, earning a nod from Volcan. "We never saw him... No one tried to pass us."

"He didn't have to," Volcan clarified, "he probably just used Mewtwo's power to get himself inside, bypassing the assassins and you two in the process. If Luke hadn't already been down there, he might have reached the Nexus before we could stop him."

"You don't think the Guardian could have stood against him?" Zamazenta asked, "As my sister said, Zarude are powerful creatures."

"Calhoun's already killed one guardian before, and that was before he was corrupted," said Volcan, "Likely Koa would've met the same fate too if we hadn't been there. I don't doubt Zarude are powerful, but Calhoun is in a league all his own."

"I can attest to that," Minato added. "I only just barely survived my first fight against him. The fact that Luke managed to go toe to toe with him by himself just shows how much stronger he's become since I first met him," he added, giving credence to Luke's growing potential. "That being said, I think my achieving a Blessing helped to close the gap between us," he said while rubbing his nose confidently.

Volcan looked at Minato. "Unless he manages to unlock the rest of Giratina's power," he reminded his friend.

"Which he won't, because the next time we find him, he's as good as dead." Minato countered, glancing at Volcan out of the corner of his eye.

"So we hope," the Blaziken replied. "Anyway... Now that we've caught you up, Toby should be on his way to pick us up. I'll go back across to get Luke - I don't see any way for us to bring you two across this moat so better he just picks us up here."

"Agreed," Zacian answered. "I would rather not have to endure a swim."

Volcan nodded, stating he'd be right back before taking a running start at the moat to jump across it again. A few moments later, he returned, this time carrying Luke in his arms, landing on the shore heavily with the added weight but keeping his footing. A few seconds later, Kage also emerged, appearing at Volcan's side via Shadow Sneak.

He wasn't the only one to appear. The rest of the Kaeru Assassins also emerged out of Volcan's shadow via Shadow Sneak, quickly spreading outward and carrying several weapons and armaments on their persons, all lining up in order behind Kage. The Royal Knights tensed, instinctively raising their guard as they saw the group of Greninja, but relaxed when they recalled what Minato and Volcan had told them.

Zamazenta did a quick head count of the assassins. "...So few," he thought, "I thought there would be more of them."

"We were never an army," one of the Assassins spoke up, "We do not fight wars, we prevent them from ever happening... Alas, this war seems to have already started... But we will do what must be done to end it."

The two knights shared a glance but said nothing to refute the words of the assassin.

"Did you send up the signal to Toby?" Volcan asked Luke.

"Yea, before you picked me up and brought me over," Luke answered with a nod. "He should be here within the next few minutes... Assuming he hasn't fallen asleep at the wheel."

"Let's give it about an hour and then send up another," Volcan suggested, "and keep doing that until he arrives. In the meantime, we may as well get comfortable here."

"...Anyone bring a deck of cards?" Minato asked in jest.

Volcan and Luke allowed themselves a laugh at that. Only one chuckle arose from the assassins. Nobody could see from whom it came...

Two hours later, the shadow of the airship fell over the temple grounds, and Toby threw over the rope ladder to let the others come aboard. One after the other, Volcan, Minato and Luke came up, and Toby brought the ship lower to let the Royal Knights and the Kaeru Brotherhood jump aboard, along with Kage. The Greninja were given free reign of the ship, to find their own places to settle down - though Toby needed multiple assurances that none of them would slit his throat in his sleep before he allowed himself to relax.

With that, they left the temple behind. From the deck, Luke and Volcan could make out the Zarude - whom they never did get the name of, watching from atop the gigantic tree that grew up from the temple's interior. He waved to them as they departed, which prompted Luke to wave back at him with a smile, silently wishing him the best as the airship departed toward the safety of Azure's borders.

"...Well... The mission's over at last," Luke said as he leaned back against the railing. "The Eastern Nexus is purged, Minato has attained a new power, the Kaeru Assassins are fighting on our side... and we're FINALLY getting away from this deathtrap."

"Almost makes for a perfect day," remarked Volcan, giving his husband a weak smile.

"I don't know. I could have done without a certain scenario, hint hint," Luke remarked, nudging Volcan's side with his elbow firmly.

"No argument there," the Blaziken agreed, certain he knew what Luke was referring to.

The Lucario chuckled slightly, then turned to take Volcan's hands in his, "...We should take a family trip somewhere," he suddenly suggested. "When this whole war is over, let's take Ignus out on the boat and just... Explore the open ocean. Take him to places none of us have been to."

Volcan nodded. "I'd be down for that. There are lots of areas of the East Continent and the Islands we've never been to. Could make for a nice long family trip."

"There's also our honeymoon too," Luke added, beaming brightly up at Volcan as he squeezed his hands in his paws. "I wanna visit Hadleigh for it, and experience _everything_that city has to offer... I want it to be the best time of our lives."

"Then that is what it will be," agreed Volcan, squeezing Luke's paw in his hand. "It gives us something to look forward to when all this is finally over."

"I agree," Luke said, leaning up close to Volcan with a loving smile. "Our perfect family with our perfect little boy."

Volcan took his hand from Luke's paw, wrapping it around his shoulders and holding him tightly. "And that is something worth fighting for," he said.

Luke nodded and sighed in bliss. "Yea," he concurred, gently burying his face in Volcan's chest and began to kiss him repeatedly, sliding his paws up and down the Blaziken's lower back.

Volcan in return put his arms around Luke, bending over to kiss him on the lips, deeply and lovingly, embracing Luke tightly in his arms. Luke immediately kissed Volcan back passionately, jumping up and wrapping his legs around Volcan's hips as he clung to Volcan's neck with his arms, moaning and giggling softly as they shared a passionate moment together. Volcan grunted as Luke's weight was suddenly added to his own, and he had to hold back a laugh as he continued to share the moment with his husband.

"Been a long, stressful week, hasn't it?" Volcan asked.

"That's putting it mildly," Luke whispered back. "I need a lot, and I mean a _lot_of stress relief after what we've endured."

"Let's start with something relaxing then," said Volcan, cocking his head toward the hatch leading below decks. "One round of chess; winner gets a massage from the loser."

Luke grinned back at Volcan. "You know I'll just beat you again, right? I'm still in the lead four to two~" He commented.

"That's still two I won, and this one will have stakes," replied Volcan, grinning in return. "Think you can beat me with a massage on the line?"

"I'll floor you," Luke answered, brimming with confidence.

"Then I suppose you will be the one getting the massage if you beat me."

"Like I said~" Luke returned, leaning up and biting Volcan's neck gently. "I'll floor you...~" He added with a sensual growl.

Ultimately, after hours of gameplay, it was Luke who ended up getting the massage. Even though Volcan managed to win the game, he decided - in his own words, that Luke had 'worked hard enough' and deserved to go first. As Luke lay on his front on the bed, Volcan was on his knees beside him, his strong hands working Luke's back, doing his best to work the tension out of his husband's body.

"Mmhhh... Ohh you have such magical hands, love~" Luke moaned as he felt his body melt under Volcan's massage, his muscles feeling like putty being molded into whatever the Blaziken wanted it to be.

"I do my best," the Blaziken replied, "especially for my better half~"

Unfortunately, the moment between them would not last. As Volcan continued to give Luke the massage, Minato came hurtling down the stairs, nearly overshooting their room before catching himself on the doorway. The other Lucario looked near to panicking as he looked into the room, immediately setting their nerves on edge.

"Minato?" Luke asked after he calmed down enough to see the terror in his eyes. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" He asked.

"It's... It's Port Azure!" He stammered. "There's smoke coming from the direction of the town! It's under attack!"

Immediately, Volcan and Luke were up, and followed Minato to the upper deck, their footsteps thundering through the ship's interior as they scrambled to the stairs. At the top of the deck, they found Kage at the bow, looking through a telescope toward the West - in the same direction they were heading.

It was distant, nearly a day away at least, but there was no mistaking the location from which the column of black smoke was rising. Luke's face was bleached white in fear, and his heart had skipped multiple beats as he fully realized what was going on.

"TOBY!!" He practically roared toward the wheelhouse. "Full speed ahead, now!!"

"I'm gunning it!" The Meowth replied, pushing the throttle to full. "But this heap can only go so fast!"

"We only just cleared the swamps - it will take us nearly a day to reach Azure!" Zamazenta added, baring his teeth.

Luke was about to reply when he heard splintering wood beside him. He looked toward it and saw Volcan's hands were the source of the sound. The Blaziken was clutching the rail so tightly, his talons had dug into the wood, causing it to splinter. He looked up toward Volcan's face, fearing what he would see...

Volcan's eyes were wide, moving erratically with the pupils shrunk to the size of beads. His beak hung open as he stared in the direction of the smoke, but only a strangled gasp escaped his open mouth. He was shaking so violently that Luke could actually hear sound coming from his feathers as his whole body quivered with unspeakable horror...

Volcan was having another episode with his post-traumatic stress.

"Volcan!" Luke shouted at the Blaziken, trying to rouse him out of his trance by shaking him heavily, "Volcan, breathe! It's alright, we made a contingency plan for such an event, remember?"

But Volcan didn't seem to hear him. He fell away from the rail, losing his balance and falling onto the deck - slowed only by Luke attempting to grab for him but nearly being dragged off his feet from the Blaziken's rampant shaking, his gaze staring away into nothing as he began to hyperventilate.

"What's happening to him?" Zamazenta asked, hurrying over to stand beside Volcan.

"He's having a panic attack!" Luke answered, looking right at Volcan and tapping his face lightly to try and get his attention. "C'mon love, snap out of it! It's going to be okay, just... just look at me and nowhere else," he said to the Blaziken frantically.

Volcan's gaze eventually settled on Luke, but his breathing barely settled even as he looked at the Lucario. "The attack... Arc... It's all happening again!" He managed to say, his voice barely coming out as more than a strangled gasp. "I can't... Stop them!"

"Yes, we can, and we will!" Luke said firmly to him, cupping Volcan's face in his cheeks. "Arc Island wasn't expecting the attack to happen. Port Azure is. We made plans to get everyone to safety, remember?"

Volcan was still shaking, his eyes still glazed over even as they focused on Luke, as if seeing him for the first time. It was exactly like the night the two had first met; the traumatized, amnesiac Blaziken who could not remember who he was or where he had come from. This time though, Volcan was fully aware of himself, but not where he was.

Minato, Kage and Zacian came running over, but Zamazenta moved to hold them back. "Give him space!" he exclaimed, though Minato leapt over him to join Luke at his best friend's side.

The elder Lucario knelt next to Volcan and shook him a little to try and rouse him. "Hey! Hey bud, get a hold of yourself!" he shouted right at him, "Don't make me have to get physical with you!"

Hearing Minato's voice as well as Luke's seemed to have an effect. Though his mind was thinking back to that night, seeing their home burning, only Minato had been there, not Luke... Slowly, Volcan began to come back to himself, blinking the hallucinations from his eyes until he saw the two Lucario looking down at him.

His breathing steadied. His eyes became focused again, and the shaking finally stopped. "Minato... Luke..." He whispered, relieving both that he hadn't relapsed into amnesia again.

They sighed collectively in relief, with the younger Lucario quickly embracing Volcan tightly in his arms and rubbing his back quickly. "It's alright love... It's going to be okay. We planned for this eventuality, everyone's going to be okay," he quietly reassured him.

"We aren't going to let Calhoun succeed in taking our home this time," Minato added, clenching his fists at his sides. "This time, if we see that monster again, he dies..."

Volcan heard their words and felt a new emotion stirring within him at Minato's claim. It was one that was so alien to him, accompanied by a burning anger that was more familiar... A hot sensation within his core followed by new images in his mind of the scenario Minato described - of the demise of Calhoun. With those thoughts in mind, Volcan was able to put a word to what was feeling.

Vindication... Vengeance...

He wasn't sure he liked that feeling...

~~~~~

"Hey, Sol?"

It was odd to hear the voice of the Delphox of all people calling out to the Typhlosion as he was trained in the clearing. He stopped his training and looked over his shoulder toward Lashanne as she approached, snorting and throwing the boulder he was lifting off to the side and shaking his arms a little as he turned to face her.

"Yea, whatcha want?" he asked in his usual abrasive manner.

Lashanne was good at hiding how nervous she was as she approached the Typhlosion; it would be the first time she'd had a real conversation with him, and she hoped he'd at least be as forthcoming with her as he was with Volcan - though, the observant Delphox knew that was unlikely.

"I had a question for you," she began, "or, rather, one for both you and Reshiram. Can they... Hear me, through you?"

"If I want her to," he answered. "Why, you got something to say to her or some shit?"

"It's related to a hypothesis I've been forming," replied Lashanne, "and it pertains to both of you." She sucked in a breath. "You remember when we came back from Lindenberg, we had a theory that Calhoun might be another Blessed?" Sol gave a nod, and she continued. "Is it at_all_ possible for a Blessed to carry the... Well, blessings, of more than one Legendary Pokémon?"

At that, Sol heard Reshiram speak up through their link, having heard the Delphox's question. 'Tell her that such a situation is impossible. A bond between a legendary Pokémon and their chosen Blessed is a sacred bond, and as such, a Blessed can only hold onto one Blessing for the remainder of their lives. The only way to take on another is to break the current bond they have.'

Sol grumbled. 'Too many words, hot stuff.' He thought back to her before he answered Lashanne. "The deal is only one bond at a time. You want another, you gotta cut ties with the god yer blessed by," he answered, giving her the short answer.

"So, if another god, say, tried to force the blessing...?" Lashanne asked.

It then clicked with Sol what Lashanne was getting at, remembering when Calhoun had tried to inflict Sol with the Shadow Curse, only to be repelled by Reshiram's essence flowing within him. He didn't need Reshiram to answer that question and instead answered based on his own experience.

"If another god tried forcing their Blessing on a Blessed, not only would it fail, but the invading force would also get repelled back at them," Sol answered, "Think of it like tryin' to punch through a rubber wall. Ya fail to break through and ya get violently pushed away."

Lashanne nodded. "That supports my hypothesis then," she said, resting the elbow of one of her arms in the paw of the other, and rubbing her chin with the first, "albeit in a twisted sort of way but, it fits..."

"And what theory are you cooking up this time, little miss brainiac?" Sol asked pointedly.

"Consider this," she began, "when Calhoun became corrupted by the Shadow Curse, he didn't go mad - unlike every other Pokémon that has ever come into contact with it. Now we've reason to believe he may actually be Giratina's Blessed, but he's still a Shadow Pokémon; that seems too much of a coincidence for both of those things to happen at the same time, as a result of the same affliction."

She took a few seconds to collect her thoughts, making sure to choose her words carefully. "What if all this time, Giratina's been reaching out, trying to find someone who could carry his Blessing, and the bleed-out through the focal points - the Nexuses, was the only way he could do that? It's the only influence he still has in our world."

Not just an incomplete blessing, a _forced_blessing... Just like Sol, and those who couldn't handle it... Lashanne's hypothesis was starting to become clear to the Typhlosion. His eyes widened as he understood what Lashanne was saying, looking down at his chest and touching the scar left behind by the stone he had embedded into him for most of his teen years.

"...That's why his power's not all there," he whispered softly, his paws clenching as his temper started to bubble up. "Just like when I got that damn stone in my chest... That motherfucker knew it wouldn't work and he didn't tell me!"

"What? What do you mean?" Lashanne asked, taking a cautious step back as she saw Sol was getting agitated.

Sol took a moment to relax and let his temper melt away, smoke leaking out of his vents. "...Nothing important," Sol answered in his usual abrasive manner. "So, what does that mean fer us then?"

"Well, I think it basically means the corruption works like some twisted form of the blessing," said Lashanne, "It manifests like Aura - that's why Luke or Minato can manipulate it just like Aura to free the corrupted, but the way it possesses a body is a similar way a Blessing is infused to them, which is why it can't infest someone who's already Blessed," she gestured to Sol, "because it's like two gods fighting for the same body. This is just a theory I have, mind you - nothing I say is concrete."

Sol shrugged. "It's still better than not knowing jack shit about how it works," he answered.

She smiled at that. "I suppose not," she agreed.

Elsewhere in Azure, Caulin was sitting up in the lighthouse as usual, but he wasn't alone that day. With him were Qiang - visiting from his family's dojo, and Ignus, giving the Kubfu a hard time with his excessive affections. The Rockruff kept trying to crawl into Qiang's lap and give him some friendly licks while Caulin was showing off some of the things he would use to keep watch while he was stationed in the Lighthouse.

"Jeez, Ignus really likes you Qiang," Caulin remarked, watching in awe at Ignus' continued attempts to cuddle up to him. "Something tells me he also thinks you need to lighten up and relax a little." He added with a giggle.

"I-I am perfectly content as I am!" Qiang refuted, trying to pull his head away from the excitable Rockruff. "He is a tenacious little one, I will say that much."

"Well, so are we. That's why we make good rivals." Caulin pointed out, scooting over and gently taking Ignus into his own lap so he could be sated with pets. "Here, check this out. This is the telescope Mom lets me use for when I'm cooped up in here for hours on end." He said as he handed the item over to Qiang.

Finally relieved of Ignus' relentless affection, Qiang stood up and brought the telescope over to the rail, lifting it to his eye and looking through it. He could see across the bay, all the way to the docking yard where he could see the dock workers repairing one of the town's fishing boats and saw fishermen on the deck of one such boat as he turned toward open sea.

But as he did, something caught his attention, and he swept the telescope around until he was able to locate it again. Far out on the water was an enormous ship, composed of dark metal instead of the wooden frame of Azure's vessels. Qiang focused primarily on the ship, wondering what it was.

"Is there a way to adjust this to look closer at something?" Qiang asked, lowering the telescope and looking it over for signs of a means to adjust it.

"Uh yea, just twist the small knot near the lens," Caulin answered. "Why, did ya spot something?"

"I'm not sure," Qiang replied as he adjusted the lens per Caulin's instruction. "There's this strange looking ship out there - made of metal instead of wood. I've never seen anything like it before. It-" He trailed off, looking through the telescope again, his mouth hanging open. "Caulin... Look at this, quickly!" He took the telescope away from his eye, turning to the Riolu.

Caulin, sensing the urgency in Qiang's voice, quickly took Ignus out of his lap and ran over to grab the Telescope from the Kubfu. He looked through the sight himself and saw the ship off in the distance, then tried zooming in as far as the telescope would allow for a closer look.

Eventually, with some guidance from Qiang, Caulin was able to find what the Kubfu had been looking at. He saw the iron ship, but what really caught his attention was the figure standing at the bow of it. Though still far away, Caulin knew a Blaziken when he saw one - he had known Volcan and Degra for much of his life, after all. But this Blaziken was the wrong colour... Charcoal gray with ash-y highlights and standing at the bow of the ship with him was a crimson-coloured wolf, standing on their hind legs.

Even though it was his first time seeing them for himself, Caulin had been described the appearance of this gray Blaziken enough times that he could recognize exactly who he was seeing. He quickly lowered the telescope, and Qiang saw the utter fear in Caulin's eyes as he kept staring ahead at the horizon, only coming back into reality when he blinked and turned to look at his rival.

"We gotta sound the alarm!" he exclaimed before bolting for the staircase leading down, nearly tripping over Ignus in the process.

The puppy barked and followed Caulin, sensing the alarm the Riolu felt, and Qiang was right behind them. Out of the lighthouse they ran, sprinting back in the direction of town; Caulin could feel his heart beating hard in his chest, for he knew better than anyone what was coming - he had already lived through it once.

"You're not taking this town from me, ya crazy bastard," the Riolu muttered as he weaved in between the crowds, making a beeline straight for the bell in the center of the town. Once there, he quickly grabbed the rope and turned to Qiang, knowing he wouldn't be able to ring it on his own. "Qiang, gimme a hand with this!"

Qiang wasted no time, taking hold of the rope for the town bell. Together, the two young Pokémon pulled, and the bell tipped, the internal clapper beginning to swing. With a second pull, it finally connected with the side, striking the bronze exterior of the bell, and rewarding the two with a loud report that made both of them - and Ignus, standing some distance back, flatten their ears for how loud it was.

The sound of the bell was heard all across Azure...

Lashanne's ears shot up as she heard the bell, her gaze leaving Sol and turning herself sharply in the direction of town. On the second ring, Sol picked it up as well - not as clearly as Lashanne, but clear enough that he knew immediately what he was hearing.

"Oooohohohohoooo... Fucking FINALLY!!" the Typhlosion bellowed, slamming his fists together and igniting his vents in excitement. "And here I thought they'd be too chicken shit to try anything!"

"They're here..." Lashanne said lowly, feeling her heartbeat quickening as the realization struck her. The Dark Crusade had come...

Shaking herself out of her horror-stricken stupor as the bell continued to ring, Lashanne collected herself and turned immediately to Sol. "Rendezvous with the others at the edge of town - we need to start the evacuation!" She called, breaking into a run toward Azure, reaching into her pocket for her earpiece - almost dropping it when it finally came free.

The silence in the clinic was broken with the first ring of the bell. Serena and Gex were both on their breaks when the sound reached their ears, looking at the ceiling in unison until they heard the second ring.

"They're here!" Serena exclaimed.

Before Gex could respond, Mikhail burst into the room, nearly tripping over his own feet as he entered. "T-The bell's going off!" he exclaimed as loudly as he recollected himself. "We need to evac the clinic!"

"We heard it, kid! Settle down!" Gex returned gruffly, then turned to Serena. "Let's get everyone out with as little panic as possible. You and Mikhail take the West wing. I'll take Dr. Mordecai and cover the East Wing."

"We're on it!" Serena replied, pushing aside her usual timidity in the importance of the moment as she leapt from her seat and ran to the door, brushing past Mikhail as she hurried up the hall with the Lucario following behind her.

The next one to catch the sound of the bells were Tristan and Katsu; once more the two were exercising together, sparring and working out, until the sound reached their ears and - in the midst of running to attack one another, both of the bulky Pokémon came to dead halt to listen.

"The alarm," Katsu said softly, quickly turning to look at his friend. "The enemy approaches!"

"Looks like it's time to get to work!" Tristan exclaimed as he started running in the direction of town. "Come on Katsu; we got skulls to crush!"

"Aye, but first, we must gather our comrades and assist with the evacuation!" Katsu called after Tristan. "We must direct the citizens to the tunnel!"

"Oh yeah, right! We'll do that first!" Tristan agreed.

At that moment, Lashanne's voice came to Katsu's earpiece, the cautious Samurott having kept it in throughout his exercise that day. "Everyone on this channel, respond now!"

The Samurott quickly answered the call. "Lashanne, this is Katsumoto." He answered.

"Eagle Eye, reporting in!" The Talonflame squawked.

"Doug here!"

"Yo yo, the Trickster's in da house!"

"Everyone, get to the rendezvous on the double; start ushering any civilians you see out of town; by the tunnel or onto one of the roads - whichever you can!" There was a short pause before her voice came back. "Has anyone seen the boys? Who's ringing the bell?"

"Uh... The kids are! I can see 'em from where I'm flying!" Eagle Eye responded. "Should I tell 'em to start evacing too?"

"Tell them to head toward the houses; I'll meet them there!" Lashanne replied.

"On it!" Eagle Eye squawked.

"I'll start ushering those closest to me to the tunnel!" Doug offered.

"And I'll start pushing people down the road," Hank added.

"Alright! Meet at the rendezvous outside the town in five minutes! Let's make this count, people!"

"Of course!" Katsu answered, then looked to Tristan. "Come, my friend! There are lives that are in need of our help!"

"Right with you!" Tristan replied.

When Eagle Eye came down to tell the boys that it was time to evacuate, they could see that they had done their job. The townsfolk were scattering, leaving their houses with haste and making for the roads or heading directly into the forest. Though most were trying to go in an orderly fashion, some were just running, trying to keep ahead of their neighbours as they fled.

Eagle Eye hovered above those that were trying to scatter, flying ahead of them and stopping them from wandering too far off. "Hey hey! Stay on the roads, people! Either go to the woods or stay on the road! No one panic, you're all gonna be fine!"

"Listen to the bird, everyone!" Caulin hollered as he weaved in between the crowds. "Stay calm, we're gonna get you out as fast as we can!"

A Golduck among the crowds was knocked off their feet as they ran. Instinctively, Caulin and Qiang ran back to help them, getting them back on their feet to start running again. They heard Ignus yelping, sounding panicked, and realized that in the mob, they had lost the Rockruff!

"Oh crap, Ignus!" Caulin exclaimed, turning to Qiang. "Keep guiding the people out of the city. I gotta find Ignus!" He said as he turned and started running against the fleeing townsfolk, trying to listen out for Ignus.

Eventually, the Rockruff's yelps turned to whimpering, barely loud enough for Caulin to find him. Eventually, he found Ignus curled up below a market stall, covering his ears with his paws as he whimpered.

"Ignus!" The Riolu hollered as he ran for the stall, quickly climbing under it and trying to scoop the Rockruff out from under it. "It's okay buddy. I know you're scared, but we're not safe here. We gotta get outta here before the bad guys attack."

Ignus whined again as Caulin pulled him from under the cart, ushering the pup onward while Caulin stayed by his side. "Papa....Daddy..." the Rockruff whined desperately.

"They'll be back, don't worry," Caulin assured Ignus with a confident smile, "And when they get back, they're gonna kick those guys' butt so hard, they're gonna be sent flying to the moon."

That seemed to lift Ignus' spirits a bit, the Rockruff smiling and wagging his tail quickly as he repeated the words "Kick butt" over and over.

As they left the market, Caulin could see Lashanne and Qiang, running back into the town when they saw the two. Lashanne called Caulin's name, and met him halfway out, dropping to her knees in front of him and hugging him. "Oh, thank Arceus you're okay," she said.

"I'm fine, mom," Caulin answered, hugging Lashanne just as tightly. "Ignus just got a little spooked from all the panic, but he's okay too," he said, gesturing down at Ignus.

Lashanne reached down to give Ignus a reassuring pat on the head. "Stay strong, turbo," she said, "Let's find your grandma and - what the?" She turned her gaze suddenly toward the south end of town. Caulin followed her gaze, and he could see several of the townsfolk running, back into the town. "Why are they-?"

She trailed off as she saw between the crowds, and noticed what was coming into the town from the forest. It took her only a moment to recognize the glinting metal and short statures of the figures; Pawniard, dozens of them, emerging from the woods, chasing the townsfolk.

"Damn it! They've come up the south road!" she exclaimed, and ushered the three toward the trees. "Hurry boys - to the woods, go!"

"On it!" Caulin answered without hesitation. "Let's go guys! Leave these chumps to my mom!"

"But there are so many!" Qiang pointed out, noticing the number of Pawniard that were coming out of the woods.

Of course, Lashanne heard him, and she had already considered that. 'It's a good thing I don't fight alone anymore,' she thought as she put a finger to her earpiece. "Team! Enemy battalion sighted; Pawniard Century, coming out of the south woods! They're chasing the townsfolk - I need some backup here!"

Without waiting for an answer, she ran toward the approaching mob, flourishing her wand before releasing a gout of fire at the approaching Pawniward, waving the townsfolk toward her while using the fire to keep them back. The Pawniard hesitated at the sight of the flames, their natural aversion to fire driving them back and giving the people precious seconds to get away from them. But the line was too wide, and many of the Pawniard got around her.

At least twelve of the tiny, blade-covered Pokémon came at her from her right. However, none of them would even come close to touching her. A massive stone wall suddenly cut them off and they slammed into it one after the other, landing in a heap on the ground.

Lashanne then felt the ground next to her shake, and when she looked over she saw the imposing form of a Tyranitar next to her, already with his arms raised and summoning another Stone Edge from the ground that sent the Pawniard airborne.

"You're not welcome in my town!" he snarled angrily.

Another form then appeared, leaping from the stone pillars that the Tyranitar had created and striking at each of the airborne Pawniard before they could even start falling. After the last one fell, the form shot in front of Lashanne like a lightning bolt, landing with a small thunderclap and revealing himself to be none other than Luna.

"Are you alright, miss?" he asked quickly, electricity still coursing around his body.

"I-I'm fine," she said, briefly caught off guard by the appearance of the two. She had seen Luna before, though she didn't know the Tyranitar - and had certainly not been expecting either when she'd called for backup. "Thank-"

The Tyranitar suddenly felt a bite in his back, eliciting a roar as two more Pawniard leapt upon him, digging their blades into his stone skin, making sure to land where he could not reach them. He turned and glared back at the two trying to stab into him, then his eyes glinted as grinned almost maliciously, then he suddenly fell to his side and began rolling onto his back, threatening to crush them if they didn't let him go.

One of them was flattened by his weight, but the other managed to maneuver itself between his spikes where it suffered only a mild sandwiching between the Tyranitar and the ground. But as he rolled onto his side again, Lashanne clubbed the Pawniard with her wand, knocking him loose, before Tyranitar, back on his front, backhanded the little backstabber away from him.

"Probably talk later - we're in the middle of a warzone now!" Lashanne said as more Pawniard advanced toward them.

"R-Right, sorry!" Luna answered. "Striker, are you al-"

"I'll be fine, Luna. Focus on what's in front of you!" Striker insisted, his claws already flexed and ready to unleash another Stone Edge.

The Pawniard had regrouped, and when they came on again, this time they were led by a Bisharp. The evolved Pokémon made a beeline straight for Striker, fearlessly charging him despite the Tyranitar being much larger, his arm blades outstretched and glowing with a Metal Claw. This left Lashanne and Luna to deal with the Pawniard accompanying their Centurion.

Striker growled as the Bisharp charged him, starting off with a Snarl to make him hesitate before turning and swinging his tail at him with a Dragon Tail attack. Meanwhile, Luna had already shot forward like a lightning bolt, quickly striking the nearest Pawniard with a Slash attack, then zapping to the next and unleashing a relentless Fury Swipes at it before zapping to the next, each time using a different move on the opponent he appeared in front of.

For Lashanne, she created a ring of fire around herself as the Pawniard tried to surround her, forcing them back before she stuck out one after the other; Flamethrower, whack with the club, Fire Punch on one that came at her directly. Her ear twitched, and she swung another Fire Punch behind her, nailing another Pawniard that attempted to jump at her from behind directly in the face. The Pawniard fell, cross-eyed, to the ground.

She took a quick look around. "Okay, the townsfolk are clear!" she called.

The Bisharp made another run at Striker, despite having been knocked away, but instead of attacking him directly, it feinted, jumping away as he moved to strike out, and while his guard was open, it sprang at him. The blade on its helmet glowed as it prepared an Iron Head to strike him, landing a punishing blow to his exposed flank.

He roared and hunched over from the attack, looking like he was in great pain. When the Bisharp moved in to finish him off, the Tyranitar turned and opened his mouth, a Focus Blast charged and fired point blank at his opponent. The Bisharp was blasted into a series of trees after the attack hit. Striker sighed as he slowly pushed himself upright again and held his wound in his claw.

Luna had zapped back to Lashanne and Striker after the coast was clear, quickly checking on the latter before addressing Lashanne. "I'm going to do a quick run to see if there are any leftover townspeople still trying to flee."

"Good idea," said Lashanne, "We're meeting up by our houses, on the east side of town close to the woods; if you want in, join us there," she called as she broke into a run, heading in the direction she described, putting her paw to her earpiece to call the others again.

Luna glanced at Striker for a moment, who nodded back and gestured for him to go before turning and lumbering after Lashanne, leaving Luna to perform his task and return to the town to search for any stragglers.

When Lashanne met the others, she made a hasty headcount of everyone present, seeing all members of both Luke's team and hers were there. The others were surprised to see her followed by a Tyranitar that several on Luke's team knew, although no one on hers recognized him.

"Alright; we're all here," she said, "town is evacuating, but the south road was blocked by a Bisharp and his Century. We're cut off that way."

"Century?" Tristan asked.

"A hundred soldiers," Lashanne clarified for him, "and the Bisharp is known as their 'Centurion'. Many of them live as mercenaries for hire." She looked around, "Did the boys come this way? I was with them until those Pawniard attacked."

"They're right over here, Lashanne," Serena chimed in, revealing the location of Caulin, Qiang and Ignus.

Lashanne breathed a sigh of relief. "Good," she said. "Okay... Anybody else have any more to add - what do we know so far?"

"Some of the townsfolk managed to get into the tunnel and are taking shelter there," Doug piped up.

"I noticed that the clinic was about halfway done with its evacuation during my flyover. They should be almost done by now," Eagle Eye answered."

"Luna went back to pick up any stragglers that might still be trying to escape," the Tyranitar added, still holding his side as he craned his neck to look around at the townsfolk that were present. "Wait... where's the Mayor?"

Everyone looked around, checking the townsfolk they could see. "Some of the townsfolk fled north - did he go with them?" Serena offered.

"Let's hope so," said Lashanne, turning to look out toward the bay. "The ship is getting into position - if they go to their usual M.O a meteor volley isn't going to be far behind. We need to keep well away from Azure's buildings."

Hank was quickly doing a headcount of the townsfolk on his own and was looking slightly anxious. He couldn't find any sign of his husband anywhere in the crowd, and he was trying hard to keep everything together and not go into a panic.

'He's probably at the tunnel... yea, that's it.' He thought internally to himself, sighing as he came to that conclusion. 'You'll see him soon, man. Just focus on the battle comin' over the horizon.'

He barely heard Lashanne's voice calling out his name. "Hank! Hank!" The Delphox said sharply, finally getting his attention.

"Gah! Yea, what??" He exclaimed after being pulled out of his trance.

"Remember the plan," she said, "You're supposed to set an illusion over this area to hide the townsfolk!"

"Oh, shit! Right, sorry," Hank returned, rubbing the back of his head and stepping out in front of the crowd. He held his paws out and began casting his illusion, hiding the townsfolk in an invisible shroud that made it look as if it were just another part of the forest looking from the outside in.

"It's up?" Lashanne asked, making sure. When Hank nodded, she continued. "Alright. Doug, you'd be the safest if they started attacking; do one more sweep through the town, and encourage anyone still hiding in the buildings to run this way, as discreetly as possible. Find the mayor if you can, and report back if he got out. Go fast."

"You got it, boss lady," Doug answered, before all three of his heads disappeared under the ground, leaving behind the holes he had occupied before he started digging toward the town.

"Alright. Everyone else knows the drill," said Lashanne, before she walked past the others and went to Caulin. "Listen, kiddo; I need you to take your friends and look for Degra or Luminara - stay with them, and no matter what happens, do not come back to town until we come for you. Do you understand?"

"I-I... yea, I understand," Caulin stammered, looking back at Lashanne with a look that suggested otherwise. "But what if something happens, and you need help?" he asked suddenly. "What if... What if something happens to you?"

"Don't you worry about me - I'll be fine," she assured him, "Right now, keep yourself and your friends safe. That's the most important."

Caulin still seemed defiant, but he eventually slumped before he threw himself at Lashanne, hugging her as tightly as he could. "...You better come back to me." he said firmly, "I'm not losing another Mom..."

Lashanne hugged him just as tightly, and even kissed his cheek as she pulled him away from her, meeting his gaze. "You won't," she promised, and set him back on his feet. "Now, go; get to safety with the townsfolk," she said as she stood up, facing the direction of the bay again and walking to the head of the group.

"Alright guys, this is it," said Lashanne. "We've been preparing for this... Now, we need to do our jobs and do them right. The Crusade is not walking out of here with any of the people of Azure - we are going to make sure of that."

Katsumoto drew both his blades and banged them together once. "Aye! They will rue the day they set foot on our coast!"

Sol snorted, cracking his neck and his knuckles in preparation. "I'm gonna torch 'em all till they're nothing but ashes," he growled.

Serena sucked in a deep breath as she stood tall among her friends. "I am ready," she said, "I will defend our home this time... I will not fail."

"That's the spirit, Serena!" Tristan bellowed, punching his fists together, "These guys are in real trouble now."

"Don't forget about me!" A voice called from above, and the group collectively looked up to see a familiar Zapdos coming down, landing between Sol and Tristan. "You guys know you need all the firepower you can get."

"Ya know for once, I'm inclined to agree," Sol remarked, sizing the Zapdos up and down for a moment. "Ya sure yer ready for this though? I don't wanna have to pull your ass out if you get in over yer head."

"You just worry about covering your own," returned Lighris - not maliciously, as he was giving the Typhlosion a good-humoured smile.

"Hmph. Fine." Sol returned, keeping his gaze forward, but offering a smile of his own.

"Everyone, ready up for the next wave," said Lashanne, "this fight has only just begun."