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When Calhoun was blown back from Luminara by an unseen force, it caught everyone by surprise. Luke, terrified that his mother would be corrupted, could only stare, slack-jawed, to see Calhoun thrown back and screaming in agony as he clutched his arm as if it were burning. Luminara, though, aside from being thrown off her feet, was completely unharmed.

The rest of the group stared in disbelief at Luminara. Calhoun's side stared likewise, looking between herself and her leader. Seji, for one, had seen this happen once before - when Calhoun had attempted to pass the curse onto the Typhlosion, Sol, and had been similarly rejected. But the aftermath that time had been nothing like this; Calhoun was in pain, and even his arm looked wrong - the veins in his hands and forearm were pulsing, and his fingers were spasming without any semblance of control from their owner.

"What the fu-?!" Volcan started to demand, the words dying in his throat.

"What... just happened?" Zacian began to speak, staring incredulously at Luminara and Calhoun, unable to grasp what had just happened.

Luke, however, had a mixed reaction of relief and shock as he stared solely at his mother, who was not slowly getting back to her feet. He got a look at her as she rose to her feet... She didn't have a single mark on her, nor was she displaying any signs of corruption, which could only mean one thing...

"M...Mother," Luke whispered softly. "You're... Blessed...?"

Unexpectedly, the answer came from Calhoun. "She is not merely Blessed!" the Dark Blaziken called, still clutching his hand, "She carries the essence of the Creator himself!"

Minato's ears twitched, momentarily disrupting his focus as he worked to purify Mewtwo. He slowly turned to look back at Luminara, his eyes shrinking into beads as he stared incredulously at Luminara.

"She's... Arceus' Blessed?!"

Luminara hung her head and closed her eyes for a moment. All eyes were on her now. With her selfless act to save Zamazenta, she had broken her one cardinal rule to her patron, and now her secret was exposed. For now, though, she lifted her gaze and began to approach Calhoun, her paws clenched at her sides, and a bright, heavenly glow started to appear around her as she moved.

"Indeed, I am," she said, confirming everyone's realization, "And now that you know this secret, I'm afraid I cannot let you leave this place alive," she added. "Make peace with yourself, Calhoun. I will grant you a warrior's death."

"Seji!" Calhoun exclaimed desperately. "Get us out of here now!"

The terror in Calhoun's voice was enough to spur Seji to act. Not even caring they were leaving Mewtwo - their most powerful asset, behind, he was already mentally reaching out to the rest of his comrades with his power, and one by one they were all being teleported out of harm's way.

"No, you don't!!" Zacian howled as she rushed toward Calhoun, swinging her mighty sword for his head. Alas, the Dark Blaziken vanished at the last second and her strike hit nothing but air, leaving her skidding to a halt and stumbling a bit before frantically looking around for the Dark Blaziken. "Curses!!"

"Dammit!" Volcan practically screamed, dropping to his knees and pounding the ground with his fists. "We had him! We had him!"

Luke was too shocked to even react to Calhoun's escape. He couldn't take his eyes off his mother, who was not revealed to not only be a Blessed herself, but Arceus' Blessed... The gears started to turn in his mind as he began piecing together how it was all possible, but before he could come up with a concrete explanation, he winced and the suddenly flopped onto his side, twitching violently, and groaning as he convulsed as if he were being electrocuted.

Volcan snapped out of his despair, turning sharply toward Luke before he ran over. "Luke! Oh gods, what's happening to him?!" He asked, desperately, kneeling beside his husband but unable to bring himself to touch him for fear of causing him harm.

Luminara heard her son groaning and convulsing, quickly trotting and kneeling at his side across from Volcan. Very gently she slid her paws under Luke's head and lifted it into her lap, where she could protect him from smacking his head against the ground during his seizure.

"The toll that his new power took on him is more than his body can handle..." She commented, gently stroking Luke's head to try and calm him down. "Our species aren't designed to push ourselves past our normal limits like that, especially to that extreme..."

"Is he... Is he going to die?" Volcan asked, terrified.

She shook her head. "No. The damage isn't_that_ severe," she assured Volcan. "However, it's likely he will need a long time to fully recover from the stress he's put himself through."

Volcan let out a breath of relief, and then looked over at Minato, seeing what he was doing. He was standing tall and looking down at Mewtwo, who was now back to his original light gray and purple colours. He was purified now, but Minato had his paws clenched tightly at his sides and his shoulders hunched a bit, almost as if he was about to explode at any given moment...

Volcan didn't want to try to get his attention at that moment. He knew there was still work to be done. "Okay... We need to get back to town, now," he said, standing up. "Zamazenta, can you carry Mewtwo? We need to get them to a doctor."

"Of course," replied Zamazenta, "if you and Minato can help get them onto my back, I will carry them."

The Lucario slowly knelt and gently slid his arms under Mewtwo's arms, gently lifting him up a little. "...Gimme a hand," he said almost in a growl, trying very hard to keep whatever anger he felt contained.

Volcan didn't want to bring it up yet, but he suspected he knew what had Minato so angry. He cast a sidelong glance at Luminara, but didn't hold the look while he went to help Minato lift Mewtwo.

"Oof... He's heavier than I thought he'd be," commented Volcan, "You wouldn't think so to look at him."

"Guess it goes to show that we should never judge based on appearances," the Lucario remarked, keeping his gaze lowered as he and Volcan slowly moved Mewtwo over to Zamazenta.

The gently eased Mewtwo over Zamazenta's back. Volcan went around to the other side to pull them the rest of the way, and adjusted Mewtwo's position so that they lay prone upon the wolf's back, making them as secure as they could. 'He... Them... Everything I've heard says Mewtwo is genderless - what do I even call them?'

He shook the thoughts from his mind; that was hardly a priority right now. "Okay. He's secure," said the Blaziken, "let's get back to town; the people there need us right now."

"Agreed." Zacian concurred, resting her blade along her back and walking next to Zamazenta. "Are you alright, brother?"

"Yes, sister; I am alright," he assured her, "though if not for Miss Luminara's timely intervention, I would be yet another puppet on Calhoun's strings."

Zamazenta's words, though not intended to do so, finally set Minato off. He turned and beelined toward Luminara, grabbing her by the shoulders and pressing her against a nearby tree.

"How long??" He demanded angrily, his voice absolutely dripping with rage. "How long have you been like this?? When did you become his Blessed??"

"Minato!" Volcan called, crossly. "This isn't the time!"

Luminara looked squarely at Minato for a moment, unfazed by his aggressive approach. She sighed and tilted her head back, feeling there was no point in trying to hide her secret any longer.

"I became Arceus' Blessed the day I came back to this world... But only under the premise that no one ever knew about this link I share with him," she answered solemnly, then her gaze hardened as she looked back at Minato. "Whatever questions you have, they will have to wait until-"

"Fuck. That!" Minato growled dangerously at her. "I couldn't care less about the fact that you're his Blessed. What really pisses me off is that you have this power; power that could have put Calhoun six feet under for good, yet you did NOTHING_while your own _son and his husband risked their lives fighting battles they didn't even need to fight had you gotten involved!!" he bellowed angrily into Luminara's face, "Was your secret really so important that you risked losing your son three times over??"

"Minato!! Enough!" Zacian barked, pushing him away from Luminara and staring angrily at him. "This is neither the time nor the place for this! We can worry about this after we make sure Calhoun's presence is no longer lingering around Port Azure's borders!"

"She's right; the ship is still out in the harbour!" Volcan added. "That means Asya, and fuck knows what else, are still out there!"

Minato growled, not willing to let this conversation go, but also knew that Volcan and Zacian had a point. He scoffed and turned away, though not before pointing accusingly at Luminara. "This conversation is far from over... You will explain yourself once everything's settled down," he stated.

"Given that my secret is no longer a secret, I suppose I have no reason to hold anything back anymore," Luminara said somberly, keeping her gaze slightly lowered as she spoke.

"I'll carry Luke," Volcan offered as he came over to the younger Lucario, still lying where they had left him. "We need to get him and Mewtwo some medical help."

"Agreed," Luminara said with a nod, "Let's be off."

~~~~~

Earlier...

From the deck of the Ravager, Asya could hardly believe how things had turned out. She watched in stunned amazement as Palkia and Kyurem emerged from nowhere and engaged Kyogre. The heated battle had been felt all the way from the ship, and many times she feared the ship would capsize from the waves that were thrown in their direction - though fortunately, the ship maintained itself.

She received an updated communication from Calhoun that they were regrouping in the woods, and would return shortly, but then the message was cut off abruptly. She did not know what had happened, or why there had been no further messages since then.

It was at that point she knew they could not remain. "It's over, then," she decided, collapsing her telescope before turning from the rail. "We've lost..."

Out of the corner of her eye, Asya saw Sakkaku emerge from below decks. The injured Zoroark stepped up onto the deck and stepped beside her, still limping from his wounds.

"So, this entire operation has been all for nothing then." He remarked, keeping his gaze forward. "We both failed in securing our objectives..."

Asya let out a breath. "So, it would seem... All we can do now is consolidate our resources once again, and-"

"Lady Asya!"

The call had come from up in the ship lookout; both she and Sakakku looked up to see the one posted there waving down to her, and his voice sounded frantic.

"What is it now?" she called.

"Another vessel is approaching from the west; it is moving fast!"

Asya and Sakkaku ran over to the port side rail, opposite the direction of the town, and Asya opened her telescope again, and she lifted it to her eye to peer through. Out to sea, she could make out the rapidly approaching form of another vessel - an expensive, sleek designed ship large enough to carry a sizable crew but small enough to maintain speed on the water. It was clearly a custom-built vessel...

When she spied the Empoleon standing on the bow, she knew exactly who it belonged to. "Team Warmachine!" she said, lowering the telescope.

Even Sakkaku's eyes widened when he heard the name, staring at the incoming vessel, then looked back at the Lycanroc next to her. "Perhaps it's time for a hasty retreat, my dear," he remarked.

"Agreed," she said, collecting herself. "That ship is fast, but it cannot hope to block us. We must-" She paused and looked through the telescope again. "Wait a minute..." She stared for a moment, before lowering again. "If the Empoleon is on the deck... Where is their captain - the Swampert?" She asked.

Before either could think of an answer, a rain droplet fell upon Asya's nose, and she immediately looked up. Seconds ago, the sky had been clear. But now, rain clouds had gathered overhead, and with it a heavy rain was quick to follow. Looking through the telescope once more she saw the Empoleon was moving... Dancing... He was using Rain Dance.

That was when a brilliant flash of light shone from the depths in front of the approaching ship, and a massive Mega Swampert erupted from below the waves, turning their course directly toward the_Ravager._ The hulking Swampert was crossing the water with speed that defied his size, propelled by jets of water coming out of his arms as he raced across the waves.

Asya stiffened. "Brace for impact!" she called.

The entire ship tilted as the Swampert collided with the hull. Pokémon all across the deck were thrown off their feet; even Asya and Sakkaku barely held their balance. They heard the sound of metal being torn, and the unmistakable sound of the ship taking on water. Again, and again the ship rocked, and they could feel vibrations through their feet as the Swampert - for it could be no one else, ripped the ship apart with his bare hands from the inside.

The elder Zoroark looked briefly at Asya as the ship began to tilt, offering a small shrug before saying. "...I suppose this is where we part ways." He said, then he was about to turn to make his exit but stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. "Shame, really... I would have rather enjoyed getting to know you a little more intimately," he added, then he leapt over the edge of the ship and into the water below.

Asya looked crossly at where he had been standing but had no chance to make any retort before the ship tilted again, and she could hear it taking on water from both ends, noticeably sinking as the bulkheads failed to contain the flooding. Then, he came over the rails; the enormous Swampert came over the side, dripping sea water as he landed only inches away from Asya, and rose on his hind legs, casting his shadow over her.

She took a step back, but she knew there was no escape. Even if she was fast enough to jump over the rail, she'd be even more powerless in the water... Not that she stood any chance against the mighty Torolf even now.

Torolf drew back his fist, glaring at her. "This... is for Shamshir!" he roared before he swung.

Asya had no time to put up a counter. Every ounce of breath in her lungs was forced out as the fist - nearly as big as her entire body - struck her torso and sent her flying. Her vision was already turning to blackness before she hit the water, a hundred meters from the sinking Ravager...

~~~~~

The damage to Azure was extensive. More than half of the town had been washed away in Kyogre's flood, and what buildings remained standing were waterlogged and suffering extensive damage. Only the houses furthest from the shoreline were spared from the sea god's tsunami.

Kyogre himself had been dragged ashore by Palkia, and Luminara - probably to get away from the furious Minato for a time, took it upon herself to cleanse the Shadow corruption from Kyogre, while the others saw to their friends.

To see Mewtwo brought before them had everyone gaping and speechless, and Volcan had to call out to Mikhail several times to come tend to him and Luke, along with sending Eagle Eye to find Mordecai in the forest.

"Luke... Beat Mewtwo?" Lashanne asked in disbelief, "That is harder to believe than you being Blessed now, hun, I'm sorry to admit."

"Believe me, I'm still coming to terms with it myself," Minato admitted. "He managed to fully tap into that strange power he displayed when he cleansed Lugia and the South Nexus and fully stabilized it... Dare I say, he's probably become the strongest of our kind with that stunt he pulled."

"At no small cost, it would appear," Zamazenta chimed in, watching as Mikhail and Serena tended to Mewtwo and the younger Lucario.

"Yea... he was spasming pretty hard once he ran out of juice." He said, then sighed and looked off to the side with a grimace, paws clenching at his sides.

"...Dad? You okay?" Caulin asked, noticing his father seemingly struggling with his emotions.

"Not really... But I will be," he answered, still keeping his gaze away, "You'll find out why later," he added, casting a borderline hateful glance toward Luminara as she purified Kyogre.

Volcan knelt beside Mikhail, his attention solely on Luke at that moment. But he was pulled out of his reverie when he heard a familiar barking, turning sharply to look over his shoulder as a familiar Rockruff came charging toward him, followed by the townsfolk of Azure - albeit not with the same haste as Ignus.

Ignus kept barking as he closed in, only shouting out the words "Daddy!" When he leapt toward the Blaziken, flying straight toward his chest with his forelegs outstretched.

Volcan felt a weight lifted from him at the sight of his son, safe and sound. He caught Ignus mid-leap and hugged him tightly. "Ignus!" he exclaimed joyfully.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Ignus barked, scrambling in Volcan's arms happily before he leaned up and began assailing his face with affectionate licks, his tail wagging quickly behind him and panting excitedly as he did.

"Thank Arceus you're safe! I was so worried about you," Volcan said, so thankful to be able to hold his son again. "Are you hurt?" he pulled Ignus away to look at him, studying him. "Did they get to you?"

"He's fine, Volcan," came the unmistakable voice of Master Chen, surprising Volcan when he looked up to see the Shifu Brothers approaching.

"Masters? Wh-What are you doing here?" Volcan asked.

"We came to offer our assistance," Zheng answered. "We felt a terrible presence lingering over Port Azure during our meditation, and decided we needed to become involved in protecting your home."

Volcan let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness you did," he said, rising to his feet with Ignus cradled in his arms, "There is no telling what would have happened without you here."

Chen frowned at that. "Sadly... We did come too late, to prevent another casualty," he said, "there is a Feraligatr who was slain long before we arrived."

"A Ferali-" Volcan choked on his words, realizing there is only one that could have been. "Oh no... Where's Hank?" he asked, looking around at the others and searching for the Zoroark.

"The last I saw of him, he was being carried over to the rest of the patients by two other medical practitioners," Zheng answered. "He looked to be in rather rough shape himself. Cuts, bruises and abrasions all along his body, but the doctors assured us that he was stable."

"I'm more worried about the mental damage," said Volcan, frowning, "that Feraligatr... There's only one I know of that lived in Azure. That was Gex, one of the town doctors and... Hank's husband."

"Oh..." Zheng remarked, looking absently off to the side. "I see..."

"It gets worse than that, I fear," said Volcan, and then looked over to Lashanne. "...Tell me we didn't lose anyone else."

"I wish I could," she said, sighing sadly. "Victor... He was killed by Sash, while trying to protect me and Caulin."

Volcan's face soured, and it took another lick from Ignus to stop him from descending into another fit of despair. "Dammit... If only we got here sooner," he said.

"We got here as fast as we could," Minato stated, sighing. "Try as we might, we can't always save everyone... but we at least saved those that we could."

Volcan sighed deeply, and looked up as another Lucario, one simultaneously new but also familiar, came walking over to him. If not for the Gi, Volcan would not have even known it was him, but there was no mistaking the dojo colours he wore.

"...Caulin? Is that you?" he asked.

"Hey, Uncle," Caulin answered with a nod, rubbing the back of his head with his paw. "Uhm... surprise?" he said while shrugging his shoulders and smiling awkwardly.

Ignus leaned over to the Lucario, sniffing him, before his tail began to wag again, and he barked twice. "Well... That confirms it," said Volcan, smiling at him. "Even in a new body, Ignus recognizes you."

Then, his smile disappeared... He was no longer looking at Caulin; he was looking _over_him; even Ignus had lost his smile and let out a slight whimper as he lowered his face partly behind Volcan's arm, trying to hide. The reason became apparent when Caulin heard the stern voice that made his heart sink.

"How fortunate for me," the female voice said, in a tone so cold it sent shivers racing up Caulin's back, "It saves me the trouble of looking for you."

Caulin turned slowly, coming face to face with another Blaziken. Degra's arms were crossed over her chest, and her sharp blue eyes were glaring daggers at the young Lucario. Back on Arc Island, Degra had been known for having an intense glare - one that could even put some Samurott to shame. Now... it was directed at Caulin, and he could see for himself that it was worthy of its reputation.

He gulped as he met her stern gaze, looking at his parents for any sort of support, but both of them shook their heads at him, leaving Caulin to face the wrath of Degra by himself. "Uhm..." He began, his tail drooping behind him. "H-Hey Momma Bird..."

"Caulin," she began, "you scared me half to death when I found you gone. I ran all over the camp, looking for you, but I could not find you anywhere. Then, I find out you went to join the battle - still a Riolu, at that... So, what do you have to say for yourself, young man?" She leaned closer, her glare threatening to burn right through his head as she looked straight into his eyes, the young Lucario unable to look away from that glare that was making his fur stand on end.

He was silent for the longest time, barely able to think straight as Degra's gaze bore right into him. He looked as if he were about to shut down emotionally, but then he remembered the last thing his grandfather said to him before he died, and he closed his eyes to collect his thoughts before he glared right back at Degra.

"I did something wrong in order to do the right thing," He said as firmly as he could. "Yea, I know I was out of my league, but no one else was gonna do anything to help out! Master Chen and Master Zheng had to protect the townsfolk, even if I still think they should have been more concerned about those fighting to protect them, and when I got there, they were on the losing side!" he exclaimed, even daring to take a step forward toward Degra.

"If I didn't_go, I woulda lost more than just Grampa! Mom would have been killed too, and it would have been like Arc Island all over again! You're going to stand there and tell me that I shoulda just waited for a repeat of what happened back home?! _Hell no!"

He took a step back from her, still meeting the stunned female Blaziken's gaze. "I don't regret what I did, and I'm not going to let you, or Dad or anyone tell me what I should do anymore! It's time I made my own decisions now, and I choose to be involved in this fight. You want to stop me, you're going to have to beat me down to the ground to do it!"

Degra was taken aback by Caulin's sudden change in demeanour, and more so when he turned the situation back on her. For a while, she said nothing, until she let out a defeated sigh and looked at Caulin again - more relaxed this time. "If you were any more like your father," she said, casting a sidelong glance at the older Lucario, knowing he could hear her, "I would swear you were his clone and not his son..." She rubbed her eyes with one hand before looking at Caulin again. "Still... Please at least understand how much you frightened me. If something had happened to you, how could I have ever faced your father or stepmother again?"

Caulin felt a pang of regret at that, suddenly feeling that he'd been unfair to Degra. She'd been responsible for him, and he'd run away from her. Even if he didn't regret doing so, he owed her an apology at least. "...I'm sorry, momma bird," he said, "for scaring you. But I had to do it... You at least understand that, right?"

"...We can discuss this more later," she replied, not wanting to make Caulin feel worse. "For now, though, there is someone I think who needs you."

She looked over her shoulder, and following her gaze, Caulin saw who she meant. They had laid Victor's body near the edge of the woods, beside Gex and a few others who had been lost when the town was hit - people who had failed to evacuate. Beside Victor's covered body, he saw Claire, and behind the elderly Gardevoir, looking over her, was Bellator, eying the body of his fallen master.

"I think she needs all of us," Minato answered, moving to touch his son's shoulder with one paw and Lashanne's with the other, gently motioning for them to join him in consoling the distraught Gardevoir.

"Y-Yea," Caulin agreed with a nod.

"See to your family, Minato. I'll handle things here," Volcan offered, nodding to his friend.

He nodded back and directed his family over to Claire and Bellator. The former looked up at them as they approached and seemed to not recognize Caulin at first, but after Bellator sniffed the younger Lucario and began head bumping him lightly, Claire quickly threw her arms around Caulin and embraced him tightly, to which Caulin held her back and kept apologizing for what happened to Victor.

Bellator went back to nudging Victor's body, trying to rouse the deceased Lucario, but Minato quickly stood next to him and stopped the Salamence from nudging him any further, shaking his head somberly to the Salamence. Bellator seemed to understand, and the dragon moved around Victor's corpse and lay next to it, curling up protectively around it and letting out mournful roars into the air, to which Minato knelt next to the Salamence and held him gently, fighting back tears of his own.

Volcan watched the scene for a time, but eventually had to look away, holding Ignus a little tighter in his arms as he too shed a tear for their departed friend. "Rest well, Victor," he whispered.

Ignus whimpered a bit and pawed at Volcan's chest to get his attention, looking sadly at the Blaziken. "P...Papa," he said before going back to whining again.

"Oh, yes," Volcan said, nodding as he turned to look at Luke again. Mikhail had done what he could for him, and was now helping Serena tend to Mewtwo, treating the injuries that the Legendary Psychic-type had sustained during his battle with Luke.

The Blaziken knelt to let Ignus walk over to Luke, who was fast asleep. The Rockruff sat next to Luke's face and began nuzzling his cheek a bit, then licking his cheek afterward, until he put his forepaws on the Lucario and trying to shake him, wanting him desperately to wake up.

"Papa..." Ignus whined. "Papa...Wake..."

"Don't wake him, son," Volcan gently chided Ignus, putting his hand on his back, "Papa is exhausted. He did something nobody else could, and it took a lot out of him."

Ignus looked back at Volcan with a sad expression as he was told to stop, and Volcan moved his hand to give him a reassuring pat on the head. "Don't you worry," he said, softly, "he's going to be just fine."

"Excuse me? Volcan?" Mikhail said as he came over to him. "Do you have a moment? I need to speak with you."

"Sure thing, Mikhail," said Volcan, looking at Ignus again. "Keep Papa company, okay? But don't wake him up. I need to speak with Uncle Mik."

With that, he stood, and left Ignus with Luke as he turned to Mikhail, the two walking together until they were somewhere they could talk privately. Mikhail then cleared his throat and addressed Volcan with a concerned expression.

"Well... I'm not going to dance around the matter. I present both good and bad news," He began, adjusting his glasses, "The good news is that despite the stress Luke has put himself through, his life is not in any danger. He is expected to make a full recovery in perhaps a few weeks, maybe longer."

Volcan let out a relieved sigh. Though Luminara had told him much of the same, it still felt alleviating to hear it from a second source. "What's the bad news then?" he asked.

"It... has to do with how he ended up in the state he's in," Mikhail answered. "Whatever he did during his battle against Mewtwo, it also somewhat damaged his connection to his own aura," he explained, then he looked at Volcan more pointedly. "How long did he stay in that state during his battle?"

"Far longer than he should have," Volcan admitted, "When we chased Calhoun out to the trees, Luke said he'd take on Mewtwo himself. There was a pitched battle - I couldn't give you an exact time, but even at his limit he kept pushing until Mewtwo was down."

"Damnit brother," Mikhail whispered softly, shaking his head. "Well, he got off lucky this time, but I cannot stress this enough. Volcan, you cannot let him use that power so recklessly. If he keeps pushing himself further beyond that limit, he will lose his ability to use his aura in combat, and that's the best-case scenario. Worst case...Well... it wouldn't be a pretty sight," he concluded.

"It's _that_bad?" Volcan asked, shocked.

"It could have been worse," Mikhail stated, "As I said, he got off lucky today..."

Volcan let out another breath - not of relief this time, but of shock, "Dammit... The surprises just keep coming today," he said, "if one more happens, I might just lose my mind," He took a moment to steady himself before addressing Mikhail again. "I know about Gex... Did we lose anyone else from the clinic?"

"No, everyone else is accounted for," Mikhail answered. "Speaking of which, I should attend to the other patients."

Volcan nodded. "Alright. I'll..." he looked around, seeing the townsfolk picking through what remained of their homes, "I'll... Damn, I really don't know what to do here."

Mikhail nodded. "I would start by tending to your family, then perhaps regroup with your team and my brother's team and start delegating tasks for our town's reconstruction," he suggested. "The townsfolk will also need some reassurance that the crisis has been averted."

Volcan nodded. "Well, I know my mother is okay; she just lectured Caulin a moment ago... But where's Lighris? Have you seen him?"

"Last time I saw him, he was flying over Azure with Eagle Eye being chased by a flock of Skarmory," Mikhail answered. "Did he not regroup with the others?"

"I don't know... I better find Eagle Eye first, then; maybe he's seen him," said Volcan, trying not to let the worry he felt carry into his voice.

Before Mikhail could say anything, there was a sudden uproar of voices coming from the townsfolk. The two were immediately on alert, fearing that the stragglers who had not yet been detained were regrouping for another attack, until they looked out to the water and saw the figure stepping into view, slowly emerging from the bay. Out of the water came a huge Swampert, with an unconscious figure draped over their shoulder.

"What the- Torolf?!" Volcan exclaimed.

It was only then Volcan noticed that the enemy ship, anchored far out in the bay, was all but out of sight. No one had ever noticed that the ship had been destroyed, and was now sinking, until he saw it for himself, as well as another vessel that was slowly approaching the remains of the docks, avoiding the driftwood and capsized wrecks that dotted the bay.

The shouts drew the attention of Teams Valiant and Phalanx, all of whom - minus Hank, came to see what was happening when they too saw Torolf coming on to shore. It was Eagle Eye though who first noticed what - or rather, who, he was carrying over his shoulder.

"Holy... Guys you're not gonna believe this! The big man's got that Lycanroc chick!" he squawked to everyone.

"Asya?!" Several voices demanded in unison, and soon the entire group was running to meet the captain of Team Warmachine as he stepped onto the beach.

Volcan looked briefly at Mikhail before he followed his friends, jogging toward the waterfront. He walked up to the head of the group, and looked up at Torolf as the Swampert, using one arm for balance while the other held Asya over his shoulder, took a moment to study them.

"I came too late," he said, sounding disgusted with himself, "All of you... I am sorry it took me so long to get here. I came as soon as I heard the _Ravager_had been spotted heading for Azure."

"We're glad to see you, either way," Volcan said, though his gaze drifted to Asya. "Is she...?"

"Still alive," replied Torolf, "Half-drowned, but alive." He dropped the Lycanroc unceremoniously onto the beach. They could see her chest rising and falling as she breathed, confirming what he said. "...More mercy than she gave Shamshir..."

"If you ask me, you should throw her back into the water and save us the trouble," Sol abrasively remarked.

"Sol!" Luna exclaimed incredulously.

"What? I'm right, aren't I?" he asked, "The bitch took his friend, he should get some payback."

"That's... Not exactly how we do things, Sol. You know that," Doug remarked.

Volcan waved for the others to simmer down, before he looked at Torolf again. "I know it must have been hard for you not to kill her, after what happened," he said.

"Killing her wouldn't bring Shamshir back," Torolf said, plainly, "it's enough that she'll rot in the Siphon Prison for the rest of her days," he lifted his head. "My team will be ashore in moments; we'll do whatever we can to help. Just tell us where you need us."

Volcan nodded. "I'll let you know," he said, "I need to address the townspeople soon, and make sure to reassure everyone the threat is over. Kage?" he called out for the Greninja.

Kage stepped forward, uncrossing his arms and waiting for Volcan's next order. "I suspect you've already done this," began Volcan, "but can you have the Kaeru scout the area around the town and make sure the last of the Crusade's forces have been driven off or captured? The last thing we need is to say the town's safe only for someone to pop out and prove us wrong."

"Any remaining forces of the Crusade have all either been captured, killed, or have escaped. There are no further traces of their presence within and around Azure's borders." Kage answered firmly.

"It's both relieving and distressing how efficient you are regardless of whom you serve..." Katsu remarked.

Volcan nodded to Kage, oddly not surprised that the Greninja had acted on his own initiative. "Alright. Stand guard on the captives then, and make sure they don't try anything," said Volcan, "Especially that one," he added, pointing at the unconscious Asya.

"I'll see to her personally," Kage returned, casting a dangerous glare at the unconscious Lycanroc.

"Last thing," Volcan began, and looked at Eagle Eye. "Have you seen my brother? I didn't see where he went after Palkia arrived."

"Oh, he's fine. I think he went to do a flyover to see if he could find any stray Saberwings that might think about trying a surprise attack," The Talonflame. "Probably doing some triple takes just to be safe."

At that, Volcan smiled, feeling proud of his brother for stepping up. He nodded to Eagle Eye, thanking him for the information, and looked for a high spot where he could address the townsfolk. He settled on a dislodged rooftop lying in the square, making sure it was stable before he dared to step on it, and walked to the highest point where he could be seen.

After clearing his throat, he spoke loudly to make sure he could be heard. "People of Azure! Your attention please!" he called, repeating several times until the townsfolk were looking his way.

Volcan felt conscious of the many pairs of eyes now watching him expectantly; he briefly forgot what he wanted to say. But after taking a steady breath while pretending to check to ensure everyone was watching him, he began to speak again, introducing himself to those who didn't know him very well yet before he went on.

"I would like to reassure everyone that the last of the assailants have been driven off or captured," he began, "the town is secure for the time being. Team Warmachine is also here to increase security and lend relief aid. We will set up relief centers - medical care and food will be provided to everyone who needs them. In the meantime, Teams Phalanx and Valiant will continue to monitor the town and the surrounding area. No further harm will come to anyone so long as we are here. We will-"

Volcan was cut off when one of the townsfolk - a Loudred, suddenly shouted; the powerful vocals of the Normal-type Pokémon easily drowned out the Blaziken as the Loudred spoke. "No further harm?!" He demanded. "How much worse could it be?! Several people are dead and most of the town has been turned into driftwood!"

A cacophony of voices rose in agreement with the Loudred, taking the opportunity to voice their disdain for all that had happened. This time, Luna stepped up and waved his arms to try and get everyone to settle down.

"Everyone, please calm down! There's no reason to panic anymore!" the Zangoose called as loudly as he could, "I understand you're all scared and angry right now, and I don't blame you for feeling that way. Rest assured though, that those that attacked our home will never come back. The brave fighters of Teams Valiant and Phalanx made sure that we will be safe from this point moving forward! Right now though, we need to focus our efforts on rebuilding our homes and reestablishing our livelihoods!"

More voices rose from the crowds, the anger of the townsfolk only growing even after having the Hero of Azure address them.

"We shouldn't need to!"

"Yeah! Why were these guys even here; who were they?!"

"Azure has nothing anyone could want so why did they attack us?!"

Volcan did not want to lie to the townsfolk, and so he gave them an honest answer. "The ones you saw attack Azure were from a group known as the Dark Crusade," Volcan began, "this attack was a retaliation; we of Team Phalanx and Team Valiant have both been working with the guilds to bring them down for more than a year now."

"So, they were after you?!" someone demanded. "Seems to me that isn't the first time that's happened!"

"Hey, yeah! That Gyarados that attacked us last summer; he was here looking for you!"

"That guy levelled a quarter of the town trying to find you and now it's happened again?!"

Volcan tried to motion for calm, but the people were no longer listening to him. His voice was drowned by their collective shouting, and not even Luna's voice could be heard over their shouts. Then, a flash of pain arced across Volcan's face as a stone struck him, followed by shouts of people demanding he leave and never come back, followed by more stones.

Sol started to lose his temper when he saw Volcan now getting stoned, smoke exuding from his nostrils and neck vents. He eventually shoved both Luna and Volcan aside as he stepped up, caught a stone flying at him, then let out a swath of fire from his mouth just over the townspeople's heads that caused them to duck and shriek out in terror, thinking Sol was about to go on another rampage.

"ALL OF YOU, SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!" The Typhlosion practically screamed at them, which brought about a long moment of silence, save for the occasional whimpering of a few of the more terrified townsfolk. Sol then snorted once he had their attention, then started pacing back and forth as he spoke up once again.

"Pathetic cowards! ALL of you!! These guys all fought for your safety and to protect this place, and this is the thanks you show them, hurling stones and demanding that one of 'em leave just because he's a target?!" he demanded, then stopped and pointed at everyone in front of him. "I didn't see any of you rise to the occasion and try to defend your homes! Instead, all you did was run away and hide while we fought our asses off to make sure you all still had homes to return to!!"

He then gestured to Volcan. "This motherfucking kung fu chicken risked his life several times over for your sakes! Hell, he even saw fit to give me a second chance! ME! The Devil of this shithole town!! If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be standing here in front of you all! If it weren't for him, I'd never have reconciled with my family and turned over a new leaf! Hell, I'll go so far as to say that if he never even showed up here in the first place, this town would be nothing but ashes because we didn't have him to warn us!

"And what do you all do? Thank him? Offer him gifts and rewards for his sacrifices despite not being born here?? No! Instead, you fucking try to stone him to death all because he was the target of circumstances beyond his control!! If this is how you show thanks to your heroes, then maybe you all should be burnt to a crisp!!" He concluded, panting after his speech.

He then spread his arms out invitingly. "If you're gonna stone someone, then stone me. Creator-fucking-knows I deserve it after all I've done, but you leave my _friend_alone, you fucking understand??"

No one dared to make a move, and Sol was not the only one to come speak in Volcan's defense. Shortly after the Typhlosion finished his tirade, a brilliant yellow form came crashing down to land amidst the townsfolk, crackling with electricity as they landed. It was Lighris, his wings spread and the lightning crackling across his body only subsiding when he began to speak.

"If it had been up to me - if we had been the same we were back when we lost our homes, we'd have left you all to perish under the Crusade!" Lighris declared. "Two weeks ago, you all congratulated him on his wedding, yet the moment he's trying to do some justice in the world you all turn on him! If this is how you treat your heroes, then you weren't worth saving from the start! Volcan saw you all as something worth fighting for, and that's why he committed so much time and energy into ensuring you all would get to see tomorrow, even if he couldn't be here to make sure of it!"

The last to speak up was Caulin, leaving his family's side to come to stand beside Volcan. "My Uncle Volcan would give his life so many times over for you all! This town is just as much our home as it is yours, and you all welcomed us despite us being strangers to this place!" He stated, letting his anger flare up as sparks erupted around him. "You have a problem with him, you have a problem with me, and I won't hesitate to throw hands with the next Pokémon that dares think my uncle is anything but a hero!"

With the three Pokémon speaking so readily in Volcan's defense, nobody else seemed ready to step forward to voice their complaints. Volcan, for his part, was left speechless, having never expected this - even from Caulin, let alone his brother - Lighris normally didn't care so much about what others thought. But Sol was definitely the most surprising of them all... To have him of all Pokémon speak in defense of him was humbling.

Volcan couldn't hold back a light smile, grateful to his team, and family...

~~~~~

Later that day, after the townsfolk had calmed down and gone back to salvaging what they could from the ruins of the town, Volcan met up with his and Luke's teammates to discuss their plans moving forward. He was perturbed when he didn't see Hank present at the gathering, knowing that sooner or later he'd have to find the Zoroark and try to talk to him... It was not a conversation he was looking forward to.

He gave everyone new assignments to help with rebuilding the town, and then headed out to look for Hank. Thankfully, he had a good idea where to start looking...

Eventually, Volcan found the Zoroark, well outside the town's borders. He almost missed him, if not for the crimson mane trailing down from the tree limb where Hank was perched; he was making no effort to hide himself, and even with his back turned to Volcan the Blaziken could see how depressed he was, in the way he sat on the tree limb...

Taking a deep breath, Volcan walked closer to the tree, and called up to the Zoroark. "Hank?"

His ear twitched at the sound of Volcan's voice, but he didn't turn to look over his shoulder to confirm whether it was him. Regardless, he answered. "...Oh... Sup Legs?" he asked in a quiet tone.

"Just... Helping the town get sorted," Volcan replied, standing below and looking up at the Zoroark. "Can we talk for a bit?"

"...What's there to talk about; the town's saved, yea?" Hank asked dismissively. "Then we did it... plain and simple."

"The town is saved," agreed Volcan, "but now... Well, there's no easy way to say it. A lot of us have come away with wounds that won't heal so easily..." When Hank didn't say anything, he went on. "Hank... I'm so sorry that I wasn't here..."

Hank was silent for a moment longer, his shoulders visibly slumping further before he spoke. "...He gave his life doin' what he did best," he said, then there came a sniffle before he wiped his face with his claw. "...Tryin' ta save lives and do some good in the world... even if just a little bit..."

Volcan nodded in agreement, even though Hank couldn't see him do so. 'Darn... I'm not good at this,' he said. "Hank... Won't you come back to town? We could really use your help, and... The team's worried about you."

"I ain't comin' back," Hank replied with a sudden venom, catching Volcan by surprise. "Think I'ma just... make my home out here in the woods, away from everyone else," then his tone grew from depressed to spiteful. "Especially from her..."

"Her?" Volcan asked. "Her who?"

"The Tooth Fairy... Who the fuck do you think I mean?" Hank answered, almost berating Volcan. "I'm talkin' about yer in-law... She denied me my chance at getting back at the fucker who killed my man... Now I'll never get that closure, all because she couldn't butt outta my business!" he growled, clenching his claws tightly in his lap.

It soon clicked with Volcan who Hank was referring to. He didn't know all the details of what happened, but he could guess what Luminara might have done. "But Hank, she must have had a reason. Just come back and-"

He turned to look over his shoulder, and Volcan saw the absolute seething hate in his eyes when he tried defending Luminara's actions. "She had NO. FUCKING. RIGHT. To take that from me!" he suddenly exclaimed, his fur bristling as his depression gave way to anger. He even slid off the branch he was sitting on and looked at Volcan square in the eye.

"Read my fucking lips, Legs... I'm. Not. Coming. Back. Not while she's there. You all can get by just fine without me," he concluded, slowly calming himself down and lowering his gaze back to the ground again. "...I was fucking ready to die during that battle... I didn't care if I did or didn't die, but if I did, then at least I'd be back with him again," he said before he turned his back to Volcan and started walking away from him. "Who knows... maybe I might just do that... Kill two Pidgey with one stone..."

Volcan felt his heart sink at Hank's words, and the hurt was clear as day on his face as he understood what he meant. "Hank... You don't mean that," he said, "I know you're hurting, man... But there are others here who want to help you. Others who care about you and want to support you. Especially me," he took a step closer to the Zoroark.

"You wanna help so bad?" Hank asked in a rhetorical manner, "Then bring him back to me... Find some way to bring him back, and then we'll talk..." Was the last thing he said before he suddenly disappeared, turning invisible with his Illusion ability.

"Hank!" Volcan called out, turning in a circle as he sought some sign of the Zoroark. But he could find nothing...

Volcan put his hand over his chest, clenching it into a fist as he dreaded what the Zoroark might do if he could not find a way to reach him. "Hank, please... We all love you... Don't do this," he whispered.

When no response came, the Blaziken lowered his head, and started a slow walk back to Azure, his arms swinging loosely at his sides as he watched the ground on which he walked. "Damn it, what am I going to do...?" he wondered aloud.

~~~~~

Two days passed in Azure, with much of the cleanup taken care of on the first two, before reconstruction could begin. Along with Striker and the local carpenters, volunteers from Westport - after hearing about the attack, came to pitch in and help the townsfolk after the tragedy. Torolf even spotted the expenses for building materials and tools to be brought over for the crews to use, and he and his team also aided the relief efforts; Gallia joined the medical teams to treat the sick, and Aegis helped the construction crew.

A stable stand-in clinic was erected shortly, and the infirm were able to have a warm shelter to stay in while also giving the doctors a place to work. The Peacemaker - Team Warmachine's heavily modified mini-yacht they had arrived in, served as a ration distribution house, heading out to Westport to retrieve food supplies before coming back with its cargo bay filled, and joined by Team Valiant and Team Phalanx with distribution.

Yet over the course of the days, no one saw any sign of Hank... On the morning of the third day, Volcan went to see Luminara, to get a detailed account of what she had done to make Hank so angry. Luminara was very forthcoming with the information as she and Volcan shared a pot of tea at her house - which, being so far from the town had thankfully not been damaged in the battle, and it was where Ignus had been staying while Volcan was working and Luke was at the temporary clinic, recovering.

Volcan sipped the cup of tea as Luminara finished explaining what had happened between her and Hank, and he let out a long, unhappy sigh as he set down his cup. "So, that's what he was talking about," he said, "while I now get what he meant, you were clearly trying to help him... He was going to throw his life away if you didn't step in."

The Blaziken rested his elbows on the table and placed both hands over his eyes. "He's descended into such a dark pit, and I have no idea how to reach him... I can't even find him now - even Kage and Minato can't find him... He's avoiding us all," he lowered his hands and shook his head, looking at Luminara. "Mother... I have no idea what to do. How can I help someone who doesn't want to be helped?"

She let out a long, sad sigh as she rested her cup into her saucer. "If he doesn't want to be helped, then I'm afraid there really isn't anything anyone_can do to help him," she said realistically, "It's like the old saying goes. You can lead a Rapidash to water, but you can't make it drink the water... With that said, have you considered that perhaps it's a matter of _who could reach him, and not how?"

Volcan chewed on that question for a moment, considering it. "Well... The first person that comes to mind is Luke, but in his current condition, I don't think he can even try," said Volcan, drumming the table with his fingers. "Aside from his teammates, I don't know who else he's close to... It has to be someone who shares some of his interests or-"

Volcan trailed off, his eyes widening as a thought occurred to him. "Wait... There _is_someone!" he said, dropping his clenched fist into his hand. "When Luke and I disappeared, there's someone Hank spent a lot of time with... Sickle."

"Then it seems you've found your answer," Luminara said with a nod. "Contact your friend. Let him know what's happening and go from there. It may be the only hope you have in saving Hank from destroying himself..."

"Sickle was part of our contingency plan," said Volcan, "a lot of people fled to Bluegrove during the battle; by now, once he's confirmed that the town is secure again, he's supposed to lead them home. He may already be on his way if we're lucky." He rubbed his chin in thought, "I better call Eagle Eye and ask him to take a flight over there if he has time, just in case he's playing it safe. Either way, he'll be here in Azure by tomorrow."

"Perfect," Luminara returned. "On a different topic, how is my son doing? I know Mikhail has been taking care of both him and Rigel as of late, but I haven't been able to see either of them."

Volcan grimaced. "Rigel's doing alright - I've seen him a couple of times," he began, "As for Luke... Well, his condition is improving but-" he trailed off. "Mikhail told me some very alarming things when he first checked on him. He assures me Luke's life is in no danger, but what he did that day was _seriously_risky... It almost cost him his ability to use Aura - we don't even know if he still can use it to the same capacity he did before, and we won't until he heals."

She lowered her ears at that news. "I suspected that might be the case... As I said before, our species isn't meant to push ourselves as hard as Luke has in order to achieve more power. Sure, it grows naturally the older and more experienced we become, but one can further enhance it through training... I can only imagine the kind of torture he put himself through just to be able to pull that technique off..."

She then lifted her head and smiled. "For now though, let's take solace in the fact that he will pull through and go from there."

Volcan nodded slowly. Then, a new question came to mind, and he couldn't help but ask. "Which brings us to the last Donphan in the room," he began, "about us finding out you're Blessed..."

A brief silence fell over the two of them before Volcan continued. "I think I understand now," he began, "It's because you died, long ago, didn't you? That's what you meant when you told Minato you became one - a Blessed, when you returned to the world, and what Luke meant when he told me he thought he lost you years ago... He did lose you."

He sipped his tea before continuing, his throat feeling dry. "Being raised by a single mother myself - not to mention seeing firsthand how much you care about your sons... I refuse to believe you did that for any reason of your own choosing. You're nothing like my father, so the only explanation as to why you didn't come back sooner is because you couldn't... Am I right?"

Luminara stared silently at Volcan as he explained his theory to her, waiting until he finished before she took a sip of her tea before giving her answer. "That... is more or less the plot synopsis, yes," she answered with a nod, then she looked him square in the eyes. "My secret is out now, so there's no point in hiding it any longer... I will tell you what happened for me to gain this power."

She then went into great detail on how it all happened, starting with the day she was separated from her family, and ultimately killed in trying to defend them, then she described how she spent many years of her afterlife lamenting not being there for her sons as they grew up, until the day she was approached by the Creator himself and offered a choice: To remain in the afterlife and live out the rest of eternity in peace, or become his Envoy, his Blessed, and return to the world of the living, stating that he knew darkness was bound to return to the world, and he would need someone to act on his behalf to help purge the coming darkness.

"In a way, Minato is right... I was granted this power to help purge the Shadow Curse when it arose, but since it became a Guild-sanctioned matter, I felt it wasn't my place for a stay-at-home mother to interfere," her gaze then saddened as she looked at her near empty cup. "That... and I wanted to leave it to the current generation to be able to solve this problem on their own... My son has grown considerably not only because of this crisis but also because of you. At the same time, had I been more proactive, then perhaps I wouldn't have nearly lost you both three times over..."

Volcan took in everything Luminara said, considering each word carefully and taking a few moments to think about them. "I'm guessing part of the deal for you to come back was that you didn't tell anyone that you were a Blessed... Yet I have to ask, did you tell anyone at all? Did you tell Nido?"

"Not a soul," Luminara answered. "That was the crutch of the deal. No one must know that I am Arceus' Blessed." She explained. "Alas... I've broken that vow... I'm not sure what will happen after this crisis is averted if he will let me stay, or ask that I relinquish this Blessing and possibly return to the afterlife..."

Volcan's expression soured at that. "I hope he doesn't," he said, and after a moment, he regarded her with a sympathetic look. "And it makes sense now... Why you appear to be so young; when Arceus allowed you to return to the world, you came back at the same age you left it - a Lucario in her early to mid-twenties. By then, your boys had grown up without you. But you still managed to return to them and become a part of their lives again."

At that, she smiled a little. "They didn't care how I came back or why I looked so young... They were just so happy that I was back, especially Luke," she answered. "When I held him once more, it was almost like I was holding him back when he was a baby, he was crying so hard."

Volcan chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds like him," he said. Though soon after, his smile faded, and his eyes narrowed as he had a thought. "...You said Arceus sent you back because he suspected darkness was about to return to the world... Do you think he knew Giratina was trying to return, or... About Calhoun?"

"Giratina is part of the Creation Trio. In that regard, he is Arceus' son, and Palkia and Dialga's brother," Luminara explained, "It makes sense that Giratina would try to escape, which is why Arceus asked me to become his Envoy... but I don't think even he was prepared for the kind of man Calhoun would become, as I was granted his Blessing long before he discovered one of the Nexuses..."

Volcan grimaced at that. "Who could ever prepare for someone like Calhoun?" he asked, though didn't really expect an answer.

Another moment of silence and Volcan spoke again. "Thank you, for being upfront with me," he began, nodding, "and for listening to my troubles. Arceus knows I- oops," he touched a hand to his beak. "I suppose I should be more careful about when I use that, considering he can probably hear me when I'm talking to you?"

"It's fine. I know you aren't using the name in vain," she assured him, then stood up and walked around to stand at Volcan's side, gently taking him into a loving embrace. "I know I have said this before, but thank you for looking after my boy... He's incredibly lucky to have you in his life, Volcan."

Volcan put his arms around Luminara, holding her as lovingly as any son would hold their mother. "I hope I can continue to be the man he needs," he said, "I'm certainly as lucky to have him, that's for sure."

She gently kissed Volcan's cheek and smiled that motherly smile of hers, then stepped back and rubbed his shoulder. "Just know that I'm here for you whenever you need to talk or anything at all."

Volcan nodded to her. "Likewise... And, for what it's worth, I do not begrudge you keeping your secret for so long... You had a promise to keep. I only hope Minato will come to see it that way too, someday."

"Me too, my son," Luminara answered, slowly removing her paw from his shoulder. "Now... Go and perform your duties and help your friend."

"I will," he said, nodding to her, "take care, mother. See you soon."