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Luminara's sleep that night started restful... But soon, she had a visitor. She 'awakened' to herself standing on a glowing, white circle that seemed to be in the sky, for all around her she could see the stars and open sky of the night. The featureless white platform upon which she stood was opaque, leaving her unable to see if there was ground below it or not.

But more telling, she had the feeling she was not alone. Sure enough, as the female Lucario turned to look behind her, there He stood... She had seen His avatar many times, and she knew it was not His true form, but it was the form chosen to appear before mortals. To give a face to their great creator - although that did not say much considering His face was a vertically striated, black surface with two orange eyes and green sclera staring down at her. He had no mouth, no nose, not even ears, just a tail of white growing from the back of his skull, with an undertone of black.

His white and black form, the latter with the same striated lines as those of his face, was slender - almost bony, standing upon the tips of four pointed feet. Around His midriff, he wore a cross-like golden ring or wheel, studded with four gemstones. His mere presence filled Luminara with a mix of awe and dread, for there could be no one else she could be seeing, looking upon in her dream world...

"It has been some time since we spoke, Luminara," said Arceus, his gaze unreadable as he peered down at her, his towering form utterly dwarfing the Lucario. Though he had no mouth, she could hear the words he spoke as clearly as if he did.

"Yes it has, O Lord of Creation," Luminara answered, barely fazed by Arceus' appearance. She slowly lowered her head respectfully toward him before she continued speaking. "I assume you're here because of what happened a couple of days ago..."

"It is part of it," he affirmed, "When I felt the powers of my fallen son colliding with my own, I knew something had happened... You have encountered him - the one called Calhoun."

"I have, yes," she answered with a nod, "He was about to corrupt the Royal Knight Zamazenta after my son defeated Mewtwo. He would have been corrupted had I not intervened..."

"I understand," said Arceus, "and, you made the right decision in doing so, Luminara," his words surprised her, but he continued, "Every corrupted soul is another step closer to Giratina's freedom. Every one saved, it weakens his presence in the world."

He... Did not seem angry. She had thought he would be angry, that she had broken the terms of the pact, but he wasn't... She slowly raised her head toward him, a look of general confusion present on her face. "You... aren't upset, my lord?" she asked, "I... I broke my vow to you. My son, his husband, his comrade, and the knights now know of our bond... You were quite clear of the ramifications should this secret be exposed when you offered me a chance to live among my family again."

Arceus looked at her squarely, but his gaze betrayed no malicious intent. "The terms of the agreement were that you never revealed the truth," he began, "that you never speak of your connection to me. While you have done so in recent days, by admitting it to your son-in-law for example," his eyes narrowed slightly, "It was well after the fact. Your secret was already revealed, and not by you. You honoured your part of the agreement, for years, even in the presence of loved ones - one of whom was another Blessed himself."

He lowered his head, enough that Luminara could see his face more closely. "It was Calhoun who exposed your secret, Luminara... And made it clear to me that even if I were so cruel as to take you from the world now, it would be a mistake."

She felt her heartbeat rising in tempo in her chest, her eyes widening at what he was suggesting. "Are you saying... Even after what happened, you are allowing me to stay...?" she asked hopefully, a smile starting to form on her face.

He nodded his head slowly. "Yes," he began, "the task for which I sent you back is not yet complete, Luminara. I sent you to be my envoy to stand against a coming darkness. You opted to stand aside when the Crusade first appeared, and rightly so - for your secret may have been put at risk. But I believe Calhoun is not that rising darkness for which I prepared you; he is merely an emissary of it. I am sure you know what I speak of."

She nodded. "I do... And I feel the time for standing by has come to an end," Luminara answered. "I chose not to be involved, because it had become a Guild matter. That, and I wanted to see my son grow on his own and face the coming darkness. Now I see that my assistance is needed if the Guilds are to succeed in defeating Calhoun and stopping Giratina from returning to this world."

Arceus nodded his elongated head again. "Indeed," he agreed with her, "the purpose for which I sent you back is fast approaching; the world will need you soon. I will not be able to interfere, but with you as my emissary, my power shall still be there to oppose the return of my fallen child."

"I will do everything in my power to make sure he stays in the Distortion World." Luminara answered, then gave him another respectful nod. "Thank you... Arkham."

She could feel Arceus smiling at her, even if she could not see it - having no mouth to display the bodily action. "Furthermore," he added, "I would not be so cruel take you from this world yet regardless... Your fate is still intertwined with another."

Before she could ask what he meant by that, he lifted his large, left front leg, reached out and tapped her forehead with his pointed foot. She felt a slight jolt course through her body... Followed by blackness. She blinked; her eyes were open and took a moment to adjust to where she was.

She was back in her room.

Luminara felt more relief than she had ever remembered feeling before... She was so certain Arceus had come to take her away; to take back his gift and force her to leave her sons behind again. But the Lord of Creation, it seemed, was not so wicked a god as to take back a life given freely... Luminara still had some time left, to live amongst her sons and their growing families.

But what could he have meant, about her fate being intertwined with another?

~~~~~

The next morning, Caulin was in town looking for some work to do. He wanted to help the townsfolk in any way he could; despite still not being angry with some of them for mistreating his uncle, he felt a need to pitch in to clean up their home. There was much work to do, and every hand or paw would be needed to restore Azure...

As he walked, something caught his eye. Two familiar yellow figures by the docks; one of them was easy to recognize as Lighris, the features of the Zapdos unmistakable. The other one surprised him, for seated on a stool in front of the Zeraora, wrapped slightly in Lighris outstretched wings, was Koa. Jora stood off to the side, watching the two as they did... Whatever it was they were doing; he did not know...

"Koa and Lighris... Together?" He muttered out loud. "Why're they by the docks?" He further inquired. Curiosity got the better of him and he quickly took a detour toward the docks, driven by the need to know what was going on.

Jora was the first to see him, looking up at the approaching Lucario. "Caulin. Good morning," she said, with both Lighris and Koa looking over at him.

"Aloha," added Koa.

"Hey, kiddo," said Lighris; his eyes were down at first, expecting to find a Riolu when he looked at Caulin before taking a second look at the much taller Lucario. "Ah, almost didn't recognize you. Love the new look, by the way."

"Heh, yea. Tends to happen when you evolve and such." Caulin remarked, then tugged at his gi. "I might have to ask Master Chen for a bigger gi though... Anyway!" he said sharply before looking between the three of them. "Why're you guys all the way out here? I thought you'd be offering to help with reconstructing the town with the others."

"We will be," said Lighris, "Just sharing a bit of power with Koa."

At Caulin's confused look, Jora explained. "Do you remember when you went water wrestling with him, and I mentioned that he cannot produce his own electricity?" She began, "His ability is Volt Absorb; he stores electricity but absorbs it from other sources. It helps him heal faster as well."

"...Oh yeah, you did mention that," Caulin answered, rubbing the back of his head as he recalled that time they went water wrestling. "I guess in all of the excitement, I forgot about that."

"I saw the kid fighting that Tyrantrum," Lighris went on, "despite the fact he could barely hurt the big dino, he never backed down. This boy's got spirit rival even to you, Caulin; he will face danger head-on. Just the same, the kid was run ragged during the battle; he needed a little boost. When Jora explained to me what he needed, I figured I'd share some power with him. It's not like I don't have plenty to spare," he added smugly, flashing a smile.

Caulin looked at Koa, a smirk forming on his face as he reached over placing his paw firmly on his shoulder. "Well, duh! Of course he's got a tough fighting spirit! I'm the one that wrestled him to a standstill that day!" He remarked with confidence.

Lighris chuckled. "I hope you'll let me know if you try it again because now I want to see it."

Caulin snickered, then looked at Koa with that confident grin of his. "Whaddya say? After the town's all back in order, you wanna have another rematch?"

Jora translated his words to Koa. The Zeraora smiled, and that was all the answer Caulin needed. The Lucario smiled back and nodded, patting the Zeraora's shoulder firmly.

"It's a date then," He remarked.

Jora translated. Then, Koa did that usual head-tilt of his when he did not understand something. "Date?" he repeated, testing the word.

"Try not to confuse him, kiddo," Lighris added in minor admonishment, pulling his wings back and stepping away from Koa. "Alright, Koa - that's all I can give you for now. See me in a few hours. I'll top you up some more; I need to get some food in me."

Jora translated Lighris' words. Koa turned to Lighris, bowing his head. "Mahalo," he said.

"He says thank you," Jora translated.

"No problem, kid," said Lighris, opening his wings and flapping them heavily to carry himself into the air, leaving the three to watch after them.

Koa turned to Caulin then, eyeing him up and down studiously as he took in his new form. Thanks to Jora, he at least knew it was Caulin he was seeing, but the Zeraora still had to get used to seeing him in the body of a Lucario, rather than the much smaller form of a Riolu. For one, Caulin was as tall as Koa now, no longer half his size as he used to be. Caulin stared back at him, letting the Zeraora get accustomed to looking at his new form, then scratched his own cheek and blushed some.

"Yea, I'm... kinda getting used to it myself," He said as he averted his gaze slightly. "I've noticed I gotta be careful how I hug my family now, thanks to this thing," he added, pointing to his chest spike.

After Jora's translation, Koa actually laughed, and tapped the spike on Cauin's chest with a digit of his paw as he uttered something in his native tongue.

"Dangerous indeed," Jora agreed with Koa.

"Wait, what'd he say?" Caulin asked, slightly concerned despite Koa laughing.

"He just said 'embrace is dangerous'," Jora commented, nodding to Caulin's chest, "he was referring to the spike."

"Oh!" Caulin responded. "Uhh... Yea, but I'm working on ways to avoid pricking folks with it," he reassured them. "Actually, come to think of it, I should just ask Dad or Uncle Luke how they do it without poking their mates in the chest..." He wondered out loud.

"Whenever I have hugged Luke," Jora offered, "he turns himself slightly to the side, to keep the point away from the other person. Otherwise, depending on how intimate you want it, you could always try arching your back a little."

Caulin looked back at Koa for a moment, then looked down at his own spike for a bit before turning slightly to one side, then to the other, then he grimaced slightly. "Seems kind of awkward, having to turn your body every time."

"I imagine you get used to it," said Jora, shrugging her slender shoulders.

There was a bit of silence between them before Caulin spoke up again. "Right uh... well I'm going to go see what I can do to help clean the town up," he stated, "Should we meet at the beach around... Maybe when the sun starts going down?" he asked.

Jora translated Caulin's words to Koa. Much to the Lucario's dismay, Koa frowned, shaking his head as he spoke. When he finished, Jora translated, "He wants to help the town as much as possible first, and likely will be too tired after the fact to participate," she explained, "He raises a good point. There _is_much work yet to do."

Caulin's ears wilted and his expression soured. "Yeah, you got a good point... Darn," He said, disappointed. Until his ears pricked up and he started beaming again as he looked between them. "Then let's all help out together! We'll get more work done faster if we work as a team!"

At Jora's translation, Koa smiled and nodded to him in agreement, liking the idea. Seeing him nod made Caulin beam all the more, and he quickly took Koa's claw in his paw and began tugging quickly.

"Well then c'mon! No time like the present!" he exclaimed, practically dragging the Zeraora behind him as he made his way back to town.

Jora followed the two, though not in as much of a hurry as they were, smiling at how well the two were getting along. She was grateful for that, knowing Koa had at least one friend he could have as he adjusted to life in this strange new place...

Meanwhile, at the northern end of Azure, a group was coming into view at the treeline. At the lead, locals - townsfolk of Azure who had fled during the battle, now arriving to see their home in ruins. The despair was apparent in their collective voices as they took in the scene before them, some even claiming that there was no hope for them in the ruins of the town.

But a new voice arose from behind them as a Sceptile stepped out of the shadows of the trees. "Hope is not lost, not for any of you," said Sickle, "Azure's buildings may be destroyed, but its people survive. And I see they are already starting to rebuild. This town was your home; it can be again."

Most of the people were moved by Sickle's gentle words and amicable demeanour, and some shared nods of agreement at his claim. Even the more doubtful ones seemed to second-guess their thoughts on the matter as the townsfolk began to slowly trickle out of the trees toward Azure. It was only a matter of time before the sudden influx caught some attention.

Above the town, Eagle Eye was flying circles overhead, and was the first to notice the people approaching from the northern woods. It didn't take him long to find the familiar Sceptile standing beyond the trees, urging the people to carry on toward what remained of their home. He quickly swooped down toward Sickle once he had a good angle, leveling out just above his head and whooshed over him, no doubt making him duck instinctively as the Talonflame rose and perched on a nearby tree branch.

"Glad to see a familiar face other than the guys I'm used to seeing!" He squawked down at Sickle, waving a wing at him. "What's shakin' Green Bean?"

"Eagle Eye; hello," Sickle called up to him, waving back as he stepped closer to the tree. "Glad to see you made it through," he added as he cast a glance toward the town, losing his friendly smile as he took in the destruction. "Is... It as bad as it looks from here?"

"Yeeaaa we got hit pretty bad, not gonna lie. Hell, there was a time when we all thought we were gonna kick it," Eagle Eye answered plainly. "Get this, the big bad Blaziken had one final card to play since we were greasing his boys up for the fryer. He had freaking Kyogre under his control!"

Sickle gawked at Eagle Eye, his yellow eyes wide in astonishment. "Kyogre - He had the God of the Sea under his command?! How did you guys manage to live through that?"

Eagle Eye grinned. "Get this... We got help from not one, but two Legendary Pokémon! Palkia and Kyurem to be exact!" He squawked in reply. "Turns out the two of them made a bond with Wade and that Hageshi kid. They're Blessed with their power, and they freaking tore that oversized whale a new one after they finished with him!"

He then flapped his wings frantically. "But that ain't even the best part!" he added. "From what I understood, Luke fought against Mewtwo, and he won! He beat 'im to a pulp enough for Minato to free him of the corruption!"

Sickle stared in silence for a moment, until there was a twitch from one of his eyes, and he shook his head. "Sorry... I think my brain just overloaded," he said, rubbing his head. "Wade and... Sorry, don't know Hageshi, but anyway, they're Blessed now? To Kyurem the Soulless One, and Palkia, the god of Space?"

He rested his clenched fists on his hips, shaking his head in disbelief. "I missed a lot more than just the battle," he said. Then, he lifted his head sharply. "What about everyone else? Luke, Volcan - are they all okay?"

"Well, we're all fine for the most part. We've all been busy rebuilding the town after Kyogre washed it away." Eagle Eye answered. "As fer Luke, well... he's outta commission right now. Turns out he used some new secret power of his to fight Mewtwo and it left him in pretty bad shape. His bro said he'll recover, but fer now he's practically comatose."

The Talonflame's expression then soured. "And... then there's Hank..."

That caught Sickle's attention. "...Don't tell me he-" he started to ask.

Realizing what he had implied, Eagle Eye quickly spoke up to correct himself. "Oh! No no, he didn't bite the dust. He's still kicking," he reassured Sickle. "It's just... during the battle, he was suddenly really moody and angsty, which was a first fer all of us... Turns out that while we were fighting up front, a group of Garchomp snuck in from below and attacked the townsfolk... and... Hank's boo was one of the casualties..."

Sickle's shocked expression turned to one of sorrow. "Oh no..." he said quietly, bringing his claw over his mouth and clenching his eyes shut. With a shake of his head, he asked - almost in a whisper into his claw. "Hank... What's the world done to you?"

With that, he looked at Eagle Eye again, lowering his claw as he asked. "Where is he?"

"That's... the problem," Eagle Eye answered, shrugging his wings. "We haven't seen any sign of him lately. Hell, not even Kage and his merry band of assassins can find him. It's like he went completely off the grid."

"Has anyone seen him at all since the battle?"

Eagle Eye shook his head slowly. "Nope. Not a trace. At least not since Legs tried to have a talk with him..."

"Legs - oh, right, Volcan," said Sickle, remembering Hank often referring to the Blaziken by that moniker as well. "Can you show me where he is? Maybe I can ask him where to find Hank."

"I mean I can take you to him, but I can guarantee you he won't know any more than the rest of us," Eagle Eye responded, taking flight again from his perch. "This way," He said as he flew toward Azure's borders.

Volcan grunted as he held Tristan heave the fallen beam of the destroyed house aside, clearing the way for the former owners to move in and start picking through the wreckage for anything salvageable. As Volcan dusted off his hands, he heard someone call his name, and turned to see Eagle Eye, followed by Sickle. The Blaziken beamed as he saw the Sceptile, walking over to meet him and greeting Sickle with a warm hug.

"Damn good to see you, Sickle," said Volcan.

"You too, pal," Sickle replied. "I'm so sorry my team wasn't here to help when you needed us," he added, gently pulling back from Volcan.

"Don't be. We were all caught by surprise," said Volcan, "Luke and I weren't even in town when the attack came."

"You were still away on that mission from just before I left?" Sickle asked.

Volcan nodded. "Yeah. We found the East Nexus and took it out; that's why Calhoun attacked Azure," said the Blaziken, gloomily. "Retaliation for us getting in his way yet again."

Sickle nodded back. "I heard about Luke. How is he?"

"He's doing much better, but he's still bedridden for now," replied Volcan, "Beating Mewtwo took everything he had and more... It's left him in bad shape, but he'll recover."

"And... Hank?" Sickle asked, "Eagle Eye told me about Gex..."

Volcan's sour expression darkened further. "...Hank has refused to come back to town ever since the battle ended," he explained, and went on to start from the beginning about how Gex had been killed trying to protect the townsfolk, all the way up to Luminara taking him out of the fighting... Forcefully.

"The way she described it, Hank was going to get himself killed if she hadn't stepped in, and he didn't really deny that when I went to talk to him," the Blaziken concluded. "Since then, he refuses to return to Azure - no one has seen him since that day, and I was the last one to lay eyes on him."

"Can you tell me exactly where you saw him?" Sickle asked.

Volcan nodded to him. "If anyone can get through to him, Sickle, I'm betting you can," he said, "At this point, I'm out of ideas... I don't even know how to find him. He cloaked himself with invisibility when I last saw him and nobody has been able to find him since, not even Minato."

"Leave that to me," replied Sickle.

With that, Volcan led the Sceptile out of town ruins, heading into the woods north-east of Azure's boundaries. They walked for only a short while before Volcan picked out a tree from among the many around them, pointing at a low-hanging branch growing out from the trunk.

"Up there," he said, "that's the last place I saw him. I've come back out here twice but he won't answer me when I call out to him, and if he has an earpiece on him, he's either ignoring it or he's shut it off."

"I'll find him," Sickle promised.

"How? Even Minato couldn't see him with his Aura Sense."

Sickle looked at him and smiled. "Hank knows there are Lucario who would come looking for him," he explained, "and he's likely hiding with that in mind."

"How do you hide your own life force?"

"I'll let you know as soon as I confirm my theory," replied Sickle as he started walking, "You better head back to Azure, Volcan. Leave Hank to me."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," Sickle replied, looking over his shoulder at Volcan and smiling again. "I won't come back without him."

Volcan allowed himself a weak smile and wished Sickle luck as the Sceptile approached the tree to start, looking up at the branch silently. He flicked out his tongue, tasting the air, and turned his course deeper into the woods, walking slowly and occasionally tasting the air with his tongue again. He took careful steps, making sure not to make any noise as he ventured deeper into the forest.

Sickle's search eventually brought him to an enormous sequoia tree, far from Azure's town borders. He was so deep into the woods that Sickle could no longer see the town or detect any more than a faint hint of the saltwater air when he flicked his tongue out to taste it. He must have been at least two kilometers from Azure, he supposed, with the wind barely able to make it through the densely packed grove in which he now stood.

The scent had brought him here to this tree, and walking in a circle around the trunk - which took a full minute at least due to the tree's girth, he confirmed that the trail ended here. With a deep breath, he raised his arms, digging his claws into the bark, and began to climb where the scent was strongest, slowly making his way up the trunk.

High above the ground, near the crown of the nearby coniferous trees, he found a hollow in the bark of the sequoia. It was not deep, but once again the scent ended here, and Sickle quietly and slowly leaned his head over to look inside, searching for any signs of life within without casting a shadow that would give him away.

It was hard to tell at first, but he eventually saw a faint glint of a bead lying along the floor of the hollow, which was connected to a rather ragged and unkempt mane; one that hid most of the Zoroark's features. He had his back turned to Sickle when he peered in, hiding himself from the outside world and curled up tight against the far wall. An occasional sob came from Hank, but for the most part, he was completely silent and didn't move so much as an inch from his hiding spot.

It was worse than Sickle had dared to think... He had never in his life imagined he would see Hank in such a state, and he could feel an ache in his chest as he took in the sight, hesitating only for a moment as he thought of what he was going to say. After a while, he mustered his courage and climbed into the hollow.

His shadow immediately alerted Hank to his presence as the form of the Sceptile stole some of the light from the hollow as he climbed into the opponent. Instantly he flinched and suddenly whipped around with his claw brandished, stopping only when he saw Sickle's yellow eyes staring right back at him.

"...Lizzie?" he asked, blinking his tear-stained eyes a bit and lowering his claw slowly back to his side. He then frowned slightly and leaned away from the Sceptile as far back as he could. "The fuck are you doing here...? Lemme guess, Legs sent you to find me or some shit?"

"He pointed me in the right direction," said Sickle, "but coming to see you was my own choice." He crawled more into the hollow, resting on his knees by the entrance, but respectfully gave Hank his space until the Zoroark said otherwise. "No one should ever have to be alone, least of all when they've been hurt."

The Zoroark scoffed. "You wasted yer time lookin' for me," je stated spitefully. "I ain't going back... I lost my reason fer bein' a hero in the first place thanks to that Dark Blaziken bitch, and I lost my chance fer revenge thanks to that mother of Luke's... I got no other reason to keep going anymore."

"I didn't come here to ask you to come back," Sickle replied, shaking his head. Though he had told Volcan he wouldn't return without the Zoroark, Sickle only half-meant that, as he was not going to force Hank to do anything he did not want to. "I'm here for you, Hank... Just you."

"Yea?" Hank asked, looking back at Sickle squarely and lifted his claws as if to shrug, and it was there that Sickle saw that his claws were bloodied, and there were scars lining his forearms all the way up to his elbows.

'This is worse than I thought... He's been hurting himself,' thought Sickle, having to fight to keep the dread off his face knowing it would only provoke Hank further.

"And how do ya plan to just be here fer me, Lizzie?" Hank asked, his voice still carrying that defeated venom. "You going to tell me that it wasn't my fault and that things will get better with time? That he wouldn't want me to wallow in my own depression and all that classic cringy shit everyone says?" he asked rhetorically, "Unless you know a way to bring him the fuck back, or you know where that Garchomp bitch went, you can go straight to hell... I don't want your support or anyone else's."

Sickle was silent for a few heartbeats before he answered plainly. "I believe you're right, about everything up to that last sentence. You know everything said there to be true," said Sickle, evenly. "But about you not wanting anyone's support... I don't believe that."

"Yea well, that's yer prerogative. You can believe me or not, my point is I don't want you here," Hank spat back, then turned his back on Sickle. "Leave me the fuck alone, Lizzie..."

Sickle shook his head. "You know I can't do that, Hank," he stated firmly, "if I leave you now, all that will do is show that no one cares about you; that Gex was the only one who did. That could not be further from the truth."

"He was the only one who understood me!" Hank bellowed back at Sickle. "You weren't there when I almost got crushed by some fuckwitt who believed in all the hate my kind was cursed with!! He was the only one that gave enough of a shit to save my life!! I didn't see anyone else rise to the occasion at the time!" He continued with tears once again starting to well up in his eyes the more he went on. "He... was the only reason I'm still here... Without him, I can't keep doing this... He was the one reason I got into the whole hero gig, and now he's dead! Because I tried to be a hero and he suffered for it!"

Sickle let Hank unload his feelings, releasing the pent-up sorrow and anger in his heart and staying silent as he did. It wasn't until Hank had stopped and started to calm himself again that Sickle inched closer. The Zoroark started leaning back instinctively, but eventually stopped when he felt the back wall along his back, which prevented him from moving away from the approaching Sceptile.

"S-Stay the fuck away..." Hank commanded, trying to sound angry, but his voice was all cracked and strained from trying not to break down all over again.

Sickle stopped moving closer, respecting Hank's wishes, but he made no move to leave. Their eyes met, even as no further words were shared... Sickle's expression was sympathetic, but not piteous... He knew Hank didn't want pity, but he also knew deep down that the Zoroark - whatever he might say, did not truly want to be left alone.

Hank started to quiver and stifle a few sobs the longer he stared at Sickle, his bottom lip quivering the most as he felt that surge of emotions building up again. He began to whimper, blinking rapidly to try and rid the tears from his eyes, but they just kept on coming until they were rolling down his cheeks. Eventually, he caved, and he suddenly let out a loud cry of anguish before he suddenly threw himself onto Sickle, resting his chin along his shoulder and just crying his eyes out all over again.

Sickle didn't hesitate, wrapping his arms around Hank and hugging him tightly, looking down at the shaking Zoroark he held. He lifted one of his claws to rest on the back of Hank's head, gently caressing him and rocking him back and forth.

"I will not leave you, Hank," he promised, speaking barely above a whisper.

Eventually Hank shakily lifted his claws up and clutched along Sickle's back, returning the embrace as he continued to lay bare his sorrow. He eventually managed to calm himself down, still sniffling as he pulled back a bit to look at Sickle squarely in the eyes.

"...I...I can't do this..." He whimpered softly. "The pain... it's too much... It's like my heart has been ripped outta my chest."

"I know, Hank," Sickle said softly, "but you mustn't forget... There are still those who love you and will do anything to help you," he lifted his claw to wipe away one of Hank's tears. "You need look no further than right in front of you to know it to be true."

The two locked gazes for a long moment of silence, Hank still occasionally sniffling and sobbing, but he still held the Sceptile firmly in his claws. "H-How long ya plannin' to stay in Azure?" he asked softly.

Sickle gave a soft smile in return. "As long as you need me to," he said.

Hank then slid a claw from Sickle's back to touch his face, staring desperately into his eyes. "...Can ya stay with me fer a little while longer?" he asked hopefully.

Sickle nodded. "Like I said, Hank.. I'm not going anywhere," he said.

With that, the two lay down on the floor of the hollow, with Sickle holding Hank in his arms as they lay together, silently, in the giant tree. The Zoroark held onto Sickle all the more tighter as they got comfortable in each other's arms, never taking his eyes off of Sickle and even bumping noses with him as they lay together. He felt a weight being lifted off of his chest, and the pain in his heart started to lessen the longer he gazed at Sickle. That said, he was still in pain, and he needed every ounce of support he could get from the Secptile at that moment.

Sickle never left Hank's side, nor released him from his embrace as they lay there together, letting the Zoroark feel the beating of his heart mixed with his own. Slowly, but surely... The pain lessened. Hank felt the aching in his chest growing more bearable as he lay there in the Sceptile's loving embrace. He was reminded then of a time he'd held Sickle this way as well, after the apparent deaths of Luke and Volcan - though of course Sickle had still been a Grovyle then, and much smaller than Hank. Now, as a Sceptile, he was the larger of the two, but his kindness was as grand as it ever was...

"Hey uh... Mind if I try somethin' real quick..?" He asked softly, his claw once again idly touching Sickle's cheek.

"What's that?" Sickle asked curiously.

"Somethin that might help ease the pain or make it worse... At this point, I'm takin' that gamble," he answered, then without warning he suddenly pressed in, his lips meshing with Sickle's and locked him in a firm kiss, one that he held and waited for Sickle's reaction to it before he would either pull away or deepen it.

Sickle was momentarily taken aback by the kiss, much like the first time Hank had kissed him - nearly a year ago on the Peacemaker, but he didn't attempt to pull away. It wasn't the first time he had kissed Hank, as they'd shared a tender moment like this once before. For a moment though, Sickle was worried that Hank was trying to do more than simply find an escape from the pain... But he didn't push him away, even with that thought...

Eventually he did pull back though, letting out a small sigh and keeping his eyes closed as he did. "...Sorry, I just," he whispered gently. "I needed that."

"I understand," said Sickle, lifting a claw to gently caress Hank's cheek. "...You must have loved him very much."

"You've no fucking clue... That man was the whole reason I got into this Hero gig, like I said before," he reiterated. "That's why I don't think I can keep going, Lizzie... How can I keep bein' a hero when my hero no longer walks this earth?"

"I cannot say for sure, Hank," said Sickle, grimacing. "All I can say is, in the time I've known you, you've become a hero to many; you freed the captives from Arc Island, and you helped save the City of Hadleigh, not to mention you helped me and Volcan with apprehending those escaped convicts. People speak highly of you; I know they do."

He rested a claw on Hank's shoulder, gently squeezing it. "You've come so far in realizing your dream... Surely you don't want to give it up now?"

"Like hell I do," Hank answered, "I just... I don't know how I can go on without him, Lizzie... He was my hero, and that bastard took him from me."

"I know, Hank," said Sickle, letting out a slow breath, "But we must carry on for those who've we've lost... If only to honour their memories, and the hopes they had for us. I know Gex would've wanted you to find happiness again, and to never give up on your dream. The pain will linger... It might never truly go away."

He reached down to grasp Hank's paw with his. "But still, you don't have to face it alone... I'm here, and so are your teammates, and your friends. I know Volcan especially will be there when you need him; he made you his best man at his wedding, after all; that's got to count for something," he added as he smiled.

"Heh... Yea, I guess yer right." Hank answered, allowing a small smile himself. "Guess I owe that flaming kung fu chicken a huge apology once I start feeling better, huh?" He asked, a bit of his old demeanour returning, and that cheeky grin starting to show itself on his face.

"I know it'd be a big relief for him," replied Sickle, "He's really worried about you, you know. I could tell when I saw him in town."

"I'll make it top of my list, then," Hank answered, then slid his arms back around Sickle again. "Before that though... I wanna stay here a bit longer. I'm already feelin' comfortable being held like this," he added, slipping a sly, seductive wink back at the Sceptile.

"We can stay as long as you want," said Sickle. "My teammates will coordinate with the others in town. For now, I'm right where I need to be."

"As odd as it sounds," Hank remarked, smiling as he leaned in close again. "So am I," he concluded, then once again pressed his lips against Sickle's in a firm, yet tender kiss, sighing as he let himself relax even further into the moment.

~~~~~

Sickle didn't return that evening, leaving Volcan wondering if the Sceptile had even managed to locate Hank, or if he was still looking. Volcan had to fight the urge to go looking for them; Sickle could take care of himself, and certainly was far less likely to get lost in the woods at night than Volcan would be if he attempted to go searching for them now.

So, he occupied himself, stopping by the Peacemaker to check in with Torolf and his team, who reported that supply distribution was going well. He met with the rest of Sickle's team, having arrived shortly after the Sceptile had, and directed them to where they could help. Blaster joined the cleaning crews while Kaen and Howler assisted with supply distribution, the mute Arcanine serving as a carrier for any deliveries that needed to be made while Kaen spoke for him.

Later, Volcan went to the temporary hospital to check on Luke - though he was sleeping and couldn't see him at the time. On his way out, he met Striker at the entrance, who was coming by to visit his father when he ran into Volcan. The Blaziken informed the Tyranitar that Luke was still asleep, and so they left together. Their walk eventually took them close to what remained of the docks, which were little more than broken chunks of driftwood, scattered about the beach or floating on the water.

It was then Volcan realized what else was missing. "My boat... Son of a bitch, my boat's gone," he said. In all the confusion, he had forgotten all about it...

"I... Would offer that maybe it got swept away with the receding tide," Striker remarked, "But given how badly destroyed the town was," he trailed off, looking away slightly.

"Yeah... I'm not holding my breath," said Volcan, sighing and rubbing the back of his head. "Well... At least we still have the airship. It was a good boat, but I suppose it was bound to happen if Kyogre was here... It's nothing short of a miracle that the whole town wasn't destroyed, let alone the boats."

"Yea, I'm trying not to think about that," Striker answered, his expression flat for a moment before he let out a sigh. "Well, you can always get another one at least, right?" He offered.

"True, I can," said Volcan, nodding. "It's just a boat, after all," he let out a sigh. "Still... A few memories were made on that boat. It will be missed."

Striker nodded, then gently reached over and placed his claw on Volcan's shoulder. "What about you? You gonna be alright, pop?" he asked while looking down at him with concern.

"I'll be okay," Volcan assured him, lifting a hand to rest on Striker's claw. "There's a lot to do yet, for both of us."

"If you ask me, I think you should take a break. You look like you haven't slept for a couple of days," the Tyranitar pointed out. "Take it from someone who's used to working long hours. You need your rest, no matter how big or small."

"Yeah... Yeah, you might have a point," Volcan admitted, realizing then that he did feel tired. "Ever since the end of the battle, there's been this... Feeling. Like something in the air has changed, and I haven't been able to settle down because of it. I can't explain it, other than to say..." he stared out to sea, his hands clenching at his sides. "Something is about to happen. I don't know what... Or when it will, but something is coming. Something I need to be ready for."

Striker nodded gently. "I get what you're saying but consider this," he said as he grinned and started lightly driving his knuckle into his head. "How are you gonna be ready for what's coming when you've got black bags under your eyes and are hallucinating from lack of sleep?"

Volcan chuckled. "Alright, you got me," he admitted, "I suppose I should go home and catch whatever sleep I can, then. Good night, Striker."

"See ya in the morrow," Striker answered, giving him a wink and a salute before he turned and lumbered away.

With that, Volcan made his way back to the house, stopping first at Minato's to pick up Ignus. When he knocked on the door, he'd expected Lashanne to answer; the Delphox had been resting at home after the battle, as she needed some recovery time. But to his surprise, it was Minato himself who answered, looking like he had just come out of a bath as his fur was clean, damp and he still wore a towel around his neck.

"Hey, bud. Sorry if I came at a bad time," said Volcan, "I was just here to pick up Ignus."

"Hey, no worries. I just finished washing up," he answered. "Come on in, I'll fetch him while you wait." He said as he stepped aside to let the Blaziken enter.

Volcan stepped into the house, taking a moment to look around the room. He saw Lashanne, laid back on the couch asleep. Volcan noted the position of her paws, and the open book on the table in front of her; she had probably fallen asleep while reading and Minato had taken the book out of her paws so that it wouldn't fall on the floor, leaving it open so that she didn't lose her place.

A moment later, Minato came back down, but to Volcan's surprise, the Rockruff was also fast asleep, nestled in his arms. "Oh. Guess he must have tuckered himself out," Volcan said, keeping his voice low.

"Yea, we spent most of the evening running all over the place outside. Kid's got about as much energy as Caulin does; maybe even more," he said as he handed the sleeping Rockruff back to Volcan, then he looked up and got a good look at the Blaziken, wincing somewhat. "...You look terrible, man."

"I... Haven't been sleeping as much as I probably should be," the Blaziken admitted.

"Honestly, I don't blame you," he returned. "With Luke comatose, I can only imagine how much of a strain that's been being put on you... And then there's that business with Hank disappearing."

"It's not just those," said Volcan, "Yeah, they are enough to keep me up, but there's also this... I can't describe it. There's this feeling I keep having, and it won't go away no matter how much I try to relax."

At that, Minato blinked a few times as if he were staring at Volcan in disbelief, then he let out a long sigh before he moved and leaned against a nearby wall. "...You've felt that too, huh?" he asked while crossing his arms, "That feeling that something awful's on its way and could strike out at any given moment...?"

Volcan nodded, cradling Ignus in his arms. "I have. It's left me feeling restless; I've been training even harder the last few days when I'm not helping in town. My muscles are aching, but I just can't stop going, even though my body is trying to tell me to. I just..." he shrugged, "I can't really explain it, other than how you said it - like this feeling that something terrible is coming, and that I'm unprepared."

"Dude," Minato stated, pushing off the wall and placing his paw firmly on Volcan's shoulder. "You need to rest... I get it. You're anxious about something that's coming, and you feel like you need to keep pushing yourself to prepare for it," he stated. "But if you keep pushing yourself as hard as you are now, you'll only end up just like Luke, and then you won't be a help for any of us when shit really does hit the fan." He explained as he released the Blaziken's shoulder. "Stop worrying about what ifs and focus on the here and now... It's how I've been trying to deal with that anxious feeling."

Volcan took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. It didn't help him calm down very much, but it did alleviate a small amount of the tension. "...Any advice to help me relax so I can sleep?" he asked, smiling weakly.

Minato shrugged. "I dunno really. Have you considered something like decaf tea? Maybe burn some of that excess energy somehow?"

"Burning the excess has been part of the issue - there doesn't seem to be a limit to it," said Volcan, "But, I'll think of something. For now, I better go put this little guy in bed," he looked down at the sleeping Ignus as he spoke.

"Good call, then I'd suggest putting yourself to bed immediately after." Minato suggested, then punched his paws together and smirked. "Or I'll put you to bed myself."

"Er... No thank you!" Volcan said, hastily excusing himself from the house and heading next door to his own place.

Volcan thanked his lucky stars that their homes had been spared when Kyogre's flood had swept over the town. The houses, built by the hands of himself and his friends, had been built on the far side of Azure, opposite the shore, and on a small rise that gave a minor view over the town itself - not exactly high ground, but that slight elevation had been enough that all they suffered was some water-logged front porches and a bit of flooding into their living rooms.

Volcan secured the sleeping Ignus over his arm, unlocking the door with his freed hand before stepping inside. With that, he carried Ignus to his room, and very gently set him down on his bed, kneeling beside it and watching the little pup sleeping. The adorable Rockruff managed to warm his heart without being awake, and he gently pet Ignus on the head before he stood again, and walked back out to the living room, where he peered out the window.

He crossed his arms over his abdomen, clasping his hands together as he stared off into the west, eyes on the rapidly fading sunlight on the horizon. "...Whatever is coming," he thought aloud to himself, "for Ignus' sake, and everyone else's... I have to be ready."

Despite that thought, he managed to force himself to go to bed and lie down under the covers, resting his head on the pillow. As much as he missed having Luke sleeping beside him, exhaustion managed to finally catch up to him once he was settled. Sleep came easily for the first time in days...

Little did Volcan know that all across the world, others were feeling the same thing as himself; feeling the change in the air and the sensation that something was about to happen. Near or far, those who had been at war with the Dark Crusade even briefly were feeling it as much as he was. One in particular sat no further away than Azure's partially rebuilt docks, Torolf sat quietly, staring out at the sea, but his eyes were filled with the same reverence and wonder as were those of the Blaziken on the other side of town.

"The war's climax is coming closer," he said as he looked up at the moon above, "the final battle is coming..."

~~~~~

Calygrad...

The king listened attentively as the knights shared their story with him, telling Calyrex of everything they had experienced, from meeting Luke to the research expedition and to their dangerous venture into a forbidden land. Zacian even included her newly forged bond with Minato in her part of the story, which caught Calyrex's attention.

The king smiled. "You have done well, my knights. Though you have certainly earned a reprieve, I fear your services will be needed again very soon," he stated.

Neither Zacian nor Zamazenta questioned Calyrex's words. They could feel the change, just as he could. The duty of a knight was never truly over... But the biggest battle of their lives was still coming, they could feel it.

Zamazenta looked at Zacian. "Are you ready for what is to come, sister?" He asked.

"You should know I am always ready to face the next challenge, brother," Zacian answered, casting a sidelong glance to Zamazenta. "Though this time... I will go into battle with a level head, and a partner at my side."

Zamazenta nodded to her in approval. Then, Calyrex rose from his throne, hovering into the air as he raised his voice. "Let it be known," he said, lifting a clenched paw as he spoke, "Calygrad shall stand with the forces of justice when the final battle comes. First thing in the morning, we assemble our army, and training begins. A great change is coming, and we shall be there to see it through!"

~~~~~

Hadleigh...

Neilla's fists slammed hard into the dummy repeatedly. She moved with such vigour, she barely took a second to catch her breath, landing punch after punch, kick after kick, her ears bouncing behind her head, kept out of her face only by the band she used to tie them back. It seemed like she had been going for hours as it was, and yet... She did not feel exhausted at all.

She needed to be strong... She needed to be stronger than ever. She didn't know why she felt this way, but the feeling tenacious ate away at her and spurred her on. She barely noticed the arrival of Azrael until he spoke her name, and only then did she finally stop attacking the training dummy in front of her, catching her breath as Azrael approached.

"It is rather late to be training, isn't it?" the Absol asked.

"I couldn't sleep," she replied, walking over to a stool where she left a water bottle, knocking back half of the contents before she continued. "I can't explain it... But there's this weird sensation. Like something is about to happen... something big."

"I feel it as well," said Azrael. "But even if I focus with all of my strength, I cannot see far enough into the future to tell what it is... All I can see is darkness and pain... A battle like nothing the world has ever seen."

"Yeah," Neilla replied, nodding, "And we are going to be there."

"You think we can make that much of a difference?"

"One rock makes a ripple, and the faster it hits, the bigger that ripple is," she replied. "Even if we aren't the ones who decide the outcome, I have a hunch we'll be needed."

"Is that more your 'women's intuition', captain?" Azrael asked with a smirk.

"Nope," she replied, not taking the bait of his patronizing comment as she replaced the cap of her water bottle and set it down. "This time... I'd say it's more a warrior's instinct. Otherwise," she looked squarely at the Absol, already seeing the tension in his limbs, evident in the flex of his claws and the height of his head. "You wouldn't be here, ready to spar with me."

Azrael grinned at her. "Well, if I am that obvious," he said. "I suppose we should begin."

"Bring it," Neilla returned eagerly as she shifted posture, ready to defend when Azrael sprang at her...

~~~~~

Gladiator City...

It had been years since Romulus had stood atop the Colosseum as he was at that moment. The sun was setting in the west behind him, casting a deep shadow over his town as the wind blew around him. The scene, and the moment... They felt familiar to the Houndoom. The feeling of emptiness, and a lingering dread that the world he knew was about to end.

Yet unlike the last time he had felt it, he didn't know what change was coming. The last time he had felt this way, he had brought down the tyrannical Big Five, liberating Gladiator City from their cruel ways and taking their place as the city leader. By all accounts, he was a benevolent dictator, but over time he relaxed the laws that centralized most of the city's power around him. He had been doing a lot of that lately... He'd even opened elections for a mayor to manage the city. A move he never thought he'd make... so far there had not been any takers, but time and trial alike had made him patient for such changes.

Especially when he had the feeling he might very well not be there to see them. Whatever change was coming, the world would never be the same again. If that happened, would there still be a place in it for someone like him?

"Come what may," he said aloud, "I will face any challenge. One side shall stand, and the other will fall, but one way or the other, this war will soon end."

He stood tall as he looked out at the rapidly dimming sky. It was indeed a scenario he knew well. One side would remain, and the fate of thousands - no... millions,_in this case,_ would rest on the outcome, on the victor. Most might fear such a challenge. But the Hound of Terror had faced such odds before, and he would do so again...