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The Kyogre's Rest was nearing the end of the first week of its journey. Loaded with six Rescue Teams - Valiant, Phalanx, Plainsrunner, Kama, Storm and of course Team Warmachine, who spent that time making preparations for what lay at the end of their voyage - everybody managing it in different ways.

On the sixth day, Torolf stood at the bow of the ship, waiting. He had received word from a flying messenger from the Red Talons, that they would soon be joined by the team of ace fliers - as well as many others that Captain Jake Talonclaw had taken the liberty of recruiting. Standing with the Swampert were his second, Leon, and Razorwing, who stood silent and attentive by the left hand of his leader.

Soon, they saw the flocks of avianic Pokémon on approach to the ship. Multiple flocks of various bird species, at the lead of which were the Talonflames of the Red Talons, with Jake Talonclaw himself flying at the lead, accompanied by his son, Jack - otherwise known as Eagle Eye of Team Valiant.

The various flocks all circled overhead once they were over the ship itself, making multiple laps as they sought a place to land, until eventually they spotted Torolf waiting at the bow. Jake made a sharp turn, his squadron following in his wake, and the other flocks matched their motion. In an impressive display of coordination, each of the flocks landed on the deck in a tightly packed line.

As the others landed, Jake looked up as Torolf came forward, followed by Leon and Razorwing. Jake lifted a wing to tip his goggles up, away from his eyes, and flashed a wry smirk at the Swampert.

"Long time no see, Big T," Jake said, tipping his wing in a salute. "Heard from my boy that you guys were entering the final stages of this war."

"Indeed we are, Captain Jake," Torolf replied, nodding his head to the Talonflame. "I'm glad you could join us."

"Like I'd miss out on this doozie," Jake returned, "Hope you don't mind, but I brought a few friends of my own to help turn things in our favour."

A Swellow and Toucannon hopped over to join Jake, each of them saluting Torolf cordially before introducing themselves. "Captain Hallie Galewing of the Blue Cyclones, reporting for duty," said the Swellow.

"Captain Jean Jaeger of Blast Squadron standing by," the Toucannon added.

"Am I the only bird here without a surname?" Razorwing muttered.

"I do not have one either," Leon pointed out.

"Having more of you can only improve our chances," said Torolf, nodding to both flight captains, "Welcome aboard, Captains Hallie and Jean."

"It may be beneficial in the long run," Leon added, "Once we defeat the Crusade, we will still need additional help in locating any stragglers they will have out there."

"Agreed," Torolf replied. Then, he turned his attention to Eagle Eye, "Thank you for finding them for us, Eagle Eye. I have some things to discuss with them; if you wish to rejoin your teammates, they're at the stern, training with the other teams. I imagine Luke will want to know you've returned."

"Will do," Eagle Eye answered, nodding as he took flight once again, heading right for the stern of the ship.

As Torolf had said, Eagle Eye could make out the familiar forms of several of his comrades, gathered at the onboard arena of the ship. While it had been used as a platform for landing the airship, the dirigible vessel was now afloat behind the Kyogre's Rest, secured by multiple towing lines so that it did not simply float away.

At the fighting ring, two combatants were already sparring. A Lopunny, and a Sceptile, trading blows and racing about the limited space, both of them equally speedy. But the Sceptile - Sickle, was taller than her, giving him more reach with several of his attacks. The Lopunny, Neilla, was being forced to stay ahead of him as much as possible, unable to go on the offensive as Sickle was usually ready whenever she attempted to.

Their respective teammates cheered the two on from the side, while Volcan, Luke and their teammates watched quietly, enjoying the spectacle. Thinking he could get a scare out of them, the Talonflame snickered as he dove down in front of Luke and Volcan, landing in front of them with a small burst of fire before spreading his wings and shouting "BOO!!"

"AGH!" the two shouted in unison, jumping back in alarm, their shouts gaining the attention of the rest of their teammates who looked over in surprise; even Neilla and Sickle stopped their fight to see what was happening, and saw the Talonflame laughing hysterically at the expense of the two he had successfully frightened.

"You little turd!" Volcan growled, grabbing at Eagle Eye, but the Talonflame shot up out of his reach and giggled impishly at Volcan's attempt to grab him.

"Missed me, bitch~" Eagle Eye shot back, his giggle rising into laughter as he circled overhead, the Blaziken glaring up at him. "Ahhh been dyin' to do that for ages."

"Hope it was worth it," Luke remarked as he cracked his knuckles menacingly.

"Yep!" Eagle Eye answered without a moment's hesitation.

"Welcome back, either way," Lashanne commented, paw over her mouth as she tried to hold back a laugh, shared by Minato and Hank.

"Good to be back!" Eagle Eye answered with a nod. "How you guys been holding up while I was gone?"

"Well, as you can see," said Volcan, gesturing to their gathered group, "We brought Teams Plainsrunner and Storm into our little coalition too. Right now, Katsu and Wade are away with Jora on another mission as well, trying to get us even more help."

"Sounds good. Did anyone else decide they wanted to help?" Eagle Eye asked. "My Dad brought with him a couple other squadrons to help as well."

"Well, we don't know who else to ask yet," said Volcan. "I imagine Romulus sent word to every team out here but if there's anyone else who'll be coming, we don't know. We've been trying to let Mewtwo rest since he's been teleporting us around a lot, and he's still healing."

Eagle Eye's head jerked toward Volcan, his jovial expression suddenly becoming one of shock. "I'm sorry, back the fuck up," he squawked, "You guys have freaking Mewtwo helping us out?"

"Well... yeah," Luke returned calmly, "After Minato purified him and he had some rest, he came to us and offered his assistance in gathering up our allies. It certainly saved us a few extra days out at sea having to dock at Hadleigh and such."

"How else do you think we got Neilla and Ernoul's teams here and already got this far out to sea?" Volcan asked, jerking his thumb toward the arena where the Lopunny and Sceptile had returned to their sparring, and Ernoul was watching quietly from outside the ring.

"...Well damn," Eagle Eye remarked as he watched the two of them spar, then turned his attention back to Luke. "I swear man, you got a knack for getting on people's good side no matter how bad to the bone they were."

Luke just shrugged. "I just believe in giving others a second chance, especially if they were victims of circumstance," he answered casually.

Suddenly, there was a yelp from the arena, and the three turned in time to see Neilla flying over the edge. Behind her, having struck her in the back, was a huge, thick root, sending her tumbling over the side to land hard on the deck. They were surprised to see that the root had come from Sickle, growing out of one of the seeds on his back and retracting even as he relaxed his posture.

"Ow..." Neilla groaned as she pushed herself up on her paws. "Didn't see that coming."

"That's a win for our Captain!" Kaen crowed, pumping his fists in the air.

Luke smiled softly. "Looks like Sickle's really getting used to his evolved body if he can square up with Neilla and take her down," he remarked.

"True, but she's improved a lot as well," Minato added with a nod. "She's starting to get faster both on her feet and with her attacks... She might be gunning for your position as the fastest," he added with a wry smirk.

"She's got to get past me first before she can challenge Luke for the title of fastest," Volcan stated, allowing himself to sound cocky as he jabbed a thumb at himself.

"You looking to go a few rounds, Volc?" Neilla asked in challenge as she stood again.

"Don't want to catch your breath first?"

"Just 'cuz Sickle got me doesn't mean I'm out," she retorted.

"I think a small break would be beneficial before you tango with my husband, Neilla," Luke offered. "At least a water break before you jump back in there."

Neilla lifted a paw to push her ears back. "I suppose so... Okay, Volc, raincheck then."

"You got it," the Blaziken replied, and looked over as Sickle came to do that. "Say, what was that root you hit her with anyway?" he asked, "Last I heard, Sceptile can't learn Vine Whip."

"They can't," Sickle replied, "That was a new move; Frenzy Plant. I learned it about a month ago, and when I found that I could make it come out of the seeds on my back, I started looking for ways to incorporate it into my battle style. No one _ever_sees it coming."

"It's true," Kaen piped up, rubbing the back of his head. "When he used it in our last training battle I didn't see that he'd sent some into the bushes to slide around behind me. He whipped me right in the back... Then kicked me in the gut when I stumbled."

"Sorry," Sickle replied to the Charmeleon.

"I thought Frenzy Plant made the environment around you come alive and attack?" Lashanne asked, "I met a Venusaur once who used it like that."

"Everybody has their own ways to use attacks," Sickle explained, "Besides, if it was limited to that, it'd severely limit where I could actually use it. Like, say, on the deck of a ship, absent any vegetation?" he waved his claw around in a semicircular manner, indicative of the Kyogre's Rest.

"...Good point," Lashanne agreed, nodding.

"Either way, you've come a long way since you and I first met, Sickle," Luke offered, stepping over and reaching up with his paw to give the Sceptile a pat on the shoulder. "We're glad to have you here with us."

Sickle smiled and shook his head. "There's no way I was going to sit this one out," he said, "So many people act like problems like this will go away, and they might, but only because someone takes action to bring it to an end," he looked around the deck. "I mean, that's why we're all here, right? So, I think it's only right I be here too."

Luke nodded, but before he could speak, claws were wrapped around Sickle from behind in an embrace, belonging to a smirking Zoroark. "Damn right," Hank remarked with a wink in Sickle's direction.

Volcan smiled. "Well, he's not wrong. We are all here to bring this crisis to an end," he stated.

"And we will, so long as we stand together," Luke added confidently.

"And we're going to do it by making sure we're all at our best," Neilla added, "So who's going next?"

From the crowd, the Floazel, Val, stepped forward. "I think I'd like to have a go," he said.

"Heeyyy, our old pal, the Wave Rider!" Tristan bellowed, "Still faster than a speedboat, Val?"

"As long as I haven't gotten out of shape!" Val replied, adjusting his goggles.

"I'll take you up on that," Minato remarked as he stepped forward, rolling his head along his shoulders.

Val tensed. "Whoa... Me, against Minato?" he asked, uncertainty in voice.

"You got this, Val! You've faced way tougher!" Drogo cheered him on.

"Tougher - have you met this guy?" Val asked, gesturing to Minato but looking at his teammate.

"Don't start doubting yourself now, or you'll already have lost," Minato remarked with a wry smirk.

Val swallowed nervously, and then steadied himself as he went to join Minato on the ring, his twin tails waving in anticipation behind him as he took his place across from the Lucario.

The Lucario in question had the same relaxed posture he had when they had that group sparring session back at Hadleigh, smiling confidently and beckoning the Floatzel to attack when he was ready.

"Let's see what you've learned."

Val gave a slow nod and pulled down his goggles over his eyes. "Here goes..."

He stood tall, jumped side to side with his paws raised to the air, turning on his fourth and fifth hops as storm clouds gathered overhead. It wasn't long before a steady downpour began, forcing everyone to retreat under the overhang as Rain Dance took effect. When the rain began, Val faced Minato again; the Lucario could not see Val's eyes very clearly behind his goggles, thanks to the reflection of the lenses clouding them as they showed the falling rain, and the Lucario who stood before him.

"...Starting off with Rain Dance," Minato remarked with a hint of curiosity in his tone, glancing slightly upward at the clouds overhead before turning his attention back to Val and beckoning him with his paw.

Val's tail spun like a rotor, and he was off like a shot toward Minato, breaking off at the last second to race around the Lucario. The orange-furred Floatzel was a blur as he moved, reappearing behind Minato before lashing out at him with an Iron Tail. In response he quickly summoned his blade and turned to intercept the Iron Tail, grunting in surprise from the force of the attack, but otherwise held his ground.

He then pushed the Floatzel back and thrust his left paw forward in an attend to shove Val back with a telekinetic push with Psychic. Val went skidding across the wet arena, but was quickly off again, propelled by another Aqua Jet as he sought another opening in Minato's guard.

As the fight went on, Sickle remembered a question he had. "Hey Volcan, I've been meaning to ask you," he began, "The other day, Minato told us about the Battle of Azure, when you went after Calhoun to try to catch him... He mentioned that you fought Calhoun there, by yourself, and you won."

Volcan rubbed the back of his head. "Well... Yeah, I guess I did," he said.

"Care to fill us in on how," Sickle asked, "in case any of us have to fight him ourselves?"

"It's something I worked out," Volcan began, "between training with Master Zheng, and recalling the times I fought Calhoun before. I started to notice something that I don't think any of us realized before, because his entire fighting style was just so alien to us."

"Go on?" Sickle prompted, with Neilla, Lashanne and Luke now all listening attentively.

"Calhoun's fighting style," Volcan explained, "is meant to work in correlation with his ability. We know he naturally possesses Speed Boost, even without Mega Evolution. He uses that in his technique, using his steadily increasing speed; every attack he makes generates momentum that he carries into his next attack which has both the effects of increasing his striking power and narrowing the gap which anyone can strike back without getting hit."

"Pretty clever, much as I hate to say so," Lashanne admitted, reluctantly.

"But that's also his weakness - he's subject to his own speed," added Volcan. "Eventually, he has to stop, because if he doesn't, he'll generate too much momentum, and won't be able to control his movement; even if his speed was virtually infinite, his brain can still only process so much at once, and his body does still have physical limits - that Blessed power only does so much."

"When I made that hypothesis," continued Volcan, "that's when I noticed that he has a pattern to his attacks, limiting himself on how many times he strikes before stopping to reorient himself. It's a short window and would take someone at least close to him in speed - if not even faster, to take advantage of it. But it's there."

Lashanne tilted her head back. "Come to think of it," she said, "I've seen someone fight like Calhoun before... Years ago, on the West Continent."

"Was it another Blaziken? Maybe it was him," Neilla offered.

But Lashanne shook her head. "No, definitely wasn't a Blaziken - this guy was a Water-type, known as a Quaquaval, and the similarities were not exact - their style seemed more like a dance than a fighting style, but there are some steps they use that mirror the way Calhoun fights..."

"I think Master Zheng did mention it wasn't actually him or his predecessor who created the capo-variant," Volcan thought aloud, looking at Luke for confirmation.

"You're right. It was actually a fellow monk that created the variant," Luke answered. "From what Master Zheng told me, the creator of the Capo variant to the Rapid Strike Style did so as a means for warriors who relied on their feet rather than their hands, like Hitmonlee for example, to fight comfortably without forcing themselves to adapt to the traditional practices, which involve a lot of rapid hand attacks."

"Which suits Calhoun's way of using it to a tee, considering he never uses his hands to attack," agreed Volcan.

"How come you didn't take it up, Volcan?" Lashanne asked, "You attack more with your feet than your hands."

"That's because I'm a Blaziken," remarked Volcan, "Anatomically, we're designed more for kicks than punches. That being said, my training in the Art of the Eight Limbs honed my upper body too, so I'm not confined to just fighting with my legs, and I felt the implementing techniques from the Single Strike style would complement my fighting style better."

"Which it does," Luke commented with a smile, "You strike with the force of a herd of charging Tauros thanks to Master Chen's training."

"And unlike when I used to use Brave Bird, I don't knock myself out in the process," Volcan added in jest.

"I'd call that a plus!" Neilla added.

"Speaking of which, are you sure there isn't a way to mitigate the damage dealt back to you through Brave Bird?" Luke asked.

"I truly don't know," replied Volcan, "To even use it, energy is exploding out of my body and propelling me like I was launched out of a cannon. I'm at the mercy of my own mass when I'm in motion like that."

"Hm..." Luke hummed in response, looking ahead as he pondered for a moment. His ear twitched a little as something clicked in his brain, causing him to look at his own paw for a moment, then grimaced and clenched it for a second before relaxing again.

A whoop from the arena caught their attention, and they looked up in time to see Val flipping through the air - not a jump; he'd been thrown, and Tristan - acting on instinct, darted into the path to catch the Floatzel before he could hit the deck.

"Thanks," Val said to the Aggron, "Thought I almost had him."

"Ya went three minutes with Minato - that's nothin' to sniff at," Tristan complimented as he set Val down on his feet again.

"Alright - who's next?" Neilla called, putting up her paw to shield her face from rain drops. "And can someone clear the effects of this Rain Dance?"

"Not unless you prefer Hail," Ernoul called back, "It should end in a minute or two."

"Times like this, I kind of wish Sol knew Sunny Day," Luke joked, stifling a chuckle.

"Yea, who knows? Maybe it'll brighten that grumpy disposition he always has." Hank added to the joke.

They all shared a small laugh at the absent Typhlosion's expense, then Luke let out a sigh before he stepped up. "I guess I could take a turn," he remarked.

"You sure, love?" Volcan asked, warily.

"Only way to know if I'm ready," Luke replied.

Volcan shared concerned looks with his friends. Before anybody else could step up, however, Neilla came over to clap Luke on the shoulder.

"Alright," she said, and started toward the ring, volunteering herself as his opponent.

Luke smiled back at her. "Been a while since you and I threw hands... I'm interested to see how far you've come since then."

"You might be surprised," she replied, looking over her shoulder to grin at him.

Sickle watched the exchange and leaned over to Volcan. "She really seems eager to clash with him," he said to the Blaziken.

"Luke and Neilla sparred once when we were in Hadleigh, and he managed to score a win against her," said Volcan, "She can be a bit competitive, so she took that as a sign to improve. I think she's wanted another go at him ever since."

"How many times have you guys seen her fight?" Sickle asked.

"Couple of times. She was with us at the Battle of Hadleigh; held her own pretty damn well, helped us take down Lugia. Before that she helped Hank hunt down to take out some Trevenant that were barring travel on the roads," Volcan replied, cocking his head at the Zoroark beside Sickle "She also helped Luke against Eberon when he attacked Hadleigh. Unfortunately..." he grimaced. "One of her teammates was injured; a Flygon named Sarth."

"Oh..." Sickle grimaced as well. "And if she's anything like you or Luke, she probably feels like it's her responsibility to make sure it doesn't happen again?"

"That's a fair bet," agreed Volcan, "So between that, and Luke having a win against her, she's probably eager to prove herself."

Luke and Neilla wandered over to the ring and took a moment to limber up a little, both sides stretching their limbs before shaking a little and stancing up. Luke assumed his usual stance and let out a long, slow breath as he prepared himself for combat. Neilla took her place across from him, stretching out her legs before raising her arms high above her head, bending her body back - with an audible pop from her back, before she faced Luke again, widening her stance and lifting both paws level to her face.

The two watched each other for a long, tense moment, before Neilla made the first move, coming at Luke with a quick strike with her paw, and retreating before he could strike back. Luke quickly blocked the attack with his outstretched paw, then when she retreated, he moved in as fast as he could and retaliated with a one-two combo, then ducked into a low sweep into a rising side kick.

Neilla hopped over his sweeping leg, and retaliated with one of her own, swinging her Low Sweep in a wider arc aiming for his legs, but Luke was able to somersault over the strike, and both shot back to their feet at the same time, their paws moving in a blur as they sparred.

But it was quickly made clear to Luke that he did not have an advantage this time. Neilla was almost as fast as he was; certainly quickly enough to keep up with him... Furthermore, she was just as skilled with Counter as he'd known her to be when they'd first fought, timing them with every failed attack to meet his counter attempts, peppering him with small bruises where her paw struck back with the force of his failed blows.

She was wearing him down faster than he had expected, and Luke was slowly starting to get agitated as a result. In an effort to try and strike her from a distance, he held out his paw and tried conjuring an Aura Sphere. His aura seemed to spark to life around his paw when he tried, but he couldn't maintain its shape as he conjured it, and the attack fizzled out almost immediately after he fired it.

In that split second, he had been trying to form an Aura Sphere as well, he'd left himself open; Neilla raced over to him, a cold mist trailing from her feet, before she kicked Luke. Once, twice, and then a third time, sending a chill across his body while also knocking him back from the force of the third kick.

He grunted with each kick, crying out from the third and was sent flying onto his back in a heap, laying there for a few moments before he stirred and slowly sat back up again.

"Ow..." he groaned while rubbing his face.

He'd expected Neilla to have moved in to pin him, to declare her win... But she didn't. When he saw her, he quickly noticed the way she was looking at him. A mix of bewilderment, and concern...

"Alright, nice work, Neilla!" Bree called, oblivious.

"Well done!" Azrael called.

Neilla nodded to her teammates but didn't say anything back to them as she walked over to Luke and offered her paw to him to help him stand. He slowly took her paw in his and was hoisted back to his feet, still rubbing his jaw a little as he stared back at the Lopunny.

"That was a new move," he stated curiously. "Each hit felt like I was getting chills with each impact."

"It's called 'Triple Axel'," she explained, "an Ice-type, kick-based move I learned recently. Figured it'd work better than Ice Punch in the long run." She put her arm over his shoulder and led him out of the ring, allowing the next pair to step up to spar.

Volcan was there immediately, looking at Luke with the same concern Neilla had. "Are you okay?" he asked.

But Neilla answered instead. "He's not back to full strength yet," she said. "That Aura Sphere fizzling out was the most telling sign..."

Luke sighed, irritated. "Damn it... I thought I would have at least mostly recovered by now..." he growled, looking at his own paw disdainfully. "Mikhail said it'd take about a month for my power to be fully accessible again, and it's been longer than that. What's going on...?"

"The damage you suffered must have been even worse than Mikhail thought," said Volcan, "He said your ability to affect Aura could be affected if you ever did that again. Maybe it was affected... Damaged, somehow."

"What does that mean?" Sickle asked, coming into the conversation. "Is Luke... Losing his powers?"

"I don't think so," replied Volcan, "He wouldn't have even been able to generate that Aura Sphere at all if he was cut off, right?" he looked to Luke for confirmation.

"If I were losing my powers, I would probably still be bedridden." The Lucario assured his comrades. "The fact that I can even remotely conjure an Aura Sphere is proof enough that I'm recovering... It's just taking far too long." He looked at his paws, still disdainful, and clenched them in frustration.

Neilla stepped away from him, understanding now that he didn't need her support, and she looked at the rest of their teams. They were watching an ongoing sparring match between Lashanne and Drogo, the Raichu being kept at bay by the circle of flames the Delphox generated around herself while bombarding him with projectile attacks.

"...To everyone else, it just seems like I hit you before you finished charging it," she said, "so I don't think anyone really knows what's going on... Yet. But they'll catch on. If they think we're down a man - especially one of our captains, that's not going to be good for morale..." She looked at Luke apologetically.

"Anything we can do?" Sickle asked.

Luke shook his head slowly. "I'm afraid there isn't anything you guys can do..." He replied somberly. "All I can do is just hope that my powers return in time for when we arrive in Gladiator City..."

"There has to be some way..." Neilla thought aloud. "Maybe go see Gallia? Perhaps she can help you. She's a doctor, right?"

"More of a combat medic, but yes," Volcan clarified.

Of course, the three of them were trying to be helpful... But they couldn't know, a Lucario's connection to Aura was not only biological. It went deeper than medical science could really understand. But with that thought, Luke did have another idea... Maybe he could receive help from another Lucario; a stronger one than himself, or his brothers, who had absolute mastery of their Aura Control, and he knew just the one.

"...Would you guys excuse me for a moment?" Luke asked, looking at everyone quickly. "There's something that I need to take care of."

"Sure thing, love," Volcan replied, and hugged the Lucario. Luke could tell Volcan was concerned about him, but he trusted that Luke knew what he was doing to take care of himself. "You know where to find me if you need me," the Blaizken added as he held Luke for a long moment...

"I know," Luke answered, offering a smile to him as they held one another, then shared a deep, long kiss with the Blaziken before slowly pulling apart from him and turning to go where he needed to go.

Fortunately for Luke, his hopeful aid was not difficult to find. Ever since she had come onto the ship, Luminara had more or less spent most of her time in her room, when she wasn't exploring the ship's various amenities. That was where he found her, idly meditating on her bed until his knock at her door caught her attention.

"Enter," Luminara said, raising her voice loud enough to be heard through the thick door.

Luke slowly pushed the door open and slid into her room, shutting the door behind him and looking squarely at her until they were locking gazes for a moment. Luminara started to smile, but then that smile faded when she saw the serious expression on her son's face.

"...Is something the matter, Luke?" She asked calmly, sliding off of her bed and stepping toward him.

"Yes," Luke plainly said as he stood before Luminara, "I... Need your help, Mother. I'm still not fully recovered from my battle with Mewtwo. I just had a sparring match with my friend Neilla, and I couldn't fight like I normally do," he explained, his expression becoming more desperate the more he spoke. "Mother... _Please_tell me there's a way for me to recover before we arrive at Gladiator City. I don't want to be a burden to everyone..."

Luminara stared intently down at her son, sensing his desire to help those he loved and his desperation. She let out a small sigh and began to turn away from him, looking toward the opposite wall. Luke's ears wilted, expecting to hear her say that there was no way... but they quickly perked up when she said something he had not expected.

"Normally, there isn't a way," She stated, giving pause for a moment before continuing. "But... I might have an idea that could restore you back to your full potential," she concluded.

Luke's face quickly beamed with relief and joy, but when he opened his mouth to speak, she lifted her paw to silence him. "That being said... the process is long, and the recovery time longer... If you decide to go through with this, you'll be comatose for at least a week, perhaps longer," she warned her son, looking over her shoulder to him. "Knowing this... Do you still wish to go through with this procedure?"

To her surprise, Luke gave her an immediate answer. "If that's what it'll take to get me back in the fight, I'll do it," he said firmly, paws clenching at his sides. "I'll take any risk in order to stop Calhoun..."

Luminara was left stunned for a moment, not expecting her son to be so ready to undergo such a lengthy procedure that would leave him in a comatose state. Even as his mother, it seemed she still had managed to underestimate her youngest son's resolve. In respect of his determination, she gave him a nod before gesturing to her bed.

"Lay down," she instructed.

Luke did as instructed, crawling onto the bed and laying on his back. Luminara hovered over him and gently placed her paws atop his chest, the two of them nodding to one another before she closed her eyes and began the process, pumping her aura into his body.

Luke immediately felt the warmth of his mother's aura enter his body, already feeling it coursing through his body. Eventually he relaxed and let out a sigh as his eyes fully closed, entering a deep state of rest while his mother worked her magic, using her aura to slowly undo the damage he had dealt to himself and restore his access to his own power...

Elsewhere aboard the Kyogre's Rest, after spending a little time watching the training battles at the stern, Caulin briefly joined the sparring himself and had a good battle with Aerendyl from Team Plainsrunner. For a while, Caulin was able to keep the experienced Espeon on his toes; Aerendyl did not have a wide array of attacks available to him, mostly Psybeam, Psyshock and Swift, none of which posed a true threat to Caulin.

After that, he decided he didn't want to observe any more sparring, and went for a walk across the ship. During his walk, he made his way up to the rooftop pool, and he noticed someone else was there. Sitting at the fore of the pool area, he could see a familiar yellow-furred figure, seated cross-legged on the deck and staring out to the sea beyond...

Curious, Caulin went to approach the figure and stood next to him, only waiting until the Zeraora felt his presence and looked up at him before he spoke. "Whatcha doin' over here by yourself, Koa?" He asked casually.

Koa looked up at him briefly before looking out to sea again. Instead of offering his answer with words, he lifted a paw to his head, tapping the front of his skull and hoping Caulin would understand what he meant.

"You're... meditating?" Caulin asked.

"Th-Think..." Koa corrected him, and Caulin caught on to his meaning then; he was thinking. But then, the Zeraora added in a sadder tone, "And... Missing Jora."

Now Caulin understood... Koa missed Jora; she had been gone for a few days now, after the teams had given Mewtwo time to heal before he sent Katsu, Wade and the Salazzle away to a place called Maelstorm Island. Koa had been effectively adopted by Jora ever since he had come back from the islands, along with Ignus; it didn't surprise Caulin that Koa saw her as something of a surrogate mother - even if she was actually too young to be his mother.

"Right. Yea, I get you," Caulin said in reply, gently taking a seat next to him and staring out into the open ocean with him. "She's really like a mom to you, huh?" He asked.

Koa took a moment to understand Caulin's meaning, repeating the word 'mom' a few times before he caught on. "Mother... Makuahine. Yes. She is like mother," he agreed, speaking each word slowly. "Take care. Feed. Shel... Shelter. Give hale - give... home."

Caulin nodded gently in return. "She's a good woman," he agreed, scooting slightly closer to Koa while still looking ahead. "You know... I miss my mom too," he added with his ears wilting as he said that.

Koa looked at him, hearing the sadness in his voice and giving a curious tilt of his head. Whether or not he understood, Caulin didn't know, but he just shrugged it off and smiled at the Zeraora.

"Long story," he said in a dismissive manner before changing the subject. "Hey Uhm... You been practicing speaking our language while she's gone?" he asked.

"Practicing..." he repeated the word, taking a moment to try to understand it, and then his ears flicked. "Oh. Yes! Practice. Learn. Slow," he frowned, "But... Mana- Manag... Man... Manage!" he finished, finding the word he'd been looking for.

He had come a long way, in record time even, but he still had a ways to go...

"Heh, well you're doing alright given how long you've been with us." Caulin said in an encouraging manner, then he started to blush faintly before he cleared his throat. "But uhh... I could help you, if you wanted."

Again, Koa gave a tilt of his head. "You... Teach me?" he asked.

"Sure!" Caulin answered with more enthusiasm. "I'm more fluent in our language than Jora is, and I can even teach you ways to help you remember things easier," he said as he slid his arm around Koa's shoulders. "Whaddya say, Koa?"

Koa's ears stood up as he understood what Caulin said, and he nodded. "Yes!" he replied excitedly.

Caulin's ears perked up with excitement as well, his face beaming at Koa's response. Without thinking, he quickly swung his other arm around Koa and embraced him tightly, his tail quickly wagging back and forth in sheer happiness. To add to his delight, Koa returned the embrace, his large paws wrapping around Caulin's back to hold him and...

Caulin heard a sound he hadn't expected and felt a vibration from Koa's chest where the two were touching, and it took him a moment to realize what was happening. 'Holy crap, he's purring!' Caulin thought to himself, his heart starting to beat heavily in his chest. 'Does... does that mean he... LIKE likes me, or...?' he continued to think to himself, unaware that his paws were sliding up and down Koa's back in a somewhat sensual manner, his wagging tail slowing down to gentle sways.

Koa let Caulin hold the hug for a moment before they pulled apart. The Zeraora's warm smile was enough to say that, at the very least, Koa was comfortable around Caulin. But Caulin still felt a measure of excitement with Koa's paws resting on his sides, and found he didn't want the Zeraora to let go of him, but eventually he did. Koa did not seem aware of Caulin's internal anxiety, though, simply watching him expectantly as he waited to see what they'd do first.

Caulin eventually coughed and cleared his throat in an attempt to regain his composure before he continued speaking. "Right, uhm... Well, I guess there's no time like the present." He said with a couple of quick nods. "Do you have any books in your room, or did Jora teach you with just words?"

Again, with the tilt of his head, as Caulin spoke an unfamiliar word. "Boo... Books?" he repeated.

Well, there was Caulin's answer. "Hmm... Wonder if that Aerendyl guy has some to spare," Caulin wondered out loud, then clapped his paws together and stood back up on his feet. "Alright then. Let's go find him and find out," he added, then offered Koa his paw with a smile.

Koa looked at Caulin's paw briefly, and then reached out with his own, taking hold of it - and reminding Caulin once again just how large Koa's paws were as it closed around his with little difficulty. Not as big as when Caulin was still a Riolu, but still massive compared to his own. With that, the two departed to find Aerendyl, and hopefully a book which they could use to practice with...

After Luke didn't return to practice, Volcan began to grow concerned. When the sparring sessions were called for the day, he excused himself, and left to find his husband. His first stop was the infirmary, thinking Luke might have followed Neilla's suggestion and went to see Gallia. But upon arriving at the infirmary, neither the Gardevoir, nor Serena - there as an assistant to her for the journey, had seen Luke recently.

When he tried at their shared cabin and still did not find Luke, Volcan's first reaction was to worry. But he calmed himself and thought hard about where else Luke might go... Eventually, he had an idea, and made his way further down the corridor until he came to Luminara's cabin, where he knocked.

There was a long pause that followed afterward before the door unlocked and was pulled open to reveal a rather disheveled Luminara at the doorway. She perked up when she saw Volcan and managed a warm smile before speaking.

"Oh, Volcan. Hello," she said, trying to sound strong despite her apparent fatigue.

Volcan's concern about Luke was momentarily forgotten, seeing the haggard Luminara before him. "Mother, are you okay? You look exhausted," he said, instinctively raising his hands to catch her as it looked as though she might fall over.

"I will be fine... I just need a lot of rest," she responded, though she did stumble slightly and fell against Volcan, letting out a shaky sigh as she collected herself.

Volcan supported her in his arms and gently helped her stand, keeping his arms on her shoulders in case she stumbled again. "What happened?" he asked, unable to fathom how she could have exhausted herself so.

She did not immediately answer him, taking a moment to collect herself and think of how to explain herself. Then she hesitantly pushed the door open the rest of the way, revealing to Volcan a comatose Luke lying peacefully on her bed, surrounded by a gently burning aura that lit up the dark room.

"Wha-" Volcan choked on his words, leaning into the room to look closely at Luke. "What is happening?" he asked, fearful.

"He came to me earlier... Asking if I knew of a way to help regain his powers faster." Luminara answered. "This was the only thing I could do for him. I've poured as much of my own aura into him as I could to mend the damage he dealt to himself, but... He will be comatose throughout the entire process, as my Aura melds with his own."

Volcan looked at Luminara, the wary look never leaving his eyes. "Put... Your _own_Aura into him? That's not dangerous for you, is it?" he knew Luminara would never, under any circumstance, put her son's life in danger. But herself, especially for the benefit of her son, that he was not sure she wouldn't do.

"Worry not. If I had poured all of my aura into him, then I would not be standing right now... or breathing for that matter," she added, trying to be lighthearted about it. "That said, the process took more than I expected... The damage he suffered from overexerting himself was more extensive than I initially thought."

Volcan looked between her and his comatose husband. "How long will he be like that?" he asked.

"A week... perhaps more," Luminara answered. "But he will be back to full strength after he awakens."

Volcan frowned, lifting a hand to his neck to rub it as he considered. "...Can he be moved? Should we take him somewhere else?" he asked. He wanted to take Luke to the infirmary, worried that he might perish of thirst if he was not put on a saline drip at least while he was comatose.

"Yes, he can be moved," Luminara answered. "But do so gently. Even though he's comatose, I don't want to risk him waking up part way through the process."

"I'll be careful," Volcan promised, and then turned to Luminara, still aware of her exhaustion. "After I take him up to the infirmary, do you need me to bring you anything?"

"Just some water would be good," She answered.

Volcan nodded, and stepped over to Luke, gingerly sliding his arms under his husband's form, being very careful not to move him too sharply for fear of disturbing him. He expected to feel the literally burning Aura around Luke when it touched him, but to his surprise, all he felt was a gentle warmth emanating from him, warming his arms and his chest to a slightly hotter temperature, yet not enough to hurt him.

Pushing aside his momentary surprise, Volcan moved slow, making sure he didn't bump Luke's head against anything as he slowly made his way out of the room, promising Luminara once more that he'd be back soon, allowing her to go sit down on her bed now that it was no longer occupied. He carefully stepped through the door, making sure not to hit Luke's head on the frame, and started making his way to the infirmary; it was on the level above, so he needed to get to the stairs first.

Around the corner ahead of him came Sickle, Hank and Neilla, seeing the comatose Luke cradled in Volcan's arms. "What the-" Neilla started to ask.

"Quiet please," Volcan whispered harshly, unable to make a silence motion with his hands occupied.

"Is he okay?" Sickle asked, whispering.

"He went to Luminara, looking for a way to get his powers back," Volcan whispered back. "She gave him some of her own aura; he's out for several days at least, but this will help him heal."

Hank looked at his comatose captain for a moment, then turned his attention toward Luminara, peering out from her room, with a stern expression, not exactly a scowl, but it was still a look of disapproval. That said, he chose to keep his mouth and not cause a scene, instead opting to look away from the elder Lucario before his mouth ran away from his head. Hank felt Sickle's arm wrapping around him, pulling him to a side as if to serve as a reminder to the Zoroark...

"If she thinks this will help him, I trust her," Volcan stated; he hadn't missed Hank's scowl.

Neilla gave a nod and stepped aside to make room for Volcan. "Do you need any help?" she asked.

Volcan shook his head and smiled at the Lopunny. "Thanks, but I got it. I'm just taking him up to the infirmary," he replied.

"Good idea," agreed Neilla, nodding again to Volcan as he continued on his way, with Luke cradled protectively in his arms.

~~~~~

Meanwhile, on Maelstrom Isle...

Katsumoto had approached the capital of the Shogun as an emissary, requesting an audience with the mighty Lord Hizashi on behalf of the guilds. But they seemed intent to make them wait as it had been several days since he had made his request.

During the time they were forced to wait, he did his best to educate Jora and Wade on the customs of the island and its culture, how to address the Shogun and how to behave while in the capital. He couldn't teach them everything in such a short time, but he only needed to teach them enough - especially Jora, stepping up as the primary negotiator and needed to know as much about Hizashi as was possible. At least, as much as Katsu could teach her.

Jora, being as adaptive as she was to new practices, was learning well, but there was much they still needed to cover. Yet at the same time, impatience tugged at young Wade, wondering why Hizashi was taking so long to grant them an audience...

The younger Samurott was resisting the urge to pace back and forth as the three of them waited for their chance at being granted an audience, fidgeting back and forth slightly where he stood and grumbling a little under his breath.

"How much longer must we wait...?" he finally asked, his impatience finally getting the better of him. "Doesn't he realize that the fate of the world hangs on the balance?"

Katsumoto glanced at Wade calmly, understanding his frustration but also knowing just how things worked here. "Young Wade, you must understand... To be granted an audience with the Shogun is a great honour reserved mostly for those of nobility, let alone commoners... and especially outsiders such as ourselves," he tried to explain. "It does not help when we bombard him with such claims as the world coming to an end... Other kingdoms and societies would also view such claims as delusional."

"If only to deny the reality of it," Jora added. "I have encountered such mindsets before. No one is ever ready to believe that their home, their world, is about to be destroyed."

"Be that as it may... You would think one as wise as him would at least consider our word," Wade countered, looking between Katsu and Jora.

"Wade... you forget that we are outsiders in a land that does not take very kindly to those not born here," Katsu remarked firmly. "We are lucky that we even made it as far as we have without the Shogun's elite guard cutting us down."

"They certainly seemed like they wanted to, when we appeared outside the city gates," said Jora, looking warily toward the door.

After talking down the city guards following their initial appearance, thanks mostly to Katsu once they identified him as being one of their own, the trio had been placed in a guest cottage, and told to wait there. Since then, only a few messengers had come to see them - more like interrogators, they thought, when the so-called emissaries kept asking them the same questions about why they were there and promising to take their messages to Hizashi.

Yet so far, nothing had come of that. They had answered the questions of the emissaries, truthfully and consistently, yet there was another one every day, coming to ask them the same questions. It was a trick Katsu knew well; they were trying to find holes in the story, so that the three could be branded as spies and cast out... Or worse, executed.

"How long has it been since the last one came to see us?" Jora asked, "Hours, maybe?"

"Indeed... I am beginning to wonder if we have become prisoners rather than guests..." Katsu remarked.

Just then, the door to their cottage opened, revealing two Samurott dressed in traditional Samurai armour minus the headgear. They looked at each of them with stern glares before one of them spoke up.

"After much deliberation... Lord Thirteenth has decided to allow you an audience with him." He stated in a heavily accented voice. "Follow us."

"Finally..." Wade muttered under his breath.

"Any final... Tips, I should know?" Jora whispered to Katsu, dropping to all fours as she walked beside him.

"When we enter the Shogun's chambers, we do not approach until we are called forward..." Katsu whispered back. "Only then, do we bow respectfully, then approach until we are roughly ten paces from his throne. We do not speak out of line, and we do not interrupt him while he is speaking." He added.

Jora nodded. "Understood," she said, taking a long, calming breath as the three were led to the Shogun's Palace...