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Following the surprise attack by Eberon, the corrupted Swords of Justice, and the attempted assassinations of Romulus and Seji alike, Gladiator City was on high alert... The city's law enforcement patrols had doubled, and workers were acting quickly to get the walls and gate - smashed by Eberon, back up in case another attack were to follow. The Swords of Justice, Sol and Romulus were all taken to the hospital, and Revane - now in command of the city while Romulus healed, was taking extra precautions.

Seji was moved from the colosseum to Romulus' own home; the guards on him were left outside the door, but he now shared his space with Phanto, hiding in the wall to watch over him and come to his defense if another attack were to come. The Gengar hid himself so effectively, even Seji wasn't immediately aware he was there... Likewise, Hook was now staying at the house, as extra muscle ready to protect Seji if Tory or Sash were to come after him a second time.

Meanwhile, back at the colosseum, Luke and Volcan were assessing the damage Tory had managed to do to Romulus' office. The fire he had started had not burned for long thanks to Hageshi's timely arrival, but it had succeeded in destroying the map on the wall, and most of the documents on his desk - including a leather-bound ledger containing the city's financial records.

"Shit, hope he has an extra copy of this," said Volcan, delicately lifting the half-burned ledger, "doing the audits for an entire city has to be a pain in the neck. Credit where it's due, he's a hard-working hound; how the hell does he balance running a whole city _and_being a Rescue Team Captain?"

"I have to say, he definitely keeps himself busy, but knowing Romulus, he'd seem like the kind of individual that'd keep copies just in case." Luke offered as he went through other half-burnt documents himself. "Or has people that take care of that for him."

"Suppose we'll have to ask him once he's able to meet with us again," said Volcan, setting the book aside. "The way this fire was set... I don't think Tory was just doing this as a distraction; I think you were right that he was trying to burn the evidence," he gestured to the destroyed map on the wall, "trying to cover the Crusade's tracks. All in all, he was being thorough."

"As Kage would say, it's also evidence that Calhoun is getting extremely desperate. He wants to find that last Nexus before us at any cost." Luke replied. "Further vindication that we need to bust our tails to find him first."

"Good thing I had time to study the map before Tory torched it," said Volcan, "I remember where the Crusade's base is. But Seji will have to fill in the blanks regarding those outposts and such."

As Luke searched behind the desk, he spotted something lying on the floor between the desk and the wall - thankfully spared from the flames. It was another sheet of paper, rolled up and out of sight, but one of the corners was open, showing what at first seemed to be another map.

"Hello there..." Luke muttered as he reached for the rolled-up paper and grabbed it, taking a quick once over before he began to unwrap it. "And what secrets might you be hiding from the world?"

As he unfurled it, he found it was another map of the West Continent - significantly scaled down compared to the large one that had previously been on the wall. But sketched across it were lines forming pathways across the land, stretching from Gladiator City, to Princeport, to a junction in the far north where it branched off in multiple directions, to cities all across the more hospitable north end of the land...

It wasn't a map... It was a blueprint - plans for a large-scale project, to build a cross-continental railway.

Luke started whispering the names on the map and trailing his paw along the marked paths, frowning as he tried to understand what exactly he was looking at. Then his eyes widened as he noticed how the paths were laid out, and he ended up dropping the map on the ground as the shock and realization kicked him square in the face.

"My Arceus..."

"What's wrong, love?" Volcan asked, looking over his shoulder toward the Lucario.

"I just..." He looked back at Volcan, still wearing that shocked expression on his face. "I think I just found a potentially life-changing project that Romulus is working on."

"Like what?" Volcan asked, setting down the scorched papers he was holding and coming to stand beside Luke, looking over his shoulder at the plans. His eyes widened in alarm, quickly realizing what he was looking at. "...Whoa," he said, breathlessly, "Romulus, what've you been up to?"

"A railway..." Luke answered softly. "A transcontinental railway linking every civilized point in the west... And Romulus was working on that all by himself..." He said as he lifted a paw to touch his chest. "Volcan, I... I think I've gravely misunderstood just what kind of man he is..."

"I think we both have," said Volcan, "This could change the west as a whole... If it succeeds. That's one hell of an undertaking."

Luke let out a sigh as he regained his composure, turning to look at Volcan fully. "When this thing is all over... I think we should help him with this."

"Uh... How?" Volcan asked, shrugging helplessly.

"I don't know right at this moment... But we'll cross that bridge when we get there." Luke replied firmly. "All I know now is that I want to help him."

Volcan sighed but nodded. "You know... I agree; this is a worthwhile endeavour. We'll have to figure it out later," he said and then looked at the map again. "We should take this to him; he'll probably want to know it survived."

Luke nodded in agreement, kneeling back down, and wrapping the map back up before he tucked it under his arm. With that, the two left Romulus' office and started making their way to the hospital.

Romulus had been kept asleep for most of the day, as his wounds were treated by the doctors. Slowly, as the meds wore off, he began to awaken, his red eyes opened to take in his surroundings, recognizing where he was. He breathed in deeply through his nose and caught a scent he recognized.

"Luminara... Are you there?" he asked, his throat dry.

The Lucario was seated in a chair beside his bed, behind him, when she heard him calling out to her. She was jolted at the sound of his voice and quickly moved around the bed to stand in his sight, placing her paw over his.

"I'm here, Romulus," She answered while nodding. "I'm here..."

"What happened?" he asked, shifting slightly on the bed - only to receive a sharp pain in his injured side where Sash had cut him, and bared his teeth as he tried to lift his head to look at the source of pain.

"You were badly injured," She explained while squeezing his paw in hers. "That Gallade cut you very deeply along your side, dangerously close to the vitals in your neck... Young Serena managed to stabilize you before you bled out."

"Yes... I... I remember now," Romulus replied, laying his head back down, "I was careless. Should never have let my guard down even when we defeated Cobalion."

"It's alright," Luminara stated, gently reaching over to touch his face so they were looking at one another. "I'm just relieved that you are alive..."

Romulus met her gaze, peering lovingly into her eyes. "I'm glad you are unharmed as well," he whispered, and then had a thought. "...What of the Swords? Are they well?"

"They are purified and resting as we speak," Luminara answered with a nod. "The others also made mention that the Black Titan is no more. They found his body after a thorough search."

Romulus lifted his head again, alarmed. "The Black Titan... Is dead?" he asked, hardly willing to believe what he had heard.

Luminara nodded. "The young Typhlosion, Sol... He killed him."

Romulus stared at her in utter disbelief, silent for a long moment as he came to terms with what she had just told him. His head fell back onto his pillow before he finally spoke again. "After all this time... It's finally over," he said, "The Black Titan is dead... If I didn't have this pain in my side, I would think I was dreaming."

"We're not out of this yet, Romulus," Luminara reminded him, still caressing his side tenderly. "Calhoun is still out there, and we need you if we're going to defeat him..."

He let out a low grumble in his throat before he spoke again. "I don't know if I'll heal quickly enough... Sash will be returning to Calhoun soon, and report their failed attack here," he assessed. "We need to strike at them before they have time to prepare."

Luminara sighed, then she leaned over and did her best to hug him without aggravating his injuries. "I know... But I'm sure you'll recover in time. I'm sure of it." She insisted.

"I will," he promised her, leaning down to press his nose atop her head. "I've suffered such injuries before."

Outside the door to the room, the two heard a pair of voices, followed by a knock. Through the covered glass pane, Luminara made out the silhouette of another Lucario, and below the blinds glimpsed a tattered scarf around their neck.

"Perfect timing..." she muttered, both out of relief and out of annoyance. Regardless, she quickly gave the Houndoom a soft kiss before pulling away and walking over to answer the door, opening it gently and greeting her son and son-in-law.

"How's our host doing?" Volcan asked as he and Luke stepped into the room, one after the other.

"He just woke up," Luminara answered. "His injuries are still severe, but he will recover..." Luminara noticed the rolled-up paper clutched in Luke's paw, tilting her head curiously. "What do you have there, son?"

Luke stepped forward, standing on the opposite side of the bed so he was looking at Romulus. He then gently placed the rolled-up paper in front of the Houndoom and flattened his ears.

"I uhm... I found this while Volcan and I were trying to salvage your files." He said gently.

Romulus lifted his head to see what Luke had brought, and his eyes widened in surprise, hesitating briefly before he lifted his gaze to Luke. They shared a silent stare for a moment before Romulus smirked. "Well... Now you know about it," he said, "It's a secret project I've been working on for a while. I... Haven't told many about it yet," he looked past Luke at Luminara, standing behind her son.

"Why not?" Volcan asked, "This is huge! It could change so many things out here."

"I'm still planning it," replied Romulus, "I've been working on it since the end of Torolf's tournament, trying to find a way to present a viable plan to the community leaders and upper class across this land, and convince them that - as you said," he nodded to Volcan, "this could change much out here, perhaps lead to a brighter future for the West as a whole."

"We understand why you haven't told anyone, Romulus," Luke piped up, nodding a couple of times. "This is a huge undertaking you've dedicated yourself to, and a costly one at that... But..." Luke paused for a moment before he looked firmly at the Houndoom. "When this war is over... I want to do what I can to help you see this dream of yours through."

At that, Romulus actually smiled. "I'll welcome all the help I can get... I don't think even I can manage this alone," he said.

Luke smiled back. "We'll think of something when the time comes," he assured the Houndoom.

At that, Romulus focused his attention back to more serious matters. "What's the damage out there?" he asked.

"Sol was able to get Eberon out of the city before he could do too much damage," said Volcan, "The gate and its surrounding walls were destroyed - workers are on that now, and the market suffered some vandalism but nothing too bad. All in all, Sol made the right call, getting Eberon out of the city before they fought."

"What of Sol himself; is he alright?"

"Exhausted and beaten to a pulp, but he's alive," replied Volcan, gesturing randomly to one of the walls. "He's in this hospital somewhere; I haven't had the chance to go visit him yet, but Serena told me he should be okay."

"And Seji?"

"Hageshi managed to stop Tory from killing him, long enough for us to arrive; as soon as Luke and I appeared, he withdrew. Revane relocated Seji to your house, and Hook and Phanto are standing watch - along with the guards you already had posted on him."

Romulus let out a relieved sigh. "Good... All in all, the situation is under control, then," he said.

"For the most part, yes." Luke agreed. "But we didn't apprehend Sash or Tory, and they'll most likely inform Calhoun that they not only failed but lost their biggest asset. That's surely going to spur him on to find the Nexus as soon as possible."

"Right. We must stop him before he can put that plan in motion," said Romulus.

"There's no way we can get there before Sash returns, though," said Volcan, "Even if we had the Red Talons and sent them ahead, even they aren't faster than teleportation."

"No, but if we can get there quickly enough, we might be able to stop Calhoun before he can get away," added Romulus.

"Another problem though... We're also down at least two people," Volcan added, "Sol's not going anywhere, and Tristan got pretty beat up in the battle with Terrakion; he's only got one good leg, and Serena's exhausted. Hageshi got hit with Curse when Tory attacked, but he seems okay otherwise."

Romulus huffed in annoyance. "Who do you have left?" he asked.

"Lashanne should still be good to go, Minato too," Volcan offered, "But Lashanne is my team's second in command now; if I'm leaving some of them behind, I can't take her. What about some of your team?"

"Zofia and Voltner aren't strong enough to help you besiege the fortress; their specialties are trapping and ambush. You need muscle, even if only as backup," said Romulus, "Revane is my second, so he must lead the city and my team until I recover... I suppose you could ask Hook; you'll need to get the key from him anyway."

Volcan grimaced. "Okay... Wonder if there's anyone else," he thought aloud.

Luke looked off to the side as he thought for a moment, then hesitantly he glanced back at the others and spoke up. "...What about Koa?" he asked suddenly.

Volcan considered the suggestion but grimaced. "He can barely speak our language, we'd have trouble with communication unless we want to take Jora too," he reminded Luke.

"We will," Luke remarked, averting his gaze slightly. "But he's not the only one, when he's already hanging around someone who's eager to teach him."

Volcan tilted his head quizzically, and then perked it up again. "Hold on... You want to take Caulin with us?" he asked.

Luke shrugged helplessly. "What choice would we have in this case?" He asked. "Caulin is pretty much Koa's new translator for him, and Jora is not much of a fighter - she has said so herself. Besides, you saw how close they've become since Koa arrived, they pretty much go everywhere together," he tried to explain. "Plus, Caulin was always complaining about not being involved enough and, well... this could be his chance to become more involved."

Volcan grimaced, putting a hand to his beak as he considered. "...Minato and Lashanne are not gonna like it - you know that."

"I know... But if Caulin also decides he wants to go, they can't stop him," Luke added

"True enough," the Blaziken capitulated. "I guess we'll have to see. So, five of us including Hageshi - possibly six, as Jora may not want to leave Koa's side."

"You should take Serena with you as well," Romulus stated.

"But she's worn out," Volcan reminded.

"She's also the only dedicated healer between either of our teams," the Houndoom pointed out, "She can rest on the way, but I highly advise you take her with you. Besides, in that fjord, she may be invaluable, given how Vaporeon are virtually invisible in the water."

Volcan and Luke had to admit Romulus had a point... Serena would be invaluable. Of everyone who had come with them, Jora was also versed in more traditional medicine, but in strategic terms - especially with where they were going, Serena was far more flexible than the Salazzle. With only a limited team to take with them, they could not really afford not to have Serena with them...

"Alright," Volcan said in surrender, "So, how will we get there then?"

"Take my boat - the Trident," said Romulus, "It is the fastest vessel on this side of the world, bar none. Hook should have the keys for it; it's also modified so that he can drive it if you need him to."

"I think we'll manage," Luke assured the Houndoom with a nod. "Thank you, Romulus."

Romulus nodded. "I only wish I could come with you," he said, "But, it cannot be helped now. We-"

He stopped, lifting his head as a sound caught his ears. Luke and Luminara heard it as well, though it was missed by Volcan as he did not have their sensitive hearing. The three heard shouting, coming from the room next door - though the voice was not one any of them recognized. It wasn't until there was a thump against the wall that Volcan heard it, turning his head sharply to face the wall in question.

"What the-?" he asked.

Both Luke and Luminara nodded to one another, moving away from Romulus' side and rushing to the doors, bashing through them and looking toward the source of the commotion. Volcan was quick to follow them out the door, the voices louder and coming from the room next door.

"Lady Virizion, please, get back in bed!" a female voice said.

"I will not!" a second female voice, strained with effort, retorted. "We... Must find... Keldeo!"

Running to the door, the three peered inside, and found Virizion struggling to approach the door, even as a pair of Audino nurses tried to convince her to get back to her bed. The legendary Sword of Justice was unsteady on her feet, yet despite that she defiantly pressed forward, even against the protest of another voice in the room.

"Sister... Stop," the other voice was also strained and tired, and looking into the room it seemed to be coming from Cobalion, lying in another of the hospital beds. Behind him, a third bed was occupied by Terrakion, though he had not yet awakened.

"You cannot help Keldeo in your condition," Cobalion continued to try to reason with Virizion, but she ignored him.

Luke and Luminara moved to intercept Virizion at that point, standing in front of her with their arms lifted, ready to catch her. "Lady Virizion, calm down," Luke said firmly to her. "You aren't fully recovered from having the Shadow Curse extracted from you."

Virizion lifted her head to look at Luke; she didn't recognize him, not really having any memory of her encounter with Luke during her time as a Shadow Pokémon. But she still tried to continue to the door, barely keeping herself upright.

"Stand aside," she commanded, panting heavily.

"You are injured and exhausted. You can barely stand without toppling over." Luke stated in a firmer tone. "As a Captain of the Guilds, I insist you return to your room and rest... Don't make me have to restrain you."

She glared at Luke, and looked as though she were ready to lunge at him, but just as she shifted weight to do so, she staggered, and finally lost her balance to fall onto her side, having to turn her wide-horned head so as not to hurt her neck as she fell. She grit her teeth, feebly trying to stand up again but lacking the strength to do so. The nurses, afraid to try to approach her, stood aside.

Then... A tear filled her eye, though the scowl never left her features. "Keldeo..." she whispered.

Volcan looked at Luminara. "Who's Keldeo?" he asked, not recognizing the name.

"The Fourth of the Swords of Justice... Their protege." Luminara answered as she and Luke knelt down next to Virizion. "Lady Virizion... Tell us what happened to young Keldeo."

She rolled her eyes to look at Luminara before answering. "He was taken by the Dark Crusade," she explained. "They used him to draw us out... We split up to search for him, and then they attacked. When I awoke in their fortress, Cobalion and Terrakion had already been turned, but I did not see Keldeo anywhere... They _must_still have him."

"There is no telling what they are doing to him," Cobalion added, sitting up in his bed, "But in our condition... We cannot help him, even if we knew how to find him now."

"We can," Volcan spoke up, earning looks from both Cobalion and Virizion, "We know where the Crusade's base is; we're heading there soon. We can look for Keldeo too."

Virizion lifted her head, finding strength enough to lift herself onto her belly, though still too weak to stand. "You'll find him?"

Volcan nodded. "We will," he promised.

Cobalion narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "In these lands, such acts of valour are far from common... What do you hope to gain by offering to do this?" he asked, not hiding his distrust of the altruistic offer.

At that, Luke stood tall and stared right back at Cobalion, his paws clenched at his sides for a split second before he relaxed and gave his answer. "Nothing more than knowing your protege is in safe hands and back with his mentors." He answered. "I couldn't care about anything else other than his safe return, and Calhoun's defeat..."

Cobalion did not lose his suspicious stare. "No one from this place is capable of such selfless action," he stated.

"We're not from here," Volcan returned. "We're Rescue Teams, from the East Continent. Team Phalanx," he gestured at himself, then to Luke, "And Team Valiant."

That seemed to strike a chord with Cobalion, losing his suspicious stare and raising his head in surprise. "Rescue Teams?" he asked.

"Consider yourself our latest client," Volcan stated, "No charge either. We'll find Keldeo and bring him home for you."

Virizion and Cobalion shared surprised looks with one another, hardly believing their good fortune to have a Rescue Team volunteer their services; given that there was only one active team in this part of the world - that being Team Phobia, they could hardly be blamed for doubting such good intentions. But neither of them were about to question it, least of all Virizion, as she turned her head back to look at Luke and Volcan.

"Please... Save him," she pleaded.

Luke nodded softly in response. "You have my word. We will bring him home to you," he assured her.

With that, the Audino nurses approached Virizion, and helped her stand. Luminara came forward to assist them in moving her back to her bed; she was much larger than either of the nurses, and though not heavy for her size, in her weakened state she could not carry much of her weight on her own. Volcan and Luke left them to tend to Virizion and departed from the room, making their way out of the hospital.

"This situation just went from a nine to a ten," said Volcan, "We better gather the others and get to work; there's no telling what Calhoun will do once Sash gets back."

"I agree. The sooner we put together our forces, the sooner we leave," Luke said in agreement, "I just hope we won't be too late to save him..."

So it was that Volcan left Lashanne in charge, and though Minato wanted to come along, Volcan explained to him that with Tristan out of commission, he - as well a Romulus' teammates, was all the muscle they had left - considering Volcan and Luke would both be gone.

Eventually, Minato agreed but was apprehensive when Volcan also announced his idea to take Caulin along. It was only when Volcan added his intent to keep it a stealth mission that Minato eventually relaxed and held back any further protest. Volcan knew that without the full team, they likely could not assault the fortress directly; for now, his focus was on rescuing Keldeo from the Crusade, and hopefully finding out where Calhoun was going next.

With their plans in place, Volcan gathered his away team at the docks; Hook and Phanto were already there waiting for them, when Volcan approached with Luke, Caulin, Hageshi, Koa, Serena and Jora. Jora insisted on joining them, to continue being an interpreter for Koa - so she said, but Luke suspected she was still trying to be helpful. She had not been able to sway Lord Hizashi to their side - not without help from Wade, and certainly felt like she needed to do more.

Though Luke worried for her, he did not try to talk Jora out of coming along...

As they approached the docks, they found a semi-familiar Drapion waiting for them. It took Luke a moment to recognize the Drapion as Hook, another member of Romulus' team; there had never been much of a chance to interact with him, leaving Hook one of the more obscure members of an already far-removed team. Luke had forgotten just how big Hook was; even for a Drapion he was big, adding to the imposing figure his species already cut.

"So," the Drapion began, speaking in a very gravelly voice, "Romulus sent word ahead, saying you were taking the Trident for this mission." At that, he held out one of his arms, showing a key on a ring held between his pincers. "She's fueled up and ready for you to go, and I had the dock crews load her up with some non-perishable items. She's ready when you are."

"Thanks, Hook," said Volcan, holding out his hand for the key.

"Just make sure you bring it back in one piece," the Drapion replied before he dropped the key into Volcan's hand. "And remember, she's fast, so go easy on the throttle too."

Volcan nodded. "Romulus suggested we ask you to come along too. You think you'd be up for it?"

But Hook shook his head. "Ain't room for me on there," he said, gesturing to the black-painted, sleek boat behind him with his tail. "She's got enough bunks only for six, and I'm big enough to take up two of those just by my lonesome. It'll be a tight fit even for the seven of you; lucky you got one among you who don't take up much room." He looked at Serena as he said this.

Serena shyly stepped behind Volcan, understandably intimidated by the imposing Drapion - though Hook wasn't making any effort to frighten anyone. Taking the hint, Hook looked between Luke and Volcan. "You guys really want to be headin' out there alone, with such a small group? I know from getting my carapace kicked back in the day you two can take care of yourselves."

He then turned his eyes onto Caulin, Koa and Hageshi, "But I ain't seen the rest of your posse in action before; you sure they're up for this?"

"They are. Caulin managed to single-handedly defeat one of Calhoun's lieutenants, and Hageshi helped in defeating Kyogre along with Wade when Azure was attacked." Luke answered. "Koa is also capable. I haven't seen him properly in action, but he was a valuable help in Azure's defense."

"But you're still goin right into the Pyroar's den with a rather small group," Hook reminded, "You sure you don't want to wait for more backup?"

"Right now, time is against us," replied Volcan, "Once Calhoun knows his attack here failed, he's going to make his next move - all we know is he still wants the West Nexus, but we don't know if he's found it yet or not. On top of that, he's got a captive. We're going in with a small group to hopefully rescue Keldeo and find out what Calhoun's doing next; in and out, preferably before they even know we're there. That's going to require speed and stealth."

Hook looked at the newcomers once more, but he decided to keep any further doubts to himself. "You watch your backs out there," he said, and moved aside to clear the way for them to approach the Trident.

"We'll be careful," Luke answered with a nod as he and the others stepped past Hook to board the Trident.

"Remember," Hook called as they passed, "That boat is fast. Don't scratch the keel."

"We'll take care of it, Hook," Volcan promised again as they approached the vessel.

The Trident was not as big as Torolf's Peacemaker, but it was certainly larger than the boat Volcan used to have - at least, in length, measuring at least thirty feet. Its frame was sleek and aerodynamic, with a long front and a shallow keel, and powered by three rotors that they could see in the water. The cabin had a low roof - barely tall enough for Volcan to stand in, and had four bucket seats, as well as one seat designed for quadrupedal Pokémon - probably used by Romulus, positioned between them. Fortunately, they found a dock worker in the process of removing the seat, unbolting it from the floor and taking it out to make room for them.

In the corner, they found a hatch leading below the deck, to a mini-kitchen and the bunks, each one lined along the wall - once again with only four beds, which made sense as two of Romulus' team were ghost-types and they did not need to sleep, and a dining area with a semicircular booth seat. The aft of the lower decks held crates of supplies and a large barrel marked 'drinking water', on a stand bolted to the floor.

"Wow. Talk about making use of limited space," said Volcan, peeking below the hatch.

"Hook wasn't kidding. This will be a tight fit for all of us..." Luke added, rubbing the back of his head. "This is going to be a pretty uncomfortable trip."

"We may have to double-up on our seats, or someone will have to sit downstairs in the dining quarter," said Volcan.

"I can lay on the floor," Serena offered. "That should free at least one seat."

"That still leaves one person without one," Volcan reminded.

"I can manage without one," Hageshi remarked stoically. "I don't require a comfortable resting place."

Volcan glanced at Hageshi, and then nodded. "Alright. Everybody pick a spot then," he said, "Serena, for extra security, lie at Caulin's feet. Just in case," he instructed.

As everybody moved to take their seats, Volcan took his spot at the boat's wheel, looking behind him briefly to make sure everyone had found their place and fastened their seatbelts. With that, he inserted the key into the ignition, and the boat's motor roared to life, sending vibrations through the floor as it idled.

"Alright. Hageshi, if you don't mind untying us from the dock, please?" he asked, since the Greninja was still on his feet.

The Greninja nodded back in response, silently heading back outside to untie them from the docks. He did contemplate just cutting the line, but he also understood that if he did, there wouldn't be a line holding them at the docks for when they returned. With the rope untied, he used a pole lying on the deck to push them away from the dock, and returned to the cabin, coming to stand by Volcan.

"Alright," said Volcan, gently easing the throttle forward and steering the Trident away from the dock, facing open water and waiting until they were clear of other boats before he spoke again. "Here we go then - shit!" he exclaimed as the instant he eased the throttle to the three-quarter position, the boat shot forward, nearly sending Hageshi off his feet and throwing the others back into their seats.

Volcan hastily grabbed the throttle and pulled it back to the quarter speed, the boat slowing after a moment to a more manageable speed. "Damn, Hook wasn't kidding! Did you guys feel that acceleration?"

"Hard to miss, Volcan," Serena replied shakily; the boat's sudden surge of speed had thrown her back into Caulin's legs, lying on her side awkwardly.

"You okay, Serena?" Caulin asked, kneeling down next to her and placing his paw on her back.

"I am unharmed," she replied, rolling onto her stomach again with Caulin's help.

"Perhaps... A little more gradual, Volcan," Jora suggested, her claws gripping the edges of her seat as she calmed herself. A position shared by Koa, sitting in the seat behind her, his fur standing out and claws clutching the seat sides tightly.

"Yeah," Volcan agreed, clearing his throat before he put his hand on the throttle again, very slowly inching it forward, "Sorry everyone. I guess my mind flashed back to my old boat; it could_never_ take off like that, even at full throttle."

"It was an accident. You're used to smaller, slower vessels." Luke offered, managing to push himself off of his seat and approaching Volcan. "Just... take things easy for now before you accidentally throw one of us overboard." He added jokingly.

"Right," the Blaziken replied.

This time, when he eased the throttle forward, he went slower, letting the Trident's speed grow gradually. By the time he reached half-speed, the boat's speedometer was passing seventy, and carrying them rapidly away from Gladiator City and out to open water.

"We're going over seventy kilometers an hour, and we're only at half speed," Volcan said, breathlessly. "This is the fastest boat in the West; might even be the fastest in the world."

"At this rate, we might even make it to their base before the sun even goes down," Luke added, holding onto Volcan's waist and keeping his legs spread to balance himself as the vessel sped across the waves.

"That's a bit optimistic," said Volcan, "But, if we push this thing to full, we just might get to the fjord before Calhoun has a chance to do anything else."

"Here's hoping," Luke replied. "In the meantime... anyone hungry?"

"I could probably go for something," Caulin piped up, rubbing his stomach absently, then looked at Koa. "What about you? Hungry?"

Koa looked at Caulin curiously, taking a moment to understand his words before nodding. "Yes," he replied.

"I could use a little something myself," agreed Jora, nodding.

"Alright, I'll go see what we got," Caulin offered, "You wanna come with? I can teach you some more about different foods that we eat here." He offered to the Zeraora.

"Hook mentioned he packed some non-perishables for us," Volcan recalled as Koa stood up from his seat to follow Caulin.

"I'll take a look." Caulin said as he led Koa down the hatch to where the food was stored. "Okay... let's see what we're working with here..."

The small compartment with the crates of supplies was barely wide enough to fit in, and behind it, Caulin could hear the sound of the Trident's motor at work. He saw that the boxes were each clearly marked with their contents; dried meats, pickled eggs, fruit preserves, canned or jarred vegetables and packaged bread, with an ample supply of each. Not the most appetizing selection, but at least there was variety.

"So far the most appetizing things here are the meats, and even that's a stretch..." Caulin remarked as he opened a box containing the meats and picked a package out of it. He sniffed it a few times and cringed a little before putting it back, going to another box and looking inside to find the vegetables. He picked up a jar and tried to open it, grunting as he gripped the lid tightly.

"Gaaah, c'mon. Open, you dumb jar." He growled irritably.

Eventually the lid did slip open, but so did his grip on the jar. He let out a yelp as he dropped the jar of vegetables, wincing as he heard it shatter at his feet and spilling beet slices and pickle juice all over the floor. "...Aw crap," he muttered as he peeked his eyes open to look at the mess he made.

From above, he heard Serena calling. "Caulin? Is everything alright?" the Vaporeon asked, concerned.

"Uh yea! Yea, we're fine! Just a little slip up!" Caulin called back, then crouched low and began trying to scoop up the mess he made. "Hey, gimme a hand Koa. Maybe we can salvage this somehow."

Koa, following Caulin's example, knelt beside him, and began picking up the pieces of pickled beets that had scattered across the floor. But as he did, he failed to avoid the broken glass - not immediately recognizing the hazard it presented; Caulin heard Koa hiss and pull back his paw, having cut one of his digits on a piece of glass.

"Sharp?" he asked, surprised by the blood trickling from his paw.

"Eh? Oh! Crap are you okay?" Caulin asked as he gently took Koa's claw into his paws and looked at the cut closely. "Yea, I guess I should have warned you... Glass can be pretty sharp when it's broken." He said as he gently wiped the blood away from the cut. "Does it hurt?"

Koa shook his head. "Surprise," he replied, staring at his paw. "Very... Sharp..."

"Maybe we oughta..." Caulin trailed off suddenly as he found himself looking right at Koa, a deep blush starting to appear on his cheeks when he realized how close they were to each other. His heart started thumping in his chest just like it did back in the city, after he bought Koa his coat and hat. "...Get a broom and dustpan..." He managed to finish in a whisper this time.

Koa lifted his gaze to meet Caulin's eye, once more doing that impossibly cute tilt of his head. "What is... Broom?" he asked.

'D-Damnit he's doing it again,' Caulin thought inwardly, blushing incredibly hard now. It never ceased to surprise him just how adorable the Zeraora could be; at first glance, he looked like a deadly adversary to face - and he most certainly was. But his body language and tone were so innocent... Caulin could not help feeling drawn to him, and now the Zeraora was right there... Right in front of him... So close...

Caulin then clenched his eyes shut and grabbed Koa's shoulders in his paws. "...Screw it," he said suddenly, and the next thing he knew, Caulin leaned his head closer, pressing his lips firmly against the Zeraora's and held him there, anxious of Koa's reaction but daring not to pull back. There was no going back now...

Koa stood ramrod stiff as Caulin's lips met his, his blue eyes wide with surprise... But he didn't pull away. He didn't seem to understand what Caulin was doing at first, but as the moment carried on, he settled down, and leaned into the kiss, a purr escaping his throat as he decided he liked it...

Caulin's instincts took over at that moment, parting his own lips to take Koa deeper into the kiss, his own paws sliding along Koa's back while his long tail began swaying back and forth slowly as he savoured this moment together. Koa followed Caulin's example, sliding his arms around the Lucario's back, purring more as he felt Caulin holding him.

Their kiss was brought to an abrupt halt when Luke's voice called down from above. "You two alright down there?" he asked, making Caulin abruptly pull back from the kiss in shock and look back toward the hatch.

"U-Uh, yea we're fine! We're just... Cleaning up a mess I made! We'll be up in a minute!" Caulin called back, then he rubbed the back of his head as he looked back at Koa, still blushing beet red. "Uhm... so..." he stammered, unable to finish his sentence.

"What was that?" Koa asked, once again tilting his head curiously, "Was... Good. Enjoyed."

"That was uh... that was a kiss..." Caulin answered. "It's... a way to express affection and uhm... and l-love between two Pokémon..." He continued to explain, practically tripping over his words as he spoke.

"Affection... Love..." Koa repeated, testing the words and taking a moment to translate them in his head. The surprise returned to his face then. "Love... Me?" he asked, pointing at himself.

Caulin bit his lip for a moment, then eventually gave Koa a nod. "Y-Yea... I do." He answered gently. "To be honest, I think I've had a crush on you - that is, an attraction, felt like I loved you, since the day you came to Azure..."

Koa seemed to be trying to understand - not what Caulin was saying; he understood that much, but the reasons behind Caulin's apparent affection for him. "I from... Strange place. Male, Zeraora; not like Caulin. Why... Love me?" he asked, curious.

Caulin hesitated for a moment to come up with an answer. "I... I don't know." He said softly, gently lifting his paw to touch Koa's shoulder. "I don't know why I feel this way about you... I just know that I do," he tried to explain. "I just had this feeling in my heart when I first saw you... You looked so confident... So cool. I wanted to be close to you, but I didn't know how to come forward..."

He went on. "I guess it was the same when Uncle Luke and Uncle Volcan fell in love with each other... They couldn't explain why. They just knew they wanted each other... And... I know that I want you."

Koa looked like he didn't know what to say, even as he processed what Caulin was telling him. Caulin could not even be sure how much Koa truly understood what Caulin was saying, but he at least understood that Caulin liked him. He was silent for longer than Caulin felt comfortable with...

But then, he came forward, and hugged Caulin, holding him tightly with his massive paws. "I decide... I love Caulin," he said; no words ever sounded so sweet to the ears of the young Lucario.

His eyes widened and his ears pricked upward after hearing that, his heartbeat no longer beating like a drum against his chest... He felt calm now... Content. No, _more_than content. He was feeling ecstatic that Koa understood that he loved him and that he was willing to return the gesture.

The Lucario threw his arms around Koa and held him tightly, shuddering softly in his embrace and stifling a few sobs as he clung to the Zeraora. "I-I... I love you too, Koa," He stammered softly, wearing the biggest smile on his face.

~~~~~

When Sash and Tory returned to the fortress, they were surprised to find that it had been mostly deserted. Only a handful of Crusade loyalists remained, but there was no sign of Calhoun, nor the bulk of the forces they had gathered. One of the guards presented a sealed letter to Sash, stating that he had been entrusted it by Calhoun and that it was for their eyes only.

Tearing open the letter, Sash read the contents aloud - since Tory was not fluent in their literary language yet:

'My loyal enforcers,

I sensed the lifting of the Shadow Curse from the Swords of Justice and can only assume that means the attack on Gladiator City was met with failure. For that reason, I have been forced to accelerate my timetable; I anticipate the heroes who saved the swords will come for their fourth member soon, and so I have prepared a trap. One Shadow Pokémon yet remains to spring the trap when the time comes...

I have located the West Nexus, and I am on my way there now. Pray join me as soon as you can; if we can secure it, we can still turn the tide of the war back in our favour. Make haste and follow the map I have left for you. Do not, under any circumstance, allow it to fall into enemy hands, for now we have the lead. They must not be allowed to interfere.'

' Failure will not be tolerated this time.'

The emboldened words at the bottom of the letter conveyed the message perfectly, and sharing the envelope with the letter, they found a second page containing a map, directing them to the site of the final Nexus. As with all other locations, this one was remote, far away from all civilization, and hidden in an area very difficult to get to... But somehow, Calhoun had found it.

"How could he have located it in the few days we were gone?" Tory asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"It's Calhoun... He seems to have an uncanny ability to find whatever he seeks," Sash answered as he and Tory looked over the map carefully. "...The area surrounding the Nexus is a deathtrap in itself. I don't doubt Calhoun's abilities, but this..." He trailed off the longer he studied the map.

"We should go to join him," said Tory, "I can catch up to him quickly with flight. You could then teleport to my location."

"No..." Sash returned, lifting his gaze away from the map. "You go. I will stay behind and bolster our defenses here."

Tory turned to look at him. "...That is risky. If any of the enemy should come... You will be fighting alone, save for the few guards left here."

"At this rate, it's inevitable that we will lose this base of operations. At the very least, I can delay them enough for you to catch up to Calhoun and regroup with him." Sash remarked, rolling the map up and holding it out to Tory. "What matters now is Calhoun achieving his goal. Once that happens, there will be no stopping us..."

Tory gave a slow nod, and gently took the map before he turned away from Sash. "Fight well," were his last words as he stepped back out to the balcony, spreading his wings and taking to the sky once more, leaving Sash to hold the fort alone...

~~~~~

For two days, the Trident raced across the waves, with Volcan driving most of the way until he needed to sleep, and Luke or Hageshi took over for him. By dusk of the second day, they were approaching the fjord, and Volcan had to slow the vessel to a more manageable pace as they moved from open sea into a narrow strait. The sun, setting in the west, cast the fjord in a gloomy shadow, which would hide their approach but made it all the more difficult to navigate.

"Everyone, on guard," Volcan instructed, his voice as tense as his posture, eyes forward and watching for any sign of movement on the rocks...

Luke noticed how tense Volcan was and gently placed his paw atop of his shoulder. "You're too tense, love..." He said softly to him. "Take a deep breath. Calm down... You won't be much help if you pull something during the mission."

"I'll be okay, love," Volcan assured him, "I just don't want to be caught off guard. Like Hook said... We're in the Pyroar's den now."

"I know that, but all the same... You need to calm down just a bit." Luke responded in a concerned tone.

"I'll be okay," Volcan repeated, more insistently, but didn't lose the intense look as his eyes continued to carefully scan the fjord and maneuver the boat.

"...We're coming up on the base," Hageshi pointed out, gesturing ahead for the others to look as well.

"...How can you tell? It's almost pitch black out here," Caulin asked, squinting his eyes in a vain attempt to see better in the dark.

"If you can't see with your eyes, then sense it out." Hageshi pointedly reminded the young Lucario.

"...You need to lighten up, man," Caulin remarked spitefully, but he did what the Greninja suggested and tuned to his Aura Sense, focusing his 'sight' forward as far as he could.

Hageshi had been right. There was something else ahead; though Caulin could not see rock or structures with his Aura Sense, he did see the presence of Pokemon swimming in the fjord - ordinary fish, nothing to be concerned with. But as they got closer, he started to see other life forms, vaguely outlined at the limits of his sense's range, and spread out from one another.

"I... I see it." Caulin remarked. "I'm picking up a number of signals all moving in a coordinated manner."

"Sentries most likely," Luke remarked. "We have to assume Calhoun is not taking any chances."

Volcan eased back on the boat's throttle before cutting the engine and then looked at Serena. "Think you can swim up there, see if there's somewhere to tie the boat up where it's out of sight?" he asked.

Serena nodded. "I will do so," she said, and padded out to the boat's deck.

"Why Serena?" Jora asked, "Is Hageshi not the infiltration specialist? That is why you brought him, yes?"

"Hageshi is the infiltration specialist," Volcan clarified, "But Serena's always been my team's marine scout, because Vaporeon can practically disappear when they're underwater. Other than perhaps to a Lucario - which we've never seen one working for the Crusade, she'll be all but invisible."

"He's right. Infiltration is my specialty, but even I cannot render myself invisible to the naked eye," Hageshi begrudgingly admitted. "Once she has scouted ahead, we'll plan our next move from there."

"Precisely," confirmed Volcan, nodding as he leaned on the boat's console, watching through the windshield, his eyes drifting across the water. "...Something feels off, though... Luke, Caulin; have either of you seen any sentries along the fjord as we came up?"

"No, I haven't," Luke answered, frowning a little.

"Me neither. Just the guys I sensed just now." Caulin confirmed.

"Either Calhoun's forces have dwindled that much... Or he's already made his next move," Hageshi stated, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "Either way, this makes infiltrating the base easier for us... Fewer numbers means less resistance."

Volcan's eyes narrowed. "We've seen such a thing happen before, though... And it turned out to be a trap," he said, thinking back to the islands.

"Right, but... Palossand are native to the Islands, not the desert." Luke assured Volcan. "If this is a trap, it'll be something we can better handle."

Volcan let out a breath, trying once again to relax himself... With little success.

A few moments later, Serena returned, climbing carefully onto the boat so as not to make a splash before stepping back into the cabin. "There is a dock ahead," she said, "Only one sentry is watching it, from a catwalk above."

"Hageshi," said Volcan, looking over his shoulder at the Greninja. "You're up. Take out that sentry, and watch for any patrols that might hear our approach. As soon as the way is clear, signal us with a water or ice shuriken, aimed at that wall to the left of us," he pointed to the direction in question, "We'll make our approach as soon as you give the all-clear."

Hageshi nodded, then he let himself fall overboard and landed the water in a silent splash, staying under the surface as he swam toward the dock. Once he was there, he silently climbed up to the dock and immediately disappeared into his shadow via Shadow Sneak, then began creeping his way up toward the sentry that was tasked with watching over the dock.

When he was right behind the sentry, the Greninja slowly emerged from his shadow and raised his hand, landing a quick, hard chop along the sentry's neck and knocking him out in one fell swoop. He caught him as he fell, quickly dragging him away to a secluded section of the platform before returning to the guard's post, hurling an Ice Shuriken down next to the Trident.

He heard the rumble of the Trident's engines approaching after; Volcan kept the boat on low power as they approached, and when they were close enough, Koa sprang from the deck carrying a rope. When Volcan cut the engines, Koa pulled the boat closer, before Caulin and Luke came over to assist him. With that, the boat was tied to the dock, and Serena stepped out to join the others.

Volcan took a little longer, quickly instructing Jora on how to operate the Trident in case things went south. "If we need to get out of here in a hurry, this is the ignition," he instructed her, "Turn that key; the engines will start. That handle to the right of the wheel is the throttle - don't touch that until we're ready to go or you're facing away from the shore, or you'll crash. Got it?"

Jora nodded. "I was watching closely how you did everything on our way here," she said, "I think I understand enough that we will be ready to go when you get back."

Volcan nodded, "Alright. Watch yourself, Jora."

"You as well," she replied.

With that, Volcan came out to join the others, landing as quietly on the dock as he could. "Anyone approaching?" he asked Luke and Caulin.

"No. We're in the clear it seems," Luke answered quickly.

"Can either of you see where Keldeo is?" Serena asked.

Caulin frowned as he focused as hard as he could, expanding his range as far as he could manage before sighing and rubbing his head. "I can't," He announced in a displeased tone. "Guess I'm not as good at sensing stuff as you or Dad."

"Give it time. You're still newly evolved and growing into your new form. It'll come to you with time and training," Luke offered.

Volcan let his gaze drift up the height of the fortress, built into the very cliff face itself overlooking the fjord. Across the face of the cliff, he could see multiple entrances, with large archways, and each one on each level was connected by wooden catwalks. There seemed to be no other way in, aside from the stairs on either end that led up to each level.

"How many are we seeing in there?" Volcan asked.

Luke broadened his own range, his ears twitching with every signal he picked up. "...Twenty sentries, give or take," Luke answered. "All varying species and strengths, but nothing we can't handle."

"We should assume they may have Ghost-types as well," Serena offered, "Luke and Caulin cannot see them with their Aura Sense."

"Fair point, Serena," agreed Volcan, "Alright, I'm going to jump up to the first level and cover you all as you come up."

True to his word, Volcan sprang the entire distance between the wharf and the catwalk above, landing gingerly on the flat wooden boards. He looked at the two entrances on this level, watching for any sentries peaking out. Luke, Caulin and Serena made their way to the stairs but Hageshi was able to jump the distance as well. To their surprise, so was Koa; the Zeraora leapt from the dock and landed delicately on the railing, first with his footpaws and gripping it with his clawed forepaws for balance.

"Right. Cat," Volcan remarked with a ginger smile and a roll of his eyes as they waited for the others.

The others were quick to regroup with Volcan, Hageshi and Koa, taking a moment to catch their breath before Luke uttered, "I need to learn how to jump like that one day..."

"We're built for it," Volcan offered with a shrug. "Okay, here's the plan; Hageshi, you'll move more easily on your own, so we'll leave it to you to try to find information on where Calhoun's going - look for a study, a map room; anything that might contain the intel. The rest of us, we're going to find Keldeo and break him out. We meet back here in thirty minutes."

"Try not to screw up..." Hageshi remarked as he vanished into his shadow, the dark spot where he once stood moving quickly toward the first door he found.

"...I _really_don't like him," Caulin remarked spitefully.

"You get used to it... unfortunately," Luke replied, rolling his eyes absently.

"Let's just get back on track for now," urged Volcan, "We need to be out of here before Calhoun realizes we're here and comes running or tries to use Keldeo against us before we can rescue him."

With that, the five of them started moving again, stepping lightly while Luke and Caulin kept watch with their Aura Senses. Koa brought up the group's rear, checking behind them, while Volcan and Serena led the way, both of them alert and ready to take action at a moment's notice as they wandered into the fortress' dark halls.

The first sentry they encountered - a Barbaracle, came around the corner ahead of them just as Luke noticed him. The instant he appeared, Volcan struck, beelining directly at the Water/Rock-type and delivering a punishing Thunderpunch to his center-mass, causing him to sputter even as he was knocked back.

However, another guard - this time a Watchog, came up around a corner they had already passed and spotted them. Just as he opened his mouth to shout, Koa was there, faster than the blink of an eye, and knocked the Watchog out in a well-aimed smack with his paw. The Zeraora cast a glance down the hall the Watchog had come from, before pulling the unconscious rodent out of sight and propping him against the wall, leaving him there as he went back to the others.

Volcan blinked, staring as Koa came back. "...Man, Lashanne wasn't kidding," he said, "Koa might even be faster than you, Luke; all I could see was a blur of yellow when he moved."

"And he knew exactly what to do with the sentry as well," Luke added, blinking and smiling softly at the Zeraora. "I kind of wish I had recruited him to Team Valiant. With speed and adaptability like that, he would have been a valuable asset."

"He may yet still be just that," said Volcan, nodding in approval to the Zeraora. "Good job, Koa."

The Zeraora smiled back, and the group started moving again as before, stepping past the unconscious Barbaracle that Volcan had positioned out of sight. Following Luke's directions again, they found stairs leading up to the next floor, heading toward three auras congregated close together at the other end of the fortress; this seemed a more likely location to where they might find Keldeo, assuming he was in a room that was being guarded.

It was then Luke noticed something else... Or rather, the lack of something... He searched across the auras located throughout the stronghold, looking for one in particular. But he never found it - there was no sign of the Shadow Corruption anywhere that he could see.

Calhoun wasn't there...

The Lucario stopped dead in his tracks once he realized the problem, prompting the others to stop and look back at him, confused. He looked to each of them for a moment before he finally spoke, and what he said sent a wave of dread along their spines.

"Guys... I think we might be too late," he began. "...Out of all the signals I've sensed, not one of them had traces of Shadow Corruption..."

"Wait, what?" Volcan asked.

"You mean to say Calhoun is not here?" Serena added.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Luke confirmed, clenching his paws tightly.

"Then... we're too late?" Caulin asked, looking between his uncles. "He's already looking for that... Nexus thing?"

Volcan cursed under his breath. "Then he's got a head start on us," he said in a grim tone, his face darkening.

"Hey, hey... We can still salvage this somehow, right?" Caulin piped up, spreading his arms apart. "So long as we can find out where he's going and save Keldeo, then that still counts as a win, right?"

Volcan let out a sigh and nodded. "You're right... Hageshi will find something. In the meantime, we should get back to our mission," he agreed, nodding gratefully to Caulin.

The young Lucario smiled and nodded back gently. "Just happy that I can help, Uncle." He replied.

Once again, they were off, following Luke's directions as they made their way toward where they hoped to find Keldeo. But their infiltration of the fortress was soon to be interrupted; as they ascended to the next floor, Luke shifted back to his Aura Sense again... Only to realize too late, there was something right at the top of the stairs!

"Oh crap! Guys, fall back!" Luke called back, trying to stop the others from progressing forward by spreading his arms out.

But Volcan and Serena were already ahead of him, and looked back startled when he called out. Then, a massive, elongated form darted into view, letting out a menacing hiss as it looked at them. There at the top of the stairs was the biggest snake Pokemon they have ever seen, with a sandy-coloured, spotted body, two large green eyes and two very rounded nostrils on the tip of its snout.

"Holy _crap!"_Volcan exclaimed, backpedaling down the stairs and nearly tripping over Serena.

"What the hell is that??" Caulin demanded.

Luke acted purely on instinct, knowing the snake Pokemon would strike after it recovered from being stunned. He lunged forward and attempted to try and strike the snake with Surging Strikes, wanting to end the confrontation before any alarms were raised. The snake hissed in pain as Luke struck it multiple times before it recoiled away from him, clearly hurt by the attack.

"It's a ground-type!" Volcan exclaimed, identifying the snake's reaction to the attack.

Then, the snake faced them again, and the dark spot around his neck began to swell, expanding outward like an inflatable tube as it breathed in sharply, drawing particles of sand in through its nostrils as it did. Luke noticed what it was doing and immediately put his arms up in front of his face as a means of shielding himself for what would come next.

"Everyone find cover! He's up to something!"

Instead, Serena leapt in front of the group, and threw up a Protect, casting a shield in front of them. The snake creature exhaled sharply, and a gale force of sand and snow exploded from its nostrils, blasting the group in the confined stairway with the force of the blast; Serena, despite her shield, was thrown back into Volcan's arms, and this time the Blaziken did lose his balance, and would have fallen down the stairs had Caulin and Koa not braced themselves in time to catch him.

"Did that thing just sneeze a fucking sandstorm at us?!" Volcan demanded as Caulin and Koa set him back on his feet, still holding Serena in his arms.

"Don't know, don't care. That thing needs to go down!" Caulin exclaimed after he put Volcan back upright with Koa's help. "I got this!" He said as he pulled out his tonfas and rushed forward, spinning his weapons as he dashed.

"No Caulin, wait!" Luke called out as Caulin dashed past him.

The snake creature whirled away from Caulin, but not to retreat as they found out. The end of its tail came around, coated in dark energy, and slammed into Caulin like a swinging log. Thankfully, Caulin's Mind Reader managed to help him predict at the last moment when the tail would strike, and he managed to lift his Tonfas up to block the attack, but the force of it was still enough to send him onto his side, quickly managing to spring back up onto his feet and take up his stance again.

"Okay... So he's fast and sneaky..." he muttered as he spun his weapons in his paws. "Gonna have to get a bit creative here."

As the snake started to lunge again, Serena attacked; she launched an Ice Beam at the sand snake, hitting it from the side as it was focused on Caulin and once again causing it to recoil away in pain. It turned from them then, hastily making its way over to a hole in the wall where it slithered out of sight; Koa started to chase it, but Luke's outstretched arm stopped him.

"Let him go for now," Luke said to the Zeraora. "We've no doubt lost the element of surprise with that scuffle."

"We can't waste another second," said Volcan, "Double-time; we get to Keldeo and we get out of here. Let's go!"

"Don't have to tell us twice," Caulin said as he put away his Tonfas, falling in line with Volcan.

The group moved at double pace, taking a right down the corridor at the top of the stairs, running down a short hallway before they rounded a second corner, and ahead saw a dead end to the hall, with a door. Beyond it, Luke and Caulin could both see three auras, with one of them lying prone on the floor. The other two were standing on either side of the door.

"Is that it?" Caulin asked softly. "That where they're holding Keldeo?"

"Two guards and a body on the floor behind the door... That's all the telltale signs of a prison cell." Luke confirmed. "We need to take out those guards quickly and quietly..."

"Soon as we open that door they'll be on us," said Volcan, "Luke, it'll be up to you and Koa then; take out those guards." He looked at Koa. "Do you understand, Koa? When we open that door, there will be two guards; you take one, and Luke will eliminate the other. Be mindful of the prisoner in there; they should be the one lying down. Understood?"

Koa nodded. "Attack guards. Protect prisoner."

"Right," Volcan replied, nodding.

"Are you ready, Koa?" Luke whispered to the Zeraora.

Koa nodded to Luke, flexing his claws and facing the door, his legs tensed as he made ready to move. Luke turned his attention ahead, targeting the guard on the left and made his move. He dashed forward as fast as he could run and nailed the guard with the hardest Wicked Blow he could manage, hitting him square in the solar plexus to force all of the air out of his lungs. The guard, a Hakamo-o, was sent hurtling into the wall with bone-jarring force, falling to his knees when he slid down to the floor; he started to stand to strike back at Luke but the Lucario sent him into oblivion with one final strike - a Force Palm, stunning and rendering him unconscious.

The other guard was a Scrafty; he had not even begun to turn around before Koa struck, once more moving a blur of yellow and attacking. He struck the Scrafty with a Thunderpunch, knocking them backward into the wall, before the Zeraora then made a flurry of motions with his paws, too fast for the eyes to follow - like he was weaving something. When he held out his paws again, a net - or rather, a web, of electricity was stretched between them, and he threw it into the Scrafty, pinning him to the wall and shocking him.

Volcan stepped into the room, looking at the two guards one after the other. "Nice work," he said, and turned his attention ahead, to the row of iron bars separating half of the room. "Well shit..." he grumbled, peering through the bars and seeing an equine form lying on the floor. "I'm guessing that's Keldeo there?" he asked.

"It has to be... There aren't any other cells like this with a prisoner inside." Luke answered as he stood by Volcan, looking through the bars.

"Did either of those guards have the key to this cell?" asked Volcan, looking back at Caulin and prompting him to check.

The young Lucario quickly rummaged about for the keys in question, checking each guard for them, but ended up empty-handed. He looked back at Volcan and shook his head in dismay.

"Someone else must have them..." Luke remarked, rubbing his chin. "Maybe a higher-up or something."

"You mean like a lieutenant?" Caulin asked. "But I didn't sense anyone like that on the way here."

"We wouldn't know them from anyone else - unless it was Sash, or Tory," said Volcan, "Alright, plan B... But someone is _definitely_going to hear us when we're done." He ushered Luke away from the cell bars, and then looked at Serena. "Get ready with an Ice Beam," he instructed her before he turned his attention to the lock of the cell.

Luke understood what Volcan was planning, and motioned for Caulin and Koa to stay back just as Volcan breathed a small Flamethrower at the cell door, aimed at the lock; the flames washed around the lock, heating it quickly, until Volcan had to take a breath. Then, Serena shot an Ice Beam from her mouth, rapidly cooling the metal and causing it to warp and crack. They repeated these two more times before Volcan looked at the others.

"Get ready to run," he said as Serena finished her third Ice Beam.

"Got it," Luke nodded, already preparing to make a break for it.

With that, Volcan turned to the door, and sprang, delivering a powerful kick that sent it swinging open, hitting the bars to its side with a deafening crash. Yet Keldeo did not stir, even from the noise, and Volcan wasted no time rushing in to pick him up. Upright, Keldeo was only a little taller than Luke, maybe somewhere around Koa's height, but Volcan struggled to pick him up as the equine proved deceptively heavy.

Throwing Keldeo over his shoulder, Volcan hurried out of the cell. "Let's move; back to the Trident, now!" he urged.

"What about Hageshi?" Serena asked as she and the others followed the Blaziken out.

"There's no way he didn't hear that sound too; hopefully, he'll understand what it means," said Volcan, "Now, we need to-"

Volcan stopped in his tracks, nearly causing Luke and Caulin both to go running into him. Before they could ask him what was wrong, they both looked past him and saw why he had stopped; there was someone standing in the hallway blocking their path... Someone all too familiar to them all.

"Well, well, well... Just the Pokémon I've been looking to kill," the Gallade said, that maniacal, bloodthirsty grin present even before he spoke.