FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

It was into the later hours of the morning when Luke awoke again, awakening from his dreams and returning to the real world once again, feeling rejuvenated. He propped himself up one arm while rubbing his eye with the other, clearing the sleep from his sockets. A twitch of his tail reminded him of the body sharing his bed, prompting him to look over his shoulder to see how his new houseguest, the amnesiac Blaziken whose name he was yet to learn, was faring.

Luke recalled how he had invited the Blaziken to share his bed when the night before he had been plagued by nightmares, terrible ones. Although the cause of them remained unknown, he appeared to be resting peacefully with someone else lying nearby, albeit his sleeping position was rather odd. He had rolled onto his stomach, and was lying face down, head to the side resting on his pillow, with one armed tucked underneath his neck and the other hanging over the edge of the bed with his knuckles brushing against the floor as he gently snored.

Luke smiled warmly as he watched the Blaziken for a moment, pleased that his guest was at peace at least for the time being, before he decided that it was time to get up and make some breakfast. Throwing off the covers, he slid out of bed, stretching and doing a few arm rotations and squats to get his blood flowing. He tip-toed around the bed, lifting the Blaziken's low-hanging arm back up onto the edge to a more comfortable position before he crept out of the bedroom, heading out to the kitchen and collecting pots and pans as he thought about what to make -something both he and his guest would like.

Eventually, he decided on a typical breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast, getting everything he needed for the meal and preparing it. It was the smell of the cooking eventually reaching the Blaziken's nostrils that woke him, his eyes slowly fluttering open and inhaling deeply as he took in that smell, feeling his stomach rumbling at just the thought of food. Eventually, he pushed himself up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawning widely as he stretched his arms.

He looked around the room, and blushed again as he remembered he had slept alongside his host the night before, sharing his bed. 'Do not do that again', a voice in his mind told him. 'It is not appropriate.' He shook his head to clear it, and dropped onto his backside, letting his legs fall over the side of the bed as he rubbed his eyes some more before standing up, walking over to the bedroom door and opening it.

The smell of the food led him to the kitchen, his talons clicking on the floor as he walked. Luke looked over his shoulder when his keen ears caught the sound of the Blaziken's footsteps, seeing him stepping out of the bedroom and into the kitchen area. "Ah, good morning. Have a seat; breakfast is almost ready," He bade his guest before turning back to the stove. "Sleep well?"

He nodded in reply. "Yes, I think I did," he answered, honestly. "My dreams weren't as... vivid, as when I slept out on the couch." He let out a sigh. "Arceus but that one was horrible, I think I was having a flashback, maybe of what happened to me."

"Oh?" Luke asked, turning away from the stove for a moment to look at the Blaziken. "What did you see; something to help regain your memories?" He inquired, hopefully.

But to Luke's disappointment, the Blaziken only shook his head. "No... Nothing like my name or anything like that," the Blaziken replied, sitting down at the table and folding his hands over it as he waited. "But I saw a being that didn't even seem all that familiar to me... tall, white and green body, red eyes, two blades growing rom his arms, a-and some sort of crest on their head..."

Luke narrowed his eyes. "Sounds like a Gallade." He returned, then went back to making their breakfast.

"Gallade..." The Blaziken repeated. "Yes, that sounds right. I think I fought him... maybe. Or, I tried to run and he simply cut me down..." He looked at the cuts on his body, namely his arm. "Either way I think it's safe to say I got the worst of it."

"So it would seem." Luke returned, walking over with their food and setting the plates down on the table. "How are they, by the way? Any discomfort?" Luke asked in a warm tone, his eyes drifting over the many injuries on his guest's body.

"I'm really itchy in some places, but there's no pain," he replied, rubbing his arm. "Just need to be careful how I move for now and I should be alright."

Luke nodded. "Good... I'm glad to see my brother's medical skills helped." He said as he sat down next to the Blaziken. "He's trying to be a surgeon, after all."

"He's off to a very good start," the Blaziken complimented, reaching for his plate of food, munching on a piece of toast first.

"That he is... He's got a fine tutor helping him as well, who also happens to be his boyfriend." Luke added, taking a bite into his eggs.

"Boy... oh," the Blaziken remarked, blushing again. "Well, someone you know closely would be the best teacher."

"Personally, the best teacher is experience; at least in my opinion." Luke returned.

Somehow, to the Blaziken, that statement actually made sense to him as he ate his breakfast. "Mm... good," he said, enjoying every bite.

Luke took his time with his meal, making sure to make every morsel he took settle in before he moved onto the next. He was one to really enjoy the food he made. "So, judging from the fact you're able to pull yourself out of bed, I take it you're well enough to move on your own?"

"I think so, at least for a while," replied the Blaziken, rolling his shoulder slightly. "I'm still not sure I'm back to normal... well, whatever 'normal' for me is, but I think I can at least walk as long as I take it slow."

Luke nodded. "Alright, then you can accompany me to the wreckage of your boat," he stated. "Maybe then we'll get some answers for you." Luke offered as he cleaned up the rest of his plate of food, and then drank down a glass of juice after.

The Blaziken's nod this time was firmer. "Agreed... no one is more desperate for answers than me," he said, his gaze falling to the table, deep in thought.

Luke gently took the Blaziken's plate away after he finished, heading back to the kitchen to give them a quick wash before setting them in the dish rack to dry. He returned to the Blaziken's side. "So... no luck on remembering your name, was it?"

"No... not really," he said. "Everytime I try to think of it, I just pull up blanks. There's just nothing left of who I am up here," He lowered his head, placing one talon against it. "Just darkness, and that gruesome nightmare last night, plus some other dreams I saw in... brief spurts. But nothing that helps me remember anything."

Luke hummed in thought, a little perturbed as to how he would find out the identity of his guest. "Well we'll have to call you something." Luke said as he rubbed his chin in thought.

"Maybe there'll be something on the boat with my name on it," the Blaziken suggested. "Assuming it actually belongs to me."

Luke shrugged. "Worth a shot I suppose. But before we go, i believe Mikhail intends to stop by here later on this morning to give you another healing session; after that, you should be at no risk of reopening your injuries. As soon as he is finished, we'll head out."

The Blaziken nodded, staring at the table while Luke went to wash the dishes. "Yes... the sooner the better," he said in a low tone, propping his arms up on his elbows and putting his hands together while he waited..

~~~~~

Later, as Luke had said, his brother returned once more to check on his patient. The Blaziken cooperatively followed the Lucario's instructions when he arrived, laying back down on the couch and letting him administer more healing to him. He also fed the Blaziken a tincture made from compressed energy root and fresh spring water, to help give him energy for the day.

The mixture tasted terrible, as most medicines did, but he forced it down, and felt its effects within the hour, making him feel like he could run laps around Azure -though of course, Mikhail urged he not do so.

When the scholarly Lucario left, Luke gathered some equipment -an earpiece and a satchel full of items, and suggested they be on their way. He left through the front entrance first, hopping out through the hatch and standing by it to hold it open for the Blaziken. The poor fire-type Pokemon was so tall, however, he bonked his head on the doorway as he started to exit, letting out an 'ow' before he ducked a little lower, stepping through and climbed onto the grass, rubbing where he'd struck the doorway.

"That brought back the headache," he grumbled.

Luke stifled a chuckle as the Blaziken exited the house. "Probably should have warned you about that; my house wasn't exactly made for 'tall' Pokémon." He said, shutting the door behind him, then began leading the way back to Azure. "On a separate topic...you haven't forgotten_everything_ I hope. Surely you still remember how to fight, right?"

"I... honestly don't know; should I know how to fight?" The stranger asked.

Remembering the night before, Luke was reminded of how, awakening from a nightmare, the strange Blaziken had shown some excellent muscle control and precision from the punch he had thrown which, had he not stopped it of his own volition, would have probably broken Luke's nose or left him with a black eye. That kind of precision and control could not just be done by someone; it had to be learned and practiced. Not to mention, the act of a handshake; he did not remember the gesture by name but he physically remembered the act of it, like some sort of perfect muscle memory that remembered physical actions for him.

"Well judging from what I saw last night, you have excellent muscle control," Luke answered. "That kind of talent has to be practiced for long periods of time -it doesn't just come naturally." He explained. "Though... for now maybe it would be best if you avoided combat for the time being; you lost a lot of blood in that crash, and to do any fighting could do you significant harm."

"Is there a lot of... fighting here?" The Blaziken asked, nervously, suddenly looking around as if expecting trouble all of a sudden.

"Sometimes." Luke returned. "Street fights are somewhat common here, but that's why Pokémon like myself exist." He said, looking back to the Blaziken. "In a way, I'm somewhat of a law enforcer here."

"Like a peacekeeper?"

"Something like that." Luke returned. "I'm the captain of the local Rescue Team. Most towns have one nowadays; we help out Pokémon in need. Sometimes there are rewards, but for some it's about doing the right thing -to help out others."

The Blaziken nodded again -he did a lot of nodding, Luke noticed. Of course, it was not like he had much to say for himself, without any memories of his life to look back on. He never broke eye contact when he heard Luke speak, and his nods were always ones of understanding, so what Luke was saying appeared to be getting through just fine.

They had reached the docks after a fair amount of walking through town, the wreckage of the boat still fresh and relatively untouched, save for a few curious Pokémon lingering about, even some of the young ones daring their friends to stick their heads into the hole left by the rock it had run into, or to try and climb on despite the risk of it collapsing until proper damage assessment could be made. Luke proceeded to usher them away, unwilling to risk any unwanted casualties should the wreckage suddenly come crashing down.

A close inspection of the wooden motorboat showed Luke that aside from the hole left by the crash -and of course the broken window where the Blaziken had crashed through when it ran aground, the boat seemed mostly intact. It was made of treated plans with a shiny varnish along the sides to protect the wood from the harsh sea water. The upper half of the hull had been painted black, and the cabin, seen from below, was made of light metals painted white. He could see no colours or markings or anything symbolic along the hull, though; nothing to show where it had come from

It was quite a nice boat, actually. If this vessel belonged to this Blaziken walking with Luke now, then he must've been doing quite well for himself wherever he was from.

"Luke!" Came Katsu's voice from behind the two, prompting the Lucario to turn back and catch sight of the Samurott from before heading toward them, crossing the beach to join them. He caught sight of the Blaziken and nodded. "Ah, you're already up and about. You certainly recovered well."

"I had some help from Luke's brother," he replied. "He healed me quite well."

"I know. I was there when you suddenly came to." The Samurott reminded him, and then looked over to the wreckage, studying the boat carefully before he spoke again. "So, this is yours I take it?"

"M-Maybe," the Blaziken shakily replied, looking at the boat. "It... feels familiar somehow, when I look at it."

"Then perhaps you can shed some light as to why you rammed it into the harbour in the first place..." Came another, more cold and stoic voice from above the wreckage. When the Blaziken looked, he saw another figure, a Greninja, garbed with a ninjato on his back, two pouches strapped to his legs, and what looked like a belt around his waist containing many tools and other gadgets standing on top of the boat's cabin and staring down at him.

The Greninja had a stern, chilling leer in his eyes as he looked demandingly at the Blaziken, arms folded in front of his chest. The Blaziken found himself oddly intimidated by the Greninja and backed away from him, fumbling for words as he tried to give some response to the cold statement...

"Ease up, Kage." Luke said firmly up to the Greninja. "Yesterday was rough for him. No need to scare him off."

Kage scoffed, leaping off the boat and landed between Katsu and Luke. "You should know I leave nothing to chance, Luke. You'd be wise to do the same..." He replied, still leering over at the Blaziken, who could only blink in reply, maintaining a safe distance from the Greninja until he finally broke eye contact, wanting to keep his distance.

Luke looked back at the Blaziken to see how nervous Kage had made him. Sighing and approaching him, he spoke softly to reassure him. "Don't take it personally. He just doesn't trust anyone."

"That much is... clear," the Blaziken returned, shuddering before he turned towards the boat again, eyes scanning over the side once more. As he looked over the hull, he reached out and pressed his talon against the side, pushing on it as if to test its integrity before he stepped back and began to walk along its side until he reached the back, stepping into the water in the process.

Before Luke could ask what the Blaziken was doing, he suddenly jumped, his powerful legs -even weakened- carrying him ten fee into the air, where he arced over the side of the boat and landed on its deck behind the cabin. The vessel creaked ominously as he landed, causing Katsumoto to tense up as he was worried the boat might fall over from the sudden disturbance.

Katsu called to him. "Be careful! We don't know how much of the vessel is near collapse!" He bellowed. Although he could understand the Blaziken's need to get on board and search it, the Samurott was of the cautious type, always looking for safe options first.

But Luke knew it wasn't just about that; he noticed the Blaziken glancing back down to them briefly, and the moment his eyes drifted to Kage, the Blaziken ducked out of sight like he was trying to hide from the Greninja. Luke looked to Kage with a stern gaze, scolding him with his eyes before he too approached the boat and jumped onto it from the front, just as eager as the Blaziken to find any answers that could help solve this conundrum, as well as help regain the Blaziken's lost memories.

The design of the boat was a typical motorboat with a cabin, but this one was clearly customized; it was longer than the average motorboat, for starters, and on the front where he had landed, Luke noticed a launcher device bolted to the deck in front of the cabin; it was not a weapon, as its payload, visible outside of the barrel, was a grappling hook. It was built on a collapsible tripod so that it could be raised or lowered as needed. He tilted his head curiously at the device before he followed the railing around to the rear of the boat, shimmying along the port side until he cleared the cabin and dropped into an open spot of floor.

What little area there was for foot-traffic was unharmed by the crash. It had several built-in seats, made as part of the boat, with two bucket seats on the port and starboard sides, with one really large seat -clearly mean for a larger Pokemon, on the deck, next to the hatch that likely led down to the engine, or a cargo hold.

But what really grabbed his attention was an image painted into the boards beneath his feet. He stepped back slightly to get a better look at it, and noticed it appeared to be some sort of symbol. The image contained what appeared to be a large, golden round shield with the letter 'P' on the front of it, with crimson ribbon arcing over top with the word 'Phalanx' written in bold, white letters. It appeared to have been repainted recently as well.

"Phalanx," he read aloud, kneeling down and staring at the emblem. "Sounds like some sort of group name," he muttered to himself.

Luke noticed the Blaziken had already gone into the cabin though, and so followed him inside, taking a look around the interior. On his right, he saw a table and two chairs, both built-in to the vessel itself, but the legs of the chairs on sliding racks to be adjusted for larger Pokémon. The table appeared to have had a chess set on it prior to the crash, which was now scattered all across the cabin. Past the table was a build-in, rustic-style refrigerator with a glass-front door, allowing one to see the items within, although it had burned out due to having been jarred open by the crash and left open overnight. Fortunately, it was empty anyway.

To the left, he noticed a big fold-up cot hanging down from the wall, which had clearly seen some use by none other than the Blaziken; the gray sheets were stained with blood, and there was an open first aid kit lying on its side, once again with contents spilled everywhere. Evidently the Blaziken had been trying to treat his own injuries, but having not seen any gauze wrappings on him when Luke had found him, it appeared that he had been forced to abandon his work prematurely -to avert the crash, Luke guessed. He shuddered as he imagined the suffering that the Blaziken must have endured while trying to stop the crash.

And last, Luke looked over at the Blaziken, who was up at the front of the cabin by the wheel for steering. There was no pilot seat in this vessel, as the space around the wheel was a little confined regardless due to the other amenities in the cabin. Several drops of blood, long dried, led up to the wheel from the cot, further supporting Luke's theory that the Blaziken had become aware of the crash and had scrambled to try and avert it, but was just a little too late. He took note of how the Blaziken was looking over the wheel and the other instruments behind it; a few controls that Luke didn't know what they were for.

"Well...from what I can gather here. It looks as if you tried to avert the collision," Luke said, gesturing to the blood trail on the floor. "We can safely say this was an accident now."

The Blaziken nodded in reply, looking over at Luke. "That's... actually some relief," he said. "At least now I know I didn't crash on purpose, for whatever reason I might have."

Luke then gestured to the emblem out on the deck, prompting the Blaziken to look at it as well. "Does that ring any bells for you?"

The Blaziken stared at the painted image long and hard, his eyes fixing upon it as if he were mesmerized at the sight of. When he made no reponse, Luke stepped closer and studied his expression, seeing the the stranger's eyes had glazed over and were not reactant to the Lucario even as he waved his paw in front of the Blaziken's face, as if lost in his own head. Seeing that symbol had triggered something. When he failed to break the Blaziken's focus on the emblem, he just watched him silently, waiting for him to speak of his own accord.

Finally, the Blaziken whispered, just a single word, but clearly something of significance. "Team..." was the word, low and barely audible, but loud enough Luke's ears caught it.

"Team?" Luke asked, both of his ears twitching. "Team what?"

"I-I-I'm not quite sure, but the word 'Team' just... speaks out," he said. "I... think this boat belongs to a... team of some kind. Maybe a Rescue Team like what you and I discussed earlier." He put his hand to his head again. "A team I'm part of? Or did I steal this boat running from something else?" He resorted to surveying the cabin again, walking back up to the front once more, starting his search over, more desperately this time.

Luke was about to walk up to him and suggest maybe they look again later. He heard a crinkle as he stepped, and felt a sharp prick in his foot. "Ow!" Luke grunted, lifting his leg up instinctively and stepping back from whatever had poked his foot.

There was more broken glass on the floor where he had stepped, the lack of lighting keeping him from noticing it earlier; his first thought was the windshield, but that seemed unlikely; the Blaziken had flown through the window from inside, not out. And then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a broken picture frame lying on the floor by the wall a few feet away, hidden by one of the chairs he had sighted earlier, the photo it contained inside was sticking out at the corner.

Luke narrowed his eyes as he crept over to the fallen picture frame, crouching low and lifting it carefully in his paws, turning it over slowly to see what its contents held, and perhaps shed more light on the Blaziken's origins. Sure enough, it seemed to be just what he was looking for. The picture held four individual Pokémon. One of them was the same Blaziken standing in that very room with Luke, the other three were a Lucario, a Vaporeon, and an Aggron that held the Blaziken and the Lucario in a headlock that they were playfully trying to wrench themselves free from.

Looking at the Lucario in the picture, suddenly it made sense to Luke why the Blaziken had thought he looked familiar; he had already known a Lucario before meeting him, and in his confused, clouded mind, had mistaken Luke for whoever this one in the picture was.

At the bottom of the page was a section of handwriting that read: 'Rescue Team Phalanx, 2nd Anniversary'. "Team Phalanx..." Luke read the words aloud to himself. "So he was in a team as well." He said, then looked over to the Blaziken, wondering if he should show him the picture; already his mind was in turmoil, but Luke had promised to help him find his memories and this was the first true clue they had found. "Hey. I think I might have found something." He called to the Blaziken, getting his attention.

The Blaziken turned to face him, noticing the picture and stepping hurriedly over to Luke, taking the photo carefully from him and staring at it in awe. "Is that... me?" He asked, looking at the Blaziken in the picture, touching it gingerly with one talon.

"It sure looks like you." Luke returned. "Does Team Phalanx ring any bells to you, because it looks to me as if you're part of that team."

"Yes... Team Phalanx," he said, his gaze drifting off into space and beak hanging open as his expression turned to one of realization. "I think I remember; I _am_part of a team." He looked at the picture closely, raising it to his face. "Then these are my..."

Inadvertently, the Blaziken had actually let Luke see something on the back of the picture; four words -names, written out on the back in a clockwise fashion.

'Minato Tristan Volcan Serena'

"Hey, there are names on the back of the picture." Luke said, walking over and flipping the picture over to the names.

With the picture turned over, Volcan studied the other side of the photograph, reading each of the names aloud several times, until one of the names seemed to hold his attention. "Volcan... Volcan..." He repeated several more times, before he lowered the picture to look at Luke. "I remember now." He said. "My name is Volcan."

Luke started to smile. "Is that so?" He asked, crossing his arms. "Well it's a fine name I think. Glad to see I'm able to call you something other than just Blaziken. In all honesty I was afraid of giving you another name." He started to chuckle. "I'm kind of terrible with them."

Much to his surprise, Volcan actually gave him a weak smile. "I'm sure I would have been fine with it... hell even just calling me 'Stranger' probably worked," he said. "But at least it didn't come to that."

He had changed, so slight but so suddenly it was impossible to miss. With some of his memories coming back, it seemed Volcan now recollected at least a small semblance of his real self. Noticing this, Luke could only smile back to him, feeling happy that their efforts were returning Volcan to his old self. "I think it's safe to say at this point, you're not that much of a stranger anymore." Luke replied, reaching up and placing his paw on the Blaziken's shoulder.

Unfortunately, the melancholy would soon return, as Volcan's smile reverted back to a deep frown. "There's still so many blanks, though... this is my team in this photograph," he began, wandering out of the cabin and back out to the deck, where he walk to the back of the boat and sat down in one of the chairs, staring at the emblem by his feet before he continued. "This is our boat," he said, before turning his gaze out to sea, staring longingly across the great blue. "But the rest of my past is out there, somewhere... across the sea."

His gaze fell. "Where is my team; why weren't they with me? And what happened that sent me here to a strange place?" He held the photo against his chest directly over his heart, pressing with both talons as he shut his eyes "If only they were with me now..."

Luke stepped over to the Blaziken, sitting down next to him and trying to offer him some reassuring words. "Well, maybe they're out searching for you now." He offered. "Though... perhaps if it would help, maybe we could look for them as well?"

Volcan looked at Luke briefly, before his gaze drifted down to the deck of the boat again, grimacing. "Certainly can't do that in this boat; it's wrecked."

"Machines are made to be repaired," Luke reminded him optimistically. "Besides, we can always rent one; we are in a port town after all. There are lots of boats here."

"Maybe," he said. "But if possible... I would like to try and get this one repaired. This belonged to my team; if and when I find them, I want to bring at least this back with me when I return to them."

Luke nodded back to him. "That can be arranged." He said. "Of course, the challenge is getting this boat to a dry dock without damaging it further..."

"Where do we start?" Volcan asked, feeling suddenly hopeless.

"For now, we'll have to try and get this boat repaired so it can sail out toward where you came from." Luke replied. "Until that's fixed up, you'll have to get a bit more comfortable here in Azure." He added with a helpless shrug. "I'm sorry Volcan, but the way I see it, it's the only course of action available."

Volcan let out a sigh. "You're right; I have to be patient,' he said, and turned to look out at the sea. "The answers will still be waiting for me out there when the time comes." And added in a low whisper. "I hope."

Luke nodded. "Let's give everyone the news as to what we've found out so far. Just be warned, my team can be a little...unorthodox at first." He warned. "You've seen Katsu and Kage already, but that's only half my team."

"You have more?" Volcan asked. "Who else is there?"

"Hank, Doug, and Eagle Eye." Luke answered. "They're out doing their usual scouting patrols. In total there are six of us, each fulfilling a specific role in our team."

"Alright," Volcan returned with a nod. But then, another question seemed to nag at his mind, one which he seemed hesitant to ask, but eventually mustered the courage to come out and say it as Luke stood up and headed over to the edge of the boat, about to hop down to the beach again. "Hey, Luke?" He asked.

The Lucario paused, stepping back from the railing and turning to the Blaziken. "Yes? What's on your mind?" He returned.

"I know you offered your help... but I have another favor to ask," began Volcan, speaking slowly and clearly. "It's clear I have some experience on a Rescue Team -even if I don't remember it." He paused briefly, before he went on with his request. "I know this is a lot to ask, but until we find my team, do you mind if I join yours as a temporary? I know you want to help me, but I strongly feel like I owe it to you to at least do something to pull my own weight and earn my keep here in Azure, if you'll let me."

Luke stared up at Volcan, clearly weighing his options at that particular moment and taking his time with making his decision, eventually resorting to pacing the deck as he searched for an answer. He then closed his eyes. "I said I'd help you, and I'm not one to go back on my word..." Luke returned, opening his eyes. "We'd have to work on regaining your combat experience back, but I think it can be arranged."

Volcan nodded to him in gratitude. "I will try my hardest not to disappoint you."

"Indeed," Luke returned before he once more stepped over to the railing and called down to the Samurott swill waiting for them on the beach. "Katsu, I need you to head to the nearest boat crafter's shop and see if they can repair this vessel; tell them to send me the bill." He called, with Katsu nodding up to him and then leaving the beach to go carry out his directions. With that, Luke relayed his next order to the Greninja. "Kage, round up the rest of the group and have them meet us on the pier."

When Kage left, Luke turned back to Volcan again, seeing the Blaziken still seated in his chair, lost in his own mind. He stepped away from the railing again, approaching the Blaziken, who looked up at him. "Let's head out and meet the team... Volcan." Luke stated, offering his paw to him with a reassuring smile.

Volcan hesitated only briefly, but eventually he reached out and firmly grasped Luke's paw and stood up from his seat, giving a look of filled with confidence that before, Luke had not seen in him. "I will make things right, and I will return the favor for all that you've done for me, that's a promise."

"You don't owe me anything, Volcan...I was more than willing to help." He assured him with a nod.

"Regardless, if nothing else," he gestured to the boat they stood on. "I can at least pay you back for offering to repair this."

"I guess that's fair enough." Luke returned, still holding his hand as they proceeded to the rail. "C'mon, let's head out and meet the rest of the group, and then we can get to work."

"Sounds like a plan," Volcan returned, finally letting go of Luke's paw and following him off of the boat, hopping off the deck and landing in the sand below with him ready to begin his -temporary- new life with Luke's team.

With that, they departed from the beach, heading over to the pier and ascending the short access steps to walk upon the boardwalk as they made their way to the meeting place Luke had designated. "So... anything I should know in advance?" Volcan asked.

"Let's see..." Luke rubbed his chin in thought to the question.

However, his focus was interrupted when he head a commotion coming to his left, prompting him to look on over and see a group of larger Pokémon crowding around a smaller otter like Pokémon; a Dewott. The small creature had a few scars along his body, had gauze wrapped around his forearms that connected to his scallchops on his waist, not to mention he had a sword strapped to his back. His composure was calm and collected, even as the other larger Pokémon crowded and harassed him.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" Volcan demanded, the scene causing him to become alert. He looked ready to move to intercept when Luke held his paw in front of Volcan to stop him from advancing forward.

"Don't worry. He's got this." Luke said calmly to Volcan.

"But he's outnumbered; are you sure?" Volcan asked, unconvinced by seeing such a small Pokemon alone against so many.

"Positive." Luke returned, a confident look in his eyes as the scene unfolded.

The first thug threw a few mock jabs at the Dewott, to which he didn't react at first. Then when another actually took a swing at him, the Dewott's gaze intensified, quickly leaping up and over the swing and kicking the attacker square in the nose. Upon landing, the Dewott then turned and discharged a searing hot Scald attack from his mouth to ward off the second attacker, then with the third, he shot up with Aqua Jet and slammed into his jaw.

He continued upward with the momentum of his Aqua Jet, and then quickly drew a scallchop and hurled it behind him. The Scallchop whizzed past the thug he just hit, embedding itself into the ground, then the Dewott tugged hard on the gauze connecting hsi arm to the weapon and shot back toward the foe, slamming his foot along his cheek and sending him crashing into the ground.

With that, there was only one concious thug left, who was about to attack him once he landed, but the Dewott was quicker on the draw, drawing his blade and pointing it back toward the aggressor, the tip almost piercing his nose. He then slowly looked behind him. "For your own sake, please leave. Take your friends with you and get their wounds treated." He said calmly and rather maturely for someone of his age.

Apparently taking the Dewott seriously, the thug yelped and backed away clumsily, running off in a terrified fashion as the Dewott sheathed his blade into the scabbard on his back, letting out a disheartened sigh as he looked to the unconcious foes that the thug had left behind. Reaching into the pack at his side, he slipped them each a Sitrus Berry, and then proceeded to walk off and continue his day.

Volcan stood, gawking at the spectacle he had just witnessed, beak hanging wide open, slouched forward and arms drooping. "Wuuuuuuu..."

"I told you." Luke said confidently. "He's got this."

"That guy's faster than a Pikachu on a sugar high," Volcan commented, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm impressed."

"That's Kage's star pupil, Wade." Luke returned. "He's mastered many forms of fighting for someone of his age, and yet despite that, he possesses a quiet, gentle nature about him. That boy really is a prodigy."

"Geez..." Volcan commented, before looking at Luke. "Any other crazy-strong ones around here I need to look out for?"

"A few," Luke returned. "There's my eldest brother, Rigel, who's a bit of a warmongrel." He said with a sigh. "I swear, he takes WAY too much after Nido." The Lucario muttered.

"Who's Nido; he from around here too?" Volcan asked, his curiosity piqued now.

"Kind of. He doesn't live in town per-say." Luke returned. "He's... well, to put it mildly, he's the strongest Nidoking in the world. There's literally no one who can beat him, not even I can, and I've known him since I was a Riolu." He said.

"No matter how strong you get, there is always at least one out there who can defeat you," Volcan recited unexpectedly, before his expression went blank, his blue eyes blinking in confusion. "And I have... No. Idea. Why I just said that."

"Perhaps it's more of your old self returning. Maybe something you've always said when another makes a claim like that?"

"Maybe. I'd have to know who else I've said it to," Volcan remarked, scratching his head. "Having gaps in your memory can leave you pretty damn confused, not to mention saying random shit like that."

Luke laughed gently and clapped Volcan's shoulder. "Give it time; having too many memories flooding back into your mind can be a little overwhelming."

"Yeah, you're tellin' me," Volcan returned, letting out a sigh. "Still wish I knew what it was that has me so worried, too... and where my team is; the latter I think I'd be more at peace about, if I just knew that happened to them."

"I'm sure they'll be fine. From what I saw in that picture, they looked like they were capable of holding their own in any situation." Luke reasoned

At that, Volcan grimaced. "Two of them, yes... but the Vaporeon," he said. "Something about her makes me feel she doesn't handle herself that well on her own. The other two I think could go to the Distortion World and come back alive but her." He shook his head. "Well, I hope she got to safety."

"Only time will tell," Luke returned, then he looked toward the town and smiled. "Ah. Here comes the rest of the team." He said, pointing to Kage arriving with three other Pokémon.

Approaching them was the three-headed mole Pokemon known as a Dugtrio, a fire-red with gray underbelly bird known as a Talonflame that glided above the rest, and a rather muscular Zoroark garbed in tribal garments that, somehow, surprised Volcan the most when he saw him. "...I may not recall how many Zoroark I've met but I think that's the biggest one I've ever seen," he commented.

"Hank is rather big for his species yes, but that's because he's worked rather hard to maintain his body in such a way." Luke returned.

Volcan nodded. "Along with a Dugtrio and a Talonflame... I'm sensing a pattern here," he said, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Oh?" Luke asked, smiling gingerly. "Well, what do you think is the pattern?"

"Aside from Katsu, every member of your group is of a species known to be relatively fast," replied the Blaziken. "Dugtrio, the fastest of all Ground-types, a Talonflame, known for ridiculous flight speed, Zoroark who is a natural sprinter, and a Greninja who is not just a fast runner but an excellent jumper." He looked at Luke. "And then there's you; a Lucario, swift and born for combat."

Luke smiled. "Good eye." Luke returned. "Speed is a big factor in our team, but it isn't everything." He said as the group arrived.

"'Sup boss? Froggie here said you wanted to see us." Hank, the Zoroark, stated, before he then looked to Volcan, eyeing him quizzically. "And who's the new guy?"

The Blaziken steeled himself as it became clear all eyes were on him, and waited for Luke to introduce him before he said anything at all. "Everyone, this is Volcan." Luke said, gesturing his paw to the Blaziken. "Not much is known about him right now, but from what I've gathered, he's part of his own team back where he's from, but he arrived here yesterday by," he hummed as he paused, as if searching for a better word than the one he was going to use first. "Accident," he said, gesturing to the wreckage back the way they had come.

"Whoa, jeez! What were you drunk or something?" The Talonflame commented to Volcan, tilting his headat him.

"Eagle Eye," Luke said, sternly. "Go easy on him, please. I'm afraid the reason we don't know much about him is because he doesn't know either. He was severely injured before and after the crash and cannot recollect anything past when he awoke last night."

"Say wha...?" Eagle Eye asked, once more cocking his head quizzically.

"Wait, so yer saying he's an amnesiac?" Hank asked.

"That would be the short of it, yes," Luke replied. "So far, thanks to some things we found on the boat, we were able to discern his name, and that he comes from somewhere across the sea. He's also part of a team known as 'Phalanx'."

The Talonflame started to snicker from the name, covering his beak with his wing. Kage leered down at him and smacked him on the back of his head with his long tongue scarf. "OW! Hey dude nasty!!"

"What's wrong with that name?" Volcan asked, tilting his head at the Talonflame.

"Well it's just-" He began, and then got another, colder leer from Kage, making him freeze up and shiver on the spot. "Uh nothing! Nothing! It's an awesome name man!"

Volcan looked at Luke oddly, scratching the side of his head in mild confusion, and mouthed the words 'You take it from here' to the Lucario before stepping back and letting him address his team "...Right. Anyway," began Luke. "For the time being, Volcan's going to be staying here in Azure. He's offered to pitch in and help us out on our missions." Luke said. "In exchange, I have offered to help him find his way home and regain his past."

"Seems legit." Hank said with a nod. "Just don't weigh us down TOO much, rookie."

"If I can regain some of my past experience -assuming I have any... hopefully that won't be a problem," he said, his gaze falling slightly.

"In any case, I suppose introductions are in order." Luke said.

The Talonflame stepped up first. "Call me Eagle Eye; I'm pretty much the group's entire air support."

"Name's Hank." The Zoroark said next. "I'm the guy everyone comes to when they need something 'borrowed' or information extracted from non-cooperative ass-wipes. Basically I'm a trickster."

"I'm Doug, the Trapper of the group." The Dugtrio stated. "I do landscaping, trapping, tunneling -anything that involves digging, I'm your man."

Kage was silent for a long moment before he spoke. "...I go by Kage..." He said blunty. "I am the Shadow of Team Valiant."

"Well that's... detailed," Volcan muttered before clearing his throat. "I hope I prove myself worthy of all of you in the near future, until I can find my way back where I belong."

"I'm sure you will." Came Katsu's voice as he approached Volcan and Luke from behind, to which they turned back to see him as the kimono-clad Samurott approached. "You come across as a respectable individual, and your eyes burn with a warrior's spirit. I look forward to fighting alongside you in the battlefield."

Volcan allowed himself a smile at Katsu's moving words. "Thank you," he said.

WIth that, Volcan was now properly acquainted with Team Valiant, knowing a little about each of its members and their roles in the team. "So... now what?" Eagle Eye asked

"Well for the time being, we'll have to take things easy until Volcan recovers a bit more and can regain his old combat prowess back." Luke stated. "Return to your patrols as per usual. I'll help Volcan get back on his feet and into the swing of things." He then waved his paw. "Dismissed."

With that, the team separated, each of them taking a different direction and returning to patrolling the town using their own unique skill sets and tricks. Luke then looked to Volcan and smiled. "Well, now that that's out of the way... let's get you back in shape."

"Right now?" The Blaziken asked, nervously.

Luke paused for a bit. "Hmm...actually maybe full on sparring wouldn't be a good idea after all, considering your condition." Luke said, rubbing his chin a bit. "We'd have to start with something small."

Volcan nodded to him once again. "Alright," he said, still seeming a little nervous; the earlier personality he had shown seemed to have returned to that lost, timid nature again as there was still a lot of confusion in the Blaziken's mind.

Luke lifted a paw up and gently patted Volcan's shoulder to help calm him down. "Relax, alright?" He asked softly. "You're too pent up right now. It's just some simple exercises." He explained as he stepped past Volcan. "Let's go."

Volcan let out a sigh, following after Luke. "Maybe a little exercise would do me some good," he agreed.

"There you go." Luke said with a smile. "Just stay positive." He added, taking Volcan through the woods back in the direction of his home. They stopped in a clearing not too far from his home, where he stopped and turned back to Volcan. "And we're here."

Volcan studied the clearing carefully, taking a good long look at its layout as if he was assessing it for strategic value. He nodded in approval as he finished his examination. "Okay... so what're we starting with; just some basic physio stuff?"

"That's the idea, yes." Luke answered. "Let's start with some simple stretching, so we can gauge just what your limits are while you recover." He took a seat in front of the Blaziken. "Let's get started."

The Blaziken sucked in a deep breath, rolling his shoulders to loosen them up and then, following Luke's directions, proceeded to do a few basic stretches, starting with his legs, crouching down and leaning onto one while extending the other, and then shifting to the second. He seemed to know what he was doing -another testament to that intriguing precise muscle memory he seemed to possess; it was certainly a unique trait to be able to remember physical actions so clearly after suffering amnesia, as though his own body was reminding him itself.

Luke was smiling the whole time he watched Volcan go through with his stretches, feeling he should get involved as well, as to lead by example. After they had finished all the stretches Luke could think of, he hopped up onto his feet and limbering up a little. "Ok, ready for some basic exercises next?" He asked.

"I think so," Volcan replied, nodding to him. "What's first?"

"We should keep your movements slow for now, so let's just run through the basic moves." He said as he stood next to Volcan, but kept far enough so the Blaziken could see him out of his peripheral. "Just follow after me." He said, taking a deep breath as he slowly assumed his stance.

Volcan shifted his stance, trying to match Luke's but it appeared slightly awkward for him. Still, he put up with it, ready to follow Luke's examples, all the while both of them making sure that Volcan did not become suddenly light-headed. His movements were slow, but precise, taking his time and going through the motions while exhaling slowly, with the Blaziken doing his best to follow him. After roughly an hour or two, they ended their routine, Luke taking a deep breath and looked to Volcan.

"And done...how do you feel?" He asked.

"My limbs feel slightly sore and heavy... but otherwise I think I feel pretty good," replied Volcan, nodding in approval. His body was still weak, but not incapable at least.

"Well that's better than what you were like before." Luke said with a smile. "We'll get you back in fighting shape in I'd say...a week or so, then we can get into some more serious training." Luke added.

"Okay," Volcan agreed. "You know... somehow this feels right to me." He gave a few jabs at the air. "I wasn't sure at first, but the more I work my body, the more pumped I feel... I think you and Katsu are right; maybe I am a fighter."

"I certainly hope so." Luke says with a grin. "Would be nice to have a new sparring partner to train with."

Volcan eyed him with some intrigue. "You think so?" He asked.

"Yes. In fact, my gut feeling tells me you're quite a fighter...we just have to work on getting your skills back." Luke replied with a nod.

"I guess the coming days will say for sure."

~~~~~

The next two day were spent much like the first; Luke was asked to come to town to sign a receipt for Volcan's boat, since he had offered to pay for it, and it was lifted and carried off by a team of labourers consisting most of Machoke and a couple of Machamp, who formed a ring around the boat to lift it free of the rocks, place it on a large cart hooked up to a pair of Tauros, and hauled away to the shipyard to receive repairs.

He and Volcan, before the boat was hauled away, collected a few things from the boat that might get lost in the transport -most importantly that photograph they had found. The Blaziken did not want to be parted from it, and began to keep it on his nightstand when he slept. He still suffered nightmares each of those nights, waking up repeatedly; sometimes, Luke was even awake when he was and would have to run in to comfort him. Still, they seemed to be getting more tolerable to him as the photo appeared to bring him comfort if Luke was sleeping.

They spent the days with the same routine exercises, but on the third day is when Volcan seemed to be getting more strength, as when they went outside for their routine exercises, he had been able to jog alongside Luke quite easily, and following the stretches, pushed his limits to test how well he could maneuver his limbs to perform kicks and punches, never once suffering a dizzy spell, doing the same on the fifth day and practicing moves alongside Luke.

It was then on the fifth that they decided to put him to a more rigorous test, where he would finally have a gentle sparring match with Luke.

"Alright." Luke said as he took a few steps away from the Blaziken. "I think you're just about ready for your first sparring session. You've recovered well during your rehabilitation, now it's time to put your limits to the test..."

"Okay," Volcan returned, firmly.

Over the days of exercise and practice, he had grown more confident, regaining more of what Luke assumed was his real self; he felt as ready as Luke believed he was, and was already shifting to a fighting stance that Luke was seeing for the first time, one arm held across his chest, the other up by his head with the arm curled like an Arbok about to strike. He had most of his weight focused to his back leg, the other leg held with his talons barely touching the ground.

Luke assumed his stance in response, spreading his legs apart, holding his left paw in front and his right held out by his hip. "Ok...whenever you're ready."

"Here I go," Volcan began, lunging forward and attacking with a jab using that curled fist; it appeared the striking-snake look to it was not just for show, because the speed which he threw that jab was startlingly quick.

However, Luke's reflexes were sharp, managing to deflect Volcan's fist by slapping it away, then countered with a open paw strike to Volcan's chest. Volcan grunted at the paw-strike, but it wasn't enough to stagger him. He attacked with his other arm, swiping at Luke with his elbow, applying force with both his shoulder and the muscles in his hips.

Luke grunted and quickly backed up after the strike, retaliating with an aura sphere back at Volcan, gauging to see how he'd react. The Blaziken instinctively ducked to the side, watching it pass before looking back at Luke, chuckling. "Missed me," he said.

And no sooner did he say that did the Aura Sphere make a return trip, striking him in the back and sending him face-planting into the dirt, letting out a muffled _what the heck_following his being knocked down.

Luke then stepped forward, a bone of aura energy forming in his paws, and proceeded to bonk his head lightly while Volcan was down. "Did I now?" He asked in a bit of a cocky tone, his bone disappearing as he crouched down and offered the Blaziken his paw.

Volcan lifted his face out of the dirt, spitting out a few grass blades before looking up at Luke. "How'd _that_happen?" He asked.

"Simple. Aura Sphere literally _cannot_miss its target. It locks onto you like a guided missile." Luke explained, still offering Volcan his paw.

Volcan groaned, but grasped Luke's paw and let himself be helped to his feet. "Great; how do you beat an attack that actually chases you?" He asked aloud, rubbing the back of his head in frustration.

"By not letting it chase you." Luke answered. "The only way to protect yourself from it is to either detonate it prematurely or hide behind cover."

"Is it even possible to outrun an Aura Sphere though?" Volcan asked. "How fast do they follow you?"

"They're pretty fast. I've yet to see anyone manage to outrun an Aura Sphere, as most either take a hit to the back while dodging, or they hide or destroy it." Luke explained. "Maybe I should hold off on those for now..."

"Nah, that's alright," Volcan replied, stepping back as he prepared to resume. "I'll think of something for dealing with it."

"If you're sure." Luke replied, shifting back to his stance. "I think this time I'll move first. See how sharp your reflexes are."

"Alright," Volcan replied, returning to his stance and waiting for Luke's first attack.

The attack came quickly, as Luke then darted forward and thrust a Force Palm right for the Blazikens chest. Volcan reacted accordingly, using that lowered arm of his and twisting his hips to backhand Luke's paw aside, and with Luke having used his right paw for the Force Palm, Volcan's left-handed backhand had exposed Luke's torso, which Volcan went in with a jab for his stomach with his other hand.

Luke tensed up and exhaled sharply when the jab connected with his stomach, absorbing as much of the impact as he could, displaying his own muscle control to Volcan, then he grabbed Volcan's arm and yanked him forward, slamming his paw into the Blaziken's chest once more. Volcan doubled over, not expecting such a counter, and fell onto his backside, slightly dazed.

"Geez... you're two feet shorter than me and you're kicking my ass," Volcan remarked. "I wasn't expecting you to just take that punch so easily."

Luke chuckled. "I've been in a lot of fights in my life. I've learned how to take a hit." He said, once more offering his paw to Volcan. "I could tell you stories of my ventures..."

Volcan grasped his paw once more, letting Luke help him up to his feet. "I'm sure I'll get to hear 'em sometime," he said, and once more resumed his stance, looking more determined than ever now; his warrior instinct was starting to awaken.

Luke assumed his stance once more, smirking a bit as he looked the Blaziken in the eyes for a long moment before he rushed in again, this time swinging his leg right for Volcan's head as his opening move. Volcan blocked it with his raised arm, before he delivered a jab with his elbow to Luke's forehead, followed by a sweep of his leg, this time making it Luke's turn to be dropped onto his backside as the one leg he stood on was suddenly taken out from under him, and Volcan jumped back, rather than try to hit him while he was down.

Luke grunted as he landed on his back, quickly popping back up onto his feet and darting back toward Volcan and unleashing a quick combo of punches and kicks at him. Like with their exercises before, Luke's movements were precise and calculated, not a single effort was wasted as he kept up his assault, allowing Volcan to get a glimpse of Luke's combat experience firsthand.

But at the same time, Luke also saw Volcan's, and that astonishing muscle memory of his. As his brain processed the oncoming attacks, it was if his body knew what to do on its own, his amnesia doing nothing to hinder his fighting prowess as he blocked and parried many of Luke's strikes, even dodging him once and retaliating with an inverted roundhouse kick following the evade.

"Whoa!" Luke exclaimed as he jerked his head back from the kick. "That was something."

Volcan had actually surprised himself with that maneuver as well. "I... didn't even realize I knew techniques like this!" He exclaimed, looking at his talons. "How am I doing this?"

Luke smiled. "Looks like your fighting prowess is returning to you the more we spar." He stated. "That was quite an impressive counterattack."

"Thanks," Volcan returned. "I just... can't understand why all this is coming back to me so well. I don't even recall if I had a teacher or not."

"Muscle memory works differently than mental memory." Luke explained. "They say the more you do something, the longer it sticks. My guess is your body is remembering the movements you were taught by instinct."

"So I'm remembering things... just because I've done them before," Volcan said, giving a shorter version of what Luke had said. He smiled, curling his fingers back into fists. "Alright then." He turned to face Luke again, only to stumble slightly and grab his head. "Whoa... okay; getting dizzy now."

Luke stepped forward and helped to steady his balance. "I think that will do for now." Luke said, smiling up at Volcan. "Let's take a break. We can continue whenever you feel fit enough to."

"Good idea," he agreed, slowly sitting down on the grass and leaning back on his hands, breathing steadily. "I guess I overdid it a little."

"It happens. Hell, I've overdone things in my life as well. You only learn from your experiences." He said, taking a seat next to Volcan with a sigh. "That was a good round though. You've regained a little of your old fighting techniques it seems."

"It appears so," he replied, lifting one talon to stare at the palm for a moment, studying the calloused knuckles he had. "I definitely was a fighter," he stated. "At least I didn't lose my muscle memory after all that happened." He put that hand back down, staring up at the clouds above and letting his mind wander. His mood seemed to have improved with the adrenaline of that sparring match, giving him some positive feeling for the time being.

"Like I said, if you do something long enough, it tends to stick." Luke said, gently patting Volcan's shoulder. "No amount of amnesia can erase what the body remembers." Although even then, the way Volcan acted on instinct was surprising even to Luke; there was no hesitation in his movements, as if he didn't even need to think about how to react. He just knew; whatever was coming his way, he simply knew how to react.

When he didn't say this, Volcan let out a chuckle, glancing over at him. "I suppose you're right," he said. "I guess the knowledge is implanted in my muscles and not my brain." He looked straight ahead, his expression going blank. "...Did I just imply that I'm stupid?" He asked.

Luke could not hold back his laugh at the Blaziken's words, leaning his head back as he did. "Well I wouldn't say that." Luke returned. "I'd say you're more the type that prefers to act than to think."

"That... just makes it sound like I'm a rash fellow," he returned, before letting out a sigh and lifting his hands, letting himself drop onto his back and tucking his hands behind his head. "I suppose I'll know soon enough, regardless. A few things have already come back to me after what we found on the boat."

He crossed his legs, elevating one knee to lift the other and tapping the foot of his raised leg as he stared up at the sky. "I wonder what my friends are doing right now... You think anyone will come looking for me?"

"I'm sure they will." Luke returned with a nod. "If they were really worried, there's no question in my mind that they're probably searching for you as we speak." He added. "We just need to give it some time..."

Volcan looked over at him, staring at the Lucario for a few seconds before he turned his gaze back up to the sky again. "I hope so," he muttered.

"I know so." Luke said firmly. "And if they can't find us, then we'll just have to find them."

"As soon as my boat's ready," Volcan added in with a dry chuckle.

Luke paused at that. "...Yea right. I guess you have a point." He said, averting his gaze a bit, feeling a bit awkward. "But regardless, until then we'll just have to do what we can to get your memories back."

"Well, I'd say we're at least off to a start. At least you didn't have to give me a new name." He looked over at Luke with a smile following that remark.

"Honestly I'm glad I didn't." Luke said, smiling back down at Volcan. "Like I said, I'm terrible with names."

Volcan shrugged. "I trust you'd have thought of something," he said, before he uncrossed his legs, lifting them and jumping back up to his feet. "But I digress. I think I'm ready for a bit more sparring; let's see what else comes back to me."

Luke looked up to him with a rather astonished look. "Already?" He asked, rising to his feet. "I'll say this: you recover quickly."

"I'm good; just needed to catch my breath was all," Volcan replied. "But if I start feeling dizzy again, I'll let you know." He added with a promise.

"Alright then." Luke said with a nod, backing up and assuming his stance once more. "Come on."

And so they were back into it, trading various strikes and testing each other's combat skills and speed, each of them learning more and more how the other fought; Volcan had an excellent balance of power and technique, using every part of his body for attacking -legs, knees, fists, elbows, would probably even use a headbutt if he dared try it. He was precise, the range of his attacks varied, but clearly right up close was where he was at his strongest.

During their battle, after Luke blocked a kick from him, Volcan jumped away to avoid a Force Palm, and when he sprang back at him, the Blaziken's body ignited with a Flame Charge; remembering a fighting style was one thing, but in a spur of the moment, Volcan had suddenly activated a Fire-type attack!

"Whoa what?!" Luke hollered, skidding to a halt as the Flame Charging Blaziken rocketed to him. Right as Volcan was about to hit home, Luke suddenly vanished from sight, leaving the Blaziken to hit nothing but air.

Volcan landed right where Luke had been, only to stumble and nearly lose his balance, flapping his arms in an effort to gain some control before he looked around for the Lucario. "Where'd you go?"

"Over here." Luke called from his left. When Volcan turned, he could see Luke was at least 15 feet away from him. "That was a bit of a scare."

"Sorry I... I don't know what happened," Volcan said, honestly. "I was just trying to sprint towards you and then, next thing I know, whoosh! I'm a burning cannonball!"

"You subconsciously used Flame Charge." Luke explained. "A physical fire tackle that enhances your speed the more you use it." He walked back toward Volcan as he spoke. "Had I not used Extreme Speed when I did, then well, I'd be in pretty bad shape."

"Geez... my muscle memory does more than we thought," Volcan said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, Luke."

He held up his paw in dismissal. "No harm done. The idea of us sparring was to help you regain your fighting techniques right?" He asked.

"Yeah, but I didn't actually want to use something that'd hurt you," Volcan returned. "I'm well aware you're part Steel-type, which I know is weak to fire."

"If it helps you feel any better, I used to train constantly with a Nidoking as far back as when I was a Riolu." Luke returned. "Unlike with you, he'd hit me constantly with my weaknesses until I was durable enough to withstand them and keep fighting." He said as he gently punched his own chest a couple times. "I've taken a lot worse than a Flame Charge."

Volcan nodded to him. "I'll take your word for it," he said, steadily shifting back to his stance one more time.

Luke returned to his stance as well. "Besides, you got to see another move in my repertoire." He added jokingly.

"Yeah... one second you were there, the next you were, poof. Gone."

He chuckled. "One of my favourite moves. Extreme Speed." He returned, shuffling a little closer.

Once more unto the clash they went, trading several strikes as each tried to get around the guard of the other; so far they seemed to be fairly even now. Luke was faster, Volcan was larger, and their respective techniques perfectly countered the other. On the very last attack, Volcan seemed to remember another of his own, as he suddenly held both talons in a knife-hand position, both of them glowing with an Aura that Luke recognized as Dragon-type energy. With that, the Blaziken lunged forward, attacking with what could only be Dual Chop.

This time, Luke didn't dodge out of the way of the strike, rather he brought his arms in front of him and braced for the Dual Chop, counting on his natural resistance to the attack to Dragon type attacks. Even with his type advantage, though, he still felt those hits, though they would have been far more painful if he hadn't been what he was.

Following them, however, Volcan started to swoon again. "Aah..." He moaned as he nearly lost his balance.

Luke's ears twitched, and he broke his guard to catch Volcan before he fell over, holding him by his shoulders. "Hey easy..." He said softly to him.

"_Ooooo_kay, I think that's enough," the Blaziken mumbled, cross-eyed.

Luke nodded, patting his shoulder gently. "I think some lunch is in order." He said, slowly turning Volcan around and walking with him back to his home. "You did pretty well today, Volcan."

"Thanks... I surprised even myself a few times," Volcan returned, leaning on Luke for support as his vision slowly cleared.

"I suppose I was wrong about my initial prediction. Given how quickly you've regained your skills, I'd say you'll be back in fighting shape in a couple more days." He said with confidence.

"I think so too... soon as these dizzy spells stop as well," Volcan added in jest as they reached the door to Luke's home.

Luke knelt down and undid the latch on his door before pulling it up, holding it open for Volcan to jump in. Slowly and carefully he descended into the home, this time making sure to duck so that his head wouldn't bump anything, and proceeded into the house, leaning on the wall for support as he made his way over to the couch and sat down, exhaling a breath of air.

Luke followed in after, shutting the door above him as he landed. "Anything in particular you'd like, or shall I surprise you?"

"I think I could eat just about anything so, have at 'er," replied Volcan.

"Alright then." He nodded and trotted over to the kitchen and began to prepare some lunch for the both of them, making sure to prepare a dish filled with high protein foods with _some_vegetables; had to have some semblance of balance after all. Within half an hour, Luke had walked over to Volcan and set his plate down. "Here. Hopefully this should help." He said before placing his own food down.

Volcan clearly did not appear fond of the vegetables, but he held off any complaint as he picked up the plate and dug into the meal, clearly too hungry to let it bother him as he ate the vegetables first. Luke's meal was a lot less meat orientated, having more greens than meat, but to him it was a healthy, balanced lunch that would get him through the day, at least until dinner.

Luke glanced over at Volcan, seeing him down the vegetables first in a hurried manner, then finished his mouthful before speaking. "Would you rather I don't put vegetables on your meals?"

"I'll eat some, like corn or potatoes... but I can't say they're my favorite," he returned. "But, if I must eat them, I'll eat them first, then go onto the more flavourful stuff."

"Well I mean...you're my guest here. I'd rather you eat something more to your taste rather than be forced to adapt." Luke replied.

"That may be true, but considering you took me in of your own volition, I don't think I have any right to complain about what's put in front of me," he said, solemnly, glancing over at Luke. "If it weren't for you I'd probably be lying dead on that beach."

The lucario sighed and placed his fork down. "I'd rather not think about what could have happened..." He said back. "And don't think like that. You make it sound like you're my prisoner here." He added. "If you'd rather I give you an all meat meal, then just say so. I mean, I offered you a choice when we got back here."

"...Yeah, you did," Volcan said, blushing. "I just... don't want to complain about what you've been doing for me."

"It takes a lot to get on my bad side, Volcan." He returned, then scooted closer and put his paw atop his shoulder again. "Frankly you haven't been complaining, and honestly...I enjoy the company." He returned. "Even if my guest happens to have just washed up ashore randomly."

At that, the Blaziken chuckled. "Hell of a way to meet someone, eh?"

"Stranger things have happened." Luke returned. "Like I said, I could tell you stories."

Volcan nodded, smiling at Luke before going back to his meal, the two of them chatting about other plans for the nearing future, such as when they could go on the expedition to find Volcan's home, or when the Blaziken would be able to start working with the rest of the team. It was beginning to feel like the two had truly connected after these last few days; there wasn't much to know about Volcan yet, but for now, Volcan was a friend to Luke, a surprisingly close one at that given their short time at that.

At the same time though, whenever they had moments like this where they could just talk and be friendly to one another, Luke would feel a warmth in his chest. It made him feel more relaxed, like sitting under a heat lamp only it was inside of him. There was something about this Blaziken that appealed to Luke, and he couldn't quite understand it, but for now, he kept it to himself and just let himself bask in the warmth Volcan's company gave him...