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Katsumoto began his usual exercise routine bright and early that morning, lifting six freshly cut tree trunks onto his back, balanced by his arms. While his routine usually consisted of fewer trees, the urgency to make himself as fit as possible for the mission ahead drove him to push his limits, holding and lifting the trees until his forelegs burned. With a loud grunt followed by a roar, he used legs and arms in unison to hurl the trees into the air. He then drew his Seamitars from his arm guards and leapt after them, quickly slicing and hacking away at the trees as fast as he could as they fell around him, flipping once as he reached the peak of his jump before he fell back to the ground with a rumble to mark his landing, and the thunderous booms of the trees making landfall once more.

Sighing softly, he quickly sheathed his blades back into his arm guards just as the now cut up logs fell into separate piles behind him, walking over to the pond near his hut, shedding his kimono before he jumped in and proceeding to wash himself free of the sweat he had worked up during his training regime. When he felt sufficiently clean, he climbed out, shaking himself dry before he slid his arms back into the sleeves of his kimono.

"Another day, another pound of muscle." He muttered softly to himself, rubbing his arms as he began to head away from his hut and toward the direction of Azure itself to gather up some food for his breakfast. Needless to say, he was quite ravenous after such an intense workout, and his stomach growling only served to emphasize just how hungry the Samurott really was. "Hmm...perhaps an extra helping of fish is called for today." He muttered softly to himself.

As he made his trek towards town, he felt the warm sun beaming down on him as it crept over the trees behind his hut as though following him to town, helping to chase away the chill of the morning due coating the soggy leaves that stuck to his feet. The leaves were losing their leaves rapidly, he noted; winter was coming soon. This would be one of the last few warm days before the cold, creeping chill of the snowy season would settle upon Azure.

Upon his arrival, Azure was bustling with activity; he was not the only one aware of the imminent winter months, with the market in a rush to sell their remaining wares for the season, and the laborers trying to get as much work done as possible before most of them would be stuck at home for a long, boring season. Not that it was ever too cold; with its proximity to the ocean, Azure usually had fairly warm winters and very little snow -Katsu would get some near his home, but little else ever reached the ground thanks to the salty sea air. That said, a frigid wind could sometimes find its way over the town, and even though snow might not settle, that biting wind cut straight to the bone, and nobody wanted to be outdoors in such conditions.

Meandering to the market square, he browsed through the stalls, looking for his breakfast for the morning, when out of the corner of his eye, he saw two figures wandering through the market as well. The Aggron, he immediately recognized as Tristan. At his side was the timid Vaporeon who had arrived with Volcan the day before, when he had returned to Azure with Luke, Hank and Tristan; the one with the uniquely coloured eyes.

"Well now..." Katsu muttered, grinning a little as he approached the Aggron from behind, standing on his hind legs and clearing his throat to get his attention. "Salutations."

"Eh?" Tristan asked, turning around to look at the Samurott, who, on his hind legs, stood a little taller than the otherwise massive Steel/Rock-Pokémon. Comically, Tristan had a dark red apple held between his jaws as he addressed -with many other fruits still in his grasp tucked against his chest by one arm. After blinking a couple of time, he chomped through the apple, catching the severed half with his free claw, and addressed Katsu. "Mornin'," he bade him after swallowing the chunk of apple.

"I trust you are faring well to your accommodations?" He asked.

"Yep," replied Tristan. "The Hostel was kind enough to give me back the same room I was in before we left, and Serena here is livin' right next door to me, compliments of Volc."

Serena hid partially behind Tristan as she looked up at Katsu, still not used to the Samurott yet, and his returning her gaze only made her more uncomfortable, but he was only intrigued. Those emerald green eyes of hers once more caught Katsu's attention. Green was not a natural colour for Vaporeon, let alone a green of that shade; most of the time their eyes were blue, which made her stand out from others of her kind though she was quick to remove herself when faced with strangers.

He began to blush when their eyes met briefly, running his paw through his whiskers a little. "I see. Good." He returned, having to avert his eyes away from the Vaporeon before continuing. "And have you been keeping up with your training since that day we chased that Gallade off?"

"It's only been a day, matey; only so much ya can do," reminded Tristan. "Besides, I need some fuel before I start exercising." He regarded the armload of fruit that he was carrying. "But don't you worry; I'll be ready by the time we go put foot to ass on those mofos that wrecked my island."

"Aye. Those miscreants will pay dearly for their crimes." Katsu chimed in, eyeing the fruit in Tristan's arms -particularly a rather tasty-looking apple. "May I?" He asked.

"Sure, go for it," returned Tristan, letting Katsu take one before he turned to give a slice of melon to Serena, who accepted it graciously and ate quietly as the two continued talkin'. "You however do look like you've been hittin' the gym, though; I know freshly worked biceps when I see 'em." He pointed at Katsu's arms.

"Indeed; I just finished a rather strenuous workout before I came into town," replied Katsu, taking a bite of his apple, chewing and swallowing before carrying on. "I want to make certain I am ready for the mission ahead, by any means necessary."

"That right?" Tristan asked, and then grinned. "Well then, how about a rematch from our little sparring session on the yacht? We can both get a good workout like that."

At that, Katsu chuckled softly. "I thought you would never ask." He returned with a wide grin. "Sparring with you before was exhilarating, and I have been yearning for another chance to arise for us to test our mettle against one another."

"Sounds good," returned Tristan, chuckling. "And this time, we've got a medic who can standby so if we get carried away, we've got someone to patch us up." He looked down at Serena, who looked up in surprise when she realized he meant her.

"I uh..." She stammered a bit. "I suppose I can do that."

"Perfect." Katsu returned. "Once I have had my meal, we shall be off. My homestead should be adequate for our fight."

"Right-o; we'll wait for you here," returned Tristan before he wolfed down another apple.

Katsu nodded, then as he walked past them, his gaze fell upon Serena again, once more blushing as he glanced at her before putting his gaze forward and walking to a nearby kiosk to gather up some cooked fish, to which he paid for and wolfed them down like a ravenous beast. Thanking the kiosk owner for the meal, the Samurott turned around and headed back to meet with Serena and Tristan.

"Ahh, there we go. All fueled for the day." He said as he approached the two of them again. "Shall we?"

"Lead on," Tristan bade, offering his arm to Serena, which she hopped onto and climbed onto his shoulder, resting upon the hump of his back as he walked at Katsu's side.

Katsu lead them back toward the outskirts of town and through the neck of the woods that would eventually lead them to his hut. The area was rather quaint, with only the pool of water next to a shack that seemed to be hand built by the Samurott himself, made completely out of thatch and wood. The logs he had cut up were still laying in their piles, to which Serena and Tristan could see that there were many logs and wood pieces laying about, which earned of curious look from Tristan and Serena.

"Pardon the mess." Katsu stated. "As I said, I was just undergoing my training regime before I headed over into town."

"When you said you'd be trainin' with more trees, I thought it was a metaphor," remarked Tristan.

"Nay. I usually lift roughly three to four trees every morning." He returned. "Nowadays I have increased my regime to six, as I said I would."

"And I thought my lifting boulders to use as weights was enough," commented Tristan. "Ever thought of taking a job as a lumberjack?"

"This one job suits me just fine," returned Katsu as he took a few steps away from Tristan, shedding his kimono again as he wanted to keep it clean, and then turned about to face him. He rose onto his hind legs, placed his paws together and bowed respectively toward the Aggron. "Now then...shall we begin?" He asked.

Tristan looked up at Serena, who nodded and hopped off his back to get clear of the two, walking to a safe distance away before turning and sitting down as Tristan got into position, digging at the ground with his feet a little before standing in a half-crouch, punching his fists together a couple of times before he widened his arms as if to catch a charging Tauros by its horns.

"Ready when you are," he growled, flexing his claws.

Katsu tensed his body firmly, taking a slow, long breath before he flashed his eyes open and shot forward with Aqua Jet, making a beeline for Tristan and winding his arm back for a heavy haymaker punch to his face. As he was prepared to do so, Tristan caught the charging Samurott, and the two began to grapple each other for control, putting their strength to the test as they wrestled. Katsu was slightly bigger than Tristan, that much was obvious, but Tristan had a body of stone and iron, easily outweighing the Samurott by a couple of hundred pounds at least. The opening collision seemed to end in a stalemate.

They stomped about as both tried to pull the other off balance, even resorting to trading a few punches to try and throw off the other, though neither one showed any signs of backing down, giving testament to their collective stubbornness. Katsu changed tactics when he attempted to headbutt Tristan, hoping the sudden strike would finally force him off balance, but Tristan barely reacted to the headbutt even as Katsu's horned helmet pinged off his metal forehead. Katsu regretted his decision when Tristan sneered and retaliated with a headbutt of his own, sending stars dancing across Katsu's vision before the Aggron threw him to the ground, sliding over the leaves before stopping.

"Ya can't knock this hard noggin, pal," Tristan stated, rapping his knuckles against his metal-clad head. "Never bash skulls with a Steel-type."

"Noted!" Katsu retorted as he shook off the daze, lunging at Tristan again and returning to the grappling match with him, the two of them once again locked in a contest of sheer strength that was once again in a stalemate.

Much to the surprise of Tristan and Serena, Katsu started to laugh heartily as the two of them struggled, never taking his eyes off his opponent even as he expressed his excitement. "Haha! It has been so long since I've met another who can make my blood absolutely boil this hotly!" He exclaimed.

"On that we're agreed! I haven't had this much fun since the arena!" Tristan guffawed in return, that crooked smile of his widening as he redoubled his efforts, causing Katsu to slide a bit as he pushed forward, starting to tip the scales in his favour.

The Samurott growled, digging his feet into the ground as he was pushed back. "My friend... you have reignited my passion to push even further beyond my limits...for that, you have my... GRATITUDE!!" He roared out, then his body suddenly had swollen to almost double his size as he tapped into his Torrent ability.

The sudden burst of strength caught Tristan by surprise, his footing slipping as the Samurott pushed him back, despite the Aggron's best efforts to anchor himself by digging his toes into the ground. Tristan's surprise was as plain as the nose on his face, unable to fathom how things had turned against him so quickly.Serena watched, mouth agape as she saw her teammate being overpowered so, and cringed when Tristan was finally shoved into a huge rock and pinned by Katsu's monstrous strength, and unable to break out of his grasp.

Tristan stared blankly at Katsu for a moment, as though trying to contemplate what had just happened. But, shortly, that smile returned to his face and he began laughing. "By Palkia, I haven't had someone outwrestle me so easily since Grom," he said. "And even then, I still won that fight, but you beat me good."

"When it comes to raw power, I have no equal. I am the Invincible Mighty Glacier of Team Valiant." He said back, still grinning at Tristan. "Had enough yet, my friend?"

"Hardly," he returned. "But it seems I'm going to need a new approach to this one; throwing all my weight and muscle doesn't seem to be working."

Suddenly, a voice that was familiar to Katsu bellowed out to them across the way, coming from the shadows of the nearby treeline. "Is this a private party?!" It asked before something large and reddish in colour was launched out of the trees, spiralling towards the two while whirling like a spinning top. Katsu looked up at the spinning object approaching them, quickly releasing Tristan and planting his feet down firmly on the ground as he prepared to catch it, grinning even more as he knew who this newcomer was by the colours alone and the voice of a recent rival.

The shell went spinning straight towards him, and landed squarely in his grasp, continuing to spin even as he held it firmly until his grip finally brought it to a stop, with the largest of the five holes in its sides facing him. Blaster poked his head out from inside the shell enough for Katsu to see him, smiling widely. "Nice catch," he said.

Katsu laughed again. "Good day to you too, my friend." He returned, gently setting Blaster down so he could stand tall again. He let out a sigh after he released Blaster, his muscles shrinking back to their usual size and letting out a groan as he felt the stress catch up to him for exerting himself so hard.

"Hey, Blaster, wasn't it?" Tristan asked. "From Bluegrove?"

"That's me. And you're... Tristan, right?"

"Aye," the Aggron returned. "What brings you out here?"

"He arrived with us," another voice called, bringing their attention back in the direction of the trees, where a familiar trio was now walking over to join them. At the lead was Sickle, followed by Howler, with an unexpected face riding on the back of the Arcanine; Katsu's eyes widened a little when he saw the Charmeleon on Howler's back, clearly not expecting this turn of events.

"Kaen of Warmachine?" He asked. "You joined ranks with Sickle and his allies?"

"Sure did," Kaen returned, hopping off Howler's back and stepping forward, nodding in greeting to Katsu. "How you been? Still taking hits from living wrecking balls, I see." He jerked one claw in Tristan's direction.

Again, Katsu chuckled. "Aye." He responded, reaching over and firmly clapping his paw on Tristan's shoulder. "He has re-ignited my passion to push further beyond my limits as of today. As such, I will continue to push myself and become even stronger than any creature before me." He stated with pride.

"I look forward to seeing you wrestle with Torolf, then, 'cuz until ya surpass him, you'll still only be in second place," the Charmeleon commented with a wink.

Sickle noticed Serena stepping over to rejoin Tristan, and smiled in greeting to her. "Hello there; don't think we've had the pleasure?"

"I-I'm Serena," she said, blushing slightly. "I'm with Team Phalanx."

"Ah, Volcan's team, eh?" Sickle asked, nodding in satisfaction. "A pleasure to meet you."

The Grovyle's charming and amiable personality seemed to win over the Vaporeon's timid nature, as she smiled back at him despite her earlier fear. "You as well. And you must be... Sickle, correct? Volcan told me about your team."

"I hope he only included the good stuff," Sickle returned humorously. "Got a reputation to keep, yanno?"

"As far as I am concerned, there are no faults in you character." Katsu complimented the Grovyle.

Kaen crossed his arms and looked at Katsu oddly. "Not very good at noticing when someone is joking, are you?" He inquired.

Katsu looked to Kaen for a moment, then back to Sickle. "Ah... My apologies then." He returned humbly and lowered his head toward the Grovyle. "Alas, what brings you to Azure today?"

Sickle's smile faded slightly. "Was hoping you could tell me," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Kage showed up in Bluegrove yesterday; said we needed to get here urgently. By the sounds of things, you guys found the culprits that attacked that island we saw from Warmachine's yacht?"

"Ah yes." Katsu returned, dropping down on all fours and clearing his throat. "Well, needless to say things have become more complicated as of late. It appears another villain had come to Azure in an attempt on Volcan's life." He explained.

"Aye," Tristan chimed in. "The same Gallade that gave Volcan that scar on his back," his face contorted into a deep scowl at the mention of that.

"And whom he keeps seeing in his nightmares," added Serena, her ear fins lowering. "It must have been horrifying to see him standing right over him again, ready to take his life."

"Worse yet, he ambushed Volcan and Luke on the outskirts of town," added Katsu. "Were it not for the timely arrival of Tristan and Kage, followed by the rest of us, I fear the worst may have befallen them both."

Sickle looked over in shock, eyes widening in disbelief. "He beat _both_of them?" He asked.

"Holy crap," Kaen added, equally shocked.

"Is Volcan alright?" Blaster asked.

"Aye; he's fine. Back at Luke's house, resting it off," replied Tristan. "This guy put up one hell of a fight, though, even after squaring off with them, even Kage and I couldn't stop him. It wasn't until we had him outnumbered eight to one that he finally fucked off."

Sickle put a hand to his chin as he considered Tristan's report, looking at Katsu as though for confirmation that the Aggron didn't exaggerate; a nod from the Samurott was all he needed to know that Tristan was quite serious. "This is troubling," he said, before looking up at Katsu again. "Kage was rather vague on why Luke called us here, though; he only said that it was urgent. An 'all hands on deck' kind of situation was what I gathered."

"It was Volcan who called on you, actually. He plans to amass a large task force to assail the fortress in which these miscreants are hiding." Katsu explained. "So far, he has considered your team, as well as Warmachine, Phobia, and the Red Talons to be part of this assignment. The rest of us have taken it upon ourselves to prepare for when we all assemble and depart for this fortress."

"He wants to attack these guys?" Kaen asked. "Aside from the obvious -the fact they're out to kill him, why?"

"Because they have one of our own," replied Tristan. "Our fourth team member, Minato. Serena here," he gestured to the Vaporeon. "Saw him being taken away with them, and she followed them to their fortress. She knows where it is."

"So, it's not just a mission of personal vengeance," stated Sickle, narrowing his eyes. "It's a really big Rescue Operation."

"Aye." Katsu returned.

Sickle continued to stroke his chin as he considered the explanation, wanting more information before he decided on anything. "Seems I'm going to have to speak to Luke and Volcan then; a mission like this is going to take a lot of planning." He turned to Katsu. "Can you show me where Luke lives?"

"Certainly." Katsu returned. "If I know those two, they will most likely be training themselves." He added, motioning for him to follow. "He lives a fair distance from here."

Sickle nodded. "I'll follow you, then." He looked to his team. "Blaster, take the other guys into town and try to find us somewhere to stay; I think we're going to be here for a bit."

"Sure thing," returned the Blastoise.

"I'll come along," offered Tristan. "I'm staying at a Hostel in town. Maybe they can put you guys up there too."

"I will go with you two," Serena returned, looking at Sickle and Katsu. "I want to check on Volcan; last night, he was under a lot of stress."

Sickle nodded to Serena, and then turned back to Katsu. "Lead on," he said.

The Samurott nodded, trotting ahead of Sickle toward the direction of Luke's home, occasionally checking over his shoulder as he trotted ahead to see if he was keeping up as they travelled through the thick forest together. Sickle of course had no trouble keeping up, and Serena was keeping pace as well, following in their path as she trotted along at the rear. During the trek, Katsu explained in as much detail as he could the fundamentals of Volcan's plan, gathering up every possible team that they knew to prepare for an assault on the enemy fortress, including Team Warmachine and Team Phobia who were technically already on the mission of finding the criminals.

After several minutes of running, the three of them arrived at the clearing outside of Luke's underground residence. Katsu motioned toward a semi hidden latch to his left with his paw. "That is the entrance to his home." He stated, then looked around to see if either Luke or Volcan were close by. But there was no sign of them.

Sickle stepped forward, testing the latch and feeling it give slightly. "It's unlocked," he said, before he knocked on the door with his knuckles, seeing if anyone would come and answer.

He heard footfalls behind it, and stepped back as the door opened, revealing Luke -who looked as though he had just returned from a jog, as he was slightly sweaty and had some dead leaves clinging to his legs.

"S-Sickle?" Luke asked, surprised to see the Grovyle at his doorstep. He then started to smile and quickly hopped out of the doorway and onto solid ground. "I take it Kage managed to find you no problem."

"I had the same reaction as you when I opened my door and he was right there," Sickle remarked in jest, stepping forward and giving Luke a friendly hug. "How you doing?"

Luke returned the embrace, patting Sickle's back lightly as they held the hug for a few seconds before pulling apart. "I'm managing." He returned. "Just returned from a run actually."

"I can see that," Sickle remarked, pointing at Luke's feet with a light-hearted laugh, reminding the Lucario of the fallen leaves clinging to him, which the Lucario took the opportunity to brush off with his paw.

"Is Volcan here?" Serena piped up.

Luke glanced over. "No, he's off in town right now. He's picking Caulin up from the hospital." Luke answered. "But, it's been a little while. He should be back soon."

Sickle tilted his head. "Who's Caulin?"

Luke's ears wilted slightly. "He's...erm..." He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, collecting himself before continuing. "He's a survivor that we found when we went to Arc Island...and he's also the son of one of Volcan's teammates, the one who we believe is being held captive by the band responsible for Arc Island's destruction."

Sickle's eyes widened at that, and then he frowned. "Now I understand why Volcan would put together a mission like this," he said. "Not just to save his friend, but to reunite a boy with his dad." He looked at Luke again. "What about the kid's mother; where's she?"

He regretted asking that question the moment it left his mouth when he saw both Luke and Serena's expressions turn deeply sour. He looked between them briefly, and his own expression turned to an apologetic one. "Oh..." He said. "I'm sorry..."

Luke shook his head and rested his paw on Sickle's shoulder. "It's alright..." He returned softly. "You had no way of knowing."

Sickle nodded, his gaze averting as his mind seemed to wander. "No kid should ever have to lose either of their parents," he said in a low voice. Luke saw Sickle's claws clench into fists, and then he faced the Lucario again with a more determined expression. "Whatever your plan is then to get Volcan's friend back, you can count me in. I'm not letting a little boy have to live without his father."

Remembering Sickle's story about his own childhood, Luke understood why suddenly this was so important to the Grovyle, having been orphaned himself when he was young, and losing his adoptive father to illness. If anyone understood Caulin's pain and what the Riolu would be suffering through now, Sickle certainly would be the one. Luke managed a smile and tightened his grip on the Grovyle's shoulder, feeling happy to have him aboard in this endeavour.

"Thank you, Sickle." He returned softly. "With your help, our chances of success may have increased a substantial amount."

"Well, I'm flattered, but these guys won't go down easily even against three Rescue Teams," admitted Sickle. "But, Katsu already filled me in and told me that Warmachine and Phobia might be coming too, along with the... Red Talons, was it?"

"That's correct." Luke returned. "I feel we're going to need their aerial expertise for this mission. Judging from the way Eagle Eye always brags about them, they've never failed a mission once."

Sickle nodded in approval. "Sounds like we'll have all of our bases covered then," he said. "And we can go over a proper plan once we meet up with the other teams and get a better layout of that fortress."

"That's the idea." Luke returned. "For now though, we're just training as hard as we can in order to be ready for when we do depart."

"Yeah; saw that too," returned Sickle, glancing in Katsu's direction. "And heard it from half a mile away too." He added, which made Katsu rub the back of his neck with mild embarrassment.

Luke couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Yea that certainly sounds like him." He returned, glancing to Serena briefly before looking at Katsu, noticing a light bruise on his head beneath the rim of his helmet. "Been training with Tristan I take it?"

"Aye. He is a fine opponent to test my mettle against." He stated, standing on his hind legs and pounding his chest with pride.

The crunch of leaves alerted the four of them to someone approaching; they turned, and saw a tall figure stepping out from behind a nearby tree following a worn path from Luke's house to Azure. Volcan had come back, and with him was Caulin, who walked along at his side as they made their way to the house. Volcan looked up and spotted the gathering outside of Luke's front door, and noticed the peculiar shade of green among three blue Pokémon quite quickly. It didn't take long for him to recognize who it was.

"Sickle?" He called out.

"Hey, big fella!" Sickle called, waving to Volcan.

"Hey!" Volcan called back, sprinting on ahead to head over and join the gathering, shaking hands happily with Sickle. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Kage said it was pretty urgent; hardly something my team could pass up," returned Sickle.

Serena turned to Caulin as he followed Volcan over to the house, standing up and walking up to him. "Good morning, Caulin," she said, kindly.

"Good morning, Serena." Caulin replied in a slightly happier tone than he'd had the day before, leaning up and nuzzling her cheek lightly.

Luke smiled, seeing Caulin in a much better mood than before. He looked to Volcan briefly before he spoke. "He seems to be in better spirits today."

"He's a tough kid," returned Volcan, looking over his shoulder as Serena conversed with the Riolu, and then turned to the others again. "So... I take it, Sickle, you've been filled in?"

Sickle nodded to him. "I have," he said. "And you can count on my support for this mission. Team Kama will have your back."

Volcan smiled and nodded. "I knew we could count on you," he said. "I owe you, man... truly."

"You don't owe me squat," the Grovyle returned, waving his claw. "A little boy's father is missing, and you want to bring him back. An honourable mission if ever there was one -I'm glad to be part of it."

Volcan nodded to him again, his smile widening briefly before he turned back to call out to Caulin, beckoning him over. "Caulin, this is Sickle, the Captain of Team Kama. He's here to help us on our mission."

Sickle knelt down to stand more at eye level with the Riolu, giving him that amiable smile of his as he greeted Caulin. "Hey, Caulin. Pleasure to meet you." He said, offering his claw to him.

"Hello." Caulin returned, quickly lifting his paw and placing it in Sickle's claw, smiling back at him as they shook each other's hands. "You're a team captain too? That's awesome!"

Sickle chuckled. "Thank you," he said. "How about you; you aspiring to join up with any Rescue Teams?"

"Do I ever!" He returned. "When I get older, I'm gonna start my own team and be like Uncle Volcan in helping to keep others safe!"

Sickle arched an eyebrow as he heard the word 'Uncle', casting a quizzical glance at Volcan. "'Uncle' Volcan?" He asked. "You never told me you had a nephew."

Volcan chuckled. "Not biologically, but you could say I'm pretty close to his dad. I guess I kind of... joined the family, in a way. I think the term would be 'Godfather'."

Sickle chuckled as well, and turned back to Caulin again. "That's a great goal you have, son," he said. "And if you fight anything like your Uncle does, then any renegade Pokémon out there better run for the hills or they'll be seeing black & blue." He tapped Caulin's cheek, just below where the black outline around his eyes met the blue fur that covered the rest of his body. "Literally."

The Riolu giggled happily at being poked. "That's the idea." He returned. "I'm gonna be stronger than both him and my dad put together! Just you wait!" He added, pumping his arm up and grasping his bicep with the other paw.

"Ho! Aiming right for the top, are you?" Sickle asked. "That's a steep climb you've got ahead of you, especially if you're dad's even tougher than Volcan."

"Oh, you've no idea! My dad's the strongest Lucario in the world!" Caulin exclaimed. "There's almost no one that can beat him. Even Tristan struggles against him whenever they're fighting against each other!"

"Oh, your dad might have some competition yet," Sickle commented, casting a glance back at Luke and winking at him before turning to Caulin again. "I look forward to meeting him, so I'm going to work extra hard to help find him."

Caulin nodded back. "Thanks, Mr. Sickle." He said, still smiling happily at him.

Sickle stood back up again. "Say, did you train with your dad at all?"

"I used to... before the incident..." Caulin returned, his ears wilting slightly as he thought back to those days.

"How would you like to spar with me for a little bit and show me what he's taught you?" Sickle offered. "Maybe I could offer a bit of insight too."

His ears perked right back up. "You want to spar?" He asked, his jolly tone returning as he gazed up at Sickle. "Sure! I'll show you what I can do!" He said with a giggle. "Just don't be too blown away when I show you how strong I am! I may be small, but I know how to punch!"

"Let's just see about that," Sickle bade, stepping out to some more open ground followed by Caulin.

Volcan watched as the two walked away, getting to a safe distance before both shifted into combat stances. He couldn't help but chuckle at how well Caulin had warmed up to Sickle so quickly, turning to Luke. "Sickle seems to be really good with kids," he commented.

"Well he does volunteer at an orphanage near Bluegrove." Luke commented, looking back at Volcan. "I'd go as far as to say he's got a natural gift in taking care of them."

Volcan chuckled. "Wow. I don't know if I'd have the patience to be around that many," he said, crossing his arms. "I love Caulin like he really _is_my nephew, but spending all day looking after a dozen of him?"

"Linda did used to say she thought you'd make a great father someday," Serena commented, looking up at Volcan with a warm expression.

"Did she really?" Volcan asked. "Huh... imagine that."

Luke continued to gaze up at Volcan even as he and Serena were conversing, picturing the idea of Volcan one day raising his own kids later in his life. Luke blushed and lowered his gaze slightly, already having thoughts of one day sharing in that desire, then quickly shook his head to get them out of his mind. 'Now's not the time for that...' He reminded himself. 'We've still got more important matters to deal with...and even so, I doubt he'd...'

Luke's thoughts were interrupted by Sickle suddenly letting out a surprised yelp, and he looked up as the Grovyle was suddenly hurled through the air by Caulin; he didn't fly far, and easily recovered from it with a roll, but clearly whatever Caulin had just done, he hadn't expected it. Landing on all fours, he turned around to look at the Riolu again, chuckling.

"Now that move, I saw Volcan do once. Did he teach you that?"

"Mhmm! Sure did!" Caulin returned, rubbing his nose slightly. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Sure is," replied Sickle, standing up and dusting himself off. "You keep at your training, and I think you really will reach your goal. You've got a lot of potential."

Caulin giggled some more, rubbing the back of his head a bit. "Thanks! I plan to keep training as hard as I can!"

Sickle nodded. "Don't lose that confidence, but make sure you don't let it get ahead of you, either," he advised. "I did that once when I was just a little older than you and it came back to bite me, hard."

Caulin nodded softly to show he understood what Sickle meant. "Thanks for the sparring match! Let's do it again sometime!" He replied happily.

"You bet," replied Sickle, walking over to Caulin and rubbing the top of his head before he walked back over to Luke and Volcan. "I better go rejoin my team now, make sure they're settled in. Any idea when we'll be heading out for this mission?"

"Not yet; we're still waiting for Eagle Eye to get back," replied Volcan. "Once Warmachine comes to pick us up from here, we'll get on the move as well. It shouldn't be too long, though."

Sickle nodded. "Alright. Keep me posted," he said. "I'll be staying at the hostel in town; you can find me there if you need me."

"Alright." Luke returned with a nod. "Thanks again for coming Sickle. We really do appreciate your help with this..."

Sickle smiled at Luke. "Anytime," he said. "Especially for such a good cause; I'm glad to be part of it."

With that, Sickle shook hands with Volcan, and then turned to Luke again. "Mind if we talk for a sec?" He asked.

Luke looked up to Sickle. "Hm? What's up?" He asked curiously.

As Sickle led him away a short distance so they could speak privately, Volcan turned his attention back to Caulin. "Come on, kiddo," he called. "Let's go get you settled in." And then glanced at Katsu while waiting for Caulin. "Thanks for showing Sickle over."

"It was my pleasure." Katsu returned, bowing formally to the Blaziken as he led Caulin into Luke's home. With that, Katsu excused himself and decided to head back to his own home and Volcan and Caulin heading inside followed by Serena, Sickle could speak freely to Luke, though kept his voice low in case Volcan came back.

"Have you spoken to him yet?" He asked the Lucario.

The Lucario sighed softly, rubbing his face a little before he replied. "This is about what I think it is, right?" He asked, looking back up at Sickle.

"Is... it a bad time to ask?" He inquired.

"No, it's not... It's just..." Luke sighed again and lowered his gaze. "...I just haven't worked up the courage to tell him. The feelings are there, Sickle, but I just don't know if I can do it. I'm still haunted by the past... and I'm afraid that I'll suffer yet another heartbreak if I go through with this..." He explained.

Sickle let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his head as he thought about how best to answer. "Given your position, I can understand your hesitance," he said, softly. "But there's no need to rush it either." He turned back to Luke, reaching out and grasping his shoulder. "Who knows? Maybe he'll actually be the one to ask first."

"To be honest, that's what I'm hoping for..." Luke returned. "If he really does want this...if he really wants me, I want him to tell me first; that way I'll know for sure." His gaze saddened a bit afterward. "But yesterday... I nearly lost him, Sickle; to that damned Gallade. I've never felt so scared of losing someone in my life, and I was powerless to help him. If Kage and Tristan had not intervened, Volcan would be dead, and I'd..." His eyes clenched. "I'd have lost him before I could even get the chance."

Sickle listened attentively to Luke's words, sensing his distress as he spoke, considering his words before another thought crossed his mind. "Maybe that's partly the cause," he said, waiting until Luke looked at him quizzically. "Volcan did recently lose everything he had... maybe he's afraid if he gets close to you, he'll lose you too. That's really the only thing I can suggest because, to be frank, Luke..." He smiled. "I'm pretty sure he _does_love you."

Luke started to sniffle a bit and wipe his eyes on his arm as tears began to form in his eyes. "And I... I love him, Sickle." He said softly, then lifted his gaze to look right into the Grovyle's eyes. "I need him. He makes me feel at peace whenever he's around. Ever since I took him under my care and had him living with me, I feel less alone. I can't lose that..."

Sickle brought his other claw up and rested it on Luke's other shoulder, holding it firmly as he met Luke's gaze. "You won't," he said with firmness. "Like I said, I'm certain you're not alone in your feelings for him. Somehow, some way, one of you will find the courage to admit it. Just hang in there; things will turn out as they're meant to." He gave Luke that warm smile of his -the one that had helped mend Luke's heart during the night they had spent together on the Kyogre's Rest.

Luke started to smile back when he saw the Grovyle stare at him with that warm look, remembering the good times they shared that night, and the passionate moment they shared while on their way back from Valvatna. He quickly pulled Sickle into a tight embrace, nuzzling his cheek over and over softly. "Thank you, Sickle..." He whispered softly as he clung to him.

"You're welcome," he said, returning Luke's embrace and gently nuzzling his cheek with his own. "I may not be your lover as I once hoped I'd be, but I'm still your friend." He gently pulled back from him to meet his gaze again. "You'll always have my support."

"And you'll always have mine, Sickle...as well as a special place in my heart." He whispered back softly, his paw lifting from around his back to touch the Grovyle's cheek.

Sickle shut his eyes at the touch, placing his claw over Luke's paw and caressing it gently as they stood there for a moment, until he opened his eyes again. "Just don't lose hope, Luke," he said. "What your heart desires, and what Volcan's does as well; they will come -sooner than you think. Love is a binding force; fear might try to pull it apart, but it always comes together in the end."

Luke smiled more at Sickle. "Kind of like how we did that night, huh?" He asked softly, his other paw trailing up Sickle's back to caress his other shoulder while his first paw still touched his cheek.

"Yeah... but that was another kind of love," returned Sickle, reluctantly lifting Luke's paw away from his cheek. "What you and Volcan will have, I think will be just that much stronger; the kind that brings entire worlds together."

Luke blushed at that, his ears folding back as Sickle's words sunk in. "You mean...True Love?" He asked hesitantly.

Sickle nodded. "Like none other," he replied.

He stared silently at Sickle for what felt like minutes on end, then he gently leaned forward and planted a small kiss on his forehead before pulling back. "...I'll take your word for it." He whispered back softly.

Sickle nodded. "Just have faith, Luke," he said, and then cocked his head towards the house. "Now go on... be with him. Wait for the moment; I think it will reveal itself very soon."

"Alright." Luke returned softly, slowly releasing Sickle from his embrace and taking a step back from him. "...Thank you so much, Sickle, for everything." He added, then began to turn around and stride back to his home, feeling slightly more confident with himself as he left.

Sickle stood watching until Luke disappeared into his house, feeling his heart aching slightly as he watched Luke go. He put a claw over his chest, sighing, but despite the ache, he felt a sense of pride wash over him, one that allowed him to smile again. He may have still held feelings for Luke himself, but in a way, he felt good, knowing he might've helped Luke find the one he was truly meant for. It may have left him still waiting for the right one for himself, but that didn't bother him anymore.

Without another thought, he turned away from Luke's house, and began to make his way back to town. With every step he took, the heartache waned, further solidifying the belief that he had made the right choice...

~~~~~

Not long after Sickle had left, Luke and Volcan had spent the day training together with Caulin observing from the sidelines, and occasionally taking part in the sessions where the three of them practiced their fighting techniques; Volcan was working on a new execution for Blaze Kick, and asked Luke to help him learn practice his Counter attacks -in case someone else using Trick Room ever nullified his speed advantage again. Mostly, Volcan's counters consisted of throws and deflections, which were good at setting up the opponent for a follow-up, but they weren't as refined as his battle techniques -something that seemed to bother him more than expected.

When the sun set on the horizon, they returned to the house. Luke prepared them a hearty supper while Volcan played some card games with Caulin in the living room stopping only to eat when the food was ready. Not long after dinner, they decided it was time to go to bed as the day's fatigue caught up to them, making their eyelids grow heavy.

Volcan sat with Caulin for a while in the guest bedroom until the Riolu was drifting off to sleep, and it was only after he heard his breathing slow that Volcan left him be, closing the guest room door behind him before retiring to the living room, where he laid down on the couch to sleep, pulling a blanket over himself.

Unfortunately, the Blaziken did not rest for long. Less than three hours after his dreams claimed his consciousness, he awoke with a start, sitting up from the couch violently but restraining himself until he collected his bearings, realizing he'd simply been having the nightmare again.

But this time, it had been different... in the previous dreams, the Gallade had only been a figment of his imagination, but as of yesterday, Volcan had been reminded -the hard way, that he was very much real, and still out for his blood. The Blaziken sat there in the darkness for what felt like hours, his mind racing as he wondered how he would ever prevail against an opponent who had nearly killed him twice now, and had even defeated his best friend and comrade from Team Phalanx -someone even Volcan hadn't surpassed.

'I'm not strong enough,' his mind decided. And that was all it took to make him throw off the covers and stand up briskly, his chest hot with frustration.

He walked down the hall silently, not wanting to wake Luke or Caulin, and stopped at the guest room door, gently opening it and peering inside to check on the Riolu. Caulin was sleeping soundly in the bed, shifting occasionally -likely dreaming- beneath the covers of the bed. He seemed so peaceful compared to Volcan; as though he could shield himself from the memories and not let them terrorize him.

'I can't help but envy your spirit, kiddo,' he thought before he stepped out of the room, not even closing the door fully before he crossed the house, grabbing a roll of sports tape he'd borrowed from Rigel for training purposes earlier that day. After that, he made a beeline to the front door, opening it and climbing out into the night air...

He wandered around the clearing for a time, tired but restless, afraid and yet also angry. He had come face to face with his would-be killer twice now, and was just as helpless to stop him despite all of the training and all of the experiences from Team Warmachine's tournament. Even with the Mega Stone he'd been given by Kaen, making more than twice as strong as when Arc Island was attacked, he'd still been utterly thrown aside by the Gallade's strength, cunning, and sheer brutality.

He wandered over to a tree stump at the edge of the clearing. The tree it belonged to had been cut down a long time ago and now the once thriving spruce tree stood lifeless, less than half the being it used to be. Volcan wrapped his talons in the tape he'd brought, putting layer after layer over the knuckles on both talons before facing the stump with his fists raised, beginning to punch it repeatedly, picturing it as an enemy in his mind.

As he pummeled the stump, his mind raced back to the night of the attack -the only memory of his lost past that remained. It was all he had to look back upon. The Heliolisk he had followed away from the town, only to find out they had been nothing more than an advance scout, and he had let himself be drawn away when the town had needed him most. His punches were becoming more frantic as the images continued to play through his mind, his heart rate increasing rapidly as it drifted to the Gallade, to the sight him standing amidst slaughtered Pokémon. No remorse, no guilt; as though their lives meant nothing to him. The scene continued all the way to Volcan's fight with him, to his near-death experience, and to Minato coming to his rescue.

By now, Volcan's punches were increasing to the point that chunks of the dead stump started to chip away. He added kicks as well, slowly wearing down the stump while the sport's tape around his knuckles began to tear, but he didn't stop. More memories raced through his mind; the sight of the dark Blaziken atop the shrine -a face he remembered, but still had no idea who or what it had belonged to, or what it meant. To the Gyarados chasing him out of the harbour and out to the open sea, where he would have been devoured if not for a Thunderpunch that immobilized the Gyarados.

But, as the memories began to become dark, they raced onward to him finding Caulin, to him making his promise to the Riolu in the hospital that he would find his father. But as though to torture him, the mental image of that Gallade appeared, blotting out the memories of the hospital. Try as he might, the image would not leave his mind's eye... until it shifted to something even worse. The sight of the Gallade standing over someone he cared about; someone who he was afraid to admit his true feelings to...

Luke...

That image pushed him to the brink; he lost control, and with a blood-curdling shriek, he kicked the stump as hard as he good, finally breaking it and sending it toppling over. He stood there, panting as he stared down at his handiwork until he calmed down. "Fuck..." He cursed. 'I let my anger get ahead of me... I can't overwhelm fear with Rage -I won't be rational either way.'

His thoughts drifted off before a searing agony coursed through his arms, hissing slightly as he felt his hands throbbing and aching persistently. He lifted his talons to look at them, and was shocked to see that the sport's tape he had intended to protect his fists has been destroyed, and now his knuckles were bloodied, filled with splinters and burning with agonizing pain.

"Fffffuuuuck!" Volcan cursed, tucking his arms against his chest as he tried to dull the pain of his mangled talons. "Idiot!" He berated himself, turning and making a dash back to the house to treat his injuries.

Back at the house, Luke was stirring in his sleep as he lay in his bed, clinging to a pillow as he tossed and turned while he slept. He was once again being haunted by his past relationships, bringing the poor Lucario to tears even while he slumbered away. He eventually awoke with a start, quickly sitting up and sniffling a bit as he took a moment to come back to reality and realize it was all a dream. He looked down at the pillow he was clinging to and let out a shaky sigh, pushing it away and curling up a little while hiding his face in his paws, forcing himself to calm down.

"...Those damned dreams again." He muttered, wiping his eyes against his paws. "I thought they had disappeared by now...especially now that..." He trailed off slightly, then flattened his ears as he began to climb out of bed. "I need some water; that should help me cool down." He said, silently opening the door leading out of his room so as not to disturb either Volcan or Caulin from their slumber.

As he passed by Caulin's room, he found the door slightly ajar, as though someone had been through it recently. Peering inside, he saw the Riolu was still sound asleep in bed, but there was nobody else in the room. Perhaps Volcan had come to check on him sometime in the night and had forgotten to close the door.

But then, a sound caught his ear; a hiss from the living room -not a hiss like that a snake Pokémon would make, but more like someone inhaling sharply through clenched teeth, followed by a clatter in the living room, and subsequently by someone trying not to scream profanity. Luke's eyes narrowed as he wondered what could be making such noise. He silently began making his way into the living room, tuning to his aura sense to get a better picture of whoever it was making those noises. But he only saw one Aura in the living room; Volcan's. It sounded like the Blaziken was the one making the sounds, trying hard to be quiet but he still seemed like he was the one in pain...

Luke approached silently, walking around the sofa and watching him carefully to see what exactly was causing him to hiss in pain. Over the back of the couch, he saw the first aid kit laying upon the coffee table, several of its contents removed, including gauze wrappings, tweezers and disinfectant spray. Volcan was just in the process of extracting a particularly large splinter from his talon as Luke arrived, once more causing him to restrain himself from swearing at the pain of it before he set the tweezers down rather loudly.

"Ah, shit!" He hissed again. "Try to be quiet and end up making even more noise..." He grumbled as he reached for the gauze wrappings, and it was then Luke saw Volcan's hands; the skin torn away from the knuckles, and caked in dried blood, with more of the red fluid still oozing out from the cuts. Volcan's hands were trembling in pain even as he tried to grasp the bandage, which fell out of his hand seconds after being lifted out. "Dammit!" He cursed again.

The Lucario's eyes widened when he saw the state of Volcan's hands, instinctively gasping at the sight, which would no doubt have alerted the Blaziken of his presence. Before the Blaziken could even react, Luke suddenly blurted out. "What the hell happened to your hands?!"

Even after already being alerted by Luke's surprised gasp, Volcan still nearly jumped out of his seat at his exclamation, turning to face Luke with an expression of both shock and guilt as he fumbled for words. "I-I can explain!" He said, defensively.

Luke quickly took a seat next to Volcan and gently took his hands in his paws, taking care not to aggravate the injuries as he examined just how damaged they were. He then looked up to Volcan with a glare. "What were you doing this late at night, Volcan?" He demanded. "What did you do to yourself to cause_this_?" He gestured to Volcan's hands.

"I..." Volcan began, once more struggling to find the words to explain the reasons for his injuries, looking at the still trembling talons now held in Luke's paws, and then back at Luke, seeing the look in his eyes and knowing that lying about it was not going to work.

With a long sigh, he finally managed to formulate a proper answer. "I was outside," he replied. "Got up a little while ago after another nightmare and I couldn't get back to sleep, so I went out to do some training. But while I was practicing, images kept flying through my mind; Arc Island, that other isle we saw after leaving Valvatna, Caulin's mother, that Gallade..."

He shut his eyes, lowering his head in shame. "It set me off; I lost myself in a fit of rage and just kept wailing on the tree stump until I shattered it. I was wearing sport's tape for protection, but that just got shredded too." He then cocked his head towards his hands. "You can see the result."

Luke frowned even harder, looking down at Volcan's hands again and holding them a little tighter. "Damnit, Volcan. You can't do that to yourself; especially if this is what's going to happen every time you train." He scolded the Blaziken, looking to the first aid kit in front of him and grabbing the disinfectant from it, gently applying it to Volcan's hands, causing Volcan to cringe from the burning sensation that followed from the spray. "Rest is equally important as work...and I'll be damned if I let anything like this happen to you again." He said sternly.

"I couldn't help it," returned Volcan, lowering his head again. "You saw me make that promise to Caulin; I swore to him I'd bring his dad back to him, and that I'd save the people of Arc Island." He noticed Luke look up at him as he spoke. "But..." the Blaziken tried to go on, hesitating to admit what he was thinking until he forced himself to say it. "But I'm afraid..." He said. "Afraid that I can't do it -that I'm not strong enough."

He averted his gaze again, staring at the floor. "When we battled that Gallade, I thought this time I'd be strong enough to face him, but he crushed me as easily as he did the first time. Mega Evolution, and all of the combat experience from fighting at Torolf's tournament -they didn't make a smidge of difference. And with so little time before the mission..." He looked at Luke again, and the Lucario could see genuine fear in his eyes. "I don't know if I can face him again... I'm scared Luke; I'm afraid I'll fail everyone again. Worst of all, my newfound friends here in Azure. Including you."

Luke listened to Volcan's words intently, though as he went on his ears flattened and his expression started to sadden slightly as Volcan finished speaking. He slowly lowered his gaze away from the Blaziken's and gave a shaky sigh. "...I know you're scared, Volcan..." He said softly. "This is a great undertaking that we've committed to, and there's a probability that even with all the planning and the number of allies we bring with us, we may not make it back." He stated realistically. "Frankly, I'm scared as well, Volcan...but for a different reason entirely."

"For what?" Volcan asked.

Luke clenched his eyes shut for a moment before speaking. "I'm scared...not because I'll fail everyone..." He began, then he lifted his gaze to Volcan's, and his eyes were already starting to water up a little. "I'm scared that I'll lose everyone. Like I said, there's the chance we may not make it back alive from this endeavour, and I'd never be able to live it down knowing that others gave their lives to ensure our success, especially if I could have prevented their sacrifices..."

He then gently leaned forward until his face was resting against Volcan's chest. "I almost lost you yesterday, Volcan...I was so damned scared you were going to die, and that there was nothing I could do to save you...I..." He paused for a moment as a tear rolled down his cheek. "...I can't lose you..." He whimpered softly.

Volcan stared down at Luke for a moment, feeling that warmth returning once again -the warmth he felt every time he was around the Lucario, and not the heat of frustration he had felt earlier. Here he was, laying against him, on the verge of tears at the thought of losing Volcan from his life. The Blaziken's heart was aching, yearning for the Blaziken to just come out and say what he felt; to stop trying to hide from it any longer and to cease this needless battle against his feelings.

Finally, he was ready to listen.

He put his arms around Luke, gently embracing him, but somehow, how he held Luke this time seemed different. It was almost protective in a way, and like he didn't want to let go of him this time, nor did he; as time progressed, he only pulled the Lucario closer to him, until they were directly side by side on the sofa.Luke's eyes opened slowly as he felt Volcan pull him against his side, stifling a sob as he felt the warmth of the Blaziken envelop him as he was embraced. He instinctively brought his arms up and practically clung to Volcan tightly, trying to calm his breathing down, but was still stifling some sobs as more tears rolled down his cheeks.

In Volcan's mind, he still questioned if he was making the right choice, telling him all the ways that this could end, but this time, he was forcing those questions to be silent. 'I can't keep putting this off anymore,' he thought, remembering Hank's words to him back at Tadpole Bay, when the Zoroark had told the Blaziken that the longer he waited, the harder it would be to tell him. But this time was different; because of what was coming, the Blaziken knew that if he did not take this chance, then he might never get another one again...

Volcan continued to hold and caress the Lucario for what felt like hours, until he finally released him, gently pulling him away and peering down to look him in the eyes, with an expression Luke hadn't seen on Volcan's face before; he was looking at Luke with a face of longing, and his eyes were full of hope.

"This won't be the end, Luke," he stated, and Luke felt Volcan's arms slowly sliding around him again, but this time he wasn't embracing him; he was lifting him, pulling him closer and leaning forward to meet him. 'It's now or never,' thought the Blaziken. "Not while there is still... this," he finished, before finally giving in to his desires, sliding one hand up to Luke's back and pulling him forward until Volcan's beak lips locked around the lips of Luke's mouth, and the Lucario's mind and heart were both sent racing as he realized what was happening...

Luke sat there, eyes wide and his body frozen with shock as he felt Volcan's beak lock with his lips. His eyes continued to stare at Volcan the whole time, even after they slowly parted and were gazing at one another. Slowly the Lucario's shock melted away and his eyes began to water up again as his expression saddened even more.

Seeing this, Volcan at first thought he might have gone too far. "Luke... I'm sorry; that was too much. I didn't..."

He didn't have the chance to finish before Luke suddenly hurled himself at Volcan, locking him in another kiss. The Blaziken, taken aback by Luke's sudden behavior was pushed over by the Lucario's practically pouncing him, feeling Luke's paws clinging to him as he kissed him deeply, the tears still rolling down his face as though the greatest moment of his entire life had just happened.

_ _

_ _ Feeling his heart soaring in his chest, Volcan leaned into the kiss with Luke, embracing him tightly as their lips remained locked together, hands exploring one another. Their kissing quickly escalated to passionately making out, tongues dancing together as they tasted each other until their lungs screamed for air, forcing them apart and staring into each other's eyes with deep longing, panting to breath.

"All this time, I've been so afraid to tell you," began Volcan. "For fear that you wouldn't share my feelings, or too afraid of another heartbreak to accept them." His hand was wandering Luke's back, feeling through his fur while his other one rested upon Luke's hip to balance him. "But... a certain fox set me straight at last, and now I see my fears were for naught, and I can finally say it..."

He leaned up close to Luke, gently licking his neck before lifting his beak and whispering in his ear. "...I love you."

Luke began to sob harder, trembling in Volcan's embrace both from the lick to his neck, and from hearing Volcan finally tell him what he had been wanting to hear from him ever since he began to develop these feelings for the Blaziken. "V-V-Volcan..." was all the Lucario could whisper before finally letting himself go, now openly crying into the Blaziken's shoulder, though not out of sadness; rather, the Lucario was completely overjoyed that the Blaziken holding him in his arms felt the very same toward him.

After a short while, Luke had calmed down enough to be able to speak again, albeit with minor sobs here and there, but at least he was able to form coherent sentences. "...I've wanted to hear you say that for so long..." He admitted softly. "I was too scared to tell you how I felt because... I still felt haunted by my past...and I was afraid that if I went through with this, I'd would have my heart broken again" He then pulled back and managed a smile as he locked gazes with the Blaziken. "But now I can finally put those fears to rest." He leaned up closer to Volcan, ears flattened as their noses touched lightly. "...Because I love you as well, Volcan."

Volcan's face alit with joy as he heard Luke return the life-changing words he had already spoken, though now it left him with no other words to say, choosing instead to let his actions speak for him by embracing Luke again, hugging him tightly to him, shared by the Lucario, whose tail was wagging fiercely behind him to express his joy as they held each other so tightly, laying there in the dimly lit living room wrapped in each other's limbs. Volcan could not recall if there had ever been a time he'd felt happier; for so long, he had been afraid to tell Luke his true feelings, and yet all along, the Lucario had been harbouring the same feelings, and had hid them for the same reasons.

Realizing it made Volcan laugh lightly, which made Luke life his head from Volcan's chest so that he could look up at the Blaziken. "We really are a pair of fools, aren't we?" asked Volcan, as he caressed Luke's cheek with his bandaged talon. "How long have we both felt this way and just tried to lie to ourselves that we didn't both need this?"

"Far too long as far as I'm concerned," Luke whispered back to Volcan, his bottom lip quivering as he continued to smile up at Volcan, placing his paw over Volcan's talon and keeping it held at his cheek. "Since the day I let you live here with me, I felt less lonely and was happy knowing there was someone else living with me. Someone I could trust with my life and confide with whenever I needed the support..." He whimpered softly.

"Well, now you have that and more," returned Volcan, smiling at Luke. "Because I'm not going anywhere."

Again, Luke stifled a sob, closing his eyes as his cheek was stroked, before he pushed forward and firmly pressed his lips back into Volcan's, kissing him deeply once again. "I love you," He whispered in between kisses. "I love you so much, Volcan...my....my..." He hesitated briefly to say what he wanted to say, but eventually relaxed and finally let the words that were in his heart be spoken. "...My dearly beloved Blaziken."

Volcan smiled, feeling his heart beating with glee in his chest as he heard Luke speak those words. "And I love you too," returned Volcan, caressing Luke's body with every little peck they shared. "My savior... my dearest friend... my love."

"Oh Volcan," The Lucario whispered gleefully, lifting both of his paws to hold Volcan's face between them. "Stop talking and kiss me and don't you dare stop," he demanded playfully.

Volcan compliantly did so, their lips once again locking together as he placed both of his talons upon Luke's back, pulling him tightly against him as the Lucario straddled him, pressing his knees against Volcan's hips as they began to make out for the second time that night, Volcan's talons sliding through Luke's somewhat coarse fur as they explored his form. Luke moaned blissfully as he felt Volcan massaging him, tail continuing to wag swiftly as they lay there on the couch, expressing the feelings they had held within for so long.

Finally, the crying of their lungs won out over their exchange, forcing them to finally part their lips to catch their breath, staring into each other's eyes. "You know... after tonight, I don't think I'm afraid anymore," he said.

"Neither am I." Luke returned. "Honestly, I feel like... like I can take on the whole world, knowing that I'll always have you in my life."

Volcan tapped the tip of Luke's nose and winked at him. "Careful what you wish for, love," he joked, bringing a chuckle out of both of them.

Luke smiled more after their little chuckling fit, then lifted his paw and took Volcan's hand in it. "Don't see why I should be... I already got what I've wanted." He returned romantically.

Volcan chuckled. "We _both_did, in this case," he returned, staring up at Luke for a moment before he turned his head away for a yawn. "Ah... I hate to end this moment, but I think it's time for us both to get some rest." He gently sat up, though held onto Luke to make sure he wouldn't fall over. "We've got some long days ahead of us."

"That we do." Luke returned, blushing a little harder as he averted his gaze for a moment. "...Volcan?" He asked softly as his blush grew redder.

"Yes?" Volcan asked, curiously.

"...I want you to carry me to my," he paused, then shook his head as if to correct himself. "To our room, our bed, and I want to stay up just a little longer with you, if I may."

Volcan chuckled lightly, and then slid his hand down to Luke's legs, and then turned the Lucario over to cradle him as though he were carrying a child, sliding one hand under Luke's knees and the other beneath his shoulders before standing up from the sofa. "Your wish is my command," the Blaziken said to the Lucario, smiling broadly.

Luke chuckled again and draped his arms around Volcan's neck once he was securely in his embrace. "My hero," He muttered in a song-like voice, with a hint of jest.

"Nah," returned Volcan as he walked with Luke in his grasp towards the bedroom. "You're my hero."

Luke smiled wider up at Volcan as they both entered the Lucario's room. Once the door was open, he couldn't control himself anymore as he pressed his lips once more to Volcan's and began to make out with him again, moaning slightly as he let his passions run free once again. This caused Volcan some difficulty in closing the door without slamming it and risking waking Caulin, but he managed, and they stepped into the dark bedroom. They eventually fell upon the bed, Volcan turning over to prevent from landing on his beloved Lucario as their lips remained locked together.

Luke's making out with Volcan soon started to recede to gentle, tender kisses as fatigue started to take him over, still moaning happily as he closed his eyes, trying to stay awake as long as he could until their lips parted again. "I-I... love you so much," he whispered tiredly.

"I love you too, Luke," returned Volcan.

With that, he reached down for the blanket and slowly pulling it partially over the two of them as he gazed into Luke's eyes, touching their noses together as they stared through the darkness of the room, lying side-by-side with Luke slowly draping one arm over him, ears flattening against his head. The first time Volcan had slept in this room, he had been a stranger to Luke, being taken care of by him. But now... this was where he belonged. Here, next to his lover, together at last. He didn't even bother pulling the blanket up all the way; his warmth would be enough for both of them, resorting instead to putting his arms around Luke and embracing him again while they basked in shared body heat.

Luke smiled instinctively as he felt Volcan's warmth against him. For the first time in ages, Luke was sharing his bed with someone he truly loved with all his heart. As they drifted off to sleep laying together in the dark, windowless bedroom, neither would suffer from their usual nightmares, chased away by the passion they had shared that night, and for many more nights to come...