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"Bring forth the accused." Romulus bade as he and the council finished taking their seats.

In preparation for Team Kopis' trial and being the first to be undertaken by the new council, some remodeling had been done to the interior of the Council Hall. The table had been moved to sit widthwise in the room from the door instead of perpendicular, and the seating rearranged to allow each council member to face the door.

It was also the first day Torolf had come back to the council after his short leave of absence, to heal from the injuries he had sustained in his battle with the Black Titan. As the recognized head of the council, he would be filling the role of judge in this Council Trial; the guild handled its own affairs, punishing its own rogues with the full cooperation of local law before the new council and would continue to do so.

At his left sat Luke and Shamshir, with both of them having been involved in the capture of the rogue Team Kopis at Marilogne, and to the right was Romulus - set to serve as a form of Prosecutor, with the rest of the council evenly spaced in either direction. Luke struggled not to cast a glare at Romulus every time the Houndoom spoke up, still bitter and angry at him, but he remained focused on the matter at hand.

The doors opened, and from behind them Team Kopis appeared, escorted by the officers from the town's local jail. They were still wearing their shackles and watched carefully by all as they were led into the room, with the ever-defiant Emboar captain, Grom, at the lead. Even now, standing before the council about to be put on trial for an egregious act, the Emboar did not show a shred of remorse.

The Emboar's lack of expression made Luke's paws clench tightly against the table, taking every ounce of his willpower not to explode in a fit of rage at that very moment. Closing his eyes and sucking in a deep breath, then letting it out slowly helped to alleviate the pent-up aggression he felt toward Grom. After all, he needed to be as levelheaded as he could in order to ensure Grom received the punishment he deserved.

...With that being said, the Lucario couldn't help but feel Grom should receive more than what the Council might sentence him with...

The three stood near the table, flanked on both sides by the jailors, ready to act if any of them started to get out of line. Torolf shifted in his seat, recognizing the trio before him from their encounter at Azure when he had put Grom in his place, after the Emboar had tried to take the mission that Torolf had come to offer to Team Phalanx. His eyes narrowed as he regarded the three, and then he turned to look at Romulus.

"Where is the defense?" He asked.

"The accused refused to take one," Romulus replied plainly.

The other council members looked at each other curiously, wondering why Grom would refuse any sort of defense representative in the trial. This meant the Emboar had no one to speak on his behalf, which could very well increase the severity of his sentence.

"Grom of Team Kopis," Torolf began. "You stand before the Guild Council accused of crimes against Rescue Team Phalanx's captain, Volcan, formerly of Arc Island - like yourself, and now a resident of Port Azure. You have refused the right of a defense representative for this trial. Explain."

Grom straightened up, his voice level as he spoke. "What I did was personal, and as far as I'm concerned, justified," he retorted. "I don't need a defense."

If they had not been in the council hall at that moment, Luke might've pounced on the Emboar and beaten him senseless right then and there. It took all of his restraint to refrain from speaking out of turn at that statement alone. He clenched his paws, taking a few quiet breaths to steady himself.

"You plead no defense for yourself, for the crimes you committed?" Romulus asked.

"Like I said, I don't need one," replied Grom. "As far as I'm concerned, I was justified in my actions."

"You are accused of kidnapping and endangering Captain Volcan of Team Phalanx, along with counts of destruction of property, resisting arrest, and associating with the criminal element known as the Dark Crusade," Romulus went on. "We have with us two material witnesses to several of these accusations, as well as a written account by Captain Volcan himself."

"You might also consider one of those 'witnesses' is Volcan's personal bitch too," Grom spat.

Luke felt anger surge within him, nearly losing his composure again. But before he could make any sort of retort - even knowing he shouldn't, Torolf's fist slammed down on the table and his voice boomed through the hallway with such force Luke's ears flattened instinctively from the volume.

"The accused will refrain from slander of the witnesses!" He bellowed. "The relationship of Captains Luke and Volcan hold no purpose to this trial."

When Torolf settled back in his seat, Romulus spoke up, his voice remaining level despite Grom's attitude getting under even Torolf's skin. "You believe your actions are justified, and that is why you chose not to exercise your right to a Defense Counsel. You stand by this, knowing the charges your actions bring against you?"

"That's correct."

"Then explain your reasoning," Romulus pressed. "Why did you choose Volcan, why and did you plan to use him as your pawn to draw out the Dark Crusade?"

Grom straightened, still wearing that defiant look. "The Captain of Team Phalanx is a coward. He abandoned Arc Island in its time of need to save himself. His lack of action caused the death of countless civilians along with Zashi, a member of my team, who perished the night of the attack. Along with him, my younger sister was also killed. They both died right in front of me, killed by that Dark Blaziken, Calhoun. Volcan owed me, I went to collect. My intent was to use the bounty on his head to draw out Calhoun, so I could take him out and get the revenge Arc Island deserved."

The council members talked among themselves for a moment, those of them able to write taking notes of Grom's explanation. The heads of the court let them speak, allowing Grom's words to be processed, before Romulus spoke once again, this time directing his words to Luke and Shamshir.

"Captain Luke, and Shamshir," he said. "You may give your accounts of the events that led up to the arrest of Captain Grom now."

Luke decided to go first. He took in another deep breath to steady himself and tucked his paws behind his back as he spoke, keeping his ire out of his voice as he spoke. "I was informed of the abduction of Volcan by the Captain of Team Kama when he, along with the rest of Team Phalanx as well as some of my own team, arrived in Hadleigh. I took it upon myself to conduct a rescue operation to retrieve Volcan and apprehend Team Kopis before they could interact with Calhoun, although in the end we had to launch our operation after the meeting began."

"While the accused might find his actions warranted, the laws and regulations of the guild are clear. Whatever his end goal, he endangered the life of a fellow Team Captain, kidnapping him and using him as bait for an act of revenge. It was also brought to light that the rest of his team were not privy to the full story of what took place on Arc, and Grom continues to deny it to this day."

"Please inform the court, Captain Luke, what does he deny?" Romulus asked.

"That Volcan did not flee Arc Island," replied Luke. "He was severely injured, injuries that later caused him to suffer amnesia-"

"How very convenient for him," Grom interrupted.

Torolf's voice boomed again. "You had your time to speak, Captain Grom," he said sharply. "You will remain silent until you are given leave to speak again."

Luke cleared his throat, fighting back the urge to glare at Grom. "Volcan was sent away from Arc by his teammate, Minato, both to save his life and to find help on the mainland. As mentioned, Volcan's amnesia caused him to forget his original goals, and the rescue mission was delayed as a result. Many of Arc Island's residents..." He bit his lip before continuing. "Remain unaccounted for, aside from those found at the fortress, and one lone survivor Volcan rescued on the island."

"A survivor?" Romulus asked, then turned his head as Torolf leaned over to whisper to him. Romulus' eyes narrowed. "I see..." Taking a moment to consider the account, Romulus addressed Grom again. "Do you refute any of Captain Luke's account of the events?" He asked. Grom still had a right to speak in his own defense, even if he did not see any need to.

"Not a one, except he left something out," Grom replied, grinning maliciously. "Of how, after my team and I had already been arrested, he proceeded to beat me, brutally, and had to be pulled away by Captain Sickle."

Luke felt his blood go cold as Grom made that counteraccusation against him. His eyes widened a little for a moment before he closed them and clamped his mouth shut for a second before he re-opened his eyes to glare back at Grom.

"Luke? What say you to this accusation?" Romulus inquired.

"...I will admit to assaulting him," replied Luke. "I let my emotions get the better of me. However, I would argue that he puts it out of proportion. It is true that I struck him after he explained his reasoning. I was disgusted by his stubbornness and refusal to accept the truth, and his actions to abduct Volcan despite him not being guilty of the claims Grom makes toward him."

"Regardless, Captain Luke, the court must consider this," said Torolf. "If you assaulted the accused, he has the right to put forth an allegation for brutality."

"Shamshir. You were also present at the time of Team Kopis' arrest," Romulus continued. "Does your account match that of Captain Luke's?"

"It does," Shamshir replied. "And yes, that does include Luke assaulting the accused. With that being said, however, Captain Grom had not yet submitted to an arrest. I would argue he could still be considered a hostile until he finally surrendered, and there are others who would confirm this."

Grom glowered at Shamshir but remained silent despite the Scizor's claims.

"Do you have any more to add, accused?" Romulus asked.

"I'd be wasting my breath. But I still won't apologize if you expect me to. I stand by my statement, that Volcan owed me, and given the chance I'd do it all again in a heartbeat." He made sure his last words were directed at Luke, trying to provoke some reaction out of the Lucario.

The smug look Grom wore might have sent a lesser man into a tirade. Luke fought hard not to give in to the goading, but oh how much he wanted to knock that look off Grom's face...

"The council must now come to a decision," stated Torolf.

For a moment, the councilors spoke in hushed voices, taking more notes and passing along ballots to the Swampert and Houndoom at the head of the table. The two read the ballots, one after another, and then nodded to each other. Within moments, they were once again addressing Grom, and this time Torolf's voice was as serious as it was authoritative, making it known that the decision of the council was final...

"Grom, former Captain of Team Kopis. By the will the council, you are found guilty of kidnapping, reckless endangerment, and consorting with terrorists. You are hereby relieved of your status as a Rescue Team Captain and sentenced to five years in incarceration in the Hadleigh County Jail. You shall serve twenty hours of hard labour at the Hadleigh quarry for every week during your sentence."

"Good. Some honest work where I don't have to deal with the likes of traitors," the Emboar retorted.

"Take him away," Torolf called to the jailors. Two large Pokémon stepped forward, and seized Grom by his arms before leading him out of the hall.

"Bring forth Morganth and Quake of Team Kopis," Torolf spoke up.

The doors opened as Grom was led out, sharing a look with his two teammates as they stepped inside. They were too far away for Luke to see for certain, but he was certain he saw scorn being shared equally between them. Grom snapped forward as if to spit at his own teammates, but Morganth didn't flinch, and the guards pulled the Emboar back roughly. The doors closed behind them, and they approached the council's table, standing at the far end facing the captains.

"Morganth and Quake. You are both brought before this council for your part in the crimes committed by Grom of Team Kopis - your team," said Romulus. "What say you in your defense?"

At that, Morganth stepped forward to speak for both of them. "We reformed our Team in Port Azure with Grom several months ago, after we were sprung from that island prison. Up until recently, both Quake and I were led to believe that Captain Volcan of Team Phalanx had abandoned his responsibilities at Arc Island, and until recently we believed that to be true. However, a recent account by Captain Luke brought what we were led to believe into question."

"And that was?" Romulus asked.

"We had not been told until our arrest that Minato of Team Phalanx, Volcan's second, had sent him off the island to find help, and to save his life as he was severely injured battling one of the island's invaders," Morganth explained. "After seeing that scar on Volcan's back, something I knew he didn't have before, it was enough to make me question Grom's claims. Then, Grom confirmed what we started to believe - that he hadn't told us the full story."

"Were you also not made aware that Captain Volcan himself was involved in the rescue mission that freed you both from imprisonment, at the Dark Crusade's island fortress?" Romulus questioned.

The Tyranitar lowered his head, his expression a look of shame. "We were not, until recently. We did see a Mega Blaziken at the fortress while we were being evacuated, but at the time we had no idea that it was Volcan. Grom didn't tell us he'd come to rescue us. This further fueled the growing resentment we already had for him. Now we know the truth."

"And what do you say now?" Romulus pressed. "Do you share the lack of remorse of your team Captain, believing your actions to be justified?"

"No," Morganth replied plainly. "I submitted to arrest willingly, as did Quake," he glanced at the Seismitoad for emphasis. "But we do not expect to walk away from this without consequence. Aware or not... Volcan was innocent. This, we understand now."

"Captain Luke, what accounts can you offer regarding the two accused before us?" Romulus asked. "Did they submit to arrest willingly as they claim?"

"They did." Luke returned with a nod. "They openly expressed disgust at their Captain for withholding the information about Volcan and stated they would return to Hadleigh of their own accord to own up to their transgressions."

Once more Romulus voiced a similar question to Shamshir, and again the Scizor backed Luke's accounts of what happened at Marilogne. Torolf took in the explanations, and with some brief, whispered exchanges with the members of the council, a verdict was reached.

"Your willingness to atone will be considered. However, your partaking in Grom's antics cannot be overlooked and must be punished. You two are hereby stripped of your current status as a Guild Rescue Team, and together shall serve two hundred hours of hard labour at the Hadleigh Quarry. You will spend your off hours at the Hadleigh County Jail for now and be refused any contact with your former captain."

"That's fine with us," Quake commented bitterly. "We're done with Grom."

"Then we bring this trial to a close. Take them away," Torolf bid the jailors, who led the two out of the council hall - gentler than when they had removed Grom.

As silence filled the room, Torolf took a moment to let the events sink in before he spoke up. "Now... Before we disperse this council, I have been told that Captain Luke wishes to make an announcement," the Swampert stated. "Captain, the floor is yours."

Luke nodded in return, then much to the rest of the Council's surprise, he stood up from his seat and began walking around the table until he stood where the accused Team Kopis did. He eyed each member of the Council in silence for a moment, especially Romulus, before he opened his mouth to speak.

"These last few days have been trying times, both on a professional and personal level for me. The abduction of my betrothed, as well as... other... events that have transpired during my time as a Guild Councilman have left me emotionally stretched thin." He began, lowering his gaze slightly as he gave pause to think his words through before standing up straight and looking to the council as a whole. "That's why, effective immediately, I'm tendering my resignation as a Guild Councilman and returning to the front lines with my team; somewhere that I am truly needed."

Other than a few whispers from the council members, the room fell into silence as they processed Luke's announcement. Taking in their expression, he saw mixed reactions. From Keirrot, a hint of guilt. Luke had learned over the recent days before the trial that Keirrot had taken the side in favour of elevating Calhoun's threat status. Most of the council was surprised to see him leaving, though not all. Romulus showed no reaction whatsoever. Meilin, much to Luke's chagrin... looked disappointed in him, the Mienshao having had high expectations for the Lucario from the beginning, but she voiced no protest to his decision, nor did anyone else.

"Your reasoning is understood, Luke," Torolf stated somberly. "Know that you will be missed. We are grateful to you for your service thus far and wish you well."

Luke nodded softly back to Torolf. "I'm grateful for you offering me the privilege of serving with the elite." He returned with an equally somber tone, though that quickly changed to one of mild venom as he turned his gaze to Romulus. "It's just a shame it had to end almost as quickly as it began." He added.

Romulus met Luke's gaze, never losing his mask of stoicism despite the Lucario's glare, nor did he speak out against it even though he knew exactly why it was for him alone.

"I call this meeting of the council to adjourn," stated Torolf. "We shall reconvene later to discuss other matters. You are all dismissed."

With the council dismissed, Luke wasted no time on turning on his heel and practically bolting out of the Council Hall. A part of him felt a pang of regret for leaving the Council on such short notice, but for the most part he was relieved. Finally he could return back home to Azure and resume his normal duties as a fighter rather than a politician. Especially when it'd take him away from the tyrant of a Houndoom he had now come to despise so greatly.

When he left the hall, Luke found he had someone waiting for him outside. Not for the first time, Volcan was out in the yard beyond the hall's doors, waiting for Luke to come out. He made no attempt to approach him, nor call out to him. He simply watched and waited. At first, his expression soured for a moment when he saw Volcan before returning to a more neutral gaze. The Blaziken was directly in his path, so an exchange seemed unavoidable to Luke. As he hopped down the steps, he stopped only to quickly glance at Volcan, then spoke very briefly to him after a moment of silence.

"...Pack up your things. We're returning to Azure." He said quickly before trotting past the Blaziken to follow his own advice.

His tone was flat and disinterested when he spoke, and the fact that he referred to Azure by its name rather than 'our home' like he usually did caused Volcan's heart to ache. Indeed, Volcan felt a pain from within him that was so familiar. One he had hoped he wouldn't feel again.. Emptiness, like his own heart was hollowing as he watched his lover walking away. For a moment it seemed like the two were in a dark hallway, and he watched as Luke walked further down an unending corridor, away from him with seemingly no interest in looking back.

The Blaziken shook himself out of the illusion though, and stood up from the bench he sat on, following Luke at a respectable distance as they headed for the library.

~~~~~

"You guys sure you won't stay longer?" Neilla asked as she walked out of the library with Luke, making their way to the airship while helping him carry some of the luggage he had brought - made bigger by a few souvenirs he had decided to take with him from the journey. "You're more than welcome, you know. The townsfolk certainly wouldn't mind seeing you here for a while longer."

"I'm flattered honestly, but right now I just want to return home." Luke answered softly, turning to face Neilla. "I just... It's nothing against you or this city, but after everything that's happened, I think I've had my fill and I just want to return to a more familiar setting."

"I understand," she said. "It's just likely to be a while before we meet up again." She chuckled. "Gods know every visit you make to this city turns out interesting, to say the least."

Luke couldn't help but share in the small laugh with Neilla. "Yea, I suppose that's true. Every visit outside of Azure always leads to an adventure somehow." He concurred, scratching the back of his head for a moment. "I'll... I'll try to visit sometime in the future, just to check in and see how things are."

Neilla nodded. "Could always write, too. Postal service is there for a reason," she added, and then let out a sad sigh. "I'll be sure to let you know how Sarth is doing too..."

The Lucario nodded, then stepped in and gave her a quick hug to help ease her sorrows. "Send him my regards for me." He whispered, patting her back softly.

She returned his embrace, holding him and laying her head on his shoulder. "I will," she said. "And... it may not be my business, but I hope things work out for you." She added as she pulled back to meet his gaze. "Take care of yourself."

"Thanks... You too." Luke returned as he reluctantly stepped back from the Lopunny who had become such a dear friend to him, his ears flattening as he understood it could be quite a while before they saw each other again. They stared at each other for a long moment before Luke finally turned and continued on his way to the airship, seemingly dragging his feet behind him a little as he walked.

He expected to find Volcan waiting for him on the deck, but the Blaziken was nowhere in sight when he ascended the rope ladder and came over the rail. He saw Lashanne and Toby at the helm while the others were getting themselves settled in for the journey home, either relaxing at their own spot on the ship or, those he didn't see, below decks in the cabins to rest.

The Lucario approached Lashanne after doing a quick headcount to make sure everyone was on board. "Are we ready to take off?" He asked softly.

"We are," she replied. "Everyone's on board and I've finished checking the ship. She'll get us back to Azure."

"Good. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get back home." He answered quickly. "By the way, uhm... How's your arm feeling?" He asked suddenly.

"Getting better," she replied, looking at the arm still in its sling across her chest. "Serena said the bones have mostly mended. I should be able to take it off before the end of the week. No arm wrestles for a while yet though." she added with a wry smirk.

Luke nodded softly in response. "Alright then. If you need anything I'll be at the stern." He remarked, then turned and headed off to the stern of the ship, wanting to have some time to himself to reflect on everything.

While he stood there, the ship began to lift off, the gas bag carrying the vessel to a safe distance above the ground before the propellors began to spin to life, whipping the air as they picked up speed and Hadleigh grew further away. Luke stared out at the City of Art for a while, feeling sorrier about leaving than he thought he would. After staying there for so long, and despite all that had happened, it had been a nice place to live, but this would likely be the last time he'd lay eyes on the city for some time.

He saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and looked up to see Sickle standing there, with Caulin resting on his shoulders, taking full advantage of the Sceptile's height to see for miles over the city.

"Sure looks cool from up here, doesn't it?" Sickle asked the Riolu.

"Yeah! I can see for miles up here!" He remarked happily, hovering his paw over his eyes as if he were trying to see further ahead. "Way better than from that lighthouse I'm always looking out from!"

Sickle turned his head just enough to look at Luke out of the corner of his eye. "Think you'll miss it?" He asked the Lucario. "It's a beautiful city."

Luke gave a small nod in return, keeping his gaze forward as he watched Hadleigh slowly vanish over the horizon. "Yea, I'll miss it. Hadleigh is a great city to explore, but... I kind of miss the simplicity that Azure offers." He replied.

"I for one wish I could've had more time to see the city myself," Sickle added. "All those murals, those gardens, the architecture... it's like I jumped into another world compared to Bluegrove." He then cleared his throat and looked at Luke again. "Will you have somewhere to stay when you get home? Grom did trash your house."

"I'll ask my mother if I can stay with her for the time being. At least until I can call a favour from the construction workers in Azure." Luke answered. "What about you? Sticking around for a bit, or heading back to Bluegrove right away?"

"I probably should head back to Bluegrove as soon as we land," he replied, sighing. "Gotta get back to my team. Everyone should be recovered from the Blackcoast mission by now, and they'll want to get back to work."

"Understandable." Luke returned. "Well regardless, thanks for your help with this mission." He said with a half-smile, finally turning his gaze away from the scenery to look at the Sceptile. "And... thanks for holding me back when we captured Grom..."

Sickle nodded and stepped back from the railing as he lifted Caulin off his shoulders. "Sorry Caulin, just need to give my shoulders a rest," he said as he set the Riolu down carefully. "Why don't you go check on your uncle? He seemed a little tired when we came aboard."

"Oh, okay." Caulin returned with a nod. He hugged the Sceptile for a moment, thanking him for the ride on his shoulders. Then, he turned and was about to hug Luke as well, but paused when he was just inches away from him. "...You okay, Mr. Luke?" He asked softly.

"Hmm?" Luke perked up, stunned by Caulin's sudden query. "Erm... yea, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Caulin stared at him for a moment longer before he gave a small shrug. "I dunno. Just felt like asking." He answered casually before turning on his heel and trotting off to find his uncle.

Sickle leaned against the railing, eyeing Luke studiously. "I think we both know you're not fine," he said, keeping his voice low so as not to be overheard by Lashanne or Toby at the helm. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"...Not really." Luke answered honestly, turning his gaze back to the horizon and sighing as he leaned against the railing. "Just a lot on my head is all."

Sickle sighed, clearly having hoped for more but he respectfully surrendered to the Lucario's wishes. "I won't press further. But until we get to Azure, I'm here if you need me. Alright?"

"I know... Thanks." Luke answered halfheartedly this time, even letting his tail droop slightly behind him. "I just need some space for now, if that's okay."

Sickle nodded in understanding. "Alright," he replied, but still reached out a claw to give Luke's shoulder a reassuring touch before he turned to head back to the main deck, leaving Luke by himself at the stern to watch as Hadleigh grew further and further away.

~~~~~

Three days later, the familiar waters of Port Azure loomed on the horizon, with just the faintest hint of the town peeking through the trees as the airship drew closer. Lashanne rang a bell to get the attention of everyone on board, informing them they would be landing soon - for those not already aware. Everyone below decks, including Volcan, came topside to watch from the railing as their hometown grew closer, several of them taking in the familiar smell of the forest coming up from below, mixed with the salty sea air of Azure's bay as they sailed closer.

Hank gave a long whiff of the air before sighing happily, relieved to be back in familiar territory once more. "Haaaah, home sweet home... Azure, you haven't changed a bit and I hope you never do."

"Considering how small a town it is, unlikely." Kage remarked, rolling his eyes slightly.

"...Why are you always such a buzzkill? Can't you just be happy to be home for a while? Kick yer feet back and just relax until the next mission?" Hank remarked.

"There is no 'next mission.' As long as the Dark Crusade still exists, the mission is still ongoing. We can't afford to become complacent at a time like this." The Greninja replied simply.

"Peh... Worrywart." Sol snidely remarked.

"Well I dunno 'bout the rest of ya, but I'm not going to be kickin' back," Tristan announced. "We still got our houses to build. Kinda got a new one to add to the project since Grom trashed Luke and Volcan's place."

"Tristan," Serena chided, giving the Aggron a look. "Tact."

"Er... sorry," he said, looking at Luke first and rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Much to his surprise, Luke merely shrugged and waved Tristan's comment off dismissively, not even uttering a word to the Aggron for his transgression. This caught Team Valiant's attention, and Hank was about to open his mouth to speak before Kage quickly clamped his webbed hand over his mouth, casting a 'not the best time' look to the Zoroark.

"Er... okay then," Tristan replied, and then looked Volcan's way.

Even for the normally slow-thinking Aggron, it was clear something was amiss when he saw Volcan was standing opposite the group from where Luke was, and that he hadn't said anything since they had arrived. "I get the feeling I'm missing something very important here..." He muttered out of the corner of his mouth, Katsu and Serena being the only ones near enough to hear him clearly.

"Aye. Something unsettling is afoot and it worries me." Katsu whispered back, glancing between Volcan and Luke slightly.

As the airship slowed, the descent began. Oxygen filled the bags on the sides of the main gas bag to increase the ship's mass and bring it lower as Toby steered it in line with the scaffolds that served as its 'dock' at the edge of town, expertly steering the vessel in line with the dock as Lashanne directed him until they felt the ship touching down, wood scraping against wood as the ship settled into place and the rotors powered down.

"And we're home," Lashanne called, kicking the rope ladder over the side. "End of the line, everybody off," she added in jest.

"About damn time..." Sol grumbled, making his way over to the railing and nonchalantly hopping over the side, landing with a slight boom as he hit the ground.

"And froggie calls me the showoff." Hank muttered before following Sol's lead.

One after another, everyone made their way off the ship. Volcan picked up Caulin before hopping over the side, taking the drop for both of them. The last to disembark was Sickle, who noticed a figure approaching from the direction of town.

"Hey, I think I see Minato coming," he called.

"Hear that Caulin?" Lashanne said to the Riolu as Volcan set him back on his feet. "Yer dad's coming."

Caulin gulped audibly and tried to hide behind Volcan as the Lucario in the long black coat arrived. Of course Minato had already noticed the Riolu even as he drew closer, but he pretended not to notice, focusing his attention instead on Volcan. He walked up to the Blaziken, smiling with relief before hugging his friend.

"Good to have you back, man," He said.

"Thanks Minato," he said, returning the hug. "Sorry if I made you worry."

"I think it's your mother you should say that to," replied Minato as he pulled back from Volcan. "She's been worried sick about you. Make sure you go see her as soon as you can. Oh, and..." He then reached into his coat's inner pocket and produced a long belt of leather, offering it to the Blaziken. "I think this belongs to you."

Volcan smiled as he saw the harness, accepting it gingerly from Minato and looking at the stone it housed, relieved to see it wasn't damaged. "Thanks," he said. "I was afraid I'd lost this under the house."

"Honestly, I'm surprised Grom didn't take it," said Minato. "Mega Stones are rare, and clearly he cares more about money than honour." He added with a tone of disgust, matched by the shake of his head.

"Believe it or not, Grom was never after the money to begin with," Volcan said as he unbuckled the harness, throwing one end over his shoulder and catching that end on the opposite hip, rebuckling the harness "It was all a ruse - Calhoun was the one he wanted."

As Minato's face twisted in confusion, Lashanne stepped forward to add her piece. "Turns out that the big pig just wanted to draw out the big boss so he could take him out, and he used Volcan's bounty to do it. Apparently, revenge for a teammate they lost on Arc, and probably for the island attack itself."

He looked between Volcan and Lashanne incredulously for a moment, then his expression went flat as he gave his reply. "...Seriously?" He asked. "All of that for some petty revenge plot?" He further inquired before sighing irritably. "I hope the Council gave him a punishment fitting for such a pathetic crime."

"They did," replied Volcan. "I'll give you the whole sitrep later."

"But first," said Lashanne, looking behind Volcan at the Riolu. "I believe this one has something to say."

"...Ah yes," Minato remarked, glancing to Caulin still half hiding behind Volcan and Lashanne. His expression became stern as he crossed his arms, looking squarely at Caulin. "Step forward, young man."

The Riolu gulped nervously but obeyed his father's command without question. Slowly he walked around Lashanne until he was directly in between her and his father, looking up at him with sad eyes and hiding his paws behind his back. Minato leered down at his son in silence for a moment, then lowered himself down to one knee in order to appear less intimidating to him, uncrossing his arms as he did.

"...I'm_very_disappointed in you, Caulin." He said firmly. "I told you to stay put, that you weren't ready to do this yet. You disobeyed me."

"I know... but I couldn't stand being put on the sidelines anymore," Caulin replied. "Uncle Volcan saved u-."

"You could have been killed!" Minato snapped suddenly, cutting the Riolu off. "Calhoun wouldn't have hesitated to rip you apart if he got the chance, let alone any of his followers!" He then grabbed Caulin's shoulders firmly in his paws. "You. Aren't. Ready. Pull a stunt like this again and I'll have you _locked_inside that lighthouse until I deem that you are."

This time, it was Caulin who crossed his arms, scowling at his father. "You know I'm just gonna break out." He retorted defiantly, not reacting when he saw Minato's fur bristle with anger. "Besides, I learned a long time ago that sometimes you gotta do a little wrong in order to make things right." He added.

Minato glared at his son. "We don't follow _his_advice. We're better than that and you know it." He said, before pulling his paws back from Caulin, rubbing the bridge of his nose before he spoke again.. "Look... I know you were just trying to help out. Your heart was in the right place, but what you did was beyond reckless... You made me worry and you made Degra worry when she found out you took off, and she had enough to fear with her son missing. So you owe her an apology."

Caulin lowered his gaze again, his defiance lost at the idea he'd hurt Volcan's mother with his actions. He tucked his paws behind his back again and shuffled his foot along the ground. "...Sorry Dad," He whimpered. "I'll... I won't do it again, okay?"

"I know you won't..." Minato returned. "...Because if you do disobey my commands again, you can forget about being a member of the Guilds." He added with a firm authoritative tone.

"Once he becomes a legal adult, don't you think that'll be beyond your capacity?" Lashanne dared to remark, giving Minato a wry grin.

He shot a glance at the Delphox, as if warning her to tread carefully with that statement before his expression went blank and he flattened his ears. "...Dammit..." He growled, realizing she did have a point.

"Hehehe... Points for the fire wizard lady. She got you good." Sol remarked with a smug grin of his own.

Volcan glanced over at Sol. "So... what's next for you, then?" He asked. "Could be some time before we hit the road for any missions again. My team and I still have to build ourselves some houses to live in."

He rolled his eyes and lost the smirk, taking a moment to consider the question before he shrugged. "I guess I'll pitch in. Not like I have much else to do 'round here aside training." He then smacked his paws together aggressively. "That, and I still owe my old man a good beatdown at some point."

"Just... Try to do it far away, so you don't level the town," Lashanne remarked, deliberately avoiding the dirty look Sol cast her way while trying not to smirk.

"Well, I'm gettin' to work right away," Tristan piped up, rubbing his claws together. "Gotta dig those holes for those foundations."

"I think we should build Minato's place first," Volcan put in. "We're building for two in his case."

"Agreed," Serena added.

While the others got ready, Volcan glanced over his shoulder toward Luke, who was saying goodbye to the rest of his team as well as a farewell hug to Sickle as the Sceptile prepared to head home to Bluegrove. When the rest of Luke's team had dispersed, his eyes met Volcan's briefly, but as before, Luke pulled his gaze away from Volcan's and started walking toward town himself - specifically in the direction of his old home, probably wanting to see the damage to it for himself...

Volcan's face soured, and he was unaware that Minato was watching, seeing the distance the two were keeping from each other. Furrowing his brow, he cautiously approached Volcan, waiting for him to sense his presence before he spoke up.

"...Everything alright man?" He asked before looking toward Luke's direction. "Call me crazy but... You seem kinda perturbed right now."

"I..." Volcan struggled to say, clearly not yet comfortable discussing it, but he managed to force the words out. "Luke and I... aren't on speaking terms right now..."

"...That right?" Minato asked, lifting a paw to touch Volcan's shoulder gently. "Well, they say there's no better remedy than talking about your problems with a friend." He offered.

He let out a deep sigh, and then began to fill Minato in as they followed the rest of the team to the construction sight of their new homes. "My report, the one I wrote before we left the Siphon Prison," he began, "it made it to Hadleigh... and it apparently prompted the council to elevate Calhoun's status to threat level S - kill on sight. Luke... didn't take it well. Apparently, he'd been trying to convince the council not to do that, fearing the consequences that order would have." He choked slightly before clearing his throat and continuing. "He's been avoiding me ever since, and he's left the council. Now he won't even talk to me..."

"...You're telling me that he's angry at you because someone absolutely _has_to die in order to save the lives of millions, and you were okay with it?" He asked incredulously, blinking a few times as he tried to comprehend the reason behind Luke distancing himself from Volcan. "That's..." He then frowned angrily after a moment of silence. "That's just petty as hell..."

"I told you before. Luke _abhors_killing. No matter how evil the target, he won't do it, and he despises anyone who even entertains the idea," stated Volcan.

"Even if that Pokémon is his own lover?" Minato asked scathingly. "What if it had been any of his family? Or his teammates that suggested the idea? Would he turn his back on them as well?" He asked.

"I... I don't know..." replied Volcan. "And I don't know what I can do about it..."

"You have nothing to be guilty about," said Minato firmly. "As it stands, Luke is being unrealistic. He's not seeing the bigger picture, and really taking _one_life, especially one as twisted as Calhoun's, for the sake of millions is not something to get all hung up about." He said with a growl. "He needs to wake up from his little fantasy and realize that in this line of work, death is a certainty..."

"Maybe he does... but that's up to him now," replied Volcan. "It's just... It's hard, to be without him. We reunite for a couple of days, all is well... And then..." A tear was visible in his eye as he trailed off, unable to continue.

"...I know the feeling," Minato remarked softly, his own gaze lowering as he started feeling a wave of sadness wash over him as well. "If time is what he needs, then give him some... But don't give him too much time, otherwise you'll never see him again..." He advised the Blaziken. "Trust me on that..."

Volcan nodded in understanding. "For now, let's just get some roofs over our heads," he said, trying to change the subject. "Also uh... you still want to take the boat to find Victor?"

Minato nodded. "I do. My mind on that subject hasn't changed. I just wanted to wait until you came back before I went, to make sure you came home safe. Well, that and I don't have the key to the boat."

Volcan nodded back. "...Do you really think you can find him?"

The Lucario shrugged. "I don't know." He returned. "But that's not going to stop me from trying. I don't care if it takes me months, I _will_find him."

"Any idea where to start - leads or clues as to where he might have gone?"

At that, Minato let out a long sigh. "...Only one."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Luke could only stare in horror at the pile of dirt and shattered rubble that used to be his home, struggling to come to terms with the reality of the situation before him. He was warned that his house had been completely destroyed by Volcan and the rest of the teams, but he dared to hope that they were all just exaggerating the extent of how badly Grom had destroyed his home.

It was like Luke's entire world had come crashing down in a single week... his lover, betraying his beliefs. His home, destroyed by Grom before kidnapping that very lover who betrayed him. His mind was reeling at it all. Not to mention, the council turning their backs on him out of fear, an act he could not even blame Romulus for...

He felt so... Empty.

With a heavy sigh, he turned his back on his demolished home and began dragging his feet away from the site. At first, he considered just heading toward town and renting out a room at the motel, but a part of him didn't want to stay in a room all by himself. He might not be on speaking terms with his betrothed, but he didn't want to spend the night alone either...

He then perked up slightly as he remembered that his mother didn't live too far away from his current location. He managed a small smile as he changed direction and trotted off toward the direction of his mother's and Nido's residence. Despite his lifted demeanour, he still shivered at the thought of telling Nido that his home was destroyed, since Nido was the one that built the house in the first place... He could only hope the Nidoking would be understanding of the reason as to why it happened.

Luke arrived shortly at Nido and his mother's residence within minutes after departing from his demolished house, though upon setting foot in their territory, Luke could immediately sense something was amiss. Luke didn't hear the strained grunts of Nido training in the area - something that Nido seemed to do constantly. In fact, he couldn't find any other telltale sign that he was within the premise of his home. It felt far too quiet, and that made him shift uncomfortably as he slowly approached the large domed house before him.

He gave a few quick knocks on the front door before stepping back and waiting for a response. There was no answer at first, but when he stepped forward to knock again he heard the click of the deadbolt unlocking, then the door slowly swung open to reveal not his mother, but Mikhail. The scholarly Lucario's eyes lit up when he saw his younger brother standing before him, then he stepped forward and pulled Luke into a tight embrace.

"Brother!" He said in a relieved manner. "Thank Arceus you've returned safely."

"Good to be home, Mikhail." Luke said half-heartedly as he patted his elder brother's back gently. "...Everything alright around here? It seems quieter than usual."

At that, Mik's expression quickly turned sad in a manner of seconds. "Erm... Perhaps you should come inside." He offered, stepping aside for Luke to enter. "Mother's... been going through a lot, and I think seeing you might help lift her spirits."

Luke's ears flattened, his expression going from curious to concerned in a heartbeat. He pushed gently past Mikhail and practically raced into the house, where he could hear the faint sounds of his mother weeping softly to herself coming from the living room.

Upon arriving, he saw his mother sitting in front of the dining room table with Rigel standing next to her, trying his best to comfort her as she wept. When Luke entered the living room, both Rigel and Luminara looked over to him, with Rigel sharing a saddened expression with him as Luminara slowly rose from her seat and began walking toward her youngest son. Luke met her halfway and threw himself into her arms, and the two of them embraced each other tightly.

It was Luke that eventually broke the silence between them, pulling back from the embrace to look at his mother square in the eyes. "...What's wrong, mother?" He asked softly, lifting his paw up to gently wipe her tears away.

She sniffled a bit and took a moment to regain her composure before answering Luke's question. "I'm sorry son. Nido and I had... We had a fight about Sol's return a few nights ago. I... said some hurtful things about him and Nido took it very personally. So much that he outright berated me and claimed that he was going to pack up what was his and leave." She explained.

"A-At the time, I thought he was just saying that as a bluff to make me retract everything I said. I told him such. Then... this morning, I found he kept his word. He was nowhere to be seen. He really has left Azure and I have no idea where he's gone..."

Luke felt a pang of guilt in his stomach after hearing his mother's explanation. It was through Volcan's recommendation that Sol be placed on parole, and Luke, along with the rest of the council, agreed with the notion. Part of him felt like he should tell the truth, that he was partially responsible for Sol's return, but another part of his conscience told him to keep quiet, as such news might upset Luminara even further. Plus, he didn't feel like he owed Volcan any sort of defense at that moment.

"I'm... I'm sorry to hear that, Mother." Luke whispered softly, lowering his gaze to the floor and letting his tail droop behind him.

His rather nonchalant words drew concerned looks from Mikhail and Rigel standing beside them. All three of them had grown to love Nido as a father, and Luke's lackluster response seemed so... withdrawn. They didn't make any mention of it though, focusing instead on their mother at that moment. Rigel took it upon himself to step forward and rest his paws on her shoulders from beside her.

Rigel then stepped up and gently placed a paw on Luminara's shoulder. "It'll be okay, Ma... I mean... he might come back one day and try to make things right with ya. You never know." He offered optimistically.

"I doubt that." Mikhail returned as he entered the living room, adjusting his glasses a little. "Nido's always been a man that sticks true to his word. If he says he's not coming back, then... well, he's not coming back."

Both Luke and Rigel shot the scholarly Lucario a dirty look. "Too soon, bro." Rigel remarked while shaking his head.

The elder Lucario lifted her paw dismissively. "It's fine." She remarked softly. "I had a feeling this day would come... I just didn't think it would come so soon, and by my paw at that." She admitted, wiping her eyes on her arm to clean up the rest of her tears. "Nido and I have had some friction recently... He never has been good about settling down for a long time. I know that... I guess this was bound to happen." She sniffed. "I just made it come sooner... I couldn't be satisfied, not knowing Sol was back in Azure. This rift... was my own doing." She put her paw over her heart. "I drove him away."

"Ma..." Rigel started to say, but he could find no other words.

Luminara sniffed once more, turning her attention back to Luke. Clearly wanting to change the subject, she asked. "But son... Why are you back so soon? I thought you were still doing work for the Guild Council in Hadleigh?"

Luke's expression darkened and his composure faltered even more when the topic was brought up. "I was... until a certain string of events took place." He answered before lifting his head and looking at his family staring back at them with mild concern. "The short version is that I've resigned as a Councilman and I've decided to return to Azure to continue my duties here as part of my team."

"What happened, man? What made you wanna quit?" Rigel asked as he stepped closer to Luke. "It ain't like you to call anything quits."

"The fact is during my time on the council, I was fighting to keep Calhoun's threat level to B Class, which is 'capture on sight.' Most of the councilmen agreed with me, and it remained as such for a while..." Luke explained. "That is... Until I found out that Volcan had sent in a mission report. He ran into Calhoun while he was on a mission given to him by Torolf of Team Warmachine. Apparently... something happened up there, and now even Volcan thinks Calhoun should die."

Luke stopped, sniffing before a scowl crossed his features. "Because of his report, Calhoun's been raised to threat level S."

"Is... that bad?" Mikhail asked, warily.

"S-level is 'kill on sight'," Luke answered flatly.

"...Ooohhh..." Mik returned, adjusting his glasses again. He knew well his brother's harsh stance again killing.

Luke grimaced as he continued. "What really hurt the most was that... when I confronted Volcan about the report, he did state that he believed that Calhoun should perish if we're to truly end this conflict... _knowing_that I abhor the idea of taking a life, no matter how evil or twisted they are." He explained, choking a bit on his words and biting his lip to help retain his composure. "He didn't even _try_to deny that he thinks Calhoun should die..."

Mik flattened his ears and slowly approached Luke to offer him a hug, one that the younger Lucario eagerly accepted. Rigel however, only stared at Luke silently, his paws slowly clenching at his sides as his brother's story sunk in.

"So what yer telling me," began Rigel, his paws clenching tightly as he spoke, a dangerous tone in his voice. "Is that the guy who you practically bled yer heart out for, who you proposed to, who Mik here saved... Betrayed you?" He asked, his tone becoming more and more aggressive as he spoke those words.

Luminara gave Rigel a stern glance. "Rigel... don't you start."

The fiery Lucario then turned and threw his arms out to the side as he addressed his mother. "Don't tell me nothin', ma!" He roared before pointing to his youngest brother. "It's bad enough we all lost Nido, but now Luke's own boyfriend's stabbed him in the back?!"

"R-Rigel, calm down!" Mik piped up, trying to act as the voice of reason within the family. "I-I'm sure Volcan didn't _mean_to-"

"Oh you can bet those sixty Pok glasses of yers that he meant it!" Rigel returned angrily. "This is the fourth time Luke's had his heart broken by some shithead and I'm not standing by and letting him get away with hurting my baby brother!" He added angrily, smoke literally blowing out of his ears the more his temper rose.

Before anyone could object to Rigel's claim, the Lucario was already storming out of the room. Mikhail called out to him in protest, but Rigel's response to his plea was the sound of the front door slamming shut, so hard that the walls shook a little from the force of the door slam.

Luke's expression remained relatively blank throughout the entire exchange, even after Rigel stormed out of the house. At that, Luke's composure started to erode even further, almost becoming limp in Mikhail's arms. When the elder Lucario looked down at his brother, he nearly cried at the defeated look on his face, having never seen his brother so broken before. Not even when his last wife had left him...

"Brother..." He whimpered softly, gently pulling Luke over to the nearest chair and sitting down with him in his arms, rocking him back and forth in an attempt to comfort him. "It's going to be okay, brother. Don't worry..." He tried to reassure him, but his words fell on deaf ears. The younger Lucario was already regressing into a state of major depression, so much that even the pain in his heart started to become numb, and any attempts by Mikhail or his mother to try and console him had no effect...

Luke didn't reply. His expression didn't change, his gaze didn't change. He just sat limp in the chair, staring off into emptiness that matched the void within him...

Rigel was utterly seething as he walked through town, his pace brisk and direct, forcing other townsfolk to move aside for him as his mind continued to reel through everything he had heard from Luke.

Volcan... his brother's lover, someone Rigel had grown to respect, had hurt him. Not just Luke, but their entirely family. Nido was gone, breaking off things with Luminara because of Sol, who Volcan had set free. Now he was even going against his brothers most dearly upheld beliefs. He didn't even know, or care, why the Blaziken had done such things. He didn't want to know, but Rigel was on a warpath now...

Beyond the town's edges, he saw the Blaziken and his team, gathered at the construction site for their new homes. Volcan did not even show an expression of remorse when Rigel saw him and that only angered the Lucario further, even though Volcan had not even seen him yet. The final breaking point though, was that he saw Sol - that damned Typhlosion, stopping briefly to talk to Volcan before heading behind the pile of lumber they had stacked.

Rigel's feet worked faster than his brain. Soon, the Blaziken was getting larger as he drew closer, running full sprint at him. Volcan turned just in time to see the Lucario coming at him.

"Rigel?" He called, but by the time he recognized the intent on the visitor's face, he was too late to prepare himself.

Rigel sprang, roaring like a mad beast, and Volcan's face exploded with white-hot pain as he received a powerful right hook to the cheek. The Blaziken was sent spinning off his feet to fall onto his side, his vision swimming. Even as he collected himself, he rolled onto his back looked up as Rigel jumped on him, and Volcan had to put up his arms to protect his face from any further assaults as Rigel, ranting incoherently, pounded away with his clenched paws, beating the Blaziken savagely.

Only Volcan's previous call of Rigel's name gave his friends any alert to what was happening. When they saw their friend being attacked, Tristan and Minato dropped their tools and ran to intervene. Tristan was closer and got there first, ramming Rigel with his shoulder to knock the furious Lucario off of Volcan. They tumbled, and Tristan landed on top, pinning Rigel down as the furious Lucario struggled to get free of the Aggron. Minato dropped to Volcan's side, speaking his name and easing him up. Volcan's eye had taken a hit, and his arms were heavily abused from him using them to protect himself.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly as he gingerly touched Volcan's injuries.

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay," Volcan replied, but sucked in a sharp breath when Minato touched his eye. "Ow..."

"Hey, hey!" Tristan shouted at Rigel, keeping the Lucario pinned under his weight. "Simmer your ass down before I squish you!"

"What the hell is going on over here?!" Lashanne's voice rang out as she, Serena and Caulin ran onto the scene, followed by Sol who walked casually. Immediately, Serena was making a beeline toward Volcan, already seeing his injuries.

Rigel growled and struggled hard against the Aggron pinning him down, his gaze never tearing itself away from Volcan even as he struggled to push Tristan off of him. "You damned son of a bitch!" Rigel roared angrily at Volcan. "I welcomed you into this family with open arms and _this_is the thanks I get?! Who the fuck do you think you are breaking my little brother's heart the way you did, huh?!"

"What is he talking about?" Serena asked, looking at Volcan.

"Luke and I... had an argument, back in Hadleigh," replied Volcan, but Rigel shouted before he could continue.

"Luke poured his fucking heart out to you! He woulda _died_for you!" He hollered, still struggling against Tristan's grasp. "You didn't even take the time to discuss that report you sent out to the council with him!! Thanks to that, not only did you break my brother's heart, but my mother's as well!! She ended up getting dumped because you said _he_could come back!!" He added, pointing at Sol.

"...Oh for-_again_with this shit?" Minato exclaimed, slapping his paw in front of his face. "Seriously, is your _entire_family a bunch of drama queens?"

"Whatchu say, punk?!" Rigel growled. "Don't you start talking shit too, or I'll deck you even harder than I did your chicken shit friend!!"

"You're more than welcome to try, hothead!" Minato growled back.

"Alright, that's enough!" Lashanne cut in, stepping in front of Minato and giving him a scathing look for trying to escalate the situation. She then turned toward Rigel, offering a more sympathetic look. "What do you mean she got dumped? By who, and why?"

"Who else? By the man who _she_gave her own heart to, and the man we all looked up to as our dad!" Rigel retorted angrily, and then pointed his paw at Sol. "And it's all cause _he's_back! All because that feather-brained assholerequested the council to put him on parole!!"

Volcan lifted his gaze, looking in shock at Rigel. "Nido... left?" He asked breathlessly, stunned by the news.

"Do you think Volcan _planned_for that or something?!" Lashanne demanded. "Sol came back with us of his own volition! And your brother is the one who _secured_his parole in the first place!"

"Lashanne, stop!" Volcan snapped, making the Delphox go silent and stopping any retort from Rigel. "Don't defend me..." He said, shaking his head. "Don't..." He added in a grim tone before he looked at Tristan. "Let him up, Tristan."

"If you say so," the Aggron said, slowly shifting his weight off Rigel, though not before giving him a warning scowl. "You better not run at him again," he stated before he lifted his body away and took his hands off Rigel's back, freeing the Lucario.

Rigel grunted as he pushed himself back up onto his feet, leering back at Tristan for a moment before he looked back to Volcan. "...I was ready to treat you as one of our own, man. Luke fucking swore by you, and you go and pull this stunt? You disgust me." He stated angrily. "I don't want you anywhere near my kid brother ever again, you understand me? I see you within spitting distance of him, a black eye and some bruises on your arms will be the _least_of your concerns!!"

He then looked to Sol. "And you!" He shouted. "You stay the fuck away from my family. Hell, stay away from Azure altogether."

The Typhlosion scoffed. "I'm only here fer the kung fu bird anyway, not because I want to be here," he retorted in a neutral tone. "That said, you might want to get your facts straight before going off on a tirade, shrimp. Like the wizard grave robber said, I'm here because the fuzzball gave the okay to release me. So don't go blamin' him," he pointed at Volcan. "For shit he didn't do."

Rigel seemed to flinch after hearing that now that he wasn't as furious and able to think about Sol's words. He narrowed his eyes dangerously back at Sol, then spat on the ground next to him before turning and storming back the way he came.

Lashanne turned to look at Sol, giving him a disgruntled look. "Grave robber?" She asked. "I'm an archaeologist, not a thief."

"Says the lady who runs around ancient tombs and picks up items of any value to sell fer some coin." Sol retorted with a huff. "Yea, yer not the only one who can read others just by looking at them.."

"Clearly you should be taking your own advice..." Minato remarked, crossing his arms and giving the Typhlosion a scathing glance.

"Guys, please, don't start," Volcan cut in, sitting down at Serena's insistence to let her examine his injuries. "This isn't worth the argument, alright? Just drop it..."

"Caulin, can you go get a glass of water and a clean cloth from the ship, please?" Serena asked the Riolu as she projected an aqua veil onto Volcan's right arm.

Caulin nodded. "Sure... be right back," he said, looking at Volcan sadly before he turned and strode toward the ship.

Minato let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his face with his paw in an attempt to simmer down himself. "We're not even back for a full day, and we already have drama on our hands," he remarked softly. "And it's all because of some ridiculous misunderstanding..."

Tristan moved to stand over by Volcan, seeing his eye already beginning to swell shut from where Rigel punched him. "Damn, he really got you good," he said. "Why didn't you kick him off? You just let him beat you like a drum."

"I was not going to fight Luke's brother. He hates me enough right now as it is," replied Volcan, still in that defeated tone.

"Volcan, he does not hate you," Serena chided the Blaziken. "Like Minato said, it's all a misunderstanding. He'll come around."

The Blaziken did not look convinced...

Sol snorted some smoke out of his nostrils. "If you ask me, you two need to clear things up ASAP. They can hate me all they want cause I deserve it, but you? Fuck, you saw fit to give me a second chance at redeeming myself. That alone should scream 'saint' right in their faces." He remarked with a surprising amount of respect.

"But I never wanted to break up Luke's family..." Volcan said. keeping his arm up for Serena to do her work. "Why would Nido leave them?" He asked, directing this question at Sol as if he'd know.

"My honest opinion? Probably because Fuzzball's cougar mom took it personally, considering the day I went on a rampage I nearly killed him." Sol remarked.

"I'm... very glad I sent Caulin away, before he had to hear talk like that," Serena muttered, looking disgusted.

Sol ignored her and continued. "Probably still thinks I'm some wild animal that can't be tamed or reconditioned... Maybe she's right." He shrugged. "Either way, I couldn't care less. If she wants to be stuck in her own little world, then let her."

Volcan turned sharply on him then, glowering at the Typhlosion for his callousness. "She's only worried about the safety of her sons, and as a parent she has every right to be!" He said, angrily. "If I knew bringing you back would ruin her relationship with her husband, I'd have left you at the prison!" He said before turning and storming away.

An uneasy silence fell over the group then as they watched him go, the tension from Sol in particular almost palpable.

"Oh shit..." whispered Lashanne, looking uneasily at Minato.

The Lucario looked back at Lashanne, sharing an equally uneasy look in his eyes. "Well... that escalated quickly." He remarked softly.

Sol was visibly pissed off at that remark, his paws trembling at his sides as he clenched them so tightly they nearly bled. "Well fuck you too, then, asshole!" Sol roared angrily back at the Blaziken, even if he was beyond earshot.

"Sol... he didn't mean that, you know he-" Serena tried to diffuse the situation, but shrank away when Sol glared at her.

To the side, Tristan was tensing, ready to charge in case Sol turned hostile.

"You know what? Fuck this shit!" He hollered at the group as a whole. "I submitted willingly because he earned my respect as a warrior! If he's gonna turn his back on me just like all the other fuckwits did, then maybe I _should_just go back to that fucking prison!" He roared out, his neck flames igniting as his temper only grew. "You can all do what you want. I'm outta here." He announced before he crouched low to the ground, then leapt high into the air, his leap carrying him toward the forest, landing just outside the tree's boundary before making another jump that took him out of sight.

The group watched him leave and stood there in stunned silence for a moment before they were able to relax enough to let out the collective breath they were holding.

"This is all getting out of control real fast," Lashanne moaned, rubbing her temple with her good paw.

"Maybe one of us should go talk to Luke," Tristan suggested. "I mean, he doesn't know what went on up there! Maybe we can talk some sense into him."

"Luke doesn't want to talk to us," Serena stated, shaking her head. "It's all too soon... We can't force anything to go back to normal."

"What should we do about hot collar out there?" Lashanne asked, looking at Minato.

"Perhaps we should give him some space, let him cool off on his own." Minato answered softly. "With how hot tempered he is now, it's likely he'll lash out if we try to reason with him." He then looked off to where Volcan had stormed off. "As for our fearless captain... I have a few words for him that'll need to be slammed down his gullet..."

At that moment, Caulin returned, carrying a clean rag and a cup of water in his paws, but he noticed quickly how the group had shrunk since he left.

"...Where'd that Sol guy and Uncle Volcan go?" He asked softly, then took a look at the group and saw how visibly stressed out they looked. "...Did I miss something?"

"We'll fill you in later," said Serena. "Minato... If you're going to talk to Volcan, can you levitate the water in this cup for a moment first?" She asked.

"Yea, sure..." He returned, casting Psychic and lifting the cup out of Caulin's paw into the air next to him.

When Minato separated the water from the cup, Serena directed him to shape it, before she fired an ice beam into it to freeze it solid. There, she motioned to Caulin to wrap the ice in the cloth, and then hand it over to his dad. "For his eye." She instructed.

"Will do." He returned.

With his Aura Sense, Minato eventually found where Volcan had wandered to. His trail led him to the lighthouse, overlooking the bay where the Blaziken sat silently with his back against the lighthouse, knees held to his chest as he sat face buried in his arms. As Minato approached, he saw the Blaziken shaking slightly, and caught the faintest hint of a light sob.

He was crying, with a guilt all too familiar to Minato as he watched his friend. Part of him felt bad for wanting to talk to him while in such a sorry state, but regardless, he approached the Blaziken, taking a moment to really get a good look at him before he sighed softly to announce his presence.

"It pains me to see you in such a state..." He remarked sympathetically, waiting for the Blaziken to lift his head out of his arms before offering the cloth-wrapped ice to him.

He hesitantly took the ice and held it to his eye. "How bad am I right now? Be honest," he bade as he leaned against the wall, letting his legs slide out over the grass.

"On a scale of one to ten? A one. Below zero," Minato returned before seating himself next to his friend. "You didn't need to storm off like that, you know."

"I... I needed some time," he said with a groan. "Everything's just going so wrong. I'm losing the man I love, and I don't know what to do..."

"Well, before you can even think of making amends with Luke, perhaps you should try to apologize to Sol first." Minato remarked. "What you said _really_struck a nerve with him..."

"Yes... What I said there was definitely uncalled for," he admitted, nodding. "Where is he now?"

"Off elsewhere, cooling off from your outburst." Minato returned, turning his gaze forward and looking out toward the horizon. "You're probably going to be quite angry at me for saying this, but... I'm pretty disappointed in you right now, Volcan."

"The feeling is mutual," he replied in a defeated tone.

"And that right there is the reason why." He said in a sharper tone, pointing his paw at Volcan. "Don't you start getting all hopeless on me now, dammit. You never gave up on me when I was lost to my own despair, so don't you _dare_go down the same path."

"...Crap, I'm even worse than I thought," he said, taking the ice from his eye and looking at Minato. "But how do I pull myself out of it? You needed Lashanne to knock some sense into you. Clearly that didn't work with Rigel." He added in a feigned attempt at making light of the situation.

"Maybe he didn't hit you hard enough..." Minato replied, lifting a paw up and coating it with ice via Ice Punch.

The Blaziken leaned away from him apprehensively, trying to gauge just how serious he was being. He didn't have to lean too far. The stern glare in his eyes told the Blaziken all he needed to know about how serious his friend was being at that moment. When he leaned away, Minato lowered his paw and dissolved the ice around it.

"Yes, things are going out of control, and yes, it seems like you're the one at fault for it. Maybe you are, but unless you pick yourself back up and be the man Luke desperately needs right now, you _will_lose him forever..." He stated in a more relaxed tone. "Arceus forbid if you have to go through the same torment I had to when Linda was taken from me."

"I don't even know how to get him to talk to me. He won't even give me the time of day, and now his family probably won't let me near him."

"Then do what Sol does." Minato returned. "_Make_it your business... Show them how wrong they are of you and that you never meant to hurt them in any way, shape or form." He then placed a paw atop of Volcan's shoulder. "Show Luke how much you love him..."

"Well_that's_specific," Volcan remarked, rolling his eyes, and reminded that he could only fully see out of one and brought the ice back to it.

"Hey, where's the fun of the challenge if you already have all the answers?" Minato asked with a cocky smirk.

"Okay, hard to argue with that logic," Volcan admitted with a chuckle.

Minato shared in the small laugh with his friend, patting his shoulder a few times before releasing him and turning his gaze forward again. "...Think you'll be okay while I'm gone? I could be away for a long time, you know."

He gave Minato a reassuring smile. "I'll manage," he promised. "Honestly, it's you I worry about... Do you really have to go back to Arc to locate Victor?"

"It's the only place I can think of that could have any clue as to where he ran off to." Minato returned. "I know for a fact he was on the island when Calhoun attacked. If my hunch is correct, he'll have taken Claire aboard Bellator and have fled somewhere more remote, so that they couldn't be tracked through conventional means."

"I have to tell you, man... seeing that place nearly destroyed me," Volcan warned. "When you get there, you'll find way worse than you're expecting."

"Trust me, I'm gearing myself for the worst..." Minato returned grimly. "But I have to do this... Going back will not only help me find any clues to Victor's whereabouts, but it might help me finally move on from the past... No matter how gruesome it might be."

He then sighed and glanced to the Blaziken. "...I'm still haunted by those nightmares, you know. The only thing keeping me going right now is the thought of seeing Calhoun dead at my feet with my blade run through his heart..." He added darkly. "...That, and I _really_don't want to be on the receiving end of one of Lashanne's fists again." He added in a more light-hearted manner.

"Well if it makes you feel better she's right-handed," Volcan joked. "She can't use that arm to punch you yet."

He couldn't help but snicker a little. "She's still got her left though." He added with a smirk.

"Probably won't hurt. Much," the Blaziken added.

"I wouldn't underestimate her, Volcan." Minato warned. "She's far stronger than she appears, and you should know." He added, then his eyes drifted downward slightly, as if becoming lost in thought.

"What's wrong?" Volcan asked.

"...Nothing." He returned softly, still seemingly lost in thought.

Volcan arched the brow of his good eye at him, although it was hard to see with the other one still covered by ice. But he respected his friend's privacy and stood up. "Well we better get back. Still got to finish your place before you head off."

"Good idea." Minato agreed. "Gonna need a roof over my head for when I return eventually." He added as he rose to his feet, stretching his arms over his head as he stood tall. "Come on. Let's go."