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It was not to be a pleasant morning for Luke as he left his mother's house that morning, making tracks to his former home outside Azure. He hoped to salvage whatever he could from his home, to see what could still be saved from under the rubble.

Despite his earlier dismissal of the loss, he still felt sickly nostalgia as he followed the trail made by his own feet, his own path home whenever he finished work for the day. He knew in the long run, he would miss the home that Nido had built for him - he would miss the peace that it offered him. Comfortable even on the hot summer days or cold winter nights; he had never needed a fireplace, as his stove alone could heat the whole house.

He sighed, unhappily. It had been home, before, and after... him.

His thoughts seemed to be a tempt of fate, for Luke was nearly to the incline leading to where his door once stood, when he noticed the Blaziken at the wreck. He was lifting timbers, clearing away some of the rubble of the house and laying them carefully aside, mindful of nails and splinters. He had wrapped his hands in leather gloves for protection, but was still being careful. He hadn't noticed Luke arriving, nor did it seem he was waiting for the Lucario this time; he was there for the same reason as Luke, it seemed.

'_Guess I shouldn't be surprised...' Luke_thought to himself as he watched Volcan scavenge through the wreck. They did share the house after all, back when they were still actively engaged with each other. It only made sense that there would be some belongings of his still trapped within the rubble.

His expression soured slightly as he thought back to those days where they couldn't keep their hands off of each other. He felt himself slipping back into depression, unable to shake it off. On one paw, Luke wanted desperately to talk to Volcan, to maybe change his mind. But on the other, he still felt disgusted by the Blaziken's betrayal, to admit that he felt Calhoun should die, without any thought to Luke's feelings on the matter. Yet, something was still carrying Luke forward toward the Blaziken, even as both sides of him conflicted.

Volcan did not hear him approach, too occupied by digging through the timbers and dirt. Eventually, Volcan extracted something from underneath that clinked with metal, but it was only the lock for the door, which he set aside as with the rest, until something else caught his eye.

"There you are," he said as he picked up something shiny, lifting it to his face and letting out a relieved sigh. "Thought I'd be looking for a proverbial needle in a haystack."

He slid the object into his palm, closing his fist around it before lifting his head and looking across the rubble to the destroyed house. Luke could almost feel the disgust radiating from Volcan at that moment, a disgust rival to his own but not directed at the Lucario. "...Damn you Grom..." he said lowly with a shake of his head.

Luke briefly felt an urge to flee as he saw Volcan rise to his feet, knowing he was about to be seen. In his conflicted mind, he hesitated. The disgusted side of his mind demanded he get out of sight and not confront Volcan, but the other just wanted to see what might happen if he stayed...

The Blaziken turned and found the Lucario only an arm's length away, staring back at him. Volcan yelped in surprise, bringing a similar yelp from Luke as they both stumbled back from each other. Volcan had to catch himself on a post so as not to fall into the rubble and clutch his fist to his chest to not drop what he was carrying. Luke tripped and fell on his backside heavily, groaning as he rubbed his hip in an attempt to try and sooth the sharp jolt that followed. Volcan managed to right himself, rising back to his height and meeting Luke's gaze as they stared at each other.

They stared in silence, neither one averting his gaze. Luke immediately saw that Volcan's left eye was partly closed and blackened around the socket. Someone had given him a black eye, quite recently by Luke's estimate.

"H-Hi," the Blaziken said sheepishly, lifting his free hand to wave weakly.

"...Hey." He said back, his voice as weak as Volcan's wave. He then lifted a paw and indicated his own eye as he asked, "What happened to your eye?"

Volcan lifted a hand to his eye, as though having forgot about the bruise, grimacing with some discomfort. He seemed hesitant to reply, and Luke could see it, but he still did. "I uh... I had an altercation yesterday," he replied.

Luke recalled Rigel storming out of their mother's house the day before, and frowned. "I'm guessing it was my brother's doing." He returned in a flat tone, and then gave a dismissive wave of his paw as he continued. "Don't take whatever he said to you to heart. He's... far too overprotective of me as of late."

"Y-yeah. I know the feeling," replied Volcan, gently climbing out of the incline that once led to the front door, giving Luke plenty of space. "I probably deserved it..." he added lowly, likely in hope that Luke wouldn't hear him.

A moment or so passed, neither one said anything as their eyes met again for the awkward minute. Volcan cleared his throat, and said, "I'll... I'll get out of your way. I was just looking for this." He held up the key in his hand - the key to his boat, Luke recognized. "Minato wanted to... to take the boat out."

Luke answered with only hum, rising back to his feet and dusting himself off. He looked at Volcan again, and took a step toward him, but stopped, turning his head away "...If you're done here then I suggest you take your leave..." he muttered softly before adding "...Please..." in a whisper.

Volcan nodded slowly. He backed away from Luke, clutching the key in his hand before he turned away. Luke couldn't see it, but the heartbroken expression that crossed Volcan's face could have broken his resolve at that moment. Volcan, though, in his desire to keep their ongoing tensions at a minimum, refused to let Luke see his face. Or to hear his sobs as he ventured into the forest, back toward Azure...

When he was sure Volcan was gone, Luke took his turn to scavenge through the rubble that was once his home. As he searched for items of importance to him, he kept having memory flashes of the day he first laid eyes on the house, with Nido at his side telling him it was his. Nido had said to him that day, that that he had better appreciate the hard work he put into building the structure. Luke remembered thanking Nido profusely, hugging the Nidoking and expressing his eternal gratitude for giving Luke something he'd always wanted. A place to call home...

His paws moved aside more rubble, and more flashes continued to fill his mind. For a moment, he wondered if these memory lapses were like those Volcan suffered, remembering events long buried. This time, they showed him the day he first looked down at Volcan's face, the pain he had been in. Then, to the loss and terror when he could not remember who he was. The anguish, when following a night terror of the attack on Arc, a moment Volcan only remembered spottily, he had raised his hand to Luke like he was an enemy but managed to stop himself at the last minute. The Blaziken had scurried away from him after that, horrified, and Luke spent that night comforting the poor lost soul...

Then, he was brought to a more recent memory. One that somehow hurt him even more than the rest... the night Volcan had unexpectedly kissed him, the soaring sensation in the Lucario's heart when Volcan expressed his love for him... Their long journey through the west, and the night of their return when they had first made love together...

He shook his head furiously, trying to get those flashes out of his head but they refused to leave. It wasn't until his paw bumped into a hard, metallic surface that he was able to stop thinking of those past events, though when he looked down at what he touched, he nearly burst into tears.Half buried in the rubble was the unmistakable gold sheen of the trophy he won during the Warmachine tournament. Luke slowly picked up the trophy and gazed at it, appalled by the damage it had suffered in the collapse of the house before holding it close to his chest and stifling a few sobs that tried to push through.

More flashes of memory seared through his mind like a flaming arrow. This time, it was when he was fighting side-by-side with Volcan. The Blaziken's clever thinking and startling might that allowed them to best Team Drake, his cunning and steadfast determination that defied even mighty Romulus of Team Phobia. He remembered when Torolf had disqualified his own team, due to Maggie and Bialo's attempt to fix the tournament to their victory, when a nervous Volcan had stood with Torolf to accept the championship. But most of all, it reminded Luke of feelings he hadn't allowed to stir within him for some time, feelings that Sickle had helped him open himself to again, and that Volcan had awoken within him.

Despite having his heart broken so many times, he had dared to fall in love again...

From that moment until he gathered all that he felt was important to him, the tears wouldn't stop flowing...

~~~~~

Before they had left on their missions, the group had already finished most of the foundation of the first house - which they had now decided would be Minato's, to give him and the child he supported a roof over their heads. Keeping to the theme of Azure, the houses would of course be made of wood, and after doing more research on the subject they chose to build a log cabin, and were laying the framework for the house's construction.

Thick, sturdy pine logs shaped to fit together formed the joists where the floor would be layed out, resting atop the foundation securely. Tristan, with help from Katsumoto, cut apart and shaped the logs that would later serve as the walls of the house. They had discussed at length the idea of using logs for the roof as well, but they ultimately agreed that a shingled roof was more practical, and would use less wood in the long run.

Minato's job, along with Volcan's - when he was back at least, was preparing the logs for the two strongmen to use. He took careful measurements before sawing them to length while Caulin shaved the bark from the logs with a draw knife. Serena helped keep the logs steady for Caulin, using her tail to balance them and to rotate them when he finished one side. Lashanne, for her part, switched between helping Minato by holding logs steady or levitating them over to Katsu and Tristan for them to continue their work on the walls. Her arm was finally out of the sling, but she could only use it sparingly and had to keep her workload light.

She was, however, the first one to notice Volcan returning, looking up when she spotted the Blaziken out of the corner of her eye. She easily saw the downtrodden expression Volcan was wearing, and gestured to Minato before pointing him out. Minato followed her finger, and could almost see the cloud of depression lingering around his best friend. Furrowing his brow he set his tools aside and announced he would be right back, sensing Volcan would want to talk alone. He approached his friend, and nearly cringed when he saw the red puffiness of his eyes and his tear soaked face.

"...Did you speak with him?" He asked.

Volcan slowly nodded. "We ran into each other at the house. He... He told me to leave..." he replied. "The words he used, they... It's like I was some unwanted visitor..." he wiped his eye, brushing away a tear that still lingered.

Minato's frown deepened. "This is getting worse by the day," he muttered softly, rubbing the back of his head. "You might need to make your move sooner than I anticipated, if you're going to save your relationship."

Volcan nodded, unable to find words that he hadn't already spoken by now as he let out a sigh.

Minato sighed as well. "Well in any case, I can't in good conscience let you work while you're in such a state." he further stated. "Perhaps you should take the day off... maybe... try and patch things up with Sol. That might help lift your spirits." He offered hopefully.

"Has he come back yet?" Volcan asked.

Again, Minato sighed. "Not yet, but I know where he is currently." He returned, then pointed behind where they were building Minato's house. "About two clicks that way. Just follow the charred trees and you'll eventually run into him."

"Charred... Oh boy," Volcan groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I really hope Luminara doesn't find out he's having a fit or she might very well beat me to a pulp."

"Then you better go rein him in before he starts bringing his rampages closer to home." The Lucario cautioned.

"Yeah, I better," Volcan agreed, sucking in a deep breath to steady himself. "Okay. Oh, here." He handed Minato the key to the boat. "Just so I don't lose it."

"Was going to say." Minato remarked with a smirk, taking the key off of his hand and giving him a pat on the back. "Now go prevent a catastrophe."

"Ominous, but accurate," replied Volcan as he turned and strode for the woods, looking for the Typhlosion.

When Minato returned to the others, Lashanne was watching Volcan leave, and then directed her inquiry to him. "Is he alright?" She asked. "He looked _pretty_downtrodden there before he headed off."

"He and Luke are... Kind of going through a phase," Minato answered discreetly. "Simply put, they're not on speaking terms right now, and it's putting a strain on their relationship."

"I already figured _that_out," she returned flatly. "But that expression he had... They didn't break up, did they?"

"To my knowledge, no. At least not officially." He answered, brushing off her flat response. "Though from what he just told me, it's sure heading in that direction."

Lashanne's expression soured then, genuine sympathy crossing her features. "Poor guy... When I first met those two they were inseparable. To see that just... Disappear..." She was silent for a moment, before she shifted the subject. "Where's he heading now?"

"To reconcile with Sol." He answered plainly. "After yesterday, Volcan did regret saying what he said to him."

Lashanne cast a wary look to Minato. "Should he be doing that alone?" She asked. "I mean, Sol does deserve an apology but... We do know who we're talking about here, right?"

"Out of all of us here, Sol apparently respects Volcan the most." Minato returned. "If anyone else tried to talk to him, he'd just brush us off. Or try to bury us under his fists."

Lashanne grimaced at that, shaking her head. "I really hope he knows what he's doing, bringing him here."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough."

~~~~~~

Volcan eventually managed to locate Sol, brooding deep in the woods outside of Azure. Much like Minato said, the entire area around him was charred to a crisp, with the Typhlosion standing dead center of the destruction around him. From Volcan's perspective, Sol seemed to be in a calmer state of mind than yesterday. His eyes were closed and he stood perfectly still, almost as if he were meditating.

Which wasn't far off from the truth. Sol was actually having a conversation with Reshiram when Volcan approached, practicing communicating with her internally and trying to resolve their differences in order to earn her good favour once again so he could utilize her powers once more. Volcan might not have known what Sol was really doing, but he still knew better than to approach without making his presence known. He called out to him, to see if at least the Typhlosion would hear him.

"Sol?"

His ear flicked when his name was called, causing him to lose focus and peek an eye open to glance at Volcan's direction. He visibly scowled at the sight of the Blaziken, but he never broke eye contact with him.

"...The fuck do you want?" He asked, making no effort to hide his displeasure.

"I'm just here to talk," Volcan replied, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I said some things yesterday that were uncalled for, and I came to apologize."

"Damn straight they were," He returned with a snort, turning to face him fully and sizing him up before commenting on his composure. "...You look like you just got run over by a stampede of Donphan."

Volcan took in a breath, his gaze falling to the ground. "Let's just say I got hit by some hurtful words too, just moments ago," he confessed, then lifted his eyes to look at Sol. "I'm not myself these days. But that doesn't give me an excuse to blame you for something you had nothing to do with. For that, I'm sorry." He bowed his head slightly, trying to show his sincerity.

Again, Sol paused as he gauged the tone and stature of the Blaziken before him, crossing his arms in front of his chest before gesturing to the ground before him. "Sit." He commanded.

Volcan moved to where he gestured, and slowly seated himself cross-legged in front of the Typhlosion, not questioning him. Sol in turn dropped down in front of the Blaziken, sitting before him in silence, then sighed as he let his composure drop as well for a bit.

"You tell no one I said this, got it?" He began. "What you said cut me to the core. Out of all my foes, yer the only one that bested me not because they were stronger, but because they actually took the time to take a look at who I was and what my faults were."

Volcan, without ever breaking eye contact with Sol, nodded in understanding but didn't speak yet, feeling Sol had more to say before it was his turn.

"Then you did sumthin that caught me completely off guard. You wanted to give me a second chance, whereas anyone else woulda just locked me back up and thrown away the key." Sol continued. "I dunno what made you want to do so. Dunno what you saw in me - hell, I sure don't see it. But anything was better than going back to that cesspool of a prison, so fer that I'm grateful... Even if I don't outwardly show it."

He then leaned closer to Volcan and glared at him sternly. "What I'm about to say next stays between us, you understand? I find out someone else knows about this, I'll roast you on a fucking spit." He threatened.

"Understood," Volcan returned, doing well to hide his apprehension. "This conversation doesn't leave this clearing."

"Good," Sol returned before leaning back from Volcan. "When you beat me, I saw you as more than just trash. I saw a potential rival that I intend to even the score with the next chance I got." He let his words sink in before continuing. "Then, after my first mission as part of yer team, and after patching things up with my dad... I started to think otherwise. Fer the first time in Arceus knows how long, I thought I actually had a friend in you." He then visibly scowled. "At least, until yesterday."

Volcan felt the sting of his words, and sucked in another breath before he spoke. "I know," he said. "I wronged you, of that there can be no question, and no excuse." He lifted his gaze, offering a weak smile. "I still hope I can make up for it. And, maybe be that friend you hope I am." He held out his hand, offering it to Sol and waiting to see how he would respond.

"Peh... got a long way to go before that can be patched up." Sol retorted, not taking Volcan's hand which fell unceremoniously to Volcan's lap. "That said, at least you worked up the balls to man up fer yer mistake, so you get brownie points there." He added while rolling his eyes away. "Anyway, now that I've said my piece, why don't you tell me what the fuck's got you so depressed."

Volcan hummed as he considered the question, trying to determine how best to answer it. He saw no reasons to hide it from Sol. He wanted to prove to Sol that he trusted him, and the Typhlosion had just given him a full disclosure. If Volcan did not show him the same courtesy, would that mean he didn't trust him? Or, that he believed his decision was made on a whim?

Steeling himself, he made his choice. He started his explanation by posing a question. "You've known Luke longer than I have," he began, "Am I correct to assume then, you know how much he opposes killing?"

"I've heard him ramble on and on about it. Thought it was all just a lame excuse to hold back." Sol returned. "What's this got to do with you and-" His ears flicked up, and Volcan knew Sol had just connected the dots himself. He might have been angry, but the Typhlosion was certainly not stupid. "...This is about that Black Blaziken, isn't it?" He asked.

Volcan nodded. "The guilds have elevated his threat level, to Kill on Sight - or, S-level for short," he explained. "It's a designation that they've only given to one other Pokémon in history - a certain giant cat that I think you might have met the night of the breakout."

In his mind, Sol remembered that night he had been sprung from the prison, and the comatose behemoth of a cat, bound in countless chains - far more than they had used for Sol. He recalled how Sandjaw, the Krookodile, had reacted to the sight of the cat; he'd nearly soiled himself just seeing him, despite the fact the cat was comatose. Later, Volcan had told him the cat's name - Eberon, also known as the Black Titan, who had single-handedly levelled most of Gladiator City in a rampage. It had taken three Legendary Pokemon to stop him then, and Sol had often wondered how his own strength might level to the Incineroar.

At that moment though, he wasn't thinking of that. He scowled, and said, "...Okay, lemme get this straight. Yer telling me that, because the Guilds raised that Black Blaziken up to a kill on sight rank, Fuzzball's all bent out of shape about it?" He asked.

"It... goes a little further, particularly how it affects us," Volcan went on. "The council previously, at Luke's insistence, kept Calhoun at a Capture on Sight designation until after the Blackcoast mission. But after our fight with Calhoun, when he had single-handedly mopped the floor with me, Minato, Lashanne, and two members of Team Kama, I gave a very detailed report for the council. The council was so appaled by my report, that they rescinded their earlier decision, and it undid everything Luke had been working to uphold. All this, while he was away, saving me from Grom along with the rest of you."

Volcan rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess the short version would be, Luke thinks I was the one who undermined his actions in the council. It only got worse when I admitted to him that..." He choked slightly. "...That I don't see an alternative that ends without Calhoun's death. Especially not after what happened up north..."

Volcan heard Sol let out a huff. He lifted his gaze, and blanched when he saw the scowl on his face, as well as the smoke coming out of the vents on his neck. Volcan was about to ask Sol a question when the Typhlosion suddenly shot to his feet, so abruptly that Volcan almost fell back. "Sounds like I need to go pay that little shitstain a visit," he said before he turned and started for the edge of the clearing.

Horrifed, Volcan shot to his feet. "No, wait, wait, wait!" He babbled, dashing in front of Sol and waving his hands. "Please don't do that!"

"Or what? You gonna try and stop me?!" Sol yelled back at Volcan, undeterred by his frantic tone. "That little punk needs a fucking wake up call! I may not know about what rules you follow in your line of work, but if there's one thing I can agree on, it's that the crazy bastard _needs_to die! And if the Fuzzball can't accept that, then he should hang up his scarf and call it quits!"

"Luke doesn't think like that, and you won't change his mind by going to his mother's house and beating down her door," Volcan said, speaking calmly and without accusation. "You remember Rigel yesterday? Luminara is every bit as angry as he is. You think she will want you near her son?"

"You really think I care about what _she_wants?" Sol demanded. "Yer fucking relationship's on the line and yer just gonna accept that it's over, because you two have differing opinions on what to do with this crisis?"

"In some ways I agree with you, but it's my battle to fight," Volcan reasoned. "Right now, I'm speaking for your sake. If you go there, and Luminara fights you, no matter how the fight turns out the guilds will be all over you and I won't be able to protect you from them. You'll end up back in prison." He gave Sol a pleading look. "Please... Let me handle this."

Sol snorted smoke from his nostrils, but he remained where he stood. He looked at Volcan square in the eyes, seeing the desperation within his gaze as he pleaded for him not to intervene. Eventually, Sol's smoking neck vents quieted and he began to relax, letting his shoulders slump while his angry glare softened somewhat.

"You better have a plan on winning him back," Sol warned the Blaziken. "I ain't about to follow someone who's emotionally crushed because he lost his main squeeze." He added sharply.

"I... I'll figure something out," was all Volcan could really say, even though he still had no idea what to do. He lowered his hands then, letting out a deep sigh. "I don't want to lose him, believe me. But it's up to me to fix things. Bringing someone else in might only complicate things further and then I'll _never_get him back."

Sol huffed, crossing his arms and tapping his foot as they stood there in silence for a long moment. Eventually, Sol broke the silence before it could become awkward. "Well, in any case I'm cooled off now... You still want help on that housing project of yours?"

Volcan nodded and smiled lightly. "Yes, I would," he replied, stepping aside and offering to let Sol take point.

He nodded back to Volcan and proceeded to step ahead of him, though not before giving him a pat on the shoulder, displaying a level of respect for the Blaziken as he passed him. Volcan fell into step with the Typhlosion as they started back toward town, making their way through the woods back to the rest of Team Phalanx.

~~~~~

One week later...

After days of hard work, the house was finally completed as the last of the shingles were placed, with Caulin given the encouraging honour to hammer the last nails in place. With that final strike of the hammer, the house was done, and the group stood before the log cabin, admiring their work. Sturdy logs of pine treated with a weatherproofing varnish to protect it from the elements made up the walls. An opening at the top at the very center of the house accommodated a chimney and marked the location of the fireplace Tristan had built to heat the home when the winter months came.

The house wasn't one hundred percent. It still needed windows to fill the empty sills spaced evenly from front to back, and for a tap into the ground wells to give it running water. But both were well underway. Beyond those minor complaints, the house was ready to be lived in.

"Well, Minato," said Volcan, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "What do you think? How's it feel to build a home with your own paws?"

"Honestly, quite rewarding." He answered "It feels like I can _truly_call Azure my home now."

"How about you Caulin?" Serena asked, looking at the Riolu standing between her and Minato with a smile of encouragement on her face. "Do you like your new house?"

"Like it?!" He remarked with glee. "I _love_it!!" He added as he pointed to the second floor of the house. "I call dibs on the upper floor bedroom!"

Volcan and Minato shared a laugh at Caulin's enthusiasm. "Might as well let him have the second floor," Volcan said. "The bigger bedroom is by the kitchen anyway, just in case he tries to come downstairs to sneak a snack," he added to his friend with a wink. Having babysat Caulin on more than one occasion, Volcan spoke from experience.

Minato considered the notion for a moment before nodding agreement. "Probably a good idea," He concurred with a smirk, then looked to Caulin. "Welp, go on and check out your new room, son."

"Awesome!!" He exclaimed before he dashed right inside the house, practically barging through the front door, letting it slam shut behind him in his enthusiasm.

"Hey careful! We just put that on!" Minato hollered after his son.

"Don't worry. I built the door out of ashwood," Tristan commented. "Can take a bigger beating than pine. Katsu showed me where to find it."

At the mention of Katsu's name, Volcan turned in the direction of the Samurott and the Dugtrio beside him. "Thanks again for your help guys. Couldn't have done this so fast without your help."

"'Twas our pleasure, my friend." Katsu remarked with a nod.

"Yea what he said. Frankly I'm kinda lookin forward to working on the rest of your houses and helping you guys properly settle in." Doug added while spinning his heads once in their burrows excitedly.

"Good to know," Tristan said, giving Volcan a hearty slap on the back that nearly sent the Blaziken face-first into the dirt. "Volcan's is next now that we're done this one!"

"Oooww!" Volcan groaned, rubbing his back. "A little warning, pal."

"Thanks for your help too, Sol," Lashanne added, giving him a playful nudge in the shoulder with her now healed right arm. "Never too much muscle for a little construction work."

"Yeah, uh... Don't mention it." Sol remarked, casting the Delphox a sideways glance in acknowledgment.

'I must say, this is quite unbecoming of you Sol.' Reshiram spoke to the Typhlosion internally. 'Keep this up, and you might earn your privileges back,' She teased with a soft giggle.

'Don't start... I'm already holding back my lunch from all this goodie goodie shit,' Sol spat back.

"So, when should we get started?" Tristan asked eagerly, rubbing our claws together. "One house down, four more to go." He glanced at Sol. "We'll make sure yours is especially spacious to make up for that bulk o' yours."

"Speak for yourself, metalhead," the Typhlosion returned.

"Actually," Serena spoke up, "only three houses. I won't be needing one."

All eyes fell on her, but only Katsu's was of understanding, knowing exactly what she was talking about. She went on to explain to the rest. "I am... moving in with Katsumoto. We discussed it a few nights ago."

The Samurott nodded to confirm Serena's claim, sidestepping closer to her and placing one of his large paws atop her back gently. "Serena and I have grown rather close to one another as of late." He announced, taking a moment to glance down at the Vaporeon. "We see no reason not to take it to the next step."

"Well I'll be," said Lashanne. "You guys have come that far, eh?"

"We have," replied Serena, leaning against Katsu's strong body. "So you don't need to worry about me. I have found my new home."

"And I give my most solemn vow that she will be well looked after while under my roof." Katsu added with possibly the happiest smile present on his face.

Minato was about to open his mouth to speak, but the words got caught in his throat and he slowly shut his mouth again. He averted his gaze, unable to express how happy he was for Serena, with the pain in his own heart still present...

Volcan didn't notice Minato's shift in demeanour when he looked at Lashanne, oblivious to the fact she was looking past Volcan to Minato when she turned her head. "What about you, Lashanne? Don't you think you'll need a house too?"

Lashanne shrugged as if it didn't matter. "I've been living on my ship for eight years. Honestly, it's the only home I've known since I left the academy." At that, she decided to get Minato's attention, seeing the funk he was slipping into. "So, Minato, going to join your son in checking out your new house?" She asked, gauging his reaction.

He snapped back into reality when he was addressed, ears perking up as he glanced in her direction. "Erm..." He stammered, clearing his throat a little before continuing. "Actually, about that. Now that my house is finished, I think it's about time I take care of some... personal matters." He stated.

"What'dya mean?" Tristan asked, scratching his head. Serena also looked quizzical by the declaration, pondering his meaning.

"To put it simply, I'm taking the boat out to sea in search of my master for guidance on the current crisis..." He answered. "I've no idea where he is, or if he's even still alive, but I have a good idea on where to start looking for clues."

"That's gonna leave us a bit shorthanded building the next house," Tristan replied, but he bit off his continued complaint when Volcan clapped him on the shoulder.

"We have others who will help," Volcan assured him. "He'll be back long before we finish the rest of them either, I'm sure."

"What about Caulin?" Lashanne asked, directly to Minato. "Is he going with you?"

He shook his head. "No. I decided against bringing him with me." He answered softly. "So I'm going to need one of you to look after him until I return."

"I will," Volcan volunteered, without hesitation. "I've looked after him before, right? I'll take care of him while you're gone."

"I appreciate it." Minato returned. "You can even stay in the house until then. It's better than the inn, I'm sure."

Volcan nodded. "It might be a little drafty until the windows are put in, but, agreed," he replied in jest, and then asked in a more sympathetic tone. "When will you head out?"

"Sometime later today I think," Minato answered. "Shouldn't take too long to get where I'm going if I floor it."

"Shouldn't you take a rest first?" Lashanne suggested with some concern in her voice.

Minato glanced in her direction again, considering her suggestion. "Hmm, you know maybe you're right in that regard." He admitted, stretching his arms over his head. "We've been working ourselves pretty hard getting just one house constructed. I suppose a quick rest is in order."

Volcan nodded. "Okay then. We'll take the rest of the day off. Everybody go get some dinner and rest up, and we'll be back to work tomorrow."

"Finally." Sol grumbled, rubbing his stomach as he turned and stormed off to find some food of his own. "Can't stand another second being around such buddy buddy company," he added begrudgingly.

Katsu turned to Serena and smiled. "Would thou care for some grilled carp at our abode, my sweet?" He asked cordially.

"I would love some. Lead on," she bade, brushing against his side as they started their walk home.

Volcan joined Minato at his house, offering to help him set up the furniture before they had supper. Lashanne and Tristan headed back to the airship ahead of Sol while the Typhlosion went into the woods to forage for his own dinner. Upon climbing up on the deck, Lashanne bid goodnight to the Aggron while he headed below decks, and she headed to her quarters in the captain's cabin. She made the mistake of pulling open the door with her recently healed arm, gritting her teeth and rubbing out the ache as she stepped through, using telekinesis to close the door instead of her hands.

Inside, Lashanne sat at her desk, and leaned on her elbow as she pondered the days events, particularly about Minato and his little trip. She didn't fully understand his reasoning, but something told her it wasn't a journey he should be making alone. She could see it in his eyes when she had looked at him, that this journey was as much motivated by emotion as hope to find his former master. But it was also a fool's errand. He was heading out to the longest island chains in the world - a sparsely mapped region, to look for one stray Lucario that might not even be alive. He would be looking for one Pokemon, hidden somewhere among hundreds of islands.

'Needle in a haystack if ever there was,' she thought to herself.

Her mind was made up when she eyed the old navigational gear on the shelf above her desk, and then she climbed out of her desk, walked to the back of the cabin to her bed and dropped onto it, settling in to sleep.

~~~~~

Minato had the boat prepared to depart just as the sun began its ascent over the east horizon, still hidden by the shadow of the trees as the incandescent glow painted the sky a brilliant red-pink. Volcan and Caulin walked beside him, all three carrying sacks of preserved food for the Lucario to eat on his journey to their old home in the West Islands. It was the last of his supplies for the journey - enough food and clean drinking water to last him for two weeks. As much as the boat could carry with its limited space, and that was if Minato rationed it carefully.

"Are you sure you know how to get back to Arc from here?" Volcan asked. "You weren't exactly awake when you were brought here."

"I'll figure it out. Can't be too hard to narrow down the location right?" He asked with a shrug. "Just tell me the bearing and I'll do the rest."

"Few days, straight west," replied Volcan. "That'll get you to the islands anyway. The only landmark I can mention to you is Needle Rock. Arc will be north from there, but that's a way into the region, and other landmarks enroute there, I can't really say for sure."

"I'll start with that waypoint then. I'm sure I can get directions from one of the port towns out there," Minato returned with a nod, then sighed and lowered his gaze slightly. "I... I guess this is goodbye for now..."

Volcan nodded. "We'll miss you. All of us," he said, reaching out and laying a hand on Minato's shoulder, and casting a glance down at Caulin beside him. "Especially this one."

Caulin was pouting when Minato looked down at him, making his father smile softly as he knelt to his level and place both paws on his shoulders. "You be good for your Uncle, alright? No mischief or misbehaving under his watch." He said softly.

"I know," replied Caulin, drawing out the word. "I just... Why can't I come with you, Dad?" He asked helplessly. "I wanna see Grampa Victor too ya know."

"You just might, if I find him." He returned softly with a smile. "But this journey is something I have to do by myself. You'll understand as you get older." He added before pulling Caulin into an embrace, one the Riolu eagerly shared in, hugging onto his father very tightly.

"I'll miss you, Dad," Caulin whimpered softly.

"I'll miss you too, son." He whispered back, patting Caulin's back softly and rocking him back and forth a little before releasing him and standing tall once more, his gaze turning to Volcan.

"I'll take good care of him," Volcan promised. "You take good care of yourself too."

"You too..." Minato returned softly. "I really hope you manage to fix things while I'm gone, Volcan." He said softly.

"I'll try," he replied.

"Hey, too late for one more?" A voice piped up from behind Volcan and Caulin, and all three eyes looked back toward the the pier to see Lashanne coming out onto the wharf, carrying a satchel on her shoulder.

"Wha- Lashanne?" Volcan asked.

Minato was equally as stunned. "What the... What are you doing here? I thought you were still back at your airship!"

"I was, but now I'm here," she replied pointedly.

"For... what, exactly?" Volcan asked.

"I'm going to offer Minato my help," she replied, in a tone that suggested it should have been obvious.

He flinched at the notion, blinking a few times in astonishment before quickly giving his reply. "Lashanne, I can't ask you to come with me... This is something I have to do alone." He argued calmly.

She lay a paw on her hip, eyeing him studiously. "Tell me, Minato. Do you know anything about navigation?"

Minato opened his mouth to retort, but like before the words became stuck in his throat and he ended up shutting his mouth and looking away bashfully before finally giving a reply "Uhm... still working on that." He admitted.

"So you intend to travel to the longest island chain in the world, without any knowledge of celestial navigation or the possession of a sea chart, to find _one_lone island among more than a hundred?" She smirked. "Where I come from we call that a recipe for getting lost."

Volcan turned to his friend and offered a sheepish smiled. "She's... got you over a barrel with that one, bud."

"Oh bite me," Minato grumbled softly, rolling his eyes in annoyance before addressing Lashanne again. "Well. You do raise a valid point. I guess I might just need your expertise in navigation while I guide the boat to its destination." He remarked, still trying to save face despite feeling rather embarrassed.

She nodded. "Hey, what're teammates for?" She asked as she stepped closer. "Besides, as it happens," she opened the satchel she carried, showing various instruments and a rolled paper inside. "I have everything a good navigator needs. A sea chart, navigation tools, and a compass."

"The boat has a compass on the console," Volcan pointed out, jerking his thumb toward the boat's cabin

"Oh. Well at least we'll have a spare."

"If you're wanting to go along, Lashanne, should you just use the airship?" Volcan asked.

But Lashanne shook her head. "If we took it, we'd have to bring Toby, Tristan and Sol too. Remember all four of us call the place home right now," she reminded. "And I'm not much help building the new houses anyway. Here, I can make myself useful," she turned her eyes to Caulin, smiling at him. "And ensure my new pal's dad gets home safe, and not lost out in the middle of the ocean."

Caulin couldn't help but giggle, nodding back to Lashanne feverishly. "Just make sure you bring him back in one piece, okay~?" He asked.

"I will," she promised, and looked at Minato. "Ready to go?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." He returned with a nod, then gestured for her to go ahead. "After you."

She nodded, and hopped onto the boat, teetering slightly as it rocked. She widened her stance, waiting until it stopped rocking before she dared to move. "Mental note. Airship legs and sea legs, not the same thing."

Minato turned to look at Volcan one last time, and then threw his arms around him and held onto the Blaziken for a moment, patting his back a few times before pulling away and nodding once firmly to him. "See you around, old friend..."

"We'll be waiting for you, Minato," said Volcan, returning his friend's embrace firmly.

He knelt down and gave Caulin one last embrace as well, ruffling his head. He held that hug for a long moment, reluctantly pulling away and stepping back from his friend and son. Then, without another moment of hesitation, he gave a salute and leapt onto the boat before he could start to second guess himself, signalling Lashanne to start the engine. As the motor sputtered to life, Volcan untied the rope securing the boat to the dock and tossed it onto the deck, giving the vessel a light push toward the open sea as Minato eased the throttle forward. With that, the vessel began its voyage, sailing out into the bay as Volcan and Caulin watched it go.

Minato took one last glance at the docks just before the rest of the wheelhouse obstructed his view. He let out a heavy sigh and turned his head forward again to concentrate on guiding the boat along its course. There was no going back now. His voyage to find his master had officially begun, and while it pained him to have to leave his team and his son behind, at least he had Lashanne to act as his guide and keep him company...

Volcan looked down at Caulin as he stared after his father, seeing the look on the Riolu's face. He was already missing his father, he could tell. Caulin was smart enough to know that Minato had a long journey ahead of him. It seemed like they were apart more often than ever before now...

Volcan knelt down beside Caulin and offered him a reassuring smile. "Want to get a snack before we meet up with the others?" He offered. "Anything you like."

He looked back to Volcan for a moment, then gently leaned against the Blaziken's side before answering. "...Can we just get a sandwich?" He asked softly.

Volcan nodded. "Sure," he said, patting his shoulder before rising back to his feet. Come on."

He took Caulin's paw gently before rising back to his full height and leading the way off the dock as the shape of the boat grew smaller behind him.