FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The monastery was still a day's journey from Calygrad, but the trio made good time thanks to the help from King Calyrex. He had topped up their supplies for them, and procured a more up-to-date map. This proved fortuitous as it turned out the map they had originally planned to use was fairly old, and didn't take into account a collapsed bridge that now lay along the path, originally going over a creek. Since no one used the road anymore, the bridge had never been repaired, but it proved no obstacle to them as Volcan was able to clear it with a single bound, Luke in tow, and Katsu followed by swimming through the creek.

They stopped to camp as the sun set, lighting a fire to chase away the chill of the night. As ever they were reminded of the brisk cruelty of the north, and how its nights, even on the approach to summer, could still steal the warmth from one's bones. Fortunately they had sufficient blankets to help with that, and managed to get a decent rest. The next day, as Luke prepared breakfast, Volcan and Katsumoto took some time for some morning exercise. They sparred, safely away from the camp so as not to trouble Luke.

Volcan was assailing the Samurott with a flurry of spinning kicks, taking full advantage of the reach of his legs. The Samurott was blocking Volcan's kicks with his forearm, grunting as he felt the impact of the attacks through his arm guards. After the fifth kick, he pushed Volcan away and charged after him while he was recovering, throwing his arm out for a Lariat style Clothesline attack. Still off balance from the push, Volcan couldn't dodge in time, and was thrown off his feet, landing on his backside on the cold tundra.

"Oof... nice counter," said Volcan, rubbing his side. "Hm... I think I'm getting slower... not been training enough."

"On the contrary, my friend! You've grown stronger since we traded blows!" Katsu announced with pride. "I could feel your kicks against my arms this time around."

"Strength has never been an issue," replied Volcan, rubbing his chin. "But I think I need to work on my speed a bit more. Either way, this round's yours." He held out his fist for a bump. "On to the next?"

"Aye, you know I would never turn down a challenge." He returned, bumping fists with Volcan with a hearty smile, then jumped back and raised his arms up in a grappler's stance. "Your move, my friend!" He announced.

Volcan lunged, this time going into a different attack pattern. He pulled off his special feigned roundhouse kick that dropped into a Low Sweep, which Katsu wasn't ready for. The Samurott's legs were sent swinging out from under him, and before he could do anything, Volcan snapped upright and kicked Katsu hard in his barrel chest, knocking him onto his back.

The Samurrot didn't stay down for long though. Katsu quickly pushed himself back up on all fours and drove Volcan back by thrusting his shellmet horn forward, forcing the Blaziken to divert his follow-up drop kick away from Katsu to avoid spearing his foot on the shellmet. With that, Katsu then pushed himself back up his hind legs and started throwing heavy punches back at the Blaziken as fast as he could manage.

Volcan resorted to his hands, slapping aside the punches and striking back where he could, even using his elbow to give Katsu a hard, but reserved blow to the cheek when he got too close - he wasn't trying to take his friend's teeth after all. Katsu did recoil from the attacks, especially the blow to his cheek from Volcan's elbow. Alas, like a true brawler though, he powered on through the blows and kept the pressure up on Volcan, pushing him back with his heavy blows until he had him pinned against a tree.

Katsu grinned and reared his arm back, ready to deliver a finishing blow to his comrade.

"Alright boys!" Luke's voice rang through the air, causing Katsu to flinch and look over his shoulder. He saw Luke standing a fair distance away with his paws on his hips, smirking gently at them. "I hope you two have worked up an appetite, because breakfast is ready. Get over here before it gets cold."

"Coming love," Volcan called back as Katsu released him from the tree. "Almost had me again. You're way better than you were giving yourself credit for the other day, pal," he said, lightly nudging Katsu's shoulder with his fist.

"Hmm." Katsu returned, gently patting Volcan's shoulder as he walked by. "Perhaps you are right... Still, you are getting stronger. Do not sell yourself short." He mentioned as he followed Volcan back to the campfire..

Luke had just finished plating each of their meals when they arrived, smiling at each of them as he handed them their breakfast. "From Azure with love." He commented as he took a seat in between the two of them, sneaking a kiss at Volcan's cheek before he tucked into his meal.

"Even over an open fire you still know how to cook," said Volcan as he dug into his as well. "I have often wanted to learn to cook outdoors. Yanno, for if I take Caulin camping or something. Was never something I could do on Arc but out on the mainland..."

"Well, since I was forced into a life of survival at a young age, I could give you some lessons on feeding yourself in the outdoors." Luke offered. "In fact, I bet Katsu here could give you some tips on fishing, right big guy?"

Katsu laughed heartily. "Ah yes... I could most definitely teach you some fine points on the art of fishing." He said as he grinned at Volcan. "Especially on the 'patience' aspect of it." He added, which brought both him and Luke into a fit of laughter.

"Hehehe, he's got you there love." Luke remarked.

"Ouch. Okay I deserved that," he said. "So waiting has never been my strong suit. I had to get over that on the trip home from Princeport, didn't I?"

"To be fair we did manage to pass the time fairly well with those games of chess." Luke admitted, then chuckled softly. "Kinda ironic. You're not a patient man, and yet you constantly used to beat me in a game that _requires_patience in order to win."

"I guess it's easier when I have something to occupy my brain," he replied with a shrug. "Still get antsy if I'm sitting around doing nothing. Unless I'm sleeping of course." He added with a wink.

"Oi... And that's why I call you 'Lazybones.'" Luke remarked, rolling his eyes in mock annoyance. "I swear, you've been sleeping in longer and longer since we got back together. Keep that up and you'll end up becoming a couch potato."

At that, Volcan hummed. "Maybe that's part of why I'm not feeling as fast as I should be," he said as he took another bite of his food. "I did get stronger... But since we came back from Hadleigh I've lightened on my training. Sure I spar with the guys but only once a day."

Luke looked up at Volcan curiously after that. "Love, I was only making a joke." He playfully dismissed. "I don't think you've been shirking on your training _that_much."

"Maybe... But, it's something to think about," he said with a shrug. "I can only get better, but to do that I have to commit. I'll make up my mind when our job here is done." He gave Luke a reassuring pat on the back.

"That's the spirit." Luke said with a happy smile, leaning against Volcna's side as he finished up his breakfast, then downed a few gulps from his canteen. "Ahhh... Well, that was refreshing. What do you say we start packing up and continue our journey?"

"Sounds good to me," said Volcan. He produced their map and took a moment to study it. "If my directions are right, we're about here..." he tapped a spot. "And the monastery should be..." he looked northwards. "Right over that hill up there. There's supposed to be a road somewhere..."

"It would seem we are closer than we initially thought." Katsu pointed out as he looked over the map as well. "Let us make haste then! Our destination is within reach!" He announced as he stood up from his spot and went over to the tent to pack up his things.

Luke sighed and rolled his eyes slightly. "So melodramatic..."

Once all of their belongings were packed, they started toward the hill. Volcan checked the map regularly, puzzled by the lack of any sign of the road until he happened to look at the ground, stopping briefly to study it.

"Oh... Well that makes sense," he muttered. When the others looked back, he gestured at the ground. "I think we are on the road. It's just a travel-worn path, but nobody has been up here in a long time." He pushed aside some grass to reveal a sliver of bare dirt cutting through the sparse greenery toward the hill. "Never takes nature long to reclaim a path like this."

"In all fairness, my friend." Katsu piped up. "Maelstrom Isle, while populated, doesn't really have any paved paths or cobblestone roads lining the streets. I can assume the same applies to these monks that used to reside here, so that they did not damage the nature around them."

"Makes sense when you put it like that," he said, nodding to Katsu.

With that, they resumed their trek up the hill. The incline was low, but the ascension was long. The hill was much higher than it looked, and they began to see the outline of a structure rising over the hill's crown as they climbed, growing slowly closer. When the full structure came into view, they were both awestruck and horrified by its state, and the feelings deepened when they reached the gate.

The monastery, sitting where the ground of the hill leveled out, was a grand thing, nearly as vast as King Calyrex's palace. The architecture was less ornate, likely due to more focus on practicality than on aesthetics. But though the walls were intact, the holy place itself was in tatters. Its front gate had been smashed open, from the outside. The smaller structures inside the walls had been burned down, and the main body of the monastery - the temple, was similarly burnt but still stood. Outside of the temple sat a shrine, bearing the disembodied legs of what had likely been a Legendary Pokémon, but the upper half was in so many pieces around it, it could not even be identified...

"What in the hell happened here...?" Luke whispered, finally breaking the silence that had fallen upon the three of them as they gazed at the ruined monastery. "There's no way Calhoun could have caused this kind of destruction on his own. Powerful as he is, he wouldn't be able to do THIS much damage without some kind of assistance... Could he?"

"I beg to differ - he has before..." Volcan said in a distant voice. Luke turned to look at him, seeing the intense stare on Volcan's face as he took in the scene around him, his eyes glazed over in a way Luke recognized all too well. He was having a flashback... It had been some time since he'd had one, but Luke remembered the signs all too well as the Blaziken's post-traumatic stress resurfaced.

"Oh no..." Luke muttered, quickly walking in front of him and grasping at Volcan's shoulders in his paws. "Hey. Volcan c'mon, don't start spacing out on me." He said sternly, lightly patting Volcan's cheek to snap him out of his trance.

He felt Volcan's hand grasp his shoulder gently, and the Blaziken lowered his gaze to meet his. "It's okay, love," he said, breathing steadily. "I'm still here."

Luke heaved a sigh of relief. "That's a relief." He muttered softly. "Was afraid I was going to have to do that whole 'true love's kiss' thing to snap you back into reality." He added, allowing a small joke to try and lighten the mood.

Volcan smiled lightly, but the memories were coming back still, and he could express little joviality in the moment. "It's just like back then," he said lowly, "just like the night it all happened. He destroyed the Arceus shrine by his own hand... I know he shattered the statue at the shrine. Don't know about the statue in the town." He turned his head slowly, taking in the scene. "And burned the rest."

"Volcan..." Luke whispered softly, once more growing worried that he might slip back into a panic attack. Out of instinct, he pulled Volcan down to his level and embraced him tightly, patting his back a few times and rocking him from side to side to try and ease those memories out of his psyche. "It's okay, love... it's all in the past. Focus on the here and now."

"I know," he said, hugging Luke tightly. "I'll never forget that night. You know this... And this place brings all back in a flash of fire." He tightened his embrace, calling upon his love for Luke to give him strength.

"If you'd rather wait here, Katsu and I can see if we can dig up some clues." Luke offered, tightening his embrace on Volcan as well, still rocking him slowly in his arms.

Volcan held the hug for another moment before reluctantly pulling away. His eyes were closed, but he was taking slow, steady breaths even as he shook his head. He gave his answer when he opened his eyes. "I'll be okay," he promised. "Besides... We'll need all eyes if we're to find any clues here."

Both Luke and Katsu looked at Volcan with concern, but it was Luke that slowly nodded and gently released Volcan. "Alright then." He remarked. "But the second you start getting flashbacks again, you take a moment to calm yourself down, got it?" He added firmly. When he nodded back, Luke turned toward the monastery and rolled his head along his shoulders. "Let's get searching. Katsu, check the center temple. Volcan, you go for the other buildings. I'll use my Aura Sense to try and locate those Shifu brothers." He commanded.

"Aye, understood." Katsu returned with a nod, then he started trotting over toward the temple to begin his search for clues.

Volcan nodded to Luke, un-shouldering his pack as he moved to the smaller, pagoda-style structures, sifting through the rubble with care. Luke stepped forward himself, closing his eyes and tuning into his aura sense so he could scope out the area around the temple and monastery. He focused as hard as he could, expanding his sensory range to its absolute limit before he started searching for clues to the twins' whereabouts.

There were traces of aura all around the temple. Luke could see a trail being made by the residual aura left in the grass, both inside and outside of the temple. Curious, he focused on the trail, following it to a location away from the monastery... but something was wrong. In his mind's eye, the aura seemed to be diminishing, but not from getting weaker. It was as though some sort of shroud had fallen over the trail as it moved deeper into a veil of shadow. A veil that made a chill was over him, finding it somehow familiar.

Then, he found a bulk aura, seemingly appearing out of the darkness. It was massive! He hadn't seen such power since Torolf and Romulus. But it was still, unmoving. The aura was calm, like the one it belonged to was meditating. But to his shock, he could also feel it... reaching out. Seemingly touching his aura senses, like it was trying to get him to see it. The sensation was followed immediately by a surge from the aura, as though its owner had only just realized someone was watching them. Then... it vanished. It had moved, quickly, disappearing from his radar, or... was it somehow masking itself? That didn't seem possible...

He shortened his range, and found the aura again. It was on the move... Coming fast, Coming closer... Coming to_them._

"...Oh no..." Luke muttered, quickly flashing his eyes open and hopping back a few steps before entering a fighting stance. "Guys, we've got company!" He hollered to his allies.

Katsu's ears flicked when he heard Luke's call, dropping the slab he was holding and quickly rushing to where he last heard Luke's voice, drawing his blades as he ran. Volcan didn't immediately respond. Luke looked in his direction, seeing the Blaziken staring at something behind one of the houses before he finally turned and ran over.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"A huge aura signal is approaching." Luke answered. "I picked it up during my scan of the area. From what I could tell, the signal I picked up was emitting a ping of its own, like it too was using Aura Sense!"

"Is it friend or foe?" Katsu asked, keeping his blades at the ready.

"I'm... Not sure. It managed to elude my senses before I shortened the range and picked it up again." Luke answered.

"We better be ready," said Volcan, rolling his shoulders and facing the entrance. "How far is it?"

"Two hundred meters and closing." Luke answered. "And he's fast too. He'll be here any second now."

They turned and faced the gate, watching closely. In time, they felt the ground shaking, just lightly, and heavy footsteps coming their way fast. Then, a massive figure skidded to a halt in front of the gate, facing them with a glowering look from its black and white eyes. The figure was ursine in appearance with black and white fur. He was as tall as Volcan but even more buff than Katsumoto. The fur on his front grew like a frog-buttoned hanging robe, trailing off the front and back, with spiked fur over the knees. The top fur on his head was spiky, and bound tight by a white bandana. The ursine was the picture of a martial arts master, and by his aura, a powerful one.

"You should not be here," he said in a deep voice, glowering at the three. "This place is forbidden."

Luke narrowed his eyes in return back at the newcomer, slowly lowering his arms and standing tall once more. "We're here on Rescue Team business." Luke answered, reaching into his scarf and pulling out his medal. "We were sent by King Calyrex to investigate these ruins and find any information about the events that took place here, as well as locate a pair of... Urshifu, I think he said, named Zheng and Chen."

The ursine straightened, meeting Luke's gaze for a moment before he spoke. "You speak to one of them," he said. "I am Chen, master of the Art of the Single Strike, and formerly one of the headmasters of this place." He gestured to the monastery ruins around them

"Well, at least we've found one of them." Luke muttered softly, and was about to speak before Katsu stepped forward and bowed respectfully toward the headmaster.

"Tis a true honour to make your acquaintance, Master Chen." He greeted the Urshifu with respect and humility. "Alas, I only wish it were under better circumstances."

"Likewise, warrior," replied Chen.

Volcan, coming out of a bow of his own, regarded the Urshifu master. "I saw the graves back there, behind that house," he said. "Am I correct in assuming you dug them?"

"My brother and I both did," he replied, with a tone of sadness. "My students... and our instructors... so many fell in the attack." He put his paw over his heart, clenching the fur as though it hurt inside.

"We know about the one who was responsible for all of this carnage." Luke piped up, getting straight to the point. "RIght now, he's on a conquest to take over the world, for lack of a better term, and we came here hoping to understand how he became a Shadow Pokemon, and why he suddenly became the mass murderer we know him as."

Chen scowled, his face dropping as he listened to Luke's explanation. "How could it have come to this..." he whispered, then lifted his gaze again. "I will tell you everything. But, we should not stay here. It is not safe to be out in the open right now." He looked over his shoulder warily as he finished.

"Why's that?" Luke asked softly. "And on a related topic... Where's your brother?" He further inquired.

"That... Is why it is not safe," he replied, looking at Luke again. "I'm afraid my brother is suffering the same evil that turned his star pupil into a monster."

Luke looked at Chen with alarm. "Wait, you mean he's been corrupted?" He asked, then looked around their immediate area. "And... He's still here?"

"He is, and he is not far away. Now, come with me," he replied. "I will explain, but we must move on before he figures out that you are here. Follow me." He bid them, beckoning with his paw as he began to walk back the way he had come.

Left with little choice in the matter, Luke followed after Master Chen to safer ground so as to avoid a potential fight with the corrupted brother. He'd much rather get the full story on how things went down in this location before any sort of fight ensued...

Their trek took them to the mountains just a kilometer or so from the monastery, and into a cave that had clearly been lived in for a while. A bedroom occupied one corner of the room, layered with blankets. A fire burned in the middle of the cavern, with a cast iron kettle hung over it, emitting an herbal scent that permeated the cave.

Chen moved to seat himself cross-legged on the other side of the fire, and reached for four pewter cups, each of which he filled with the contents of the kettle, and offered them to his visitors. "I am sorry I do not have any chairs," he said. "All that I have left, I scavenged from the ruins of the monastery, and it is not much."

"Given the circumstances, you're lucky to even be alive." Luke pointed out, gently taking the cup into his paws, along with Katsu, who nodded in thanks to the Urshifu and sipped on his drink lightly.

Volcan also accepted the cup offered to him. "Smells good," he said.

"It is a favorite to my order," Chen said. "It soothes the body so that one can better focus their mind." he sipped from his own cup.

"I can certainly feel its effects already." Katsu returned with a nod and a smile, sipping some more of the tea. "Mhhh... I taste Lavender in this concoction."

"A very light amount of it," assured Chen. "The tea is also made from dried blueberries and many herbs we grew in the monastery. Much of the supply we had accumulated survived the attack, fortunately."

.Luke sipped his tea for another moment before he spoke up. "Please tell us what happened here. Take as long as you need, and if you start feeling uncomfortable just say so and we'll stop the conversation." Luke offered, gesturing for Chen to begin.

"It is a day I will not soon forget," began Chen. "Calhoun was missing for several months, when he suddenly appeared at the gates. My brother was at first relieved to find out he was alive. We had feared the wilds had taken him from us. But, he was changed. Not just in appearance, either... He approached the gates, wearing this malicious grin on his face. My brother at first wanted to believe all was well, but then... He attacked. He struck down the gate, and walked inside. He said something to my brother, and Zheng suddenly ordered us to attack."

He paused to sip his tea. "Calhoun struck down everyone who dared oppose him. Even I couldn't stop him... He took my most formidable strike, a blow that would end lesser beings. He simply stood back up, and his entire body seemed to rebuild itself. He was back to fighting shape in seconds."

Volcan shuddered. "One of my teammates has seen that firsthand... just thinking about it turns my stomach."

"My deepest condolences, my friend." Katsu remarked solemnly, lowering his head slightly.

"Likewise." Luke added softly. "...What was he like before he turned?" He then asked, his curiosity starting to pique as he brought up the topic.

"A very gifted young man. Competitive, and cunning, but he was not without kindness," explained Chen. "Whenever an opponent lost to him he would take time to help them review their technique, to know where they went wrong. He was well on his way to becoming one of our instructors. He mastered my brother's art, the Art of Rapid Strike. He seemed particularly fond of the Capo variant, where all strikes are concentrated to the legs. As a Blaziken, it suited him perfectly, despite the alternate moniker - the Art of the Flowing Water."

Luke looked down at his cup of tea after Chen finished his explanation. "To think... He was once such a good hearted man." He whispered in disbelief. "We could have actually been friends had we met before all this happened..." He added solemnly.

"Master Chen... When did you start noticing changes in Calhoun's behaviour?" Katsu asked suddenly. "Was he gone for long periods of time, or was he always present within the Monastery?"

"Everyone went out to gather herbs every so often. Many medicinal plants grow in the ridges on these mountains," explained Chen. "Calhoun was away on such an errand - it was his time for it, but unlike other times he went alone as the student that was to accompany him was ill. He never returned, until the day of the attack. A landslide had occurred that day, and when we couldn't find him that is when we thought he had perished." He reached behind him, and retrieved a book, which he handed to Luke who was closest to him. "Though, later, we found something just as terrible had occurred."

The Lucario gently took the book from Chen, giving it a once over before he opened it and began reading through its contents. "...Some sort of journal?" He asked as he flipped through the pages.

"It was Calhoun's," replied Chen. "He kept one with him wherever he went. This one tells of the time he spent in the cave where we found that. According to the dates on that diary, he was staying there since the first week after he vanished. There seems to be another volume, one before this one, but I did not find it and I cannot go back to the cave to look. That is where my brother now lingers, fighting the curse."

Luke continued to read through each entry that Calhoun had written in the journal, hoping to find some sort of clue as to when exactly he started changing into the monster he was now, and what his plans were now that he had not only tamed the Shadow Energy, but made it a part of his life force. The first entry in the diary spoke of Calhoun realizing he had become tainted, and of his efforts to combat the corruption.

"I am utilizing every technique to clear the mind and body I have been taught. It seems to be holding the corruption back, but I can barely sleep. For any moment I let my guard down, I can feel more of it overtaking me. I cannot return to the monastery like this... I am a danger to everyone. If I lose control... I could hurt them. I must stay here, and continue to fight this corruption... Or if the worse comes, I must be ready to end myself, to protect everyone."

The next few entries were mostly the same. Volcan came to join him, reading over his shoulder and studying the words written in the book. "You see this?" He asked, pointing at the corner of the page, where a small sketch of a Blaziken sat, drawn in pencil. "Did he... draw himself?" When Luke flipped the page, he saw there was another, once again at the bottom left or right corners of each page.

"One of our common practices is self portrification," Chen explained. "Our students are taught to draw themselves from their days as initiates, including painting, until they are able to do it without a mirror."

"Well, have to give him credit. He seems to be quite the artist..." Luke remarked, studying each page of the book intently, taking note of each picture that was drawn with each entry. As he went through the journal, he noticed that Calhoun's writing and drawing were becoming less and less legible, until all he could see were just scribbles and blotches on each page. "Looks like he was really losing control as the days went on... He must've been drawing closer to madness with every passing day."

"He was trying to hold onto his sanity using the practices from the temple," said Volcan in understanding. "But he couldn't fight it..."

"And in the end, he succumbed to its influence..." Katsu remarked somberly, lowering his head sadly. "Such a shame... He was a good soul, wanting to do as much good as possible."

"All the more reason to stop him." Luke added, closing the book gently. "To honour the man he once was, and destroy the monster he has become." He added, before looking to Chen. "...Where was the last time you saw your brother?" He asked in a firm tone.

"Another cave, beyond the ridge to the east," he replied. "We found the cave where Calhoun was hiding. My brother remains in there, fighting the curse."

"Then that's where we're going." Luke stated firmly. "We're going to free him from the Shadow Curse, and I have just the trick to do it."

Chen looked at Luke, his stoic demeanour vanishing, replaced by a mix of shock and hope. "You mean... you can save him? How?" He asked.

"I made a discovery during the Siege of Hadleigh." Luke answered. "Because the corruption has bonded so well with Calhoun's life force, he projects it onto others as if it were his own aura. When he sent out a corrupted Lugia, we pinned it down and I extracted the corruption from him, then shot it toward the sky." He explained. "Granted, it took a lot out of me, and I almost succumbed to it myself..."

"It manifests... like an aura?" Chen asked, rubbing his chin in thought. "I never considered it... We always thought it devoured one's life force and took the body over turning them into a monster. I never thought..." His eyes narrowed. "Could it be...?" He whispered, his eyes narrowing.

"Master Chen? What's-"

Volcan's words died in his throat, as the near-silence of the cave was suddenly shattered. A mournful, agonized cry split the air, echoing across the hills to them. The cry was so horrifying that everyone present felt a chill running down their spine, as though the shadow of death itself had just fallen over them.

Katsu quickly jerked and looked toward the entrance of the cave, placing his cup down and reaching for one of his swords. "What in Palkia's name was that...?" He asked warily.

"My brother..." whispered Chen, rising to his feet. "He's losing control again..."

Luke quickly shot to his feet, looking toward the source of the agonized cry and tuning into his aura sense to pinpoint where it came from. After broadening his range, he found a signal to the east of their location. It was shrouded in darkness, and growing larger with every passing moment. He then opened his eyes and looked to the others.

"We need to move." He said urgently. "If we can intercept him before he loses complete control, we can subdue him and free him from the curse."

"Which way do we go?" Volcan asked, shooting to his feet.

"The signal came from the east. Follow me." He stated before he took off out of the cave as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Luke, wait!" Katsu hollered, quickly galloping after Luke on all fours. "Slow down! Not all of us can move like you do!"

"Hang on, Luke!" Volcan called after him, running in pursuit of his lover.

"We must hurry," said Chen, following Katsu out of the cave. "My brother is not himself, but he's still a powerful adversary. They mustn't engage him unprepared!"

"What do you know about him that we can use against him?" Katsu asked as they chased after Luke and Volcan as fast as they could.

"For one, my brother and I are not the same typing," replied Chen. "We are both Fighting-types, but for our species our typing changes depending on our mastery of the arts. As a master of the Art of the Single Strike, I am of the Dark-type, but my brother, as the Master of Rapid Strike, is of the Water-type."

"I see... So he is susceptible to Grass and Electric attacks." Katsu returned, turning his gaze ahead. "Luke, though he does not have anything to counter his typing, is quite accustomed to high speed combat..." he informed Chen.

"Your captain may be swift of foot," replied Chen. "But he has not seen anyone like my brother's lightning-fast hands..."

Volcan managed to catch up to Luke as they sped off toward the location of Chen's brother, Zheng. "Shouldn't we wait for Katsu and Chen? It's going to take all of us to subdue this guy!"

"Normally I would, but judging from what Chen said, Zheng was resisting the corruption up until this point! If we can reach him in time, it'll be easier to extract the shadow curse from him!" He called back to Volcan, still keeping his pace. "We should be alright until they arrive, and they can probably get the drop on him while we're distracting him!"

"We don't even know what this guy can do!" Volcan replied. "I know speed is essential love but we need to be cautious - even if he's not in control of himself this guy is going to be really strong!"

"I've faced many foes tougher than I am, I'm sure I can manage!" Luke insisted. "Not to mention we can mega evolve to give ourselves the edge against him, I still think our chances are pretty good!"

"Well you sure seem confident!" Volcan pointed out. "Still, we - _WHOA!"_He grabbed Luke and brought them to an immediate halt as a massive form dropped from above, hitting the ground with the force of a small bomb and causing them to jump back on instinct.

Luke yelped as he was pulled back, then he assumed his fighting stance alongside Volcan as they both got a good look at what just appeared before them. The figure before them was the the very picture of Chen, with the same colourations and all, but his body was almost as black as the night sky, and his eyes had a demonic red glow to them as he lifted his head and glared intently at Luke and Volcan.

"...I'm going to assume this is Zheng." Luke said softly to Volcan, watching the Urshifu intently as he glared right back at them.

"Good guess," replied Volcan sarcastically. "And here I hoped he'd at least be a little smaller than his brother but nope... he's just as big."

"Well, you know what they say." Luke remarked, tensing his body and summoning his Aura Surge. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

Zheng growled even louder when Luke powered up, then roared violently into the air and even pounded his own chest like a primal beast before he shot toward the two. Luke flinched at how fast Zheng moved despite being such a large creature, but he quickly managed to hop out of the way of the corrupt warrior's strike, using his speed to dash around and aim a Force Palm along his back.

Luke couldn't believe his eyes after he witnessed the bear pokemon actually spin with the momentum of his previous swipe and caught Luke's paw all in the blink of an eye. He didn't even have any time to comment before he was suddenly yanked forward and punched square in the sternum, causing him to gag and lurch forward from the force of the impact. It wasn't exactly powerful, but the speed of the punch plus his own stunned demeanour was enough to catch Luke off guard and deal some lasting damage before the Urshifu tossed him to the side and focused on Volcan next.

Volcan was already flying at him, exploding into motion as he opened with a low-aiming roundhouse kick to try to get the swift, corrupted Pokemon's legs. The Urshifu growled and lifted his leg up to dodge the kick, then slammed it down on the ground before Volcan could recover and entered a fighting stance where his body and arms were swaying slowly in a circle.

What followed next was probably the fastest, most painful beatdown Volcan had received yet. Using precise finger point strikes, Zheng struck at all of Volcan's pressure points with lightning fast speeds, leaving the Blaziken no time to counter or put up his defenses. Volcan could only stand and take the blows, letting out a gasp of pain as the wind was effectively beaten out of him and all feeling left his limbs. He fell limp to the ground, eyes wide with shock.

"Felt like... Water-type...!" He wheezed.

A roar was heard from behind Zheng as Luke closed in again, this time with his Bone Rush in hand and swinging it at the side of his opponent's head. The Bear pokemon quickly looked behind him and ducked under the attack, then quickly retaliated with a quick finger point strike right for Luke's chest.

This time he was ready for it, using Extreme Speed to move under the attack and charge up an Aura Sphere in his open paw. He thrust it as hard as he could into Zheng's stomach, the sphere exploding upon contact and sending Zheng skidding back from the force of the explosion. Such an act bought Luke precious seconds to quickly kneel down and pull Volcan back up to his feet again.

"C'mon, lazybones. No sleeping on the job." He grunted as he pulled the Blaziken up from under his arms.

"I don't know what he did... I lost all feeling in my limbs for a second..." Volcan grunted, sitting up. "Those hands move so fast I could barely see them."

"So he's been trained to strike quickly. It's nothing we haven't faced before." Luke returned, still brimming with confidence that they could subdue this beast. "We'll just have to be faster than him is all."

"Easier said than - incoming!" Volcan warned, pointing at the corrupted Zheng. He was coming back.

The Urshifu was rushing toward them, almost as if he were gliding atop a current of water as he closed in on the two of them. Luke tensed up and poured more of his power into his Aura Surge before he met with Zheng's attack. This time, both combatants were locked in an intense fist fight. Zheng's lightning fast fingerpoint strikes against Luke's Close Combat attack.

Both combatants matched each other's blows almost flawlessly. Every strike Zheng launched, Luke countered, and vice versa. Occasionally there would be some clean hits, but they never ceased their onslaught. As they clashed, Luke took note of what Volcan had mentioned earlier, about Zheng's attacks feeling like Water Type attacks, and he looked to Volcan with a knowing glance, hoping he caught onto what he was thinking. Volcan was already thinking it, but knew he needed more speed to make it work. He reached for his Mega Stone, pressing his fingers to it and triggering his Mega Evolution, vanishing into the violet crystalline sphere before erupting from it in a burst of motion.

Volcan sped around in an arc, approaching Zheng from the side and beginning with a Flame Charge, adding more momentum to his already quickly mounting speed as he shot toward the Urshifu like a missile.

Zheng looked over his shoulder toward the speeding Mega Blaziken approaching him, and that was the opening Luke needed. He caught both of the Urshifu's hands in his paws, then yanked him forward and headbutt him as hard as he could, ignoring the pain that came with it. Luke then stepped back and side kicked Zheng in the sternum, sending him stumbling backward right into Volcan as he closed in. Volcan's fists crackled with electricity, driving one home between Zheng's shoulder blades, and then dashed around to his front to throw the other one into his gut. The Blaziken had to force himself not to hold back - he didn't want to seriously hurt Zheng, just stun him long enough for Luke to make his move.

Zheng reacted to each Thunderpunch rather heavily, letting out an agonized growl as the electricity crackled along his body and caused some mild paralysis as a result. Luke grinned in satisfaction, rushing in and slamming both paws into Zheng's chest with a double Force Palm that sent him tumbling along the ground a fair bit before skidding to a halt.

"Just as I thought." Luke said with a huff. "He's part Water Type. Electric attacks are one of his weaknesses."

"I guess we should've asked Chen what typing he and his brother were," Volcan remarked, standing beside his boyfriend as they watched Zheng.

"Well we know now. If we can stun him long enough, I can-"

Luke was cut off mid sentence when Zheng suddenly charged in again, this time _much_faster than he was prepared for. He could only watch as the Urshifu's foot connected with his face, sending the Lucario flying through the air and slamming heavily into a nearby tree with bone jarring force. Luke gagged and coughed up a bit of blood from the impact before sliding down the tree and landing in a crumpled heap, his body shuddering heavily as he fought off the pain.

Volcan turned on Zheng then, and dodged out of the way of another strike from him, before snapping forward and slamming his elbow into Zheng's face, followed by a snap-turn the other way to drive his leg, full force, into the Urshifu's chest, his inhibition momentarily lost by seeing Luke injured. Zheng grunted from each attack, but he was still standing and retaliated with a rapid flurry of kicks back at Volcan, then stomped his foot onto the ground and continued the onslaught with rapid punches this time.

Luke was slowly recovering from the hits he had received, pushing himself onto his paws and knees and spitting out a little more blood before he forced himself to look up and watch Volcan and Zheng go at it.

"Damnit... C'mon, move already." He growled, forcing his legs to slide under him so he could push himself back upright again. "You've faced so many opponents bigger and stronger than you...This is nothing." He kept telling himself as he straightened up, panting heavily and taking slow steps toward the fight ahead.

Volcan was clearly on the losing side. Despite his rapidly increasing speed, the Urshifu was as tough as he was mighty. Powered by the Shadow Curse, he was not tiring, nor was pain really enough to stop his berserk onslaught. Eventually, Volcan faltered as exhaustion started to overtake him, and he was thrown back. Zheng started to advance on him, intent on finishing him. Luke tried to move, but his body was still weakened...

Then, Chen appeared. The second Urshifu dashed into view, placing himself between Volcan and Zheng, his right fist already drawn back with a move Luke recognized. Focus Punch. Chen spun, and drove his fist into his brother - Zheng blocked it, but the sheer force of the blow was like trying to catch a fired cannonball with his bare hands. This time, Zheng _did_feel the pain from blocking such a heavy attack, as his face visibly cringed as the pain shot up his arms and made him stumble back slightly.

Another roar from behind, this time from Katsu. Though rather than being hit by his fists or his blades, the Urshifu was suddenly blasted off of his feet by a huge torrent of water, sending him flailing about in the blast of water until he hit a stone, and even then he was still getting drenched by Katsu's Hydro Cannon. Volcan, seeing his chance, leapt to his feet, and used a Bulk Up to increase his attack strength, before he leapt into the air, arced and fell into a drop kick - a Hi Jump Kick, straight toward Zheng who was still blinded by the water gushing around him.

Zheng was unable to block the attack coming from above, and when Volcan's foot connected with his cheek, a sickening crack was heard before the Urshifu was sent flying off to the side and out of the path of Katsu's Hydro Cannon. He lay still for a few moments, growling as he pushed himself back up onto his hands and knees, lifting his head and glaring back at Volcan and the others.

The side of his jaw was slack as he glared at the group. Volcan's Hi-Jump Kick had enough force to utterly shatter the left side of his face, but as with Calhoun's case, the Shadow Curse was actively working to force it back into place as he struggled to his feet.

"Now!" Luke roared, seeing his window of opportunity. He quickly tapped his own mega stone and ascended to his own Mega Evolved state, then channelled his red Aura Surge in preparation for what was to come next. "Chen, Katsu, hold him down! Volcan, nail him with a Thunderpunch!" He commanded.

Volcan moved in without hesitation. But he did not settle for just one Thunderpunch. He delivered two, one to each of Zheng's legs. Zheng lost feeling in the limbs and started to fall back, but Chen rushed behind him, throwing his arms around his brother's shoulders and holding him tight. Zheng immediately tried to pull away, even attempting to snap at Chen's arms as he was immobilized.

"Be still, brother!" Chen pleaded.

Zheng's legs flailed as Katsu moved in, the large Samurott ducking low and bear hugging around Zheng's middle to further anchor him in place.

With the Urshifu restrained, Luke moved in. He dashed as fast as he could toward his target and placed both his paws on either side of his temple, then began to pump aura into his body as he attempted to reach out to his conscience.

'Zheng! Zheng, can you hear me?' Luke called to the Urshifu, trying to push past all of the shadow energy blocking his path toward the Urshifu's essence. 'Just hang on! I'm going to get this curse out of you!'

Luke grunted as he strained to push further into his opponent's conscience, really having to dig deep in order to find it. As that was happening, the curse was slowly seeping from Zheng's body over to Luke's, much like it did with Lugia, and was trying to take control of the Lucario. He growled as he resisted its effects, feeling the corruption trying to invade his essence and using every ounce of his willpower he could muster in order to fight it off.

Katsu had a horrified look on his face as he watched Luke work his magic. He had never seen such a phenomenon occur in his life, but seeing the corruption seep into Luke's body brought him great fear that Luke would become a monster himself. "Stay strong, my Captain..." Katsu pleaded softly, wanting to release Zheng and push Luke away, but forcing himself to remain in place.

Eventually Luke found Zheng's essence, and he continued to push his way closer toward it. He was so close. Just a little further, and he'd be able to cleanse the corruption out of the Urshifu's body for good. However, he suddenly felt a chill loom over him, and when he looked up, he saw a large shadowy visage of the Dark Blaziken himself, grinning maniacally down at him and causing Luke to give pause as he stared back at the shadowy amalgamation.

The shroud shot to Luke's essence, smothering him in its suffocating embrace and pushing Luke's essence out of the Urshifu's body and back into his own. In the real world, Luke's eyes shot open with fright, and he was suddenly blasted backward by a smokey force from the Urshifu, sending Luke into a tumble before he managed to catch himself on his paws and knees, shuddering heavily afterward.

At that moment, Zheng's body started to go limp, and his eyes rolled back into their sockets as he slumped against Chen's hold. His fur was starting to change back to normal as well, indicating that the corruption had left his body. Chen and Katsu gently lowered him to the ground, while Volcan rushed to Luke's side and cradled him in his arms.

"Luke! Are you okay?" he cried.

He didn't respond at first. His body was still shuddering heavily even as Volcan lifted him up in his arms. He curled up in a fetal position, almost as if he was terrified of something. It wasn't until he peeked an eye open that Volcan could see what was causing Luke to shudder so much.

...His eye was glowing red, and his expression was growing more and more pained by the second. "...R....Run...!" Was all he could manage to say.

Volcan's eyes widened in horrified realization. "No..." he said in almost a whisper.

Seconds later, Luke's body suddenly exploded with dark energy, sending Volcan skidding back and letting Luke fall to his paws and knees again. He started crying out in agony as he felt the Shadow Energy course through his body, taking over his mind even as he struggled to fight it off. His fur started to turn a deep shade of purple, and his black markings even more darker than the night sky itself. He also started to look more menacing in appearance, with his fangs growing longer and his fur becoming more wild and unkempt as he was taken over.

Katsu watched in silent horror himself, quickly rising to his feet but unable to move closer due to the fear that was present in his mind. He could only watch as Luke slowly but surely, was being taken over by Calhoun's influence, becoming a Shadow Pokemon just like Zheng once was.

With a final agonized roar, Luke's body slumped forward as the corruption finally took hold of him. Laboured pants were all that could be heard as he stood there, hunched forward so that the others couldn't see his face. When he did eventually lift his head, he had the most feral look in his eyes, snarling viciously at Volcan, Katsu and Chen as he slowly straightened upright.

"The curse..." Chen whispered, rising from his brother's side. "I don't understand... He said he could remove it, but it just passed into him!"

"What happened?" Katsu demanded frantically, daring to take a step toward Luke. "What went wrong? He was so sure he could purify him!" He stated, looking to Volcan. "You said he performed this against Lugia and succeeded! How did he fail against a more common Pokemon??"

"I-I don't know!" Volcan replied, harshly. He grabbed his head, his breathing becoming erratic. "This can't be happening! This can't be happening! Don't take him from me!" He pleaded, though to who they couldn't be sure.

Luke's snarls were growing more fierce the longer he looked onward at his comrades. When Katsu dared to take another step though, the Lucario was gone; vanished from sight. The sound of metal piercing flesh echoed throughout the area, and Katsu stiffened intensely before he slowly looked down to his stomach.

There was Luke, glaring right back at the Samurott... with his Metal Claw piercing into his abdomen. Katsu grit his teeth as he felt the pain intensify as the realization hit him, and when the now Shadow Lucario pulled his arm back, Katsu fell to his knees, one hand covering his wound while the other held his body up from falling flat on his face. He looked weakly up at Luke, his face contorted with both pain and horror at what his captain had just done to him.

As Luke drew back his claw for another strike, Volcan exploded into motion, pulling himself out of his horror to take action. "Luke, NO!" He screamed, seizing the Lucario in a flying tackle.

The unexpected slam sent both of them tumbling across the grass in a tangle. Luke was scrambling even as they were tumbling along the ground, lashing out randomly at the Mega Blaziken as he tried to subdue him. Eventually they came to a stop, and Luke managed to kick Volcan off of him before hopping back to his feet and chasing after him, now swiping at him with both his paws armed with Metal Claws.

Volcan ducked and weaved out of the path of the claw swipes, his amplified speed likely the only thing saving him from the onslaught. Volcan didn't see what was coming up behind him though, and his back hit a cliff wall. His eyes were off Luke for only a second, before the corrupted Lucario had thrown himself at him. Volcan caught Luke's claws, tears streaming down his face even as he fought to hold them away from his chest.

"Arceus, don't make me do this!" He cried, despairingly, to the sky above. "Don't make me fight him!"

Chen watched the unfolding clash, his expression as mournful as it was afraid of what was to come if this continued. He looked down at his brother, lying unconscious on the grass. The young Lucario had risked his own life to save Zheng, and at the cost of it, he had become the very monster Zheng, and his precious star pupil, had become. Now Zheng was free... life could go back to normal for him...

But the cost was too great.

"I know what I must do," said the Urshifu, turning away from his brother. He walked over to Katsu, resting a paw on his shoulder as the Samurott tended to his wound.

When Katsu looked up at him, he could see the pain in Chen's eyes. "Whatever happens," he said. "Promise me one thing. Reunite my brother and his son, Qiang. Let them know... I love them both."

"W...What are you saying?" Katsu asked, still trying to keep pressure on his wound with his paw. He caught the sadness in the Urshifu's gaze and his expression grew more stern than pained. "...What are you planning, Master Chen?"

"That young man saved my brother," he replied. "Now I am going to save him."

Without another word, Chen charged, running toward the corrupted Lucario and Mega Blaziken still in the midst of their struggle. Volcan was the first to see Chen coming, and the Urshifu seized Luke from behind in a mighty bearhug, managing to pull both his arms tight against his body thanks to his sheer bulk, and the other hand on Luke's head.

"Ch-Chen! Please don't hurt him!" Volcan pleaded.

"At ease, young warrior," Chen replied, still holding the thrashing Luke as his paws began to glow with a blue aura. "Your lover shall not be lost to you this day."

"Wh-What're you doing?" Volcan asked.

"Lucario are the original Aura Masters," replied Chen. "To this day they are without equal, but their arts have passed to others such as myself. I am not like him, but maybe I have mastered Aura enough that I can save him as he saved my brother."

"But it'll take you instead!" Volcan protested.

Chen stood resolute as his aura flowed into Luke's body, still thrashing in Chen's grasp. "There is no other way."

Chen's eyes glowed as he poured forth his aura into Luke, his essence filling the Lucario as it had Zheng's. He plunged through the darkness, seeking the spark that belonged to the true owner of the body thrashing in his arms. It didn't take him long to find the spark that housed Luke's essence, but it was being smothered in a shroud of black smoke, trying to cut the light out of the spark for good. The smoke seemed to flinch when Chen's essence drew near, and as a defense mechanism, it lashed out at him, whipping several smokey tendrils at the Urshifu's essence in an attempt to keep him away.

Yet, mysteriously, Chen was not repelled. His astral form struck the tendrils aside as easily as he might swat a fly. His advance was unhindered, and he drew closer to the spark that was Luke. In the recesses of his mind, Luke felt someone coming closer to him, but feared it was the darkness coming to take full control of him and steal him from the world forever. Until he felt a hand... a warm hand, grasping his shoulder. He turned, and the astral visage of Chen stood before him. But he was... different. To Luke, Aura usually appeared a sort of blue colour, though he had seen it turn red with an amplification of power - he had done so himself.

Chen's Aura... Was gray. As though he were already a being of shadow, but it was not as dark as the corruption. To Luke, it was like he was standing in a room, with only half of the room lit, and Chen was standing in the unlit portion while Luke was on the side with light. He also watched the dark tendrils trying to attack Chen, but they could not touch him. They dissolved on contact with his astral body.

Without a word, Chen took Luke in his arms. He pulled Luke out of the darkness, the smokey tendrils that clung to the Lucario tearing asunder to Chen's power. They could not repel him nor seize him, no matter how they tried. Then, shielding Luke from the darkness, he shared some of his power with the Lucario, giving him the chance he needed to push back. To regain what was his, and force the evil out of himself.

On the outside, Luke's struggles had lessened now that Chen was in his mind. His body was starting to relax as the Urshifu began to cleanse him from the Shadow Curse. Soon his purple fur started to return to its natural blue and beige, his deep black portions also returning to their original colours, and the red glow in his eyes faded away until his normal eyes were present. His eyes then rolled back in their sockets as he felt a wave of exhaustion hit him like a charging Donphan, and he was completely limp in Chen's arms with a groan as the last of the Shadow Curse faded away.

Katsu watched from afar as Chen managed to remove the curse from his Captain's body, amazed that he had such fine control over his own power similar to a Lucario's. What really shocked him though was that, despite having freed Luke from the corruption, Chen was completely unharmed. He saw remnants of the Shadow Energy trying to invade his body, but they merely disintegrated upon contact with him, until it was completely erased from existence...

Chen gently let Luke go. Volcan shot forward and caught his lover in his arms, and looked up at Chen as the Urshifu stood at his full height again. He breathed in deeply, as if bracing himself for something... Then his eyes opened. He looked down at his paws as if seeing them for the first time, and then at Luke, mystified.

"He's free," he began to say.

"But you... Weren't taken..." Volcan finished.

Luke awoke to a feeling of warmth. He was lying on something hard, and it was pressing into his hip painfully. But, he couldn't move - even lifting his paw felt like he was attempting to bend steel. With some effort, he managed to open his eyes, to see what lay in front of him. A fire burned, throwing sparks and popping as it cast its warm glow over him. He was aware of a warmth behind him as well, rushing over his shoulder like a light breeze. A breath, he realized. He knew Volcan was sleeping behind him, and could feel his betrothed's arms holding him protectively even as they lay there.

But above all else... He was back in his own body. He took the discomfort as a sign he had not died - supposedly one didn't feel pain when you were already dead. But... he was so sure that the corruption had taken him. Eventually, as his mind became more alert, more memories started to return, particularly of his unexpected rescuer in what he thought had been a madness-induced hallucination. But the fact he was in control of his own body again...

Slowly he managed to turn his gaze to look over his shoulder, seeing his beloved Blaziken sleeping soundly behind him with his chin rested on his shoulder. He couldn't help but manage a small smile at the sight, and forced his arm to shift slightly until it finally moved on his command, lifting it up so that his paw rested idly on Volcan's cheek and caressed him idly as he looked at his sleeping lover.

'...At least he's unharmed.' He thought to himself, still gazing at Volcan and rubbing his cheek, then he turned his head as far as he could to plant a light kiss on the tip of his beak.

Volcan shifted slightly, but his eyes remained closed. Then, as Luke looked closer, he saw dark circles under them, as though Volcan had not slept in days. How had that happened? He'd been well rested when they'd fought Zheng...

"I would let him rest," a voice said. Luke turned toward it, and he saw Chen sitting cross-legged by the fire opposite him. "He has not slept at all while he's been waiting for you."

To either side of Chen, Luke saw Katsumoto lying asleep as well, and opposite from him, Zheng as well. He was upright, seated in a meditative posture. Clearly at least once, he had awoken, but was now taking the time to cleanse himself of the foulness that had once been in his spirit, only vaguely aware of the happenings around him.

Luke was about to speak up to Chen when his eyes noticed something on Katsumoto's body. He had to squint his eyes slightly, but he saw white gauze wrapped around his middle, and to his side, he saw his kimono top sporting a large blood stain right where his stomach would have been. Luke's eyes started to widen in horror as he put two and two together, and he began to tear up slightly as he came to a horrifying conclusion.

"...Did I... Inflict that wound onto him?" He asked in a shaky whisper.

"No," Chen said firmly, in a way that a father would speak to their son, looking squarely at the Lucario. "The one that hurt your friend was using your body. But it was not_you_. Understand?"

"B-But I..." Luke began to protest, but that stern look from Chen immediately quelled whatever argument he had rising up from his throat. He swallowed nervously and slowly nodded back to the Urshifu to tell him he understood. "How long was I out for...? And on that note, how did you free me without becoming tainted?"

"The first question, this is the second night you have been unconscious," he replied. "Your lover refused to sleep until you awoke, and by the time I finally convinced him, he would not rest anywhere else but where he lays now. He simply refused to be away from you. To answer the second... I'm afraid I have no explanation. Honestly, I hoped you could tell me how I was spared when neither my brother," he looked at the meditating Zheng, "nor you, were."

He looked past Luke at Volcan. "Your lover must have asked me the same question several times, trying to piece it together. He wondered if my brother and I were some kind of...Demigods - something about being Blessed. According to him, another with that kind of power was able to resist the corruption. All in all though, his only thoughts were on you."

Luke smiled at that, looking over his shoulder at the sleeping Volcan again. "...Volcan and I... We're extremely dedicated to each other, so It's no surprise he'd never leave my side. If the situation were reversed, I'd never leave his side either. I love him too damn much to even entertain the idea." He stated with a warm smile.

Then, Luke became more serious as his gaze returned to Chen. "So you're not blessed in any way, and you used the same idea I employed to cleanse me of the curse. Yet you were unaffected by its effects..." He mused softly, trying to piece together why that was the case.

He thought back to when he saw the astral projection of Chen reaching out to him, and how the tendrils reacted when they tried to ensnare him, only to fade away out of existence when they tried to ward him off. He also remembered the colour of his aura when he felt his spiritual embrace, and how it was a different colour than most normal pokemon.

In his experience, a typical pokemon's aura was blue in colour, while those that were Blessed had a bright shining aura that was almost blinding to even look at. Chen's aura, from what he remembered, was a static grey colour, emitting neither light nor darkness... And for whatever reason, he couldn't help but think out loud.

"...Where have I seen that before...?"

Chen let out a sigh. "It is yet another mystery of the shadow curse," he said. "But it is one we will solve later. For now, get some more rest. We have a long walk ahead of us tomorrow."

"Yea, no kidding..." Luke answered, then he began to yawn as the exhaustion started to creep up on him again. "Well, in any case you have my thanks. I'll see you bright and early in the morning." He said as he slowly lidded his eyes shut and fell back into a deep slumber, instinctively pressing back against Volcan and having pleasant dreams of their future lives together.

Luke was already asleep again when Chen let out a chuckle. "On the contrary, young Aura Master," he said as he shut his own eyes. "It is my brother and I who owe you thanks."