The sun was setting over the ocean to the west, its image reflecting of off its waves. Jack took in a deep breath of the mountain air, which was close enough to the ocean to still have a certain amount of salt to it. It was beautiful, that much Jack could say. He couldn't imagine what it must be like for Lucario and Nova, returning here for the first time in so long. Actually, he could imagine it. It was the feeling he'd been cheated out of so many times now, but right now that didn't seem to matter as much. He could feel happiness radiating off Nova, and he could only assume that Lucario felt much the same way.

After a few moments, Lucario turned toward Jack and Nova. Damocles was currently lying on the grass, out cold.

"So… who wants to fill me in on what exactly happened?" Lucario said as he looked at the two of them. "I think I have managed to piece together a good amount of it, but there are still a few things that don't make sense."

"Well, after you were captured at the Alpha base up in the mountains, you just disappeared for about a week. That was when Alpha started using you as a weapon with some sort of mind control device," Nova replied.

"I remember that… I tried to resist it as best I could… I remember encountering you in the forest somewhere and briefly fighting off its control over me," Lucario responded as he closed his eyes.

"Yeah… well after that I went to Axiom and trained there for amount three months," Nova started. "That was when I set out to try and free you. From there, I met Jack when you and Damocles tried to assassinate General Ford. After that it was just the two of us trying to find out where you were. General Ford gave us a general idea of where to look, and Damocles gave us the exact location."

"So I was under Alpha's control for three months…" Lucario mumbled before turning towards Jack. "And I assume you are Jack."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, that's me. Pleasure to make your acquaintance," he replied solemnly, holding out his hand to Lucario.

Lucario extended his paw after a bit and shook Jack's hand. "Likewise," Lucario said before turning to the unconscious hybrid. "And him?"

Jack glanced over at Damocles as well and shrugged. "He helped Nova and me rescue you. He seems like a nice guy. At least he didn't try to stab us in our sleep, which I take as a good sign."

Lucario's eyes narrowed as he glared at Damocles. "Trust me, he is not a nice guy," Lucario countered in a harsh tone. "Though it does appear that he has had a change of heart, but he has a lot of blood on his hands."

Jack looked between Damocles and Lucario, and sighed again. "True, but then again I don't think either of us has the right to be judge and jury. I certainly don't think it's our place to serve as executioner."

Lucario crossed his arms and let out of huff of air. "A noble outlook, I will give you that. However, it is one I have found far too optimistic based on what I have been through."

Jack gazed up at the sky for a moment before replying. "Yeah, I can see why you might say that. And I suppose it is a little optimistic to think that we can be forgiven. We certainly don't deserve to be, no one does. If we deserved to be forgiven, we wouldn't need to be."

Lucario stared blankly at him for a moment, and Jack didn't blame him. He had no idea what he was saying, or why he was saying it. The words were coming out of his mouth, but they were as much a surprise to him as they were to Lucario. He couldn't stop though, the words poured from him like water from a dam about to burst. It was almost as if someone else was speaking for him, or through him...

"Still," Jack continued, looking Lucario in the eyes with a sad smile. "What's important to remember is that if we really want forgiveness, and ask for it, we can be forgiven." Jack paused for a moment, looking back up at the sky thoughtfully. His next words confirmed his every suspicion. "I don't suppose you've ever thought about God, have you?"

"If you are referring to one of your human religions, I am not familiar," Lucario replied. "I have never held humanity in high regard. There are only a few humans that I would ever place my trust in."

Jack shrugged. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm talking about a 'human religion', per se. I don't think it's limited to humans at all. In fact, the Lucarios who raised me lived and breathed in the light of scripture."

"Interesting… I guess that answers one of my questions," Lucario started as he looked at Jack. "I was wondering how you could understand me without telepathy. But on the topic you speak of, I would suppose that you are correct."

Jack now knew exactly what he was doing, it wasn't hard to figure out. What he didn't know was why, and how. He'd gone for so long barely thinking about about God, and he was still struggling to get back into the habit of reading his Bible regularly. Then again, maybe that was why. Maybe… maybe he needed to hear these words just as much as Lucario did. That thought sent shivers down Jack's spine, but he knew he had to press forward.

"God," he prayed for the first time in a long time, "Please give me strength and wisdom to profess you. Please use my words to bring Lucario, and me, closer to you."

"Haven't you ever wondered where the world, the whole universe, came from? Who organised it; who keeps it running?" Jack pressed on quietly. "It's not just a matter of religion, it's a matter of truth."

"Ancient Azorian teachings attributed the creation of our world to Palkia and Dialga. Though most people found said teachings to be rather lacking. They may be powerful, but they are only Pokémon. I could see them playing a role in the creation of our world, but fully creating it by themselves. With that said, most Azorians didn't pay too much thought to it."

"Yeah," Jack agreed with a nod of his head. "As someone who's met Arceus, Dialga, and Palkia, I can personally attest to the fact that he did not create the universe from nothingness. That begs the question though, who did?"

"Last I heard, Arceus wasn't… how do I put this… Let's just say the way that I am and the power I have were not done with his approval. That being said, I have met Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina," Lucario replied. "It was the latter two of those three that gave me my abilities to create portals through space."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Nice subject change…"

Lucario let out a small laugh as he shook his head. "I guess that I did. But as to answer your question, it is not something I have ever thought of. I never saw it as a matter of importance in my life."

Jack nodded understandingly. "I can understand where you're coming from on that. Honestly though, and this is coming from someone who's had a bit of a crisis of faith recently myself, it's a lot more important than you realise. A knowledge of God, of who He is and what He's done, it completely changes the way you look at the world. It changes the way you think about morality, about good and evil, about love… about everything, really."

"To be brutally honest, I doubt you understand where I am coming from," Lucario said with a bit of harshness in his voice. "Most of my life has been nothing but suffering at the hands of humans."

"Trust me," Jack replied with a sigh. "I know all too well. I've never been through anything like that myself, but I had… have a friend who was abused by humans all her life until I met her. Every day, for almost as long as she could remember, she'd be beaten half to death and then confined to a Pokéball until she was well enough to undergo the same treatment again. When I found her, I had to wash the blood out of her fur. Her back was a mat of scar tissue. At first, she would flinch every time I got close to her as if she expected to be hit. So yes, I know exactly where you're coming from. From her, I also know exactly how powerful the gospel can be. I could tell you the story, if you want."

Lucario was silent for a few seconds before he spoke. "Maybe later, right now… I just need some time right now… As I am sure you can image, I have been through alot…" With that said, Lucario ducked into a hole in the side of the mountain leaving Jack and Nova standing outside with an unconscious Damocles.

Jack glanced over at Nova apologetically. "Was I too… aggressive? Persistent? I don't know which word to use."

"No… I would just say it probably was not good timing," Nova replied in a quiet voice. "I honestly didn't know what either of you were talking about. I'm only half Azorian while both of his parents were. I wasn't taught all the things he was, nor did I have any lasting interactions with humans."

Jack nodded. "I see. Yeah, I guess he probably isn't up for deep theological discussion so soon after… all of this."

"I just hope he'll think about it," Jack thought to himself. "Maybe I'll get another chance."

For some reason he couldn't quite put his finger on, he was dead set on sharing his faith with Nova and Lucario. Maybe it was because he felt a certain protectiveness for the Zoroark, almost like a big brother. And as for Lucario, like he'd said, Jack knew how Lucario felt all too well. In truth, he'd felt that way before as well; although quite as acutely. Lucario was struggling with the guilt of what he did under Alpha's control, just as Jack had once struggled with the guilt of killing a Greninja so long ago.

Jack knew for a fact that for someone like that, God's promise of forgiveness was a comfort like no other. He just prayed that he could bring Nova and Lucario into that promise; that the Holy Spirit would use him to work God's will. For now though, that would have to wait. Lucario was in no mood to have his entire concept of right and wrong shaken to the core. Besides, now that he was alone with Nova there were a few questions Jack was dying to ask.

"Speaking of which," he continued, "How did you manage to free Lucario anyway? I'm pretty sure I was unconscious for that part. Not that I doubted you for a second, but three on one doesn't seem like good odds."

Nova tiled her head to the side as one of her ears fell over. "But… You were the one who freed him… Granted, you didn't really seem like you, but I can tell you that you were not unconscious," Nova replied, looking thoroughly confused.

Jack furrowed his brow in equal confusion. "Well, the last thing I remember was that Serperior about to stab me in the chest, then everything went black. After that the next thing I remember is Lucario protecting us."

"Well… you kind of disappeared for a bit. Then you reappeared with black hair and a... different, voice," Nova said as she thought back to the way Jack behaved in the latter portions of the fight.

Jack absorbed this information with a look of complete incomprehension. "Black hair? A different voice? Wha… That doesn't make any sense."

"You're telling me…" Nova said before pausing for a brief moment. "Still, you did some weird shadowy thing and pulled most of the device off of his head. Speaking of which, we should probably get the rest of it off of him…"

"Wait wait wait, hold on," Jack protested, holding up his hands. "Go back to the part about me doing some weird shadowy thing, because that's not something I can do. At least, I don't think so… What else did I do?"

"Umm, well, your sword was golden as well…" Nova replied as she tried to think if there was anything else.

"So I was still using my sword," Jack muttered. "And you say I helped you take down the hybrids, and then rescue Lucario?"

"Yeah… you kind of stabbed one of them through the chest," Nova responded.

Jack's face went pale. "I did what…?"

"Well the Charizard was about to unleash this massive Flamethrower at me when you suddenly appeared behind him and stabbed him through the chest. After that you engaged Lucario and the two of us managed to get the device off of his head," Nova explained in greater detail.

Jack was, understandably, a little shaken by this. He couldn't help but remember in gruesome detail the night he killed Greninja. Was history repeating itself?

"Not again…" he pleaded. "Please, not again."

"Th-the Charizard," Jack stammered slightly, "Was he… alright?"

"Well… he was out for the count… he wasn't bleeding or anything. I thought I saw his back slowing rising and falling afterwards," Nova replied.

Jack let out a deep sigh of relief. Without realizing it, he'd been holding his breath. "Oh, okay. Good. That's a relief at least."

Nova let out a small chuckle as she shook her head, her mane swaying behind her. "You are far too kind hearted for your own good."

Jack grinned, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, I've been told that before. I only wish it was true."

"Anyways, I am going to help Lucario with the rest of that device. You mind staying out here and watching over Damocles? You'll find the sunsets here are quite amazing," Nova said before she too ducked inside the small hole in the mountain.

Jack watched her leave, then glanced at the still unconscious hybrid on the ground in front of him. With a shrug of resignation, Jack sat down next to Damocles and stared up at the sky. The setting sun painting it a brilliant blaze of reds and oranges. Nova was right, it really was beautiful.

Jack sighed, and glanced down at Damocles again. "Well, I guess we're both in for the third wheel treatment from now on. I guess we'd better get used to it, shouldn't we."

Damocles didn't respond, for obvious reasons, and Jack went back to staring at the sunset. He didn't mind being left alone, to be honest. It gave him time to think about everything that had happened, and what he would do next. Maybe his near-death experience had forced him to come to grips with the situation, or maybe he was still in shock, but Jack found himself surprisingly calm.

The guilt and self loathing he'd felt, as well as the all-consuming anger with which he'd smothered them, were almost completely gone. He was still sad, and a little afraid for his team, but it wasn't clouding his judgement any more. For possibly the first time since his team had been stolen from him, Jack could think clearly and rationally about what the best course of action was.

"My friends aren't here," he thought to himself, stating the obvious. "And I have only the vaguest idea where they could be. J took them, and she could be pretty much anywhere by now… so how do I find her?"

Jack had no answer to that question but he had a strange, calm confidence that he would find a way. After all, like he'd just told Lucario, there was someone in control. Nothing ever happened except according to God's will. Not just any god either, but a kind God who cared deeply for his children and protected them. Jack had no doubt that wherever his friends were, God was watching over them and would keep them safe. The thought almost brought tears of joy to Jack's eyes.

Jack might have actually started crying, but then he was snapped out of his reverie by Damocles. With a groan of pain, the hybrid blinked a few times. Once his eyes had adjusted to the light, Damocles glanced over at Jack.

"Welcome back, sleeping beauty," Jack commented wryly. "Did you have a good nap? You missed all the good parts."

"You taunt me, boy…" Damocles muttered as he slowly sat up. "Based on the fact that you have it in you to joke as such, I assume that means that we were successful?"

Jack nodded, grinning ruefully. "Yeah. And just so you know, don't take me too seriously. I'll be honest, at this point my joking around is more of a coping mechanism than anything else."

"Ah… so not everything was accomplished then…" Damocles responded as he looked around. He spotted the metallic pack that Jack had been seeking, yet at the same time he could sense the powerful presence of Lucario, leaving him to wonder what exactly had gone wrong.

Jack sighed. "If you're wondering, Lucario's rescue went without a hitch. We even destroyed the Alpha base completely. Well… actually Lucario did that. I was only half-conscious for that part."

"That is good news. Without their higher leadership, the rest of Alpha should crumble rather quickly," Damocles mused.

"I certainly hope so," Jack agreed. "The more I heard of this war and how it's affecting everyone in this region, the more I wanted it to end. Now, it should take to long before it's all over. We just need to get word back to General Ford."

"Yes… I suppose that you do…" Damocles said in a quiet tone, pondering what exactly he was going to do next. "If you do not mind me asking, do you know of what, if anything, the two Azorians plan on doing with me?"

"Nothing too harsh if I have anything to say about it," Jack assured him. "And I do, and I did. I've already given Lucario my opinion on vigilante justice, so I really doubt he'll do anything drastic. That said, what do you plan on doing?"

"Spending a long time in a cell if I have any say in the matter," Lucario said as he emerged from the mountainside cave, glaring daggers at the hybrid. Nova emerged behind him, though she chose to remain silent.

Jack glanced from Damocles to Lucario and back again, then shrugged. "Honestly, that does seem only fair. Then again, as I've said, I don't think that's really our call. If anything, I think we should talk to General Ford first and tell him what happened."

"Trust me, I am sure the general will be happy to oblige me in my request," Lucario continued as he came to a stop a few yards from Damocles. "Part of me would just absolutely love to execute you here and now for all the lives you have ruined, but you don't deserve it. I would rather see you have to live with what you have done."

"I suppose that you are correct…" Damocles said in a low voice as he looked at the ground. "At this point, I think that death would be a welcome escape from my miserable existence."

Jack sighed, and looked Damocles in the eyes. "Look Damocles, I haven't known you that long. I don't know what you've done in the service of Alpha, so I'm not the best person to decide your punishment. I know that much. I also know that guilt is a nasty thing, and it'll eat you alive from the inside out if you let it. I'll tell you one thing: no matter what you've done, no matter how many people you've wronged, even killed, nothing is beyond forgiveness. If you really repent, seek forgiveness, and turn your back on your old sinful ways, it is never hopeless."

"You truly don't have any idea what I have done, do you?" Damocles asked, a bit surprised at everything Jack had said.

Jack shook his head. "Only what I've heard. Aside from that, I can only imagine. As such I'm not really the one who had to forgive you. But there is someone who knows full well what you've done, and I think she's already started to forgive you. Or am I mistaken, Nova?"

"Started… that sounds about right…" Nova said in a calm voice. "To say that I have completely forgiven him wouldn't be accurate, but I have come to realized that he is at least trying to do what is right."

Lucario sighed as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "Based on what I have heard, I suppose that I should at least thank you for helping save me," he started in a rather cross voice before opening his eyes again. "Perhaps you do deserve a second chance."

Jack smiled reassuringly at Damocles. "See, it's not so hopeless. You're a long way from innocent, true, but no better time than the present to start turning your life around. And I do believe it's possible. Not that I think you should go without atoning for everything you've done, but that's in God's hands alone."

"Heh, never in my life would I have thought I would get a religious lecture about turning my life around," Damocles said with a small laugh.

Jack shrugged. "Never in my life did I think I'd give one."

"Still… I will agree to turn myself over when we reach Fort Aaron," Damocles stated as he stood up and stretched out some, his body still being incredibly sore and not fully healed. That was when he noticed that something was missing. "If I may inquire… what happened to my sword and shield?"

"They were broken into pieces last I saw them. I didn't grab them when I, umm, carried you out," Nova replied.

"I see… perhaps that is for the best," Damocles muttered as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath of air.

There was a moment of silence, then Jack sighed and addressed Lucario. "So. Assuming you're going to be taking over as leader of our merry band, what do you plan on doing now? In other words, how long are we going to stay here before heading out, presumably in the general direction of Fort Aaron?"

"A day at most, give us all some time to recover from the fight," Lucario started as he looked at the setting sun as it painted both the sky and the ocean in its brilliant colors. "And how quickly you forget."

"Oh, right," Jack muttered, facepalming. "Well you can't exactly blame me, I only met you about an hour ago. And most of that time I've either been half-conscious, or in considerable pain. The finer details tend to elude my recollection."

"I think that suddenly traveling hundreds of miles via a spatial portal would stick with you," Nova teased, elbowing Jack in the side.

"Actually..." Jack replied with a impish grin, "That's about the usual for me."

"Right…" Nova sighed, "You can teleport…"

"You see?" Jack shot back wryly. "It's an easy thing to forget."

"So it is…" Nova muttered, accepting that Jack had bested her this time. She made a mental note to get him back at some point later on. "Anyways… I don't know about you three, but I am ready to crash for the night…"

"I second that motion," Jack commented. "If you need me, I'll probably be in a tree. That is, after I get my backpack which I'm pretty sure I left in a snowbank somewhere…"

"You are more than welcome to stay with us in our cave, which I would recommend as it is going to rain tonight," Lucario offered.

"Oh no," Jack replied, shaking his head; his grin having spread into something that could only be described as mischievous. "I wouldn't think of imposing. You two deserve one night at least. Besides," he added, "A little rain doesn't bother me. Well, have fun."

Just like that, Jack vanished with a rush of displaced air. No doubt, wherever he'd gone, he was laughing his head off.

"Oh, I am so going to get him back for that," Nova muttered, shaking her head.


Jack popped back into existence only a few hundred feet from where he'd started, having already returned to the small alcove near the former alpha base to retrieve his bag. Just like on his trip there, he had to take a moment to regain his balance afterwards. Even something as simple as teleporting was pushing the limits of his endurance at this point. He'd need at least one good night's sleep before he trusted himself to do anything much more strenuous.

Jack clambered up a convenient nearby tree and was about to crash for the night, but then he noticed Damocles walking in his general direction. What's more, he noticed that the Hybrid wasn't moving very quickly.

Concerned, and somewhat curious, Jack hopped down from his tree and went to meet Damocles halfway. Damocles glanced over at the human has he approached, not sure what to expect from the human this time. At this point, he was simply too exhausted and tired to think.

Jack didn't say a word, he knew exactly what was going on. Damocles had been beaten to a pulp barely two hours ago, and the limited healing he'd received clearly was enough. Like Jack himself, the hybrid need rest and lots of it. Knowing that at the moment he was the stronger of the two of them, Jack walked up to Damocles and put one arm around the hybrid's back to support him.

"You…" Damocles started but trailed off before slowly shaking his head. "Why…?"

Jack gave him a small, kind smile. "You're hurt, and I'm a healer. Do I need a reason to do the right thing?"

Damocles was silent for a few seconds. "Not the first time you have said that to me… I am just not used to such acts of… kindness."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I figured as much. All the more reason for me to do so now. Anyway, let's get you somewhere you can rest. You look about fit to fall down. Just lean on me as much as you can, okay?"

"Very well…" Damocles muttered, still not entirely comfortable relying on someone like this. It didn't take too long before the two of them reached a secluded point away from the others. Damocles sat down against a tree and leaned his head back.

Jack looked pensively up at the darkening sky, and at the clouds which were beginning to roll in.

"It really does look like rain…" Jack said thoughtfully. The rain wouldn't bother him in the slightest, but Damocles...

"From what I gathered with my time at Alpha, Lucario was hybridized with an Absol. Might explain why he has been so keen at foreseeing certain events," Damocles said.

Jack shrugged. "Maybe. At any rate, the question at hand is how to avoid getting soaked. Fortunately, I have an idea."

"At this point… I am too tired to do much of anything, so I'm all ears," Damocles replied in a low voice.

Jack nodded. "Don't worry, I can do all the grunt work. It shouldn't take long either, if all goes according to plan."

"Very well, I will leave you to your plan," Damocles said as he closed his eyes.

To be honest, Jack had little to no idea what he was going to do. However, he was confident in his ability to improvise. After all, he still remembered building little forts in the woods when he was younger. Then again he'd had twine and other things to work with then…

Then again, it wasn't like he had no tools. In fact, this was as good a time as any to test out his latest trick. He wanted to make sure he could control it first, before he used it in a real fight again.

Jack walked around for a few minutes, surveying the immediate area. It was a lightly forested area, and the trees were primarily pine and other evergreens.

"What I have to ask myself," Jack thought, "Is 'if I knew what I was doing, what would I do?'"

That train of thought, to the surprise of no one, didn't result in any monumental revelations. It did, however, at least get him moving. With surprising ease, Jack summoned the glowing golden blade of energy he'd used during his fight in the Alpha base. He was forced to release the technique almost immediately however, as the sword quickly started sapping his strength at an alarming rate.

"Well," Jack mumbled to no one in particular, breathing heavily, "I guess I won't be using that again any time soon..."

After taking a moment to catch his breath, Jack took another glance up at the sky. It was getting darker, and not just because the sun had all but set. The sky was a mass of rainclouds, and it wouldn't be long before they let loose. If Jack wanted to build any kind of shelter for Damocles, he'd have to do it quickly.

Spurred on by the time limit, Jack wasted no more time in getting to work. He settled for simply using brute strength, which actually took up less energy than anything else, to break as many branches as he could off of the nearby trees. Pine needles, if he remembered correctly, were covered in a waxy substance that he hoped would make them water repellent. All he had to do was stack them up in a tent shape… Jack just hoped Damocles didn't mind sleeping on pine needles.

Now that he'd decided what he was going to do, it didn't take Jack long to finish his project. The end result was a cozy little shelter made from overlapping pine branches that didn't look altogether uncomfortable. Plus, unless you looked at it from a certain angle, it looked like just a random pile of fallen foliage. It helped that Jack had constructed it up against a tree, and there was a few bushes around it as well to add to the illusion. Or at least, Jack hoped they did.

With a satisfied grin, Jack returned to where he'd left Damocles. Despite feeling like he was about to fall over, Jack actually felt quite content with his work. Maybe Nova was right, maybe he was too nice for his own good.

"Alright," Jack said, walking over to Damocles who was still sitting against a tree trunk. "It's all set up. Want to come take a look?"

"At this point, I am fine with whatever you have managed," Damocles replied as he forced himself to his feet.

"That's good," Jack stated, holding out his hand to the hybrid. "Because I'll be honest, it's not much. Still, it should keep the rain off you."

"That will be more than enough," Damocles responded as he followed Jack.

Jack led Damocles to the impromptu shelter. It was only about twenty or so feet away, but Jack still offered an arm to help Damocles along. By the time they reached the shelter, Jack could feel droplets of water hitting his face from above. It wouldn't be long before the downpour started.

"Well," Jack said as they reached their destination, "Here it is. Hopefully it's more waterproof than it looks."

"This will be sufficient for the night," Damocles muttered as he entered Jack's creation and quickly lay down on the makeshift bed.

Jack nodded. "I'm glad you like it. Well, good night then. Sleep tight. If you need me, I'll probably be up a tree somewhere nearby."

Jack turned around and walked back to the clearing to retrieve his bag, leaving Damocles to get some rest. Hopefully the hybrid would feel better after a good night's sleep.


Jack woke up soaking wet. That wasn't surprising, true to his word he'd spent the night in a nearby pine tree. To be honest, Jack felt pretty miserable just then. His robes may not have been soaked, but his skin was. The damp had covered his entire body with goosebumps. He just hoped his makeshift shelter was slightly more effective at keeping the water off.

He'd left his Bible in his bag, and he'd kept that tightly closed, last night for fear of it getting wet. A fear that proved to be warranted, as the rain started in earnest almost as soon as Jack had settled down for the night.

Jack groaned in discomfort as he dropped to the ground, his entire body protesting that, no, it didn't want to move thank you very much. Jack shook the water from his hair, and then glanced up at the sky. The forest was painted an eerie, flat hue in the grey light of predawn. The lack of shadows threw off Jack's depth perception slightly, but he quickly adjusted to it.

After taking a moment to look in on Damocles, who was still sleeping peacefully in the shelter, Jack grabbed his bag and walked off into the woods. He'd spotted a small lake yesterday while he was wandering around, and at the moment he felt a quick bath would do him a world of good. He just hoped no forest Pokémon had the same idea. That might be awkward.

After shaking the water droplets off his robes and folding them up, Jack walked into the lake up to his neck and floated for a while. He could sense no Pokémon in the immediate vicinity, at least none that were awake, so he took his time and relaxed. The water was cold, which wasn't a huge surprise, but the briskness made it all the more refreshing. Jack had never been much of a morning person, but the cold water shocked him wide awake in moments.

Jack continued floating in the lake for a while, until the first rays of proper sunlight began to illuminate the woods. At that point Jack got out, dried himself off with a quick burst of flames, and got dressed. He then headed back to his impromptu campsite, confirmed that Damocles was still asleep and likely would be for quite some time yet, and climbed back into his tree to read his Bible for a while.

He read for almost an hour, then he realized that he hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon. His stomach did not appreciate his absentmindedness in the slightest, and demanded something to eat; pronto. Due to a depressing lack of wild animals in the immediate vicinity, Jack was forced to settle for a handful of berries and a couple edible roots. Fortunately, after his bath Jack was feeling surprisingly rejuvenated and chipper considering all that had happened only yesterday. His aura pool was still low, but it was no longer near dangerous levels.

"A good meal would help with that," Jack thought ruefully to himself as he munched on a freshly cleaned root. "But I guess that'll have to wait for a while."

After he'd finished his meager meal, Jack went back to his tree and continued reading. He read for the rest of the morning, and was halfway through the first chapter of the book of Ruth when he sensed a powerful aura signature, Lucario's, moving towards him. Evidently Nova and Lucario had finally woken up, and were coming out of their cave. Jack looked up at the sun, which was almost directly overhead, and sighed figuring he might as well get on with his day.

With satisfying ease, Jack teleported noiselessly behind the two Pokémon just in time to hear Nova mutter, "I guess we really slept in…"

"So, you two are finally awake are you?" Jack commented wryly, at which Nova and Lucario turned around sharply. "There's no end of wisecracks I could make at this point, but I'll try to restrain myself."

"Given everything that happened yesterday, I think we deserved some rest," Nova countered with a smirk of her own.

"How was sleeping in the rain?" Lucario asked, a small, sly smile on his muzzle. He had immediately noticed upon exiting the cave that the ground was still damp from the night's storm.

Jack's smile took on a smug slant. "Actually, Damocles and I made ourselves a little shelter. Or rather, I made the shelter and Damocles slept in it. My robes are water repellent, so I was just fine."

"Well… that was nice of you…" Lucario muttered, his disdain for the hybrid still quite audible in his voice.

"So where is he?" Nova inquired as she looked around for said shelter.

"He's still sleeping," Jack replied. "Not surprising, considering he got beat to within an inch of his life yesterday. The shelter is over that way, but it's pretty well camouflaged. I'll be honest," he commented, his grin widening slightly, "I had way too much fun making it."

"I can tell, you are radiating happiness about it," Nova said as she looked in the direction Jack had indicated. Closing her eyes, she was easily able to lock onto Damocles' aura signature. "If I didn't have aura vision, it probably would have been hard to find."

"Okay, that's just straight up cheating," Jack deadpanned.

"I was simply, using my natural abilities," Nova countered with a smirk, at which Lucario let out a huff of air.

"Right… natural…" Lucario said with his own sly smile.

"Anyway," Jack continued, "I think it'd be best to let him rest. You didn't see, but he was in a pretty bad way last night. He almost collapsed from exhaustion at one point, which is why I made the shelter for him in the first place. He needs all the sleep he can get."

"Very well…" Lucario replied in a slightly displeased tone before he turned his head to the north and looked up in the sky. "Well, we have some company coming."

Jack raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Really? What kind of company exactly?"

"The nice kind," Nova replied as she reached out with her aura and saw who was approaching. "Some old friends."

Jack closed his eyes and cast out a wide range mental probe. He could sense two Pokémon, a male Pidgeot and female Staravia, making a beeline for them. Jack wondered briefly how the two Pokémon knew where to find them, but he quickly dismissed it as something that would probably be explained in the next ten minutes or so.

"Well then," the boy commented. "If they're old friends of yours, I'm certainly interested to meet them."

A few moments later, two avian Pokémon landed next to the trio. True to Jack's senses, a Pidgeot and Staravia.

"Matthew, Sarah, this is an unexpected surprise," Lucario said as he took a few steps towards the two avians. "How did you know that we were here?"

"Lucario, please, the entire forest knows you are here. You radiate an insane amount of power in case you have forgotten," Matthew replied with a small laugh. "Still, it has been far too long, my friend. How have you been?"

Lucario remained silent as he looked down at the grass below his feet and closed his eyes. "I have not been well…" Lucario responded after a bit. "Something terrible happened to me and hundreds if not thousands of people died because of it…"

The two bird Pokémon were stunned into silence, unsure of what to say after such a dark revelation.

"Thankfully, it is over and in the past now," Nova interjected, putting her paw on Lucario's shoulder. "And when I say over, I believe it is over for good this time."

Lucario smiled faintly, obviously glad to be reunited with Nova. Jack hung back away from the others, not wanting to intrude on what was obviously another happy reunion of old friends. He knew it wasn't really the case, and that Nova would never think that way, but he couldn't shake the feeling of being a third wheel. Now that Nova and Lucario were back together, Alpha was all but finished, and his Pokémon were nowhere to be found, Jack felt like he had no business being here and intruding on Nova and Lucario's lives. It would probably be best if he went back to Sinnoh soon, and started working on tracking down Hunter J.

Jack was so focused on not intruding on the conversation Nova and Lucario were having with the two bird Pokémon, that he almost didn't notice when the Staravia gestured towards him with one of her wings.

"And who is that?" the Staravia, Jack recalled her name was Sarah, asked somewhat pointedly.

Jack grinned slightly, realizing that the two newcomers didn't know that he could understand them. Oh well, he thought. Might as well have a little fun, it might help raise his spirits a little.

"Jack Storm," Jack responded, flashing Sarah the most mischievous smirk he could manage. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The two Pokémon looked in confusion at Jack then at each other then back to Jack.

"Alright… I know I am not too versed in the world outside this forest, but he is a human right? And he understood what Sarah just said," Matthew asked in obvious confusion.

Jack's grin widened until it looked like he was about to break out into laughter. "No, I'm just really good at bluffing. So, Matthew and Sarah, I'm curious. Lucario here said you were old friends of him and Nova, so what's the story there?"

"Right… bluffing…" Matthew muttered, rolling his eyes before continuing. "Well, Lucario and I grew up together before we were… separated for several years. When he came back with Nova, it was quite the shock. The two of them lived here for a while before Nova came to me in the middle of the night one day and told us that the two of them were leaving. That was probably four lunar cycles ago and we never heard from either of you."

"We were quite busy…" Nova replied as she rubbed the back of her head with her claws. "Sorry for worrying you."

Realizing that the conversation had moved on, and that he no longer had a part in it, Jack went back to staring at the sky and generally making a point of not sticking his nose in where he didn't think it belonged. He couldn't help but take notice, however, when the tone of the conversation changed.

"Sadly, we don't have too much time to spare here…" Matthew stated. "There are somethings that need to be tended to."

"Has anything gone wrong?" Lucario inquired.

"No, its nothing serious. Some visiting Pokémon have been telling far fetched stories about weird humans with futuristic machines. We have already investigated it and found nothing," Matthew replied, waving his wing dismissively. "Still… if you want to check it out, I can show you the general area the Pokémon came from."

"I would appreciate that more than you know," Lucario said.

"Actually," Jack piped up, seeing with no small amount of relief that he was needed once again, "It just so happens that I have a map of the entire region. Would that be of any help?"

"That would help and save us some time," Matthew replied as he moved over to where Jack was. Lucario followed him over and looked over his other shoulder.

"Alrighty then," Jack said, holding up his right hand. Casting out his mind to the makeshift campsite, where Damocles was still sleeping soundly, Jack quickly locked onto the map in his bag and teleported it. The roll of parchment appeared in his hand with an electrical crackle, earning an astonished stare from the Pidgeot.

"So," Jack continued, sitting down cross-legged on the ground and deftly unrolling the map across his lap, "Where exactly is the point of interest."

The Pidgeot, Matthew, stared at Jack in utter disbelief for a second before shaking his head. Seemingly deciding not to think about it too hard, a state with which Jack was well familiar, Matthew studied the map for a second trying to get his bearings straight. After a moment, he found what he was looking for.

"Here," the Pidgeot said, tracing a circle on the map with one of his talons.

"Right," Jack said with a nod, placing his finger on the map. A moment later there was an electrical crackle and the hiss of singed parchment, and when Jack lifted his finger there was a small burn mark right where Matthew had indicated.

"So… what are the other spots on this map?" Lucario asked, having never seen it before.

"The location of every hidden Alpha base," Jack replied. "Or at least, every base Damocles knows about. He gave us the locations as a kind of… a show of good faith, I guess."

"Interesting…" Lucario muttered as he looked over the map. "That information could do the Saldaran military a lot of good in finishing off Alpha while they are crippled from the loss of their leadership."

Jack nodded, grinning impishly. "That's what we figured, so I'm going to show this to General Ford once we get back to Fort Aaron. I can't wait to see the look on his face…"

"That combined with the 'other' gift we have for him will do more to ending this war once and for all. We can also have them investigate this other site and see if there is anything there," Lucario stated. "We should probably get this information to General Ford as soon as possible."

"I think that all three of us could sneak in under my illusion and give General Ford the map. We can tell him that Damocles intends to turn himself in," Nova suggested.

"It… would probably be for the best that I remain out of sight…" Lucario mumbled as he looked down at the ground.

"No, you are coming with us," Nova said in a firm tone. "I think it will do Ford some good to see that you are back to normal."

"Back to normal? What exactly happened while you were gone?" Sarah asked, as she looked at Lucario.

"It's not something I want to talk about…" Lucario replied as he got up and walked towards a nearby tree. He closed his eyes as he raised his paw and rested it against the bark.

"Ar-" Sarah started before Matthew silenced her.

"Sarah, don't push it," Matthew warned, before turning to Lucario and Nova, who had gone over to comfort her mate. "When will you be leaving?"

"Soon," Lucario replied as he looked back at his old friend. "Nor do I know when the two of us will be back. I don't think this will take us too long, but something unexpected might pop up."

"Alright. Stay safe, my friend," Matthew said as he took to the skies, Sarah following behind him.

Jack watched them go with something approaching envy. Those two avians obviously knew more about Nova and Lucario than Jack ever would. Once again, Jack was struck with a heart wrenching feeling that he didn't belong here, that he was an intruder in a story that didn't need him any more. It was time to leave.

"So…" Lucario started, sitting down opposite Jack. "What happens after we finish this task?"

Jack sighed and crossed his legs in front of him. "Well, my work here is pretty much done. The war's all but finished at this point. Once we get this map to Ford, he won't waste any time in routing what's left of Alpha. And I helped Nova rescue you, which is good. So after this, I'll be heading back to Sinnoh."

"Are you going to try to find and rescue your friends?" Nova inquired, remembering the primary reason Jack had come to Saldara in the first place.

Jack could feel his emotions threatening to flare up out of control, and he struggled to force them back to normal levels. It wouldn't do to lose his composure at this point, it'd just make it harder for him to say goodbye.

"No," Jack said softly, once he trusted himself to do so. "I won't try. I will find them, and I will rescue them. Or else I'll die trying."

Nova and Lucario were both silent for a few seconds as the wind blew down the mountain, the only sound being the rustling of the leaves. Jack knew he'd made a mistake, what was he thinking talking like that? Where was his cocky confidence, his naive assurance that everything would be alright? He didn't want to make Nova worry about him…

Lucario broke the silence, turning to face Jack. "From what I have gathered, I owe you a great debt for rescuing me from Alpha," Lucario started in a humble tone. "Perhaps Nova and I could repay that debt to you by helping you find your friends?"