"Mint, how far away is this place again?"

The sun beat down mercilessly on the two little hedgehogs, the unusually-hot day blazing across the valley. The grass was dry and beginning to look brown, and even the branches of the trees drooped from exhaustion, their only movement coming from the force of a rare gust of wind. Even the tops of the peak, capped with the last dusting of winter's snow, were beginning to lose their luster. A flock of Spearow flew across the field, catching an updraft and soaring away, crowing merrily as they took to the skies. With an exasperated sigh, the leading Shaymin turned around, doing nothing to hide the bags under her eyes. Her long white ears wiggled.

"In case you hadn't been looking, Fern," Mint gestured backwards with her head, wincing as the rough basket hanging from her neck dug lightly into her fur. "We've just arrived at the flower patch. Please. Stop. Asking."

"Sorry..." Fern stared down, finding his nose particularly interesting. "We're just so far from the village, and-"

Mint trotted over and placed a paw on Fern's mouth, muffling the rest of his words. "It's our turn for gathering duty, alright? Just put one foot in front of the other and we'll both be back a lot faster."

"Alright..." Fern hesitantly nodded, and the two quietly made their way into the middle of the field. A veritable sea of Gracideas bloomed vibrantly, the smell of fresh pollen and fragrant flora hanging in the air, and the two Shaymin breathed deeply, digging into the dirt and uprooting the flowers. The soft loam came free without much struggle, and slowly but surely the basket began to fill up with a modest bouquet. It wasn't until a few hours later when the pair finally stopped to count their haul, resting underneath a large tree, surrounded by rocks.

"Thirty-three, thirty-four..." The Gracideas rustled as Mint poked at each one. "Thirty-five. I think that's a good amount for now."

"Are you sure?" Fern circled around the basket before peering timidly out at the horizon. "The last time someone went out for gathering duty, we ran out of Gracideas the next day-"

"Don't you think I've prepared for that?" Mint grunted irritably, shaking her head. "We've got way more than before, we're fine."

"If you say so..." Fern yawned loudly, leaning backwards against a large, dark gray lump. "Who knew that picking flowers could be so tiring? I feel like I just want to... doze..."

"Hey, don't go napping on me now, we've got to get back-" Mint called, leaving the basket of flowers alone. The warning was to no avail, though, and Fern's head hung loosely as he nodded off, a soft snore leaving his lips. Mint frowned. "Hey! Did you hear me, you dimwit! Wake up!"

Mint charged, crashing into her partner with a mighty shove. Fern yelped in surprise as he tumbled up and over his perch, opening his eyes to find his vision completely dark. Something surrounded him, something soft and... fabric-y?

"Hey, Mint, what's the big idea?" Fern said, struggling to find an opening in the cloth. A small hole caught his eye, and he poked his head out, glancing at the fancy, star-patterned robe he now adorned. "Wait, what is this? Mint?"

He turned to face his friend, who gaped at him, her expression a mixture of shock and fear. A chill went down his spine. "M-Mint? What's with the look?"

She replied with an indecipherable sputter before turning around and bolting away, knocking over the basket of Gracideas as she took to the sky. Fern leapt forward instinctively, only to flop over into a messy tangle of limbs and clothing. He regained his bearings faster than before, though, and he sighed unhappily as he stared at the pile of flowers, already beginning to drift away on the breeze. "Aw, Mint, why'd you leave me to clean up the mess alone..."

"Ah... excuse me, I believe this is mine."

Fern froze as he felt something grasp at his back, pulling the robe off of him. Time seemed to stand still as he inched himself around to look at the newcomer. The Gracideas lay forgotten.

A pair of icy blue eyes stared at him questioningly. His mind went blank, and he tried to speak, the words catching in his throat.

"Well? You can talk, can't you?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Mail! No News... or Good News?

"Bill! Come on!"

I groggily opened my eyes, scrunching them shut moments after as the harsh sunlight cut through the jagged teeth of the bluff. Rough waves crashed up against the side of the cliff, the smell of salt wafting in on the breeze, and I could hear a fire crackling close by. Rolling onto my back, I stuffed my face into the pile of loose hay, grinning inwardly as Rose padded up to me, the telltale sound of paws against stone signifying her arrival. A fuzzy appendage poked at my shoulder tentatively before the rest of the body decided to slam hard onto me, and I yelped in surprise. "Okay! I'm up, I'm up!"

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Rose chuckled, stepping off me as I sat up, wearily rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Quickly adjusting to the morning light, I got to my feet, brushing an aura tassel out from in front of my shoulder. "If you'd slept in any more, your breakfast would have gotten cold!"

"Breakfast?" In hindsight, the comment was somewhat rhetorical - I blame the rude awakening. Rose slowly ambled away, biting onto a thin stick and jabbing at the fire, gently navigating the tool through the legs of the cooking grate. The logs shifted, crackling as they turned to charcoal, sending small ashes into the air, a couple of them sticking to the bottom of a cooking pan. "Cyan left me to cook while he and Erin went to check for jobs at the guild, so don't expect anything spectacular."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," I replied. Rose shot me a grateful smile, dropping her makeshift poker as I drew to her side, peering at the food. The pile of apple slices seemed slightly charred and a couple of them were beginning to look like slush. The fragrance of boiling juice mingled unpleasantly with the sea smell, and I grinned cheekily as I quickly threw out an addendum. "I mean, it could be me doing the cooking."

"Now who's being hard on themselves?" Rose rolled her eyes, grasping the pot's handle and setting it down on the stone floor. As soon as the metal had cooled I reached down and plucked a pawful of the food and hungrily crunched into it, ignoring the quiet giggle of amusement I received from my partner in the process. Rose delicately served herself a portion of the fruit, nibbling at it every so often, her nine tails drifting up and down absently.

"...Wait, back up a sec," I said, mouth still half-full. "Cyan and Erin went to check the job postings?"

"Uh-huh," Rose nodded her reply, fidgeting a bit as she worked out the stiffness in her joints. Her fur tickled my legs, and I resisted the urge to scratch. "What about it?"

I frowned briefly, closing my eyes in deep thought (though I'm sure the image was ruined by my bulging cheeks). "But Wigglytuff dragged the guild off on the expedition to Midnight Forest, remember? The guild's been locked up and unattended for a few days now."

Rose's eyes widened, and she rubbed at her face in an attempt to hide the blush of embarrassment forming under her fur. "Oh, shoot."

I barked out a hearty laugh - and immediately regretted it as I briefly choked. Rose was at my back in moments, drumming her paws hard down my spine, and with no small amount of effort I gulped down the food. The two of us breathed hard, shaken but none the worse for wear.

"Blaugh," I managed to say, half-grinning at my own foolishness. Rose gave me a worried look. "I never thought you'd quite have my back so literally."

"Are you sure you're okay?" She asked, and I smiled, wrapping an arm around the fox's side and pulling her close, eliciting a surprised yelp. Undeterred, Rose nuzzled cutely into my shoulder, her nose cold against my chest, and we snuggled together as our gazes drifted past the teeth of the bluff, out towards the sparkling sea. "What about Cyan and Erin? Shouldn't we be going and getting them?"

"Probably," I answered, squeezing her a little bit tighter. "Before Cyan decides to turn himself into a battering ram."

I chuckled, and Rose sharply turned her head to look at me. "You don't seriously think he'd try that again, do you?"

A peal of loud, boyish laughter, along with the sound of wood scraping against stone, broke our concentration, and we glanced over at the steps leading outside. A soft pink blur sped past the dying fire and pounced, belly-first, onto the pile of hay I had recently occupied, wriggling energetically as her fuzzy sleeves and thin tail flailed about. Behind her, a large blue sea lion stomped into the room, his large hiking pack grazing the sides of the stairway.

"Man, you two're never gonna lemme live that down, are ya?" Cyan asked grumpily, unceremoniously dumping his bag onto the ground and taking a seat opposite Rose and I. Spearing a couple fruits with the horn on his helmet, he slouched forward, mustache drooping low, as if it shared its owner's lack of enthusiasm. "I swear, that made me swear off of sentry duty for life."

"You can't say you didn't work hard at it," I pointed out, memories of shattered iron and wrong calls filling my head. "I think Diglett, at least, appreciated it."

The Mienshao suddenly hopped up, flinging a bit of grass into Rose's headfur. I chuckled as the fox grimaced. "And now the gate's way stronger than it was before, Cyan! Everything turned out okay in the end!"

"Easy for you t'say, Erin," Cyan folded his arms, gripping the handles of his seamitars tight. "You didn't get yelled at by a bundle'a feathers and a guy with a mouth too loud for his own good."

"Aww, c'mon!" Erin bounced over to her friend, hefting off his helmet and gingerly rubbing at his stubby ears. Cyan's unhappy look briefly turned goofy, and he didn't seem to notice the slender weasel munching cheerfully on his food. "They mean well, you know that."

"You know, you could do much worse to have to deal with Chatot and Loudred for a few days," Rose chimed in calmly, her head nestled comfortably on my chestspike. I busied myself with pulling the straws of hay and other bits out of her fur. "I'm pretty sure that breaking and entering is a felony."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Cyan waved Erin away from his food, the Mienshao chuckling lightly at the Samurott's expense, and he began to chomp down greedily into his breakfast. The three of us watched as the water type practically inhaled the rest of the meal, and once he was finished he haphazardly spat a blast of water into the flames, dousing them completely before he continued speaking. "Sentry duty's still a heckuva lot less interestin' than going on a job with the rest'ya."

"Speaking of which," I smoothly switched gears, softly nudging Rose off of my lap before standing up, striding over to the babbling spring and picking up the strap of the treasure bag. Our Exploration Team badge gleamed in the light, the black metal and blue inset clinging loosely to the bag's side. "Since the guild's closed up for their expedition, we're pretty much free for as long as they're gone-"

"Wait, expedition?" Erin blurted out, bouncing over and leaning at me in a gross violation of any and all definitions of personal space. I stumbled backwards and pressed myself up against the wall, resisting the combat instinct to send the poor girl flying. That would certainly be bad. "I thought everyone was just sleeping in today!"

"Nuh..." I stuttered, taken aback at the ridiculous claim. Only Erin would come to a conclusion like that. "No, Erin, this is the year they're going on an expedition. Last year Corphish graduated from the guild. You were part of the team by then, remember?"

"Oh..." Erin began to rock back and forth on her heels, looking... somewhat lost in thought. "I guess you're right, I do remember that."

"So since they're gone, we can do just about whatever we want to do for the next week or so," Rose picked up where I had left off, sticking her nose into the bag and drawing out a light blue scarf. I knelt down and began to tie it around her neck, to which she smiled gratefully. "Do you two have any ideas?"

Cyan let out a low hum, stroking his mustache thoughtfully. "How 'bout the Fogbound Lake? You've been meanin' t'take us there."

"I don't know, I don't think we should head too far out," I reminded him, and he sighed unhappily. I lightly bopped his arm, giving him a reassuring smile, and he looked at me out of the corner of his eyes. "We'll go there someday, don't worry."

"What about spending the day at Serenity River?" Erin tossed out. "I bet today a water day would be really nice!"

"We're supposed to be working, not playing, Erin," Rose replied before throwing a wink my way. "Though I wouldn't mind spending some time there myself."

I grinned, slipping the treasure bag onto my back. "I guess that's settled, then?"

All four of us perked up as a soft, almost-inaudible sound drifted into our ears from above. Fluttering wings masked a meek knocking at the trapdoor into the bluff, and Erin peeked her head into the tunnel, gently lifting up the hatch. She smiled, her eyes lighting up as she pushed the door fully open.

"Hi there, Marill!" The Mienshao moved backwards into the room, and down the steps came a little blue mouse, yawning into one of his stubby paws as he descended. A bouncy ball sat in between his round ears, attached to him by a thin black tail. As Erin let the entrance close, another, white-plumed Pokemon swooped through the toothy gap in the cliff, the deep-billed bird hovering close to the floor, his blue-tipped wings nearly touching down.

"Good morning, Team Returners," Marill greeted us cheerfully, seating himself next to Erin, who began to affectionately toy with the boy's ears. "I'm glad we were able to catch you in time!"

I chuckled, rolling my eyes. "I can see this going somewhere."

"What's goin' on, kiddo?" Cyan asked, going straight to the point. "And where's your little bro today? You two are always stuck together."

"Er... that's why I'm here, actually, mister Cyan."

"Oh no," Rose said, cocking her head in confusion. "Azurill didn't get himself grabbed again, did he?"

"It's nothing like that, ma'am," The Pelipper spoke up, finally perching atop a soft flower patch growing through the cracks in the stone. "Though I do hope you give him a firm scolding when you find him!"

"Scolding?" I frowned, folding my arms. "Slow down there and tell us what the deal is."

"Don't worry, mister Pelipper," Marill thankfully cut in, and he turned to Rose and I. "Er... I guess I'll start earlier this morning."

"Alright."

"Well, Azurill and I were just leaving the house to pick up breakfast for mama..." Marill began. "She hasn't gotten sick, but we've just stuck to the habit."

"Can't stop, won't stop, huh?" Erin remarked with a giggle as she walked over to the spring and picked up a small pouch. "You two are so sweet."

"Er, yeah... anyway, we were on the way back from Kecleon Market when we saw mister Pelipper at our mailbox!"

"I had some deliveries to make here in town, you see," Pelipper added, picking idly at some of the grass growing on the floor. "Along with my bag of mail, I had a package for missus Kangaskhan, and a shipment of berries for Spinda."

"Anything for us in there?" Cyan asked.

"Yes, actually," Pelipper spoke his confirmation, and I crossed my legs, tapping my toes impatiently. "But it'll have to wait. Mister Marill?"

"Anyway..." Marill nodded at his companion before continuing. "Azurill and I stopped to talk to mister Pelipper while he was delivering the mail. We had been chatting for a few minutes when... well..."

Marill trailed off hesitantly, his tail nervously swinging from side to side, and Rose smiled warmly. "Well?"

"Azurill..." Marill let out a sigh of frustration. "He... he just grabbed mister Pelipper's mail bag and ran off!"

I heard Rose gasp lightly, and both Cyan and Erin recoiled in surprise, the latter nearly dropping her bag. "He what?!"

"I don't know why!" Marill backpedaled, waving his paws around in a panic. "He's been acting strangely lately... he's been constantly nagging me about the mail the past few days and avoiding answering when I ask him why."

"Where'd he run off to?" Rose spoke soothingly, calming the mouse's nerves. Pelipper floated a little bit higher, clearing his throat to get our attention.

"When the boy ran off, sir Marill and I chased him to the crossroads and onto the beach," The mail-bird explained. "We had him cornered at the entrance to the Beach Cave, but he ended up running inside."

"I had wanted to go after him myself, but I didn't want to worry mister Pelipper or mama, and you had helped us before, so I was hoping that you would-" Marill stopped speaking as Erin patted him playfully on his head.

"It's good that you came to us instead of rushing in on your own," I said, adjusting the straps of the treasure bag. "We'll gladly help you out, Marill."

"What's that kid thinkin', swipin' stuff and runnin' off like that?" Cyan murmured, looking over one of his seamitars for defects, and with a flourish he slid the blade back into its scabbard on his arm. Slinging his hiking bag onto his back, he gave Marill a confident nod. "Don't worry, we'll find your little brother."

"I'm up for it," Rose agreed, winking at me. "Besides, he's got mail that's meant for us, right?"

"Alright then," I turned to Pelipper. "Marill, Pelipper... we'll be right back!"

I knelt down, running my paw down the cavern floor, brushing away shells and clumps of seaweed to reveal the smooth stone hidden underneath. My eyes narrowed as the trail of tiny footprints, stained by wet sand, faded into nothingness, headed nowhere but deeper into the salt-smelling, dark passage, lit only by the occasional strand of sunlight sneaking in through holes above us. Distantly I could hear the crashing of rough waves into the shore.

"Yep, he's definitely been this way," I remarked dryly, dusting my legs off and continuing to stride forward. Cyan and Rose trotted their way through the sand, while Erin obliviously sat atop Cyan's backpack, tying one of her sleeves together into her makeshift sling. "We're going in blind from here, though."

"Uh oh," Rose said, running up to my side and sniffing at the trail, trying to pick up the boy's scent. "I can't tell where he's gone from here, either. The sea's too strong here."

I reached over and playfully flicked her ear, a tough task indeed given that we were all moving. "I guess it's not too big of a deal. Only two ways to go from here, and we just came from one of them."

"At least'e didn't run off somewhere further away," Cyan shook himself suddenly, sending Erin to the floor. As she picked herself up, she stuck out her tongue at him, pouting. "The Beach Cave's pretty tame."

Endless blue-gray walls twisted and turned, finally giving way to a large room, water flooding in through a large gap in the corner, the shallow, muddy lake glimmering as the sunlight bounced off of its surface. I slowed my pace, holding out an arm and grunting as the other three crashed into it, nearly sending all of us into a pile. I looked at Cyan - or his mustache, at least - out of the corner of my eye. "Tame or not, you had better hush up, and quickly!"

"What? What's wrong?"

Rose peeked her head out from under my elbow and nervously sucked in a deep breath. "Sleepers."

Cyan and Erin both lifted their heads over my arm, staring at the sight. A large clan of smooth brown stones chittered softly underwater, emitting tiny bubbles with every muffled snore. The Mienshao let out a coo of curiosity.

"Woah... I've never seen so many Kabuto in one spot before!" She attempted to break through the blockade and see the wild Pokemon up close, but I held firm, straining against the force. Rose noticed and helped, sneaking under my arm and tiptoeing through the water. Cyan glanced at me, then at Erin, and gave me a toothy smirk. Covering up Erin's mouth, he hoisted her up above his head. Amidst her muffled protests, he began to shamble across the room, gentle waves rocking against the sides of the cavern.

"Alright..." I breathed in, gently stepping out into the room, doing my best to wade as quietly as possible. Erin continued to yelp under Cyan's grip, and I frowned deeply. "Erin, shh!"

"Mmmph! Mmph mm!"

I froze as the Kabuto suddenly shifted, a couple of them rising up out of the sand. They idly tapped their claws against the floor, turning around to find the source of the waving water. I didn't move a single muscle, my chest starting to hurt as I continued to hold my breath. The Kabuto's beady black eyes watched me, unblinking.

Erin let out another grunt, kicking Cyan hard in his side, and as he grunted in pain, his grip slackened. Freeing herself, she ran past him, calling out to me as she drew a pebble from her pouch. "Bill! Above you!"

As Rose and Cyan swiveled around, my gaze shot up, a feeling of dread forming in the pit of my stomach. A sleek, brown-shelled body looked back at me, six menacing spikes protruding outward from the Pokemon's spine. Its twin sickles dug deep into the roof. "I should have seen that coming."

As I rushed for the safe passage, the Kabuto began to hiss irritably, rousing each other from their slumber. With a hop, skip and jump, Erin let the stone fly from her sling, waving her arms as she nearly lost her balance. The projectile bounced harmlessly off of the tip of the Kabutops' blade, and the shellfish dislodged from the ceiling, touching down with a mighty splash. I exhaled, sharpening my mind as shimmering white claws sprouted from my pawspikes, and my opponent faltered, shifting his attention from me to Rose, to Cyan and Erin, and back again.

"Four against one," I smiled confidently, and Rose stepped up next to me, embers slipping through her clenched teeth. "You sure you want to do this?"

Without warning, the Kabutops let loose an ear-piercing screech, whipping its children into a frenzy as the cave began to shake. Dashing forward and swinging at me, I barely had time to duck, the sickle just grazing the tips of my ears. I peeked up; it had thunked into Cyan's seamitar. Lashing out, I slashed hard into the armored shell of the wild Pokemon, the metal claws leaving a nasty gash. I slipped out from under the yellow blade, running over to Rose, and another pebble bounced off of our enemy's head.

"I really don't think that's helpin', Erin!" Cyan pulled hard with his stuck sword and landed a vertical blow with the other, sending the Kabutops stumbling backwards a few steps. One of the Kabuto skittered out of the pool and pounced, grabbing onto Cyan's arm and biting down. He let out a groan of pain, dropping both of his seamitars and glaring at the little Pokemon. "Try keepin' the little guys offa me instead!"

"Got it," Erin called, and as another one of the Kabuto leapt for the Samurott she sent a third pebble flying. The smooth stone crashed neatly into its underbelly, knocking it out instantly as it clacked onto the floor. Slamming the first one into the floor, Cyan growled, butting forward with his helmet to deflect another blow from the Kabutops. I knelt low and watched as Rose opened her mouth, a swirling green ball of energy forming in front of her jaws, and I closed my eyes, focusing my aura into a small sphere that I held in one paw.

"Incoming!" I yelled out, and the Samurott looked over, whacking his horn into the Kabutops' neck. He had little time to notice our attack as he was knocked over by a trio of leaping Kabuto, and Rose and I seized the opening, the energy ball and aura sphere orbiting each other as they collided with the large shellfish's midsection, sending him careening into the wall. He slid down the rock and crumpled into a heap on the floor, completely unconscious.

"Get 'em off me, get 'em off!" Cyan writhed around on the stone floor as more and more of the Kabuto hopped onto him, nibbling angrily as they defended their turf. Erin, Rose and I all ran up to him, yanking off the brown-shelled children and throwing them into their little pool. "Agh, just gettem off!"

"Hold still, you goofy guts," Erin chided playfully, tickling the last Kabuto's underside before she put him down. I knelt down, running my paw over some of Cyan's wounds, the small teeth marks having punctured in a couple places, the trickles of blood already dried. I shook my head, cracking a grin.

"I think you're going to be just fine, Cyan," I remarked dryly, rolling my eyes as Erin pulled out a small roll of bandages from her pouch. Pushing her loose sleeve out of the way, she hummed a tune as she set to work, wrapping up the bites, and I turned to glance at Rose, catching her attention with a wave of my arm. "Mind scouting ahead for a bit? I'd rather not deal with any more interruptions."

"I'll be right back," Rose nodded with a smile, bounding down the corridor and out of sight. Satisfied, I looked back to Cyan, leaning against Erin as she pushed him onto his feet, and I picked up his seamitars, handing them to him. He grunted grumpily as he looked at the cut one of the blades had taken, running a finger across the line.

"Sheesh..." He sheathed the weapons and threw his paws up in exasperation. "I thought this thing'd last longer than that."

"The last thing to worry about in combat is a fancy weapon," I pointed out, folding my arms, and the Samurott shrugged, adjusting the straps of his hiking bag. Erin tightened the strings of her belt pouch, a spring in her step as she rocked back and forth on her heels.

"I guess that's why my sling's always been in top shape!" She giggled, giving her throwing arm a few more spins before resting.

"Bill!" Rose's voice echoed through the hall, catching our attention, and the nine-tailed fox skidded to a halt as she returned to sight. "I think I found Azurill!"

I pumped my fist, walking over to her. "Then let's go!"

The four of us followed Rose down the pathway, passing through a couple, safely-empty rooms, before finding ourselves at a dead end, a small and seemingly-insignificant chamber topping the hallway off. I sneaked a glimpse from a good distance away, spying a blue blob digging through a bag, envelopes scattered all around the sand. Fortunately, the cave had no water, a fact I attributed to luck.

"No... no..." Azurill muttered to himself, flinging papers every which way. "Not this one either... where could it be?"

"What's he doing, what's he doing?" Erin inquired. I didn't need to look to know that Cyan, Erin, and Rose had all followed my lead and peeked into the room.

"He's making a mess, that's what he's doing," I answered flatly, and Rose laughed softly.

"Well, c'mon!" Cyan said, boredom ringing in his voice. "Let's go get him and bring him back."

"Alright, alright, cool your jets," I replied, and I lead the team into the room, the sound of our footsteps shaking the young boy out of his work. "Azurill?"

"Huh?" He lifted himself out of the bag, a couple more bits of mail spilling off of his head, and turned around, flinching in surprise when he saw us. "T-Team Returners!"

"Heya, kiddo," Cyan stomped around me, gruffly staring Azurill down. The boy quaked timidly under his elder's watchful gaze. "What're you up to today?"

"I'm... um..." His eyes flicked from wall to wall, trying hard to make himself look as small as possible. "Um..."

"Cyan, don't scare him," Rose clicked her tongue, pushing past the both of us and stooping low, giving Azurill a tender, disarming smile. I walked over to some of the envelopes, leaning down to gather them up. "Azurill, why did you steal Pelipper's mail bag?"

"Hmph..." Azurill screwed up his face, debating his choices. "I... I'm waiting for a reply, that's all."

I lightly poked at Cyan's side, roping him into gathering up the letters as Rose continued to coax out information. Erin stepped up next to Rose, keeping silent. "A reply from who? Marill said you've been anticipating the mail recently."

"My brother?" Azurill's voice grew even more nervous. "Oh... well, I was with Marill one day in town, and I overheard an explorer talking about how they'd found a letter in a bottle on the beach. So maybe a few days ago, I-"

I exhaled quietly, the pieces beginning to fall into place, and Cyan paused in his work to interrupt. "Y'sent a bottled letter out t'sea and expected a reply in the mail?"

"Yes... is something wrong?" Azurill asked innocently, bouncing on his large tail. Erin struggled to contain a giggle.

"Of course there's somethin' wrong, kiddo," Cyan bluntly stated, and I winced, incredulously, as I kept filling the mailbag up. "Pelipper doesn't deliver replies to letters in bottles. Heck, the bottle might not have even made it to land yet."

"Oh!" Azurill cocked his head in confusion, thrown for a loop. "Oh..."

"I mean, it might not even get t'land at all," The Samurott obliviously continued, drumming his fingers against the sand. "The seas're always rough and bottles're fragile, and-"

"Cyan!" Rose yelled, giving the teen a scolding glare.

"What?" He replied stubbornly, and he quickly blanched at the sight of Azurill, who looked about to burst into tears. "Erk..."

"Hey!" Erin swiftly jumped into the conversation, shoving Rose away and giving the child a wide, gleeful smile. Azurill sniffled, looking up at the bubbly Mienshao, his eyes still watery. He blinked as he felt a paw briefly poke his belly. "Boop!"

"B-boop?" He stuttered.

"You're it, right? Now you gotta catch me!" Erin darted back a few steps, goofily waving her paws around as she beckoned to the young Pokemon, and she dashed down the hallway, headed for the cavern's exit. Azurill stared blankly, and I chuckled.

"You better go after her, Azurill," I gave him a thumbs-up. "She'd be pretty unhappy if you didn't want to play."

"Al... alright!" Azurill slowly adorned a small, happy smile, and he began to bounce after his prey, getting faster and faster until he, too, was out of sight.

"Bye, Marill! Bye, Azurill!" Erin yelled a farewell to the two brothers, who waved back from the path leading to their home, Azurill looking far more enthusiastic than before. The warm sun was high in the sky now, and just over the hill I could hear Treasure Town buzzing with activity. We had long since returned Pelipper's mailbag, and the bird was likely far away by now, continuing on his delivery duties. I furrowed my brow and leaned against the watering hole, looking at our letter: a weathered envelope stamped with the image of a familiar pink flower. The wax seal seemed like it could have melted from the heat alone.

"So this is what was sent to us..." Rose murmured thoughtfully, pacing back and forth, her tails drooping so low that they could have swept the dirt path if they went any lower. "A letter from the Shaymin Village..."

"No use just standin' around'n lookin' at it," Cyan said, popping his helmet off and wiping the sweat from his brow. His ears lay flat against his head, buffeted by the mild breeze. "Open it up, let's see what it says."

I nodded, lightly pressing my pawspike just next to the wax, and I gently cut a line through it, not stopping until the flap popped off. Discarding the envelope, I unfolded the rough paper, skimming over the hastily-scrawled message. My breath caught in my throat and I could feel my eyes widen. An excited smile dawned on my face, growing bigger and bigger as I passed the note to Rose, who fumbled to keep the wind from blowing it away, finally pinning it down under her paws. "It looks like we're going to be going to Sky Peak."

"Huh?" Erin hopped onto Cyan's backpack, laying on her belly as her chin rested in her paws. "What for?"

Rose tore away from the letter and looked at me, disbelief, anxiety and joy swirling in her eyes, her tails beginning to wag furiously. "A sighting... a sighting, after so long!"

I grabbed her paws and lifted her onto her hind legs, the two of us moving back and forth in a little jig. Cyan's eyebrow quirked upward as he grabbed the letter. "Sightin'? Sky Peak? You've gotta keep us in th'know, y'know."

My partner and I quickly came to our senses, and we dropped to the ground, laughing through our embarrassment, too thrilled to care about our outburst. Dusting myself off, I turned with Rose to look at Cyan and Erin, the tension palpable.

"They've seen him... they've seen Darkrai at Sky Peak!"

A/N: It's been... quite a while since I've uploaded something here, isn't it?

This is going to be styled differently from some of the previous things I've uploaded. I've been watching a lot of the old anime seasons, looking at their progression and studying how they take multiple different, semi-connected and self-contained stories and weave it into one line. I'm intending for this project to be something similar; something episodic, if you will.

I don't know when I'll finish it, but this is something that I plan to finish, no matter how long it might take.