A heavy blizzard was falling from the sky, its dark clouds blocking any view of the evening sky, thick clumps of snow and sleet pelting down onto the small village below. The docks close to the shoreline glistened as the sea seemed to freeze into solid ice, and the weather just barely masked the smoke that came from the Delibird Guild's chimney, the stylized building sitting atop a hilltop nearby. A pair of Pokemon trudged their way through the storm, huddled close together to stave off the cold. One of them drew a blade from the scabbard on his arm, holding it outward.

"Which way's it again?"

"Over there, Cyan," The Mienshao cried out, lashing out with a fuzzy pink sleeve in the direction of one particular hut, and the Samurott swerved around, pointing his seamitar parallel with his partner's arm. "You know which one it is, goofball! We visit every time we come to Blizzard Island for work!"

"Yeah, but I can barely see a thing'n this kind'a weather, Erin!" Cyan sheathed his weapon, slamming his paws into the buildup of snow, which melted to mush as he pressed into the dirt underneath. His partner bounced ahead of him, blowing a raspberry as she wiggled her paws next to her cheeks. "And you're not helpin' that much either!"

"Just keep your eyes on me, we're almost there." Erin smiled cheerfully as broke into a run towards the dwelling, its unmistakable lilac-painted roof growing clearer and clearer with every step. Frosty windows framed the dark log cabin, candlelight from inside setting the glass aglow, and the two explorers moved up the steps, stopping just short of the door. As Cyan removed his helmet and dumped the snow off of it, Erin let out a short cough before straightening up, tapping out a short, formal knock on the wooden frame.

They were abruptly startled as a loud crash came from inside, followed by a pained groan. Erin leaned forward, trying to peek in through the window, but Cyan deftly grabbed a hold of her tail, pulling her back to the doorway.

"Yama, are you all right?" An old, warm voice came from within, concern layered on thick.

"Yeah... argh," A much deeper, guttural sound replied. "I'm fine, Lin, go get the door."

There were a series of soft footsteps, and the hinges squeaked as the door pushed open. A small nose, adorned with a teeny-tiny pair of reading glasses, poked through the gap. "Hello?"

"Mama!" Erin yanked the door wide open, stepping forward and wrapping the older Mienshao in a great big hug. The unsuspecting recipient momentarily went stock still, her wide blue eyes contrasting against her greying fur, before relaxing, returning the gesture as she wrapped her thinning sleeves around her daughter. "We're visiting!"

"Of course you are, dear." Lin ignored Erin's statement of the obvious and broke the embrace, reaching over and tugged lightly on her daughter's whiskers. Erin let out a giggle in response, lightly poking at her mother's glasses. "It's so good to see you."

Cyan stood awkwardly away with his helmet held tightly against his side, brushing a small pile of snow out from between his ears. It fell onto the porch and soon vanished among the fresher snow that was already beginning to cover it up. Lin adjusted her spectacles and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and he nodded his head respectfully. "Evenin', miz Lin."

"Good evening, Cyan." Lin clasped her paws together and took a short bow in greeting. As she rose, she gave the two explorers a kind smile, nesting her paws in their sleeves. "Where are the rest of your friends?"

"Bill n' Rose said they were goin' t'grab a room at the inn and then come on over..." Cyan explained, thumbing over his shoulder at the miserable weather, and a blast of chilly wind buffeted them all. "...but I don't think they're gonna be comin' along anytime t'night."

"Yes, you do have a point," The elder said, firmly grasping their shoulders and ushering them into the house. "Please, come in, before you get sick. Especially you, Erin."

The two explorers gratefully followed suit and stepped inside, sighing as a pleasant humidity enveloped them, doubtlessly coming from the fireplace at the other end of the parlor. The scent of food hung in the air, wafting in from a thin doorflap on the right wall, and Lin strode over, peeking her head into the kitchen. "Yama, dear? We have some guests with us!"

"I'll be out in a minute!" Erin's father called out. There was a clatter of dishes. "The fixins are almost done melting, hun. Could you keep them company for a tick?"

Lin shook her head, a humored grin plastered on her face, and she spun on her heel, gesturing towards the fireplace with a wave of her sleeves. "Please, you two, take a seat, get the cold out. No need to be shy."

No more encouragement was needed; Erin immediately skipped over and plopped down right in front of the flames, and Cyan leaned his helmet into a corner of the room before tromping over, sitting down a few paces away from his partner. The warmth sent shudders through them both, and the Samurott smiled, his ears perking up as their numbness began to fade away. Their elder eased herself into a rocking chair that sat a comfortable distance away from the fire, gasping slightly as she leaned backward. For a few moments, all was silent, save for the crackling fire and the sound of Yama working in the other room.

"So..." Lin started. "How have things been treating you in Treasure Town?"

"They've been good, mama!" Erin replied, scooting a little closer to Cyan to give him a short noogie. He tensed up, wincing a little at the close contact. "The Wigglytuff Guild's been really busy preparing for their expedition this spring, so we've been taking lots of jobs to help take a load off."

"The expeditions are this year?" Lin stared at the ceiling in thought, brushing at her whiskers. "Hm... I completely forgot. I wonder where Guildmaster Delibird plans to go this time."

"Doesn't seem like there'd be much to invest'gate 'round here," Cyan chimed in. "Er, no 'ffense meant."

"No, I understand, Cyan." The old Mienshao nodded her head in agreement. "There's Mount Avalanche, and there's the Crevice Cave... perhaps he'll try and explore around the treacherous waters up north?"

"Nah," Erin said flatly, bobbing her head back and forth to her own rhythm. "The Guildmaster always told me that he'd never take the whole guild sailing. He said everyone would get stir-crazy!"

"Mmm," Lin grunted, grinning wryly. "Yes, we visited the other day and that would be a good way to describe them."

"It is?" Cyan blinked in brief surprise, slumping over a bit as he lay on his belly. "I never thought a bunch'a rescue workers'd be like that."

"I spent two whole years at the Delibird Guild, Cyan!" Erin leaned over and rested against the Samurott's back, playfully drumming against his side. "Sometimes, on a bad day, they can get just as grumpy as you, Cyan!"

"Grumpy!?" Cyan exclaimed incredulously, turning to look at his partner, who gave him an innocent look. "Who gets grumpy!?"

A loud stomp caught everyone's attention, and the trio turned around to face the newcomer that pushed through the doorflap, a tall, heavyset Pokemon with large orange hands and a yellow skirt. A dark brown apron hung over his belly, and he carried a covered platter, steam escaping from the gap underneath. He broke into a broad grin as his eyes landed on his daughter. "Erin!"

"Hiya, papa!" Erin hopped to her feet and ran at her father. The Hariyama just barely had enough time to set the platter down and slide it over to Cyan before the youthful Mienshao barreled into him, and the two spun around in a wild bear hug, laughing all the while. "We're here to visit!"

"Ahh, it's good to see you, good, to, see, you!" Yama gave Erin a series of pats on the back, chortling deeply when she retorted with a couple strong blows of her own. "You're looking well, my darlin'!"

Cyan looked away from the pair, busying himself with the platter as he grasped the cover. With a flourish, he removed the metal dome, and he scrunched his face as he was met with a cloud of steam. His nose twitched with a mind of its own, and he took a deep whiff of the meal, licking his lips. "Cheese... some kind of spice. Touga, maybe?"

"Ah, Cyan! It's good to see you too, bucko!" Yama walked over to the teen and waved away the steam, and Erin dropped to the ground, peeking out from behind her father at the food. "Your nose is getting pretty good there!"

"With how much every'un eats'n this team, I have t'keep practicin'." Cyan squinted before opening his eyes, staring at the platter. Baked potatoes, their skins brown and crispy, sat atop the plate, tinted orange with berry juice and covered with pale, melty goop. Four cups of water sat next to each one. "I had a feelin' you'd made these."

"Course I did, my boy." Yama clapped a hand on Cyan's shoulder, moving over to his side and sitting down. "Best food around for a night like this!"

Lin stood up and walked over to her husband, landing a peck on the Hariyama's forehead before seating herself across from the platter, near Erin. "Thank you, dear. It all looks wonderful."

"Ah, it's just a simple dish, hun," Yama replied bashfully, picking one of the potatoes up with two of his fingers. Lifting it into the air, he briefly held it at eye level before taking a bite, letting out a grunt of satisfaction as he chewed and swallowed. "Well, go on, eat up! Before it gets cold."

The other three vegetables vanished from the dish, Erin shoveling half of one into her cheeks and receiving a scolding look from her mother in the process. Cyan scooped out a bit of the potato flesh and gave it a tentative taste; an immense spice shot through down his throat, melding with the cheese and the potato to produce an incredibly savory flavor. He puckered his lips, mouth watering profusely at the heat.

"Careful there, you two, don't burn yer mouths," Yama chided, swallowing a mouthful of food. "So... what did I interrupt, eh?"

"We were discussing the guild expeditions, dear," Lin said, gingerly taking small bites, occasionally wiping her mouth with her sleeves.

"This year's an expedition year?" Yama raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Cyan and Erin. "Then why are you two here? And where's your friends?"

Erin waved him off nonchalantly. "Papaaaaaa, it's fine! We're just here for work, it's nothing to worry about."

"Wigglytuff and th'rest are all tied up with tryin' to get ready for their expedition in a few months, so we've been takin' work outside of the mainland," Cyan said, fanning his mouth with a paw. "Better for us t'be outta their hair an'all."

"I do hope that your two other team members don't try to come through the storm," Lin said, peering out the window. The snow had finally begun to slow, leaving a howling wind in its place, but the dark clouds still hovered in the sky, blocking the light of the moon and stars. Cyan licked his paws, smiling and wincing with each taste.

"Bill n' Rose have 'nuff good sense to stay inside t'night," The Samurott replied. "They're prob'ly asleep by now. We've got explorin' to do tomorrow."

"Where are you headed, darlin'?"

"We're going to the Opal Beach, papa," Erin mumbled through a bite of potato. A couple flecks of cheese landed on the floorboards, prompting the other three Pokemon to give her a stern frown. She took a gulp of water and giggled to herself. "Sorry! Um... we're going to look for a bunch of outlaws hiding out around there."

"Outlaws? Here?" Lin's mouth pursed. "That's strange. Delibird and the rest of the guild didn't say anything about it."

"They didn't?" Erin cocked her head, taking another sip of water. "Huh... could they have already taken care of 'em?"

"Maybe." Cyan polished off the last of his dinner. "Seems more likely that they'd have jus' not heard 'bout it."

"I doubt that, kiddo," Yama said, patting the Samurott's back, and he took a large chomp of food before continuing. "The Guildmaster has Arcanine patrol around the island every few weeks or so. He'd have known if anything was afoot around here!"

"Grrmm," Cyan grumbled. "If th'outlaws are already taken care've, I doubt Bill or Rose'll be happy t'hear we sailed out here for nothin'."

"Surely you can stay here for at least a few days?" Lin offered, taking her glasses off and polishing them with her sleeve. "There's still plenty of work to find around here, dear. No need to rush off all of a sudden."

"We only brought 'nuff cash to stay t'night n' tomorrow, miz Lin," Cyan replied with a shrug. "We'll have t'go back to Treasure Town."

"The inn?" The Hariyama scoffed. "Just stay here, my boy!"

"H-here?" Cyan was taken aback. "You'd let us stay with you?"

"Of course we would." Lin moved over and placed a paw on Yama's shoulder, smiling affectionately at the two explorers. "You're friends of the family, dear. We'd gladly let all of you stay as long as you need to."

"Alright, kiddos! You two can stay in Erin's room, and your two other friends can stay in the guest room..." Yama began to prattle on, standing up and moving into the kitchen, his footsteps growing softer and softer as he moved downstairs. Erin chuckled to herself, rocking back and forth excitedly, and her mother lightly tweaked her ear.

"Don't get too anxious, dear, or you'll never get to sleep," Lin admonished, wagging her paw. "Now go on. You can talk to your friends about this in the morning."

"Thank you, mama!" Erin gave the older Mienshao a quick hug before zipping away, and Cyan rose to his feet, walking over and grabbing his helmet, firmly fitting it back onto his head.

"Miz, are ya sure that this is alright?" He turned to look at Lin, who stared mildly at him through her glasses. "I'd... erm... well, I'd rather not impose..."

She gave him a knowing smile.

"I trust you, and Yama trusts you. Don't worry, Cyan." The Samurott recoiled, his eyes going wide, and Lin barked out a short laugh. "You look tired, dear. You be best off getting to bed now, hm?"

"Y-yeah..." The water type rubbed at his cheek, moving past his elder in a daze. The greying Mienshao stood in the parlor for a while, smiling into the dying fireplace, tinted slightly by a beam of moonlight coming in through the window. The storm outside had finally subsided, and as the last Pokemon left the room, the house went silent.

All was well.

"Bill, do you think they're all right?"

"Rose, they're perfectly fine. They're probably just gonna stay with Erin's parents tonight."

"Mmph... you're probably right. The snowstorm's cleared up, though, so maybe we could go over-"

Thumpa. "Oof!"

"Rose, it's nearly midnight. Now if you don't go to bed I'm going to toss a second pillow at you."

"Fine... g'night, Bill."

"G'night, Rose."

A/N: It's nice to get into the worldbuilding a little bit, even if it's only a little bit this time around. The character-building is much stronger, though, and I think it turned out well.

Set loosely before Beyond the Sky.