Author's Note:

Okay, so, updates.

Here ya go.

Sorry for the wait on this and Okam recently. I have stuff planned for both, but I've also been caught up doing other things. Last week and the week before it was studying for my AP tests, in addition to this week and last week keeping me busy preparing projects and presentations that are to serve as my finals in a few classes. What fun. I swear, I almost didn't get something up this weekend, for several more reasons.

1: I had a cousin over because my older sister needed him, even though I REALLY didn't want him over this weekend because, although I enjoy his company, I have some studying to do for a test and a couple projects that needed finishing. Doesn't help that he has to stay in my room all weekend.

2: The aforementioned school work.

and 3: Saturday and Sunday had me catching THREE different sicknesses at once, leaving me quite literally near paralyzed on my bed all Saturday, coughing and puking until the end of Sunday.

However, it is my great fortune that we were blessed with this thing called Memorial Day, because otherwise, I would be royally screwed, having not only no uploads for you, but also with no studying done and a project unfinished, leaving me to fail my test and my final in the class I was doing the project for. And before anyone says anything, no, I wouldn't be able to make up the final. Our teacher has made it abundantly clear that he will not permit us to do it late, we have to present it on the day assigned to us, or we fail the final. As he says, he's retiring this year, he doesn't care what happens.

So, to wrap things up, anyone else hear about the newly announced PMD game? If so, look it up. However, as of now, we literally only know three things about it: its name, logo, and general release dates. We know absolutely nothing else.

And that's all I can say at the moment.

Read and review this chapter, and give me your blessings so that I may ace my finals!

-RGGodzilla, out!

Chapter Twenty-One:

The Free and Unclassified Details

Morning (8:49 A.M.), Trekle Woods

The mission was going rather well for them thus far. They had made good time in their traveling with Quin, and had faced few obstacles, the occasional wild Pokémon not really presenting much of a challenge. Soon they would reach their destination of Paz Beach; all they needed to do now was reach the end of Trekle Woods, and their mission would be but a simple stroll away from being complete.

"Whew!" Lloyd shook the sweat from his head after knocking out a Pineco with a Water Gun, "I'm getting a little tired,"

"Course ya are, Pipsqueak," Romsca grunted, her frills folding over before they fell limply to her sides in their resting positions, "Come on, ya can handle more than that, can't ya?"

"Now Romsca, don't be rude," Stream called from overhead, "Lloyd, why don't you fall back to Quin and take up the rear?"

"Thanks, I think I will," the Mudkip smiled at her, to which the Ducklett returned a smile as he backtracked to Quin.

"Ugh, sometimes I think you're being too easy on him," the Helioptile rolled her eyes.

"I take care to treat him in the way that I see most fitting," Stream returned, "Besides, he seemed so lost when we first met him, and he still seems lost every now and then, especially when he gets so preoccupied in his thoughts that he forgets about his surroundings. He needs our help, Romsca,"

"Aye, aye," Romsca nodded, "But help with what, exactly? He hasn't told us anything about him before we met, and he definitely doesn't seem apt to tell us anymore anytime soon,"

"Yes, because he needs time. Time to adjust to us, and to guild-life. He's a shy mon, just give him time, and he'll open up to us. He'll tell us everything when he feels like it,"

"Whatever," Romsca crossed her arms with a groan, "If you say so, then fine..." she looked down, muttering angrily.

"So..." now walking side-by-side with Quin, Lloyd whispered to him so Romsca and Stream couldn't hear, "How are you feeling, Quin?"

"Hmm?" the shiny Ponyta tilted his head, "Oh, I'm fine, a little hungry though. But, now that you're here, I can eat in peace," he dipped his head into bag, coming out with an apple in his mouth, which he gobbled down in a few chomps.

"Oh, that's good to hear," the Mudkip smiled. Okay, I need to word my questions carefully. I may know nothing about this... world, but if I want to learn anything from Quin, I need to make sure I sound like I have a general or commoner's understanding of the surrounding geography, upon which he can build on with specifics from his knowledge of surrounding governments as a dignitary. "I'm a little curious; since you are an ambassador, could you tell me the political situations of the surrounding kingdoms?"

"Ooh, you have an interest in politics?" Quin's eyes brightened.

"Of course I do," Lloyd nodded. He wasn't lying, of course, but even though he wasn't aware of any previous interest in politics before he became a Pokémon, learning the politics of Pokémon certainly did apply to his previous life's interests.

"Well..." Quin cast a glance to the side, "I can tell you a little bit, but I'll have to leave out the confidential and classified details,"

Lloyd nodded, "Of cour-"

"LLOYD, GET OVER HERE!" he was interrupted by a cry from Romsca.

"Huh?!" the Mudkip and Ponyta turned to find Romsca dashing toward them.

"Hurry, Stream needs ya!" she yelled, pushing Lloyd forward.

"!" his eyes widened as he nearly fell over from her push, before regaining his balance, catching sight of Stream up ahead, spraying water over several trees that had been set ablaze, "FIRE?!"

"Aye!" Romsca nodded, "Quick, put it out before it spreads!"

"R-Right!" the Mudkip spat out a glob of water at one flaming tree to extinguish some of its flames while wild Pokémon scrambled past from the trees, most weak to the fires which they fled from, ignoring the gang in their rush to escape, "Where did these flames come from?!"

"I don't know!" Stream answered, cutting off her attack, "We were just walking along when we saw several Pokémon run by. Next thing we knew we were faced with some burning trees!" she stopped talking to fire another Water Gun.

"Either way, you'd best hurry up and put 'em out!" Romsca yelled from a safe distance, "If that fire gets the chance, it'll spread and burn down the whole forest!" she drew her hands to her arms, shivering at the sensation of heat she felt when they first saw the fire.

Noticing this and the distance she kept from him, Quin drew a conclusion, "Ah, you must have the Dry Skin ability, am I right?"

She blinked at him before nodding, continuing to shiver, "A-Aye, I do,"

"I see. Strength from water, pain from fire," the shiny Ponyta respectfully took a step back, his blue flames shrinking. He turned his head back to his other escorts, who were getting the last of the flames extinguished, "Keep it up, you are almost done!"

"Y-Yeah," Lloyd nodded, panting before spraying another Water Gun.

"Th-There!" Stream aimed her Water Gun with Lloyd, both hitting and putting out the last flames on the last tree, "G-Got it..." she panted, having used a lot of her energy in extinguishing the flames.

"Th-Thank Arceus," Lloyd gasped, shaking off the sweat, "Seriously, though, who could have done thi-"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAH!" his question was soon silenced by a scream from Romsca, her allies widening their eyes at the sight of the Helioptile being thrown back by flames.

"R-ROMSCA!" the Ducklett cried out for her friend, only to let out another cry as she herself was hit by flames, her tiredness enough for them to knock her out of the air!

"Argh!" Lloyd himself had no time to react, pelted down by flames.

"!" Quin's eyes darted around wildly, searching for the source of their attackers, "W-Woah!" the Ponyta was caught by surprise, hit from behind by the flames, causing him to fall over, but, where the others had been hurt, he suffered no injury, instead, his blue flames grew larger, "Ugh," he recovered quickly with a grunt, back to his hooves in an instant.

"Huh?" a voice gasped in confusion, followed by more confounded muttering from all directions.

However, the muttering was soon drowned out by an angry growl, "YOU IDIOT! WHY DID YOU USE EMBER! His species can be immune to fire with Flash Fire! SMOG WAS THE SAFER OPTION!"

"B-B-But-" a fretful voice piped up, only to be silenced by the sound of a blow to the head.

"Grr!" under the enemies' confusion, the attacks on the team had lessened in strength, allowing for Stream to shake off the pain and roll over, out of the fires, "Come on, team!" she cried, shooting water in the direction of the flames, earning a cry of pain from her hidden attacker, along with more cries of confusion from his allies. Spreading her wings, she took to the air, yelling, "GET UP, QUICKLY, WE HAVE TO FLEE!"