I'm not sure how cut out for exploring I am. Ok, maybe it's not the exploring as much as the walking. It could be my new form, or maybe my fitness was nothing to write home about before, but by the time we reach the sands marking the start of the Windswept Desert, I'm already wiped.

Incidentally, we haven't found any berries to bring back either.

"Ok!" Skitty pulls out a map from my bag (when did she even put it there?) "Looks like we made it to Windswept Desert! So this is where Phantump and Audino got attacked" she says, regarding the vast expanse of nothing that stretches before us. "I wonder what they were doing in such a rough-looking area?" I say. From here, all I can see is sand, a few rocks scattered about, and the occasional cactus. It's so dry even the cacti look like they're fighting for their lives. "Where do we even begin?" I ask Skitty. "Well, while many explorers have come here, there's only few reports of the real treasure within—a fabulous oasis!" Looking around, I'm feeling skeptical. Skitty notices my face, "well, that's what the books said anyway, but it can't hurt to look for clues!" Ever optimistic, she leads the way into the desert.

I wish this was a story so I could just skip to the part where something actually happens. We've been walking and walking and WALKING for hours. But, we've learned some interesting things along the way. For example, upon tripping over the exposed snout of a sandile buried in the sand, I learned they do not care for that. What's more, when about to get a face full of their attack, I realized I could draw on my mighty zorua instincts and dish out pretty fierce move of my own—Leer. Ok, it wasn't that impressive, but my performance gave Skitty enough time to show off her Fury Swipes, which sent our foe packing. "Here marks our first battle as explorers!" She proclaims, "may we have many more victories to come!"

But so far there haven't been more victories. There haven't been any more battles because we're in the middle of nowhere, and what's more, the sun is starting to set. At this rate we won't even make it back to the Exploration Center tonight.

Skitty's been trying to continue her optimism, but I can see it's wearing her down. All she wanted was to help, and not only have we failed that—we failed the mission we were actually sent out for. She looks lost in thought.

So lost, that she doesn't realize she's about to step off a cliff.

"Watch out!" I grab her by the tail as she looks down, seeing her foot over open space.

"Woah! Thanks Gwen! Wow, I didn't even realize we had gone so high up!"

Neither had I, the bland, repetitive landscape of the desert makes it hard to believe we've progressed at all. But we take a moment to admire the view. The desert stretches out before us, the sand a golden orange in the setting sun. The sand stretches as far as the eye can see, the horizon undisturbed.

But that's not what catches my attention. What my brain can't quite process is the dancing pattern of light on the sand immediately in front of the cliff. It's almost as if…

There's water! Yes, that's what it looks like! With the sun setting in front of us, it must be reflecting off of some water, not quite visible from the top of the cliff itself.

"Hey? Skitty?" "Mmm?" She looks up at me absentmindedly, her little brush with death seemingly forgotten. "I think there may be a pool of water somewhere under this cliff! Look!" Seeing the pattern below, I see the light come back into her expression. "Gwen! Do you know what this means! This could be the oasis! Let's go!"

We rush down the side of the cliff, almost tripping over the sand too many times, but we can't help it—to think we may have found the oasis! Even if we didn't find berries, or any leads about those bandits, this—this! It's so exciting I can barely think straight!

Circling around the front of the cliff face, we see it, we weren't on a cliff at all; it's a cave! A pool of clear, blue water stretches deep inside, flat rocks intermittently interrupting the water's surface. Stalagmites and stalactites are scattered throughout, giving it the appearance of the gaping mouth of some kind of monster.

"Gwen look! We can use these to get inside!" Skitty calls from the first rock. It looks beautiful, and certainly cooler than the surrounding desert, but I can't help but feel a sense of foreboding.

"Wow, imagine so much water in the middle of the desert! And the books never talked about a cave!" Skitty looks around, awestruck. I must admit it's quite remarkable. And yet something still feels…off

"I just can't believe—"

"Shh!"

"What?"

I heard a noise, I'm sure of it, something out of place amidst the steady drips from the ceiling

We stand for a moment, and then another, straining to hear something. Nothing…I'm about to call a false alarm, but then, unmistakable is a sound.

Someone's talking…to themselves or someone else, it's hard to tell, but there's definitely a voice.

"Do you hear that?" I whisper, "what do we do?"

"Well what else? We march onward! Maybe they know something about Phantump and Audino's bandits!"

"But…" I listen again, it sounds like whoever they're talking to, it's in a rushed, frustrated voice. It's making me a little nervous.

"Don't be afraid, you've got an expert explorer to keep you safe!"

I can't help but grin "thank you expert rookie explorer extraordinaire" "oh shush, you know what I mean" she sticks her tongue out at me playfully before we proceed.

Deeper we go, the sparse rocks eventually become more numerous, forming a path in the middle of the water. Im straining my ears and catching snippits of a conversation now…or rather a monologue.

"Where could she…? ….can't believe….rotten lying….."

"Skitty," I stop her, whispering in her ear, "they sound upset, do we really want to barge in on them?" "Hmm, maybe you're right, but let's go a little closer and try to hear better."

We slowly proceed, rounding a bend, when we reach what must be the end of the cave.

The cavern features a large pool of dark blue water, crystals and stalagmites border the periphery. Light from the water and crystals play on the walls, making intriguing patterns everywhere you look.

And another thing that's intriguing.

Swimming back and forth in the water.

The source of the voice.

Is Dragalge.