"Are you sure about this plan of yours?"

The orange glow of a single torch flickered against the sheets of canvas as a dry, dusty wind swept down the walls of the ruins, sending tiny swirls of dust across the ground, rustling the thick clumps of grass sprouting up around their legs. The moon hung high in the late night sky, occasionally peeking through the gaps in the tent, beams of silvery light shining down onto the quiet camp. Slowly, deliberately, a claw tapped against a wooden table, its owner staring at the pair of Pokemon that stood in front of him. He glanced from one to the other, going from gray fur to bright feathers and back.

"Yes," The blue-plated Pokemon replied, his voice a low rumble as he spoke, eventually letting said claw drop back to his torso as he mulled over his thoughts. The Zoroark in front of him drummed her claws against her forearm, and he let out a weary sigh, easing himself down onto the soft soil and settling in before he continued. "I know it's not perfect, but it's the best I can come up with, especially under the circumstances."

"If you say so, sweetheart," The dark type replied, shaking her head and shrugging casually, licking at the star-shaped marks at the corners of her mouth. She swept her messy mop of headfur with a flick of her paw, twisting around and glancing out at the moonlit ruins dotting the area behind them. "But I still don't see why you won't just go to Treasure Town and ask them outright. I'm not messing around at all for once when I said we know them. You know that, right?"

"No, no, I trust you, I promise," The other Pokemon said hastily, sitting up a little bit straighter to emphasize his point. Then, he sighed again, the featherlike frills on his neck folding flat somewhat. "It isn't like that, and I'm sure you know that. I just..."

He trailed off, glancing all around the tent at the various bits and bobs strewn about the place as he tried to find the right words; dried berries hung from the ceiling on strings, books and scrolls were piled high in one corner, and a small box of charcoal sticks and other supplies rested nearby. He spent so long contemplating that when the yellow-plumed bird next to the Zoroark trotted forward and spoke, he jolted in surprise.

"Sir, I understand you want to keep the place a secret right now, so I'm not worried about that," The Archeops began, the burning torch flickering against the necklace of gemstones around his neck, and he gestured idly towards the wide wall of the tent, craning his neck to stare right into the other Pokemon's eyes. "But what about... you know? You've been avoiding the topic all day."

"I haven't said anything about it yet, no. But..." The blue-plated Pokemon took a deep breath, silently thanking the bird for changing the topic. He briefly shook his head, then stood up and walked around the table, scooping a small satchel up from underneath and walking over to the books and things. "I'm just going to have to deal with it in the morning."

"Alright, sounds good," The Archeops replied, turning to look at his Zoroark partner, who smiled slyly and eased her way to the side, her icy eyes lingering on the older archaeologist's tail. He looked back at him as well, watching him pluck a few of the dried provisions from the rafters, then blinked in realization when the arthropod began to scribble a quick note on a bare sheet of parchment. "Wait a minute, are you leaving right now!?"

"The sooner I leave, the sooner I can set up a meeting. I should be able to make it by sunrise, and I have a contact nearby who can play courier." The Pokemon rolled up the scroll with a nudge of his clawtip and shoved it into his bag. Standing up to his full height, he paused for a moment to peer around his homely little tent... and then walked over to a small patch of dried grass, daintily picking something up and tucking it into a smaller, padded pocket. Tossing the leather strap over his tall neck, he tugged the bag tight against his side and turned towards the pair of Pokemon. "And Star? Vale?"

"Yes, sir?" They both replied, Vale standing neatly at attention, while Star folded her arms and leaned back on the heels of her footpaws.

The blue-plated Pokemon smiled, reassured, and took his first steps out of the camp. "Take care of the place for me. I'll be back soon."

Prairie! On the Hunt for a Letter!

"Bill? Hey... Bill, hey, wake up!"

I jolted at the sound of a warm, soothing voice, blearily winking my eyes open, then shutting them with a wince as the late morning sun poured into my vision. Rolling over on the dry bale of hay, I splayed my arms and legs out, aura tassels slipping wide above my shoulders as I stared at the ceiling... and then a cream-furred muzzle hopped up into view, cocking her head and smiling at me.

"Hehe..." The Ninetales chuckled to herself, ducking into her blue scarf to stifle her laughter, her ruby red eyes sparkling with mirth. Slowly, I pushed myself up into a sit, my tail wagging against the dried grass as I stretched myself out and looked around the little inn room, the other bed of hay looking as empty as could be. Turning back to my partner, I felt the corners of my mouth twitch upward, and I leaned in to affectionately tousle her ponytail of headfur. "Good morning, sleepyhead!"

"G'morning yourself, Rose," I replied with a grin, pulling her in and snuggling her close, and she hummed happily, stretching her hind legs a bit as she nuzzled against my blunted chestspike. My ears twitched as the muffled sounds of hustling and bustling drifted up from the lower floor of the building, and I brought my paws up to wipe the crusts of sleep from my face. "Haaw, what time is it? Are Cyan and Erin already up?"

"It's just a couple hours before noon." Rose nodded, stepping back to let me swing my legs around and hop off the bed, wiggling my pawpads against the floorboards. Grabbing our treasure bag and polishing our Exploration Team badge, I watched the Ninetales as she padded her way towards the doorway, gesturing at me with a shake of her head. "Cyan and Erin are already eating, but I had them save some while I came to get you. C'mon!"

With a smile, I headed out the doorway, staying hot on the fire type's heels as we headed down the stairway, the old, oak planks creaking underfoot. Crossing through the lobby and into a hall, we walked side by side, the sounds of cheerful chatter and clinking dishes getting louder and louder until we finally entered the next room.

Beams of sunlight streamed into the eatery through glassy windows, illuminating motes of dust that swirled around in the air, and a pleasant mixture of mouthwatering scents wafted all around from the nearby kitchen. Only a handful of Pokemon sat at the few tables set up in the room, some of them gobbling up their food, others burning incense or simply napping in their chairs. My gaze traveled across the room, from left to right, and finally fell onto a Samurott and Mienshao sitting in a small nook, the former waving a massive paw at us.

"Hey, Bill, Rose!" The blue-furred sea lion barked loudly – startling a few of the sleeping folks out of their stupors – and he reached across the table and patted one of the four chairs, snatching up a small loaf of nut-studded bread afterward. "Get th'heck over here, it's getting' cold!"

Rose and I did just that, quickly striding over to the table, and I stared at the spread of food that lay atop the table: a basket of bread and muffins with nuts and dried orans pressed into them, a platter of flaky turnovers that oozed with both gooey pecha nectar and sweet cream, and a large bottle of fresh, cold milk. My partner climbed up onto her seat and lapped at a steaming mug of tea with gusto, and I casually eased into a chair of my own, picking up my plate and serving myself a turnover.

"Jeez, you guys really got a lot of breakfast today, didn't you?" I remarked, lightly patting at the pastry to keep it from scalding my paws. Erin giggled to herself at that, fidgeting in her seat and waving her fur sleeves around, their ends tied in a loop to her wrists as usual.

"Of course, Bill, heeheehee!" The wiry pink mink leaned forward, crumbs flying from her mouth as she replied. "We've been working so much doing all the jobs that mister Nidoking's wanted us to help him with that Rose thought it'd be okay to treat ourselves!"

"Mmhm," Rose added in affirmation, drying her lips on her scarf, her tails fanning out against the back of the chair. She shot Erin a brief, mild look – prompting the Mienshao to finish swallowing her mouthful of muffin – before turning towards me and continuing. "It's our first real day off, so I was thinking that we could spend some time relaxing here in Tiny Town before we head back home to Treasure Town."

"That's good an' all, but we still need t'talk 'bout what we actually want t'do!" Cyan said, folding his arms and tapping a hind paw impatiently on the ground, his horned helmet gleaming in the sunlight coming in from outside. Reaching out, he plucked another loaf of nutbread from the basket, tearing a hunk off with a mighty chomp. "I dunno 'bout you guys, but I figured I'd see if th'chefs here needed any helpin' hands in th'-"

"Cyaaaan!" My eyes flicked towards Erin, who playfully punched the water type's shoulder. He let his neck droop a bit, his brow furrowing in mock-annoyance. The Mienshao wiggled back and forth on her seat, with a muffin in one paw and a glass of milk in the other, her whiskers bouncing around as she chewed away. "It's a day off of work! You're supposed to take days off to rest and relax, not doing more work, silly!"

"An' what exactly do y'want me t'do, then?" The Samurott grumbled, taking a swig of his drink before dropping his chin down into his palms, lightly scratching at his bushy mustache as he grumped, more to himself than anything else. "Sit an' soak in th'hot spring th'whole day 'til I look like an ol' wrinkly grandpa?"

"Yup!" I bit my lip, trying my hardest not to snort at the fighting type's near-immediate answer. My tail swished back and forth happily as I continued to munch on my turnover, smiling to myself as the younger Pokemon nudged Cyan again. "Maybe if you spend enough time in the water you'll look like that old Shaymin elder from a couple months ago! Heeheehee, remember him?"

"I'd be worried if either of you forgot, to be honest," I quipped airily, leaning back in my seat and glancing between the pair of explorers, vivid thoughts of leafy huts and fragrant flowers filling my mind. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my partner raise her head as well, a curious expression on her face as she waited for me to finish speaking. "But I think I agree with Erin, you ought to just take some time to do nothing and relax, Cyan. Even workaholics need to take breaks, heheheh."

"I think the hot spring sounds like a good idea." We all turned to glance at the Ninetales, who was lightly tapping her paws on the edge of the table, and she looked around at all of us as well, a note of thoughtfulness in her voice. I closed my eyes and basked in the coziness of the cafe, the sounds of clinking and chewing, munching and moving, filling my ears. "We can just spend an hour or two in there, and then we can leave and do something else. Does that sound good?"

"Psst."

My ear flicked at the quiet, secretive hiss, and after a second or two, I opened my eyelids just a crack, stealing a quick glimpse of Erin – the pink mink was pouring herself one more glass of milk, playfully comparing her milk mustache to Cyan's own bushy 'stache. Chuckling inwardly, I dozed off again contentedly, resting my head on the back of the chair, my aura tassels dangling over the end of it.

"Psst. 'Ey. You! Lucario!"

This time the hiss was accompanied by a sharp, tiny claw, repeatedly poking at the back of my shoulder. That got my attention.

Sitting up a little bit straighter, I took a deep breath and twisted around, glancing over my shoulder into the rest of the cafe. A few more Pokemon had wandered in, either from the inn or from outside, settling down at the tables and cheerfully gossping the morning away. I narrowed my eyes as I scanned over the small crowd, explorers and locals alike... and then abruptly received a jab at my side for the trouble.

"Agh-!" I yelped, gritting my teeth, tensing up, and ducking away as a slight ache rolled through my nerves. I could hear Cyan and Erin scooting around the table in confusion, and I glanced over at Rose, who had already hopped down from her chair and was looking low towards the floor. Following her gaze, I stared down at a scruffy-looking mongoose, tracing a line down the yellow stripe that ran all the way from his head to his tail. The Gumshoos stood up tall – or at least, as tall as he could manage, anyway – and impatiently tapped a footpaw. "Huh? Er, hi there."

"'Ey," The rough-accented Pokemon grunted in reply, his eyes shiftily flicking this way and that as he leaned in close, glancing at my partner, then back at me. Behind us, Cyan and Erin shuffled around, the latter peeking over my shoulder while the former craned his neck to stare down the newcomer. "Are youse... Bill 'n Rose? Team Returnuhs?"

I blinked, then smiled confidently, bringing an arm around and tugging on the strap of my backpack, light glinting off of the blue stone embedded in the middle of our Exploration Team badge as I flashed it at the other Pokemon. "That's us. What's the deal? Something wrong?"

"Phew...! Nah, nah, ain't nothin' wrong, 'cept fuh how much of a pain in my tail it's been to track youse all down!" He grouched back at us, looking around one more time before scuttling his way over to Rose's chair. Rose whirled around, opening her mouth in protest, but it was too late; the normal type had seated himself, leaning back and stretching his stubby hindlegs out. "I've been lookin' for youse all day yestuhday, y'know!"

"We were busy workin', that's why!" Cyan shot back, eyeing the mongoose warily, lightly slapping his fan-shaped tail against the floor. "Elder Nidoking's had us runnin' 'round for th'past week doin' all sorts o'odd jobs. An' what's it t'you, anyway, huh?"

"Cyan, please!" Rose raised her voice a tad, whipping her head around and giving the Samurott a firm stare. The younger Pokemon grumbled for a moment, then walked back over to his spot at the table, sitting down to fiddle with his hiking pack. Satisfied, the cream-furred fox turned her eyes to the wily Gumshoos, taking a step forward and bringing a paw up to her scarf. "Yes, sir, we're Team Returners, all four of us. We didn't know that anyone was looking for us... is something the matter?"

"Ain't no danger, if that's what yuh mean," The other Pokemon promptly answered, patting his belly a couple times. Rose cocked her head expectantly, and I leaned back against my own chair, folding my arms against my blunted chestspike. "I'm here to delivuh a message, from the Chronicluh."

"The... the Chronicler!?" Rose's expression morphed into confusion, then into a delighted smile. Her nine fluffy tails began to wave up and down at a quick pace, and she took a couple more steps up to the Gumshoos, briefly glancing at the rest of us as she spoke. "You mean the historian!?"

"Er... Rose? Who's the Chronicler again?" I asked, furrowing my brow as I tried my hardest to think of who the two of them were talking about. Nothing in particular sprang to mind, however, and all I could do was smile sheepishly when Rose turned to look at me, her excitement evident.

"Bill..." The Ninetales muttered, blowing a couple strands of her headfur out of her eyes, then shaking her head as she explained. "The Chronicler's a respected archaeologist! Nobody knows who they are, but they're a specialist in ancient Pokemon and human history and ruins, and they've written a number of books about it, too!"

I stared blankly for a few moments... and then recoiled when my partner's words registered in full, my eyes going as wide as saucers. Human history...? The tension running through my muscles drained away, but the initial shock remained for a little while longer. "I didn't realize that there were Pokemon who went out studying that stuff."

"I hadn't realized I'd never told you about them..." Rose thought aloud, her tails briefly curling and uncurling as she padded over to me. I lightly tousled her headfur, and she leaned into my touch with a sigh. "I guess after we became explorers, I never got the chance to show you all of their books."

"Wow!" We both jolted when Erin piped up, wearing an enormous, ear-to-ear smile as she hopped up and down where she stood, unable to contain her enthusiasm. Cyan glanced over at his friend, unable to hide his own interest in the topic. "That's so cool!"

"Huh! You don't know 'em like I do..." The Gumshoos remarked, shaking his head and sighing as he reached for a turnover, only to balk when Cyan sent him a fierce glare. Pouting unhappily, the other Pokemon twisted around and then wagged his paws, shushing us. "Anyway, shaddup! I'm supposed to be here delivuhing a message, but you ain't even letting me get to the bad news!"

"Bad news?" I said, shaking the thoughts of human historians from my mind and tilting my head a bit, a twitch running down my spine. My tail wagged once, thumping against the chair, and I narrowed my eyes. "What kind of bad news?"

"Ehh... well, yuh see..." He hemmed and hawed a little bit, tapping his claws together before finally mustering up the courage to tell us. "The Chronicluh met up with me and gave me a lettuh fuh youse guys, but while I was cuttin' through the prairie, I... lost it."

"Y'what!?" Cyan twisted his head around and loudly blurted out, and I stole a nervous glance at a couple of the other Pokemon hanging about in the cafe, a couple of them turning to stare at the commotion. Cyan kept griping, even as I made a wave to calm the other breakfasters down. "An' how in th'name o'th'Abyss did y'manage t'lose it, huh?"

"Shaddup, shaddup...!" The scruffy mongoose hastily hunched over, rapidly waving his paws to try and make the Samurott quiet down – thankful for the change in attitude, I followed his lead, patting Cyan's shoulder before gesturing at the rest of the room. The blue-furred sea lion peered around a bit, then grumbled in understanding, a slightly-embarrassed look crossing his features. Erin smiled sweetly and gave the tip of his mustache a tug. "Look, I was tryin' tuh get here fast so I could find youse, but I ran into a bunch of wild Pokemon out in the Lush Prairie and had to ditch all my stuff..."

"...and you need us to head out there and look for the letter ourselves," I finished his sentence for him, earning a stout nod for the trouble, and I tapped a footpaw idly against the floorboards. "So where'd you leave it?"

"Huh! You're quicker on the draw than I figured." The Gumshoos scooted back into Rose's chair, scratching the side of his head in thought. Rose and I both glanced at each other, sharing a mutual dumbfounded look at the old Pokemon's attitude, but quickly focused back on him when he slapped his legs. "They were chasin' me and I passed by this little pond and some trees, and I stashed my bag in a big ol' hollow stump. Sorry for the trouble, but that's all I can help you with. Now, time fuh a nap..."

As the suddenly – suspiciously – sleepy Gumshoos dozed off in his seat, I dusted myself off and turned to Cyan, watching as he shouldered his hiking pack with a quick heave. Erin clambered up on top of the leather bag, laying flat and rooting through her fanny pack, and I turned to Rose, who cocked her head and smiled at me. I grinned cheekily, shrugging and shaking my head.

"Well," I chuckled. "There goes our day off."

I furrowed my brow as the four of us hiked up one of the gentle hills, bringing my paw up to shield my eyes from the sun and gazing at the open fields spreading out before us, Rose following close by and scanning across the landscape. Dry, footpaw-high grass, ranging from light green to almost yellow, covered the rolling meadow, with the occasional tree or shrub sprouting up from the thin brush. Taking a deep breath, I found myself panting as an oppressively hot summer breeze rolled across the land, the afternoon sun beating down mercilessly.

My ears flicked at the sound of stomping footsteps, and not a moment later, Cyan marched past Rose and I. He drew one of his seamitars and stabbed it into the dirt as he surveyed the area, staring at the mishmash of trees, near and far, that grew on the horizon. Erin rolled onto her belly as she looked around too, and for a few minutes, the four of us stood, admiring the beauty of the Lush Prairie.

"Y'don't really believe that weirdo, do you?" The Samurott broke his silence, letting go of his sword for a moment and patting at his shell helmet, pulling it a little more snugly atop his head. "I'll bet'cha seeds t'scarves that this's jus' a lousy trap!"

"Cyan, why would he make up a story about the Chronicler of all Pokemon if it was just a trap? And say that they were looking for Team Returners in particular?" Rose replied, gently pawing at the ground as she spoke, drawing lines in the loam with her claws. She peered skyward with thoughtful eyes, her tails hanging still behind her. "It's too specific to be a trap, I think. The Chronicler really does want to see us..."

"Besides, there's no outlaw stupid enough to try and pull a dumb stunt like that on us, of all teams," I noted dryly, planting my paws firmly on my hips and winking at my partner, who chuckled and stuck her tongue out at me in return. Letting myself relax, I began to walk again, leading the way into the fertile fields. "So this Chronicler guy's a historian, Rose? What else do you know about 'em?"

"Not very much, aside from what's already common knowledge..." Rose kept pace with me, her ponytail of headfur swishing this way and that in the hot wind. She pulled a face briefly when a few locks slapped their way into her eyes, and she nudged her nose in a vain attempt to shoo the stray strands away. "Ngh-! They're a historian who's written a number of books on human history, culture, that sort of thing. They've also studied ancient Pokemon cultures, too... you remember how I can read footprint runes, right? I learned that from reading one of the Chronicler's books when I was little."

"Hmph! So he mus' be a pretty big deal, then!" Cyan remarked, tapping the flat end of his seamitar against his shoulder as he brought up the rear. "Wonder if th'guild back home's got any of those books too!"

"They might." Rose turned to look over her shoulder at the younger Pokemon. "Most folks aren't really that interested in their work, but for explorers and other historians, they've really pushed the study of humans forward a lot."

"Then what are we waiting for, huh?" Erin abruptly chimed in, planting her footpaws right into Cyan's hiking pack and leapfrogging over the sea lion's head. She bounced a couple times in the grass, her whiskers spreading wide as she smiled hugely, playfully spinning her fur sleeves around all the while. "C'mooooon, we're not gonna find that pond that mister Gumshoos mentioned if we just walk the whole way! Let's... ooh, why don't we play tag? You're it, Cyan!"

Before any of us could react, the crafty Mienshao booped her friend's little pink nose with a brush of her paw, then dashed off into the Lush Prairie, heading for the closest tree. Rose and I both blinked lamely and watched the pink mink go, but quickly shook ourselves back to our senses when Cyan let out an irritated growl and waved his seamitar around in the air.

"Erin!" He yelled at the fighting type. "What do y'think you're doin'? Get back here!"

I felt a grin wiggle its way onto my muzzle, and I skipped forward, sidling past Cyan and giving him a playful shrug, my aura tassels sliding around atop the treasure bag. "Sorry, Cyan. Sounds like you're it!"

I tried desperately to hold in a laugh as I circled around and kicked off into a run, hearing Rose laugh and Cyan let out a befuddled "ehh!?" before both of them charged after me.

The wind gusted loudly past my ears as I chased after Erin, who jumped this way and that in a zig-zag pattern, her fanny pack bumping against her hips with each leap. I inhaled deeply through my nose, then exhaled through my mouth, and focused on the field ahead, eyeing the tall, gnarled oak tree. My partner put on a burst of speed to narrowly avoid a swipe of the Samurott's heavy paw, and soon we were both running together, both of us struggling to keep just out of Cyan's reach; the water type was nearly as quick on the draw, hunched forward and running full-pelt with a competitive smirk.

A flock of wild Starly perked up from the grass, then chirped in dismay and fluttered into the air as the four of us blazed a trail across the field, small shed-feathers drifting through the air as they flew away. I watched one of the gray birds go, sunlight glinting off of my pawspikes as I jogged... and then I barked out a yelp when a small, concentrated gush of water shot through the corner of my vision, just barely going over my head and drenching the ground ahead of us. Glancing over my shoulder, I looked at Cyan, who was sucking in another deep breath, preparing for another water gun.

"So you're going to play like that, huh?" I called out, grinning cheekily when Erin reached the tree, looked around, and then took off in another direction; Rose looked at me, then nodded in concentration, tilting slightly to the side and zooming after the Mienshao. I dug a footpaw into the grass and bounded away from the Samurott, focusing my aura around my paws until a blue, swirling ball of energy formed in my palm. "Well, then try this on for size!"

Before the water type could reply, I lashed forward, flinging the aura sphere at him with all my might before kicking off in the opposite direction that Erin and Rose had gone. Cyan narrowed his eyes when he saw me running, drawing his seamitars and holding them out defensively. I glanced back just in time to watch the aura sphere collide with the blades, the Samurott skidding backwards a couple of inches from the impact.

"What th'-!" Cyan exclaimed; my ears flicked when I heard him start to stomp forward, his footsteps rumbling against the dirt as he pounded after me, letting out a competitive battlecry along the way. "Bill, get back here!"

I did no such thing, inhaling sharply through my nose and letting my instincts take over, glancing around every so often in search of the pond. Spotting a cluster of brush a short ways away, I turned somewhat and made a break for them, glancing around this way and that in case I passed any sign of water or rocks. I wove through the prairie, ducking and dodging my teammate's attacks, panting heavily as the heat from the sun baked into my fur. The treasure bag bounced and jostled against my back with each step I took, and I reached back, trying to paw at one of the side pockets for my canteen – only to freeze when I felt the air around my pawspike whistle.

"Where do y'think you're goin'!?" I whirled around, eyes going wide when I saw the Samurott looming over me, and I pounced backwards, nearly crashing into the bushes. Toppling over, I shuffled my way into the overgrowth, rolling sideways to try and stay hidden. Unable to keep a grin off of my face, I narrowed my eyes and lay still, waiting and watching as Cyan stared at the rustling shrubbery, having lost track of where I'd vanished. He grunted, then began to hack away at the plants with a few rough swings of his swords. "Y'aren't goin' t'hide in there for long!"

Resisting the urge to reply, I held my breath, waiting until he was swinging away from me... and then I pushed against the ground, leaping high into the air above the blue-furred sea lion's head. He quickly snapped his head up to look at me, but I squished my footpaws together and stuck the landing on the back of his shell helmet, narrowly avoiding impaling my pawpads on one of the spikes.

"Hiding for long wasn't my plan," I replied, chuckling as I walked off of the younger Pokemon's head and down onto his hiking pack, sitting down and taking a deep, wheezy breath. He let out a snort, then sheathed his seamitars and shook his head glancing over his shoulder at me. I barely paid him any heed, snatching a canteen from my bag and downing as much as I could from the little leather bottle. "Mmph... hmm. Besides, don't tell Erin I said this, but tag kind of gets boring fast anyway."

"I swear, y'nearly get as bad as she does sometimes!" The water type grouched, albeit good-naturedly, offering me a half-smile before slapping his tail against the ground. Walking backwards a bit, he turned to stare back the way we came, the grass having been trampled from our chase. "Hmph... an' where th'heck did she go, anyway? She ran off an' never came back."

"That's because I led you in the complete opposite direction, hahahah!" I chuckled, patting the explorer's neck before sitting up a bit straighter and peering around the area. The plains spread out far and wide, with the mountain range rising up on one side and a smaller, rocky outcrop poking up above the hills back the way we had came. Cyan looked around with me, dusting his front paws off before stroking his mustache in thought. "Since Rose went after Erin, I figured we'd look for the pond a bit on our own. I definitely don't see anything like it around here, though..."

"Well then, let's jus' keep moseyin' an' get it done," Cyan replied, marching past the brush and looking around for a suitable pace to investigate.

The brush continued to grow taller and taller the deeper we got into the fields, until it almost reached the tops of the Samurott's legs, and sunflowers grew above the greenery, rising high and proud into the air, fringed by small blooms of purple that peeked out from the lush foliage. Turning around on my teammate's hiking pack, I glanced around, not seeing anything in particular that marked the pond we searched for. Another round of hot winds blew over us, ruffling my torsofur, but I cocked my head to listen when the faint sound of rustling, shaking grass caught my ear.

"Hang on," I said, dropping my voice low and tapping the back of Cyan's helmet. He slowed to a stop, turning to look at me with furrowed brows. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" He barked, immediately bringing a paw up, ready to draw a blade at a moment's notice.

I hunched my neck forward somewhat, half-annoyed and half-amused at his loud reply, and scanned over the wild grass to see if anyone was following us. A tense silence settled over the two of us, staying completely still and looking this way and that, ready for anything...

"Ohhhh, there you two are!" I swiveled around and stared as Erin's head abruptly poked up from a patch of the brush, bits of grass and tiny sticklers clinging to her whiskers as she waded her way over to us. Cyan perked up, making a half-circle to face the Mienshao, and I swung my legs around and hopped off of the water type's back, landing softly in the shrubbery as I waved at the other fighting type. "You two got really really far from us, wow!"

"No kidding." I grinned slightly, folding my arms against my blunted chestspike and nodding, letting myself relax as the younger Pokemon approached us. "Is Rose following you? Or did you two find the pond?"

"We found it, we found it!" Erin replied excitedly, swinging her fur sleeves around and gesturing us to come along. "Rose said she'd stay there and she told me to find you and show you the way. Before it gets dark, c'mon, let's gooo!"

"Alright," I said, glancing at Cyan, then back at Erin, a confident smile on my muzzle. "Lead the way!"

By the time we reached the pond, the sun was setting, the calm water tinted a fiery orange as it reflected the evening sky, the Drenched Bluff coming into view on the horizon as Cyan, Erin and I wandered down one last hill. A large, telltale tree rose up from the dirt, with a few old stumps dotted around it, and I quickly jogged over to my partner when I spotted her sitting a few steps away. Slowing to a stop, I gave the cream-furred fox an affectionate pat, eliciting a grateful hum from her in response.

"So this is the place...?" I thought aloud as I gazed across the pleasant clearing, the wind and heat no longer as blistering now that the sun was drooping out of sight, and Rose nodded, standing up and stretching herself out a bit, then trotting over to the large standing stone. I glanced at Cyan and Erin, who were heading right for the pond to get a few drinks of water, then walked alongside the Ninetales, who was nosing at the bark of a particularly dead tree. "It's certainly pretty, huh? We'll have to remember later if we ever want to go picnicking or something, heh."

"Yeah... that would be really nice, hehe," Rose said wistfully, but she shook off the thought and gave me a nudge afterward, poking her nose towards the stump. "Here, Bill, do you think you could reach in here for me? I climbed up earlier and saw mister Gumshoos' bag inside, but I can't quite get it out on my own."

"You got it." Cricking my neck, I heaved myself on top of the trunk, leaning over to peer inside of the hollowed-out log. Sure enough, even in the fading light, I spied a worn satchel tucked away in a small hole in the dirt. Laying flat on the wood, I stretched my arms out as far as I could... and sighed in relief when I managed to swat at the satchel's strap, grabbing ahold of it and scrambling my way back down to the dirt. "Hoo! There we go, okay."

Rose smiled in anticipation, taking a step back as I set the bag down in front of us, her nine fluffy tails waving up and down all the while. Peeling the leather flap open, I reached into the bag, brushing past a couple of berries, then some coins and – ahh, there it was! Wrapping my paw around the rolled-up parchment, I drew it out, starting to pant again from the heat as a slight ache rolled through my mind.

"What's it say?" My partner trotted over to me, unable to contain her eager curiosity as I unfurled the scroll, squatting down and laying it out flat for both of us to see. Reaching up, I scratched idly at the back of my neck, my pawspike bumping against my aura tassels. Clearing my throat with a quick cough, I began to read:

"To Team Returners... if my hopes hold out, and it is truly you that is reading this message, then thank you for believing Gumshoos' story. I know he can seem unreliable at times." Rose and I shared a mutual glance at that, but I returned my focus to the letter shortly afterward. "I will keep things brief. I am in the middle of an investigation of an ancient human ruin. My two associates have told me they know you, and recommended that I ask for your help with a problem. With luck, we should be able to meet each other soon, and I can fully explain what I need your help with. If you are Team Returners, then you will know where to find me. From, the Chronicler."

I frowned, the aching in my head getting a bit worse as I read over the small, rather scrabbled print, sliding the letter and Gumshoos' satchel over to Rose in the meantime. Reaching up, I rubbed at my temples, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Hmm..." My partner hummed thoughtfully, reading over the letter a second time. "We'll know where to find him...? What do you think he means, Bill?"

I turned my head to answer her, and then the world went dark.

Then, suddenly, a flash of light – and the sound of voices.

"That's all you're gonna write?"

"Yeah, that's all."

"But that doesn't make sense! How're they gonna find you if you don't tell 'em to meet you at the Drenched Bluff?"

"Heh... it has to do with one of the Pokemon who's part of Team Returners. I told you he's a human who was turned into a Pokemon, right?"

"Yeah, but... how's that help them know where to go? Couldn't we have just gone to Treasure Town and told them?"

"N-No, I... don't think that'd be a good idea... but anyway, aside from being an explorer, one of the leaders of Team Returners has a special ability. And, with a little luck, just sending them this letter will be enough. Now c'mon, junior, it's time you got to bed."

"Aww... alright. Can I keep the fire going? It's kind of cold in here tonight."

"Sure thing, junior, as long as it's not burning too bright. I'll be back soon."

Suddenly, there was another flash of light, and...

"Bill... Bill, wake up!"

My eyes shot wide open as an instinctive jolt ran through my nerves, shaking me out of my unconscious trance, and I gazed up towards the darkening sky; Rose, Cyan and Erin all stared down at me, concern etched deeply on their features. As I sat up, my partner gently nuzzled me, while the two younger Pokemon took a couple steps back and sighed in relief, Cyan slapping his tail against the ground in the meantime.

"What happened, Bill?" Erin piped up; I tried not to wince at how loudly she spoke, despite my headache rapidly fading away. "Did'ja get dehydrated or something? As soon as you fainted, we ran right over!"

"No, it..." I shook my head, mulling over what I'd heard in the vision, heart beating quicker in realization. I glanced at Rose and shook my head in wonder. "It was a Dimensional Scream, and this Chronicler guy wanted me to have one so we'd learn where to meet him."

"What...!?" The Ninetales breathed in, her expression turning utterly shocked, and she quickly sat down next to me and leaned in, planting a paw on my lap as she snuggled close, her blue scarf tickling at my shoulder. Her tails curled and uncurled nervously, and I reached up to wrap a reassuring arm around her. "That's... oh my goodness. H-How long has it been since you had one, Bill? And why would he do that instead of just telling us?"

"Wait, y'mean those weird dream things y'got back when th'two o'you were apprentices still?" Cyan asked, reaching into his helmet to scratch behind his stubby ears, then pulling his hiking pack off of his back and letting it flop to the ground with a heavy thud. Erin sat down next to his bag, rooting through some of its pockets as the Samurott began to make camp, scraping bark from the stumps to serve as firewood. "What'd y'see?"

"I didn't see anything, but I heard his voice," I replied with a shake of my head, aura tassels bumping against the treasure bag, and I slowly slid the straps off of my shoulders, calming down and settling in for the night. Rose smiled softly at me, then walked over to the growing pile of tinder that our teammate was making, crouching low and readying herself to spit embers. "He didn't want to go into town for some reason, but..."

I glanced up, my gaze turning towards the gray, craggy outcrop off on the horizon, tiny streams glittering in the fading light. "But I know where he is."