Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Tale of Time
By BlueAuraHero
Chapter 1: Beginnings
The future was not a peaceful one. Everything was grey in color. The land and the sky were enshrouded in darkness. In this place, time was frozen. The sun never shined, the wind never blew, and boulders were even floating in the air. The air was eerily still.
A boy was walking with his partner through a forest. The human boy had short, black hair and brown eyes. He wore a blue jacket with a slightly torn white t‑shirt underneath, along with black pants and shoes smeared with mud.
His companion was a green reptilian creature with a red belly, three leafy blades on his wrists, and a long, green leaf growing out of its head.
"Grovyle, how much further?" the boy asked.
"Not much further now, were almost there, Steve," Grovyle replied.
The duo walked into a clearing. Steve glanced around. There was nothing particularly out of the ordinary except for a rock shaped like a Pokémon species the boy did not recognize.
"Remind me what we're doing again," Steve said.
Grovyle sighed. "We need to find Celebi…"
"Yeah."
"Have her open the Passage of Time…"
"Right."
"Then we travel to the past," Grovyle finished, then added, "so we can change this terrible future."
Steve nodded, his brown eyes shining. This future was indeed terrible. The boy and the Pokémon wanted nothing more than to get rid of this dark future they lived their miserable lives in.
"Stop right there!"
Steve jumped at the booming voice. Grovyle cursed.
The voice belonged to a grey Pokémon hovering in the air. A single, red eye was glowing in the near darkness.
"Dusknoir," Grovyle growled at the figure.
"Grovyle," the Pokémon known as Dusknoir said, "you know I cannot allow you two to change the future." His gaze fell upon the boy. "There is too much at stake."
"We know the risks and were going take them," Grovyle spat. He turned to the boy and shouted, "Run!"
Steve turned and ran, just as Dusknoir attempted to rush in and attack him, but Grovyle blocked the Ghost-type's attack.
"You can't stop us, Dusknoir!" Grovyle yelled. "We're going to change this future for the better!"
Dusknoir smirked. "Oh, but my minions will surely stop the boy from going anywhere."
Farther ahead, the human boy was surrounded by several purple Pokémon with blue gems for eyes. They were Dusknoir's minions, the Sableye.
"Meh heh heh heh…" the Sableye laughed creepily and closed in on the human.
Steve took a blue orb out of his pocket. "I should probably save this Wonder Orb for later, but what the heck." He tossed it at the ground, and a blinding, white flash erupted from the orb.
"Wah! Can't see, can't see!" the Sableye cried.
Steve was unaffected by the flash because he had shielded his eyes with his arm. Grovyle came hopping in a moment later.
"Come on, Steve! We have to go!" the Grass-type said urgently.
"Right!" the boy replied, and the duo dashed forward into the forest, away from the blinded Sableye.
"You fools!" Dusknoir hovered up to the Sableye several seconds later. "After them!"
"Y-yes, M-Master Dusknoir, sir," they said. They ran after the Grovyle and the boy, trying to shake off their temporary blindness.
"That was a close one," Steve said, panting for breath.
"You don't say," Grovyle replied sarcastically, not as winded as the boy.
They had arrived at the portal they were searching for. Steve had found some texts in ancient ruins that mentioned the Passage of Time. It would allow someone to travel to the past, or vice versa. The petite, pink Pokémon named Celebi could help them. She was hovering in front of the portal, clearly waiting for the boy and his partner to arrive. Two green antennae like things stuck out of her head, and she had warm, green eyes. Small green wings adorned her back.
Grovyle stepped up to the pink Pokémon. Celebi was quite small for a legendary Pokémon, and the last time the boy questioned her size and appearance, she got a little irritated.
"Hello, Celebi," Grovyle greeted. "Is everything ready?"
"Yep." Celebi smiled. "The Passage of Time is ready to go."
Steve and Grovyle nodded to each other and approached the portal.
"So this will take us back into the past, huh?" Steve said.
"Yes," Grovyle responded. "We will change the future."
"We will change the future!" Steve echoed, and the boy and the Grass‑type Pokémon leapt into the Passage of Time.
The Passage of Time was a colorful tunnel of lights, and Steve and his partner were gliding through it. Unbeknownst to Grovyle, a purple blob was following them. Steve noticed it though. Was it something from the tunnel, or was it someone's last‑ditch attack, he didn't know. But he felt that blob radiated dark energy. He knew he had to protect his partner, like he did so many times before.
"Grovyle, watch out!"
"Huh?" Grovyle was suddenly swung around by the boy as the blob flew closer.
"Argh!" Steve cried out when the blob came in contact with his back. White hot pain erupted across his back, and he shut his eyes tight.
"Whoa!" Grovyle yelped, concerned for his partner. "Are you okay? What was that?"
"I-I'm okay," Steve whimpered, but Grovyle could see he was not okay. He could also see they were drifting apart.
"Steve, grab my hand!" Grovyle reached out to the boy, who was drifting farther away from him.
"I'm trying!" Steve cried. "I'm t-trying!" Their fingertips brushed together for a split second, before they were launched forcibly away from each other.
"WAAHHHH!" the boy screamed as he was sent flying away through the tunnel.