Amy, Chikorita, and the Echoes of Time
The new and improved game script by Amy Donovan
(Please read and review, especially if you want to point out a line of dialogue you either really like, or want to suggest a new one that I should add/replace.)
Welcome! As you may or may not know, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky all have thoroughly moving and epic storylines. Unfortunately, they also unfairly suffer from second-rate unrealistic dialogue! So this is my effort to take the original script and add my own touches to it. Hopefully the characters' motivations, personalities, and beliefs will be clearer with more realistic dialogue. The main characters are a Jigglypuff named Amy and her new best friend Chikorita. Here are a few things to note: One, all the major storyline events and plot twists remain unchanged. Two, the only things that do change are the dialogue and the idiosyncratic things the main characters do. Three, there are no flashbacks since it's easy to tell whenever a character is referring to something in the past. And finally, this story is full of spoilers! Do not read if you plan to get said games anytime soon!
Chapter 1: A Storm at Sea
The story starts in the time tunnel, as something—or someone—is attacking Amy and Grovyle!
Amy: AAAAH! Wh—wh—whoa! Wha—what's going on?
Grovyle: Are…are you okay, Amy?
Amy: Yeah, but...what was that?
They're attacked again, and none of them can see where it's coming from! It's completely dark, and though they try to hang on to each other as hard as they can, it's evident that the turbulence won't allow them to hold on much longer.
Grovyle: No! Don't let go! Just a little longer…Come on! Hang on!
Amy: But…I can't…*gasp*! LOOK OUT!
This time, only Amy sees the attack—and it's headed right for Grovyle! She swings around to take the blow instead, and it tears them apart!
Grovyle: NO!
Amy: GROVYLE!
Both: WAAAAAAAAAH!
Sharpedo Bluff. A massive thunderstorm is raging, and the sea's waves are extremely intense. Whoever's living up there must not be getting much sleep. That morning, a Jigglypuff washes up on the seashore.
Amy: Uurgh…Where…Where am I?
She tries waking up, but fails, and faints again. Meanwhile, that evening, a Chikorita is standing in front of the Wigglytuff Guild, pacing back and forth.
Chikorita: Nngh…Okay! This is it! (This is the day I join the Guild and form an exploration team!)
She stops pacing, stares at the guild, and starts walking towards it.
Chikorita: (You can do this, Chikorita.) Okay—guts…guts…guts!
The moment she steps over the weird grating in the entrance, a voice emits, and she runs away like there's no tomorrow!
Diglett: Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!
Loudred: Whose footprint is it?
Chikorita: EEEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!
Diglett: The footprint is—oh, dangit. She ran away. She ran away.
Loudred (exasperated): I bet it was Chikorita. Again. (What the heck does she want, anyway?)
A few seconds later, two bumbling "gangsters", Koffing and Zubat, appear from out of nowhere. They talk entirely in chatspeak, yet this is the only time they also speak mechanically and comedically, almost as if they were reading from a script.
Koffing: Yo, Zubat.
Zubat: Yeh, Koffing?
Koffing: Did u c dat?
Zubat: I did, Koffing.
Koffing: Dat n00b owned a l33t thing, didn't she?
Zubat: She did, Koffing. A very l33t thing.
Koffing: Do Wii go afta her?
Zubat: Wii do.
The two nod at each other and swagger their way down the stairs to where Chikorita ran. At the beach…the Krabbys' bubbles reflect the setting sun and create an atmosphere of peace, harmony, and beauty. Chikorita arrives and stops, gasping for breath. She turns and sees the beautiful sight.
Chikorita: *huff*…*huff*…*huff*…Whew! That was close!
Huh? Whoaaaa…
She takes it all in for a few more seconds and then sets down her Relic Fragment.
Chikorita: (…I thought I'd be able to enter the guild with this, but…I don't have enough guts, after all. They still scare me, even after all this time. But…ever since I found this…I just knew there's so more to this world than we think there is. Why does the sun rise and set? How does time flow? Why are there so many questions that can't be answered? I wish I could someday explore the world and find the true meaning of life. But most of all, I wish…I wish…) ...I wish I had a friend.
The sunset gleams off the Relic Fragment, pointing to the left. Chikorita looks the same way, and she sees that same Jigglypuff lying facedown on the sand!
Chikorita: *gasp*!
She picks up her Relic Fragment and runs towards the Jigglypuff, concerned for her safety.
Chikorita: Are—are you okay? Wake up! Say something! PLEASE!
Amy: …Ugh…?
The Jigglypuff slowly gets up and faces Chikorita, feeling unusually dull in the head.
Chikorita: *whew*…You're awake! For a moment there, I thought you might've...
Amy: (W…who is this?)
Chikorita: Do you remember how you got zonked out here?
Amy: Huh? (I…I was zonked out? What happened…?)
Chikorita: I'm Chikorita. Nice to meet you!
Amy: Oh! Right, right. Uh…My name is Amy. I'm a human, okay? Not an—
She was about to say "an alien" out of some unknown habit, but Chikorita interrupts her.
Chikorita: A human? B—b—but you look like a totally normal Jigglypuff to me! (What is a human, anyway? In fact, what kind of name is "Amy"?)
Amy: …A what?
Amy looks at herself, finds her limbs much stubbier than usual, and rushes to the ocean just to be sure. Staring back at herself is—
Amy: WOO-HOO! I'm a Jigglypuff! I'm a Jigglypuff! Da da da da da, DA! Da da da da da, DA!
While she sings and dances what looks like an expertly choreographed victory dance (again, from some unknown habit), Chikorita takes a step back in fear, somehow getting the feeling that she's missing a lot.
Chikorita: Um...uh…Are you okay?
Amy: Are you kidding? This is the best day EVER! See, I used to be a human, but I decided that if I were to be one Pokémon in the world, it would be a Jigglypuff! And then…that storm…the sea…the…uh…uh-oh. How did this happen, again?
Chikorita: I dunno. You tell me.
Amy closes her eyes and tries to think back…and comes up with a blank!
Amy: (Oh no! I…I can't remember anything!) No! NOOOO!
Just then, Amy sees Koffing and Zubat charging, intent on crashing into Chikorita!
Amy: LOOK OUT!
Chikorita: Huh?
WHAM! Too late. The Relic Fragment drops!
Koffing (sarcastically): Well, ex-cyuuuuuuuuse me. ;)
Chikorita: Owwww…Wh—What was that for?
Zubat: Heh-heh-heh. n00b! Whaddya think?
Suddenly, Chikorita realizes what they're up to! But before she can move, Zubat (somehow, with his mouth?) grabs the Relic Fragment!
Chikorita: No! That's—
Zubat: Yoink!
Chikorita: AAAAH!
Koffing: Whoa-ho-ho! Whut's wrong? Too…chicken 2 get yer l33t Precious back? C'mon, Zubat. Let's skedaddle.
Zubat: C ya l8er, n00b chicken! Heh-heh-heh. (LOL XD)
In less than half a second, Koffing and Zubat dart out of there into the Beach Cave. Amy and Chikorita are stone-still; Amy with shock, Chikorita with sadness.
Amy (outraged): Wh—what the…
Chikorita (teary-eyed): No…that was…that was my…! Someone! Anyone! HELP!
She breaks down wailing. Amy can't help but try to comfort her as best as she can.
Amy: ...Chikorita? I might not know a thing about this world, or you, or my past, or anything at all…but I do know that no one deserves to be treated that way. Would you feel better if…if I got it back for you?
Chikorita: …! You mean it, Amy? Th—thank you…s—so…WAAAAAAAAH! (No one's ever been this nice to me before!)
She breaks down wailing again, so Amy has to comfort her again before they can get moving. They proceed through the Beach Cave, learning how to fight, travel though a dungeon, use items and all that good stuff. Soon, they arrive at the Beach Cave Pit, where Koffing and Zubat are stuck at a dead end. Amy helps Chikorita confront the meanie-butts.
Chikorita: Uh…Hey!
Koffing: Well, well, well. It's teh n00b chicken!
Chikorita (shaking): G—give it back, please! I really really need it!
Zubat: Yer Precious, heh? It's really dat l33t of a thing, heh?
Koffing: It must b a reelly reelly l33t Precious worth billions! Hey, I know! Let's sell it & make bling! $$ XD
Amy and Chikorita: WHAAAAAAT?
Amy (seething with anger): She said give it back! Now GIVE IT!
Zubat: Heh-heh-heh! Not unless u put up yer dukes Wii won't! All n00bs r 2 b haxored by us l33t gangstas!
Koffing: U = n00bs, Wii = l33t. Prepare 4 total pwnage!
Zubat and Koffing: WOOT! WOOT! WOOT! WOOT!
They fight. Amy gathered so many Pecha Berries that whenever Koffing tries to blow Poison Gas on her and Chikorita, she simply eats one. As a result, Amy and Chikorita beat the baddies so badly, it's almost sad. For all of their "l33t" talk, they actually haven't battled a day in their lives.
Koffing: Owowow…
Zubat: H…how could dem n00bs…pwn us? Ugh…here! Take yer Precious!
He drops the Relic Fragment, and Chikorita swiftly pick it up. She and Amy are so happy they perform an impromptu victory dance, which of course makes the meanie-butts cringe even more.
Amy and Chikorita: YAAAAY!
Koffing: Dat pwnage wuz a fluke! U heer me? A fluke! Fluke! F-L-U-C!
Zubat: Yeh…whut he sed!
They flee. Amy and Chikorita also leave and stop by the beach.
Chikorita: Thank you, Amy! Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you—
Amy (thinking hard): (I only helped because I happened to be there…But judging by the way she's thanking me that much…I guess that was the right thing to do after all!)
Chikorita: —Oh, and by the way…this is it.
She sets down the stone for Amy to examine.
Chikorita: I call it my Relic Fragment. You see, from the day I found it, I somehow knew…that this must fit into something, somewhere! Not just that—I knew there was more to this world than meets the eye. Who knows how many ancient stories there are, how many mysteries waiting to be solved! Don't you think so, too? That's why…it's always been my dream to form an exploration team—so I can explore the world and one day find this Relic Fragment's true purpose. What about you, Amy? What are you going to do now?
Amy: I…don't know.
Chikorita: Well then…uh...I have a big favor to ask.
Amy: What is it?
Chikorita: W—would you…Would you form an exploration team with me? Please?
Amy: Uh… (Whoa whoa whoa! What should I do! I don't even know what the heck this "exploration team" is! But…I can't remember anything…I don't have anywhere to go…So maybe…I should…) I…I want to find out who I was before.
Chikorita (downcast): Oh. I see.
Amy: So maybe…the best way to do that…is to join with you.
Chikorita (lighting up): You mean—?
Amy: Yes. Whatever this is, let's do it, Chikorita!
Chikorita: Yay! Thank you thank you thank you! I promise I won't let you down! We're going to be the best exploration team ever! Let's do our best, okay, Amy?
Amy: Okay! (Somehow, I get the feeling...that this is the best decision I'll ever make!)
They dance their victory dance again, ready to start their adventure—and destiny—together.
Narrator: And so, Chikorita and Amy formed an exploration team. This turned out to be their very first step into many fantastic realms of adventure that awaited their arrival...and most importantly of all, their search for what it truly means to live.
To be continued…