And, here we are again folks, another dive into the halarity that is the ANI/ToF cast. Only this time, they're in a rather unusual setting. From the game centric universe of the main stories, to one of a different series.

You guessed it. Mystery Dungeon. It's finally in the firing line.

And, me being me, I had to go and point out that even the simplest "E-Rank" missions are not quite so easy when our favorite fire lizard is involved.

So, anyway, enjoy. And, if the need takes your fancy, feel free to comment. I don't bite, hard.

Complications - Floor One and the Bandits

Flame had to wonder, just what he was doing here. Sunlight filtered down through the wood's trees, the breeze making his tail flame flicker. The place hadn't changed one bit since his last visit, not that it made him feel any better. Adjusting the brown cloth bandana around his neck, checking that the gold-coloured badge was still attached, before tilting his fedora slightly to keep the sun out of his eyes, the Charmander sighed. Here he was, the Pokemon who'd helped save the world, took down Groudon, put Gengar in his place... and he was in Tiny Woods.

Tiny-fucking-Woods. Still, at least he was free from the incessant nagging of his usual partner, that Eevee could go on for hours... but she seemed to think that he could handle this mission on his own, after forcing him into it by pointing out that the rest of the team was dealing with all the good stuff, and he wasn't allowed to stay at the Team's base on his own. Flame growled to himself, reaching into the box tied to his waist and removing the slip of paper held in one of the compartments, checking up on just what it was he was supposed to be doing in this stupid place.

Okay, some Pichu'd gotten seperated from it's mother, and naturally the worried parent decided that, instead of looking for the kit herself, she'd put up a rescue note and get one of the clans to do it. Still, the Pichu was in trouble, and it was Flame's job to go rescue it. There were few new rescue teams, and his own was one of the few large enough to be considered a clan, so it fell on their little group to fill in. After all, someone had to rescue the poor, stupid, little kits from the dangers of Tiny Woods.

"Boy, did they pick the wrong Pokemon for the job..." Flame rolled his eyes, putting the rescue note back in his item box, quickly making sure his supplies were all there... in case of emergency, something Eevee was always going on about.

Yeah, like there'd be an emergancy in this place that required an Escape Orb, several berries, a Mega Elixar, and a bundle of Iron Spikes... Flame sighed, closing the item box, pulling his hat tighter onto his head, and carried on his way. Deeper into the woods. The sooner he got this mission over with, the sooner he could claim the best bed in the clan's base, and have a nice long nap. He clenched his claws, spinning and punching a tree, hearing something above him snap... an apple fell right into his waiting claws.

That went into the item box for later. The second one, however, that was munched on straight away, making up for the lack of breakfast after Jack had stolen it all. Flame laughed, stepping aside as a heavy branch fell from the tree, the Treecko had been sent on a mission with Girlia. Sure, it was to Thunderwave Cave, but Flame doubted that Jack'd come home in one piece. He threw the apple core away, continuing down the path, before freezing at the sound of crackling leaves... Ones that littered the pathway. Incoming...

The Pidgey came racing for him, screeching and flapping its wings, unable to take flight in the narrow path between the trees. Flame took one glance at it, cocked an eyescale, before stepping to the side of its charge, cracking it in the head with his tail as the bird passed. It hit the ground, dazed. A quick kick made sure it stayed dazed for quite a while longer.

"Stupid Ferals..." The Charmander growled, adjusting his hat from where it had started to slip with the sudden movement, "they're just wasting my time."

After the natural distasters started to quiet down, people had assumed that the Pokemon driven feral would soon calm down, yet their numbers seemed to be increasing. It was worrying a lot of the 'free-minded' Pokemon, to the point that they had many psychics and Porygon working to figure out the cause and a possible cure, but Flame didn't really care about any of that. He had a job to do, and he would do it, regardless of how many Ferals were in his way.

He'd already scoured most of this section of the forest, so the teleport gate could not be too far ahead. It would lead him into another section of the woods, closer to the lost Pichu, closer to being done with this damn mission, closer to being able to leave this damned section of the world. Infested with Wurmple and Sunkern, two Pokemon that Flame was not exactly fond of. But, there was still nothing he couldn't handle. He smirked again as he headed towards the end of the pathway, that opened out into a clearing.

But, as he reached the last corner, he heard voices. Talking... well, those weren't Ferals. The berserk Pokemon wouldn't speak a language understood by any, these were either civilians, or a Rescue Team... If the latter, there was a chance that he'd be able to pawn off the mission and go home. If the former, well, at least he could vent his frustration the way he knew best, loud shouting and cursing. The toothy grin that was forming on his face vanished the moment he stepped around the corner...

Three Pokemon, all wearing the badges that signified a rescue team, looked up as one... and, they had a hungry look. A Sandslash, a Machop, and an Electabuzz... all staring at him like he was a prize meal. But, then again, for bandits, "teams" that made a living stealing the inventories and missions of others, he probably was. Flame flexed his claws, noticing the ground type in front of him doing the same. Looks like this job was going to get interesting after all.

"Well, well, looks like we got ourselves a worthwhile catch," the Sandslash sneered, it's large white claws looking decidedly sharp as it took a step closer.

"You haven't caught me. Besides, I could take six of you, all at once, no problem." Flame countered, loosing the bandana around his throat.

"Haven't you got a bit of an ego?" The Marchop chuckled to itself.

"Not as much as you three lackeys, who think they can mess with a gold rank."

The three all just glanced at eachother, then back at Flame, before that started sniggering anew.

"Yeah, right! That's a good'un," the Electabuzz laughed, Flame venting a small puff of smoke in his frustration, "like a gold rank would be in Tiny Woods!"

"Can barely believe it myself. But, hey, someone's gotta beat crap out of you, teach you to prey on the newbies. And I know just the way to do it." The Charmander smirked, reaching up and grabbing ahold of the rim of his fedora, "Badaboom!"

He threw it, high into the air, the foolish bandits following it with their gaze, the hat proving to be an effective distraction. The Sandslash only noticed when it reached the arc of its flight, starting to fall, realising that it wasn't going to do anything. He looked back down, suddenly realising that Flame was much closer than before, just in time to witness the Metal Claw racing towards him, slamming into his lower muzzle. There was a loud, sickly crack as the steel uppercut put the ground type straight down. And he did not get back up.

Flame stepped back, away from the fallen Sandslash, grinning at the sight of the stunned expressions on the two remaining Pokemon. The Charmander kept a carefull eye on the two, making sure they didn't move closer just yet, as he held out a paw, his hat landing right in the awaiting palm, before being placed back upon his head.

"Okay, fuckwits," he laughed, letting a small plume of fire loose, watching the bandits wince and take a step back. "let's play."

The Electabuzz growled, finally snapping its partner out of its awe, before both of them clenched their fists, the electric type's throwing off sparks, as they charged as one. Straight into the smokescreen, throwing off their aims to the point that they sailed straight past Flame's head, one either side of him. It was a simple matter to simply back-paw them with Metal Claw as they went, knocking them free of the smokescreen, stunned.

"You two are no fun." He sighed, "Jeez, it's no wonder you pick on newbies, Bronze Ranks could kick your butts back to Pokemon Square!"

"We're just getting started!" The Electabuzz hissed, spinning back.

"Well hurry up, I'd hate to beat crap out of you before you reach your highest level of suck."

"You'll pay for that comment."

"Unfortunately, I didn't bring any money with me, so I'm gonna have to pay you in a beating; yours." Flame held one claw out, letting it's metalic status gleam in the filtered sun's light.

But, the Metal-Claw boosted salute also had another use, apart from driving the Electabuzz even closer to frothing at the mouth in pure rage. Flame could see movement in the faint reflection, movement that was not his own. He ducked, the Sandslash's own claws slicing through the space his head had occupied. However, the swipe caught the rim of his hat, knocking it loose. Flame snarled, watching the fedora rolling away, towards the Machop, as he reached up and grabbed ahold of the Sandslash's claws.

The Charmander pulled, yanking the ground type in front of him, Sandslash actually cursing as it took a smokescreen in the face, the second swing of its claws barely scratching the air in front of Flame's muzzle as the fire lizard slammed his own claws into his foe's upper muzzle this time, dropping it to the floor again. He had to leap back from a sweep from the Electabuzz's Thunderpunch, spotting the fighting type behind them pick up the fedora. His hat. In their paws.

Still, the fighting type was straining, trying to rip it apart, really piss off the Charmander. Why he thought it was a good idea, Flame would never know, nor care. All the fire type cared about was payback for the capture of his hat, even if the Machop had no chance in hell in actually tearing it in two. That thing was tough enough to take the abuse Flame put it though, a puny fighting type couldn't hope to match the material in strength. Flame charged, straight at the confused Machop.

The Electabuzz was in the way, but Flame knew how to get around that, it was a simple case of leaping onto the fallen Sandslash's back, driving its face even further into the dirt. Using the ground type as a platform, it was easy to use his momentum to simply fling himself forwards again, grabbing ahold of the Electabuzz's antenna as he did so, using them to vault over the yellow creature's head. The Machop looked up from its futile efforts, having flung the almost-invunerable hat to the side, just in time to get twin footpaws to the face.

The crunch as claws met snout, the way it's head jerked back, it's body crumpling to the floor... it was clear that the fighting type would not be getting up anytime soon.

"And Jack said that I'd never get to drop-kick someone..." Flame muttered, rubbing a slightly sore tail from his landing, placing the hat back on his head before moving on down the path. The Electabuzz came after him, somehow deciding that it could take the Charmander down solo, despite the rather brutal beatings it's comrades just took. Flame flipped open the red item-box tied to his waist, hitting a button in one of the compartments and activating the device built in. A red beam of light shot forth into his paw, solidifying and forming a large steel spike.

He didn't even need to aim, the narrow pathway was dead straight, it was just a case of point backwards, twist the base of the weapon, triggering a second device and sending the front half of the spike firing towards it's target. Then, Flame counted to three. There was a blast, a rush of air, a grunt of pain as the spike blew apart into shrapnel, ripping into yellow hide. It was safe to say that the Electabuzz would not be following him anymore.

"Way too easy."

There were no Ferals, which was a pleasent surprise, blocking the Charmander's path this time, as he headed further away from the brawl. He never understood those Ferals, they would attack anything that wasn't a Feral, even if it would clearly beat the hell out of them. It didn't make any sense, but it was something that Flame had grown used to. He hadn't had much of a choice, considering his line of work. And, speaking of being able to work, up ahead in another clearing, hovering a couple of feet off of the forest floor, was a glowing white orb.

The gateway. It would teleport him further into the forest, into another section, one closer to the target he had to rescue. Using his Team Badge as an amplifier, which would (if he was with others) send the entire group to a different district. And, with the rescue mission programmed into a device in his badge, the warp-orb wouldn't send him in the wrong direction either, so he wouldn't end up wandering around the forest forever. Of course, there had been several outbursts when he had first started the Rescue business, about how they couldn't just warp him straight there. There was some technobabble excuse about how the Ferals in the area interferred with the warp-device back in Felicity's hub, shortening its range to the point that those remote orbs were necessary. It was just another thing that Flame had grown used to.

But, no matter how much he was used to having to trudge through district after disctrict, before the orbs finally got him close enough to find his target, Flame couldn't stop himself rolling his eyes as he stepped towards the orb and held out his paw. The glowing grow brighter, the device scanning his rescue badge, locking onto the next area, before he felt the familiar ice-cold sensation rush through his veins as all turned white.

The glow faded and the wind rolled through the clearing. The orb's glow lessened once more. And Flame was gone, on his way once more. But, right behind him, the three bandits followed, not ready to give up the hunt just yet.