Prologue: Setting the Stage
Authors' Note: Hello everyone, and welcome to a very special project from us: A Breath of Fresh Air, a reimagining of the events of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky! We wanted to throw our proverbial hats into the ring and make something fun based off of a game series we love, and this is the result! Naturally, this passion project is only based on the core events of Explorers of Sky, so don't expect everything to stay the same. Some things may change: pacing, characters, locations, plot elements, and more! After all, what's the fun in simply writing straight novelization? Well, I suppose there is a lot of fun in that also, but I digress. With that in mind, we hope you enjoy our story!
The pitter-patter of footsteps and the breaking of twigs was the only sound I could hear as I rushed through the cold, dark forest as fast as I could. Desperately searching for my partner, I frantically glanced around the clearing I had just entered. A myriad of thoughts raced through my mind as I searched, "Did I get lost? Did he get lost? D-did he die? Oh, Gods no!" I was freaking out, unsure of so many things and how to respond to them. It was a surprise, then, to hear his voice call out to me from behind.
"Control yourself, Cobalt. I could hear you panicking from afar." It took all my willpower not the shriek out in fear as I turned around. Thankfully, I registered what my friend, a Grovyle, had said as he calmly entered the clearing.
I panted as the adrenaline from the shock raced through me, taking a few deep breaths to calm back down before responding. "Sorry, I don't know where to go, and I thought I lost you back there…"
He approached and patted my shoulder to comfort me. "It's alright, I understand-the forest is unfamiliar to you. We can rest here for a moment, if you wish?"
I nodded. He understood where I was coming from, that helped calm me down. "Y-yeah, thanks. I'm sorry, I know I agreed to this and all, but it's not anything like what I expected. Nothing's working out, and I just feel so useless..." I trailed off. Unsure of what to do, I slid down onto the ground and sighed out a mixture of frustration and desperation.
Grovyle was silent for a moment, as he gazed off deeper into the woods before questioning, "You are comparing your capabilities to that of my own, someone who has lived here for far longer than you have, is that it?" I nodded, he was right. He responded frankly, "It is not a fair comparison to make. You cannot expect to have even come close to mastering your new form in a matter of weeks, Cobalt. This line of thinking will only cause you to spiral into more self loathing, and is already clouding your judgment. We cannot waste time second guessing ourselves."
It was true. He read me like a book. I had nothing to refute his claims with, and hung my head in shame, silently looking down at the ground in front of me as I stewed in my inadequacy as a so-called chosen one. Grovyle noticed this, and put his hand on my shoulder to comfort me. "With that said, do understand that, yes, it may be a long road, but that also means you have a lot of room to grow still left ahead of you."
"What good is that if I end up dying before I get the chance to even use it?" I sulked.
He looked back at me with a determination in his eyes I had never seen before. "We won't be dying anytime soon, Cobalt."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I figured out a way to get out of this mess." He smirked, that was rare.
I looked up at him in shock, "What? How!?" But, as he started to respond, the distant sound of breaking branches and snickering echoed from beyond the trees. Both of us looked to one another, silently communicating that it was in our best interest to leave.
As we raced through the forest, I pressed Grovyle for more details. "So, what is the plan? I thought we'd run out of options already by this point."
He responded rather bluntly. "This isn't an option as much as it is a last resort." Not exactly comforted by this, I looked at him flatly. "We're completely out matched here," he continued. "Our enemies control the territory, and we're constantly on the run, unable to even stop to rest. So, we aren't going to keep fighting here, and instead will put ourselves into a more favorable position. Back in the past, before the planet's paralysis even took place, when we aren't faced with a threat on all sides."
I sputtered, it was a preposterous suggestion! "Dialga's the only one who can do that, and I don't see how we'd get any of the Gods to help us out. Besides, what does that have to do with running into this forest of all places?!" He looked back at me, as we entered a large clearing with a sheer rock face on the other side.
"They won't be the one sending us back in time." Grovyle pointed up to the top of the cliff. A strange, pink light gently fluttered down from the top of the cliff. "She will." As it came down to our level, the light shined brightly, and out of it flew a pink Celebi, who promptly tackle hugged Grovyle as fast as possible, causing him to stumble backward.
"My dearest Grovyle, you came back! I missed you so much!" the Celebi cried out in joy, as she buzzed around Grovyle's head with glee. I blinked at the sight in confusion, unsure of what to make of the situation.
"Now is not the time Celebi, you of all Pokémon should understand that!" Grovyle huffed out in annoyance.
"Quit your worrying! I know exactly what you're planning if you came back. I'll have the portal prepared for you right away!", Celebi remarked, fluttering her wings with pride. This whole time, I'd been standing on the sidelines, unsure of what to say or if I should interject, but before I got the chance to, Celebi spoke. "Who's the Riolu, by the way?"
"He's the Champion sent to help us. We've been working together in order to find the locations of the Time Gears for some time now." Grovyle answered.
Celebi gasped. "So you're the human Mew told me about!" She flew over to me and started circling around excitedly. "Are you really from the human world? Do all humans look like Riolu? Nono, that can't be right, Mew changed you, didn't she? It must be weird to be in a different body like that!" she barraged.
"I-I-" I stammered, overloaded with questions. "Uh, w-well you see-"
Grovyle cleared his throat. "You can ask him questions later. We've got to hurry!"
"Right, right, sorry," Celebi apologized, gliding back to where she hovered before. "I'll get right on it!" Celebi fell silent, and closed her eyes as if channeling some inner power.
"So, Celebi is going to take us back to the past?" I whispered, looking to Grovyle for answers.
He glanced around the clearing, seeing if we were still being followed. "Yes, she has the power to travel through time. Far enough to arrive before any of this happened, and give us a chance to actually stop this meaningless conflict!"
My eyes widened, finally understanding the situation at hand. "Oh! So that's why we were being followed in here! But wait, if they know we entered the forest they must know we're scheming something big and have gathered their forces to stop us!"
Grovyle smirked, "You're smart, and so are our enemies. But, they won't expect a Myth to show up on our side. For once, we have the element of surprise!" As if on cue, light started swirling around Celebi, forming numerous large arches above the ground that trailed off towards a large swirling blue mass of light before the cliffside, pulsing with energy.
Celebi exhaled and took a moment to collect herself. "Alright, that'll do it! Now get through there ASAP!"
I raised my fists into the air, ecstatic at a second chance to make things right. "Yes! I can't believe it, we can actually do this!" As I did so, leaves rustled and bright eyes shined through the dark undergrove of the forest behind us. All our head turned to see twinkling gemstones approaching on all sides. "Oh no… the Sableye, they're here!"
Celebi yelled out as she raced forward to meet the oncoming threat. "Get to the portal!"
"But-"
"Now!" she barked at me as she charged into the opposing force.
I turned around and ran for my life, seeing Grovyle diving into the portal already. Not looking back, I passed through each arch with determination, not willing to let this final chance slip through my fingers! As I stepped through the light, the last things I could register were the sounds of battle behind us.
As Cobalt's vision adjusted to the sight in front of him, an endless horizon of brilliant, shining spirals of color reflected in his eyes filled with awe. He hadn't seen such vibrant colors of life and beauty since he came to this world. A pull towards the one he was standing closest to dragged him closer. Grovyle already caught up in the vortex. "Grovyle, no!" he cried, scared that something awful was happening.
"It's alright Cobalt! This is our ticket back to the past!" Grovyle assured him as he slowly swirl inward - completely in awe at the gorgeous sight as well. With his friends words to put him at ease, Cobalt dove in head first with glee, laughing in jubilation.
Grovyle called out to Cobalt, "We're almost there Cobalt, I can see it, the world forming around us!" Sure enough, colors swirled around Cobalt. The smell of nature was all around him, the sounds of life sang, and the soft grass tickled his feet. He smiled wide, the sensations breathing new life into him after the stale, crushing darkness of the future. He opened his mouth, ready to yell out in glee, before Grovyle's eyes went wide with shock and fear as he saw something approach in Cobalt's blindspot. "Cobalt! Look out!" He shouted, scrambling to his feet as he rushed back up as fast as he could manage.
Before Cobalt could even register what he said, a sharp pain lanced through his leg. A set of dark claws, dripping with a black inky substance, tore into his leg. "Ah! Grovyle! S-something's wrong! I'm being pulled away! Help!" He screamed in terror, writhing around in pain and desperation. Grovyle leaped towards him, reaching out his arm as Cobalt tried to do the same, before another set of claws swiped at the grass type, uppercutting him with a loud smack. He careened into the eye of the swirling vortex.
"No!" Cobalt's voice cracked with agony at the sight of his friend fall away, sucked into the past. Cobalt slammed his paws over and over against the cruel force ripping him away from freedom, crying out in fear and pain, but his hits were hardly more than a sting for the beast. They turned him around, and he peered into the bright blue eyes of a figure coated in darkness. With murderous intent, it wrapped its other hand around his abdomen with an extreme amount of force-he could feel his bones bending under the immense pressure. Any more of this, and he'd be eviscerated. He cried out in pain, his whole body feeling as if it was on fire. He was so close, was this really the end?
No, not after everything that he sacrificed to be here. He couldn't let his chance to make a difference in the world and show those around him he was capable go to waste! He screamed in rage, "I… am not done yet!" feeling a great desire to bring karmic justice swell like a raging inferno within his chest. He looked down on this abomination that dared to tear his life away from him in such an inhumane manner. "You will not get away with this! YOU MURDERER!" By sheer force of will, Cobalt broke free of the talons with his bare paws. He surged forward and smashed his fists straight into the beast's face over and over with a furious cry.
An ear splitting screech echoed about as it recoiled in pain. Involuntarily, it swatted Cobalt away with a hard blow to the head. He skipped off the spiraling vortex of energy, as he tumbled through the air into a completely different spiral. The last things he could register were an inhuman cry of frustration, the sound of booming thunder, the flash of lightning, and a dull thud as he collided with wet sand, before everything went dark.
END PROLOGUE