So, this is the first chapter of my own Mystery Dungeon novelization. I'm aware it's been done millions of times, but for me it's one of those scenarios where it's like, "it's not been done the way I want to see it done." Hence, this fanfic. Part of my goal with this is to do more than just novelize it, but also to expand it, so this is going to go a lot more in-depth into lore, geography, etc. than the games do, as well as substantially altering character personalities and character interactions to fit a more varied world. That, I feel, is hopefully what will make it interesting enough to my readers.

It should also be noted that Alti is my internet nickname; I wanted this to have the self-insert feel of the games but not be a total self-insert of me, which is why the character doesn't use my real name.

Also, even this prologue contains spoilers for the ending of the first Mystery Dungeon game, and the rest of the fic similarly has spoilers for the whole game. You have been warned.

It wasn't long after Alti had become champion of the Hoenn region that she woke up one morning to find herself in a completely unknown location.

She had no idea how to even begin identifying her surroundings, because not only was the place completely unfamiliar to her, but she couldn't sense it. She was definitely somewhere, but she had no idea of the spatial relations of the area. She also had no idea how long had passed since she was somewhere recognizable. Her perceptions of both time and space were, quite frankly, nonexistent.

It was fortunate, then, that what she was able to sense quickly grew to include two living beings. From what she could see in her mind's eye, one of them was a faintly-colored white-and-green Pokémon that she recognized as a Gardevoir (although she wasn't entirely sure why this Gardevoir was so much lighter-colored and almost transparent than regular Gardevoir – she should know, one member of her Pokémon team was a Gardevoir) and the other Pokémon –

It rose up above Alti – or it would have if she had had any sense of perspective, at least – and stared down at her through tiny green eyes. It was a quadruped, that much Alti could tell, almost entirely white in color except for a dark gray chest and gold rings that circled its midsection. Suddenly, Alti knew just what this was, even if she had never seen it before, based purely on the stories and sketch drawings she'd read and seen.

"Arceus," she breathed, beholding the massive creature with a sense of wonder. She didn't even know if Arceus could hear her or understand her, but it didn't matter because Arceus spoke to her a mere second later.

"Human!" it boomed, its loud voice both echoing everywhere around Alti and simultaneously sounding clear as day.

"Alti," said a softer voice, and Alti started, only to realize that the voice had come from the Gardevoir to Arceus' left – though how, Alti wondered, did this Gardevoir know her name? It wasn't her Gardevoir, she knew that much.

Alti could feel some annoyance radiating from Arceus – how she knew, she had no idea. Was she sensing something in the great Pokémon's posture? Was it some sort of telepathic thing? She couldn't tell. But yet again, it didn't matter, because a second later Arceus spoke again.

"Alti," he corrected himself. "Do you know where you are?"

Timid and taken aback at being addressed like this so abruptly, Alti hesitated for a second before stammering, "N-no, I don't."

"This is the Hall of Origin."

Suddenly, everything clicked in Alti's head. The Hall of Origin – the residence of Arceus, Dialga, and Palkia, most of time. Neither time nor space existed as humans and mortal Pokémon knew it – that's why I can't tell what is going on here, Alti realized. "I see… but… why?" Alti asked, her voice still high-pitched and shaky.

Arceus remained silent, and Alti worried that she had offended the great Pokémon or spoken out of turn – at least until the Gardevoir spoke. "You know of the Eastern Continents, correct?"

Alti blinked. What did they have to do with the Hall of Origin? "The… Eastern Continents? Yes, the continents in the Eastern Hemisphere where only Pokémon live, correct?"

"So you are informed," Gardevoir replied, which Alti took as confirmation she had described them correctly. "Recently, it has come to our attention that a disastrous event is going to befall the continent that the inhabitants refer to as the Stonelands. Humans do not have the technology to stop this event, even though they are aware of it. Therefore… the responsibility falls upon the Pokémon who have the ability to save the world to do so."

"Who are those Pokémon?" Alti inquired in a whisper. Her heart had caught in her throat at the very first mention of a disaster. She had been through enough disasters, and there was no need for another one.

"Rayquaza," spoke Arceus. "But someone needs to convince Rayquaza to stop the disaster. That's where you come in."

All Alti could do was just stare… and then say one word. "What."

"I know that sounds ridiculous," Gardevoir assured her. "But believe us when we say we think you're the only one that can do it."

Alti still was reeling at the revelation. It took a few seconds for her to compose herself enough to hastily say, "Uh, why me? Why can't you or Arceus do it?"

"We've looked far and wide," Gardevoir told her, "all throughout the Eastern Continents. No Pokémon shows enough promise. Getting desperate, we searched the human world… And we found you. As for why we can't have Arceus do it…"

Gardevoir shifted slightly, and Arceus drew itself up a bit as it responded to the question. "It is not purely about salvation," it explained. "It is just as much about hope. If these Pokémon feel that the only salvation was in the form of myself stepping in, that is not going to give them any hope for their ability to survive on their own. Therefore… I feel it has to be a lower Pokémon to convince Rayquaza –"

"Lower Pokémon?" Alti repeated, ignoring Gardevoir's flinch that she had just interrupted Arceus. "What are you talking about? I'm not a Pokémon. Wouldn't it be the same problem if a human showed up to convince Rayquaza to stop the disaster?"

Once more, Arceus and Gardevoir looked at each other before they responded to Alti… and as the seconds ticked by, Alti had a sinking feeling she knew what they were about to tell her.

"You will be a Pokémon."

Once again, Alti's only response was the word, "What."

"It is the only way. To prove to every Pokémon that even one of their own kind can save them and stop disasters. And no Pokémon was fit for the role. We sought someone with courage –"

"Ohhh no," Alti interrupted again. Her rising confusion and slight irritation was getting the better of her, and she didn't care when she sensed Arceus' eyes flash. "You must be joking. I don't have any courage."

"We believe so," Gardevoir said softly. "But I understand this may be hard for you. Take a minute to consider it."

Alti found herself doing as the Gardevoir requested, despite the cynical part of her thinking, I need more than a 'minute'! Her? Save the Pokémon world? Sure, she'd already once stopped Groudon from going on a rampage and putting Hoenn (and probably all the world) through a horrid heat death, but that wasn't courage. That was dealing with Pokémon… whom, powerful though they might be, were still susceptible to her own Pokémon's attacks and specifically Poké Balls. But to go through a world being a Pokémon herself? Trying to convince Rayquaza to save the world as a lowly Pokémon? That didn't take courage. That took foolishness!

And yet, Alti found herself thinking that maybe, just maybe, she might be up to the task. However, a few things nagged at her mind.

"Wait a second," she asked, "would I be a Pokémon forever, then?"

"No," Arceus told her. "Upon successful completion of the mission, you will be returned to the human world. The same amount of time will have passed, so if it takes you three months to stop the disaster, then when you return you will be three months removed from this current situation. As for your Pokémon…" At this, Arceus' golden rings glowed, and Alti's six Pokémon, looking slightly disoriented, appeared before her. "It is their choice what to do in the meantime. You may consult with them before you give your word – or lack thereof – to Gardevoir and myself."

"Thanks," Alti said softly as she looked to her Pokémon. Mentally changing gears, Alti began to address her six Pokémon about the situation.

It was a few minutes later that Alti had made her decision. She looked up from her Pokémon to where Arceus and Gardevoir were waiting patiently.

"My Pokémon say that they'd like to roam the world while I'm gone. That means… I'll do it. … On one condition," she added. "I don't believe I have the courage necessary to do this, whatever you might say, and I'm not entirely certain you're not just picking me because I might have been foolhardy enough to stand up to Team Magma and Groudon. So I have one request: if I'm truly as courageous as you claim, I shouldn't be deterred if I can't remember anything."

For a moment, both Gardevoir and Arceus were silent, and Alti was wondering if she had made a grave mistake. It seemed to make logical sense to her, she thought, if this was a test of her courage. So why were Gardevoir and Arceus not responding?

She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding when Arceus finally spoke. "We have the power to do that," it responded, although Alti thought she caught a hint of regret in the great white Pokémon's voice. "If that is what it takes for you to agree to this, then so be it. We will begin immediately."

Before Alti could respond, Arceus' rings glowed again, and Alti saw a veritable rainbow of colors and images flashing before her eyes.

"Good luck," she heard Gardevoir's voice say, although it was muddled, as though Alti were hearing it through water. "I'll be there to guide you…"

And before she could make sense of anything that was going on, the world turned black before her eyes and Alti collapsed into unconsciousness.