Author's Note: I don't own Pokemon or the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series, this story is merely for entertainment and non-profit purposes. Rated M for violence and sexual themes later on.


Uhg…

W-where…am I?...

I couldn't recall anything previous at the moment. My brain was foggy and I couldn't think straight. Something like a needle stung through the center of my already-throbbing skull. I must be dehydrated…

When I tried to move, I couldn't reach for more than a few mere inches before my hand grazed an unseen wall. Everything on my body ached, like I had been beaten several times over. It was a struggle to lift my hand when I tried to find an escape route, but I failed to do so when I realized that the place I was located was a box, preferably cardboard as I examined further. The container was only large enough for me to sit in, but nothing else. I couldn't stretch my legs or my arms all the way even If I wanted to.

When I tried to sit up, I nearly cried out in pain, but with some awkward shuffling, I managed to sit up from my once-lying form.

I had a feeling something else wasn't completely the same…about me, that is. My breathing was way too fast, though I wasn't trying to panic. Seeing how there were no ventilation holes whatsoever in the space I was provided in, I couldn't help but wonder why I was in such an enclosed and dark place. I don't tend to be claustrophobic either, but my mind was boggling with the idea that the walls were slowly closing in on me. Slowly, but surely… No, no, no…It's my imagination… right.

I tapped on the wall feverishly with my left hand, the intensity of the situation reigning down on me like an anvil. I tapped again, a bit harder this time, hoping to attract some attention from the outside. With no luck, I pounded with both of my hands, on the ceiling this time.

"H…H-hey…!" I yelled weakly. It sounded more like a whisper due to the condition of my throat. It had been like I was screaming before, and it was sore, at a previous state. Strangely enough, I couldn't remember why I was in the box in the first place. My shoulders hurt even more from trying to beat the sides of the container, so I gave up and continued to yell. "C-ca-" I coughed violently, almost throwing up. My stomach warned me that anymore physical movement could make the situation go from bad to worse. "Can anyone hear me…?"

I doubted my own words. When I had tried to push up on the ceiling of the box, I felt as though something was keeping it in place, like a very large man was sitting on the top of it.

"H-help me…!" I said, banging on the walls once again. Heavy needles spread through my shoulder as I do so. "Hey!"

I didn't want to do it anymore. After a few minutes, I felt the sting of tears meet the lids of my eyes. The dark, still air was becoming more stuffy and humid as I moved and shuffled. I pushed with my aching legs to try and pry the walls of the box apart, only to discover that the walls weren't made of normal two-ply cardboard, but a thick, rigid material used for shipping heavy loads over a long distance.

Am I… a package?

The thought made me want to cry even more. I could have been some kind of piece for human trafficking, shipped to please some nasty drug dealer who kills people and makes money off of cocaine he sells.

Don't think like that…I thought, bringing my sore legs to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. This isn't going to be bad…It'll work out…don't worry.

I then realized I couldn't remember anything. Nothing. Not a single thing before I woke up.

Even my name was gone. And I couldn't remember why.

About an hour goes by. There is no movement outside the box; no shaking, no vibrations, no rattling. The silence is like a bell in my ear, constantly ringing with no signs of ceasing. My face feels hot from the humid air and the wetness on my cheeks.

Will I die here? The thought crosses my mind suddenly. It's a miracle I haven't run out of oxygen yet…

I supposed it wouldn't be so bad if I did die the way I imagined. I mean, it could be drowning, or worse. I might feel a pain in my chest and head for a few moments, due to the body's natural need of a constant supply of oxygen. But it should be over after that, shouldn't it? Another thought crosses me reluctantly.

Wait…I really should have been killed a long time ago because of no air…which means…

Somewhere there was a leak.

With all the strength I could muster, I leaned over to the right side of the box and pushed with my body as hard as I could, the hope somehow regaining itself in my head that I thought was long gone. At a point where the potency in my body was practically depleted, I managed to topple the box over onto its side, the impact crushing my left shoulder. After cringing for a few seconds, I turned around in the box to see that there was an opening, tiny, but visible, on one of the bottom corners where the floor was. I carefully made my way to this opening; it was no bigger than the width of my index finger. I tried to lean forward to see through the hole, and when I did, all I saw was blue and green, so I concluded that I was outside somewhere...My stomach twisted anxiously at the thought. With one hand the left-hand wall, the other peeping through the hole, I pulled with as much power as I could find, hoping to enlarge the hole enough for me to escape. Sweat trailed off of my already-sweating forehead, and landed in various spots on the ground. My muscles felt like they were about to fall off, but I didn't feel like giving up just yet. I was going to escape this cardboard prison no matter what.

"Oh, hey, look!" I froze, the voice outside gave the impression that it was about 80 meters away, but drawing nearer. "It's a box! Quick, go get Riolu!" it sounded high-pitched and feminine, although I couldn't recall any names they conversed about. Without thinking, I pulled my hand from the hole and tried my best to hide myself in the shadowed box.

"No, no! He'll just make us get rid of it or something," a deeper, but childish, voice responded. Something like feet walking through tall grass reverberated across the landscape, informing me that I didn't have much longer before the strangers got to my location. "Wait, did you guys just see that?"

The movements outside ceased momentarily, followed by whispers out of earshot. Absolutely terrified, I controlled my breathing only because I didn't want to be found by killers.

"What do you think it is?" one of the voices said, louder this time. This one was also high-pitched, but a little slower. Right now, as I counted, there were three different people outside of the box. I heard only one of them continue to draw closer, the noises of their feet resembling the shuffling of grass. "I bet it's another pokemon…"

My mouth twitched at the word. Did they just say…pokemon?

"Yeah right, in that thing?" the child's voice played, apparently not moving. I placed my ear on the side of the still-darkened box in which the sounds were coming from, trying to believe that these were not hostile barbarians. "There's no other pokemon for miles around, in any direction. It's only us in this place. And Riolu and the others."

I was very confused at why they kept talking about pokemon. The last I heard, it was just a card game or something, but at this point, I would let anything save me from this death-trap…as long as they don't kill me first.

"Well, we're never gonna know what's inside it if we don't look," the feminine voice concluded. "Ya know, it could be something awesome. Like food or something."

"Pfft, no way," said the slow voice. "If its anything, the logical explanation is that it's a pokemon and it needs help." I imagined that the other two other voices were nodding at the slow one's explanation.

"Right, yeah, that too," said the female voice again, agreeing with the slow one. "Well, let's check it out, then." They started to walk again, as I heard. I didn't know if I was being rescued or about to be killed. Based on their conversation, they do not seem hostile. But then again, they could be tricking me. I was in a box after all.

"Wait…!" I said hoarsely, loud enough for the strangers to hear. They stopped walking immediately. There was no wind outside to occupy the ear-splitting silence. My mind suddenly went blank, as I didn't know what to say to the people outside. I heard a soft rustling in the grass, as if someone were either drawing nearer or retracting.

"Is…is someone…" the childish voice called out quizzically. "…in there?"

I felt yet another glimmer of hope, and continued to assume the strangers outside were not hostile. I tried to respond again, but to my demise, my throat felt like it was ripped apart and I broke into a half-coughing, half-crying sort of fit. The pain was unbearable. I leaned onto one side of the box to keep myself upright, but it did no good. My arm slipped right from under me and I fell on the hard cardboard floor, my right shoulder erupting in a rage of soreness when it made impact. More sounds came from outside, along with concerned voices and movements of the box.

"Oh, Arceus!" someone shouted, choking on their own words. "Someone get Riolu! Hurry!"

"Yeah!" another agreed, running off into an unknown direction.

My whole body went numb once again, mind shifting like sand into yet another state of useless unconsciousness, and I drifting away into a deep, aching sleep. It didn't feel natural for me to just fall asleep like that, either, with all the commotion that was going on. Then again, nothing that went on in the last few minutes would be considered a normal thing. What would other people think in this scenario? No familiar names came to mind as the thought passed.

Normally, I would wait until everything got quiet, then I would rest, like on quiet Sunday afternoons after lunch. Man, sleeping back then would be considered heaven. The sheets were so soft and felt like angel feathers.

Why can't… I remember…my name? I mentally shivered at the chilling notion; bright, blurred light filled what view I still beheld, my psychological state wafting into an empty, infinite darkness.

"Are you okay…?" A figure approached me, almost kneeling at my side, their silhouette fading abruptly. I could compare their words to someone I've known for a long time who cares about me. "Don't worry, we'll take care of you."

Thanks.