I started writing this story on Super Bowl Sunday, but never got around to posting it here. I wanted to upload it the next day, but I got lazy, and a day later, my computer broke, so I had to use my dad's computer to write the next two chapters. But now my computer's fixed and I can finally upload this fic!

Oh, and if you care, I'm discontinuing my other chaptered fics for reasons I've stated when I posted this on deviantArt. Also, when I get HeartGold, I'll be taking a hiatus from this fic to focus on that. So anyway, enjoy the fic!

"Gah!"

"Are you okay, Rain?"

"I'm fine, just don't let go!"

*FLASH*

"Rain, I can't hold on anymore!"

*FLASH*

"Waah!"

"RAIN!!!"

Atop the highest cliff in Treasure Town, a boy of about fifteen stood in front of a grate situated in front of a building shaped like a pink Pokemon with long ears known as Wigglytuff. He had blond hair and onyx eyes and wore a yellow shirt with brown stripes, black shorts, and white-and-yellow boots, as well as a necklace made from a small stone and a piece of rope. The most curious details about him, though, were his pointed, black-tipped yellow ears and his yellow tail shaped like a bolt of lightning.

"Okay, Pikachu, you can do this," he told himself "All you have to do is stand on the grate, and they'll let you in. You've got your personal treasure with you, so you can do no wrong." He clutched the necklace close to his heart and took a deep breath.

Pikachu started to change shape. His clothes receded into his body as he grew yellow fur in the same style as his clothes. When he finished his transformation, he stood a little over a foot and resembled a mouse-like creature. He then stepped onto the grate.

"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!" a voice shouted from below the grate.

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?" another voice replied.

"The footprint is- he ran away again!" It was true. Pikachu had scurried off of the grate in panic. He sighed.

"I can't do it," he said dejectedly. "After thirteen tries..."

"Fourteen!" the first voice shouted.

"YOU'RE NOT HELPING!!!" Pikachu bellowed. The voice was silent after that. "After fourteen tries, I still can't work up the courage to go in…" Pikachu changed back to his human form and made his way towards the beach.

Unbeknownst to Pikachu, two people were spying on him. One was a male with a purple afro and yellow eyes, wearing a sleeveless purple shirt with a skull and crossbones on the front and purple pants and shoes.

The other was a male with light blue hair and sunglasses that covered his eyes. He wore a simple blue shirt with long purple sleeves and blue shorts and sandals.

"Check it out, Zubat," the first male said. "That wimp had something valuable, didn't he?"

"He had something, Koffing," agreed the second male, Zubat. "Let's go after it." With that, Zubat and Koffing followed Pikachu to the beach.

At the beach, the Krabby had started blowing bubbles, which reflected on the water and the setting sun. Pikachu had just arrived and was instantly taken by the sight.

"I can't believe I tried to join Wigglytuff's Guild fourteen times… and chickened out every time…" sighed Pikachu. "Oh well. At least the Krabby are out tonight. And the bubbles are just as beautiful as ever." He sat down on the sand, losing himself in his favorite pastime.

A low moan broke Pikachu out of his daze. He turned in its direction and saw an unconscious blue penguin Pokemon. He rushed over to the Pokemon just as it woke up. This caused Pikachu to breathe a sigh of relief.

"You're awake! Thank goodness!" he said happily.

"Where… am I?" the Piplup asked groggily.

"You're on a beach near Treasure Town. You were zonked out right around here," Pikachu explained.

"Anyway, I'm Pikachu! Glad to meet you, Piplup!"

"…Pikachu?" the Pokemon repeated. "Why are you named after a Pokemon?"

"Uh, maybe because I am a Pokemon?" Pikachu replied with a hint of uncertainty.

"But that's impossible!" The Pokemon exclaimed. "You look so… human!"

Pikachu sweatdropped. "Don't the ears and tail tip you off?" he asked.

"Well, I…" Piplup started, but then she stopped. "You know what? Never mind. Why did you call me Piplup just now?"

"Because you are a Piplup?" said Pikachu. He was really starting to wonder what this girl's problem was. Piplup looked at her hands, only to find they'd been replaced by wings.

"KYAAAAAAH!" she screamed. "This can't be happening! I'm a human! I just know it!" Pikachu flicked Piplup's forehead, the pain claming her down. "I don't know how this could've happened," she said. "I don't remember anything." This only caused her to get depressed.

Pikachu was eyeing her nervously now. Steeling his resolve, he said, "Well, what's your name?"

"My name?" Piplup repeated.

"Yeah," said Pikachu. "I figure since you say you were human, you wouldn't want me calling you Piplup all the time."

Struggling to remember, a name came to Piplup. "Rain," she said. "My name is Rain." Pikachu nodded in acknowledgement.

A thought came to Rain. "Hey, Pikachu. You say you're a Pokemon, but except for the ears and tail, you look completely human.

"Yeah," said Pikachu. "So?

"So, is it possible for me to take on a human form?" Rain asked.

"Sure," said Pikachu. "All you have to do is concentrate."

"Right. Concentrate," repeated Rain. She closed her eyes, and in a matter of seconds, transformed from a Piplup into a girl of fifteen. In this form, she had waist-length blue hair and sea green eyes, and wore a sky blue tank top with white circles where her B-cup breasts rested, a blue skirt, and yellow hiking boots.

Rain twirled around and faced Pikachu. "How do I look?" she asked with a wink.

Pikachu could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. "You look… nice," he managed to say. Composing himself, he said, "Would you like to spend the night with me?"

"Well, I don't usually go that far on the first date, but…" Rain trailed off.

"N-n-no!" shouted Pikachu. "It's just… well, there've been a lot of bad Pokemon appearing lately…"

"Like those guys?" Rain asked, poining to the oncoming Koffing and Zubat.

"Yeah, like… what?!" Pikachu turned around, only to have Koffing punch him in the gut.

"Well, I do beg your pardon!" said Koffing mockingly as Pikachu struggled to get back up.

"Why did you do that?!" Pikachu yelled.

"Yeah, you can't just go around punching people, er, Pokemon, er… Pokemon-people!" shouted Rain.

"Whoa-ho-ho! It's a free country!" said Koffing.

"Yeah, we pay our taxes, we can do what we want!" agreed Zubat.

("Pokemon pay taxes?") thought Rain, though she didn't quite get an answer, as Koffing yanked Pikachu's necklace.

"What's this?" he asked. "It looks valuable." He lifted it up over Pikachu's head and put it around his own neck. "A perfect fit!" he exclaimed.

"No… you can't!" sobbed Pikachu.

"It's your own fault, you know," said Koffing seriously. "If you were brave enough to join the guild like you keep saying you're gonna do, that would've been the end of it." Turning to his partner, he said, "Come on, let's get outta here."

"Heh-heh-heh," chuckled Zubat. "See you around, chicken." Both turned into their Pokemon forms and ran off.

Rain knelt over to Pikachu's side. "Are you okay?" she asked. Pikachu nodded.

"My Relic Fragment…" he muttered. "My personal treasure… if I lose that…" Getting to his feet, he shouted "NO!", startling Rain.

"I have to get it back!" said Pikachu with conviction. "Rain, will you help me?"

"Of course!" said Rain. "I just can't stand bullies like those two!"

"Well, all right!" cheered Pikachu. "Let's go!"

And with that, the two raced off into Beach Cave in hot pursuit of Koffing and Zubat.

The moment Rain and Pikachu set foot into Beach Cave, they instantly transformed back into their Pokemon forms.

"Uh, Pikachu?" she asked. "Why am I back to being a Piplup?"

"Oh, that's because this is a mystery dungeon," Pikachu explained.

"Mystery dungeon?" asked Rain.

"Yeah," said Pikachu. "They're mystical places that change every time you go in one. They also force

everyone inside in Pokemon form for some reason. But enough of that, we need to go find my treasure!"

"Right!" Rain agreed.

It wasn't long before Rain and Pikachu made it to the pit of Beach Cave. There were two Pokemon waiting for them. One was a floating purple ball with smoke coming out of it. The other was a blue bat with no eyes. Dangling around the floating Pokemon was Pikachu's Relic Fragment.

"Hey!" Pikachu called. "Koffing and Zubat!" The two turned around at the sound of their names.

"Whoa-ho-ho!" laughed Koffing. "If it isn't our old friend, the big chicken!"

Pikachu flinched at being called a chicken. Mustering all his willpower, he shouted "Give back what you stole from me! That's my personal treasure! It means everything to me!"

"Treasure?" echoed Koffing. "This old thing is treasure? In that case, we should try selling it! All the more reason not to give it back! Whoa-ho-ho!"

"Bastards!" hissed Rain.

"If you want it back that badly…" said Zubat. "Come and take it!"

That was all Rain needed to hear. She charged straight for Koffing, who immediately struck her with a Poison Gas attack, forcing her to stop her charge as she started coughing.

"Rain!" shouted Pikachu.

"I'm fine," said Rain. Turning back to Koffing, she shouted, "Let's try Pound!" Her right wing started glowing as she slapped Koffing across the face twice, instantly knocking him out.

"Koffing!" shouted Zubat. He charged at Rain, who gave him pretty much the same treatment she gave Koffing, also knocking him out.

"I'll be taking that," Rain said simply as she walked over to Koffing and took back Pikachu's Relic Fragment. Suddenly, Koffing and Zubat began to stir.

"Urrgh…" groaned Koffing. "Don't think you're so awesome just because you beat us… your victory was a fluke!"

"Yeah… you just remember that!" Zubat added. With that, the two beat a hasty retreat.

"Your mom's a fluke," muttered Rain, before she passed out from the poison.

"Rain!" shouted Pikachu. He took Rain in his arms and escaped the dungeon.

"Rain, can you hear me?" asked Pikachu. Both Pokemon were back in their human forms.

"Ugh…" Rain moaned. "I feel like crap."

"Can you stand?" asked Pikachu.

"Sure." True enough, Rain managed to get to her feet. "By the way, here's your…" she stopped when she noticed Pikachu was wearing his Relic Fragment again. "Oh."

"Yeah," said Pikachu. "I got my Relic Fragment back because of you. You make me feel brave…"

"Especially when I totally emasculate you," Rain said sarcastically."

"Yeah…" Pikachu said. "But still, I found the courage to stand up to Koffing and Zubat because you were there for me, so… I have a request."

"If you're asking for a date, you should know I'm bisexual, so I may look at other girls during," said Rain.

"No, that's not… wait, what?" asked Pikachu dumbly.

"You heard me. I like both genders," said Rain plainly. "Is that a problem?"

"Uh, no! Not at all!" said Pikachu nervously. "More power to you!"

"Damn straight!" shouted Rain, pumping her fist into the air. "So, what did you want to ask me?"

"Well… !" said Pikachu a little too quickly.

Rain stared blankly at him for a moment. Finally, she said, "Huh?"

"I said, 'Would you form an exploration team with me?'"

"Uh, sure," said Rain. "But why?"

"Well, it's always been my dream to be an explorer," explained Pikachu. "Discovering new lands, finding all sorts of treasures…" He went starry-eyed at the thought. "Just the thought of such things gets my pulse racing!"

"Ooookaaay…" said Rain, backing away a bit.

"But more than anything… I want to find the secret of my Relic Fragment," said Pikachu. "Besides, you

could find out the secrets of your past, Rain. In fact, I think the two are connected somehow."

("Could that really be possible?") thought Rain. Out loud, she said. "Well, if you put it that way, how can I refuse?"

"Really?" said Pikachu excitedly. "All right! Let's make this work!"

"YEAH!" They both cheered.

And so, Rain and Pikachu formed an exploration team. This turned out to be their first step into an adventure that spans time and darkness.