Pokémon Mystery dungeon: Industrial Shadows

Written By: A Mangy Owl

Co-Written By: Pokevist

Reviewed By: Rolex

Chapter 1: The Package

How could they expect me to travel this far, for this long, and not look inside? I mean yes, most wouldn't out of some stupid "sense of duty" but come on, and won't they be just a little curious? I mean, what the distortion world could be so valuable that I have to go this far? Oh well, maybe one peek couldn't hurt.

Oh, how rude of me, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Nicky, I'm a Mismagius work for the Pidgeot post. I've travelling for several days, alone, with my one package, why the hell couldn't they just get a flying type to deliver it? Before now all of my deliveries have been in and around Umbra town. Now all of a sudden they want me to travel out to Augmentum City were our new headquarters is.

Pulling the package out of my bag and holding it in my…appendages I prepared to open it. It was an average package, average size with normal wrapping with the logo of our delivery service on the side, a Pidgeot holding an envelope. It was surprisingly light for something its size and was the only thing I was transporting. Normally they send us out with several packages or letters and maybe a few updates for the wanted or job boards. Under normal circumstances it would be more suspicious, but the pay made me be quiet.

Before I could open, or think about it, my destination came it view. Augmentum City, the center for the industrial evolution. "The largest and most advanced city in the world, we're here to make a better future" is how they describe themselves and is apparently what is says on the sign near the main gate. Taking in the surrounding area of the city, there is snow falling around me, since it is early November, and the ground is just starting to receive lair of snow. The city itself is quite large and has a population to fit. Before the beginning of the industrial evolution it was just an average Town, but the rise in industry over the last few years helped it grow.

Too the north there is a forest, from here I can see more snow. There are also clouds moving in from that way so my guess is a storm with arrive later today. As my head slowly turned south the tree tinned out. Behind me, the way I came from, it was a mostly clear path. South of the city there are almost no trees or snow. The city stretches on for miles to the south, however I can see where it ends.

Slowly I make my way to the entrance, passing through a large north-west gate with several board looking Pokémon standing around on it. As I enter I take a chance to look at my surroundings. I look at all of the large factories, houses and stores. There are multiple Pokémon walking around several of which look like they are part of rescue teams, others are just going about their daily business. There is a Meowth yelling for some paper saying something about crimes or something that I don't care about. And there is a fast food stand off to the side. Thinking about how long I have gone without a proper meal that is not just apples or gummies, I decide to make a quick stop. There's still plenty of time before the package is expected.

"Hey, you Mismagius what do you think you are doing?" An aggressive voice from behind me suddenly shouts. Slowly I turn around to a surprising sight, a Pikachu was staring at me with a smug and aggressive look on his face. "Yea, you think you can wal…float around without paying the fee."

"…are you kidding me?" I said, having a hard time taking what I was seeing serious. "You expect me to fall for that? That there is some "fee" yet none of the guards at the gate, just over there!" I said, gesturing to the gate still in view. Glancing back at the Pikachu I could see him starting to get annoyed with me.

"That doesn't matter! I told you to pay me the fee for safety in this city, now are you going to pay me or am I going to have to get electric on you!" he said, sparks starting to appear from his checks. In most cases this would be slightly worrying, however I smiled at him and point behind him.

"Maybe that not a good idea, you know, to attack me for money I don't owe you in the wide open." As I said this he look around to see other Pokémon looking at him, some confused, other angry. His sparks died down and he looked at me, anger clearly directed at me.

"You'll get yours. Watch your back!" he said, storming of, the other Pokémon going back to their business. Normally that threat would be cause for concern, but that Pikachu sounded like he was just shouting hot air. Also none of the other Pokémon took it seriously, since they didn't go after him and stop him from coming back. This probably happens often and now everyone his just us to it. Cool, I can get into that, not being threatened just ignoring stupid repeating stuff.

Back to what really matters, food. I float over and stand and sit at the stool in front of the counter. Behind it there is a Machamp in an apparent apron, his four hand working to on meals. There are other groups of Pokémon sitting at tables eating food nearby. Next to me, on another stool, there is a Gothitelle eating some bread. Just past her is a Kirlia wearing a red scarf, reading a book and drinking some water.

I glace back to the Machamp, who has now walked to the count in front of me. "ey' there miss, what can Frank get you. We are have a special on my homemade dark fruitcakes." He said with a chuckle. I thought about it for a sec, it had been some time since my last fruitcake.

A small smile spread across my face as I said. "Sure, that actually would be great. I'll have a piece, but not too much." I retched into my bag a pulled out some money and handed it to frank. He pull the fruitcake out from below the counter and cut of a piece and put it on a plat. I started eating it, and it was fairly good, but I need to find out which part of the city I had to deliver this package to.

"Hey, dose anyone here know were…85 Proditio Street is?" I asked, several Pokémon behind me didn't respond or just shrugged. However the Gothitelle next to me though about it before quietly answering.

"It's… in the east market. We are cu-currently in the w-west market, so head e-east over the b-b-bridge…then take a right." She said, I smiled at her and gave my thanks. She still seemed kind of scared but happy to help. I also noticed that the Kirlia beside her started watching me as I asked. But when I look at her she turned away, that's suspicious. She didn't show any other interest in me until I left. As I floated away she got up and walk out of sit.

Well that's odd…maybe I should be careful. But no time to worry about that, I need to get to the east market. Hopefully this will be done before long. I need a rest from this, after all by tomorrow they will have finished building the new office for the Pidgeot post in this city. I'll have to stay here for a while to help make deliveries. But for now I need to find this building.

Are you serious? This place looks abandoned, like nobody has been here in months. The address matches but this warehouses front door was locked and nobody was answering. I stared for a minute but decided that there was a mistake. As I waked away I noticed an alley next to the building with a door into the build open. This was probably a bad idea, but if things go south I'll just float through the buildings walls.

I head down the alley, past a sleeping Abra…wonder what he is doing back here. As I enter the warehouse I notice several thing. First, it was dark, as in the only light was coming from both the door and the windows. Second there were six other Pokémon standing around. Three of them stood out. There was an imposing Serperior, who seemed to be the group's leader. Next to her was a Pangoro who seem quite bored with everything. Finally there was a Zangoose who looked kind of nervous.

When they noticed me most of them sighed, how long had they been waiting? The Serperior didn't seem very impressed and moved quickly up to me. "Where have you been? We didn't pay you to take your sweet time!" she said angrily, she was large and didn't look like someone I should piss off. This would be a horrible time for a joke.

"Uh…sorry about that…I was on my way but I hit a few road blocks and…" before I could continue she shock her and interrupted.

"We don't care about that. Just had over our package so we can get this over with." I nodded and pulled it out from my bag. She quickly grabbed it from my appendages and started opening it as she moved back to the group.

I was quite for a moment, this was not normal, and I was starting to get worried. Suddenly I remembered the paperwork and pulled that out. "Hey, lady…I'm going to need you to…"

"Quite over there! Will be with you in a minute." Ok, now I'm not liking this, I'm out of here! As I turn to the door I see something I was not expecting. Two Meowstic are standing there, one male and one female. The male one is leaning on the wall next to the door, with a smug look on his face, while the female one, who has a cold look on her face and a dark stair in her eyes, slams it shut with her psychic energy. Now I can't run, if I try they'll just lock a future sight on me and then I'm doomed! Had they been following me?

What is odd about them is that there faces look the same. Some Pokémon say that some ghost types look so similar that they can't tell them apart. But it's not that, Meowstic usually look different and female and male ones never look the same. Yet, if you just changed the colors on one of them to match the other they would be identical!

Back to the large group, the Serperior had opened the box and pulled out a rainbow stone. That was what I had been transporting all this time? Some stupid rock? Just so some Pokemon could probably evolve. But why where they all some impressed by it? Now that I look at it, the thing doesn't resemble an evolution stone, so what is it?

Serperior handed it to the Zangoose who seem scared at first, but gently took it from her and move to the side. He move to the corner of the room where another Pokémon, who wasn't there before, had appeared. It was the Abra from outside! Zangoose handed him the stone, he looked at it for a moment then vanished in a teleport. Well that's done, now what am I going to do. Slowly I float forward and say "Well…my job is done here so…"

"No." replies Serperior, who looks at me with a sadistic grin of her face "alright everyone we got what we need…deal with her." She said, before I could respond all eight of them surrounded me. I didn't know what to do! I should have known! I should never have come here!

Just as they were about to attack a figure appeared before me. "Cover!" A female voice said to me, she put a hand over my eyes a shouted "Dazzling gleam!" A bright flash of light appeared followed by screams of the Pokémon surrounding us. The hand moved from my eyes and I could see the one who had saved me. To my surprise, it was the Kirlia with the red scarf! Before anything else could happen she grabbed me a teleported us away.

I had never teleported before and it was weird. In an instant we were in a different location, so fast with no transition. We were in what looked like a small house with nice furniture and décor. I slowly turned to her as she we both count our breath. Slow she said, in a calm voice. "Don't…worry, I don't know who they were but they won't find us here. We should…"

"Ok…no, no offense but after what just happened and you just appearing, I need answers!" I shouted "Who were those Pokémon? Were you stalking me? Do you know them? Why should I trust you?" I might have been going a bit far but I was mad, and worried!

"Please calm down. I'll explain, I don't know who those Pokémon were, or what they want. I followed you because I knew that the build you were headed to was abandoned, you could have been selling drugs. I wasn't sure, and you didn't seem bad so I stayed close just to be safe. And if you couldn't trust me then why did I just save you?" she said

"Ok, to be fair…those are go points. I'm just…not feeling so go right now." I replied, starting to feel tired. She nodded and motioned to the couch. I, in turn, nod back a float over and sit down.

She moves over to the door on the far side of the room "I'm going to inform the local authority about what just happened. You should get some rest, they'll probably come by later to pick you up so they can get all the details from you." She says before walking out. Alone again, in most cases I would think about things that had happened today and come up with new jokes about them. But right now, I needed a nap.