Last time on Explorers of Prehistory...
Bonehead and Bessie took the dreaded "Trial" and faced against Kelgo, a Conkeldurr several times their height and weight. While they fought valiantly, Kelgo managed to overwhelm them with a powerful attack. Are they still alive?
What will happen next? Find out now!
Bessie's chocolate brown eyes shot open.
"Where am I?"
Silence was the Buneary's only answer.
A slow and bitter wind blew across the land, far too weak to even ruffle the grass - if there was any grass left on this scorched, ruined earth left to ruffle. The sky was pitch black, marred with plumes of reddish smoke rising into the air, blotting out any stars or the moon, if they were even up there at all. The ground was barren and charred, devoid of any sign of live, and unable to produce it ever again.
Bessie's eyes were wide with fear. Shaking with terror, she slowly pushed herself off of the scorched ground, wiping dirty ashes from her coat of cream-colored fur. "B-Bonehead?" she called, looking from left to right. There was no sign of the friendly Cubone; she was alone.
The wind blew, and ashes flew into the air, nearly coating the confused Buneary with the pitch black dust. She coughed and weezed as she wiped the ashes from her face. "Hello?!" she shouted, looking from left to right, desperate to find someone or something to explain where on earth she was.
Just like before, her only answer was a low moan of the wind as it rippled across the desert of ashes.
Bessie shivered, a million questions swirling around in her mind. She didn't know where she was, or how she got here. The last thing she remembered was taking the Trial, and being soundly beaten. Kelgo had finished them off with a powerful attack...
Bessie's eyes widened. Was she... dead? If she was, then where was she? This didn't look like heaven, it looked more like...
Like...
"No..." Bessie whispered to herself, looking around. Horrible, lonely landscapes, no sun, no moon, ash as numerous as sand in the desert, and blistering heat... It couldn't be... "No!" she shouted, tears begininng to leak from her chocolate eyes. "I... I was good! I was!" she sobbed. "What'd I do...?!"
She buried her face into her paws and fell onto the ground, crying and sobbing. Well, that was the expected reaction to the possibility of eternal damnation and suffering. For all she knew, she was dead, and she was destined to stay in this lonely, forbidden place for an eternity. She couldn't help it.
She didn't know how long she had cried. It felt like hours. But, just as she was inhaling for another sob, she heard it.
"Be...ssie..."
Bessie's ears pricked in unison, and she jumped up. "Who...? Who's there?" she whimpered, still recovering from her shock. "Hello?"
"Bessie..."
The voice was calming, but sad; and it was also familiar. Who was that...?
"Co...me..."
Bessie swallowed. "Who's there?!" she repeated.
"Bessie..."
Bessie swallowed. "Where are you!?" she demanded.
"Warn... them..."
A whirlwind tore across the plain, whipping up a cloud of pitch-black ashes. Bessie coughed and choked as as the ashes fell to the earth again, coating her once-lovely fur coat in filthy dust. The ash cloud began to swirl together, forming into a pile of dust. Slowly, it began to climb, slowly shaping into something... or someone...
Bessie's eyes widened as the ashes transformed from a shapeless pile into a Pokemon. A tall, beanpole body rose from the ground, supported by two legs. Thin arms ending with curved blades sprouted from the side, and a head formed on top of the shoulders, two red eyes staring at her.
"Bessie..." the ash-thing hissed, his voice distorted by the crackling of ashes. It slowly reached out to the Buneary. "Heeeeelp..."
Bessie's eyes widened - first with fear, and then with recognition. "T...Ty?!" she said, surprised. "Ty!" She felt guilty and worried as she stared at the Gallade. She had completely forgotten about the shiny Gallade and his noble sacrifice - she had been too wrapped up with the loss of her mother. "Ty? Is that really-?"
"Yeeeees," the ash Tyberius said.
"W-where are we?" Bessie asked, running to her friend. "Are... are we dead...?"
"Not... yet..." Tyy said. "This is... her dream..."
"Whose dream?" Bessie asked. "What do you mean?" She looked around. "Wait a minute, if this is a dream, then we aren't realy here... Are we?"
"Noooo..." Ty's voice sounded far off and scared - too scared to be afraid for himself. Afraid for something else... or everything else. "Heeeeelp meeeeee."
"Where are you?!" Bessie demanded. "What do you need? Are you in trouble?"
"Noooo..." Ty slurred. "Doooon't help meeeee... Heeeeelp the guild..."
"T-the guild...?"
"Waaaarn them..." Ty urged. "Waaaaarn them... Sheeee's coooming..."
"She... She who? Ty, please, what's going on?!" Bessie cried.
"Shadowed... Shadowed... Shadowed One..." Ty said, over and over again. "Coming... She is coming... I know..."
Shadowed One? What is he talking about?! Bessie thought. She opened her mouth to ask but Ty spoke again, his next words scaring her more than anything.
"She... destroyed... Tiny... Island..."
"...Who?" Bessie asked. "Who did this?"
"I know... who she really... is..." Tyberius said, reaching a dusty hand to Bessie. "It's..."
The ground shook roughly, knocking Bessie off of her feet. Tyberius's entire form shook, came apart, and then came together again.
"She's... coming..."
The ashes began to shift again, growing behind Bessie. First it was a hill, but in no time at all it grew into a mountain of death, looming over them, its dark form, shifting and transforming.
"My, my, Tyberius! I can't trust you of all Pokemon to keep a secret? What a horrible boy!" a taunting, female voice chided, the entire ash-covered world quivering as she did. A huge tendril shot out of the ash pile, shifting into a horrifyingly large hand, poised right above Bessie and Tyberius. "Mama smack!"
The hand shot down at a blinding speed. Bessie shrieked covered her head.
"Don't... be... afraid..." Tyberius said, raising his hand. Psychic energies eminated from his hands, before lashing out, blasting the hand into the cloud of dust.
"W-wait a minute!" Bessie said to Ty. "We're in a dream, you said... we can't be hurt here, right?"
"We're... in... my mind..." Ty said. "Showing you... what is to come... I have... connected your mind to mine... with a Psychic link... If we die here... our minds die, and out bodies... become... comatose and lifeless..."
Bessie sighed. "Why can't it ever be simple?" she cried.
The voice began to laugh, her voals piercing their ears. The dust pile grew and grew, slowly shifting into a tall, hooded figure, pale white eys staring at them behind a night black ashy cloak. "If it's any consolation, I have heard that this is a very quick and painless way to die!" Another hand shot from behind the cloak, shooting towards them.
Bessie screamed as Tyberius scooped her up and leaped aside, the hand smashing into the ground. "W-what is that?!" she said, now very certain that she was in... the other place...
"The one... who destroyed... your home..."
Bessie's eyes widened. "What?!" she said, surprised. "Then she's the one..." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "She's the one who killed..."
With an angry shout, she tore out of ash Tyberius's arms and charged at the twisted giant.
"Bessie..." Ty's voice said, distantly. "No..."
"Ooh, dear..." the ash giant, said, her taunting tone growing. "You're quite the little hero! And by hero, I mean lunatic. I mean, charging straight at me like that? Puh-lease!" She raised her hand again and struck down at the Buneary.
"Bounce!" Bessie shouted, leaping onto her foe's hand and leaping up the colossus' arm, bounding up to her shrouded face. "High Jump Kick!" she snarled, leaping at her surprised foe with her foot out-stretched. With an angry battlecry, she smashed her foot into the giant's face, plowing right through the giant's head. The giant gave a surprised gasp as her body lost form, collapsing to the earth into a shapeless hill once more.
Bessie fell back to the earth, landing on her feet, before collapsing to her knees, panting heavily. She couldn't remember ever having so much energy, or doing something so crazy. She gathered her breath as she dusted herself off. "Did I...?"
Bessie's ears pricked as she heard ashes shift behind her. She whirled to see the same hooded figure, three times her height, standing right behind her, staring at her with those horrible, empty eyes.
"That," the figure seethed, her jovial tone gone, "was very rude."
The ashes on the ground rippled, almost seeming to bubble, as they formed into another figure, identical to the first, with the same horrible eyes. Another popped up, and another. In mere seconds, Bessie found herself surrounded by cloaked monsters, all of them staring at her.
"How...?" Bessie began, horrified.
A cloak laughed and shifted forward. "Did you really think you, with all of your puny power, could hope to defeat me?" she asked, leering at her with a grin.
Another hood started forward. "Please. I didn't train for all of those thousands of years to be beaten in some Gallade's mind, in my dream, mind you, by some random Buneary."
"T-thousands of year?!" Bessie said, flabbergasted. "B-but that's impossible!"
"In the realm of your feeble mind, perhaps," another hood said, as they began to circle her.
"But it's all too real," another said.
"Not that it'll matter much longer..." another said.
"Because you're going to be dead soon!"
The hoods all burst forward, smothering Bessie in ashes and dust as they all collapsed onto her, burying her up to her neck in filth. Bessie screamed and struggled against the ashes as she was constricted by the pile, as if it were the fist of some horrible monster.
The ground rippled again, and another ashy cloak rose from the ground, those eyes glowing with malice. "Well, well... all tied up with nowhere to go!" she chortled.
Bessie growled and screamed as she struggled to break free.
"Hmmm..." the cloak hissed. "But... you know... before you die and all, I simply have to know. You'll have to forgive me, I'm naturally curious... What did possess you to charge me like that? Certainly not the smartest thing to do..."
Bessie growled. "You... you killed her..."
"Her who?" The female made a tsking noise. "Be more specific, dear. I've killed an awful lot of people..."
"My mother..." Bessie snarled. "She was on Tiny Island - and she's dead now."
The hood shrugged. "Hmm... So she is... Well, I don't see why you're so angry with me. She would've died anyways, right? Good ol' mortality would've gotten her, regardless of what I did." She sighed . "Oh well, it can't be helped. But, if you really want to be with your mother that badly..." The hooded form collapsed into ashes again, leaving Bessie alone.
The ground shuddered and roared once more, ashes seeming to bubble on the dead earth before another mountain of ash burst from the desert, rising up above Bessie as it took the form of the hood again. The giant raised her hand into the air, holding it above the Buneary. "...Let me reunite you two!" she cackled, thrusting down at the earth.
Bessie swallowed as she bit back her scream, determined even at this last moment of life not to let her have the satisfaction of hearing her scream. She closed her eyes and waited to die.
Tyberius, thankfully, finally made it over to her. His blackened form leaped into the air, landing next to Bessie and raising his hands protectively above her. A bright light burst through his hands, shooting into the air and blasting the giant's hand to pieces.
Ty wrapped his hand around Bessie's neck and yanked her out of her prison.
"Tyberius!" Bessie screamed. "We need-!"
"Quiet!" Ty ordered, locking his eyes with the Buneary, his ruby orbs glowing brightly. Bessie's eyes widened, and slowly began to glow as well, first red, and then bright violet. Bessie felt her head go numb, her troubles - and her mind fading away. She sat there, on the brink of mental death, slowly fading into Tyberius's kind, but sad, eyes.
Ty's eyes ceased glowing. His body gave a ripple, and then collapsed altogether, returning to the ash. Bessie moaned as bright lights began to surround her, collapsing to the ashes with a groan.
The hood snarled angrily. "What did you do!?" she snarled, forming another hand and punching at the ground. However, just as her fist sailed towards Bessie, the lights enveloped her, then absorbed her, and then vanished.
The cloaked figure snarled as her fantasy began to vanish around them. "Oh, fine," she said to Tyberius. "Be that way. I'm sure that we can discuss this like intelligent, mature adults." She paused as she started to fade away, returning to her own mind. "Right after a pull out your tongue and make you eat it."
With an angry growl, she faded away - as did the desert of ashes, as if they never existed. Because they didn't. Or they didn't yet.
"Bessie... Bessie... Bessie..."
Bessie moaned. "Who...? What...?" she cried, opening her eyes, and finding herself staring into a familiar pair of glowing red eyes.
"T-Ty?"
"I'm afraid not," said Duro, shaking his head. Bessie tried to sit up, but the Mismagius placed a tendril on her head, gently shoving her back into her bed. "Be careful. You've had a nasty injury. I want to finish the cast first." He reached to the side and pulled up a piece of gauze, wrapping it around her throbbing right ear. "There we go..."
She was in a small room with several beds inside, along with jars loaded with oran berries and heal seeds. A small candle was by her bedside, giving the Mismagius the illumination that he needed to work. Lying on the bed beside hers was Bonehead. The poor Cubone was awake, but obviously not in the mood to talk with a thick piece of guaze wrapped around her head, preventing her mouth from opening. She simply silently stared at Bessie, concern and joy that the Buneary was alive evident in her eyes. Bessie found herself simply staring back. She wanted to smile, but she was confused.
"Where am I...?"
"The Guild's Infirmary," Duro said. "Don't worry, it'll all be over soon."
"What happened?" Bessie asked.
"I believe I can explain that," a voice from the doorwar explained.
Sting the Vespiquen floated in, followed closely in by Kelgo (who somehow managed to squeeze his way in), Kala the Ralts, Pharoah and Amelia, who looked as uninterested and unfocused as ever.
"Well..." Sting said, "congratulations! You've passed the Trial!"
"Muuuh...?" Bonehead mumbled, her words slurred by the guaze around her mouth.
"W-we did?" Bessie said, surprised. "But... We got knocked out!"
"Oh, yeah, you did," Kelgo said in his rumbling tone. "Sorry about that, by the way. Had to be done."
Duro gave a dry laugh and continued with his work, binding Bessie's arm firmly with bandages.
"Wow..." Kala said. "You guys are in the guild now!" she cheered. "Congratulations!"
"But why?" Bessie asked, ignoring Kala's praise. "Why are we in if we got creamed?!"
"Because," Pharoah said, "that was the test! Meh-heh-heh!"
"You knew...?" Bessie said, surprised. "But... when we went to take the test you were acting all scared!"
"Well, I had to make it seem scary, didn't I?" Pharoah said, proudly. "I'm quite the actor! Meh-heh-heh!"
"Bessie, Bonehead," Sting explained, "we cannot let just anyone into the guild, so first things first we put them onto the Trial - a test meant to guage not their skill, but their courage. So, we put on a big show about the Trial, making it seem as dangerous and scary as possible. If you don't run away..."
"And let yourselves get mangled," Duro murmered.
"Then you get to join!" Sting said. "A little... unorthadox, I'll admit, but it works. If the recruits head for the hills, they don't have the courage that an explorer needs, especially in these times. If they stay, even in the face of certain death, then they get to join with the guild!"
"Such a wonderful process of recruitment," Duro said, rolling his eyes.
Kelgo groaned. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry... Sheesh..."
"Why are you even here, Duro?" asked Pharoah. "Meh-heh-heh."
"When Bessie and Bonehead didn't arrive at the shop I said I'd meet them at," Duro said, finishing up with Bessie's arm, "I knew that they had taken the trial, and that they would likely be in need of medical attention."
"We do have a first aid kit, you know..." Sting pointed out.
Duro sighed. "Alright, you're all done," he told the girls. "Keep those bandages on for at least three days. Bonehead will be needing something soft to eat until the swelling goes down. No hard foods."
"Got it," Sting said with a nod.
"And no exploration or training for at least a week," Duro added. "Neither of them are in any condition right now to do anything."
"Got it."
"If any problems persist, send a messenger for me, and I'll come look over them," Duro said.
"...We have a doctor in town," Sting pointed out.
Duro ignored her. "Kala, it's time to go," he said. "Say goodbye."
"Okay..." Kala said. "Bye, Bessie, bye, Bonehead! Congrats on entering the guild! Be sure to visit sometimes, okay?"
Bessie and Bonehead nodded as best they could, despite their pain. "Bye..."
Duro nodded to the girls and led his daughter away. Their errand in town was done, and they needed to head home. Duro had more patients to take care of.
"Well," Sting said, "let's get you two to your cabin."
Kelgo nodded and lefted both girls into his massive hands. "You two need all the rest you can get," he said.
"Looks like you're gonna get waited on!" Pharoah said. "Meh-heh-heh."
Amelia said nothing at all and silently walked away.
"Thanks..." Bessie said, still in pain. "Ough, my head... I had the worst dream..."
"Oh?" Sting asked. "What was it about?"
"It was... Uh..." Bessie paused. "Hmm... I can't... I can't remember!" she said, surprised. "I thought I'd remember something that horrible..." She shrugged. "Oh well..."
"Well, then," Sting said, "allow me, in the place of our Guildmaster, be the one to welcome you into the Gardevoir Guild! Congratulations!"
Pharoah gave them a round of applause with all four, shadowy hands.
"Now you're officially members of the Gardevoir Guild!" Sting said. "Your starting kit will be delivered post haste to your cabin. There's another form inside that you'll need to sign to join, but you can get to that when feeling returns to your arms." She paused fora second, and then happily shouted "Congratulations!"
Bessie murmered a thank you and passed out.
These guys were insane.
Author's Note:
Well, Bessie and Bonehead have joined the guild at long last, and will soon begin their career as explorers! But, it seems Tyberius is in trouble... how will he get out of that one...
Anyways, tune in next time to see the return of Venom, Aero, Cotton, Kiara and Ace in... the Frozen Island!
Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Plz review, folks!
Oh, but before you leave... POKEMON MYSTERY DUNGEON: MAGNAGATE AND THE INFINITY LABYRINTH IS COMING OUT FOR THE 3DS SOON IN JAPAN AND EVENTUALLY IN AMERICA FTW!
That's right, we're gettin' another Mystery Dungeon Game, with polished looking graphics and Gen 5 Pokemon added to the roster! IT LOOKS AWESOME! Go online and check it out!