Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here, bringing you the next chapter of Mystery Makes Sense. I know it's been a long time, and a proper explanation was given in the Science from a Pokemon story. Long story short, there's another version of me running around, so I can now focus on this story exclusively. So, expect more regular updates...hopefully. Anyway, on with the show!
We didn't leave for Mt. Thunder right away. Despite my insistence that we save Shiftry, I know we weren't ready for such an opponent like Zapdos. So, the first thing we did was plan out how we could fight him ourselves, hopefully with the help of Team ACT. Since a lot was riding on my partner's ability, I figure we should test how much he can handle safely. With the help of Macho and his volunteers, Sparky absorbs as much electricity as he can into his core, filling it to the point of bursting. Then, when he can't absorb any more, he unleashes it all in a massive discharge, hitting everyone in the vicinity. Thankfully, Macho puts up a Protect to shield us, though he whispers to me that I can Dig to avoid it myself.
Once Sparky recovers, we head back into town to prepare for the expedition. We were fairly close to reaching the next rank, so we resolve to run some missions first. This would also net us some needed supplies, so it is a win-win situation. I admit I feel bad about ignoring Shifty's plight to help others, but Sparky reminds me we need to be prepared, or we could easily be wiped out before we reach Zapdos. Anyway, completing the missions nets us Silver Rank, as well as an expanded Rescue Bag, which means we can carry more into the dungeon.
The next morning, we set out for Mt. Thunder. It was quite a hike from town, so we leave early in the morning and arrive around noonish. Before we go in, however, Sparky pulls me aside.
"Since Shiftry was taken directly to the top, we don't have a scent trail to follow," he mentions. "How are we gonna do this?"
"Well…" I hedge, nervous. "I've been practicing something in my off time. Instead of following a distinct scent and ignoring all other scents, I use the other scents in the dungeon to plan a route around them. By avoiding areas with heavy scents, I find I'm less likely to run into enemies."
"How effective is it?" he asks.
"Right now…about 50-50," I admit.
He sighs, but smiles. "Well, it's better than nothing. Let's go, partner!" With that, we charge in.
As the entrance seals behind us, I'm surprised at how few electric scents there are in the dungeon. Our progress on the first floor is slow, as I have to check each passage out of the room to determine which one is low-traffic, but it gets easier as we ascend. However, the numbers and strength of the few opponents we meet get harder as well. By the time we reach the fifth floor, we've both been poisoned once and eaten at least one apple and oran berry each. As it turns out, climbing stairs remove status conditions for some reason, which I happened to learn when climbing up them while semi-paralyzed and it disappears as soon as I reached the next floor.
Things only get worse in the second half, as electric types become more numerous. More than once, I have to dig underground to allow Sparky to discharge himself, and between that and using it on enemies, I'm forced to use a Max Ether to replenish myself on the ninth floor. However, after we climb the tenth stair, we find a completely empty room, with no enemies and only one path onward. Sitting in one corner is a statue of a Kangaskhan, with what looks like a drawer in its pouch.
"Huh," Sparky sighs. "Didn't think we'd find a Save Floor here…"
"A Save Floor?" I ask.
"Some Mystery Dungeons are so large, they seem to be split into sections. In between those sections is a Save Floor, which is always identified by the Kangaskhan Statue," he explains. "Rescue Teams can rest on these floors in relative safety, as well as restock from town."
"Really?" I ask, surprised. "How?"
"Like so," he says as he steps up to the statue and presses his badge to it, right near the heart.
To my surprise, a voice emanates from the statue's mouth, despite it not moving. "Badge identified. Hello, Team Scent. Welcome to Kangaskhan Storage, how may I help you?"
"Hey, Junior," Sparky replies. "No real reason; just showing Lauren how these work."
"Oh, okay. Good luck, then," the voice says, a little dejected. Then, there was silence.
"Junior runs these statues, while his mom handles the store in town," Sparky explains. "I don't know exactly how, but we can request items from our personal storage, and they will appear in this drawer. If we want to store something valuable we found, we can put it in here, and he'll transfer it to storage the same way."
"Interesting," I muse. "Was it a good idea to not use it now? We did use some supplies getting here…"
"There's only a couple of floors left," Sparky reminds me. "That's why I was surprised to find the Safe Floor in the first place: this doesn't seem like it's necessary to break here." He pauses, then amends, "Well, we do have to fight Zapdos, so maybe that's why…"
We take a quick rest, recovering our strength and stamina naturally, before continuing on. The last two floors are rough, with plenty of strong Pokémon to deal with. Finally, we reach the peak of Mt. Thunder. Storm clouds fill the sky, and lightning dances among the shadows, never touching the ground. There's a buzzing tension in the air, putting both of us on edge. And, most notably, Team ACT is nowhere to be seen. We're doing this alone, I think to myself.
"Zapdos!" I shout, trying to sound as brave as I could. "We've come to save Shiftry! Let him go, and we'll leave in peace!"
For a brief moment, all sound seems to stop. Then, a blinding bolt of lightning splits the sky, and Zapdos swoops down to hover in front of us.
"Why are you so determined to fight for him?" he crows. "He should be punished for waking me!"
"It's not his fault!" Sparky tries to reason with the thunder bird. "Alakazam said-"
"SILENCE!" Zapdos screams. "It matters not! Now, to battle!"
He flaps his wings hard, summoning a Thunder at us. I leap aside as most of it is drawn to Sparky, cursing that I couldn't assist him once again. I need to learn to do that before the fight starts, I remind myself. Seeing Sparky channeling the energy into his own thunderbolt, I leap up to strike with my iron tail. Zapdos takes the attack with his wing, using it to bat me aside, but Sparky's attack hits him hard. Despite his resistance, he is still somewhat weak to electric attacks.
He retaliates with Peck, aimed at me; probably sees me as the weaker 'mon. On a whim, I brace myself and charge up another iron tail. Just as the attack is about to land, I swing my tail in to smack his glowing beak, intercepting the damage and stunning Zapdos. As he shakes his head disoriented, Sparky charges in with his own iron tail. This knocks Zapdos to the ground, where I can better attack him.
I quickly step in and apply a helping hand to Sparky, then dive underground as Zapdos unleashes a massive thunder wave. Unfortunately, I don't get the chance to land the super-effective move on him, as he quickly takes to the sky before I can resurface. However, while I'm underground, I notice another scent nearby; friend, not foe.
As I poke my head out, I see Sparky take another thunder, and this time, I can tell he's reaching his limit. I duck back down just in time, as he's forced to discharge. However, it hits Zapdos especially hard, immediately grounding the Legendary in pain. I resurface and walk back to Sparky, eyeing Zapdos warily.
"Is it over?" Sparky asks him, panting slightly himself.
"My word," a voice speaks up behind us, as Alakazam reveals himself, along with the rest of Team ACT. "Had I not seen it myself, I would have never believed that you two could beat a Legendary."
"Wait…you were watching?" Sparky exclaims. "And it didn't occur to you to HELP?!"
"Had the need arise, I would have," he states calmly. "However, it seems you had everything under control."
Just then, Zapdos begins sparking, slowly rising to his talons. Charizard steps forward, tense for battle, but Zapdos raises a wing in surrender.
"I do not wish to fight anymore," he reassures everyone. "You have proven your desire to save Shiftry. I shall honor my word and release him, but I hope we get the chance to battle again. Next time will be different!"
With a might beat of his wings and the snap of thunder, he shoots off into the sky, quickly disappearing into the clouds. Then, in a flash of light, Shiftry appears in front of us. I run forward, reaching a paw to check if he's okay. As soon as I touch him, however, he wakes and slowly rises.
"Are you sure you're okay to stand?" I ask, worried.
"I'm well enough, thank you," he replies. "But how did you manage to beat Zapdos?"
"I wonder as well," Alakazam comments. "Perhaps…there's more to you than meets the eye, Lauren. Tell me…you're not a normal Pokémon, are you?"
"N-no…I'm not," I reply, nervously. "I was once a human; however, I woke up here as an eevee, with no memory of my human life."
"A human, you say?" Alakazam said in surprise.
Sparky steps up beside me, eyes shining. "We were told you know everything, Alakazam. Do you have any idea how Lauren became a Pokémon?"
He pauses, thinking hard, then shakes his head. "Sadly, I haven't a clue. However, I know of someone who may know more. There is a Pokémon who stares into the sunset every day, and so can glimpse the future. His name is Xatu, and he lives on the Hill of the Ancients. Maybe he can shed some light on Lauren's situation."
"Thank you, Alakazam," I say respectfully. "Well, we better get Shiftry back to town, Sparky. Ready to go?"
He nods and we stand next to Shiftry, raising our badges and teleporting away. However, I catch Alakazam looking at me thoughtfully and wonder if he's hiding something.
Well, that's Mt. Thunder taken care of. Next time, we're headed for the best dungeon theme in the game, bar the final dungeon: Great Canyon!
Also, I am aware of the remake coming out, and will slowly integrate those features into the story.
Have a great day, and may your Ember never fade!