"Luna, wake up."

Two furry white creatures stood in front of Luna, both covering her usual scenery- a cave entrance that for her would lead to the icy arctic. Many Ninetales would kill for her parent's den, she was quite lucky. Her home was roomy enough for eight, and only their small family of three had to make it work.

The two creatures were both snow-white Ninetales. The only differing traits between them being her mother's yellow eyes, and her father's purple. Both synchronously blinked at her; she was almost creeped out.

"Luna, are you okay, or?" her father asked.

"Y-yeah, sorry."

As a Vulpix, Luna had to attend the same lessons all others on the mountain did. Why was she obligated to do so only because of a shared species? She had no clue, but arguing it wasn't going to bring change. Begrudgingly, her muzzle shaped a yawn as she finally got up to start the day.

"I got you breakfast, but you will have to hurry. Lessons are in a bit, dear!" her mother turned and dropped some Oran Berries into her small hay bed.

Luna's father had already left for 'Ninetales duties', and Mom didn't seem to be attentive on watching her eat, instead doing her own 'Ninetales duties'. Like napping. When asked how that is a duty, Luna once quoted her saying 'I'm being prepared for anything that could happen.'

"Welp, I'm off Mom."

"Love you dear! Be safe!"

On the way out, Luna was greeted with the color she'd seen all her life: white. The color of the constant blizzards, the color of her family and peers, the color of herself. The homely caves served as a distraction, however, but now that was gone. Thankfully, due to her Ice-typing, she didn't have to worry about getting constantly hurt by the snowy blitz. She had to worry about others getting constantly hurt by the snowy blitz.

To anyone else, they'd wonder why Luna took the exact steps through the snow covered ground that went up to her muzzle, but she miserably walked the memorized route around the peak of the mountain to where her class was held.

She could see through blizzards better than most others; yet another advantage point she had in her Ice-typing.

Suddenly, her body was stopped mid-step. She couldn't see it, but her brain was covered in a psychic pink, awakening a new sense of buzzing in her mind.

"Is that you, Luna?" a mature voice asked her from seemingly inside her head. Luna knew who it was; her teacher. Always with the psychic tricks.

While Vulpix were not given lessons on psychic-abilities, fully-grown Ninetales on the other hand were given the knowledge. That was something Luna felt was unfair, figuring out where they, the Vulpixes, are in the middle of a blizzard is difficult.

The culture on the mountain revolved around being stuck there and Luna hated the "optimistic melancholy".

"Yes, miss. Sorry that I am a bit late," Luna replied

"Oh, you aren't that far behind. It's just that we are in a panic. See, a random traveler is in big trouble on the mountain. As protocol states, all students should stay put to make it easier on the Ninetale scouts."

'Miss' could almost hear Luna's annoyance. Luna huffed on her side of the mental connection, which made Miss feel bad, she knew what this was about.

"Miss, don't we train to rescue Pokemon on the mountain? Isn't that like, all we do as a species except look 'beautiful''?"

"Well, remember that you are a Vulpix, and we're grown-ups- Hey! We have gone through this a plenty of times, Luna. Stay. Put."

"Fine," Luna seethed through their psychic-link.

Luna laid down in the snow. It was as comfortable as her hay bed, if not more. Just had to scoot around all of the more icy parts.

This was a common part of Vulpix life on Mt. Corona. While she and the other small vixens waited for the rescue teams to save any bold, and likely stupid, traveler shuffling up the mountain; they waited patiently for the freedom to move.

After all, if they were moving. how would the unseasoned Psychics track down the difference between a small Pokemon of their own species and a Rhyperior?

What made Luna all the more spiteful were the stories they'd hear. Things of wonders! And people in danger for more than their own imbecilic curiosity. Who would want to go up to a place only wandered by people there to make sure people like themselves aren't going up it? She heard of 'mystery dungeons', maybe they were after one of those?

Luna didn't want to just stay up on the relatively safe mountain for her entire life, she wanted to explore for Arceus' sake! Her maw almost foamed with her rage at how she was expected to live her life. One cold desolate land to another at a short distance.

A shadow sprinted past Luna. With no psychic resting on her, she could turn to look at the direction it was going. She never learned much of going down the mountain, but maybe this was her shot? If she was fast enough, maybe she'd be able to find the bottom of the mountain.

Luna didn't think she'd likely succeed, but like a lost puppy, she followed this Ninetales to the best of her ability. Problem: the shadow was already far gone. She was now blind again.

Regardless of how safe it was, she sprinted in the direction she thought it was going and her heart skipped a beat. Suddenly the amount of her paws touching the ground went from two to zero.

After several seconds of feeling rushing air she closed her eyes.

Luna woke up to a new shadowy figure, one she'd never seen before.

"Wake… up! You're so heavy!" a boy's voice rang in her ears. She peeked one open and found herself staring into the side of the mountain, though it was a red hue, not cold and dark.

Luna gave herself another second to think before heaving herself awake, bounding out of what she was stuck in.

"W-who are you?!" she squeaked. He was a creature she'd never seen before- a green and elegantly shaped Pokemon.

"I'm Kaliente the Snivy, an explorer from down South. Are you one of those Ninetales Guardians, I think they're called?" he seemed to blank out.

"Oh, are you seriously injured?!" Kaliente startled Luna, who quickly shook her head no. 'Did you really need to be so loud?'

"Good," the explorer noted, "I'll need your help.. This dungeon is hard."

Kaliente held up a hand to his mouth before creeping to their exit.

Luna's eyes followed Kaliente's silent movement, and she noticed the room. It seemed very symmetrical, and there was one path to leave it. Above them was a hole big enough to where she couldn't see it. How did I survive a fall like that?

She checked where she was now crouching. It seemed that a bunch of snow covered her fall, though that couldn't be it. That wouldn't be enough.

"Agh!" Kaliente groaned. Luna now saw what he was doing. He was fighting an angry light-yellow quadrupedal Pokemon.

"Numel are tough, eh?" Kaliente huffed before lashing a Vine Whip at the Numel's face. Luna was confused at why they were fighting.

"H-hey, N… Numel? Yeah, Numel, why are you fighting him? Please stop!" Luna yelled, only for her words to be met with an Ember appearing in the middle of her eyesight. She instinctively jumped to the left and gave an annoyed puff.

"It's no use Vulpix, we're in a Mystery Dungeon! Fight back!" the Snivy jumped again to dodge the Numel's seemingly endless fire attacks, with Kaliente retaliating with a Vine Whip every few jumps.

Luna noticed the pattern and identified that the Numel often staggered a little after being hit, and she hatched a plot.

"Kaliente, don't jump in circles!" Luna couldn't be sure the Numel wouldn't understand her, but was willing to bet on it.

"T-that's a little hard, it's like a machine! But, as you wish!" the Snivy stood and stared down the Numel, who pushed down their paw, enraged.

Luna slowly tried to move behind the Numel, each step aching her senses of danger. Fire is scary, after all, despite how little she'd seen it. She'd heard tales, too.

However, Kaliente was getting worn out. His jumps were going lower, no matter how aerodynamic his body seemed. The enemy, on the other hand, seemed to be going faster.

"Gotcha!" the Snivy yelled in triumph. He caught himself on his good foot and sprung closer to the Numel's face, who was too surprised to react quick enough.

Luna winced from how hard that smack seemed, but this was her opportunity. She used an Icy Wind against Numel's side, which was powerful enough to topple the staggered Pokemon. Ultimately, ending the fight.

"Phew," the two said in unison, one noticeably more worse for wear.

"Say, have you ever been in a mystery dungeon before, Luna?"

"Nope, only heard of some stories. We… don't really leave the mountain much. If at all."

Kaliente seemed a bit intrigued but decided against intruding.

"Well, the biggest thing to note is that dungeons seem smaller on the outside than how big they are. I think you fell from up there, right? I heard a scream before trying to stop your fall with my vines. I was partially successful."

"T-thanks. And why are they bigger on the inside?"

Kaliente shrugged. "No clue, I just want to find treasures that you can find in 'em. Let me help you get outta here, and I will help in return; neither of us want to be fighting a bunch of Fire-types alone."

"Agreed," Luna sniffled. She was obviously less experienced with fighting than he was, but, hopefully, they could make it work.

"I'm just going to follow you," Luna stayed in the Snivy's shadow. He didn't seem to mind too much, but his anxiety grew a tad.

"Well first let's check this corridor. Dungeons are filled with them," Kaliente noted. He made sure to peek his head past the exit before he was satisfied with the check.

"Alright Luna, it seems clear for now. We are looking for the stairs I used to go down here, and hopefully we'll be out quickly."

Luna nodded. Kaliente quickly sped down the hallway, surprising Luna, but she was quick to start running herself. It was weird for her to not run on snow or ice, instead on warmer ground, but she wasn't a kit. Didn't take her long to learn her light-weight speed.

'This is much more fun than running to school!'

Kaliente didn't pay her much mind while dashing down seemingly random passageways. It seemed that after he fought a few Pokemon on his way to the deepest depths of the dungeon, where he found her, the dungeon was clear of enemies.

Fine to slow down.

"So Luna, you don't leave the mountain much you said?"

"Well, I never have, rarely any Corona-born Vulpix have."

"Have you seen… trees? Grass? The ocean? I don't think I could live a life without seeing those."

Luna nervously laughed as the two slowed down. They talked as they detected no danger.

"Do you have any friends here, Luna?"

"One. They're named Rebecca. There are only about five of us Vulpix in training right now."

"Training? For what?"

Luna sighed. "The Ninetales don't like foreign Pokemon on the mountain, so we train to guide travelers, like you, off it…"

Kaliente seemed a bit pale. 'But… the one I saw seemed so friendly before I entered this dungeon… And they ran squealing when I said there was a dungeon.'

"Did you know this dungeon existed? It seems like the people on this mountain don't, including you, but it's marked on common travelling maps."

Luna pondered on that for a moment. "Well, maybe we never asked the intentions of the visitors.' I don't know, I never agreed with the Ninetales practices anyways."

Luna mulled over his words before a question arose. "Why would travellers go to a dungeon here anyways?"

"Treasure… that I discovered was already taken today."

He wasn't surprised to find no treasure at the end. If anything, he almost regretted choosing this place to dungeon-dive. Yet, he couldn't find it in his heart to do so when if he wasn't there, Luna would likely have been in much more trouble.

The two stayed eerily quiet as they moved up several floors with no problems.

He moved up ragged stairs, seemingly the dungeon was still. Each floor they went up she got a little more ragged, and he got more confused. Where were the enemies?! It was hell to go down. He decided to be thankful. Luna seemed to not be very fit in a warmer climate, not that she was expected to be.

Kaliente looked back and gave himself a breather, she was following with no troubles, except maybe exhaustion.

"Alright, we're almost out."

Luna took her own sigh of relief before wagging her tail. It was so hot down here! She noticed how Kaliente no longer ran, and now he only walked the final stretch. Despite being more tired, she seemed more full of energy- how could she not be? Finally back to the colder outskirts.

Maybe she didn't dislike this mountain as much as she thought. It was cozy for her type, after all. She didn't get much time to dwell on it as Kaliente turned to speak.

"We're out, finally. I'll stay here for a moment, the cold isn't to my liking," he leaned against the cave exit wall.

Luna thought this person was cool. Her relatives were nice people, but, she didn't want to be around them her entire life. She wanted to explore and meet more people like Kaliente, and help more than the oddball rescue on Corona.

The mountain had clouded her senses for more than enough time. Her limited vision, the screeching of incessant wind, the non-existent smells, and the cold wet touch of snow. It was all she knew.

Luna turned to the Snivy who was resting their eyes. She blinked before tapping a paw onto his side.

"Hm? Anything weird?" Kaliente asked.

"... No."

"Okay then. Why are you touching me then?"

"I've never felt anything that isn't snow, rock or fur. You have scales right?"

"U-uh, yea."

"They feel strange, but smooth," she deducted before finally taking her leg off of his side.

"Thanks. I guess. Well then, is there anyone out there? I bet a famous Ninetales will be coming to pick you up and help me, hm?"

Luna nodded and sat down. The more she thought about her experiences she had today, the more she wanted.

"Hey Kaliente. Where are you from?"

"Oh, I'm from Purrc City. A place filled with all kinds of cool shops, and cheap places to live. We are by an ocean, so we have lots of paths to go through the continent."

"I see," she seemed starry eyed.

Luna envisioned those flying creatures she'd been told about gliding across endless water, though it was mostly ice in her envisioning of the ocean.

"What else is out there? What is that grass stuff you mentioned?" Luna asked like a kit.

"It's… Really? See the color of my scales? Imagine parts of that but, like, suuuper thin! And fields of that poking from grass-"

"Hello you two," Miss walked through the endless blizzards with an awkward smile, "I'm here to get you two out of here."

Kaliente was much more excited than Luna.

Luna was next to two of her classmates. To her right, Rebecca, and to her left, Gianna.

"Luna, were you trying to escape?" Rebecaca asked. She had a downcast expression that made Luna's heart ache.

"Y-yes-"

"Pfft," Gianna chimed in. "Why are you so insistent on this, Luna? This mountain has everything any Ice-type needs, and we need to protect it."

"W-well, I don't want much of a part in that…"

Gianna huffed. "No skin off my back. Just waiting for 'Teach to return."

Rebecca sighed. "Luna, if you want… I can try to tell your parents that you left and what you want to say, and you can go with that new friend of yours."

Luna's tail drooped unexpectedly. Leaving seemed hard, but people like Gianna made staying tough.

"R-Rebecca… How would I know the right choice?"

Gianna tapped Luna's back.

"We all know that you've wanted to leave for so long, this shouldn't be so tough for ya."

"My parents-"

Rebecca chimed in this time. "They will be fine. If you don't take this chance you might not get another chance for a decade. We aren't too far from them, the blizzard is weak…"

Kaliente was helped by the psychic using Ninetales all the way to the edge of the mountain, and Luna was left behind. Miss didn't worry about her, she was being led by her friends to the top of Corona, after all.

"Kaliente!"

Miss turned around and was astonished. The white-furball skidded across ice only to be amazed by the view many of her species wouldn't see.

"Why are you out here, Luna…"

"I'm leaving," Luna didn't take in the sights just yet, instead homing in on Miss's frown.

"You're a good student but your ambitions don't match what you were taught, I suppose. I'm starting to think that holding you up on that mountain is gonna be impossible, though why would you choose this over your friends?"

Luna kept quiet, for she was going to keep up the memories of her friends locked up tight.

"Everyone makes choices that go against what is expected of us, Luna. But remember: we may not accept you back all the way if you return here."

Miss left the astonished Kaliente's side and walked next to Luna. Miss gave her a last hip check before walking past. This was not the first time this happened, and she knew it would not be the last.

"Bye Luna. I-I hope to see you again. And I'll tell your parents for you, don't feel the need to come back." 'It's always hard.'

Luna didn't dare turn around, she couldn't feel the weight of her actions just yet, not when she was so close to making the first step of her new life.

"Kaliente… Can you guide me to Purrc City?"