"T…Teacher…" I called out as I tried my best to hold back tears as I wandered through the dark forested halls, "Teacher, L…Leader, anyone? Please help me."
My fragile voice broke into whimpering sobs. I was alone. A single vulpix left alone in a mystery dungeon.
The sounds of my tears reverberated off the tight walls, reinforcing just how alone I was. I was left behind? I…I got lost and left behind. Someone…anyone?
My sobs attracted attention.
I quickly turned my head toward the thud of heavy footsteps. Relief flooded through me at the thought that this Pokémon could be my salvation.
The sheer size of the Pokémon made me feel like a tiny Rattata. It was a Scolipede. As I gazed into the great Scolipede's eyes, my hope of rescue died at the bloodlust I saw there.
My eyes went wide and, in fearful desperation, I sprang towards one of the other exits.
The massive lumbering Scolipede cut off my escape.
I turned tail and rushed for one of the other exists. The Scolipede didn't have time to cut me off, but that didn't stop it from charging after me.
Loud thudding and crashing filled the space behind me as the huge form of the Scolipede barreled through the tight halls. It's otherworldly shriek terrified me. Tears blurred my vision as I dashed through the small moss-covered hallways, not paying attention to where I was going. I don't want to die here. Why…why is this happening! Is it a dream or something?
My fear fueled flight came into an abrupt stop when I bounced off the belly of another large creature. I looked up to see the face of another Scolipede, murder bleeding from its eyes.
I instinctually shot a measly Ember before turning and dashing away from both Scolipede's.
Why? Why is this happening to me…WAH! My thoughts were again rudely interrupted when I face planted into another creature's belly. This one was smaller, though, and I wasn't thrown back. I didn't want to look up. I didn't want to see another great big monster waiting to dine on me.
"Uhhh…" that simple sound fluttering from above surprised me into looking up. That sound wouldn't come from a wild Pokémon and I felt the slightest shred of hope stir as I willed this Pokemon to rescue me. I looked up.
I felt comfortably warm as my eyes fluttered open and I saw white. I tried to move, but my body refused. My eyes came to rest on a moving form, as white as the ground around it. I couldn't tell if it was real or my mind playing tricks on me. I couldn't stay awake long enough to tell.
Relief washed over me as I noted this wasn't one of the huge beasts chasing me. It was a far smaller form of a white Pokémon with red polka dots adorning it's body.
The crashing footsteps snapped me back to reality, "Help me!" I sobbed up at dots, tears dissolving the details of it's face.
His eyes widened as his face turned toward the thundering steps behind me, "Oh shu…" before he completed his sentence, I felt something grab my back and lift me violently into the air.
This is it, I thought, I'm getting taken away by these monsters, this this… "AGH!" I shouted as I was suddenly slammed against the hardened dirt, my left side exploding in pain. The pressing danger of the predators was far more concerning than my own aching side and I forced myself to my paws.
I watched as the polka dot Pokémon and the two Scolipede faced each other down.
The Scolipedes furiously threw a poisonous tail at the polka dot Pokémon.
He didn't really dodge so much as he stumbled out of the way. In fact, it looked like he was stumbling everywhere. Even when he was standing still, it looked like he couldn't quite keep upright, as if his bones weren't solid.
A Scolipede rushed towards my mysterious savior and again he stumbled out of the way.
When the Scolipede came to rest, one of its eyes landed on me. Its murderous gaze alone was enough to paralyze me where I stood. It turned to face me and readied a charge.
The polka dot Pokémon spun around in an odd dance towards the beast's side before hitting it with a powerful punch of some kind.
That murderous gaze was replaced with surprised anguish as the giant creature went flying across the clearing.
Relief washed through me as I thought, this Pokémon would keep the monsters away, this Pokémon was going to save me. Any feeling of hope dried up as I felt a presence loom behind me.
Before I could even spin around, I was once again flying through the air. I heard a large crash as the world spun around on itself. I closed my eyes waiting for the jolt of landing, but instead felt myself swinging in the air. I looked around to see that I was dangling from the hand of the polka dot Pokémon and the spot where I had been was occupied by a crater with a Scolipede in it. This mysterious Pokémon had saved my life again.
"Hold on, this is going to be a weird ride."
What do you meeeeEEEEEAAAANNNN… polka dot started dancing again, avoiding all the attacks the Scolipedes threw at us. My senses dulled as I was whirled round and round in sickening spins. I couldn't tell ceiling from floor as they all blurred together in the vicious dance. The only anchor I had to reality was polka dot, who seemed to be just as bemused as I was by the wild ride.
Several poisonous projectiles and stingers flew past the two of us from all angles, all coming close to connecting, but never landing a hit.
The confusingly frightening joy ride came to an abrupt end as the pokadot Pokémon landed another powerful punch on one of the Scolipedes.
After we'd come to an abrupt stop, my vision swirled like it was still on the joy ride. Even as the hand let go of my fur, I twirled on my own in a confused daze.
When the world stopped twisting, I tried to take in my surroundings. I saw the pokadot Pokémon loosely standing over the fainted Scolipede on the ground. The other Scolipede grimaced in pain while struggling to remain standing. The Scolipede slowly backed out of sight, never revealing its rear to us.
With the threats eliminated, the pokadot Pokémon twirled around and looked directly at me with a wondering gaze. "Hi, I'm a Spinda and I'm an explorer."
Wind howled in the distance as if it was miles away. My eyes fluttered open just for a second and caught the blue glaze of ice. I tried make sense of my surroundings but failed. As slumber crept over my mind and dragged me back into unconsciousness, my eyes fell upon an opening in the ice. Beyond that, there was only white.
"Spinda," relief flooded my body and my eyes welled up, "Please help me!" I sobbed trying not to cry again.
"Uh…Yeah sure, I'll help you," I never thought hearing those words would be so precious to me.
Without thinking, I embraced Spinda and wailed into his fur. I knew it was impolite, but I couldn't help it. I let lose the swirling torrent of mixed emotions, no longer able to hold it in.
After some time passed, I was finally able to get my emotions under control and I released Spinda.
"Feeling better?" He asked with his bobbing head.
"A little…" I timidly said as embarrassment colored my cheeks at blubbering all over a stranger.
He seemed not to notice, "Then what do you need my help for?" He asked very politely.
I guess I never said, "Can you rescue me? I got lost from my school expedition."
"Uh, well…sure I can do that," he seemed hesitant, but I didn't ask because I was too afraid that he'd reject me. "Follow close behind me."
Together, we made our way down the mystery dungeon. As we moved through the tight forest walls, I couldn't help but notice that Spinda wasn't very sturdy. He kept losing balance and falling every which way. I also noticed that he kept his paw against the wall as he walked, as if it was some kind of anchor.
"Spinda, are you alright?" I asked hoping my savior wasn't confused.
"Yeah I'm doing just fine. You may not know this, but…" Sometimes, he made perfect sentences, however, every now and again he strained to find words, "but, all Spinda's are perpetually confused. I'm one of the lucky ones."
"You said Spinda's, isn't Spinda your name?" I asked, my mind affixed to the thought.
"No, Spinda isn't my name it's my species."
"They what's your name?" I asked eager to hear my savior's real name.
"We don't have those. We're too confused to give names."
His voice seemed somber, so I tried to cheer him up, "Why don't I give you a name then?"
"Thanks, but no thanks," he said sternly, "just call me Spinda."
His stern rejection made me slump. I just wanted to help.
We came to a three-way fork in the path. Spinda looked down the three paths, "Uhm,"
"Do you not know the way?" I asked.
"No, I do, I just…" he trailed off as he looked at me, then the paths. "Do you mind if we take a little detour?"
"Sure, I guess," I said unsure of what I was agreeing to, but not wanting to inconvenience Spinda.
We began down the far-right path where the density of the tree's started to block out the sun.
We reached an open clearing that was covered in rocks that varied in size and scale. Spinda walked up to one of them and pulled out a chisel. He chopped up the shiny silvery rocks with practiced ease.
"What are those?" I asked curiously as a little pebble landed near me.
"These are Dungeon rocks. We use them to make explorer badges. Badges like these," He pulled out an explorer badge. "It's what I came to this forest to get in the first place." He continued to chip away at the rocks.
I watched in awe as he worked slowly, chiseling the boulders into easily transportable stones. Realization hit me like one of those rocks to the face. I'd ask Spinda to do so much for me and all I've done was get in the way. My vision became watery. I've been nothing but a burden. I want to be an explorer, but I can't even take care of myself. I broke down into sobs, I'm such a terrible explorer.
Spinda must have heard as he turned to face me.
"W…What's wrong," he said with confusion as he stepped towards me.
"I'm such a terrible explorer," I confessed in between my fits of tears, "I can't take care of myself, and I'm only in your way. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I chanted profusely as I couldn't stop crying.
Spinda comforted me with an embrace and once again my tears soaked his fur. "No explorer is perfect, everyone makes mistakes," Spinda tried his best to console, "Part of an explorer's job is to help those that need it. All I ask of you is that you don't let this happen again and you try to help others that need it. Don't let one stumble stop you. Keep going and help others when you can."