"Life is harsh to some far away settlements, who lack access to either a natural source of water, or a dedicated water type to produce it. We must make sure their needs are met."
-Shah Mienshao of the Odyssey Guild, official decree.
"Have you felt that as well?" A softly feminine, yet powerful voice questioned.
…
"I assumed as much. Please close the-"
A loud bang was heard, much to the owner of the voice's unamusement.
"It appears to have come from the sand continent. it was just a flicker, but you and I both know who made it."
…
"Fourteen years it took. And at the worst possible time as well."
…
"Your orders are to stop your current assignment, and immediately start looking for the target. Eliminate her if needed."
…
"Do not question our master's will. Go at once. And keep your eyes on the other target as well. The others are still trying to locate them."
As soon as she was done speaking, a very quiet sound could be heard, the one she was speaking to teleporting away just like that.
"Always so rude."
Chapter II: Shimmer
-Little Sandrop Cave-
Floor: 1
.
"Um… A blistery dungeon?"
"No, you dummy! It's 'mystery dungeon'! You might as well tell me you forgot how to use your moves as well!"
"Uh…S-So..."
"...Are you gonna ask me what moves are…?"
"..."
"Oh boy…"
The duo just entered a hallway very similar to… all others, or so Lawrence believed. The one thing that broke the pattern were the various shining gems scattered the rocky formations on the corridors. He hoped the Jangmo-o leading them had a better idea of what exactly they were doing.
"In my defence, I… kinda know what moves are. I… J-Just have no idea how to use them! I don't know how I managed to help you with Life S-Stew!"
"Life Dew…"
"Whatever!" Lawrence huffed, frustrated.
Then, more silence between the two issued, the former human was sure that the dragon in front of him was deep in thought, though he couldn't tell what she was thinking, exactly. Eventually, Mirari stopped just before crossing into another strange corridor, the togepi doing the same.
"It's… Quite hard to explain. You don't seem to know the very basics- literally every pokémon has at least a notion of what dungeons and moves are!"
"I t-told you! I'm human!" He declared one more time.
"Sure you are." Mirari rolled her eyes, seeming to be pondering deeply on the matter despite her talkative nature, "look, I can tell you're not messing with me… Or at least I think you aren't."
"Um… I have no r-reason to! Why would I…?" Lawrence looked at her with a hurt expression. She seemed to be affected by it.
"...Fine. Erm. I think I'll start with dungeons…" she looked around, as if cautions about something "They are like mazes. Random ones. Some have floors, which you need to go all the way down, others are just an area! Like a forest, you just need to get out of it's area of effect."
"Area of effect? S-So… Dungeons are like an energy in an area?" The togepi tilted his head, paying close attention.
"It's not a bad way of describing them." Mirari nodded, "most pokémon would describe it more simply as a 'curse'."
When Mirari saw his confused expression,she decided to elaborate further, "especially with the other things that happen here, all sorts of wacky stuff! From items apparently coming from nowhere, to…" She paused and began looking all around them.
"To…?" Lawrence walked towards her, as if waiting to hear a secret.
"To… The Shay-" She had to stop abruptly, her tail suddenly smacking the togepi in the face, making him fall on his back with a loud, "OW!" A heavy-looking rock nearly hitting him, instead breaking on the purple wall behind them.
"Lawrence, look!" Mirari said as she took a fighting stance, her head low, her tail raised, her claws ready to be used.
The fairy type did as instructed, gasping as he saw a very angry, very strange looking geodude, with lifeless, white eyes and a strange dark aura flowing around it.
"I-It's a Geodude! Why are they attacking us? Can't we t-talk to them…?" He alarmedly exclaimed, seeing the dragoness' aggressive pose.
"That's a bad idea!" She said, almost as if telling something obvious, "not gonna work at all! He's a Shaytan! Pure evil energy taken form!" She snarled at it, seeing as the monster prepared to use rock throw again.
"W-Wha-" He couldn't finish, being interrupted by another rock being hurled at him, having to roll his way out, on sheer instinct, the fragments of the breaking stone scratching him slightly.
"Careful! Those things attack to kill! Do the same!" Mirari growled, charging at the literal rock pokémon, jumping in the air doing a spin, her tail glowing royal blue, connecting with the monster's head, the impact throwing it to the wall of the cave.
"How'd you like that! Dragon tail always works!" She turns to smile at the still terrified togepi, not noticing as the geodude rolls back with a rollout, hitting her right in the back.
While the dragon-type recovers from the sudden attack, the trembling Lawrence can only stare at the Shaytan, who roars in anger, and rolls yet again, not being fast enough at such a close range, he gets hit by its full power, similarly being thrown away by its impact.
"Pokémon usually have four moves they have mastered!" Mirari screams, jumping back up, her golden, heart shaped head scale shines a beautiful silver, that is reflected strangely well by the gems that surround them, "I'll break you with iron head! Haaaah!" She goes down, slamming it straight at the geodude's face once more, splitting it in half, its two parts quickly turning into dark sand, soon becoming nothingness.
"...You just need to find yours! Even those with no experience have at least two!" she declares with a sigh, then continues with her ever-present smile, looking back to Lawrence.
The fallen togepi slowly gets up, his 'nose' bleeding, his head with a big bruise and his expression clearly one of dizziness, "I… don't... think I wanna do that... e-ever again…" He mumbles, before going back down.
-Western Gobi Desert-
Weather: Heavy Sandstorm(!)
.
A large, grey and gold draconic pokémon fearlessly crosses the sands of the desert, covering her eyes with her armored, scaly arm. No longer dashing, now desperately searching in the merciless dunes, and on this strange crater that was the epicenter of her investigation. Her weight and strength allowing her to not be pulled by the dust devils that ravage the area, her careful positioning helping greatly.
"Come on, where are you? I'm sure this is where the energy came from... And knowing you, you most likely tried to be the first one to go see it!" She lowers her head, her stoic expression turning into one of anger, "If the human lays a single claw on you-" Her own clawed hand clutches into a fist, shining a royal blue energy.
"I have no choice. I must resort to those forbidden powers to find you... I'm sorry, my brothers." She soon joins her hands, somehow managing to find serenity and concentration in the middle of a desert storm, with raging winds and aggressive sands. Her eyes glowed the same royal blue as before, her similarly colored aura appearing as she tapped into those so called 'forbidden powers'.
Soon she was assaulted with a barrage of sights, sounds, tastes, ideas, feelings and desires. Neither of them really her own, though with sheer focus, she managed to narrow down her aura-scrying.
Soon she saw a lonely, isolated cave covered by the sandstorm, inside many colorful lights shone, though the ones that were detected by her gaze were the ones from living beings. Especially from the one who was most dear to her at the moment: a jovial, brilliant red and yellow, with a hint of royal blue.
She could hear them, faintly whispers to one another, apparently they were talking. "That's the stairs! Most dungeons have them as passage to the other floors!... Don't question it." Came a distorned, youthful girly voice. The looker couldn't help but smile, she taught her well.
"There you are. But who is this with you…?" At the side of this aura, there was another one. Stranger. It clearly was a pokémon, at least in body, but the spiritual energy was… different, to say the least. This one had an uncommon shape, and didn't fit its silhouette. A strange mix of sky blue, green and-
Before she could analyze further, her vision suddenly came to a halt, abruptly cutting from her intended use and showing another scene entirely. She saw a mysterious figure. It was wearing a pitch-black cloak, covering themselves fully. They were floating camly, before abruptly stopping… And slowly looking towards her point of view, as if staring right into a peeping eye, the face underneath the robes being completely hidden by a black, demonic-looking mask. The eyes glowing behind red lenses.
The figure then began to fly faster, her vision cracked, breaking her aura-sight, and making her fall on her knees, panting in utter exhaustion and shock, her heart beating faster, a single droplet of blood dripping from her snout, on the sand.
"Curses. He is already nearby. He must have felt her enter the dungeon… Damn it!" She cleaned the blood with the back of her claw, using her tough, armor-like scales.
"Now he felt me using aura. It won't be long until he tracks us down. I must go quickly, else he will…" She growled at the thought, getting back on her feet at once, turning around to face the direction of the dungeon.
She proceeded to then dash towards it, even as her body begged her to stop, both from her previous endeavors on the way there, and the fatigue the use of aura caused. Her motherly willpower being the only source of her energy.
-Little Sandrop Cave-
Floor: 2
"W-Where have the stairs gone!?" A togepi with some dry blood on his nose asked, dumbfounded.
"Ah. Well! Once you go up 'em, you can't go back down! Or vice versa!" The jangmo-o explained, "again, you should turn off any expectation for logic or reason in here! Some dungeons have portals for pitfalls, others have secret doors in nonsensical places, or even blue lava!"
"... Wow. I kinda wanna s-see blue lava…" Lawrence pontered a bit, imagining the sight.
"I'm a bit worried that the one thing that surprised you was that." Mirari replied, looking at him with a playfully serious expression.
"S-Shut up! Blue lava sounds awesome!" The fairy defensively huffed in embarrasment.
Mirari only giggled in response, "I know right! That must look so cool! I wonder if it's cold! I hate cold!"
Lawrence could only stare awkwardly with an unamused expression, looking around to see the same purple walls with the beautiful gems ornamenting the room they were in. Noting the various small reflections of him and his companion, almost like little, colorful mirrors.
"Oh! Look over here, Lawrence!" He looked immediately, expecting another rock to be hurled at his face. Instead he just saw a quadruped lizard looking into a spherical… Blue thingie?
"What's that?" He tilted his head, confused.
"It's an oran berry! It's a true gift of the gods for long journeys!" She picked it up with her paw, showing it, before pocketing the fruit.
"Huh? Why's that? T-That thing barely heals you right?" It healed like, 10 or 15 hp. That was horrible!
Mirari's eyes went wide, shocked as if she saw someone say the desert was full of water "Wha- Of course not! Those things can really come in clutch! Heal major wounds on the strongest pokémon! And massively help with stamina loss in a dungeon!"
"Huh? Stamina loss?" He once again questioned.
"Ah. I guess I didn't explain that. In a dungeon, your body is… sped up. Actually, time itself is messed up here. You might enter on the morning, and leave at night, if you aren't careful! Or maybe it might be so slow, you leave with barely any difference in time, but utterly tired!" The dragoness took a long breath to prepare for more.
"So you have a boost in both in healing, and in tiredness." She explained, "which means, you may recover faster from hits, but you might get hungry faster too! That's why those who venture into those places must make sure their bodies are trained to handle 'em!"
"O-Oh no! Then we need to get out of here f-fast!" He exclaimed, with his small hands on his stomach area, scared.
"Heh, don't worry! We'll handle it fine! They only mess with your head if you stay for way too long!" She smiled, looking around the corridors that lead to other parts of the dungeon, while the shocked togepi only stared at her.
"W-What do you mean, m-mess with you h-head!?"
-Western Gobi Desert, Dungeon Entrance-
Weather: Heavy Sandstorm(!)
.
The large, female dragon finally arrived, exhaustion almost paralyzing her body. She stared at the dungeon's door, examining the rock intensely, trying to compare it with the vision she had.
What truly sealed the deal was the small, lonely grey scale left on the ground, almost hidden by the sands, or carried away by the heavy winds. Getting close and kneeling, she grabbed it, looking almost proud and nostalgic, the petit scale dwarfed by her large claws.
She shook her head, and clutched the clue, her determination was renewed. She fearlessly entered the cave.
"Hang on sweetie. Mama's coming."
-Little Sandrop Cave-
Floor: 3
"Let's go! We've been lucky, not too many Shaytans 'round here!"
"M-Much to my heart's content."
"Oh, c'mon! They aren't that bad! At least these weaker ones!"
"W-Wha- T-There are s-s-stronger ones!?" He gulped, remembering the whooping he received from a single, apparently 'weak' shadow geodude.
"Don't worry, they only appear in places where the curse has completely taken over! Usually when the area is spreading. That's when the guilds usually step in!" Mirari seemed way too excited about this part in particular, for some reason.
"So there are peop- p-pokémon that willing go in these places?" He asked yet again, puzzled by what felt like the millionth time.
The Jangmo-o kept walking through the shining hallways, leading the duo quite excitedly, much to the fairy type's dismay. The gems around them seem to begin taking a more reddish and clear blue color, instead of the usually random, colorful pattern, the walls also a darker shade of purple.
"Of course! They are heroes! Venturing in the unknown for treasure, riches, renown and fame!" Mirari's eyes sparkled a bit as she spoke, "oh, and to help pokémon too."
"They sound more like mercenaries…" Lawrence commented.
"Nah! Mercenaries are cutthroats! Adventurers have honor and pride!" She declared, though he could sense this was more of an opinion, rather than a fact.
"W-Whatever you s-" He nonchalantly replied, before being pushed by the dragoness, nearing being hit by a water pulse, that traveled far behind him.
"You gotta be careful! Pay attention to your surroundings!" She softly spoke, before stepping in front of him. The room in front of them being guarded by a shadowy Slowpoke, Geodude and Purloin.
Before Lawrence could utter a response, the geodude blocked in path in front of the dragon, the purloin running and jumping on its rocky back, gracefully spinning in the air and falling right behind the togepi, making him almost scream. They were flanked.
"No more messing around, Lawrence! We gotta fight!" She growled, charging her tail with a blue light, spinning to whip the geodude with it, though the rock type managed to block it with it's sturdy arms.
"E-Easy for you t-t-to say!" He trembled, gulping and looking to the expressionless dark feline, his eyes resting on its shining claws. Frozen by fear, he could only put his little arms over his head, as the cat slashed him multiple times, some hitting his natural armor, while the rest left bruises on his crown.
"Lawrence!" Mirari yelled, trying to turn around and help, only to be held by the tail, and get pushed into a full body slam by the geodude, making her fall momentarily.
The Shaytan-Slowpoke seemed to be slowly approaching the battle, making Mirari's situation even worse.
Seeing their odds getting worse, Lawrence tried his best to think and plan accordingly. "Ugh… The games never really explained how it happened! Pokémon just... Learned stuff! That's all!" He saw the purloin preparing for another onslaught, and seeing the struggling Jangmo-o behind him, he decided to go for it.
"Aaaah! Aura Sphere!" He put his two arms up, and moved them down in a swipe motion, feeling his heart stopping for a second. He closed his eyes and… Waited … and Waited… Eventually opening one of them, seeing the feline's claw inches from his lowered head.
"U-Um… G-Gonna g-give up!?" He very horribly tried to fake confidence. Looking straight to the Shaytan's face, seeing her blank expression, frozen, his two arms still pointing towards her.
It was then he saw a sudden slash mark appear on its chest, making it take a step back and angrily look down at him.
"Nice Aerial Ace! Didn't know a togepi could learn that!" Mirari complimented from behind him, getting up and charging an iron head, headbutting the geodude with massive force, it seemed to barely survive.
"Fight on instinct is all I can do now… Ok… Swipe with my hand, and try to focus my energy!" He took a deep breath, charging his attack once more, the purloin ran and then jumped up, revealing its wicked claws, ready to strike and cut him to bits.
"Please work, please work, please work!" He bit his lip, and swiped down, this time looking and seeing a blue energy forming around his arm, being unleashed and travelling through the air, hitting the feline straight on the chest, breaking it in half, soon turning into dust and vanishing.
Lawrenced opened his eyes and mouth wide in surprise, "I-I did it!" He exclaimed in child-like happiness.
"I'm so happy for you!" He turned to look at her, seeing a geodude holding her in place, while a slowpoke shot a stream of water on her ducked face, while she coughed and gasped for air. Somehow though, her tone was genuine.
"O-OH! SORRY!" He yelled, running as fast as his little toes could carry him, eventually closing his eyes and dashing forward, slashing the water type with his aerial ace, making it stop its attack on the dragoness.
"Thanks, partner!" She smiled and jumped and spun around again, her tail bashing the geodude's face, making it let go of her, and fly off into the room, colliding with the wall, and turning to dust.
The slowpoke made a surprisingly menacing face, charging an attack aimed straight to the meddling fairy type, who was dangerously close to it, "AAH! M-Mirari! F-Finish it off!"
"Let's go!" She turned back and charged something on her maw, while the togepi prepared another attack, his arm shining sky blue, her snout radiating a fire-like royal blue color.
When the Shaytan was about to unleash its devastating attack, it was met with a very quick, impossible to dodge slash, making it look down, then a beam of dragon fire hit it suddenly, obliterating it into nothing.
The duo was side by side, panting, bruised and winded. But they were victorious. Their prize was the stairs, right on the ending of the room. Mirari coughed and teared up a bit, smoke coming out of her beak-snout after using those flames.
"...You could have h-hit me with t-that!"
She tilted her head, coughing still. Then she finally understood what he meant, "That was dragon breath! Erm… Y'know, a dragon-type move!"
"So…?"
"...Don't tell me you've forgotten your type too!" She declared, baffled.
"Wha- no! I-I'm a normal type! R-Right!?" Lawrence seemed completely sure of that, and it scared Mirari to the core.
"Erm. Noooo… You are a fairy-type!" She tried answering, almost as if waiting for the punchline to come, "Y'know... the girly, vain, weak and gossiper type!"
"Oh wow, t-thanks! And what are dragon-types?" He sarcastically said.
"Why, we are the courageous, awesome, most powerful and the coolest type, of course!" she proudly said, closing her eyes and holding her head up high.
"M-Must be the humblest type too."
"You bet! We're the most humble ever! Dragons are the best at being humble!" Her grin only got even brighter.
And he could only stare, and silently make his way towards the stairs.
"W-Wait up, Lawrence!" Mirari exclaimed, after opening her eyes and seeing the small pokémon already halfway there.
"G-Guess you guys aren't the most perceptive type!" he began dashing in front of her, trying to reach the stairs first.
In the end, they both arrived at the same time. If only because the togepi tripped, and the jangmo-o stopped to laugh at his misery, only to allow him time to get back up and run some more.
-Little Sandrop Cave-
Floor: 4
"What a-are fairies even good for, anyway?"
Mirari pondered as they kept peacefully walking through the dark purple, gem filled halls, "I dunno! You guys are good at helping stuff- like healing or protecting. And being cute, I guess."
"So you're saying I'm cute?" He playfully asked.
"Erm. I guess. But hey, at least you're not pink all over! I don't like pink."
"Really? But you're a girl!"
"Yeah. Soooo…?"
"...Nevermind, you're right."
"Uh-huh. I guess." Mirari cocked her head, but kept focusing on leading them.
They walked across another empty hallway, and more morbidly silent rooms. Those gems making this silent mirror maze twice as weird to Lawrence. He decided to stop looking around those reflections, if only to avoid getting startled by his own mirror image. Deciding to instead keep looking at his small arms, and shell-like protection.
"Why're you checking yourself out like that?"
"Hm? Ah!" He felt his cheeks reddening slightly, stopping his curious examination of his fragile frame, "y-you know! Um…"
"What…?" She cocked her head once more, stopping their walk.
"Things are so… different here! I didn't even know what type I was until not long ago…" he sighed, a bit more embarrassed, "and um… I really wanted to be a dragon type… Or at least something cool and exciting like dark- o-or fighting! Not some pink fairy! I was ok with normal too- and I think normal is… boring."
She seemed a bit taken back, but still smiled kindly, "you're really into that whole human idea, huh? Look, as awesome, incredible and powerful as dragons are, fairy's not that bad! At least you're not a grimer!"
"Gee. 'Be ok with yourself, a-at least yo-you're not a literal walking pile of sludge' is quite uplifting. Y-You should be a counselor." Lawrence rolled his eyes.
"Aw, thanks! I try." She beamed.
Lawrence groaned, "You really don't do sarcasm."
She either ignored it, or didn't hear his comment.
"Lawrence look! It's the stairs!" She pointed.
"Oh thank god. This place is g-giving me the creeps…" He shivered when he remembered the shadows and the unnerving 'mirrors'.
"C'mon! I'll race ya there again!" She pushed him to the side, running towards the way out.
"M-Mirari! T-That's not funny!" He struggled to follow, eventually tripping again on a little rock. Hearing a sudden 'CLICK'.
And as if time stopped, he looked down, seeing a strange, metal-like contraption, with a rune glowing in the middle, right where he was laying on.
"Wha-" And just like that, the fairy warped, nowhere to be seen.
"LAWRENCE! Oh no! Oh no!" She gulped, running in circles, frantically looking around.
When he opened his eyes, he was on an entirely new room, surrounded by big, glowy gems. The likes of which acted like giant mirrors, dwarfing him, and allowing the former human to gaze upon his togepi form in all its glory. Walking towards one, he touched it to see him again. A pokémon. In the middle of a reality warping cave. And his one guide was a weird dragon girl with a weird name. And he was a Togepi.
"Come on. Even a turtwig would do. And I really dislike turtwig! Hell, even those weird ones from Unova would do- and I didn't even play Unova!... I think!" he sighs, his amnesia turning even self pity into a more complicated endeavor, he decided on simply turning around for the time being. Now looking into the dark purple room, feeling as if it had grown even bigger, making him look even tinier compared to… Everything, really.
At least the wounds on his nose and head had healed. "Guess that being a pokémon has its benefits, if even a meek one like me can walk off wounds like that." He gazed at the three corridors that lead further into the dungeon, feeling like death itself was waiting under the lights of the gemstones.
"Urk. I better go find her- Else I'll be in trouble!" Lawrence nodded to himself, running towards the nearest corridor.
He stumbles his way towards a double hallway, feeling as if he had been before- cursing himself for not paying attention where Mirari was taking him.
Then the former human could hear footsteps in the distance, making him jump a bit, "um… M-Mirari?... I-I'm here!"
He walked towards the sound, hearing menacingly loud footsteps, making the togepi stops dead on his tracks, "M-Mirari! T-That's no-not f-funny…!"
He took a step back, his two little hands clutching against one another as he trembled, "M-M-Mirari…?" He saw a single plated, stubby leg stepping out of the hallway, red eyes soon staring at him menacingly, a small (yet still bigger than him, ironically) tank pokémon approached, armored to the teeth, his very core was shook and overtaken by an instinctive fear.
"A-Aron…!" Lawrence tried to lift one of his hands and charge the only attack he knew, his arm glowing sky blue. He swiped from afar, hitting the enemy in the blink of a second, noticing it stood still, and he suddenly felt an aching pain on his attacking hand.
"AAAH-" He clutched it, feeling it sting painfully, the Shaytan seeming unaffected, the togepi's own attack doing more damage to him than his opponent "Crap! He's steel and rock, and my move was flying! It barely had any effect- and he's so tough too!" Lawrence couldn't help but whimper, feeling the pain in his arm only get more intense the more he tried to move it.
The Shaytan growled, its stubby leg turning almost knife-like as he slashed the pained togepi, his little shell protecting against most of the damage, but the feeling was like being hit multiple times in the same open wound, like a punch were actually three.
And he had no idea how he managed to find the strength to turn around and run the other way after so much pain.
He heard the loud sounds of the Aaron following him, to his horror, he was actually slower than an Aron!
And so, the beast started its counterattack, tackling the running togepi to the ground, managing to land a headbutt as a follow-up, the fairy's forehead now bleeding, using the position from under the iron armor pokémon to charge another Aerial Ace, aiming and hitting right in its red eye, making it take a step backward, blindly hitting the togepi on the stomach, as it mindlessly attacked everything in a fit of anger, throwing him just enough for him to stumble back up, and keep running.
He barely managed to dodge another metal claw from the Shaytan, eventually having to stop due to a dead end, the clear gems reflecting the deadly situation only breaking his resolve more and more.
And as the shadow pokémon approached, Lawrence could hear his heart beating faster and faster-
"I gotta do something! Anything! C'mon!" He shouted to himself, trying to think this situation through. He couldn't dodge, the thing was too fast for him to run away, and he couldn't brawl directly. What could he do!?
And as the shadow steel type jumped for another, most likely deadly cut, time yet again seemed to go to a halt, those claws slowly getting nearer the terrified and helpless fairy.
Recounting his small life, he didn't have much to recollect. From waking up not too long ago, being found by a strange and friendly dragoness, and going on a even stranger, yet short adventure.
His mind stopped on the almost picture-esque memory of they embracing in the middle of a crater in the desert. Did he hug his mother like that? His father? His best friend? his sister? He decided to instead focus on remembering how energized and calm he felt after that….
...Remembering that Mirari was most likely waiting for him to come back, much like his father, mother, best friend and sister. The machete-like member of the Shaytan surely nearing his throat, ready to cut his head. He began thinking how crushed she'd be if she learned he perished. The image of the dragon no longer with her signature smile, crying by his pitiful dead self. He then pictured his faceless loved ones, all waiting home for him to return, only for him to be dead because he wasn't strong enough to defend himself. For them to be sad... Because he was a failure!
"No. I'm not… I'm not gonna leave them all waiting! I'm not… I'm not gonna die. Not today!" His heart pumped faster, but not out of fear this time around. He channeled that memory: him hugging Mirari. How powerful he felt. Instead of internalizing this power-
-He let it all out! As if instinct itself guided his actions, he put his aching arm on his forehead, together with his functional one, adrenaline suppressing the pain, as a shiny, rainbow-white ball of light formed in between his hands, right in front of the Aron.
"I won't… I won't make her cry! I won't make anyone cry!" He mentally screamed, his energy building up, then exploding into a bright, sparkling light, this flash burning the steel type, and momentarily disorienting him, enough for the otherwise fatal metal claw leave only a bleeding scratch on the togepi's face.
The Aron flew right past the fairy and crashed against the crystals behind them, scarring the wall, and definitely taking at least some recoil.
Lawrence was stunned, but glad, and he, for the first time since he got here, was fearless "Take this! And this! Die! Die!" He screamed, charging it two more times, the flashes burning and hitting the dazed Shaytan, sparkling across the small area. Now the monster was surrounded with its back against the corner, not the togepi.
And so, after three or more angry attacks, the berserk fairy type saw the aftermath: sparkingling, dark shadows. Some of his own blood, dripping on the rocky floor below. His heart decelerated. The pain on his arm, back and forehead returned. He kneeled for a moment, panting. He felt Exhausted. Not able to muster any moves even if he needed to. But it wasn't over.
He got up, limping towards the path the Aron was blocking, trying to ignore the red liquid leaking from his forehead, his dizziness and growling stomach not helping.
Negative thoughts and feelings began to take hold of his lonely soul, whispers of failure and doom taking over... would she really be waiting for him? What if she already left? What if she's dead? What if she doesn't want such a pathetic, weak fairy by her side? What if she finds him a bore? What if she would rather face the sandstorm outside than be with him? She's so annoying anyway! What if he just left her? What if-
"LAWRENCE!" He heard a high, squeaky voice filled with desperation and worry.
Those stray thoughts soon being put at bay- When he came back, he noticed how much he traveled with a limp, without noticing. His body refused to give up even as his mind slowly succumbed.
"I'm sorry! I'm so SORRY!" He heard that voice filled with emotion. His blurred vision saw someone dashing towards him, clashing against his tiny body and… Holding him.
What if… she just wanted a friend? Another stray thought whispered in his mind, though this one's voice was much more soothing.
"I did this! I was stupid! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I-I tried so hard to find you- Arceus I was so scared I-"
"It's… Ok." He croaked, feeling as Mirari silenced herself, only tightened the hug.
"Oh, Lawrie! You're bleeding- You're barely on your feet!" He felt water drop on his body, together with some sniffing. Was she…
"P-Please don't... d-don't cry..." That was the entire point...
And before he knew it, he was crying as well. His only usable arm hugging her scaly body.
"I know! Here, hang on tight! Please!" He was softly placed on the ground, his blurred sight only getting worse- exhaustion trying to claim him.
And suddenly, he felt something being forced down his throat, something squeezing a… Very, very weird tasting juice, and just like that, he was no longer fainting.
He blinked, his vision was clearing, seeing a crying lizard in front of him, worried and looking like she was expecting the doctor to tell if a patient was alive or not.
Lawrence took a deep breath, and before she could even open her mouth again, he was hugging her once more.
"M-Mirari!" He exclaimed, no longer exhausted, and capable of coherent thinking once more. Positivity once more refilling his lost energy as he kept close to Mirari "I'm f-f-fine!"
"Oh, Lawrence!" was all the jangmo-o could say, nuzzling the top of his head, her tail pushing them closer in the hug.
"What did you do? I feel so refreshed!" He happily questioned, smiling brightly.
"I gave you an Oran Berry silly!" She sniffed and cleaned some leftover tears.
"Oh wow. R-Really? Geez, you weren't kidding!..." He took another deep breath, each breath seemed to be the first after drowning. His heart beating so fast and so loud, he was sure the scalie girl could hear it too.
"Heh, I know right! Those things are amazing!" He could swear he felt she was staring at him.
They silently just… stood there, like last time. Catching their breath after that scare.
"That was a trap by the way! A warp trap, to be more precise. Yeah dungeons have them laying around sometimes." She giggled, answering the question he was about to ask.
"Oh wow. As if they weren't scary enough a-already!" He sighed.
"Yeah. And I pushed you right into one... What happened to you, anyway?" The jangmo-o asked, not at all trying to hide her melancholy.
"That's amazing, Lawrence! You managed to defeat a much stronger opponent like that! And you've used Dazzling Gleam too!" She smiled, the two walking side by side, "that was so heroic of you!"
"Um. S-Sure! Still don't know how I did it though!" He bluffed, too embarrassed to say he used the memory of them hugging to give himself strength.
"There's the stairs! That should be the last floor, I think!" She pointed, Lawrence nodded and moved, noticing she waited behind.
Seeing him looking confusedly at her, she decided to clarify. "Erm. After that stunt I pulled- I've decided! You're gonna be our leader, Lawrence! You'll lead the front, I'll protect the rear and follow!"
"B-But I barely know what I'm doing! B-Barely know where I'm going!" He tried to counter.
"Hah. To be fair, I had no clue either! I just followed my guts! You'll be fine! You look much more like the planning type anyway. I believe in you!" She smiled once more, standing her ground, he blushed and huffed.
"F-Fine. If only because we're almost out of this nightmare forever anyway." The petit fairy kept going, not seeing the dragon looking down, deep in thought.
"Will he… accept?"
-Little Sandrop Cave-
Floor: 5 (!)
.
They were crossing an entirely narrow and singular path, the gemstones here entirely red, creating what seemed like big, fragmented mirrors of rubies.
As they reached the only other room that wasn't the one they arrived at, they suddenly jumped as a crackling, sinister voice began speaking from nowhere, the lights of the gems suddenly no longer glowing, leaving them in darkness, almost on cue.
"So you were the ones who have awakened me!?"
"W-What the-" Was all the togepi could mutter.
"Where is this coming from? Erm, Sir sorry for disturbi-" The jangmo-o tried, only to be interrupted.
"Shut up! Thieves! You came to steal my treasure! Just like all the rest!"
"Erm. Treasure…?" Mirari honestly asked.
"Don't play dumb! You must be more adventurers that came to collect the world-renowned 'haunted treasure of crystal cave', eh? EH!?"
The two looked at themselves, completely confused with what they were hearing, whispering among themselves, "Treasure? H-Haunted? C-Crystal cave?"
"I don't know! Literally nothing makes sense-" She whispered back.
"Dastardly Thieves! You whisper and conspire amongst yourselves!"
"S-Sir, you currently find yourself at Little Sandrop Cave, known for being a very… Uninteresting dungeon!" Mirari yet again tried to reason with the voice.
"Wha- Preposterous! When I got lost- I mean, When I moved here, this was the name of the dungeon! And it's very interesting- Look around!"
The two just looked confusedly at one another, really unsure if this was some sort of strange gag, or a real, honest situation.
"U-Um… Mister voice in t-the dark… We just want t-to leave, t-there was a sandstorm and-"
"ENOUGH LIES!"
Suddenly, two shiny, blue sapphire like eyes could be seen glowing eerily in the dark, then all lights turned back on, and the big, bad and scary voice belonged to… A small, purple and imp-like pokémon with gems for eyes- much like some gems of the later floors of the dungeon.
"Liars! Trespassers! You are here to mock me just like the rest of 'em! Here to steal my treasure and make fun of me!" the male ghost spoke, much less intimidating here in person.
Despite sounding like an adult, he was smaller than Mirari, but bigger than Lawrence (like most things). He seemed to have some sort of weird… Dark glow around his body, not the pure evil of the Shaytan, but not too far either. He was acting erratically with his speech and movements.
"Urk! W-What's with this guy!?" Lawrence gulped, scared, but getting ready.
"Don't know! But he seems like he can't be reasoned with! Something with his energy is strange! Let's try and calm him down!" She growled, ready to defend herself.
"I'll show you! I'll show all of you punks!" He screeched, ready to take them on.
The first chapter's reception was surprisingly good- so I felt motivated to rush down and make this one! It's mostly a settup chapter, ment to plant seeds for further storytelling in the future- but it was a very fun to do notheless! Even if it was a literal 'tutorial' for our pint-sized hero.
Next time: The first boss appears! Can the duo defeat the crazed ghost in his own 'home'? Plus, there's a family reunion just waiting to be had.
