Chapter 12: Up In Flames


Four little paws struck the ground in rhythm, a heavy tail dragging behind. Nickit ran right up to the city gate.

"Halt!" cried the Boldore guard, striking his heavy leg down in the boy's path. "What trickery do you dark-types bring to our gates today?"

Nickit caught his breath and cried out, "It is no trick! Machamp is marching on our valley, with a hundred Pokémon behind him!"

The guard scoffed. "Do you think our scouts blind? We have long known this."

Nickit gaped at him, disbelieving. "Why have we not been warned? We could have prepared. We could have worked together!"

"Work together? With you dark-types? You who have tricked and toyed with us for three dozen moons? You who fight with lies and dishonor? We shall smile to see you under the usurper's grasp."

"H-he won't stop at just us!" Nickit begged. "He will be here next. We're both in danger!"

Boldore swung his heavy leg, swatting the small fox into the dirt. "We shall overcome. Begone, trespasser. Return to your village of craven fools."

A bitter laugh echoed from the interior of the gate. An unfamiliar figure laid slouched against it. "Well, that's stupid."

Boldore turned around with a heavy, angry stomp. "You dare mock me, foreigner? After we allow you entrance and hospice?

The foreigner stood up and shrugged its heavy shoulders with a smug grin. "Well, I'm just saying. You can find a lot of pride in graveyards."

~ The 17th Tale, Enemy of my Enemy


Ashen hopped out from his den and stared in disbelief at the writhing, wriggling trees around him. Their constant creaking and cracking never stopped, flooding the air with a chorus of hideous groans. Each tree seemed to be burning from within, an orange glow peeking out where chunks of bark had chipped off. The hellish display encircled the entire glade, with the burning specks of light illuminating the night sky.

Ashen barely dared to look at what lurked on the far end of the now-isolated field. A massive sinkhole stared back, ravenously drawing the earth in around it, and spewing out an ominous black fog in return. He'd never seen a rift before, but he had no doubt what he was looking at.

Whatever this nightmare was, Roselia had been dragged into it. He couldn't imagine what was happening to her. This- this couldn't possibly be part of the plan.

"Sorry kid. The frustrating one has earned her title once more! It seems we'll be starting the show early," Strife's familiar voice rang around him. It didn't have his usual morbid cheer. He seemed bothered.

"Y-you... you did this?" Ashen asked in awe.

"Mmm, indirectly speaking..." Strife snickered mischievously.

He eyed the smoldering forest fearfully. "W-what did you do to her?"

"Ah, worry not! She's simply found herself in another part of the dungeon until it's time for her appearance. Don't think so poorly of me, burning child! I keep telling you- we're not here to hurt anyone."

Ashen was having a progressively harder time believing that. Starting fires, beating up those delvers, terrifying the entire village... Sure they hadn't seriously hurt anyone, but they'd done everything short of it. And things were only escalating.

Wait, dungeon?! Ashen's ears perked and he froze, fully processing what had happened. Strife had created a mystery dungeon?!

"You are disturbed, burning child," he noted. What was in his voice? Disappointment or concern? "You broke character when the frustrating one jumped you. And now you are doubting me."

Ashen lowered his head, trying to conceal his dismay. "I- I didn't know what was going on. I was half asleep," he muttered. It was partially true. He had been very confused. But there was also... her eyes.

It was so easy to convince himself that he was doing something good when he never had to see the consequences. He could imagine that he was doing everything right, and that it would all work out in the end. And for just a bit, that fantasy was as good as the truth.

But looking into Roselia's depraved, feral eyes... Seeing that carnal rage... Hearing her remind him that he'd done it to her. And not just her, but his parents as well. His parents who still kept looking for him, even though he'd done nothing to deserve it... How was he supposed to tell her it was for a good reason? He couldn't even convince himself of that, at this point.

"I told you before- I cannot stop you from walking away. But to take your leave now would be quite the bitter ending. All of the damage already done, with no fruits of our labor born. I would ask that you see this night through. And then, once you have seen what we can accomplish here. Then, you can make your choice."

Ashen sighed and picked up his head. He stared into the twisting walls of the dungeon. A sinister darkness filled the woods, in spite of all the glowing embers. Those pricks of lights were like hundreds of eyes, staring back and judging him. He turned away and sat down by the roots of the trees, pawing mindlessly at the dirt.

"And what comes next? What happens when this is over?" he asked.

It was a question he'd never stopped to consider before. When this started, just a few days ago, he was so surprised at the idea that someone looked for him, and that he had some secret duty to perform. Being given an opportunity out of the blue like that, after all this time, felt like an act of fate. He didn't know if it was a fate to atone, or a fate to keep on ruining everything. But either way, if it was fate then he didn't have a choice.

So for the past few days, he'd drowned his doubts in that feeling. It wasn't until now that he'd realized he did have a choice. He could have left any point. Even if Strife was lying about letting him leave, he could have called to the delvers or to Roselia for help. He could have refused to do what Strife wanted. He still could. He could ruin all of his plans, right now.

But of course, as usual, he'd only figured this out when it was too late. Now that Roselia knew who he was, he was locked into this path. He could never go home. Strife was right. Giving up now only meant a bad ending for sure.

"Next, you provide the promised blaze," Strife's answer interrupted his thoughts, "The dungeon will carry the flames from the hollow out into the woods. A never-ending wave of fire, the source far out of reach," he described the arson with disconcerting glee.

Ashen looked at the air skeptically, hoping he was facing his phantom advisor. "I-I thought the entire point was that they'd be okay? If they can't stop me, then-" He shuddered.

"Worry not, burning child! They may be a bit under-rehearsed, due to our hastened schedule. But I will assure the village is unharmed."

"I- I still don't understand why we're doing this. This doesn't make any sense. I know you said it's about... spirits, or whatever. But... I just... this is crazy... Even if no one gets hurt, we're just... terrifying everyone."

"It is a concept that beings far older, and supposedly far wiser, than you have failed to grasp. But it is as I have promised. When this is over, I will be able to show you what we have done," Strife answered with an unusual twinge of bitterness in his voice.

Ashen furrowed his brow. Strife was asking for faith. Did he deserve it?

Strife was shady. Even Ashen could see that. He wouldn't show his face or give Ashen any hint of who he was. Ashen wasn't even sure if he was here, hidden from sight, or if the Pokémon was far away, communicating telepathically.

But on the other hand, the puppeteer had kept all of his promises so far. At least, so far as Ashen knew. Thinking about it though, he could be lying about the damage they'd caused.

But there was another question burning in his mind.

"Why me?" he asked simply. The meaning was clear.

Strife paused a moment before replying. "You're wondering if I've used you." Ashen nodded solemnly. "A reasonable fear. And in a way, yes, I have. But... Pokémon use each other all the time. That was one of the first lessons we took from the humans. It is not such a bad thing. You're helping me further my goals, and I in turn am helping you."

Ashen said nothing, but his pleading eyes made it clear he required more.

"You are unwell, child. Such bitterness and misery, at your age... You blame yourself for every bud of misfortune that blooms around you. No matter what I say or do, you will always be a villain in your own story. But lucky for you, I just so happened to need one. So I offered you an opportunity- a chance to use all that bitterness for good."

Ashen whimpered, collapsing apathetically against the root. Even Strife didn't think he could be redeemed.

"I still don't understand why you need me though. If you can do this, what can I possibly do for you?" he gestured to the still crawling and cracking sea of tendrils that was the forest.

"What I need... is your face. Were I to reveal my role in this production, it would attract... unwanted attention. So I cast you to play this part in my stead. But I know what you're afraid of. You're wondering if this is all a trick. If I'm trying to make you do evil in my place."

Ashen gulped. Was Strife reading his mind, or were his thoughts just that predictable?

"Let me offer you this: if I really wanted to destroy the village, why would we create a dungeon here, and not in the village itself?"

He didn't have an answer to that. He knew nothing about how Strife had accomplished this. Maybe there was some reason he couldn't... But it was enough to persuade him.

Or maybe he wasn't being persuaded. Maybe he'd just stopped caring. He was locked in now anyways, wasn't he?

Ashen looked up at the charred and dying oak he'd once called home. Dozens of branches had snapped off and littered the ground around him. They rested in a field of ashes, all lying still where grass had once stirred in the wind. His eyes turned to the nightmarish field of tendrils caging them in, curling and snapping with a horrible croak.

All of this destruction that he'd sown in so little time. Years of being unable to do anything meaningful, and in just a few days of being a villain he'd produced all of this. It was undeniable at this point. He was fated to destroy. If he'd had a choice, he'd lost it. The most he could hope for was that Strife was honest, and he could use that destruction for good.

"Okay. Fine," he relented. "I'll give you a chance to prove this. You want me to burn the dungeon. What else?"

"In the village's darkest hour, when the blaze burns its brightest, the frustrating one will return. And with a bit of encouragement... the Helioptile will come as well. Begrudgingly, they will confront you together. And then our noble heroes," Strife snickered at the word, "will vanquish you in battle."

Ashen wasn't even surprised. He nodded meekly. "You want me to lose on purpose?"

"I don't think that will be necessary. Their wits and their will exceed yours. But the frustrating one has surprised me many times already! Kee-hee-hee! So, fight your hardest, and I'll warn you if it's time to hold back. Once it's clear you've lost, swear your vengeance and disappear in a puff of smoke. Then curtains draw on a happy ending!"

Ashen nodded solemnly and stood up. He dredged his feet half-heartedly through the ashes, nervously approaching the shifting wall of twisted trees. Every so often a branch would reach out towards the center of the glade, as if grasping for him, before quickly contracting back into the tangle.

Ashen inhaled deeply, preparing to release a flamethrower. But then he stopped. One of his questions hadn't been answered.

"When this is over... If I stay with you. What happens next?"

"Next? You take a recession, and rest. Then, we begin rehearsing. Your next appearance will be an even greater role! Kee-hee!"

Next appearance... the thought made Ashen shudder. He didn't want to make this "performance". He didn't want to do anything.

Doing nothing... Maybe that was the one choice he still had left.

But for now, he only had one path forward. With a deep inhale, he opened his mouth and spewed a column of flame into the squirming mass of trees.


Confused cries and panicked shouts rang throughout Solemn Meadow. A huge crowd stood at the edge of the open field, staring together in awe at the nightmare growing from other end of the meadow. The trees had stretched and twisted together, forming a hellish mouth into the shadows. All around this gate, the forest stretched and squirmed in constant motion. The trees were coated in cinders, their soft glow illuminating the entrance.

Rex was fixated on the dungeon entrance. It was inviting him. Or more accurately, the voice was. He knew that. The dungeon he'd first woken up in... it had been brand new. And now chasing the spirit, aligned with the voice, a new one had formed right in front of him.

He was certain of it now. He was being strung along.

The voice had revealed itself to him on Flak Mountain intentionally. It was probably responsible for him going up there in the first place, somehow. And now it was inviting him into this new dungeon.

He was a puppet. An actor in their show, as they'd framed it.

To hell with that. He wasn't walking into a trap. He'd... he'd figure out something else. Catch the spirit in the aftermath. Anything else.

A new wave of alarmed cries snapped Rex back to reality. The faint glow of the embers was growing, and fast. Fire was rushing out from the side of the newborn dungeon and slowly spreading down the tree line.

"Order, folks! Order!" Oak's once soft voice broke out over the panicked shouts. "We need order now, more than ever!"

To the villager's credit, a hush fell over most of the crowd, save for frightened murmurs. They twitched with anxiousness, awaiting the elder's instructions.

"Vaporeon, Marill, proceed to the front of the fire quickly and see if it's possible to quell it before it spreads too far. At the very least, slow it down while we prepare. Wimpod-"

Rex was amazed to see that Wimpod was still there, trembling in the very back of the crowd. His eyes were flitting about erratically, but he seemed to focus a bit at Oak's call.

"-Wimpod, stay back with Leafeon and keep filling buckets. Our gracious guests from Flak Grotto, please continue expanding the fire trench as quickly as possible. Those of you who were previously on guard duty, remain where you were stationed. Helioptile, please come speak with me.

"Everyone else, take the filled water buckets to the fire trench and then continue with what you'd been doing before. Be ready to fight the fire at the trench. We should have a bit of time left to prepare before it gets there. I've seen how well everyone has been working thus far, and I couldn't be prouder. Keep this up, and we'll end the night unharmed. Now, everyone, to work!"

Some of the villagers still seemed nervous, but with just a bit of instruction, many of them bore looks of confidence too. Some even seemed excited as they ran off to work. But before the crowd could disperse, a gruff voice called out.

"We're going in," Ego declared, pushing through the crowd as Xew followed with Deci on his head, glancing apologetically at the people Ego shoved past. Ego approached the elder and smacked his chest in an annoyingly familiar gesture. "We'll catch the spirit himself, while you guys fight the fire."

Oak paused, glancing nervously at the dungeon's burning maw. "You are by far our fastest digger. Without you, we won't be able to expand the trench much before the blaze hits our perimeter."

"We're also the only ones qualified to delve an unknown dungeon. If the spirit is hiding in there, this won't stop until the forest is reduced to ashes or until someone goes in stops him."

Oak nodded slowly, seemingly torn. "I suppose you're right. I wish you three the best of luck then," he offered a bow to the trio. "We put our trust in you."

Ego flashed a wide grin. "We'll drag the spirit back here by his neck in no time." Xew and Deci nodded in agreement.

The village watched eagerly as the trio made their way across the meadow and vanished into the dungeon's gaping, demonic mouth, undeterred by the firestorm around them.

Rex could have joined them. It was a stupid thing to even think of. But for some reason he was thinking it. Some ridiculous, irrational part of him was screaming "Go into the massive flaming labyrinth with them! You have to know what happens!"

Was he crazy as a human too, or was it just the Pokémon in him that had lost its bloody mind?

No, he wasn't taking the bait. The voice wanted him in there. It wanted him to come find it. To play whatever part he had in its twisted game.

For all he knew, the voice had twisted his mind when they first met. Planted this irrational impulse to do stupid things. Who knew what it was capable of?

As soon as Team Pride were out of sight, the rest of the crowd quickly dispersed. People rushed to their respective battle stations. Most of them were doing the same work as before, but now the pace had doubled. The threat was no longer a distant fantasy. The intensifying glow and growing heat were a constant reminder of that.

Rex looked across the meadow at the approaching wave of death again and shuddered. The second that fire made it over the trench, he was bailing. He'd been burnt enough back in the Bombard Plateaus, and there was jack shit he could do at that point.

Turning his attention back to the village, he realized he was alone with Oak now. The deer was staring at him expectantly.

"Uh, you wanted me?" he asked, skittering up to him nervously. There was a stern sort of curiosity in the elder's gaze.

"Yes. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" he asked, gesturing his horns towards the newly formed dungeon.

Rex shrugged. "It's a mystery dungeon, and it's on fire. Kind of really god damned horrifying, actually. Not sure why you're asking me about it though."

Oak turned to look at it, eyes distant. "I can't imagine a dungeon appearing right here, right now, is a coincidence. But as I'm told, their origins are unknown. If the spirit was somehow able to create one, or to know where one would appear... I must admit, I'm a bit worried what we're up against. You were the only one who knew anything about them."

Rex carefully considered how much backstory he wanted to give. Frankly, he was getting sick of telling the same bullshit story, time and time again. But... given the current circumstances, it was probably worthwhile in this case.

"I don't think the spirit did that," he sighed. "Long story short, I'm not from Trespis. I woke up in a mystery dungeon, with amnesia, shortly after having a weird dream where a weird voice was talking to me. Turns out, that dungeon was brand new. And then when we fought the spirit on Flak Mountain, I heard the same voice. That voice is involved with the spirit somehow, and I think it's doing all of this."

Oak's firm demeanor broke to give him a look of bafflement. "What in the skies above is going on here?"

"You're asking me," Rex groaned. "I'm the one who woke up in a strange land, conked out and amnesiac. I don't have any of the answers."

Oak stared at the dungeon in disbelief for a few moments more, before shaking his head and returning to his decorum. "Right. My apologies." The deer turned to take note of the growing collection of other Pokémon waiting to speak with the elder. "Stay with me. I need a runner to coordinate people."

"What about watch duty?"

Oak shook his head. "We need to thin the perimeter now anyways. There may be minor gaps, but some things must be left to prayers."

Rex nodded. And Oak finally beckoned over the first Pokémon with a smile of acknowledgement.

"Mr. Nuzleaf. What do you need?" he asked quickly and directly.

"Tangles fell behind on clearin' up the branches I left behind. I'm worried it could spread across them, over the trench, makin' the whole thing pointless. Whats the prior'ty on that? Cuttin' or clear 'em?"

"Have you cleared the eastern perimeter already? Near where the fire is originating?"

Nuzleaf nodded.

"Good. Then yes, work on clearing the lingering debris. If you find the time, return to trimming further around the perimeter, but our current priority is the eastern edge of the village."

Oak bid Nuzleaf off and beckoned the next Pokémon forward. This continued for a few minutes as Pokémon raised questions and suggestions to the elder, who would quickly direct them and beckon the next one forward.

All the while, Rex stood by his side tugging anxiously at one of his frills, waiting for the deer to give him an instruction. He kept finding himself eyeing the dungeon. Wondering whether his nemesis was hiding within. Waiting for him to come and play his part.

Rex shook his head furiously. No. Don't play into it. They were messing with his head.

A shaggy raccoon approached the elder and started to speak when a scream pierced the air.

A spherical blue rodent, the one Oak had called Marill, scrambled out of the woods from the direction of the blaze. It was practically tripping over itself in a panic.

"F-FERAL!" it squeaked, bouncing past the crowd. It didn't dare to turn around until they were between it and the woods.

Every eye in the meadow turned to where she'd just come from. Vaporeon broke through the trees next, her thick tail swinging behind her as she sprinted. She bounded over to the group and crouched defensively, facing the trees readily as she explained

"A lot of ferals are panicking up there. An Ursaring is berserking. I... might have made it angrier."

A flash of brown burst from the tree line in a frenzied charge. The enormous bear was soaking wet, and its eyes were alit with rage and confusion. It dove for the crowd mindlessly, claws outstretched for the elder.

Surprisingly sprightly, the elder leapt back as Ursaring's claws dug through empty space. Rex stumbled away and tripped onto his back. He gazed up at the hulking monster in terror.

In that moment, half-a-dozen projectiles struck the bear from the crowd- A barrage of leaves from the Tangela, a heavy flood of water from Vaporeon, bursts of wind from a mantis's blades, and more all merged together in a wave of attacks. The barrage nearly toppled the beast, but it dug its claws into the dirt and withstood it with a deep groan.

Ursaring ignored Rex entirely and set its mindless rage on the rest of the crowd. The moment there was a break in the assault it charged again, powering through the deep gashes and massive bruises across its stomach and shoulders through sheer anger alone.

Regaining his wits, Rex popped his frills open and added his own voltage to the arrays of attacks as the beast barreled past him.

Its body shaking unnaturally, Ursaring pushed through the wave of missiles. Horrified looks spread across the crowd as one by one they halted their moves and dove out of the way, not wanting to be the unlucky one left behind.

As soon as it was in range, Ursaring dove with bloodthirsty claws for the only Pokémon still unflinching at the front: Vaporeon. Rex grimaced and prepared to look away.

As soon as the bear was off it feet, Vaporeon leapt aside and pivoted on her front paws as the clumsy feral collapsed into the dirt. Water flooded out from her skin and cloaked her heavy tail, and in the same motion she spun it around her and slammed it into Ursaring's back, piledriving it into the dirt.

With one final wheeze, Ursaring fell flat and lifeless. The crowd let out some low cheers, and Rex smiled. Vaporeon had done it with such enthusiasm.

His appreciation was short lived though. Rather than acknowledging the praise, she slowly sauntered over by Ursaring's head. She quickly dove her neck forward and clenched her teeth around his neck. Then in one gruesome motion, she ripped out his neck.

She turned to the crowd with a bloody smile, now basking in the continued cheers as the feral bled out into the grass.

Rex stared at the murder scene aghast. He shouldn't be surprised. They seemed to eat ferals after all. But when the ferals looked the same to him as any of the townsfolk, it was... jarring, to say the least.

He seemed to be the only one bothered by it though, as the villagers were jubilant at the bear's death. It took Oak returning to the front of the group and giving a yell to return everyone to order.

"Thank you everyone. But we need to stay focused. We should be prepared for more incidents with panicked ferals. Most of them won't be looking for a fight, so try to ignore them if possible. Vaporeon, Marill, you should return to the front quickly."

Everyone glanced anxiously at the growing wave of destruction that was sweeping through the woods. The fire was getting ominously close to the perimeter now, and the hellish flickering light was pervading through the trees. A fountain of smoke obscured the night sky above the meadow, and there was a distinct smog that made Rex's eyes water. It was getting hot. Uncomfortably hot.

Vaporeon responded. "We're not really doing much at this point, though... It's spreading too fast. I mean, we're in a forest! There's trees on every side. We put out one, and the two around it are already lit up."

"Then you've slowed it down by a third," Oak retorted. "Right now we just need as much time as possible to prepare."

Vaporeon gave a solemn nod. "We'll slow it down as much as we can." She called over to Marill, and the duo started to march boldly towards the inferno. She paused when she noticed Rex.

"Helioptile? Is Roselia here too?" she asked.

Rex shook his head, silently groaning at somehow having become Bristle's keeper. "No, she wandered off into the woods like a dipshit earlier rather than doing anything useful."

Vaporeon looked concerned, but she let it pass quickly. "I'm surprised you're out here instead of uh, in there, you know," she gestured towards the dungeon and smiled. "Seems like the fun part, and I would have figured we need all the delvers we have, yeah?"

Rex shrugged. "Well, I'm not a delver anymore. I'm sure Team Pride have it handled."

"Yeah, I'm sure. They'd better have a good story for us when they get back!" Vaporeon said with a confident nod. Marill called for her to hurry up, and she gave Rex a sheepish grin. "Oh crud! I've kind of got an important job here, don't I? Good luck!"

With that, she bounded off after Marill, the duo charging towards the raging fire with confidence that Rex imagined only a water type could have.

Truth be told, Rex was distinctly not confident that Team Pride had this handled. After all, the spirit had man-handled them the last time they met. Or more accurately, the voice had. He had no reason to believe it would end differently. And the voice certainly wasn't going to be happy that he wasn't playing along...

Why did the voice want him to play this game? He still had no freaking clue what the hell it wanted out of this. The more that he thought about it, he was probably be safe in all of this. Why would anyone bother bringing him to this world and setting all of this up just to kill him in a forest fire? If killing him was the goal, the voice had passed up its opportunities.

Rex shook his head vigorously. No, he was rationalizing now. He wasn't going to convince himself to wander right into this, damnit!

He returned his attention to reality to see that the queue had reformed around Oak, who was processing them all rapidly. Oak acknowledged him as soon as he came back over.

"We're preparing for the blaze to reach the perimeter now. I need you to walk the eastern end of it and make sure people are stationed regularly with either an attack for fighting back the fires, or a reasonable supply of water buckets. If there's not enough Pokémon there already, start pulling people working on other areas of the perimeter or any task back in the village. This is our number one priority at the moment. And if you see Eldegoss, tell her I want her to stay back and prepare a safe area for if anyone is wounded."

Rex nodded. Finally, a task. Something to keep his mind off of that hypnotizing urge to get involved with things he should be running far away from.


Ashen Glade Quadrant 1

Though the dungeon's insides were safe from the fire outside, Bristle was still burning with rage.

Unbelievable. This was utterly unbelievable. A stupid child had caused all of this. And then a bloody dungeon appeared on her! What were the odds?

This was the proof. Fate was conspiring against her. Nothing she did mattered. Even when she won- even if she outwitted fate, it would just cheat. It would make up some ridiculous obstacle that made no sense at all, just to keep her from winning!

The worst part was that even once she found the kid again, dragged him out of here, and tossed him in a hole so dark she couldn't see the bottom, she'd still be worse off than she started. All anyone would remember was that she let this all happen. A mere child had run circles around her for days!

She screamed, the sound echoing through empty skies.

The dungeon's walls were formed by the same twisting, dark tangles of trees that had abducted her. They formed a tight lattice, coiling together to create narrow hallways. Embers of light peeked out from inside them, with the bright ones lining the path as the more distant trees faded into wriggling shadows. No matter which way she looked, the winding paths never seemed to open into a larger space.

The ground was coated with a thick layer of ash that clung to the base of her legs. The corridors were littered with weeds that stretched up to her waist and shared the same gray coloration as the ashes. An ominous warmth clung to the air.

The littered ashes and the glimmering embers in the trees told Bristle all she needed to know about this dungeon's type biases. As if the game hadn't been rigged enough before.

But as unreasonable as it all was, she had no choice but to go forwards. After all, that was the only way out of this dungeon. So she picked a path at random and got moving.

It quickly became clear that the dungeon was composed entirely of labyrinthine halls. Walking through narrow corridors while the dark trees squirmed around her, it was hard to stop imagining she'd stumbled into the intestines of some hellish beast.

She was still trying to shake that thought when something caused her to fixate on a pair of orange lights in the treeline. Something seemed off about those two cinders. As they grew larger, she realized they weren't part of the trees at all.

A Phantump emerged from the wooden lattice, its mask looking charred and withered and its eyes nothing but burning specks of light. Its head creaked around and it bore into her with an eerie gaze. It suddenly flew towards her, long purple claws growing along its tiny hand.

Bristle was in no mood to trifle with apparitions. Two vines shot out, smacking it from the air. The attack wouldn't be too effective, but it would gauge how strong the apparitions here were.

Phantump hit the ground with a thud, kicking up a cloud of ash as he fell into the sea of weeds below. Bristle shielded her face and waited for the cloud to settle before approaching.

She checked the ground and saw no sign of Phantump. Good, the apparitions here were wea-

Something slammed into her back, sending her tumbling across the dirt. She was totally coated in ash now, and even more hung in the air. She rolled over and wheezed, desperately trying to clear the filth from her lungs. Phantump was hovering above, expressionless as always, and preparing another attack.

Too busy coughing to counterattack, she rolled to her side and narrowly dodged as the apparition's shadowy claws torethrough the dirt. In doing so she only knocked more soot into the air, and her choking redoubled.

She couldn't fight like this. She needed to get off the ground. She stretched her arms out and coiled a set of vines around one of the writhing trees above, praying that the act wouldn't be enough to anger the mysterious force. As Phantump dove again, she contracted the vines and pulled herself into the air, wincing as a burning sensation ran down her vines.

She hit the ground behind Phantump, kicking up even more filth. But now that it was below her face, it was less debilitating. She quickly hacked out the remaining ash in her throat and prepared to finish the foe.

The phantom force she'd been struck with earlier was a cheap trick, but its strength gave her a good enough estimate. The dungeon was likely a high class-C. No problem at all for someone of her caliber.

She outstretched a bud and recalled another source from her memory. A baneful and mischievous spirit grew in her heart, and she let that feeling flow to her bud as an ominous lavender light began to shine between the petals.

As soon as Phantump moved she released the attack. A globule of shadowy power collapsed against its spectral form, melting the apparition right out of the air. The inky remains dripped to the ground, leaving no trace.

Bristle stared at her bud with a satisfied look. Good, so it was just her fairy source she was struggling with. ...Again. She'd retrain it when this was all over, and she'd have it back in no time.

As soon as Bristle started moving again, something gave her pause. More pricks of light were moving rapidly in the distance. Another apparition already?

But those few pricks quickly turned into many. And then those many pricks of light turned into a searing wall. And only then did the horror set in as she realized what she was looking at.

Fire. A massive inferno. Flames were running down the walls, leaping from branch to flailing branch. At the same time it was spreading rapidly through the weeds, turning the entire corridor into a sea of fire.

She turned and ran as fast as she could. Was this a deviation? Was this just how the dungeon was? She could only pray the quadrant boundary wasn't already wreathed in fire.

The air grew hotter and hotter. She didn't dare turn around, but she could feel the blaze crawling closer and closer. She needed to find the quadrant boundary, and she needed to find it now.

She threw herself down one corridor and nearly tripped as she suddenly stopped. She didn't have time to in terror at the new wave of fire approaching from this path. In an instant she was gone, down another turn.

The entire quadrant was going up in flames. Soon, there'd be nowhere left to run.

She darted past several apparitions- Phantump, Litten, Vulpix. They made paltry efforts to attack, but she was long gone by that point. Moments later she'd hear their empty groans as the flames consumed them and they returned nothingness.

Not breaking stride, she reached down into her bag and felt around. She'd been saving that rainy orb since she'd first heard about the fires. Her secret weapon to beat a fire type. But if she had to spend it here...

She rounded another corner, and the silvery gleam of mercy came into sight. The whimsical, twisting metal gate of the quadrant boundary was arched across the hall ahead of her. And beyond it- more fire.

She leapt through, falling to the ground on the other side. The trees swirled like a nest of angry serpents, and moments later she was in an entirely new hallway with no fire in sight.

Scowling, she pulled herself upright and coughed up Diggersby's worth of dust. Even though her breath was still heavy, she pulled herself the rest of the way up and started moving. She wasn't sticking around long enough to see if the fire came back.


Ashen Glade Quadrant 2

After a few minutes of walking, Bristle was only more frustrated. Still stuck in the second quadrant... By the time she got out of here, the kid would have escaped. Unless he got dragged in here too. She could only hope.

She had to stay on high alert. Though the apparitions weren't strong, many of them were fire types. And she refused to be a victim of an unfair matchup today.

But as she wandered with sharp ears, she picked up a very different sound than she was expecting.

At first, she thought she was going crazy. But as the sound grew louder, and she knew it was real. Voices. Someone else was here.

"Who's there? Reveal yourself," she yelled to the air.

The voices stopped. After an awkward moment, a familiar voice called back. "Bristle?!"

Bristle let out a feral growl. As she feared, Team Pride came dashing out of another. All three of them were lightly bruised and wearing a thick coat of soot.

"What in the stars are you doing here?" Ego blurted with a confused look.

"I could ask them same of you," she huffed, standing up tall.

This confused Ego more. "Uh? We're delvers? It's our job to be here?"

Xew stepped forward and set a claw on her shoulder before she could snap at the dragon. "It's good to see you again, little Bristle. But I'm afraid we're in the middle of an emergency here. We should catch up later."

"You're telling me," she grumbled. "I assume you three are after the spirit as well?"

Ego flashed a toothy grin. "You know it."

Deci rolled his eyes. "And to, you know, stop the unending wave of fire consuming the forest and all," he whispered.

Bristle's eyes widened. "Are you saying the fires are spreading outside of the dungeon?" she asked in alarm.

"Yes. As soon as the dungeon appeared, fire began spreading out to the surrounding forest. We assume the spirit is responsible, so we entered to apprehend him as quickly as possible. The townsfolk are putting out the fire," Xew explained calmly.

"Ah, so you're familiar with that little feature of the dungeon, huh?" Ego cackled. "Dang near gave Deci a heart attack when we saw it. Speaking of which, we should probably get moving before that happens again."

Team Pride all agreed and started to walk forward. One by one, they paused as they realized Bristle wasn't following. The trio stared back at her in confusion. She met them with contempt and folded arms.

If she went with them, she'd lose any chance of claiming victory over the spirit for herself. At best she'd be treated like the little sidekick that "helped" the mighty Team Pride save the village.

No, it was worse. She'd been given the run around by a child. If she allowed Team Pride to be the ones to take him in, she'd look like she couldn't even beat a kid. She'd be even worse off than before.

"Hmph. I think it's best that we work alone," she turned her head. "Don't forgot what I said last time. If you're so certain you're better than me, then go ahead. We'll see about that after I bring the spirit in."

Ego's expression became a sharp scowl. "Are you seriously still doing this? This isn't the time for squabbling! This isn't about anyone being better than anyone else! We all have a job to do, and there's literally no point in not working together!"

Bristle's eyes flared with anger. Meanwhile, Deci settled lazily on Xew's head with an unamused look. The two knew that neither Pokémon would let this go. Xew cast Ego a questioning glance, but turned to keep watch over the area while his leader dealt with the disgruntled delver.

"Funny you say that now. Last time we talked you were offering me your table scraps! Because everyone would oh so certainly rather go to the great and mighty Gabite than ask me for help! Because I'm just sooo useless. Now you want my help? I thought you were so much better than me?"

"I NEVER said you were useless," Ego snapped back, claws raking into the dirt in frustration. "Useless? No. In over your head? As per usual! You're right. We don't need you. But guess what? This spirit guy took all of us at once! "

"Maybe I don't want you to save me! I don't need your saving! I-"

Ego yelled even louder than her shrill cries- "But we do need to save you! That's our bloody job! Tell me, how many mornings did your parents have to waste rescuing you from Mute Fissure before the Guildmaster had to ban you from the dungeon?"

Bristle's fighting spirit vanished instantly. For once, she was genuinely hurt. She gaped at him too stunned to retort. But Ego wasn't done.

"Yeah, the whole guild found out about that. Only because people started questioning why Team Bunker stopped going out there day after day. Imagine being so out of your bloody mind that people are surprised when you stop going on constant suicide missions. No Bristle, I'm not underestimating you. You are, as usual, grossly overestimating yourself! You're not the hero from one of Lore's old stories. Deal with it!"

Ego ranted with vitriol while Bristle stayed frozen in the same shocked expression. She hated herself for having no retort.

Ego finished with a scoff. "I'm going to take your silence as an apology. Now, there's a forest on fire right now while I'm wasting time arguing with you. So we're going to move, whether you come with us or not."

Ego looked to his team for agreement. But their attention was elsewhere.

"G-guys?" Deci whispered. "FIRE!" the warning boomed from his speakers.

Sure enough, the burning wave had returned, leaping down the trees towards. The four of them turned and ran down the hall where Team Pride had emerged.

"Tch. Great. Just great. Sorry for wasting time, guys," Ego muttered to his team as they ran, the sound barely audible over the crackle of fire and twisting of trees. The squirming of walls had grown more intense in anticipation of the coming blaze.

The same as the first quadrant, they darted from corridor to corridor, only narrowly outpacing the grasping flames. If they were cornered, or if the fire had already taken the quadrant boundary...

A horrible bang broke out over the cacophony. The group craned their necks in horror to see Xew's face in the dirt, with a thin root coiled around his foot.

Ego and Deci turned back for him without hesitation. Bristle paused and waited as well. Before she could berate him for his clumsiness, she saw the root that had tripped him retreat back into the dirt.

She scanned the area and prepared a shadow ball in her bud. Ego quickly helped his teammate to his feet, and they turned to run once again. But the blaze was looming over them now. Any lead they had held was gone, and any slight delay would spell the end for them all. So where was...

Bristle's instincts screamed and she remembered her previous encounter. She spun around and launched the shadow ball behind her moments before the Phantump struck her. The effective move dissolved it instantly, with the goo splashing across her and sinking into the dirt.

Bristle looked back, expecting Team Pride to be caught up with her. But to her dismay, they had engaged with a Torracat which leapt right out from the wall.

They weren't going to make it. Xew and Deci seemed intent on disengaging, but Ego kept swinging and missing the agile apparition, as it focused solely on dodging.

Her vine coiled down into her bag and grasped the Rainy Orb once more. She could let this happen. As soon as they passed out, the dungeon would absorb them, and protect them from further harm. Then she'd be free to take the spirit down herself, she'd still have her orb to help her, and as a bonus she'd get the smug satisfaction of rescuing them at a later date.

That was a filthy thought, and she hated herself for having it. That wasn't what she'd been trained for.

Her vine whipped from the bag, tossing the orb into the heart of the blaze. It shattered, releasing a gray cloud that billowed out like a thick smoke. Within seconds the full cloud hovered in the skies above them. There was a drop of rain. Then another. And then, a downpour.

A horrible sizzling filled the dungeon. Pillars of steam followed the cloud into the sky as torrential rain poured down on the raging fire, each fighting for dominance.

Team Pride looked up at the cloud in surprise, then over to Bristle, before regaining their composure and diving as a team at the Torracat. The nimble feline could dodge Ego's heavy blows with ease, but now that they were coordinated it had no hope of evading Xew's dragon tail followup. The cat was thrown into the steaming wasteland. A thick thud and a yowl were all the confirmation they needed that it was disposed of.

The fire wasn't gone. Even the heavy rain now drenching the four of them wasn't enough to fully smother the supernatural inferno. But the downpour had mostly stopped its expansion. For the time being, they had respite.

Team Pride hurried up to Bristle, with Ego avoiding eye contact guiltily. "Thanks," he muttered. Then with a sigh, he let go of his pride and looked her in the eye. "Look, I'm sorry. For bringing that up. I know you think we're all just trying to make you look bad, or whatever, but we really are worried about you."

She gave him an irritated look. "Clearly I don't need your worry. I'm doing just fine on my own."

"That's- that's not what I meant," he grumbled with exasperation. She really was impossible to get through to.

Xew stepped forward and put a claw on Ego's arm. "Perhaps we can all have this conversation afterwards? Getting distracted nearly cost us once. It would be wise to not make the same mistake again,"

"Seriously. And I'm not convinced this storm is any better than the fire," Deci muttered, swooping ahead. The heavy downfall was visibly straining his wings.

Ego cast Bristle one final glance before giving in. His head dipped low as he followed the bat. "You're right. Forget it. Let's just go."

They wandered the maze for several more minutes. But now they were frequently turned around as the trails gave way to simmering fires and boiling clouds of steam. They searched path by path, the accessible areas of the quadrant quickly dwindling.

Dread was quickly growing among them. The mix of soaking wet and blistering heat was a recipe for misery. And it was impossible not to wonder if the exit had already been consumed by the blaze.

As they turned away from one such dead end, Deci suddenly blasted their eardrums with a yell.

"THERE!" he amped excitedly. He quickly calmed himself as everyone braced their ears. "It's not too far in."

They sharpened their eyes and peered into the haze. Sure enough, the gateway rested no more than twenty feet away, obscured by a cloud of steam. It remained immaculate in spite of the chaos around it.

"Ain't gonna be fun, but we can make that dash," Ego said with a daring grin.

"Easy for you to say. You're all fire resistant," Bristle muttered.

"That's the only exit. We either endure it now while the rain is still pouring, or we wait until the storm passes and it consumes us," Xew said, eyeing the gate frustratedly.

"Let's make it a race then, eh? You like competitions, Bristle," Ego flashed her a smile. She glared coldly in return. "On the count of three, we all make a dash, alright?"

"Fine," Bristle groaned. Fraxure was right- it was an inevitability. Better to just get it over with quickly.

"Three..."

The four prepared themselves to sprint. Deci settled on Ego's head, ready to use his teammate as a launching pad to fly.

"Two..."

Flammable or not, Bristle had trained to deal with fire, even if it wasn't pleasant. So why did she have such a bad feeling all of a sudden?

"One..."

Was she imagining those faint lights in the sky? She must be-

"Go!"

The instant Ego yelled she ran, discarding every prior thought. But no sooner had she started moving than something coiled around her foot. With a thud she slammed to the ground, coating her face in soot.

Of course! She couldn't even be allowed to win a petty game! Damned apparitions!

She heard another serious of thuds and looked up, pulling herself to her knees to see over the thick weeds. Ego and Xew had been tripped as well, scowling and groaning with pain as the weakened flames licked at them and steam spewed into their faces.

But the far more horrifying sight was above them. Apparitions. A dozen Phantumps hovered in the air, staring down like a horde of eerie watchers. Their masks were charred and blackened, and they paid little regard to the heavy steam and smoke sizzling against them.

It was happening again. These apparitions weren't mindless drones. They were a coordinated swarm, that had laid a careful ambush.

Recovering from the initial shock, Bristle leapt to her feet and drew the power for her shadow ball. But the swarm ignored her and descended on the vulnerable Team Pride.

The trio were back up, and though they grimaced with pain, their dragon scales were granting them protection from the heat. Two of the Phantump charged straight at them, shadow claws extending. Another two formed their own shadow balls to throw in a volley.

Even if she wasn't a target, Bristle wouldn't sit by idly. She launched her own shadow ball, dissolving one of horde before it could act. She'd make them pay attention to her.

Ego's claws cut through one of the bold two that charged them directly, reducing it to a puddle of ooze. Deci let out a brilliant blue beam that pierced straight through the oncoming shadow ball and destroyed its sender.

Bristle's panic began to slow. The apparitions were many, and strangely coordinated, but they were still weak. Team Pride could take them quickly and escape.

She turned her eyes to the ones still floating above, preparing to snipe another out of the sky. There was something off about their formation. Four hung back, far above, with three of them encircling the final defensively. It was doing something... spinning and swaying back and forth in an odd dance. That was...

"No!" Bristle cried out, launching her attack at the dancing Phantump and immediately preparing another in quick succession.

The shadow ball flew through the air, but moments before it connected one of the guarding apparitions dove into it. The bodyguard dissipated, its job complete.

The dancing Phantump glowed with a brilliant light. The light burst from its body like a ray of sunlight, beaconing into the raincloud above them. The storm fizzled in a matter of seconds, and in its place the dungeon glowed with a brilliant sunlight that contrasted unnaturally against the night sky.

Bristle's second shot collided with it moments too late, letting it dissolve with what she swore was smug satisfaction.

Team Pride were still making short work of their attackers. But their determined frowns turned to abject horror as the rain faded and was replaced with sunny skies. The attacking Phantump had only been a distraction. And now unimpeded, the unnatural flames swelled around them.

Bristle stared at them dumbfounded. At the gateway beyond them, now entirely wreathed in flame. And she felt... defeat. There was no way she could ever make it to the next quadrant now. She had failed, absolutely.

"Idiots! J-just go! Through the gateway! Now!" she yelled, her derision half-hearted. She prepared another shadow ball to cover their escape.

Ego looked like he'd protest, but Xew grabbed his shoulder and gave him a firm head shake. Eyes whimpering in defeat, Ego cast her an apologetic look and turned to run for the gateway.

As Team pride turned to run, two of the remaining Phantump appeared behind them, enduring the flames and charging straight at them with a phantom force. Bristle released her attack just in time to rescue Xew. But the other flew freely at Ego.

To her surprise, the Phantump didn't strike his back. Instead it coiled up softly on his shoulder and placed its hands on the back of his neck. Quickly pulling itself forward, it whispered in his ear.

In half a second Ego wrenched the apparition off of him and threw it into the dirt, where it melted into the fire.

But it was too late. Ego's scales began to shift a sickly green, as blades of grass wormed out between them. In moments he was sporting a leafy pelt across his entire body.

He shrieked in pain and fell to his knees, his now softened and flammable carapace carrying the flames across his entire body.

Xew and Deci both turned back for him, stunned by his transformation. Bristle wasn't fast enough to warn them as another Phantump appeared behind Deci and whispered in his ears, before dissolving in the flames.

Moments later, he had met the same fate, grass peeking out from every scale and his wings adorned by leaves. He fell from the sky howling, his ears amplifying the sound so loud it drowned out the fire and the cracking walls.

Xew spun like a top, eyes frantically darting between his teammates, the gateway, Bristle, and every side of him an apparition might attack from. Bristle could only watch in horror at this point, shadow ball ready for another ambush.

This couldn't be happening... She had failed, and now Team Pride?

Xew's eyes finally settled, closing and reopening with a solemn conviction. Flames still licking at his scales, now black and charred, he quickly knelt down and rifled through Ego's bag, trembling as he tried to ignore the flames leaping at his face.

Another Phantump flew towards him while he was distracted, but Bristle covered his back. Moments later he stood up, holding up an item for her to see. She recognized it right away. An escape orb.

The message was clear. If there was any chance of success, it was up to her. With the last of his strength he grabbed his burning teammates. Together they sunk into the floor, relieved from the flames.

Bristle had no time to process her emotions. The sea of fire was expanding again, burning faster than ever before. She knew the only exit was through it, but her instincts overrode her sense. She turned and ran.

It was a frantic scramble now. The overwhelming heat was right behind her. Flames constantly flickered up from the edges of her vision.

Left. Right. Left. Straight. It didn't matter now. The exit was already gone. No matter where she went, it would catch her.

One by one, her options were dwindling. Soon almost every twisting tunnel she glanced down was already engulfed by flames.

She was running from the inevitable. Maybe it would be easier to just let it catch her. Run into the heart of it so she blacked out fast. The dungeon would take her and she'd be spared her the pain.

But that was giving up. She wasn't capable of giving up. Even if there was no point in going forward.

There were no apparitions left to stop her. But the fire entirely filled her vision now. It had grown bright enough to pierce the dark haze between the dungeon's paths. As if just to remind her that she was surrounded. That her small island of survival was shrinking. That she would soon burn.

She rounded one final corner, thinking it her last option. And she nearly stopped running in shock. A barreling wall of flames was approaching from the far end. But in the center of the hall was the shiny metal form of a quadrant boundary.

She had no time to question it, or to do anything but run. She dove straight through it and rolled to her feet on the other side coated in ash. Instantly, the heat vanished and the dungeon fell dark once more.

The inferno was gone, and she was in a new quadrant. For whatever reason, she had been spared. But she couldn't shake the sickening feeling that she had somehow cheated.