AN: Before we start, first of all, this is a test upload as I never used this site, and using my first WPW prompt response ever seemed fitting. Also, yeah, that means that the writing is also... awkward, probably. Might be the first, but will definitely not be the last.

Secondly, I copied it straight from my reddit post from... TWO YEARS AGO?! Dang... Anyway, so if anyone happened to run into it and seems that the story seemed familiar, this is why.

Thirdly, I will not directly copypasta from reddit onto here ever again. Fixing the black box coding for every line break will be a pain in the ass.

Lastly: If you're one of those who read it on reddit way back when, then you may notice some changes. Yeah, back then it was just an any hero/partner combo, but I later retroactively made it into one of my lesser used canons, so names and species have been added.

Oh, and perhaps I should also mention the prompt that spawned these.

Prompt: The Hero and/or Partner have PTSD.

And with that outta the way:


Talon had seen the bastard as well as she froze up, then screamed in terror. I was barely composed myself as I saw the horrific monster stop on the spot and gaze in our direction. He then moved towards us after noticing, at a terrifying speed. I went in front of Talon, ready to face him... or so I thought to myself. I couldn't move, fear locking my whole body in place as I did everything I could to not become the same screaming mess as my partner. He was ever closer. Fear took over as I closed my eyes bracing for impact. Then he reached us.

"Are you okay?" The sound of his voice, still the source of regular nightmares for the both me and my partner, was mellow and... concerning?

I opened my eyes to see him hover just in front of me, concern in his eyes. Yet, looking at him I could only see the creature who twice over tried to ruin the world. He could see the fear in my eyes and sighed.

"Sorry. I know I look scary... I won't bother you." He slowly floated away, an atmosphere of sadness and loneliness followed him.

Talon had seemed to regained her composure as my legs finaly gave way and I just went flat on the ground, breathing heavily. "Was that him? Like, actually him?" she asked.

"Yeah... I am sure that was him."

My torchic partner looked at the dark-type as he moved neared the dense forest. "But... He sounded different, kind of, and he didn't try to snap our necks. Why?"

I took a deep breath before getting back up on my feet, remembering back to our encounter in the heart of the Dark Crater. "I think he ended up like me. Amnesia from being attacked during time travel."

Talon looked back towards the creature and got a determined look in her eyes. "That means we can make things right!"

I looked at her confused.

"Let us give him a second chance and make sure he won't turn into the monster we knew. So..." She shook as she reached out with her short wing, reaching for my paw-like hand. "I need you to help with this as I think I will break down again if I approach him alone." she said with a nervous smile.

I replied with as just a nervous laugh. "I think I will break down if you went over to him without me." With that, we took the first step towards him. I looked at my partner, her determined look shining brighter than ever. She did have a gift to see the good in everyone. Me, Grovyle, and even Chatot. I quietly laughed to myself at that last one. I was a horrible Riolu. But now, her magic would hopefully do its thing on this ultimate foe of ours as she yelled out.

"HEY! EXCUSE ME!"

Darkrai turned around.

"SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, SIR, BUT WE WANT TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS!"

He shrugged in confusion, not quite sure what was happening.

Talon tried to continue but froze up for a second. Then she took one last deep breath. "HAVE YOU SEEN A MURKROW WITH A BAG FILLED WITH SHINY STONES? ALSO, CAN WE HAVE YOUR NAME?"

Darkrai looked at us with a warmth in his eyes which I would never have thought I would have seen. I looked at my partner and said in a hushed, yet paniced, tone. "No turning back now."

She looked me in the eyes with the same fear as mine. "I know, but when have we ever done that, Spike?"

And with that, two journeys started that day that would follow one another. Mine and my partner's fight to defeat the terror which Darkrai had given us those few years ago. Then Darkrai, and his quest for a better life, and a second chance.

We weren't able to sleep for the next two weeks.


AN: Argh, I can feel the awkward way of forcing Spike's name and species into my slight changes feels. It hurts. I just wanted to double down on making people sure who we're dealing with here with both species and names. Shame I haven't really used them in many prompts.

And to people going: Oh gOd, a riOLu/lUCariO pRotAG. HoW orIGInaL, Talon and Spike were just "on a whim" characters I introduced in later prompts and then just made this story part of theirs. Heck, out of the three Explorers canon's I have running... Well, four, but that fourth is a technicality, I have barely used them. The vulpix/treecko combo? Yeah, loads of stories. And those two canons, discounting the technicality, indeed have the same species combo for human/partner, though there is an explanation for that, and is not actually that far off on the list to be uploaded here.

Well, I'm done rambling about irrelevant stuff for now. Talon and Spike will return at some point again.