PMD: PEACE
VIEWER DISCRETION WARNING
THIS STORY IS RATED T FOR TEEN BUT WILL VERG ON MATURE CONTENT.
This mainly means there'll be realistic violence, death, alcohol/drug use, crude (and possibly sexual) humor, and swearing/cursing. If you are fine with that, carry on!
Author's note
I've been wanting to create a Pokemon mystery dungeon fic for quite a while, so here it is, hope you enjoy it! Also, massive thanks to Zencolour for helping out with this. Check them out if you like this as well!
( Prologue )
Chapter 1 : A start to this mess
The scorching sun hung at its pinnacle in the sky as noon settled upon the land. Sand dunes were visible for as far as the eye could see. Rippling wavelengths average a few meters, creating a rolling sea of pinkish quartz sand. It was the type of fine material that got everywhere. A light breeze carried small grains saltating across the dunes and into the sandals of any traveler. Stark blue skies overhead did little to diffuse the blinding heat from the sun overhead. The air sizzled over the pink dunes, too hot to touch.
A desolate metropolis was barely visible in the distance. Hot, bubbling air distorted a shimmering mirage of towering stone peaks. Spires and stout castle walls were all formed out of pale granite which seemed to melt into the surrounding desert. The closer one got, the more obvious it became that the metropolis was more akin to a fortress. Massive cannons stood on the outskirts of reinforced metal, pulsing with electricity. Black steel rimmed battlements, red flags fluttering from sentry towers. The mirage evaporated to leave a view far more akin to a bristling castle than any fanciful cityscape.
Upon closer inspection, the metropolis opened out into a modern fortress designed for solidarity. Security cameras covered every building. A holographic billboard presented recommended ration intake. Another showed the progress of some unnamed war. A gold and red hologram displayed the lands conquered by the "Gallant King" and saying that all should be grateful for his majesty's mercy.
Mons of all shapes and sizes walked along sidewalks under the snaking tracks of a monorail, the electromagnetic railcars coming to a stop in a station above. Occupants entered and exited as the doors opened. The railcar seemed to hum as it reached its destination.
A plaza filled the space in front of a stainless-steel castle, adorned in colored flags of red, black, and gold. A balcony outstretched several feet above, adorned in those very colors. The building was kept in pristine shape should the king ever need to address his subjects. The heart of the city was yet another method to show off their prowess.
As riders alighted on and off, one individual in particular stood out. It wasn't due to their above average height of a meter and a half, nor their generic red and black armour. The electric feline had a tension to their shoulders and an energy in their lithe body that seemed inherently dangerous. The bright-yellow, thinly furred Zeraora walked bipedally; threading their way through the crowd with ease. Their blue eyes were raised, squinting through an incandescent sunlight which obscured their feline face in an oppressive glow. An uneasy expression hung there. Looking over at the castle, the cat gave an agitated growl.
"The general must have been joking … right?" The feline mumbled to himself. His strained thoughts were almost visible in his dark expression, 'I was ordered to report to the capital for treason!? Treason, of all things! All I did was follow orders to dispose of those rogues and obtain the stolen data … I helped this damnable kingdom!' The feline sighed, rubbing at his compact muzzle. 'I can't get my mind off that damn file.'
Witfully, the Zeraora thought back to the assignment.
It had been a simple job. Just destroy the small resistance and retrieve stolen data. What should have been an easy operation was made difficult by the added dimension of being inside a mystery dungeon. The electric-type shuddered. Time and space seemed to warp in strange ways inside, transforming areas into labyrinths. It was just his luck that the rebel hideout was at the end of the dungeon.
Memories flowed throughout the zeraora's mind as he remembered ...
As if a labyrinth in the middle of a scorching-hot desert wasn't enough, feral Pokemon and wicked traps filled the mystery dungeon. The Pokemon trapped inside had become wild savages, mauling anything that entered their new domain. If you avoided them, any remaining living matter faced being decimated by hidden traps. It was madness to be sent there on the mission, but even more insane for the resistance to set up camp in such a horrid dungeon in the first place. It was only for the strange area free of said hazards at the end that allowed them to build such a fortress. Such safe havens were a common thing to find at the end of most mystery dungeons. Compared to the Zeraora's slog to get there, it was practically serene.
However, the logistics of surviving in a labyrinth seemed ridiculous, rising to the front of the feline's mind. How do you eat or drink while within its depths? The answer was a strange one. Mystery dungeons are capable of spawning essentially anything within its depths. Although, it mainly tends to wield assorted food and materials. Any mon can stumble upon them … and the same applies for any woodby treasure hunter.
The dungeon provided for those who hide away inside them. It creates deposits of food or materials, ripe for the picking, but at the same time, has death looming just out of sight.
Traversing the dungeon itself had been a pain in the ass, mostly because ground and fire types had made their home inside of the dunes. Earthquakes and ground tremors signalled a quick demise, plumes of fire erupting from the ground as geysers … not to mention the bombardment of stalactites from the roof above, threatening to impale all those below. It had nightmarish to push forward, but the light at the end of the tunnel (so to speak) had been worth it.
The research facility that awaited the Zeraora stood without a single guard in sight. When a living being made it to the end of a dungeon, the feral Pokemon would always lay off on their offensive, as if the dungeon was congratulating you for making it this far. Within a sea of sand dunes, the land took the form of a peninsula in the shape of an Unknown O. Crisp spring water filled the gap in between the Inner and outer layer of the shape, in juxtaposition to the scorched landscape in the dungeon above. And, right in the center, stood the facility in all its glory. The sun still seemed to illuminate the stone ramparts...even if there was nowhere for it to enter from the rocky ceiling.
Advancing across the dunes, the zeraora moved closer to the building. It was a bit of a walk, but the mon-made structure was hard to miss. Weathered black metal, stained with sand and rock outlined the facilitiy's construction. Gold lines of light powered by electricity plused from it. Fully operational. But how…? There was nothing obvious from which to power the facility efficiently. A watchtower stood to the side of the building. Closer inspection suggested it was occupied by an infernape, slumped over in what could be assumed to be in a snooze.
Not wanting to wake and draw the wrath of the monkey, the zeraora explored the outside of the facility. The building lacked security cameras, but the building was armored metal seemed capable of withstanding a beating. On the back of the building was a metallic sliding door with a red light bulb over it, and a keycard punch slot to the side.
Examining it, they took a step back and held out their paw, electricity crackling and jumping between their claws. Most electronic doors open if they get fried, for general safety. Shooting four-thousand volts through technology often does that. Just as the Zeraora were about to electrocute the machinery, they jumped back. The energy fizzled away from his paws as the Pokemon quickly changed his mind.
"They might not have cameras … but they will probably have an alarm. Frying that might set it off." The feline muttered to themselves dryly, having second thoughts. The yellow cat cut the flow of electricity to their claws and pondered what to do next. "Guards usually have keycards." Looking back at the watchtower, a small smirk formed across their face. The Zeraora's teeth practically gleamed as he grinned. "I'm sure they won't mind."
Walking over to the watchtower led to a ladder built into the side of it, making it easy to climb up. There wasn't even a hatch to push open as they climbed into the square cockpit of the tower. Snoring gently in a wooden chair by a table, was the infernape. They were donned in grainy and sandy looking armor, camouflage most fiery crown was turned down to a mere ember, any hotter and the crackling flames from it would have kept it awake. Glinting around its neck was a keycard attached by a clip to a cloth necklace.
Crouching down, the zeraora deftly sneaked in front of the monkey. Moving his paw upwards, he grasped the card and the cloth, gently lifting both up. Thumbing with the clip, it created an audible snap as it came undone. "Shit", was the only word the Zeraora hissed out before a foot came barreling towards his head.
Rolling to the side, an irritated growl escaped the cat's mouth. Why couldn't it be easy for once?!
The infernape glared at him, frustration rising as they noticed the coloration of his armor. "Damn that sword's empire!" the infernape yelled out, unleashing a fist cloaked in flame. Instead of rolling, the Zeraora countered with a fist of his own, brimming with electricity.
They collided, electricity and fire competing for dominance. It only lasted a second, but the winner was decided after the punchers exhausted their elements. The infernape withdrew his fist first in pain, only to be socked in the face by a second electrified fist. It's already grimacing face shifting to agony as electricity coursed through them. Voltage didn't matter here … amperes did. He wasn't given orders to avoid killing, but he would rather not leave a charred mess this time. 'Then again, the ferals in the dungeon weren't that merciful, tit for tat.' The cat thought to themselves.
The zeraora grimaced as the infernape stumbled into the table, breathing labored. The monkey's mouth glowed as if it was trying to use a flamethrower, but a swift punch only led to a small ember exiting their mouth. With a smokey wheeze, the Pokemon slumped over from the sudden assault.
The zeraora ripped the keycard from their body from where it lay on the ground.
"I'll be needing that."
The feline went to climb down the ladder, but then moved back over to the body. Tentatively, they put a paw on the battered infernape's neck, it felt for a pulse. After a few seconds, it felt a faint and erratic one. Thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump, thump, thumpthumpthumpthump. "Shit, messed up their heart,that's bad." Ventricular fibrillation. The mistimed heartbeats were a sign the heart was struggling to pump blood. The monkey wouldn't last long.
"No witnesses, I guess." The cat made a faint attempt at gallows humor, trying to keep its mood up. They didn't feel like it was working and decided to get on with the job, leaving the body and heading down the ladder. They came back to the electronic door and keycard punch slot.
Pulling out the card, the Zeraora rammed it into a slotted reader. With the security tag fully inserted, an audible beep was emitted and the light bulb above the door turned from red to green. Pulling the card out, they growled. The feline had a habit of nearly destroying any flimsy plastic or electronic chips whenever he had to use them. It was the curse of having such large paws.
"Why are these things so meaty?" The cat grumbled as the door opened for him, sliding to the side. Stepping inside of the facility, the refreshingly cool air from an air conditioner blew right into their face. It was leagues better than the dry desert heat that he had experienced, but the oasis of water surrounding the facility helped mitigate that.
Looking around, the cat took note of their surroundings. In contrast to the black exterior of the facility, whitewashed walls lined the inside in a manner distinctly clean and sterile. Strip lights above him buzzed from use. Along the walls, glowing red flashes of backlit wiring sped down and rounded the corner in an illuminated strip.
"I'm going to have to find a map or something. Ugh, this already has the feeling of a maze." The feline grumbled. Starting down the corridor, he followed one of the painted red lines in the hopes that it might lead him somewhere important. Maybe even a map of the facility layout? Either that or he'd just have to stumble upon the files by blind chance. At this point, either of those would have sufficed for the Zeroara.
Navigating the coriddoors went smoothly. No hidden cameras triggered alarms, nor did any staff bumble upon him and raise the alarm. It almost seemed too easy when the electric-type came upon what could be described as an electrical transformer room. Several electrical transformers whirred; tall metallic boxes which stepped down electricity from the facility's basement into something usable. It was whitewashed like the rest of the complex, though a faint whiff of sulphur clung to the conditioned air. In the center of the space sat a broad pillar blocking the view to the other side. Muffled speech soon became clear as the encroaching Pokemon crept around inside.
"... why did the motion detectors go off outside? Nobody said anything about ferals to me!? Ugh, I should be getting back to researching." The voice murmured rather hotly to themselves, "Can't I ever just be left alone to do my thing?"
'Shit, can't blow it yet.' The Zeraora sidestepped around the central pillar to the left. The voice had grown louder, boots stamping with frustration on the tiles underfoot. Energy automatically sufficing into his paws, the electric feline pressed his back against the concrete pillar. Holding his breath, he heard the pokemon call out confused. "Hey, is that you Jerry? Lunch isn't for another fifteen minutes!"
There was a long pause.
Clearly not satisfied, the figure drew closer. With his naturally sensitive ears, the Zeraora could hear heavy breathing. The Pokemon called out again, so close the feline was surprised he hadn't been spotted in the shadows.
"Uh, is somebody there? Guards are to notify their positions." the voice was sounding annoyed, but with a worried tinge. "You better not be playing one of your stupid games again Jerry!"
A few more steps and the zeraora had to make a move. Swirling across the corner, paws were outstretched as they clasped around the Pokemon's mouth.
"Mffph!?" the now revealed Ampharos retched out as they were dragged behind the pillar. "Mmmmffffph!" Sweat and tears dribbled from the face of the captured pokemon.
Their flippers flailed as the Zeraora put them into a headlock, head forced down under the cat's arm. Their eyes bulged as they realized they couldn't breathe. Slapping a flipper against the cat's body, the zeraora loosened their grip as they whispered into the caught Pokemon's ear. Hissing in annoyance, the feline instructed the Pokemon.
"Keep quiet. Now, tell me where you keep the data files."
The Ampharos's eyes practically watered, muttering out, "Wha-what d-d-do you mean? T-This is a r-research facility! We … we just research ultra-" The sheepish Pokemon was shushed by a claw pressed to his lips. Their eyes bulged in fear as the Zeraora leaned in close to best display his shining white canines.
"Good. Research. I need files on that." Their eyes were slits as they stared into the ampharos's panicking eyes. Stammering the ampharos started to spark. Clenching their eyes, they cried out "G-get off of me!" as electricity engulfed them and the zeraora. Opening their eyes, they were met by the zeraora's widening eyes. The feline's tail flicked back and forth as an, excited mrow escaped their mouth. Snickering at the flabbergasted sheep, the zeraora decided to explain what had happened.
"Eheh, oh it feels wonderful to be charged up like this." The cat snapped his gaze all over the room, marveling at the occasional spark coming off of him or the ampharos. In his haze, he'd accidentally released the ampharos.
"Wha-what." The sheep was dumbstruck, a deerling in the headlights. They wanted to run, but their confusion led to a scientist's intrigue, what had happened? The attack had dissipated and the zeraora was now sparking. A look of realization crossed the ampharos's face.
"Volt absorb, electricity is absorbed into the body and enhances biological functions." The sheep muttered as the cat chuckled.
"Oh that is right, right, right, righ-high,hieght!" The feline was bobbing up and down, unable to stand still. "Say, why don't you lead meow to the files?" A slip of the tongue made the cat sound feral being domesticated, his eyes flicking all over the place. The ampharos soon found one of its flipper's grasped by a meaty paw, and was soon shoved in front of the cat. "If you would lead the way, that would be purrfect!" The ampharos turned back to object, but upon seeing the unsheathed claws, they just nodded.
After a few corredores and hallways, an elevator was the destination, complete with card reader. Fishing out a keycard, the ampharos scanned it in one smooth flowing action. Tapping his foot impatiently, the Zeraora proceeded to grumble under his breath, "Oh! So flippers over here can shove in a card without a problem, but my nyaning paws nearly crush it?" The Ampharos only shuddered, not wanting to test their luck with trying to decipher the complaining.
The doors opened, each side receding into a wall as the pair walked in. The Amprharos pushed a button on the elevator's panel with his flippers visibly shaking. With its destination chosen, the doors of the elevator closed and the feeling of downward motion filled the lift.
A quiet piano began to play in the small compartment, adding noise to the otherwise silent operation. The zeraora could only tap his foot, waiting. 'Why does it have to take so long?' The cat thought, foot jittering up and down. 'I thought elevator music was supposed to be relaxing!?' an irritated growl escaped his lips. To his side, the Ampheros shuddered. Squeezed against the wall, the electric sheep was trying to put as much space as he could between him and the feline.
Eventually, the elevator made it to its destination with a ping, the basement. The ampharos shuddered out, not trying to make a noise. The zeraora left the elevator, and motioned towards the rest of the basement, "lead the way." Nodding quickly, the electric sheep did just that.
Heading throughout the corridors and the dimly lit basement, door after door opened for the ampharos. There was an uncharacteristic silence about the place, keeping the zeraora on edge. The cat , 'Where is everyone, it's easier if there is no mon here, but this just seems off.' Yet another door unlocked, and the ampharos looked over his shoulder.
The skittish electric type asked the cat, "W-what is your name?" Their brow was dripping with sweat, stress all too apparent. The quiet hum of electricity coming from one of the electric types was the only thing that broke the silence.
The zeraora leaned closer to the Ampharos, putting his maw right up to his ears. With a sly smile, they spoke, "Name's aren't that important, but my designation is Z-587."
The glaring sun beaming into 587's eyes snapped him out of his memories. He could dwell on that later, he had to stand before the king and his advisors. Under the banner of a gallant sword and shield, 587 headed to the entrance. Aggron guards stood under an entrance to a palace. With a quick show of his identification number, the zeraora was let inside, heading deeper into the castle as the guards blocked the path behind him. Eventually, the city gave an announcement of the time, one hour had passed since the 587 had entered.
The sun had begun to beat down upon the city, rays intensifying, before dimming. It had been hours since the zeraora had entered, now it was evening. Automated responses came online, advising the inhabitants of the city to return to their homes for the nightly curfew. Sunset became night as the sun dipped below the horizon. Nothing seemed to be amiss.
A new response came from the automated system in the dead of night. It was a simple response, but one that had never been used before, "Warning, power overload in all sectors." Lights glowed brighter, railcars sparked, holograms began to glitch, and automated reminders played over each other in a mindless cacophony.
That was only the interlude to the overture.
An explosion detonated within the castle, blowing apart like a volcano. Those nearby in the plaza were hurled away or immolated within an instant. Flames cascaded up banners and billowed out of the shattered balcony. Winds howled throughout the decimated building. The sky rumbled and came alight in crimson. Charred ash cascaded down from the ruined sky, stars blotted out.
Then the ash began to vacuum upwards. A vortex-like portal hovered above the ruins, its geometry impossible to place. Within the ruins of the devastated fortress, lights of azure and topaz began to glow. Drifting upwards, they swirled around each other several times, before the both were sucked into the vortex. As suddenly as it had appeared, it disappeared in a blinding flash of light.
A crown of slag was flung skyward in an instant. From the scraps and crushed metal, an Aegislash forced himself from the brink and looked up at the sky. Their arm-like tassel nearly crushed the handle of their shield in a silent expression of pure rage. They would have their revenge in due time. Yes, in due time ...
The Aegislash growled to himself, "None shall cross the Gallant King!"
On a different planet . . .
A verdant bush rustled, disturbing the near silence of the forest. The chilly wind of the starry night buffeted against an eevee bathed in the shadow of the plant, muttering curses about his luck into the side of the tree he had burrowed into. His bag had made for a lumpy pillow. Judging by his size and choice of words, it would be safe to assume that he was at least close to evolving. It was an unnaturally cold night.
Shivering, the eevee curled tighter around himself, hoping that he would just fall asleep already. It was simply uncomfortable with the amount of chill, but not life out in the wilds … the eevee had messed up big time, having to hide out in the wilderness to let the heat die down. It was a bad idea to be so careless in that town. That and the fact that he didn't have any money on him.
A brilliant flash of light occurred within the sky, followed by a yellow along with a blue shooting star trailing across the horizon. Lines of stardust painted the starry sky, filling the eevee with wonder. His empty wallet could wait, this was a once in a lifetime event!
The eevee mumbled to himself, "If you make a wish on a shooting star, it could come true." it was worth a shot, plus, he had nothing to lose. Putting a paw to his muzzle, he winced, pulling it back. 'Yeah, that would be the wish I want.' The eevee thought to himself as he smiled.
In the midst of watching the extraterrestrial meteors fly across the stars, his body began to glow.
His body morphed as he watched the stars fall out of sight. From stubby limbs to elegant legs, to scruffy brown fur to sleek jet black with golden rings, and to top it off, from black eyes to scarlet red, the newfound umbreon had quite a bit to be happy about. Most eevee's strived for their favorite evolution, but he personally didn't care what he evolved into. Just having a new mug would help a lot. His tube-like tail bobbed from side to side before slowing down and stopping. His lobe like ears, once perky, lowered as he looked downward.
The umbreon muttered one thing to himself, moving a paw to his muzzle, and wincing. His eyes widened in fear for a split second, before becoming downcast.
The umbreon growled bitterly, "The scarring still hasn't healed."
End of Chapter 1
