Author's Note: This is a sequel to two of my other Mystery Dungeon fics, Darkened Skies and Unwound Time. This one does rely a bit more on previous knowledge of other fics in my series, though it can still kind of stand on its own, and I'll do my best to point out specific instances where certain things are referenced.

Anyway, the basic premise of this fic stems from me being disappointed that 1) Darkrai can just join your team like no big deal, and 2) Giratina didn't have much of a role in Explorers. With that all said, here's a short prologue from Darkrai himself to get things started.

Prologue: The Encounter

He wasn't sure exactly how long he'd been alone, but it had been at least a few weeks.

He'd spent his time wandering from place to place. That wasn't too bad on its own. There were plenty of nice places he'd visited—forests, caves, oceans, and various other locations with beautiful scenery. He was sure there were plenty of other Pokémon who would enjoy a carefree life of traveling.

No, the issue was that he couldn't remember anything. He didn't have a single memory from before he'd woken up on the shoreline. There was nothing but sand around him; there weren't any distinguishing landmarks to help him figure out where he was or if he'd been there before. It wasn't until later that he learned he'd been near a place called Shimmer Desert.

Honestly, that was part of the reason he'd spent so much time traveling. He'd hoped that something would trigger his memory; maybe he'd discover some place that felt familiar. And then everything would just…come back to him.

But so far, he hadn't had any luck, and that frustrated him. Surely someone would recognize him, right? He had to come from somewhere; he couldn't have just appeared from thin air. He must've had friends and acquaintances, or at least a family and home. Nothing had worked, though, and he was getting more and more annoyed.

It was when he explored that deep-sea cave (Miracle Sea, he believed it was called) that things finally changed.

He was wandering through one of the dungeon's early floors when he heard voices nearby. It sounded like a group of three or four; they were probably all together. He paused, slipping into the nearest hallway. Then, he peered back into the previous room, hoping to get a good look at them.

They were walking close together—it seemed like his assumption was correct. The Infernape was frowning and looking over a map, while the Marowak, Cacturne, and Glameow followed close behind him. As they got closer, it was easier to hear their conversation.

"All right, the notice said that we should find Croconaw on the fourth floor," Infernape said. "And we've already explored a lot of this floor, so…we should be getting pretty close to the stairs."

"So you're saying it shouldn't take much longer," Cacturne replied eagerly. "All right! Let's just head up here, and—"

She froze as her eyes fell on him. Infernape blinked as he tucked the map away. He and their other two teammates followed her gaze; they'd all noticed him. And with the way they were looking at him, it was clear they weren't pleased.

But still—that had to mean they knew something—

"…Darkrai?" Infernape whispered. "Is that…is that you?"

He finally had his chance, and he was going to take it.