The sails were reefed, the anchor was dropped, the sea shanties concluded, and the Bagon and Raichu unceremoniously lowered into a rowboat as they commenced the final journey to their destination. Chimera had ended up on the losing end of their game of 'fire, water, grass', giving Argon ample time to check and recheck the coordinates of their wonder map as he rowed. The quizzical expression that had clouded her face ever since the Draeke ground to a halt refused to relent, being evermore supported as they inched closer to their destination. Binair's description had suggested the presence of an island large enough to contain a mystery dungeon, and yet the only isle visible for miles was a rocky platform barely jutting out of the ocean waves, sporting a rough surface area smaller than even her own apartment floor.

"Hey, you alright there?"

She glanced up, seeing that the Bagon was staring toward her with an expectant look,

"What? O-Oh yeah, I'm fine, just...psyching myself up for going through the mystery dungeon Binair talked about."

Chimera's head tilted at the remark, forming a toothy grin as he let go of the oars and stepped up toward Argon to pat her shoulder.

"Come on, where is your enthusiasm?" he loudly proclaimed, bobbing rowboat nearly causing him to lose his balance as he pointed a hand towards the horizon. "Look at us! A Raichu and Bagon, venturing into uncharted territory for fame and fortune, what's not to enjoy?"

Despite his best efforts, Argon's neutral expression was only further entrenched, subconscious bringing up images of a familiar, ghostly Marowak,

"I-I know, it's just...this is the first truly dangerous expedition I've gone on in a pretty long time. I've seen the results of pokemon going against some of the more formidable Pallids, and it usually isn't pretty."

Chimera's smile faded ever so slightly, his brow doubtlessly furrowing if it wasn't as hard as steel, "Pallids? What are those?"

"Oh right, I forgot, you don't know." Argon replied, "Pallids are the pokemon found in mystery dungeons. They're...a monstrous aggression to say the least, ones that defy the boundaries of reason. M-Most certainly feral, all the ones that I've seen would sooner die then let you pass through.

She glanced down, tone condensing into a soft murmur, "Most usually aren't a problem, but the ones that can face you on equal or better footing...y-you just have to mentally prepare yourself for facing a brutal enemy to not lose yourself in the process."

The Bagon's smile had faded completely as he processed the information, a few seconds passing until he realized that he was wordlessly staring at her and turned away. He sat back down, continuing to row towards the small archipelago as he glanced at the recently manufactured crossbow at his hip, a debate brewing in his mind over whether the next targets it found were more or less tangible than a shattered, wooden mug. The foes they faced, Chimera reasoned, would be alive, but if they were as unnatural as his partner had stated, was it really worth trudging through moral questions against creatures that would be nonexistent whenever this dungeon would reset? His conscious told him no.

No more words were exchanged, pensiveness infecting both as the rowboat hit the uneven ground with a dull thud. Stepping onto the sharp, wet, rocks brought the pair's attention to a large pit near the center of the island, previously obscured until this point. They peeked down, a gasp filling both their mouths as the hole stretched down in an unending chasm. The dots connected in Argon's mind, a shiver running down her spine at the thought of having to wash muddy sediment out of her fur. She turned to Chimera, reaching into her bag for a thin rope ladder connected to a small hook, kept on hand when dungeoneering for such an occasion.

"I-I guess this is the mystery dungeon that Executive Binair was referring to, Chimera. I hope you like spelunking."

The Bagon didn't say a word, eyes lost gazing at the unending blackness of the abyss. A small pebble clattered downward from the edge of the fissure, a few seconds passing before a faint plopping sound echoed back. He was used to dark, enclosed, spaces, in fact he likely preferred them at this point, but the concept of going into a cavern was a completely foreign experience. Was it too late to call this off?

He shook his head, turning to Argon with a newfound vigor,

"Of course, couldn't think of a better way to explore. Come on, there's no time to waste."

With this, Argon secured the rope ladder and began to climb down, closing her eyes as the familiar yet otherworldly sensation of entering a mystery dungeon washed over her. Chimera followed suit, a part of his mind pining for the Bagon that existed just minutes ago as they went down the rabbit hole.

Though a small beam of light illuminated from the entrance and refracted against the shallow ripples of the underground pond, going deeper into the dungeon left the pair with little but the soft flicker of a lantern candle to guide their way, accompanied by the occasional crackle of sparks emanating from Argon's cheeks. The minutes passed, the crossbow in Chimera's hands leveled as his eyes darting in every which way scanning for any sources of danger. Every time he allowed himself to blink, another image would be conjured into his mind, their towering figures becoming increasingly deadly as the Bagon speculated over what enemy they would be forced to confront. In an effort to fight off the oppressive darkness, he centered his attention onto his partner, surprised to find that she was leading the way with a passive, almost bored gaze towards the unknown.

"Argon, I'm no expert, but...we should have encountered something by now, shouldn't we?"

"P-Probably," the Raichu replied, "I usually go through dungeons were you can barely get your foot through the entrance without being swarmed by rattatas or the occasional bidoof. I'm not completely sure, but this seems...unnatural."

They pressed on, a weary sound echoing seemingly throughout the entire cavern every time they unrolled the rope ladder to descend deeper. As they rounded a corner, Chimera's ear caught the solitary sound of claw scraping against rock from where they had passed, his head shooting back as he leveled his crossbow in the direction of the noise.

"Uh...come out," Chimera called out, voice quivering just enough to prevent him from shouting through the whole floor, "we know you're there, no use in hiding."

He could only sigh between jittering teeth as no response came, drawing one last glance at the location before turning his head back toward Argon to walk,

"M-Must have been a rattata or something," he whispered, just loud enough to be caught by the yellow ears of his raichu companion.

Argon glanced behind her, feet stopping as she took note of his disposition, "It might, might not be though, best to keep a good lookout. R-Remember, deep breaths, if we work together we'll get through this, but letting the dungeon get to you will only make it worse."

Chimera paused as he considered his partners words, eventually drawing a deep sigh that, though soothing to his muscles, left his mind in its overscrupulous state. The effect was slight, but noticeable, periodic shaking condensing from the Bagon's entire body into only his arms. In an effort to reassure himself, Chimera reached into his backpack for a green and gold badge, careful to not send the mental command to evacuate as he ran his fingers over the small shield. Any attempt on their lives, he reasoned, would be fruitless if they were ensured the opportunity for escape, and in this knowledge Chimera returned to his walking pace, content with giving the occasional glance at any unknown forces shadowing them.

A brief respite appeared from the cavern's near endless corridors as they walked into a small clearing. Argon welcomed the faint sloshing of the caves underground river while sitting down for a brief rest, giving an appreciative glance towards the nearly endless lines of stalactites that lined the cavern ceiling, as well as a particular wall where sediment hanged over each other like a waterfall made entirely of rock, seemingly frozen in time. The Bagon sat down beside her, too preoccupied with soothing the aching sensation in his feet to appreciate the view. Any attempt at rest, however, was interrupted by the faint scraping sound once again bouncing throughout the grotto, hoisting Chimera to his feet as he raised his voice in its apparent direction.

"Whoever you are, we're right here, if you have something to say, say it. If you don't...then I'd appreciate if you could stop wasting our time."

Satisfied with his words, the Bagon stood up to challenge their apparent aggressor, Argon not even able to finish her warning before a silhouette rushed him from the darkness.

Sharp claws pierced Chimera from behind, tackling him to the ground. The lantern and guild badge in his hand were sent crashing to the floor, the faint embers of the latter object rolling against stone before falling into the shallow pond at his side, bathing the battlefield in darkness. As the Bagon fell on his back he could hear his Raichu companion cry out in pain, accompanied by a multitude of low-pitched squeaks and chatters from the same location.

Chimera raised his arms up in a haphazard attempt to block the claws from whatever creature was pinning him to the floor, deep gashes forming from his hands getting torn apart by lacerations. A booming crack echoed though the cavern as a thunderbolt ran across Chimera's line of sight and was diffused into the stone walls. The subsequent flash provided the Bagon a brief opportunity to look at the face of his attacker, drawing a terrified gasp as he gazed into its lifeless eyes.

It was...a charmander, but the appearance was something more akin to a ghost. The eyes Chimera stared into were a pupil-less, pale, white, still more than detailed enough to convey a feral sense of hatred and malice toward its target. The skin of the Charmander was not its natural orange hue, but a sickly white and gray tinge, as if half of its body was cast in permanent shadows. The tail...its end was emanating a colorless fire, drawing only more questions through the Bagon's mind as the brief period of light ended,

How did it sneak up on me? I should have been able to see the light from its tail, but—

Chimera barely had time to think as he heard his attacker exhale, causing a horrific burning sensation across his arms and face despite what the room's unending blackness would suggest possible. The pain continued even after the embers had ceased, eventually shifting into a continuous numbness around where he had been hit, amplified around the various, more exposed cuts and scratches.

Clawed hands pinned his own to the ground, terror filling Chimera's thoughts as he heard the Charmander inhale in preparation for yet another rush of lightless fire. Thinking fast, he closed his eyes and jolted his rocky head at the grey lizard, causing it to pull its own head back to avoid the strike before spewing more flames at the Bagon. The pain was much less prevalent, his forehead absorbing much of the blast, leaving little but a black scorch mark to show for it. Chimera darted his eyes to his left, realizing that his crossbow had been knocked out of his hand just barely out of reach, one end against the wet rock that marking the beginning of the pond at his side. Another lightning bolt reverberated against the cavern ceiling, Chimera again directing his attention to the grey flame of his attacker, an idea popping into his mind.

He shifted his weight to the left, drawing on all of his strength to overcome the pressure against his hands as the Bagon and Charmander rolled into the knee high layer of bone chilling water. The grey lizard roared in pain as its tail was submerged, attempting to keep it raised above the waterline as they tumbled. The two grappled until Chimera was on top, now the one pinning the Charmander's claws to the floor. Seeing that he had the advantage, Chimera stomped his feet onto the end of the pale Charmander's tail, forcing it into the water and drawing a sharp sizzling sound from the resulting steam. The shriek of pain returned tenfold, the grey lizard occasionally having to pause to take breaths between relentless screeching. In desperation, it slid its tail past Chimera's feet and forced it up, just able to get the smoldering end into the open air before it was stomped back down by the Bagon, this time for good. Content where he was, Chimera maintained his position, hands pushing claws to the floor and stone forehead aimed downward to absorb the occasional bite or burst of flames. As the seconds turned to minutes, the Bagon was surprised to see that every attempt to reverse their positions or project fire at his face had grown weaker. Moreover, the defiant cries of his attacker had diminished into a soft whimper, matched by the reduced fizzling of its submerged tail.

A final flash of lightning blared, this time accompanied by the dull thud and subsequent crack of something being tackled and landing against a wall of stone. With this, Chimera was offered one last glance at the Charmander he was holding in place, his own dark, brown eyes staring into those of pure white. Tears of pain had long since formed across the Charmander's eyes, streaming from both sides of its face into the murky water. The ferocity that had been initially portrayed when they had begun their skirmish was gone, being replaced by a fearful quiver as its countenance stared onward in what Chimera could only describe as a fluctuation of terror and acceptance. As the cavern returned to its pitch-black setting, a faint series of chirps and squeaks came from the Charmander's mouth, one unlike any of the previous feral barks. At this, Chimera paused, raising a nonexistent eyebrow to the grey lizard as he spoke,

"What?"

The call came again, this time with a greater sense of urgency, the grey lizard barely able to belt out the end before its voice trembled into nothingness. Faced with what he could only assume was some primitive attempt at communication, Chimera weighed his options, thoughts from both ears whispering into his conscious.

Let him go, with the amount of time you've submerged his life source, he's no longer a threat.

You don't know that! What if its tail simply measures its vitality, and this is just a trick to get you to lower your guard?

You don't owe this lizard a thing, it attacked you first, you're under no obligation to relent now.

This is cruel and you know it, cruel and unnecessary. What if your friends saw you like this?

Unnecessary? It's survival, what if you let it go and it attacks you or Argon again in the future, this time with friends?

He's begging for his life! Where is your humanity?

Humanity didn't get to where it was by relenting when it had the chance to win, remember that...

Chimera was silent, darkness hiding his scowling expression. Before he could decide, his train of thought was broken by the sound of something glass-like shattering, the room being bathed in an unnatural illumination. The Bagon shifted his gaze from the Charmander to observe the room, spotting the broken components of a blue orb on the floor next to his companion. All around her were the unconscious bodies of a horde of small pokemon, from rattatas to yungoose to zubats, all sporting the same grey coloration as his own attacker, the faint rise and fall of their chests being clearly evident. He drew his gaze from the floor to Argon's face, a chill running down both their spines as they made eye contact. She was frozen, eyes wide and mouth agape as she stared at Chimera, but...she wasn't staring at his eyes, her gape was directed at something else below him, someone else...

He traced her vision, slowly turning his head back towards the creature retrained against the chilling water. Its head was leaned back toward the ceiling, having long since lost the strength to struggle. Its pale-white eyes refused to blink, Argon staring onward in horror as the fizzling of bubbles from its tail puttered out into nothingness. Chimera took one last look at his companion, silently acknowledging that what he did now could forever stain the partnership that was established. He closed his eyes and drew a deep sigh, his hand had been forced.

Slowly but surely, the scaly blue feet drowning the lizard's tail relented.

Immediately, a glimmer seemed to flash in the Charmander's eyes as its tail shot out from the water like a snorkel. Chimera rushed toward the edge of the shore, hastily grasping for his crossbow is he pointed it at the grey lizard, eyes scanning for any suspicious movement. Argon joined him, the duo watching as the Charmander stumbled to its feet, quickly reached a hand to its back to bring its extinguished tail forward. The lizard now seemed to ignore the two, holding the tail toward its mouth as it began to gently blow air into the opening at its end, every breath drawing another obvious cringe of pain. A couple seconds passed, and a minuscule ember began to emanate from the tails end, Chimera subconsciously comparing it to the flicker of light from a wet match or empty lighter. The lizard slowly brought its head to bear at the duo, quivering as drops of cold, murky water ran down from its body back into the pond, but taking no action nonetheless. Chimera gave a sideways glance to the Raichu at his side, seeing that her baffled expression had refused to relent as she stared towards the pale Charmander, her mouth giving off a faint whisper,

"T-They're...they're not supposed to be like that."

"Be like what?" Chimera replied, matching her quiet tone, not yet sure if the language barrier was one way.

"Pallids, t-they're supposed to be naturally aggressive. I've been doing this for years and I have never encountered one that won't attack you outright, never mind one that...begs for its life.

The grey Charmander looked towards Argon, cocking its head in a neutral expression. Chimera hovered a hand over the crossbow's trigger, scanning the lizard's breath patterns for any indication that it would make use of its recovering passed, gasping as his peripheral vision spotted Argon taking an apprehensive step forward, paw outstretched towards the lizard holding a spiky, red berry.

"Uh...h-here, this should help you, i-if you want it."

It was the lizard's turn to stare onward incredulously, Argon lifting a paw to her temple as the berry was levitated from her hand, landing gently into its outstretched claws. It stood still, alternating it's gaze between the Raichu a couple of feet before him and the berry in its hands, stuck in what Chimera could only assume was its own inner debate. Eventually, it raised the berry to its mouth, licking it with the edge of its tongue before taking a nibble. The effect was immediate, the grey cinder on its tail raising upward into a continuous blaze, Chimera's body resuming its tremble as his hand drew ever closer to the pulling the trigger. The grey lizard plunged the entire berry into its mouth and began to chew, face seemingly growing in vitality in conjunction with it's tail. With one last gulp of the remaining contents, it turned its attention back to Argon.

A moment passed as the Charmander and Raichu stared at one another, the occasional droplet falling from stalactites into the stagnate water at their feet as they tried to gauge the other's intentions. Argon took a defensive stance, sparks readying from her cheeks as her mind considered the possibility that she had just made a horrible mistake. The thought, however, was quickly diminished when then the grey lizard's mouth rose into an appreciative grin, one that she was happy to reciprocate, if only to hide the thoughts bouncing through her conscious considering the repercussions of such an action.

Without another word, the grey Charmander turned its back toward the duo and began walking back toward the way they had come, Chimera lowering his crossbow as he noticed that its hand seemed to be clenched tightly around a small, green object. He shook his head, deciding not to give it another thought as it rounded one of the rocky corners. With the only occupants of the cavern opening now being limited to a bagon, raichu, and an amalgamation of tiny pokemon lying unconscious on the floor, Chimera turned toward his partner, both silently agreeing that, at the moment, no more words needed to be exchanged about the recent happenings. With this, Argon closed her eyes, sighing one last time to orientate her thoughts before stepping towards a tunnel leading deeper into the dungeon,

"W-We should keep going Chimera, we c-can't...can't let this distract us from the mission."

Chimera couldn't decide whether he was more relieved or disheartened that the remaining pokemon they encountered seemed to match Argon's initial description. Despite the relentless ferocity of their opponents, most were of relatively small power and constitution, the duo able to end most fights seemingly before they began. Argon took the lead, the Bagon more than happy to provide assistance from a safe distance, cringing internally as the more feeble of the grey creatures were dispatched by a single electrified punch from her fist, or the occasional jolt of thunder from her tail. For the somewhat stronger or more resistant creatures, however, teamwork was required. A rogue gible was able to charge Argon, tackling her to the floor as it opened its jaw before a bolt soured through its mouth, piercing its skin and becoming lodged in the back of its throat. A small dewgong revealed itself from under an underground riverbed, just about to shoot a beam of ice at Chimera when Argon dipped her tail into the water, causing the grey seal to freeze from paralysis. The pattern continued, an unspoken surprise filling both Bagon and Raichu that, in exception to the initial fray, both were progressing through the dungeon without a scratch.

Eventually, the constant stream of Pallids again faded, and only chilling silence greeted the two as they walked. The dungeon being devoid of any life threatening forces, Chimera was content to let his mind wander as he stared forward at the oversized tail of his partner,

Just what is it that Binair wants us to find? Why was he unwilling to give even a vague description? Moreover, why send us? There must be more qualified teams to retrieve an item as powerful as he states. Is this...just some convoluted test to enter the guild?

All good questions, and all that would remain unanswered when a large migraine invaded Chimera's mind, forcing him to shut his eyes and drop toward the ground. It was as if a constant force was pressing against his subconscious, going deeper and deeper as it dug into the Bagon's long term memory. After a few seconds, however, the force exhibited no more pain, strolling across like a reader examining a line of books on a shelf, before reaching for one that seemed the most interesting. As the strange sensation ended, Chimera opened his eyes, able to get one last look at Argon as an unknown pokemon popped into existence behind her, setting a hand on her shoulder before both disappeared in the blink of an eye. The Bagon didn't even have time to shout, swiftly turning his head to see that the pokemon was now behind him. Two closed eyes in the middle of three large, red gems stared into his soul as his whole vision was turned to white.

Authors note: Props to honrupi and her comic PMD Explorers of Souls for giving me the idea for the Pallids.