"Lief, come to the forest..."
One week later
"What's this?" I ask Wot.
"Oh, that's called a TM. It teaches you a move if you can learn it."
"Ooh! I can learn this one!" Chicorita.
We're in the town market. Teddy said he'd buy us all one item, because his dad is very wealthy.
"What's this one? I can't read this language." I ask.
"It says Leaf Blade, and from the looks of it, you can learn it." Teddy tells me.
"Hmm, okay. I'd like to be able to make Leaf swords, so I'd like this as my item."
"Okay, how much, Mr. Mime?"
"Hmm, I'd say a hundred pokès."
He tilts his head.
"Kinda cheap, but I'm not complaining."
He hands the golden coins to Mr. Mime and gives the disc to me.
"How do I use it?"
He sighs.
"Here, you put it on the top of your head, and-"
I absorb the disc.
"Woah! That's awesome!" I yell.
He chuckles.
"It usually tickles me, and you got it on your first try, and that's impressive."
"Thanks."
"Hey Teddy! Look over here it's a candy bar."
"Wot, you definitely don't need that. It has more caffeine than coffee."
Wot whines.
"Hey Wot, how about you get a poster over here." Lily says.
"Oh my gosh! He's coming!"
Wot rushes over to the poster.
"Flareon is coming to Froa in two weeks! Ah ha ha ha! Yes!"
"Ugh, Flareon. I heard that guy blasts his butlers when they get his orders wrong." Teddy says.
I look at the poster.
"Huh, isn't ground super effective on fire?"
"Yes, why?"
"I learned a ground type move the other day when I was practicing."
"Practicing?"
"Oh, well see Wot's dad was teaching Wot and I how to fight, and in that training session, I learned dig."
"Okay, cool, I guess."
"Hey, I know you!"
I turn around to see the voice.
"You're the guy who took down Graveler defending the little Minnico." Said a Bisharp.
I nod.
"Yeah, and?"
"Well, I'm here from the Battle institute in Finis city, and I was thinking you might want to sign up."
"Totally do it Lief!" Chicorita yells.
My friends gather around.
"Yeah! You should at least try."
I smile at my friends.
"Okay, okay, I'll try, when's the competition?"
"Two weeks from now, the current champ is the genius inventor Flareon."
"F-Flareon!?" Wot yells.
"Lief, you get to fight Flareon!"
I shake my head.
"Only if I beat everyone else, and that's not likely, because I'm only level eleven."
"Then train. I've got to go find more contestants." Bisharp said as he walked away.
"Lief, you need to train." Teddy tells me.
I nod.
"But I can't get my level up with what I currently train with, is there anywhere else I can train?"
"Well, the gym in D'heren city is a few miles away." Teddy tells me.
"You could buy rare candies!" Chicorita yells.
"You could train in a Mystery Dungeon, there's one in the forest-"
"No!"
"Huh?"
"You can't go into the forest!"
"Why?"
"A few weeks before you came here, the forest was a great spot to train. But just out of the blue, something appeared and forced its way up. It's level was higher than anyone in the village, so no one could beat it."
That's strange. I think I should go in the forest and look for myself.
"Guys... I'm going into the forest."
"Really, after all I said?" Said Teddy.
I nod.
"I might need someone to go with me, though."
"No way, that's crazy!" Teddy yells.
"I'm not a good fighter." Said lily.
"I just got a plushie! I'm kinda busy!" Yelled Chicorita.
"I can go!" Yelled Wot.
Good ol' Wot.
"Alright! Let's do this!"
We begin to head out.
"Wait! Take this!" Teddy yelled.
He gave me two small sticks.
"Wave them at Wild Pokemon that more powerful than you, one will stun, the other will put them to sleep temporarily."
I smile.
"Thanks Teddy, you're a good friend."
We rush off into the forest.
Floor 1
"Okay, so how do mystery dungeons work?" I ask Wot.
"Well, there are a certain number of floors in a single dungeon. Each floor is different, and no floor will be the same as any other dungeon, ever."
"Okay, how do we get to the next floor?"
"There's a small way to get up on each floor. On this map, it appears to be a staircase."
"Alright, let's go."
The clearing opens up. We're in a small room with a few items.
"Hey, that's money!"
I run up and grab it.
"Oh, I finally have money."
"Yeah, I hear it naturally appears here."
"Cool."
I look around and see a hallway.
It's kinda dark, but I go down anyway.
"Uh oh."
I turn around to Wot.
"What is it?"
"This is a dungeon map, that my dad gave me. He told me red dots are enemies."
"Let me see!"
I grab the map and look. Sure enough, there was a little red dot a little bit in front of us.
"It's coming towards us! Quick, get ready to battle!"
Out of the bushes came a rattata.
"Quick, use Leaf Blade before it hits us!"
I close my eyes and form a blade. Controlling it with my paws, I slash at it. It doesn't feint, and hits me in the shoulder!
"Gr!"
I slash at it with my claws, feinting it.
The great feeling of winning a battle filled me and I leveled up!
Level twelve!
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I just need some sunlight."
"Huh?"
We rush forward into the next room.
Sunlight poured down on me and I soaked it up.
"What are you doing?"
"Photosynthesis."
"Puto-what-e-what?"
"Wot, I'm half plant. This is how plants get energy. I'm doing it, because it heals me."
"Oh, cool. Hey there's the way up!"
I look at the stairway-like slope. It appeared to go up.
"Okay, let's go."
I get up and run over to the slope.
"Alright, let's go."
Floor 2
I take a look at the new floor.
"It's almost just like the first."
"No, it has three pathways now. Which one do we choose."
"Well, that one is closer." I say as I gesture towards the northeast passage.
"Okay, I guess you're the one training."
We go towards the tunnel.
"What's going on? It just got colder."
"Well, there's two dots coming on both sides of us."
"Uh oh."
Two piercing red eyes appeared and stared at me menacingly. They formed into a purple creature with a Gastly smile.
"Haunters! No normal type moves! Go!" I yell.
I quickly form a leaf sword and wait for it to move. I comes at me, and I strike twice. It feints.
Quickly I turn around to Wot. He kept on shooting it with water gun. His health was critical.
The haunter was about to strike!
"Move!"
I pushed Wot aside and used grass knot, feinting the Haunter.
Level 13!
Wot got up and scrunched his face up.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to do that Potoaterfat thing!"
"It's photosynthesis, and only plants, and I can do it."
He slouched.
"Then how do I heal?"
"Um, I think berries do that. You can find a few in dungeons."
"Okay! Let's go find one."
We keep going down the tunnel until we enter the next clearing.
"There! A berry!"
I go pick it up and hand it to Wot.
He eats it and regains health.
"Thanks."
I smile.
"Uh oh, there's no slope in this room. We better go through the only other tunnel."
I go down a the path, but before I can get to the end, we're cut off by a Graveler.
"Oh come on! How many of you even exist!?"
I use grass knot, and feint it.
"Alright, what's in the other room?"
"There is a bit of money, and some more of the sticks Teddy gave us."
I go and grab the money and sticks.
"Alright, let's continue."
We go down the tunnel into a small room with a sleeping Pokemon.
"What type is it?" I ask.
"I think it's dark and ice. A Weavile!"
It's right by the slope to the next room.
Time to use dig!
I burrow underground towards the Weavile. Wot uses water gun on it and it wakes up!
"Wev! Arah!"
It comes charging at Wot! I burrow up and hit it with the ground.
"Rah!"
It slashes me twice!
I slash back, and it feints.
Level 14!
"Are you okay?"
"I'm right as rain!" I say.
We continue.
Floor 3
"Hey, is it me or did the room get brighter?" Wot asks.
"Yeah, we must be close to the top now."
There's a stick on the far side of the room. I grab it.
"It's a different color. Should I use it to see what it does?"
"Yeah!" Wot yells.
"Okay."
I wave it and everything gets dizzy!
Suddenly, the room clears up and I can see I'm in the room with a slope.
"Lief!? Lief!? Are you okay!?"
"Yeah!"
Wot comes out from a clearing.
"Oh thank goodness! I thought I was all alone here!"
I shrug.
"Well I found the slope."
Floor 4
"Okay okay, how many floors are even here?"
"I dunno, if we don't make it, then I'll ask dad."
There are two paths leading in the same direction.
"Well let's take the one on the far right."
We go down it until we get into a very large room with the slope and two Pokemon.
"Uh oh, a Munchlax and a Zubat. I got the fat one, you get the flier." I say.
"Okay!"
He shoots water gun at the Zubat three times and it feints.
I rush over to Munchlax and give him a grass knot! He uses take down and got my health down low. I use grass knot again and feint him!
I take a few deep breaths and absorb the sunlight.
"Alright let's go."
"Wait Lief! I leveled up, and I want to learn water pulse. But what move should I forget?"
"Water sport."
"Okay... Done! Now let's go."
Floor 5
"Wow there's the slope! In the first room!"
In front of the slope was an older Pokemon being attacked by a panpour!
I rush forward and use grass knot and feint it!
Level 15!
"Are you okay?" I ask the strange Pokemon.
"Yes, thank you, Lief. I am called Lucario."
"How do you know my name?!"
"I sense aura, young one. I can tell some of one's past just by their aura. For instance, I see you have forgotten much of you human past."
My eyes go wide.
"What can you see?! Do you know my past!?"
"Calm yourself, Lief. I can only see what has happened over a short period of time. But I know the reason this forest is dangerous, is linked to your transformation."
"Wow, are you a psychic type?" Wot asks.
He shakes his head.
"Although I should be, I am not."
Suddenly, a large beam of light raised to the sky!
"Oh no! Quickly, you must go up!"
He shoves us up the slope.
Forest clearing
The beam of light settled and in the middle was a horse-like Pokemon!
"What is that?!"
"It's the legendary Pokemon keldeo! Something is wrong! Look at its eyes! He's going to attack!"
Lucario came up in front of me.
"We must fight together if we want to beat him!"
Wot shot water at him, but it did almost no damage! Lucario shot aura spheres! They all hit! He's charging at me now!
"Leaf Blade!"
I sliced over and over at Keldeo! It's super effective!
Sacred sword!
The piercing cold blade hit me on the right side of my face!
Critical hit!
I shake uncontrollably as my health drains! This was it, my first loss. The shot was too much, I knew it would kill me!
No... I refuse to die!
A sheer force of energy came over me and I got up!
"What is that!?" Wot yells.
I jump on Keldeo and slash him over and over with leaf blades, until he's on the ground feinted!
The surge left me and I turn around.
"Ugh..."
I fall on the ground.
"Lief!"
Wot rushes over.
"What is going on! Lief are you okay!?" Yelled Teddy.
"We came after we saw the light beam! Are you okay!?" Yells Chicorita
"Back away!" Yells Lucario.
He grabs Wot off of me.
"I've seen this before! This is void! It is caused by the Legendary Pokemon Hoopa's rings. He's been infected for some time now."
"How do we cure it? What are the symptoms?! The side effects!?" Wot yells
He shakes his head.
"Wot, if you want to keep your friend, then he must not be cured. This is why he is a Pokemon now. But we have bigger problems now. Hoopa has returned, and that could mean doom for everyone. You must all come with me now."
I feel wet moss on the top of my head.
"Uugnhh."
"Lief! Oh good, you're awake."
"What happened?"
"Ahh, well... I should let Lucario explain."
Teddy, Chicorita, Lily, and Lucario came into the room.
"Alright, let me explain." Lucario said. "Lief was not always a Pokemon."
"What!?"
"He was once, in fact a human. Until he must've fallen into one of Hoopa's portals, giving him the void, causing memory loss and transforming him into a Pokemon."
"Wow, you where once human? Why didn't you tell us?" Lily asks.
"Um, I was afraid you wouldn't believe me."
"Oh, well I believe you!"
I smile.
"Thanks."
"Alright alright! You need to know a few things about void. First, it only reacts when you are near another Pokemon with the void. That Keldeo must've had it, some hats why he was so drastic. Second, when void reacts, one of two things can happen depending on your past with that species of Pokemon and how you feel about it. If you dislike that Pokemon even slightly, then you will temporarily lose control . If not, then you will get an attack boost."
"Okay, any other side effects?" Teddy asks.
He shakes his head.
"Actually the only other thing is that it's possible that if its cured, he could turn back into a human."
"What?! No, how do you cure it?" Teddy yells.
"I don't know. As far as I'm concerned, it has no cure."
He picks up an apple and takes a bite.
"If I where to guess, only Hoopa can cut it, and it would never do that. Don't worry, you'll have your friend forever."
I stick my head up.
"Well? Then I just live the rest of my life trying to avoid the void?"
He nods.
"The void is pretty rare. You should be fine."
I get up.
"Well then, I guess we go home? I live my life as normally as I can?"
"I'm no counselor. Just do as you normally would do."
He looks outside.
"Well it's best you go home and get some rest."
I look outside.
"But it's still bright outside."
"No, I meant you go home, and I get some rest. I'm not as young and peppy as all of you. Now go on."
We all walk out the door.
"So Lief, you where once human?"
I nod.
"It's one of the only things I can remember, but I'm sure I was human once."
He nods.
"And void? Did you know about that?"
I shake my head.
"No, and I don't really know much about Hoopa either."
He nods.
"Well with a little help, we can find out more and-"
"No. None of you can tell anybody this. I don't want to be cured, I don't want to be human."
"But how are you sure? You've forgotten almost everything."
"Yes, but a week ago I remembered something. It was like a vision of the past;a vision of my human past. A boy was being beat hard for a small amount of money he had been saving for years. I'm sure the boy was me, and if that was what my human life was like, then I will happily stay a Pokemon."
They go silent.
"Wow you are really good at speeches!" Chicorita yelled.
I shrug.
"I wasn't really trying that hard, but I guess it turned out that way."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"So what are we going to do now?" Wot asks.
"Um, I guess I'm still doing that tournament thing in two weeks. I suppose we could gain some knowledge on my opponents." I suggest.
"Maybe maybe, but I think you'll do fine."
"Why?"
"Have you checked your level?"
"Um, no."
I check my level.
"What!? I'm level twenty one!"
"That's a higher level than my mom." Teddy said.
"Yes but your mom's level is low for her age." Lily pointed out.
"Yeah, but Lief is way younger than her."
"Yes, but these guys will probably be way more powerful than me; like level thirty or something."
"What if one of them has void?" Lily asks.
"Lily, you heard the old guy. Not many Pokemon have void."
"Yeah, but that means some do."
"Hey hey! Can I say something? I think I should train some more. I wan bro win this thing, but if I do nothing, then I'll lose for sure! So I think I should train in the dungeon some more."
"Lief, I think you should wait at least until tomorrow." Wot says.
I nod.
"Yes, to that I agree. I probably should rest until tomorrow."
"What? Tomorrow we have school." Teddy pointed out.
Oh yeah.
"Ugh, what more can they teach us?"
"Attention! Attention! Magnezone here! Everyone out of your house, I have an announcement!"
Pokemon came out of their houses and waited for their announcement.
"First! In two weeks the battle festival will take place in this village. Hotels! You must prepare for guests. If anyone meets the requirements for a battle, then you may be titled to fight. Second! Earlier today a beam of light shot into the sky. The source was the Legendary Pokemon Keldeo. The forest is now safe to train in, thanks to a group of unnamed subjects who defeated him."
They started clapping and cheering.
"Yes yes, it's good. But! It appears Keldeo was infected by an unknown disease!"
They started to murmur.
"Our local healer, Lucario, stated the following: It is called Void, and however it is not contagious, If another Pokemon has it, they can temporarily go ferrel. However, it is a rare disease, and can only be contracted if you have fallen into one of the Legendary Pokemon Hoopa's rings. That is all."
Magnezone left.
"We should probably get home." Wot tells me.
"I think your right." I tell him.
"Ooh, that disease sounds terrible! I hope no one else has it in the village." Audi said.
I chew nervously.
"It sounds horrid! The poor dear who has that must be suffering!"
I continue chewing.
"That's enough, Audi, you're making Lief frightened."
She blushes.
"Oops, sorry dear. Anyway, I wonder who managed to take down the Keldeo in the forest."
"Ooh, that was us!" Wot yelled.
Sam laughed.
"Good kicks, that one was!"
"No, I'm serious! Lief beat him!"
I swallow.
"Really? How?"
"Um... Lief? Would you please explain for me?"
I sigh.
"Well, in all truth... I have Void."
Everyone stops eating.
"Come again?" Sam asked.
"Um, the reason I forgot everything is because I fell into one of Hoopa's portals and contracted Void."
Audi rushes over and puts her head on my head.
"Oh my dear! Why didn't you tell us? We should have you checked into the hospital and tried to be cured and-"
"Calm down dear. It's not infectious, android it only reacts around others with void, he should be fine."
Audino sat down nervously.
"Sorry dear, I over reacted."
"It's fine." I tell her.
We sit is silence for a few minutes.
"Lief entered the fighting competition." Wot says.
"Ah, good news to all! If you win, Lief, you get bags of Pokès, state of the are technology, and instantly be put on a highly recommended list for the Exploration Task Force, or ETF."
"Yeah! Lief's gonna win for sure! He's a great fighter, you should've seen him fight Keldeo, it was amazing!"
"And your level is surprisingly high for your age." Audino said.
"Yes, if Lief continues training, he could even beat Flareon, who has a type advantage against him."
That night, among the worries and congratulations, more was already at work than could be controlled. More and more Pokemon where falling into Hoopa's portals, Keldeo had a secret that only Lief could know, and the inventor, Flareon, had only one name in his head: Lief...