Disclaimer: Although the severely warped and twisted imagination is my own, Pokemon and its characters belong to Satoshi Tajiri and the various license holding companies that are responsible for manufacturing video games that have consumed hundreds of hours of my life in the blink of an eye. The Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series produced by Chunsoft in particular is responsible for what you are about to witness.
Author's Notes: It would seem that I've finally managed to figure out where I'm going with this. With that in mind, things are about to become a lot more complicated.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Enigmatic Origin -- Chapter 3
Morning came without further incident. It was impossible to determine exactly what time it was when Crystal woke up, but it seemed like it must have been early. Much to her dismay the events of the previous day apparently weren't just some kind of crazy dream and she was still stuck in the body of a Cyndaquil. This probably would have upset her more if not for the fact that she was at least able to determine from this that she probably wasn't dead although she still couldn't completely rule out the possibility that she might be in some kind of coma. Then again, if this were all just some kind of crazy dream it would have become extremely lucid once she made that assumption and yet she remained unable to change the situation she had been presented with the previous afternoon.
Alright, so she wasn't dead and she wasn't dreaming. The only other likely possibility seemed to be that she had inadvertently been cast off into another universe. Considering that Dialga was the regarded as the embodiment of time and that Palkia was regarded as the embodiment of space this new conclusion didn't seem entirely out of place. And then there was Giratina, a being living in a world on the opposite side of conventional reality. Assuming the pokemon that had interfered in the battle was in fact Arceus, then it seemed likely that the combined destructive potential produced during the confrontation might have caused a tear in the fabric of reality that acted as a portal to another universe. When Crystal got caught in the explosion, then she must have been pulled through the portal and arrived in this strange new world having been transformed into the form she might have had if she had been born in such a world.
It figures I'd be a fire type. At the very least she could appreciate the irony. I guess this is kind of like that time when me and Shiro got lost in the wrong century for a month because we somehow managed to get caught in Celebi's time travel. At least we made it back to our own era without too much trouble.
Of course this situation was a little different. Traveling through time with Celebi seemed to happen to people all the time and Celebi was always happy to take someone back to their proper time period if they asked nicely. In this case, if Arceus was somehow connected to her arrival in this strange new world, then it was likely that finding a way back was going to prove to be extremely difficult. This was especially true considering that the pokemon she had met so far weren't even positive about whether or not such a pokemon actually exists. Crystal would need to find out what she could about Arceus and determine whether or not the description matched what she had seen.
The most obvious course of action would be to consult with other legendary pokemon. She would just have to hope that they were somewhat better informed than the pokemon residing at the guild. Since the landmarks she had encountered so far seemed to be loosely connected to the mythology of the Johto region that probably meant there was a chance of finding Ho-oh or Lugia and she wouldn't be surprised to find Entei, Raikou or Suicune roaming about either.
Of course before Crystal could hope to pursue information from any of them she would need to spend some time getting accustomed to her new body. If she intended to go wandering around this strange new world, then she would have become strong enough to defend herself. It was bound to take some getting used to.
Taki didn't seem like the intellectual type so the direction Crystal's thoughts had taken that morning would most likely have gone well over his head. It would probably be best to just keep them to herself for the time being.
While Taki was busy extinguishing some of the torches from the night before Crystal took the opportunity to familiarize herself with navigating around the complex network of tunnels housing the guild. It probably wasn't nearly as difficult as she made it seem, but then she wasn't really proud of her sense of direction either. She was, however, quickly able to determine that the entrance to the tunnel system was uphill and that meant that no matter how lost she felt she should at least be able to find her way back to the surface if nowhere else.
While she was exploring she discovered a room off to one side of the main tunnel that had a pair of bulletin boards mounted on the far wall. The Shinx from the night before was in one corner chattering amiably with a Rattata and a Taillow. Crystal was about to go over and greet them when a pinkish purple amorphous blob that was probably the Ditto that had been taking a nap in Garchomp's office the night before seemed to slither up next to her. At least, slithering was probably the best way to describe the way in which the Ditto was able to move without having any defined legs or feet to stand on.
"So," the Ditto seemed to scrutinize the girl-turned-Cyndaquil with its beady little eyes for several long seconds before finally making some kind of judgment about her. "You must be the new kid I've been hearing about. I'm guessing you still need someone to show you the ropes about how we operate around here."
Taki hadn't really mentioned what would be required of them once they became part of Garchomp's guild. And Crystal still didn't know what Taki had meant when he had suggested they form an Exploration Team. It was a reminder of just how much of a stranger she was to this world. If asking about these things just made her look foolish because it was supposed to be obvious, then she was probably going to be in for some embarrassment, but it would be better than remaining ignorant. Given the circumstances honestly was probably the best way to go.
"I came here because Taki suggested I should team up with him as an apprentice so that we can form an Exploration Team, but I'm not really sure how any of that works." If not for the trace amounts of hesitation before Crystal started speaking it was entirely possible that her excessively laid back attitude might have masked just how clueless she really was. Of course she knew quite well that panicking never solved any of her problems.
"Well you should forget about the business of becoming an Exploration Team for the time being," the Ditto actually sounded fairly sympathetic. "You've both got to prove yourselves as functional members of this guild before you even think about trying to set out on your own as an Exploration Team. Being an apprentice might be difficult, but it will help to prepare you for what's out there."
Taki finally managed to catch up with them. It was clear from his expression that he was already becoming impatient with remaining underground.
"What's going on here?" the Buizel rudely interrupted the previous conversation.
"I was just about to tell your new friend about the bulletin boards," the Ditto rounded on Taki. "That is, unless you think you can do a better job of it."
Taki snorted, "That's easy. The one on the left displays what are called rescue missions. They range from simple things like delivering an item to a pokemon in a mystery dungeon to transporting a lost or injured pokemon away from one. Sometimes they involve being a bodyguard for a pokemon who wants to visit a mystery dungeon they aren't strong enough to explore on their own. Missions are ranked according to their difficulty which also determines the reward for completion." He pointed at each of the bulletin boards in turn. "The one on the right displays bounty hunting missions. Basically, there are some bad pokemon out there making trouble that need to be taken down. Sometimes they have items that were stolen from other pokemon that need to be returned to their original owners, but for the most part it's about showing them whose boss."
"I take it you prefer those sorts of missions," Crystal noted judging from the Buizel's obvious enthusiasm.
Taki smirked, "It gives me an opportunity to demonstrate my real strength."
"Anyway," the Ditto slimed its way back into the conversation, "you have to decide for yourself which sort of missions are more to your liking. Of course there are some things you'll need before you get started, but that's Garchomp's department so you'll have to see him about the rest."
The little blob was already headed for the ladder to the lower level of the tunnel.
When they arrived in the chamber that served as Garchomp's office there was a small golden treasure chest in the middle of the room. The radiance of the chest seemed to signify the importance of its contents without it even being opened. No doubt whatever was inside was going to be pretty special. Garchomp stood behind it with his gaze fixed on the Cyndaquil who went by the name of Crystal.
"Go ahead and open it," he tried to sound encouraging behind his fangy grin.
Crystal stepped forward and tugged on the lid of the treasure chest. It popped open with a quiet clicking sound. Inside were a pair of leather satchels as well as a couple of winged egg-shaped objects that were half gold and half silver in color. She didn't know for the life of her what they were. Nevertheless they were probably supposed to be important.
"Always keep your Exploration Badges with you," Garchomp used a surprisingly serious tone. "They have the capability to transport you and any of your clients or team members back to the guild instantaneously. This is an invaluable asset for any explorer."
Crystal nodded dumbly. She certainly hadn't expected to encounter anything so mind bogglingly useful so soon, but now Taki's insistence on becoming an apprentice with the guild made a lot more sense.
Garchomp assumed a more subdued tone of voice, "The rest of the Exploration Kit is pretty self explanatory. Those Treasure Bags will allow you to carry any items you may find. For longer missions remember to stock up on plenty of food and Oran Berries to recover your strength when the going gets tough. That's all I have to say to you. Everything else you need to know is best learned through experience."
With their new accessories in tow Crystal and Taki made their way to the chamber that served as the mess hall. There was no sense in setting out for their first official mission before stopping off for breakfast.
"So," Taki decided to be tactful for a change by actually consulting with his Cyndaquil companion about what they were about to be getting into. "Do you think you're ready for this?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," Crystal answered automatically. She wouldn't know unless she tried and she knew she wouldn't have any chance at all of finding her way home unless she was able to make this new lifestyle work for her so there really wasn't much of a choice in the matter.
"Don't worry," Taki tried to sound encouraging. "We'll start with something easy. It'll be fun."
To Be Continued...