Disclaimer: I don't own pokémon.
Rok gulped as he took another look at what was apparently a Dungeon. "We must have fallen into the entrance by mistake. We should be able to get out of here just by climbing out again."
But as he turned to go back through that strange tunnel, all he could see was a wall.
"What the-?" Rok spluttered, "Where did it go?"
"That's Dungeons for you." Reaper said gravely, "They shift around, never staying in one shape. The only way out is to get through the entire thing, or if we're lucky we'll find an escape orb lying around here somewhere."
"How big are Dungeons usually?" Rok asked nervously.
Reaper sighed. "That's the thing. With Dungeons, there is no "usually". They're all different, and like I said before they're ever-changing. If we ever manage to get out of here and then by some twist of bad luck return, the layout will be completely different."
Rok huffed. So they were stuck in a shapeshifting underground place with only one exit and possibly some kind of magical item called an escape orb that could get them out of here.
"Well, not like we have many options here." He said finally. "To get out of here, we're going to have to get moving."
"Stay on your guard." Reaper murmured, "Wild pokémon love these places."
Rok nodded, sniffing the air experimentally. Sure enough, the air was thick with a variety of scents belonging to multiple pokémon.
Moving slowly, cautiously, the two Dark Types crept along the corridor they'd found themselves in, keeping their eyes peeled for anything that might appear dangerous. Rok felt his markings burn with apprehension. Ears perked, he could make out the distant snarls of battle and violence, which absolutely didn't bode well for him and Reaper. If the pokémon here were that violent even without knowing that there were a couple of civilised interlopers in their midst, he'd hate to imagine how they act around intruders.
Rok cautiously poked his head around a corner, and his ears flopped against his head in dismay. There was a fork in the paths. Now where were they supposed to go?
Reaper followed his gaze and scowled. "I guess it was only a matter of time. These places are like mazes, with tons of dead-ends and crossroads. We'll be wandering around here for a while before we get to the next level."
"There's another level to this?" Rok whined.
Reaper nodded, though she was grimacing as well. "I think the minimum number of levels for a Dungeon is three. The exit will be at the top."
Rok sighed. "Might as well get going then."
He stepped forward…
And immediately had to yelp and duck as something blue and purple dive-bombed his head.
"Crap, zubat!" Reaper yelled, her claws glowing with violet light.
Rok grit his teeth as he struggled to keep up with the zubat's wild movements. For a wild pokémon it was quick, quick enough that when Reaper lunged at it with Night Slash it easily dodged out of the way and darted in to bite her neck with glowing purple fangs.
Her shriek of pain was like a blade stabbing into Rok's chest, and he growled in fury. Maybe he couldn't properly target where that zubat was, but maybe he didn't have to. After all, Swift always hits its target.
He opened his mouth, releasing a stream of stars that mercilessly followed the zubat as it tried to dodge, eventually colliding with its small body in a series of small explosions. The zubat crumbled to the ground in shock and it hurriedly tried to flap its wings and take flight again, but Rok was already charging toward it in Pursuit. The attack made it wail in agony, and it took off into the darkness of the hallways, its flight wonky and slow with weakness.
Rok growled through his teeth, a part of him desperately wanting to go after it. It was wounded now, almost down for the count, easy prey, just one strong bite to the neck would finish it off…
NO! He wasn't doing that! He wasn't a wild pokémon, he would control these violent urges.
A whine of pain forcefully pulled him from his thoughts, and Rok's eyes widened as he saw that Reaper hadn't gotten up yet.
Heart stuttering in his chest with worry, Rok rushed to her side. It had to be the neck wound from that zubat's bite, but it was just one bite, and its fangs weren't very big so what was going on?
As he got closer, he could see that Reaper's face was screwed up in discomfort, and beads of sweat were running down her face. Gulping with worry, he moved aside her thick white fur to get a closer look at the bite. The wound itself didn't look that deep, but it was steadily oozing with a thick, purple slime.
"Poison." Rok breathed, his fur starting to bristle with nerves. Dammit, the only sure-fire way he knew of to deal with poisons was with pecha berries, and he highly doubted he'd find any growing here. His best bet was to get out of the Dungeon as quickly as he could. He knew for sure that there were pecha berry trees outside, and there were probably medicines in the supplies that the Guild Headquarters had given them.
But…if the poison was acting this fast…
Reaper may not make it that long.
The thought sent a jolt of terror surging through Rok's veins, making his markings burn and light up the dim area around them.
No, no way was he letting Reaper die down here to poison. He was going to get her out of here and get her healed if it was the last thing he did!
With a grunt of effort, Rok was able to drag Reaper's body onto his back. He panted against her weight, they were about the same size after all. But he grit his teeth against the strain. He had to get her out of here, whatever it takes.
Praying to Arceus that he was choosing the right path, Rok scrambled right at the crossroad. Reaper was bouncing slightly on his back as he ran, keeping his eyes peeled for anything that looked like an exit. A path broke off from the main hall and, taking a chance, Rok tore down it.
He found himself in a large, circular room, surrounded by hallways, each pointing in a different direction.
Somehow, Rok's panic grew even greater. How was he supposed to tell which one to take?
As he looked around at them, it felt like the room was changing, stretching out and growing bigger and wider.
No, not felt like, it was getting bigger! Filling the extra space with yet more hallways. Reaper said that Dungeons changed shape, but Rok had never imagined he'd see it happening right in front of him, and so quickly! The longer he stood there the more the room grew, and the more hallways were added.
Rok's markings felt like they were on fire. Now how was he going to get Reaper out, when the Dungeon itself seemed to be conspiring against him?
His panic felt like rapids, carrying him away and throwing him all over the place. His breathing quickened, and he began to feel a little light-headed from the lack of air.
Something was welling up within him, a power similar to the one that took over when he used pursuit, but greater, wilder. He couldn't keep it in. He felt like he'd explode if he tried. He had to let it out.
Let.
It.
OUT!
With a shriek of terror, Rok opened his jaws and out poured a concentrated mass of darkness, pulsing and writhing within itself. It seemed to radiate malice, fear and hopelessness, an attack designed to be used for nothing but violence and harm.
It shot towards the wall of the room, with its ever-growing number of hallways and it…passed right through?
But suddenly there was no wall, or room or countless branching hallways. It was like Rok had blinked and they'd just vanished, leaving behind nothing but the corridor Rok had just turned down, and a pokémon.
Rok narrowed his eyes at it. The dark aura of that attack was clinging to its body, he could sense it. And if whatever-that-was had only fallen apart when this pokémon was attacked, then…
"Who are you?"
A/N: New character time! But you're gonna have to wait a couple weeks to find out more about them (muahaha).
Please review!