The pouring rain beating onto every inch of my body, each step I take becomes heavier than the last. The entire forest around me seems to mash together into one big blur. The faint hope of finding help lingering in my mind, I push through the tiredness plaguing my legs and carry on. But a slight dread creeped from the dark corners of my mind.
'This forest seems endless,' I thought, trying to keep my paws from collapsing, 'Am I… stuck in here forever? There… doesn't seem to be…'
My ears drooped limply and I felt a sway in my steps now. I grit my teeth and try to focus straight ahead, but all of my aching nerves became unbearable to withstand.
In that moment, my ears picked up faint sounds of hasty footsteps coming from behind me. I turned around to face what dread incarnate would look like. A bulky, shaggy, wolf-like creature stared back at me with piercing red eyes full of malice. Its visible heavy breaths seeps out of its maul like a thinly veiled mist. Its black fur seemed to stand on end despite the deluge beating on our bodies.
The creature looked the way it came for a solid second before it started to quickly close the gap between us with frightening haste. My instincts begged me to run for my life, but my legs were weighted down with fear and exhaustion. I could only helplessly gaze at the canine's approaching jaw of razor sharp fangs, the blood in my veins running cold when I felt those same fangs around my neck in no time at all.
With its jaw full of me, it spoke, "If you know what's good for you, do not struggle."
I tried to swallow a lump in my throat, only it didn't get far as it was blocked by this creature's teeth dangerously close to crushing my neck.
'Did this Pokemon just speak,' the anxiety rising up my throat, I heard another set of heavy footsteps approaching us.
Another Pokemon came running, this time what appears to be a blue dragon with a fin on its back instead of wings. A vicious glare etched on this Pokemon's face seemingly aimed for the one holding me captive.
"Mightyena! That's far enough!" He shouted, posing his two claws ready to attack at any moment.
"Stay right where you are, Gabite!" the canine yelled despite holding me in his mouth, "Or this Vulpix won't make it out of this alive!"
Mightyena tightened its grip around my neck, I couldn't help but let out a shriek of pain.
"To think you'll stoop this low," Gabite growled, "Let her go! Now!"
"You and I both know I can't do that now!" I could feel him carefully taking a few steps back, "I won't be caught! Not now!"
With that said, Mightyena turned around and bolted down the path leaving the dragon yelling after him in the dust. All will to escape Mightyena's grip vanishing, my body helplessly dangling while he practically dragged me deeper into the forest depths.
Suddenly, it felt like the whole world began to twist and contort in every direction leaving me nauseous and dizzy at the sight. I'm not sure if it's due to the intolerable pain around my neck or my exhaustion, but everything around me seems to stretch towards the horizon as it all fades to black.
Reality fading back into view, I groggily opened my eyes to see the forest floor once again but this time the atmosphere here seemed… darker somehow. The pelting rain seemed to have stopped too, but the ground didn't feel mushy at all.
'How long have I been unconscious?' I wondered, slowly trying to get up when I spotted a familiar hound coming into view from a neighboring corridor. I quickly laid back on the ground and closed my eyes as he slowly approached me.
"I'm sorry for dragging you into this, little one," Mightyena solemnly said, his voice closing in on me each second, "But I can't be caught now. Not when I…"
'Now!' Summoning what remaining strength I had left, I sprung up and headbutt him on his snout. His painstriken yelp following afterward, I scrambled on my feet and sprinted into the next corridor as quickly as I could. Not even thinking twice about it, I dove into the next hallway of trees wanting to put as much distance between me and him as possible.
"Stop!" I heard Mightyena bellowed from the way I came, giving me more adrenaline to run faster.
Emerging into the next clearing, something very out of place made me stop in my tracks and gawk at it. It was a three step staircase made out of stone leading to something obscure by a weird fog around the top. I snapped out of my stupor realizing I'm still being chased and stepped closer to the towering figure cautiously. As I got closer, I began to feel a sort of foreign presence around the staircase, almost like it was alive somehow. Mustering my courage, I leaped on each step until I reached the top where my vision became impaired by the fog. In a moment, the haze departed revealing the accursed forest again, but it was a different clearing than when I ascended the stairs. I glanced below me to find the stairs had disappeared, replaced by the grass beneath my feet.
'This… What is this place?' I thought, bewildered beyond all belief.
Taking a quick look around, I wandered over to the next room where it's mostly the same scenery, except I could hear some crackling and shuffling noises coming from the other side. Appearing from the bushes was a green caterpillar-like Pokemon seemingly strolling about until it made eye contact with me. I froze, nervously observing while thinking about what to do here. A certain darkness manifested in the Pokemon's stare and a high pitched shriek erupted from it, shocking me back to my senses. It instantly launched itself towards me to which I narrowly dodged it in time, nearly losing my footing in the process.
'That was close. Why are all the Pokemon here so hostile?' Before I knew it, the caterpillar sprung up and sprayed a white, sticky ooze from its mouth onto my feet.
"Wha–" I frantically tried to pull my paws free, but the ooze kept a tight grip around my ankles stretching in response to my resistance.
High pitched growling emanating from the pit of its throat, the worm Pokemon started charging at me again while I was still breaking free from these shackles.
'There's gotta be something I can do! Think! Think!' I racked my brain for any ideas to surface. That's when it finally hits me. 'Maybe… a move? It's worth a try!'
I inhaled sharply, holding my breath for some miracle to happen. Something… cold started to crawl all over my throat, slowly creeping up towards my mouth leaving a sickening feeling behind. I couldn't hold in this feeling anymore and coughed violently towards the ground. Powdery, icy cloud-like mists erupted from my mouth and lingered around me as the worm dove head first into it, vanishing from sight. The mist subsiding, it revealed my attacker covered in small clusters of ice all over its shivering body, exhibiting an icy blue tint as opposed to its previous slimy green color. Snapping out of its daze with its buggy wide eyes filled with fear, the worm Pokemon quickly turned tail and scurried away within the cover of the forest.
My brain finally registering the pain of my strained muscles, I felt my body shift to the side with only pure willpower keeping me from outright collapsing.
"I… can't believe… that worked," I wheezed betweens gasps of air, eyeing the direction the attacker went for any other signs of danger.
Looking down at my paws, I noticed the sticky fluid didn't feel gooey anymore. It has altered into a dry, flaky state that's a lot paler in color. Mustering some of my strength, I pried all my paws free from their confines, the joy of freedom filling my chest.
"Okay, I have to… find a way out of here," my breathing stabilized, I slowly marched on ahead, the pain shooting up my back with each step.
Reaching another staircase like the one before, I wasted no time and hopped each step to the top where the scenery fades out of view by the mysterious fog. As quickly as it came, the fog departed along with this crushing uncertainty weighing on my back, revealing the forest landscape again along with the pouring rain instantly drenching my coat.
"Huh?" I looked up towards the sky, disbelief filling my senses, 'But it wasn't raining a second ago, not to mention this heavily. What is this strange place? Why am I a Pokemon? This is too much…'
I hung my head, fighting back the tears welling up behind my cracking dams. Beyond the white noise of the rainfall, my ears picked up on a familiar sound. The sound… of a mad beast.
I quickly spun around to face the dark looming figure prowling menacingly towards me. His dark red eyes pierced through the thin veil of the cascade of water between us.
"You…" a deep growl rang out almost too clearly against the pounding rain, making a whimper escape my lips, "You'll pay for that!"
"S-S-Stay back," I willed whatever remains of my voice out, shakily taking steps back as Mightyena approached.
'What can I do?!' I searched my mind desperately, 'I can't outrun him, and I don't think what I did before will work again!'
But before I even get the chance to think of anything else, Mightyena bared his fangs and lunged towards me rapidly closing the gap. I stumbled backward at the sight, my heart sinking to the bottom of a pit. I quickly shut my eyes hoping everything that's about to happen will be over. I waited one second, which turned to two, until I realized the attack never came. I summoned the courage to open my eyes, and to my surprise saw the canine on the floor mere inches from me grunting and twitching uncontrollably. Occasional static electricity danced on his fur coat while Mightyena weakly snarled at seemingly nothing.
"Get back! Quickly!" I heard a voice ordered from beyond the trees. As fast as lightning, a green, smaller canine jumped out of the bush and landed right in front of me, staring down the paralyzed Mightyena.
"Get to safety! We'll handle it!" he assured while never breaking his gaze from the threat.
I silently nodded and hid among the bushes away from my attacker. All the while, Mightyena shakily stood back up, the pain fading from his face as he glared at the smaller canine.
"Damn it… I was so close…" Mightyena growled, "But I won't fall here…" His mouth agape, several particles manifested and gathered to form a dark ball of energy. With one fluid motion, Mightyena launched the ball straight at my rescuer. Displaying his incredible speed, the crested Pokemon dodged the ball as it exploded on contact with the ground.
"Nice try!" the faintest of cocky smirks flashed on his muzzle while he sprinted toward his target. Sparks of electricity raged and consumed his green furred body all the while closing in on the spooked Mightyena. At that very second, the crested canine slammed his body full force onto Mightyena, sending him into the air with aggrieved yell.
"Now, Chief!" the yellow striped Pokemon called out while shaking off the excess electricity.
In a blink of an eye, the hidden Gabite rocketed out of the treetops and slashed Mightyena's back with an energy infused claw. Mightyena howled in agonizing pain and collapsed on the ground with a thunderous thud. Gabite dashed back to the scene and inspected the fallen hound.
"Good work Damini," Gabite complimented the green canine, "You managed to pull through this time around."
"Ha ha, I'm sorry for losing sight of him Chief," Damini apologized while bowing at Gabite.
"I'm not the one who you should be apologizing to." Gabite pulled out what appears to be a white Poke Ball-shaped trinket from the saddle bag he wore. He pointed the trinket at the unconscious Mightyena and in that moment, a white beam shot from it and onto Mightyena. Mightyena's body turned the same bright white and in an instant, he disappeared without a trace.
A small gasp left my lips at the sight. 'Where did he go? What did that trinket do?'
"Our priority now is to get this bystander safely out of the dungeon," Gabite explained.
"Right!" Damini agreed without hesitation.
'They're talking about me, right?' A spark of hope flashed on my face, 'Finally I'm saved–'
All of a sudden, the intense pressure of exhaustion and strain flooded my senses, the whole world spinning before me.
"Help…" I croaked out before falling to the damp forest ground. The two now fuzzy Pokemon quickly ran to my side, their muffled cries trying to reach me before I rapidly returned back to the abyss.