Hello.

If you are reading this, well, I believe the typical saying is that I am already dead.

That would be somewhat cliché though. I hope that I am alive and well if someone is reading this for whatever reason that may be. So, allow me to introduce you to this diary instead. My diary. Or rather, a combination of my diary notes and what memories I could recall and hadn't written to paper at the time.

What you have in your hands/paws/fins/wings is the story of my life. Or at least, from what I can recall or am aware of. There are gaps, especially in my very earliest years of life that I have struggled to fill in. I've made sure not to embellish the details, just put down the good, the bad and… the plain awkward.

I would, however, direct you towards the bookmark that I have left stuck into the pages. You will find it labelled as Mercenaries.

Consider this the most important series of chapters in my life. I was young and enjoyed the thrill of battle too much. But it was an era of its own. We didn't have Rescue Teams or Explorers on the Air Continent back then, or anywhere for that matter. The idea of a united continent wasn't even a dream. All we had were a cluster of villages and hamlets scattered across the land.

And when a job needed doing, the villagers would turn to the Mercenaries, Pokémon who sold their services to those who needed them.

I was one of those mercenaries, taking it up both as a lifestyle and as a way of making a living. I didn't have any higher aspirations.

That was until one night. A night during which I found myself on a new journey. It would lead me to meet my team-mates. It would develop a rivalry that drove me to lengths I'd never go to before. And I'd face a threat… and a truth that I could have never imagined. Something that would define my actions right up until today.

So why do I direct you there? Well, if you are who I think you are, you will be looking for answers. Or at least something that can help you find the answers to what has been happening – or had – to the world as a whole. Maybe there was some context that you missed, and wanted to clarify it. Even if I am otherwise unavailable, you can refer to this as needed.

If not, then I hope this gives some context to my life, and I welcome you to read through it. Especially with the recent events of this world.

Either way, I wish you well, and hope this gives you a better glimpse at the events of this world. Or lets you understand myself. As a Mercenary, a Rescuer and an Explorer.

Warmest regards,

Rex, Guildmaster of the Robinswood Guild and former Mercenary of Air Continent.


POKÉMON MYSTERY DUNGEON

MERCENARIES OF DAWN

EPISODE I – RISING STARS

CHAPTER I – FRIENDLY NEIGHBOURHOOD MERCENARY

Twenty-Five Years Ago

Nine years before the Meteor Crisis

The Azumarill slowly backed up, panting desperately as her eyes flicked left to right, desperate for an escape route. The group of five Pokémon crept towards her, forming an arched line before her. The bandits were trying to box her in.

She felt cold rock bump into her back, a quick glance behind her revealing the cliff rising above her. She was cornered now, she had already managed to get one good hit in but-

The water type winced, feeling the spike of pain running down her arm. She glanced over, seeing the flicker of blood coming out of the slash wound.

At the head of the bandit group, a Golduck rubbed his hands together, his red eyes glowing with barely concealed humour. "Come on lady… pass us the key to that chest you traders were carrying, and we probably won't have too much fun…"

Hissing back, the Azumarill tried to find a way out. Could she blow one away? No, the formation was too tight, she wouldn't get through in time.

The Golduck shrugged, "Up to you then. Boys, let's get her."

The bandits took a step forward.

The Azumarill clenched her fist.

A shadow formed over the bandits. "I wouldn't do that if I were you!"

The five bandits snapped their gazes up, wincing as the sun shone in their faces.

An orange-yellow Pokémon dropped down between the Azumarill and the bandits. He was avian in shape, standing on two grey legs and had arms ending in long claws, with a brown satchel tight around him.

The Combusken flashed a grin, "Because trust me, it ain't worth it."

The Golduck snarled at him, eyes burning, "Who the fuck are you punk?!"

Rolling his shoulders, the Combusken started to pace before them. "The name's Rex." He declared, "Just your friendly neighbourhood mercenary. I tend to get paid for protecting traders but… well… after seeing what you guys were doing, I figured I'd go in and help out."

Rex glanced back towards the Azumarill, the humour disappearing from his face, "Alright?" he said quietly and sincerely.

Nervously, the Azumarill managed to muster a small smile before nodding back.

Turning back towards the bandits, Rex scraped his claws against each other, narrowing his orange eyes on them. "So, walk away now, or you'll get what's coming."

The bandits turned towards the Golduck, who's fists clenched, "You think you can boss us around?! Come on boys!" The gem on his head glowed, "Let's teach him a lesson!"

Raising his claws, Rex settled into a combat stance, "Gonna be honest here…"

The Combusken flashed a grin, "Was kinda hoping you'd say that."

And with that, Rex leapt towards his opponents.

A Poliwhirl charged towards him with a raised fist first. The Combusken rolled forward, ducking underneath the punch. His claws glowed white as he slashed them at the water-type, his target cried out in pain as he was flung back. Rex didn't miss a beat, snapping his arm up to block a swipe from a Persian.

Pain flared up along his arm, but with a grin on his face, he willed the fire within him to ignite. Heat rushed through him and the flames flashed around his body.

The feline's eyes widened as the fire-charged kick smashed into his chin. As he cartwheeled away, Rex now let his whole fist glow, striking the Poliwhirl coming back at him with a crack.

Water blasted past, the Combusken managing to twist his body out of the way of the water gun. As he skidded back, a Venonat started pumping out a purple mist towards him. Bad move!

His chest burning, Rex snapped his head forward, the fireball shooting out of his open beak. The Ember punched through the mist, burning it away as it struck the bug-type.

As the Venobat tumbled away, a Dodrio screeched, it's three heads snapping at him. Grinding his beak, the Combusken backpedalled, snapping himself from side to side as each head stabbed wildly at him.

As the tenth strike missed, Rex backflipped out of reach, his claws glowing white again.

The Dodrio's three heads screamed as they started to charge – just as the boulders slammed into them and cut them short.

Rex smirked as he lowered his arm, a scrape mark in the ground from where he had unleashed the Rock Throw. "What the-"

The Golduck had taken a few steps back, his beak agape as he stared at his groaning and comatose companions. Rubbing his hands together, the Combusken raised a brow, "Still got a chance to call it quits." He quipped.

The duck hesitated, only to inhale sharply and blast out a beam of water.

Rolling aside, Rex hit the ground running. Clamping his beak shut, the Golduck only had enough time to stagger back before the Double Kick came in, striking him across the face. A second pair of kicks left the water-type moaning and grabbing hold of his feathers, Rex flung his opponent away.

The bandit slid across the ground on his face, legs comically raised before he finally halted. Groaning, the Golduck pushed himself back up to one knee and spat out a bloody globule.

Rex couldn't help but whistle, "Okay, gotta admit. I didn't expect you to take that."

Snarling, the Golduck turned to face him, "How did you think I got in charge of this crew!? I'm tougher than I look!"

His eyes flared blue, the air beginning to pulse around him, "And you are now going to do exac-"

The iron ball smacked this side of his head with a dull whump. Rex winced as the bandit leader slumped over and faceplanted the ground without a word.

Standing in his place, the Azumarill flicked her iron tail behind her as it faded back to its original blue, glowering at the motionless, but still softly breathing form of the bandit.

"Ouch." Rex said, finally taking in a breath and shaking himself loose, his heart rate already beginning to slow. "Nice swing."

"Thanks." She replied, pulling a weak smile. Suddenly, she quietly coughed, clutching her bleeding arm. "Been itching to do that for a while."

Reaching into the satchel, Rex pulled out a blue oran berry, "Are you okay?" he softly asked, striding to her and offering the fruit.

Coughing again, she managed to restore her smile as she took the fruit from his hand, "I'm fine. Got unlucky there. And don't worry, I've just got over the flu again."

Rex raised a brow, "Again?"

She rolled her eyes, "I tend to get ill a lot. Doesn't stop me though, I have to get some money in somehow." She took a bite of the oran berry, sighing with visible relief, "I'm Allisa by the way. Rex right?"

Smiling, Rex nodded back, "That's me. Seemed like you needed help."

Allisa chewed on her lip, "You're not going to charge me, right?"

Rex waved his arm reassuringly, "Hey, spur in the moment things are free of charge. Besides, sounded like these guys had it coming. Speaking of which…"

He cast a wary eye over the softly moaning forms of the bandits, "We better get these guys tied up. They'll probably have a bounty on their heads anyway. Mind giving me a hand?"

With a happy wag of her tail, Allisa winked, "Gladly."

Within a few minutes, the six bandits were tied up around a tree with thick, heavy-duty rope. Rex knew the smarter option would be to bring them with him, but he knew there was a village not far from here. It would be easier to call on the local guards to help bring them in, and they wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon.

Allisa, her arm no longer bleeding, started leading the way back towards the trail. "It's not my caravan." She explained, "I just happen to be the one guard they were willing to get on loan."

Rex couldn't help but feel sorry for her as she visibly slumped, "Figured I'd have a better chance against these guys in a fight. And if I led them away from the caravan, the merchants could get away."

He made sure to lean forward into her vision, "Six, seven on one? That's not easy. First time out of the village right?"

"Pretty much." She sadly replied, "You made that look easy though."

Rex hesitated for a second, before placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Hey, luring them all away? That's a brave thing to do. Besides, I've had a few years of practice on my own." He explained, "It's not my first rodeo."

The Combusken let his mind wander back a few years, back to when he was just a Torchic with lofty plans. He had lived in one of a handful of tiny hamlets on the Air Continent, his dad being a guard whilst his mother was a seamstress. A small little community where not much happened. But that wasn't enough for Rex. Every so often, a Pokémon or two would wander into town, looking for mercenary work. Maybe there was a bandit that needed to be taken out, or an item recovered from a dangerous forest. Or perhaps, even to delve into one of Air's Mystery Dungeons for some valuable possession. And the young Torchic would hopelessly follow them around, wanting to hear about their adventures. Some wanted nothing to do with him, but a handful teased him with some snippet.

As soon as Rex was old enough, he pledged to follow in their footsteps, to have his own adventures beyond the walls of the hamlet as a Mercenary himself. He nearly chuckled at the memory, naturally his parents weren't that eager for him to go wandering off. But despite that, they eventually scrouged enough to help their son chase his dream.

A flicker of warmth formed in his breast at the image, he had been on the road ever since. He had evolved into Combusken during one of his early fights against bandits. Vagabonds who tried to take whatever they could from the few caravans travelling between the settlements, if not the hamlets themselves.

And fighting them was just one of many jobs Rex had done over the last five years.

The Azumarill nervously rubbed the back of head, "T-thanks. I'll try and keep that in mind."

"Don't beat yourself up over it." Rex replied warmly as they stepped through some bushes, "We all start from somewhere."

When he looked back forward again, he was greeted by a pair of unmoving wooden carts. One had been tied to a rather nervous-looking Tauros, the other by an annoyed looking-Rapidash. Sat atop the second one, a Nidorina was rooting in the back, eyes wide as she was trying to find something. "Can't we get moving already!?"

At the foot of the carriage, a Nidorino was busy fiddling with a wheel at the side, his movements rushed as he tried to secure a bolt in place. The Rapidash snorted, flames flickering as he stomped the ground, "No shit!" he started to fiddle in his harness to shake himself loose, "Forget the goods! We can get you both to the town."

"I'm not letting those crooks take this cargo!" the Nidorino barked, hissing as he snapped his paws away. "Once you are all moving, I'll go and look for Allisa!"

"She can look after herself!" The Rapidash replied, "And we don't have time to-"

He fell silent as his eyes settled on the approaching guard and mercenary. "Well fuck."

The purple Pokémon spun round, eyes wide as he held up a rather pathetic-looking stick at them, "Get back you ruffian-"

His own words teetered off as he processed the scene before him. Unable to hide his bemused huff, Rex flicked a mock salute, "Howdy."

"I…err…" fumbled the Nidorino, unable to process his own speech.

"Don't worry Colin." Allisa said, "This mercenary helped me deal with the bandits."

"M-Mercenary?" His eyes went wide again with alarm, "G-GG-God! I can't afford-"

Unable to contain it, Rex laughed warmly, coughing to cut it short. "Don't worry! I just figured you guys needed some help. No need to pay me for that."

Only then did he finally relax, lowering the stick and visibly slumping. "Oooh… well. T-Thank you Mercenary! A-And you Allisa! I'm glad to see you are unhurt!"

He managed to stabilise himself, planting himself back down on four feet as his Nidorina companion likewise calmed down and poked her head out of the carriage, a wooden pot held in her hand. "Where are the bandits though?"

Rex motioned with his head back the way they came, "Tied up back there. Should be able to get a bounty claim on them, 50-50 with Alissa here."

The water rabbit flashed a flicker of surprise, only for the Combusken to casually elbow her side with a grin. His chest warmed up again as she beamed back in delight. Yeah, Rex had done the bulk of the work, but she had taken a big risk in getting the bandits lured away. They weren't the strongest bandits in the world, and he suspected she had managed to get a few hits in to soften them up. It didn't feel right to claim any bounty without at least giving a bit up for her.

Allisa strolled over to the Nidorino and handed over a large bronze key, "And this is still safe."

Colin smiled as he took the key back, "T-Thank you again Allisa! I'll make sure the chief hears about your efforts! You've helped keep us afloat!"

The Azumarill blushed as he turned to face Rex now, "I didn't catch your name?"

"Rex." Replied the Combusken, walking over to join them, "Just happened to be passing through. You don't mind if I come with you to the village?"

The Nidorino got back onto his hind legs and clapped his paws together, "A-Absolutely! You're more than welcome!"

Leaning to one side, Rex peered back towards the carriage wheel, noticing that it was barely hanging on. Must have been how the bandits stopped the caravan. He strode up towards it, "Thanks, let me handle this."

Grasping hold of the wheel, Rex grunted as he moved to shift the wheel back into place, finding it easier as Allisa stepped in to resecure the bolt. With a clunk, the wheel settled back into its original position. The Rapidash stomped the ground again, this time in satisfaction, "Finally!" he exclaimed, "Can we get moving already?"

As the Nidorina settled back onto her seat, Colin started scrambling for the front carriage whilst Rex and Allisa followed him from behind. "Of course, Beck!" he exclaimed, "And Rex my man! I must give you some kind of reward!"

Politely, Rex shook his head, "Don't worry about it, it felt good just to help."

"No, I insist!" Colin replied as he scurried up into the seat of the carriage, the Tauros out front looking visibly more relaxed. "I won't take no for an answer!"

So much for saying he couldn't afford a merc. Rex mused, unable to hide his bemused smile. "I'll tell you what. If you don't mind me staying somewhere where I can lay my head down for the night, I'll take that as reward enough."

Blinking, the Nidorino slumped into his seat with a warm smile, "Very well! You have yourself a deal, Mister Rex! Climb aboard! It's not that far from Windford!"

On cue, the carriages began to move, continuing down the trail. Rex clambered onto the back of the cart, stopping to help Allisa climb aboard. The water-type sighed as she sat down on the deck, arms crossed her stomach. "Thanks." She whispered, looking more serious. "Are you sure about the bounty?" she asked, "I'm already getting paid extra for helping guard the caravan, you need it more than me."

Rex casually leaned against the wall of the car, letting the sun warm his face. "It's fine." He explained, "It's not just a job for me."

He smiled as he looked towards the trail. "It's my life." He said warmly.

And so, the caravan picked up speed, making its way towards its destination.


This was an average day for me. A bit more unorthodox than normal, but otherwise, fairly mundane. As far as I was aware, I was on my way to another comfortable night with good company.

Little did I know, I would find myself headed towards the place where my real journey would truly begin.