Overcast Village

?

I looked over the billboard, full with missing posters, lit by the sunlight that made its way through the clouds above. It's depressing how small our town has gotten. I recognized Treecko, Sneasel, Morpeko, Orbeetle, Flapple, even Leon. I heard the whole Kecleon clan was looking for him. I haven't seen Kecky at all since he disappeared. At least my own family isn't among the missing.

One missing poster in particular caught my eye, struggling to stay attached to the billboard against the breeze, depicting a Chikorita with an autumn-red leaf. That was Saltriv! I hadn't seen them since school ended for the year. Their family helped run the item shop whenever one of the Kecleon brothers was out, though these days they run it full-time.

I needed to do something. So many people were going missing, and so few were being found. Many of those that were found were shadowy, and had to be taken out of town to get better.

Maybe I could go look for Saltriv. They were the one up there that I knew the best. They were pretty young compared to most of the others on the billboard; if they had gone shadowy, I could probably take them on, especially with today's fire-type V-Wave.

I hoped it wouldn't come to that, though.

I nodded to myself. It was decided, then. I'd go look for Saltriv.

I had to do this in secret. There was no way I could find two other people who would agree to making a search party with me. Aron and Rockruff were both still tired after yesterday, and Helioptile was several towns over. Even if that weren't the case, I doubt they'd be up for a full-time commitment like that. Plus, if Dad or the police ever learned what I was doing, I'd never hear the end of it.

I headed over to the nearest deposit box to get everything I'd need, putting it all in my bag. Apple in case I get hungry, check! Max ether in case I get exhausted, check! A slumber wand to incapacitate Saltriv if they've gone shadowy, check! Two oran berries in case I get hurt, check! A tiny reviver seed just in case, check! Connection orb to find where Saltriv was, check! I still had my pecha scarf and looplet on in case they were in a Mystery Dungeon. I was all ready.

I walked out of the main square and off the path to a small stone slab behind the house Flapple lived in before he disappeared. I took out the connection orb and threw it down at the ground. SMASH! The connection orb shattered into tiny pieces on the ground. Hopefully no one heard that. I'll have to ask PNS-NT later to Recycle it.

I emerged from behind the house and reentered the square. I could see all sorts of lines connecting the Pokemon around the square, some faint, some bold, some green, some orange. The connection orb was already working. I headed towards the Kecleon shop, where Mrs. Meganium and Mr. Torterra were talking to a Wooper I didn't recognize—who soon left with a cheri berry. The pink line between the two was strong, and a blue line just as strong was behind each, both heading in the direction of the forest. Those must be the lines connecting them and Saltriv.

I waited until another customer approached the two. When they weren't looking, I left the square and followed the blue lines towards the forest. Luckily, it wasn't too far away.

Eventually, the lines converged, entering a gap in the treeline. Twig Woodland. A Mystery Dungeon. I'd been in one before, though never alone.

Deep breaths. In, and out. Let my flame grow, then die down. Burn the stress away.

I could do this. I could do this. I already helped find Patrat. I did it before. I could do it again.

Saltriv was in there somewhere, and I would find them.

As the clouds parted, letting the sun fully shine down, I entered the Mystery Dungeon.

Hopefully, I wouldn't be the next one missing.

Twig Woodland Clearing

Gen

The sound of trees swaying in the breeze reached my ears. Blades of grass pushed up against me as they were buffeted by a gale. I felt a leaf brush against my face as it was carried away by a gust of wind. My eyes opened slowly as I struggled to full awareness.

As I stood up, I noticed that things were very different than they were on that platform surrounded by a psychedelic abyss. The ground seemed to continue quite a ways away, and was uneven, unlike the perfectly flat ground of that platform. There were trees around, and through the openings in their branches, I saw a bright blue sky with clouds strewn about. Twigs were scattered everywhere.

Oddly, these trees seemed much taller than the ones near home. Probably just a different kind. I realized I was in a patch of tall grass. I needed to get out of here before I was attacked by a wild Pokemon. The ground seemed a lot closer than normal, too…

Wait a minute.

Something wasn't right here.

I took a step forward, only to stumble and lose my balance. I waved my arms wildly as I face-planted into the ground. They felt a lot shorter than they did before, somehow. My legs felt much shorter as well, as if they were barely there at all. Actually, come to think of it, my whole body felt strange.

What had happened to me?!

I moved my arms in front of my face and barely held back a scream. They were short, furry, and ended in nubs.

Those were Oshawott arms. Just like in that reflection in that place.

What.

How did this happen. Why did this happen.

"What the hell is happening?!" I yelled towards the sky.

"Where...am I?"

I froze. I recognized that voice. That was the Chikorita that fell with me after...whatever that hand thing was shattered the platform.

I turned around towards the voice, and saw that same Chikorita as before—the same red leaf and everything. They looked much larger now, though.

They turned towards me, and asked, "Who are you?"

It was still startling to see a Pokemon actually talking, so much so that it was a few seconds before I remembered to respond. "Uh, Gen. You?"

"I'm Saltriv!" A concerned look appeared on their face. "Do you know where we are?"

"Not at all," I responded, a bit quicker than before.

"Wonder how I got here, then…" they said as they looked around.

I sighed. I was stuck who-knows-where as an Oshawott with a talking Chikorita, with no idea what was going on, and it didn't seem like they knew, either.

Actually, did they?

Maybe they knew something that could help me figure things out. Or, at least, let me figure out what was going on with them.

"What do you last remember?" I asked them.

Saltriv turned back towards me. "I was walking down the path to visit Burhalla. The next thing I knew, I woke up in this strange place with a weird sky, and there was this tall thing that looked just like the humans of legends! They approached me, and I asked who they were. Then...for some reason I couldn't move anymore. The human looked up, then grabbed me and ran, just as something smashed down where we were. Then I woke up here. I think that human saved me! Or maybe it was just a dream," they said, before pausing.

"What do you last remember?" they echoed back.

What do I say? That I was that human? They probably wouldn't believe me. They were already partly convinced that the whole thing was a dream. I probably would be, too, if I hadn't tested to see if it was.

Maybe they would believe me, though. Maybe, somehow, they'd believe me, even though I looked nothing like a human anymore.

I opened my mouth, about to tell Saltriv, before I heard a loud SNAP!

I jumped in surprise and heard a startled yelp from Saltriv.

What was that?! Did something find us? I had no idea how to defend myself!

Through an opening in the trees, an orange figure approached, lighting up the forest around him as he drew near. Soon, that light was recognizable as a fire on the tip of a tail. A Charmander. He wore a pink scarf around his neck and had a bag slung around his shoulder. On his wrist was some sort of strange bracelet, with a purple gemstone, and two indentations in the same shape as that gemstone.

I was about to ask who he was when Saltriv ran straight towards the Charmander. "Burhalla!"

Burhalla ran towards Saltriv and tackled them in a hug. "Saltriv! You're ok!"

Another talking Pokemon? Could all the Pokemon here talk?! Or...was it just because I'm an Oshawott now? How did I hear Saltriv back there, then?

I decided to let the two be as I pondered what had happened.

"Where are we?"asked Saltriv.

This made no sense whatsoever. First, there was whatever that place I woke up in where I met Saltriv, and I could somehow understand them, then the entire platform got shattered by that giant hand thing, and now I was here, in—

"Twig Woodland," Burhalla answered.

—Twig Woodland, apparently, as an Oshawott, and I had no idea why I was like this. Did that hand do this? Was it me falling into that abyss? Did my friends and family know where I was?

"Isn't that a Mystery Dungeon? How did I get here?"

Wait, a Mystery Dungeon? What was that?

"It's a long story. I'll explain it all when we're back home."

Before I could ask what a Mystery Dungeon was, Burhalla seemed to have noticed my presence and was now facing me.

"Sorry I didn't notice ya. Who are you?" he asked. I could faintly notice small droplets in his eyes. Were those tears? I didn't know fire-types could cr—

"Hello? You there?" he said, waving a hand in front of my face.

"Right. Gen," I hastily responded. I had to make sure to pay attention to him.

"How'd you get here?" he asked.

I answered, "I have no idea." Well, besides maybe falling into that abyss, but I doubted he'd believe that.

"Figures. Where are you from? I don't remember seeing any Oshawotts around town," Burhalla questioned.

I froze. What do I say? My hometown? He'd be even less likely than Saltriv to believe that I was a human, since he wasn't in that weird place. Also, apparently, humans were legends here. I didn't really have time to process that before, but now...it's unlikely that my hometown exists here. Even if they did believe me if I said that I was a human from another world, what if they started asking me questions about my world? I doubted they'd react well to knowing about how Pokemon like them were usually treated in my world.

"You still there?" Crap, crap, need to think of something quick!

"I don't remember," I blurted out. That was a complete lie, but I had to roll with it now.

The other two were visually shocked. "You don't remember? Not at all?" Saltriv asked.

I shook my head. "Nope," I lied through my teeth.

"What do you remember?" Burhalla asked, concern evident on his face.

"Just my name and how to do some things," I said. I was digging myself deeper and deeper. I hoped they'd lay off the questioning soon, then I could worry about getting back home.

"...this is very concerning. Saltriv and I were about to head back to Overcast Village. You should come too. Maybe the mayor will be able to help!"

I began to sweat. Maybe I should just come clean now? No, then nobody here would trust me. And apparently Pokemon in this world lived in towns?

I was about to ask about Overcast Village, when Burhalla reached into his bag, seeming to be searching for something, before his expression paled. "...I forgot to bring an escape orb."

Was that like an escape rope? Whatever it was, it seemed important, as Saltriv's expression also paled.

Burhalla chuckled nervously. "Looks like we'll have to go back through the dungeon. Hope you still remember your moves at least, Gen."

This was really getting out of hand. I had no idea how to defend myself, and I had no idea what this "dungeon" entailed. I looked towards the two, and saw that they were already exiting the clearing in the same direction Burhalla entered it in. If I didn't hurry up, I'd be all alone!

"Wait up!" I yelled after Saltriv and Burhalla, as I followed them down into the depths of the dungeon.