Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Expansion
Prolog: A Divine Mistake
( Horizontal Line means scene transition, Italic text is thoughts/unspoken or words emphasized by the narrator, Underlined text is emphasized by whoever is speaking)
All actions echo, the reverberations, they are deemed consequence. In silence, the gears of time move like clockwork, ensuring all is at balance.
An imperfection is detected, it is corrected. Hushed whispers fill the silence of an empty corridor. "Are you sure this is necessary?" The voice asks, trustful but uncertain, "They are only one, surely this can be dealt with amicably?" Their emotions guide them, they feel pity, guilt, and yet..
A response is made, a counter-argument, based on knowledge and evidence. "Yes, I know what they've done. It is deplorable. Yet surely, they must have a reason for it yes?" They argue, their conversation seemingly one-sided to anyone who may be listening, their voice echoing off the cavern walls being the only audible reply.
A second response is made, this one angered beyond normal rationale. "Goodness no, I would never defend-" they begin, only to be interrupted. "No, I do not doubt the plan. I only know that this could have, no, should have been avoided!"
An imperfection is detected, it is corrected.
The figure moves about the chamber, clearly distressed. "Ohhh, what do I do?" They ask themselves, "The others bring up a good point; regardless of my feelings on the matter, this had to be done." They affirm to themselves. "Who knows what they would do, had they had full possession of the Time Gears? They were allowed to have them once before, yes, but it was for the sake of us all, the future was at stake! Now, the future this consequence may bring could very well be worse than no future at all."
An imperfection is detected, it is not corrected, something is wrong.
The figure notices immediately, whisking around to face the jade mechanism. "W-what?" They wonder aloud. "It's never done that before, what could that mean? Sisters, did you-?" They begin to ask, only to be replied to posthaste. The three were in high alert again, debating amongst themselves whether they should move again, whether they should prepare for a fight, only for the time gears to resume their synchronized staccato. A false alarm, perhaps? No, the three decided, matters like these should not be left to coincidence, not when lives were on the line.
"No, no you don't need to go. There's no reason for you to feel responsible, you were barely even involved!" The figure replies, having grown frustrated at their interlocutor. "I'll go, you both are needed more I'd wager. And besides, with my abilities, I've always had an easier time intermingling with the others, as compared to your over-acting, and your blunt but factual manner of speech."
A consensus was formed, the Time Gear in their current possession was to be given, temporarily, to an old friend, while they had the difficult task of reconnaissance. "Yes, I agree, the temporal disturbance could only mean one thi-". They stopped, a chill running down their spine. They had an unintended eavesdropper.
"How long?" They had asked. "How long have you been listening in?"
"Long enough." They replied, forcefully and with an aura of authority, even through the psychic link that tethered their mind to the meeting at hand.
"Aaaaahhh!" They cried out, feeling the mental connection they had with their allies forcibly severed by the Interloper. Their mind had been broken into, the intruder having slipped in undetected, only to break a window from the inside. Thankfully, they were not near physically, lest their entire plan fall into ruin. Yet, even across miles, across kilometers, across the oceans, the fear of death loomed over them.
"I felt it as well" They stated, each word striking their mind like a hammer to glass. How, they wondered, how had they progressed their abilities this far in such a short amount of time?
"Leave." They ordered. Without hesitation, the figure took their opportunity to flee, Time Gear in hand. They didn't anticipate it, thought the precaution was silly; they were ever thankful now that they hadn't referred to themselves by their name, or thought of any personal details in their mind outside of what was important. Who knows how much information would have been lost to the enemy, had they not taken this mental precaution?
"The enemy?" They mocked. "Moments prior, you were trying to reason my actions, justify them with your emotions. It does not matter, I have gleamed all I need from you."
The connection was cut, like a hand releasing its grip from your throat, and they were now left completely alone, gasping for air. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the world, the figure stood. They sipped from a glass, a grin on their face.
"Here comes a new challenger".
Author's Notes:
It has been a long, long time since my previous published story. I highly doubt anyone remembers my previous works, and frankly, it would be better if you didn't. That being said, I've elected to give this site one more shot, we'll see how things progress from here. I apologize in advance for any inadvertent formatting or chapter uploading errors.
As for the story itself? If all goes to plan, expect this to be long. I intend for this to be a serious, albeit not edgy story; expect it to remain PG13. I intend for this story to be divided into 3 Acts, with three major Sagas dividing each Act. I'll honestly be proud if I can even get Act 1 done. If you're reading this on the day of upload, you should also get Chapter 1 on the same day, look at you, getting a double deal! Expect chapters to be at least longer than this.
I intend for this to primarily be a sequel to Explorer's of Sky, although the other games will have the occasional mention or reference here and there. I shouldn't have to say this, but Spoilers for all four main games (four as of writing).
