#He was never even in a guild as an Eevee. That's just something he made up to make himself seem more trustworthy. | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

arcane-merlin · 5 years ago

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I Don’t Want To Say Goodbye || Originalshipping (Part 1)

Fandom: Pokemon

Ship: Red x Green/Blue

Contains spoilers for Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky/Time/Darkness!

Synopsis: Red is transformed into a Pikachu and is sent to the Pokemon world a few months after becoming Pokemon Champion. Washed up on a beach, he meets Blue, an Eevee who bears a striking resemblance to his best friend and rival in the human world. On their last journey together they must use everything they've learned as explorers to defeat Primal Dialga and prevent the planet's paralysis. And come to terms with their feelings for each other. That too.

(might be a two part or three part who knows lol? Also cross-posted on Fanfic.net, AO3, and Wattpad!)

"We did it Red. We're almost at the top of Temporal Tower. I can feel it." The Eevee turned around to meet the Pikachu's eyes. Composed and determined. Ready for the inevitable.

'Let's save the world from the planet's paralysis, Blue.' Red thinks. 'Together.'

Blue became silent, understanding his partner as if he were a psychic type Pokémon. Blue reaches a paw at the blue water drop necklace he's wearing. He's always kept this rare necklace with him ever since he got it as a baby. His name derives from said necklace. We will definitely win! And... and once we do... I'm gonna evolve into a Vaporeon!

Nodding at each other, the two partners, who put their whole trust in one another, swearing to save the world, and prepared for this very moment, continued forward.

They enter the next room, spotting a grey stone staircase. Guarding the stairs is a sleeping Porygon-Z. Red signals Blue to stay at the front of the damp hallway. As quiet as a Rattata, Red approaches the sleeping enemy. Stopping nearby the front of the vulnerable Pokémon, he waves at Blue.

A pincer attack, Red? Good thinking!

Blue is careful in his steps. All of the Pokémon they've encountered so far are tough, and they want to save as much energy as they can in the event that they are forced to fight... Dialga. Even thinking about Dialga is sending shivers down my spine...

All the more reason to hurry...!

Blue shakes his head, sending the thought of facing the fierce legendary Pokémon to the back of his mind. Red puts three small fingers up. One by one, the fingers go down. Once the last finger went down, Red and Blue simultaneously attacked. The Porygon-Z screeches in agony, and retaliates with discharge, paralyzing Blue. The status effected Eevee trembles, unable to resist and that angers Red. Red attacks using thunderbolt. Turning it's attention to the Pikachu, Porygon-Z discharges once again. Red is having none of that though and dodges. Going for a Quick Attack this time, Red manages to knock Porygon-Z to the solid floor.

Blue's paralysis fades soon after and he sighs, relieved. Man... when will we get a break?

"Red." Blue flashes Red with a tender grin, "Thank you."

'...?'

"If I hadn't found you at the beach... I wouldn't have come close to achieving my dream of joining Wiggilytuff's Guild. We would've never saved Azurill from Drowzee, see the beauty of Fog Bound Lake, uncover the mystery of my Relic, escaped the future... Without you, how could I grow into the Blue everyone's come to know? Before... I was just known as Eevee, grandson of a famous Pokémon Explorer. Achieving something for myself... that was out of the question. Always being number two. Always being compared. I guess you were the missing puzzle piece, huh. I can't... I can't imagine a world without a human-turned-Pikachu named Red. I can't imagine my world without you...

'Blue...'

"If we're together, there isn't anything in the world that stands a chance against us! Let's save our friends, our world, our everything! Then, when it's all over... we have to watch the Krabby on the beach together, known as the heroes who saved the whole world."

'...!'

Red lovingly pats Blue's head, smiling. Blue affectionately stares at the gesture.

'I love you, Blue.'

Red tilts his signature red cap down, suddenly overrun with embarrassment. Many memories were made wearing this hat when he lived in the human world. He got his first Pokémon, a Pikachu. It was fate that he transformed into one himself. Red, wearing the hat, defeated the gym leaders, Team Rocket, the Elite Four....

...and the Champion, his long time best friend and rival, Blue Oak. An Eevee was also Blue's first Pokemon and here Red is, talking to an Eevee sharing the same name. Another coincidence in this mysterious world where Pokemon could talk.

When Blue (the Eevee) found Red collapsed on the beach, he was firmly clutching the soaked hat. This hat being his only memory of the human world. Home.

Today is no different. He would make a new memory alongside his dependable partner, Blue. Stopping the planet's paralysis. It's true that Red has already created countless memories wearing the hat in the Pokemon world, but this one is more important than the rest.

And would be his last.

|||

Temporal Pinnacle

The hard ground beneath them had cracks. Four stone columns surround them, forming a square shape. Facing diagonally, the tops of two columns had broken off, another sign that Temporal Tower was going to collapse at any given moment. Red and Blue observe the area, hearts rapidly pounding. Roaring winds blew against their fur. Red wraps his arms around himself, trying to keep warm. Shaking his fur, Blue takes a few deep breaths.

"Is this... Is this the top of Temporal Tower...?" A rhetorical question. Blue was in disbelief. Yet, deep down both Pokemon knew that they had reached their destination.

An intense beam of light accompanied by a loud sound startles Blue out of his disbelief. Red goes on four legs, cautiously awaiting for an enemy. Sparks emit from his red cheeks.

"Waah!" Blue rushes to Red's side, "Lightning!"

Reluctantly raising his head to the sky, Blue's beady eyes widened. Wha-

"Look at the sky, Red!" Blue points up.

Like a whirlpool, red clouds swirl in the sky. In the center is a black hole, where lightning bolts rapidly shot out. The enormous clouds covered the entire sky. Neither Pokemon could see out of it.

"It's incredible!" Blue shouts, awed. "Red clouds are swirling!"

Deafening sounds of more sparks of lightning caused Red and Blue to cover their ears. The ground trembled underneath. A ticking clock then resounded, a reminder of their restricted time limit.

"Waah! It happened again!"

The tremors never lasted for long, but it would probably become much worse later on. Blue finds himself touching his necklace again. Regaining some confidence back, he squeezes it before letting go. Red rises from his defensive stance and glances at Blue.

Blue acknowledges the impending fate of Temporal Tower, "This tower feels like it's going to shake apart any moment! Let's hustle, Red!"

Red nods.

Red and Blue continue forward and it isn't long until they near a small set of stairs. Is that... an altar?

"Look! Over there!"

Something similar to veins glowed on a navy blue edifice. The structure was made up of five dividers that were cupsidated at the tip. In the middle, a stone with a luminous pattern and five indentations situated on a divider larger than the others. Serrated points emerged from the bigger divider.

"...What could this be? It has a strange, mystical feel..." Green tilts his head.

'...................................'

'There's a big circular pattern... Inside are indentations that look like they've been gouged out...' Red contemplates, squinting his eyes. 'What is this...?'

Red connects the dots. '...! Wait a second! The gouged-out indentations... There are five in all. Five slots... That means...!'

Red then lightly taps Blue and promptly shares the conclusion he arrived at.

"What?" Blue questions, "Five slots?"

The meaning of the question became obvious.

"Th-that's it! If I set the five Time Gears into these slots... We might prevent time from stopping!" Strong-willed feelings wash over Blue. Red and I are definitely... gonna save our world! Nothing can stop us now!

"Ok!" Blue gazes Red. An unanswered question lingers in the air. Red's eyes told Blue the answer. "I'll do it!"

But before either of them could approach the edifice, a powerful lightning bolt knocks them backwards. Landing on the hard floor knocked the wind out of them. As they shortly recover from that surprise attack, they notice that the sky above became dark and with it came a ill-boding presence. Red covered Blue's mouth to quiet his scream.

"GRRRRRRRRR..." A roaring gruff growl resounded, "SO! IT'S YOU! YOU SEEK THE DESTRUCTION OF TEMPORAL TOWER!"

The voice's declaration alarmed both Red and Blue.

"What?! You're wrong!" Blue desperately shouts, attempting to convince whoever the voice belonged to. "We're here to prevent time from stopping!"

Blue's words seemed to aggravate the voice even more. Their voice bellowed, "TIME...STOPPING...TIME... GRRR-OOOOOO!"

Primal Dialga appeared out of thin air, its massive dragon like body towered over Red and Blue. Steel enveloped some parts of its navy blue body. Designs covering its body were colored orange. The diamond in its chest altered from blue to a fiery red, representing the Pokemon's anger and loss of self-control. At the sight of Primal Dialga, Red is back in defensive mode. He goes on all fours, hackles raised.

"D-Dialga!" Blue yelps. Dialga's response was a fierce cry.

"YOU!" boomed Dialga. "YOU DARE BRING RUIN TO THE TOWER!"

"No! That's wrong!" Blue attempts to reason with Dialga. "We want to prevent the tower from collapsing..."

Unconvinced, Dialga growls, "SILENCE!"

'Trying to talk with Dialga is impossible...! He won't listen to reason!' Red thinks.

"FOR ALL THOSE WHO THREATEN TEMPORAL TOWER... I WILL SHOW NO MERCY!" threatens the enormous dragon, letting out another menacing roar.

Blue seemed to get the message and turns to face Red, "It's no use, Red! He's not listening to us at all!"

'Dialga is losing control because time is breaking down! But... This isn't like Primal Dialga in the future... He's not yet fully consumed by the power of darkness! There's still a chance that Dialga can be brought back to reason! There's still hope!'

"H-here he comes, Red!" Blue warns as the Legendary Pokemon obstreperously roars once more.

Harnessing all the remaining strength within him, Red uses discharge. Blue follows up by throwing a Gravelerock, but Dialga dodges. Red proceeds to attack with Thunderbolt and somehow misses. Blue bites down on Dialga's leg. However, Dialga doesn't flinch from the attack and unleashes Roar of Time. Red saw that move coming from a mile away and covered his ears. His partner on the other hand, took massive damage and fell to the ground.

Red scours the exploration bag for a Reviver Seed and a Violent Seed. He places the reviver seed in Blue's mouth and uses his tiny hand to make Blue chew on it. Stumbling to his feet, Blue regains consciousness. Red consumes the Violent Seed to strengthen himself and Blue goes on the offensive by using Bite once more. Dialga is unable to attack for the next few moments after using Roar of Time, so Blue consumes a Violent Seed himself while Red attacks with Thunderbolt.

Blue proceeds to continue using Bite and Red Thunderwaves to paralyze Dialga. However, Dialga shortly recovers from the paralysis and attacks Red using Metal Claw. Before Dialga is able to finish Red off, Blue hurls his Oran Berry at Red. Munching on the berry, Red moves away from the impending attack. The draft formed from Dialga's missed swipe knocks his hat to the ground.

Going for another Roar of Time, both Red and Blue took major damage. It wasn't enough to make either of them faint, however, they only had two more Reviver seeds and six Oran Berries left. If they didn't finish this battle soon... the three of them and everyone else would perish as the tower collapses and the world fell into ruin. Both Red and Blue ate an Oran Berry before using the same attacks as before. Able to attack again, Dialga hurls an AncientPower at Red. He's able to withstand the move and risks the rest of his energy by attacking with Discharge.

The corrupted Legendary Pokemon bends down on one knee, glaring at the two Pokemon who bested him. He still wants to fight... but has forgotten the reason why. A painful roar, a roar full of want, is the last action Dialga takes before thudding to the ground. Red and Blue pause, afraid that Dialga would suddenly attack again when they least expect it. A few seconds pass, but Dialga did not make a move.

"We... did it..." Blue lets out a breath he didn't realize he's been holding. "Ok, Red! It's time! While Dialga is still down, I'll go put in the Time Gears."

As Blue takes a couple steps forward, another tremor shakes the floor, stronger then the previous ones. Lightning is swiftly spewing from the red clouds.

"Th-this... This tremor is the worst it's been!"

' T-Temporal Tower is... Temporal Tower must be nearing total collapse...' Red wonders if they've already run out of time. 'If... If that were to happen... The destruction will accelerate... until the planet is fully paralyzed!'

Strong bolts of lightning strike at the stone ground, creating bigger cracks. Red picks up his hat from the ground and has a vice-grip on it, as the wind was getting difficult to withstand. Moving past Dialga's body, they fight against the shaking floor and high speed winds to climb the stairs.

"Urk! The floor's heaving..." Red struggles to hear Blue's voice. "It's hard to put the Time Gears into place!"

One by one, Blue and Red insert the Time Gears into the slots. They have difficulty placing the last two on the top, but manage to do it after Red uses Blue as a stepping stool. Red and Blue lock tired eyes.

Hope is evident in Blue's voice. "Done! They're all set!"

The gears emit a white light... and disappeared along with the indentations leaving a sky blue light on the grey stone. The color of the squiggly designs on the blue altar changed to a bright greenish color. Unable to bear the shaking any longer, Blue falls and rolls down the stairs. Red lands on his back. He stumbles to his feet and rushes toward Blue.

"Wh-why?! I put the Time Gears where they're supposed to go!" the hope in Blue's voice begins to fade with each word, "Why won't these tremors stop?!"

'Blue...'

Blue has a horrified expression on his face and tears form at the corners of his eyes. "It can't be... Was I too late...? Will Temporal Tower continue to collapse...?" Blue wipes the falling fresh tears, confused and afraid. "Is it too late... to stop the planet's paralysis..?"

Blue shamefully faces Red, a shadow of his former self. What can he say? Sorry for failing you? Sorry for failing the entire Pokemon world? Red's heart breaks at the sight of Blue's tearful expression. He desires to tell him that they would be fine and go home to Treasure Town, forever known as heros. In this situation, with the tremors and lightning becoming powerful enough to tear down the tower, Red would be lying. Still, he'd give anything to see Blue smiling again, even lying to himself. His Mom, Professor Oak, and Blue... Do they miss him? It must've been at least a few months since his disappearance. They're all probably worried sick.

'I regret taking his Champion title. I should have told him that I love him... but my words just won't come out! I continue to hurt him... What is wrong with me...? He was always there for me. Was I ever there for him? Why did our friendship end the way it did?

Is it because... of me?'

Powerful thunder impacts the top, destroying more of the floor and the other two columns. Both Pokémon drop to the ground. Using the last of his energy, Blue turns to face Red, knowing it would be the last time he'd get the chance to. A droopy grin appeared on his features, his manner of accepting the fate they journeyed so far to avert. Too many emotions begin to overwhelm Red. Despite the inner turmoil, he returns Blue's accepting smile. They did all they could. Yet, it wasn't enough.

Red's vision fades to black. His last thought was about the boy who he somehow fell in love with, Blue Oak.

|||

"Hello...? Can you hear me?" someone called.

It's blurry. The only thing that Red can make out is a boy with caramel hair and emerald eyes. Red blinks multiple times. His eyes slowly adjust to the brightness of the sun. The entrance of a town and three buildings. Two of which were houses, the other was a lab. Underneath, the hard stone of Temporal Tower was no more. Instead, Red's hands met with the touch of wet grass as he lifted himself up.

'Pallet Town...?'

A painful headache seizes him, causing his body to convulse. He can't seem to recall what happened. At that moment, it dawned on him. He must've died, but his memories are jumbled up. How else would he be standing in front of Blue Oak? Collecting himself, Red nodded in response to Blue's question.

Blue sighed in relief, playfully punching Red in the arm. "I can't believe you were hiding here, Red. I've been trying to find you! My sister and I have a surprise for you!"

Blue extends a hand to Red. Red doesn't think twice before grabbing onto him. He's realized that he missed this, begin away from the human world for Arceus knows how long. And now he's been gifted a second chance. Memories of adolescence are resurfacing.

They enter the Oak house, everything in place as Red remembered last time he visited. Much to Red's chagrin, Blue let go of his hand. A box wrapped in Pikachu printed wrapping paper sat on top of the table. Immediately, Red rushed over, casting an asking glance back at Blue. Blue pat Red's dark hair and chuckled.

Fresh tears gather in Red's eyes. He already knew what Blue's gift was. His signature red hat. Only in this reiteration, the hat was not yet tattered by the memories Red would make as a trainer and an actual Pokémon.

'Oh...' Red warmly stares at the thoughtful gift. 'I guess I must have fallen in love with him at this exact moment. Besides my mom, no one else really gave me anything. Of course, I didn't mind. As I child, I didn't talk much. I did what I was told and never expected something in return. Blue and I only knew each other for a year, since Mom and I moved to Pallet Town after my father's death. All the gifts that Mom gave me... And yet, the hat that Blue got for me became my most valued possession.'

"Well? Do you like it?" Blue questions, a faint blush on his cheeks. Red briskly nods, beaming. He puts it on.

"Red." Blue's voice suddenly quiets to a serious tone. "How long are you gonna keep him waiting?"

'Huh?'

"It's not over yet." he sadly smiles, retaking Red's hand into his. "Wake up. The other Blue... he needs you right now."

'No...!' Red lifts his head. Rivulets of tears fall. 'I don't want to... not like this! Not when I can see you again!'

Blue seems to have read Red's thoughts. Bumping their foreheads together, he whispers, "No, Red. This... is a dream. I'm not the real Blue Oak... but you and him will certainly cross paths once this is all over. Don't keep me waiting, okay?"

'...'

'Okay. I promise.'

|||

'...Ugh...' Red feels like his head is splitting. 'Urk... Th-this is...'

His body is unusually heavy as he pushes himself off the floor. Destruction due to the tremors and thunder surround him and he wonders how the Tower hasn't collapsed by now. Large cracks cut into the ground. Gone were the tops of the four columns, two of which were lying on the ground. His eyes come across his collapsed partner.

The Eevee groaned as Red stumbled toward him. He lightly nuzzled Blue's warm fur. Without warning, Blue's eyes opened and he was on his legs. Red breathed out, appeased that Blue appeared to be fine.

"Hey... Red..." Blue's gaze wandered around, searching. Confusion appears on his face. "Wh-where...?"

Out of nowhere, someone spoke. "THIS IS... TEMPORAL TOWER."

The voice belonged to Dialga, now back to his original form. Various light blue stripes instead of orange on blue skin. His chestplate holds a diamond in the middle. Three spines shone on the back of his neck, as well as a metallic head piece that seemed like a crown. A fin-like structure rests near his tail. Cautiously, Red and Blue make their way towards the gigantic Legendary Pokemon.

"Dialga!" Blue's voice shook. They couldn't possibly battle again. Red and Blue barely won the last fight.

Dialga heard the panic in Blue's voice. "YOU HAVE NO CAUSE FOR ALARM. I HAVE REGAINED MY REASON."

"What?" taken aback, Blue tilts his head.

Dialga calmly explains the situation, "TEMPORAL TOWER HAS TAKEN HEAVY DAMAGE... BUT IT HAS SURVIVED." he turns from the two, "NOW, OBSERVE."

The diamond shimmered. Soon after, a moving image played in both Red and Blue's mind. From the forest floor, bushes and grass dance in gentle winds. Above, the sky is blue with several white clouds. Red supposes that Dialga is using telepathy to show them. Another scene played. Damp leaves on the branch of a tree. Drops of water trickled from the leaves.

All of this was happening at a familiar place, Treeshroud Forest. Yet, when Red and Blue were there, time had stopped. There was no sign of movement, of life. Now it seems as if... time has been restored. Life can now continue. Not only in Treeshroud Forest, but in all the places where time has stopped.

Treasure Town came into frame. Bidoof was in front of Duskull Bank, two treasure boxes full of Pokemon currency as always. Teddiursa and Ursaring are together, chatting as always. Corphish stood on the stones in the center of the dirt path. Swellow and Wurmple were also prattling on and on nearby Electivire. Xatu peacefully stood in front of his shop, waiting for a Pokemon to bring him a treasure chest so he could open it. Kangaskhan's storage was open. Politoed, Ledyba, and Togepi seemed to be buying something from the Kecleon brothers. By the looks of it, everyone is doing well. It's like any other beautiful day in Treasure Town.

Rocks float in the filled with yellow clouds. Light shines from above. The Hidden Land. At the highest point, a damaged and not far from collapsing tower rests.

"TEMPORAL TOWER SURVIVED THE CRISIS. TIME HAS RETURNED TO NORMAL HERE..." Dialga clarifies, "THUS, TIME HAS RESUMED IN PLACES WHERE IT HAD STOPPED. BECAUSE YOU STOPPED THE RUIN OF TEMPORAL TOWER... THE PLANET'S PARALYSIS HAS BEEN PREVENTED. THE WORLD'S PEACE... HAS BEEN RESTORED."

Blue can hardly believe he's hearing this, "R-really?! We did it, Red! We finally did it! We brought peace to the world!" he celebrates. Blue's expression was that of content.

"ALLOW ME TO THANK YOU." Dialga spoke. "I THANK YOU FOR REACHING THE HIDDEN LAND... YOU HAD THE COURAGE TO STAND UP TO ME, EVEN AS I RAGED OUT OF CONTROL... AND YOU PREVENTED THE RUIN OF TEMPORAL TOWER IN THE NICK OF TIME. THANK YOU. ALL THIS, I OWE TO YOU."

Delighted surprise is evident in Blue's voice, "D-Dialga..."

Dialga continues, "BUT ALL IS NOT YET AS IT SHOULD BE... IT WILL TAKE TIME. I MUST SEE TO THE REPAIR OF TEMPORAL TOWER." his gaze moves towards outside the tower, lost in thought. "THE HIDDEN LAND, TOO, HAS BEEN RAVAGED... BUT THE RAINBOW STONESHIP SHOULD STILL BE OPERABLE... AND LAPRAS SHOULD BE AWAITING YOUR RETURN."

Blue nods. "Ok!" he forgot for a while there that he and Red had to journey home, but that was fine. He couldn't wait to see everyone again and continue their lives at the guild. "Let's go home, Red! Back to Treasure Town!"

Leading the way, Blue runs to the entrance of the roof. Red begins to follow, but then realizes that he's missing his hat. Rescuing it from the floor, he dusts it off before descending the stairs.

Sorrow slowly eats at him as they make their way down Temporal Tower and towards the Rainbow Stoneship.

This is it. His final memory in this world alongside Blue.

|||

Blue proudly strides in front of Red on the floating stone path, eager to reach home. Power is in each of the tiny steps he takes. Oppositely, Red finds it becoming more and more difficult to move his body. His breathing is becoming ragged. Perhaps he should tell Blue...

Now noticing something off about Red, Blue speaks up. "What's the matter, Red? Let's hurry." Blue cringed at his tone. He sounded annoyed, even though he really wasn't.

Red feebly nods, though Blue doesn't seem to notice. They continue their slow pace with Red weakening as seconds pass.

'My body... feels heavy... What's wrong... Why am I struggling to move...? It's like... my legs are weighed down...' Red clutches his head, thoughts swimming in his mind, trying to think of a reason. 'Maybe... now that we've changed the future... My own disappearance... is drawing near...'

A small tremor and Blue's yell jolts Red from his thoughts back to reality.

"It's settled down..." Blue sighs, shaking his head to focus. "I guess things are still settling back to normal... Let's go, Red."

Blue strode onward. Suddenly, incandescent light encompasses Red, prompting him to stop in his tracks.

'This... This light...' Red frowns, already knowing what was happening to him. 'The time has finally arrived... My time with Blue... ends now.'

"Hey, Red!"

Once Blue shortly realized that Red wasn't behind him, he came rushing back. Red's body being surrounded by light was an uneasy sight. Worry overcomes him and he stops in front of Red.

"What's wrong with you?!" fear rises in Blue's voice.

"...Sorry, Blue." Blue's eyes widen hearing Red's quiet voice. His mouth is agape. "I kept this to myself for a long time..."

Red rarely talks! T-this must be serious... Is he hurt..? Why would he-

"It looks like... I have to say goodbye..."

Blue froze. He couldn't believe it! Red... saying goodbye? Leaving him? That's our of the question. After everything they've been though... how could he?

"Huh?! Goodbye?!" he comes closer to Red, right in front of his yellow face. Blue tries to wrap his head around this. It's making him become emotional. "What are you saying?!"

As if everything was perfectly normal, Red was composed as he explained. "Dusknoir told me. If we changed the future... all the Pokémon from the future would disappear. There would be no reason for a human to be here either. That's why... I'm destined to disappear too. I'm... going back to the human world."

"Huh?" Blue was growing frustrated. He blinked away the angry tears beginning to form. "What? Wh-why? I don't understand!"

Red had been preparing for this moment and speaks the words he wanted to say to Blue Temporal Tower. "Thank you for everything. I'm going to disappear from here now... But, Blue... I'll never forget you."

Blue wishes that time would stop again. There's too many things he needs to say to Red, but he doesn't have enough time to. "W-wait a second... I managed to make it all this way because you were with me, Red." he's unable to keep his voice from breaking and the tears from blurring his vision, "Don't you understand...? You made me strong, Red... If you go, Red... I don't know... what I would..."

Red sets his hat on Blue's head. The Eevee's ears droop and the notion is too much to handle. A broken sob escapes his mouth.

"No, Blue. You have to be strong on your own. You have to live!" Red embraces his crying partner. "You have to go home... Tell everyone about what happened here. So that... nothing like this happens ever again."

"Red..." Blue sniffles. Red puts their foreheads together as he light becomes brighter. Blue's little heart is breaking. "Don't, Red! Don't... Don't go..."

Red pulls his head away from Blue. "Thank you for everything, Blue. I'm glad we got to train together at the guild... I'm glad we got to go on adventures together..." Red smiles sadly. "I'm glad... I got to know you, Blue."

"Wait... Red..."

"I'm sorry." Apologizes aren't enough to stop this, but Blue deserves it after Red kept this huge secret from him. "I'm so lucky that you were my friend..."

Blue cries, "I feel the same, Red! To me, Red, you're..." trying to control his breathing, he takes a deep breath. "More important than anything..."

"Yes... I feel the same way." Red closes his eyes, "Blue... Even after I disappear from here... I will never forget you..."

Before Blue is able to say anything else, he watches helplessly as his partner disappears with the light.

"...Red... Red!" Blue's voice cries out in vain. His partner, his one true friend... gone. Never to return. "...Red!!"

Collapsing to the ground, Blue heavily sobbed. He couldn't hold his heartbreak any longer and poured out his grief in a flood of uncontrollable tears.

|||

His cheeks streaked with dry tear tracks and he mumbled incoherent words as he pressed on despite the deep hole in his heart. Each step he took was slow and heavy. The thought of making it home was now lost in his emotions.

"...I have to live... I have to get home alive..." Blue lets out a shaky breath. "...Get home... and tell everyone about what happened. Because it's... Red's... It's Red's... last wish..."

Even at such a slow pace, it isn't long before Blue arrives at the Rainbow Stoneship, the pattern etched onto the stone is phosphorescent. Blue's chin quivered. Chewing on his lower lip, his eyes once again welled up with tears.

"Th-there's..." A tear tickles his cheek. "There's the Rainbow Stoneship..."

He has to force himself to move. So close, yet so far. Before he's able to get on, Blue trips and lies on his face for a couple of moments. With the tiny amount of strength he has left, he picks himself off the ground. It's as if time has stopped again as he trudges onto the stone. He faces the direction of Temporal Tower, in all it's glory.

Finally, the Rainbow Stoneship departs.

And he's slowly distancing himself from the tower. Distancing himself from Red.

Forever.

"Temporal Tower is...getting farther and farther away..."

Silence. Painful silence. Lonely silence.

"And Red..." Blue swiped at his eyes but fresh tears came anyway. "I'm getting farther away from Red..."

Oh, Red... I never got to say that I love you.

#pokemon #pokemon mystery dungeon #pokemon fanfiction #gay #pokemon red #pokemon green #red x green #red x blue #pokemon sword and shield #pokemon fandom

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catflowerqueen · 5 years ago

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Missing Scenes Chapter 46

The names of the OCs in this chapter are courtesy of alexa-the-eevee from tumblr, for whom this chapter is dedicated to. I would also like to dedicate this chapter to citrus-chickadee, also on tumblr. You two have given me the support and encouragement that I needed to finally finish this after two long years.

Also, tumblr ate some of my formatting, but I’m too tired right now to track it all down, so you may want to move over to my fanfiction account to read it will all the italics and things in place. I’ll eventually add the chapter to my ao3 account as well, but that will take longer.

Chapter 46: Climb It

As Team Rainbow stepped out of the Wigglytuff Guild to face a new a new day, Paula's entire demeanor seemed to embody the guild's rule number three: Smiles go for miles. Clearly, the pikachu was still riding high off of the events from yesterday. True, it may not have exactly been a "sanctioned" assignment, and the actual lead-up and situation had been extremely worrisome, but the actual exploration part of scaling Mt. Bristle in search of Azurill had been thrilling. Not to mention the fact that it felt so good to see the reunion between him and his brother. Paula's smile actually brightened even more at remembering Laura's own smile at the sight. It had probably been the brightest and warmest smile she'd ever seen from the treecko. Maybe she had a soft spot for children?

A sudden sound made her ears perk up, and as she glanced towards the stairs leading up to the guild, her bright smile transformed into a sly smirk as she spotted two laughing children—a bellsprout and an eevee—bounding up the steps. She glanced over at her partner and had to laugh a bit herself at the contented sigh and smile the treecko gave when she, too, noticed the kids.

"I guess that answers that," Paula thought, giving Laura a playful nudge and laughing again when her partner startled and blushed before looking away… only to blush even harder as she sheepishly turned back to watch the kids some more, as if she were drawn to the sight magnetically.

The two children appeared to be playing with a disk-shaped toy. The eevee would throw it as hard and far as she could and then the bellsprout would use her vine whip attack to grab it and then throw it back for the eevee to catch in her mouth. The cycle repeated over and over again, the disk flying higher and farther each time, until—

"Wait, Alexa! That's too far!"

—the eevee, apparently named Alexa, threw the disk too fast and far for her friend to catch it. The four pokémon watched in dismay as the bellsprout's vines missed grabbing the toy by barely an inch. Then, adding insult to injury, the wind picked up, carrying the toy even higher until it plopped down onto the very tip of the left ear-shaped part of the building that housed the guild's entryway.

The bellsprout started sniffling. "M-my… my favorite toy…!"

"Oh! I'm so sorry Belle!" Alexa started babbling, trying to stave off her friend's tears.

"Oh, no…" Paula muttered softly, trying to think of a way to retrieve the toy. She turned to her partner to see if she had any ideas, just in time to see Laura gain a determined expression before nodding decisively and heading over to the upset children.

"Your name is Belle, right?" she gently addressed the bellsprout, crouching down a bit to get more on her level. When the young grass-type nodded miserably in confirmation, Laura smiled and assured her, "Don't worry, Belle—I'll get it back for you in no time."

"H-how are you gonna do th-that?" Belle sniffled. "It's so high up!"

Laura gave her a mischievous smirk. "Just watch," she said, getting up and marching towards the building. She studied it for a moment, as if she was sizing it up, before nodding to herself, grasping a handful of the sturdy fabric near the gate, and…

-----

Loudred tapped his foot impatiently as he stood by the mechanism that controlled the gates, waiting for the visitor, whom Diglett identified as a seedot ages ago, to finally step off the grate and come inside.

"Grr… What is TAKING them so long?" he demanded angrily to the air. But when the visitor still failed to appear, "That's IT!" he decided, "I'm giving them ONE more minute before I—" But his threat never came to completion, as the sudden sound of gasps and startled shouts from outside grabbed his attention and his curiosity compelled him to go outside and see for himself what was going on.

When he stepped outside, he was surprised to be confronted with a small crowd of pokémon, composed of a mixture of ages and species—including the seedot visitor who still hadn't set foot off of the grate—who all seemed to be… looking up at the guild's entryway building. He spotted one of the new apprentices, Paula, standing at the forefront of the crowd, and while there was a grass-type standing next to her, it was decidedly not her partner. Since the two had been practically joined at the hip ever since joining the guild, this was a very weird occurrence. Possibly even weirder than whatever had happened to spawn the small crowd in the first place, actually, which meant his curiosity peaked even further. But as curious as he was about Laura's absence, he decided that his priorities should probably lay in finding out what was going on that had so thoroughly entranced the visitor so that he could finally usher him inside and get on with work. He opted to ask Paula since she was not only in an optimal position at the front of the crowd, so would probably actually know the answers to his questions, but also because, while some of the assembled pokémon he could vaguely recognize from having visited the guild before—including the seedot whose distracted frame of mind had brought him out, actually—she was the only one he had any real familiarity with.

"So Paula… what the HECK is going on here?!" he demanded, marching up to her. "Why is everyone just STANDING AROUND like this?"

Paula startled at the voice, but she only gave a quick glance his way before turning her attention towards whatever had everyone so interested about the building. "Oh… Hey, Loudred," she said, even her voice sounding distracted. But then she gestured upwards, pointing up near one of the ear-shaped portions of the building. "We're just watching Laura retrieve a lost toy."

Loudred followed her paw… and his jaw dropped at the sight that met him. About three-fourths of the way up the left ear of the entryway building, quickly hauling herself upwards, hand over hand, was Laura. She was moving surely and steadily and showing no signs of stopping. In fact, just in the time since Loudred began observing her, she had gained another few feet in height.

"WHAT THE—?!" Loudred exclaimed, craning his neck to better follow her ascent and using a hand to shade his eyes from the brightness of the midmorning sun, "WHY is Laura CLIMBING the ENTRYWAY BUILDING?!"

Paula glanced back at him and rolled her eyes. "I just told you," she huffed, "she's trying to retrieve—"

But before she could reiterate her partner's purpose in climbing, the crowd was treated to the loud, half scandalized, half worried shout of "Laura is doing WHAT?!" come from beneath the gate, followed by a loud flurry of flapping wings. Loudred and Paula glanced at each other and shared a wince; apparently Chatot had been close enough to the sentry post to hear Loudred's exclamation.

Indeed, scant moments later found Chatot—along with Wigglytuff and everyone else in the guild who hadn't left for their explorations yet—rushing outside just in time to witness a disk-shaped toy being thrown down and caught by an ecstatic young bellsprout.

"Thank you, Laura!" the child screamed upwards, waving at something—or, rather, someone—who was apparently perched at the top. The members of the guild who had just rushed outside looked up and, sure enough: there was Laura, three limbs wrapped around the entryway building's left ear with a fourth waving happily back at the child, a rather smug grin on her face.

"Laura!" Chatot screeched, his eyes, previously wide with shock, narrowing in annoyance at the fact that her antics had garnered such a crowd who would be sure to spread gossip about her reckless actions, sullying the good name of the Wigglytuff Guild, "you get down here this instant!"

Despite how far away she was, Chatot's keen eyes allowed him to catch the momentary wince that crossed Laura's features at his tone. Chatot nodded decisively to himself, pleased that he seemed to have gotten the message across about how unacceptable her actions were and just how much trouble she would be in the instant she set foot back on the ground. But the thought of said ground—which, upon further reflection, really was rather far away from her current location—coupled with the sight of her glancing around, seeming to be looking for a safe path to descend, brought about visions of her taking a misstep or losing a handhold and sending her small, fragile body careening down through the unforgiving air, obeying cruel laws of gravity and—

—he immediately changed his mind and, wide-eyed in fear, screamed up "On second thought, you stay right where you are, young lady! Do you hear me? Do not move even a single muscle!"

He paused only enough to see her give a thumbs up and settle back into her former position before he spread his wings and swiftly flew up to meet her. He may have even overshot it a bit, as he got a brief glimpse of her wide, startled eyes as he finally came to a stop hovering a little over her head. He peered down at the ground below, wincing a bit as he confirmed that, yes, they really were quite high up, actually, before he re-positioned himself directly in front of Laura until his stern, narrowed eyes were staring directly into her sheepish ones.

"Now, you will listen to me and do exactly as I say," he ordered. "Do you understand?" He waited until she nodded her assent before he began guiding her down, keeping in a position where he could help her to keep her grip on the fabric, or catch her if she fell.

Most of the crowd had dispersed by the time the treecko's feet finally planted themselves once more on the ground, as watching someone climb down something with help from a fussy busybody wasn't nearly as interesting as watching that same someone climb up something solo. In fact, the only pokémon left watching by the time Laura turned around to face the music were Paula, the two kids at the root of the incident, a victreebel who was likely the father of the young bellsprout,and Wigglytuff. Loudred and the other apprentices, no strangers to Chatot's tongue-lashings and scolding tendencies, had wisely scattered after being assured that their fellow apprentice was standing safely on the ground once more. Laura gave a brief smile towards the children and her partner before glancing back at Chatot, her face falling as she noticed his stern glare and saw him give a big inhale in preparation of giving her the scolding of a lifetime. But that scolding never came, as Belle, before Chatot had even had the chance to finish inhaling, lunged and essentially plowed Laura over in an overenthusiastic hug of gratitude.

"ThankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouTHANKYOU!" she let out in a rush as she nuzzled Laura's chest. It was clear from Laura's face that she would have warmly replied "You're welcome" if not for the fact that Belle had knocked all the air out of her.

Upon seeing this, the victreebel chuckled and gently pulled his daughter away before offering Laura a vine and helping her stand back up. "Yes, thank you very much for helping my daughter and her friend," he said, before turning towards Chatot and Guildmaster Wigglytuff. "It's good to see that the renown of the Wigglytuff Guild is most definitively deserved. You should be proud to have apprentices like this one who are willing to go above and beyond in the name of helping out their fellow pokémon!"

Chatot deflated slightly in shock. "Er, yes… well…"

But luckily for him, Wigglytuff, bursting with pride over his new apprentice, immediately chimed in with "We can't take all the credit! Friendly-friend Laura just joined us a few days ago!

He paused momentarily before ruffling his feathers and pulling up straight, composing himself once more into full confidence. "Yes, and it's a trait that we like to keep encouraging even after joining! 'Smiles go for miles' is one of our mottos, you know!"

The victreebel smiled again and nodded in appreciation. "That's an excellent motto," he agreed. "I wish to thank you again for all your help, but now we must be off."

"Thanks again, Laura!"

"Yes, thank you!"

With that, the trio left to continue on with their day and find some less windy places to play. Chatot waited until they were out of earshot before he turned back to Laura, a stern glare in his eye and a reprimand on his tongue. Just because the praise had eased his fury slightly didn't mean he wasn't still upset, after all.

"Just what were you thinking?" he demanded. "Things may have worked out this time, but that was still an incredibly foolish and dangerous thing to do!"

Laura cringed, looking down in mild shame. "…The kids needed help," she mumbled softly, scuffing her feet against the ground.

Chatot sighed, covering his eyes with his wings. "It didn't occur to you to go and ask someone for help? Someone such as me? Who has wings? And can fly? Rather than attempt to climb a structure that is not supposed to be climbed on?"

"I mean… technically it isn't against the rules to climb the entryway building," Paula reasoned in an attempt to help her partner, who was now blushing in embarrassment. "At least… you didn't mention anything like that when we joined."

In response, Chatot just mumbled something about how he "didn't think he'd need to mention it, since he'd assumed it was just common sense," shaking his head in exasperation.

"I admit it was a little scary to you so high up, Laura," Wigglytuff suddenly interjected, "but seeing you make it all the way to the top like that was also really cool! It just goes to show how good treeckos are at climbing things, I guess."

At this, Chatot paused in his head-shaking. "That is true," he mused, suddenly thoughtful. "All the information I have on the sceptile-line does agree that members of the species tend to live in forests or jungles with tall trees with dense leaf coverage, necessitating their climbing in order to better utilize the sunlight that filters through… so taking that into account…" He dropped his wings, turning a calculating gaze towards Laura, then up at the guild's entryway building, and then towards the sparse foliage surrounding the area. "Ah," he inhaled a sharp breath. "I see what the problem is. Even with the high amounts of sunlight in the area mitigating the need for your climbing instincts, you still possess them... and with how short the trees are here, coupled with the jobs you've done thus far, you haven't had enough stimulation in regards to those instincts. In light of that, I suppose it isn't unreasonable that this was your first solution to the issue at hand."

Paula and Laura shared a glance that, thankfully, went unnoticed by the guild's head of intelligence. Given that Laura's natural species was human, they weren't entirely sure that Chatot's reasoning really applied in this situation. On the other hand, neither of them knew enough about what had actually happened to cause the species change in the first place, so they couldn't be sure that her new biology wasn't subconsciously affecting her, or her instincts. But whether it was actually true or applicable or not, they would still take it since it gave them an easy excuse to hopefully avoid any consequences for Laura's little stunt—and possibly future stunts as well, since during the climb Laura had discovered that she actually really, really liked climbing things and generally being up high. Especially when it came to the view.

"So!" Chatot suddenly said, interrupting their thoughts. "The Guildmaster and I will work on finding some regular tasks which you can do in order to stimulate those instincts. Or, failing that, we will at least find some safer places for you to climb—as good as that display was, you are still rather young, and we wouldn't want you to overdo things or find yourself in a situation in which you can't safely get out of!" He turned to Wigglytuff. "Does this meet your approval, Guildmaster?"

Wigglytuff nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! It's our job as Guildmaster and Head of Intelligence to make sure our recruits are healthy and happy so that they can train hard and become the best explorers they can! You can always come to us if you're having problems," he assured, actually sounding a bit more serious than usual, just to drive the point home.

"In the meantime, no more climbing the entryway building, understand?" Chatot asked, a stern look in his eyes. "This is now an official rule!"

-----

The ruling lasted for about a week before a vicious storm blew in, damaging some of the fabric that covered the entryway building and necessitating some repair work, and Chatot found out that Laura not only knew how to sew, but that she was actually a lot better at the task than either he or Chimecho was, so if they wanted it to get fixed—and fixed well—in any reasonable amount of time, he would have to allow her to climb up it again—with strict supervision, or course.

-----

Much later…

"You know… one of the few positive things I can say about the dark future is that it is significantly easier to navigate," Grovyle grumbled as he surveyed the scene before him. Or, more specifically, as he gave a petulant glare towards the huge, downed tree which now blocked the route he'd apparently taken through Treeshroud Forest the first time he visited. At least… he was pretty sure this was the same path. After all, he remembered passing by that weirdly-shaped rock from last time, too. Then again, the trio had already passed by three suspiciously similar-looking, weirdly-shaped rocks already, so who really knew for sure.

Laura gave a non-committal hum. Grovyle's sentiments did make a certain amount of sense, after all. A dark future with no weather meant that the wind, rain, and lightning wouldn't be able to knock trees over, or start fires. If winter didn't come, then nothing would start to freeze that wasn't already frozen—and on the flip-side, no spring meant no thawing, meaning that people could continue to walk on top of a frozen river for a shortcut to the opposite bank. And if the planet didn't move, then there would be no worry of rockslides or earthquakes suddenly making paths unusable. Unless there was a big fight between pokémon or something that caused the damage, paths outside of Mystery Dungeons—which worked under their own rules—would never change. By that token, it really would be a lot easier to navigate after you memorized which path you wanted to take. But on the other hand… it took a lot of the thrill of exploration out of it, since it meant there was nothing new to discover. Aside from the aforementioned changes caused by pokémon battling, or just trying to live their lives the best they could under the dismal circumstances, she supposed.

Laura was pulled from her musings by Paula saying, "It looks like it's charred," as she examined the tree. "Maybe it was struck by lightning? I wonder if it means that there was a storm here after the Time Gear got put back in…"

"It may have even happened during my first trip," Grovyle sighed, finally giving up his ineffectual glare at the offending obstacle. "It was storming when I took the Time Gear, so for all I know it might have been struck by lightning right after I passed by. Not that it really matters when it happened, as the results are still the same; we can't go this way, and will have to find an alternate route. But with all the rest of the damage from the storm cluttering the ground and pathways the way it is, that might be easier said than done…"

Laura merely hummed again, this time thoughtfully as she looked at the trees surrounding them. Then, in a move that proved some bonds transcended such barriers as amnesia, she shared a look with Grovyle.

"…Ten minutes," he said, sounding simultaneously tired, amused, and fond.

Laura gave a short, sharp nod, a huge grin on her face.

Then the two immediately scrambled up the nearest tree trunks, leaving Paula alone to stare up at the canopy of leaves above her in complete confusion as to what in the world just happened. But she wasn't left in that state for long, as barely two minutes passed before Grovyle swung down again from the branches.

"Okay, I've found the path we need to take," he declared, before settling himself down at the base of the tree.

Paula glanced between him and the tree Laura had climbed a few times before asking, "Um… shouldn't we call Laura down, then? I thought we were in a hurry…"

Grovyle waved it off. "Oh, that hasn't changed, but I told Laura ten minutes; she's not going to budge until they're up. We may as well take advantage of that and take a little break."

Paula gave one last glance up at the tress before settling down herself. She supposed he had a point—if given even the slightest chance or reason to climb something tall, there would be a ninety percent likelihood that Laura would take it. The incident with the guild's entryway building proved that well enough. As did the sun lamp incident, and the rocks on the beach, and that giant pole stuck up in the middle of nowhere, and her absolute glee at getting to climb up Mt. Horn during the expedition… the Perfect Apple Tree in Apple Woods was actually an anomaly in that she didn't try to climb it in order to reach the Perfect Apples that Team Skull hadn't gotten to in the highest branches, and even then it wasn't that she hadn't wanted to. She had just deferred to Paula's worry about lingering injuries or status ailments from Skuntank and Koffing's noxious gas combo, since treeckos were grass-types and, thus, extremely susceptible to poison. Although, speaking of treeckos, and the sceptile-line in general…

"So, Grovyle, I've been wondering something," Paula started.

"Yes?"

"Guildmaster Wigglytuff once told us that treeckos are really good at climbing things, and Chatot said that the sceptile-line in general had an instinct for climbing things since they tended to live in tall trees… and since you're a part of that line… did Laura learn how to climb from you?"

Grovyle chuckled warmly and grinned as he looked towards where his friend was still high in her tree. "No," he said, "she's been climbing since before I met her. In fact, that's actually how we met in the first place—she fell out of a tree and landed right on top of me."

Paula gave a startled laugh. "Are you serious?" she asked, laughing even more once Grovyle nodded in assent.

"Once, while we were still searching for Time Gears, I shot down her suggestion of five minutes for a reconnaissance from the trees and suggested an hour instead—because naïve me didn't yet know the differences between time measurements and assumed that since one was less than five, it meant the hour was the shorter time period—and she fully took advantage of that." He grinned even harder as Paula laughed louder. "And," he added, "I fully believe that she would have kept letting me think that if her need to make sure I knew how to tell time properly didn't overrun her need to climb high places."

Paula just laughed even louder. But then Grovyle sighed, his grin tapering off a bit and becoming melancholy. He slumped into the tree a bit more and his tone grew somber as he said, "If anything… she's actually the one who taught me how to climb as well as I do." When Paula's smile fell at his tone, he explained, "For all that this 'Chatot' of yours is correct about the sceptile-line having an instinct for climbing, it was actually something that I had to suppress for quite a while. Our evolutionary line… the bright coloring makes us easy targets in the dark world, and our numbers—and those of grass-types in general, really—dropped because of the lack of sunlight. We had to adapt to live in other places. Most of my early life was spent living underground, where it was easier and safer to put up sun lamps. It meant that even though I lived in a forest… I didn't actually get the chance to climb trees until after I'd evolved and was travelling with Laura."

"I'm… I'm sorry to hear that," Paula told him, hesitantly reaching out a paw like she wanted to comfort him with it, but was unsure if it would be appreciated.

Grovyle gave her a small, appreciative smile. "It's just one more reason to make sure that future never comes about," he shrugged. But then he straightened up a bit and turned his head toward her. "Though, now I'm a bit curious. What brought about that discussion on sceptile-line instincts with your guildmaster?"

"Oh, that's because Chatot was trying to figure out an explanation for why Laura decided to climb up the guild's entryway building herself to retrieve a child's lost toy rather than call him for help, since he can fly."

"Laura climbed where?!" Grovyle asked in shock, his jaw dropping. But then he just dropped his head back and practically roared with laughter. "Oh, Laura… you really haven't changed a bit!"

This was the scene Laura found a few minutes later when she finally came down from the treetops, and her friends refused to explain what prompted it. Though Paula did promise to explain later, once the Time Gear was in Grovyle's possession once more.

But by that point, they were too worried over Treeshroud Forest's continued paralyzed state—despite having found the Time Gear in its proper place—and what that meant for the state of Temporal Tower, and the incident was all but forgotten.

-----

Later still…

Even once the members of the Wigglytuff Guild had been assured that Chatot would heal up just fine from protecting Team Rainbow in Brine Cave, they were still too keyed up to even contemplate going to sleep. Besides, Wigglytuff was way more lenient that Chatot when it came to lights out anyways, and he showed no inclination for heading to bed himself—instead opting to go and raid the larder for a midnight snack, since he'd been too busy tending Chatot to even think about food—so no one felt any guilt or reservations about staying up in the main area to talk about the recent events. They just had to make sure to stay quiet enough that they didn't wake Chatot up. But they were sure it would be a simple enough task, since Wigglytuff had taken him to Team Rainbow's room in order to tend his wounds, since it was still full of a lot of medical supplies from where they had still needed to treat Laura's injuries and illness from the Crystal Lake battle right up to where she and Paula were taken to the future, and no one had really had the heart to disturb the room while they were gone or the time to after they came back. Luckily no one had been injured enough to need any of those extra supplies until now. In any case, the room was the farthest one from the main area, meaning that they had a bit of a buffer in terms of noise.

Speaking of Team Rainbow, once the worry about Chatot and Wigglytuff's story about his previous Brine Cave exploration were out of the way, everyone's conversation turned towards the girls' current adventure and the speculation on what the Hidden Land and Temporal Tower were like.

"I bet it's REALLY COOL and full of awesome TREASURE!" Loudred speculated.

"Yes, and for a place called 'Hidden Land' I am sure it must house many secrets, rich with history," Dugtrio concurred.

"Ooh… do you think there may even be information on the World's Treasure there?" Sunflora wondered. "Since it's where Dialga lives, and since he controls time, there must be some information there, right?"

Everyone pondered that for a moment, sighing wistfully. Being the one to someday find the World's Treasure was every explorer's dream, but few actually contemplated conducting a serious search. This was mostly because there was so little information on it. Everyone had at least heard of it, but no one had any concrete ideas on what it actually was. An actual item? Something more nebulous, such as secrets or knowledge? Or perhaps it was merely a beautiful view, like the treasure of Fogbound Lake turned out to be? Many people even thought that it didn't actually exist at all—that it was just some story or rumor, the kind of thing that got people excited about the idea of exploring without actually having a concrete end goal. Then again, a lot of people had also thought the same things about the Time Gears before this ongoing crisis brought them to light, so who really knew.

"Well," Chimecho finally chimed in and broke through everyone's daydreams, "whether the Hidden Land does or doesn't have any information on it, it's unlikely that Team Rainbow and Grovyle will have the chance to look, since they'll be focused on finding Temporal Tower."

Corphish deflated. "I guess you're right, hey, hey…"

"Hey, Dad? What does Temporal Tower look like?" Diglett wondered.

"Ah, what an excellent question, my son. However… it is one I do not have an answer to."

"I reckon it'll be the same color as the Time Gears, yup, yup," Bidoof guessed.

"That would make a lot of sense," Sunflora agreed. "But… ooh, it's so frustrating that we have so little information about it!"

"Meh heh heh… It makes you wonder where Laura found out about it the first time, doesn't it?" Croagunk finally piped up.

Corphhish cocked his head in confusion. "Hey, hey? What do you mean?"

Croagunk shrugged. "Given Paula's description of the dark future, it doesn't seem like pokémon were generally sociable with each other, so I'm just curious about how she found all this stuff about Temporal Tower and the true purpose of the Time Gears in the first place."

"Hm… that is a good point," Dugtrio acknowledged. "And give her own quiet demeanor, that would make things even harder on her end. Though, granted, we do not know how differently she acted back then, compared to now. It is entirely possible that the amnesia and species change had some effect on her personality."

"I'm not so sure about that," Chimecho disagreed. "If things really were that bad in the dark world, and she and Grovyle were forced to be on the run all the time, then it would make sense for her to be generally quieter, and to only really confide in a few people. It would just be safer that way—especially if humans are as rare there as they are here, since it would have just made her a bigger target."

The assembled group frowned at the idea of their friend being forced on the run for so much of her life, even more so since they'd gotten a taste of what it must have been like for her, given what was revealed about Dusknoir and they way he tricked them all and dragged Team Rainbow into the future, not to mention the state of the girls when they finally returned. Although, surprisingly enough, Laura actually seemed to be in a bit better shape upon her return to the guild than she had been during the departure through the Dimensional Hole. Maybe there was something in those weird bandages she was sporting that accelerated the healing process? Or maybe it was just because their last memories of her prior to that had been shadowed by how frail she had looked in the throes of illness, so what they remembered was worse than what had actually taken place.

"If that's TRUE… then I also wonder why she did all this in the FIRST place," Loudred broke the silence, a frown on his face. "Who cares WHERE she learned it all… now I want to know WHY!"

"Oh my gosh, Loudred! Of course she would do something like this! Laura always helps those in need to the best of her abilities! This isn't any different!" Sunflora rolled her eyes.

"UGH! I didn't mean it like THAT!" Loudred said, rolling his eyes as well and crossing his arms in annoyance. "Of COURSE it's in her nature to help… but given how OUTLANDISH the whole thing is, why would she even BELIEVE it in the first place?" he demanded. "Given how we ALL tried to deny their story about the future at first… except for MAYBE Bidoof and the Guildmaster… why wouldn't the REVERSE be true as well?"

"Oof… I reckon… maybe she had a dimensional scream?" Bidoof ventured. "So she knew it was possible?"

"Oh, I'm sure the answer is much simpler than that, meh heh heh…" Croagunk said, a smirk growing on his face.

Corphish almost didn't want to know, as that expression never boded well when it came to Croagunk's inner thoughts, but, at the same time, he knew that the curiosity would eat him alive for the rest of his life if he never found out, so finally he took one for the team and asked, "So… what is the answer?"

Croagunk's smirk only grew even wider. "Well, the place that Team Rainbow and Grovyle are currently searching for is known as Temporal Tower, right? What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a tower?"

"Hm… Well, their height, for one thing," Chimecho answered after a moment of thought. "They're typically very tall and… oh!" she cut herself off as she came to a realization. Then she started giggling. "I see what you mean! Yes, yes that makes perfect sense!"

"I am… lost," Dugtrio admitted, looking between the two. "What makes perfect sense?"

"OH!" Loudred suddenly exclaimed as he, too, got what Croagunk was implying. "YEAH! That's GOTTA be the reason why!"

"Uh… What is?" Bidoof asked, as even Sunflora joined in the laughter. "I'm with Dutrio—I don't get it either!"

"Oh! Bidoof, it's just…" Sunflora had to take a moment to reign in her chuckling before she could give him a coherent hint. "Think about it: What does Laura do when confronted with tall things—and especially with tall things that she actually has permission to explore?"

"Well… I reckon she… oh!" Bidoof blinked, and he started to grin when he, too—along with the remaining members of the guild—finally got it. "That…. Ha… ha ha ha! Yup, yup—that has to be the reason why!"

It took an even longer time for anyone to calm down from their laughter in order to attempt sleep, because the explanation that their minds had conjured up for why Laura would have gone through all the trouble of a life on the run and travelling through time—aside from her genuinely kind personality, of course—was just too hilarious. And it was all too easy to believe that when told that the end goal of such a venture would be reaching the top of an extremely tall tower, Laura would readily and eagerly agree to drop everything else in her life and agree to such a mad and dangerous quest simply for the chance to climb it.

#writing #fanfiction #pokemon mystery dungeon #explorers of sky #missing scenes

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lovepmd · 6 years ago

Text

first - second

names and events subject to change for any reason or no reason (bit more true for this one lol, debating on one part in particular)

Inverse AU: “Secrets”

It had been three full days since the incident. Not much had changed overall. Hermes figured the best time to do the therapy sessions was at night, where he’d escort Lulu to the cafe and then bring her back home. According to the “water therapist”, it took a bit for the buneary to open up and start talking, so she said they’d need to talk often in order to start making progress. Of course she doesn’t tell Dianne what has been said so far, the milotic is known for keeping secrets well.

And while Dianne knows and respects that, it bothers her at the moment. Lulu hasn’t talked to her too much, only doing small talk now and then. But she knows to not prod either her partner or her therapist too much about it, maybe things will change eventually.

In the meantime, Dianne has been bored. Without being allowed to go on jobs yet, she hasn’t done much. It’s like back when she first came into the pokemon world and moved into town, she didn’t like going outside with her bright scales and she hadn’t been hired into the guild yet.

Even though nothing is stopping her from walking around outside, she still hears the whispers of the townsfolk. It has lessened a little bit, but she hates the feeling of their eyes looking at her and then hearing their hushed voices.

The shiny had been playing with the puzzle game the apprentice gave her. It reminded her a puzzle she once played as a human, but like all her thoughts and memories about her past, it was hazy and not complete. And it did help time pass by, but she grew bored of that as well.

It was late at night now, and Hermes already picked up Lulu for her therapy session. Dianne tried to stay awake for when they came back, but sleep was quickly winning her over. She closed her eyes and slowly began to drift to sleep.

tap tap tap!

Dianne flinched and raised her head at the sound of knocking. Who would be knocking at this hour? And if they were back already, they would just come inside. She yawned and debated on getting up.

tap tap tap!

She sighed and stood up in bed, arching her back for a moment before hopping off and heading to the front door. Dianne opened it just enough to peer outside and saw a jolteon standing there.

“Rai,” she muttered, trying to stifle another yawn. “What is it?”

The jolteon looked around the area before addressing her. “Sorry for stopping by so late. Can we talk?”

“Can it wait until morning?” Dianne’s eyes were halfway closed.

“I work in the morning like I do every day. There’s something I want to ask you. Can you come with me?”

Dianne sighed and slowly opened the door enough to step outside. “Alright, fine. But if the guildmaster and Lulu come back before I do, that’s your fault.”

Rai huffed and muttered something under his breath, but she didn’t hear it. He looked around the area again before walking away. Dianne closed the door behind her and followed.

The town was so quiet and still at night. The small remaining flames from various lanterns flickered in the wind, the moonlight from above providing the most light. All the store fronts were closed and locked up, and there wasn’t another pokemon in sight.

The jolteon led her across town to the very edge, and went down a small path. Dianne was aware where this led, she had been to this lake before but only during the day. They reached the opening, and Dianne took in the sight of it.

The water reflected the moonlight beautifully, it looked like little lights danced across the surface. She heard odd sounds coming from nearby and looked around to try to find the source.

“Kricketots and kricketunes,” Rai explained. “They like hanging around the lake at night, but aren’t too fond of strangers. Don’t worry, they’re not hostile.”

Dianne nodded and sat down, looking over at him. “Alright, what did you want to ask me? And why drag me all the way out here?”

“Privacy,” he muttered, sitting down nearby. “And another reason, but less important.” Rai looked at her, almost suspiciously. “Is it true what Lulu said?”

“Is what true?” Dianne asked in return. It had been a little while, but-

“Are you really a human?”

Oh. The jangmo-o almost forgot about the fact her partner spilled her biggest secret. Hermes hadn’t talked to her about it yet, but he had been busy with guild work. And Rai was there, of course he heard it too. She suddenly remembered how other pokemon woke up and peeked into the room at the time. Did anyone else hear it? Not as far as she was aware, all the whispers she heard had been about Lulu, not her.

She was quiet for a long moment, and then she sat up straight and looked at him in the eyes. “Yes,” she answered. “I don’t remember anything but my name and the fact I was once human. I don’t know why I woke up here or anything.”

Rai stared back at her and she could see the gears turning in his head. He was truly mulling over her words and then he looked out at the water. “Ok.”

Dianne was taken aback and snorted. “’Ok’? That’s all you have to say about that?”

“It’s more common than you would think. You have to ask the right pokemon, but there are various stories bout humans appearing in this world for different reasons.” Rai sighed and for once, Dianne saw some sadness in his eyes. “My partner used to be a human.”

She stared at him in silence as those words slowly processed in her mind. “...What?”

“I came from a different continent. I wasn’t...a very good child back when I was an eevee.” Rai shook his head. “One day I found a pokemon in the middle of the woods. I thought they were dead at first, but then they woke up. We ended up teaming up, and we caused a bunch of trouble together.”

“You sound like quite the duo,” Dianne muttered.

“We didn’t hurt anyone or anything, we were more a couple troublesome kids than actual criminals.” Rai paused and sighed. “We...stole something we shouldn’t have. Some kind of blue orb. We didn’t know what it was and no one else did either. So we just kept it. I did tell him once that I did want to join a guild someday, but I didn’t think anywhere would accept me for who I am.”

“A jerk?” The shiny asked.

Rai glared at her. “Yes, a jerk.” He looked back over at the water. “But he told me that he knew that I had a good heart. And that I would be part of a guild someday. Then...we were going through a dungeon one day, one that was mostly in water. It was a cave we wanted to get through to get to the next town. We got into the deepest part of the dungeon, and there was a huge underground lake there. Strange symbols on the walls. They were faded, and we just didn’t think much of it. Then his bag began to glow and the blue orb came out and floated in the air.” The jolteon took a deep breath. “It shot off into the water and the whole cave started to collapse. We ran as fast as we could, but...something stopped him at one point. We were almost out, and I looked back and he stopped and stared at the water. I yelled at him to keep moving, but he wasn’t listening. The water rushed in and it spat me out of the dungeon, but...I never saw him again.”

The jolteon lowered his head and Dianne saw his whole body shiver. They were both quiet for a minute and then she mumbled, “I’m sorry.”

Rai nodded. “It was years ago at this point. I went into the next town for help. Most of the water somehow vanished, like it just drained out of the dungeon overnight if not sooner. We didn’t find anything, no trace of the orb or my partner. Eventually everyone gave up, and I moved here. Found this town, trained at the guild and started working there. I told Hermes I was better on my own and I didn’t need a partner. But the truth was that no one could replace him.”

“So you never told anyone about this?” Dianne asked.

“No, you’re the first. I doubt anyone else would believe me. And I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone.” Rai looked at her. “And I won’t tell anyone about how you were a human before.”

Dianne rolled her eyes. “Fair enough. We’re even then.” She thought for a moment before asking. “You said that it’s more common than I think for humans to appear here and how there were stories.”

“Yes, I did some poking around afterwards about humans, but never told them why I was asking. A few pokemon told me of stories they heard where humans came in in order to save the world. Even a couple stories where they ended up living peacefully here without doing anything extraordinary. Maybe there’s a purpose to some humans coming here and maybe it’s sometimes a mistake.” Rai shrugged. “I don’t know anything for sure. But...if you need anything, I got your back.”

Dianne was a bit surprised, but nodded. “Right. Thanks, Rai.”

Rai nodded in return and looked around. “It’s getting late, we should go back.”

Without another word, the two stood up and made their way back into town.

Rai only escorted her back halfway before he left to go into the guild. Dianne went home and stepped inside, looking around. It was quiet and no one was in the front room and she closed the door behind her.

“Where did you go?”

The jangmo-o jumped at the voice and looked back to see Lulu standing in the doorway of her room.

“Out,” Dianne simply answered.

“This late?” The buneary tilted her head at her.

“Yeah, I was bored.” Dianne yawned and headed towards her room. “Sorry if I worried you at all.”

One of Lulu’s ears lowered and she pawed at the fluff on the end of it. “Um...”

Dianne stopped and looked at her, curious. “What?”

The buneary sighed and looked at her. “I uh...I want to talk to you about some things tomorrow.”

Dianne couldn’t help but feel happy at the sound of that. “Sure, that’s fine with me.”

Lulu gave her a small smile and began stepping back into her room. “Right, ok, goodnight.”

“Night,” Dianne went into her room and plopped on her bed, curling up. Tomorrow better be a good day, she thought as she drifted to sleep.

#inverse au #text #this won't be a regular thing i just got the writer's itch super bad recently lol #also i'm debating on that past #that might change later on idk #i like it but don't? idk?? can't decide

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timegearing · 6 years ago

Text

PMD: The Course of Everything-Chapter Four: The Path Home

Lyre seemed impatient.

Bayer found this odd: it had been Lyre who didn’t want to go in the first place, but now the Jolteon couldn’t seem to wait. The two were on a trail, less than an hour away from Wisteria Village, two days after they had agreed to go. Lyre had procrastinated in every way he could manage in the days before. First he had an important job to do, then he had to ask Verity and Claire permission, and then, he had to make sure they really were okay with it. Bayer started to think he would have to drag him by the ears to get there in time.

Now, Lyre trotted ahead of him, his legs too long for Bayer to keep up. Letting out grunts of irritation, he would pull back to walk beside his boyfriend, only to pull forward minutes later. Bayer would have found this endearing if he didn’t know the Jolteon had tried to kill someone.

He still found it hard to believe. Lyre had always disliked Harper, and Bayer knew it was justified; she had been a cause of his injuries, and a coward(in Lyre’s words). But, as he looked into the glimmering green gaze of the Pokemon beside him, Bayer found it hard to believe he was capable of that kind of violence. Lyre had confessed to it himself though. Bayer forced the chills rising in his fur down.

Harper was a rock type, and the gorge was deadly, and her body had been found. Every sign pointed to her being dead. Bayer had to believe otherwise, for his own sake. If she wasn’t dead, that meant his boyfriend wasn’t a murderer. Lyre wasn’t a murder; Harper wasn’t dead.

“This is taking too long,” Lyre growled, pulling back once more to match Bayer’s speed, “I don’t remember the walk being this long.”

“It’s a pretty route, at least,” Bayer said. He gestured to the bright sun overhead, and the flowers that bloomed in the trees and within the cobblestone road. A stream of water trickled nearby, merging with the rustling of leaves in the wind to create a pleasant noise. Lyre didn’t seem to notice any of this.

“I just want to get this over with,” Lyre said, nose wrinkled and lips curled, “The sooner the better.”

“Well, I want to stay a night,” Bayer said, “I haven’t seen my Mom or Pearlie in months, I want to catch up with them.”

Lyre snorted, and said nothing else. Bayer bit back an angry retort. Lyre had never told him much about his family, other than he in fact had one. Once or twice, he’d mentioned a little sibling, but never by name, and he certainly didn’t seem concerned with keeping in touch. The only time Bayer had ever seen Lyre write a note home was to inform his mother that he would be there soon, just before the two left. Perhaps, Lyre did want to see his family, and just didn’t feel he had an excuse. That had been the case for other occasions: anything that wasn’t guild work, Lyre considered a waste of time.

Soon, the familiar sight of thatched roofs came into view. Smoke from reed-burning chimneys faded into a brilliantly blue sky. Bayer sped up, his mood brightening. He could just imagine seeing Pearlie and telling her of his adventures, hugging his Mom and eating her seaweed stew, sparring with his Mama and playing fetch-the-stone as if he was a child again. Lyre matched his pace, and Bayer realized this would be the first time he met his parents, and vice versa.This only made him more excited.

Lyre was the first to notice that something was odd. He slowed, holding out a paw to stop Bayer. He gestured to the town entrance, where a pair of Magnemite officers were conversing with a towns-Pokemon.

“Oh no,” Bayer said, “Do you think something bad happened?”

“Dunno,” Lyre’s eyes stayed on the electric-Pokemon. His foot tapped in the way it always did when he was anxious, and Bayer realized why. Were the Magnemite here for him?

As if they could hear his thoughts, the two turned to look at Bayer and Lyre. Bayer stepped in front of his boyfriend as they floated towards them.

“Can we help you, officers?” Bayer asked, his tone even.

“Yes,” The Magnemite on the right said, single eye unblinking and focused.

“We have received word of a missing Pokemon in this town,” when the second Magnemite continued, he heard Lyre’s sigh of relief from behind him. He relaxed as well, and a new anxiety made his heart flutter. He knew almost everyone in town, and hoped that it wasn’t a serious matter.

“Have either of you two seen an Eevee?” The first Magnemite asked. “A child named Cassander has been missing since sunset last night.”

Bayer’s stomach dropped as Lyre stepped forward, ears laying back.

“That’s my brother,” Lyre’s voice was unaffected, but Bayer could see the quills on his back tremble, “What’s happened?”

There was no explanation, aside from an order from the first Magnemite to follow them. Bayer tried to catch Lyre’s eye, but the Jolteon stared straight ahead, ears trembling. Hoping to comfort him, Bayer ran a paw down his side as they walked.

The stream that marked the path to Bayer’s home gurgled in the distance, and the Buizel would have hurried his step if he wasn’t flanked by the officers. The sense of excitement he’d felt at returning to his childhood home was dampened to nonexistence, and anxiety bit at his stomach. This was only worsened when the house came into view.

He recognized the forms of his mom, his mama, and an unfamiliar Espeon he assumed was Lyre’s mother. His mama and Ms.Espeon were almost nose-to-nose, tails lashing and voices raised. His mom, despite her larger size, seemed to have difficulty diffusing the situation, gently pulling the Floatzel back while speaking in a rapid, deep tone to Ms.Espeon.

“Mom, Mama?” Bayer spoke. The Samurott and Floatzel turned to face him, argument abandoned.

“Bayer!” His mom looked relieved,whiskered-moustache twitching in all directions. She let her wife pass, and the Floatzel launched herself at her son, embracing him in her familiar, spine-breaking way.

“Oh dear, I forgot you were coming!” She exclaimed once she released him, sheepish and harried.

“It’s fine, Mom,” Bayer laughed, waving a paw at the situation before him, “I know what happened.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” one of the Magnemite buzzed, coming forward, “We need to discuss the missing child, before it becomes nightfall.”

Bayer nodded and stepped aside, next to Lyre. The Jolteon hadn’t made a move to meet his mother, though he eyed her warily, shifting his paws. Ms.Espeon didn’t seem to notice him, her eyes trained on the officers approaching. Bayer led his boyfriend forward as well, a paw on Lyre’s side.

The family resemblance in Lyre and his mother was strong, despite their differing species. Like her son, Ms.Espeon was tall, her legs long and lanky. Her eyes were a piercing green color, and narrowed in the same angry glare Bayer recognized in the Jolteon beside him. A faded black ribbon was neatly tied around her tail, the forked tip of which was winding and bristling. Her muzzle was long, like her son’s, and bared in a fearsome snarl that made a chill run up the Buizel’s spine. Bayer decided an introduction wasn’t a good idea.

“Like I said,” Ms. Espeon said, “Cassander was last in Nami and Kier’s care, I don’t know how they lost--”

“We didn’t lose her!” Bayer’s mama protested, voice sharp, “I told you, she was walking home from our house last we saw her! If anything, you lost her!”

This was clearly not the right thing to say. With a wordless snarl, Ms. Espeon advanced on the Floatzel, who hunched her shoulders and bared her teeth in response. Bayer’s mom darted between the two Pokemon in front of her. She turned helplessly to the two Magnemite officers, who seemed nervous as well.

“That’s really all we know, officers,” she said, ignoring her wife’s growling and snarling behind her, “Unless you want to talk to Pearlie again, we can’t help anymore.”

“Pearlie?” Bayer spoke up, ears pricked, “Where is she? Is she okay?”

“She’s fine, dear,” his Mom sighed, running her claws over her muzzle, “Just worried sick, like the rest of us.” Bayer turned to look at his house, just in time to see the white-and-teal figure of his sister ducked back inside.

“We’ll ask the neighbors, then,” one of the Magnemite dipped in a nod-like gesture, and led their partner away from the families. “We’ll stay around for the night, and talk to you once more in the morning.”

The small group watched the two float away, and once they were out of earshot, Ms. Espeon turned to look at her son. Her gaze was as cold as ever, and Bayer felt Lyre flinch beside him.

“Lyre,” Ms. Espeon said.

“Ma’am,” Lyre’s voice was shaky.

“Who’s this?” Ms. Espeon flicked an ear at Bayer. Bayer waved, but she didn’t return it, her eyes flicking back to her son.

“That’s, uh…” Lyre swallowed, and spoke in a clearer tone, “That’s my boyfriend and partner, Bayer.”

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Espeon,” Bayer attempted, and held out a paw for her to shake. Once again, his greeting was rebuffed, and she merely nodded in acknowledgement.

“Oh,” Bayer’s mama spoke up, “This is who you’ve written about?” She looked down at Lyre, who bristled, obviously intimidated by her massive size. “It’s nice to meet you, I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Whatever stammered response Lyre attempted was cut off when his mother cleared her throat. She stepped beside him, and Bayer stepped away, more than a little intimidated by her cold demeanor.

“This is all well and good, but I need to speak with my son,” she said sharply, and flicked her green gaze to him, “In private, if you please.”

Lyre nodded. Without looking at Bayer, he padded after his mother. Bayer couldn’t help but notice the anxious way his quills moved, and the same upright-stature he used when speaking with the leaders of the guild. Perhaps there was more to his reluctance to come back than Bayer had realized.

“Well,” Bayer chuckled once Lyre was out of sight, “I didn’t expect to come home to all, well, this.” He gestured to the Magnemite a little ways away. His mama sighed, running a paw through her fur.

“It’s been stressful,” the Floatzel said, “But we’re glad to have you back, sweetie.”

“Why don’t you come inside, Bayer?” his momr said, “We’re all so excited to catch up.”

The family made their way to the family reed-and-clay house, and Bayer swelled with joy. He dove into the water surrounding the house, recognizing the blurred outline of the lily-stems and clay formations he’d known since he was a child. Down here, it was almost like nothing had changed.

Things, of course, were different. Bayer noticed that there was now a new tunnel leading inside the house, this one small and somewhat clumsily constructed: Pearlie’s work. A couple of paint brushes floated on the surface, caught in the reed-woven fence separating their home from the pond behind it. Pearlie had continued drawing, it seemed.

Bayer took the nearest tunnel into the cavernous open-room, and spotted his sister’s teal feet paddling near the entrance. With a grin, Bayer jetted towards her and pulled her under the water with him.

The Oshawott’s cry of surprise was drowned by the water closing over her mouth, and once she caught sight of Bayer, she smacked him with her thick tail and went to the surface. Bayer followed.

“That was mean!” Pearlie cried when the Buizel popped out of the water next to her.

“You did that to me last time I came here,” Bayer laughed, “That was just payback.”

“Hmph,” Pearlie turned away, nose in the air. Bayer frowned. She wasn’t as bubbly as last time, which seemed inevitable, given the circumstances. He followed her to the clay mat in the center of the room and pulled himself up next to her.

“I’m sorry about your friend, Pearlie,” Bayer said, putting a paw on the fluff between her ears, “The officers will find her, no doubt.”

Pearlie didn’t respond, and smacked his paw away. Then, she sighed and fell onto his side, wrapping short arms around his water-slicked form. Bayer put a paw on her back.

“I’m glad you’re back,” Pearlie sniffled.

Twin waves washed onto the clay as the siblings’ parents approached. Within moments, Bayer felt his mom’s fluffy ruff against his back, and his mama’s large form wrapped around them.

“It’s gonna be okay, Pearlie,” his mom said, her voice softer than the usual rough tone she adopted, “I promise.”

The family sat like that for a few more moments, until Pearlie took a deep breathe and wriggled her way from the larger Pokemons’ grip.

“I’m not a baby, I’m fine now,” Pearlie exclaimed, and dove into the water. Bayer exchanged a relieved glance with his mothers at the Oshawott’s return to her loud self.

“Don’t go away just yet, missy!” Bayer laughed once she surfaced, grabbing her tail to prevent her escape. “You haven’t gotten your gift yet!”

“Gift?” Pearlie’s eyes lit up, “You didn’t tell me I had a gift! Gimme!”

The rest of the evening was spent in the dining area of the house, where Bayer told his family of the last few months at the Guild. He told of the big expedition to Abyss Mountain, the success of Gastrodon’s Den, the various Pokemon he had met and fought-- everything except the reason he had returned. He could almost forget the uneasiness that had characterized the last couple of days as he sat next to his family, answering his sister’s shouted questions and reminiscing with his parents. Once the subject turned to Lyre, however, the doubt came back.

“That Jolteon you were with,” Bayer’s mom said through a mouthful of tofu, “That’s the one you told us about?”

“Lyre?” Bayer swallowed, “Yeah, he’s my boyfriend,”

“Boyfriend!” Pearlie exclaimed, “You’re dating him!”

The Oshawott’s voice echoed off the clay surrounding them, incredulous. Bayer blinked, staring at the younger Pokemon.

“I am,” Bayer said, “Is something the matter?”

“No,” Pearlie bit her lip in a way to suggest something was the matter, “I just didn’t know...I mean, his mom seems mean.”

“She’s going through a stressful time, Pearlie,” Bayer’s mama said, “Perhaps she’s kinder usually.”

“Mm,” Pearlie said, eyes narrowed and downcast, and mouth turned in a scowl.

The reason for Pearlie’s hostility, Bayer didn’t have a chance to find out. Soon, the conversation shifted to other topics, and the odd behavior forgotten. Once the moon was high in the sky, Pearlie was sent to bed, and despite his mothers’ offers, Bayer opted to go to the inn to meet Lyre. As he walked away from his childhood home, his earlier apprehension returned.

The inn was only a few rooms, a far cry from the multi-floor inn at Bounty’s Keep, but the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. The common room was empty, save for Mx. Tsareena, who stood at their post as always. Bayer greeted them, and after exchanging light niceties, found that Lyre had booked a room already.

“I need to find Cass.”

The statement greeted Bayer the moment he opened the door. Lyre sat near the window, the dirt floor scuffed and the hay bed jostled. The Jolteon’s voice was cold, but Bayer could see the quiver of his ears and quills when he spoke.

“Huh?” Bayer closed the door behind him, “Why?”

“She’s my sister, Bay,” Lyre growled. His foot tapped the ground, and he only glanced at the Buizel for a moment before looking back outside, “It’s my responsibility.”

“I understand,” Bayer chose his words carefully, “I support you whatever you choose to do, but we have guild work to do.”

“I’ve already sent a letter to Clairie,” Lyre said, “She won’t refuse.”

“But--” Bayer stammered, taking a step towards his boyfriend, “What about Harper? What we came here to do?”

“Who cares about that?!” Lyre rounded on Bayer, fur sparking. Bayer took a step back.

“Don’t yell at me!” He said sharply.

Lyre realized his mistake, and his fur flattened. He averted his gaze, relaxing his glare and slumping his shoulders.

“I’m sorry, Bay,” Lyre sighed, “I’m just--this is my job to do, okay?” The Jolteon began to pace around, gaze downcast and eyes narrowed, “She’s my sister. I didn’t even know she was my sister, it’s been so long since I’ve been here. I need to find her, not anyone else.”

“Oh, Lyre,” Bayer said, gut twisting in sympathy. It was rare to see the Jolteon so worked up.

“And mom said--” Lyre cut himself off with a cough, and looked at Bayer, “Mom thinks she’s on her way to Bounty Keep. I’ll go in the morning, and hopefully I’ll find her before...well, hopefully I’ll find her soon.”

“Wait, what’s all this about you going?” Bayer stepped in front of Lyre, eyes narrowed, “I’m going too!”

“No!” Lyre exclaimed, ears flattened, “This is my job, no one else’s!”

“Don’t be daft,” Bayer snorted, and approached Lyre until he was nose to nose with him, “I want to help you. You can’t find her on your own, and even if you could, I’m your boyfriend and I’m going to support you no matter what. I’m going whether you want me to or not.”

Lyre looked down at him, eyes wide. He opened his mouth to say something, but was silent. He sighed from his nose and dipped his head to touch Bayer’s shoulder.

“Okay, Bay.”

It was dark here, and loud and quiet. Leaves rustled in the rain-soaked winds, and there seemed to be shifting and chattering of Pokemon all around. Cassander shuddered in her rain-soaked fur, curling tighter together. The cacophony made it hard to distinguish sounds. Any moment now, a Pokemon could attack.

The Eevee poked her head from the shallow hole she was sheltered in. Rain stung her eyes, and shadows danced around the forest floor. When a particularly loud Pokemon cry sounded, she ducked back inside, closing her eyes tight.

She had to leave: she knew she had to. Pearlie had never lied to her, so why had she chosen to now? She recalled her anger at Pearlie’s insistence that her brother was bad, and growled into her tail. It was mean to lie about something like that. Lyre would never hurt another Pokemon. Her brother wasn’t a bad Pokemon. He wasn’t a criminal!

It had been an entire day since she left for Bounty’s Keep. She’d left late that night, too angry to stay with Pearlie, and had darted into the bushes as soon as Mrs. Samurott and Mrs. Floatzel had stopped looking. She knew her mother would have noticed her absence by now, and felt a tug of guilt. She hoped that she hadn’t worried her, but then again, her mother had always acted as if Cassander was a nuisance anyways. Maybe it was better this way.

All the stories she’d been told of great explorers going on their own to be heroes echoed in her ears. It was scary, alone out here, but she had to do this. She could be a hero; she could be brave.

She had to find Lyre.

#eevee #oshawott #jolteon #buizel #the course of everything #tcoechapter #tcoe #cass #cassander #chapter 4 #pokemon mystery dungeon #pmd

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timegearing · 6 years ago

Text

PMD: The Course of Everything- Chapter One: Clarity

Lyre was not one to act cowardly. This was a fact upon which the Jolteon prided himself, almost more than the knowledge that he had made it into the Clarity Exploration Guild. But, after the events of the night previous, a seedling of doubt nestled into his heart.

He paced the length of Bounty’s Keep for the fifth time that morning, passing townsfolk and familiar sales-mon alike. He had done everything right, hadn’t he? He hadn’t attacked when her back was turned, hadn’t fought dirty, and most importantly, fought with justification, hadn’t he? He’d recited Destine the Lucario’s three terms of honorable battle once again, and again, until the sun had come up and the evidence of his deed had faded from sight.

“Hello there, Lyre!”

Lyre jumped almost a foot off the ground, sparks flying from his fur in shock. He spun to face Neandra, a Prinlup who worked alongside him in the Clarity Guild. Lyre shuffled his front paws, his false-foot scraping on the ground below.

“Calm down there, sparky,” She yelped, taking a step back, “Just wanted to say hi!”

“Sorry,” Lyre choked out, forcing the quills on his back to smooth. “Didn’t know it was you.”

“What’s got you all electrified?” Neandra chuckled, “Had a crazy night or something?”

Lyre was too tense to speak up about her pun as he normally would have, instead searching her gaze for any shred of knowledge of what he had done. All he found was cool teasing. Lyre swallowed the lump rising in his throat.

“Just had a nightmare!” He exclaimed, a wide, toothy grin on his muzzle, “Just had to go for a walk, away from the Guild, haha!”

“Okay,” Neandra said slowly, an eyebrow raised, “Well, anyways, Verity wants to see you.”

“O-oh?” Lyre feigned surprise at the statement.

“You should probably hurry up and find her,” the Prinplup began to walk away from him, down the cobblestone path leading to not the gorge(to Lyre’s relief), but to Alakazam’s Cafe a few stores away. “She seemed pretty wound up about something.”

Lyre nodded his goodbyes until the Prinplup disappeared into the lively cafe. Then, he spun on his paws and cursed enough to make Giratina quiver in their scales. He knew he shouldn’t have lolly-gagged; Verity had ordered him back by sunrise.

Lyre raced up the cobblestone road. Several Pokemon greeted him as he went, but he didn’t respond. He didn’t slow until he approached the golden, shimmering fort ahead of him: Clarity’s Exploration Guild.

The outside of the Guild was a testament to the organization’s success: several stories tall, with exterior walls glimmering with treasured gems and stones. Two opalescent totem-poles depicting the two leaders of the guild flanked the wide entrance. On the left was a glimmering, almost pearl-like likeness of Clairie, the Audino who ran the Rescue side of the guild. Even sculpted, the Audino seemed motherly, her face plump and relaxed, and her arms outstretched as if to welcome any pokemon in need. To the right was an obsidian, striking likeness of Verity, the Liepard who lead the discovery aspect of the Guild-- and the Pokemon Lyre was summoned to meet.

He crept past the watchful eyes of the statue, wondering if he could be seen through the statue’s eyes. He made his way inside and up the ladders, passing a handful of Pokemon he was familiar with but didn’t greet. The main room was sparsely populated when Lyre got there, to his relief.

The door leading into Verity’s quarters was ajar, but Lyre nonetheless considered knocking. She never liked Pokemon invading her privacy, and he wasn’t sure if the same would be true for a Pokemon she had summoned. Lyre didn’t have to wonder for long: a lean, royal-purple and cream figure came into view, and her glistening red eyes caught his.

“Get in here,” the Liepard hissed.

“Y-yes ma’am,” Lyre stammered.Once he was inside, Verity slammed the door behind him, and locked the deadbolt with a flick of her tail. She rounded on him, and Lyre felt as if he were an Eevee again.

“What took you so long?” Verity demanded. She led him to the expansive room in which she operated, taking her seat on a comfy-looking sewn cushion. Lyre had been inside here a few times, once the day before, but was still awe-struck by the riches inside. Mounted on the walls and displayed on shelves were rarities from evolution stones and gold bars to expensive, powerful bands and species-specific items rarely found elsewhere. The ceiling was glass, and displayed the rising sun’s rays to the entire room. Lyre felt as if he would lower the value of any of the items displayed with a mere breathe.

“I’m waiting,” Verity said.

“I-I did what you asked,” Lyre said, a lump once again rising in his throat, “Harper’s gone.”

“Did you kill her?” Verity demanded, her eyes burning into his. Lyre flinched, looking at the sky above.

“Yes,” he said, his voice a whisper, “I threw her into the gorge.”

“Good,” Verity’s fur flattened. “I was worried you failed.”

Lyre didn’t respond, unable to meet her gaze. What was there to say? The reality of the situation had hit him, and despite his previous feelings on the Pokemon in question, he struggled to dredge up any sense of accomplishment. The silence stretched out, until Verity spoke once more.

“Are you having doubts?” Verity asked. Lyre looking at her, seeing nothing but cold disinterest. When the Jolteon remained quiet, Verity scoffed.

“I wouldn’t have asked you to do it if I didn’t think it had to be done,” she said, “Harper was a deadweight to this Guild,” Verity paused, and looking him up and down. “You were more aware of that than anyone else, weren’t you?”

Lyre put a paw to his eyepatch, and then to the scarred remains of his front leg. He looked back up at her.

“Of course.”

Nothing else was said. Verity gestured for him to leave the room, and he complied, padding steadily to the exit.

Even before Lyre opened the door, he knew there was some sort of commotion. Verity could hear it too: in a flash, she was opening the door in front of him, revealing the crowd outside. Clairie, Verity’s partner, was talking with a concerned, rustled crowd, all of them shouting questions at one another.

“What’s going on?” Verity demanded. Clairie turned to face her, eyes round and wet. In front of her was a trio of Chinchou, who were bearing the brunt of the questions. Lyre recognized them; they were part of the Ambassador guild for the Mirror Cove, a city that lay under the seas outside of the jungle-expanse that surrounded Bounty’s Keep.

“We’ve received terrible news,” Clairie spoke softly, “A body has been found on the outskirts of Mirror Cove.”

Lyre’s stomach dropped to his paws. He looked to Verity, whose expression remained blank despite the news.

“Have either of you seen Harper recently?” Clairie asked, somewhat louder this time. “I know you were friends with her, Lyre.”

The crowd quieted almost instantly, and all Pokemon present turned their gazes to him. He cleared his throat, but couldn’t choke out a response. Thankfully, it was Verity that answered for him.

“We haven’t seen her, why?” The Liepard growled.

“Oh, dear…” Clairie sniffed a bit, her voice strangled. She put a paw on Lyre’s shoulder, her wide eyes meeting his.

“The body was an Archen’s, dear. It was Harper.”

The rest of the day passed by slowly, but eventfully. The Chinchou had reported that they had found the dead body of his former-partner, but they couldn’t seem to get it straight where the body was now. Lyre waited for a Pokemon to call him out, to reveal his guilt, but no such conversation came. As Lyre made his way through the guild, doing his best to avoid the other Pokemon, he was accosted by stranger and acquaintance alike, offering condolences for his loss. He didn’t have the heart to remind them of his publically-known hatred of Harper. Within an hour of discussion of the topic, one thing was made clear: the discussion of the topic in public spaces was now banned, courtesy of Verity and Clairie.

Lyre now found himself in his shared room with his new partner, and boyfriend, Bayer. The Buizel had been gone on a solo-expedition for two nights now, and had told Lyre before he left that it would take at least a week for him to return. Lyre couldn’t figure out if he wanted Bayer to be here to distract him from the conflicting feelings he felt in the moment, or if he wanted Bayer to remain gone until the whole thing blew over.

It was much to Lyre’s surprise when, an hour after the sun went down and he had settled in to bed for some much-needed sleep, he heard a familiar voice call his name.

“Lyre?”

Lyre turned around in time to catch sight of something leaping towards him, and moments later, felt the embrace of his smooth-furred, chubby partner around his neck.

“Bayer?” Lyre exclaimed, “What are you doing back?”

The Buizel released him, his eyes glistening with tears as he pulled back. Lyre turned to face him, and was met with another hug.

“I heard the news, and came back as fast as I could!” Bayer explained, “I’m so sorry, Lyre! I’m so, so sorry!”

“Err...it’s okay,” Lyre patted his boyfriend on the back, straining to get out of the hug.

“No it’s not!” Bayer said, dismayed, “I know she used to be your partner, it’s okay for you to be upset!”

“I’m fine, really--” Lyre averted his gaze, flicking a long ear in discomfort.

“This has to be hard for you, it’s okay to cry!” Bayer soothed, placing a paw on Lyre’s face. Lyre backed away with a growl, his back hitting the wall behind him.

“I’m not gonna cry!” Lyre exclaimed, “I didn’t even like her, Bay.”

“You’re upset though, aren’t you?” Bayer asked, eyes wide, “You guys used to be so close.”

At Bayer’s geniune, questioning gaze, Lyre felt a stab of guilt. He relaxed a little, looking at his paws.

“I suppose…”

The two sat in silence for a while. Lyre replayed the last night’s events in his head: the questioning cries of his former-partner, the anger coursing through him as he sunk his teeth into her neck, the sight of her falling helplessly into the rapids below. There was a dread rising in his stomach, a tug at his paws that led him to lean his head into Bayer’s shoulder fur. As Bayer rubbed a paw on Lyre’s quilled back, something broke within him, and he looked up to him.

“Bay, I can tell you anything, can’t I?” He asked, voice catching in the back of his throat.

“Of course, honey,” Bayer soothed, his face hidden in the Jolteon’s mane.

“I…” Lyre felt, once again lump rise in his throat. Bayer urged him on with a silent brush of his paw, and he steeled himself.

“Please don’t get mad, but…” Lyre took a breathe.

“I killed Harper.”

That rat bastard! She thought, searching the contents of the cave for something-anything- that would aid her. There were berries and healing items everywhere, but her bag had been lost--or destroyed, more like. That spiky little curse! That rotten apple of a ‘mon!

She turned back to look at the Pokemon sleeping near her--too near her for comfort. They were an Absol, purely unfamiliar to her. At the sight of the Pokemon’s long claws and fangs, she shuddered, and hurried back to her feverish search for a bag. Her feathers were still ruffled from the day before, both metaphorically and literally. She felt a fresh wave of anguish, and began to curse under her breathe again.

That mangy, stinking Magikarp! That two-faced, hypocritical, disgusting-- She was driven from her inward ranting by the feel of tough, canvas fabric in her talons. She clenched her beak shut on a note of glee- a bag! As quietly as she could manage, she pulled it down, and realizing with a further note of relief that it was the right size to almost fit her as well. She clicked her wing-talons together anxiously, looking over her shoulder. Now was her chance to leave.

She swept a row of Oran berries into her bag, along with a few apples and seeds. The rest of the things she would need were too high for her to reach without climbing, and she didn’t trust herself to be silent in retrieving them. The bag was now comfortably full, and despite her misgivings of the unfamiliar woods outside, she decided it was a good a time as any to go.

If there was one thing Harper was good at, it was fleeing.

#pmd #pokemon mystery dungeon #tcoe #tcoechapter #the course of everything #archen #harper #jolteon #lyre #bayer #buizel #verity #liepard #clarie #audino

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