Chapter 2
Gravelerock Tunnel 1F
"A mystery dungeon? What's a mystery dungeon?"
Keeping a firm hold on Saura's vine in one hand, and holding his tail like a torch in the other, Char felt his head spinning with countless questions as he followed the Bulbasaur through dark corridors which split into countless side paths.
"This is a mystery dungeon," Saura said, keeping a wary eye in all directions. "It's a cursed maze that's very easy to get lost in. If you get lost… that's it for you. You'll stay in here forever until someone comes to rescue you, or… you starve to death."
Char felt a chill of fear stab at his chest. He instinctively tugged on Saura's vine harder, not wanting to get separated.
"Cursed? How is it cursed?"
"Nobody really knows what causes it," Saura explained, wincing as Char squeezed his vine, "but a mystery dungeon never stays the same. Some say that the curse erases your memories of the maze when you leave… Some say it's constantly shifting and re-arranging itself when nobody's looking, like a spatial anomaly created by Palkia… Hey, Char, you might want to help keep an eye out. We need to work together if we want to get out of this place."
"Keep an eye out for what?" Char asked nervously, his worry growing by the minute.
"We need to find the entrance to the next floor," said Saura. "That's the only way to get out of here."
"The next floor? So… A staircase, or something?"
"Yeah. And we need to avoid the wild Pokémon," Saura warned. "Wild Pokémon live in mystery dungeons. If they see you, they'll try to defend their territory from you at all costs, no matter how weak or strong you are."
"Wait... are you saying we might have to fight some wild Pokémon?!" Char screeched. "I… don't think I'm ready for this! Couldn't we just talk them out of fighting us?"
"But you can't reason with wild Pokémon," said Saura. "They can't talk, and they aren't even sentient at all. All Pokémon are like that unless they are raised and trained by someone else, either another Pokémon or a human. Otherwise, they stay wild—"
"Yaah!"
Saura was interrupted by a sudden yelp from Char, who'd tripped over nothing in particular and toppled to the ground with a thump. Char felt a throb from his still-aching head, as well as from embarrassment, as he lay for a moment on the cave floor.
"Sorry…" he muttered, "still getting used to the body. I think I used to have longer legs."
"Wow, you're probably right," Saura laughed as he glanced back and carefully lifted Char back to his feet. "If you were a human, you'd be much taller. You know, Pokémon have the same problem for a little while after they evolve. It takes them a while to get used to it—Hey! Look!"
As he was tending to Char, something from a nearby room caught Saura's eye. There, at the back of a cramped chamber, was a staircase leading upward into some sort of trap door. Char squinted to see it in the darkness, holding his tail forward to better illuminate the room.
"It's the stairs!" Saura cheered. "We got lucky and didn't run into any enemies. Quick, let's get up. Those guys might still be following us."
Gravelerock Tunnel 2F
"Saura, who are we running from, anyway?" Char demanded as he began to explore the second floor with his new companion.
"I didn't want to find out who they were," Saura said simply. "If they were the Master's soldiers, we need to run far away from them. Hey, Char… why don't you try leading the way for a while? You're the one with the light."
"How do I know where to go?" Char asked, reluctant to obey.
"Your guess is as good as mine," said Saura. "Just look everywhere for the next staircase. Just… don't let go. I don't want to get separated."
"Alright, if you're sure about this," Char gulped as he stepped in front of Saura and became the leader of the awkward little procession. "Now, who are the Master's soldiers you keep talking about, and why are they chasing us?"
Saura shivered in disgust. Char thought he even felt it reverberate through the vine he held in his hand. "They're an army of… I guess you could call them law enforcers. They work for the Master. They're everywhere in this country."
"And who's this Master?"
"He's the self-proclaimed king of the whole Ambera region… the place where we are now."
"So, they're like police officers, I guess," Char offered. "In my world, police officers are very good people. Saura… you're not a… criminal, are you?"
"No! It's not like that!" Saura pleaded, stopping in his tracks and tugging at Char to get him to pay attention. "Listen. The Master is the bad guy! He's supposed to be our leader, but everyone knows he took control over the country just for himself. His soldiers do horrible things. They invade towns, kidnap people, steal… and they're such powerful Pokémon that nobody can stand up to them. There's nothing we can do about it. We submit to the Master or face consequences."
Indignation filled Saura's face. He glared down at the floor.
"… And they wanted to take me," he said quietly.
"Take you?" Char repeated.
"Yes," he growled. "The Master wanted to take me. His soldiers travel the country and pick out Pokémon to join his army or to be his personal servants. They picked me… and… just earlier today, they told me I had a week to prepare to leave with them. And my family wouldn't do anything to help me. They're just going to send me off with the soldiers! I… I know they care about me, and I know they just don't want to get in trouble with the Master, but… I don't want to go! I'll do anything not to join them! I want to be a free Pokémon and do the things I want to do!"
"That's why we're running away from them," Char realized, beginning to understand the Bulbasaur's feelings. "Are… they coming to capture you?!"
"I think they saw me run away and they followed me here," Saura said. "Char… are you understanding all this? If they take me, I'll have to be a slave to them for the rest of my life! Will you stay with me and help me run away from them?"
"I…"
"Listen," Saura pleaded. "Just tonight, I prayed to Arceus, and I think he answered me. I think he sent you to help me! You're a human in the body of a Pokémon, right? And you just appeared in the cave without even opening the cave entrance to get in. Char, you were meant to help me!"
Char knew what he wanted to say, but he couldn't bring himself to answer. He gazed into the Bulbasaur's eyes and saw that his heart was truly breaking at the thought of having to work for this "Master".
Yet… at the same time, he knew he couldn't forget about his own predicament.
"Char, are you going to answer me?" Saura asked sadly.
Still unable to find the words he wanted, Char just stared blankly at his companion.
"Char?"
I'm thinking! He said silently to himself. This is already a lot to swallow in just one day! This Bulbasaur wants me to hide from the law and even run away from his own family? What about my own family? Do I have a family? Who am I, exactly? Oh, this would have been so much easier if my memories weren't gone! But… maybe he's right. Maybe I was put right here for a reason. Arceus? Who's he? Is that a Pokémon? I think I've heard the name before, but…"
"Char!" cried Saura, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Char! LOOK OUT!"
Acting on instinct alone, Char dropped to the floor in fright and covered his head… just in time to hear the sounds of flapping and screeching from somewhere above him.
"It's a Zubat!" Saura yelled. "Get ready!"
"Ahh!" Char yelled, rolling on the floor away from the attacker.
The Zubat dive-bombed Saura, sounding its shrill squeals of "Kii! Kii!" as it attacked. Saura quickly yanked his vine out of Char's grasp and jumped out of the Zubat's way.
Char backed up against the nearest wall, his breaths short and heavy. He felt the muscles of his new body clench with panic.
Saura leapt out of the Zubat's way a second time, then a third. He drew his vines like whips and batted at the attacker. When the Zubat tried to dive at him a fourth time, it flew face-first into a swiveling vine and tumbled backward through the air. Saura thrust his body forward, sending a flurry of sharp, spinning leaves at the bat. The Zubat was sliced clean out of the air, falling limply to the floor with a final cry of "Kreeeeee!"
"Is… it dead?" Char gasped, feeling the blood run back into his face again.
"Dead? Hardly." Saura said as he retracted his vines. "He's just knocked out. It takes a lot more than that to kill a Pokémon."
Climbing back to his feet, Char went to inspect the fallen Zubat. Indeed, it only had a few red scratches across its leathery body, and was still breathing strongly.
"You know, you could help out, too," Saura said mockingly. "You've got claws and teeth. You don't have to be a coward."
"What?! I don't know how to fight!" Char retorted.
"Every Pokémon knows how to fight," Saura said, offering his vine again. "It's in our instincts. Just let your survival instinct take over, and you'll do fine. Besides, you're stronger than you know. Charmanders aren't weak."
Char took a last look at the fallen Zubat as they turned a corner and continued their exploration of the dungeon.
Gravelerock Tunnel 3F
"Have you been in a mystery dungeon before?" Char asked as the twosome climbed the stairs to the third floor. "You seem to know a lot about them."
"Once," Saura admitted, "but that's it. When I was really small, I wandered into a dungeon and got stuck there for two days. My brothers had to come rescue me. I'll never forget how scared I was. Since then, I've tried to learn about dungeons in case I'd ever be in one again. Later, I made friends with a Chikorita, and she showed me this cave before she moved away. She told me that it turns into a mystery dungeon past the first cavern. Ever since then, I've been coming back here, waiting for the courage to go through the dungeon myself."
"I guess you finally got the courage," Char said with a smile.
"Well, yeah, now that I have a friend to go with me, not to mention something to light the way with," Saura replied, smiling back. "Hey, Char. You never answered my question…"
What question? Char asked himself. Oh…
"Look, Saura," Char sighed, "I… don't know. I don't have a lot of… information to go on right now, alright? I don't even know if helping you to run away from the "Master" is the right thing to do. I just don't know. I can't think straight right now. This is all just a little too weird."
"Let's make a deal," Saura said. "If you be my friend and help me stay away from the Master's soldiers, I'll stay with you and do all I can to teach you how to be a Pokémon."
But what if I don't want to learn how to be a Pokémon? Char moaned to himself. What if I just want to go back to being a human? But… that doesn't really seem like an option right now, does it? But… I don't want to make any promises I won't be able to keep!
Char carefully looked over the Bulbasaur's face, judging him. There was a glimmer of honesty in his eyes, and sincerity in the simple smile which spread across his face. Saura had hidden nothing from him, and had answered every question he had given so far.
Also, unlike himself, Saura was not afraid to fight, and clearly demonstrated that he was strong enough to defend the both of them.
Well, I guess I have no choice, Char determined. What I need the most right now is a companion just like Saura. I'm a Pokémon now, whether I like it or not, and I need someone to be my guide in this new world. He also believes me that I'm a human! How could I ask for anything more?
"Well?" Saura asked eagerly.
"Deal," Char said with a gleaming smile, holding out his hand.
However, instead of the expected handshake, Saura gleefully jumped forward and tackled him.
"Ha! Haha! Yes!" Saura shouted. "I'm officially friends with a human! A human! It's always been a lifelong dream of mine to be a human trainer's partner! But the humans live a hundred thousand miles away from Ambera, so I never thought I'd ever see the day…!"
"Heh, heh," Char gasped, awkwardly struggling to endure the glomp.
… … …
As they continued on through the dungeon, Char could tell that Saura's mood had changed; he'd gone from acting depressed to beaming with joy. He also seemed to ramble, making it harder than ever for Char to get a question in edgewise.
"We've got to keep an eye out for any more Zubat," Saura warned. "They like to attack in groups. One is easy, but five or more could take us out. Watch the ceiling, too. They could be sleeping up there."
"Next time we have to fight one, I guess I'll try fighting," Char said. "I'm not going to lie to you, Saura, but I am a coward when it comes to fighting. But, I guess I've got to start somewhere."
"That's the spirit, Char!" Saura exclaimed. "Fighting isn't all that hard, either, especially when your opponent is weaker than you. And when you get good at fighting, you'll be able to fight more difficult enemies, and you may even learn different tricks to help you. I practiced a whole lot against wild Pokémon this year, and just a few months ago I finally learned how to launch leaves!"
While they didn't run into any more enemies, Char felt his stomach rumble as they entered the staircase chamber. It was then that he realized that he felt absolutely famished, and the oran berry he'd just eaten was only enough to stave it off for a very short while. However, he didn't feel it was appropriate to complain to Saura about it, so he gritted his teeth and kept on moving.
Gravelerock Tunnel 4F
"You seem to be pretty good at fighting," Char asked while trying to ignore the rumble of his stomach. "Do you think that could be the reason why the Master wants you for his army?"
"I don't think that has anything to do with it," Saura said scornfully. "They're probably just picking me because they don't have a Venusaur to add to their collection yet. But to be honest, I don't even want to be a Venusaur. I want to stay the way I am. Nobody can force me to evolve if I don't want it! Besides, I'm not really that good at fighting."
"Sure you are!" Char said, regretting how he'd steered the conversation. "It seems like you're skilled… at least against the one Zubat you fought."
"Thanks," Saura said flatly. "I appreciate it."
After walking a little more, Saura spoke up again.
"Ugh… getting so hungry…"
"You, too?" Char said with some surprise.
"That's the other thing about mystery dungeons," Saura said. "They aren't just a spatial anomaly. They're also a temporal anomaly. Walking around in one, your body will heal itself a lot faster than normal… but you'll get tired and hungrier faster than normal, too. That's why it's important for explorers to take lots of food with them when they go to dungeons."
"Did we bring any food?" Char asked, already knowing the answer. "You didn't have any of those berries left, did you?"
"No," Saura said regretfully, "but I was hoping we'd find one or two along the way… they say that sometimes, you can find food that the wild Pokémon have stashed away, but we… haven't found anything."
"Maybe we should look for food," Char suggested. "Any further, and I think I'll start getting dizzy from hunger."
"Yeah… I'm thinking the same thing," Saura said. "Better keep an eye out for food."
Char led Saura around some more, exploring every nook of the maze he came across. There was no food to be seen, and Char's belly really began to ache.
"Ugh…" Saura groaned. "Maybe I was wrong. Maybe we weren't ready for this after all… Maybe we're going to starve to death… Or maybe—"
As the two entered a particularly large room, Char noticed small group of Rattata sleeping in a little alcove off to the side.
"Rattata!" Saura exclaimed. "I think I spoke too soon! Rattata always hoard food! They stole from my stash of berries so many times, there's no way they could have gotten through them all by now!"
"Or, we could just eat the Rattatas," Char mumbled.
Ignoring Char's suggestion, Saura crept ahead and into the room in search of something to eat. Char followed, sweeping his tail from side to side and glancing around the room for any other forms of danger that might be lurking in the shadows.
Char's light touched something of interest.
"Char, help me with these rats," Saura instructed. "They're easy to fight. We can take them out if they have any food."
"Saura! Look there!" Char hissed.
"What now?!"
Saura turned to look in the direction Char indicated, and he, too, was surprised by the sight.
Sitting near the opposite corner of the room… was an apple. The apple was not whole; some bites were missing from it. Standing next to the apple, resting peacefully, was a Spearow.
"Char, that could feed us both!" Saura exclaimed voicelessly.
"What's a Spearow doing down here in a cave?!" Char demanded, eyeing it cautiously as its body rose and fell in place. "It's dark down here! How could it live in a dungeon like this?"
"Who cares?!" Saura said, approaching the creature. "Char. Go see if you can take the apple."
"Why me?" Char demanded. "You're better at—"
"Because if that Spearow wakes up… Well… I don't like fighting birds. But c'mon, you said you'd try to fight, right? Go get it! I bet you could take it down!"
"Couldn't you just grab it from a distance with your vines?"
"Char… I'm scared of birds. They hurt a lot when they attack. Could you do it? Please?"
"If you say so… but only if you promise to back me up."
"Of course," Saura said encouragingly. "But let's do it already, I'm really hungry!"
Clenching his claws, Char tiptoed nearer to the napping Spearow. As he closed in, he could barely hear the squeaking of the bird's nostrils as it breathed. He stood for a moment some three feet away, inspecting the creature's closed eyes as if to determine how closed they were. Saura held his breath, only able to watch at a distance and wait to see what would happen.
Just as Char crept closer to the apple… he tripped.
"Ah!" he gasped soundlessly as his face hit the dusty floor. He cringed, his eyes clenched as tight as could be and his teeth grinding against one another, fearful and awaiting the inevitable attack. Saura reared back and prepared to charge, his mouth agape but betraying no sound.
A few seconds passed. Both froze in place, neither moving or even so much as breathing.
"Char!" Saura finally gasped. "Char! Get up! He's still not awake!"
Char opened his eyes and glanced forward. His hands were cupped perfectly around the apple, and the Spearow hadn't moved.
Breathing the biggest sigh of relief yet, Char rolled himself upright and held the apple up in the air. Saura quickly constricted him to help him up, and then snatched the apple from his hand.
"You did it!" Saura cheered quietly.
"Hey, don't I get any?" Char asked, brushing himself off.
"Of course! You get half," Saura said, taking a juicy bite out of the apple. "Pfft… eew, it's dry. But it fills the belly, and that's all that matters, I guess."
"No wonder the Spearow didn't care about it," Char remarked. "Look. It's still sleeping like a log, too!"
After Saura finished his half, he handed over the remaining portion. Char found that his mouth, unlike Saura's, wasn't big enough to eat it as fast as he wanted.
Despite being half-eaten, the apple seemed pretty big. Char wondered whether or not the apple was regular-sized, that it just seemed bigger with a body that was smaller than he was used to. He kept taking small bites out of the dry piece of fruit, yet it never seemed to grow any smaller. He eventually dug down past the dry skin and the browned bruises to the sweeter portion of the fruit, which he enjoyed greatly as they continued their exploration of the dungeon floor.
"Uh… Char…" Saura suddenly spoke, dodging around the fiery tail to tap the Charmander on the back. "Stop. I think we've been down this way before."
"We have?" Char asked, lifting his gaze from his apple. "Well, that's just great. I guess I was too occupied with eating and I wasn't paying enough attention."
"That's okay, that's why I'm here," Saura said, glancing about the hall which they stood in. "But… unless I'm missing something, I think we've been through all the corridors on this floor, but I haven't seen the staircase anywhere."
"What about that one?" Char said, jabbing his tail toward a nearby hall. "I don't remember exploring in there. That's where I was going to go next."
"Nah, we've been in that one," Saura said. "It goes around into a big cave, then a small one, then back here."
"No, that was the one up ahead," Char said.
"Are you sure?"
"Well, why don't we just go in and see for ourselves—"
Raaaaaaw!
A raspy screech, much lower and more powerful than a Zubat's, echoed through the tunnel.
Before another word could be said, the cry sounded again, followed by the sound of powerful wings flapping.
Eeeeerk! Raaaaaw!
"Oh no!" screamed Saura in dismay. "It's—"
Eeeeeeeeeeee!
The screech sounded directly above Char's head, and a figure swiftly dove out of the darkness and shot straight for him. Char jumped back in fright, but it wasn't enough to dodge the attacker. He caught a glimpse of the foe just before his vision turned to stars.
Saura cried out as the Spearow's beak struck Char and knocked him to the ground.
Eeeeeeeeeeerk!
"No!" Saura cried, dashing forward to Char's aid.
But the Spearow returned for another attack, swooping into the flickering light of Char's tail, and Saura narrowly dodged. Catching his breath, he glanced around in panic and tried to anticipate the next attack.
But then, a plural cry descended from the darkness above, striking great fear into Saura's rapidly-beating heart.
"Char! There's two of them!"
Raaaaaaaaaaaaaw!
Heeding the warning, Char climbed to his feet, only to catch sight of one of the Spearow swooping down and snatching the almost-fully-eaten apple from the ground.
"HEY!" Char yelled at the thief, "I wasn't done with that!"
Raaaaaaaaaaw! answered the Spearow.
"Char! Help!" Saura cried, his vines thrashing around in the near-darkness, blindly trying to defend himself. The second Spearow fell from the darkness, pecking at him violently and leaving a juicy gash in the side of his body.
"AHH! OWW!" He cried in pain. "CHAR! Get them off me! PLEASE! CHAR!"
I guess this is where I fight, Char said to himself. Now…I have to let the survival instincts take over…
Char pounced forward, springing into the air higher than he thought his legs were capable of propelling him. He blindly slashed at the air with his claws, hoping to defend Saura from further harm as best as he could. His final attack connected, sending the diving Spearow flying to the side and filling the air with an explosion of loose feathers. But the second Spearow quickly counterattacked, and a third Spearow swooped in to help.
"CHAR! We have to get out of here!" Saura cried upon seeing the third bird. "Char! The Spearows! You were right! They must live in here because there must be an exit nearby! We have to find the exit! This could be the last floor of the dungeon! HURRY!"
Raaaaaaaaw! Cried one of the Spearows as it came down to peck at Saura. Char leapt forward again and slashed, defending his friend from the impact once more. The two took the opportunity to escape down the corridor, but the Spearows gave chase and refused to back down.
"You have your stupid apple back!" Char yelled as he ran and covered his head for protection. "Go away!"
At last, at the end of the previously-unexplored tunnel, there was an exit chamber. A simple metal ladder extended toward the cave ceiling and out to the world above. The early morning sunlight shone down through the hole, softly illuminating the dingy room.
Two more Spearow stood between them and the doorway, wide awake and ready to attack.
"CHAR! Run for the exit!" Saura screamed, his legs moving as fast as he could make them.
But as Char glanced back and saw the enemies closing in on him… and forward, as his friend dashed straight toward the enemies… a weird, lurching sensation began to engulf him. Some kind of new, powerful desire welled in his belly.
Char realized what was happening: his survival instincts wanted even more control. They wanted to completely take over his actions.
Char saw how Saura ran towards an exit that was too far away. He saw the Spearow peck at him, giving him yet another painful wound. He saw how each swing of his vines became increasingly weakened and aimless. He heard his yells of anguish fill the air. He felt the wing of a Spearow collide with his back, narrowly missing its mark and instead homing in on the weakened Bulbasaur before him.
Char's feeling became too much. It needed to be released.
Taking a deep breath, Char gave a mighty roar of fury. But, instead of sound, a stream of flames erupted from his maw.
Whoa! Char realized. I can breathe fire? I wonder if I can do it again…?
Focusing once again on the burning feeling in his stomach, Char drew another heavy breath. He aimed at the flock of Spearow swarming above Saura, then released.
A plume of flames, bigger this time, hit the Spearow head-on. They tumbled to the ground with burning feathers and flapped wildly to put themselves out.
"Thanks!" Saura shouted over the screeches of the fallen Spearow, trying to put out the flames that had caught the ends of his vines. "I really owe you one!"
"I didn't know I could do that!" Char answered, rushing to his side to help him. "Now, let's get out of here! Those weren't all of the Spearow!"
Char didn't have to say it twice. Saura bounded for the ladder, Char close behind, and the two of them climbed up and out into the early morning air.
Goldenrod Meadow
It was very early—almost four in the morning—as the two adventurers escaped the dungeon. A few stars still twinkled in the sky here and there, soon to be overcome by the looming sunlight. Char gazed upon the beauty of the wilderness which surrounded him, a sprawling plain covered in tall, amber-colored grass and dotted with sparkling lakes.
"Char! We did it!" Saura shouted jubilantly, tackling his friend a second time. "We fought through a mystery dungeon and lived! Char, you don't know what this means to me. I've been wanting to do that all my life!"
Char laughed with him this time, sharing his joy and relief that they'd made it out alive. Afterwards, they both lounged on the ground and took a well-needed rest, watching the sky as it gradually filled with the scattered colors of sunrise.
"I guess we lost the soldiers," Char said, enjoying the fresh air of the overworld instead of the dank stuffiness of the cave. "I guess you're free."
"Yeah, I guess," Saura said, his smile fading away.
"Well, now what?" Char wondered, still taken aback by his gorgeous surroundings. "If you can't go back home, then where do you want to go next?"
"You're not going anywhere," a new voice rang out from behind them.
Char and Saura turned to see another Pokémon—a Scyther—leap out of the dungeon exit. It was clearly almost as tired and worn as they were.
A Sandslash followed close behind him. They both immediately encircled the dumbfound two, allowing no route of escape.
"NO! YOU!" Saura cried, jumping to his feet. "YOU!"
"Nice idea running us through that mystery dungeon, you two," the Scyther grumbled sarcastically.
"That was not enjoyable," the Sandslash added, "especially after all the dungeons we'd already traversed yesterday, using up the last of our supplies. We were ready to sleep for the day. We were not prepared for that little experience."
"I'm not coming with you!" Saura spat in the Scyther's face, readying his vines to defend himself. But the Scyther responded by leveling one of his silver blades with the tip of his vine, as if to show how he could slice it apart with ease. Saura gulped.
"I'm sorry if you thought otherwise," the Sandslash said, "but I'm afraid you are coming with us."