Nightshade

The deep shade from the trees above created the perfect conditions for unconscious dozing off. Unfortunately, going from nothing, to a dull pressure behind the forehead, to a massive headache is usually enough to wake anybody from comatose. The drowsy newcomer to the murky Mystery Dungeon gripped onto his head with shaky paws; this was the worst migraine he’d ever had in his life, at least… that he could remember. As the Pokémon thought through his pain, he realized it was not just the only migraine he could remember: it was one of the only things he could remember at all.

Standing to his fours, the frazzled insomniac took a series of deep breaths. He was only stranded in the middle of an ivy ridden forest with not a memory to his name, certainly no reason to panic. The Pokémon looked down at his little black paws and flexed them, watching the claws slide in and out of them. They felt unnatural— almost everything about this body did.

There was a small pool of water near the Pokémon’s resting spot. A drink from the pond would help alleviate the headache; but his tongue was halted by the gaze of his reflection. Big, yellow eyes pierced his soul, ones that both were yet were not his. Whatever he was before, it didn’t matter; he was a Litten now.

Litten… That name came to him naturally once he’d seen himself. A few ideas started to click in his mind, but piecing things together at a rapid pace wouldn’t do him much good. He needed to take things one realization at a time. He knew what a Litten was and also knew that he wasn’t supposed to be one. However, how could he have possibly been anything else?

Of note was also the shining, golden ring that decorated his neck. The Litten tugged at it slightly using one of his forepaws, but the necklace seemed to lack any conceivable way to remove it from his throat. He surmised rather quickly that this piece of jewelry would not be coming off any time soon.

He took a few deep breaths while inspecting the rippled mirror. It was a peculiar feeling– existing in a form that wasn’t oneself, but the dread brought by the surrounding woods was more than enough to shift his priorities. Once the Litten overcame the strange sense of unease, he allowed himself a refreshing drink of pond water. The pain in his head subsided a little, which gave way to the ability of reason. Memories or no memories, it would probably be a good idea to find his way out of this forest.

First, he had to get used to walking on four legs. Letting it come naturally was the way to go, even if it meant he wasn’t going very fast. The Litten smiled to himself once he got the hang of it, realizing that his tail was key to balance helped a great deal with his walk. This is easy!

That was, until, he was toppled over by another Pokémon rushing him. While the Litten made an attempt to scramble back to his feet, a Shroomish with piercing red eyes staring back at him as he flailed. “H-” This was the first time he attempted to speak, and his voice cracked meekly. He cleared his throat before trying to talk again. “Hey! What’s the big deal?”

The Shroomish didn’t respond with words, only an angry growl of discontent. The Litten took a step back, feeling his nerves rise again. This other Pokémon wanted to fight, but the Litten made another pathetic attempt at diplomacy. “I’m sorry, really. Whatever I did, I didn’t mean to do it. I have no memory, and I’m very lost. Could you please–”

The Shroomish started to emit a light green glow from its mouth before small orbs of light began to pop out of the Litten. It felt like his energy was being sapped away… if only slightly. Whatever Shroomish was doing, Litten needed it to stop before he was back to being unconscious. He looked around the forest floor and saw a rather large stick. Picking it up clumsily with one paw, he managed to curl his claws around the twig to hold it tight. Pathetically holding his body up with three other legs, Litten chucked it right at the Shroomish’s head– making the agitated Pokémon stop the Absorb attack.

“Haha! That’ll teach ya!”

The Shroomish shrugged off the damage pretty quickly. Litten’s ears flattened against his head, and he decided the best course of action… was now running away. He sprinted the opposite direction, his escape lasting only a few moments before he stumbled over his own feet and tripped into a lush underbrush. The thorns tore and snagged at his fur as he rolled through the thick vines. The downhill tumble ended in a pile of dried leaves.

Litten’s bones ached, deterring him from getting back up. However, he also didn’t want to risk an even nastier Pokémon finding him in this state. He shakily stood to his feet, listening to the surrounding woods for a moment to make sure there were no other Pokémon around before creeping through the roots and undergrowth.

The stealthier approach seemed to do the trick, as no other weirdly frenzied Pokémon could spot the little cat through the thick shrubbery. Beyond the spikey leaves, he could see other Pokémon strolling about the paths. The Litten watched as a single Rattata marched along, its eyes glazed with that same fury that had possessed the Shroomish from before, bumping into skulking Wurmple. The two creatures hissed at each other briefly, but quickly continued on their separate ways. I thought these Pokémon were irrationally monstrous, or at least mostly feral… Why are they marching around like soldiers?

The Litten shook his head and regained his focus, returning to trudging through the darkened woods. As he moved deeper into the Dungeon, everything was getting noticeably more dangerous. The hostile Pokémon around him appeared stronger; evolved Pokémon like Ivysaur and Beedrill roamed about threateningly. Litten figured it was too late to turn back; that, even if he was going the wrong direction, it would be smarter to keep moving forwards.

His ears perked up when he thought he heard someone yell. The Litten crept faster through the forest towards the noise, an innate sense of bravery taking hold. He broke out of a small tunnel of roots and into a larger grotto, spotting a Pikachu engaged in combat with a Tangela. The Tangela had her held in its freaky teal vines, gripping her tightly in a Bind attack. The Pikachu yelled again, “H-help me! Someone, please!” Hearing the Pikachu speak real words was the perfect reassurance that she wasn’t like the other Pokémon he had seen so far, so he rushed in to help.

The Litten searched the grotto frantically for any way to save her, but couldn’t come up with anything fast enough. Tangela was gripping her tighter and tighter– there was no more time to waste. Litten charged out of the foliage and recklessly threw his body at the opposing Pokémon. The Tangela made an awful shriek as it was toppled over, and dropped the Pikachu to the ground.

Now that she was free to move about, the Pikachu sped towards the already weakened Tangela and slammed it with a Quick Attack. Litten watched as she stood her ground against the frightening Grass Type, hitting it with yet another Quick Attack while she still could. The Tangela made a strange hiss as it got back to its feet. The Pikachu looked at the Litten and waved her arms frantically.

“Don’t just stand there! Attack it! Ain’t you a Fire Type? Get ’em!”

Litten’s eyes widened. “Y-you say that, but…” The Litten took a short moment, attempting to stir some sort of power within him– but it was no use. “I don’t know any Fire moves!”

“You what?! You’re a Litten!” She dodged a sweeping vine by rolling closer to her rescuer. “At least help me fight this thing!”

“Y-yeah, right. Okay.” Litten looked back at the rampaging Tangela and racked his brain for any ounce of instinct involving moves. However, he once again couldn’t feel anything. The claws wouldn’t slide out of his paws, there was no fiery spark within him… nothing. He called out frantically, “I don’t know any moves!”

The Pikachu’s cheeks sparked as she gave an exasperated breath, “How do you not know any moves?!”

“I– I don’t know! I don’t remember!”

The Pikachu growled to herself as she blasted the Tangela with a Thunder Shock, but the Grass Type absorbed the blow. “Well, if you can think of anything at all, do it!”

Pikachu became fully engaged with the Tangela again, leaving the Litten alone to steep in his shame. She was pretty rude to him considering he had just rescued her from that nasty Bind, but a Pokémon not knowing any moves was peculiar enough to sound like an irritating lie. Tangela slammed Pikachu into a tree using a Vine Whip, making Litten jump vertically in a startled fit. She looked really hurt…

Tangela was getting closer to her, and the Litten recognized that same energy glow Shroomish did while using Absorb. However, this looked much stronger. Pikachu wouldn’t be able to resist a nasty Mega Drain like that, and, in another sudden act of bravery, Litten picked up a hefty rock and threw it at the back of Tangela’s head. The vine monster turned and growled.

“Leave her alone!” The Litten called as he picked up another rock and chucked it even harder. This time, it hit the Pokémon’s face. That rock must have hit it square on the noggin, because it sent the Tangela down to the ground. The grotto went still, the silence only interrupted by a loud sigh of relief.

“It fainted… whew…” The Pikachu got back up to her feet. “Thanks a bunch… You may not know Ember or nothin’, but you’re pretty clever!” The Pikachu smiled and held out a hand. “My name’s Melrose! But, most people call me Mel or Rosie.”

The Litten set his own paw in Melrose’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you… I wish I could introduce myself properly, but I hardly remember anything.” His ears tucked back against his head as the Litten realized that hardly sounded believable. “I seriously woke up in this strange place only a little while ago. I don’t even remember my name.”

Melrose tilted her head. “Huh, that’s mighty strange…” She mulled that fact over for a second, and slowly a trace of excitement cracked through her face. “A Litten who don’t know no moves, or his name, or anything? Am I right?”

“Yeah, that’s… what I’ve been telling you.”

Melrose squealed with delight. “Oh my Arceus, you must be a Human!” She shook Litten’s paw even harder. “I can’t believe it! I can’t believe I’m meeting an actual, real human, like all the legends say!” Her cheeks sparkled excitedly, which accidentally gave the Litten a static shock. “I have to take you back to the farm. This is so unreal! Nate is gonna flip his–”

“Whoa whoa whoa! Slow down!” Litten put a paw up against Melrose’s mouth. “You’re spitting a lot of information all at once to an amnesiac. Human? I mean. I don’t remember anything, and realizing I was a Litten felt super weird, but you’re assuming a lot just because I don’t have any memories!”

“C’mon, now.” The Pikachu rolled her eyes playfully. “Every human in every legend wakes up without any memory. That’s like, the whole deal!” Melrose giggled as she finally let go of Litten’s paw. “Plus, a human wouldn’t really know how to use Pokémon moves, I think.” She nodded to herself. “There isn’t really a better explanation.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s the right answer.” He sighed, watching as the Pikachu’s expression refused to fade from excitement.

“We need to get out of this Dungeon so I can introduce you to all my friends and family! I’m sure my papa will assure you that I’ve got this whole mystery solved!” Melrose announced, paying no attention to her supposedly human friend’s misgivings. The Pikachu pointed at a gap in the wall of the grotto, leaking through with light. “I think that’s the way out! Let’s get going, Human Boy!”

“Hah… Please, don’t call me that…”

Melrose was already on her way, unintentionally ignoring the poor Litten. Getting out of this uncomfortable forest was his original plan, and having a partner at his side would be much better than going at it solo. Though, it was a little scary that the Pikachu was so insistent on introducing him to more Pokémon so suddenly. He trotted slowly after her, unknowingly leaving a glowing white Tangela behind him.

“So, this here is a Mystery Dungeon.” Melrose started to explain. “Specifically, this is Nightshade Grove. The only time us farmers need to come through this place is to chase off frenzied Rattata who encroach on our crop.” Melrose smiled to herself.

“So then, what exactly are you doing here?” Litten tilted his head. He could just barely catch Melrose’s face light up.

“O-oh! Right, yeah, well… about that…” She laughed, covering up her inability to hastily come up with an excuse. Litten raised an eyebrow at her, which made the Pikachu’s ears droop. “I ain’t so good at lying… I wanted to prove I could make it to the end.” The Litten’s confused expression prompted her to continue. “I wanna be an Explorer, so I’m trying to get into our kingdom’s best school for training exploration teams! It’s kinda hard for Pokémon like me to get in, but I’ve stayed real optimistic about it! Though, I don’t think the rest of the farm folk feel the same way about it…” Her tail now joined her ears in the drooping process.

“I see.” The Litten tried to give her a sympathetic look, ” I’m sorry, Melrose. I bet that doubt made you start to feel doubt too, huh?”

The Pikachu nodded her head. “That Tangela would have pummeled me if you didn’t show up. Maybe I’m really not cut out for it like I thought I was.”

“Don’t say that! You did a great job in battle, as far as I’m concerned. Plus, fighting other Pokémon doesn’t seem like it has a lot to do with exploring places.”

Melrose sighed dejectedly. “You’d be surprised.”

The Litten laughed. “Apparently, I don’t remember anything! I’m pretty sure I’ll be surprised by almost any possible fact you could throw at me.” He proposed while gesturing a paw out to the world around them.

Melrose smiled and soon laughed, the pep returning to her step. “I can think of a few things that probably ain’t a surprise to ya! Like, how ’bout this. The farm I live on… grows APPLES!”

Litten, making a pretend expression of shock, pointed a trembling paw at the Pikachu’s apple patterned scarf before letting out an exaggerated gasp. “No way!”

The two of them laughed amongst themselves, enjoying a moment of bliss before a loud roar erupted from behind them. Both their ears flattened down as they looked back at the terrifyingly large Tangrowth, who was rapidly gaining on them. Melrose grabbed the Litten’s whiskers and pulled them down– looking right into his eyes. “RUN!”

The two Pokémon booked it towards the next section of the Mystery Dungeon, dodging the series of Ancient Powers getting chucked at them. A stray stone slammed into a wild Rattata, knocking it out instantly. Litten hissed loudly, “Whatever you do, don’t get hit by those Ancient Powers!”

“Thanks! I would never have thought of that!”

The both of them charged into a clearing, which appeared to be a dead end. Backs against a thick tangle of vines and ivy, Melrose and Litten stared up at the approaching monster. The Pikachu attacked it with a Thunder Shock, but the Tangrowth was completely unfazed. Litten trembled as the large, magical rock was lifted into the air above him.

Suddenly, a breeze like no other started to whip up at Tangrowth. The Pokémon shielded itself with its arms, but it was far from enough to keep the beastly mass of plants from blowing away in the Whirlwind. A Tropius flew in from the canopy above, and Melrose’s eyes glittered. Before Litten could ask any questions, the Tropius landed in front of the two little Pokémon.

“Girl, you’re in a world of trouble!” The Tropius gave Melrose a small glare, but was chuckling to himself while watching his daughter rub the back of her head timidly. “Get on my back, darling. Your little friend, too.”

Melrose hopped onto the Tropius. “How did you know he was my friend?”

“There ain’t no frenzied Littens in Nightshade Grove.”

“Ah-hah! Good point.” Melrose looked down at the Litten and smiled. “Don’t worry none! This is my Papa, Gaius! He’ll take us back safely to Happy Apple Farm!”

Litten glanced up at the large Pokémon, craning his neck to get a good look at his face. Tropius motioned with his head towards his back, where Melrose was already sitting, and Litten hesitated before also climbing up onto Gaius. It wasn’t as easy for him to hop up onto the Tropius as it was for Melrose. Gaius took off carefully, making sure the two little ones were secure on his back before picking up speed. Litten held on tightly to his leaf covered body.

The flying Pokémon was keeping as close to the ground as he could, but Litten’s heart was still pounding. He couldn’t really tell why; it wasn’t like he was scared. It was thrilling to be up in the air like this, to see the top of all these trees and the distant Farmhouse. If it wasn’t for the all-too-real feeling of the wind on his face, the Litten probably would have thought this was all a dream.