4: Stone Hunt

“What was all the commotion back there?” Thunder asked as we departed the inn.

“Just some stupid prank pulled on me.” I replied. “I swear, my tongue has gone numb from that. Anyways. You got everything with Gurrdur sorted out?”

“Yeah. He says that we need to get a bag of shiny stones from Stony Cave as payment.”

“Not to be rude or anything, but if he wants these stones, why not get them himself?”

“I assume it’s because he injured his back so he’s not in the best condition.”

“…”

“What wrong?”

“Something doesn’t add up. He’s a construction worker. If his injury is as bad as you say, why is he offering his services to build our home? That sort of work would be bad for anyone trying to recover from an injury.”

“So… What are you saying?”

“I’m saying keep an eye on him. Something feels off.”

“…if you say so.”

“Anyways, what can you tell me about Stony Cave?”

“It’s one of those mystery dungeons I told you about. Not a very dangerous one, thankfully, but still, keep your wits about you. Wouldn’t want you to be hurt by a hostile Pokemon.”

“So I might get my first taste of combat?”

“It’s likely.”

“Alright then. Lead the way, I suppose.”

Stony Cave itself looked pretty ordinary and unassuming. By all accounts, it was just a cave. “I expected a mystery dungeon to be more… For lack of a better word, mysterious.” I said.

“Never judge a book by it’s cover, Alex. There is more to this place than meets the eye. Come on. Let’s go.” Thunder leads me into the cave. The journey is mostly uneventful. Just exploring and trying to head deeper. Then we came across another Pokemon. A Drillbur, according to Thunder. “It’s your time to shine Alex. Give him what for!”

“You’re serious? You’re just going to drop my into a fight?”

“Don’t worry. Combat comes naturally to a Pokemon. You’ll see. Besides. I’m here if something goes wrong.”

“…Alright.” I take a deep breath. “Let’s do this.” I move up the the Drillbur, who looks absolutely ready to fight. How did I get myself into this? No… No. I need to do this. I need to fight this guy. Let’s go. I rush him and deliver a right hook. In response he bares his claws and swipes them at me. I stay just outside of his strike range. It dawns on me that punches and kicks are not going to do it for me. Wait… Thunder said I was a grass type. So… I have abilities like that… I think about vines trying to get them to extend. All the while the Drillbur continues to try to get me. Soon he gets too close and swipes. But something defects it. What? Was that Thunder? Wait… No… They were vines. Green, slender vines extending from my “shoulders.” How did I…

Never mind, I have them now I might as well use them. I bring my vines to bear on my opponent and crack them like a bullwhip. It definitely hurt him. And it definitely hurt me. Note to self, striking like a bullwhip is a painful idea. I wrapped my vines around the Drillbur, pinning his arms to his sides. I then toss him across the room. He smacks hard against the wall, knocking him out.

“You did it! Your first victory!”

“I… I did. I won. Heh… That was actually sorta fun.”

“But you’re only just starting. You still need a lot of practice.”

“One thing at a time. I want to enjoy the moment”

“I know exactly how you feel. But we still need to keep moving.”

“Right. Lead on, Thunder.”

Soon we reached the deepest point of the cave. What we saw there was… Well… It was really something. There were reflective stones everywhere. They looked almost like jewels.

“Woah…” I said to no one in particular. “This is amazing.”

“I know, right? Hold on while I nab a few stones.”

So I waited patiently for Thunder to finish gathering the stones. I couldn’t help but wonder, how many places like this existed on this planet? (Which everyone seems to refer to as “Pokèmar) And just how many Pokemon are there? There must be hundreds of species that roam the surface. This world is beyond anything I have ever seen in my life. It almost feels like a utopia. But… Then there’s what Thunder said when we entered post town. He talked about how the world was becoming more and more callous. It’s sad, really. No mater where in the universe you go, you can’t escape the cruelty of life.

My train of thought is interrupted when I glance at one of the larger reflective stones and see my reflection. The sight makes me jump. It took me a moment to realize that it was me. This new body is going to take some getting used to.

“Alright, Alex. I got our stones. Let’s head back.”

“Ready when you are. Let’s go build ourselves a home.”

It didn’t take us long to get back to post town. We were just about to enter the inn when a yellow lizard-like Pokemon dashes for the door, knocking over Thunder in the process.

“Oh! I-I’m terribly sorry! I’m j-j-just in a hurry!” And with that, he dashes away.

“What was that all about?” I say as I pull Thunder back up.

“I don’t know, but he sure needs to look where he was going.”

“You ok?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“Then let’s go.”

We enter the cafeteria area, where Gurrdur is waiting for us.

“Ah! There you two are!” He called out. “I was starting to get worried. You got the stones I asked for?”

“Yeah.” Thunder replied. “I’ll just get them…” Thunder reaches into his bag. His expression changes to one of surprise, then of mild fear. “What? I… I knew I… Where did…”

“Thunder?” I questioned. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s the stones. They’re gone.”