9: Vengeance

Munna

She nearly forgot to close her eyes. She catches a glimpse of the nauseating world of the ley lines in the Magnagate before sealing her eyes from the sight. The last thing she needed while being followed by a killer is to get sick. Thankfully, she seems mostly ok. No nausea or significant dizziness.

The moment she hears the sound signaling her arrival at the artificial mystery dungeon she dashes away from the Magnagate, wanting to get as much distance between her and Empoleon as possible. Thankfully, Empoleon was not aware of the need to close her eyes for the trip. The emperor Pokemon was preoccupied with trying not to vomit. Good. That means she’s not focused on her.

“Thunder! Let’s go before she recovers!” Munna yells. Thunder is fast to comply, quickly reaching Munna and trying to get as far away from their enemy as possible.

“Things certainly got a bit more interesting, didn’t they?” Thunder says, trying to lighten the mood.

“I actually wouldn’t mind it if it were a monotonous trip, to be honest.” Finally getting a good look at her surroundings Munna notices how there are frequent bodies of water littering the dungeon. And everything has a damp, wet texture to it. “Why is this a water dungeon? Empoleon’s a water type. We really don’t need her to have home field advantage here.”

“Not really something we can control. Let’s just find the exit gate and go.” A hydro pump blast screams past them. Looks like Empoleon has recovered. “Let’s see what damage this does!” Thunder charges an electro ball and lobs it at their attacker. But it barely made her flinch. “Looks like home field advantage is trumping type advantage… That should have knocked her back on her tail feathers!”

“Then maybe a new strategy is in order. One where we avoid her.”

“Might be our only option at this point. I think the corridors ahead are branching. We can use that to lose her.” Munna nods in agreement. They dash toward the corridor entrance. Unfortunately it doesn’t branch as much as they had hoped. It would be too easy for her to nail down her location. Suddenly Thunder stops. Ahead is a large room with valuable orbs and seeds strewn about.

“What? Why’d you stop?”

“Too many valuable things in here. It’s a monster house trap.” That would be a good reason to stop. Monster house rooms like to lure you in with valuable items only to have strong and powerful Pokemon ambush you. Munna has encountered a few before. Never really a fun experience. “Wait… I have an idea. That’s a warp orb there.”

“So…”

“So we lure her in, grab that orb, then hightail the heck out of there.”

“That could work. Let’s just hope it works…”

“Get ready, her she comes.” Sure enough, Empoleon was rounding the corner. Dashing at them at full speed.

“It’s time to face punishment, Munna!” She yells. Munna tenses up as she get closer with each passing second.

“On my mark, sidestep.” Thunder whispers. Munna nods, still terrified by the sight of her charging at her. Getting closer… Closer… Closer… “Now!” The two of them step aside, letting Empoleon walk right into the monster house. Almost immediately a team of Feraligater warp is courtesy of mystery dungeon unpredictability.

“Ah…” One of them says. “Fresh meat. Get her!”

“You son of a-” Empoleon manages to say before engaging her attackers.

“Alright! Let’s go Thunder!” The two of them rush towards the warp orb. The moment Thunder gets ahold of hit, uses it, raising it above his head. Everything flashes white and the two of them are put down in an entirety different room.

“That went better that I expected.” Thunder says, relived. “Now how about we keep moving?”

“Right behind you, Thunder.”

Thunder

The rest of the trip was thankfully uneventful. They exited the dungeon right up to the entrance to the Worldcore. Then they traversed the hot and molten caverns that make it up. Their journey was almost at a close.

“So Thunder.” Munna asks. “What’s the plan when we get to the hill?”

“I’ll wish that the memories about the human were restored. Then I’ll make a judgment on what to do next from there.”

“You’re not just going to wish him back?”

“What if he left for a reason that he can’t come back? Besides, something tells me that bringing him back will require incredible willpower. Hopefully by recalling the memories I can build up a reason to want it that badly.”

“That’s a fair point. Hey, what’s that?” Ahead lies something different from the surroundings. Not lava rock. Not magma. But rather grey stone. A precipice looking over what appears to be the far reaches of the cosmos. As if one was standing on an asteroid floating through space.

“It’s… It’s beautiful.” Thunder stares in awe at the sight. It’s truly amazing to behold. “This must be it. This must be the Hill of Universal Order.” It’s time. It’s finally time to put this mystery to rest.

“Alright Thunder. Let’s do it. Let’s do what we came to do.”

“Alright.” Thunder steps up the the precipice, starting out into the vastness of the starry sight that lie before him. “I wish… I wish to have my memory… Have everyone’s memory… Of the human named Alex restored.” With his words the stars shimmer and dance. Creating a beautiful light show. Thunder focuses on his desire to know, to remember. He must know. He needs to know! Wait… What’s… What is he thinking about? A… Snivy? Falling from the sky? He calls himself Alex… The town… The Bittercold… That was him! And throughout it all he stood by his side… He… He remembers! Alex! His friend! His companion! The one who means the world to him! “Alex… Alex I remember! I remember you! My friend! And I remember how much I miss you… I want you back!”

“I can remember too.” Munna adds. “What I did. And how you forgave me for it. You showed me more compassion that I probably deserved…”

“That doesn’t take much. Since you don’t deserve any in the first place.” No! That’s Empoleon’s voice! She followed them! “So, wish granting hill? Can grant anything given enough willpower?” She says as she walks up to the hill. “Well, I might as well use it. Munna… I wish you would suffer a horrible, painful death!”