Dungeon 20 – Right Back Where We Started From
by NavarThe sound of hooves tapping on the ground filled the air as a Zebstrika ran on a road at midday, behind him was a carriage that contained three Pokémon.
“Two weeks. I can’t believe it!” Brian looked through the window, the wind blowing the Zoroark’s long mane. “Dad’s gonna be so surprised, we both evolved!”
“Yeah,” Lance nodded, reading a letter. “I guess he must have heard about our little adventures at Bright Dawn.”
On the other side of the wagon, a Croagunk was watching the conversation amused, his teeth showing. It had been a while since Gama last saw the kids, and it seemed that they grew a lot.
“What did y’all do in that town? I assume you’ve fought a lot, considering the evolutions!” The Poison-type asked, grinning.
“We took down some mercenaries, alongside the mayor and a guildmaster,” Lance sighed, prepared for his brother’s reaction.
Brian dropped his ears, sitting on the vehicle. A victory happened, yes, but now without a cost. Even if they were criminals, the Zoroark couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. Perhaps in other circumstances, they could have been allies.
Gama gulped, deciding to try and change the subject. “W-Well, did you know we went to Treasure Town?! I’ll tell ya! WIgglytuff’s guild is as eccentric as always!”
“Oh, really?” Brian gave a faint smile. “I’ve heard about their newest graduates. Apparently, they’re a couple, and it’s so nice!”
“Maybe one day we’ll meet them. Although I don’t think I can stand that pink furball,” Lance frowned, putting the letter in his backpack. Now that he was a Lucario, he needed a bigger bag.
Marty suddenly stopped walking. “Sorry to interrupt, but we have arrived! The city of Thornwell is now in front of us!”
“Well, it looks like this is where we part ways!” Gama laughed. “Well, not really, since we’re here, Marty and I might as well buy some stuff for us.”
“You do you,” Lance nodded, taking some coins and handing them to the Croagunk. “Brian, let’s go.”
The duo got out of the vehicle, heading into the streets of the town they were born in. Lance checked all the villagers, and as he thought, they were just like he knew. Brian, while walking, waved to everyone with a large grin. Eventually, both stopped in front of their house.
“We’re here,” Brian said, adjusting the goggles on his forehead. “Right back where we started from!”
“Are you serious…?” Lance grumbled. “You were waiting to say that song’s name?”
“Hehe,” he smirked. “Well little brother, it’s a good song!”
“I hate you.”
“We both know you don’t!” Brian showed his tongue, walking to the door and knocking.
Nick yawned. After finally finishing that long mission, he could see his kids. The Lucario got up from his bed, climbing down the stairs. Unlike a normal member of his species, Nick had whitish fur, a sign of his older age.
“I’m coming!” He screamed, opening the door.
“Heya, dad!” Brian grinned, getting pulled into a hug.
“How are you doing, son?” Nick smiled, his tail swishing. The Lucario looked back, seeing Lance.
“Hello, father.”
“I’m proud of both of you” Nick pulled away from the hug, checking his sons’ new forms.
“We had a few obstacles along the way,” Lance shrugged. “I-“
“Oh, we’re gonna have a lot of time to catch up, dad!” Brian interrupted, storming into his house.
“I can see your brother seems energetic as usual,” Nick laughed. “And you, Lance? Are you okay?”
“I’m gonna tell you inside…” He nodded, following the Zoroark.
Inside the Hero guild, a Sceptile was walking along the hall. Besides him was a female Snorunt, who stared at that unknown place, paying attention to the surroundings. She could see several rooms and a few Pokémon strolling around, some holding mission papers in their hands. Overall, she thought that place was beautiful.
“Meggie,” The Grass-type said, looking at her. “This is a guild my friends made. Considering your… Peculiar condition, it might be a good place to start.”
“T-Thanks, Mr. Yukino!” She gasped, the small female wasn’t sure of what to do, but she didn’t have other options.
“It’s not a problem, really!” Yukino grinned, a sense of pride filling his chest.
“Well, Yukino’s being responsible?! This gotta be a surprise!” From behind them, a Swampert approached, a huge grin on his face. He was wearing an engagement ring on one of his fingers, alongside a fedora on his head.
“A-Ah! Hello, mister Shiron!” Meggie nodded, backing away.
“Nice to see you again, Meggie! Did this lazy bun scare you?” Shiron smirked, looking at the Sceptile.
“Keep that up and I’ll slap you with grass,” Yukino retorted.
“Well, my husband’s a Chesnaught, I already have enough grass for my whole life!” Shiron said.
“Anyway, I was actually looking for you. You see, Meggie’s-“
“I’m a human!” The Snorunt answered, blushing. She covered her own face with the fur coat.
“Oh? Another human? Well, welcome to the club, Meggie!” Shiron gave her a wink.
“Regardless, we need to find a way for her to adjust to this world,” Yukino pondered, looking at the Ice-type.
“Nick said his kids were coming for a visit, how about we invite her to their exploration team?”
“Excuse me!” Meggie blinked at that, annoyed at someone making the decisions for her. “I can decide for myself! For starters, what’s an exploration team?”
“Well, we can at least go into their house, and I’ll tell you on the way!” Yukino sighed, walking towards the exit.
Nick put some Slowpoke tails on a frying pan, heating it up. He had a fire oven, and as such, was cooking the food there, the aroma filling the air around him, alongside the crackling noise of the burning wood. His kids, on the other hand, were sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for lunch to be done.
“So! In two weeks, you arrested the mayor, a guildmaster, and three mercenaries?” Nick said with a smile, checking the food to make sure it wouldn’t burn.
“Pretty much…” Brian dropped his ears, sighing.
Lance looked at his brother with a frown. “Well, not only that. We rescued a Zebstrika and took down a Luxray and his minions.”
Nick smiled, putting their lunch on plates at the table, sitting on a chair. He looked at them, they were his pride and joy.
“By the way, where’s mom?” Brian questioned, cutting some of the meal with a knife.
“Amelia is having an appointment with a patient right now, so we’ll have to wait until she gets back,” Nick answered, eating a bite of the tail.
“Aww, I wanted to tell her about our adventures!” Brian pouted when he heard the door knocking again, and went there to answer it.
Shiron was on the other side, holding a box with sweets on it. Alongside him were the Sceptile and Snorunt. The female looked down, blushing. Being in an unknown world was bad enough, and now she had to see some Pokémon she never even met before. Well, except for Nick.
“Hey, uncles! And you, I don’t think we’ve been introduced!” Brian waved to the Ice-type, and she just nodded. “I’m Brian, Brian Williams! Nice to meet ya!”
“My name is… Meggie, I think.”
“You think… What?” Brian tilted his head. “That doesn’t even make sense, what do you mean?”
“There are a few things we need to discuss,” Shiron sighed, looking at everyone. “It’s best if we go inside.
As they got into the house, Meggie was impressed by how clean and comfortable it looked, giving a sense of nostalgia that she couldn’t stop feeling.
“Who’s that?” Lance, having finished his meal, stood up, gazing directly at the Snorunt.
“Oh, I see you brought her here, alright. Nice to see you again, Meggie,” Nick said with a smile, still on the chair.
Lance eyed all the other Pokémon. From what he could gather, Meggie met his father and uncles at their mission, and she seemed to not know where she was. Perhaps amnesia was the answer? He decided to watch where the scene would go.
“Lance, Brian, I understand you have questions,” Yukino said, crossing his arms. “During our mission at the kingdom of Cydonia, we found… her.”
Meggie blushed, all she wanted right now were answers to who she was and where she came from, but all those Pokémon started to overwhelm her to the point she started shaking.
“Clearly, she’s not liking this.” Lance nodded, his feelers twitching as he sensed Meggie’s aura.
“That’s exactly where you two are needed,” Shiron said. “Well, the truth is-“
“I’M A HUMAN!” Meggie screamed, panting heavily, despite being relieved of that confession.
As expected, Brian’s eyes widened, and he kept staring at Meggie in complete disbelief, trying to see if his father or uncles would say anything to deny that.
Lance staggered, confused at that revelation. “A-A human? But those are myths! A funny little story for children!”
Nick shook his head in denial. “Not really, well… Shiron is also a human.”
To that, Brian gasped, looking at the Swampert. For all intents and purposes, Shiron looked like a regular Pokémon, so where did that come from?
“…Nick is correct. I came from the human world,” he shrugged.
“How?! How is this possible?! Are you telling me you became a Mudkip?!” Lance took a moment to breathe, pointing at the Swampert. “But what about all of the stories you told me when Brian and I were kids?!”
Shiron sighed. He was hoping that the boys would believe him and help that girl find her answers to the big questions she was asking herself.
“When I first arrived here, I woke up without memories-“
“I found him on the beach and decided that I needed to do something to help Shiron,” Nick continued his friend’s sentence.
Lance stopped, checking all of their auras. Apparently, they were telling the truth, even if it seemed like the ramblings of a mad mon. The younger Lucario sighed.
“Very well. I assume you want us to help that human?” Lance asked, looking at his father.
Meggie approached Lance, looking straight at his eyes, in an attempt to convince him.
“I… Don’t know where I came from, so yes, please, I want to join your team!” Meggie nodded, giving a faint smile.
Brian clenched his fists and laughed. That was funny, of course, he would help! It was his job, after all.
“Alright, Meggie, right? Welcome to Team Liberators!” The Zoroark gave her a thumbs-up.
“Indeed. I can see that you must be confused,” Lance looked at her, forcing a smile. “We’ll help you, alright?”
“T-Thanks…” She said, blushing.
After that was settled, Brian remembered the other huge information he received.
“Also, Uncle Shiron! You don’t remember anything too?!” Brian turned his gaze to the Swampert, who nodded.
“For now, let’s relax, I’m sure you’ll need it, all of you,” Nick smiled, picking the finished plates.
The brothers’ journey seemed to be heading towards a new direction…
A huge arena was the place where a Garchomp could be seen, it was in a combat position, preparing to strike its opponent, a Dragonite, who trembled, cornered into a wall. The Garchomp was wearing a collar with a pattern similar to its body. The area around them was large, and yet it felt empty, containing only a speaker on the ceiling.
“Number 17. You may initiate the fight whenever you want,” a voice coming from the radio spoke, ending the sentence with a laugh.
“…Understood,” the Dragon grinned.
“D-Derek, please! We were friends, I-I…” The Dragonite screamed, trying to reason with the other Pokémon.
“I’m sorry, Aster,” Derek said with a smile. “Wait, no, I’m not.”
The Garchomp touched the stone on his neck, and his body was enveloped in a pink glow. Derek laughed, his arms began to change shape, turning into scythes, and five spikes protruded from his chest.
“This is amazing!” The now Mega Garchomp screamed in ecstasy, licking his lips as he stared at his prey.
“D-Derek!” Aster opened his mouth, releasing a freezing energy beam towards the Mega Pokémon.
The Garchomp grinned, a protective barrier surrounding him and preventing the attack. His large, clawed arms glowed blue and he sliced through the air, two blades of energy going towards the Dragonite.
“Hell no! I’m not gonna get killed by that!” He flapped his wings, disappearing at an incredible speed, dodging the Dragon Claw.
After Aster finished dodging, he sighed in relief. That momentary distraction was all that was needed, as Derek roared, filling the area with a sandstorm and blocking the Dragonite’s view. “A-Argh, what the fuck?! Derek! Please, I don’t want to die!”
Number 17 ignored that. His prey was in a perfect position for a strike, and he wanted to end that pathetic struggle. Aster was panting, looking all around in an attempt to find where the next move would come from. His heart was palpitating and he trembled.
“And now, for the next step!” Derek thought, a grin spreading on his face. His claws dripped with a purple poison and he slashed the air, throwing it into the Dragonite.
Aster screamed, falling to the ground. He felt his body ache in pain, the toxins corroding the orange scales he possessed. Despite his efforts, the Dragonite couldn’t move. Panic set itself in his brain as he frantically tried to get out of whatever that place was.
A voice spoke from the radio, followed by the sound of claps. “Well done, number 17! I’m impressed!”
“Thank you, boss!” Derek laughed, enjoying every bit of that hunt.
Aster got worse. His breathing was slowing down, the venom was killing him, and to add insult to injury, he couldn’t do anything to stop it.
“I do wish you could have done this faster, perhaps it is time for the big finale?”
“I agree, doctor Morgan…” Derek approached the Dragonite and, in a single slash, finished the job.
Derek left the arena, taking some of the sand off his body. Another fight well done. Right in front of him was a Gallade, who stared at the Garchomp with a faint smile, a notebook in his hand.
“I have to admit, my work seems to be complete,” Morgan spoke. “And it only took seventeen test subjects!”
“Am I really a subject if I’m doing it willingly?” Derek grinned, walking alongside Morgan.
“Of all the seventeen, you have the most potential for me,” the Gallade grinned, checking a few notes he had. “You used to be the second, but I can tell you’ve grown a lot!”
“Second…?” The Garchomp frowned. “Who was the first?”
“A Riolu, but in the end, he wasn’t good enough. Oh well. I doubt he is even alive anymore.”
“Gotcha. What is our next step then, doctor?”
Morgan stopped and smiled, the expression of pure joy. The question was one he was hoping to get, so he could answer it properly.
“Now that I have successfully recreated Mega Evolution on this primitive world… Time to make our preparations. We are going to visit a certain tree…”
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