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Chapter Text

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Rescuing Reality

Prologue

It was dark and cold. For sounds all that could be heard was a slight wind like a whistle or a heavy breathing.

Then a voice cut through the darkness.

“Open your eyes.”

There was a stirring in the darkness.

“I need you to open your eyes.”

A voice groaned and slowly blinked open brown eyes.

“Good, now get up.”

The voice groaned again and then mustering strength the figure propped itself up and looked around for the speaker.

“Good work but take it slow you need to adjust to your new form.”

The figure looked around curiously and only saw a cave, water dripping from the stalagmites above him but then his gaze dropped to a small red box sitting on the ground.

“Ah… Yes, that’s for you.”

The figure tried to move its body to stands on its legs but found they wouldn’t move. He felt his body twitching and heard slight thumps in response.

Twisting his body, the figure tried to do something and felt the appendages propping him up slip and he felt his face hit the stone floor wincing as loose gravel moved with it!

“Ahh…” He cried.

Opening his eyes, he groaned and stared crossly at the appendages that had slipped and then he blanched.

He was staring at something long and blue with short white lines at the ends. It took him a second to realize they were flippers.

His eyes went wide as he whimpered, the realization having a hard time settling in.

Slowly propping himself up on his flippers once more he looked around but not for the box.

Spotting a small puddle, he managed to lumber over to it and stare at himself.

Small blue appendages on his head like ears, a pale blue ruff around his neck seemingly made of his skin and it was attached. A short white snout with a pink nose at the end. A long blue tail with a flipper to each side.

Somehow the figure knew he was a popplio, a pokemon.

“But that’s impossible” he finally said aloud “I’m human.” The popplio blinked “how did I know that?” He asked himself aloud. He knew, he was a human, he knew what pokemon were, he knew…

The popplio gasped and whimpered, he moved a flipper to try and hold his head but stumbled and fell once more losing support. Staying rigid for a moment the little pokemon just dealt with the reality of the situation knowing that he knew what pokemon were, that was he human, and a bunch of other stuff.

But yet… he didn’t even know his own name.

Chapter Text

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Rescuing Reality

Chapter One

A Very Unsettling Start

The popplio just laid there.

His head hurt slightly and in all honesty he just did not know what to do.

Eventually though the popplio came back to himself with a gasp as for a moment he forgot to breath.

And breathing was the only thing the little pokemon did for a few second before he felt stable enough to handle the situation.

Slowly getting up and looking around the Popplio spotted the red box from earlier and looking down at his flippers he took a deep breath and managed to albeit unsteadily make his way over to the box and being careful not to unbalance himself again he used one of his flippers to open the box.

The inside on the box was rather plain but that didn’t really matter as it was what sat at the bottom that mattered.

It was a simple enough thing. A silver white disc with a line going across its middle horizontally stopping only where a round cloudy crystal sat dead center. To the left and right with little silver wings and on the top was a round piece that a piece of cord looped through it.

Suddenly the voice he heard before spoke up in his head.

Yes, that is for you. It’s your emblem. It only has so much use for now, I was only able to install a few features in it… But that might not be a bad thing!

The popplio tilted his head to the side as he asked “install?”

Somehow he knew the voice let out a sigh it doesn’t matter now. You can hang your emblem around your neck if you like.

The popplio again being careful not to unbalance himself picked up the cord and took the emblem in his flipper and gasped as he heard a voice say in his head again.

Emblem Owner Registered. Functions online.

The popplio blinked as the crystal in the emblem turned blue. For some reason he knew that that statement had come from the emblem. It wasn’t sentient but it seemed to be capable of letting certain things be known.

After another moment he slipped the cord over his head.

Then the far wall against the cave dissolved and sunlight rushed through.

“Ack!” The popplio threw a flipper up to protect his face and ended up face planting into the ground… again.

He just lay there for a moment before groaning and getting up as the female voice said I’m sorry about that. I truly wish I could be there with you… but I can’t. All I can tell you now is that you’re needed but… the situation is complicated. So for now just live and forces of the world willing things will work out.

The popplio swallowed and after a moment went back to that slight flopping movement to get outside.

Blinking in the bright light the popplio looked around. The cave mouth he stood at opened onto what could be described as a plateau or a valley.

For the most part it was grassy plains going off until it cut off into clouds. There was a forest covering a small part of it. To his right the cave he had been in was part of a mountain that went with more mountains leading into the distance and bordering the forest too.

To the right the mountains sloped down and formed some sort of depression in the ground.

“Huh” the popplio said after a moment.

Then his attention was caught by something up in the sky.

It wasn’t a cloud that was for sure it was long and thin and coiling like a snake it appeared to be mostly black but some of its protrusions sticking out were gold. Then by its front was a glow beginning to shine like a star.

For some reason the sight filled the popplio with dread. Then the body part by the star reared back and the star became a brilliant beam of light that shot across the sky and went for the mountain range nearby.

After hitting the beam creating a spot like a glow before it thinned out and the glow faded.

For a moment nothing happened.

Then there was a boom. The popplio watched with wide scared eyes as in the distance the mountain let loose rocks as part of it collapsed and a cloud rose into the air.

The popplio looked towards the figure which still hovered there and after a moment noticed two pinpoints of light from where that beam came from and after a moment realized they were eyes!

Dread filled the little water type and all the popplio could think was he had to get away.

Leaping he bounded down the hill slipping and sliding as times but she stumbled and hopped along heading for the forest and soon enough tall tress obscured the skies.

After getting to cover the popplio realized that if that thing or pokemon let loose that attack the trees wouldn’t do much good.

It wasn’t much comfort so feeling very unsettled the popplio headed on.

Being careful the little guy moved around and then stopped hearing a new voice.

“Gah! Why won’t you guys leave me alone?!”

The popplio stopped then from ahead of him he watched mystified as a little brown and white bird, its arms full of objects ran by. Then a group of pokemon that resembled nothing more than a stampeding dust cloud zoomed by after her.

The popplio blinked and after a moment he slowly hopped along and looked after the direction the runner and the mob had gone.

Looking in that direction the popplio blinked at the sight of the colossal log that sat ahead of him.

Hallowed out the thing formed a sort of tunnel and yet curiously enough there was no sign of the other pokemon he’d just seen anywhere.

He looked left.

He looked right.

Nothing plain was there to be seen.

Cautiously he moved forward a few inches. Then a few feet.

Nothing happened. The popplio moved forward again looking around every which way but down. So as a result he didn’t see the branch until it was too late.

Stumbling over it the popplio tumbled head over heels with a roll and reached the opening of the log and went through and to anyone watching he vanished into thin air.

For the popplio all he saw was darkness for a moment and in that darkness his emblem “spoke up” once more.

Mystery Dungeon entered. Switching to Tier Two Inventory and Map Functions.

Then there was light and the popplio found himself somewhere new.

Chapter Text

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Rescuing Reality

Chapter Two

Navigating through the Strange

Forager Woods F1

The popplio blinked at the sunlight around him. He stood in a large square of dirt with a few patches of grass here and there. The square was bordered by bushes big and small with tree just beyond them and green light and plants beyond obscured anything else from sight.

The popllio moved for the bushes to try and go deeper into the forest but as he tried to push past them he found he couldn’t.

He blinked in surprise. There didn’t seem to be anything stopping him and yet he couldn’t get through. The popplio looked at his body and thought for a moment and then bracing both flippers on the ground he pushed and managed to heave himself off the ground and stand on his tail and hind flippers.

The popplio managed to unsteadily hop or wobbled over to the bushes rearing forward where he rebounded against the air and proceeded to hit the ground.

“Oof!” The popplio went. He laid there for a few seconds before he braced both flippers on the ground and propped himself up with a groan. He may be getting better at moving like this but he was still not used to this.

He sighed and then looked around before pausing on the far side of the line of bushes was a gap. Crawling over to it he looked into it and saw a path lined with bushes stretching before him cast in shadow by taller bushes and trees casting their reacher over it.

The popplio looked at the “wall” then the opening and cautiously half-expecting to hit something invisible again but this time he passed the wall and was able to enter the path as he passed into the cooler shade. He looked at the bushes lining the path and raising a flipper (being careful not to get himself to faceplant again) he put it above the path and found it sliding against some invisible force as it slid down.

The popplio frowned as it returned to earth and he adjusted his stance. He frowned at the “wall” for a few more seconds before looking at the path ahead of him and remembered why he entered this strange place to begin with.

Going down the path he saw a sunlit opening into what looked like another clearing one the popplio hesitated at and tried to look into before slowly entering.

It looked to be larger the last “room” he had been in. Directly across from him was another opening and the poppilo smiled and began to make his way over.

However halfway there he paused picking up on another presence in the room and halting sharply he turned his head and stared at the dark yellow-green figure standing upright in the grass. It oval shaped to a point with its lower end tapering down with aard body, and two black lines for eyes showing that it was sleeping. The Popplio just stood there frozen staring at it then his mind supplied him with a name for the creature. Kakuna.

Swallowing the popplio turned and headed for the opening quickly but he hadn’t done more than just enter the pathway when there was a bird right in his face that made a noise of surprise at him.

The popplio reared back slightly in shock before something him caused him to hurl his weight forward, clench his teeth, and growl at the bird. And that growl carried some sort of power to it as the bird almost shied away at it before like him it came back to itself and narrowed its eyes at it and much like his growl the move carried some sort of power to it as they glinted while doing so.

The popplio felt himself shy away now before like the bird before him he found himself returning to his earlier stance.

After a moment he tentatively asked “can, can you speak?”

The bird (spearow his mind supplied) proceeded to squawk at him and tried to peck him its beak flashing causing the popplio to yelp and duck down dodging the attack a dodge he had to replicate when the spearow moved downwards prompting him to roll to the side and looking at the spearow in a panic.

Then from his throat he felt something building up and in sheer panic coughed it out in and was astonished as a stream of water emerged and splashed the spearow right in the face the glow around its beak fading as it squawked in surprise.

The popplio stared at the moment before running off of instinct he found himself getting up and throwing himself at the bird and much like when he growled that move seemed to carry power to it as it hurt the spearow and the bird went down .

And it stayed down with its eyes closed before its form vanished right before his eyes.

The popplio stared for a second surprised but not panicked that he may have just killed a pokemon despite what it looked like that just happened. And yet something in him said “don’t worry it’s fine” and then he realized what had happened the spearow had fainted!

Then he heard a thumping come from behind him. Craning his head he turned around curious about the noise.

Then it hit him the kakuna from before was awake. Fear hitting his face the popplio hurried down the path and away from bug type Pokemon.

Entering another long room the popplio looked around and spotted something in the room that didn’t appear to be a pokemon.

Curious he entered and headed towards it realizing that what he was seeing wasn’t just one “something” it was three!

The first was an an apple. The popplio smiled seeing it as he reached it before scooping it up only for it to vanish. The popplio blinked and looked around but it was nowhere in sight but the movement sent his emblem into movement attracting his attention

As it settled on his chest the popplio recalled what the thing had said upon entering this place. Inventory and map functions? The popplio recalled raising an eyebrow.

Adjusting his stance he put a flipper to it and paused as he heard the thing “speak” again.

Map or Inventory Function?

That eyebrow still raised he said “uh… inventory?” It was more question then command but as the word left his mind he knew things he felt like he shouldn’t but it was like there was a list there in his mind and the apple was on it. The popplio thought to himself that he wanted it and he looked down seeing the apple in his flippers grip.

The popplio looked down slightly stunned before he smiled and mentally commanded the apple to return to where it had been taken and away it went.

Putting the flipper to the emblem he tried the Map Function this time and he saw an image projected in his minds eyes composed of lines of light that made up the area the popplio now knew he had been through and in the room he now stood there was a little square mark in the room.

Instinctively dismissing it the popplio settled his flippers down and moved forward again. The second thing the popplio had seen was a small yellow seed bearing some sort of fire like icon etched into it. A blast seed his mind supplied helpfully as he scooped it up and knowing what it did a small delighted smile came to his face.

Approaching what had been the square on the map was revealed to be a hole with gray stairs leading into black darkness. The popplio turned his attention from it to look around before deciding to head down it. Everything went dark again and then were was light.

Forager Woods F2

The popplio blinked and looked around in confusion as the new small square room he stood in. Looking around he saw the stairs he came down on were gone. The popplio could only sigh recognizing that nothing could be done about that.

There were also three paths exits to the room. After a shrug the popplio decided to take the one to his left. It went forward a bit then turned right. Going down he saw a turn left which made and ran into a dead end.

The popplio frowned and turned around and upon making the turn he paused and paled seeing a pokemon approaching him.

A pokemon with a blue body, orange leaves and brown buds on top of its head. It face bore a strange drooling expression on it. A gloom.

The popplio went right for his emblem pulled out the blast seed and threw it. It hit the gloom, blew up, and the thing tumbled over backwards. The popplio then felt his throat generate more water from the earlier move he pulled and let it loose.

It hit the gloom knocking it on its rear again and the popplio did it again only this time he realized he knew what what he was doing. Water Gun his mind let him know what that move was and he realized he knew what else he can do in combat too.

At this point after everything else that had happened he just decided to go with it and backtracked taking the exit leading down this time.

No enemy encounters this time luckily and the popplio entered a big room that actually sort of turned a quick look at the map showed the room was shaped like an L and more importantly there was an item in front of him which was weird considering nothing stuck out to him in his initial look.

Walking forward though the popplio figure out why he missed it. He thought it’d been a part of the scenery. What was lying on the ground was what at first glance looked like a tree branch but what was a piece of wood with one end curled inwards with a leaf on the other side. Looking at it he saw a word carved into it. Whirlwind.

It’s a wand! The popplio realized.

Picking it up the popplio put it away and went on his way.

Entering the next room the popplio looked at his map and saw circles which he figured were items and more importantly the stairs were further on in.

Walking into the room quickly he quickly saw the supposed items on the floor. A pink berry which he identified as a pecha berry and a blue one that was an oran berry.

Picking them both up he looked to the stairs and froze floating nearby red-pink eyes angled at them was flying insect pokemon. A beedrill.

The popplio ran for the stairs.

The beedrill ran for him.

The popplio made it to the stairs first though his heart pounding in his ears and flew down them certain the beedrill would be on his tail, literally!

Forager Woods F3

Upon entering the room the popplio practically looked at the first exit he saw, he ran for it.

Taking a sharp turn he ran into another pidgey and in a manner that was almost comical he used pound, pound again, and then water gun to the face to get it to feint and as it vanished he practically stampeded past it and went down the stairs the second he saw them.

Forager Woods F4

Breathing more than a little hard the popplio again went for one of the room’s exit as soon as he saw it and dashed down the path and once he he reached the turn again he made it and then paused and turned and edged his way to peer past the corner and waited breathing hard as the rest of his common sense and such caught up with him.

And after a few moments when the beedrill failed to appear he sagged, shivering slightly.

Then  the popplio went down the rest of the path suddenly very weary.

Entering the next room he paused seeing an apple and a blast seed clumped together on the ground. Looking at it he wondered if that pokemon from earlier dropped these.

Picking them he walked on towards the stairs and clearly he was still on edge as he picked up on something in the air moments before he heard the whirling.

Looking he saw green projectiles heading for him!

With a yelp he hit the floor as the projectiles flew right over his head.

Looking towards the direction they came from he saw a walking blue ball with red eyes and green leaves coming out of the top of its head. An oddish.

The grass type then threw more projectiles at him, the thing knew razor leaf.

Leaping up, the popplio jumped this way and that dodging the leaves as the oddish came close though just as it got in range the popplio made a jump and ended up tumbling down the stairs…

Chapter Text

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Rescuing Reality

Chapter Three

A Not So Good Start

Forager Woods Grove

The popplio blinked he stood in a small grassy clearing. Looking around he couldn’t tell what exactly but he knew something was off. Something was different about this place in comparison to the areas he had passed through getting here. Then he heard something.

“Ack leave me alone!”

The popplio gave a start and looked around and spotted a path formed by small bushes he could follow.

The path quickly emptied out into a small clearing bordered by bushes with a large tree towards the back but those features were irrelevant to the popplio when compared to the little brown bird cornered against the tree with a beedrill, an oddish, and a pidgey facing them.

Swallowing past his fear the popplio reached for the emblem he wore and pulled out the whirlwind wand he picked up a while ago. Then crying out “heads up!” He waved it towards the pokemon and watched as a whirlwind flew towards the oddish on the right which struck and promptly knocked them into the air and to the side away from the bird (rowlet his mind supplied helpfully) and quickly attracting the attention on the pokemon opposite him.

As the attacking pokemon turned to look though the popplio quickly waved his wand and away the pidgey went.

The beedrill now annoyed with him turned to face the popplio and this was a mistake as the rowlet attacked with the bug types back turned her beak shining as she used peck.

The beedrill reeled from being hit and the popplio used the chance to fire a water gun and it scored a direct hit which made the bug turn to face the popplio its attention successfully split in two.

Then there was movement out of the corner his eye, the oddish was back up.

The popplio waved the wand and the oddish flew away again, a quick look and the popplio confirms that the pidgey had gotten up too.

The wand is waved again and away the pidgey goes flying only this time the popplio gasped as the wand vanished into the air right in his grasp. He gasped and then a voice yelled “look out!”

Looking he yelped and ducked as the beedrill flew by him and crashed to the grass. A water gun to the face and the pokemon vanished from sight.

“Watch it water boy!”

The popplio looked the scowling rowlet and said “sorry” and the rowlets face switched to one of surprise as she said “wait you’re not a feral!?”

“N-no. You didn’t hear me speak earlier?”

The rowlet gestured with a wing saying “kinda busy.”

“O-oh sorry.”

The two pokemon looked around and confirmed their enemies were back up again and the rowlet said “you take the bird, I’ll handle the walking vegetable.”

The popplio went right and the rowlet went left. The following battles went pretty quickly.

As the popplio turned to face the rowlet his face went into fright at the scowl she was directing at him as with yet another yelp he half-face planted into the ground.

“What’s a water type doing in this part of the world?”

The popplio blinked at her completely at a loss for what to say and eventually said “I don’t know...?”

The rowlets face went into one of exasperation but before she could say anything there was a loud rumbling noise “ARGH!!” The rowlet screamed “I’m starving and those stupid ferals made me drop all my stuff earlier!”

Propping itself up slowly the popplio reached for his emblem and when the rowlet’s eyes snapped to him he froze for a second before saying “…I mean no harm?”

The rowlet leveled an unimpressed look at him before he placed his flipper to the emblem and pulled out the apple he picked up earlier and held it out to the surprised rowlet.

After a second “what’s the catch?” Was the skeptic response.

The popplio blinked and said “huh?”

The rowlet stared at him askance as she thought to herself does he seriously expect me to believe that with the way the world is nowadays that he would offer food for nothing?

But after a moment of him just holding out and her stomachs persistent growling she looked at him again and then took the apple from him and after a moment said “thank you.”

She quickly scarfed it down and said “so what are you doing here?”

The popplio hesitated before explaining his whole experience so far.

The rowlet stared at him aghast and opened her mouth to say everything he said was a load of nonsense but looking at him just stopped and thought to herself whatever…

She turned toward the exit of the grove but before she could move to leave another voice in her head spoke up saying are you really just gonna leave him here?

The rowlet looked at the popplio who was staring at the ground and fidgeting with one of his flippers. She sighed.

“Hey” the water type looked up. “Do you have a name?”

The popplio was taken aback before he shook his head saying “not that I know of anyway.”

The bird looked him up and down saying “OK then you’re Blue until we learn otherwise.”

The water type blinked “Blue?” He asked.

The grass type shrugged “it works” she said simply.

It does… I guess? The popplio, now Blue thought to himself.

The female bird nodded “good now let’s go.”

Blue blinked and looked at her “huh?”

The rowlet looked at him and said “it’ll be dark soon we need to get to shelter, c’mon.” She walked a bit aways before turning and saying “oh I’m Artemis by the way.”

Chapter Text

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Rescuing Reality

Chapter Four

Figuring Stuff Out

The popplio or Blue now followed the rowlet, Artemis through the forest. Just a bit ago the two exited the grove and found themselves elsewhere in the forest and he couldn’t quite put his flipper on what it was but he knew he was out of whatever that place he’d been in earlier was and he barely had that thought when his necklace “spoke” to him again.

Mystery Dungeon exited. Reverting to Tier One Inventory and Map Functions.

Blue gave the necklace a strange look. Artemis looked back at him and said “you good?”

The popplio gave a start and said “oh yes” and followed along after her.

Before long the two reached a rather strange clearing that just seemed to be there. As they entered Artemis turned and gave Blue a scrutinizing look. The popplio looked taken aback before the rowlet said “OK… wait here.” And then she fluttered up into the trees leaving Blue to stared up into the foliage.

Nothing happened for a few minutes while the sound of the forest echoed around him and Blue looked around more than a bit nervously as this happened before eventually a rope ladder descended down making him jump.

“Well, you coming up?” Artemis’s voice called down.

Moving over to the rope Blue gave it a look to figure out how best to climb it. Awkwardly reaching out with his flippers he grabbed the rope ladder and somehow managed to pull himself onto it and awkwardly managed to haul himself up it and reaching the top Blue found himself staring as Artemis standing on a wooden platform of some sort.

The rowlet raised an eyebrow at him and Blue quickly scrambled up and quickly realized what it was he now standing in.

A tree-house.

A platform composed of rough wooden planks made up the floor while more formed the house so to speak. There were some green and brown clothes strung up here and there which when put with the foliage hid the tree house from sight!

Blue observed all this as Artemis pulled up the ladder and went inside.

After waiting for a moment Blue slowly moved over the doorway and peered inside. There wasn’t much to the building there was just one big room with a storage closet to the back. A closet that Artemis was now rummaging through and soon enough Artemis pulled out a small of bundle of hay that she plopped down on the floor and said “okay there’s your bed.”

Blue looked at the pile of hay and taking another cursory look around the popplio noticed another pile of hay on the floor arranging into a squished pile.

Blue looked back to Artemis who had been watching him and after a second the popplio bent down to make his bed so to speak.

Finishing he had a bed that was… serviceable. The hay was old but not quite moldy so it worked.

“It’s all we have okay?” Artemis said drawing attention back to her and Blue felt himself blush. Clearly his thoughts had been written on his face.

Just then his stomach growled making them both jump as he calmed down Artemis sighed and gestured at the storage closet saying “sorry I don’t have any food. That’s what today was supposed to be about: gathering supplies.”

Blue blinked at her and then he remembered earlier today when he was in that strange place, he hadn’t picked up one apple, he had gotten two!

His flipper went to his emblem.

Looking at it in his head Blue heard Map or Inventory Function?

Confirming the latter Blue saw in his head what he had left over from his earlier excursion which consisted of an apple and a blast seed.

Curiously enough Blue just knew there was a new option also called “Set Inventory” but ignoring that he pulled out the other apple and holding it up shyly to an again surprised Artemis he said “wanna share?”

(PMD)

Night had fallen and in the tree house nothing was heard but the soft breathing of Blue as he slept. Nearby observing him was Artemis.

The little owl was thinking to herself what am I doing? Bringing this stranger home like this, after everything, after mom?!

Her gaze went to the strange necklace the water type had been wearing and laid beside him as he slept.

A necklace that had done some pretty amazing things.

A necklace that when she had picked up refused to do anything for her.

So apparently only Blue could work it. Again, Artemis questioned keeping this weirdo around.

But could it really hurt? A voice said in the back of her head. You’ve been alone for the longest time and some company could be nice. And, you can’t deny her gaze was directed to the necklace again he could be useful.

Artemis sighed.

(PMD)

The next day dawned bright and early quite literally as dawn had barely broken when Blue found himself awoken by Artemis with insistent shoves.

Blue blinked and blearily shook himself awake and looked at Artemis who said “time to earn your keep water-boy. I want to get an early start before the ferals really get going.”

The popplio blinked at her and said “o-okay.” He pushed himself up and put on his necklace and said “where do you wanna go?”

“A mystery dungeon, where else?”

Blue blinked and then he remembered the strange place he had went through yesterday and more importantly how his necklace had told him he had entered a “mystery dungeon” but still he felt he should ask…

“Mystery dungeons are places like the one from, yesterday right?”

Artemis without looking as she futilely looked in the closet said “yup. They’re mysterious places where you can find items but also wild pokemon like to attack you.”

“…Oh” Blue said softly before he brightened “well at least we know the paths of the forest so we should have an easier time.”

Artemis snorted and turned around looking at him half lidded eyes saying “you really are new aren’t you? A mystery dungeon’s layout will change each time you visit. No two visits will ever be the same.”

“…Oh.” Blue finally said.

Artemis shook her head or whole body as the case may be before with a sigh said “OK let’s get going.”

Artemis lowered the rope ladder first so Blue could climb down and she could pull it up before fluttering down to join him.

Artemis then led the popplio through the forest and Blue was willing to be led as he figured the rowlet knew the forest better than he did.

Before long the sound of rushing water reached him and they passed a pond or two before Blue saw a river but before much else could be done a darkness overtook him and within that darkness a voice said in his head again.

Mystery Dungeon entered. Switching to Tier Two Inventory and Map Functions.

Trawling Pathways F1

Blue blinked at the sight before him. It was nothing like the place they went to yesterday.

The room around them was an island composed of sand and grass with the “walls” around them being formed of giant oversized ponds and rivers. The pathways leading out were sandy roads covered in a one-inch layer of water.

“If you’re done gawking” Artemis said drawing his focus to her “we need to be going. I wanna get some supplies and get home before the ferals really wake up and start going.”

Blue frowned a bit had he been gawking? But still he nodded and followed after Artemis. Heading down the first watery and sandy pathway they turned left and encountered their first feral of the day it was a purple shell with a black body or face with a tongue sticking out. A shellder.

Artemis quickly fired off a whirlwind composed of leaves that struck down the shellder in a single moment.

Blue said nothing as the two went on.

Climbing onto the island making up the next room this one made up of sand Blue paused noticing a strange dark spot on the floor. One Artemis headed right for saying “oh good the stairs.”

Blue blinked and sure enough the spot was the stairs and Blue followed his new friend down the stairs.

Trawling Pathways F2

Emerging into the new room the two barely had time to blink before they heard sounds coming from two different directions each of the duo turning to face their attacker.

Blue found himself staring down a strange armless blue creature. A wooper.

A glance over his shoulder saw Artemis contending with an oddish of all things.

Resigning himself to just recognizing pokemon at a look and what was apparently going to be a life filled with battles Blue reached for the emblem at his neck and accessed his inventory to grab that blast seed from yesterday… only to find squat.

His eyes went wide.

And then Blue remembered how the emblem switched tiers and the set inventory function from last night.

The wooper reached him and Blue threw himself forward in a tackle and winced when the wooper headbutted him back.

From across the room he could hear Artemis and the oddish going at it.

Blue and the wooper were circling around each for their battle basically trying to out-tackle each other their other attacks not working very well.

And of course, their battle eventually brought them to edge of the room and in an effort to dodge the tackle and failing sent them tumbling over the edge and into the water and the popplio heard Artemis cry out “BLUE” in horror as a splash overtook his hearing and everything went blue as he went underwater.

The popplio gasped, he couldn’t help it and for a split second he thought was gonna die and… he breathed in the water as easily as in air.

Blue blinked and then he shook his head because right water type.

A muffled noise drew the popplio’s attention to the wooper and swimming in a way that just felt natural to him he quickly tackled the wooper and it vanished. Blue blinked at what happened next.

With a soft thump an apple now sat on the sandy floor.

The poppilo stared at it. He had no idea where the thing came from. He could only guess that the wooper had been carrying it somehow?

He scooped up the object and it vanished. Then Blue began to swim for the surface and couldn’t help the slight giggle that came out of him as the feeling of being submerged in water really hit him. It felt so good and swimming was so natural to him.

Breaking the surface and climbing up into the room again he looked around and spotted Artemis walking down the sandy pathway leading south.

Is she leaving without me? Blue wondered as he quickly bounded after her calling out “ARTEMIS!”

The rowlet paused and turned sharply staring at him with wide eyes before she raised a wing and for reasons, he didn’t get proceeded to slap it to her face.

As he reached her, she dragged the wing down her face but before he could comment on it, she turned to him and said “you okay?”

Blue nodded and Artemis said “good” and with that the two continued along the path reaching the next room which held an oran berry and the stairs putting the item away they headed on down.

Trawling Pathways F3

The two entered the new room and then there were a bunch of thumps and by his side Artemis suddenly screamed “MONSTER HOUSE!”

Blue found himself staring down a quagsire and… everything went black.

In the darkness Blue then heard a voice.

Party knock out detected. Emergency teleportation function activated. Items have been used as fuel. Mystery Dungeon exited. Reverting to Tier One Inventory and Map Functions.

Blue woke up to Artemis freaking out.

“WHAT? WHAT?! WHAT THE HECK?! WE SHOULD BE DEAD! WHAT HAPPENED?! AHHHHH!!!!”

Looking around the popplio realized they were somehow back at the treehouse. As Artemis continued her freak out he wondered how they ended up back here before he remembered what he had heard after losing consciousness and he looked down at his emblem.

And he smiled reaching for it.

Chapter Text

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Rescuing Reality

Chapter Five

Dungeon Run Take Two, or Three?

So, after making sure his emblem was still secure from its place around his neck Blue first tried to calm down Artemis, key word being tried.

The rowlet was beside herself and that’s being polite. Apparently, what had happened before was called a Monster House where a bunch of pokemon running the gambit of incredibly strong to just run of the mill pokemon appear.

Artemis had run across them a few times before but had managed to get away but this was the first time she’s been knocked unconscious and well doom hadn’t resulted.

Eventually though Blue did manage to get her to calm down and he convinced her the reason they were safe was because of his emblem. Granted at first, she was skeptical that his magic necklace was responsible for their salvation but she had seen its inventory function so she bought it… eventually.

Which brought them to their next point. What to do next? Checking the emblem Blue found that the supplies they had found were all gone. And the tree house’s pantry was still severely lacking so back to the mystery dungeon they go.

Passing ponds and approaching the river again Blue noticed Artemis was shaking.

“Hey” the popplio said “it’s gonna be ok” the rowlet looked at him.

“We just had some bad luck, this time’ll be better.”

Artemis just stared at him but after a moment the trembling stropped and she took a deep breath.

“Okay” she said “let’s try this again.”

And the duo stepped forward towards the river and into the dark.

Mystery Dungeon entered. Switching to Tier Two Inventory and Map Functions.

Trawling Pathways F1

Once more the duo found themselves on a sandy island for a room with narrow paths border by bodies of water. As one the two headed down the path towards the next “room” luck of luck there was an apple lying in the sand.

Grabbed it and they were on their way heading south. Reached the room and there were the stairs.

They rushed down them.

Trawling Pathways F2

The new room was shaped like an L and here Blue had to shake his head as he wondered how he knew what an L was and what even was it?

Pecha berry lying in the sand, grabbed it. Path located in the 90-degree angle which takes a sharp right turn before straight shot to the next room but of course as they made the turn a water gun came at them which missed and the two looked at the angry goldeen who fired it.

Blue took a deep breath focusing as he felt power build up in his throat and launched a water gun towards the goldeen which struck it head on. Which was then followed up by a whirlwind of leaves from Artemis which strike the goldeen and they go down.

Continuing down the path they reached the next room. There was an oran berry and the stairs. Down the duo went.

Trawling Pathways F3

Right from the get-go oddish in the face. Blue went in throwing his body into it. Artemis went in pecking.

The oddish goes down and the duo have a choice east or north. They decide to go north. Part of the way up along comes up a wooper.

Artemis taking point attacked it with leafage. And it went down with one hit astonishingly enough. Even more surprising though was the fact it had been carrying an item somehow as a blast seed dropped to the sand.

They picked it up and headed on down. Next room had another apple. Where do all these come from? Blue idly wondered. Regardless they picked it up and carried on.

Path to the left and right. They went right.

They were halfway down the path when astonishingly enough a goldeen swam up to the waters edge to try and nail them with its horn. It missed thankfully and the two leveled glares at the fish.

Artemis flapped her wings first sending out leafage and it found its mark the goldeen did not go down though Blue’s water gun certainly finished the job.

The two carried on and a part of Blue had to wonder how natural this all felt for him now though he had to shake those thoughts off when he saw the stairs again in the next room and Artemis let out a sigh of relief as she said to Blue “this dungeon only has 4 floors, we’re almost done.”

Trawling Pathways F4

Arriving on the floor they immediately found two apples and grabbed them and turning around they also found the stairs but as they headed for coming out of the water and blocking the duo was a quagsire.

A pokemon constantly smiling should not feel so menacing.

Blue started by throwing out a water gun. It hit it. Felt like it did nothing.

Artemis threw her leaf tornado attack out and it did some damage though it was still up and smiling as eerie.

Again, a pokemon constantly smiling should not feel so menacing!

The pokemon then retaliated by throwing mud at Artemis who did not look like they appreciated it. Any more than one would appreciate being slapped in the face with mud anyway.

Blue’s flippers instinctively went for his emblem and he pulled out the blast seed they had found earlier and threw it.

BWOOSH!

It exploded bathing the quagsire in flames in a quick rush that faded and when it did the quagsire was still standing though it did look haggard.

Artemis followed up with leafage.

Now the quagsire was looking unsteady and the pokemon decided to just belly flop onto of them and Artemis was quick to get out of the way.

Blue was not and squished under the pokemon.

“Gggff!” Was Blue’s response to this.

Artemis launched another leafage and this finally took the quagsire down making it vanish and letting the poor popplio under it breathe as Blue gasped for breath.

“You okay?” Artemis asked. Blue nodded in response and the two quickly went for the stairs before anything else could happen.

 Trawling Pathways Pond

Emerging into the new light they found themselves at a pond with numerous other pools behind them.

Blue blinked at this scene before turning to look at Artemis and say “this forest is very strange” to her.

The rowlet let out a bark of laughter before saying “the world in general is weird Blue, now let’s go the path over there should lead us out.”

With that Artemis headed off and Blue followed into the black once more.

Mystery Dungeon exited. Reverting to Tier One Inventory and Map Functions.

Stepping out into the forest again Artemis let out a slightly trembly breath as Blue said “well that venture was successful.”

And then a strange sound rent through the air as the ground underneath them started to rumble and shake!