Fanfiction Eternal Darkness (On Hold)

Summary: Once saved, the Pokémon world is now threatened by a beast with powers beyond even the One of Origin. With a prophecy on her back and not a memory to her head but her name, Asher is dragged into a war against the beast who turned the world to its darkest hour. Will she manage to somehow end the darkness that has begun to course through the world's veins? Or is she meant for something even greater than just a simple war between Light and Dark? (PMD story)

*As of the original time of this post, chapter 1 of Eternal Darkness is incomplete, and therefore, unpublishable. It may be finished within the next week, or month depending on current writer block*
Edit: Summary changed to fit setting.

 

Chapter Finished: December 5, 2018
Words: 5358 Words
Length: 14.8 Pages
Time taken: 1 Month 12 Days

Spoiler: Prologue: Shattered Reality

//I've been debating whether or not this'll be truly something fun to do, but recent events have made me sure of what I'm going to do. For years, I've been writing what seems like nonsense, and so I have decided to continue it, making my world as cryptic as possible for you to solve. Maybe one day you will, but for now, let us meet a new cast, a new hero in an old world. Are you ready? I hope so, because the adventure starts now\\

Asher turned quickly as a low growl sounded out behind her. With her turn, she swung her arm, her wrist meeting with the wooden blade aimed at her side. She flinched as she felt it bruise her, but the momentum of her turn carried through as she punched the holder of the sword, knocking them back several inches and off balance. Her next strike was even quicker as she pushed forward and shoved her opponent to the floor. Her breathing began to slow only as the attacker raised their hand, surrendering to her already. She collapsed to the floor when the sweet ring of a bell echoed through the room, signaling the end of the battle as quickly as it had begun.

"You sure are getting better," a voice mumbled from behind the female, though she didn't react by lashing out. Instead, she simply nodded. "You know, you not talking won't help your condition, Asher. You may be strong, and you may be on your way to freeing yourself from the hand of the ringleader, but you know they won't let you out without trying their hardest against you. Sure, this may have been your hundredth win in a row, or something like that, but there are even more people here, and with even more dangerous skills at that. Why don't we just talk and we can discuss strategy for you to actually survive your next fights?"

Asher remained silent for a moment, then stood and looked to her bruised and battered arms. She was thin as anything, but she managed to live through all the pain she was put through. "I don't care," she mumbled to the man, her eyes never leaving her arms. "You know I don't care about escaping, so long as I just get a nice meal every once in a while and a room to sleep in. I'm a fighter, not a liver. All I do is fight and beat the heck out of people. I'm not like you, Kirin. I just want to play."

When the male placed a hand on her shoulder, she turned and punched him in the gut. This earned a loud cough from him and a gasp of shock from the crowd. Asher didn't even listen as she used her free hand to grab his shoulder, pulling him into another punch that forced him to the floor. A loud cheer came from the remaining crowd members, but a loud, and probably hurtful, tongue-lashing from the people who had been coming in to take her back to where she resided. She didn't resist as they pulled her from the man on the floor and out of the arena. She had done what had wanted to the man, and she hoped he wouldn't come back to mess with her any longer.

As the people behind her began to push her through the halls, an odd feeling washed over her. She suddenly stopped, turning her head towards one of the cages in the hallway. Inside sat a small blue and black canine the size of a small child. She had seen it before, but never in action. And as far as she was aware, it was one of the more dangerous creatures here, which was quite shocking to her. If they considered such a small creature dangerous, what did they not consider worrying? Before she could wonder much longer, she was pushed forward again, her eyes torn from the creature.

The pushing continued through the hall and up a flight of stairs. There, she was pushed through a door and into her own room. Compared to the cages below her, it was rather nice, but it was nothing compared to the higher-ups on the first and second subfloors. Yeah, everything about this entire arena and fight was all some underground black market stuff. As much as Asher would have liked to know more, it wasn't like anyone liked her. Not even the higher-ups wanted to see her where they were. The person she had faced earlier had been one of those on the second subfloor as well, so it didn't surprise her how they tried to keep her down, even with her streak.

She soon heard the door lock behind her, and looked to her hands in the silence of the room. The skin of her palms was cracked and bleeding, shocking since she had never bled from them before. But to her, the most worrying parts were her wrists and upper arms. All along them ran bruises from battles long since won, as well as reminders of the broken bones she had suffered in her first couple of weeks. But as much as they hurt, none hurt more than the emotions she shoved deep down in her. She was very emotional when away from prying eyes, but it became worse when they began to keep closer eyes on her. She had long since become a ticking time bomb, just waiting to erupt and harm everyone in her way, just like the man who had been trying so hard to help her. Quickly and silently, she shoved her thoughts away and moved to the wall opposite the door.

She glared at the wall lined with pictures of the outside world. From famous buildings to forests to the Earth itself, the wall was entirely covered in pictures that reminded her of what she could never have again. It wasn't like she had known it for long either, having only been five when she was abducted from her old home, which had been torn to shreds though it remained on the wall. Now, ten years and many bruises later, she was finally starting to understand that she couldn't leave. She was stuck here under the thumb of some lucky freak who ruled everything here. At least there were some rebels, but she didn't associate with them; she didn't have a pack.

As she kept watching the wall and pictures, the feeling she had received back down on the arena floor came back. She quickly turned, but her guard was lowered when she noticed the same creature from the cage sitting on her bed, kicking its legs. Even though it was there, something told her it wasn't the real one, mainly the odd flickering of its body. It reminded her off a hologram, though rarely did she see one. It was mainly when someone sent her a message about her next match did she see one, but she was certain this was one of those.

"Surprised to see you ain't panickin' or nothin'," it chuckled, continuing to kick its legs as it looked up to her with bright red eyes. "Yer probably wonderin' how I got 'ere, eh? Well, it's just what we call a mental link." Asher didn't respond as it jumped off her bed, moving to the middle of the room before staring at her. "I noticed ya lookin' at me when you passed by them guards, Asher. I'm surprised you were even interested enough in my push to look at me. But, well, you probably have a lotta questions. Go ahead and ask away, 'kay? Not like I'm goin' anywhere. Immediately, that is."

Asher remained silent for a moment before she let out a sigh, as well as a breath she had been holding for however long. "What in the blue blazes are you?" She growled lightly, her fists already clenched in case it was some sort of trap. "And how the hell are you talking to me? You're in that filthy cage of yours downstairs, right? I shouldn't be able to see or hear you, even if there's some sort of mental link between us."

"Well, to put your first question simply, I am a creature from another universe that ended up here somehow," it began, placing its paws behind its back as it looked at the wall behind her. "I believe they called me a Riolu in that world, though I'm not a hundred percent certain anymore, 'specially with how long I've been here. As for how I'm talkin' to you? I guess you can just say that I've learned to speak the tongue of humans after so long of bein' in the presence of the people here. And, yes, I am actually still in my cage downstairs. I just thought I'd get to know you a little better, Asher. No one will see me, so do try and keep it down, please. I don't need you to get in trouble for my powers."

Silence echoed between the two before she let out a light sigh and sat on the ground, her hand on her head as she tried to comprehend what the hell this thing was. It was like some sort of black and blue dog on two legs, though that was about as far from a dog as you got. Was it some kind of furry? No, they didn't exist down here. Maybe an occasional kemonomimi, but anthros were well and forbidden from the arena for reasons well before she was even born. Her thoughts echoed within her head, but so did a feeling of impatience. Why would she be even slightly impatient? It wasn't like she had asked something. Wait. Was this the creature's doing?

"What would that list of powers include?" She noticed as its ears perked up at her question, a feeling of confusion running through her. "Don't try and bullcrap me, whatever the hell you are. I know you're somehow toying with my emotions with those freaky powers of yours. Tell me what you can do, and I probably won't bother to lash out at this projection of yourself." She silently clenched her fist as she watched it flicker. "That is, if you even have powers. You're probably some sort of hallucination I'm making up to keep myself company in this lonely place."

"If I was a hallucination, would I be able to do this?" He walked over and grabbed her wrist, though it felt a bit weird seeing as of how he wasn't truly physical. Before she could think of what he was doing, he turned her around and pushed her face-first into the wall with a great amount of force, likely bruising her chest and cheek. "See? I'm a real creature, but I'm just a bit of a mental projection, so I can't use my full powers like I do in battle. Now will you believe what I have to tell you? About me having powers unlike those of your kind?"

Asher snarled and tried to push him off, but for such a small creature, he could put a lot of power behind his push, which kept her stuck against the wall. "Alright," she growled, somehow unable to move her feet to kick him away, since that was really the only free part of her body at the moment. "I see that you're some sort of freaky creature able to do whatever the hell you're doing, freak. Why the hell did you even come to me? It's not like I can do anything to help you. I don't even have my own freedom, so if you want that, you'll have to try someone else to help you."

"Oh, what I want isn't to escape." With a slight chuckle, he finally let her go before walking back to the center of the room. "You see, before I came here to your world, I was one of the most well known members of Team Rise, an Exploration Team literally designed to fight and save the world. But, when I was brought here, I lost almost every bit of power I ever held, besides this weird mind thing where I'm still somewhat physical and all that stuff. And because of this, I really have no chances of escape, even if I wanted to try. Instead, I want to make a deal between the two of us. I get you out of this cell, and you take my place as the leader of Team Rise. How does that sound to you, little girl? I'm sure being free, having "magical" powers, and the destiny all could ever dream of but few ever get is a nice price to pay for just saying hi and taking care of my friends."

"As if you, a tiny creature with powers barely able to scratch me, could get me out of this cell without being caught." Asher snarled lightly to herself as she rubbed her wrists, only stopping momentarily as a feeling of anger washed over her. She pushed it to the back of her mind, only then turning and glaring back at the Riolu. "What's with that emotion thing you keep doing to me? It's getting really, really annoying, and I'm really debating kicking your tail all the way to the surface if you keep doing it."

Riolu laughed lightly and walked to the door, a guard passing and not even noticing him. Asher would have reacted, but she knew she would have regretted it had the guard turned and noticed her reacting to whatever the heck she was seeing. She didn't know what happened when people went crazy here, but she was sure her "talking to herself" would be considered crazy, especially since no one could probably see him. She wasn't a hundred percent certain, but this was quite evident of how the guard had just walked right by without even noticing him in the light. Riolu then turned to her and smirked.

"I may be obvious in the light, but it doesn't mean they're invisible to me," he told her, raising a single digit on his paw. "There is one more battle scheduled for both me and you today, and they're directly back-to-back, with you right before me. If we're lucky and we can pass by each other, we can take out each other's guards and make a break for the arena. If my guess is right, and it usually is, then we will be alone for approximately 132 seconds before the guards arrive to take us out. That's all the time I need to get you out of her with the last bits of my power. I might die after it, but I really don't care. I may die, but we're both still technically free of this place, though the consequences of such an action might be severe! But let's push that to the side. I'll tell you the more major details during the ritual. All we need to do is agree, and I already do. Oh, and you only have another minute to decide. Guards are coming to check on me right now. And it's not exactly like things are normal when I'm pushing out with my powers."

Time felt like it had slowed significantly as Asher closed her eyes and thought on what the Riolu had said. Before even thinking of the consequences, she reached down and grabbed his paw, shaking it quickly. "I accept your offer, freaky dog," she mumbled, then opening her eyes and glaring at him. "But if you dare try to double-cross me, I'll make sure you get sent to solitary as soon as possible. Now go off and do what you need to do. I'll be ready for when it comes."

"And you can bet I will be, too." Riolu smiled lightly before he gently rubbed his wrist. "And before I go, please do think on who you are right now, Asher. I understand you think you do, but reflect on the memories that you once had and those that you do now. Soon, you'll find such memories are the bliss that everyone wishes they could have." With a single wave of his paw, the mental projection of his body shattered like glass before fading away and back to his own cell. "Good luck, Asher. You'll need it."

With him gone and her on her own, Asher finally went to her bed before falling face-first onto the thin mattress that kept her from breaking her back in the night. As she just laid there, she mentally facepalmed as she realized she hadn't got the answer to her second question - the question about how he was making her feel emotions that she hadn't felt in years. As odd as it was, though, she was sure she could ask him when they were heading back to the arena after their great escape. The only thing she really feared was the plan going wrong and them ending up either dead or together in solitary. The second may not have seemed as bad, but she had heard that the people there would have rather died than have remained in solitary; she wasn't deaf.

As she laid there, she began to drift off into the endless void that was sleep. Right before she was out, though, a feeling of foreboding washed over her, sending shivers down her spine and making her feel uncomfortable. Before long, and well before she really worried about what she felt would go wrong, she had finally gone to sleep. It was a long and dreamless sleep, lucky for her, but unlucky for the rest of the world as she and Riolu plotted their escape, even through their rest.

Several agonizingly long hours of a dark world later, Asher woke to the metallic clink of chains and metal against metal. She slowly turned her head and looked to the guard at the door to her room, a metal nightstick in his hands. No words were spoken between the two as Asher stood and walked over, her hands out so he could bring her to the arena. Unlike what they normally did, though, he didn't cuff her and drag her along. She was just handed a pair of wrist braces and then pulled into the hall to be taken to the arena.

"I'd like to ask why you aren't usually doing what you're supposed to do," she mumbled, pulling on the braces rather quickly and without much problem. She was sure they wouldn't have fit, but they were perfect for her, even making her feel slightly stronger in both offense and defense. "I mean, you don't have to answer, but no one's really ever cared enough to help me battle before."

The guard keeping her moving forward was silent for quite a while, answering only as they began downwards. "I know the plan between you and Riolu," he answered, his eyes flashing lightly as he let out a small grin. "In truth, I don't like this place as much as either of you, so getting someone out would help with my pride a little, and probably get me fired and into a real job. So, in turn for saving you and letting this go as he planned, I get what I want as well. In my opinion, it's a win-win for all of us. You're free, he's free, and I don't have to deal with these kids anymore."

"How'd you find out about it in the first place?" Asher questioned back, rubbing her wrists as she tried out how flexible and sturdy they were as they protected her wrists from the full force of impact. "And how can I really trust that you haven't told any of the majors about our escape plan? That is, if it even is a plan that we even attempt." Asher was still skeptical about the plan, but she had to trust someone down here. She just didn't expect it to be with some blue creature that was somehow able to mentally speak to her.

"How I found out about the plan is something even I'm not sure about," he laughed, quickly shaking his head as he started to think. "I think it was in some sort of dream, but I'm not exactly sure about what made me think it was actually going to work." He simply shrugged before patting her back. "Well, have a good fight in there, Asher. I hope to never see you again as this would mean everything I tried to make happen would be a simple waste of time. Have fun against the highest ranking member of the second subfloor. Your old teacher decided it was finally time to see what you were capable of."

"That bastard can just go and burn in Hell. Tell him that for me." Asher gripped her wrist before she pulled away and rushed down the hall to the arena where the final battle of her life in this slum would happen. As she ran, the feeling of hope rushed through her, and she finally understood what was going to happen. "There's no time to waste in this pathetic game that is life." As the door in front of her opened, she picked up the pace, her heart pounding with the emotions inside her. "Now, it's time to change the fate that was given to me. It is time to change my future. For my family, friends... And for myself."

As soon as she was through the door, she threw her fist forward, slamming hard into a metal substance the was sent back and well away from her. The reaction pushed her to stop and stand for a moment as she recovered from the push against her body. She let out a light sigh and raised her head, looking at the man who had been put against her in this battle. It was a young one, but he was bulky and obviously quite bold. He threw the shield she had crushed to the side before drawing a large blade almost double his size. With that in mind, she was sure it measured at least ten feet, which was only a tenth the size of the arena's radius, or 1/100 the full measurement across the arena. That gave her more than enough room to move and attack.

Asher stood there for a moment before she lowered her wrists and allowed herself to calm down. She could feel energy rushing through her body, but it wouldn't last forever if she just let it run through her. She just had to let this boy wear himself out before she finished him off in a single swift moment. She was sure it would work as he rushed at her, the blade dragging behind him and leaving a large cut in the ground. As he slashed, Asher let her body fall to the ground, narrowly dodging the blade as it flew over her. The next thing she knew, her fist had met the kid's gut, knocking him away and to the opposite side of the arena. Luckily, it hadn't killed him. Unfortunately, he was still conscious.

"That was a hard hit," he coughed, holding a hand over his gut before he stood to his full height, the blade resting over his shoulder like a paperweight. "But just like any leader in any subfloor, I'm not that easy to take down. If you think I'm like that kid you took down earlier, then you're terribly wrong, sister! I'm not going to hold back just because you're a girl!" He smirked as his blade grew several feet. "So I recommend you give up before I have to kill you and take your head as a souvenir." Asher didn't respond as she raised her fists, her eyes swirling with a hundred emotions. "I'll take that as a no then. Oh well. Your funeral."

Asher's silence continued as she felt the energy in her veins running to her fists. Blue flames began to seep from the cracks between her skin before consuming her fists. She didn't react, knowing even a moment of fear would make her weak and easily killable. She could tell her opponent was confused by the sudden flame, but she didn't let that distract her from the battle. Fear and confusion were your greatest weakness in this place. If you didn't know, then you would learn with a good hit to your noggin. Of course, that often led to concussions, but nobody had died that way yet. Not that she knew any who would; she didn't kill people like others here.

"Funeral my tailbone," she whispered, pushing herself to run at him. As he swung the blade, she grabbed it with her hands, somehow stopping it in place as she continued to run. She noticed the male trying to pull it away, but her contact stopped him from moving it. "It's your death-wish to wish to kill me. And in return, I won't let you go without a fight." She saw the fear in his eyes as she reached him. She looked at him before hitting with a powerful left hook. If it hadn't been for them both holding the sword, then he would have lightly broken his neck as he flew into the wall. Instead, he didn't move, and she was able to get several more hits on him. "You claim to be number one, but you're so pathetic! Weakling!"

Asher could feel her emotions beginning to swell as the energy rushed through her. All of a sudden, it all came undone. The blue flame became a rainbow, flowing with a million colors that she had never seen before. She finally pushed away from him, her hand leaving the sword as she left the range of its strike. As though the force she had been holding back had come back, it cut through the air, a loud explosion following after and covering the area in smoke. She could hear screams, but her fear was held within the flame. Every emotion she felt was pushed from her heart to the wrist braces, allowing her to embrace it all as a weapon.

As the smoke finally began to thin out, she rushed at the man as he was recovering from the massive amount of smoke and screams from the spectators. For a moment, she could see the fear in his eyes, but she pushed it away and forced her hand upon his chest. She noticed light before every bit of flame rushed between the space of her hand and his chest. A light smirk appeared on her face before an explosion of light and energy erupted between them. She was sent back and to the opposite side of the arena, but he was thrown through the wall with enough force to not only break it, but shatter about twenty feet in every direction possible.

"Full force strike: Force Palm." She panted heavily as the energy began to dim and leave her body. She then collapsed to her knees, blood dripping to her hands as it feel from her nose. The massive amount of energy she had used had backfired on her, but it hadn't been too bad. She just had a bloody nose and probably a bruised wrist or something. "I... Whoever you were, I don't care. But you know you can't beat me now. I'll just push past my energy and kill you if you try any more than what you have done."

Of course, after what she had done to the poor male, it was unlikely he would even be moving for a while now. And now that the battle was over, she felt that the time for her escape was here. When she passed by Riolu, she knew that they would be able to come back here and escape. But right now, she needed to catch her breath. She needed so desperately to regain the massive amount of energy from the attack.

"So you really thought you could take me out with such a weak and pitiful blow, huh?" Asher raised her head in panic as she saw the man step out of the hole in the wall, his body bloodied and bruised but still standing. "I will admit that you hurt me, but I won't let you think that you're stronger than me just because you can make explosions with your emotions and all that. Instead, I'll show you what I, the number one in the second subfloor, has in store for weaklings like you!"

Asher groaned and fell to her knees, her energy fading faster as wind began to swirl around him. His word broke and fell to the ground as the wind around him began to pick up, but all of a sudden, it stopped. A look of shock appeared on his face before he collapsed to the ground. A metal rod stuck up from his upper back, as though having been shoved in from behind. That metal rod... It was the same one that lines the walls of the cells right on the opposite sides of the walls. Had she really sent him that far back?

"Good job, kid. If I had known you were gonna get me out that way instead of following the plan, I would have been better prepared to take this kid out." The Riolu stepped out from the shadows of the hole she had caused, his body covered in dirt. Loud gasps and screams of fear began to echo when he came into sight, but the duo ignored it. "Thank you, kid. Now time to complete my end of the deal. Keep the guards suppressed for, like, fifteen seconds please. The energy you used will return naturally, so don't worry about using too much. Bad comes to worse, you'll just pass out."

Asher nodded and sat there for a while before she finally managed to stand back on her own two feet. By then, the Riolu was ready and sketching odd lines over the floor while the arena was being flooded by guards on every side. Asher panicked and pushed her hands out to both sides of her, and a blue flame erupted and surrounded her, as well as the Riolu, who's work had slowed with the flame. Asher didn't know how this was working, or why it even was, but she didn't question it as a bright light began to flash all throughout the arena. And with it, Asher's flames dissipated into nothing, leaving her weak and exhausted once more.

Riolu's work didn't stop, however, as the flashing light began to grow brighter and more frequent. Asher soon found herself on her knees with her hands on her temples, a loud screech echoing throughout the room and her mind. But all of a sudden, as though it had never been happening, it all cut off - the light, the sound, everything. Everything that had been keeping her down had suddenly disappeared, including her exhaustion.

Asher slowly opened her eyes to see what had happened, but she opened them to a blank work. Everything around her was white, and even everything about her had become difficult to tell from the surroundings. She could see her hand, though it looked majorly different from what she recalled. Actually, what was it that had recalled looking like? She couldn't remember what she had looked like, or how she had even arrived here in this white world. Was it all a dream that she was waiting to wake from? Asher couldn't tell, but she was sure it had to be some sort of dream. Otherwise, how could she have ended up here. Before she could mentally ask anymore questions, she began to grow drowsy, and soon found herself falling into darkness. When it went dark, so did everything about her thoughts. She lost everything within the light, and the dark would be the life she shaped. Her past was gone, but the future was here. It was time to change fate.

Information regarding any rules broken or typos are greatly welcome in messages. Thank you for reading, and have a nice day/night.
Edit: Don't forget to vote for the name of Asher's partner. Until that is decided, Chapter 1 will have to be postponed. It ends Tuesday, December 11, 2018, at 8:59 Central Standard Time (UTC - 6).

 

Chapter Finished: December 15, 2018
Words: 5033 Words
Length: 14 Pages
Time taken: 2 Weeks 3 Days

Spoiler: Chapter 1: A New World

//Welcome to the first chapter of Eternal Darkness. Well, technically the second, but it's the first chapter of the main story. The other was the prologue. Well, I hope you have fun with reading this story. All feedback is greatly welcome, so long as you mean good by it. Thank you, and have a great day/night.\\

As consciousness came back to Asher, she was aware of only two things: the air around her and the feeling of her falling. Her body was still numb, however, and it took her a moment to realize this was reality. As much as she would have liked for it to be in the dream she had been having, the reality of the situation brought fear to her mind. Before she could have any reaction, or if it was because she was falling and had no control, she slammed into something, which caught her well of guard. Whatever she had hit had been soft, but it had been rough at the same time. She couldn't recognize what it was as she fell to the ground, stopping abruptly as her body met with the dirt.

She coughed loudly as her vision was dotted with red and white, everything flashing before it finally settled down. She groaned as she slowly opened her eyes to the dark green tops of trees above her head and the warm grass and dirt beneath her body. It was an odd feeling, one she hadn't felt in the years that she had been... Wait. Where had she been where she couldn't feel the grass? She could recall having not felt this for years, but she couldn't recall where she had been. She could remember seeing them somewhere, but how it had been so long she couldn't think about. And now that she thought about it, something about this all felt off. She couldn't explain what even if she wanted to. She was tired and confused, and the bump to her head from the fall didn't help.

As she laid there exhausted and confused, the feeling of someone coming up of from out of any vision she could have hoped to have in the moment began to course through her mind. She tried to roll over to raise her head and look at whoever it was, but she was too exhausted to even try. And even if she could have rolled over, her body felt heavy and unusual to her. She was just forced to lie there as the feeling grew stronger and stronger until, as though they had suddenly disappeared, the feeling faded away. Asher let out a breath that she had been holding since the feeling had started. Though it had only been a few seconds of her time, it felt like it had been hours upon hours of waiting for something to happen.

"What are you doing?!" A loud scream escaped Asher as someone jumped on top of her. Blue fur with yellow, joyful eyes reached her vision alongside the squeaky and young voice reaching her ears, startling her. The creature quickly covered her mouth, muffling her screams while responding with a laugh loud enough to cover her muffled cries of distress. "Calm down, kiddo! I'm not here to hurt you!" He flashed a toothy grin before tilting his head and laughing. "I get it! You didn't expect me to pounce you, did you? I'm sorry I scared you, kiddo!" He then got off her, which was great timing since she was panting to catch her breath. "Howdy, partner. The name's Bolt; I'm a Shinx if you're wondering." He bowed lightly before laughing loudly once more. "Sorry if I scared ya. You can't be too sure on who's good or bad in this world today!"

Asher was speechless as she panted and tried to gather her thoughts on what this thing was doing. As far as she could tell, the blue and black creature resembled a cat with a four-pointed star for a tail, along with large ears with a similar pattern as the tail lining the insides of them. And the way he spoke kind of reminded her of someone, though she wasn't sure what. Before she could even speak, he was once again jumping around all over the place like a child. If she could have described Bolt in one word, it would be hyper. In no other way could she describe the bouncing feline accurately.

As he jumped around, Asher tried to recall how she had gotten here. She could recall a bright flash of light, a feeling of weightlessness, and then she was falling from the sky and all the way down here. Maybe she had died, but if felt unlikely. She could still feel pain, which she had experienced falling from the trees to the ground, and she was more than sure that she was alive with how her heartbeat had picked up when Bolt had almost scared the life right out of her. But as soon as she began to put pieces of how she had probably been reincarnated together, it was shattered when Bolt bowled over her again, knocking her thoughts lose and once again scaring her a surprising amount.

"Stop being so quiet, kiddo!" he laughed, pushing her to stand up, though she would fall right back on her rear. He noticed her flinch in pain, but then laughed lightly as a thought reached him. "Did you hit your head on a branch or something, kiddo? You look all bruised up, but I don't think those wounds are from battle. Do you even have a name?" As realization dawned over him, his ears lowered in slight worry. "Hey, are you okay? That face you're making... it's one of fear, isn't it? I can't read your emotions, kiddo. Please, just talk to me."

Asher remained silent before she shook her head, then chuckling lightly to herself. "In all honesty, you never gave me the change to respond, Bolt." She smiled and looked at him, smiling faintly as she pushed away the fear. "My name's Asher, and you're right to say I was scared. I... I can't seem to recall anything besides my name and just falling from the sky and through the trees. I'm not even sure of where I am." She began to look around before pushing herself to stand, though it was odd as she had to stand on her toes just to prevent herself from falling. It was made easier by the weight on her back, though she wasn't sure why that was. "It appears I've forgotten how to walk as well. Geez, as natural as it feels, I still can't walk properly."

"Well, maybe instead of trying to balance on just your toes, you should relax and allow the weight of your tail to balance you out. It's there for a reason." Bolt laughed and helped her to stand straight, even allowing her to use him as some sort of crutch until she got the hang of walking around. It didn't take long either, especially with how natural it felt, though her mind told her something was wrong. "That's better!" Bolt chirped. "You look like a true Riolu now, and now some stumbling maniac! Haha! Great job, Asher!"

Asher laughed lightly and spun around lightly, finally getting used to the weight of her tail and the way she walked. The feeling of how weird this was never left her mind, even when she didn't think of it much in the moment. Something kept nagging her in the back of her head, but she finally managed to push it to the side as Bolt began to walk away. She quickly followed, though she wasn't sure why. It felt like this meeting had been for a reason - that she was supposed to follow him to find answers to something. She was sure he noticed, as he had glanced at her and laughed lightly before resuming the walk. He didn't turn and speak to her, which she found odd since he had been so hyper before.

"You point me out for being quiet, but now you're the quiet one," Asher mumbled lightly, tapping her hands, more like paws, together as she followed close behind him. When he simply shrugged, she lowered her head and stopped tapping her paws. "You told me to talk to you, so why don't you do the same thing for me, Bolt? I get if you're nervous, or if you just don't want to talk, but could you warn me before you do?"

"Sorry," Bolt admitted as he continued on his way through the forest and to wherever his destination was. "You see, I was just looking for something, and I just so happened to bump into you along the way. I'm not usually so hyper when I'm around people, and I know others don't like it when I'm excessively joyful." He laughed nervously before she shook his head and silenced it. "Sorry if you found me immediately annoying, Asher. I just need to find something and get my job over with. With all these... things... running around, I really must hurry and get back home."

"You know you can talk to me, right?" Asher smiled and rushed to his side, hoping to try and comfort him. "You helped me learn to walk, so I'm sure I can help you with something if you'd need me to, Bolt. I may not have many memories, but it doesn't mean that I'm completely useless. I do remember a little, like a flashing light and then falling from the sky. Now that I think about it, I remember a voice as well... I can't remember what they said, though. Maybe it'll come back to me one day; I don't know."

Bolt remained silent for a while before he chuckled and looked away from her. "It's really nothing important, kiddo. I'm just looking for something called a Gabite Scale, which are rumored to be around here to those who are lucky enough to survive long enough to find the Mystery Dungeon and get to the bottom of it. If you were really smart, then you would back off and let me do what I'm supposed to do. With my mother sick, I don't have time to just sit around and talk. Please, Asher... I don't want to hurt you without a good reason." He glared ahead before tears began to spill from his face and to the ground. "Leave me alone."

Before he could turn, paws wrapped around him, freezing him in place. He turned and looked at Asher as she held him, shaking her head quickly. Why was she hugging him like her life depended on it? Had his own emotions caused this? He knew Riolu and Lucario were able to sense simple emotions, but had his really been strong enough to make her hug him like this? He felt something scratching at him from the back of his mind, but he forced it aside and tried to hug back, though it was odd since he stood on all fours, unlike Asher and other two-legged standing Pokémon. And they remained like this until Bolt had finally stopped crying, and even a little more.

"I'm sorry about your mother, but you can't let that push people away from you," she whispered, soon letting go but holding onto his shoulders as she watched him. "I get you're worried, and I'll help you to fix that, but don't push me away, okay? I don't have anything else to do, so what am I supposed to do besides help the only other person I know here. Please, Bolt? Will you let me help you?"

"I..." Bolt was at a loss of words as she offered to help. He began to contemplate what could happen, but eventually nodded, even though the consequences of his actions were likely higher than the good that could come from it. "Fine, but if you get into any trouble, don't expect me to really be able to help you. As good as I am at fighting, I don't really know how to tell you how to fight. We're entirely different species, so all I can say is follow you instincts."

Asher nodded and finally let go of him, allowing him to shake his fur flat and into its proper place. She smiled faintly before placing her paws together and bowing lightly, though it was slightly as a joke. "Thank you for allowing me to follow along, sir!" She laughed to herself before she stopped, instead putting her arms behind her back. "So, where are we headed exactly? What even is a Mystery Dungeon? Is it some sort of underground cavern where they keep things?"

"It's... sorta complicated," Bolt admitted, then shrugging as he continued through the forest. The surroundings slowly began to change, as did the air around them. It became a clear forest, and there was nothing there. It was clear weather for sure. "In fact, we just entered one. I think this one is called Oran Forest. Yeah, look at those berries up in those trees." He motioned to a bunch of blue berries with black spots on them. "Those are called Oran Berries. They're great for recovering health when in one of these places."

"Umm... Alright, but that doesn't really answer my question about what these places are," Asher mumbled back, looking around the new forest in awe and wonder. Was this really the same place? It looked entirely different! "Clear whether, low humidity, and some actual sunlight. Is this really what a Mystery Dungeon is? It can't be so bad that they really hide stuff here, right? It looks so peaceful."

"Well, this is only just the entrance of the Mystery Dungeon. Ever since Arceus disappeared, well, these places haven't exactly been the same." Bolt sighed and shook lightly, bolts of lightning shooting from his fur for a moment as he stopped his shaking and continued the walk. "But you asked about this place, so I'll answer as best I can. So, in a long explanation, a Mystery Dungeon is a separation from a real place that can lead to an entirely different place, or to where you had started the journey from. In them, you can find many variable items and even something called Poké, which is the currency of this place. But the worst of it comes with the enemies you can find in them. Pokémon lost to the Mystery Dungeons are called Rogues, and they're, in the nicest term possible, crazy. They attack without rhyme or reason, and some have even reported them killing or kidnapping Pokémon who they had knocked out. It is possible to knock sense into them, but rarely will they even have enough rational thoughts to be saved. In a shorter way to think about it, Pokémon go crazy, they lead to places, and you can find things in them. Any other questions?"

"N-none at the moment, no," Asher mumbled in response. She lowered her head and began to think on what he had told her about the Rogues. 'Pokémon that just attack for no reason at all. That sounds so familiar to me, but why would it? I doubt I've ever been attacked by one, and I know for sure I would remember if I really had. Do they even attack for no reason? Maybe there's something here that drives them to attack?' Her silence hung in the air before a thought clicked. "Actually, I just thought of another few. First, are there any other places like this out there in the world? And second, do you think there might be something causing theses Rogues to go mad? Something that hides in the dungeons and just waits to take them and make them so... crazy."

"In all honesty, I only know one of those answers." Bolt smiled faintly before raising his head to look at the bright foliage above. "All I know is that these places exist wherever there's trouble, even if it's just a tiny robbery. But, in truth, I don't really know if there's something making these Pokémon act the way they do. I remember one of my friend's was gaining a lead on it, but then... he disappeared. Just like the light when the sun goes over the horizon, he disappeared without a trace. But when I found all of his items still in his room, I began to think: Did he really find something? Did Arceus come back just to get rid of him? I don't know, and I doubt I'll ever know. I'll miss Star... He was an amazing friend."

Asher's body tensed up when she heard the name Star. She stopped moving as her vision was cut by a white line. But just as sudden as it had appeared, it had disappeared. A light squeak echoed within her head, startling her and making her turn without even a moment of thought. That was when she was able to focus on the real world once more, and found her hand around the throat of a small purple rodent.

Asher was so shocked, she barely even realized as she dropped the creature and let it scurry off to wherever it was headed to. Whatever that flash of light was, she was sure it had simply been a coincidence. She didn't let it bother her, and soon, she had shaken it away, turning and looking to Bolt who had a look of shock on his face. She couldn't tell if it was just because of what she had done, or because of something else he had seen; she was scared to ask.

"You have a reaction time comparable to him for sure," Bolt suddenly mumbled, his eyes lighting up with a joy he hadn't felt in forever. "I-I can't believe he never told me he had a student! You reacted just like he did in a moment you had no idea of what to do! You were fast, like lightning! Are you sure you can't remember anything? You sure are similar to him. You've both lost your memories, and you both reacted to that Rattata the same way as well! Wait! You wouldn't happen to be Star, would you?"

"... I'm sure I would remember being someone else," Asher responded, rubbing her head as the thought of the flash began to slowly fade away. It wasn't that she minded leaving it behind, but there was something about it that felt so important. But soon, it too was gone like all the rest, only a faint headache lingering behind as a result of it. "But even if I was, it's not important right now. We need to get through here and find what it was that you're looking for. I'm sure your mother would like it in a hurry, Bolt."

Bolt nodded and shook his head from the thoughts he had previously stated. He turned and began to run through the forest, his footsteps echoing alongside Asher as she kept up without much problem. The silence of the forest only further increased his stress, as he knew that this place was truly very dangerous. But with the lack of Pokémon, or even their scents, it was further enhanced. He knew there was danger ahead, but he couldn't tell what it was. And with how Asher was remaining so calm, he was sure she wasn't even able to sense it. As worrying as that was to him, it was probably for the best. If she didn't panic, then he was sure it'd be okay for the two of them.

After a long period of running, Bolt finally began to slow as exhaustion began to take over him. There hadn't been any signs of life besides them, and he hadn't even found any Poké or items that would help them. There was absolutely nothing here besides them and the forest itself. Had that Rattata warned the forest about Asher? Were they waiting ahead to ambush and knock them out? He didn't know, and he was sure scared of the idea of it. But in the end, he forced his fear down and pushed forward. And with the final push, the forest became dark. The exit sealed behind them as vines shot up from the ground, trapping them in some sort of dark room. There was a wave of uncertainty before the room burst into light from what seemed to be nothing.

"So, we're finally here." Bolt let out a breath as the room began to shift around, the walls curving outward as they became stone alongside the ground. The roof suffered the same fate before sand began to swirl from the opposite side of the room. "Asher, we need to be careful here. That Pokémon that's about to come from the sand over there is known as Gabite, and he's very, very fierce. Just stay out of the way and let me deal with him, okay?"

Asher didn't respond as she let out her own breath. When she felt the stone under her feet, a feeling of familiarity began to surge through her veins. "How about you let me fight?" Asher mumbled, stepping between him and the settling sand. When the sand had settled and revealed the Pokémon she would be facing, a light feeling of joy began to run through her veins. "Please trust me, Bolt. I know I can take him out."

Bolt was hesitant to answer, but nodded as he backed away and watched her step forward. As much as he felt he would regret it, he wanted to see what she was capable of doing on her own. "I trust you," he mumbled lightly to himself. He wasn't sure why, but it felt like he had done this with Star before. But after a moment of thought, he knew he hadn't. He knew it had been somewhere else, and definitely not with Gabite. But just like then, he trusted Asher on her own. And not only that, but it would allow him to see how much skill she truly had.

Asher smirked and raised her paws into a stance she was comfortable with. Energy began to flow through her, giving her the feeling that she could do anything if she tried hard enough. And in this stone cave against this half-dragon, half-shark Pokémon, she knew she would need every bit of that feeling. And with her thoughts in focus, she took off towards it, a silver streak following behind her as she rushed at the dragon. When she was right in front of it, she spun and kicked at its legs. It buckled under the hit but she felt pain tear through her as she met rough skin. A snarl escaped her lips soon afterwards, and she had to jump out of the way as it lashed at her with powerful claws.

"You'll have to try harder than that!" she taunted, smirking as she continued to jump out of the way of its powerful, and likely lethal, claws. At every cut, she could feel the air move away from it. The Pokémon itself wasn't scary, but it was incredibly powerful, and Asher could tell just by looking at the odd energy around it. "Man, you're awfully slow for a landshark! I can't believe Bolt even thought of you as a threat!"

She could see the rage in Gabite's eyes she taunted it. An odd feeling began to flow through her as they rushed at each other, her arms raising instinctually and catching the sharp claws. A look of confusion seemed to come over the Gabite before she pulled and kicked him directly in the chin. She flinched and pushed him away again, the rough skin cutting into her fur and making her foot bleed, though she was still more than strong enough to keep fighting. All it did was sting and burn, and maybe catch her off guard. She didn't know why, though. It was a shark after all - it was bound to have rough skin.

Still recovering from the recent cut, Asher failed to stand properly and counter the next attack. The ground beneath her bulged before rocketing up and knocked her to the sky. She didn't stand a chance as she was then slammed into the wall, a large gash following the Gabite's claws as he slashed ferociously, as though attempting to kill her. She could see the rage in its eyes, a pain that she couldn't resist to hate. But she knew this was her fault. She had teased it for being weak, and now it was showing her strength. However, just like it, Asher felt she had one last trick up her sleeve. All she needed was to hold on; she didn't need Bolt's help.

The longer he kept attacking, the less strength Asher could feel coursing through her veins. Even though it was beginning to become blurry, she could tell she was becoming stronger. Her Rage was building with every hit, and so was her determination to keep the fight going. The adrenaline running through her veins felt so familiar, so needed, but even though she knew this was her first ever battle, this felt like home to her.

Eventually, she felt herself on the edge. Her body burned from the pain of being attacked over and over, and she knew that she could only hold on for so long. As the Gabite came in for another attack, she finally took the offensive. With impressive speed, as well as with knowing how the Gabit attacked, she ducked under his slash. There was only a moment of silence before she struck him in the gut, a loud thud following as he was thrown away and to the ceiling - that was Counter, an attack that doubled the damage received from any physical attack. And it was exactly what Asher had been hoping for to happen.

Asher panted heavily as she fell to her hands and knees, the pain finally taking over and forcing her to sit still. She could feel blood in her fur and between her paws, but they didn't matter. What truly mattered was if the battle was done or not. If it wasn't, then she would have lost. If it was, then she was sure her luck would run out soon enough. Bolt finding her had been lucky enough, but with defeating such an opponent without help, she was sure she had the luck of a legend on her side.

"Y-you did it!" A squeal of surprise came from Bolt as he rushed over, flinching at the sight of her bloody pelt. "Y-you're hurt, b-but he's out of the way! W-we need to hurry before he wakes up! You can ride on my back if you'd like!" He seemed worried, even panicking at the sight of her being injured. He didn't know why himself, but he knew it had to do with how he felt towards her. It felt like she was a true friend, someone he could trust. He didn't know why, though. They had only just met.

"I can make it on my own," Asher growled, forcing herself to stand, though every step forward she took would make her bleed slightly more. Eventually, though, she had gotten used to the pain. And with it, she was walking properly once more. "You don't have to worry about me, Bolt. Even though it hurts, I don't want to get you all messy either. W-wait! If that thing's a Gabite, then it should have what you're looking for, right? A Gabite Scale, right?"

"Y-yes, but I can't steal it right from its body," Bolt told her, keeping her going forward so she didn't try to take one from the Gabite directly. "There should be some ahead. They fall off naturally, a-and I'm sure he doesn't mind them just lying around, especially with how strong he normally is. We can grab one then bolt for the exit. A-and no pun intended either! Don't think I made that joke intentionally!"

"Alright, alright!" Asher smiled lightly as she placed her hands behind her head, the pain fading away slowly but surely as they continued through the cave. She turned and looked at the walls to distract herself, but something about this all felt off. "I don't know why, but I get the feeling this is only the beginning of a long but fun adventure," she mumbled to herself, earning a light grunt of approval from Bolt. "Yeah... I hope this is as fun as it has been already."

Bolt nodded lightly before swiping up a tiny scale from the ground. As much as he had hoped for an adventure, he knew it was impossible for him. He had been trying for years to get away from his parents, but they hadn't allowed him out for quite a while now. Sure, he had gone on missions for berries and this scale, but he had never returned with the scale before. He wasn't even sure if this would help her or not. If it did, then he had no idea what he'd do. Heck, he didn't even know if Asher would stay with him afterwards. He was so lost in thought, he failed to notice as they entered the forest once more, knowing they were heading in the direction of his family den. What a day it had been, and with the sun setting behind them, it felt like it had truly been the adventure of a lifetime.

"We should go and see my family," he mumbled to her, picking up the pace slightly. "I'm sure mother would like this scale as soon as possible. And there, I can show you some things about Star that I think you'll find interesting." He smiled lightly as he heard her grunt in response. The day was coming to a close, and he didn't think it had been a waste at all. It had been the best day in his life for a long time. And with it, he hoped the journey would continue soon enough.

Information regarding any rules broken or typos are greatly welcome in messages. Thank you for reading, and have a nice day/night.