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Dimensions of Darkness Book 3: The Explorers of the Beyond

GalladeRocks

Son of a Beach
It's here, it's here, it's here at last! (Again!)

DIMENSIONS OF DARKNESS BOOK 3: THE EXPLORERS OF THE BEYOND

[Rated PG-13 for peril, mild fantasy violence, very mild language, and themes of death (Again)]

A note to all who read this: This is a sequel to Dimensions of Darkness Book 1: The Explorers of Nightmares and Dimensions of Darkness Book 2: The Explorers of the Core. If you haven't read the first two books, I suggest clicking on the links below and reading them first. (Again.)

Book 1: The Explorers of Nightmares
Book 2: The Explorers of the Core

Well, I know there wasn't much of a break between this book and the last one, but I was too anxious to wait any longer. And first, and most importantly, I'd like to thank everyone who read and critiqued on my last thread. I couldn't have done it without you! (Again.)

And just so that this opening post isn't exactly like the one from my last fic, I'll also add these words of wisdom courtesy of our beloved hero Dusknoir:

"Two wrongs may not make a right, but always remember that three rights make a left."


Piplup-A human from the future who was transformed into a Pokemon. He is generally well liked by all, probably because of his rather optimistic outlook on life. He will fight loyally for his friends and will always put the needs of others before his own. He and his partner Chimchar have saved the world three times before, but now they're the ones who need saving...

Chimchar-Piplup's best friend and partner. He is sometimes timid and is renowned to be a terrible comedian, but he is also a devoted explorer who will do anything for his friends.

Darkrai-An evil Pokemon who tried to take over the world three times. His current plans are unknown, but he finally has Piplup and Chimchar exactly where he wants them. He is wicked and cunning, and is not afraid to boast about it.

Deoxys-A mysterious Pokemon who is a close associate of Darkrai. He is a true strategical mastermind, with a mind bordering on Machiavellian. His cunning wit makes him a force to be reckoned with.

88-A Shieldon who is a former member of the Army of the Core. He is slightly smarter, but no more coordinated, than his best friend and partner, 89.

89-A Cranidos who is a former member of the Army of the Core. He is a first-class moron, but he has a good heart. He and 88 are collectively known as "Chowderheads".

Dragonite-A mysterious Pokemon who served as a jailer in Darkrai's prison. However, after breaking out Piplup and Chimchar, it becomes apparent that he is opposed to Darkrai, and is in fact a high-ranking member of the Resistance. He apparently harbors a dark secret involving the destruction of three villages. He is a member of the Infinity Knights.

Combusken-The adopted son of Darkrai and Cresselia. He was apparently disgraced in the eyes of Darkrai many years ago and he is constantly looking for a way to redeem his honor. With the arrival of Piplup and Chimchar, he may have just found the opportunity he needs...

Prinplup-The leader of the famous Team Liberty, a trio of freedom fighters. She's renowned for both her fighting skills and her beauty. She is a member of the Infinity Knights.

Charizard-A member of Team Liberty. He acts as the team's aerial searcher and battler.

Meganium-A member of Team Liberty. She acts as a healer and herbalist.

Slowbro-Combusken's caretaker, he is affectionately referred to as "Uncle". He was formally a general in the Army of the Beyond and a very good friend of Darkrai before retiring. While he seems to be a very laid-back and carefree Pokemon, complex thoughts run through his brain and he seems to have great plans for Combusken. However, he leaves Combusken to make decisions for himself, even if the results are less than hoped for.

Gothitelle-The adopted daughter of Darkrai and Cresselia and sister to Combusken. Commonly referred to as Darkrai's "perfect little princess", she is his most trusted advisor and his second-in-command. She is cold and ruthless and loves to toy with her foes. There is obvious animosity between her and Combusken.

Garchomp-A ruthless Pokemon who serves as a jailer in Darkrai's prison. He is deeply loyal to Darkrai, is clearly cautious of Deoxys, and was best friends with Dragonite before his betrayal. Now ashamed, he has sworn revenge against his former friend.

Lugia - The leader of the Resistance. He is incredibly powerful and mystical, possessing great wisdom and strength. He is the placeholder king of the Beyond.

Absol-A friend of Dragonite and general of the Resistance. He is rather gruff in his demeanor, but he means well. He is infamously indignant and is a member of the Infinity Knights.

Torterra, Milotic, and Darmanitan - Three close friends and members of the Infinity Knights.

Zoroark-An agent of Dialga who is positioned in the Beyond, he is known as "The Eyes of the Beyond". He is clearly interested in Piplup and his abilities.

Mismagius-A close friend of Gothitelle. She tends to be very somber and is rarely excited.

Froslass-A close friend of Gothitelle. She is always happy and can rarely stay in the same place for more than a couple of seconds.

Golduck-Deoxys's manservant. He is also Deoxys's sole friend, and the two have known each other for a long time. He is a very neutral Pokemon and can even get along with Darkrai. For some reason, he harbors a grudge against Dragonite.

Excadrill-The greatest blacksmith in the Beyond and an old friend of Dragonite. He is very blunt and is rough on the outside, but he has a good heart.

Magby-Excadrill's apprentice. Magby is a very nervous and jittery Pokemon, but he means well.

Giratina-An incredibly evil Pokemon who led a revolution against the original Dialga and Palkia over a thousand years ago. He was defeated and trapped in the dimension that is known as the Beyond, along with all of his followers. He disappeared many centuries ago, and is presumed to have eventually succumbed to madness and old age and died. However, his legacy lives on in the descendants of his followers, who control the Beyond to this day.

Swampert - One of the Merry Men. He's really the leader of the bunch, though he rarely plays the part. He goes by the stage name Benkei.

Mightyena - Self-proclaimed leader of the Merry Men, second-in-command to Swampert, and an incredibly outgoing Pokemon. He's an old friend of Charizard. He goes by the stage name Robin Hood.

Ninjask - One of the Merry Men. He goes by the stage name Alan-a-Dale.

Castform - One of the Merry Men. He goes by the stage name Much the Miller's Son.

Kadabra - A level-headed Pokemon who butts heads with Mightyena. He leads the camp on the edge of Gris Plain.

Golem - A respected general in the Resistance.

Blaziken - A no-nonsense female warrior of the Resistance. She apparently had a rough and troubled past.

Delcatty - A friend of Blaziken and fellow warrior of the Resistance. She hates sexists with a passion unrivaled by any but Beautifly.

Beautifly - A passionate feminist and friend of Blaziken. She has no problems with threatening violence on any who anger her.

Manectric - A lover, not a fighter, who is a friend of Blaziken. He believes himself to be popular with the ladies and he has a soft spot for Delcatty. He is absolutely despised by Beautifly, though he can't imagine why.

Noctowl-A close friend of Excadrill. He is apparently a figure of authority in the Resistance.

Scrafty-A mobster-like Pokemon and the boss of Darkrai's personal mafia. He is known to act much tougher than he actually is. He leads a gang of Scraggy.

Honchkrow-A gang leader and the boss of Deoxys's personal mafia. He acts tough, and he is pretty tough. He leads a gang of Murkrow.

Conkeldurr-The leader of the Republic, a rebel faction seeking control of the Beyond. He's tough, but doesn't have much support. He leads a gang of Timburr.

Raikou, Articuno, and Moltres - Three powerful Pokemon and lieutenants of Darkrai. They are generally known as the Big Three.

Genesect-A Pokemon created by Giratina's mad experimentation. It can't be controlled, yet Darkrai unleashed it again. Chimchar was able to reseal it with the sword Aureus. Though previously known simply as The Beast, it was named Genesect by Piplup. It has gone by multiple other names, including Robeetle, Buggun, and Steve.

Lickitung - The reigning chef of the Resistance. He speaks with a lisp, probably because of the massive tongue hanging out of his mouth.

Skarmory-A group of Pokemon who act as messengers and carriers for the Resistance.

Reshiram and Zekrom-Two immortals who were present in the Beyond. One served under Giratina while the other kept an eye on them. Both are dead now.

Grovyle-A Pokemon from the future and a good friend of Piplup and Chimchar. He is incredibly loyal to his friends and will do anything to keep them safe, even if it means putting his own life on the line.

Dusknoir-A Pokemon from the future. He was formerly the arch-enemy of Piplup, Chimchar, and Grovyle, but he developed a friendship with Grovyle while they worked together to stop Primal Dialga. He is now a good friend to the three and is always a reliable ally. After becoming a good Pokemon, his personality has become much more friendly and outgoing. Chimchar is jealous of him because people find Dusknoir's humor funnier than his own.

Celebi-Another Pokemon from the future. She is a good friend of Piplup and Chimchar and has a not-so-secret crush on Grovyle. She is very kind to all and will offer her life to any cause worthy enough to gain her support.

Wigglytuff-The Guildmaster of the Wigglytuff Guild. He serves as a mentor to Piplup, Chimchar, and all of the other apprentices. He is always cheery and jolly, even in the face of the most menacing foes.

Chatot-Wigglytuff's best friend and second-in-command. He is sometimes pushy and fussy, but he has everyone's best interests at heart.

Chimecho, Bidoof, Sunflora, Loudred, Corphish, Diglett, Dugtrio, and Croagunk-The Wigglytuff Guild apprentices and good friends of Piplup and Chimchar.

Lucario-A Pokemon from the Core and a renowned Aura master. He is somewhat rash and easy to anger.

Mew-A Pokemon from the Core and a good friend of Lucario, who she seems to harbor unspoken feelings for. She's a great healer and herbalist. She is more cautious and level-headed than Lucario, but she is a force to be feared when she is angered.

Shiftry-A newcomer to Treasure Town. He offers his help in finding Piplup and Chimchar by contacting his "underground" agents.

Pawniard, Hitmontop, and Cacnea-Shiftry's friends and followers. They are deeply loyal to him.

Armaldo-Wigglytuff's old exploring master and a former outlaw. He may seem gruff on the outside, but in reality, he is a big softie.

Sceptile-A Pokemon from the future and enemy of Grovyle and Dusknoir. He disappeared after being captured in the Core, and his whearabouts are unknown.

Cresselia-A legendary Pokemon and member of Team Pokepals, after she helped defeat her rival Darkrai. She is originally from the Beyond and is/was Darkrai's wife before escaping to Earth. (I say is/was because I'm not really sure how divorce works in the Pokemon world.)

Piplup-Hydro Pump, Brick Break
Chimchar-Flamethrower, Focus Punch, Low Kick
88-Iron Head, Flash Cannon, Ancientpower, Dig
89-Thunderbolt, Ancientpower, Stone Edge
Dragonite-Hyper Beam, Fire Punch
Darkrai-Dark Pulse
Deoxys-Calm Mind, Psyshock, Protect, Hyper Beam, Extremespeed, Psycho Boost
Combusken-Flamethrower, Double Kick, Low Sweep, Rock Smash, Brick Break
Slowbro-Psychic
Gothitelle-Psychic, Thunderbolt, Brick Break, Reflect
Mismagius-Magical Leaf, Psywave
Froslass-Powder Snow, Ice Beam
Prinplup-Bubblebeam, Metal Claw
Charizard-Flamethrower
Meganium-Energy Ball, Vine Whip, Seed Bomb
Garchomp-Dragon Claw, Stone Edge
Raikou-Thunderbolt, Thunder Fang, Iron Tail, Thunder Wave
Articuno-Ice Beam, Sheer Cold
Moltres-Flamethrower, Sky Attack, Heat Wave
Scrafty-Low Kick, Sludge Bomb, Brick Break
Genesect-Techno Blast, Flame Charge, Zap Cannon, Ice Beam
Sunflora-Razor Leaf, Bullet Seed
Loudred-Uproar
Pawniard-Metal Claw
Cacnea-Pin Missile
Hitmontop-Dig
Kadabra - Light Screen, Psychic
Golem - Stone Edge, Rollout

Dimensions of Darkness - Related Illustrations


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47. pinegreen


And now...it begins! (Again.)


Prologue

A shadowy figure darted across the rocky soil towards the towering mansion ahead. He reached the large wooden door and knocked three times in quick succession. Slowly, the door creaked open and the head of a blue duck peeked out.

"Good evening, Golduck," the shadowy figure greeted.

"Ah, Master Darkrai!" the Pokemon named Golduck smiled. He bowed deeply and swung the door open farther. "I presume you are here to meet with Master Deoxys?"

Darkrai nodded and moved inside. "Yes, of course. I must speak to him immediately."

"Yes, of course," Golduck bowed again. "I will go and fetch him. Please, take a seat." He turned away and strode up the large flight of stairs along the wall. Darkrai floated forward into the enormous sitting room. There were a large number of comfy chairs sitting in a half-circle around the stone fireplace, which now held a roaring fire. Darkrai plopped down into one of the chairs nearest to the fire and sighed contentedly. The room was lit only by the fire, causing the shadows to dance on the walls and the large wooden bookshelves which lined the room. The shadows around Darkrai seemed to writhe even more violently than the rest, however.

"Ah, Darkrai, how good it is to see you."

Darkrai looked up to see a humanoid orange Pokemon walking down the staircase. A purple gem gleamed in the center of his chest. "Hello, Deoxys. I must say that you really know how to live. I never quite get used to the luxuries of this mansion."

"Let's cease with the pleasantries," Deoxys said softly, sitting down in the chair opposite Darkrai. He clapped his hands and Golduck appeared at his side.

"Yes, Master Deoxys?"

"Golduck, old friend, please go get some tea for our guest," Deoxys ordered. "I'll take some as well. Of course, don't forget to pour yourself a cup too."

Golduck bowed. "I will put the kettle on immediately." He hurried off towards the kitchen.

Deoxys turned back to Darkrai. "Now, judging by the urgency in which you demanded for me to open a portal, I can only imagine that something came up in the Core."

"Yes, there were difficulties," Darkrai nodded sheepishly. "Despite the fact that I unleashed Rayquaza to face them, and despite the fact that I even possessed Regigigas to battle them, I was still defeated. Piplup simply proved to be too strong yet again."

Deoxys sighed. "Darkrai, there are entire books dedicated to your failures."

"But," Darkrai interjected. "It was all for the greater good."

"How so?" Deoxys raised an eyebrow. "Just what did you pull off?"

Darkrai smiled maliciously. "When I entered the portal back here to the Beyond...I brought Piplup and Chimchar with me."

Deoxys had trained himself not to show facial emotions in reaction to any news, but he was hardly able to contain his gasp of surprise. "You actually managed to bring Piplup and Chimchar here? Incredible."

"Yes, it truly is," Darkrai gloated. "Right now, I have them locked up in Garchomp and Dragonite's jail. Two soldiers from the Core got sucked into the portal along with Piplup and Chimchar, and they're in the jail with them."

"Are you sure that is wise?" Deoxys inquired. "Piplup and Chimchar are incredibly resourceful. Dragonite and Garchomp are certainly capable, and the cell doors can withstand virtually any attack, but those two have found their way out of similar situations before."

"Trust me, they won't be escaping this time," Darkrai assured.

Deoxys scoffed. "Trust you? I can only trust you as far as I can throw you."

"You're one to talk," Darkrai growled. "But hey, even if Piplup and Chimchar do manage to escape, which they won't, then where are they going to go?"

"There are always the revolutionaries," Deoxys said.

"Yes, that is true," Darkrai admitted. "But we could hunt them down before they ever make it that far. But they will never escape the jail. There is only one thing they have to look forward to in their worthless lives."

Deoxys hid his smile, already knowing what Darkrai was going to say. "And that would be?"

Darkrai's smile was devoid of any emotion. "Their execution date."


Hope you all like it! It's short, I know, but it's just a taste of what's to come, so it can't be too long.

Anyway, this prologue starts in on something which will actually be focused on quite often throughout the rest of the fic: The relationship between Darkrai and Deoxys. The two are on the same side, it is true. They are partners when it comes to command of the Beyond, and they work together very often. However, they are not friends. Far from it, they will freely admit that they despise each other. But still, for the good of the Beyond, they work together to take down their foes. And they are a truly lethal combination...
 
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Charoshi

Charmander is best
Wow, already? You make some of us other writers look bad with your quick writing.

Well anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the chapter. The scene with Darkrai and Deoxys was rather well done in my opinion. I also liked your choice of Golduck, a rather underused and unappreciated pokemon, to be Deoxys servant and friend. All and all, I'm looking forward to another great story by GalladeRocks!

Ps. First Reply!
 
woohoo! yay for cordial baddies who detest each other. that sounds quite awesome. and you're a very good writer to completley change the tone of your writing from day to day. it took me a week once to stop writing battle scenes after a completely random peice of writing i did.
 

Illusione-Tempus

Well-Known Member
Yay a new book! Wow! That's fast :eek:

Darkrai and Deoxys... bad combination, just... bad. And Piplup and Chimchar are going to be executed? Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo
 

mattman324

aka Shiny_Feraligatr
Pm list. Me. There. Now.

I like this prolouge. I want more, dangit!
 

DaggerThruMyHeart911

Foliatus Lacerta
Leave it to GalladeRocks to end one story and start the next within a week!

This may seem a little creepy, but I would love to see how Piplup, Chimchar, and our dear chowderheads handle jail. And Deoxys and Darkrai working together?!?! IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!!!!

I read the prologue twice and saw no flaws. Great start!
 

treeco123

Well-Known Member
I hope you have these chapters saved on your computer because if the forum's hard drive fails you will lose them(the forum being down earlier made me think of this).
this one sounds even better than the other books!
two evil geniuses that hate each other, and they're both legends, this should be interesting.
 

Torpoleon

Well-Known Member
Sorry for not reviewing your last few chapters of Book 2, but I did see them. Now for the prologue. Very interesting. Golduck just screams "servant type" to me so it was a good choice. Darkrai & Deoxys....a villianous combination.

Oh no! Piplup & Chimchar are going to get executed? (Is the execution done by an Exeggutor since it sounds like execution.)

So after this book, it is all said and done, eh? How many chapters are planned for this one? When do you plan to have this book done? So, it is basically every five chapters there is a Pokemon Show Chapter? Why am I asking multiple questions?
 

Mudkip8003

Well-Known Member
Very super sorry for not posting in a while. So i'll just recap some of my favorite things from the last few chapers from Book 2. I thought the chowderheads were always funny, and the buisness cards made my laugh. I like the idea of giving Piplup aura. So now... PIPLUP AND CHIMCHAR ARE BEING EXICUTED? Seems like then everyone shall die then. And wqsnt there a team you were going to put in this book with Pikachu and Dragonite? Still, great book, and so happy you finished Book 2!
 

togepilover12

Blazing Flare Blitz!
I had just read the prologue and it was good! Darkrai and Deoxys is what I say a good combination. I just really love your Pokemon Dimensions of Darkness stories and I read the last 2 and I'm really looking forward to this book.
 

GalladeRocks

Son of a Beach
Okay, multiple things to say here:

Torpoleon-Question One: Pretty much. Question 2: I have no idea. Question 3: I have no idea. Question 4: The first Pokemon Show chapter will be Chapter 5, then Chapter 10, and so on. Question Five: I have no idea.

Mudkip8003-Ah, yes, you are referring to Team Liberty. They will show up later in the book, as a group of freedom fighters. However, neither Dragonite nor Pikachu is a member of the team. As I mentioned in the prologue, Dragonite is one of Piplup and Chimchar's jailers, alongside Garchomp.

I plan to have the first chapter up either tomorrow or Tuesday. There's about a fifty-fifty chance whether or not I'll be able to tomorrow, but I will have it up for sure on/by Tuesday.

Lastly, I'm glad that you all like the combination of and relationship between Darkrai and Deoxys, the two head baddies. Now, after playing the games and reading the first two books, you all know Darkrai. Well, let me leave you with this: Deoxys is infinitely more dangerous than Darkrai, in more ways than one...
 

GalladeRocks

Son of a Beach
Okay, I need some help with something. There will be a new character later in the book that I need help deciding on. It will be a female Pokemon and an ally of Darkrai. The two Pokemon that I believe would be best for the role are Gochirezu and Froslass. However, I am leary of using either one because of Froslass's role in the PMD games and because of the lack of information and English name for Gochirezu. My next option after those two would be Mismagius, but I still think that Gochirezu fits best, with Froslass second. However, it may be long enough into the story that more information on Gochirezu will be out before the character is introduced. So, basically, my number one option is Gochirezu, but if it won't work, then I will use either Froslass or Mismagius. What do you guys think?

Also, I'll have the next chapter up tomorrow. After that, I will be busy literally every day until next Tuesday night or even Wednesday.
 
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mattman324

aka Shiny_Feraligatr
Froslass would be cool. You could even, possibly, have a small scene where Piplup and Chimchar make false claims that it IS the story Froslass.
 
i would say go for Mismagius, as ghost types always seem bad, but only if it dosn't take you until B&W come out. it's just under two months till the Japanese release, so if you take around about the same time as you did for your old fic, you'll have the information in plenty of time.
 

JD

Well-Known Member
So the new Book is out cool? So it looks like Darkrai and Deoxys have some sort of an alliance together. So Number 88 and 89 Tagged along with Piplup Chimchar and Co?
 

GalladeRocks

Son of a Beach
New chapter time!


Chapter 1
The Definition of Life

The hallway was dark, lit only by a lantern stuck in the wall outside. The bars on the door cast eerie shadows across the stone floor, giving the room an even more ominous feel. The air was damp and cold, enough so to discomfort even the most sturdy Water and Ice types.

The blue penguin Pokemon sighed for the thousandth time in three days. He looked over to his partner, who's flaming butt kept the room from being overcome in darkness. The chimp lifted a harmonica to his lips and began to play. The sound was depressing and melancholy, making the cell seem even worse than it was already.

"Hey! Will you stop it with the stupid harmonica?"

A towering shark-like figure loomed in front of the cell. It quickly reached between the bars and snatched the harmonica from the prisoner's hands. "Hey!"

Another figure, this one draconic in appearance, stepped forward to join his partner. "How many times do we have to confiscate your stupid harmonicas?"

"How do you even have so many?" the shark growled in exasperation. "That's the seventeenth one!"

The chimp shrugged. "They're all over the place in here."

The shark turned to face his partner. "Dragonite? Did you leave the harmonicas in there?"

"Uh, kinda," Dragonite grinned sheepishly. "I thought that maybe they could use some entertainment. You've heard of it, right Garchomp?"

"Yeah yeah yeah," Garchomp grumbled. "Well, I suppose it's not hurting anyone, as long as I put my ear plugs in."

"You don't have ears," the penguin pointed out.

The shark reached up to touch his head and frowned when he could feel no ear holes. "Whatever!" He turned in a huff and began to walk away when there was a clanging noise from the cell. Whirling around, he saw the chimp rattling a tin cup across the bars in the door. "Will you cut that out?"

"Sorry," Dragonite apologized. "I may have given him that too."

Garchomp reached through the bars and grabbed the tin cup, but it was too large to fit back through. Enraged, Garchomp let go, letting the cup crash to the stone floor. "I give up!" he growled. He began to leave once again, but Dragonite pulled him back.

"I belive you're forgetting to tell them something," Dragonite reminded.

Garchomp's eyes were blank for a moment, but then they lit up with remembrance. "Oh! That's right!" He turned back to the cell. "I've been instructed by Darkrai to give you some wonderful news."

"Wonderful!" the chimp beamed, grabbing onto the bars. "Let me hear it!" His partner seemed significantly less thrilled.

"Darkrai has finally assigned you two an execution date," Garchomp explained. His wicked smile showed off his fangs. "And that's tomorrow." He turned and walked back down the hallway.

"Have fun sleeping on that!" Dragonite smirked before heading off after Garchomp.

The chimp turned to face his partner. "Piplup? What's an execution?"

The penguin sighed. "It's the public killing of a criminal. Chimchar, Darkrai is going to kill us."

Chimchar gulped, paling significantly. "Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow."

The two sat in silence for a long time. Finally, Chimchar spoke. "I thought he'd just keep us here in jail."

"I knew there was no way he'd just keep us here," Piplup admitted. "We're his most dangerous enemies. I'm simply surprised that he didn't finish us sooner. I suppose he's just making a show of it."

"Yeah," Chimchar nodded. "I can understand that."

"It'd be just like Darkrai," Piplup agreed.

Chimchar sighed. "So how are we going to get out of this one, Piplup?"

Piplup had been pondering the same question for three days now. They'd gotten themselves out of every tough situation they encountered. Every battle, every trap, they'd survived it all. But now, he had nothing. "I don't know, Chimchar. I just don't know."

"That's not very encouraging," Chimchar said. He attempted to smile, but it came out looking like he was constipated.

"This is exactly what Darkrai must want," Piplup said suddenly.

"What?" Chimchar asked curiously.

"To crush our spirit," Piplup continued. "He has us trapped here, with a pair of fierce guards watching over us, and nothing but stone and bars around us. He's completely crushed our hope." He paused. "And it's actually worked."

They were both silent. Never before had they felt so hopeless, so helpless.

Finally, Chimchar broke the silence. "What do you think the others are doing right now?" he wondered. "Grovyle, and Dusknoir, and everyone else?"

"Knowing them," Piplup began. "I'd guess they're searching for a way to save us even as we speak. Grovyle's spear-heading the process, and Dusknoir and Celebi are behind him all the way."

"How do you know Celebi's free?" Chimchar inquired. "We never got a chance to see if turning the Wheel of Time backwards worked."

Piplup shrugged. "I can just feel it. She's alright now, and so's Chatot."

"Chatot," Chimchar nodded. "I'll bet him and Wigglytuff are helping out too."

"And Bidoof and Sunflora and Corphish and everyone else at the Guild," Piplup added. "But they're not going to figure anything out. At least, not in time."

Chimchar looked closely at his partner. Never before had he seen him this down and depressed. Then again, he guessed that he didn't look that great himself either. "No," he agreed eventually.

Piplup laid back with his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. Chimchar quickly laid down to join him. Each had the same relative thoughts and emotions running through their heads.

"Piplup," Chimchar said after almost an hour of silence. "You're still awake, right?"

Piplup didn't answer, but Chimchar knew he was listening.

"Piplup, I don't want to die."

There was another long silence. "Nobody does, Chimchar." A pause. "Myself included."

"That's what I don't understand," Chimchar continued. "You, and Grovyle, and Celebi, and even Dusknoir in the end. You all fought to change the future, even though you knew that you would die. Why is that? Why would you willingly fight for a cause that would kill you?"

Piplup considered the question for a few minutes before answering. "I can understand your confusion, Chimchar, but here's what I think. Even if I were to disappear...I wouldn't truly disappear."

Chimchar frowned. "What?"

"Everything ends eventually," Piplup explained. "Even if I don't fight Darkrai, even if Darkrai's plot were to proceed unchallenged, eventually the day will come when I won't be here anymore. Since that's the case, the timing of it doesn't matter."

Chimchar looked at his partner in wonder. He was beginning to sound a lot like somebody else he knew...

"The important thing is not how long you live," Piplup continued. "It's what you accomplish with your life." He paused a moment to let his words sink in before he continued. "While I live, I want to shine. I want to prove that I exist. If I could do something really important, that would definitely carry on into the future." He stopped to think for a moment. "No, not just into the future. Into Grovyle's and Dusknoir's and everyone else's future too. Our spirit has become a part of them, I believe. In them, our spirit is alive. And that spirit could be passed along to others. And so if we were to never escape this place, I think that all we have accomplished will go on. That is...that would mean...that it's living, right?"

Chimchar stared at his partner and for the first time in three days, he genuinely smiled. "Yes, I suppose that's right. If we can discover Darkrai's plot and put a stop to it once and for all, and even if we didn't escape this place, it would still be worth it." His smile grew even wider. "I want to shine, Piplup."

"Honestly, I think we already have in the past," Piplup admitted. "But it can't hurt to shine just a little brighter, right?"

"Now you two are talking!"

The partners looked up in surprise at the voice from outside their cell. A dark figure loomed before them. When it leaned down into the light, Piplup and Chimchar simultaneously gasped. "Dragonite!"

"Be quiet! Garchomp might hear you!" Dragonite hushed as he pulled out a ring of keys. "Now, let's get you two out of here!"


Hope you all enjoy it!

I'll be adding Dragonite and Garchomp to the character list, and I'll make a table of contents as well. So, who here knows the character that Piplup incidentally quoted in his speech to Chimchar? I'm guessing it's pretty obvious. Also, that speech foreshadows the end of the book. As one last spot of foreshadowing, the penultimate chapter of the book will be A Shining Life.

And yes, I realize that it's short. It's an opening chapter, so things should get rolling more within the next chapter or two.
 
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Torpoleon

Well-Known Member
Great chapter! There were funny parts with the harmonica and all that. So I'm guessing that Book 3 defines the word "life" basically.

Piplup talking about wanting accomplish things in life kind of sounds like me. So, that really touched me. I'm guessing Piplup was quoting Grovyle.

(I think I said this before, but it sounds interesting.) For the execution, it could be one Exeggutor & two Exeggcutes there since the beginning sounds familiar to the beginning of "execution".

Maybe you could have Gochirezu, Froslass & Mismagius three of Darkrai's top allies. That way, you could have all of them and still promote Generation IV (and Generation V.) You're having Zoroark, so changing to the English Names shouldn't be a problem. When would you introduce Gochirezu and/or Froslass and/or Mismagius? (By the way, if you do make it all three of them being Darkrai's top allies, maybe you can make Gochirezu the leader.)
 

GalladeRocks

Son of a Beach
Great chapter! There were funny parts with the harmonica and all that. So I'm guessing that Book 3 defines the word "life" basically.

Piplup talking about wanting accomplish things in life kind of sounds like me. So, that really touched me. I'm guessing Piplup was quoting Grovyle.

(I think I said this before, but it sounds interesting.) For the execution, it could be one Exeggutor & two Exeggcutes there since the beginning sounds familiar to the beginning of "execution".

Maybe you could have Gochirezu, Froslass & Mismagius three of Darkrai's top allies. That way, you could have all of them and still promote Generation IV (and Generation V.) You're having Zoroark, so changing to the English Names shouldn't be a problem. When would you introduce Gochirezu and/or Froslass and/or Mismagius? (By the way, if you do make it all three of them being Darkrai's top allies, maybe you can make Gochirezu the leader.)

Torp, you are an utter genius! I never once thought about having all three in the story. In fact, I have a sweet idea for their characters now...
 
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