Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Seekers of Legends
Ignore the [PG-13], will you? I put it there because some other people did and then realized I might not need it. And I can't seem to change it. This fic isn't rated PG13. At least, not yet. It'll depend on how I write the... darker... chapters.
Welp, here we go. I'm an amateur writer and I've been wanting to write a PMD fic for some time. Then I finally got around to doing it.
Please tell me what you think. Don't be afraid to criticize harshly - I know I'm not very good and want to improve. Thank you very much if you do! The thing I'm most concerned about is probably description, which I suck at.
This is also posted on my fanfiction.net account, the link to which you'll find in my signature, though there really isn't any point in clicking it because this is the only thing I've written.
EDIT: I added a prologue. I had it planned, and then entirely forgot about it.
EDIT OF EDIT: The prologue got changed a bit because I realized I had something I didn't want in there.
Ignore the [PG-13], will you? I put it there because some other people did and then realized I might not need it. And I can't seem to change it. This fic isn't rated PG13. At least, not yet. It'll depend on how I write the... darker... chapters.
Welp, here we go. I'm an amateur writer and I've been wanting to write a PMD fic for some time. Then I finally got around to doing it.
Please tell me what you think. Don't be afraid to criticize harshly - I know I'm not very good and want to improve. Thank you very much if you do! The thing I'm most concerned about is probably description, which I suck at.
This is also posted on my fanfiction.net account, the link to which you'll find in my signature, though there really isn't any point in clicking it because this is the only thing I've written.
EDIT: I added a prologue. I had it planned, and then entirely forgot about it.
EDIT OF EDIT: The prologue got changed a bit because I realized I had something I didn't want in there.
(on this page)
Chapter One - The Pokemon World
Chapter Two - The First Misadventure
Chapter Three - Rumours
Chapter Four - Spies
Chapter One - The Pokemon World
Chapter Two - The First Misadventure
Chapter Three - Rumours
Chapter Four - Spies
Prologue
At the edge of a polluted pond stood a strange creature, resembling both a feline and a canine. Her red eyes darted back to the scenery behind her – a large coniferous forest, sheltered by neighbouring mountains. The forest was a shadow of its former self, a corrupted shadow filled with twisted, blackened trees where there had once been magnificent pines that stretched so far into the sky that their tops seemed to touch the clouds.
She focused her attention back onto the pond. Stretching forward a blue paw, she willed all her power to gather into the limb. She submerged the paw in the water, holding her breath as a wave of blue energy spread over it, turning the surface into a glowing disk of light.
A disk of light that flickered twice and died down again, leaving the contaminated pond exactly what it had been. The Pokémon stared dejectedly at the water for a few moments.
"Why?" she said bitterly to herself. "Everything has been going wrong..."
"Oh?"
The Pokémon whirled around to the direction that the voice had come from. She could not find the source – the voice seemed to emanate from the earth itself. Its single word echoed around the valley.\
"I see... you and your friends are in quite a bit of trouble."
"What is it to you?" she snarled. "Who are you, even?"
"I can help you, you know… Just listen to what I'm about to say."
At the edge of a polluted pond stood a strange creature, resembling both a feline and a canine. Her red eyes darted back to the scenery behind her – a large coniferous forest, sheltered by neighbouring mountains. The forest was a shadow of its former self, a corrupted shadow filled with twisted, blackened trees where there had once been magnificent pines that stretched so far into the sky that their tops seemed to touch the clouds.
She focused her attention back onto the pond. Stretching forward a blue paw, she willed all her power to gather into the limb. She submerged the paw in the water, holding her breath as a wave of blue energy spread over it, turning the surface into a glowing disk of light.
A disk of light that flickered twice and died down again, leaving the contaminated pond exactly what it had been. The Pokémon stared dejectedly at the water for a few moments.
"Why?" she said bitterly to herself. "Everything has been going wrong..."
"Oh?"
The Pokémon whirled around to the direction that the voice had come from. She could not find the source – the voice seemed to emanate from the earth itself. Its single word echoed around the valley.\
"I see... you and your friends are in quite a bit of trouble."
"What is it to you?" she snarled. "Who are you, even?"
"I can help you, you know… Just listen to what I'm about to say."
Chapter One: The Pokémon World
A little Zigzagoon bounded through the morning air, his fur fluffed up against the cold. An empty basket was slung around his neck. He reared up on his hind legs and looked around at the various berry bushes that grew here, nestled in the bend of the stream. Unable to spot a single bush that wasn't wilted and empty, he heaved a sigh.
"Huh…" he murmured, glancing at his empty basket. "I've come all the way out here, and there still isn't any food… The land here's dead, too. It must be late spring now…"
"But… why… are all the plants wilted? Why aren't the berries growing?" he asked the grey sky above him.
Nothing answered him; the only sounds were the soft rustle of dead leaves and branches in the wind and the slow trickle of the stream. He should have gotten used to this silence a long time ago – he hadn't heard the cheery twittering of Taillow since autumn and even in the normally bustling village things had quietened.
"Ah, nope!" he uttered, cutting off his train of thought. "I gotta stay optimistic. The berries have got to grow some time. I'm not gonna feel down just cause I can't find any food!"
He paused to scan the dead landscape, casting his eyes over the discoloured grass and darkened sky that had become so familiar to him over the last few months, "But… this… I don't understand what's happening. It's like… it's like the land's being drained of its life force."
He shook his head vigorously. "No. No. Don't think about that right now. You dunno what's happening and now isn't the time to find out. You've gotta collect some food for Mama and lil' Xavier, or we're gonna starve. There's gotta be some berries still out here."
With one last look at the lifeless grove of bushes, he set off further into the morning mist.
+++
She opened her eyes. There was a dull throb in her head and her vision was blurry, but she immediately knew that she had awoken somewhere she hadn't been before.
This… this is…
Her senses were becoming clearer – she was lying on a rock at the edge of a sluggish stream. A feeling of foreboding hit her as she noticed how dark and dreary the landscape was – even though she cloud clearly see the noon sun, the sky was dull. The few nearby trees were blackened; few leaves hung at their branches.
What… happened to this place?
She shifted her weight, trying to get up. As soon as she managed to stand successfully, she felt something was wrong. Of course, that feeling of misplacement had been there as soon as she woke up, but...
I am… standing… on four legs?
She looked at the black-furred paws beneath her, and then twisted her head to get a better look at the rest of herself. She was some sort of creature… something with grey and black fur and large, furry tail. She scampered over to the stream to see her reflection – her face was canine, covered in black fur and with a large red nose. A Pokémon… what was it called? Oh yes – a Poochyena!
But… why doesn't my body… feel right?
Had she always been a Poochyena? Something about standing on four paws didn't feel right to her. But if she hadn't been one, why was she one now? And what was she before she was a Poochyena?
I… I can't remember anything… do I?
She searched through her memory until her head ached, and only one recollection surfaced.
My name is Keira.
She just stood there, unsure of what to do, until she heard a loud, high-pitched voice.
"Oh! A Pokémon! Are you lost? You don't really see many 'mons out around these parts!"
She turned to see a brown-and-cream Pokémon bounding towards her in a zigzag motion. What was that one called again? Oh, Zigzagoon. He skidded to a stop as he reached her, and she noticed that he had a basket around his neck.
"Hi! I'm Ziggy! What's your name? You're definitely not from the village, are you? I've never seen a Poochyena around here!"
"H-hi… I'm Keira," she said hesitantly.
"Oh, okay!" he shouted cheerily – quite the inappropriate mood for this kind of environment. "I'm just from Topaz Village over there, see? It's right there near the base of the mountain. We're in a pretty isolated spot, so we don't get many travellers. You look young… are you lost, or something?"
"I-I think so," Keira answered. "I just woke up here and I can't remember anything except my name…"
"Oh! I'm sorry! Are you all right?" Ziggy yelped. "Are you hurt or something?"
"I don't think so," Keira said.
"Are you sure you don't remember anything? Just your name?"
Keira nodded.
"That's strange… you must have bumped your head on that rock, or something… But I'm out here almost every day and I've never seen any Poochyena or Mightyena around! That's really strange."
Had she bumped her head on the rock? Keira rubbed her forehead with a black paw. She was definitely having a headache when she woke up, but it didn't seem to have been because she hit her head on something.
"Huh… well… I'm sorry if this seems to be an absurd question to ask right after you've just lost your memory, but… do you have anywhere to go? I can take you back to the village if you want. If anyone's looking for you, they'd probably stop at the village," Ziggy suggested.
"I don't know where I came from. I don't remember anything," Keira repeated. "I-I'm not sure if I should…"
"No, no, it's absolutely fine! Topaz welcomes any Pokémon into his village, as long as they won't harm anyone else! I can't just leave you out here wandering and lost. These days it's really dangerous to be out alone. See how the land's so weird and half-dead? A lot of Pokémon are being extremely territorial because of that. They'll attack anyone that puts one step into their land. And food's scarce, too, so you don't want to get eaten by some hungry predator."
This Zigzagoon... he's so... ah, I suppose I don't really have anywhere to go. I don't really have any choice. And if this place is anything like what he said...
"I… oh, okay… thank you."
"Well, come on then! I'll take you to my place. My mum's really nice to everyone, though you might find my baby brother a bit annoying. I'm meant to be collecting berries right now, but that can wait!"
Without waiting for any further reply, he whipped around and began zigzagging towards the village. Keira began taking tentative steps forward. The grass felt stiff and chalky under her paws.
"Uh… are you sure you're all right? You're walking weird…" Ziggy, noticing her slowness, had turned around and asked.
"Sorry. I'm not used to be on four legs," Keira answered, and when she realized what she had said it was too late.
"Not used to being on four legs!? You must have bumped your head really hard! I-I can't carry you, though… sorry! Can you hold out until we get to the village?"
"O-okay," Keira answered. She forced her limbs to walk on.
+++
"Well, here's Topaz Village!" Ziggy cried out happily as they reached the humble little hamlet, built at the edge of a thickly forested mountain. Keira immediately liked the place – it was unimpressive, with homes and shops built out of crudely cut pine wood, but something about it felt inviting. Maybe because it looked like the community that had built those buildings had put every last bit of effort into them, even if they obviously weren't very good builders.
"Oh, hello there, Ziggy!" a deep voice boomed. Startled, Keira looked up to see the furry face of a huge Arcanine who had suddenly appeared beside them. "Who's your friend, huh? Ya don't see many Poochyena around these parts, eh?"
Without warning, the Arcanine swung a large paw at Keira. She yelped as it almost knocked her off her feet and began patting her.
"Hi, Topaz," Ziggy said. "Keira, this is Topaz. He's the founder of our village. He's really nice, too! Topaz, I found Keira near the river. She says that she couldn't remember anything but her name, so I'm taking her to Mama."
"Good on ya, kid!" Topaz praised. "Nice to see a Pokémon lookin' out for others in these times, eh? I hope someone comes to find her soon; her family must be missin' her to tears! Well, I've got things to do. Keep your spirits up, hm?"
And with that, Topaz waltzed off. Ziggy turned to Keira.
"I really admire Topaz. He's one of those Pokémon who keep being cheerful even when our world's going all screwy. I want to be like him – never giving up, always standing up to challenges!" Ziggy said. "Well, c'mon then! You must be really tired by now. My home's not far away."
Keira dragged her paws over the dirt path as she followed Ziggy to a hardly noticeable house, made with the same pine wood as the rest of the village. It was slightly elevated – to keep it from being blocked by snow, she guessed.
Ziggy pushed open the door to reveal an interior with a dirt floor, some straw beds and a few wooden furniture items scattered around. A Linoone was sitting up on one of the beds, and there was another Zigzagoon – smaller than Ziggy – curled up in another, sleeping peacefully.
"Oh, Ziggy, you're back!" the Linoone said. Her eyes fell on Keira, and then on Ziggy's empty basket. "Oh, no luck finding berries today? That's all right… we can still last a while with the ones we stored in winter. And who is this Poochyena?"
"This is Keira," Ziggy said. "I found her by the stream today. She was lost and she doesn't remember anything. So I thought I should bring her back here. Can she stay with us until someone comes to find her?"
"Oh!" Ziggy's mother said. "That must have been terrible, darling! Of course you can stay! Ziggy'll tell the villagers to keep a lookout for any other Poochyena or Mightyena – I feel so bad for your parents! My name is Lana, but you can just call me Mum or Mama if you'd like."
Keira nodded, "Thank you so much…"
"It's completely okay," Ziggy said. "Topaz told us that we should welcome any Pokémon that needs help, and those who don't too. A lot of the villagers are Pokémon who we've found wandering lost around the mountainside. A lot of them just come and go, but some decide to stay."
He paused for a while.
"Oh, and Mama… I'm sorry I didn't bring back any berries. I looked all morning, but the bushes were all empty and then I got side-tracked, of course," he said with a grin at Keira.
"I told you it's all right," Lana answered. "The town market still has some in stock, and we do have a supply! Don't go worrying yourself too much over that, darling. Now, Keira, you look exhausted! You need to rest a bit. Ziggy, will you…?"
"Tell the villagers to keep a lookout? Sure," the Zigzagoon said, and turned to go back into the village. As he reached the doorway, he looked at Keira and said, "Don't worry, all right? We'll sure find your parents soon. They must be all over the place looking for you!"
"Thanks..." Keira murmured before exhaustion took over and she fell into a warm sleep.
A little Zigzagoon bounded through the morning air, his fur fluffed up against the cold. An empty basket was slung around his neck. He reared up on his hind legs and looked around at the various berry bushes that grew here, nestled in the bend of the stream. Unable to spot a single bush that wasn't wilted and empty, he heaved a sigh.
"Huh…" he murmured, glancing at his empty basket. "I've come all the way out here, and there still isn't any food… The land here's dead, too. It must be late spring now…"
"But… why… are all the plants wilted? Why aren't the berries growing?" he asked the grey sky above him.
Nothing answered him; the only sounds were the soft rustle of dead leaves and branches in the wind and the slow trickle of the stream. He should have gotten used to this silence a long time ago – he hadn't heard the cheery twittering of Taillow since autumn and even in the normally bustling village things had quietened.
"Ah, nope!" he uttered, cutting off his train of thought. "I gotta stay optimistic. The berries have got to grow some time. I'm not gonna feel down just cause I can't find any food!"
He paused to scan the dead landscape, casting his eyes over the discoloured grass and darkened sky that had become so familiar to him over the last few months, "But… this… I don't understand what's happening. It's like… it's like the land's being drained of its life force."
He shook his head vigorously. "No. No. Don't think about that right now. You dunno what's happening and now isn't the time to find out. You've gotta collect some food for Mama and lil' Xavier, or we're gonna starve. There's gotta be some berries still out here."
With one last look at the lifeless grove of bushes, he set off further into the morning mist.
+++
She opened her eyes. There was a dull throb in her head and her vision was blurry, but she immediately knew that she had awoken somewhere she hadn't been before.
This… this is…
Her senses were becoming clearer – she was lying on a rock at the edge of a sluggish stream. A feeling of foreboding hit her as she noticed how dark and dreary the landscape was – even though she cloud clearly see the noon sun, the sky was dull. The few nearby trees were blackened; few leaves hung at their branches.
What… happened to this place?
She shifted her weight, trying to get up. As soon as she managed to stand successfully, she felt something was wrong. Of course, that feeling of misplacement had been there as soon as she woke up, but...
I am… standing… on four legs?
She looked at the black-furred paws beneath her, and then twisted her head to get a better look at the rest of herself. She was some sort of creature… something with grey and black fur and large, furry tail. She scampered over to the stream to see her reflection – her face was canine, covered in black fur and with a large red nose. A Pokémon… what was it called? Oh yes – a Poochyena!
But… why doesn't my body… feel right?
Had she always been a Poochyena? Something about standing on four paws didn't feel right to her. But if she hadn't been one, why was she one now? And what was she before she was a Poochyena?
I… I can't remember anything… do I?
She searched through her memory until her head ached, and only one recollection surfaced.
My name is Keira.
She just stood there, unsure of what to do, until she heard a loud, high-pitched voice.
"Oh! A Pokémon! Are you lost? You don't really see many 'mons out around these parts!"
She turned to see a brown-and-cream Pokémon bounding towards her in a zigzag motion. What was that one called again? Oh, Zigzagoon. He skidded to a stop as he reached her, and she noticed that he had a basket around his neck.
"Hi! I'm Ziggy! What's your name? You're definitely not from the village, are you? I've never seen a Poochyena around here!"
"H-hi… I'm Keira," she said hesitantly.
"Oh, okay!" he shouted cheerily – quite the inappropriate mood for this kind of environment. "I'm just from Topaz Village over there, see? It's right there near the base of the mountain. We're in a pretty isolated spot, so we don't get many travellers. You look young… are you lost, or something?"
"I-I think so," Keira answered. "I just woke up here and I can't remember anything except my name…"
"Oh! I'm sorry! Are you all right?" Ziggy yelped. "Are you hurt or something?"
"I don't think so," Keira said.
"Are you sure you don't remember anything? Just your name?"
Keira nodded.
"That's strange… you must have bumped your head on that rock, or something… But I'm out here almost every day and I've never seen any Poochyena or Mightyena around! That's really strange."
Had she bumped her head on the rock? Keira rubbed her forehead with a black paw. She was definitely having a headache when she woke up, but it didn't seem to have been because she hit her head on something.
"Huh… well… I'm sorry if this seems to be an absurd question to ask right after you've just lost your memory, but… do you have anywhere to go? I can take you back to the village if you want. If anyone's looking for you, they'd probably stop at the village," Ziggy suggested.
"I don't know where I came from. I don't remember anything," Keira repeated. "I-I'm not sure if I should…"
"No, no, it's absolutely fine! Topaz welcomes any Pokémon into his village, as long as they won't harm anyone else! I can't just leave you out here wandering and lost. These days it's really dangerous to be out alone. See how the land's so weird and half-dead? A lot of Pokémon are being extremely territorial because of that. They'll attack anyone that puts one step into their land. And food's scarce, too, so you don't want to get eaten by some hungry predator."
This Zigzagoon... he's so... ah, I suppose I don't really have anywhere to go. I don't really have any choice. And if this place is anything like what he said...
"I… oh, okay… thank you."
"Well, come on then! I'll take you to my place. My mum's really nice to everyone, though you might find my baby brother a bit annoying. I'm meant to be collecting berries right now, but that can wait!"
Without waiting for any further reply, he whipped around and began zigzagging towards the village. Keira began taking tentative steps forward. The grass felt stiff and chalky under her paws.
"Uh… are you sure you're all right? You're walking weird…" Ziggy, noticing her slowness, had turned around and asked.
"Sorry. I'm not used to be on four legs," Keira answered, and when she realized what she had said it was too late.
"Not used to being on four legs!? You must have bumped your head really hard! I-I can't carry you, though… sorry! Can you hold out until we get to the village?"
"O-okay," Keira answered. She forced her limbs to walk on.
+++
"Well, here's Topaz Village!" Ziggy cried out happily as they reached the humble little hamlet, built at the edge of a thickly forested mountain. Keira immediately liked the place – it was unimpressive, with homes and shops built out of crudely cut pine wood, but something about it felt inviting. Maybe because it looked like the community that had built those buildings had put every last bit of effort into them, even if they obviously weren't very good builders.
"Oh, hello there, Ziggy!" a deep voice boomed. Startled, Keira looked up to see the furry face of a huge Arcanine who had suddenly appeared beside them. "Who's your friend, huh? Ya don't see many Poochyena around these parts, eh?"
Without warning, the Arcanine swung a large paw at Keira. She yelped as it almost knocked her off her feet and began patting her.
"Hi, Topaz," Ziggy said. "Keira, this is Topaz. He's the founder of our village. He's really nice, too! Topaz, I found Keira near the river. She says that she couldn't remember anything but her name, so I'm taking her to Mama."
"Good on ya, kid!" Topaz praised. "Nice to see a Pokémon lookin' out for others in these times, eh? I hope someone comes to find her soon; her family must be missin' her to tears! Well, I've got things to do. Keep your spirits up, hm?"
And with that, Topaz waltzed off. Ziggy turned to Keira.
"I really admire Topaz. He's one of those Pokémon who keep being cheerful even when our world's going all screwy. I want to be like him – never giving up, always standing up to challenges!" Ziggy said. "Well, c'mon then! You must be really tired by now. My home's not far away."
Keira dragged her paws over the dirt path as she followed Ziggy to a hardly noticeable house, made with the same pine wood as the rest of the village. It was slightly elevated – to keep it from being blocked by snow, she guessed.
Ziggy pushed open the door to reveal an interior with a dirt floor, some straw beds and a few wooden furniture items scattered around. A Linoone was sitting up on one of the beds, and there was another Zigzagoon – smaller than Ziggy – curled up in another, sleeping peacefully.
"Oh, Ziggy, you're back!" the Linoone said. Her eyes fell on Keira, and then on Ziggy's empty basket. "Oh, no luck finding berries today? That's all right… we can still last a while with the ones we stored in winter. And who is this Poochyena?"
"This is Keira," Ziggy said. "I found her by the stream today. She was lost and she doesn't remember anything. So I thought I should bring her back here. Can she stay with us until someone comes to find her?"
"Oh!" Ziggy's mother said. "That must have been terrible, darling! Of course you can stay! Ziggy'll tell the villagers to keep a lookout for any other Poochyena or Mightyena – I feel so bad for your parents! My name is Lana, but you can just call me Mum or Mama if you'd like."
Keira nodded, "Thank you so much…"
"It's completely okay," Ziggy said. "Topaz told us that we should welcome any Pokémon that needs help, and those who don't too. A lot of the villagers are Pokémon who we've found wandering lost around the mountainside. A lot of them just come and go, but some decide to stay."
He paused for a while.
"Oh, and Mama… I'm sorry I didn't bring back any berries. I looked all morning, but the bushes were all empty and then I got side-tracked, of course," he said with a grin at Keira.
"I told you it's all right," Lana answered. "The town market still has some in stock, and we do have a supply! Don't go worrying yourself too much over that, darling. Now, Keira, you look exhausted! You need to rest a bit. Ziggy, will you…?"
"Tell the villagers to keep a lookout? Sure," the Zigzagoon said, and turned to go back into the village. As he reached the doorway, he looked at Keira and said, "Don't worry, all right? We'll sure find your parents soon. They must be all over the place looking for you!"
"Thanks..." Keira murmured before exhaustion took over and she fell into a warm sleep.
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