Foraging Run (ft. Smith)
by Skorupi-anon
For the first time in days, I rise to my feet without wincing in pain. At long last, I'm able to stretch and flex my muscles again. I assume my usual battle stance, my head low to the ground, with my tail arched over my body, and my claws primed to attack. I take a few swift jabs and bites at the air as a warm up, making sure I can still articulate myself properly. My movements might be a little sloppy, but it shouldn't take long to get back into the swing of things.
A familiar feeling of nostalgia hits me, almost exactly the same as when I first entered this world, except this time it carries a subtly different meaning. I'm reminded of days past, where I had no responsibilities, and I felt truly free, but now, it was as if... I had earned my freedom, somehow. It's partly true. I can go pretty much anywhere if I really wanted to. I have no official allegiance or debt towards any country or group at the moment. I have no place to call home, and the only possession to my name is the red bow tie around my neck.
However, I'll be staying here, around Capim Town, anyway. I might be on my own right now, but figuratively speaking, I'm not alone. The rumors surrounding the Clover Guild are fresh in my memories, how former humans supposedly gather there. More importantly to me, I yearn to meet that Furret again, and joining the Guild may even serve as a stepping stone to achieving that, considering I'll likely travel to many far away lands. I think she'd like to hear about the things I've seen if I did all that, too...
That will all have to wait, though. Even though I'm on my feet and motivated, my growling stomach is still nagging me. The only thing I've eaten recently was the Oran berry and the apple given to me by that Furret. In my new body, I think I can last longer without food than I could as a human, but I don't plan on waiting around until I'm so starved that I can't move again. I set foot towards the nearby forest in search of food, as a peaceful breeze passes, juxtaposing the faint sense of dread accumulating in the back of my mind. I don't expect that getting food will be easy, far from it.
The comfortably warm temperature drops under the shade provided by the trees, while not being too cold. I walk along a path of dirt and dead grass through the vegetation, formed as countless Pokemon trample the plant life underfoot. From all directions, I can hear the idle chirping and whistling of bird and bug Pokemon, but I have yet to see anything of note. To my left and my front, I see an ocean of trees spanning possibly miles, and to my right, in the distance, I can see the sun peeking out from between the trees, suggesting I'm still not far from the edge of the woods. It's such a calm day, and I feel so good to be active again, that I get lost in thought and forget where I am for a second. I'm caught off guard and snapped back into reality as a familiar chill runs down my spine.
In an instant, all of the ambience of the forest is silenced, before being replaced with the harsh growling and snarling of feral Pokemon. Any evidence of the sun's light disappears, and the forest floor that once saw splotches of light beaming through gaps in the canopy is drenched entirely in shadow. The gentle breeze accelerates into a mild gust of wind, lifting leaves into the air, before petering out entirely. Turning to the direction from which I came, rather than the path I was walking on, I'm greeted by the sight of trees warping, huddling closer together, until their bark forms a makeshift wall, and their trunks wrap and twist around each other like an otherworldly mess of knotted yarn. I can't see anything beyond one or two rows of surrounding trees in any direction. The green palette of the forest slowly shifts, adopting a sinister purple hue. It spooked me this time because I was distracted, but I can easily recognize this phenomenon by now: I've entered a mystery dungeon.
~Floor 1~ (Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7gPkAIkLxg)
The repressed feeling of dread invading my thoughts is brought forth as I anticipate another ass-beating, courtesy of Mother Nature. The ferals shouldn't pose a threat at all by this point. While at first, we were closer in power, after all of the fighting I've been through, the difference between us is night and day now. Besides being weaker than me, they don't seem particularly smart, either. They attack solely with their strength, lacking any kind of finesse or strategy by themselves, though in numbers they can pose more of a threat by working together. Also, there are some above average ferals who are in a whole different class than the rest, and they usually appear to take a leadership kind of role, but I'm not very worried by them yet. No, the more pressing matter is that I don't have any resources in the form of items, not that I would even know how to make use of them, if I had any. At least food shouldn't be much of an issue, considering how apples, berries, and seeds litter the floors of every dungeon I've come across so far.
However, even ignoring all of that, the one factor that makes me nervous above all else, is my bow tie, my sole belonging. Before, I probably would have felt down about losing it, but I'd get over it. Now, things are different. To me, this bow holds much more weight, and it has come to symbolize my friendship with that Furret, and the trust we have in each other to meet again, or at least that's how I've interpreted it. If I get knocked out and wake up outside the dungeon, and the bow is gone, I don't know what I'll do with myself. This feels like a fucked up kind of test, and the stakes feel unimaginably high. ...Maybe I'm being a bit melodramatic, but something is finally important to me, and I'll do anything to protect it.
I gauge my surroundings. What was once a path through the trees has widened out into a sort of "room", the tightly condensed woodland comprising its "walls". The clearing is empty, save for me, and the random sticks and rocks on the ground. Two paths lead deeper into the woods. Before me lies a choice: Move straight ahead, or take a left.
God damn it. I just got here and I'm already faced with an impossible decision. I would much rather stumble upon a dozen angry ferals than have to route my way through this crap. I pick up a stick from the ground, and observe its pointed tip, which gives me an idea. Using my tail, I lift it about a foot off the ground, and I rotate it, before abruptly twisting my claws in the opposite direction, sending the stick into a spin as it falls back to the earth. It hits the ground and loses all of its momentum, coming to a stop, with the tip pointing to the left. Looks like my way has been decided.
Setting foot onto the trail, I'm flanked on both sides by the imposing wall of trees, and the nearby greenery, or I guess, "purple-ery", wrapped around their oddly distorted trunks. It's significantly darker once I'm in the "hallway", and I can only see a few feet ahead of me. I don't hear any footsteps from in front or behind, so I hastily advance through the trail. Eventually, it spits out into another clearing. The only things of note in this room are some decently sized rocks scattered across the floor, and... an out-of-place stairway! I feel extremely blessed to have such a smooth start in the dungeon, and I hope it's a sign of more good things to come. I pick up the biggest stone I can find with my tail, ensuring I have a firm grip on it, before making my way up the steps.
~Floor 2~
The sight of a random staircase in the middle of the forest has lost its novelty after seeing it enough times, but the transition to the next floor always feels so bizarre, that it doesn't seem real. I feel disoriented for a moment as I reach the top of the stairs, only to find myself on solid ground again, with no trace of the stairwell I just took ever having existed in the first place. The general area looks the same, down to the trees, foliage, and color, but with a different layout, just as if you had walked far enough in an ordinary forest. I won't let the weirdness stop me, however, so I quickly regain my composure and push on.
I take a step forward, only to freeze in place in reaction to a nearby sound. On the branch of a tree up ahead, a feral Pidgey has landed, looking around rapidly in different directions, presumably looking for prey. I'm all too familiar with how these winged bastards operate by now. The instant I'm in its line of sight, it'll take flight and peck at me, only to fly out of reach before I can retaliate. Guess I'll just have to take it out before it can notice me. This situation is exactly why I grabbed a rock earlier. Thinking back to my intense training to master Rock Tomb, I silently reel back my tail, gripping the rock as tightly as I can. Holding my breath, I line up my shot...
The air trapped in my lungs is sharply released with a "Hah!", and I send my tail forward as fast as I can, letting loose the projectile. With a CRUNCH, the rock nails the Pidgey directly in its right wing before it knows what hit it, and as it lets out a startled cry, the bird is launched from its perch and sent barrelling towards the forest floor. I doubt that it'll get up from that any time soon. I'm filled with joy to know my training is paying off, but there's no time to celebrate. Every moment I spend not looking for food is just time being wasted, and my stomach's pleads for nourishment are getting more frequent. I press on past where the Pidgey once rested, down another hallway created by the woods.
Through the gaps in the trees, I'm lead to another clearing. As I scan the area, a harsh growl grabs my attention, and I see a lone Shroomish, apparently guarding various bits of random junk. In a pile behind the mushroom Pokemon lies more sticks, rocks, and leaves, all stacked on top of each other, as well as some seeds and berries that have decomposed beyond recognition. What catches my attention the most, though, is the lone, brilliantly red apple that stands out from the ferals' hoard. The Shroomish must feel pretty offended by my mere presence, as it rushes towards me with an angry look on its tiny face. I'm more than happy to accept its challenge if it means the food will be mine, so I jump to the side, easily dodging its reckless charge. It buries its stubby feet into the ground, skidding in an attempt to slow itself down, but before it gets the chance to reposition itself, I dash up from behind and sink my teeth into its soft flesh. It squeaks in pain, before falling limp.
Then, something unexpected happens: as soon as I release the unfortunate feral from my bite, a cloud of spores erupts from the wound left behind. I'm unable to react, and they make contact with my opened eyes and mouth. My eyes burn and the taste it leaves on my tongue makes me retch, and all the while I find myself barely able to stay awake any longer. My consciousness slips, and I fall to the ground. My eyelids are so heavy, I can't help but close them, and as the energy disappears from my body, everything fades to nothingness...
~Floor ???~
I wake up in a daze, with no clue of what time it is or where exactly I am. From a quick glance, I guess that I'm still inside of the dungeon, at least. Working my way back onto my feet, I cough and sputter, trying to get rid of the horrible, bitter aftertaste left by those disgusting spores. That Shroomish must have released them instinctively as a defense mechanism, or perhaps there was some kind of buildup in its body, and I was responsible for unleashing it. That doesn't matter much at the moment. What I find to be much more concerning is the three visibly pissed off Shroomishes that now surround me. As I stand, I feel dull pain in various spots around my body, suggesting that they were inconsiderate enough to begin roughing me up while I was still asleep. They must be pretty upset about what I did to their friend earlier. I really don't appreciate their idea of hospitality, so it looks like it's time for me to return the favor.
Assuming that these Shroomishes will burst spores out of their wounds, like the one from before, I'll have to rely on blunt attacks, to avoid cutting them. Two of them begin charging at me in a straight line on either of my sides, as the third stands its ground and begins launching small, brown seeds at me in a low arc. As the ferals make their way to me, my options for dodging all three assaults at once are limited, so I choose to take a risk, going in for an aggressive approach. The two mushroom-like Pokemon are closing in on me, before I sprint full speed in between them, causing them to run into each other and fall over, rocking their bodies back and forth in an effort to get back on their feet. The Shroomish that shot seeds at me braces itself for impact, but I tackle it with my full weight into it, sending it flying off into a wall of tree bark. Their ranged attacker should be down, but during my charge, I took nearly every seed that had been fired.
On contact with my body, the seeds violently burst open, and vines sprout out of them in all directions. The vines tangle and tie into knots around my body, not unlike a cage, until they form several tight layers, restricting my movements. While not completely immobilized, it takes considerably more effort to move. The other two still in the process of standing up, so I have enough time to work at gnawing down on the vines near my mouth to tear them apart. I reach for some of the ones around my body using my tail, but the difficulty of not being able to see behind me, on top of being weighed down, only offers me to ability to cut through one or two vines before my foes are on their feet and ready to attack once more. I can still fight, albeit more sluggishly than usual.
The leftmost Shroomish begins running towards me yet again, while the right one is still dizzy and trying to gather its bearings. I guess when you don't have arms, there isn't much room for creative strategies. As it picks up speed to ram into me, I mirror its approach and spin around, letting the momentum I've built up slam the weight of my tail into its face, as if I was performing a lariat, throwing it into the ground.
The final Shroomish begins its last stand by, shockingly, running straight for me. I'm prepared to just stand still and counter whatever rudimentary attack it has planned, but I'm taken by surprise when it stops short of me and spews a vivid purple powder from its mouth. Not wanting to meet the same fate as before, I jam my eyes and mouth closed, and hop in a random direction, praying that I'll be unscathed. Any second now, I expect to fall asleep again, but... nothing happens. I open my eyes to find that, not only am I perfectly fine, but my foe has a distressed expression on its face, seemingly also confused as to why its attack had no effect. Then, the realization hits me. Before, I was met with spores that put me to sleep, but in a baffling strategic decision, the mushroom-esque creature had used poisonous spores, which, as a Poison type, I am naturally immune to. By now, the battle is as good as over. I tackle into the poor Shroomish, and it's down for the count.
The fallen bodies of my enemies fade away into nothing as the tense atmosphere of conflict calms down. I shouldn't be disturbed for the time being, so I get back to chewing and cutting away at the vines still covering me, taking care to not hurt myself in the process, and before long, I'm as good as new. I've managed to survive another battle, but these were small time opponents, hardly more than a warm up. In the future, I'll surely meet more foes who are far smarter and stronger. The idea is daunting, yet at the same time, it excites me...
Now then, it's time to move on and figure out where I am. Everywhere I've gone in this dungeon looked more or less the same, so, that's not a good start. There's only one pathway leading out of the arena, so without a say in the matter, I resume my trek through the halls of the forest. There are several forks in my path along the way. At the first one, I take a left after a lot of deliberation, but upon seeing another, I get annoyed with trying to navigate, so I decide to just take a right at every following opportunity.
...
...I'm pretty sure that I've just been going in circles for quite a while now. My once docile stomach is now roaring with anger, desperate for even the smallest morsel of something to eat. I'm still feeling a bit sore from the beating I received at the hands of the ferals after falling asleep, too, which only compounds my discomfort. Famished and not thinking clearly, I accidentally take a left at the next junction, rather than a right. I'm so hungry that I don't care anymore, I'm probably just gonna pass out here and wake up outside again anyways. I lament how I was never able to eat the apple that the Shroomishes had hoarded, and I'm on the verge of just giving up. I wasn't able to protect the one thing I cared about, and I would lose it forever. I mope silently as I continue absentmindedly down the path, finding myself in another open area. Expecting more of the same old leaves, rocks, and sticks, I nearly have a heart attack as I see it: a beautiful, vivid, green Gummi, resting on the ground.
With speed that defies my condition, I dash at the snack and greedily stuff the entire thing in my mouth, devouring it in seconds. From the moment it touches the tip of my tongue, I want to cry from how delicious it is, ignoring the bits of soil stuck to the bottom. It squishes apart when I bite into it, and incredibly sweet juices flow into my mouth. It had never even crossed my mind to savor the treat slowly, seeing as how it had been a while since I had found any Gummis, but I was so starved and it tasted so good that I don't care. Like magic, I feel like I've eaten an entire meal, and strength returns to me. My mind becomes more clear as well, and I'm motivated to push forward once more.
Returning to the halls of the dungeon, I'm again met with a fork in the road, and I can go left, right, or straight ahead. This time, I continue in a straight line down the path. The trail winds through the woods, often curving, making the walk longer, but eventually, I find another room, and to my elation, I see the stairs near a wall. I dart up the steps, confidence rushing through my veins now that I'm finally making progress again.
~Forest Clearing~
The canopy that once totally blocked out the sun is suddenly gone, and I'm forced to squint until my eyes readjust to the light, after spending nearly the entire day in darkness. Now that my eyes have reacclimated a bit, I take in my surroundings. In contrast to the dirt floors and paths of the rest of the dungeon, the surface of the wide open clearing is blanketed by short, soft grass, colored a deep purple, akin to the scenery on the way here. The brief gust I felt when I first entered has picked up again as gray clouds begin to roll across the sky, the sunlight being blocked once more, although the open space still isn't nearly as dark as the thickly-wooded forest that preceded it.
It doesn't take long for me to realize that I'm not alone. On the opposite side of the glade stands a rather furious-looking Breloom, and I assume my fighting stance as it approaches, and stops in front of me. It exudes a peculiar sort of aura. I can tell that it isn't some small fry like the average ferals around here; it's far stronger, it means serious business, and I'm about to be on the receiving end.
We are both motionless, analyzing one another during the calm before the storm. It has a solid foot on me in height, and while likely only slightly superior in terms of raw speed, its powerful legs will give it more mobility than me. On the flip side, if I get the chance to attack, I'll have the upper hand thanks to my ability to secrete poison, as long I'm able to stab it, so I can realistically incapacitate it with a good enough hit.
Unfortunately, I don't think I have any more time to strategize. The Breloom stretches its arm, extending its range, and unleashes a lightning-fast punch without warning. I'm able to react just in time to jump backwards out of harm's way. Its fist collides with the ground and crushes part of it entirely, leaving behind a small crater where I stood. I was feeling a bit relieved at first, since as a Poison and Bug type, my opponent's Grass and Fighting moves should have had little effect, but it's clear that it packs so much brute force into its punches that that's not really part of the equation anymore. I can't afford to let this thing land even one hit on me, or I'll be destroyed instantly. This battle can only be decided by a single decisive blow from either side.
Immediately, I'm forced onto the defensive as it rushes me down with a flurry of punches from its elastic arms. I'm so overwhelmed, I have to focus all of my energy into dodging if I want to survive the foe's onslaught. It isn't holding anything back, and with no signs of slowing down, as the ground is torn asunder from its barrage of countless swift strikes. With my back soon to be against a wall, I'm losing ground and time fast, so I'm forced to act. It winds up to unleash another wild thrust, but rather than attempt another dodge, I scoop up a wad of dirt with my tail and fling it in the Breloom's face, causing it to miss its follow-up attack, and I have just a few seconds to reposition myself as it desperately wipes the muck from its eyes.
I sprint past it as far as I can, aiming for the other end of the clearing in attempt to create as much distance between us as possible, and I swerve my body to face the enemy. Rather than passively wait for my advance, it remains on the offensive, coming right for me; it took the bait. My plan is going well so far, the only thing left is for me to nail my one opportunity to strike.
Holding my ground, I allow the Breloom to make its way over to me. When its arm is fully outstretched, it'll beat the range of my tail, so I'll have to be creative and precise to pull off a maneuver that can turn the tables. The pressure is on as I visualize my strategy one last time, waiting for the split second before it throws its next punch. It's getting closer... closer... now's my chance!
I quickly lunge forward and hop, while the Breloom simultaneously starts to reel its arm back, preparing for its final strike. Letting my speed carry me, I ensure that as I land, the rightmost stinger connected to my head is driven into the earth. The remaining momentum causes my body to spin, using the point of my stinger as a pivot. My rear end swings around to meet the Breloom as its fist closes in on me. While normally, it would have been able to out-range me by fully elongating its limb, I'm able to just barely trump its reach by extending my tail in combination with the full length of my body.
My tail claws pierce through the Breloom's skin like paper, its fist stopping dead in its tracks mere centimeters from my face, and without hesitation, I inject every drop of poison I can generate into its chest cavity. For a short while, it cycles back and forth between twitching erratically and seizing up entirely, and I can't help but feel disturbed by the grotesque display. Before long, it goes totally limp, falling to the ground as I withdraw my blood-stained claws and return to my feet. I'm a little surprised by the level of violence with which I attacked, yet I'm also conflicted, seeing as if I had held anything back, I would be nothing more than a stain in the grass.
Speaking of stains in the grass, there is a surprising lack of any where the Breloom lies, that is to say, where it should be lying, seeing as how by the time I go to get one last glance at it, the body has disappeared without a trace. Presumably, it vanished, like most ferals seem to do when defeated. I'm not sure if they actually even exist, or if they're some sort of illusion formed by the dungeon itself, or maybe some higher supernatural force.
Even it wasn't a clean fight, in the end I came out not just alive, but unscathed. Regardless of my thoughts on the matter, I can't deny that this battle was anything less than a total victory.
Buried underneath my unease, deeper than my internal debate over if I went too far or not... I feel absolutely incredible. I only even started fighting in
the first place because I was forced to in order to survive, but it's the most fun I've ever experienced in my life. The adrenaline pouring into my system in response to a battle where my life could be on the line evokes excitement in its purest form. Common ferals had brought forth a similar feeling, but as I surpassed them, I mellowed out more, only becoming this way when faced with a much stronger than average opponent, just like that Breloom. Nothing like this was ever possible for me as a human, not that I was ever interested in combat before. Did someone inside me change when I transformed? Could the strange atmosphere of the dungeons have had something to do with it? Or maybe I'm just losing my mind due to the fear I feel when I avoid a devastating attack from a powerful enemy? I don't care what the answer is right now, I just want to get stronger, and fight tough opponents.
I take a moment to breathe, and give myself time cool my nerves and calm down in the absence of any threats, before continuing onward.
~Hidden Pond~ (Music: https://youtu.be/jM9UBK6plMo)
The remainder of my journey is uneventful, until I find myself in front of a small pond, isolated within the dungeon's deepest reaches. The water matches the dark violet hues found in the rest of the dungeon, and it's covered by a layer of leaves, resting atop a thin film of pond scum, appearing a bit depressing overall. I highly doubt that it's safe to drink, and I've made it so far that I refuse to take any chances with it. I analyze the room further, and my attention is drawn to the multiple faint sparkles emitting from the mud bordering the small body of water. My interest piqued, I tug one out, and wipe away the muck to the best of my ability. The small amount of light peeking through the clouds above reflects brightly off of the object's surface, and it's clear to me what it is now: Poke, this land's form of currency! It's been quite some time since I got my hands on any. The gold coins of cartoonishly exaggerated luster and size are scattered around the room, and I take my time plucking each one from the mud.
After collecting all the ones I can find, I load them onto my back and press down on them with my tail, trying to keep them from sliding off. I walk past the pond, into a narrow hallway, leading to a dead end.
At my feet lies a gray tile with a peculiar design. It looks like two squares overlapping each other, with a desaturated purple sphere in the middle, and bright red or yellow dots in the corners of the pattern. It doesn't look like there's anywhere else for me to go, so I step onto the conspicuous slate, feeling it sink under my weight with a click. I brace myself as bright beams of light surround my body, and the world around me, as well as my vision, fades to white.
~Capim Town Outskirts~
Color returns to my view, and I'm disoriented, taking time to adjust to my new surroundings. The silent air is filled once more with the singing and chirping of forest dwelling Pokemon, in addition to the sounds of crowded chatter off in the distance. I must be back in the fields near the town! The natural shades of green are restored to the environment, but after spending an entire day in the dungeon, it feels a bit odd seeing the world painted with normal colors again. The clouds have parted by now, allowing the sun to shine upon the land anew, albeit low in the sky. The sunlight will probably be extinguished within the hour, so I make haste and return to my training grounds, still balancing as much money on my back as possible.
Once I'm back "home" (if you could even call my dirt patch a home), I drop my loot onto the ground and begin counting it all up at once. My haul sums up to just over five hundred Poke, and I'm not sure if that's considered a lot, but either way, I'm so overjoyed that I begin tearing up from happiness. Luckily, no one is around to see my intense emotional display, but I quickly clean my eyes and act tough anyway. This is the first time I've ever actually taken any money outside of a dungeon, and my mind races with ideas of how I could spend it, and how I'll finally eat food that isn't dirty, or maybe I'll be able to buy something soft to sleep on, or...
I zone out from daydreaming, and I have to consciously pull myself down to earth and think rationally, no matter how excited I've gotten. I don't have anywhere to store any of this money, or anything I plan on buying with it, so it's unlikely I'll be spending a majority of it anytime soon. I dig up a shallow hole, and bury all but one hundred Poke, which I plan to keep on my person. When I fill in the pit, I poke sticks into the mound of soil, as a reminder for its location. My work is incredibly crude, and even an idiot could find my stash, but it's just barely a step above not hiding it at all, so it'll have to do for now.
Moving on from the money, the other thing that satisfies me is that I was able to protect my bow tie. I still don't know if it means anything to that Furret, like it does to me, but keeping it safe was a personal victory regardless. To put it metaphorically, I see the accessory almost as an extension of me, the part of me that is able to think and care for others. It's what distinguishes me from the other wild Pokemon who are just like me, constantly fighting and hunting for food, struggling to survive. It's what reminds me that, somewhere deep down, I'm still human, and more than a mindless automaton, living off of instinct alone. To me, it represents the hope that someday I can find a place to stay, and fight because I want to become stronger, not because I have to.
The lively commotion in the town dies down as the sun enters its nightly phase of hibernation, and the moon takes its place under the heavens. I'm still feeling ecstatic over how smoothly my adventure went today, and I silently pray for similar luck in my future endeavors as I shut my eyelids and rest.
Tomorrow, I'll take a look at all of the shops in town and see what I can buy. It's like an entire new world of possibilities has shown itself, I feel just like a little kid who just got money from their parents to go to the candy store.
...But my body is still coated with dirt and grime, not to mention small splashes of blood, a concerning amount of which is not my own. I think I'll have to find a way to clean myself and appear presentable before I go out in public... I really don't want people to get the wrong idea and think I'm some kind of psychotic killer. Then, that means, I'll probably have to... try to learn to swim. In this awkward, quadruped form...
I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, I guess.