This was the rough draft of my "Enter the Federation" submission. I heavily modified it, resulting in the new story "Thunder Dome" linked here: https://rentry.org/RibombeeThunder. I plan to revisit this draft and turn it into another story eventually. For now, I'll add it to the "WIP" section of the guild's main rentry page.

-5/29/23

Enter the Federation — Anchorage

A Clover Guild Story
By Ribombee-anon

Scene 1: Booker and Sneasel’s dorm

Four dazed guildmates silently sat in a dorm room. The last fifteen minutes had been a blur to them. A pair of unexpected visitors from the Exploration Team Federation had burst into the guildhall with shocking news, and forced the members of the Clover Guild to embark on a series of perilous quests. The entire building became a storm of activity as the guildmates teamed up, discussed their plans, gathered supplies, and began setting out.

Booker the human-turned-Ribombee and his native partner Sneasel had been paired up with Charm the human-turned-Charmander and her native partner Natu. Together, they quickly retreated to Booker and Sneasel’s dorm room to recover from their surprise and plan their next move.

Booker and Natu were sitting on the room’s desk, while Charm sat on a seat cushion close by, and Sneasel leaned up against a wall with her arms crossed. They looked at each other, wondering who would talk first. Eventually, everyone settled on staring at Booker. The Ribombee looked about frantically and shied away.

“W-why are you all looking at me?” he asked.

“Well, I wanna know what you’ve got in mind, partner,” asked Sneasel. “Got any plans?”

“N-no,” he said. “Not yet... but I guess we should recap first. I mean, I’m still trying to wrap my head around what just happened.”

“Me too,” said Charm. “So, let’s get this straight. Some wacky group called the Federation just stormed in and told us we’re not an official guild, huh?”

“Right,” said Sneasel. “That was the gist of it, but they totally could’ve gotten the point across more gently.”

Charm pouted and snorted a puff of smoke from her snout. “Yeah, that Alakazam was straight-up racist to Booker and me, and the other humans. And Chatot was... well, Chatot.”

Booker nodded. “Right. Anyway, they said they were going to... shut us down...” His voice trailed off, and he glanced longingly at his guildmates before continuing, “Shut us down unless we finish some jobs for them. And then they gave us a big list of mystery dungeons to tackle.”

Natu said, “I’m not sure if I’d call them jobs, though. They sound more like suicide missions. Going into super-dangerous mystery dungeons and sealing up those ‘rifts’, whatever those are...”

“Yeah, it does sound pretty dangerous,” said Charm. “But that’s what makes it fun, right?”

Natu nodded, while Sneasel glanced at Charm incredulously. “Fun?“ Sneasel repeated.

“Yeah!” Charm said, bouncing up and down in her seat. “This is a brand new dungeon, and we’re the first people to check it out! We’re like real explorers! Like Christopher Columbus, or Hernan Cortes, or... all those other old guys!”

“Please don’t get too excited,” said Booker. “We need to be careful, if we’re the first ones there. We’ll have to think fast and plan things out on the fly. Man, I really wish we had some better info so we could plan things out beforehand. I hate diving in without a plan.”

“But I love doing that!” said Charm. “That’s so much more exciting! I don’t care if it’s dangerous, just as long as I’m out there doing stuff.”

“No, Booker’s right,” said Sneasel. “Don’t get me wrong—I think it’s cool that you wanna take risks, Charm. That’s a good way to get stronger and do things you never thought you could do. But you’ve gotta rein it in at some point. Go too far and you’re gonna get yourself killed—especially in a high-tier dungeon like this one. I know how rough these can be.”

Charm’s face fell, but only for a moment. “Well, I’ve got Natu with me. And you guys have each other. And even though the four of us never teamed up before, I’m sure we can work together well. We can beat this dungeon together, no matter how tough it is!”

Booker sighed. “You remind me of Taillow. I wish I knew where your enthusiasm came from.”

“Do I need to explain it?” Charm asked. “What’s wrong with enjoying life?”

“It’s wrong if it gets you wrecked by a dungeon shift,” Sneasel growled.

“Relax!” said Charm. “Man, based on what Gus and Chespin told me, I always thought you liked challenges, and you were all cool and tough and brave.”

“That’s right,” Sneasel and Booker said at the same time.

“Well, then why are you so uptight now, Sneasel?” asked Charm. “This is gonna be a great chance to test our skills, and we can have fun while we’re doing it. Why are you worried about this job?”

Sneasel snarled and took a folded-up paper out of her belt pouch. “Here’s why!” she said, tossing the paper onto the desk. “You do remember this, right? That paper that talks about how insane this dungeon is?”

“Yeah, I remember,” said Charm. “We just looked at it together ten minutes ago.”

She unfolded the guildmaster’s paper and set it on the desk, and Natu summarized the contents: “It’s at Mysteriosity 5, it’s shifting like crazy, there’s mirage enemies and random biome shifts, all kinds of craziness. But I’ve never seen a dungeon like that before, so I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s like.”

“Exactly—same here!” said Charm. “You always get me, Natu.”

Sneasel stomped over, took the paper, and stuffed it into her pouch again. “Guess you’re not gonna grow a brain till you get in the dungeon and see how much it sucks.”

Charm snorted a puff of smoke again, then looked down at Natu and Booker. “Well,” she said, “even if Sneasel’s being a little fussy, we’ve still gotta get ready.”

“I’m not fussy!” Sneasel growled.

“If you say so. Anyway, Lliam said he hired a Mudsdale to take us to the spot, right?”

“And he’ll be here soon,” said Natu. “Let’s get ready and go out to wait for him.”

“Be sure to bring plenty of items,” said Booker. “And Charm... Sneasel’s right. Please be careful. I don’t want any of us getting hurt, okay?”

“Don’t worry about me,” she said, patting him on the head as gently as she could. “I’ve got this. We’ve all got this.”

Meanwhile, Natu glanced over at Sneasel. She was glaring daggers at his partner’s back. The psychic bird wished he could read the Dark-type’s mind and know why she was acting so different than normal. Among all the members of the guild, Sneasel was easily one of the strongest fighters, and she had a reputation for being tough and reckless. So why was she so cautious this time? Was it simply because this was a difficult dungeon, or was there something else? Something about this dungeon was serious enough to override her natural fearlessness. It was enough to make him worried as well.

Hopefully her fears were unfounded, but Natu wasn’t very confident.

* * *

Scene 2: Charm and Natu’s dorm

The team’s brief meeting concluded. The four of them left the dorm together. Booker sat on Sneasel’s head as they went to the storeroom. Meanwhile, Charm and Natu went to their own dorm and retrieved Charm’s messenger bag before visiting the storeroom as well. Sneasel had left by the time they made it there. With all the commotion in the guild, the already-messy room was even more disorganized than usual, but Charm and Natu somehow managed to find the items they were looking for. They stuffed everything haphazardly into the bag, then returned to their dorm.

They set the bag on their desk and began sorting the items they gathered, trying to decide the best way to arrange them inside the bag. As they did, Charm dropped an elixir to the floor. Natu fluttered down and picked it up for her, dropping it into the bag.

“Thanks,” said Charm. “Sorry... my hands are shaking.”

“Why?” asked Natu. “You’re not cold, right? Wait, can you even get cold if you’re a Fire-type?”

“I’m not cold, just... hype, you know?” she replied with a grin and a slightly shaky voice. “My heart’s kinda pounding. I can’t stop thinking about this mission. How about you? You excited?”

“A little, I guess. Not as much as you, but it’ll sure be interesting in there. And it’ll be fun to explore another dungeon together. Plus, we haven’t really spent any time with Booker and Sneasel yet, so it could be nice to get to know them better.”

Charm grinned. Her mind was racing with thoughts of what powerful enemies may be in the dungeon, or what amazing sights may result from its shifts and distortions. Every thought made her more excited. And even better, she’d get to experience it all with her best friend at her side. It had been so long since she had a friend like him. She couldn’t wait for the two of them to make more memories together.

“So, you’re not nervous at all?” asked Natu.

“A little,” said Charm. “But that’s normal, right? I feel a little scared of what we’re gonna find in there, but I’m not gonna let it hold me back. That’s the important part. I bet there’s some amazing stuff in that dungeon, just waiting to be discovered, so I won’t sit around ignoring it. I just wish Sneasel was more excited about this. I’m worried she’s gonna be like a wet blanket.”

“Yeah, and you and wet blankets don’t mix,” Natu said, gesturing at her flaming tail.

Charm didn’t smile at his joke. “Yeah... I mean, I know she’s got a point. But I don’t want her to hold us back from exploring this dungeon and having fun with it. Hopefully it’ll turn out okay.”

Eventually, the partners had stuffed their bag full of every item they might need, and also arranged them. Oran Berries and Cheri Berries were on top for easy access, since they would need to be used at a moment’s notice. A pair of Reviver Seeds joined them. Apples and elixirs sat at the bottom, along with a single Escape Orb. Charm hoped they wouldn’t need to use it, but Natu had insisted they bring one along just to be safe. They also packed a blank scroll, a quill, and an ink bottle in case they needed to write or draw anything important.

With the bag in order, Charm gave it a pat and nodded at Natu. She formed her clawed hands into finger guns and waved them around, making “pow” noises. “Alrighty then, partner. Ready to ride! Gunsmoke and Eagle-eye are on the case! That no-good Alakazam and his Chatot lackey won’t know what hit them! We’ll finish that dungeon, seal that rift, and be back in time for chow.”

“Eagle-eye?” Natu groaned. “How many times do I have to tell you—I wanna be called Deathbringer!”

“I’m so not calling you that,” she said.

“But nobody’s gonna be intimidated by ‘Eagle-eye’!”

“Outlaws will! Trust me!”

“Fine. But I’ll keep calling you Smokey as long as you keep calling me Eagle-eye.”

“Smokey?” Charm groaned, just like Natu had. “C’mon, I wish you’d stop calling me that. It sounds like some sort of pet name. Or it makes it sound like I’m sick.”

“I can’t help it—it’s automatic at this point, Smokey.”

Charm rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Well, at least you’re the only one who calls me that. Anyway, guess we should head out and wait for Mudsdale. Almost time to go! C’mon!”

A huge grin on her face, Charm ran out of the dorm, leaving Natu behind.

“Smokey!” he shouted after her. “You forgot the bag!”

* * *

Scene 3: The Guild’s Garden

While Charm and Natu got ready, Booker and Sneasel had plans of their own. Sneasel always kept her pouches stocked with fresh items, so she didn’t need to take any time preparing on that front, but there was one thing she wanted to retrieve from the storeroom: a small earthenware jar with her name written on it. She took it and went out to the guild’s garden, with Booker still riding along on her head. Sneasel sat before the pond, and Booker floated down and landed beside her.

“What’s in that jar, anyway?” Booker asked.

Sneasel opened it and showed the contents to Booker. It contained a soft-looking and pleasant-smelling dark green substance that matched the hue of the Clover Guild’s badges.

“I have no idea what that is,” said Booker.

“Watch and learn,” Sneasel replied. Holding the jar in one palm, she dunked her other hand in the pond, then made a fist and rubbed her wet knuckles in the contents of the jar. As it became wetter, it became softer and began clinging to her claws and fur. Soon, the back of Sneasel’s hand was covered in green. She then looked into the reflective pond, put the smooth back of her claw against her forehead, and dragged it up along the top of her head, leaving a trail of green on her dark fur.

“Hey, wait,” said Booker. “Is that... paint?”

“Yep,” Sneasel said. She continued painting marks and patterns on her fur, closely examining her reflection to make sure it looked right. “I got some clay from the river, crushed up some plants, and mixed it all up. I made this on my own time. I wanted it to be ready in case a big quest rolled in. And looks like this is the perfect time.”

“But why?”

“It’s just something I’ve always done. Back on the Island, my tribe would put on paint like this before we did anything really big and important. Not sure if I’m explaining this good enough, but... basically, putting paint on our heads makes our thoughts go into the paint. Then the thoughts get stronger, cuz they’re bonded with that physical paint, instead of just floating around in our minds. And if our thoughts are stronger, then we’re more likely to do what we’re thinking about. It gives us good luck and power, pretty much.”

“Interesting idea,” Booker said. “So... what are you thinking now?”

“I’m thinking I’m gonna win. I’m gonna go to that dungeon with my partner and my guildmates, and no matter what we find, we’re gonna finish the job and get out alive. Cuz we’re awesome like that.” She grinned, but it faltered quickly. She sighed and added, “At least, I hope so. This dungeon’s tougher than any you and me have done before. That’s why I’m using this paint—we need all the help we can get.”

Though he was still working on training his Aura abilities, Booker could easily sense the nervousness radiating out of Sneasel like a storm cloud. It resonated with and amplified his own anxiety. He lay on his back and waved his antennae about, taking in the pleasant scents of the garden’s flowers in a fruitless effort to relax. His heart was pounding as he thought about the impending mission. Just as Sneasel said, this would be far harder than any job they had taken before.

The garden was silent. His partner was focused on applying her paint. He felt alone, and so his thoughts freely drifted to what they might find in the dungeon. Every thought made him more terrified. His mind came up with all manner of horrifying monsters and treacherous, logic-defying distortions. Worst of all, he imagined the dungeon may shift and take him somewhere far away, casting him adrift in the world, alone and lost, never to see Sneasel again...

“You okay?” Sneasel asked.

Booker gasped and looked up at her. She was staring at him with a frown on her partially-painted face.

“You were shaking,” she said, “and breathing pretty heavy. You having a panic attack or something?”

“N-no,” Booker said. Then he paused and said, “W-well, maybe. Yes. I’m... just afraid of what the dungeon will be like... and if you’re worried, then that doesn’t make me feel any better...”

Sneasel’s mood changed right away as she realized her partner’s fright. She put a warm smile on her face and said, “Well, sorry if I’m making you nervous. I didn’t wanna do that. I just wanna be careful, that’s all. I know I’m usually pretty reckless, but this case is special, so I’m trying to take it more seriously. We’ve gotta be on top of our game in that dungeon—even if Charm doesn’t think so.”

Booker sighed and shivered. “Are we even good enough to do this job?”

“Yeah. We are. I believe in us. And if worst comes to worst, I promise I’ll keep you safe—no matter what.”

Her words helped to calm Booker. He smiled at her and took a few deep breaths, then gazed up and watched the clouds as Sneasel finished her paint.

When she was done, she got up, moved some distance away, and slowly turned in a circle, letting Booker see her head from the front, sides, and back. The paint job was asymmetrical, and mostly on her left half. A vertical line ran from her forehead gem across the top and back of her head, down to the nape of her neck. It was tapered at both ends. From the lower half of this line, several long pointed stripes reached out, wrapped around the side of her face, and terminated on her left cheek. On the top of her head, two more pointed stripes curved down from the main line, going along the left side of her forehead gem. Finally, her eyes each had an oval dot above the inner side, resembling an eyebrow marking like some dogs had back on Earth.

“How’s it look?” she asked. “Is the back all wonky?”

“No, it looks good!” Booker said. “You look like a real warrior now, with that paint on. If you weren’t my partner, I’d call you intimidating.”

Sneasel grinned, revealing her sharp fangs. Booker gulped. “Okay, never mind,” he squeaked. “You’re still pretty intimidating.”

* * *

Scene 4: Cart Ride

Mudsdale arrived right on schedule. Charm, Natu, Booker, and Sneasel met him outside the guild. They boarded his cart, waved goodbye to the handful of guildmates who took a moment to see them off, and drove off to the east. The massive horse moved at a constant gallop and showed no sign of fatigue. They would reach the dungeon within a couple hours.

As they rode, the team of four sat in a circle and looked over the dungeon report once again. The dungeon was totally unexplored, and had been assigned the bland codename Dungeon GT-04 by the Federation. It was located at the edge of Apple Woods, accessed through a large crack in a rocky cliff. The hole had been concealed by foliage, but the recent forest fire burned the plants away and uncovered the entrance. Although the Federation had confirmed the dungeon’s location, and sensed that it contained Electric-type energy and a new rift, nothing about its interior was known.

“Speaking of the rift,” said Charm. “Sneasel, you’ve got the sealant, right?”

Sneasel nodded and took a small glass bottle with a metal cap out of her bag. “Maybe you should hang onto it, Charm. I’m probably gonna get up close and personal with the bad guys in there. It’ll be safer with you, if you’re gonna hang back and shoot fire.”

Charm took it and put it into her bag. “Oh, by the way,” she said. “Nice face paint, Sneasel.”

Sneasel took a moment to decide if Charm was being patronizing or not. Booker sidled over and nudged her in the leg. She barely felt it, but she got the message. “Thanks,” she replied. “It’s... something my tribe does.”

“You’re from a tribe? Cool! You’ve gotta tell me more about it.”

“Maybe later. Let’s talk about that rift sealant for now.”

“Okay, sure. So, if I remember right... we’ve gotta open this thing next to the rift and hold it in place for a little bit.”

Natu nodded. “And if it works, the bottom of the cap turns green. But we can’t even see the rift in the first place. So we should look for... what’d KFC and Lliam say?”

Booker replied, “To find a rift, you need to find what does not belong. Those were the exact words. I wish KFC went into more detail, but I guess he didn’t have enough time to explain.”

“He probably could’ve given us more to go on than that,” Natu said with a shrug. “Well, hopefully that rift will be obvious to spot.”

“Yeah,” said Sneasel with a frown. “If not, we’re gonna be stuck running all around the dungeon till we find it.”

“Well, look on the bright side,” said Charm. “That’ll give us more time to experience what the dungeon is like.”

That one comment changed the mood in the cart. Sneasel’s frown grew deeper, and she sighed and said, “That’s not a bright side. I wanna get in and out as quick as we can. The longer we stay in there, the angrier I’m gonna get, trust me.”

“C’mon, don’t talk like that! This can be a fun experience if you just keep an open mind.”

“The only fun part is gonna be when we leave.”

“Getting mad isn’t gonna make us leave any sooner,” Charm said. Everyone noticed how much she sounded like a mother scolding a child.

Sneasel crossed her arms and snarled. “You know telling me not to get mad just makes me get more mad, right?”

“Look, Sneasel. I’m not saying we should throw away all our items and run in there screaming ‘Leeroy Jenkins’, but—”

“What does that even mean?” Sneasel interrupted.

Charm kept a straight face as she said, “Leeroy Jenkins is a famous, really strong human warrior from a long time ago. Humans say his name for good luck before running into battle.”

Booker stifled a tiny laugh. Natu did as well, since he had been surreptitiously reading Charm’s mind to learn what the odd phrase really meant. Sneasel glared at them both, in addition to Charm.

“Alright, it’s obviously some human joke,” she grumbled. “You guys are almost as bad as Linoone. C’mon, you’ve gotta take this seriously. No jokes. No fun. We’ve gotta be all business, or we’re gonna die. Got it?”

Charm raised a hand. “Sneasel... I get that you want us to be careful. I really do. But I’m just saying... let’s not let that carefulness get in the way of enjoying ourselves.”

“And I’m saying that caring about ‘enjoying yourself’ is stupid when your life is on the line,” Sneasel snapped. “If you’re not gonna stop playing around, just jump off the cart and let me and Booker do this job ourselves.”

Booker immediately said, “Please don’t do that,” and looked up at Charm pleadingly.

Charm smiled at him, saying, “Don’t worry. I wasn’t gonna. You’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not.”

By the look on Sneasel’s face, it was obvious she didn’t like it.

The rest of the cart ride was tense. Sneasel and Charm kept butting heads over the right approach to the upcoming dungeon. Charm wanted to take it slow and enjoy the exciting sights and new experiences, while Sneasel wanted to stay hyper-focused on rushing through and finishing the job as quickly as possible. Natu eventually flew up to Mudsdale’s head to get away from them and quietly apologize for the inconvenience; the horse said he was used to hearing people argue in his cart, and he didn’t mind. Meanwhile, the flightless Booker was stuck with his quarreling guildmates. He shied away from them as they kept trying to get him to side with either one of them. He did his best to stay neutral, typically by looking away and mumbling incoherent non-answers, as he often did when faced with a dilemma.

They finally received a welcome distraction from the conflict upon arriving at a particular woodland. Sneasel scooped Booker up in her claws, lifting him higher than the edge of the cart so they could both look out at the view.

Booker pointed. “Hey, is that...”

“Oran Forest,” Sneasel said with a nod. “That brings back memories.”

“I know what you mean,” Booker said.

“I don’t,” said Natu, who had moved from Mudsdale’s head to Charm’s. “What’s up with that forest?”

“It’s where me and Booker first met!” Sneasel said. “We’ve only been back there once or twice, though. Wonder if that stupid Exeggutor is still there. It got away before we could take it out, remember? I still wanna finish it off.”

“Yeah, I know,” Booker said. “Maybe someday.”

The group continued past Oran Forest. Before long, the scenery changed for the worse. Bountiful green leaves and grass gave way to a dismal landscape of mostly-bare trees and black dirt, with scattered patches of grass and flowers struggling to add some life to the place. While the western half of the woodland was vibrant, the east had been ruined by flame, and was in the process of recovering.

“Apple Woods,” Mudsdale announced like a tour guide. “Or what’s left of it, anyhow.”

“Doesn’t look as bad as I thought it would,” said Charm. “I thought the whole place was just gone after that forest fire.”

“Well, plants can regrow pretty well after a fire,” Booker said. “The fire clears away all the dead stuff, helps fertilize the soil, and removes cover so sunlight reaches the ground. In a couple more weeks, I bet it’ll be back to normal.”

Sneasel resisted the urge to call her partner a nerd.

“Even if fire can be helpful,” said Natu, “that doesn’t mean burning things is good, Smokey. Don’t light the guild’s garden on fire so the plants can grow back better. Got it?”

“I wasn’t even planning to do that!” Charm shouted. “At least... not until you mentioned it right now. But maybe it’d be a good—”

“D-don’t torch the garden!” Booker cried. “Anything but that! Team Cozy and I worked so hard on it! And it’s got so many pretty flowers...”

Charm laughed. “Hey, I’m just joking around. The garden is safe. And I won’t burn it accidentally either, in case you were worried about that. I’m careful with my fire. Natu, I stayed in your house for a week after we met, and I didn’t leave a single scorch mark, right?”

“Actually, I did notice one,” Natu said, “but I didn’t want to say anything about it.”

Charm rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You get the point. Anyway, enough banter. I think we’re close to the dungeon now, right?”

“Just a bit farther,” said Booker.

Sneasel placed him on her head, and the teammates watched the burned forest roll by. The ground and path soon sloped downward, while a rocky cliff rose on the left side, to the north. It blocked the view of the forest, but they could see charred trees rising from the top of the cliff like a crowd of spectators glaring down at these intruders. Eventually, the path and cliff diverged. The path ran southeast into a field of tall green grass that had been spared from the recent blaze. The cliff curved northward instead, letting the travelers see the scorched forest again. It looked less burned here, but still ugly.

Mudsdale parked the cart and looked back over his shoulder. “This the cliff you’re lookin’ for, folks?” he asked.

“Yeah,” said Sneasel. “We’ve gotta follow the cliff and we’ll find the dungeon soon. You can stop here, unless you’re fine with leaving the road.”

“Nope,” said Mudsdale. “This cart don’t do too good off-road. I’ll wait right here. Y’all have fun. I bet it’ll be tough in that there dungeon, but I heard about you Clover folks. You’re... an interestin’ lot, but you’ve done a whole lotta good for Capim so far. I bet you can handle things here.”

“Thanks!” said Charm. “So, uh... you’re fine just waiting here? We could be gone a while.”

“Yup. Don’t worry none ’bout me gettin’ bored. I don’t mind standin’ around and waitin’. Gives me time to ponder the mysteries o’ life.”

Mudsdale did just that, judging by the way he stood stoically and gazed out aimlessly at the burned forest. The guildmates looked at each other, shrugged, and left the cart. They walked between the charred trees, over the blackened earth, following the wall of the stony cliff as it meandered northwards. Soon, they came across a jagged vertical crack in the wall, looming ten feet tall and only a couple feet wide.

Booker and Sneasel looked at Charm and Natu. They nodded at each other and delved into the hole in the wall. Their mission had truly begun.

* * *

Scene 5: Dungeon GT-04 (Foyer)

As Sneasel easily had the most dungeon experience among the four guildmates, she took the lead, and nobody protested. The hole in the cliff led to a smooth tunnel that sloped gently downward, meandering about at times, but generally continuing in the same direction. It was pitch black, but the flame on Charm’s tail was enough to illuminate their way. Nothing about the cave seemed unusual, and it certainly did not have any hallmarks of a mystery dungeon. There were no feral Pokemon, no abnormally-shaped rooms and corridors, no items lying around. It seemed like a normal cave.

That changed when they noticed pale light coming from around a corner up ahead. They hurried onward. The tunnel opened into a large room, lit by a glowing flower-shaped white crystal growing out of the ceiling. The room had clearly been lived in, for it was furnished with crudely-carved stone tables and chairs. A sparse pile of moldy hay lay in one corner, likely the remains of an old bed, and some empty metal cages stood along the opposite wall. Wooden buckets and crates were piled up alongside them, though they were all broken and rotten. Many alcoves had been carved in the cave walls. Most were short and wide, raised a few feet off the floor, containing various items like dirty jars, decayed books, and stone tablets. In the center of the room were two long tables, both of which were covered in various device and apparatuses.

“I’ve seen these same sorts of tools in Sableye’s lab,” Charm said as she approached. “Are these alchemy tools?”

“I think so,” said Booker. “Look, there’s an alembic, and a retort, and a couple mortars and pestles.”

“You’re just making those names up,” said Sneasel.

“N-no, those are the real names.”

“I guess someone was doing alchemy here,” said Natu. “Whatever they were doing, they probably wanted it to be secret. This place is pretty hidden.”

Sneasel went over to one of the stone tablets and took it out of its alcove. It was covered in writing, but began with the phrase “Log 4”, so Sneasel assumed she was missing some tablets that were meant to be read before this one. She held off on reading the tablet, and got Charm’s help to gather up all the rest. There were over a dozen. Most were covered in complex equations and notes, while six of them were written like diary entries. Sneasel attempted to read these out loud for everyone, but ran into trouble.

“This is kinda hard to read,” Sneasel said. “The writing’s sloppy, and there are some words I don’t know. Natu, gimme a hand.”

“I don’t have hands,” he said.

“You know what I mean. Booker, Natu, swap places.”

Charm came over, and Natu took flight from her head. Booker jumped off Sneasel and landed on Charm’s head, where Natu had been, and Natu perched atop Sneasel, where Booker had been sitting.

“Huh,” said Charm, reaching up to gently poke Booker. “You’re way lighter than Natu.”

“Gee, you’re calling me fat now?” asked Natu.

“You’re not fat, just fluffy. So, what’s that stuff say, Sneasel?”

Sneasel and Natu began to read through the tablets.

Log 1: I shall begin recording the basics of my experiences and studies now. I believe I have traveled far enough to evade pursuit, and I have discovered a suitable place to inhabit. The nearby forest is a pleasant place to gather food and resources, and there is a dungeon deeper within this cavern. I will live here and continue my research, unhindered by the others and their ceaseless reprimands. The new field laboratory is almost complete, my faithful Golett stands ready, and my precious anchor prototype is nearly complete. It cannot fail. I will not fail. The dungeon will be stabilized.

Log 2: The laboratory is complete. My research begins in earnest. I have been delving into the dungeon and gathering samples of its materials. Golett and I have additionally apprehended multiple feral beasts for future experiments. They are stored in cages in the laboratory. Their baleful noises would ordinarily keep me awake at night, but my work is so exhausting, I could sleep through a hurricane now. I will spend some more days gathering materials and test subjects, then begin the experiments.

Log 3: I have begun utilizing my alchemical apparatuses to analyze and study the dungeon matter. It displays unique properties unlike those of standard matter in the outside world. The inherent structure is altered at a fundamental level. But the exact nature of the change is difficult to discern, as if it is actively blocking my attempts to comprehend it. Is it psychically active? Could it be... sentient? Surely not.

Log 4: I have been attempting to transmute and modify my collected dungeon matter for the last several weeks. Early attempts failed, but I am making progress. Studying the ferals has been particularly useful. Their physical structure is similar to standard matter, but retains the same ethereal nature of the dungeon matter. Curiously, while killing a feral makes it fade into smoke, severed body parts will persist—but these rapidly shift to become identical to standard matter. Perhaps they are absorbing information from their surroundings and changing to blend in? Whatever the reason, feral matter is clearly able to alter itself. If I could comprehend this mechanism, I might be able to apply the same concepts to the dungeon matter and force it to change into a more stable form. Could this be the key to my anchor?

Log 5: Success! When I left Dragon Gate so many weeks ago, I absconded with a prototype anchor, with the intent to complete it on my own. With what I have learned from this cavern and its dungeon, it is now complete. I have situated the anchor at a site I have determined to be the core of the dungeon. Upon activation, the device stabilized the dungeon perfectly! It exceeds my expectations. Feral Pokemon no longer spawn, the dungeon no longer shifts, and all distortions have faded. The dungeon is now no more mysterious than an ordinary cavern. I shall continue to observe it. I trust it shall remain stabilized indefinitely, for the anchor draws power from the dungeon itself, and the source of its energy remains—it is simply less volatile now.

Log 6: Disaster! The anchor has failed and the dungeon has undergone an enormous shift that shows no sign of stopping. Perhaps the transforming power of the dungeon was only partially suppressed, and it continued to increase until reaching catastrophic levels and bursting forth all at once. I should desert this place, but I refuse to abandon my anchor within the depths. It is the crux of my research, and one of a kind. I am embarking inside with my faithful Golett to retrieve the device. If any adventurers discover this note, know that I have likely perished in the endeavor. But if the gods decide I am to die, so be it. We will lock the door behind us, but there is a second key in the black jar on the desk. If you wish to bear witness to my failure, use it to access the dungeon. If by some miracle you dive deep enough to locate my device or my body, I only ask that you respect them both. And I ask that you remember my name and my desires.
Farewell,
Cyclamen of Dragon Gate Village

The guildmates stood in silence for a bit, considering the information they had learned.

“He wanted to stabilize a dungeon?” Sneasel murmured. “Well, that’s a pretty good cause. Not surprised it didn’t work, though.”

“So, that means this dungeon will be messed up like a normal dungeon?” asked Natu. “Too bad. If that anchor of his worked, this would’ve been a much easier mission.”

“Not necessarily,” said Booker. “That may have been true before the rift, but once a rift shows up in an existing dungeon, the dungeon goes crazy.“

Charm nodded. “Yeah. And I feel like this anchor wouldn’t be able to stop that. Rifts seem pretty powerful. Hey, should we take these tablets with us? They seem kinda important.”

“Nope,” said Sneasel. “I’m totally not carrying them all the way through the dungeon. But how about we leave them here, and when we’re done, we come back to get them?”

“Sounds good,” said Charm. “Now, let’s get into that dungeon. Maybe we’ll even find that anchor thing. I wonder what it’s like?”

Charm found and opened the black jar on the desk. Inside was an old metal key. The group went to the other side of the lab, where a wooden door had been set up, firmly attached to the walls of the cave. The wood was partially rotted, but mostly intact. They likely could have broken it down with enough force, but they used the key anyway and opened it like a normal door. It led to a tunnel that ran onward seemingly forever, but soon passed through a patch of faintly luminous air that shimmered. The teammates looked at each other. Then Charm grinned, and she and Natu hurried in. Sneasel chased after her, with Booker clinging to the fur on her head. As soon as they all entered the hazy area, they felt electric jolts through their bodies, and their vision flickered. Then the tunnel they had seen before them vanished, replaced by the bizarre sight of a mystery dungeon.

* * *

Scene 6: Dungeon GT-04 (Outer Layer)

They were still inside a cave, but this one was unbelievably immense. A domed ceiling towered far above them, higher than any skyscraper. It was comprised of smooth dark stone speckled with shining white dots, likely glowing crystals, which made the ceiling resemble a nighttime sky. At ground level, the cave seemed to contain an entire forest. A jumble of foliage and contradictory trees from all different regions grew densely all around them—maple, oak, willow, pine, palm, and more. Their bark was laced with strange veins that pulsed with yellow light.

“This place is so cool,” Charm breathed as she stared up. “It’s like we’re outside again, in some sorta... starlight forest.”

“Don’t get distracted,” said Sneasel.

Charm looked over at her and bared her fangs. “Oh, come on, Sneasel! It’s literally the first room! Can’t we stop to smell the roses and take in the sights for a few seconds before you start complaining?”

“It’s the first room, but it can still be dangerous,” said Sneasel.

“Well, the room does look pretty safe,” said Booker. “I think we can relax.”

“Oh no, not you too,” Sneasel groaned.

“W-well, we should still be careful,” said Booker. “Let’s stick together. The dungeon can change at any time.”

“Hey, is the entire floor one big room?” asked Charm, still gazing up. “Looking at the size of that dome over us, I feel like this cave could fit a whole town inside.

“Maybe,” said Natu. “Looks like it might be one huge space, with these plants making the walls for the rooms and hallways, instead of a bunch of little rooms and halls all made of stone like a normal cave dungeon. Let me see if I can get a better look at it.”

Natu spread his wings and flew upward. He crashed into an invisible barrier before getting as high as the treetops, and came spiraling back down.

“Ow,” he said as he landed back on Charm’s head. “I had a feeling it wouldn’t be that easy.”

Unable to get an overview of the dungeon, the team began exploring on foot as they usually did. Booker floated down into Sneasel’s belt pouch, his usual position whenever he and his partner entered a dungeon. There, he could stay safe and deliver items for her. Sneasel took the lead; since she easily had the most experience with dungeons among the group of four, nobody challenged her. She moved slowly, constantly sniffing the air and flicking her ear around as she tried to detect signs of trouble. She made the group pause at the entrance of every hallway, every corridor’s bend, and every new room. Any time they spotted an enemy, she ordered them to back away and look for another path. If any enemy engaged them, she would quickly retreat. And when they found the stairs, Sneasel would force everyone down to the next floor, even if the current floor was still unexplored.

Few enemies appeared, but the scenery began to change in odd ways. The first three floors were largely identical in appearance, but at the fourth floor, anomalous patches of freezing snow and hot sand began to appear on the ground, and at the sixth floor, the sky was suddenly graced by a rippling red aurora. Charm squealed, and her tail flame sparkled, as she looked up at the beautiful lights in the artificial sky. Natu and Booker looked up in awe as well.

Sneasel shrugged. “Meh. I saw auroras all the time back home. Like I said, don’t get distracted. The dungeon’s just trying to trick you.”

“You really are taking this seriously, huh?” asked Booker.

“We can’t afford to take risks,” said Sneasel.

“Well, the dungeon hasn’t been that bad so far,” said Natu.

“Exactly,” said Charm. “Let’s relax and enjoy ourselves a bit more, alright? Sneasel, just cuz you’re afraid doesn’t mean—”

“I’m not afraid of anything!” Sneasel yelled. Charm stepped back, surprised at the outburst.

“Charm, please watch what you’re saying,” Booker said in a faint voice. “Don’t say Sneasel is afraid—she’s the bravest Pokemon I know. And if she’s being careful, there’s a good reason for it.”

Charm had recovered from her brief shock. “Yeah... I know you’re right, Booker. And I’m not saying you’re a coward, Sneasel. I’m just saying you’re just being too careful here, if you ask me. Think of all the useful items, all the awesome sights, all the new enemies we could find if we just lighten up and go explore more! I think we should be clearing out the entire floor before we move on to the stairs.”

“I agree,” said Natu. “A tough dungeon like this will definitely have lots of great items lying around. We shouldn’t skip it all.”

“Case in point!” Charm cried. She ran in front of Sneasel and into the next room. A small seed with green and white stripes was lying on the floor. “A Heal Seed!” she said as she stuffed it in her bag. “This’ll be useful!

“Yeah, but we can find items other ways,” said Sneasel. “It’s not worth the risk. We should focus on finishing the—”

Charm was ignoring her, and ran down another corridor. Sneasel chased her down, and they found themselves in a room dominated by a cluster of strange-looking trees. The centermost was the biggest, and its trunk was seemingly comprised of many smaller trunks all combined into one big unit. The other trees had thin trunks, and all their canopies were merged together, completely blocking out the false sky and aurora above. All the wood glistened with the same yellow veins as the rest of the trees in the dungeon.

“Wow, cool trees!” said Charm. “I’ve never seen something like this before.”

“Wait a minute,” said Booker. “Those aren’t trees—not plural, anyway. There’s just one. This is a banyan.”

“A what?” all three of his guildmates asked.

“Um... basically, it’s a tree that grows extra trunks down from its branches to support its canopy, so it can keep spreading out forever.”

“Never heard of that before,” Charm said. She pointed up at the canopy and started tracing the parts of the tree. “Yeah, you’re right. I think it’s all connected! I didn’t know trees could do that! Neat. See—it’s good to explore. You learn new things!”

“It’s just a dumb tree,” said Sneasel, unimpressed. “Let’s get a move on.”

“Wait!” said Charm. “Something’s up there!”

She pointed up at a large Emolga was perched among the banyan’s branches, mostly hidden in shadow. It hissed and flew downward. Sneasel and Charm both attacked, launching ice and fire at it. They gasped as they saw their attacks phase through it as if it were a ghost.

The Emolga’s cheeks sparked as it dove at Charm, attempting to deliver an electrified headbutt. Natu quickly teleported her out of the way. The Emolga crashed into the ground, but recovered quickly and fired off a bolt of lightning at Sneasel. She failed to dodge—but the electricity went right through her.

“What was that?” Booker yelped.

Sneasel cocked her head to the side and approached the Emolga. It lunged at her, and passed through her harmlessly. It continued trying to attack her, with the same result each time. Charm watched and laughed.

“It’s just some sorta mirage!” Charm said with a laugh. The Emolga attacked her next, and she watched as it uselessly tackled her again and again. She danced around with it, a big grin on her face. “Man, we’ve been getting all worked up over nothing! The enemies here are all fake!”

Booker stood up in Sneasel’s pouch. “Um... just because this one is fake, that doesn’t mean they all are. Please don’t get lulled into a false sense of security.”

“Exactly,” said Sneasel. “Playing with ferals is a dumb idea. Now let’s go.”

Sneasel shook her head and began walking out of the room. Charm waved goodbye to the Emolga and followed close behind.

“Y’know, this is exactly what I was talking about,” Charm said. “Exploring the dungeon is worth it. We’re learning things and finding cool stuff. This is why it’s important to take risks sometimes, Sneasel.”

“I already know that!” Sneasel snapped. “And I usually do that. But now... dungeons like this are too dangerous to mess around with. You’ve gotta be focused the whole—.”

Booker suddenly gasped, then grunted and held his head. Everyone looked at him in surprise as he doubled over and slumped onto the items in Sneasel’s bag.

“Booker!” Sneasel yelled. “What’s wrong?”

“I f-felt... something,” he mumbled. “A-Aura? Or... not sure. But... something just happened.”

Natu took to the air and hovered in place, his eyes shut. When he opened them again, they glowed faint purple.

“I sense something too,” he said. “It’s like... something rushing at us from below. What—”

The ground quaked and cracked. The very air seemed to shimmer and ripple, and parts shattered like glass, briefly revealing glimpses of alien landscapes before reforming again. A deafening cacophony of groaning and cracking resounded around the dungeon.

“Gods, no,” Sneasel muttered. Then she screamed, “It’s shifting! Stay close!”

Sneasel put a hand over her belt pouch to cover Booker, then used the other to pull Charm close to her. Natu dove down towards his partner, who pulled him into a hug. They crouched low and huddled together as the dungeon tore itself apart around them.

The aurora ripped apart like a wet piece of paper. The lights in the giant domed ceiling flickered in and out, and randomly shifted through a whole spectrum of colors. The ceiling itself cracked like an eggshell, and through the cracks came orange light and an endless stream of sand. Violent winds picked up and howled loudly, gathering up the rain of sand and swirling it into a vicious dust storm.

Sneasel and Charm leaned into the wind, but it was so powerful that it lifted them off their feet and flung them through the air. They landed heavily a dozen feet away. The impact made Natu slip out of Charm’s grip, and Booker fell out of Sneasel’s bag. The wind instantly swept up the two small Pokemon and hurled them down a corridor. They screamed for their partners, but their voices were easily drowned out by the storm.

Charm and Sneasel scrambled to their feet. They called their partners’ names and tried to chase after them. But the ground quaked and heaved and forced them to fall. They got up and were knocked down over and over again. Despite all their struggles, they drew no closer to the corridor. Squinting through the dense sandstorm around them, they saw the walls of the corridor crumble, sealing off the path. Then an overwhelming gust of wind struck them in the side. They were thrown into a nearby wall and blacked out immediately.

* * *

Scene 7: Dungeon GT-04 (Inner Layer)

Sneasel and Charm awoke in a place that was alien, yet familiar. They appeared to be in the same dungeon, but it was altered now. Above them loomed the same massive dome, which still resembled a night sky, though the “stars” were now orange. At ground level, all trees had disappeared. The floor was made of smooth white sand now, and the walls of each room and corridor were comprised of tall, rough, brown rocks. Some of them had glowing orange crystals embedded in them, the same shade as the false stars above, providing additional light for the dungeon.

The two guildmates spent a couple minutes in silence, lying there on the cool sand and trying to comprehend what just happened. The entire dungeon had undergone a massive shift with them still in it, and they had been torn away from their partners. This had never happened to either of them before, and they weren’t sure what to do. They knew they had to save their partners somehow, but the anxiety of losing their faithful comrades froze them both.

At long last, Charm noticed Sneasel sit up and turn to her. She looked over, and gasped as she saw Sneasel’s face was twisted in a mix of anguish and rage. The Charmander shuddered and hopped to her feet, then slowly backed away.

“H-hey,” she said. “Take it easy...”

“This is all your fault!” Sneasel yelled, pointing at Charm with a sharp claw. “Idiot! You held us back! If we just kept moving, instead of you arguing with me and dragging us around the dungeon, we could’ve gotten to the end quicker and beaten this place before that stupid shift happened!”

“What?” Charm shouted. “What are you talking about! I didn’t drag you around!”

“Yeah you did! You went running off looking for dumb items and staring at a stupid tree! And playing with a feral Pokemon like some sort of toy! What kind of idiot—”

“Hey! That just happened once! It’s not like I was doing that for the entire dungeon! All the time during those first six or seven floors, you were in the lead and rushing us along, and I kept following you just like you wanted me to. We only slowed down once, and not for long. So, even if we didn’t get distracted by that tangent, the shift would’ve happened anyway. We couldn’t outrun it. It’s nobody’s fault.”

Sneasel clearly wanted to keep arguing, but she couldn’t disagree with Charm’s words. Besides, her emotions were welling up. Her eyes began to tear up, and she quickly buried her face in her hands. She slumped forward, and her shoulders heaved. She was incoherently mumbling things under her breath.

“H-hey, it’s gonna be alright,” Charm said, although she didn’t believe her own words.

“No, it’s not!” Sneasel yelled. Her voice was muffled as she kept her face hidden, but Charm could tell she was crying with how her voice shook. “Don’t you get it? It’s over. Booker... I couldn’t protect Booker. I promised I’d keep him safe no matter what! He’s tiny and weak... he needs me. Now he’s gone. Alone. Don’t even know where he is. Other side of the world...?”

Charm said softly, “Well, you and me are still in the same dungeon, judging by the ceiling. And if we didn’t leave the dungeon, I bet our partners didn’t leave it either. We can find them.”

Her words had no effect on Sneasel. She kept ranting, and her voice began to slur. Her sentences broke down, and became nothing but groans and growls. Her whole body shivered violently. Charm even thought she saw a faint mist forming around her.

“S-Sneasel?” Charm asked. “What’s wrong? It’ll be okay, just... please...”

The mist grew denser. Now Charm was sure something was wrong. She took a step back and gulped.

“Hey, Sneasel—” she began.

Sneasel abruptly looked up. Her normally-bright red eyes were dull and dark, and her face was distorted into a fearsome snarl. She roared like a wild animal and lunged at Charm.

The Charmander screamed and dove out of the way. She tumbled on the sand and got back to her feet as Sneasel swung her claws at where she just stood.

“What the hell!?” Charm yelled. “Sneasel, calm down!”

Sneasel dropped to all fours, growled, and pounced. Charm barely evaded her again. As she regained her footing, she spat a small fireball at Sneasel. It struck her shoulder, and the crazed Pokemon stumbled and rolled in the sand, slapping the injured body part and hissing all the while.

Charm backed away, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what to do. She’d heard that Sneasel could get aggressive and violent if pressured enough, but this was worse than she ever imagined. And what was the black mist? Was that some sort of energy from the dungeon? Was it latching on to Sneasel’s anguish and making her go mad? And if so, could she be healed?

As she thought about this, the feral Sneasel recovered and attacked again. Charm failed to dodge this time, and was finally struck and taken the ground. Sneasel sat on top of Charm’s waist to pin her down, then slashed her face. Charm flailed and screamed. By chance, her flaming tail smacked against Sneasel’s back. The feral Pokemon howled in pain and fell to the side, and Charm quickly blasted her face with another fireball before she hit the ground.

Sneasel writhed on the sand. Charm shakily stood up and stumbled backward, clutching her face with her hands. Her crazed guildmate had easily sliced through her scales to cut her forehead and left cheek. The wounds were bleeding, but they were shallow and would heal easily—assuming she survived this unexpected fight.

The feral Pokemon stood up and took on a low, aggressive stance. She growled deeply and began to circle Charm. The Charmander shuddered and kept turning to face her.

“How do I calm her down?” Charm mumbled to herself. “I bet Booker could do it...”

She gasped. “That’s it! H-hey, Sneasel! Think about Booker! He’d hate to see you losing your mind like this, right?”

The feral Pokemon’s ear twitched as she heard the name Booker. “B-Book...” she growled. She grunted and clutched her head.

“Yeah! Booker! Your partner! You care about him, right? You want to save him! So don’t go crazy! Keep it together, stick with me, and we’re gonna find him and Natu! You can do it! Do it for Booker!”

Sneasel fell to her knees, holding her head with both hands. She shuddered and cried out wordlessly. Charm could practically see the battle going on in her mind.

It was the perfect time to strike.

She quickly took her lone Heal Seed from her bag and chucked it at Sneasel. It struck her in the head, and the feral Pokemon immediately looked up at Charm. An instant later, the seed exploded into pale mist. Sneasel roared and scrambled to her feet, but then a wave of calm seemed to wash over her. She stumbled and sat down, and the black mist around her faded away. Her eyes lit up again, and her jaw dropped.

“W-what...” she murmured. Her gaze was unfocused. She hardly seemed to notice as Charm let out a long sigh and approached her.

“It’s okay,” Charm said. “You’re back to normal. I’m really glad that worked...”

“What happened...” Sneasel said. Her eyes refocused on Charm, and she gasped. “Wait! You’re hurt!”

She tried to get up, but grunted and fell again. She was rubbing her face and her back, where Charm’s fire attacks had hit her.

“A-and I’m hurt,” she said. “What...”

“I’ll explain,” Charm said. “But first, eat this.”

They leaned up against a big rock as Charm took some Oran Berries out of her bag. She ate some herself and gave the rest to Sneasel. Charm winced as she felt her wounds close up, and she saw Sneasel react similarly as the berries healed her too. Part of Sneasel’s face paint had been ruined by Charm’s fireball, but aside from that and some charred fur on her face, back, and shoulder, she healed up perfectly.

Once they had recovered, Charm explained what happened. Sneasel listened, but avoided making eye contact with her. At the end of the story, Sneasel bowed her head.

“I’m really sorry,” she said quietly. “I oughta know better than to lose control like that. I know you’ve been getting on my nerves, but we’re still teammates. I shouldn’t lash out at you like that. And I’m talking about the fight, and the yelling and accusing too. So... I’ll try not to let that happen again.”

“And I’m sorry I kept pushing you and arguing with you,” said Charm. “Come to think of it, maybe we should’ve talked more about why you’re being careful and trying to hurry through the dungeon, and why I want to explore more and have fun here. I mean, if people disagree, it’s a good idea to talk things over and learn why the other guy thinks different, right?”

“Sounds like something Booker would say,” Sneasel said. “Speaking of which... we’ve really gotta look for him. And Natu. We can talk along the way.”

They got up and began to explore the altered dungeon. Now that the shift had occurred, the feral Pokemon were more aggressive. They seemed to be hunting Sneasel and Charm down, and were impossible to run from. The guildmates were forced to fight , but close to half of the enemies were mirages, which gave them some degree of reprieve.

“So, you said you think Booker and Natu are still in this dungeon?” asked Sneasel.

Charm nodded. “We’re still in the same dungeon, so I bet they are too. And we’ve gotta hold onto that hope, right? Question is, are they on the same floor, or did they get sent deeper?”

“If they’re still here—and that’s a big if—they’re probably on this same floor. Based on things I’ve heard, shifts usually don’t send people to other floors, even though they can send you to a totally different dungeon. It’s like... they only move you horizontally instead of vertical. So they can either leave you in the same dungeon on the same floor, or drag you to the same floor of another dungeon.”

“Then we’d better explore this floor all the way, so we don’t miss them.”

“This is gonna sound crazy, but I agree. I’d rather keep doing what we were doing and rush to the stairs, but we really should check the whole floor first.”

Charm dug her scroll, quill, and ink bottle out of her bag—“I’m glad I thought to pack this!” she said—and began sketching a basic map of the dungeon’s floor as they went along. Sneasel held the bottle to help her out, but they still had to stop each time Charm updated the map. They found the stairs surprisingly quickly, but they simply marked the spot on the map and kept going. They called out for their partners as they went, but never heard a reply.

After a few minutes, as Charm was updating the map again, Sneasel sighed and said, “Guess we should start talking about that stuff you mentioned. Like, the real reason why I’m being careful—and you’re being reckless.”

“Yeah,” said Charm. “Like I said, we probably should’ve done it sooner, but I guess neither of us were in the mood to just talk things over.”

“Right. So, I’ll start. First, did I ever tell you I’m not from the Grass Continent?”

“Pretty sure you mentioned that before. Never said why you came here, though.”

“Well, thing is, I didn’t choose to come here. I was born and raised on an island at the edge of the world, all the way to the north. It had a lotta dangerous dungeons. High-level dungeons. Just like this one. And I was exploring one of them with my family, and... it shifted. Next thing I knew, they were gone. That shift took me away and I ended up on this continent. And I’ve got no idea how to get back home. Never learned where my island was, so as far as I can tell, I’m never gonna see my home or my family ever again.”

Charm’s face fell. “Oh... I’m sorry. Well, I know how you feel. All us humans do. We all got taken from our families too, so I know how bad that must feel.”

“Yeah. So that’s why I was nervous about this dungeon, and kept avoiding risks, and kept trying to get done with it as soon as I could. I didn’t want it to shift and tear us apart from each other. Cuz that already happened once. I already lost my real family, and... I didn’t wanna lose my new family too.”

Charm smiled. “Aww... you mean the guild is like your new family? That’s sweet. I kinda feel the same way too. I love all you guys.”

Charm added one last thing to her map and tucked it under an arm. As they resumed walking through the dungeon, Charm continued, “Well, I should probably explain my side now. Why I’ve been all excited for this dungeon, y’know? Back when I was a human, my life was... pretty awful. I was just scared of everything. So I tried to hide from the whole world, and stayed indoors and wasted my time, for years and years. I knew it was dumb and didn’t make sense, and I kept telling myself I had to break out of that bubble, but for some reason, I just couldn’t work up the courage to go out and do the things I wanted to do. And it looked like I was gonna be stuck in that rut for my whole life.”

She grinned and waved her flaming tail around. “And then... this happened. I woke up in a new world with a new body. I got shoved into a totally different scenario—and I loved it. Something just clicked in me, and I told myself I wasn’t gonna waste this new start like I wasted my old life. I don’t wanna hold back. I wanna take risks and have fun, or else I’m gonna slide right back into that old mindset.”

“I get it now. So that’s why you’re so excited to see what the dungeon has to offer, huh? Even if it’s risky?”

“Especially if it’s risky! I never took risks when I was a human. And I knew I was missing out on so much great stuff because of it, but I still couldn’t come out of my shell. I was just—”

Charm’s eye twitched, and she grimaced. “Sorry—little headache,” she said. Then she froze up. “Wait. I’ve felt that before... that’s the feeling I get when Natu reads my mind—or at least, when he reads it and doesn’t try to hide it.”

Sneasel perked up. “Natu? Does that mean he’s here? Then Booker—”

“NATU!” Charm screamed, making Sneasel flinch and press her ear down against her head. “NATU? WHERE ARE YOU?”

Charm waited, then gasped. “I hear him in my head! He’s close! Come on!”

She took the lead, and the duo ran onward, following the faint telepathic voice in Charm’s head. She could vaguely hear it calling for help, but it was too indistinct to pick out all the words. It became more clear over time, though, and Charm grinned widely as she heard her partner’s voice again. But he was clearly in distress, and so her grin faltered.

‘We’re coming!’ she thought.

The voice of Natu replied, ‘Smokey? You’re here? Oh, that’s great! I was just sending out my telepathy randomly. I was hoping I’d reach you, but I thought that was a lost cause—after that shift, I thought you got sent to another dungeon!’

‘Well, we’re almost there. Hang in there!’

‘Hurry! They got us surrounded!’

Charm and Sneasel soon reached a large room and saw something they feared they’d never see again: their partners. Booker and Natu were huddling on top of a tall jagged rock in the middle of a room, trying to find cover from the bolts of lightning being shot at them by the crowd of Electric-type feral Pokemon surrounding the stone.

Sneasel and Charm rushed at the enemies, launching a flurry of icy shards and fireballs at them. Only a few of them were mirages; they ignored the attacks, while the rest stumbled and counterattacked Sneasel and Charm. Now that the enemies were ignoring him, Natu quickly swooped down to fight alongside his guildmates, while Booker peered out from behind cover and did his best to assist by shooting some weak Fairy Wind attacks and flinging small pebbles.

The brawl was violent and chaotic. The sandy ground was quickly mottled with patches of glass, superheated by flame and lightning attacks. Natu flew high to evade his enemies’ super-effective moves, and used his psychic powers to fight from a distance. He remained safe, though Charm and Sneasel suffered some electric shocks alongside multiple cuts and bites. They fortunately sustained no major injuries. Eventually, the last feral fell and faded into smoke. Charm, Sneasel, and Natu collapsed together in a heap. By now, the mirages had seemingly lost interest in everyone, and began to wander the room aimlessly. Booker let out a sigh of relief and drifted down from the rock, then ran across the sand towards his guildmates.

• Tearful reunion
• Continue through dungeon
• Floors become distorted and broken up as they go deeper
• Finally reach the anchor that Cyclamen made; it’s broken and in a large room with rubble blocking the exit
• (Note: they never find Cyclamen, so he's either dead or he warped to another part of the world)
• A Dynamax Golett is there too, Cyclamen’s assistant
• It’s inactive but activates to try and protect the anchor from the intruders
• During the fight, they trick it into blowing up the rubble so they can escape
• They get to the final room; it looks like a void with a precipice going out into it, with rocks orbiting a point at the edge
• They assume that’s the rift and open the bottle, and it works
• They celebrate and check on the Golett, which is normal size and calm now
• They try to recruit it as a guard for the guildhall but its programming makes it stay here
• The group leaves the dungeon with their escape orb
• They gather the stone tablets from the lab and head back to the cart
• Along the way, they talk about Cyclamen’s attempts to stop the dungeon shifts
• They agree the plan had good intentions, but was doomed to fail since dungeons are probably too mysterious to control
• It may be best to accept the dungeons as they are, and try to stay positive and make the best of them (like Charm’s way of thinking)
• At the same time, it’s important to avoid being careless, and respect the danger they pose (like Sneasel’s way of thinking)
• ...or something like that (I’m trying to find a way to work in some sort of message at the end)

• Cut Scenes 1-3 so it starts at cart ride, Scene 4 (this may be more streamlined?)
• Up until now, the team has been shell shocked and rushing to get supplies and set out
• Now they have peace and quiet, and the ride will take a few hours, so they finally discuss things
• Sneasel takes command due to seniority and everyone agrees
• They all review the dungeon info and the papers from the folder
• Sneasel lays out her plan: rush through it and avoid enemies and use the stairs as soon as they’re found—she wants to finish it ASAP
• Booker agrees since he’s scared of the dungeon
• Charm objects and says it would be more fun to explore each floor fully, and there could also be useful items
• Natu is on the fence but leans towards his partner
• Then the argument starts: S tries to convince C it’s too dangerous
• C may ask why she’s so afraid, and S gets angry at being called a coward and refuses to answer as a result (emotions override her logic... the reason she's afraid is because she has a phobia of shifts after one tore her away from her family. But she doesn't like to talk about that traumatic event, especially not after being insulted. So she acts stubborn and refuses to talk--"I shouldn't have to explain myself, you should just trust me!")
• B tries to get them to discuss things so they can find a compromise, but both of them aren’t interested, and N doesn’t back him up—he sides with C, unwilling to turn against his partner—so the argument continues
• at the dungeon foyer, emphasize that S/C are upset at each other, but B/N may try to get them to chill and focus on the mission
• during the dungeon, they execute S’s plan to rush things
• C tries to fight enemies, look at cool stuff, and get nearby items, but S repeatedly stops her, making C angrier
• maybe S says that every step counts, as a reference to the steps and turns mechanic in PMD games—like they’re on a time limit and need to finish the dungeon before taking too many steps, though she doesn’t clarify why (in reality, she’s worried a shift might occur if they linger too long)... instead of explaining, she just says the dungeon is dangerous and they shouldn't risk staying inside for too long
• maybe C runs off, making everyone waste time to reunite, then the dungeon shifts, taking B/N away
• C/S angrily argue and S’s emotions make her get corrupted by the high mysteriosity and go feral
• C calms her down and they finally discuss their mindsets and reasoning, and reconcile
• they set out to find their partners
• rest of the story can match the outline mentioned earlier

* * *

Scene 8: Dungeon GT-04 (Lost Anchorage)

* * *

Scene 9: Dungeon GT-04 (Rift Chamber)

* * *

Scene 10: The Road Back