Within Me

A Team Crusader Story

Chapter 4: Beau

Beau expected to have another dreamless sleep like he had the night prior. But it seems now that he had officially woken up in this new world, dreams now began to manifest…

Beau found himself in a hallway, the floor squished underneath his paws as he looked down, the off white, brown speckled ground was confusing to him… He couldn’t feel the warmth of the dirt and digging his claws into the strange material only resulted in his nails hitting something hard.
A single light illuminates the hallway, a door at the end, on the left wall. To his right, is a opening, though he’s unable to see what lies beyond the the darkness obfuscating the exit to the hallway.

This is a house of some kind… he recognizes that much. The door at the end of the hall opens, a off white light illuminates the end of the hall, almost beckoning him to enter the room.

He takes a step forward, though he feels a chill rush down his back, it causes his fur to stand on end. It’s as if his body refuses to push forward to see what’s in the room.

He hears a voice call out to him, a hushed choir of whispers, repeating themselves to him.

“You will not like what you see.”

Beau feels a hand reach out from the opening to his right, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck, pulling him into the darkness.
Beau’s eyes fly open as he jumps up, immediately taking a stance, ready to attack the first thing that moves, his ears pinned back, his fangs bared. Though as his eyes fully adjust to the world around him, he sees Dav and Mako standing in front of him, both holding a couple apples.

“Dude, you alright?” Mako asks.

Beau takes a deep breath, before sitting down, still shaken up by what he saw in his sleep.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. It was a bad dream is all.” he replies.

“Well, at least all it was, was a dream, right?” Dav replies, putting the apple to the ground in front of him.

“Lucky for you, while you were asleep, we snagged some apples.” Dav continues.

“Thanks guys.” Beau replies, looking down at the apple. He pauses, raising a paw to it, rolling it towards him.

“You gonna eat it?” Mako asks, beau now realizing both apples he was holding are gone now…

“Yeah, I’m going to eat it.” Beau replies, pawing at it again, before leaning over to eat it. However, he stops, he feels his friends’ eyes watching him, staring at him. It wasn’t like this before when they were at the tavern. Dav was talking to Gardevoir when she was around, and Mako was too focused on those Miltank cheese strips to focus on him. Now, the two of them are looking at him, like some wounded animal who needs food.

“What’s the matter?” Dav asks.

“I uh… It’s kinda big.” Beau replies.

“Well, I can fix that.” Dav says, putting his own half eaten apple in his beak, before picking the apple on the ground up in both hands, and splitting it cleanly in two.

“Tharh yew goah…” Dav says with his beak full, setting the two halves back down for Beau.

“Thanks.” Beau replies, leaning over to eat the apples, Though, he finds it hard to bend all the way over.
He can still feel them staring at him, waiting with bated breath to see him eat the apple.

“You uh… You, okay?” Mako asks.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Beau responds, trying his best to not let the awkwardness of the situation get to him.

“You look like you’re struggling.” Dav adds.

“I’m just uh…” Beau thinks to himself. Trying to find an excuse to get away from the situation.

“I’m trying to use my PSI.” He says, remembering the conversation he had with the Gardevoir the night prior.

“Oh, that’s a good idea.” Mako says.

“Practice does make perfect.” Dav adds.

Beau, now locked into his white lie, sits in front of the apple, he has no idea how he’s supposed to use his abilities… Maybe if he just… focuses on it?
He tries to imagine himself lifting the apple half up into the air. He stares at the apple, but his friends still stare at him… If he could sweat, now would be a time where he would be sweating bullets.

He looks to the apple, seeing it begin to surround itself with a slight purple hue, it’s… it’s working.
Beau feels like he’s become more aware of the gem on his forehead, feeling its power emanate from himself, it’s as if the sun itself is lending to his abilities. He can see the apple lift up from the ground.

He feels a determined smile work its way across his head as the apple shakily rises into the air. Dav, in his own excitement, starts to cheer his friend on.

“Come on dude, you’ve almost got it!”

This, however, breaks Beau’s concentration, causing the apple to tumble to the ground, luckily. Landing skin side down, leaving the vulnerable insides unscathed.

“Darn it.” Beau says, with a sigh, before trying again. This time, getting the apple to lift into the air once more.
However, as he tries to bring it to his mouth, he starts to lose his focus, the aura around the apple flickers as he quickly grabs it with his mouth, just as it’s about to fall.

“Hell yeah!” Dav shouts.

“Good work man.” Mako says.

Beau can’t help but feel a little bit of pride in his accomplishment, though as he stands there with the apple in his mouth, he can’t help but imagine what he looks like.

Like some, wild animal with a scrap of food. The embarrassment is too much for him, as he immediately turns around, dropping to the floor, quickly eating the apple so his friends don’t have to look at him.

“You… you good man?” Mako asks.

“I’ve only seen Mako eat apples like that.” Dav replies with a slight chuckle.

Beau quickly gets up, picking the apple up with his mouth this time before turning back around, and eating it quickly.

“Just don’t look at me.” He says sharply.

“A…alright.” Dav says, turning around.

The conversation only processes in Mako’s mind when Dav gives him a tap on one of his ears, Mako realizing what he’s doing, quickly turns around.
Now that the two aren’t looking at him, beau can finally take a moment to eat the rest of his apple, dropping only his front half to the ground, he takes small bites into it... He can’t help but feel like this apple is one of the best things he’s ever ate, maybe it’s because he’s hungry, maybe it’s because he’s able to enjoy it on his own… For a moment, he feels comfortable.

Though, that feeling quickly dissipates alongside the apple. Realizing the position he’s in, he quickly stands up and walks past his friends.

“Alright, let’s go. Got a ways before we get to Capim Town right?” He says.

Dav and Mako follow him down the hill from their campsite to the road.

The three head along the path, taking in the sights as they walk. The air is the same cool, crisp air, with a hint of the sea. It’s enchanting… at least to Dav… It’ll never get old.

Beau, starting to trail behind the group, picks his pace up to match their speed. He’s mastered the art of walking on all fours now, long gone is the walking chant he found himself doing on the way to meet with Hoppip, though the feeling of having his friends watch him eat breakfast lingers in his mind.

Alongside that, a reminder of his hastiness to eat quickly to save his own embarrassment was the growing tummy ache he found himself with. Clearly, he ate too fast for his tiny body to handle, so the aching wasn’t going to stop anytime soon.

As he walks with his head to the ground, hoping if he powers through the uncomfortableness, it’ll go away, he hears a voice next to him.

“You don’t look so good.”

He looks up, seeing Dav walking next to him, his gaze looking down at him every so often as he walks.

“I… I ate that apple too fast.” He confesses.

“I probably shouldn’t have.”

He hears a slight chuckle from Dav.

“Well, you did act like it was going to run away.”

Beau reels in discomfort before continuing his conversation, deciding that the only way to rid himself of this feeling, is to bring it up to Dav, he feels like he has an easier time talking to him. At least, that's what his mind is telling him.

“I’ll admit… I was embarrassed.” He says.

“About what? The PSI?” Dav asks.

“No, not that.” Beau continues.

“Just… seeing you guys, watch me eat, I don’t have hands like you guys… I imagined what I must’ve looked like.”

Dav makes a shrugging gesture.

“Well, you don’t have hands, you have to make do with what you have, right?” He says.

“Yeah… but I feel like… I don’t know… like a animal. You guys are more shaped like people than I am.” Beau says.

“Well, that’s just how the cookie crumbles.” Dav adds. “You can’t change how you ended up, and I’m certainly not going to judge you for working with what you have.”

“I just don’t want you to think any less of me.” Beau replies.

“That’s not going to happen.” Dav says, “These are uncertain times, right? We don’t know what’s going to happen, and right now, you’re the smartest four-legged Pokémon I’ve met…”

Beau scoffs.

“I don’t know if that makes me feel any better.”

Beau pauses for a moment, before continuing.

“Just promise me you won’t treat me like some pet.” He says.

“You don’t have to worry about that man.” Dav responds.

He takes a breath, about to continue his reassurance to the Espeon before a shrill screeching pull the trio’s attention to the side of the road.

A blue alligator like Pokémon is running up and down in front of a cave-like structure, seemingly overtaken by distress. Mako slows down, as his friends approach from behind him.

“Should we uh…” Mako says.

“See what the problem is?” Dav asks.

“Yeah.” Mako replies.

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt.” Beau replies.

The trio approach the panicking Pokémon, until it finally takes notice of the group. The blue alligator runs up to Beau, the only Pokémon it’s height, hugging them tightly.

“Oh thank you thank you thank you! Are you here to help me?” It asks.

Beau uses his paws to push the Pokémon off of him, where it stumbles back a bit, catching it’s balance before planting their feet.

“We came to see what’s wrong.” Beau asks.

“Oh it’s oh so terrible!” The Pokémon replies, pointing to the cave.

“I lost my prized brooch inside that Mystery Dungeon! I’m too weak to go in, I hope it's not too much to ask you three to go in for me.”

There’s an aire of silence as the three process the request by the Pokémon.

“FUCK!” Mako shouts, storming away before stepping back to the group.

“Alright, we’ll get the brooch.” Mako says, walking directly into the cave.

Beau and Dav follow Mako inside the cave, where as soon as they can blink, the entrance dissapears leaving them submerged inside the cave, lights poke in from the ceiling, illuminating the dank surroundings of the underground complex. The trio see Mako waiting for them, before he turns around, walking down one of the hallways splitting off the cave.

“What was that all about?” Beau asks.

“I figured it out.” Mako says. “This world isn’t any normal Pokémon world… We’re in Mystery Dungeon.”

Dav snaps his fingers. “That’s the uh… game where the world is only Pokémon right? That explains things.

“Yeah, it’s the only Pokémon games I ever gave a shit about.” Mako continues. “I’m kicking myself I didn’t realize it sooner.”

“So, what does that mean for us? This doesn’t feel like a game.” Beau says.

“Don’t know, this is more real than a video game, but if it functions like the games I remember.” Mako continues. “We get the brooch, and we’ll get a reward.”

“Alright then…” Beau replies. He remembers a little bit about the game series, though the memories of it are hazy, much like everything else he tries to remember. Though, the spelunking the trio were going on is familiar. However, it feels like It’s missing-

Beau’s thought is cut short as he’s tackled by a purple blur, the rat like creature, gnashes and snarls at him as beau holds the feral creature away from his face.

As quickly as it jumped on him, it gets punched away, Mako’s fist now replacing where the Pokémon was.

“Yep, just like the games.” Mako says, giving Beau some room to stand up.

“Look, we’ll be quick, if we all stick together.” Mako continues. “Let me take point.”

“Alright, lead the way.” Beau says.

“We can do this.” Dav says, his voice carrying a weight of confidence to it as the three continue through the cave.

Entering the next room through a long, winding hallway, more feral Pokémon circle around the trio. Dav and Mako delivering flurried kicks and punches, knocking the attackers unconcious, while Beau attempts to help, tackling enemies, though being tackled back, Mako and Dav having to take a chance to save him, getting a few nicks and bruises in their place.

The trio make their way into the next room, Beau can feel his wounds healing with every passing second… Is this a function of the Mystery Dungeon?

“Here.” Mako says, pointing to a perfectly carved out staircase leading down.

“What is that?” Beau asks.

“It’s a staircase.” Dav replies.

“Yes.” Mako replies, his voice retaining the stoic determination he shifted into from the moment he entered the dungeon.

“Now, we go down.”

The trio descend the staircase, entering a new floor of the dungeon.

Beau feels something activate inside him; he looks to a corner of the room.

“I… I sense the brooch, I think.” He says.

“What?” Mako asks.

“I sense it, it’s here, on this floor.” Beau says, turning to his friends. “When that Pokémon grabbed me, I felt a… uh…”

Beau’s grabbing at the words to describe it.

“A fuzzy feeling.”

Dav and Mako look at him, waiting for him to continue.

“Anyways, that feeling, it’s here, stronger… It’s gotta be around here somewhere.” Beau finishes his thought.

“Well, let’s get lookin’!” Dav says, running off into the direction of the cave.

“Wait!” Mako says, chasing after him, beau follows quickly, only to find Dav amid a fistfight with a group of small purple and blue rabbit looking Pokémon. Beau turns around, as Mako is accosted by another one of those purple rat looking Pokémon.

Both of his friends were taken by surprise, Beau feels himself start to back into a corner, his ears pinning back, his tail between his legs.

As he starts to back away, he feels himself being tackled again. Grasped by a gray canine looking Pokémon. He uses his paws to hold the snarling maw away from his face, a desperate attempt to not be torn apart by the feral beast, he looks around for anything to use against his adversary. There’s not much, besides a few lone rocks along the floor. He tries to reach out to the rock with his head, but he’s pinned on his back, the canid Pokémon still trying to take a bite out of his soft purple flesh.

In his desperation, he looks to the rock, pleading for it to get closer, until something pulls him into his mind.

He’s lying on his back, staring at a ceiling, a loud abrasive sound coming from his left side. Looking around, he sees that he’s in a bed… This… this is another memory.

Without thinking, he swings his arm to the side, slapping the source of the annoying sound.

As soon as it stops, the vision fades, pulling him back into the dungeon, where he sees the rock glistening in a purple glow.

He uses that same motion from his vision in his head to fling the rock at the Pokémon on top of him, knocking it away, and knocking it unconscious to
the ground.

He… he did it… he used PSI!

But now’s not the time to celebrate, he needs to help his friends. He looks at more rocks, he can feel himself filled with a newfound vigor, the gem on his head surrounded by the same purple that surrounds the rocks he raises into the air, throwing one after another at his friend’s enemies.
One by one, they collapse to the ground, giving his companions enough room to finish them off themselves.

The three scramble to their feet, battered and bruised.

“That was… that was intense.” Dav says between breaths.

“Yeah… this is nothing like the game.” Mako replies.

“I… I did it.” Beau says under his breath.

He feels a pat on his back.

“You did dude.” Dav replies with a half-hearted smile, his free hand gripping his side.

“I thought we were goners.” Beau says..

“Well, we’re not.” Dav adds.

Mako doesn’t respond, instead walking to a corner of the room, and picking something up, showing it to the group.

“Luckily, we got what we came for.”

Mako shows them an intricate brooch, glistening with golden metal and an insignia none of them recognize.

“Let’s get out of here.” Beau says.

The trio walk through the caves, making it to a stairway that now seems to go up, instead of down.

“That’s not where we came from.” Dav says.

“Nope.” Mako replies. “Mystery Dungeons are weird like that.”

The trio ascend the stairs, and find themselves, stumbling out of the cave, as if they had only just entered.

They’re still battered, still bruised, but they’re okay.

“Sheesh.” Dav says. “To think you can’t just… do moves outright. I know I can do Blaze Kick, but how do you do it?”

“I don’t know.” Mako replies. “I guess it’s something that just comes in time.”

The blue alligator Pokémon waits outside the cave, greeting them with a bright smile, tears nearly streaming down their eyes.

“Yes! Thank you so much!” The Pokémon says, taking the brooch from Mako.

“You’re welcome, it wasn’t easy.” Mako replies.

“Here, please take this… you three are my heroes!” The Pokémon hands Mako a stack of gold coins.

Mako puts the coins in his satchel.

“Please, what’re your names?” The Pokémon asks, “I’m Totodile.”

“I’m uh… Mako.” Mako says.

“Dav.” The Blaziken responds.

“Beau.” The Espeon says.

“Those are some odd nicknames.” Totodile replies. “Do you three have a team name?”

“A team name?” Beau asks, approaching Totodile.

“Yeah! If you're braving Mystery Dungeons together, you must have a team name!” Totodile says, doing a small dance of joy.

“I uh… we haven’t thought of one.” Mako adds.

“What about… Right Guys for the Job?” Dav says.

“No, that’s a phrase idiot.” Mako replies.

The trio pause for a moment, before Dav speaks up again.

“What about Team Crusaders?”

“Team Crusaders?” Mako questions. “I like it.”

“Let’s shorten it a bit.” Beau says.

“Just Crusader.”

The three pondered the thought of their team name a little bit more.

“I like Team Crusader.” Dav confirms.

“Same.” Mako says.

“Guess we’re Team Crusader then.” Beau says to the Totodile.

“Awesome! I’m gonna let everyone know Team Crusader helped get my brooch back!” The Pokémon says, before running down the road, the oppisite direction the trio was heading.

“See you all later!” It exclaims once more.

“See ya.” Mako says.

The trio pause to take a breath, before looking down the road once more.

“Keep going to Capim?” Dav asks.

“Only place to go.” Mako responds.