Branching Out

A Clumsy First "Step"

It was the beginning of a new day!

As if to announce that, the sun slowly rose while its rays started to engulf the meadow. The light eventually reached a lone dark figure sleeping on a patch of grass under a large tree, gently coaxing it out of slumber.

“Hmm…”

The waking figure, a Duskull, yawned as the haziness in his mind began to fade away.

(Ahh, nothing beats the serenity of waking up at your own pace instead of through an alarm!) He happily thought.

As he raised his hands to rub his eyes, three things happened in succession:

• He touched the area around his eyes expecting to feel skin, only to feel a hard surface instead
• He saw two black nubs in the spot where his hands should have been
• He realized he wasn’t on his bed or in his bedroom

A single “Huh...?” was all he could mutter before gasping. He took another look at his arms and desperately started touching his face again while a torrent of thoughts flooded his mind.

(The fuck is this?! Why do I have P*werpuff Girls hands?! Why is there a mask glued to my face?! Where am I and why I’m here?! Why am I bla- OHGODWHEREAREMYLEGS?!)

It was all too much to take in at once and his vision was starting to go blurry from the shock, so he slumped back onto the grass and tried to focus his vision on the tree branches gently swaying above while taking deep breaths.

It took about a minute and a half for the confused Duskull to recompose himself. He propped himself off the ground and had another look at his lower body.

(Yep, legs are gone. What even is this? A tail? And can I even call these things arms or are they more like flippers? Or maybe they are some other kind of appendage that I don't-)

He interrupted that train of thought by shaking his head. “Ugh, focus, FOCUS! I can worry about anatomy nuances later!”

(Let’s think, what was the last thing I remember before this…?) He pondered while placing the tip of an arm(?) under his chin(?).

…

(Yes, I went to bed as usual last night. And next thing I know I just woke up like this...)

Suddenly, he came to a realization: (Wait, did I get isekai’d?! THIS IS AWESO- oh wait I got transformed into something weird in the process. What the heck am I? Some kind of masked slug? Did I get the short end of the stick in the isekai roulette? Dammit, why couldn’t there be a conveniently placed reflective body of water next to me so that I can take a better look at what the heck I got transformed into?)

He let out a sigh. (I guess I'll get nowhere by staying here. Gotta seek information.)

He pepped himself up by saying, "Alright, time to explore the surroundings!" Then made a movement to stand up... only to lose balance and fall face-first on the grass.

"Ouch... forgot about the lack of legs," he muttered while rubbing his face/mask. But his attention quickly moved away from the minor pain as an important question formed in his mind: (Oh God, am I gonna have to crawl to move around?!)

He clutched his head as his panic level was raising exponentially from considering that possibility. (No, no, NO. There's no way I can get far like this! If only I could float or at least-) "WHOA!"

Just as the thought of floating crossed his mind, his body was lifted about half a meter off the ground and stood there gently floating.

...

(This is awesome!)

It only took about ten minutes for the newbie Duskull to get the hang of floating around, to the point where he almost felt like it was something he had done before. Perhaps this was instinct at play? He did not know and did not dwell on it, as he was too busy having fun with aerial flips and being glad that he wouldn't have to crawl around like a bug.

After he had enough fun, he decided to ascend to get an aerial view of the area, but ended up doing that while staying very close to the tree and not floating much higher than the tree's height for a couple of reasons:

1. He has always been afraid of heights
2. He considered the possibility of the levitation having a time limit, so by staying close to the tree he could grab onto a branch if the floating suddenly fizzled midair
3. Going higher would increase the chances of someone spotting him. He shuddered at the possibility of being hunted due to being some kind of rare monster whose genitals are used to make medicine
4. He has always been very afraid of heights.

Still, it was enough to spot what seemed like a dirt road leading to some building-like shapes on the horizon. His destination was set.

---

Welcome to the World of Pokémon

The trip was uneventful, something the oblivious Duskull attributed to him carefully floating low due to the fear of being spotted by someone. As he got closer to the shapes he had seen from far off, they gradually became defined enough so that he could identify them as being mostly unremarkable tents and dome-shaped buildings with one or two square windows.

He carefully approached the back of a dome shaped building by sneaking behind bushes and trees. Once there, he heard arguing voices coming from inside but couldn't properly discern what was being said. He approached a nearby window and peeked through it while expecting to see humans.

What he saw instead were two animals with very distinctive features that made him immediately identify them. And they were the owners of the voices he was hearing.

(Holy shit! That's an Eevee and a Pikachu! And they are talking!) Realizations flashed in his mind as dots were being connected. (This... this is a Pokémon world! So I'm not just some random creature, I'm some random Pokémon!)

In his state of euphoria he almost overlooked another detail: the two Pokémon inside were wearing white scarves with ornate badges resembling pokéballs pinned onto them.

"... Also, I told you to not use that One-Room Orb! We had to spend way too many resources getting out of that Monster House!" Barked the angry Eevee.

"Okay, fine! That one was my bad. But come on, don't tell me you never wanted to see what its effect looked like. It was cool to see the walls shifting and crumbling, right?" Pleaded the Pikachu. But the only answer from Eevee was an annoyed groan.

The peeping Duskull had seen more than enough. He quietly sneaked away from the window while trying to contain his excitement.

Once he was far enough from the building, he let out his excitement by doing what was supposed to be dancing, but it ended up being closer to randomly flailing arms around. (Whoa... this is not just a Pokémon world, I got sent to the world of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon©! This is awesome!)

Then he placed the ends of his arms together to assume a prayer position while looking at the sky. (Dear God... uh... Arceus, thank you so much for giving me this opportunity! I'll be sure to offer you a prayer of gratitude once a week!)

(Alright, now there's one important thing I have to figure out: what Pokémon am I? Time to take all the anatomy I can see into consideration and play a round of Who's That Poké-)

"Mama, who's that Pokémon?"

"That is a Duskull, and don't point at others! That's rude."

(Or not,) he thought as he turned around and saw that the voices he just heard belonged to a Kangaskan and her toddler, who were standing right next to him while holding hands. He immediately panicked, and it didn't help that this would be his first interaction with someone since waking up in this world.

(Oh fuck! How long has this Kangaskhan been there for? I was so excited that I didn't even notice this absolute unit approaching! Shit, she probably saw me dance and pray to the sky and now she must think I'm some weirdo on drugs. Aaaah, how embarrassing! OH NO, what if she saw me peeping at the Pikachu and Eevee?! If she did she's totally gonna call the cops on me and get me thrown into Poké Jail with a Cyndaquill inmate and I can't let that happen I gotta come up with an excuse for all this and OHGODI'VEBEENSTANDINGHERELOOKINGATHERINSILENCEFORLIKESEVENSECONDSNOWANDMADETHINGSEVENMORE-)

"Uh... are you okay? I'm sorry if my daughter bothered you."

The Kangaskhan's worried question snapped the panicking Duskull back into reality. (ACK, GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!) He mentally shouted while shaking his head. Despite the agitation, he managed to reply with, "Oh... y-yeah I'm okay! Just had a lot on my mind lately haha!"

The Kangaskhan narrowed her eyes as if she wanted to express that she didn't fully believe him, but decided to not press further. "Well, if you say so..."

She then looked down at her daughter and said, "Now dear, apologize to him."

The toddler Kangaskhan gave a few shy steps forward and then apologized while looking downwards. "Sorry Mr. Duskull..."

Seeing the child apologizing in such a cute manner calmed down the Duskull a bit. He returned the apology by smiling and saying, "It's okay, it didn't bother me at all. But you gotta listen to your mama and not point at others again, okay?"

The child smiled back and said, "Okay, I will!" Before going back to her mother and holding hands again.

The mother gave a soft giggle at the exchange, then she looked over the Duskull as if to study him. "Say, I haven't seen you around here before. What brings you to our small settlement?"

He tensed upon hearing the question, but tried his best to not let it show in his body language. (Geez, you're interrogating me now?!)

There wasn't enough time to think of an elaborate answer, at least not without having a second case of staring her down for several seconds while thinking, so he just went with the first somewhat believable excuse that came into his mind. "Yeah I've never been here before. Uh, this is kinda embarrassing but I got lost while traveling. So, I don't even know where I am right now"

The Kangaskhan mover her hand to the side of her face with a surprised expression. "Oh my, you poor thing. Good thing you managed to find this place then. Where were you heading for before getting lost?"

(Dammit, should have expected that follow-up question. Should I just say that it's private? Hmm...)

As he dug through his memories to come up with an answer, he remembered the arguing Pikachu and Eevee he saw just a bit ago and had an idea. "I aim to become a dungeon explorer, so I've decided to set off on a journey to a big town in search of a guild to join. But then I got lost..."

"Oh my, that's nice. We should always pursue our dreams!" The Kangaskhan then turned her head towards the buildings. "Unfortunately, you won't find any guilds here as this is just a small settlement. We mostly focus on providing services to travelers who pass by and teams who face the nearby mystery dungeons. Speaking of which, me and my husband run an inn here, so if you need a place to rest you can count on us!"

(Phew, she bought it. Guess I should try to get more information now.) "Thanks for the offer, I'll keep it in mind. So, where would be the closest place with guilds?"

"Your best bet would certainly be Capim Town. It is the biggest town in the continent, and it has a variety of guilds with all sorts of people. There's even a guild full of weird Pokémon that has been a common gossip topic ever since it was formed."

"A guild of weird Pokémon? How so?"

"I exchange letters regularly with some friends from Capim and they tell me all sorts of weird stories, I'll tell you!"

The Kangaskahn's expression gradually turned sour as she recounted her friends' reports.

"From what I've heard, around 4 or 5 months ago a group of Pokémon caused a ruckus during a show and were kicked out, then they decided to form a guild shortly after. One of my friends told me that some of their members start giggling for no apparent reason when they see specific Pokémon. Seems like many of their members say nonsense that only their lot understands. I've also heard rumors that one of their members was involved in an incident involving explosives in a village. Another friend of mine also suspects that some of the guild members were the ones who caused the fire in Apple Woods a while ago. Can you believe all that trouble coming from a single guild?!"

(Wow lady, you sure like gossiping.)

"Wow, they sound like a rowdy bunch."

"I know, right? And the weirdest thing about this guild is that there are rumors saying that its members are humans who got turned into Pokémon! To me that sounds like a silly rumor the guild itself spread around for attention!"

(HUH?! There are other humans turned Pokémon besides me?)

Before he could ask for more details, the conversation was cut short by Kangaskhan's daughter tugging at her hand. "Mama, I'm hungry..."

The mother looked at the position of the sun and gasped. "Oh my, it’s already close to noon! Sorry little Duskull, but I must begin lunch preparations. Come visit our inn if you need anything."

"It's okay Ms. Kangaskhan. Thank you very much for all the information."

As they parted ways he waved goodbye to the child, who waved back with a smile. Then, having started to feel the increasing heat of the sun, he spotted a nearby large tree and moved towards it to seek shade.

Now that the initial excitement of his human-turned-Pokémon situation had subsided. He had a lot of thinking to do.

---

Seed of Change

Once the Duskull was under the tree, he sat leaning his back on its trunk. Feeling a gentle breeze caressing him, he began to process all the information he had just obtained.

"Let's see... first off, I'm a Duskull now..." (That's pretty cool actually! I've always liked Dusknoir and Ghost types in general. Can't wait to evolve so that I can get actual hands with fingers!)

As he thought that, he looked at his arms and did some testing. He could curl up their ends to grab things, similarly to a thumbless human hand closing all its fingers to form a fist.

"Next, there is a guild in Capim that apparently is composed of humans..." (I guess that should have been a given. There's no way a loser like me would be some "special one-of-a-kind chosen one of destiny". Still, there might be a reason as to why so many humans are being brought here, so I should check this guild out)

"Lastly, this really is the world of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon..."

He gazed at the branches above in silence. During that time the breeze caused a leaf to fall off the tree and land on him. Picking it up to toss it aside, he noticed it was from the same kind of tree as the one where he woke up earlier. An oval shaped leaf with serrated edges.

(Huh, this looks just like an elm tree leaf. Now that I think about it, I didn't see any weird-looking vegetation so far. I guess this world has a good amount of vegetation similar to the human world's.)

(Yeah, this world...)

Still looking at the leaf, he began to think about his situation. (It's still hard to believe, but by some miracle I was given this opportunity...)

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes as unpleasant memories and regrets from his time as a human resurfaced.

(Back then I was such a useless coward and missed so many opportunities. I've always told myself that if I had a second shot at life I would try to be more adventurous and not be afraid of taking risks. Turns out that this second shot did end up happening, although not in the way I would have expected...)

A gust blew the leaf off his hand and he watched as it got carried away by the wind. With determination in his eyes, he got up and looked at the sky.

"I'll definitely not be like I was before. I'll make the most out of this chance by going on many adventures!"

This vow was directed both to himself and to whatever higher power had brought him into that world.

...

Having finished steeling his resolve, he set his next objectives.

(Alright, let's go to Capim to investigate this supposed "human guild". Maybe we all were bought into this world to fight some incoming threat or to fulfill some other purpose. And if they really are humans they might know what our mission here is. Then I will either join their guild or another one.)

"But first... how do I even get to Capim? I forgot to ask that Kangaskhan for directions."

He wandered towards where he assumed the center of the settlement would be, eventually spotting a simple stall composed of a wooden counter surrounded by four wooden poles supporting a green cloth that served as a roof. A Kecleon sat behind the counter while polishing an orb with a cloth.

He approached the stall and greeted the Kecleon. "Hello, could you help me with something? I need some directions to Capim Town."

The Kecleon placed the orb in a box and then turned to the Duskull, studying him for a couple of seconds before replying. "Hi there! Sure I could give you some directions, but are you planning on travelling like that?"

"Uh, what do you mean 'like that'?"

"Well... it's just that you don't look prepared for travelling. The path to Capim is no short trip, and you're not even carrying a bag to take food."

(Dammit, he's right. Why did I think this would be some kind of short stroll?) "Oh... you have a point. I didn't know it would be that far..."

Seeing an opportunity, the Kecleon started rummaging through his merchandise. "Hey, that's where I come in! I can sell you a bag and even throw in a couple of berries as a bonus. All for a discounted price!"

"Uh... thanks but I'm completely broke right now. I just stumbled upon this place after getting lost for a while, so I don't have anything to barter either." (Ugh, I feel like a hobo!)

Upon hearing the word "broke", the Kecleon immediately stopped rummaging and turned to the Duskull again. "You’re a tough customer ain't you? If you really don't have a single coin, you could try exploring the mystery dungeon north of here. Then you can come back to trade whatever you find."

(Wow, I'm already going through a tutorial dungeon?) "Hmm... I'm not sure about that idea. I've never been inside a dungeon before."

"Wow, really? But the northern dungeon is fairly small and the wild Pokémon there are weak. You should be fine! If anything, you should be worried about the trip to Capim since you mentioned you already got lost once."

(The "getting lost" part was a lie, but finding my way there really is a concern. Maybe I should ask if he sells a map too?)

As the Duskull pondered what to do, the Kecleon had an idea and started walking circles around the Duskull while examining him.

(Shit, why did he start examining me out of nowhere?! Did he start suspecting me after I said I haven't gone to a dungeon yet?)

"Uh... what are you doing?"

"Say, you look small enough, so I have a suggestion. Today a Pelipper from Capim will come here to deliver some mail and then he'll fly back after resting. I've seen him give rides in exchange for money before, so you could try asking him for that."

The thought of riding on the back of a Pelipper flying high up was terrifying, but he concluded it really was an easier and faster option compared to going by himself and risk getting lost for real. And as scary as it would be, thanks to his levitation capabilities he wouldn't plummet to his doom if his grip loosened during the flight.

"Wow, that is a great idea! But I don't have any money..."

The Kecleon pointed at himself while saying, "And that's where I come in!" Then he started rummaging through his goods a second time. He picked up something and handed it to the Duskull. "Here you go!"

It was a simple bag about half the size of his body and made of a rough white cloth that reminded him of linen. It had a thin rope weaved through the opening to close the bag when both ends were pulled. The Duskull couldn't help but see it as being very similar to the money bags he would often see in cartoons and video games. "Uh... why are you giving me this?"

"For your dungeon diving, of course! Now you can go to the mystery dungeon, bring back whatever you can find there, and then sell it to me. You'll find mostly apples and berries in that one, but they appear fairly often. Also, I ain't giving it, I'm lending it! So be sure to come back to me!"

(Suuuure thing, Mr. Merchant.)

He briefly considered if he really should follow that plan. He also considered the alternative of trying to find someone else who was travelling to Capim and asking them if he could travel along. But then he remembered his proclamation of trying to be more adventurous in this world.

(Well, I guess I will have to go through a mystery dungeon eventually. Might as well learn the ropes now since he mentioned this is an easy one.)

"Alright, I'll do it. So, where is this dungeon?"

---

Tutorial Dungeon (?)

After asking the Kecleon for directions and the time of Pelipper's departure, the Duskull set off to the alleged beginner-friendly dungeon. It ended up being easy to find since the path had dirt roads and several signs pointing to the right direction, so the trip took less than half an hour of floating around. Thanks to the signs, he also learned that he was able to read that world's strange language.

"Well, here I am," he muttered while looking at what would be a very generic rocky cave entrance on a gray mountain, were it not for the three wooden signs warning that this was the entrance to a mystery dungeon. However, there was something he had to think about before even considering stepping inside.

(What moves can I use and how do I even use them?)

He started digging through his memories of his time playing the Pokémon games. "Hmm... Ghost moves... Ghost moves... ah!"

The move he remembered was among the strongest Ghost type moves. (Shadow Ball! It would be great if I can use it. Let's give it a try...)

He set the bag aside on the ground and stretched his arms forward, taking a deep breath as he imagined energy gathering at their ends, then mentally shouted, (SHADOW BALL!)

...

Nothing happened. He tried one more time, to no avail.

"Hmm... maybe I need to actually say it out loud?"

He stretched his arms forward one more time and shouted, "SHADOW BALL!" But nothing happened.

...

For the next minutes he tried different things: changing the position of his arms; using only one arm; moving them in different ways as he shouted; creating an imaginary opponent; and even imagining a 10-year-old boy giving him commands to use the move. But nothing worked. Frustration was starting to pile up in his mind.

"Dammit! This isn't working. What else can I try?"

He crossed his arms, placing the end of his right one under his mouth while thinking.

"Hmm... Shadow Ball... shadow... darkness... hm?"

(Edge...?)

An idea came into his mind. One that he was very reluctant to try at first, but he concluded that anything was worth trying.

(Might as well give it a shot. I'm desperate enough at this point.)

First, he floated upwards and looked around to make sure no one would be there to witness what he was about to try, then he floated back down and mentally prepared himself. (I really hope that dying of cringe is not a thing, otherwise this sure is gonna kill me.)

He imagined a small Weedle trembling in fear in front of him, then raised his right arm straight up and began to speak in a serious and cold tone.

"Pathetic worm! How dare you get in my way?! You shall regret opposing me as I send you straight to the afterlife with the almighty power of darkness!" He lowered his right arm and pointed it at the imaginary Weedle before shouting, "Special attack: MEGA DESTRUCTION DARK BALL OF DARKNESS AND DESTRUCTION!"

Poof

A wisp of black smoke came out of the end of his arm and dissipated right away. His surprise and excitement lasted only about two seconds as they dissipated along with the smoke, and then they were replaced by the crushing embarrassment of what he just did.

He dashed to where he had left the bag and turned his levitation off. He then buried his face in the bag, lying face-down on the ground, before letting out a muffled scream.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
(JESUSFUCKINGCHRISTWHYDIDITHINKTHATWOULDBEAGOODIDEA?! JUSTKILLMENOWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA)
He was now screaming both physically and mentally.

Having ceased the screaming, he lifted his head off the bag. (Goddammit! I don't know what's worse: me trying that shit out; me kinda getting into it; or the fact that it actually worked a bit. Ugh, I'm cringing so hard that I want to sink my head into the ground and stay-) "WHOA!"

He was startled as his arms suddenly sank into the ground, followed by the rest of his body. It felt like the floor had suddenly become a dense liquid and he was sinking towards the bottom of a dark ocean. He could see nothing and was immersed in complete darkness.

(Ack, what's happening?! Did I just go through the floor? How do I get- HUH?! I... I can't breathe!)

He tried to pull air inside his mouth again, to no avail. His desperation was skyrocketing as he willed himself to float towards the surface of the ground again, all while flailing his arms in a motion similar to swimming. He felt like he was going upwards, but not fast enough.

(SHIT! I'M GOING TO SUFFOCATE! COME ON, RISE FASTER! I'M GONNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIE LIKE... this?)

(Huh...?)

It dawned on him that, despite the lack of oxygen, he wasn't feeling any pain or other physical discomfort. Upon reaching the ground level again and calming down, he experimented by holding his breath for a prolonged amount of time and felt nothing.

As it turns out, becoming a Duskull meant that he no longer needed to breathe, despite still being able to pull air in and out of his body. He was just unconsciously doing that out of custom from all the decades living as a human.

Feeling very embarrassed for not realizing that sooner, he buried his face into the bag again.

...

After recomposing himself, he experimented with his ability to go through solid objects. Much like the floating ability, it only took a few minutes of practice to learn how to control it. However, this one required some concentration to activate, so it wasn't something he could do in a fraction of a second.

"Okay, so I no longer need to breathe, and I can go through walls and other solid objects. That's neat!"

(I guess that should have been a given now that I am a Ghost Pokémon. Hold on, does that mean that I'm technically dead?!)

He placed an arm on the side of his head and left it there for a couple of seconds while focusing on what he could feel. (Well, I have body warmth, so I guess I'm still a living being.)

He looked at the dungeon's entrance. "Welp, I sure got sidetracked here. And I still don't know how to use any moves..."

(Hmm, now that I think about it again, I guess I'm being a massive dumbass for trying to use a strong move like Shadow Ball first. I'm going to assume I need to get stronger before being able to use it, so I should try a weaker move first.)

"A beginner-level Ghost move... hmm..."

As he was trying to think of a move he could try, he looked downwards and saw his shadow. "Oh, Shadow Sneak!"

He pointed his right arm towards a nearby boulder, which was about the same size as him, while looking at his shadow. Trying to imagine it moving, he mentally shouted, (Shadow Sneak!)

The shadow wobbled, but it was only a subtle vibration that lasted less than a second. (Welp, that's already better than Shadow Ball at least.)

For his next attempt he tried imagining that he was giving commands ordering the shadow to move. (Go! Attack!)

It started moving towards the boulder, but at such a slow speed that even an ant would be faster. (At least this is progress...)

"Hmm... what else can I try..."

As he pondered that, his gaze was focused on his shadow. As he gently swayed back and forth while floating, he saw how his shadow followed his movements. (Hmm?)

He waved his arms around and, as expected, his shadow mimicked him perfectly. (Maybe...)

Once again, he faced the boulder. This time he looked at his shadow and tried to think of it as an extension of himself, as if it were a third arm. A third arm that would follow the movements of his right one.

While focusing on that mental image he curled the end of his right arm to imitate a closed fist, then threw a straight punch as hard as he could towards the boulder. His body slightly moving forward with the momentum of the punch.

"HA!"

This time his shadow stretched forward, covering a distance of about six meters in two seconds, until it reached the boulder and went underneath it. In the heat of the moment a memory of a certain fighting video game came to him.

(Not done yet!) "HYA!"

Inspired by the memory, he followed it up by throwing a rising punch that went as high as he could. His body went upwards along with the punch as if he had just jumped.

BAM

A black mass shot upwards from where his shadow was beneath the boulder, hitting it with enough force to form cracks and sending it flying up for a couple of meters off the ground. The Duskull stared at the rising boulder in amazement as it reached its apex and fell back on the ground with a thud.

"Holy shit! I... I did it! I have an attack now!"

Satisfied with himself, he happily celebrated with by doing a fist pump while shouting, "Wohoo!"

He repeated the move a second time and then a third time to be sure that he had correctly grasped how to perform it. The attempts were successful like the first one.

(Not sure if that's how Shadow Sneak is supposed to work. Is this really a Ghost type move? Kinda looks closer to a Fighting type move. Oh well, I'm just glad for no longer being defenseless.)

Looking back at the dungeon's entrance he pondered if he was ready to face it now.

(I'm not sure if tackling the dungeon with just one move is a good idea. I think I should try to learn how to use at least one more move.)

As he started trying to select a move to learn he heard a grumbling coming from his body, accompanied by a familiar discomfort. It was hunger.

(Ugh, that's right. I haven't eaten anything since coming to this world. I thought I could maybe scavenge something on the way to the dungeon, but there was nothing.)

He then remembered the Kecleon mentioning that in this dungeon it was common to find apples and berries.

"Well, I guess that settles it. One move will have to be enough."

He retrieved the bag he had set aside and approached the dungeon, standing a few steps away from the entrance. As he considered all the dangers he could end up facing inside, he started to get metaphorical cold feet and the cave entrance began to appear larger and more imposing. He briefly considered going back to the settlement, asking the Kangaskhan he met for some food, and then training a second move before coming back.

(No. I promised myself I would be adventurous. Besides, if I do that I might not have enough time to catch Pelipper's flight.)

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he dashed towards the dungeon and vanished as soon as he reached the entrance.

---

Tutorial Dungeon (For Real!)

As the Duskull entered the mystery dungeon he saw his surroundings distort and shift. It was a very fast process that lasted less than a second. Once it was over, he saw himself inside a long and narrow rock tunnel. In the direction he was facing he could see a room with light coming from it. He looked back to see if the dungeon's entrance would be there but all he saw was a solid cave wall.

(This is it. My first mystery dungeon exploration!)

He carefully went through the tunnel towards the illuminated room he saw. Before entering it, he peeked from the corner of the entrance to examine the room first.

It was a large dome shaped room with an opening on the ceiling. From said opening there was sunlight coming through and he could see the sky. Grass, moss and other small plants covered the parts of the floor where the sunlight could reach. Aside from the tunnel where he was, he saw one more tunnel connected to the room.

Two Machops were standing still next to a wall, seemingly looking at nothing. Every couple of seconds they would turn around to a seemingly random direction while keeping a blank expression. The lack of emotion and almost robotic movements gave off an eerie feeling to the Duskull.

(A two vs one for my first battle?! Damn.)

Suddenly, one of the Machops happened to look at his direction and spotted him, prompting both Machops to charge at the same time. In response he tossed the bag aside, entered the room, and began to prepare a Shadow Sneak by creating the mental image of his shadow as his third arm.

The Machops were on an almost opposite side from where he was at, so he had time to perform the attack. With a straight punch extending his shadow underneath one of them, and then the rising punch movement making a black mass shoot upwards from his shadow, he landed a clean blow on the Machop's chest and sent the Pokémon flying backwards.

The second Machop was unfazed by their partner getting hit and kept charging. The Duskull began preparing a second attack, but he knew that the Machop would reach him before it was ready, so he prepared to dodge and then fire it as a counterattack. As the distance between them got shorter, he noticed the Machop raising an arm.

(He's going for a Karate Chop!)

He dodged the telegraphed attack with ease by dashing sideways, while setting up his shadow underneath the Machop who was trying to regain balance after missing, and then fired his Shadow Sneak punch. It hit the Machop right in the jaw, causing an instant knockout.

He watched with amazement as the immobile Machop was enveloped in a faint white glow and then dissipated away.

(Huh, guess this really is like the Mystery Dungeon games.)

He then heard some shuffling coming from behind and turned around. The first Machop he had attacked was still alive, but severely hurt and limping towards him. He would have felt bad for the Pokémon, were it not for their robotic movements before the battle began and the complete lack of emotion on their faces.

As he looked at the impaired Machop struggling to prepare a Karate Chop, he had an idea and decided this would be a good opportunity to test it out. He let the Machop approach him and then focused, activating his ability to become incorporeal.

The idea worked as he saw the Machop's hand pass right through him as if his body was made of mist. It was a strange experience since he could feel the hand moving inside him during the attack, but no pain or damage happened.

With the experiment being successful, he distanced himself and finished off the Machop with a Shadow Sneak on their back. As he watched the body disappear, he noticed that a familiar blue berry appeared in its place.

(An Oran Berry! Nice, my first dungeon loot.)

Before he could pick it up, he heard sounds coming from the other tunnel he saw while spying on the room. A Geodude had just entered the room and immediately spotted him.

(Three opponents in quick succession?! Beginner-friendly dungeon my ass!)

He began to prepare yet another Shadow Sneak, but to his surprise the Geodude grabbed a small rock and tossed it towards him. He managed to dodge it in time by dashing to the left, but the Geodude followed right after by throwing another rock.

He didn't have enough time to perfectly dodge again, so the rock managed to graze his left arm. It didn't hurt much, but the pain caused him to look at his arm for a moment. When he looked back at the Geodude he saw them grabbing a bigger rock, about the same size as their own body, and preparing to throw it.

He responded by focusing and activating his intangibility, activating it just as the Geodude threw the rock.

WHACK

It didn't work. The rock hit the Duskull with full force, sending him flying back. His back collided with a wall and he collapsed on the floor writhing in pain.

(SHIT! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! ITHURTSHURTSHURTSHURTSHURTS!)

His whole body was screaming in pain, especially his arms which took the brunt of the attack. He was glad for having positioned them in front of his face beforehand, as they reduced the damage to vital areas. However, the damage was still severe since fragments from his skull mask had broken off and fallen to the ground.

Groaning in pain, he looked up and saw that the Geodude, having ran out of rocks, was now approaching to finish him off. Fear was now taking over his mind.

(Shit... I have to run away!)

Activating his intangibility again, he sank into the floor to escape the approaching Geodude. While there, he began to plan an escape route.

(I should sneak back to where I first appeared in the dungeon and rest there...)

But then, as he felt another sting from the pain in his body, an emotion sprouted and started to intensify inside him as if a switch had just been flipped. It was anger.

(No... why should I run away? I'm not gonna rest until I make that motherfucker pay for hurting me!)

While thinking about how he was going to get revenge, he started hearing faint vibrations. Assuming that they were from the Geodude moving around, he listened while moving under the floor to pinpoint where they were coming from. Once he had estimated the Geodude's approximate position, he moved a short distance away from where he assumed the Geodude was and began to create the third arm mental image needed for Shadow Sneak.

With preparations complete he shot up off the ground, saw that the Geodude really was where he had predicted, and made the straight punch movement to send his shadow underneath them. Pain shot up his arm as he punched, but he did not care. All he cared about was beating the crap out of the Geodude who dared to attack him.

Caught by surprise, the Geodude only had time to turn around and see the Duskull floating high up before the shadow reached them.

"HYAAAA!"

BAM

CRACK

He finished the attack by doing the rising punch movement, causing more pain to course throughout his body. The rising shadow hit the Geodude's face with enough force to send them flying backwards against a nearby wall at a high speed, causing cracks to form on it upon colliding. The unconscious body never reached the floor as it finished dissipating while it was still falling, leaving an apple in its place.

Groaning in pain, the Duskull dashed to the Oran Berry he had found earlier and gobbled it up while barely chewing it. He was also in too much pain to think about the flavor, much less enjoy it. He felt the pain in his body subside as he could tell he was being healed, even the parts of his mask that were damaged began to regrow.

Mentally exhausted from the ordeal, he collapsed on the floor. Lying on his back with his arms outstretched, he looked at the light coming from the ceiling and began to tremble as he thought about what had just happened.

All the fear he had bottled up during the fight was now unleashed.

(I... I almost died there...)

Tears began to form in his eye sockets, and then they dripped to the sides of his face.

(And yet...)

"Heh..."

"Hehe..."

(Why do I feel so... alive?!)

"Hahahahaha!"

For a moment he lied there laughing and crying at the same time. Basking in the afterglow of his first victory.

...

Having recomposed himself, he was now sitting against a wall while eating the apple that the Geodude had dropped. It was delicious and tasted sweeter than the apples he had as a human, especially with how hungry he was.

(Okay, so important note to self: type advantages and immunities do work like in the games. Even though it looked like I could pass through that thrown rock just like the Karate Chop, it didn't work because that was probably the Rock Throw move. I can only become intangible to Normal and Fighting moves.)

(Wait, does that mean that I am immune to something like Hyper Beam or Self-Destruct? I sure don't wanna test that out with those moves.)

(On the other hand, I'm going to be on the safe side and assume that Shadow Sneak is not gonna work on Normal type Pokémon, even though it looks like my shadow could punch one just fine. That means I will be completely defenseless if I end up facing one.)

He then thought back on the fight with the Geodude, remembering the intense anger he felt while hurt.

(I've never felt bloodlust like that before...)

(And that's not all. I just fought for my life for the first time! I used to think that something like this would leave me traumatized, and yet it ended up being... fun? Also, now that I think about it, when those Machops suddenly started charging at me I immediately reacted even though something like that would normally have made me panic!)

(It almost feels like I was a different person during that fight...)

(Are these consequences from me becoming a Ghost type Pokémon? Or perhaps just from becoming a Pokémon in general?)

...

Having finished the apple, he activated his floating and tossed the core away, then went to retrieve the empty bag.

(Alright, time to move on. I had to eat the apple and the berry, so I'm still empty-handed.)

He went through he tunnel which the Geodude came from, ending in a room that was very similar to the one he fought in, but this one was about half the size of the previous one and had more tunnels connecting to it. In one of the walls he saw carved stone stairs going down and opted to descend them.

As soon as he floated above the stairs' steps, he felt everything around him shift just like how it happened when he entered the dungeon. One second he was on the stairs, then the next second he was somewhere else.

The first thing he did upon reaching this new floor was take a quick look at the room to see if it contained enemies. After confirming that it was safe, he noticed a pink berry lying on the floor.

(Nice, a Pecha Berry!)

After picking up the berry and placing it inside the bag, he had another look at the spot where he appeared in this floor. The stairs he used were nowhere to be seen.

(Hold on, can't I just phase through the ground to reach deeper floors?)

To test that, he activated his intangibility and dove into the ground. Taking note of how he could make the bag phase with him, he dove deeper and deeper.

(I am a genius!)

"OOF!"

Suddenly, his face hit something. He couldn't see what it was, so he began feeling it with his arm. It felt like a wall of plastic wrap that wouldn't tear no matter how hard he pushed.

(Guess I can't cheat, huh.)

After returning to the room where he was, he resumed the exploration. The rest of the floor went smoothly as he only had to fight against two isolated Machops, who were quickly dispatched with a single hit of Shadow Sneak on each. He also managed to find more berries before finding the next set of stairs.

On the next floor he came across a room which contained a lone figure standing in the middle. It was a Sewaddle looking at the opposite direction from where he was.

(Alright, this one should be easy. Guess I'll fire a Shadow Sneak from here.)

However, as he began preparations to use Shadow Sneak while looking at the oblivious opponent, he began to feel odd.

(Man, I almost feel bad for attacking. They look kinda cute, and small, and... defenseless...)

It was like something was awakening inside him. Like a hunger, not for food but for... something else. As if a voice was whispering to him and leading him to think about taking a specific action.

(Wouldn't it be funny as fuck if I scared the shit out of them?)

Reveling in the idea, he quietly floated towards the Sewaddle while thinking about how amusing it would be if they made a scared face. He was fully aware that it was dangerous and that a surprise attack with Shadow Sneak would be a much safer option, but he decided to let himself be taken over by his newfound desires, seeing how doing that helped in his previous fight.

Once he was right behind the unsuspecting Sewaddle, he lightly tapped them while containing his excitement. As soon as they turned around to face him, he outstretched his arms high up like an animal trying to look bigger.

"OOGA BOOGA!!!"

To his surprise, the Sewaddle actually made a startled expression before freezing in place. Then, they fell on their side like a stone statue that had just been toppled over and dissipated into white light.

(Holy shit! How did I kill them?! Did I just cause a heart attack?)

He concluded that it had to be a move. While thinking about what move it could have been, he remembered how the Sewaddle froze in place for a moment before fainting.

"I got it! Considering the flinching, it has to be Astonish."

(I guess that means I should be careful to not accidentally kill someone by spooking them. Also, I think I'll stick to Shadow Sneak since Astonish requires me to be right in the opponent's face, which is quite dangerous.)

With a second move under his belt, he resumed the exploration. He didn't meet any more enemies for the rest of the floor, but he did find something shiny next to the stairs to the next level. It was a small light-blue orb.

(Is this... a Wonder Orb? Lucky! No idea of what this one does though.)

On the next floor he appeared in a room much longer than the ones he had seen before. It had a male Nidoran and three Sewaddles, who all immediately spotted him and began charging.

(Holy shit! Four opponents at once?!)

Fortunately, the Sewaddles were very slow and would take some time to reach him, so the only immediate threat was the Nidoran. The Duskull fired a Shadow Sneak towards him, but the Nidoran managed to sidestep the attack.

(Damn, he's faster than the previous opponents. Gotta find a way to ensure a hit...)

He began to fly away from the Nidoran while looking around the room for something that could help, then he spotted a tunnel and got an idea. He dove into the floor to dodge a lunge, then emerged inside the tunnel and waited for the Nidoran to enter it too, then he fired a Shadow Sneak. Thanks to the narrow space, the Nidoran couldn't dodge properly and was squashed against the ceiling by the Shadow Sneak.

Afterwards, the Duskull easily dispatched two Sewaddles before they could get near him. He decided to leave the last one alive for now, as he wanted to try using Astonish again.

He dashed towards the lone Sewaddle until he was right in front of them, then outstretched his arms and shouted, "OOGAA BOOGA!!!"

Nothing happened to the Sewaddle, who answered the failed attack by firing a String Shot right at his face, blocking his vision.

(Shit!)

Knowing that the Sewaddle was slow, he dashed backwards to distance himself from them while cleaning his face.

(Ew, ew, EW! This stuff is stickier than I'd have expected!)

Once he could see again, he squashed the Sewaddle against a wall with a Shadow Sneak and resumed the exploration.

(I'm not sure of why Astonish failed this time. I'll just avoid using it for now.)

(On the other hand, I guess I've got the hang of fighting by now. I'm surprised by how fast I got used to it. Gotta admit that it is very thrilling.)

While exploring the rest of the floor he found more berries and an apple, then met a female Nidoran who he took out with the same tunnel tactic he used on the male one. Soon enough, he found the next set of stairs.

Upon floating above the steps, he felt the space around him shift again. This time he appeared in what appeared to be a dark and empty cave room with no notable features. He could see light coming from behind him, so he turned around and saw that the light was coming from a tunnel, the only one connected to the room. He went through it and eventually reached...

"Huh? I'm back at the dungeon's entrance?!"

It was the exact same spot where he was standing at right before entering the dungeon.

(I guess this means that empty room was the end of the dungeon. Interesting, so that is how a mystery dungeon works...)

Sighing in relief and proud of himself, he set the bag aside and threw his arms up in the air to celebrate.

"Wohoo! Dungeon complete!!!"

(Could have gone better, but it was still a success.)

Before heading back to the settlement, he opened the bag and took note of what he had looted in the dungeon:

• 1 Pecha Berry
• 2 Oran Berries
• 1 Rawst Berry
• 1 Apple
• 1 Wonder Orb

(Good thing I found this orb, otherwise I would be worried if the apple and berries would sell for enough money.)

...

"Hey, you're back! How much stuff did you find?"

He was now back at the Kecleon's shop.

(I'm fine, thanks for asking! I just had one near-death experience, no big deal. Here's your stuff and bag, now give me the money!)

That was what he wanted to say, but he kept it to himself. Especially since he considered the near-death experience to be his own fault.

"Yeah, I got some things. You think this will sell for enough money to tip the Pelipper?"

He then proceeded to show the contents of the bag. The Kecleon noted how lucky he was to find a Wonder Orb in that specific dungeon, stating that anything aside from apples and berries are uncommon finds there. After looking over the dungeon loot, the Kecleon gave him some money and said that it would probably be enough to cover the flight. He also gave him a bag that looked like a smaller version of the one he borrowed, saying that it was a bonus to help him carry the coins.

The Duskull had a feeling that the Kecleon might have ripped him off on the sale price of the dungeon loot, but he didn't know the correct market price for anything in this world and he just wanted to be done with the Kecleon, so he left without saying anything after being told where the Pelipper usually rests at.

Soon enough he found the mailman Pelipper, who was resting next to a well. After a short conversation, he agreed to give the Duskull a ride in exchange for most of the money he had.

Feeling relieved for having enough money, the Duskull drank some water from the well and began to mentally prepare himself for the upcoming flight on Pelipper's back, while Pelipper was double-checking his mail and doing final preparations to take flight.

"Hey Duskull, we're going now."

"Alright. Uh, where should I hold you during the flight?"

"You won't have to hold anything."

Pelipper then opened his bill and said, "Well, hop in!" While pointing at it.

"..."

Realizing the terribly wrong assumption he had made, the Duskull froze in place.

(You've GOT to be kidding me...)

---

Capim's Impostor

During his life as a human, the Duskull traveled by plane several times. Despite his fear of heights, he never felt uncomfortable inside a plane as the enclosed space, the boring lectures from the flight attendants on all the safety measures the planes had, and the seating all gave him a sense of security, even when looking through the windows. He also had fond memories of imagining himself as a bird taking flight while feeling the movements of the plane taking off. Overall, plane flights were an enjoyable experience for him.

Unfortunately, this was not a plane flight and much less an enjoyable experience.

He was now inside the Pelipper's bill while he was flying to Capim. Curled into a ball while clutching the lower end of his body, he tried everything he could to not think about how he was inside someone's mouth: mentally singing a song about dancing skeletons; imagining that he was just resting in a humid cave; counting prime numbers.

All these measures worked somewhat, but stray thoughts like, "(Pleasedon'tswallowI'mnotintovorepleasedon'tswallow,)" still popped in his mind from time to time. At one point he tried to take a nap, but after only a couple of minutes he realized it wouldn't be happening with the humid walls, the tongue, and the constant movement.

Those were the longest hours of his life. The only comfort he had was that at least he didn't have to breathe while going through the experience.

...

"We're here!"

As soon as Pelipper opened his bill the traumatized Duskull flew out, glad to be free from the damp prison. With a monotone, "Thanks," he parted ways with the Pelipper and plopped down on a nearby wooden bench to rest his mind.

(I'm so gonna have nightmares about that...)

While sitting on the bench, he had a look at his surroundings. Pelipper had left him in front of the post office where he worked. The sun had just finished disappearing on the horizon and stars were gradually covering the sky as it got darker.

Capim Town had pretty much the same architecture he had seen in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games: lots of vegetation; buildings that looked like they were carved from giant tree trunks; several parts of the town being high up and connected through suspended wood bridges. However, while the Capim from the games was a small town, this Capim was about a hundred times bigger.

As the darkness began to take over the sky, a group of fire Pokémon mobilized to light up lanterns scattered around the town. The Duskull could see many different species of Pokémon walking around the bustling town. He had barely met any Pokémon during his short time at the settlement, and in the dungeon he didn't have time to appreciate them. Now that he had the chance, he took some time to have a good look at all these creatures from the games he played since his childhood.

(Oh, there's a Pangoro! Looks fluffy.)

(A Delibird! Always liked that one. Uh... why are they looking at the Pelippers' post office with a pair of binoculars?)

(Man, Garbodor looks even uglier IRL.)

(Oh, there's a... a.... uh... The heck is that?!) He thought while staring at a Pokémon he had never seen before. They looked like a small pink humanoid creature with what seemed to be long white and pink hair. The most striking feature, however, was that they were carrying around a giant hammer bigger than themselves.

(Is that one of the newer Pokémon? Dammit, didn't think that losing interest in the mainline games after X and Y would come back to bite me in the ass like this!)

(I wonder what happens when Gamefreak makes a new Pokémon game. Do a bunch of new Pokémon just appear out of nowhere in this world? Oh well, better not go down that rabbit hole.)

Having rested enough, he began his search for the rumored "human guild" by asking the locals. He got a couple of answers in the vein of, "Oh, those people..." But others talked about the guild in a positive way. He learned that the guild's name was "Clover" and got directions to their guildhall.

...

"Looks like this is the place."

He was now standing across from the Clover guidhall.

(Time to meet the other former humans and maybe learn why we all were transported into this world...)

After taking a deep breath to calm himself and steeling his nerves, he moved towards the entrance. But then the seed of doubt sprouted in his mind, causing him to stop right next to the entrance.

(Hold on. Is this really okay?)

(The whole thing about this guild having humans is just a rumor, right? What if there are no humans here?)

(Crap, what if these rumors are just something they purposely spread around to lure actual humans into coming here?! SHIT, why didn't I consider the possibility of this being a trap until now?!)

He didn't notice it, but he was now clutching his head in anxiety.

(OH GOD, WHAT IF THE MOMENT I GO INSIDE A KYUREM WILL BE THERE WAITING FOR ME?! HE WILL TOTALLY ICE BEAM MY ASS AND SHATTER ME INTO A MILLION PIECES OR MAYBE THERE WILL BE A YVETALREADYTOPETRIFYMEANDSENDMETOLITERALPOKÉMONHELLAND-)

"Hey, are you okay?"

Snapping back into reality with a gasp, he looked around to see who just said that. It was a Wooper standing next to him with a worried expression. The bandana with a clover logo on his neck revealed that he was a member of the Clover guild.

(Dammit, I gotta stop going into these anxiety spirals.)

"Oh, sure I am okay haha! I just had a lot of my mind."

"You sure? You were clutching your head and your eye was moving left and right..."

(Wow, it was that bad?)

"Yeah, sorry about that. Happens when I'm deep in thought haha."

"Deep in thought? OH, could it be that you want to join our guild?!" The Wooper's face now had a big smile.

(Fuck!)

"What? Um, actually I-"

"Wait, are you a human? You are, right?!"

(FUCK FUCK FUCK!)

While waiting for the Duskull's answer, the Wooper was now staring at him with eyes so bright he could almost see stars twinkling in them.

(HE'S ONTO ME! I GOTTA COME UP WITH AN EXCUSE FAST!)

"No! I'm actua-"

Whatever poor excuse the panicked Duskull was about to blurt, he never got to finish it. Because the Wooper cut him off by saying something he never expected to hear again. It was a word, a single word that caught him by surprise and carried so much power and context that it made him freeze in place and be at a loss for words.

"Amoonguss!"

(!!!)

It felt like time had slowed down to a crawl. Anger, amusement, anxiety and cringe were all tangling up inside his brain while it was being covered with a grimy layer of confusion-flavored frosting. As he stared at the Wooper's goofy bright smile, the small part of his mind that hadn't shut down yet tried to come up with anything to say, but couldn't. It then tried to make him say anything, but he could only stammer out nonsense.

"Buh... I... Not... Why..."

The moment lasted only about five seconds, but for the Duskull it felt like an hour submerged in an ocean of confusion while a school of fish with the same face as the Wooper swam around him. It only ended when the Wooper began to hop around him in circles while overflowing with excitement.

"Yay, I knew it! You're a human! It's just like they told me, humans do react weird when they hear Amoonguss' name! Hey, hey, how come you humans act so weird just from hearing the name of a Pokémon species?"

(Fuck...)

"Oh wait, you can tell me later" The Wooper then hopped to the guildhall's entrance and shouted, "Chespin! Everyone! It's a human! There's a human here who wants to join us!!!"

A few seconds later, a group of curious Pokémon came out of the building and surrounded the panicking Duskull and overjoyed Wooper. At that point, with only a part of his mind still functioning properly, the Duskull felt like he would faint at any moment. And so, with a final thought, he metaphorically turned his brain's autopilot on and let himself be taken by the Clover Pokémon.

(Fug.)

---

Turning Over a New Leaf

"Hold on, let me check if I got this straight. This Guild is for real and not a trap to lure humans?"

"Yup. You sure have a wild imagination kyukyukyu~!"

"And everyone is this guild is also a human who got turned into a Pokémon?"

"Not everyone~. We have some natives, like our cook or the partners that some of us happened to meet."

"And it just so happens that some of us are shitposters or weirdos in general? Not that I consider myself to be normal, by the way."

"Yup~."

"And no one knows how or why we all were brought into this world?"

"Nope~."

"And we all woke up here under different circumstances, almost as if someone was playing with a randomizer to decide stuff like time of summoning, abilities and disabilities for each of us?"

"Yup~."

"Oh, wow..."

With a sigh, the Duskull leaned back on the chair while processing all the information he had obtained from the Meowstic. He was now inside his office. The Guildmaster's office.

Most of what had happened after his encounter with Wooper was a faint memory due to the stress and anxiety. He remembered being greeted and escorted to the Guildmaster's office but couldn't remember which Pokémon he had met or what the guildhall looked like on the inside. When he entered the office, the Guildmaster sensed his distress and let him rest for a moment and eat a berry before explaining the circumstances behind the Clover guild and its members.

After listening to the Guildmaster's explanations, the Duskull recounted the adventures he had on that long day until he reached the guild. However, he left out some parts for his retelling, like the vows he made to himself under the tree or the convoluted method he needed to activate Shadow Sneak. He also made sure to leave out the embarrassing part where he tried to use Shadow Ball.

"Wow, you had quite the eventful day. The trip inside Pelipper in particular sounded quite traumatic kyukyukyu~."

"I'm hoping I won't have nightmares about that."

“But still, it’s quite impressive that you managed to go through an entire mystery dungeon by yourself. You must have some decent combat skills.”

“I don’t think I can agree with that. I can only use two moves. And even then, I have a hard time using them.”

“A hard time? How so?”

(Should I tell him? Now that I think about it, he has more experience than me as a Pokémon and he’s evolved to boot. He might know why my Astonish failed the second time, and he might even have some advice to fix my convoluted Shadow Sneak preparation.)

He decided to trust the Guildmaster, so he told him about the whole preparation he needed every time he had use Shadow Sneak. He also told him about his two attempts at Astonish.

“Hmm… your case is quite peculiar~. But I have a theory about how your moves work.”

“What is it?”

“It seems to me that your moves require a lot of visualization in order to work. You mentioned having to think of your shadow as a third arm connected to your right one, and you even throw actual punches to move your shadow. What is that, if not visualization?”

“Huh…”

“Also, that would explain why your Astonish failed the second time. You mentioned that in your first attempt you were thinking about how you wanted to scare the Sewaddle and how much you wanted to see a scared expression from them. Were you thinking the same thing during the second attempt?"

“Not really. I just threw myself in front of them and shouted.”

“I believe visualization is the key here, but that’s just a theory. You should test it later~.”

“I think you’re right on the money. But I gotta say that having to do an entire ritual every time I want to use a single move kinda sucks.”

“Don’t say that. I believe that with training you can considerably shorten the time you need to form the mental images. Besides, you should consider yourself fortunate for even being able to use moves in the first place. We have a member who couldn’t use any moves at all when he became a Pokémon.”

“Wow, that sounds really rough.”

“Thankfully he managed to find a great partner before joining the guild. But he still had a hard time at first.”

"Speaking of our guild. Have you decided if you want to join the Clover guild~?"

(I don’t know…)

"...Sorry Guildmaster, but could you let me give you an answer tomorrow? To be honest, I'm feeling kinda exhausted, both in mind and body, so I'll need some time to think about that."

"I can see that~. Feel free to sleep here tonight and give me your answer tomorrow. Allow me to escort you to one of our unused bedrooms."

...

As both Pokémon walked through the hallways and stairs on their way to the bedroom, the Guildmaster dismissed all the guild members who were curious enough about the newcomer to approach him. On the way there, they heard someone shouting "SEXOOOOO" from inside one of the rooms.

“Uh… what was that?”

While scratching his right ear, the Guildmaster replied “Oh that was probably someone who drank too much tonight. Don’t mind it~.”

“Okay then.”

"By the way, even though it would help us, you don't have to feel pressured to join us. If you don't like the guild, you can always join another one or form an independent team with someone. As an example, we know someone who became a Noivern and is now part of an independent team."

As soon as he finished saying that, they heard a distant angry voice shouting, "GET OUT OF MY KITCHEN!!!!"

"Riiight. I'll keep that in mind."

They kept traversing the guildhall. On the way to the bedroom, they went through a hallway that had trails of green paint scattered around.

"What happened here?"

"Oh dear, our Smeargle must have forgotten to hold his tail again. I'll have to give him a scolding later~."

"I see you have plenty of interesting people here."

"Look, I know we have some... unique members here, but I promise you we also have plenty of hardworking members too. And, despite our differences, everyone here considers each other as comrades! Well... except maybe our stove~."

"Your... stove?"

"Oh, nevermind that. We've arrived~!"

As the Duskull entered what could possibly end up being his room in the future, he had a good look around. Despite being an unused bedroom, it looked like it was cleaned regularly and was well-kept. Naturally, it was also very empty since the only furniture present were a desk with an oil lantern, a big chest, and...

"Really?! Hay beds?!"

"Oh, right. Forgot to mention that. Whoopsie~."

"..."

"Just kidding~! This is a leftover from when we were just starting out. Since then, one of our teams acquired a large amount of pillows, blankets and cotton for us to use as bedding. There should still be a good amount left in the storeroom, so you can take as much as you think you'll need. I would like to take you there, but I still have a mountain of paperwork to go through tonight. But feel free to seek me if you need anything."

"Thanks, Guildmaster. Where is the storeroom?"

"Just take the stairs down in the entrance hall. It has a sign outside, so you can't miss it. I'll hear your answer tomorrow, so have a pleasant night~."

The Guildmaster began to walk away, but then he suddenly stopped and turned back to face the Duskull.

"I almost forgot to ask. Should we just call you ‘Duskull’, or would you prefer to go with a name?"

(That's right! I hadn't even thought about that until now. I wonder what name I should go by. I sure don't want to go by simply "Duskull", as it feels awkward to me. Don't wanna use my real name either. Hmm...)

"Honestly, I hadn't even thought about that until now. I don't wanna hold you here while I think, so I'll give you the answer to that tomorrow."

"Alright. Looking forward to hearing your answers! Good night~."

After the Guildmaster left, the unnamed Duskull began his search for the storeroom while trying to come up with a name for himself.

(Dusk? Eh, kinda uncreative. Grim? Meh. Reaper? 2edgy4me. Maybe some random nickname I used online?)

(I feel like I should pick something with a special meaning for me...)

Just like the Guildmaster mentioned, the storeroom was easy to find. He entered it and took a moment to look at his surroundings.

To say that the storeroom was messy would be an understatement. Piles of junk were scattered around, along with many unlabeled boxes and bags. He assumed no one bothered to keep an inventory for the stuff there either. For a brief moment he wondered what stories were behind each individual object in that room.

"Ah, there they are."

To his fortune, someone was kind enough to have properly labeled the bags containing the cotton, the pillows and the blankets. He began to move towards them, but stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted something on a wall.

It was a mirror.

(That's right. I never got the chance to get a good look at myself since waking up here...)

Based on his memories from the Pokémon games and on the body parts that he could see, he had an idea of what he looked like. But he didn't have a complete mental image of himself.

As he approached the mirror, he began to feel anxious for some reason.

(Ugh, why am I hesitating?! It's just a mirror!)

After taking a deep breath to muster his courage, he dashed to the front of the mirror and had a good look at his reflection.

He saw a little dark ghost, shaped like a miniature grim reaper and wearing a bone mask with three teeth. A bright red ball floated behind his mask and moved from behind one eye socket to another. He waved to the ghost and the ghost waved back at him.

The ghost was him.

He knew that. He knew he was no longer human. He knew he had been transformed into a Duskull. He knew he was now in a different, yet somewhat familiar world. And he knew that the possibility of him never being able to return to his world existed. He knew all that.

And yet, until that moment a tiny part of his mind was still having a hard time believing in everything that had happened during that day. The look at his reflection was what finally made everything sink in and really confirmed everything he already knew. The reality of the situation hit him hard.

"Guess this is all for real, huh..."

Many questions flooded his mind. Questions that he didn't ask himself until that point.

(What happened to "me" in my world? Did I get teleported, or was it just my soul that was brought here, leaving my body behind? If it was just my soul or consciousness that was transported here, does that mean I died back in my world? Or perhaps I'm in a coma there? Is the time there still flowing normally while I'm here? Is my corpse rotting in my bed right now, waiting for some unfortunate person to find it?)

(Do I miss my previous life?)

He already knew the answer to the final question, but he still decided to think about it a bit more.

He thought about everything he had gone through during that day: the initial confusion; his discoveries of his new abilities; his decision to go into the dungeon; his near-death experience; the thrill he had while fighting; the feeling of glory when he conquered the dungeon alone; the high-spirited reception he received from the guild; the guild members' antics; and, most importantly, the vow of adventure he made to himself under that elm tree and how he had managed to adhere to it. All those experiences, good and bad, made him feel more alive than anything he could remember from the final decade of his previous life.

"No, I don't miss my old life. And I doubt I ever will."

(That's not all there is to it. There's something else I really don't miss...)

Having resolved himself, he made a decision and looked back at the mirror, staring at his reflection.

(Welp, this is gonna be a bit cringy, but I feel like I have to do this.)

He placed his right arm on the mirror's surface, then closed his eyes and thought about his old human self. When he reopened his eyes, the person in the reflection was now his old human self, who was doing the same pose and smiling at him.

"What I really don't miss... is you. I hated you, who was too cowardly to take opportunities. You, who carried so many regrets."

"And yet, you are the person I was until I woke up in this world..."

He had decided that in this life he would no longer be that human. Instead, he would be the Duskull who vowed to be braver and had gone through many experiences today. The Duskull who was about to get a new name and begin his life in this world.

He smiled back at the human inside the mirror.

"__________, thank you for everything until now. I promise you that I've learned from your mistakes. I promise you that I will seek lots of new experiences and fun. And I promise you that I will live a fulfilling life full of adventures! Goodbye..."

He closed his eyes and waited a couple of seconds before reopening them. The human in the mirror was gone, leaving a Duskull in his place.

"And hello, Elm!"

---

Bud of Mischief

Knock Knock

"You may enter~."

...

"Hi Guildmaster."

"Oh, hello Duskull. What brings you back here so soon? Couldn't find the cotton?"

"Well... I said I would give you my answers tomorrow, but let's just say that I ended up having an unexpected moment of deep self-reflection. Thanks to that I now have my answers ready."

"Wonderful~. Let me hear them."

"First off, I'll be using the name 'Elm' from now on."

"Alright, Elm~. Has a nice ring to it and is easy to remember."

"As for the other question... Yes, I will join the Clover Guild!"

"Nice! We're glad to have you on board! Out of curiosity, you looked insecure while we were walking through the guildhall, so what made you decide to join us?"

"Well... I wasn't in the right state of mind, so I didn't mention it while we were walking together, but I was actually amused by all the guild antics I saw. And during the self-reflection moment I had, I decided that I would do my best to be someone who seeks adventure, new experiences and fun. I have a feeling that if I stick with you guys I will have no shortage of unique experiences and fun days, while a 'normal' guild would be too boring. Oh, and there's also the whole feeling of connection from us all sharing the condition of being former humans."

"I see. I can guarantee that you will have very interesting days here~."

The Meowstic extended a hand forward to Elm. He did the same and both Pokémon performed a handshake.

"Elm, welcome to the Clover Guild!"

...

"Let's see... badge box...badge box..."

"Ah, here it is."

Elm was now back in the storeroom. He had decided to strike while the iron was hot, so he went to fetch a badge and a scarf before going to bed.

(Of course the box I need has a pile of junk on top. Just gotta pull here...)

As he pulled the box to dislodge it, a pile of junk toppled over and he almost got hit by a falling crate.

(Ack! Dammit!)

"I'll gotta tell the Guildmaster he needs to hire someone to organize this later. Why do we even have pebbles he- huh?"

He spotted something shining inside the crate that had just fallen over, then picked it up.

It looked like a vase made of crystal and adorned with gems. It felt cold to the touch, and he could see a white mist swirling inside it.

"Whoa... it's so pretty!"

(I feel like I've seen this before. What was this thing again...?)

As he studied the mysterious object while holding it, his body heat was being transferred to it, causing the mist inside to escape as a familiar song.

"NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP. NEVER GONNA LET YOU DOWN. NEVER GONNA RUN AROUND AND DESERT YOU."

"Goddammit!"

(Now I remember what this thing is. It's a frism!)

"Heh, okay that was funny. Good one, anonymous person."

(Alright, let's go back to what I was doing.)

After opening the boxes containing the badges and scarves, he began to experiment with different combinations and colors.

(I wonder why all these badges look different from each other. I was under the impression that all badges from a guild had to look the same. Also, they look... handmade? I'll ask the Guildmaster about this tomorrow.)

After much experimentation while looking at the mirror, he settled on a combination of a purple scarf and a metal clover badge whose 4 leaves were connected by a golden diamond-shaped pin in the middle. The scarf was folded into a headband and he preferred to leave the knot hanging on the side of his head rather than behind it.

"Alright, this looks good enough."

(To be honest I really wanted to wear a long and flowy scarf, but no way that is gonna look good with this weird and round body shape.)

"I hope I can evolve soon."

...

Elm was now inside his bedroom.

After setting up the cotton bedding, he plopped down on the bed and took note of how the cotton felt surprisingly comfortable.

Then he looked at the now empty frism that he had brought from the storeroom.

(I wonder what I should record in it... Maybe record an encouraging message and then hide it in the storeroom for someone to find it later? Or maybe a message for my future self, like a time capsule?)

"Hmm..."

While thinking about what to record, he remembered how the frism rickrolled him and what he felt during that.

That memory awakened a craving inside him. It was that familiar internal voice suggesting him towards a certain direction.

"Eh, screw it. When in Rome..."

He went inside the big chest in the room so that the sound wouldn't escape and echo through the hallways, then he held the frism right in front of him and shouted in the highest pitch he could.

"YAMETE KUDASAI~! AHN~!"

...

"Pffft... hahahaha! Oh man, that was great."

Elm had just pranked an unsuspecting guild member. He did that by going through the floor to sneak into their room while they were distracted, play the recording, then bail out. While under the floor, he still managed to hear the shouts of surprise and annoyance as his victim kept looking for the source of the sudden noise, and he loved it.

He didn't want to be too much of an asshole, though, so he made sure to pick a target who wasn't asleep yet.

Satisfied with himself, he lied down on his bed and closed his eyes while smiling.

While waiting for sleep to come, he hoped that from now on he could go to bed every day while smiling like that.

Unfortunately for him, that night he had a nightmare about being chased by a giant Pelipper and swallowed whole.

---

(Extra) Character Summary

During his life as a human, Elm was very afraid of taking risks and trying new things. This caused him to miss many opportunities in life, and he carried many regrets because of that. After being turned into a Duskull he promised to himself that in this life he would be someone more adventurous, who seeks new experiences and unique days.
Elm has a bad tendency to overthink and expect the worst possible outcomes, as unlikely as they might be, and it might even lead to anxiety attacks. This can cause him to hesitate when facing the unknown, but he always remembers his promise and tries his best to put fear aside and push forward.
He has a hard time socializing with people he doesn’t know and can come across as being serious and formal. But with friends he takes a lax and informal tone and is always willing to help. He joined the Clover guild mainly because he enjoys the antics of all its members and believes that he will not have boring and mundane days with them around.
Becoming a Duskull has caused some quirks in his behavior. Sometimes he feels like an internal voice is whispering to him in order to guide him or make him take specific actions. It also helps him stay focused during fights, although it can also cause an unfamiliar rage to awaken when he’s in a pinch. He attributes this voice to Ghost Pokémon instincts. This also has caused him to acquire a taste for pranking and spooking others, but he doesn’t want to be an annoyance, so he makes sure to do it sparingly and to only do pranks that aren’t dangerous.
Doesn’t like to be near Pelippers due to personal reasons.
Abilities: Shadow Sneak; Astonish; Will-o-Wisp (in a future story); can go through walls and floor. Must create visualizations in order to use moves, so he needs more time than usual to perform them, but they also pack a bigger punch.

???