> New World, New Mystery > by Shadow Hero > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1-A Brand New Wold(Edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pokémon World, atop Destiny Tower "Arceus, they're not returning. Why aren't they returning?" "I don't know, Celebi..." Arceus replied. "I guess... they've failed. We have no choice." He turned to his granddaughter. "How many Pokémon are left?" "Uh... quite a few, but many have been turned to stone." Celebi said. "What are you planning?" Arceus sighed. "We don't have a choice..." He looked behind his granddaughter to the Tree of Life, faintly glowing with the last of its power. "We have to take the Pokémon... and leave." The ring around his abdomen glowed as the light from the tree seeped from the wood to the god. Arceus glanced at his granddaughter and nodded. "Get the other legendaries ready, those that haven't been turned to stone. We must evacuate the planet." Celebi nodded and flew off, alerting the other legendaries of the plan. Arceus looked towards the Tree, absorbing its power until it went dark. He then rose in to the air, the power gathering in the ring around him. The god looked down apon the world he had created and sighed. "Okay..." He looked forward, closing his eyes and concentrating. "Here we go." -------------- "Ha! I got you now!" A Luxio glared at a Persian, his teeth bared. The scar over his eye made it all the more intimidating, but the Persian didn't seem to care. "Hmm, perhaps." The Persian smirked. "But this is my domain." At his words, many Pokémon came out of hiding, surrounding the Luxio and preparing to attack. "Hmph. Discharge." The Luxio said confidently. Electricity sparked from his fur, spreading out and shocking every Pokémon in the room. He jumped aside as a large boulder shot at him. "Rock Blast!" The boulder shouted, unrolling to reveal a Golem. The Golem shot a large, sharp rock at the Luxio. Off balance, the Luxio cringed as he waited for collision. "Ice Beam!" A female voice called out. The Luxio opened his eyes to see a the rock had frozen and fell to the ground. Turning, the Luxio saw a Glaceon approach him. "Really, Hunter? Again with the running in to trouble?" "Well it's our job to catch these crooks, Melody." The Luxio, Hunter, said to her. Melody chuckled, looking over Hunter's shoulder at the Persian. He was backing away, preparing to run. As soon as Melody saw him, he darted, hoping to escape in the maze of the Mystery Dungeon. "Oh no you don't. Blizzard!" Melody yelled. A burst of freezing air filled the room, freezing the Persian solid and knocking out the Golem. "See?" Melody smirked. "If you didn't recklessly charge in to every mission, we could get things done faster." She walked past Hunter. "I guess." Hunter chuckled. "Still, I-" he stopped as the floor began to glow. "W-What's happening?" "I don't know!" Melody looked around glowing floor. Suddenly, the light grew brighter, nearly blinding the two. "Hunter!" Melody called. The attempted to leap for him, but the light was too bright. She couldn't see anything. And then the light overtook them. -------------- Equus, Vanhoover "Ugh... another dead-end job. I get nothing from these..." A grey unicorn stallion walked the streets of Vanhoover, grumbling to himself. His spiky, dark red mane flowed a bit in the breeze, getting in the way of his sunglasses. A black shirt clung to him, providing some warmth from the wind. The stallion sighed, sitting on a nearby bench. "I should just head back to canterlot and join the guard like my parents..." The stallion looked up as a blinding light suddenly shone from an alleyway nearby. He stood and trotted to the entrance of the ally, peeking inside. The light faded, showing a strange, blue and black cat with yellow stripes, with a bag hanging over its side. It seemed disorientated and confused. "Hey! A-Are you okay?" The stallion rushed to the animals side, lightly touching it with a hoof. "Ugh... my head..." the cat spoke, in an obviously male voice. "Gaah! It talked!" The stallion jumped back, looking at the cat warily. "Um, yeah? I talked." The cat looked at the stallion. "Well you're a funny looking Rapidash." He said, standing and stretching. "Ah... a what now? I'm a unicorn. See?" The stallion lit up his horn to show the cat. "Hmm. That's pretty neat." The cat looked at the golden light coming from the horn. "Hey, do you have any food? I'm starving. Haven't eaten since before that Mystery Dungeon with Melody. Speaking of, where is she?" The cat looked around. Apon realizing Melody wasn't nearby, he began frantically searching. "Melody! Melody?!" "Hey, calm down." The stallion said. "I'll help you look for her. By the way, my name is Abyssal Shield." He held out a hoof. "Okay... I'm Hunter, the Luxio." Hunter said, reaching out a paw and shaking the stallions hoof. "Okay, Hunter. Let's go find Melody." Abyssal said, leading Hunter out of the alleyway. As they walked the streets, many ponies hid from Hunter, or gave the two a wide berth. "Why are they scared of me?" Hunter asked. He tried to give a smile to the ponies, but they screamed and ran. "Well, you're something they've never seen before. Ponies tend to be scared of new things." Abyssal explained. "What about you?" Hunter glanced at the stallion. "You don't seem to be scared of me." "I've seen a lot of things in my life." Abyssal said. "I'm a mercenary by trade, so I've seen some things that are much scarier than you." "Hmm. I guess that makes sense." Hunter pondered. The two continued walking along the street until suddenly they heard someone yell at them. "Freeze!" Said a voice. It was deep and commanding, obviously someone who was in charge. Hunter and Abyssal turned around to see a group of ponies with police outfits, many with horns alight or wings spread. Hunter's fur began to spark up defensivly. "We mean no harm." Abyssal said. "And we've done nothing wrong." "A group of mares said that animal bared its teeth at them!" One police said. "I smiled, for Arceus sake! Get a grip!" Hunter growled, the electricity building up. The police stepped back, cautious of the electricity coming from the sparking cat. Before anybody could act, a loud, booming voice protruded from all directions. "Citizens of Equus. My name is Arceus, god of the Pokémon world." Hunter immediately ceased his sparking, looking around. The ponies were obviously confused, glancing around for the voice. "Some of you may have noticed new creatures appearing in your lakes, cities, and forests. These creatures are Pokémon. Do not harm them, and do not treat them as animals. Pokemon are fully sentient and will fight back if threatened." The police began to back off from Hunter, understanding he was one of the Pokémon race. "To my dear Pokémon subjects, I have brought you here to save you from the Dark Matter. Please do not harm the inhabitants of this world. You've been brought here to be saved from the evil." "If any of you wish to speak with me, myself and the legendaries that survived the Dark Matter onslaught will be situated in the Castle of the Two Sisters, in the Everfree forest, until I see fit to make my own castle. That is all." The police ponies looked back towards Hunter and Abyssal. "Uh... alright then. Carry on." He said quickly, turning and leading the police away. "Huh. So, that was Arceus?" Abyssal asked, continuing to walk. Hunter followed behind. "Yeah, he's basically our god. Many doubted his existence until recently when the Dark Matter attacked." "I heard him mention that. What exactly is the Dark Matter?" "Well, its kinda hard to explain." Hunter began. "It's basically all of the negative emotions of every Pokémon in the world given form. It was ravaging the world and turning Pokémon to stone. Even some of the legendaries couldn't escape it." "Legendaries?" Abyssal questioned. "They're like Demi-gods. They control a lot of things. Arceus is on top, and below him are Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. Dialga rules time, Palkia rules space, and Giritina rules antimater and keeps the two in balance." "Wow. That's... they must be powerful." Abyssal said in slight awe. "Yeah. I've never actually met a legendary myself though. Very few ever have." Hunter said. He stopped walking as his stomach growled loudly. "Heh... I forgot I was hungry." "I know a good place to eat." Abyssal smiled. "Follow me." Abyssal led Hunter through the town to a restaurant called "Sugar and Spice". They sat at an outside table and waited for a waiter to serve them. A pale white mare with a blonde mane approached them. "Hi! My name's Sugar Belle, and I'll be..." she trailed off, looking at Abyssal. "Oh, Abyssal! I didn't see you there!" She smiled brightly, then looked over at Hunter. "And who's this?" "My name's Hunter." The Luxio smiled. "Pleasure to meet you." "Well, Hunter, I assume you're one of those Pokémon that that voice mentioned eariler?" Sugar asked. "Yeah, I'm a Pokémon called Luxio." "Well I'm happy to meet you. So, what can I get you two?" "I'll just have a water, please." Abyssal said. Sugar wrote on a notepad and turned to Hunter. "And you?" "Tamato berry juice would be great." Hunter said. Sugar looked at him, confused. "I've never heard of that." She said. "Oh. Hmm... must have different berries here. Well then, I'll just have a water too." Hunter said. Sugar nodded and wrote that down too. "Coming right up!" Abyssal looked to Hunter as Sugar left. "So... how come you're not, you know, freaking out? I'd be panicking if I was suddenly uprooted and sent to a new world." "Well, I was a bit scared at first." Hunter said. "But what kind of leader would I be if I wasn't prepared to deal with crazy things?" "Leader? Of what?" Abyssal asked. "Here's your waters!" Sugar suddenly cut in, placing two waters on their table. "Now, what do you want to eat?" "A salad for me, please." Abyssal said. "Uh..." Hunter seemed confused, flipping the menu upside down. "Are you okay?" Sugar asked. Hunter peeked over the menu and sighed. "I can't read your language." "Oh... um..." Sugar stammered. "Do you guys have fish?" Hunter suggested. Sugar brightened considerably. "You're in luck! We're one of the few restaurants that serve meat around here. So a salad and fish? I'll be back with those soon." "As you were saying," Abyssal continued as Sugar left. "Leader of what?" "Team Frozen Thunder." Hunter said proudly. "We're bounty hunters. Melody is my partner." "Um... did you say Frozen Thunder?" A small voice asked. Hunter looked around and saw a Starly hovering near him. "Yes, I did. Who are you?" He asked kindly. "My name's Star! I think you and Melody helped my mom once. Where is Melody anyways?" The little Starly said, looking around. "Uh... not sure." Hunter said. "We got separated during the whole world transfer thing." "Why not use that globe thingy that the exploration foundation gave you?" "The glo- Oh, you mean the connection orb?" Hunter's eyes widened. "Why didn't I think of that!" Hunter lifted his paw off the chair, showing an orb on a bracelet around it. "What is that?" Abyssal asked curiously. "The Connection Orb. It shows all of your friends in the world." "Wow. That's impressive!" Abyssal said in awe. He watched as Hunter reached in to the bag and pulled out a tablet. The Luxio took the orb off of the bracelet, placing it in to a socket near the top of the tablet. Instantly, it came to life, the screen flickering on. It held for only a second before going white and dying. "Uh... it's not supposed to do that, is it?" Abyssal asked. "No... it just have been damaged when we made the transfer." Hunter sighed. "Well, it was worth a shot." Sugar Belle approached the two with their food. "Did I hear you say that's broken?" She asked, placing their food down. "I know someone who can fix it." "Really?" Hunter smiled. "That would be great. Thank you so much!" "Of course! Come see me when you're done eating and I'll bring you there. My shift is almost done anyways." She nodded to the two, then set off to wait other tables. ------------- Somewhere between Ponyville and Appleoosa "What is this forest doing in the middle of the train tracks?" A train conducer asked, looking at the forest that had suddenly sprung where there was none. "I don't know, but we should head back and tell the princesses." His assistant said. "Yeah. More than a few ponies are going to be mad." the conducter grumbled as he walked back into the train. "I'm gonna need a raise..." > Chapter 2- Into the First Dungeon(edited) > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After Abyssal and Hunter finished lunch, Sugar led them to a nearby building. It was obviously a mechanic shop, with all the tools and machines visible through the window. "She should be right in here." Sugar said, opening the door for the two. Hunter entered first, Abyssal following behind. "Hello?" Sugar called, letting the door close behind her. "Be out in a minute!" A gruff female voice called from the back. Hunter watched as a creature walked out, looking like a mix between a Pyroar and a Bravairy. "Hey there, Abyssal." She said. "What can I do for you?" "Hey, Skyla." Abyssal smiled. "My friend Hunter here has something that needs fixing." Skyla looked down at Hunter, examining him closely. "So you're one of those Pokémon things I heard about?" "Yup. Nice to meet you, Skyla." Hunter smiled, taking off the Connection Orb bracelet and taking the tablet out of his bag. "This is my Connection Orb. It has a map of all of the areas I've been to, and shows all of my friends. It was damaged in the transfer." He showed the damage, placing the orb in the tablet. It again flickered white before dying. Skyla looked at it closely. "Hmm... I can get this fixed. Come back tomorrow afternoon and it should be done by then." She said. "Great!" Hunter said happily. "Thank you, Skyla." "No problem. Now shoo, I have work to do." She said, taking the orb and tablet to the back room to begin work. "Well she seems about as happy as a Charmander on a boat." Hunter said. "Eh, she's kinda grumpy, but nice when you get to know her." Abyssal said. "What's a Charmander?" Sugar asked. "It's a Pokémon. Orange, stands on two legs, and has a fire on the end of its tail." Hunter explained. "Hm. Alright then." Sugar shook her head. "Anyways, what now?" A yell pierced the air. Hunter turned and saw a Pegasus mare panicking, yelling at a few police ponies. "What do you mean you can't help?!" She yelled, getting in the officer's face. "That's your JOB!" "Ma'am, we're all working jobs right now to keep citizens calm in the face of these Pokémon. The forest isn't dangerous at all, he'll be fine." "What's going on here?" Abyssal asked, approaching the group. Hunter followed, but Sugar excused herself, saying something about needing to get home. Abyssal paid it no mind as he focused on the group. "My son! He ran in to the forest chasing after some pink ball! I think it was one of those Pokémon. I tried to go after him, but something about the forest just felt... off." The distraught mare said. "Off?" Hunter asked. "How so?" "I don't really know..." the mare sighed. "It was just strange." "Well, we can help." Abyssal said. "Lead the way." "Thank you!" The mare said. "It was this way!" ------------ The three stood outside the forest. There was indeed a strange feel in the air. The forest was dense, making visibility almost impossible after a few yards. "Interesting... this is a Mystery Dungeon." Hunter said. He stepped forward, his paws tingling as he entered the boundaries of the dungeon. "A what?" Abyssal asked, following him. "Mystery Dungeon. Its a natural phenomenon that happened back in our world. Every time you enter one, the layout changes." Hunter looked forward. "They're full of danger, too. Pokemon attack you in dungeons. If you get knocked out, you loose half your money and items. But they're great places to explore if you're prepared." Hunter looked around. "But that was only in the Pokémon world. What is one doing here?" "Maybe Arceus brought them?" Abyssal suggested. A screech echoed through the forest as a Starly flew down, landing on Abyssal's horn. "Star?" Hunter asked. "What are you doing here?" "I'm going with you. I have nowhere else to go." She said plainly. "In to a dungeon? That's too dangerous." Hunter said. "What would your mother say?" "Uh... I don't know. If she was here, she'd probably try to hold me back." Star said sadly. "If she was... oh no..." Hunter gasped. "She..." "Yeah..." Star said. "She was turned to stone." A tear dripped down Star's face as she remembered her mother. Abyssal reached up and wiped it away. "Don't worry, Star. We're here for you." He said reassuringly. "Thanks." Star shook her head, takin flight and hovering above them. "So yes, I'm coming with you guys." Hunter sighed. "Fine. But stay close." He relented. -------------- ??? Forest, 1F "Wow..." Star said, riding on Abyssal's horn as they walked. The forest was dark, but bits of sunlight shone through the leaves, splashing the forest floor with beautiful light. "This is pretty." Abyssal agreed, looking around at the trees. "And really relaxing. How could this place be dangerous?" "Look out!" Hunter yelled, pushing Abyssal out of the way as a flurry of razor-sharp leaves swished by, nearly giving him a clean shave. Abyssal looked around for the source of the attack. "Odd! Oddish!" A high-pitched voice called. Hunter let loose a battle cry, leaping up. "Signal Beam!" He called, shooting a green beam at the Oddish. It hit the Oddish right in the face, sending it flying backwards. The Oddish disappeared in to thin air, gone without a trace. "You... you killed it?" Abyssal asked. "No." Hunter said. "Most Pokémon in mystery dungeons are shadows. Illusions, created by the strange dungeon. Nobody really knows where they come from, but they're not real." Abyssal nodded, still confused, but reassured at least that he wasn't working with a murderer. "Come on." Hunter said. "Let's go." ------------ The next two floors of the dungeon were relatively quiet, with only a few enemies. Hunter had taken care of them quickly with his Discharge and Signal Beam. Abyssal stopped as he saw a beautiful gem on the ground. "What's this?" He asked, picking it up. "Oh, you found an Emera!" Hunter said, taking it in his paw. "Looks like a Berry Power one." He said. He pulled a bracelet out of his bag, attaching it to Abyssal's hoof before setting the gem in to it. "Emera's only work in bracelets like that, called Looplets. They give some kind of power and make dungeons easier." "Huh. Neat." Abyssal said, examining the looplet around his leg. He looked back up and nodded. "Okay, lets keep going." "Guys!" Star suddenly called from above. "We've got company!" A Venepied and two Oddish came from the trees, glares on their tiny faces. "Lemmie try something!" Abyssal said. He lit up his horn, golden light surrounding it as he shot a beam of magic at the Venepied. It was instantly knocked out, vanishing from view. "Nice shot!" Hunter called, sending a Signal Beam at one of the Oddish. Star came around from behind, wing attacking the last one. When all three Pokémon had disappeared, the trio continued on. "That magic beam was super effective on the venepied." Hunter said. "Seems like it works like a Psychic-type move." "Super effective?" Abyssal asked. "What's that mean? "All Pokémon have a natural affinity for elements. Each element is a type. For example, I'm an Electric type. Star up there is a Flying and Normal type. All types have strengths and weaknesses. Fire beats grass, but water beats fire, etcetera." "Huh. That's pretty interesting." Abyssal said. "So... my magic works like a psychic type attack?" "Pretty much," Hunter shrugged. "It's probably a weird side effect of the Mystery Dungeon, if I had to guess." Abyssal looked forward, picking up his pace slightly. "Well, I think we should hurry. Come on." The trio found the stairs in the next room and quickly went up them, determined to save the lost child somewhere in the forest. ------------ Three large moths hovered in the back of a room, cornering a tiny foal who was clutching a pink ball-like Pokémon. "Well well well, look what we have here." The one on the left smirked. The moth on the right chuckled. "A scared little baby away from home." It sneered. The third moth, the one in the middle, hovered forward a bit. It was a different coloration from the other two. Light seemed to reflect from it as it flew. A shiny Dustox. "Don't worry, little foal. This will only hurt... a lot." He laughed. Just as the three began to swoop down for the filly, a blast of lightning distracted them. Turning, they saw a pony, a Starly, and a Luxio glaring at them angrily. "Let that foal go, Dustox Gang." Hunter growled. The shiny Dustox laughed. "Ah, Hunter. I didn't think I'd see you again. Now who are your friends here?" The shiny Dustox asked sarcastically. "None of your business." Hunter said. "Now let that foal go or else we'll make you." "I think not..." The shiny Dustox sneered. "We can do whatever we please, Hunter." Abyssal glanced up to Star. "Do... they know each other?" Star nodded. "Hunter and Melody catch criminals. They probably have fought these guys before." "And why should we listen to you?" A different Dustox said, flying up beside the shiny leader. "Because of this." Fast as lightning, Hunter was behind the Dustox on the left. He let loose a stream of electricity that began to surround him. "Spark!" He yelled as he collided with the Dustox. It fell to the ground, defeated easily. "You'll pay for that!" The other, non shiny Dustox yelled. Flying forward, it launched a Psybeam. Hunter had no time to dodge, and instead braced himself for the attack, which hit him square in the face. He stepped back, his eyes crossed as his vision began to go blurry. "Hunter!" Abyssal called. "What's wrong!" "Confusion." Star said, swooping down. "It makes it hard for him to see. He'll start hallucinating and might accidentally hit us with his attacks, think we're his enemies. We gotta stay away until he snaps out." "But... that means he can be hit!" Abyssal yelled. Hunter shook his head violently, trying his best to fight off the confusion. Abyssal took a step closer to him. "Hunter, stay down. Star and I can handle this." The unicorn stepped forward towards the two remaining members of the Dustox gang, calm anger plastered to his face. His horn was alight with faint golden magic. "Tell me, Dustox gang. What exactly is it that you want?" He asked smoothly. The lead Dustox smirked. "Money and fame, of course!" "So why do you need this child?" Abyssal gestured his hoof at the small colt, with the Igglybuff clutched to its chest. "Let the foal go, and we'll leave." "So you can go get Officer Magnizone? Not likely." The shiny Dustox growled. "Silver Wind!" Yellow powder erupted from the Dustox's wings, headed straight for Abyssal. "I don't think so!" He yelled, making a small shield around him to protect himself. When the attack was gone, Star swung around, determination flaring in her eyes. "Wing attack!" She cawed, her glowing wings striking the non-shiny Dustox. It went flying backwards, bouncing a few times before slowly skidding to a stop. "What the- AGH!" The shiny Dustox fell to the ground as a golden beam from Abyssal struck it right in the face. It struggled to get up, glaring at the unicorn. "I'll get you back for that..." it sneered, but couldn't fly back up and promptly passed out. Hunter finally stood, having shook the confusion. The tiny colt approached the group, the Igglybuff riding her back. "T-Thank you for saving me!" She smiled. "No problem, kid." Hunter smiled. "Are you hurt?" "Nah, they just scared us, that's all." The colt said. "That's good." Abyssal said happily. "Now... how do we get out of here?" He looked expectantly at Hunter. "Come close, guys. I'll warp us out." Hunter said. He reached in to his bag and pulled out a small badge. "Wow, and adventurers badge!" Star said, landing on the tip of Abyssal's horn. "Yup. Everyone, hold on to me!" Hunter said. The badge glowed brighter, and suddenly, the group was gone. ---------- A mare paced the entrance to the forest, her mane a mess and eyes bloodshot as she awaited the return of her child. "Ooh... I hope they're alright." Before she could continue worrying, a bright flash of light came from the entrance to the woods. She turned and saw with glee that the group had returned, and her child was with them. "Mist!" The mare called, running forward. The colt turned, barreling towards his mother. "Mommy!" The mare swooped up her baby in her arms, rocking him gently. "Oh, Mist Cloud... I was so worried about you." She murmured softy. She glanced up at the group of Pokémon and one unicorn. "Thank you all so much for bringing my colt back to me." She smiled. "It means the world..." "Just doing our job, ma'am." Hunter smiled. He glanced down at the three Dustox that had been teleported with them, kicking them towards Officer Magnizone. "These three," he said, "were about to hurt that child when we arrived." Magnizone nodded. "ZZZZ! Thank you for turning them in to us! ZZZZ!" We will take them to out temporary holding prison until we get an official one. ZZZZ!" "Official? So you'll be setting up here?" Hunter asked. "ZZZZ! Yes, we will set up stations all around the world. ZZZZ! This will be the headquarters. ZZZZ!" "Awesome!" Star smiled. "You can count on the new Team Frozen Thunder to help out!" "New?" Hunter asked. "Well, you've got us to help you out." Star smiled, hovering over Abyssal. "And we are in a whole new world. I'd say it's all new." "For the record, I never agreed to this." Abyssal laughed. "But it sounds like a great idea. Count me in!" Hunter looked thoughtful for a moment before relenting. "Fine, you guys can help for now." "Yay! I'm gonna help Pokémon all around the world!" Star yelled happily, flying up and doing a loop in the air. "So I guess now we need a new base of operation." Hunter said. "Abyssal, any ideas? Do you stay somewhere we can be for a while?" "Heh heh... about that." Abyssal scratched the back of his head. "I... don't have an actual home. Normally I crash in a warehouse or something." "Well then we gotta find somewhere." Hunter said. Magnizone hovered forward. "ZZZZ! While surveying the area, we found an abandoned warehouse. ZZZZ! Perhaps it would work? ZZZZ!" "Awesome!" Hunter smiled. "Thanks Magnizone." "ZZZZ! No problem. ZZZZ! I'll go get the paperwork for it. ZZZZ!" And he hovered off. Hunter's stomach gave a loud growl. "Haha, guess I'm hungry." Hunter laughed. "It may not be much," the mother mare approached the group, her colt at her side. "But as a thanks, let me take you all out to dinner." "Thank you, ma'am. We'd be delighted." Abyssal smiled. "Lead the way!" > Chapter 3- The basic's > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vanhoover-The Mare's House "Ahh... that hit the spot." Abyssal said. "I'm glad you liked it. Now for dessert." the mare said as she walked into the kitchen. Hunter was looking at the window and Star was playing with the foal. "What's wrong? Is it about Melody?" Abyssal asked. "Yeah. This is the longest time we've been apart in years." "I see. I heard it's hard when you are far away from your marefriend, or in this case, girlfriend." Abyssal said. "What!? No, she is not my girlfriend; we're just teammates. That's it.." Hunter said right before letting out a big sigh. "But she does have a crush on me. That I know." "I see and you don't feel the same way at all?" "I don't know, really. I never fell in love before." Hunter said as he continued looking out the window. "Mhm. Yeah, been there." Abyssal said as he leaned back on his chair. "You have?" "Years ago. Around the time I got my cutie mark." Abyssal said as he pointed it out; it was a silver sword in back of a Gold-rimmed Shield . "My parents are part of the royal guard—mom is part of the Solar guard and dad is part of the Lunar guard, so sometimes they left me with a foal-sitter. But sometimes they didn't find one in time. So Princess Celestia looked after me for a bit and.." "Don't tell me you fell for the Princess." Hunter said with a teasing smile. "What no, it was her personal student. I can't really remember her name but she had a beautiful fiery mane. Anyway, one day the Princess was looking after me and she was nowhere to be seen. I asked the Princess where she went." Abyssal let out a sigh. "She told me she left and did not want to study under her anymore... The Princess looked sad when she told me." "So you didn't get any closer. Mom said it's good to get closer." Star said as she landed on the table. "Your mom is wise then. I did try to go find her, but I know she was just a foalhood crush." "Hope you left some room. My apple pies are the best.. Well not the best best, that title goes to the Apple clan." The mare said as she walked in with a pie. Right before they dug in, there was a knock at the door. "I'll go get it." The foal said as he rushed and open the door. "Btzz. I would like to talk to Team Frozen Thunder. Btzzz." Magnezone said. "Yes?" Hunter questioned as he and Abyssal walked to the door. "Btzzz. The city will lend you the warehouse and pay you for any catches you make. Btzz." "But there's a catch right?" Abyssal asked. "Btzz. There is. You need to make a done payment of 1500 Bits. Btzz." "What?!" Abyssal yelled. "Btzz. I got it down a bit for you.. By the way, here's the reward in catching the Dustox Brothers. Btzz." Magnezone held up a sac of Bits. "Wow. This the right amount." Abyssal said as he looked in the bag. "Btzz. Every first of the month you must pay a small fee. But as long as you do your work, it should be fine. Btzz." "The pies.. Oh, officer, do you want any apple pie?" the mare asked. "Btzz. No thanks. Here is the address. Btzz." Magnezone said as he handed over a piece of paper. After they ate the pie, they walked towards the address. Inside, the warehouse was a little broken down. Upstairs was a small room with two beds. "This seems cozy." Star said as she landed on one of the beds. "It'll do, I guess." Hunter said as he laid down on the other bed. "Where am I going to sleep?" Abyssal said as he walked in to the room. "Here. I'll make a small nest somewhere close by." Star said as she flew out the window. "Ahh... Hunter, do you think that's a good idea for her to do that?" Abyssal asked as he laid down on the now unoccupied bed. Hunter, however, was fast asleep. "Hunter!" he yelled. "I'm up! Where's the fire?" Hunter said as he woke up. "Star said she would make a nest closeby." "Oh. If she feels that she can do it, more power to her then." Hunter said before a yawn escaped. "Now, let me get some sleep it's been a very long day." "I guess." Abyssal said as he too drifted off to sleep. The next day around noon, the group walked into Skyla's shop. "Hello is anyone here?" Star yelled. "Yes, and you don't need to yell." Skyla said grouchily as she walked to the front. "Is it working?" Hunter asked immediately. "Yes. Me and my new friend here worked on it all night." Skyla said as a shiny Golet walked up. "Thanks. Let's see where she is." Hunter said as he took the Connection orb and tablet and booted it up. "What the-" "Why is half the map clouded up?" Abyssal asked. "I don't know... Oh, wait, that's why." Hunter said. "What?" Star asked from atop Abyssal's head. "This thing is connected to the guide in Lively Town: the main town for Explorer teams." "Maybe it's getting its info from Canterlot, seeing as it's one of the places lit up." Abyssal suggested. "Maybe... What's that over there? ...I think Melody is over there, see?" Hunter said as he pointed out a flashing dot. "That seems to be around the Crystal Empire. Maybe Manetreal or Neighagra Falls." Abyssal deduced. "No, definitely the Crystal Empire." Skyla said as she looked over Hunter's shoulder. "I guess we're heading there then." Star said. "Yeah, but we need to take care of some jobs before we go. Y'know, to earn some Bits?" Abyssal said. "Fine. Let's go see if there are any rogue Pokemon we can go after." Hunter said unexcitedly as he rushed out of the shop. "Thank you, Skyla. See you around." Abyssal said as he ran after Hunter. "If you need anything looked at, I'm your Griffon!" Skyla yelled after them, hoping to draw in a crowd. > Chapter 4- The First Real Mission > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Wait up! Do you even know were you're going?" Abyss asked as he ran after Hunter. "Ahh... No clue." Hunter said as he slowed down to look around. "Btzz. Are you two looking for the bulletin board? It's right over there. Btzz." Magnemite said, pointing with one of its magnets as it flew next to Hunter. "Thank you." Abyss said as he ran towards the bulletin board. "Let's see what we have here." "There doesn't seem to be many bounties out." Hunter said, letting out a sigh. "We don't need to do those all the time. Why don't we do this one?" Star asked, pecking at one. It read: Please help my friend Wurmple; she's trapped. My friend is trapped by some rogue Pokémon, and they're taking her hostage on Floor 4. -Swirlix Location: Forest of Winds "It seems like a good start." Abyss said as he levitated the note off. "Now, who do we speak to?" "That would be me." A voice came out from the open window. "Watchhog, you're in charge of this now?" Hunter asked as they walked up to the window. "Yes. What? I can get a new job. Anyway, let me mark where the mission is for you." Watchhog said as he took the Connection Tablet. "Done." he said, handing it back. "Ok then, let's see where it is." Hunter said as he booted the tablet up. "It seems to be the same dungeon we were in last time." "That's convenient." Star said, looking at the map. "Ok then, let's get some supplies ready then." Abyss said as he walk towards the market area. As they walked, they saw a lot of Pokemon talking with the ponies of the town. "Wow, that's fast. You guys were only here for a day." Abyss commented. "A lot of Pokemon are really friendly. Sometimes too friendly." Hunter said as he walked beside Abyss. "What do you mean?" Star asked as she flew next to them. "Well, a lot of rogue Pokemon take advantage of these friendly Pokemon, and then they take what they want." "Well, well, well. Look Sis, it's Hunter." a Kecleon said to his sister, a pink Kecleon. "Why it is. Where's the lovely Melody?" the pink Kecleon asked. "Ahh... She's someplace else at the moment." Hunter answered. "Aww, that's too bad. Anything you need then?" Kecleon said. F1 of Forest of Winds "Let's see. How far up do we need to go?" Abyss said, looking at the sheet of paper. "Last time we were here, it went up to Floor 5." Star said, looking around for any Pokémon. "It says he was last seen on Floor 4." Abyssal said as he put away the paper. "Let's go." Hunter said, running down a corridor. "Wait, let's stick to- And he's gone." Abyss said, letting out a sigh. "We should go after him." Star said, flying down the corridor. F2 Forest of Winds "What took you guys so long?" Hunter said as he stood next to the stairs. "Some...of us...are not...as fast...as you." Abyss said between breaths. "Why were you waiting here? You could've gone ahead." Star pointed out. "What, and leave my team? No way." "Can we take a break?" Abyss said, sitting down. "Sure, I guess. Here; have an Oran berry." Hunter said as he took a light blue berry out of his bag. "You were right. The layout is different; that's for sure." Abyss said, taking a bite of the berry. "Yep. It's a mystery to any Pokémon." Star said "Odd oddish." An Oddish came out from a corridor and shot some leaves at Hunter. "Break's over. Wild Charge!" Hunter said, running up to the Oddish in a field of electricity and hitting it. "Let's keep going." Hunter said, looking down the corridor. "Just don't run off like last time." Abyss said, getting up. "Fine." Hunter said. F3 of Forest of Winds "Wé're almost there." Hunter said, looking around. "What's this?" he asked, picking up a coin. "That looks like a bit." Abyss said, taking the the coin in his magic. "You mean we can find your world's money in here." Star asked. "I guess so. Did it work that way back in your world?" Abyss asked, putting the bit in his pocket. "Yes... but you don't find that much in a dungeon. Maybe about 100 poké, and that's not a lot." Hunter said, looking around to see if any danger was coming. "I see.. Let's keep going." Abyss said, heading into the next room. F4 of Forest of Winds "Now, what Pokémon are we supposed to find?" Abyss said, looking at the tablet. "Help!" A cry came from the next room. "It's this way!" Hunter said, running towards the cry. "Wait up!" Abyss said, running after him. In the next room, two Spearows surrounded a Shiny Wurmple. "Look how tasty this Wurmple looks..." One of the Spearows said as it licked its beak. "Remember, we need to bring this to the boss to see, Jeff." the other Speraow said, hitting Jeff on the head with a wing. "Ok.. But we have to stop and find something to eat then, Randy." Jeff said, walking up to the Wurmple. There was a crackling noise. "Do you hear that?" Randy said, stopping Jeff from taking the Wurmple. "Leave that poor Wurmple alone!" Hunter yelled as he used Wild Charge on Jeff, sending him flying into a tree. "Man, that hurts." Hunter said, falling over in exhaustion due to the Wild Charge taking a lot out of him. "You need to calm down a... Is that a purple bug?" Abyss said looking at the Wurmple. "It's not technically a bug, it's more of a caterpillar... But it's not supposed to be purple. That's what mama said anyway." Star said as she flew to Hunter to see if he was okay. "Well, this Wurmple is coming with me. You must be one of those ponies I've been hearing of." Randy said, looking at Abyss. "Yes, I am. So step away from that b- er, caterpillar." Abyss said as his horn sparked to life with a gold-yellow glow. "Have to catch me first." Randy said as he flew around the room. "Stay still." Abyss said angrily as he fired some magic bolts at Randy, missing every time. "Take this. Gust!" Randy flapped his wings fast, sending a strong gust of wind at Abyss and knocking him back a bit. "Arrg... That's it." Abyss said, charging his horn up. He shot a blast of energy that looked like the night sky, and it knocked Randy out of the sky. "I got you. Now, give up." Abyss said, standing over Randy threateningly. "Fine, you win. Our boss is not going to like this." Randy said as he flew away. "Hey! Wait for me!" Jeff said, flying after him. "Wow, that took a lot out of me." Abyss said as he kneeled down. "Wow. You used Moonblast last." the Wurmple said from next to Abyss. "Ahh... What?" "It's a move many fairy-type Pokémon can learn." Hunter said, getting up groggily from his small nap. "So... I used a move from your world?" Abyss asked, getting a nod from Hunter. "That's weird." "Let's get out of here before anything weird happens." Star suggested. "Right, gather around." Hunter said, taking out his badge. In Front of the Request Board "Thank you for finding my friend. Here; have this." Swirlix said, handing them a a bag of bits and a CD that read TM 30. "Thanks... What is this?" Abyss asked, taking the CD in his magic. "It's a TM, it teachs a move to a Pokémon." Star said, looking at the TM. "Maybe you can learn it, Abyss. Since you did use a Pokémon move back there." Hunter said. "I don't know... How does it work?" "I have no idea. Never used one." Hunter said with a smile. "Maybe someone from another team can help you. There's a Spinda Café that just opened up when you were gone." Watchhog said, walking out from behind the counter. "I guess that's the next stop then." Star said, looking around. "Where is it?" > Chapter 5- Team A.C.T > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "And here it is." Swirlix said as they stopped in front of the café. "I know this place. This is the Star Light Bar." Abyss said, pointing at the sign. "I can't read that. So I'll take your word for it." Hunter said as he walked into the café. They walk in to see that all around, there are Pokémon and ponies talking. "What can I get you?" Spinda said from right behind the counter. "Are you ok to work?" Abyss said, looking at how Spinda can't stand still. "All Spinda's are like that, don't worry. They also make amazing drinks here. Here, can you make a drink out of this?" Hunter said as he handed a Occa berry to Spinda. "Add the Occa berry?" Spinda yelled to the back. "That's right!" a female Wobbuffet yelled from the other side of the room. "You shake it this way.... You shake it that way.... And you stir it all around..." Spinda said as he shook a bottle around. "And done." He said as he poured the drink in a glass. "Thank you. Mmm, just how I remember it." Hunter said as he took a sip. "So what can I get you?" Spinda said as he turned to face Abyss. "Just water would be fine." Abyss said. "Ok then, coming up." Spinda said as he poured some water into a glass. "By the way, do you know how TMs work?" Star asked from atop of Hunter's head. "No, not really... Maybe you should ask them." Spinda said, pointing at a table where three Pokémon, Charizard, Alakazam, and Tyranitar, were seated. "Wait a minute... Is that how I think that is? ...It is." Hunter said in awe as he got up. "Wait, who are they?" Abyss asked as he followed. "Team A.C.T. They're a retired rescue team. Hey!" Hunter said as he walked up to them. "What can we help you with?" Alakazam said in a soothing tone. "I was wondering how do you use a TM?" Hunter asked as he took the TM out of his bag. "Really? You don't know how?" Charizard interrupted with a laugh. "It's simple, just put it on your head and let the infomation flow in." Alakazam said, giving a dirty look at Charizard. "That seems easy. Here, put this up to your head." Hunter said as he threw the TM at Abyss. "I don't think that would work. We're from two separate worlds." Alakazam said. "But Abyss here used Moon Blast earlier in a dungeon." Star said as she landed on the table. "Really? Something I don't believe. If Ali here says it's impossible, then it is." Tyranitar said as he slammed down his mug. "I never said it's impossible... In a dungeon you say? Show me then." Alakazam said as he stood up. "You want me, to hit you with that move?" Abyss asked. "Precisely." "Ok then." Abyss said as he started to take some deep breaths. "Take this." he said as he shot a gold colored blast out of his horn. "That doesn't look like Moon Blast to me." Tyranitar said. "Try again." Alakazam instructed. "Ok." Abyss shot another gold bolt. "Okay, I've seen enough." Alakazam said as he walked back to his seat. "That's strange, you did it before. Even that Wurmple saw you do it." Hunter said. "The dungeons are mysterious like that. Strange energy flows through them. What is your special talent?" Alakazam said, looking at Abyss. "It's combat magic. Why?" Abyss said. "I see... When did you use it?" "It was when I kept trying to hit Spearow. I think I got angry and then I shot that move at him. It took a lot out of me, to be honest." "Hmm.... So as a last resort, you gathered the energy of the dungeon and used Moon Blast. Interesting..." Alakazam said, stroking his chin. "So it was the dungeon that helped him use Moon Blast?" Star asked. "I'm not 100% sure, but it seems that way." "So then Abyss can't learn TMs?" Hunter asked, getting a nod from Alakazam. "Well, more money then." He said as he put the TM back in his bag. "Well, I think it's time for us to head out and see if there's any jobs to be done." Alakazam said as he got up. "Wait, you're out of retirement?" Hunter asked. "We just need a break from it all. Come on, let's go." Charizard said. "Let me finish this drink. I never tasted anything like it." Tyranitar said as he gulped down the last of his drink. "Ahh... Let's go." Abyss picked up the mug and sniffed it. "What? You guys don't have hard apple cider?" "We do, but it doesn't taste as amazing as this." Tyranitar said with a smile. "If you want it fresh, then why don't you head over to Ponyville?" a black stallion with silver mane and an eye patch said as he walked up. "Oh, hi Gusty, how's it been?" Abyss asked, turning to the stallion. "Not bad. The bar is doing amazingly well ever since these Pokémon came around. And with the help I'm getting, I get to adventure more." Gusty said. "That's nice... Oh these are my teammates, Hunter and Star." Abyss introduced. "It's nice to meet you two. If you need anything, come see me, I can get it cheap." Gusty said, shaking Hunter's paw. "Hey! What's the hold up? Let's go." a Gengar said as it fazed up through the floor. "I'm coming Genji, just saying hi to a friend." Gusty said as Genji walked up. "Wait, where did I hear that name before?" Hunter asked, rubbing his chin. "You don't remember me...? I was that Pokémon that saved you from falling when you were a little Shinx." Genji said, staring at Hunter. "Alright. Thanks for that. What have you been up to?" Hunter asked. "Eh, nothing much." "Nothing much. Ha! You're funny." Tyranitar said as he started to laugh. "Look, it's none of anyone's business to know that I was cursed." Genji said as he poked Tyranitar in the chest. "Alright. I better get going before Charizard comes looking for me." Tyranitar said as he walked away. "Are you ready now?" Genji asked. "Yeah, see you guys around." Gusty said as he walked away with Genji. "Well... that was interesting." Star said, still perched on the table. > Chapter 6- Leaf Village > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A few days later, Team Frozen Thunder HQ "You got everything?" Hunter asked as he finished packing. "Almost." Abyss said as he levitated the last thing into his saddlebags. "And done." He said as Star landed on the windowsill. "I just delivered the Bits to our landlord. It should cover 'till we get back." Star said. "Great. Then let's go." Hunter said as he headed out the door. "Wait." Star exclaimed as she flew after him. /////////////////////////////////// On the outskirts of town "Let's see. We need to go through this forest." Hunter said as he looked at his Connection Orb. "This forest goes to a small town somewhere in the middle of it. We can stop there for the night." Abyss said. "That's if this dungeon is not long. How long was the walk there before?" Hunter asked. "Ahh... About 10 hours through both forests. Why?" "That means there's going to be a lot of floors to go through then." Star said. "Precisely. Let's get going before the sun sets." Hunter said as they walked into the forest. In a bush nearby "That's them." Spearow said. "Be patient." Frost Forest, F12 "Boy, this place is huge." Abyss said as he sat down. They just got to a small room. "Yeah. I have no idea how much farther we need to go." Hunter said as he look at the Connection Orb. "It's getting dark. We should camp out on the next floor." Star said as she flew to the stairs. On the next floor "Wow. What is this place?" Abyss asked as he saw a lot of small Pokémon running around and hiding. "Welcome to Leaf Village. We don't get many visitors." Quagsire said as he walked up. "Leaf Village. Wait, that means...?" Hunter said as he looked around. "I'm afraid so." Quagsire said in a sad tone. "What?" Abyss asked "Leaf Village is a place where Pokémon that lose their parents tend to be sent. It's like an orphanage in a way." Star said as she hid in Abyss' mane. "Does that mean their parents... Got turned to stone then?" Abyss asked as a bunch of little Pokémon came around him. "Yes, that is what happened... They seem to like you. It's the first time they've seen a pony." Quagsire said. "What's with your mane? It's not on fire, Mr. Rapidash." a Smuchum asked. Abyss kneeled down. "I'm not a Rapidash; I'm a unicorn." he said. "We need a place to stay for the night." Hunter said as he watched Abyss cast some fireworks from his horn. "I don't see why not. Follow me; you three seem like nice Pokémon... and pony." Quagsire said as he lead them to a small house. "Thanks. What can we help with?" Abyss asked. 'Ummm... Thats not necessary... But if you want, you can go cut some fire wood for us." Quagsire said. "Sure. I'll be right back." Abyss said as they walked towards a small opening. He heard some rustling leaves. "What the-" he said before something swooped in and took him. Sometime later back at the village "What's taking so long?" Hunter asked as he paced back and forth. "Maybe he got lost." Star said as she sat on a table. "Then we should go and look for him." Hunter said as he went to the door. As they walked, they saw Quagsire talking to some of the young Pokémon. "What seems to be the problem?" He asked them. "Abyss hasn't come back yet. So we're going to look for him." Star said. "Good luck." Quagsire said as he waved them off. In a clearing on floor 15 "Ugh... Where am I?" Abyss said as he woke up. Looking around, he saw that he was in a cage. "Ahh, you're up. Good." a large brown bird with a very large beak said as it stood right beside the cage. "Who are you and where am I?" "It's rude not to introduce yourself. But I already know your name, Abyssal Shield, so it's only right you know mine. My name is Fearow, you've run into some of my flock before." Fearow said as he walked around the cage. "You're the leader of those two that attacked that Wurmple then." Abyss said. He charged up his horn, but he got a headache from it, causing his concentration to break. "What the...?" As he put a hoof to his head, he felt something on his horn. "Nice. We 'found' it laying around. It seems to work just fine." Fearow said with a squawking laugh. "What do you want!?" Abyss yelled. "My my... Aren't we impatient?" Fearow said with a smirk. "Very well, you see..." Screams beyond Abyss' sight interrupted. "What now?" Fearow said with a irritated sigh as he flew up to see what was going on. As he neared a corner, he saw many Spearow flying away. "Where is he?!" Fearow heard someone scream. He turned the corner and saw a Luxio using Discharge to zap any Spearow that flew by. With a smirk he flapped his wings to create a big gust of wind that pushed back the Luxio. "Ahh... Hunter. It's nice to see you again." Fearow said mockingly as he flew into the room. "Enough. Where's Abyss?" Hunter asked as sparks flew from his body. "What? No 'hi, how are you doing?'" Fearow said as they glared at him. "You both are so inpatient." He flapped his wings to created a giant twister. "Let him go!" Hunter said. He tried to use Spark but he kept being blown back. "Ow! What the-" Fearow said, letting the twister go as he got hit by something. Star flew behind him. "Let him go, you meanie!" She said as she let loose a Fury Attack, giving Hunter enough time to run up and use Spark, knocking Fearow down. "Argh. Fine, you win... This time." Fearow said as he flew away. They both searched the area and found Abyss. "Finally. Now, can you take this off of me." He said as Hunter opened the cage. "What is this?" Hunter asked as he took off the black ring on Abyss' horn. "It's a magic dampener. Those Pokémon must've stolen it." Abyss said as he rubbed his horn. He felt his magic flow again. "We should head back then." Hunter said as he put the dampener in his bag.