Noklu

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Shadows of the Past [Full]

Dylan the Mudkip

Valiant Village-Central Plaza

Dylan carefully listened to the Mawile’s words as they trailed out from her mouth, the tone they carried making him a bit worried about Celty. However, he paid attention to what was being said through the commotion and splashing down below, marking down every last word and bit of information into his brain, certain to remember it. With how often he had heard the phrase “Mystery Dungeon” lately, it wouldn’t surprise him if they played a large role in this world’s society.

The Mudkip couldn’t help but feel a bit awed at them himself, the mentioned treasure and mystery they held making his brain imagine what could be. However, Celty’s tone seemed to be lacking that spark to it, instead focusing on the dangerous aspects of the dungeons. Pokemon did have tremendous power, and if used in the wrong way by hostile Pokemon… he could definitely see how that could turn sour quickly.

As Celty finished speaking, words slowly dying off, replaced by heavy breathing instead, Dylan’s focus left his thoughts, returning to the Mawile in front of him. “H-hey, it’s okay, it’s okay…! We aren’t in a Mystery Dungeon right now, we’re in a calm town. No one will trick you, no one will hurt you”.

A small tinge of guilt stabbed into Dylan’s side when he finished, as if it were saying by not telling everyone about him being a human, he was tricking them all, that he shouldn’t try and act like a Pokemon around them. However, he shook those thoughts off, telling himself it had no ill-will to it, it was just him trying to do something with his current predicament.

@Polaris North@Light Lord@Shiny Keldeo@Iatos@Ninian

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Shadows of the Past [Full]

Dylan the Mudkip

Valiant Village-Spirit’s Guild

Before they headed off to explore, Dylan was put to a small train of thought regarding what Celty said before walking. As they walked, his brain was chugging ahead at full speed. What moves could he use…? He had no memory of ever using any moves, being a human before all of this, of course, but he did know a fair amount of info about Pokemon and what they could do. For example, he knew Devon probably did, in fact, know bite, judging by the sound he heard coming from the Totodile’s jaws, but he didn’t know much about himself. Chances were he did know water gun, being a basic water move learned early on, but other than that, it was all uncharted territory. He didn’t even know how strong he was. Well, that rigorous training Celty had mentioned would probably help sort that out.

Valiant Village-Central Plaza

Dylan’s train came to a slow halt as they entered what appeared to be a community area of sorts, the new sight pulling him to the current surroundings. For a village, it certainly had a very nice feeling to it, as if it was still growing. The Mudkip looked around, letting as much of it sink in as he could.

As Devon spoke up, Dylan’s eyes shifted to the Pokemon walking about their daily lives. It was true, there was a lot going on, each Pokemon clearly having their own story. However, was it familiar…? The Mudkip wasn’t sure either way on that part. But if it meant Devon was remembering something, that was good at least! However, they both still didn’t know how they got here, as Celty reminded the two of them. The fact that there dungeons in the way made him question how he got there. Not to mention he didn’t even know what a “Mystery Dungeon” even was.

Before he could ask, the Mudkip’s eyes followed along with Devon’s movements as he suddenly and energetically sped towards the bridge, before sitting on the edge of it. He had to admit, the scene looked nicely picturesque. However, the Totodile’s sudden change in expression and tone made him turn to the statue in the plaza.

The forms displayed in stone rang a bell in his library of knowledge. They must have been the legendary quartet of the Swords of Justice. This fact was only confirmed by Celty’s answer. Though it seemed she didn’t know too much about them, only knowing Cobalion’s name and their backstory with this town. This made him wonder how he knew all of their names, since Celty seemed to know quite a bit. It also helped him relax a bit, knowing his knowledge was still mostly there, despite the amnesia.

The Mudkip’s attention was once again redirected to the Totodile as he mentioned something about a shiny, before splashing into the water. Devon seemed to be enjoying the water as he popped out quickly, holding a coin of sorts it looked like. Going off of Celty’s answer, he surmised it must be the currency around these parts. Though, he didn’t know if that was the only type of currency or not.

As he processed this information, another splash made Dylan turn his head towards the river, only to see Milton diving in alongside Devon. As Milton swam closer to the Totodile, he mentioned something about that being a lucky coin, and once again the phrase “Mystery Dungeon” popped up. He needed to know what that was…

As he was about to ask, a small group of Pokemon suddenly appeared by the river as well, wanting to join in the warm water fun apparently! Dylan waved hello from above if anyone from the group was watching, not wanting to interrupt by calling out. The name Lulu popped up, reminding him of last night. So one of them was one of the two in trouble, huh…? Probably was the Riolu, based on how Spirit had reacted. Was Lulu related to Spirit perhaps? Well, in any case, the new group had jumped in without a second thought, making the river quite lively indeed.

Milton threw out a comment about how it was becoming a “Monster House” in there, making Dylan wonder what that second new term was. Thankfully, Milton went on to explain that it was something in a “Mystery Dungeon” that spelt out danger to anyone who managed to find one. Well, at least he now knew something about Mystery Dungeons, though he wanted to know more. The Mudkip finally decided to speak out to the Mawile beside him, asking for information.

“Hey, um, Miss Celty, what exactly is a Mystery Dungeon? I can’t seem to remember anything about…” Dylan’s words slowly trailed off as he turned to address the Mawile, only to see her in a fetal position of sorts, oddly enough. Had she decided to sleep, or… He dismissed that thought instantly as he looked closer. It almost seemed as if she was crying?

Dylan’s heart slowed down as he realized this, mind’s gears quickly changing pace on what to do. He heard Devon’s voice call out from below, calling him out to join in the water with everyone. He turned away from Celty momentarily, calling back. “A-ah, yeah, I’m fine, just give me a moment! I’ll join you shortly here!” Whether or not he’d swim well was up in the air, but that was hardly important at the time.

The Mudkip’s attention snapped back to the Mawile, a concerned expression on his face. “H-hey, Miss Celty… Is everything alright?” As soon as those words slipped out of his mouth, he felt stupid. Of course she wasn’t alright, it was a pointless question. He changed gears. “What’s wrong? Do you need help?”

@Ninian@Light Lord@Iatos@Shiny Keldeo

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Shadows of the Past [Full]

@Light Lord@Ninian

Dylan the Mudkip

Valiant Village-Spirit’s Guild

Dylan nodded in response to the guildmaster’s question. He really did have nowhere to go, not knowing anything at all about this world he found himself in. As the Guildmaster continued, Dylan remembered how there were two Pokemon in danger, and from the sounds of it, the two were close to Spirit. He was glad to hear they were alright at least. The Lucario went on to explain that, from the sounds of it, yes, it was possible to join this guild. However, the Mudkip could only imagine what that rigorous training would involve.

The thought of training realize something. If he was a Pokemon now, then that meant he could use moves as well. He’d have to explore that realm later when he had some free time. As he thought this, Spirit walked off, leaving the three to their own devices. And to Dylan and Devon, that meant getting a small lecture from Celty about them being kids. It was a bit demoralizing, being looked down upon.

Before Dylan could respond to the Mawile’s opinions, Devon spoke up first, seeming a bit agitated. He supposed it made sense, as Devon was more on the receiving end of the comments. The Totodile made some fair points, to which the Mudkip decided to chime in on. “Yeah… I mean, us having amnesia leaves us with pretty much nothing here. We need to find things out for ourselves a bit”.

As Dylan finished speaking, a thankful change of subjects popped up from the Totodile, leading into the option they had with this guild. Devon’s points about Zaru and Milton being involved with it helped reassure any previous fears of the ‘rigorous training’ a bit. The Mudkip couldn’t help but give an honest, small, sheepish smile in return to the Totodile’s toothy one, agreeing in kind. “Yeah, you’re right. If we just keep at it, we would be able to break through it no problem”.

For the moment, however, Celty’s idea did sound like a good one. They would need to get familiar with the guild if they were to join it, and with nothing better to do… “Ah, sounds good to me as well! I have plenty of energy to spare oddly enough, so why not?”

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Shadows of the Past [Full]

@Noklu

Light Lord and I both want to apologize to you. We'll try to slow our roll. ;___;

@Ninian

Ah, no need to apologize! It just gives me more to work with. Sorry for the delays on my part.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Shadows of the Past [Full]

Dylan the Mudkip

Valiant Village-Spirit’s Guild

A small bead of imaginary sweat rolled down Dylan’s face, skin prickling slightly as he realized he hadn’t played that off well. At all. The good news was they didn’t seem as concerned as they had been. The counterpart, unluckily, was a bit of suspicion in their voices and words. Though, as he listened, his small bit of anxiety began to fade away, replaced by simple curiosity. Devon… didn’t remember having a tail? He was pretty sure that didn’t fall under the realm of amnesia. That could mean that he was similar as well!

Celty’s words only echoed what was going on in Dylan’s active mind. This certainly was no coincidence. Another good point was brought up by the Mawile, about how they might have known each other before, or met somehow but now forgot.

Dylan took the last bite of his apple, using the time chewing to think of what to say next. As he did so, Zaru chimed in to answer the Mawile’s last statement. Join this guild…? That certainly was an option he supposed. Better than wandering around without a place to stay. And the locals seemed friendly enough.

However, he pushed that aside as he gulped the last of the sweet fruit down, returning to the point at hand. Dylan glanced around the room briefly, seeing Zaru had started talking to a Kricketot and Gligar, presumably there for the morning meeting mentioned moments ago. Even so, the Mudkip couldn’t help but lower his voice a bit, cautious of his next words. “Well, um… Devon, this might sound a bit crazy, but your body felt odd, right? Is it possible you…” He paused, having to take a deep breath before continuing, “You weren’t always-”

Dylan’s words were cut off as his heart nearly leapt out of his chest, the Lucario’s appearance behind them catching him horribly off guard. He had been too engrossed in his serious question to notice the approaching guild leader, or even the fact that the morning meeting must have concluded. His mind was still reeling from the sucker punch as Celty answered Spirit’s question, trying its best to recover. Luckily for him, the Mawile’s response allowed him to recover enough to put on a straight face and answer himself.

“A-ah, nice to meet you as well Spirit sir! I’m Dylan,” The Mudkip chimed in, pausing before continuing. “I actually was curious, Zaru mentioned this before, but would it be possible to join this guild? J-just theoretically of course, I don’t want to push anything sudden on you…”

As he trailed off, Dylan snuck a glance over to Devon, the question of what the Totodile would do on his mind. Not only that, but he needed to finish his question to the Totodile, to make sure it was safe to not sound crazy. Or, well, at least, insane. It was a crazy situation no matter how one looked at it.

@Light Lord@Ninian@Shiny Keldeo

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Shadows of the Past [Full]

Dylan the Mudkip

Valiant Village-Spirit’s Guild

Dylan nodded slightly in thought as he listened to Devon’s response. So, nothing else, huh…? That meant he might not have been a human before… Didn’t eliminate it, but certainly didn’t confirm anything either. However, he could relate to the Totodile’s sentiment. Having his memories back would be nice. Might explain why he was here as a Mudkip…

Not that he could dwell on those thoughts for long. The next words leaving Devon’s mouth left the Mudkip wanting to hit himself a bit. Of course he had to let that part slip out, of course! Now he had these two worrying about him, Celty having picked it up as well obviously. He could only hope no one else nearby like Zaru could have picked that up. Not that it would have been hard to, the attention obviously on him now.

As Dylan tried to think of how to respond to the Totodile’s question, he found himself wanting to smack his head again as Celty brought up the apple incident from before. So she had picked up on that after all… Well, at the very least, picked up on something being wrong. Not the actual reason behind it. However, the time for dwelling on that wasn’t now, he still had to respond.

“Ah…! U-um, don’t worry, I’m sure it’s a temporary thing. I remember is my name and waking up in the forest near here. Must have hit my head on a rock or something like that…” Dylan trailed off. He had left out the part about him being a human, or having been a human, as it would have probably sounded absurd, and given him a one way ticket to an infirmary. No, now wasn’t the time to tell near-complete strangers that.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Shadows of the Past [Full]

Dylan the Mudkip

Valiant Village-Spirit’s Guild

Dylan took another small bite from his apple as he stood in thought. Zaru’s question caught him off guard, the Chimchar having returned with apples for everyone. It’s a question he himself wanted to know the more he thought about it. He knew he was human, but besides that, the only memory of where he came from is the forest in which he woke up.

As he thought that, something felt a bit weird. He hadn’t said that out loud, yet he just heard that answer… The Mudkip’s head turned automatically, finding the source of the voice to be not some kind of mind to speech converter, but the Totodile, Devon. Needless to say, Dylan’s mind recoiled heavily, his body slightly tensing up as well. “A-amnesia…?”

The thoughts of how to answer Zaru’s question completely fled from his mind as a series of his own questions pushed their way in instead. The biggest question of them all being, of course, ‘was he the same?’ However, before he could decide on whether or not to ask that question in front of Celty and Zaru, Milton having bid everyone farewell for now, the Mawile latched onto the Totodile’s words, asking some questions of her own.

Dylan, mind reeling from the sudden intake of information, simply stood there as the guild seemed to get a bit louder, other Pokemon inside waking up. It seemed Spirit was back from his rescue, telling everyone to get ready for a morning meeting. The current situation, however, took the majority of his attention. He listened some more, taking further notes, every word important. So Devon couldn’t remember anything besides his name and the fact he has a dad, huh…? Two memories, just like him. The only difference being Dylan’s memory of being a human and Devon’s of his dad.

In any case, the Mudkip noticed a small lull in the conversation, and decided to add some of his own words, understanding things a little better now. Only a little though. “W-wait, hold on.You have amnesia too…? Do you, uh… remember anything else besides your name and dad? Anything at all?” Dylan knew he might be sounding a bit weird at the moment, but his urgency to find out answers took priority. He couldn’t help but let out a small “S-sorry if I’m prying,” afterwards though.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Shadows of the Past [Full]

@Shiny Keldeo
Heh, they do, it's a fun coincidence. :P

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Shadows of the Past [Full]

Dylan the Mudkip

Valiant Village

Dylan simply stood in place, not being able to avoid the small sensation of awkwardness of where he was. Here he was, suddenly surrounded by Pokemon he could understand, being a Pokemon himself somehow. As the Chimchar began talking with the Luxray about him and the Mawile possibly staying at a guild (which stood out to him, the only guilds in his dictionary being the merchant guilds of old), he shifted back from side to side in his amphibian body, oddly getting more and more used to it.

However, it was put to the test as the Mawile turned her, at least, he thought the Mawile was a she, attention to him, asking him questions about himself. However, the moment to test his body came after the questions, being shrugged off slightly before he could get a response in, with the Mawile handing him an apple. Now this sounded simple enough, but to grab an apple with four legs instead of two legs and arms was a bit trickier than it sounded, as he quickly found out. He tried reaching one of his front legs out to grab it, but quickly changed his mind when his balance was thrown off a bit, causing him to stumble. Instead, he grabbed it with his mouth instead, simply holding it in place. Needless to say, he felt even more awkward then.

Thankfully, the Mawile’s attention, Celty’s attention, as he learned, shifted towards the Chimchar and Luxray after offering him a place to stay with her if all else failed. This opportunity wasn’t squandered, as Dylan started to test out using a leg… er, hand… paw? Whatever it was in his case, he tried to use the front right one, lifting it off the ground slightly before returning to the earth, repeating this to get used to it. Once he felt confident enough, he lifted it to his mouth, grabbing the apple as he took a bite. It was surprisingly good for just an apple. If this was how all food tasted in this foreign place, he wouldn’t mind eating at least.

The Mudkip’s attention turned elsewhere as yet another new voice pierced through the moonlit night, causing him to turn and see the new arrival. It was a Lucario, one who seemed fairly familiar with the Chimchar. However, naturally the fighting type didn’t know him or Celty, both of them being outsiders, asking of their names. “Ah…! Well, I’m…” He paused for a moment, his name lost in his apparent amnesia. However, his lips moved on their own, letting out a soft whisper that gave him another memory, “...Dylan”.

Before he could elaborate, however, it seemed the Lucario also knew the Luxray… er… Luxray? Dylan didn’t know of any disguises that were that realistic. At least, until a sudden, with a small retort to the apparent higher ranking Lucario, the Luxray disappeared, leaving a much smaller Zorua in its place! Naturally, Dylan didn’t expect this, his surprise causing the apple to be fumbled in his hands.

As the water type regained a grip on it, the Zorua spoke some more about needing to save some others in the forest. Of course, with impeccable timing, yet another pokemon appeared out of the blue, a Totodile running at a tired sprint addressing the Lucario, Spirit it seemed, with a similar message about how two Pokemon needed help. Spirit seemed fairly shocked by this, leaving the group with some words aimed at who Dylan could only presume was the Chimchar and Zorus, before dashing off in the forest. A small part of Dylan’s mind couldn’t help but feel worried about the two Pokemon out there, but his attention still rested in the group of Pokemon in front of him.

The Chimchar and Zorua took the lead, seeming to live in and know their way around the village. This left Dylan, apple in mouth, Celty, who was saying something about having to babysit, and the new arrival, the Totodile, to follow behind as they were led to a possible place to stay. As they walked, their destination became more clear, the guild seeming more impressive with every approaching step. It wasn’t too far off luckily, as they arrived there fairly quickly.

Once inside, the Chimchar walked off while the Zorua introduced himself as Milton and started checking something on a bulletin. After that, Milton walked off as well, leaving him, Celty, and the Totodile to stand there. He decided to break the silence by introducing himself to Celty, in case she hadn’t heard him before, and to the Totodile. "Um, I suppose I should introduce myself now, huh…? I’m Dylan.” Before he could say any more, Milton returned with some information. The Zorua proceeded to explain the current housing situation, three beds being open conveniently enough. However, the question of who would go where was left hanging in the air, a two one split necessary.

“I’d be fine with any bed really,” Dylan said to the other two, apple in hand to allow him to talk. His attention then shifted to Milton to answer his question, apple raised in hand. “And I’m good, but thanks for the kind offer.”

@Light Lord@Iatos@Polaris North@Ninian

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Shadows of the Past [Full]

Dylan the Mudkip

Valiant Village

Dylan's eyes slowly shifted back and forth, scanning the village as he began to enter it. Part of his brain began to nag at him, trying its best to fill him with thoughts of possible bad scenarios that could happen. For all he knew, this town could be a hideout for bandits and the like, waiting for passerbys to unknowingly fall into their trap. Or maybe everyone in here either moved away or were killed in a sudden incident a while back, possibly due to local hostile wildlife. Or maybe…

"Hello there."

Gah! The Mudkip’s train of thought came crashing to a halt as a voice called out in the night, the suddenness of it all catching him off guard. He looked around quickly until his eyes lined up with what he presumed the voice had come from. A Chimchar. Well, he supposed if he was a Pokemon, it only made sense he could understand other Pokemon. The fire type seemed friendly enough. His tensed form relaxed, the possible adrenaline of danger not needed in this situation. The Chimchar walked closer, Dylan’s eyes watching its movements all the while, until it stopped right in front of him, speaking once more. “Do you need help or something?”

Dylan did suppose it must seem weird, having an outsider arrive to a village in the middle of the night, at least, if this Chimchar was from here. “O-oh, well, um…” He could barely manage words, realizing that he didn’t know what to say. If he immediately came out with the truth, it would sound ridiculous, and shooed aside as a bad dream or something. Instead, he tried to say as much as he could without sounding absurd. “I’m not really from around here. I, um… came from that forest over there, and found my way here somehow.” There, that was truthful enough to explain his situation he hoped, while leaving out the more absurd parts.

As he finished up speaking, Dylan noticed there was still some life in the town besides this Chimchar after all. A Luxray passed by, the difference in size leaving him to remember how much smaller he was than before. However, before he could dwell on that longer, another Pokemon showed up, its sudden appearance startling him a bit. The expression the Mawile wore on its face kept him a bit off guard, expecting, and consequently getting a small lecture.

Dylan’s mind began to swim slightly due to the sudden shift in tone from the Chimchar’s question to the Mawile’s words, combined with the idea he had possibly just missed getting involved with hostile pokemon. Not to mention the fact that he now knew there were hostile Pokemon here after all! And... "kids"? He supposed he must look young in his current state...

The Mawile seemed to be talking to the Luxray now, but the Mudkip’s focus was elsewhere, stuck in his own thoughts for a bit. However, what the Mawile said next broke through to his dazed brain, helping him recover. A place to stay! He needed that too. And if the Mawile was asking the Luxray, perhaps he could ask it for help in addition to the Chimchar. The more help the better.

“Ah, I need a place to stay for the night too!” He paused, before throwing in what he had already explained to the Chimchar, “I’m not from around here, and am a bit lost, you see…” Dylan slowly trailed off, not really sure what else to say in this situation.

@Ninian @Polaris North @Iatos