Pokémon mystery dungeon: Tides of Madness

🎇Special Chapter 1: Soul Cutter🎇

Murcle always tried to sleep in when he could. Mainly for the exact reason of being adopted in the morning cycle. He had a method to surviving the day without being seen during the parts of the day where he could be adopted.

Step 1: Sleep late
Step 2: Eat a fast lunch before hiding beneath the mud in the pond.

And so on and so forth. He had use this strategy for as long as he could remember. But even with that clever plan. He still always had to go through the evening grab.

"Yo Murcle, Wake up!"

"Ughhhh... Can I have five more sun movements," Murcle groaned rolling over.

There was only a few moments of silence before Murcle was suddenly blasted with a powerful jet of water.

"AHHH!!! WHAT THE HECK TODDLE!!!"

"Oh relax, the foster time has already passed anyway," the totodile grinned.

"Well I'm glad you didn't bite me like yesterday..." Murcle replied.

"Yep and there's the mark," He said pointing to the side of his blue rubbery skin. "And I learned my lesson after that too,"

Murcle couldn't help but smile. Toddle was only probably a year older then him. Murcle always would forget that though since they were so close. Murcle, himself, was 6 at the time. 7 in a few moons.

"So... who was taken this time?"

"Hmm? Oh, uhh... Well, Digger was taken,"

"The diglet?"

"Yeperdo, also that pokemon that we can't ever remember the name of left as well,"

"...Okay... Anyone else?"

"Mmm nope I don't think so..."

Murcle relaxed a little.

Toddle shook his head. "You know you can't stay here forever,"

"I know, but if my parents ever come back I want to be somewhere they can find me,"

"If they ever come back that is. Ow, what was that for," He said rubbing his leg where Murcle just kicked.

"Rude..."

Toddle gave a devious toothy grin with his sharp fangs. "Bet you can't get me again,"

"Wanna bet totodile," Murcle shoot a playful mud shot at him.

"HA! Missed me," Toddle replied dodging it before dashing outside.

Chasing after him, Murcle started aiming water gun near the blue crocodile's feet hoping to trip him up in an epic game of pin the Toddle. The orphanage had about 15 to 20 cabins and plenty of running room for everyone. It even included a giant pool at the center that Murcle loved to play in. The only downside was that the cabins were arranged in such a way that getting lost was common for any newcomers that arrived. Sometimes he still got lost in the log maze that he lived in.

"COME ON MURCLE!!!" Toddle shouted, "NORMALLY- YOU'RE ON MY TAIL!"

Murcle watched as Toddle running at full sprint, slamming into another one of the many caretakers that took care of them everyday. And this one was the most hostile. Murcle flinched when the two ran into each other.

"ZE 'ELL IZ ZIZ!" The aggron roared.

"S-sorry Mrs Agron..." Toddle said with eyes wide.

"I NOT WANT 'EAR NO ZORRY VROM YOU! PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR ZURROUNDZINGS!"

"O-Okay i will maim..."

She stormed off in fury seeming to take all the fun with her.

"Phew, that could've gone worse," Toddle said when she was out of earshot.

"Way worse..." Murcle agreed strongly. "Her accent doesn't help her personality either..."

Toddle snorted, "I not want 'ear no zorry vrom you," He mocked earning a grin to manifest on Murcle's face. "Anyways... we wanna do the thing?"

Murcle raised his eyebrow, "Thing?"

"The forest... like you said we would yesterday... You didn't forget did you?"

Murcle bit his lip. "I meant that as a joke Toddle, I wasn't seriously considering going through that... What are they calling them again?"

"Mystery Dungeon I think is what they're called,"

He frowned, "And besides, even if we could get by the caretakers, that forest seems to go on to the horizon..."

"Please... You got to be anxious about leaving too,"

Toddle was right about that, he had been thinking of running away leaving this place behind him. He always had a sense for adventure. Then maybe try to find his sister and meet up. Then try to physically search for his long-lost parents. But no one was allowed past the forest as everyone who did tend to do so would get an earful from the caretakers.

"What about Shine? We can't just leave her,"

"She can come too,"

"I doubt she would be willing for how crazy this idea sounds," Murcle said doubtfully.

The totodile crossed his arms. "I'm going whether your in or not. I'm tired of being confined here, I want to see the world with my own eyes,"

Murcle sighed. He knew he was going to regret this when they got caught, or worse dead. "When do you plan on leaving?"

"Three four," He replied.

"The evening adoption time?!"

Toddle nodded, "I'm already packed for a few weeks on the hike. I'm ready to go today,"

*Sigh* "Fine,"

"Really?!"

"Yeah, I'll come..."

"Alright! You better pack, it's gonna be a long trip,"

He didn't enjoy the idea of going into the forest for good reasons, but Murcle couldn't have Toddle go in alone. "Meet me at my place at three five,"

"Okay, see you then," Toddle ran off leaving Murcle behind.

Walking back toward his cabin that stood on the opposite hill from where the entrance gate was. Inside, he found Shine playing with the small marbles that they shared. Shine perked up as he walked in.

"Hey..."

She responded with a nod pushing the marble in her paw toward him. Murcle frowned at it rolling it back. The shinx tilted her head, as if asking what his problem was using her body language.

"Toddle wants to leave here tonight at suns three fourths,"

Shine rolled her eyes, "One of these days his big personality is going to get him in trouble,"

"I said I would go with him,"

Shine stood up. "You agreed to do what?!"

"Well I can't let him go alone," Murcle pointed out to her, "He may be brave enough to go through with it, but I know he wouldn't last one night in that forest,"

"Neither would you Murcle," Shine said with her tail lowered.

Murcle sucked on his cheek. "This could be my chance to get outta here for good Shine. I think that may be worth the risk,"

"The risk of what? Dying?"

"..."

A few moments past before Shine spoke again. "Murcle... I know you want to find your parents again..." She said softly. "But running out into a forest with who knows what isn't the way to do it..."

Murcle frowned. "I'm sorry," 

"But I think this is what I should do..."

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