Pokémar Episode VI, Search and Rescue

Mystery Dungeons

The light from the sun peeking through the windows woke Jackson from his slumber. Still in this strange world, still in the body of a Machop. This appeared to be his life now. Though he couldn't complain too much. He already got a friend to guide him, a roof over his head, and income for necessities. All things considered, he was in good shape.

He got out of bed and mimicked his morning routine from back home. He grabbed breakfast from the pantry, that being dried nuts and berries and took a quick bath in his washtub. He instinctively looked for the closet for clothes before he realized he didn't need any as a pokemon before heading outside.

A cool breeze wafted through the door as he opened it, carrying with it natural scents untainted by human presence. Down the road in the heart of town he could hear the bustling of activity, pokemon living their lives and going about their days. The natural landscape greeted him as he stepped forward. Everything here felt simple. Quiet. Peaceful. There was a serene beauty to it all. If he needed to he could've probably settled down here and lived a good life.

As he approached his mailbox he spotted Cyn making his way down the road towards him. Jack waved to him as he arrived.

"Good morning Jack." He said cheerfully. "Did you sleep well?"

"Oh most certainly. I was out like a light."

"...Like blowing out a candle? Is that what you mean?" It dawned on Jack that no one on this planet would've ever heard human expressions. A number of them would make no sense to anyone.

"Close enough. Sorry, expression from back home."

Cyn frowned briefly before quickly shaking his head. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. Are you ready to apply to SARA?"

"Ready and able. Lead the way, Cyn."

>>>>>>>>>>

The short jaunt through town ended at the very edge of the cliff face where a building designed like a Pelipper stood overlooking the sea, the Pelipper Post Office. The 'mouth' of the building was open to the elements, judging by the fact an airborne Pelipper gently lowered themself inside. Probably meant for ease of transporting mail.

Cyn opened the door to the main lobby where two Pelipper stood behind the counter taking and serving out letters and parcels. Cyn walked over to one of them and shot her a quick smile.

"Good morning, Cyn. What can I do for you today?"

"Morning, Pelipper. We got a request form for the Search and Rescue Association." Cyn handed over the envelope which Pelipper promptly deposited in her mouth, much to Jack's surprise.

"You two getting together as a team? Glad to hear it. We could use more intrepid rescuers like you two. I'll get this sent over right away."

"Thanks, Pelipper! Have a good day."

"Actually, before you go, can I make a request?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"You know Thunderwave Cave, right? The mystery dungeon northwest from here, up the coast?"

"Mystery dungeon?" Jack inquired.

"Give me a moment." Cyn replied before turning his attention back to Pelipper. "I'm familiar. What about it?"

"A friend of mine knows a pair of Magnemite that decided to go exploring up there. It's been three days and they've yet to come back."

"That is worrying... did they pack anything to safely traverse a mystery dungeon?"

"It doesn't sound like it. I know you're not officially a rescue team yet, but I couldn't get ahold of one as they're already on missions elsewhere."

"Far be it from us to ignore a pokemon in danger, right Jack?"

"Indeed. We'll see what we can do." He answered.

"I'm relieved to hear that. You should probably get ready soon. Wouldn't want you to need to walk back in the dark."

"Of course. Bye, Pelipper!"

"Be safe, you two!" The two of them departed from the post office and made their way back home.

"Probably should've gotten the answer to this before agreeing, but what's a mystery dungeon?" Jack asked.

"Mystery dungeons are locations where things get kinda weird. Random objects tend to appear within them, the terrain changes whenever someone enters, there are traps to avoid and feral pokemon to fight."

"Sounds dangerous..."

"They can be. But if you go in prepared you can usually come out unscathed."

"I'll be honest, it makes me nervous. I've never really been in a fight before..."

"Because you're human?"

"...Yeah..." Jack couldn't tell if Cyn actually believed his claims of being human. He couldn't really blame them. Back home if someone came up to him and claimed to be a pokemon in a human body, he too would be skeptical about it. Whether he believed it or not, it was the truth. Jack could only hope Cyn was willing to accommodate.

"Okay. I'll take the lead then. Being a pokemon, you're going to learn to fight. There's no avoiding that. But I can at least give you a chance to learn how safely. If things get too rough, I'll intervene."

"I appreciate it, Cyn. Sorry to be a bother."

"We'll make do. For now, though, we should get our bags filled with essentials. Food, medicinal berries, maybe an orb or two if we can afford them."

"Alright. Show me how it goes."

>>>>>>>>>>

Before long the two of them were ready to go dungeon diving. The trip there was uneventful, which gave Cyn time to give Jack a crash course in pokemon battling. In Jack's case, it was fairly simple. He didn't need to worry about spitting fire or summoning thunderstorms. No, as a Machop, it worked a lot like human fighting with the added benefit of greater strength. Of course, the real test would be the mystery dungeon itself.

Soon the rocky entrance to the dungeon was in sight. A tall mound of gray stone stood like a butte in the grassy plane. The walls of the formation funneled straight towards an opening into the stone, a hole leading into the lightless depths of the caverns.

The closer Jack got to it, the more he noticed a bizarre sensation. His skin began to tingle as though the air itself was electrified. Whether or not that fact should worry him was unclear.

"Alright. Stick close." Cyn said before igniting his quills. "I'm going to be our light source."

"I was wondering about that." Jack replied. "Lets go rescue some Magnemite." Cyn nodded with a smile before taking the lead into the pitch black cavern. Jack followed, both nervous and excited for the adventure and peril that was to come.