Explorers of Origin: A Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction, Volume 1

Chapter 1: Shelter Camp

Trust is the most prized attribute.

Waking up on the medical service bed, Pikachu groans in pain, still shaken up from the crash-land he suffered. Confused about the different environment, he questions the validity of the location.

"Damn it... why does it have to be yet another hospital bed?"

"Feeling better over there? That was some impact you took."

"Huh? 'The hell are you?"

"Call me Audino. I'm the doctor of Wigglytuff Guild, the place where you were resting up just now. "

With half-open eyes, Pikachu carefully looks at the outline of Audino's body. Frustration starts to flow through his head as Pikachu places his hand on his forehead. Sensing this frustration, Audino approaches him to continue their dialogue.

"Don't tell me I'm one of you guys..."

"Hmm? What makes you say that?"

"I heard lots of fake-ass rumors about 'portals to a new world' that were being spread as if they were desperate supremacists losing their influence. Those rumors talk about becoming Pokémon or other random characters."

"I suppose you still don't buy into them, huh?"

"Nope. Never. Yet here I am, talking face-to-face to an Audino such as yourself."

"Well, there are plenty of them you can chat with, like my assistants. They're a colorful group of Pokés who never bore themselves or others. They find things to do in their off-time, sometimes with me jumping in!"

"But you guys are medical staff..."

"I know that. That doesn't mean we're stuck doing treatments all the time. We go out, chatting with other residents to form tight bonds. I find this critical in our mission to retain close relationships with patients and non-patients alike. It helps build trust among all of us."

Pikachu moves his head back and forth to observe the emergency room, watching the lively interaction between the assistants. Still skeptical of the validity of Audino's statement, he closes his eyes for a few seconds. Upon opening them, he decides to ask Audino about his health.

"How did I end up like this? There're bandages all over me."

"Well, to start, there's a Zoroark who brought you to Neo Treasure Town, the place where this Guild is based. When you first showed up, you had burns and blood all over your body. He believed that, since you were unconscious at the time, there needed to be an intense recovery procedure. I managed to overhear his debate with the Guild Master when he was holding you, and without hesitation I took you into this medical department. My assistants bandaged you so that no more blood could flow out of your body, while at the same time I used a series of Heal Bells to get rid of the burns."

"Must've been a crap ton of work."

"It took a little bit to help you regain consciousness. I did a Heal Pulse to check if you were alert. Since nothing came from it, I grabbed a Reviver Seed from one of the drawers on my desk. It's a good job those seeds live up to their name."

Pikachu slowly nods his head to signal his understanding of the situation. He takes a deep breath and glances at the assistants. After inspecting their interaction, he quietly yawns.