Chapter 3
Facing Challenges


"Hey Snivy?"

"What's up?"

"Earlier, you said that 'the land shifts around' inside mystery dungeons. What exactly did you mean by that?"

"Oh, it's super cool! So in this cavern, there's all these tunnels and split paths and stuff, right? Well over time, the layout of the cavern will totally change; a left turn can become a right, a new tunnel might branch off where there wasn't one before, the crystals will move around, it's like a totally new cave! Cool right?"

"More like weird." As if this hasn't been weird enough. "Wait, if the tunnels move while we're inside, doesn't that mean it could seal the exit? Or crush us?!"

"No, no, there's always a path to the end of the dungeon. And apparently it never shifts while people are watching."

"That's... more weird. Why?"

"Why? Who cares? I mean, it isn't called a 'mystery' dungeon for nothing. If you want things to make sense, you shouldn't have come here in the first place."

"I didn't come here, I just woke up... here..." I trail off as we encounter an obstacle; the ground ahead slopes downward, while the way forward sits at the top of a small cliff. It's like a bridge with one side that's fallen. The cliff is way too steep to climb, but good news: There are several pillars rising out of the ground that could work as platforms, so we can use those to jump across. The bad news: The tops of the pillars are covered by a familiar glowing yellow crystal.

"Whoa..." says Snivy, staring at the pillars before us. "... That looks fun!"

"Wait, what are you-"

Snivy jumps onto the first pillar, jumping to the next one just in time as electricity zaps where they had just stood. They quickly make their way across, narrowly avoiding danger with each leap. Soon, they reach the other side, standing at the top of the cliff.

"Woo-hoo!" Snivy cheers.

"Hey, didn't you say we'd get out of here together?!"

"Huh? Well yeah, what are you waiting for?"

"I can't jump across there! I just learned how to walk half an hour ago!"

"So you're just figuring out walking but you can talk perfectly fine? Sure. Look, the jumps aren't even that far, you can obviously make it. C'mon, jump across, it's fun!"

True, the pillars are pretty close together, but I'm neither as fast nor as stupidly brave as Snivy. This is bad; Snivy might be a jerk, but I need help on this planet. Even if I can get out of this cave, there might not be any civilization nearby. I'm not sure I can even survive here on my own. "Please! You can't just abandon me like this!"

"... Oh." Realization dawns on Snivy's face, but realization of what, I'm not sure. After a moment of thought, Snivy reaches out with a vine and taps the crystal surface of the nearest pillar. After the usual delay, electricity surrounds it. "Okay, that's like two seconds. I think that's enough time to jump, right? Just try it once, and if you can't make it, I'll go back with you and we'll find a different path."

Well shoot, that's a pretty bad compromise; I get zapped and/or fall onto hard rock, but I get to not be totally lost and alone. Still, not like I have a choice. "Alright, fine." I Jump in place a couple times and savor a few more seconds of peace before jumping onto the nearest pillar.

I land pretty well, my four legs making it easier to stay balanced in an unfamiliar body. I take just a second to prepare as the crystal platform below me glows brighter, and I jump to the next pillar just in time. It goes great once again, and after another jump, it feels like the sound of electricity is chasing behind me. It's exciting! Just a little more...

A fourth jump, and I'm almost there, but I mess up my landing and collapse. I scramble to my feet, but the crystal's glow gets brighter and brighter! I jump toward the fifth pillar just in time to avoid the shock, but my jump was too hasty, and I don't go high enough! I bonk my head into the side of the pillar before falling to the rock-hard cave floor.

There are only three good things about this situation: I didn't get electrocuted, we get to take a safe route now, and... that was actually kinda fun while it lasted. I get up and rub my head; just about everything hurts, but I expected the fall to hurt more. I guess pokemon are more durable than humans.

"Hey Mudkip, are you okay?" Snivy asks, sounding... genuinely concerned.

I walk over to the cliff to look up at Snivy. "Yeah, just pain, nothing serious. So, we're going back to find a safe route now, right?"

"Yeah, let me just- Oh wait."

"What?"

"I, uh... Well..." Snivy reaches a vine down the cliff towards me. I'm not sure what's happening, but I let it wrap around me, and then Snivy starts... pulling me... up the cliff...

Soon, I reach the top. "So let me get this straight; you could've just done that the whole time?!"

"Yeah. I just, uh, didn't think of it until now..."

"You're an idiot."

"I... Yeah, I am. Sorry."

Okay, I'm pretty mad right now, but I probably shouldn't be calling the one person who can help me an idiot. That, and... "It's fine. And, well, it was... It wasn't that bad. Hey, actually, wasn't that kinda weird? The way that room was laid out?"

"How so?"

"It was like an obstacle course. You said this place just randomly shifts around, but that room looked like it was designed to be jumped across."

"Oh yeah. Things like that happen in mystery dungeons, I've noticed."

"Why?"

"Who cares? Again, they're called MYSTERY dungeons."

"Didn't those explorers you talked to ever tell you? Like, were these dungeons created by someone on purpose?"

"I didn't ask any boring questions like that."

"But aren't you curious?"

"I'm curious about cool things, like these crystals that make lightning! I'm not curious about boring stuff, like who put them there, or the way they use 'chemical reactions' or 'geothermal energy' or whatever to make lightning happen."

"Do you even know what you're saying?"

"Nope, and I don't need to! The crystals make lightning when you touch them, and that's super cool!"

Well that's some pretty shallow interest. I'm not great at guessing pokemon's ages, but while I'm pretty sure Snivy is a kid, like me, just how young are they to be this immature?.. But, well, they have a point; lightning crystals are pretty cool. Snivy starts walking further down the tunnel, but as I try to follow, pain shoots through my leg, and I wince.

"Oh shoot," Snivy says, fishing through their bag. "You should probably have an oran berry after a fall like that."

"Oh yeah, we got some earlier. Those can heal pokemon's wounds, right?"

"Yup. I'm surprised you know about oran berries but not mystery dungeons."

"Well, there were oran berries back on Earth, but not mystery dungeons."

"Earth?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I got teleported here from another planet called Earth. With humans. And no mystery dungeons. And also pokemon couldn't talk there."

Snivy rolls their eyes as they hand me a big blue berry. I have a bit of trouble handling it with my dumb stub arms, but I eventually get it into my mouth. I swallow it down, and my pain vanishes within seconds! I wish I could've used these things back when I was a human.

We continue our trek through the cavern, and I'm getting more comfortable with my new body; I've got walking totally figured out, and I'm starting to get used to the fins on my head and tail. Still, this body just feels so wrong; I'm a human, with hands, and fingers! I'm not supposed to walk on four legs. This isn't normal. How can I get my body back, and for that matter, how do I get back home?

Before I can ponder the answers to these questions, we walk around a corner and Snivy suddenly pulls be backward, putting a finger to their lips to shush me. They peek around the corner, and I peek with them. Ahead stands an Electabuzz, pacing around aimlessly.

"Hey, do you see those?" Snivy whispers, pointing to a pair of crystals sitting on opposite sides of the tunnel ahead, one yellow, one white. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yup, I think so."

"I'll make a distraction, you get to the yellow one."

"Got it."

Snivy steps out from behind the corner and runs toward the Electabuzz. "Hey you oversized banana, you want a new bruise!?"

Once I hear the sounds of the fight start to echo through the tunnel, I sneak around the corner and hide behind the yellow crystal. Snivy spots me and retreats, tapping the white crystal as they run away.

The Electabuzz doesn't approach, but instead shoots a lightning bolt at Snivy, but Sniivy easily dodges. "C'mon, is that all? I've eaten lemons that put up more of a fight!"

Whether responding to Snivy's taunts or just mindlessly chasing, the Electabuzz takes the bait and starts walking forward. I give the yellow crystal a tap and back off, turning around just in time to see an electrical current link the two crystals, with the Electabuzz caught in the middle! After a second, the current disappears. Snivy dashes forward, leaping into the air and swinging their tail at the Electabuzz's face-

Only to receive a fist straight to the stomach, knocking them into the cave wall. "... Ow, what the heck? How'd it recover so fast..."

Yeah, it should've been stunned after a shock that strong! It worked fine on the Emolga, so why- Oh my gosh we're idiots. "It's resistant to electricity!"

As I shout to Snivy, the Electabuzz turns to face me. Shoot, I probably shouldn't've announced my presence like that. Electricity sparks around the Electabuzz's head, and I dodge out of the way as a bolt of lightning strikes where I was standing! I dash forward to land a tackle, but the Electabuzz sends me tumbling backwards with a swift punch, leaving my lying on my stomach! For being so big, it moves fast.

I look up from the ground to see the Electabuzz's head once again sparking with electricity, and I barely roll out of the way in time to avoid the lightning. The Electabuzz starts preparing another bolt, but Snivy interrupts it with a tail smack to the face! But even after landing a clean hit, Snivy is almost struck with yet another punch, just barely managing to dodging it.

Snivy keeps attacking, using their vines to strike from a distance, but the Electabuzz is quick enough to dodge most of the attacks, and the ones that do hit don't seem to do much. What do I do? I could take advantage of the distraction and attack, but I'd definitely get hit in return if I got close. So then I won't get close, I'll just...

Instinct takes over, and I feel an unfamiliar power swell up inside me. I open my mouth, and a stream of water blasts the Electabuzz in the face, soaking it and making it stumble backwards!

"Wait, did I just- Oh my gosh, I just used water gun. I just used a pokemon move!"

"Celebrate later, fight now!" Snivy says, making a very good point as the Electabuzz doesn't look very happy. Sparks start to appear around the Electabuzz's head, but just as I get ready to dodge, its attack seems to backfire, causing it to flinch and rub its head in pain. Its electricity is hurting it? But why would it... Oh. OH!

"Snivy, let's use the crystals again!"

"What? Why?"

"Trust me!"

We run around the staggered Electabuzz, and I take cover behind the yellow crystal. Snivy gives the white crystal a tap as they run past, then turns to provoke our target.

"You look like a wilted dandelion, and you fight like one too!"

With thunderbolts out of its arsenal, the Electabuzz is left with no choice but to approach Snivy. I give the yellow crystal a tap and step back, watching as the soaking wet Electabuzz walks right into an electrical current! The Electabuzz cries out in pain, and when the electricity disappears, it falls to its knees!

"I got this!" Snivy dashes toward the stunned Electabuzz, leaping high into the air with a spin. As they spin faster and faster, a storm of leaves starts to swirl around their tail. "Special Finishing Move: Leaf Tornado!" Snivy's tail slams into the Electabuzz's face, the leaves cutting into its body, and the momentum of the strike knocking it to the ground!

A few silent seconds pass as the Electabuzz lies motionless, before it finally evaporates into purple smoke.

I breathe a sigh of relief at the battle's end. Then I remember; I used water gun! I just, shot water out of my mouth, just like that! That was so cool! I'm SO COOL!

"Why are you getting all excited?" Snivy asks.

Oh shoot, I said all that out loud. OH SHOOT, I was jumping around like a hyperactive puppy! And Snivy saw me! Oh my gosh I look like an idiot-

"It was just a water gun, you're acting like its something special. Now, MY attack, THAT was cool, right?! I was all like, woosh, and the bad guy was like, 'AAAGH', and I just knocked 'em out in one hit! That was AWESOME!!"

... For some mysterious reason, I don't feel very embarrassed anymore. "Uh, yeah, actually; that was a pretty cool move."

"Right? It was my siblings' move before, but I've totally mastered it and made it my own, and now it's my... SPECIAL FINISHING MOVE!" Snivy strikes three dramatic poses to emphasize their words, and I barely manage to hid my laughter. Then, something catches Snivy's attention. "Huh? Hey, check that out."

Snivy points further down the tunnel, to a room with a bright yellow light glowing within.

"Is that the end of the dungeon?" I ask, though I'm not sure where I got the idea; it doesn't look like it leads outside.

"Probably... Race ya there!" Snivy takes off, sprinting toward the light.

"Hey, no fair!" I chase after them, but my legs are short and I haven't got the hang of running yet. I fall behind, but I slowly and steadily make my way to the glowing room...




Thanks for reading! Comments, questions, and criticisms are encouraged and appreciated!