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Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Shifting Sands

Summary:

Lawrence, a cowardly human-turned togepi, suddenly wakes up in a world where only pokémon inhabit, lost and confused. After waking up, he meets up and befriends an energetic jangmo-o named Mirari, and together they end up tangled on a conspiracy that threatens the fate of the Sand Continent, or maybe even the world itself. Will they uncover the truth together, or succumb to the darkness alone?

Notes:

This story is my first ever attempt at writting... anything, really! So reviews and comments are really appreciated! I hope you can have fun reading, as much as I have fun writting it! Having said that, I do not own Pokémon, PMD or anything of the sort- this is merely a love letter to all great PMD stories out there, using some new stuff from gen VIII, and some old classics! Oh, and this fic is also being posted on FFN! Anyway, on with the story!

Chapter 1: The Stranger

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"You know, youngling, many have asked the same thing. And frankly, I'm unsure myself. Let me ask you: why do I lead the guild? Why do I wake up every day with a smile on my muzzle? What motivates me to fight?"

A lonely, quadruped dragon-like child stares into the sky from their window, seeing the sun rise from the horizon, as huge sandstorms and sand tornadoes form in the distance, thankfully relatively far away from her and her mother's house. Her room was filled with scattered toys, books, scrolls and maps, footprint writings covering some random papers. The little pokémon sighs, curling into a ball and waiting for another lonely, monotone day to start, her heart aching as she escapes into her innocent mind.


"Truth be told, youngling, I don't think we, mere mortals, could ever reach to a single conclusion to any of these questions! It's quite baffling how such simple things can be so mysterious!"

As morning approached, a shadowy pokémon dashed through the dying night, the streets empty, and most houses still asleep. He silently glided through the stony walls of some old couple's residence, climbing towards the window, and almost as if he knew the place, he ran towards the kitchen, and swiftly grabbed the plate on the middle of it, full of delicious and ripe berries, soon vanishing into the now illuminated outside, flinching as his stomach growled, and weakness almost broke his graceful steps.


"I sometimes wonder if there even is a correct answer anyway! I've met my fair share of fellow pokémon in my life, none of them like the other, and I'm sure they'd answer each question very differently as well!"

The beautiful light of the moon pierced the darkness of the night. Alluring in it's mystery, yet intimidating in it's possibilities. A heavy rain was flooding the grassy plains, rustling the leaves and shaking the trees, the breeze was howling, as a lonely, cloaked figure stared into the night. Extending his paw, he felt his fur move with the air around him. He felt a strange sense of urgency, halting his long, aimless trip… Closing his paw shut, he looked at the endless forest that filled the horizon, a sense of foreboding ever present.


"So to understand why I love this continent, and why I dedicate my entire life to protect it, you must first understand why I fight, and live, in the first place!"

He was falling- He wasn't sure what was happening, only that he was scared, confused and unsure, feeling a sharp pain on his chest, the blinding lights of the psychedelic world around him forming into a chaotic, yet beautiful mix of colors. It was then, that he felt his hands clenching, and a undescribable pain wrecking his very being- He would scream, if only he had a mouth, as all the lights suddenly turned into a single, white colored flash, enveloping and cradling the soul as he fell into the abyss.


"And to finally answer the big question (as well as the little ones), my zeal for this continent comes not from it's ancient culture, not from it's long and bloody history, nor from the countless adventures and endless possibilities this dry piece of land offers!"

"Accept my offer, child… And I shall grant you your greatest desire. You will have what your heart seeks… should you accept the task of ridding the world of sin."

"W-Why me? Again, I'm not saying no or anything… B-But…"

"You have been… blessed, child. You have something others lack, deep within your being. And I need it. For my righteous cause."

"I-I still don't get it. I'll do whatever you say just… Just help me bring them back!"

"Goooood~"


"Hohoho! Why, don't look at me like that, dear! I swear the answer's coming. Younglings are so impatient with their elders! Well then, to finally answer it to you! The reason why I have devoted my entire life to preserving the sand continent… Well, it's thanks to the pokémon, of course!"

"Lady, the omens! The energy! The arrival is nigh!"

"Indeed. The leylines themselves are reacting. The world itself is crying. And I'm sure They can hear the call too."

"Should I mobilize the others, then?"

"Please do. Send them to each continent- Immediately. Leave no stone unturned. We must find him first, at all costs."

"As you desire, my Lady."


"It's why I can be steadfast and unflinching when leading my fellow guildmates. It's why I can wake up everyday with a smile, no matter how bleak things are and It's why I can fight, even if all seems lost. I see so many good pokémon, from all types, colors, shapes and sizes, all living in harmony, all trying to make the best of life together… All searching for their meaning and their happiness in their own way."

"Sword, bravely glimmering gold, to pierce the cloak of the night

Shield, shining silver to protect us all from fright

When the dark one returns for his revenge

Grant us power to avenge, to make a stand

For when despair is to return

The two heroes shall make the tide turn."

"So it is written. And so it shall be."


"You see, the path of life, youngling, can be painful and confusing- but if we all just try a little harder to be better today than we were tomorrow, I'm sure everyone can achieve their dreams! That's why I adore our home, the sand continent. No, actually, that's why I adore the very world we live in! Our bonds of trust, love and friendship are what make us pokémon so strong- and what makes our life worth living. I live to protect and preserve those bonds, those pokémon. I know I can't change the continent by myself, let alone the world, but that's why I created the guild! So that together, we may all cross the road of life in peace, and not fall for the mistakes of the past."

"And that is why, my dear youngling, I'm sure you'll be a great guildmaster when you grow up! You already had your own answer before you even asked me the question, did you not? No reason to blush! You didn't think you'd slip past your old man like that, eh?"


Chapter I: The Stranger

-?-

Wind. The perceptible natural movement of the air. Breeze. In the very first moment in which his confused consciousness started to process what was around him, the wind was the first thing he could feel. Strong, oppressive… Different. He couldn't tell why, but he knew that the strong gust of air he was feeling was somehow not the same as he was used to. The… strange feeling on his back wasn't helping. It was hot, dry, rough… Where was he laying on?

And then, he could feel the sun begin to burn his poor body, making it ache all over, he acknowledged the existence of the world around him, but yet, he found himself unable to move… even thinking caused him discomfort. His vision was blackened, his eyes closed, his body unmoving, his breath slow, but chaotic. When his ears started to function again, a pain inducing ringing was all he could hear.

He tried opening his eyes, to try and catch a glimpse of where he ended up on, only to let out a dry croak of pain, the burning beams of light almost toasting his weak, fragile eyes. The sharp pain on his head somehow getting even stronger, stabbing through his skull.

"H…h...he...l…" was all his tiny mouth could say, before he yet again returned to the void, his heart rate accelerating, and then just as suddenly, decelerating, as his panic was suppressed by the sleep that overtook him.


A few minutes earlier...

-Oasis Village-

"But mom, I'm old enough! You promised!" said a squeaky, indignant young feminine voice.

"You're 14, sweetie. Barely completed your basic studies, too." an older, more mature female sounding voice replied, calmly, yet sternly.

"All the other kids have tried! They've gone in at least one! I can't even say their name, you already shut me down!"

"That's because you have repeated the words 'mystery' and 'dungeon', usually followed by 'explore' so many times" the more mature female paused, taking a deep breath and then continuing, still with her calm tone "that they're starting to lose their meaning, sweetie."

"And besides, the school dungeons barely count. They are just empty caves that the teachers fill with items." Said the older voice, again.

"It's still something! You don't let me go to school! You don't let me have friends! You don't let me explore! You don't even let me have a-a…!" the young girl snarled, angrily running away as soon as she was done talking.

"Sweetie! Wai-" the other voice was soon out of earshot, the youthful female blindly boating out from the house as fast as she possibly could, leaving rushed footsteps through the sand beneath her scalie paws, not sure where to go, only knowing she had to go far away.

After sprinting aimlessly, the quadruped girl soon stopping to catch her breath, panting with her tongue out, feeling the weight of the explorer bag she always carried around. She tried looking around to properly locate herself, soon gazing upon a small formation of trees surrounding a small lake… the landscape around being completely covered in sand, the horizon being full of dunes, and the occasional sandy wind.

"It's the little oasis near town. Boy oh boy, I must have run a lot!" she thought, a bit proud of herself, her grin soon turning into a frown, as she slowly made her way to the lake on the desert, remembering the events that just took place.

"Mom is just so… controlling of everything. It's honestly infuriating! All other kids think I'm weird 'cause I'm always home thanks to her 'lessons'... And she refuses to let me prove myself!" she huffs, rolling her eyes "Like… C'mon! Just a single dungeon! I'm not asking to take a swing on The World's Edge! (as much as I'd love to!) Nor am I asking for a trip to the Great Canyon! (but she really could take me there on my hatchday!)"

The pokémon almost falls on the water, being so deep in thought. She merely sighs, the last bits of her anger turning fully into confusion and sadness "Seriously! Even Little Sandrop Cave would do! And that dungeon's so laughable that none of the guilds ever go there! Why did she even give me this stupid bag, if all I do is walk around with berries and water on it!" she growled, biting the bag's singular strap (that went around her neck and shoulder) in frustration.

The little pokémon finally stares at the water underneath her, seeing her image reflected on the water, her red eyes staring for a moment at the heart-shaped yellow scale on top of her head, her beak-like grey snout frowning a bit, as she notices some sand on her chest's white tuft, shaking her head and quadruped body to dust off some sand on her scales, producing a distinctive, soft clanging melody, characteristic of her species, Jangmo-o.

When she is satisfied with the fast cleaning, the female dragon lowered her head towards the water, carefully drinking some of the pure, refreshing liquid, feeling utterly renewed after it.

Smiling at long last, she sat on the hot, sandy ground beneath her, staring at the distance, the sun burning high in the sky, the ever so common winds carrying harmless sand around, with a few slim trees hanging here and there, most around the Oasis where she stood.

Her smile soon turned into a frown once more "Ugh… Everything here is so… dull! Everywhere I look It's the same! This desert is like the village, the villagers… And like my mother! Boring! Boring! Boring!" she mumbled the last few parts, stomping on the ground in her little tantrum, coughing and shaking herself once more, when sand inevitably hit her face.

"Can't something cool happen… for once!? Oh Gods, Legendaries and Guardians, I promise I'll beg thee no mo-" her train of thought was soon interrupted by a loud bang, followed by a flash of light. The little Jangmo-o covered her face, as she gazed at the distance bewildered, a mushroom cloud forming in the horizon right past the small oasis- even further from town!

"...Well damn! Guess that nagging deities pays off!" she smirked and readily took off, charging recklessly towards the sudden explosion, getting sand everywhere, and clanging her scales with sheer excitement.


….

Everything hurts.

Everywhere stings.

But somehow, he was slowly recovering his consciousness. He could hear ringing, again. His head was killing him, again. He was panicking, again… But at least, he seemed to be waking up for good this time. Or so he hoped.

And that damn wind. It was still as irritating as before!

Yet he could feel… Sense something approaching. It was making him want to get up, despite his aching members, his energies were no longer only going down-

"Heeeeeeey!"

The voice was jovial, young… Feminine? It seemed to belong to a very energetic person. Or at least that was what he got from that single sentence. He couldn't really see them- since he was afraid to open his eyes for now- if only to not end up blind like last time. The sun scorching his face surely didn't help.

He heard a few more words, though he couldn't really make it out. He soon heard hasty footsteps, then… sliding? And then he heart the steps getting closer to where he was laying.

"...-kay? Hey!" That same female voice said, immediately touching him with… something leathery and somewhat rough.

"Uuughhh…" Came a long groan of reply, surprisingly, he was feeling his energy return even faster now. Like someone had suddenly injected coffee directly on his blood.

He felt a shadow loom over him, finally feeling brave enough to open his eyes. What he saw made him wish he hadn't though.

A… peculiar looking lizard was staring right back at him. It's strange red eyes staring at him with endless curiosity. He felt very unnerved, he couldn't recognize this creature. He was frozen, only muffling his screams to avoid making it mad, and immediately attack him. Holy crap, was this some weird Komodo Dragon's child- Was he on a nest? Do mother Komo-

"Finally! You had me pretty scared there! You don't seem wounded" She said, the same jovial female voice from earlier. Ok, he was clearly having a very trippy, very lucid-

"Hey! You ok? Oh Manaphy, you must be parched! Here!" She picks up a bottle with her clawed… paw? She then moved it to her… beak? Snout? And tried opening the thing with it, only to pull too strongly, and suddenly drench the already scared and confused male. That was the last straw.

"AAAAH! W-W-Wha- I-I-I'm Y-Y-You?" he got up, noticing how huge this gigantic dinosaur was! It was almost twice his size! And he was clearly on his own two feet! "AAAAAH! H-HUGE!" He stuttered, trembling on his very core, the female dragon only tilted her head, with a sad frown, flinching momentarily.

"Sorry! It slipped! Erm- I can step away if you'd like!" she embarrassedly tried to soothe him, still holding the bottle, and taking a step back, to give the frightened little thing some space "I'm Jangmo-o! I live just around the block! Nice to meet ya!"

As if the metaphorical engines in his brain finally began moving, he suddenly had a realisation "P-Pokémon! Y-You… You're a p-pokémon! In R-Real life! T-T-Talking!" He stuttered, pointing an accusing 'finger' at her, only to see a yellow, stubby hand instead of his usual five fingered one.

"Erm. Yeah. So are you! We have so much in common!" She suppressed a giggle, as if she was hearing a joke from the dead serious and panicking little guy in front of her.

He heard the girl, but instead was focused on looking at his 'hand', then he slowly moved his head downwards, seeing his now round body, encased by a white shell, light-yellow round small feet with two toes each… By all accounts, he was- "A T-T-TOGEPI!?"

As the tiny fairy type looked himself over, only freaking out more, she decided to try and say something "Yeah! Erm. Um. Mama says to take deep breaths and some pauses so you won't stutter! Worked for me!" she innocently smiled at him.

The togepi stared back at her, silent, with an expression of sheer despair and inconsolable sadness, his mouth open, as he took deep, chaotic and desperate breaths.

"...See! Just like that! Now you should feel better!"

"NO!" he angrily spat, making the clueless jangmo-o take another step back and flinch once more, a sad expression on her face.

He frowned too, he himself taking a step back and wiping some water off his face. Gulping, trying to think, trying to reason what was-

"Erm… I've never seen you around here, Togepi! Who are you?" The seemingly unbeatable lizard spoke once more.

The togepi opened his mouth to angrily shout something, but paused as nothing came out. He began thinking frantically, trying to scan his brain for anything that could answer that very simple question. Who was he? What was his name? His mother's name? His favorite song? Anything!

….Anything?

...No...

...There was nothing...

...Now with everything crashing down on him, on those fateful 6 or 7 minutes of being awake, the togepi decided it was a good time to cry.

He suddenly sat back down on the sad, his stubby tiny arms on his eyes, as tears dropped on the dry sand bellow.

The jangmo-o was really, really confused with literally everything that was happening. She had no clue what to do. She only knew she needed to do something- And like always, she followed her very first instinct/idea.

Suddenly, the small spike ball pokémon was enveloped by a somewhat (at least on his perspective) large tail, a slender, tough body pressing against his round one carefully, while a head gently touched his little 'crown' on his head, the dragon nuzzling him in a very strange, very soothing hug.

And just like that, he was hugging back, his sobbing face pressing against her neck, while his small soft spikes touched her head, his arms pitifully trying to wrap around her chest.

Weirdly enough, he was feeling like a car battery that was being supercharged with energy, his heart beating faster, though not uncomfortably so, his sadness being purged by the calming and comforting energy he was feeling.

"...There! When I feel down, I always want a hug! Nothing it can't fix, I say!" she cheerfully declared. Silently, the chick pokémon agreed.

He was unsure for how long the two just stayed there- two complete strangers, in the middle of god-knows-where, in a crater under harsh sunlight just… Embracing one another. No words were needed, the Jangmo-o was feeling how that barely functioning mess of a Togepi put himself together, while the fairy type, for once since he awoke, was feeling that perhaps it was not so bad. She reminded him that perhaps it was not so bad. Not so bad…

"At least I remembered a song I like…" he sniffed, smiling melancholically, and simply… staying there a little longer. Until a sudden spark ignited on his mind, a very simple memory, yet one that was previously locked away- Now somehow set free.

"La-Lawrence…" he whispered, his tears finally dry.

"Law-what?"

"Lawrence. I-It's my name. Um." the fairy blushed, when he finally realised they were still embracing, carefully letting go of the bigger pokémon "You a-asked me. I'm Lawrence. I think. I don't remember much..."

The Jangmo-o seemed a bit taken back, for some reason. Her scales hiding the faintest of blushes, while her bright smile was ever present "Oh! Erm- That's a very weird name!" She giggles loudly, making him even more embarrassed.

"Well, you can call me Mirari, then!" Lawrence could see her tail moving, not too unlike a dog's tail wag, a soft melody being heard as she did.

The smaller pokémon smiled and nodded, trying to be sure to remember that name. It was a bit weird for him, but he assumed that it was one that fit a kind hearted, talking dinosaur-lizard-dragon-thingie.

"Say, Larrence... Do you know what happened here?" she questioned, still curious "How did you end up in the middle of that crater? What caused that explosion from earlier? Was it you?"

"I-It's 'Lawrence'. And um..." The still nervous togepi sighed, rubbing his head as it still pained him to think too much "I-I don't know. Again, I don't remember anything- I-I could barely remember my name! T-That and... t-the fact that I'm-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the howling of the wind got even louder, the sand that was carried getting even more annoying, Mirari gasped, suddenly turning around and dashing towards the surface.

"H-Hey!" Lawrence stumbled to follow her, almost tripping on his new, stubby legs, struggling to trek back to Mirari.

"D-Don't leave m- AAAAH!" he froze right beside the dragon, both staring at the distance.

At least three large tornado-like things were forming in the distance, entirely made of wind and sand, ravaging the desert around the wake, a sandstorm forming around them "DUST DEVILS!" Mirari shrieked, her eyes wide.

Lawrence could only shake and tremble as he saw his doom slowly making its way towards them. He snapped back to reality when he felt strong claws grab his tiny arm "C'mon! We gotta move! The village is too far away, but there's a cave nearby! We can stay there until it's over!"

"O-O-Ok!" he barely managed to say, before he was pushed by the dragon type, yet again stumbling his way to keep up with her.


Meanwhile…

A cloaked figure slowly walked by the desert, leaving noticeable footprints on the sandy ground as they seemed to be almost in a trance.

When they arrived on the little Oasis, very well known by travelers and denizens of this specific place, the figure stared to the skied, noting the strange clouds up above.

"That absurd release of energy… Could it be?" They kept pondering, now seeing the unusually violent sandstorm, together with three wicked dust devils.

"Why here, of all places? Why now? It makes no sense!" The figure began walking around, as if analysing data and evidence of a puzzle, when she made out the faintest traces of steps in the sand near the river.

They got closer, kneeling near the water, examining a very distinctive set of footprints still barely left there, the trail leading directly to the sand tornadoes and huge sandstorm in the distance.

"No… Did you get involved...!?" They then immediately threw away their protective, yet restrictive cloak in one vicious swing, the cloth flying with the wind, a gray and gold blur suddenly dashing across the desert, fearlessly going straight towards the hellish weather.

"Please stay safe. And please, stay away from the human." They prayed internally, growling as they felt the flying sand starting to touch their tough, clanging scales.


"We're almost there!"

"Y-You said t-that t-three t-times!"

"You stuttered three times!"

The duo was running as fast as their small legs could carry them, further hampered by being against the wind, and actively fighting the sand under their feet.

"T-That's not funny! And has nothing t-to do with what I said!" The one further behind stuttered, already panting "And it was f-four!"

"Hah! Now I heard three!" the one up ahead declared, with her usual grin present, even while they literally ran for their lives.

"S-Still not f-funny!"

"I can't believe it! I finally made a friend! And not only that, I'm finally going on an adventure! Yay! By the gods, he even told me his name! Usually, only very close pokémon do that! Thank you Arceus, thank you, thank you!"

"W-Wait up! You're t-too fa-fast!"

Mirari seemed to have gotten carried away, since indeed, she was leaving him behind somewhat "let's try and work on not going out on our first one, I guess!"

She allowed him to catch up, though with the fairy, also came the sandstorm, and it was getting way too close to comfort!

"Oh boy! We really need to work on that stutter of yours!" Mirari giggled "Have you managed to say a single sentence without stuttering?"

"I-I'm NERVOUS!" Lawrence spat "We're r-running for our… lives in the m-middle o-off… Nowhere… A-And you're worrying a-about my s-stutters!?"

"It is a serious speech impediment! Mama helped me sort mine when I was a hatchling!" she seemed to have limitless energy, this Mirari girl "And besides! What else are we gonna do while we run? Stay quiet?"

"F-FOCUS!" Lawrence almost tripped for what seemed like the hundredth time "A-And you're still t-too F-FAST!"

"It's getting closer to us! If I go any slower, we're gonna get buried!"

And indeed, the demonic looking sandstorm was coming as if to grab then, while the devilish dust devils awaited further back, seeming almost hungry to devour them, even while they kept struggling to run.

"AAAAH! Mirari, I d-don't wanna d-die!"

She suddenly stopped to a halt, making the togepi crash into her, his pitiful weight compared to hers made him only fall flat on his back "OW!"

"I have an idea! I think you'll hate it!" Mirari turned around, almost as if giggling internally.

"W-W-What are y-you-"

She picked him off the sand with her snout, crunching his egg 'armor', and tossing him to her back "Hang on tight!"

And so, before he could protest, Mirari begun dashing at full speed, while Lawrence could only hug tight on her neck, almost bouncing and flying off to certain doom, while screaming as much as his petit lungs allowed.

They could see a rock-like formation up ahead, it was the cave! Though they'd have to turn left to reach the proper entrance.

"Now we're getting there!" she screamed undauntingly, feeling the sand already touching her tail, their time already running out, much like Mirari's stamina and Lawrence's vocal cords.

Mirari was starting to huff, finally showing signs of exhaustion, her speed decreasing, and her usually cheery voice no longer there to provide banter and levity to the situation, feeling the sand overtake her tail completely, reaching her hind legs, touching on Lawrence's toes too.

Noticing what was happening, the togepi turned back, looking at the wall of sand looming over them from behind, while the sides tried to flank them, completely helpless, he hugged the dragon type even tighter.

That was it. They had struggled to no avail. And it was his fault for slowing her down. They were going to die, and he was the responsable.

His fear, powerlessness, guilt and stress all suddenly triggered some sort of instinct that his body had, his heart beating so loud he was sure it was hammering Mirari's scaly back, he suddenly shone a soft, aqua blue, while still hugging the Jangmo-o.

She also sparkled the same color, energy suddenly returning to her legs, her mind, and most importantly, her resolve, her draconic paws out matching the sand, as they gained the upper hand at long last.

With their unexpected second wind, they finally reached the promised haven, Mirari having to jump to her left, dragging the (now screaming again) togepi with her.

She fell and rolled with her bag, while Lawrence similarly stumbled, letting go of her mid-air, and flying even further down the cave, the sand continuing forward outside, spitting some leftover sand inside the cave, similar to the aftermath of a deadly explosion on those action movies.


-? -

My call, can you hear it? This message, can you see it? I'll wait forever, if you'll just come to me.

"Lawry! Larry! Laurie!"

He groaned. Not again.

"Oh, finally! Wakey wakey!"

He slowly got up, still a bit unnerved when he saw a overly friendly lizard who was twice his size, and most likely ten times his weight just smiling down at him.

...Wait. There was an overly friendly lizard staring down at him! Mirari! They were alive!

As soon as he realised that, the petit fairy jumped up and smiled "Mirari! You did it! We s-survived!"

She was about to say something, when she suddenly felt the soft petit arms of the togepi hugging her "Heh! Can't take all the credit, your Life Dew really saved our hides!" her tail yet again touched his back, lightly returning the hug as she pressed against him.

He looked up, still embracing the dragon "Life what now?"

She tilted her head, pausing for a moment "Erm. Yeah. You don't remember the name of your moves? Oh wow! You must have hit your head pretty hard!"

He let go of her, frustrated "How can I know the names of my 'moves'? I'm not a p-pokémon! I'm a human! Or- I-I was a human!"

He kept staring at her, very seriously.

She kept staring at him, blank expression.

"...No joke?" she muttered.

"No! W-Why w-would I joke a-about that!" Lawrence nervously continued, his voice and his tone wavering.

She seemed to be trying to read him, her blood red eyes trying to pierce through his very soul to find a single hint of mischief, or malicious intent.

She found none.

She could only see a confused, desperate and very lonely togepi.

But even still, she couldn't believe him.

Even if her heart ached, she simply could not accept what the fairy said.

She just couldn't. That… That's just not how a human would act, nor how one would look like as a pokémon.

"...You must be very tired after what happened back there. Let's get out of here, and… figure things out later." Mirari said, in a strangely formal and serious tone.

"You… Don't believe me, d-do you…?" he meekly asked, already knowing the answer.

The Jangmo-o didn't reply, she just looked up ahead, fixing her sand stained bag on her shoulder.

Lawrence frowned, feeling even more helpless, now that the first and only pokémon he ever met refused to believe him. He couldn't blame her, it was a pretty crazy story, and it was all happening so fast. It was foolish to assume she'd just believe everything he had to say.

Instead of dwelling in his own misery, he instead decided to finally look around where they were. The first thing he noticed was that the entrance they took was nowhere in sight, as if they just entered a portal.

The rocky walls of the cave were… unlike anything he'd ever seen! Said walls were purple in color, as if the rock that formed them were some sort of purple amethyst… He could even see his reflection from some of them! They seemed to produce some sort of natural light. He couldn't help but frown, when he saw a small, grumpy and very tired-looking togepi staring at him from the purple mirror of the cave.

But the best part was yet to come, there were a few stalagmites on the ground- all purple, but around them, they had a bunch of shiny gems 'glued' on them, from various colors, from red to pink, all of them shining like spotlights on a theater. He was sure that even with all of his memories, he couldn't have witnessed such a sight in the human world!

The Jangmo-o seemed quite interested as well, though not nearly as much as Lawrence "Never been to Little Sandrop Cave before either. They always said it's quite the sight. Now I can see why!"

"Mhm…" he stared at one of the gem filled spikes on the ground, seeing his image being reflected in various colors and sizes. A tone of both melancholy and awe in his voice.

She frowned too, before looking away "C'mon. We gotta get through this dungeon- hopefully the sandstorm's down by then." she started to walk, he could only follow.

While they started to go down the narrow corridor of the cave, Lawrence couldn't help but look at Mirari, since she was turned back and leading them, noticing something weird "M-Mirari! Y-Your scale thing! You had six! Y-You're missing one!

She looked at her right side, and indeed, she seemed to have lost the middle scale "Ah. Hahah. Don't worry about it! It's actually normal for my species to do so!"

With his confused expression, she decided to clarify "My species, Jangmo-o, is known for being very battle oriented! Our bodies are constantly shedding and losing scales as we grow! They always grow back, even stronger!"

"That's cool! So i-it's like an ever evolving natural protection? Like armor?"

"You could say that! I must have dropped it by the entrance or something. It was a rough landing." Mirari pondered "They say our scales are great memorabilia- because of their colors, toughness and can even handle well heat! Mama made a pot out of the first scale she shed on a dungeon."

"Um… Y-You've said that a lot… I-I don't get it, 'Dungeon'?" he confusedly asked.

"Don't tell me… You seriously don't know? You don't remember?" Mirari halted, turned back and stared at him with wide eyes.

He could only shrug and shake his head.

"Lawrence… We've entered on the first floor of a Mystery Dungeon!"

Notes:

A/N: And so it begins! I decided to cut the dungeoneering to next chapter to make this one more cohesive, character focused and introductory! Hope it isn't too short. Also, Lawrence should really learn to calm down and control that stutter, huh?

Next time: Trust is important in any team, especially when you're lost in a maze of gems! Why does no one explore such a beautiful cave?