HOME | DD

Description
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Investigators of Soul/Heart/Spirit

a fanmade story

…
………
………………………………
…mmf…
…where?…
I pulled myself up to my feet and opened my eyes, trying to get a grip on my senses. The world was gray around me, the…"clouds"? only being different shades of it and overlapping each other.
It seemed to stretch on forever…and I guess the lack of a visible ground contributed to that feeling.
"What is this place…" I found myself saying aloud.
"Hey," a voice said from behind me.
I turned to face it; a Swalot staring at me, taking me in like he'd never seen me before.
I didn't doubt it.
But something about him seemed…different, somehow, looking at him.
On top of glowing yellow and some of that light breaking off and fading away, he seemed to lack…outline? Form? Like he was clearly there, but…not really distinguished.
But then I looked down on myself and saw I had a similar issue.
Now I want to know what's going on.
"You know where we are?" I asked the guy, thinking he'd have common courtesy to answer.
"Y'mean you don't know?"
"…no?"
"Lemme ask you something else, first, then. So how'd you die?"
Huh?
Oh, right…
I did die.
"Uh…" I tried to remember. "A base exploded with me still in it."
"Ooooo…" Swalot flinched. "That's a hard way t' go…"
Then it hit me.
"So if I'm dead…then-"
"This is the spirit realm," he clarified. "Where y' go when ya die…sort of. It's not quite the LAST place ya end up."
"Huh?"
"It's like a waiting room…ish. You only come here if your life was cut short by 'unnatural' causes; murder, death traps, poison, meteor strikes…"
"…meteor strikes." I stopped taking him seriously.
"Hey, it's happened. But yeah, there's supposed to be some way out of here, back to life, but you're on a time limit before you finally get pulled out of here and face judgement."
A way back to life? Swalot had my attention again.
I considered my options. I'm dead, somewhere I don't know…
if there's an escape option, I gotta take it.
But how much truth value does this guy offer…?
"How do you know all this?" I asked, in hopes of finding out.
"Used to specialize in these studies," Swalot said, "interviewing people who came back from the dead to find out how they did it and learn the boundaries between this world here and the…'old' one.
Apparently I was too close to finding out, 'cause someone showed up and shot me down for it."
"Oh…"
Well, there's my answer. People don't just show up and slaughter people like these without some kind of reason.
Right?
"So if you know you can get out of here, why are you wasting your time talking to me when you could be making a break for it?" I further questioned.
"There're a lot of other folks tryin' to come back to life, too, y'know," he explained.
"So?"
"They tend t' mow each other down in the process. Every man and 'mon for himself."
"…oh…" Again, makes sense.
I looked down on my hand, lacking depth. Well, I can't blame 'em. I'm no different.
I don't want to…fully…die.
But more than that…I worry about Aileen and everyone.
If I can get out of here…then I gotta start racing the clock.
Like, now.
"Ngh…" interrupted my thought process.
I looked at Swalot again, and saw his yellow glow was intensifying, and his existing form was disintegrating into it.
"Whoa! What's happening?"
"It's too late for me," he said. "I'm outta time…now only Arceus knows where I'm ending up.
"Go on, mate," he told me. "You go cheat death while y' can."
I just stood there, watching him become engulfed in the yellow.
"GOODBYE, CRUEL WORLD!" he finally shouted. "YOU NEVER DESERVED MEEEEEEeeeeeee…"
And with that, all traces of Swalot disappeared into the light, which shortly itself dissolved into nothing.
I just stood there, dumbfounded.
But knew I couldn't any longer.
Because if I wasted any more time, I was going to share the same fate.
I turned the other way, ready to bolt.
And yet I didn't get more than two steps before:
"…uuuuugh…"
I looked back the direction I had just been running away from. Behind where Swalot had vanished, now I could see someone else coming to.
Someone I knew.
"Paige!" I shouted out to her and ran over.
"Wha…" she still seemed out of it as she stood up, her eyes opening.
Then she saw me.
"Wah?!" she actually jumped back. "Y-you?!"
"Hey hey, whoawhoawhoawhoawhoa, calm down," I tried to assure the Eevee a little bit.
She looked around, at herself, at then at me.
"Is this…?"
I nodded. "The place blew up with both of us in it. I thought you'd've survived, at least, if I took the worst of it…"
"What kind of excuse is that?" she replied, angrily.
"Huh?"
"IT'D'VE NEVER EXPLODED IN THE FIRST PLACE IF YOU HADN'T BROKEN THE ARMOR!"
"What're you talking abo-"
Then I remembered. The sparks got into the wire and overloaded the generator.
"Aaaugh, you've GOTTA be kidding me!" Paige moaned. "EVEN IN DEATH, I'm stuck with YOU, of all people! So much for rescue."
"Hey!"
"And I thought for that ONE MOMENT that you were different, that you'd actually come to fix things after all that time…but NO! Apparently ruining my life wasn't enough for you…now you had to end it!"
"Paige-"
"Good riddance!"
"WILL YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME?!" I snapped, her anger proving to be contagious. "That was NOT part of the plan."
"Oh, sure, why's that? Because you accidentally killed yourself, too? HA! Serves you right!"
"Paige…"
I sighed, crushed. I was so close…and now she only hated me more.
I just sat down and folded my arms.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," she taunted. "I've got you beat now, huh. So suck it up and face the facts, music, and punishment. It's what you get for who you are and what you've done."
"Like you're any different?" I glared at her. "Don't act so high and mighty, you're no better than I am. I made the mech, but you ran it."
"Hmph," Paige sulked still.
"We're both going straight to the dark world in a bit," I made sure she knew.
"As if this wasn't punishment enough, being stuck with you for eternity. No. It's being stuck with you IN THE DARK LAND for eternity. This day just gets better and bett- urf…"
Just then, she flinched, and her spirit began to emanate a weak yellow light. I felt a sharp pain in my chest as I began to glow, too.
"The clock is ticking…" I realized.
I stood up, getting eye contact with Paige for only a brief moment before she turned away from me again.
And yet she asked "Where do you think YOU'RE going?" as I began to walk away.
"To get out of here," I said, "back to the old world.
"You comin'?" I offered.
The Evolution Pokémon sat there, her back turned to me, not answering.
"Come on…" I tried to persuade her. "Don't you at least want another chance? Another shot at life…as you once knew?"
Still silence, but it seemed like I had I'd at least caught her attention.
"It's not too late, you know," I offered. "We can still make it if we work together."
Her ears perked up. "To…gether?"
Paige turned to look me in the eye. "We- We're mortal enemies…"
"IMmortal, if we pull this off," I said, trying to be funny, but failing miserably in hindsight.
"Whatever. Immortal enemies…and you want to work together?"
"We don't have to be enemies any more, you know…we never did to begin with," I reasoned. "If not that, then…at least so we can go our separate ways.
"Please? Just this once, put your faith in me again?"
An awkward silence in the emptiness around us.
I continued to look Paige in the eye as she contemplated what to do in her mind.
"…fine," she finally reluctantly agreed. "What the heck, if only to leave all this behind me once and for all."
I smiled.
"BUT!" Paige announced her condition. "One wrong move from you…"
"Got it," I nodded. "Now come on, hurry!"
I turned around and we dashed off.
Running for our lives.
Not to save them…that was too late now.
But to reclaim them.
(Trail of Gengar
B20F
Completely randomized enemies; every Pokémon for themselves in the pursuit of revival
Gabriel: 44 [+1]
Paige: 25)
After fighting through hundreds of savage Pokémon doomed to die off, and running through the netherworld for what felt like forever, the two of us stopped for a while.
"Is it just me," Paige said, "or does everything still look the same?"
"You're right," I noticed. "We don't seem to really be getting anywhere…"
"Guuuwaaaah…" she moaned. "I was having more progress when I wasn't even in control of myself!"
"That reminds me," I remembered, "what exactly happened to you back there?"
"Huh?"
"When you want haywire and transformed…do you remember any of that?"
"Oh…THAT…"
Paige shuddered for a moment.
"That's something I never wanna go through again…"
"So you DO remember it."
"Y-yeah…"
"Tell me what you remember," I said. "I still have no idea what happened there."
"Ironic…" her voice sounded of fear, "because I feel like I know too m-much. The…th-thing seeped into me, and I…all of a sudden, I-I couldn't think for myself. I couldn't think at…at all. All that I remember is just…anger. Not even directly at you, I just…h-hated everything and everyone all of a sudden.
"And yet, a-above all…I was terrified," her voice was becoming weak. "I had no idea w-what was happening, and I…I couldn't do anything other than just sit there, and…a-and…"
"Did you try calling out to me for help?" I asked.
"Wh-wha?" she seemed caught off guard.
"'Cause I heard your voice saying 'help me' somehow…and then I Mega Evolved right after that.
"You gave me that necessary power, didn't you," I put together. "You don't hate me as much as you say you do."
"Sh-shut up! Ridiculous…" Paige insisted. "Why would I ask YOU, of all people, for help?!"
"Because I was the only one there," I answered, "and because deep down, you want to make up too. You want to be friends again."
"Hmph!" Paige turned her back to me again, sulking.
But I knew I was right. And I knew she knew it, too.
I'm the only thing she's ever known, friend or foe.
"I think everyone'd love you if they got to know you a little better…y'know, without you trying to enslave 'em," I said. "You'd fit right into the family if you let yourself."
No response.
"C'mon, Paige, stop trying to hide it. You're feeling the most like yourself you've felt in months. You just want some attention, is all. Some lovin'. You wanna eat this chance up."
Still nothing.
I slowly leaned in, trying to rub behind her ear a little…
Finally, a reaction at all. She jumped, and angrily turned to face me. "DON'T TOUCH ME THERE!"
Yup. Weak point.
"You should know better than to touch me th- ACK!"
The Eevee struggled to keep herself on all fours as the light amplified, giving off a vibrant yellow glow. Particles began to break off and dissolve from it.
"Urgh…"
Suddenly finding it hard to breathe, I, too, had to hold myself up with one hand as my spirit began weakening at the same rate.
"We gotta stop messing around if we're going to get out of here at all," I deduced, "relationship repaired or not."
We pulled ourselves to our feet.
"Let's go, fast," I said.
And off we were again.
Hopefully to make it out of this in one piece.
(Ending Travels
B25F
Again, completely randomized enemies
Gabriel: 45 [+1]
Paige: 28)
Still moving, but still not seeing any change of scenery, Paige and I reached another stopping point.
"Are you SURE there was a door over here?" she asked me.
"What?" I replied, confused. "YOU were the one who said you saw a door over here."
"Well, I know it was one of us," she said. "Shut up and keep looking."
I just shrugged and went with it.
Something caught my eye over to the left, and I ran over to get a better look. In the otherwise almost bland background, right before me there seemed to be a spot where it all wavered.
An invisible slit of some sort…
"Hey, Paige," I told her, "I found something. Not sure if it's a door or not, but…something. That stands for something."
She came over, confused.
"See where the air seems to bend around this little spot here?" I pointed out.
"Yeah, but…what exactly is it?"
"Not sure…but it's gotta be somethin'."
I waved my hand through it and didn't feel anything. "Not something I can hold…"
I tried just putting my hand straight through it, and felt something. I pushed further in, and something clicked. A button…
Suddenly the…well, not ground, but footing, began shaking underneath us.
"Uuh…" Paige got scared, "what is happening?…!"
"Look!"
I pointed straight down, and she saw what I was seeing. A dark, circular…something had appeared and was rising up to ground level, fast.
It suddenly shattered the footing that it came through, knocking us both into the air and sending Paige falling through the hole.
"WAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"
"Agh! Paige?!"
I barely saw her fall in as I tried to get my own footing back, but when I looked down the hole, the yellow light emanating from her spirit was indeed streaking down like a shooting star.
I didn't think.
I just did it.
I had to do something, so I did.
I jumped straight into the hole and dived after her.
Being much larger and heavier, I plummeted at a much faster rate. I pierced through the air, the wind slamming me in the face as I finally got close enough to grab the Eevee, who was already curled up into a terrified little ball, out of the air and ball up around her.
As our light came closer to it, they began to illuminate the next bit of "ground", making it visible to me.
I braced for impact, tumbling through the air already.
"AAAUUGH!!"
It hurt.
So.
Fricking.
Much.
I landed flat on my back, the force of the fall releasing my grip on Paige and making us both bounce a little off the ground, before I just laid there and Paige safely landed on top of me.
She finally stopped shaking as she uncurled herself and made herself open her eyes and take in the generally dark, but still colorless aside from us, area around us.
Once she had stepped off of me, I tried to sit up. I ended up needing several tries, but finally threw my arms forward enough to bring myself up.
"Argh…" I moaned in pain, "my back is never gonna be the same."
Paige just stared at me for a moment. "Y-you…YOU IDIOT! Why would you just jump off a cliff like that?!
"…and…save my life…"
"No reason," I said. "Not that I should NEED a reason…to help out a friend."
Paige just stared at me, trying to comprehend that. I could see something in her eyes…something still growing that she was trying to hold in.
Happiness?
…trust?
"…mmm…"
A voice filling the room interrupted that thought process.
Paige and I looked around, and then gave each other "wasn't me" glances.
"Where…am I…?" the voice said with a yawn.
I recognized the voice.
"Stacia?!" I called out. "Stacia, is that you?!"
"…huh?" Stacia's voice said, still sounding half-asleep. "What kind of dream is this…"
"No! Nonono! Stacia, it's me! Gabriel! Can you hear me?"
"Wait…what?!" Her voice became alert. "Gabriel?! A-and Paige too!"
"So you can see us?!" I realized. "Where are you? I-I can't see you!
"…you didn't die too, did you?!"
"Wha?! No, hold on!" she assured. "I'm alive and well, last I checked…I-I remember going to bed, and…
"This must be some sort of one-way dream…" Stacia put together. "I guess, because I'm a Marshadow, I can contact you in the spirit realm like this…frickin' weird."
To say the least…
"Is everyone alright?" I asked.
"Everyone's fine," she said. "We all made it out in one piece…
"Well…if you exclude our hearts, that is. Ugh, Arceus, I feel like I'm gonna cry…"
"Stacia…" I really wished I could see her and comfort her now.
"What about Aileen?" I found myself asking.
"She was hit the hardest upon seeing you…" she told me. "She already really, really misses you."
"Urgh…"
That was from the emotional hurt I felt when she said that.
"AGH!"
THAT was from the actual pain I was feeling, as Paige's spirit, along with mine, began glowing even stronger. I was actually beginning to feel my strength gradually fading away now.
"Can you help us get out of here before it's too late?" I asked Stacia. "At least for Aileen's sake?"
"A-absolutely!" Stacia eagerly agreed. "I've been there before, the spirit realm…you're pretty close to the exit! I think that's part of why I can reach you…see that tunnel to your right?"
"Yeah," Paige said, as I stood up and saw the entrance.
"Just get through that mystery dungeon and you'll be there," Stacia said. "Hurry! You're running out of time!"
"Well, that much is obvious," I replied, gathering the energy to bolt.
"I'll wake myself up, there's something more I can do…" Stacia said more to herself than to us. "I'll need Solgaleo. But you, never mind that! Get moving!"
"I'll see you all in a few," I promised.
"Good…luck…"
It cut out as Stacia snapped awake.
I turned back to Paige.
"Well, what're we waiting for?! Let's go!"
"Right," she nodded, and off we were.
Hang in there, guys… I thought.
Here I come.
(Heart's Escape Road
35F
Only the strongest have ever made it here. Psuedo-legendaries galore.
Gabriel: 47 [+2]
Paige: 30)
Charging through the others trying to revive themselves too, we finally scaled the path and, just around the corner, there it was.
The way back to life.
The portal seemed to scan me and register who I was, before flipping on and showing Daybreak Ridge Cliffside on the other side.
"There they are!" Stacia pointed through the dimensional hole, seeing she and Solgaleo had broken through to us.
"A-are you sure?" Cheren asked.
"Oh, hey! It is!" Talonflame held his wing over his eyes to see.
"Gabriel!" Aileen nearly exploded upon seeing me again.
"Guys!"
Everyone was there, enthusiastically waiting for me to return to them. Stacia brought Aileen, Lurantis…Dhelmise and Talonflame…even Cheren and Sky.
"A-all of you…" I felt so happy inside I was tearing up.
"Come on, both of you!" Lurantis called out. "Just a little farther!"
She's right. Save the hugs and kisses for once we're actually alive again.
"C'mon, Paige…"
We ran with everything we had.
The portal was more than within sight.
Another long stride…
"Come on, guys!" everyone cheered for us.
Life was just within reach again…
Except…
"NAAGH!!!"
"WAUGH!!"
Paige and I suddenly stopped just before it.
We suddenly couldn't move as the light began to envelop us entirely. I was too weak to even stand.
"NO!" the crowd saw.
"GABRIEL!!" Aileen banged against the invisible wall separating us still, and everyone else was on the edge of their seats, panicking as we suddenly stopped and didn't start again.
"Can't…move…" I explained.
"No…no! Come on, take my hand! Quick!"
Stacia reached out to me, being the only one possessing the ability to.
I reached out for her hand, but her arm was too short. Couldn't make it.
I lost feeling in my legs and felt myself beginning to disintegrate into the light.
"NO!" Aileen couldn't believe her teary eyes.
Some of the others covered theirs.
"Ngh…almost…" Stacia frantically tried to reach further without falling over herself and landing half in, half out.
But it was no use, I knew, as I felt my lower body beginning to erode away.
This is how it ends…
Suddenly something slammed into me from behind and knocked me into the portal.
"GAH!" I exclaimed as I made contact.
As I remained suspended there, just beyond the spirit realm now, I felt my burnt body from Team Perial Base dissolve into a light of its own, and rush into me here, rebuilding itself around my spirit.
And then I gently fell to the ground, good as new.
Alive again.
"Gabriel!" Lurantis exclaimed, running up to hug me now that I had physical form again.
"HE'S BAAAAAAACK!!" Dhelmise commentated.
"Oh, thank goodness," Sky let his breath go.
"Everyone…" I was on the verge of tears again and hugged Lurantis back.
But…
Wait. Did that…
I let her go and turned around to look through the portal again.
And realized what just happened.
"Agh!" I cried out.
"Heh…" Paige forced a smile as she laid there, having used the last of her energy to send me through, barely visible anymore through the light.
"Paige…" I let it sink in. "No…why?"
"Returning the favor much?" she replied, barely able to keep her eyes open.
"You didn't have to…" I said. "You and I both know…that it should've been me. You…don't deserve to die like this…"
"Maybe…" she said. "Maybe I could've lived again…but what would I have had to come back to? I don't have anything to lose…I don't have a home, a purpose, and only one friend…and you know we weren't both going to make it.
"But you, Gabriel…you're different. You've become someone else as a Pokémon, I see now…someone better. You have friends that care for you, and would miss you if you went away."
"Yeah, but…" I was scrambling for words. "So do you…I care, Paige. I'm sorry, and that's what I've been trying to say this…this whole time…"
"You think I didn't notice? Gabriel…if I lived, I'd've had to leave you behind, defeating the purpose. So…all in all, it's better you than me…"
"No…Paige…"
"I'm sorry too…" she said, closing her eyes.
"I love you…more than anything in the world…"
And with that, she disappeared into the yellow light, which itself disintegrated into nothing.
No one more to enter it, Solgaleo closed the portal.
"No…" I could barely speak, just standing there, watching what just happened. "Paige…no…
"Why…"
"I think she made the right choice," Solgaleo said. "Her reasoning is valid enough…you should make the most of what she has given you."
As if on que, Aileen came up and hugged me.
"Gabriel…I'm sorry…but I think he's right."
I didn't respond.
I was just thinking…
I spent all this time trying to save Paige…
only for her to save me in the end.
…
I'm not gonna cry, I thought as my eyes watered.
I'm not gonna cry.
…
Heck with it.
I'm gonna cry.
And I cried into Aileen's shoulder.
Paige didn't cry then…
You have to be alive to cry.

(Special Episode 5 has been unlocked!)

Description
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Investigators of Soul/Heart/Spirit

a fanmade story

…
………
………………………………
…mmf…
…where?…
I pulled myself up to my feet and opened my eyes, trying to get a grip on my senses. The world was gray around me, the…"clouds"? only being different shades of it and overlapping each other.
It seemed to stretch on forever…and I guess the lack of a visible ground contributed to that feeling.
"What is this place…" I found myself saying aloud.
"Hey," a voice said from behind me.
I turned to face it; a Swalot staring at me, taking me in like he'd never seen me before.
I didn't doubt it.
But something about him seemed…different, somehow, looking at him.
On top of glowing yellow and some of that light breaking off and fading away, he seemed to lack…outline? Form? Like he was clearly there, but…not really distinguished.
But then I looked down on myself and saw I had a similar issue.
Now I want to know what's going on.
"You know where we are?" I asked the guy, thinking he'd have common courtesy to answer.
"Y'mean you don't know?"
"…no?"
"Lemme ask you something else, first, then. So how'd you die?"
Huh?
Oh, right…
I did die.
"Uh…" I tried to remember. "A base exploded with me still in it."
"Ooooo…" Swalot flinched. "That's a hard way t' go…"
Then it hit me.
"So if I'm dead…then-"
"This is the spirit realm," he clarified. "Where y' go when ya die…sort of. It's not quite the LAST place ya end up."
"Huh?"
"It's like a waiting room…ish. You only come here if your life was cut short by 'unnatural' causes; murder, death traps, poison, meteor strikes…"
"…meteor strikes." I stopped taking him seriously.
"Hey, it's happened. But yeah, there's supposed to be some way out of here, back to life, but you're on a time limit before you finally get pulled out of here and face judgement."
A way back to life? Swalot had my attention again.
I considered my options. I'm dead, somewhere I don't know…
if there's an escape option, I gotta take it.
But how much truth value does this guy offer…?
"How do you know all this?" I asked, in hopes of finding out.
"Used to specialize in these studies," Swalot said, "interviewing people who came back from the dead to find out how they did it and learn the boundaries between this world here and the…'old' one.
Apparently I was too close to finding out, 'cause someone showed up and shot me down for it."
"Oh…"
Well, there's my answer. People don't just show up and slaughter people like these without some kind of reason.
Right?
"So if you know you can get out of here, why are you wasting your time talking to me when you could be making a break for it?" I further questioned.
"There're a lot of other folks tryin' to come back to life, too, y'know," he explained.
"So?"
"They tend t' mow each other down in the process. Every man and 'mon for himself."
"…oh…" Again, makes sense.
I looked down on my hand, lacking depth. Well, I can't blame 'em. I'm no different.
I don't want to…fully…die.
But more than that…I worry about Aileen and everyone.
If I can get out of here…then I gotta start racing the clock.
Like, now.
"Ngh…" interrupted my thought process.
I looked at Swalot again, and saw his yellow glow was intensifying, and his existing form was disintegrating into it.
"Whoa! What's happening?"
"It's too late for me," he said. "I'm outta time…now only Arceus knows where I'm ending up.
"Go on, mate," he told me. "You go cheat death while y' can."
I just stood there, watching him become engulfed in the yellow.
"GOODBYE, CRUEL WORLD!" he finally shouted. "YOU NEVER DESERVED MEEEEEEeeeeeee…"
And with that, all traces of Swalot disappeared into the light, which shortly itself dissolved into nothing.
I just stood there, dumbfounded.
But knew I couldn't any longer.
Because if I wasted any more time, I was going to share the same fate.
I turned the other way, ready to bolt.
And yet I didn't get more than two steps before:
"…uuuuugh…"
I looked back the direction I had just been running away from. Behind where Swalot had vanished, now I could see someone else coming to.
Someone I knew.
"Paige!" I shouted out to her and ran over.
"Wha…" she still seemed out of it as she stood up, her eyes opening.
Then she saw me.
"Wah?!" she actually jumped back. "Y-you?!"
"Hey hey, whoawhoawhoawhoawhoa, calm down," I tried to assure the Eevee a little bit.
She looked around, at herself, at then at me.
"Is this…?"
I nodded. "The place blew up with both of us in it. I thought you'd've survived, at least, if I took the worst of it…"
"What kind of excuse is that?" she replied, angrily.
"Huh?"
"IT'D'VE NEVER EXPLODED IN THE FIRST PLACE IF YOU HADN'T BROKEN THE ARMOR!"
"What're you talking abo-"
Then I remembered. The sparks got into the wire and overloaded the generator.
"Aaaugh, you've GOTTA be kidding me!" Paige moaned. "EVEN IN DEATH, I'm stuck with YOU, of all people! So much for rescue."
"Hey!"
"And I thought for that ONE MOMENT that you were different, that you'd actually come to fix things after all that time…but NO! Apparently ruining my life wasn't enough for you…now you had to end it!"
"Paige-"
"Good riddance!"
"WILL YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME?!" I snapped, her anger proving to be contagious. "That was NOT part of the plan."
"Oh, sure, why's that? Because you accidentally killed yourself, too? HA! Serves you right!"
"Paige…"
I sighed, crushed. I was so close…and now she only hated me more.
I just sat down and folded my arms.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," she taunted. "I've got you beat now, huh. So suck it up and face the facts, music, and punishment. It's what you get for who you are and what you've done."
"Like you're any different?" I glared at her. "Don't act so high and mighty, you're no better than I am. I made the mech, but you ran it."
"Hmph," Paige sulked still.
"We're both going straight to the dark world in a bit," I made sure she knew.
"As if this wasn't punishment enough, being stuck with you for eternity. No. It's being stuck with you IN THE DARK LAND for eternity. This day just gets better and bett- urf…"
Just then, she flinched, and her spirit began to emanate a weak yellow light. I felt a sharp pain in my chest as I began to glow, too.
"The clock is ticking…" I realized.
I stood up, getting eye contact with Paige for only a brief moment before she turned away from me again.
And yet she asked "Where do you think YOU'RE going?" as I began to walk away.
"To get out of here," I said, "back to the old world.
"You comin'?" I offered.
The Evolution Pokémon sat there, her back turned to me, not answering.
"Come on…" I tried to persuade her. "Don't you at least want another chance? Another shot at life…as you once knew?"
Still silence, but it seemed like I had I'd at least caught her attention.
"It's not too late, you know," I offered. "We can still make it if we work together."
Her ears perked up. "To…gether?"
Paige turned to look me in the eye. "We- We're mortal enemies…"
"IMmortal, if we pull this off," I said, trying to be funny, but failing miserably in hindsight.
"Whatever. Immortal enemies…and you want to work together?"
"We don't have to be enemies any more, you know…we never did to begin with," I reasoned. "If not that, then…at least so we can go our separate ways.
"Please? Just this once, put your faith in me again?"
An awkward silence in the emptiness around us.
I continued to look Paige in the eye as she contemplated what to do in her mind.
"…fine," she finally reluctantly agreed. "What the heck, if only to leave all this behind me once and for all."
I smiled.
"BUT!" Paige announced her condition. "One wrong move from you…"
"Got it," I nodded. "Now come on, hurry!"
I turned around and we dashed off.
Running for our lives.
Not to save them…that was too late now.
But to reclaim them.
(Trail of Gengar
B20F
Completely randomized enemies; every Pokémon for themselves in the pursuit of revival
Gabriel: 44 [+1]
Paige: 25)
After fighting through hundreds of savage Pokémon doomed to die off, and running through the netherworld for what felt like forever, the two of us stopped for a while.
"Is it just me," Paige said, "or does everything still look the same?"
"You're right," I noticed. "We don't seem to really be getting anywhere…"
"Guuuwaaaah…" she moaned. "I was having more progress when I wasn't even in control of myself!"
"That reminds me," I remembered, "what exactly happened to you back there?"
"Huh?"
"When you want haywire and transformed…do you remember any of that?"
"Oh…THAT…"
Paige shuddered for a moment.
"That's something I never wanna go through again…"
"So you DO remember it."
"Y-yeah…"
"Tell me what you remember," I said. "I still have no idea what happened there."
"Ironic…" her voice sounded of fear, "because I feel like I know too m-much. The…th-thing seeped into me, and I…all of a sudden, I-I couldn't think for myself. I couldn't think at…at all. All that I remember is just…anger. Not even directly at you, I just…h-hated everything and everyone all of a sudden.
"And yet, a-above all…I was terrified," her voice was becoming weak. "I had no idea w-what was happening, and I…I couldn't do anything other than just sit there, and…a-and…"
"Did you try calling out to me for help?" I asked.
"Wh-wha?" she seemed caught off guard.
"'Cause I heard your voice saying 'help me' somehow…and then I Mega Evolved right after that.
"You gave me that necessary power, didn't you," I put together. "You don't hate me as much as you say you do."
"Sh-shut up! Ridiculous…" Paige insisted. "Why would I ask YOU, of all people, for help?!"
"Because I was the only one there," I answered, "and because deep down, you want to make up too. You want to be friends again."
"Hmph!" Paige turned her back to me again, sulking.
But I knew I was right. And I knew she knew it, too.
I'm the only thing she's ever known, friend or foe.
"I think everyone'd love you if they got to know you a little better…y'know, without you trying to enslave 'em," I said. "You'd fit right into the family if you let yourself."
No response.
"C'mon, Paige, stop trying to hide it. You're feeling the most like yourself you've felt in months. You just want some attention, is all. Some lovin'. You wanna eat this chance up."
Still nothing.
I slowly leaned in, trying to rub behind her ear a little…
Finally, a reaction at all. She jumped, and angrily turned to face me. "DON'T TOUCH ME THERE!"
Yup. Weak point.
"You should know better than to touch me th- ACK!"
The Eevee struggled to keep herself on all fours as the light amplified, giving off a vibrant yellow glow. Particles began to break off and dissolve from it.
"Urgh…"
Suddenly finding it hard to breathe, I, too, had to hold myself up with one hand as my spirit began weakening at the same rate.
"We gotta stop messing around if we're going to get out of here at all," I deduced, "relationship repaired or not."
We pulled ourselves to our feet.
"Let's go, fast," I said.
And off we were again.
Hopefully to make it out of this in one piece.
(Ending Travels
B25F
Again, completely randomized enemies
Gabriel: 45 [+1]
Paige: 28)
Still moving, but still not seeing any change of scenery, Paige and I reached another stopping point.
"Are you SURE there was a door over here?" she asked me.
"What?" I replied, confused. "YOU were the one who said you saw a door over here."
"Well, I know it was one of us," she said. "Shut up and keep looking."
I just shrugged and went with it.
Something caught my eye over to the left, and I ran over to get a better look. In the otherwise almost bland background, right before me there seemed to be a spot where it all wavered.
An invisible slit of some sort…
"Hey, Paige," I told her, "I found something. Not sure if it's a door or not, but…something. That stands for something."
She came over, confused.
"See where the air seems to bend around this little spot here?" I pointed out.
"Yeah, but…what exactly is it?"
"Not sure…but it's gotta be somethin'."
I waved my hand through it and didn't feel anything. "Not something I can hold…"
I tried just putting my hand straight through it, and felt something. I pushed further in, and something clicked. A button…
Suddenly the…well, not ground, but footing, began shaking underneath us.
"Uuh…" Paige got scared, "what is happening?…!"
"Look!"
I pointed straight down, and she saw what I was seeing. A dark, circular…something had appeared and was rising up to ground level, fast.
It suddenly shattered the footing that it came through, knocking us both into the air and sending Paige falling through the hole.
"WAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"
"Agh! Paige?!"
I barely saw her fall in as I tried to get my own footing back, but when I looked down the hole, the yellow light emanating from her spirit was indeed streaking down like a shooting star.
I didn't think.
I just did it.
I had to do something, so I did.
I jumped straight into the hole and dived after her.
Being much larger and heavier, I plummeted at a much faster rate. I pierced through the air, the wind slamming me in the face as I finally got close enough to grab the Eevee, who was already curled up into a terrified little ball, out of the air and ball up around her.
As our light came closer to it, they began to illuminate the next bit of "ground", making it visible to me.
I braced for impact, tumbling through the air already.
"AAAUUGH!!"
It hurt.
So.
Fricking.
Much.
I landed flat on my back, the force of the fall releasing my grip on Paige and making us both bounce a little off the ground, before I just laid there and Paige safely landed on top of me.
She finally stopped shaking as she uncurled herself and made herself open her eyes and take in the generally dark, but still colorless aside from us, area around us.
Once she had stepped off of me, I tried to sit up. I ended up needing several tries, but finally threw my arms forward enough to bring myself up.
"Argh…" I moaned in pain, "my back is never gonna be the same."
Paige just stared at me for a moment. "Y-you…YOU IDIOT! Why would you just jump off a cliff like that?!
"…and…save my life…"
"No reason," I said. "Not that I should NEED a reason…to help out a friend."
Paige just stared at me, trying to comprehend that. I could see something in her eyes…something still growing that she was trying to hold in.
Happiness?
…trust?
"…mmm…"
A voice filling the room interrupted that thought process.
Paige and I looked around, and then gave each other "wasn't me" glances.
"Where…am I…?" the voice said with a yawn.
I recognized the voice.
"Stacia?!" I called out. "Stacia, is that you?!"
"…huh?" Stacia's voice said, still sounding half-asleep. "What kind of dream is this…"
"No! Nonono! Stacia, it's me! Gabriel! Can you hear me?"
"Wait…what?!" Her voice became alert. "Gabriel?! A-and Paige too!"
"So you can see us?!" I realized. "Where are you? I-I can't see you!
"…you didn't die too, did you?!"
"Wha?! No, hold on!" she assured. "I'm alive and well, last I checked…I-I remember going to bed, and…
"This must be some sort of one-way dream…" Stacia put together. "I guess, because I'm a Marshadow, I can contact you in the spirit realm like this…frickin' weird."
To say the least…
"Is everyone alright?" I asked.
"Everyone's fine," she said. "We all made it out in one piece…
"Well…if you exclude our hearts, that is. Ugh, Arceus, I feel like I'm gonna cry…"
"Stacia…" I really wished I could see her and comfort her now.
"What about Aileen?" I found myself asking.
"She was hit the hardest upon seeing you…" she told me. "She already really, really misses you."
"Urgh…"
That was from the emotional hurt I felt when she said that.
"AGH!"
THAT was from the actual pain I was feeling, as Paige's spirit, along with mine, began glowing even stronger. I was actually beginning to feel my strength gradually fading away now.
"Can you help us get out of here before it's too late?" I asked Stacia. "At least for Aileen's sake?"
"A-absolutely!" Stacia eagerly agreed. "I've been there before, the spirit realm…you're pretty close to the exit! I think that's part of why I can reach you…see that tunnel to your right?"
"Yeah," Paige said, as I stood up and saw the entrance.
"Just get through that mystery dungeon and you'll be there," Stacia said. "Hurry! You're running out of time!"
"Well, that much is obvious," I replied, gathering the energy to bolt.
"I'll wake myself up, there's something more I can do…" Stacia said more to herself than to us. "I'll need Solgaleo. But you, never mind that! Get moving!"
"I'll see you all in a few," I promised.
"Good…luck…"
It cut out as Stacia snapped awake.
I turned back to Paige.
"Well, what're we waiting for?! Let's go!"
"Right," she nodded, and off we were.
Hang in there, guys… I thought.
Here I come.
(Heart's Escape Road
35F
Only the strongest have ever made it here. Psuedo-legendaries galore.
Gabriel: 47 [+2]
Paige: 30)
Charging through the others trying to revive themselves too, we finally scaled the path and, just around the corner, there it was.
The way back to life.
The portal seemed to scan me and register who I was, before flipping on and showing Daybreak Ridge Cliffside on the other side.
"There they are!" Stacia pointed through the dimensional hole, seeing she and Solgaleo had broken through to us.
"A-are you sure?" Cheren asked.
"Oh, hey! It is!" Talonflame held his wing over his eyes to see.
"Gabriel!" Aileen nearly exploded upon seeing me again.
"Guys!"
Everyone was there, enthusiastically waiting for me to return to them. Stacia brought Aileen, Lurantis…Dhelmise and Talonflame…even Cheren and Sky.
"A-all of you…" I felt so happy inside I was tearing up.
"Come on, both of you!" Lurantis called out. "Just a little farther!"
She's right. Save the hugs and kisses for once we're actually alive again.
"C'mon, Paige…"
We ran with everything we had.
The portal was more than within sight.
Another long stride…
"Come on, guys!" everyone cheered for us.
Life was just within reach again…
Except…
"NAAGH!!!"
"WAUGH!!"
Paige and I suddenly stopped just before it.
We suddenly couldn't move as the light began to envelop us entirely. I was too weak to even stand.
"NO!" the crowd saw.
"GABRIEL!!" Aileen banged against the invisible wall separating us still, and everyone else was on the edge of their seats, panicking as we suddenly stopped and didn't start again.
"Can't…move…" I explained.
"No…no! Come on, take my hand! Quick!"
Stacia reached out to me, being the only one possessing the ability to.
I reached out for her hand, but her arm was too short. Couldn't make it.
I lost feeling in my legs and felt myself beginning to disintegrate into the light.
"NO!" Aileen couldn't believe her teary eyes.
Some of the others covered theirs.
"Ngh…almost…" Stacia frantically tried to reach further without falling over herself and landing half in, half out.
But it was no use, I knew, as I felt my lower body beginning to erode away.
This is how it ends…
Suddenly something slammed into me from behind and knocked me into the portal.
"GAH!" I exclaimed as I made contact.
As I remained suspended there, just beyond the spirit realm now, I felt my burnt body from Team Perial Base dissolve into a light of its own, and rush into me here, rebuilding itself around my spirit.
And then I gently fell to the ground, good as new.
Alive again.
"Gabriel!" Lurantis exclaimed, running up to hug me now that I had physical form again.
"HE'S BAAAAAAACK!!" Dhelmise commentated.
"Oh, thank goodness," Sky let his breath go.
"Everyone…" I was on the verge of tears again and hugged Lurantis back.
But…
Wait. Did that…
I let her go and turned around to look through the portal again.
And realized what just happened.
"Agh!" I cried out.
"Heh…" Paige forced a smile as she laid there, having used the last of her energy to send me through, barely visible anymore through the light.
"Paige…" I let it sink in. "No…why?"
"Returning the favor much?" she replied, barely able to keep her eyes open.
"You didn't have to…" I said. "You and I both know…that it should've been me. You…don't deserve to die like this…"
"Maybe…" she said. "Maybe I could've lived again…but what would I have had to come back to? I don't have anything to lose…I don't have a home, a purpose, and only one friend…and you know we weren't both going to make it.
"But you, Gabriel…you're different. You've become someone else as a Pokémon, I see now…someone better. You have friends that care for you, and would miss you if you went away."
"Yeah, but…" I was scrambling for words. "So do you…I care, Paige. I'm sorry, and that's what I've been trying to say this…this whole time…"
"You think I didn't notice? Gabriel…if I lived, I'd've had to leave you behind, defeating the purpose. So…all in all, it's better you than me…"
"No…Paige…"
"I'm sorry too…" she said, closing her eyes.
"I love you…more than anything in the world…"
And with that, she disappeared into the yellow light, which itself disintegrated into nothing.
No one more to enter it, Solgaleo closed the portal.
"No…" I could barely speak, just standing there, watching what just happened. "Paige…no…
"Why…"
"I think she made the right choice," Solgaleo said. "Her reasoning is valid enough…you should make the most of what she has given you."
As if on que, Aileen came up and hugged me.
"Gabriel…I'm sorry…but I think he's right."
I didn't respond.
I was just thinking…
I spent all this time trying to save Paige…
only for her to save me in the end.
…
I'm not gonna cry, I thought as my eyes watered.
I'm not gonna cry.
…
Heck with it.
I'm gonna cry.
And I cried into Aileen's shoulder.
Paige didn't cry then…
You have to be alive to cry.

(Special Episode 5 has been unlocked!)