Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Legacy of Hatred

"I mean it was long, but it wasn't this long." Vidar muttered interestedly, "I guess me and Ves signed up on an off-day."

"But yeah, good luck guys. We know you can do it!'' Vesa cheered.

"Indeed.'' Vidar said with a nod of his head.

"We're here prof-"

Eser stopped mid sentence as he opened the door and saw Hallows and Rhapsody sipping tea in the professor's lab. They both grinned devilishly and waved.

"Ah Eser I was just talking with your two friends very interesting characters indeed," Professor Nicual sputtered.

"What are they doing here?" Barek asked.

"Oh, we just wanted to do some digging and make sure we made a good investment," Hallows said. "After all, it would be quite a shame if you were lying about that Mystic Power, hm?"

"You wouldn't happen to be involved in any... nefarious organizations, would you?" Rhapsody asked.

"...No." Eser sighed. "While you two are busy stealing money and jewels, I steal information. It's more important than money and legal. Usually."

"Wait, really Essy?" Sorin asked. Eser didn't respond.

"Hm, well your story seems to check out, as far as we can tell." Rhapsody walked over to the three and handed them a bag of supplies. Most of it was filled the usuals for mystery dungeon exploration, but there were a few devices courtesy of the professor.

"Guess you're a part of the group now."

"Uh, you're a part of our group," Barek said. "After all, you're following us."

"The Titanium Bandits aren't some little Exploration Team," Hallows hissed.

"Team Ionize would never join bandits!"

"Come on everyone," Eser said, turning around to leave. "We're off to Magnolia, so try not to argue the entire time."

The line diminishes as time passes, with Ambes hopping up to the receptionist.

"Excuse me, we'd like to form an exploration team." - He asks.

"Well sweetie, you're just in time - we almost ran out of spots for the day. You need to sign this before you can register though." - The Medicham says as she hands out a sheet to him.

Ambes holds it in front of his face with Menti and Hall staring over his shoulder.

"... Oh jeez, maybe we should have brought your grandmother to help." - Menti remarks as she glares the fine print.

"It's cool, guys. I know how to read through this stuff. Mom and Ivory taught me how. All we really have to worry about is putting in our team name... Like this." - He states as he signs "Rodere" over an empty slot.

He hands the paper back to the receptionist after filling in the rest of the appropriate spots.

"Good. Now you have to walk in through that door there and the lady will be right with you. You should take these to show you're participating." - The Medicham states as she points to a door on the right.

She hands three yellow sun-shaped pendants to the group and they put them over their necks. Ambes nods his head and walks through the door into an outside area.

There are multiple young Pokemon standing in front of a large cave entrance with a red and cream-colored Slurpuff in the center. She notices the group enter and waves.

[Current OST: We Are Explorers]

"Oh, hello! More explorers-in-training? Come in, don't be shy!~" - She says with a sweet voice.

The rest of the Pokemon stare at them as they awkwardly shuffle into the group. Menti blushes while the two boys make stiff smiles.

"Alright, that should be enough - My name is Miss Rolo and we're going to go through a few basics of what you'll have to do as explorers. Once we finish here, you'll have to take a test where you go through a dungeon course. Now then, here's our first lesson." - She smiles as she pulls up a markerboard.

"Rule number one! Most of the dungeons you'll encounter on your journeys are no ordinary ones. In them, you'll find hostile Pokemon that are either simply territorial or ruthless bandits! You'll also find various items like money or berries or elixirs depending on the location - nobody knows how they got there, but consider yourself lucky if you come across them!" - Rolo says as she points to a crudely drawn picture of what she is talking about.

-----------

[Current OST: Rith Essa]

Crowds of teams approach the site of a large cave entrance located at the edge of a mountain. Clouds enshroud the otherwise blue sky and other mountain ranges can be seen in the distance. The interior of the cave is pitch-black with warm air flowing out of it.

"If our information is correct, this should be it. This is where the Mystic Power is supposed to be!" - A Scizor in the crowd yells out.

Vidar and Vesa follow the group, telling the receptionist that they're observers and moral support. As Ambes and the rest join the group, Vidar and Vesa shuffle to the side,

"You can do it!'' Vidar mouths quietly.

----

"Or...we could go to this place.'' Shiva said, motioning a wing towards the large amount of teams surrounding a dungeon entrance.

"Great, just great. We're gonna have to fight off these guys, aren't we?'' Evan sighed.

"We just need to find that power first. All we need is a plan.'' Shiva muttered.

The two groups walked up to the cave in the side of the mountain where the eager exploration teams crowded around.

"Hey, I thought this was top secret information you had!" Hallows hissed.

"Well it was, but I also said it was likely they'd be announcing it soon." Eser shrugged. "Of course you don't have to come along and continue to steal jewels from poor little ladies if you want."

The Salazzle grumbled.

"So now we'll be competing with these other exploration teams for the Mystic Power?" Rhapsody scratched her chin. "Well, I suppose a little competition never hurt anyone."

Hall snickers at the pictures only for Menti to jab him in the arm. He says a quiet "ow" and shoots a death glare at her.

"Rule number two! You have to have be prepared if you're going to go through dungeons. The world is a scary place and the last thing I want to see are adorable Pokemon like you getting hurt, lost, or trapped in some kind of endless maze... That's why I recommend you always bring along Escape Orbs and medicinal items. You'll never know when you'll need them!" - Rolo states.

As she draws more onto the markerboard, a Machop raises their hand.

"So Miss Rolo, what kinds of treasures will we find? You know, stuff that we can't just buy at the store?"

"Good question! A general rule of thumb is that the less people have explored a dungeon, the more valuable things will be inside. Then again, that also means it's more dangerous. Things you can find range from Life Seeds, these little seeds that permanently increase your endurance, or even Lost Loot - treasure that you can trade at the local Gold Rush shops for lots of money."

"Man, the more she describes this, the more I want to go on a real adventure." - Hall whispers.

"However, you also have to be careful of area guardians - Pokemon that specifically arm themselves to protect a certain thing. A lot of the time, they're uber-strong sentinels that require entire teams to beat. This sort of leads into what the next thing I want to talk about: Work. With. Your. Team! Your exploration team members are there to help you through thick and thin, so it's important to have good synergy. Otherwise, you won't really last long..." - Rolo shrugs as she draws a crude painting of a large dragon-like Pokemon setting stick figures on fire.

"We'll do fine." - Hall grins.

Ambes stares at him and Menti with a worried glance but shakes it off before they can notice.

"... No. They're my friends. I should trust them to be able to handle it. Besides, I could always ask mom or sis to help out if things get really tough." - He ponders.

"Feel free to ask any questions before we begin!" - Rolo says with a smile.

Menti raises her paw but has to hop to have Rolo see her.

"What will we have to do to get registered?" - She asks.

"Well sweetie, all you have to do is finish this practice dungeon and come back with a certain item at the end of the cave. If you feel like you can't make it, you're free to use one of these Escape Orbs and leave. If you make it back successfully, you and your team members will get special badges that will mark you as an official exploration team. Keep in mind that while it's a practice dungeon, you will be tested on your teamwork and skills as a group!" - Rolo remarks.

"Ah, okay." - Menti nods.

"This is not a race and we're not handing out medals for speed. Take the mission at your own pace - all that matters is you come back with that special item. Here's some practice backpacks with some items that you'll need once you're inside." - Rolo states as she hands out backpacks to certain Pokemon.

Ambes puts it on his back and nods to Menti and Hall. Everyone in the group stares at the cave with determined eyes.

"On your mark... "

"Go!" - Rolo yells as she waves towards the entrance.

The crowd of Pokemon scurry into the cave while making various cheers and hollers.

------------------------

"Let's move out, Team Raiders!" - The Scizor yells as he walks inside.

"We can't let up or people will never take Team Terra seriously!" - A Tyranitar roars as he pushes the Scizor out of the way.

The crowd of teams barge their way through the entrance while roaring expletives and shoving each other away. A Primarina and a Meloetta stay behind to watch the crowd disappear into the cave.

"Absolutely barbaric behavior, wouldn't you say?" - The Primarina snickers as they leave.

"Hmm. We're sure there's a Mystic Power here?" - The Meloetta asks.

"It's the biggest lead we have. This is the first big mission we've had in a long time, and it's forced us to come out to the border between Magnolia and Miraja... So I hope it's worth it." - The Primarina sighs.

"Me too. I have things to do back home, you know?" - The Meloetta states.

"I was thinking I would go visit my son and mother-in-law again." - The Primarina smiles.

"Awww, that's sweet. Too bad High Command is forcing us to go on these missions." - The Meloetta shrugs.

"... We'll make the time." - The Primarina says as she puts a paw to her chest.

Vidar and Vesa watch as the group of excited prospective teams runs into the cave.

"They're gonna do great. I just know it." Vidar smiled contently.

---

''I have an idea on how to get in quickly.'' Evan muttered, as he Sucker Punched his way to near the front.

Shiva hovered above him.

''I think I know what you're going for.'' Shiva snorted. ''Hope it works.''

The two focused their eyes on the group gaining on them. Evan smirked.

''Sorry guys, can't go any further.'' Evan said condescendingly.

''Yeah guys, you just gotta....freeze.'' Shiva laughed with a lilt in her voice.

And the two both let out a Mean Look.

''Shiv, that joke was terrible.''

''I know.''

The group watched as nearly every exploration team clambered over each other to get into the cave first.

"Should... we go in too?" Sorin asked.

"Wait a minute first, I don't like crowds," Eser said.

"If we lose out on the Mystic Power because of your claustrophobia...!" Hallows growled.

However, as the two were arguing, they noticed that the mob of explorers suddenly froze.

"Huh? Wonder why...?"

"See? Time to go," Eser interrupted. He briskly walked through the crowd of Pokemon, each paralyzed in fear.

"Uh...?" Barek wasn't sure what was going on, but he followed along anyway. "What's...?"

"Hehe, your little Espeon friend is smarter than he looks," Rhapsody chuckled. "Makes sense that somebody in this crowd has some sort of crowd control."

[Current OST: Sub Gate of Cardon Forest]

Ambes, Menti and Hall charge into the cave and watch all of the other children disappear into the darkness. They stop in their tracks to glance back towards the light of the entrance.

"Okay. We can do this. We fought off a Tyrantrum that's like ten times our size - this should be easy." - Hall remarks with a deep breath.

"... Then again, we only got away with our lives because Mr. Solo knew how to Mega Evolve. That, and all of our other friends chipped in to help us." - Menti sighs.

"... Come on, Menti. Don't get all depressing on me now." - Ambes says with a frown.

"Oh. Sorry, it's just... What if we have to take on a big threat but nobody's there to help us?" - She asks with a concerned tone.

"We'll figure it out. For now all we have to do is finish this dungeon and get out as fast as we can." - Ambes states.

Menti and Hall nod in response. They venture deeper into the cave, with the only lights being small torches that line the walls. The air is warm and humid with stalactites lining the ceiling. Water trickles down from them into small pools scattered across the floor.

A small treasure chest lies in the center of the room, with Hall going over to open it. Menti grabs onto his arm and stops him.

"Hall, stop. I know you're reckless, but what if it's a trap?" - Menti asks with a worried tone.

"I mean think about it like this. This is a test right? We had to sign up for this and it's in the middle of town. It's not like they'd put in something to hurt us." - He states with a confident tone.

"... It's actually really smart when you put it like that. But still..." - Menti states.

Hall shrugs and turns around. 

"It'll be fine."

He flicks open the lock of the treasure chest only for it to spring open by itself. 

A large monster figure pops out of the box with a roar and looms over the three of them. Ambes, Menti and Hall scream at the top of their lungs and huddle together as they stumble on the ground. They quickly notice that the "monster" is a Spiritomb-shaped balloon on a spring.

"... Wow, I can't believe that actually got us." - Ambes says with a bewildered tone.

"Did we sign up for registration or a spook house?" - Menti pouts.

"At least they have a sense of humor." - Hall laughs.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The teams lie frozen in their tracks, leaving the Meloetta and Primarina to slide between them with ease. The Meloetta floats through the crowd while the Primarina speeds past via a jet of water.

"Impressive. It may not last long but it's at least something to keep them bay." - The Primarina remarks.

She puts her paw over her mouth and lets out a laugh that echoes throughout the cave.

"Thanks for the help!" - The Meloetta says as she blows a kiss at Shiva and Evan.

"Crap, we didn't manage to freeze all of them, but no matter.'' Evan groaned. "Sorry, girls, we're gonna get there first.''

''Catcha on the flip side, kids.'' Shiva laughed as she and Evan stormed after the Meloetta and Primarina.

"Ah shoot, looks like we still have some competition!" Barek said as he dashed between Pokemon frozen in place.

"Well, we'd get lazy without it!" Sorin said, pumping his fists in midair. "Come on!"

"Hmph, you don't have to tell me twice," Hallows grumbled.

"I don't suppose the little wheels in your head are turning dear?" Rhapsody grinned as she ran into the cave next to Eser.

"Five on two regardless... Difficult match ups, maybe doable. Would rather fight the Golbat and Absol."

The three of them move deeper into the cave. A sudden rush of cold air brushes past the kids and forces them to huddle together. They clutch their stomachs out of fear.

"Wh... Guys, did you feel that? Did it get cold in here or was that just me?" - Ambes asks.

"No, that was definitely not just you. Maybe this is the part where things start getting..." - Menti says with a pronounced gulp.

Loud shrieks ring out from the darkness. A rush of footsteps grow in volume as they approach Ambes's group, only for the source to be a group of children screaming at the top of their lungs. They rush past Ambes's group without noticing them and scurry back towards the entrance. Hall stares at them while scratching his head in confusion.

"... I'm incredibly worried if there's something that can frighten an entire group of people." - Menti says as a cold sweat runs through her body.

"This could be for real. What do we do, Ambes?" - Hall sighs.

"We keep going. We can't necessarily be explorers if every little thing scares us, you know." - Ambes remarks. 

He curls both of his paws into fists and gives a sharp scowl to the other two.

"Yep, just what I figured. I'm with you, dude... but how about you, Menti?" - Hall asks.

"I-I'm insulted you even have to ask! Of course I'm going too. Come on, Ambes!" -  Menti remarks as she points into the deeper part of the cave.

"Hah... Nobody ever said being part of an exploration team was easy." - Ambes shrugs.

--------------------------------------------------------------

The Meloetta and Primarina arrive at a branched entrance consisting of three paths. They glance back at their steadily approaching opposition and speed into the middle path, taking them into a large cliffside area. They stop and stare at the area below with awestruck expressions.

[Current OST: Desert Palace]

At the bottom of the cliff is an ornate yet decayed castle surrounded by magma. Its structures are in pieces, lined with statues of Dragon Pokemon and torn red banners of the sun being gripped by a clawed hand. The glow of magma illuminates the castle and the cave around it.

"Whoa...!" - The Meloetta remarks.

"Amazing! So there was a fortress underneath the mountain all along. Quite the discovery, wouldn't you say, Nina?" - The Primarina nods.

"No kidding. Although... what kind of purpose did it serve if they had to hide it in a mountain?" - The Meloetta asks as she puts a hand under her chin.

"C'mon, let's follow those guys." Shiva whispered, steathly flying towards them

"...Hm. A castle. The treasure must be in there.'' Evan whispered back, following Shiva with soft footsteps. "Maybe we can find a way to delay these guys.''

"Considering they avoided our Mean Look, we'll definitely have to try something else if it comes to it.'' Shiva said.

"Maybe we could push them into the lava." Evan said, with an evil grin on his face.

"Don't you think that's a little too far?" 

"It's joke, Shiva. It's joke."

The group watched as both teams ran down a middle of a three pronged path.

"Do you think they know where they're going?" Barek asked.

"Doubt it. There's a reason no one's been able to map these dungeons," Eser said. "We should split up. Titanium take the left path, Ionize take the right. That way we have a two-thirds chance of going the correct way."

"Oh? And what if you find the treasure and bail without us?" Hallows hissed.

Eser sighed and reached into his bag. "This is a Re-Call Orb, use it if you get into trouble, or start to have any doubts. Try not to use it moments before we find the Mystic Power, ok?"

Hallows and Rhapsody grinned and ran down the left path. Eser, Sorin, and Barek ran down the right.

The light from the entrance and the torches diminish as Ambes's group walk into a pitch-black room. They huddle together as Ambes pulls out a small glowing orb from the practice backpack.

They hold up the orb and notice the room is empty barring some unlit torches and a large puddle of water in the middle. A cold sweat envelops their bodies as they walk closer.

Hall takes a few steps forward but trips over a bump in the floor. The Pikachu and Marill run over to his aid.

"Are you alright?" - Menti asks.

"Yeah, I didn't scrape a knee or anything... but what did I even hit?" - Hall remarks as he picks up his hat.

Ambes hovers the orb over the bump and reveals it to be a slate on the ground. It reads "Candela the Quilava - Her life was snuffed out by a flood. Rest in peace."

[Current OST: X Invasion Detection]

The three of them slowly step back upon reading the inscription with horrified looks on their faces.

"I-It's a grave?!" - Menti shrieks, her voice trembling.

"Good effing lord! Okay, I give up. I have no idea what to make of this anymore." - Hall remarks.

"Is this part of the test or... Should we just leave?" - Ambes says with an audible gulp.

As the Minccino and Marill open their mouths, the torches around the room light up with purplish-blue flames. A low, distorted chuckle echoes through the room followed by a thick purplish mist flowing through the ground.

"... More... give me..."

The group grasps onto each other in terror as they watch a shadow creep up from the grave. A Chandelure emerges out of the shadow and shrieks with dark red liquid dripping from her body.

"Give me your souls!"

Ambes and his friends scream at the top of their lungs as the Chandelure looms over them with blue fire erupting from her body.

-----------------------------------------

The Meloetta and the Primarina glance back where they entered from and then charge downwards towards the castle. They pass over the lowered drawbridge and enter a small garden-like area inside of the castle. A statue of a Reshiram stands in the middle surrounded by withered rose bushes.

"Wow... This place is pretty fancy even after decades of disuse." - Nina says as she looks around.

"The statue catches my attention the most out of anything here. I... can't seem to recognize that Pokemon. They're unlike anything I've ever seen before." - Thalassa remarks.

The Primarina propels herself over to the statue's base and puts her paw on the gold slate. The inscription on it is faded barring the words "The true Empress of Novadra". 

"... Interesting. So this is a Novadran outpost. Why would it be underground and at the borders of Miraja and Magnolia, though?" - Thalassa ponders.

Nina peers through a door on the opposite side of the room and notices a large dining hall with an outstretched table.

"You got me, but this place looks like it was pretty high class. It's not just any ordinary castle... There's all of these fancy armaments but it's big enough to hold an entire town." - Nina states.