[Pokémon] Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: The Story of Scott

By DEWGgaming​

Scott laid on the ground.​

"Oh, my head…" he groaned; his brain was pounding so hard that he couldn't see anything. He slowly fumbled about, trying to find his footing in his unknown location. When he finally stood up, he had regained some of his vision: he could see grass, trees, and… water! Scott was so parched! He powered through his headache and dazedly staggered over to the glistening pool, his sight still not fully recovered; all he could think about was the water in front of him. When Scott reached the pond, he lifted handfuls of water to his face, messily drinking up the clear liquid.​

Scott gave a sigh of contentment; his vision was back and his thirst was quenched with a belly full of water, but the blue sky above seemed… new. The same sky, but it was… different. Somehow. Scott rubbed his face, but it felt… wrong… His hands felt different on his face, and his face felt like it was shaped strangely, like a hairy dog's snout. He took the first serious look at himself; his hands weren't actually hands at all! They were paws! Scott rushed over back to the pool of water and looked at his reflection; he looked like a Riolu!​

No, he thought, I don't look like a Riolu! I am a Riolu!!​

Scott began to panic; he was hyperventilating and his heart beat faster and faster until he passed out from the terror of this sudden transformation.​

<————————————>​

When Scott finally came to, he found himself under the covers of a crudely made bed.​

"Where… am I…?" Scott said. Suddenly, a sharp sting of pain jabbed into Scott's brain. "GAAH!!!" he shouted, "My head!!"​

Into the room came a Gardevoir, "What's wrong, little one?"​

"My… GRAAH!! Head…! It feels like… AAGH!! It's gonna… URRG!! Explode…!"​

"Oh dear. I'm so sorry, but I must do this."​

"Do… ARGH!! What…?"​

"Look into my eyes…" Scott somehow couldn't look away from the Gardevoir's eyes. "You are getting sleepy… So, so sleepy…" Scott's eyelids became heavy and his headache dispersed. "I'm getting sleepy… So… So… Sle… ee… py…"​

And then, he slept.​

<————————————>​

Again, Scott awoke in the same bed as before, but this time the stinging pain in his head was merely a mild throbbing. He rubbed his temples and lightly tugged on the tassels connected to the sides of his face; it was real, alright.​

This'll take some getting used to, Scott thought to himself. He tried to remember anything that happened before he became a Pokémon, but that just made his headache worse, so he stopped.​

As Scott closed his eyes and began to calm himself and clear his mind, he heard the door slowly creak open. "Who's there?" he asked. It was a little Ralts.​

"You're the Riolu that Papa found by the spring?" She asked.​

"I... I suppose I am, yeah."​

"Well, hi there..." the Ralts seemed uneasy and shy.​

"I'm Scott."​

"M-my name's Hope."​

Hope, Scott thought, That's a pretty name.​

"I think I've met your mom," Scott said, "The Gardevoir?"​

"That's my Mama, yeah... She's really nice."​

"And I assume your dad's a Gallade, right?"​

Hope nodded, "Papa's super strong. He's the leader of the team that protects the village."​

Scott smiled reverently, "So he's the one that found me?"​

"Yeah, by the spring outside the village. He brought you to Mrs. Lucy's house first, but she said that she didn't have any children."​

"Mrs. Lucy?" Scott asked.​

"She and Mr. Lucius are Lucario, so Papa thought it'd make sense for you to be their son."​

But I'm not really a Riolu, right?, Scott pondered. Then he shook his head.​

"Tell me more about this team that protects the village, Hope."​

"Well, there's Papa, Mr. Lucius, and Mr. Bishop; he's a Bisharp."​

"Sounds like you all are well protected."​

"Yeah!" Hope smiled, "Nothing gets past Papa and his team!"​

In walked Hope's mother, "What are you two dears talking about?"​

"I'm telling Scott about how awesome Papa is!"​

"They sure are!" Hope's mom replied.​

"Is it still ok if I come with you to deliver supplies?" asked Hope.​

"It sure is!" Hope's mom answered.​

"I'm feeling better, so is it OK if I come, too?" Requested Scott, already climbing out of bed.​

"I suppose it would not hurt to have another extra pair of hands for the job."​

"Well, then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" And off they went.​

By DEWGgaming​

The village outside was a very quaint sight: there were only a few ─ maybe six or seven ─ houses, a shop, a small café, and a school for young Pokémon to learn what they needed to know. Pokémon of all shapes and sizes bustled about.​

"So, how long have you been around?" Hope's mom asked Scott.​

"I don't know, ma'am," Scott answered, "The first thing I remember was waking up by that spring."​

"Hmm. Strange." Hope's mom stopped for a second, "I don't believe that I know your name, little Riolu."​

"My name's Scott."​

"Scott… Quite a pleasant name! I'm Liberty, but you can call me Lady L."​

"Lady L, Lady L!" A Lucario with a feminine voice and figure came running up to Liberty. This must be Mrs. Lucy, Scott reasoned. "Lady L, are you going to trade for food and materials for the village?"​

"Yes, I am, Mrs. Lucy. What do you require?"​

"My husband told me that he and the other Defenders have found a den of feral Ekans and Arbok, and that Justice will need something to successfully chase them off without getting poisoned. Can you please remember to get some Pecha Berries?"​

"Very well. I shall be sure to get Pecha Berries for my husband," Lady L said.​

"Thank you so much; Justice will surely be grateful for it." Then Mrs. Lucy looked down at Scott, "I am so very glad to see that you are well, small Riolu! What's your name, by the way?"​

"I'm Scott," he squeaked out.​

"Very well then, Scott; if you ever wish to train your strength in the Aura, just see my husband, Mr. Lucius."​

"I'll be sure to do that," said Scott. He smiled. I guess being a Pokémon will have its perks, as well, he thought.​

"So," Liberty planned, "we'll head southeast to Birchburg, get the original things we needed, head directly north to the Berry Orchard for the Pechas, and go west back here to Littleoak."​

"Sounds like a plan," said Hope and Scott in unison. Liberty giggled, "I can tell that the two of you will be great friends."​

Yeah, Scott thought to himself, smiling, great friends...​

<————————————>​

"So then, Mrs. Lucy said, 'Have you been eating my berries!? And don't try to lie; I can read your Aura!' " elaborated Lady L. Hope and Scott laughed out loud; what an entertaining story!​

"And that's why Mrs. Lucy always locks up the pantry before she goes to bed!" Liberty laughed.​

Finally, after the long day of running errands, Liberty, Hope, and Scott were home. But something was wrong; Justice the Gallade was interrogating an Absol! "I told you: Mew's gone!!"​

By DEWGgaming​

"What do you mean, 'Mew's gone'!?!" Justice interrogated, absolutely fuming.​

"Mew's not here! Disappeared from their shrine!" the Absol squealed.​

"And this isn't another 'Absol-who-cried-Mightyena' tale, is it, Abraham!?"​

"No sir, Mr. Justice, sir!! I swear it! Mew's just… gone!!"​

Mr. Lucius closed his eyes, "He's not lying; his Aura would betray his thoughts, but his fear is genuine."​

Justice relaxed, but only slightly, "Then where could they be? It's not like Mew to just disappear without telling a single soul."​

"I'll try to contact the other Legendaries to see what they know," said Mr. Bishop.​

"Good idea," asserted Justice, "someone must know something."​

Scott felt strange. It was as if this disappearance deeply affected him, despite the fact that he had only been around for a few days.​

"Is there any way we can help?" asked Hope.​

"Not now, little ones," replied Justice, leaving to investigate Mew's Shrine. Hope crossed her arms and let out a frustrated huff.​

"Why can't we help?" Scott asked.​

"It's because we're 'just kids'," Hope answered, audibly rolling her eyes, "It's always: 'Not now, Hope', 'It's too dangerous, Hope', 'You're not strong enough yet, Hope'. Well, how am I to get stronger if I don't train?"​

"We could go anyway," whispered Scott, "Where's Mew's Shrine?"​

"At the end of a Mystery Dungeon past the town spring," Hope quietly replied.​

"A what?"​

"Everyone knows what a Mystery Dungeon is! Where've you been?"​

"Long story. What's a Mystery Dungeon?"​

"A Mystery Dungeon is a strange place where Pokémon grow as feral monsters, lacking any sense of morality or reason. They're everywhere."​

"That sounds dangerous."​

"It is," Hope grinned mischievously, "and we're going to Mew's Forest tomorrow."​

"Why not now?"​

"The sun's setting; Dungeons are near impossible to traverse at night."​

"Come on, sweetie! It's time for dinner!" It was Lady L, calling for Hope to come home.​

"There's Mama. Mrs. Lucy said that you were welcome to stay with her and Mr. Lucius when you were feeling better. Their house is the blue one right next to mine!"​

"OK, see you tomorrow!" Scott bid Hope farewell, and headed to Mrs. Lucy's house.​

<————————————>​

The next day, Scott left Mrs. Lucy's house and headed straight next door to Hope, who was sitting on the ground in front of her house. She was wearing a ratty, red scarf and had a bag on her back. "Good morning!"​

"Cute scarf," said Scott, "Who made it?"​

"I did!" Hope beamed proudly.​

"So, will we leave now, or…?" Scott trailed off.​

"Yeah, let's go."​

At the spring, Hope led Scott to an opening in the trees. "Here it is," she said, "Mew's Forest."​

"How good are you at defending yourself?" Scott asked.​

"Not wonderful," said Hope, "but I can take on the few Caterpie, Pidgey, and the odd Weedle here and there."​

Scott lied, "Yeah, I'm good at fighting. Leave the tougher Pokémon to me."​

"Alrighty then!"​

And into the Dungeon the two went.​

<————————————>​

"Mr. Abraham takes walks through this Dungeon every other morning to chat with Mew," explained Hope, "That must be how he discover that they had gone missing."​

"Makes sense."​

"Hey, look!" Hope dashed over to a small, blue ball made of crystal.​

"What is it?" Scott asked.​

"It's an Escape Orb! If we get into too much trouble, we can use this to teleport out of the Dungeon."​

"Sounds useful. Let's just hope that we won't need to use it."​

"Indeed."​

Eventually, Scott and Hope came across Mew's Shrine; and an Absol napping in front of it. "Mr. Abraham, what are you doing here?" Scott questioned, rousing the Absol from its slumber. It looked at Scott with a malevolent glare, scars across its entire face.​

"That's not Mr. Abraham; that's a feral Pokémon!" Hope exclaimed. She dropped her bag and ran away as fast as she could. Scott tried to run, but he tripped on a root on the forest floor.​

The Absol lunged at Scott and came down upon him, claws extended. The feral Absol slashed and bit into Scott, tearing his body to shreds; blood spilled quickly out of the wounds. "N-no… P-p-please s-stop…!" Scott cried out. The Absol replied by biting off half of the helpless Riolu's tail. Scott screamed in agony. The Absol leapt off of Scott to prepare a finishing blow, but Scott ─ with all his remaining strength ─ grabbed Hope's bag and activated the Escape Orb inside. A bright glow surrounded Scott, and he was whisked away back to Littleoak Village. In transit, he fainted from the severe trauma of the attack.​

Back at Littleoak, Hope was in a panic, "I left him… Oh, I left him… He's surely dead now, and it's all my fault!"​

Suddenly, Scott's broken body materialized in the center of the village plaza; his breaths were shallow and his heart was barely beating. Hope ran over to the unconscious Riolu and threw herself onto him, "Help! Someone help!! He's hurt!! Please!" Liberty scooped up Scott and took him inside her house.​

By DEWGgaming​

Images flashed in Scott's head: images of the past, the present, and the future.​

"What's going on? Where am I?" Scott cried out.​

"You're in a dream!" replied a small voice, "But more importantly, you're here!" An image of the Pokémon world appeared before Scott. A pink, hairless tail curled itself around the planet. Soon, Scott saw who the tail was connected to: it was Mew!​

"What are you doing in my dream?"​

"Ah, ah, ah!" interjected Mew, "What are you doing in my dream?"​

Scott didn't know how to answer. Am I in Mew's dream?​

"Well, either I'm in your dream, or vice versa. But if you really think about it, you know I'm right."​

Did Mew just…?​

"Read your mind? Yeah, I did. Cool, eh?" Mew giggled.​

"So, why now?" Scott asked.​

"Because," Mew replied, "with my current strength, I can't connect with a strong mind; I can only connect with the mind of a weak, injured Pokémon."​

"Did you know that I'd run into that Absol and get massacred?!" Scott questioned.​

"No. I hoped you'd get quote-and-quote 'lucky' and trip and hit your head really hard. I'm so sorry that this was how it had to transpire."​

Scott spoke somberly, "Did I make it? Am I back in Littleoak?"​

"I can't communicate with a dead mind, so, yes, I'd say that you're at least safe."​

Scott gave a sigh of relief, "Why am I here, anyway? Plucked from the human world and dropped into the Pokémon world! I can't even remember my past life without getting a skull-splitting headache!!"​

"I know your past life: you were miserable; a malnourished, homeless orphan in the ghettos of Castelia City that no one cared about. I chose you because you were the most deserving of a new life; a fresh start. But if you really want to go back…"​

Suddenly, Scott remembered, and began to cry, "N-no! D-don't send me b-b-back!" He collapsed in fear and sobbed.​

Mew shrank down and comforted the upset Riolu, "No, I'm sorry, I didn't really mean it. You're not going back… I promise."​

"R-r-really…?"​

"Yes. You never need to go back there ever again."​

Scott took a few deep breaths to calm himself, "Th-thank you, Mew."​

"You're welcome. But for now, I need you to train with Mr. Lucius; you'll need to be able to defend yourself in the future."​

"OK, but… how?"​

"I'll heal you, and, hopefully, you'll wake up in Littleoak. Goodbye for now, Scott the Riolu."​

"Goodbye, Mew."​

And Scott woke up.​

<————————————>​

Liberty's guest room was a familiar sight for Scott at this point; he'd woken up in it so many times. In a chair, next to the bed, sat Hope. She smiled, "You're awake…"​

"Yes," Scott said, "I certainly am." He noticed the bandages wrapped around his torso: white on the front, brownish-red on the back, "Oww…" he groaned. He put a paw to his chest; his heart beat lightly, like it should've. He took a deep breath of relief; he was alive.​

"I was so worried that you'd die."​

"I was talking with Mew."​

"Talking with–?" Hope stood up, "Don't joke about that! Mew's disappearance is a serious matter!"​

"I know. And I'm not joking. He helped me remember my past; I was a human."​

Hope was taken aback, "A human!? But those are from old Wiscash's tales!"​

"Look into my eyes." Hope looked closely at Scott's eyes; they were… different. Just barely, but definitely not the eyes of an average Riolu.​

"You're a–! But you were a–! And you have the eyes of a–!"​

"A human. A pretty unhappy one, at that. I was a homeless orphan."​

"Are you going to go back?"​

"Pfft. As if; I'm here to stay."​

"Oh, thank goodness. I was afraid that I'd just lose you eventually; disappear overnight and all."​

Then Scott remembered, "I need to go to see Mr. Lucius." He carefully climbed out of bed, unwrapped his bandages off of his body, and examined his wounds; chunks of flesh had been removed from his back as a meal for the feral Absol at Mew's Shrine, and he only had part of his tail still intact. Scott whimpered at his loss.​

"It's OK; I think it makes you look cooler!"​

Scott smiled, "You always know how to make me feel better! See you later, Hope!"​

"Bye, Scott!"​

And to Mr. Lucius' house Scott went.​

By DEWGgaming​

The door to the Lucario house creaked open. "M-Mr. Lucius…? I'm here for training…"​

"Been through the wringer these past few days, haven't you, little Scott?" chuckled Mr. Lucius, "Nonetheless, I'm glad to see you well again."​

"Thank you, sir," Scott replied.​

Lucius put up a finger, "Rule 1: I am not sir, I am not Mr. Lucius, I am Master Lucius."​

"Y-yes, Master Lucius."​

"Rules 2 and 3:" Lucius put up two more fingers, "Training starts in the morning when the first Murkrow caws, and you may not eat breakfast until you've completed."​

"But si– err… Master, Murkrow caw before the sun even rises!"​

"Exactly, Apprentice Scott."​

"Yes, Master."​

"I expect you to sometimes also train without me, just as I trained myself," Lucius said.​

"Yes, Master."​

"For today," said Master Lucius, "we'll begin your Aura Reading Training."​

"Yes, Master."​

"Now, follow me; to the grounds."​

<————————————>​

"Here we are." Behind the Lucario house was what looked to be a jungle-gym of various gymnastics structures, like out of a ninja dojo. "I come back here because it's generally quieter than out front. Come; sit." He sat down, legs crossed, under a large tree. Scott sat next to him, emulating Lucius' form​

"Now, close your eyes, and focus."​

Scott did as he was told, and as he focused, blue streaks flew through his mind.​

"I… think I see it."​

"See what?"​

"The Aura, I think. It looks like… blue lines… flying all around me…"​

"Good, good. Now stay here with your eyes still closed; I'm going to go get someone."​

"Yes, Master." Scott listened as Master Lucius stepped away, and waited. As he waited, the lines in his mind began to run parallel to each other, creating vertical stripes of glowing blue and inky, dark black.​

Eventually, the sound of two sets of footprints approached Scott.​

"Scott, I have, with me, another Pokémon. You have to figure out ─ through the Aura ─ who I've brought here."​

"Y-yes, Master… But… how? My eyes are closed!"​

"Visualize your surroundings; see that which cannot be seen."​

Scott struggled, but after just a few seconds, the Lucario family's backyard materialized before him! He could see two blue, amorphous blobs standing in front of him. Slowly, the blob on the left took the shape of Mr. Lucius. Scott smiled, "I see you on the left, Master."​

"Very good, now concentrate on the figure to your right."​

Scott focused on the other figure; it morphed into… Hope?​

"Hope, is that you?" Scott asked.​

"That's my name, don't wear it out!" she cheerily replied. Scott smiled even brighter.​

"Truly astounding, young one!" Lucius exclaimed, lightly applauding, "You took to the Aura like a Psyduck takes to water! You may open your eyes now."​

"Th-thank you, Master," Scott wearily said; he felt quite worn out from his Aura training.​

Hope lovingly embraced Scott, "You did so well!"​

"Thanks," said Scott. He put a paw to his forehead and groaned, "I… I think I'll go to bed early… Oh, my head…"​

"No dinner?" asked Lucius.​

"No… ugh… N-no thanks…"​

Suddenly, Scott collapsed! Hope alone rushed over to him.​

"Oh, no!" Hope exclaimed, "What do we do!?"​

"We'll get him into bed and nothing more; it is normal for a Riolu to be extremely exhausted after its first Aura reading."​

"OK, good," said Hope, letting out a sigh of relief.​

"I shall go a bit easier on him in tomorrow's combat training. And we'll start a little later than usual; he needs this rest."​

Master Lucius hoisted up Scott, and took him inside his house.​

<————————————>​

Scott woke up in a different bed than was in Liberty's guest room; still very crude, yet distinctly different. He surmised that Lucius had taken him inside to his house. He looked out the window; it was dark out, and the Murkrow had been calling for quite a while.​

The door creaked open, "Little Scott?" whispered Mrs. Lucy, "are you awake?"​

"Yes, ma'am, I'm up."​

"Very well; my husband said that you two'd start a bit later than normal, so he'll come in and get you eventually. For now, you can sleep a little more, or you can stay up and read one of the stories I've written."​

"Thank you Mrs. Lucy."​

"And another thing: I asked my husband, and he said that it'd be OK if you wanted to stay with us; makes sense that a pair of Lucario would adopt a Riolu into their family, doesn't it?"​

That word resonated with Scott: ...family… His smile lit up the room, "Yes, please! I'd love to live with you!"​

"Well, I'm glad that you are just as excited as I am to be a part of this family!" Mrs. Lucy said. She quietly closed the door.​

For about half an hour, Scott slept soundly, until Lucius went in and woke him up, "Come on; it's time to start the training."​

Scott yawned, "Yes, Master Lucius..."​