Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: The Phantasmagoria

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: The Phantasmagoria

Chapter 1

Personality Test

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"I've been waiting... ten thousand years to show you, Liam."

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It was a chilly day in Charleston.

Orange autumn leaves scraped against the sidewalk, whipped wind carrying them to new destinations. A blanket of white clouds blocked out the sun as only small pockets of heavenly light escaped. It rained, a light drizzle splattering across the city's buildings and fogging up the clammy glass windows adorning the jungle of concrete.

Vehicles whizzed past each other, sloshing through collections of water on the roads. Street lamps stood tall on the sidewalks, glowing a bright yellow among the downpour and casting blurry reflections across the shiny wet surface of the streets. Few people roamed in this weather, wearing large overcoats that protected them. Some lucky ones carried umbrellas, shielding away the elements.

Despite this dreary day, the Charleston Counseling Office was open for business to its troubled visitors.

Rain hammered the sides of the tall, grey concrete building as a single car drove into its parking lot, taking up a spot amidst the rest.

The sole occupant, a young man, didn't get out. Instead, he closed his eyes and leaned forward to rest his head on the steering wheel. Many thoughts swarmed in his head, the heart in his chest sinking lower and lower. His foot pressed up and down on the car's brake, debating whether or not to stay.

After a few moments, he unbuckled his seat belt with a sigh, opening the car door and letting it fly open to greet the crying world.

The occupant took a step onto the wet concrete, slamming the car door closed, and slogging through the rain toward the entrance. The automatic doors to the building slid open, a crack of distant thunder rumbling the sky as he entered.

It was not his first time here, and possibly not his last.

A room was shrouded in darkness. Curtains blocked pale light and drops of rain from the outside world entering, with only a light wind sneaking its way in. A sound of a metal handle jingling resounded through the room, the door to the room opening slightly, revealing a tan aged hand.

The hand then flicked the light switch beside the door.

The room became illuminated, casting assorted beige furniture in subdued yellow light. Various oak shelves littered the surroundings, filled with books and magazines for mental and personal health. A clock was positioned on the wall above the doorway, its hands slowly moving and quietly ticking away. The door would finally swing open, exposing two very different individuals. The first person to enter was a middle-aged man with frizzled black hair, who swept a hand across the many plain-looking sets of furniture in the room.

"This session won't take long, Liam, but have a seat, please," the man spoke with earnestness.

The second individual was a younger man with brown hair and a modest crew cut. His unkempt features, pale skin, and the drained look in his eyes varied drastically from the older man. He stood by the doorway, looking into the room and observing it in its entirety with a glassy look.

It was a familiar but dreaded sight.

Sighing, the young man spoke in an expected tired voice, mixed in with a bit of Southern drawl. "Yeah, right… Y'all know I have errands to do after this, Dr. Thompson." Lumbering into the room, he flopped onto one of the couches and panned his face to meet the older man, his eyes boring into the man's drastically happier face.

Clapping, the older man happily spoke. "Hah! Don't worry, Liam. I know you've been under a bit of stress lately, and poking you won't benefit either of us." The man made his way to a chair opposite of Liam and sat down. He then reached into his pocket, pulling out a pen and a small notepad. "How are you doing today, Liam? It's been a while since our last session."

"I'm doing fine," Liam said flatly. "I'm just..." He shook his head. "Look, you know I don't want to be here, so can we just get this over with already?"

The eyebrows of Dr. Thompson were raised. "I get it, Liam, but please remember these sessions are required by the state, and they are only concerned with your well-being." He began scribbling in the notepad, pausing momentarily to glance at the young man. "I know it's been just a year, but you still live with your aunt, correct?"

"I've been living with her since... you already know what; I don't think I'll be leaving yet."

'Or ever,' Liam repeated in his mind, bringing his head to meet the floor.

Dr. Thompson analyzed Liam's perturbed state briefly, before returning to write in his notepad. "And…" He finished his writing. "Have you stuck to your goal of finding work in the city? I know you've mentioned your interest in becoming a forest ranger, but were you successful with the local parks and forests around Charleston?"

Liam slumped into the couch, staring vacantly at the opaque ceiling. "All of them except one denied my application, despite my experience with being a volunteer in the past." He returned to eye the drab carpeted floor, scowling at it. "Not like it matters anymore."

Dr. Thompson twirled his pen in one hand. "And how did the one who didn't go? Did you take the opportunity?" the man questioned, frowning. "You don't exactly have many options, I'm afraid to say."

Liam gave a pained laugh, "I was accepted in, under great scrutiny, of course. The time I was there was… nice. In that small period, I was doing the very thing I wish I would've become." He brought a hand to his mouth, clasping it around the semblance of a smile that was forming.

'Or rather... What was your dream in life?'

Liam winced at the gruff voice that invaded his mind once again. "And then..." He took the hand away from his mouth and clenched it shut. "They fired me! Over the smallest of mistakes, one that was out of my control!" He placed his hands on the couch and pushed into it to reposition himself. "I know that I never did anything that would warrant that action, but everyone's eyes were on me. Just waiting for me to screw up…" Heaving, he tried calming himself with deep breaths. "I know that I'm... not who they think - they're wrong." Liam's face quickly morphed into anger. "I... I just can't get these fucking memories out of my head. All their faces. Especially one in particular."

'The same.'

There it was again; that constant reminder in his head. It was always there, always lingering in the back of his thoughts.

"I don't want to deal with it anymore."

Dr. Thompson seemed to digest this information, tapping his chin with his pen. "I know we've told you this before, Liam, but after your initial arrest, the state of South Carolina wanted to arrest you again under suspicion of... well, you know what." He locked eyes with Liam, displaying his arms. "That's why we've doing all of this for so many years. The state might see you differently, but not us." The older man swallowed, "... Especially after that incident in your old home."

Liam ground his teeth at the mention of his old family home. The home where his family once thrived in the thick of the natural American South. Safe, content, and happy in the middle of nature - just how he liked it. The day it burned down was the day all of his dreams of a life worth living were smothered in those same flames.

The evils of this world wanted to take everything from him, and they succeeded - just like Mrs. Lachaise said they would.

'But you'd do it too, right?' the gruff voice in his mind echoed, causing his teeth to grind further.

Dr. Thompson shook his head. "They didn't want you to live a life outside of their control. But this place fought for you, Liam - to reintroduce you to a more healthy society. We've been doing this to give you a chance to start a new life."

Liam chuckled bitterly at that. The constant voice in his head said otherwise. If he had so much a chance against these groups in the city back then, he would've taken up arms as well - to get that revenge his father couldn't. But his burning anger was long gone, with only the ashes of his resentment remaining.

'The same, the same...' he repeated ad nauseam in his head.

Dr. Thompson glanced at a clock on the wall. "What do you think about exploring job options outside of that industry? We're here to help with that, Liam."

The young man looked somewhat distraught. "No, just... no. I don't think... think I could handle giving up everything to just toil away in some dead-end job." His restless look soon led to a more defeated one as slumped back into the couch again. "That's not me. It never was and it never will."

Dr. Thompson slowly shook his head. "We've been at this for years, Liam." He waved his notepad. "Surely this all has to be doing something for you."

The silence that followed was telling.

Dr. Thompson leaned back in his chair, placing a hand below his chin and adopting a thinking pose as he looked around the room in thought. The room was quiet for those few moments, only the near-silent ticking of a clock heard. It wasn't until the older man's features lit up, a smile appearing on his visage.

"Ah! I think I have something that can benefit both parties!" he exclaimed, setting down his notebook and pen.

Standing up, he made his way over to a more intricate desk in the corner of the room. Opening up on the drawers, he shuffled through countless papers, analyzing each one. Liam sat looking at him with the same tired look mixed with bemusement, his eyes narrowing.

"Aha! One of the last copies." He looked at the paper one final time, before making his way over to Liam.

"You... I'm not taking any more medication than I already have." Liam snarled, a scowl remaining on his face. "The constant headaches I have prove that."

Dr. Thompson formed a more embarrassed look, holding up his hands in defense. "No, no! This is something different. Something a bit more..." He shook his hands. "Thought-provoking! You can assess your character to future employers, your true self." He smiled at the young man. "Through this, we can also send this to future employers to show what kind of a person you are!" He gazed into Liam's eyes hard, trying to send a message. "What person you aren't."

Liam was not phased by the man's spiel, continuing to glare at him.

Dr. Thompson, expecting him to interject, cleared his throat and looked down at the paper again. "The ADEPT test will see the tester answer a multitude of questions to assess the tester's cognitive senses, reactions, character, and define themselves to complete the assessment." Dr. Thompson smiled again, "In other words, a personality test!"

Liam's eyes grew wide, looking almost offended. "What? How is that going to help me get anywhere? What kind of bullshit are you trying to pull? Why do you think this will help me in anything?!"

The older man placed a hand on Liam's shoulder. "Don't overthink it! This little - let's say - test is simply a mental exercise for you, and possibly a ticket to great success in the future."

He handed the paper over to Liam, who hesitated for a moment but grabbed it. "Fine. I'll do the stupid test, but I don't see how this would ever help me... now that is." The young man stood up, breathing a sigh. "If that's all you wanted to show me, then I think this session is over."

Dr. Thompson looked at the clock on the wall and nodded. "For now, but I want you to return next week - same day, so we can review the results together." He raised his hand to invite Liam into a handshake, who begrudgingly accepted.

"Don't worry, I don't have much going on," Liam replied, breaking the handshake and ambling toward the doorway, finally being able to leave with his thoughts semi-intact.

"Liam!"

The young man gritted his teeth, turning around to see the cheesy smile the man wore.

"You've gone through a lot, and the burdens of someone's past sins shouldn't reflect the person that was left in its wake. I know that your father... while he wasn't a good man, tried his best with you."

There was no response.

"The ADEPT test has been taken by many others - many much like you! Some of these people created new lives, and achieved their own... paradise, haha!" Dr. Thompson finished with notable conviction.

Liam's mouth parted a bit as his eyes studied the man up and down. Doubt flooded every fiber of his being.

The door clicked shut as the young man made his exit, with only the ticking sound of the omnipresent clock left echoing throughout the room.

A front door swung open as the howling from an angry storm outside was heard.

Liam stepped into his aunt's home, his eyes bloodshot, and the stains of past tears still visible on his cheeks. The pants and shoes he wore were caked in mud from his kneeling. In his right hand was a plastic bag full of various medicines; some for his aunt, and the rest for himself.

He stopped to visit them on his way home. Every time he did so, it was like entering a portal into the past, where his future was undetermined but hopeful in that forest - the place where his pains and sorrows wouldn't exist. Then he reached where she rested, and the crushing realization of reality came tenfold.

In his left hand, he clutched a white wallflower, nearly crushing it in his iron grip. Liam blinked, bringing a hand to wipe a lone tear that was escaping and trailing down his cheek. He wiped the rest of his face, freeing it from any wetness - be it rain or tears.

'Is she asleep?'

He looked around for the sight of his aunt, on the couch for her sleeping form, or in the kitchen. 'It's not like she cares. Probably out with a friend.' Liam told himself, trudging up the stairs, one agonizing step at a time.

The door to his room flew open, the smell of musk and old stale air made his nose twitch in response. He could hear the pitter-patter of harsh rain on the roof, seeing flashes of lightning through his window. Out of everything, his eyes caught the banjo that was leaning against the wall, dust covering its unused form.

The room was a mess to any eye who caught it. Clothes and other items littered the floor, and white sheets ripped off the sole bed.

"Remember, Liam!"

Here the youthful boy stood, cleaning up his room for possibly the fifth time this month. He watched his mother crouch upon on the floor as best she could, plucking a shirt of his off the ground, muddled with dirt and other stains from constant playing outside. The young boy listened intently as he also began tidying everything up, placing his belongings back into his room's closet.

But of course, he knew deep down it would all get messy again.

"A cluttered room is a cluttered mind," she said, smiling.

The boy flinched at the invasion of his mother's hand, which drifted across his hair.

"And soon," She rested a hand on her belly. "You can tell her, too."

He scowled at the distant memory.

Liam dropped the bag of medicine and cast the wallflower to the ground, promptly collapsing on his messy bed. His head hit the pillow like a sack of potatoes as he tried to melt into the soft cushion of the bed. But his mind continued to race. Through all the thoughts of today, yesterday, the past, and so on.

Thunder clapped outside his home, scattering his thoughts and shaking his room with its might.

He closed his eyes, hoping to rest and begin anew tomorrow. However, it never came, with his thoughts never ceasing at the boom of thunder. Sleeping soon became an afterthought of his as he rolled over. His head was pounding, his perception blurring, and he wasn't sure why.

'Can I ever just forget and let go?'

Liam grit his teeth, his hands reaching behind him to clutch the pillow as he stared at the ceiling. The pounding got worse, flashes of vibrant and fluctuating orange shooting across his vision. Blinking was enough to return his sights to normal, but the strange feeling inside was seemingly just beginning.

'No. No, I cannot forget. No one could ever forget what happened. No one.'

Slamming a fist into the cushiony bed, he forced himself up, his visage enraged. He desperately wanted to be like his young self again, angry and passionate enough to take action against those who wronged him, but now he was defeated and alone, utterly powerless.

'I can't sleep, I can't think right, I can't-' Then he remembered the paper he brought in from his session earlier. 'If I can't sleep, I might as well finish it.'

Anything to distract himself.

Sighing, he crawled out of bed and grabbed the paper out of the plastic bag, walking over to his personal desk in the corner of the room. He flicked on a lamp, shining white light across the various objects on the desk. Liam's eye caught one in particular - a painted statue.

He picked it up. It was a model of a green, healthy pine tree that stood proudly on what appeared to be a mound of dirt. Liam knew it was painted with care, despite some scuffs or overlapping paint. The rush of memories that accompanied this relic soon overtook him and his pain.

A door swung open as the dead of the night became visible from the eager occupant inside. From the darkness, a chorus of muffled boot stomps got louder and louder as a figure entered.

A young Liam's eyes popped up from behind the couch, the boy sprinting toward the front door. His father was home from his long day of duty to the law, and the boy was waiting all night for him to get back. He got up and close with the now befuddled man, looking up, and clutching something in his hands.

"Dad, dad!" Liam tugged on the pant leg of his father, earning a sigh in response.

"Liam! You're supposed to be in bed. God knows what your mother would say..." He quickly closed the door before the chill of the night could come in. "Get to bed - now. You're lucky it's the weekend."

The boy, however, didn't relent and excitedly pulled more on his father's jeans. "No, no, you don't get it! Mom helped me! I spent all day making it!"

The man started to unbutton his uniform, unhooking his badge and speaking in an amused tone. "Make what?"

The boy shoved a painted statue in front of the father's eyes. "It's a tree, don't you see?"

Liam's mother had always made these kinds of ceramic statues in her free time, organizing them on tall shelves and letting them shine and glisten in the daylight. They always fascinated the curious little boy. With a little persuasion, he was able to convince her to teach him exactly how she does it.

His father stared at the statue for a while. "Yeah, I see that."

Chuckling, the father bent down to his son's height and grabbed the 'tree' from the boy. He observed it as a smile stained his features.

"Looks like your affinity for the outside world carries to your creative side too, huh?" The man looked down at his son, who was grinning ear to ear. Still kneeling, he brought him into a hug. "I want you to show me what you'll do with your passion - what you'll make in this life, okay son?"

"Don't worry, dad, I know what I was meant to do." The father ruffled his hair and chuckled again.

"Great, now go to bed before your mother kills me."

The statue was launched into a wall, breaking into various pieces and ushering in a loud noise that reverberated across the room. The cracking of thunder came afterward, stirring him out of his rage. His eyes widened as he realized just what he did, slamming both hands on his sides and letting out short rapid breaths to calm himself.

It was not fair.

He flattened the paper on the desk and focused the lamp's light on it. Picking up a nearby pencil, deep breaths were taken once again before he began to read and plan out his answers to the questions. His frustrations manifested into a blooming headache, along with the flashes of orange shooting across his vision that seemed to worsen over time.

'You are sending a postcard to a school friend. What exciting news do you have to share?'

The juvenile nature of the questions stuck out to him, but he would answer them nonetheless.

I discovered a new trail to school today. Do you want to take it?

'You have a musical talent you want to show off; which instrument do you choose?'

I would choose a banjo.

But every time he thought about or tried playing his favorite instrument, it would always stir memories of a time when he once could enjoy life at its finest moments. Realizing he was slipping, he decided to move on to the next question.

'What do you value most?'

"Jesus, Liam, you know I told you not to go beyond the house's fence," the man scolded, eyeing the child in the doorway caked with mud and small twigs that clung to his shirt.

The boy simply stared at his father with a wide smile that refused to go away.

"Christ, it's like the leeches all over again," the father said as he plucked a branch off the boy's shoulder.

Liam laughed at his comment, remembering that exact moment. One day, at a typical family outing near Lake Moultrie, he spent most of his time swimming, only to emerge later from the water covered in blood-sucking leeches. To say he was shocked that day was an understatement.

"Do you think containing him is going to work, honey?" a woman with long, auburn hair spoke, reaching into the sink to grab a dirty plate.

The young boy grew an awry frown. "Sorry, dad. Playing in the backyard just got really boring. I saw this family of deer past the fence, and I wanted to see them up close!" The boy's eyes gleamed, before drooping. "Then I fell into a ditch trying to catch up with 'em..."

His father bit his tongue, listening intently, looking toward the woman nimbly working beside him.

"Well, Angel? What do you think? Does he deserve a second chance?"

The woman wiped away the grime her hands had collected on a towel, before turning around and rubbing the cheek of Liam with it, scrubbing any remnants of nature that clung to him. He shook his head, trying to free himself from her grasp. She smiled, satisfied with her work.

The two parents stared at each other for a moment, letting their mutual feelings combine before ushering the boy inside.

Liam grunted, placing a hand on his face and slowly rubbing his forehead to stabilize his thoughts from wandering as he wrote down his answer.

An adventurous spirit.

'Do you think that lying to a friend is sometimes necessary?'

Sometimes it can be in your best nature. Sometimes it may come back to haunt you and the ones you love.

'You are told to wait in an empty room. What do you do?'

I would get bored and try to wander outside.

He answered each and every mundane question the test threw at him. Soon enough, each of them were answered, and the final portion was one last question, which truly shook him to his core.

'Who are you?'

Liam's breath hitched as he stared blankly at the paper, his relaxed breaths running short. Memories he tried to lock away for so long began to break free, spiraling him deeper and deeper.

"Now that you know who I am..."

Liam thrashed against his binds, searching for any possible way to get loose, scraping his body across the cold concrete floor. He gasped, his face contorting into a murderous scowl.

A man loomed over him - ragged torn clothing - open wounds dotting his body as he crouched, looking to meet the boy's gaze. Liam's shoulder was then latched onto by a hand as the man towered above him. The boy could only stare into his sharpened hazel eyes.

"Who are you?"

"SHUT UP!"

Liam blinked, brought back into reality by his own shouting. He swallowed down the bile that built up in his throat, rereading the paper's final question.

'Who are you? What kind of person are you? What is your dream in life?'

He sighed, readying his pencil to begin writing just as he did moments before.

My name is Liam Shaw. I am nineteen years old, and I dream of one day becoming a forest ranger.

"I wonder what kind of person are you?" the man's gruff voice echoed throughout the room.

The man leaned back and removed his hand from the boy's shoulder, who continued to fight against his binds, drool leaking out of his mouth like an enraged animal as his body smacked the concrete wall against him. The man looked around, not giving the boy any thought. His own thoughts after everything that had transpired kept him from thinking straight.

"What were you before this all... happened." He looked back to the struggling boy, feelings of resemblance stirring within him. "What will you become now that it has?"

Liam's mind seared in pain as he gritted his teeth. His hands clenched together, his grip on his pencil beginning to tighten, and tighten until he almost shattered it in his mindless anger. Still, he pressed on answering.

I was- He shook his head and erased his sentence. I am an adventurous spirit. I live to explore the unexplored, to find a paradise to call a true home.

He looked at the final part of the question, trying to ignore the flashes of oscillating orange and the resurfacing of old memories.

'What is your dream in life?'

"What is your dream in life, kid?" the gruff voice questioned. "Or rather." The man laughed, "What was your dream in life?"

The young boy, after giving up on escaping his confinement, heaved and cried, hunkering down in his chains to shut out the outside world as best he could.

The man leaned in again. "Because we both have nothing left; no dream in life, no purpose to exist, no rock to hold us down anymore. We're free for all the wrong reasons…"

The boy wanted it all to stop, to wake up after this awful nightmare ceased to be. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, wanting to wake up somewhere far from here.

"Will you quit and 'sunder into dust' like she wanted?" He laughed bitterly at the last part. "Or rot for eternity, wondering why. Why do we live in a world without our paradise?" The man growled, "Grim reminder, kid. Because..." His face seemed to falter into a rage, his words trailing off.

Liam's expression morphed into confusion at the man's hesitance, having no chance to respond as the man took hold of him, rocking him back and forth violently. He cringed in pain as the man started shouting once more.

"BECAUSE WE ARE THE SAME, AND WILL BE THE SAME FOREVER!" the man yelled, tears welling up in his eyes. "Your old man thought he could change! Before, he almost got away, but reality came knocking..."

The tone in his voice relaxed, releasing Liam from his hold, who promptly fell back and slid against the wall - defeated. "Family is everything we have, kid. Without them by our side, how do we continue through this painful world alone? How do we let go? Your father... he only understood that before it was too late."

The whimpering boy shivered in anguish and fresh rage at the mention of his father, his eyes glued to the floor and never daring to look at the body that was lying beside his kidnapper.

"You and I? We're weapons - weapons that will soon gain a new target... ourselves."

Liam clutched his head, his pencil rolling off the table. It felt like a raging fire was burning in his brain, mixed in with the constant flurry of orange invading his vision.

'Why can't I just forget. My head... it hurts so much.'

He weakly got out of his chair, a deep-seated sickness claiming him as he lurched into the bag on the ground, pulling out a bottle of painkillers before running out of his room and into the bathroom beside it. He heaved over the sink, attempting to cough out the ugly feelings swelling within him. He felt sick, both physically and mentally in his head.

Just like many times before, the gruff voice of that man echoed without warning.

'BECAUSE WE ARE THE SAME, AND WILL BE THE SAME FOREVER!'

Popping the cap open, he downed the bottle of painkillers, rinsing the contents down with a cup of water he poured. He grounded his teeth together as dark thoughts crept up in his mind.

'Or rot for eternity, wondering why. Why do we live in a world without our paradise?'

His head throbbed in anguish as he slammed a fist into the side of it, closing his eyes.

'I'm sorry.'

The poem his mother would once sing to him long ago was the only thing he wanted to hear now. He wanted to go into that forest Mrs. Lachaise described, the forest where all his anger, strife, and pain would disappear in. He was going home - to paradise.

'I just want to sleep…'

The walk back to his room disoriented him, causing him to stumble around in his dizziness, knocking into various walls and furniture. His mouth felt dry. Looking around the room, he could barely tell where he was before he tripped on something and fell back, feeling the soft but fading warmth of his bed. The countless booms of thunder outside began to crash constantly in his head as the room around him began to spin and spin until he couldn't recognize it in its motions.

The unthinkable then happened.

His room began to shake as bright, glowing orange columns shot out his floor, piercing the ceiling above. Bits of wooden debris showered down, but none hit Liam as he lay still, transfixed with the oddity occurring before him.

'What…'

Liam hesitantly moved an arm forward to try and touch the glowing columns. Once his hand touched one, he felt nothing, but could hear a faint silky giggle pierce through the swirling chaotic mess of sound in his head.

Around him, the room's walls began to crack and crumble apart. Pieces of drywall began to peel off and fall onto the ground. The walls in his room collapsed into nothingness, exposing an endless sea of black void beyond them. The crashing in Liam's head began to whittle away into nothing but soft echoes and chimes, with the light notes of a piano accompanying it.

'So peaceful.'

The floor and furniture in his room vaporized, as if erased from existence - just for the void of black to consume the rest of his surroundings. Soon, the feeling in his limbs were lost to Liam as he laid in his incapacitated state, with only the vast sea of black to accompany him. Black spots invaded his eyesight, drifting him further and further into unconsciousness.

'Why I... Where am I?'

Those same shining columns of bright orange light shot out of the darkness, twisting and bending around his body. They coiled around him, wrapping him up like chains. He could not struggle or call out for help as the ribbons of light continued to envelop his form. The glowing orange lines pulled on his body, dragging him further into the inky blackness. In this illusionary state, his mind lulled him into a sense of sleep, where nothing could hurt him anymore.

However, before he could complete his descent, a familiar silky female voice emanated throughout his mind.

"I see - you have finally left that realm and sundered into dust. It has been far too long. Please, allow me to introduce you to this soon-to-be paradise, Liam..."

'Liam.'

He closed his eyes.

The sun hovered over the Sunshine Forest.

Fluffy wisps of clouds stood almost alone in the expanse of the blue sky. The chirping and flaps of bird-like creatures could be heard across the forest, through the clearings, and into colorful meadows that separated the wide expanse of tall oak trees. White petals floated gently in the summer breeze, brought by a clearing within the forest which bloomed white wallflowers - the trees of it creating a natural canopy as rays of light shuttered across the greenery.

A lone tree rooted itself in the middle of that clearing on top of a big hill. Near the base of the tree, a blue creature was resting gently under it, its chest slowly rising and falling to the tune of whistling grass and flowers. The petals carried across the clearing reached the tree.

Some landed on the grass, while one landed on the creature's muzzle.

'Liam...'

The creature's snout wrinkled, twitching, until its eyelids fluttered open. On instinct, it lifted its paw to swat away the invading petal in its sleep-induced state. But as it became accustomed to reality, the creature's eyes widened, and the features of a blue paw clarified in its vision.

"W-what?" a young male voice blurted out, a hint of country lurking within.

The creature lifted both of his paws, staring hard at them. He tore his judging eyes away to look at his lower body, only to see more blue and black fur aligning his stomach and hind paws.

"No, no, no, am I dreaming?"

The creature frantically looked around his surroundings, through the trees, down the hill, before focusing on a small stream leading into the inner part of the forest.

He shook away any amount of sleepiness in him and got up on shaky hind paws. He took no further time to question things as he sprinted down the hill toward the see-through stream. A misstep caused him to stumble on his paws. He slipped and tumbled the remaining length down, almost dunking himself into the clear blue water of the stream.

The creature hastily pulled himself up, then hesitantly peered into the water. The pupil in his eyes turned into pinpricks at the sight that greeted him.

A mirror of a canine-like face stared back with its shining cardinal red eyes. Blue and black fur adorned its body, along with its pointy ears. Oval-shaped tendrils drooped down his sides, and touching one of them too hard would send a feeling of electricity coursing through his body.

The creature stared into the water for a solid minute, taking in his features as the reflection rippled and distorted them.

His paws held onto his face as the shock of his appearance began to settle in. As much to where he couldn't register the pitter-patter of footsteps behind him. He began to hyperventilate, placing a paw on the beating heart in his chest as it pounded faster and faster.

"This... just can't be happening. "

'Hey.'

"Where am I? And what am I?" He stopped momentarily to breathe in. "And who exactly am I?" The creature looked back toward the hill and at the tree resting atop of it. "I woke up right there..." He confirmed to himself.

'Hey.'

"But that's it." He raised a paw to rest under his chin, contemplating the unknown. "I do remember hearing something echoing. It sounded like it was-"

"HEY!"

A soft, feminine voice erupted through his self-monologue. His ears twitched as he spun around to meet the origin of the voice.

It was a white-furred, quadruped vulpine just a few inches shorter than him. A tuft of fluffy cream-ish fur sat on top of her head, rustling in the forest's wind. Behind her, he could see a plume of wispy tails with the same cream coloration fluttering in the breeze. On her back was an empty woven brown basket.

The vulpine's muzzle contorted in embarrassment as she quickly added a reply. "U-Uh, sorry. You were talking to yourself and just seemed lost in your little world. I wanted to see if you were okay."

The shock for the blue creature slightly wore off, allowing him to address the vixen before him. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little... confused." He shook his head, inquiring again. "Can you tell me where I am... and also what am I?"

The white fox looked a little overwhelmed, her gaze wandering through the trees. "Well, you're in the Sunshine Forest. At least... not the Mystery Dungeon part," she grumbled the last part under her breath. "As for the second part… you're, um, a Riolu?"

The supposed Riolu's dazed look only seemed to intensify. "Sunshine Forest, Riolu, Pokémon? I have no clue what any of that means!"

It was now the vulpine's turn to act confused. "How would you not know about being a Pokémon? You seem way too old to be a hatchling. Is this a prank or something?" she said with suspicion, scrutinizing the Riolu more.

He stepped back, holding his paws up. "No, no! I'm not joking, there's nothing I can recall, except a name... maybe."

"You can't remember anything? Are you sure you didn't just bump your head too hard?"

The Riolu shook his head. "I'm not supposed to be a Riolu. At least I think I'm not." He scratched his chin. "I just can't remember what I was in the first place!"

A sigh came from the vulpine. "Well, we're getting nowhere with this back-and-forth. My name is Vulpix, but it's also my species name, like yours is Riolu. And Pokémon are... well, they're you and me." She shuffled her paws together. "Um... Pokémon also don't really pick up names. But I do prefer to be called Gloria. It's nice to meet you, I guess?" A warm greeting smile stretched across her muzzle, with a tinge of red embarrassment accompanying it.

The Riolu stared at her for a moment, slowly adopting a small smile of his own. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Gloria, I wish I could tell you who I really am, but..." He droned on until a giggle came from the Vulpix.

"You don't have to call me Miss Gloria, as you're probably not much older than I am." She lost her embarrassment, flashing a hint of recognition. "Wait, you said you could remember just a name, right? Could you maybe tell me it?" She leaned in a tiny bit, eager for his response.

The Riolu searched the clear sky above for an answer. He racked his brain for that name that repeated over and over in his mind. Then it struck him.

'Yes. What I heard. Could that be mine?'

He raised a paw toward the Vulpix, inviting her to a paw shake. She hesitantly reached out and put her own paw into it, the both of them shaking it. It wasn't long after that the resolute and confident red eyes of the befuddled Riolu soon met hers.

"Liam."

Liam pointed a paw at himself. "So I'm a Fighting-type?" He then pointed at Gloria, who was humming to herself as she trotted. ".And you're an Ice-type, correct?"

Gloria nodded with a smile. "Yep! There are a ton more kinds of types, though. I have a book at home on all of them, and... maybe even a small book on the Riolu family." She said the last part as fast as she could.

The two of them had been walking on a paved path through the forest for a while. On the way, Liam questioned what exactly were 'Pokémon', and what kind of Pokémon was he, giving Gloria the leeway to explain just about everything she knew on the subject. 'Evolution' was a topic that came up, which devolved into a discussion on typing and certain abilities Pokemon had.

"I know that Riolu, while not as strong as a Lucario, has great aura-sensing abilities!" Gloria chimed in.

"Is that part of my typing?" The Riolu furrowed his brow in confusion.

Gloria giggled. "No, you have feelers." She stopped to point a paw at the two tear-shaped objects on Liam's head. "Those can allow you to sense incoming attacks. If you trained well of course."

Liam touched his 'feelers', now understanding that electric sense he felt before. "Incoming attacks? If I learn how that is?"

"Sort of," Gloria began. "Most Riolu are taught by their parents, which you lack knowledge of. So, um, you'll need to be taught by another aura user, or teach yourself."

Liam processed this information. 'So, Pokémon can have unique abilities. Gloria told me she was an Ice-type and can utilize ice powers. I'm a Fighting-type, which she said is more physically capable than other Pokémon.' He looked at Gloria, who went back to humming and walking along the path. 'But still need to know why.'

"Why did you decide to bring me along, and where are we heading off to?"

Gloria paused, forming an embarrassed smile. "Well, I couldn't just leave you there, all alone; especially when you most likely don't remember what a Mystery Dungeon is."

Liam gave her a bewildered look. "I think you said that before, right? What is a Mystery Dungeon?"

Gloria looked conflicted. "It's uh, difficult to explain. You kind of need to see it for yourself to understand. But where we're going is at the end of this Mystery Dungeon!"

"What's at the end of it?" he inquired, mind tingling with wonder.

"Apples," she replied curtly, gesturing to the empty woven basket on her back.

"Apples," Liam repeated, somewhat disappointed.

She giggled again, "Apples - I came here to collect dinner, but I wasn't expecting a lost 'mon in the middle of the forest."

They continued their walk, finding themselves in the thick of the shady forest now, with sparse gaps between the trees that allowed sunlight to pour in. To ease the Fighting-type's curiosity, Gloria spoke up once more.

"While what lies ahead in this dungeon may just be apples, there are countless Mystery Dungeons that could hold undiscovered secrets behind them. Some Pokémon like to explore them to find lost relics, or just for the thrill of adventuring through them."

Liam didn't know why, but his heart thumped at her words, a weird feeling of excitement fluttering inside his stomach. Before he could interject with his own curious comment, she motioned for him to look ahead with a furry paw.

"Look over there. You see that darker area with the trees beside it? That's the entrance to a Mystery Dungeon."

After a brief walk over to the spot, the two stood near the entrance to the Mystery Dungeon. The 'darker area' was a medium-sized, almost pitch-black shadow in the middle of the forest's paved path. The few trees bordering it were blocking the impervious darkness from expanding beyond. It seemed almost out of place in the naturally colorful and vibrant forest.

Gloria looked more than fine, while Liam was disoriented at the abnormality of it, his eyes darting back and forth between the Vulpix and the shadow.

"This is the entrance?! It doesn't look like any hole, cave, or building to me." He hesitantly stepped forward to take a closer look at the anomaly.

Gloria went in front of Liam. "That's part of the mystery of them. The entrances aren't so cut and dry, and it feels like they pierce through reality themselves sometimes!" Looking at a shocked Riolu, she continued. "But what happens next is going to shock you. Let's enter it now." She told him, brazenly making her way toward the shadowed area.

Liam followed close behind, very skeptical and a bit anxious about what would occur in such a place called a Mystery Dungeon. As they stepped into this mysterious shadow, the Riolu noticed that the world around them seemed to almost disappear, the both of them being consumed by the expanding shadowy void.

Sunshine Forest

BF 1

When the darkness in their eyes faded, the world around them began to shift and contort.

Liam watched in awe as green trees buckled, groaning and bending against their will, snapping and straightening up to form a makeshift wall around the newly formed earthy floor. Leaves shuttered as they started stretching above the sky, forming a natural canopy and a ceiling over the terrain, which blocked the majority of the newly formed artificial sunlight from passing through. A great rumbling shook the floor as mounds of dirt with grass tufts suddenly erupted out of the ground, creating natural rooms and corridors, all in a maze-like pattern.

The Riolu stood still out of shock, his mouth half open. Meanwhile, Gloria, taking in his expression, snickered into a paw.

"That was my same reaction when I entered my first dungeon, but..." She took a moment to look at her surroundings. "It never does get old."

Liam finally found his voice. "How is this even possible?! How does this exist, how did this... even happen?!" he demanded no one in particular.

It was utterly surreal and dreamlike to him, that this was a reality he was in now.

Gloria gave her equivalent of a shrug. "I, um, couldn't tell you; no Pokémon could tell you, really. Every room is random - traps and other stuff lying around, and even Pokémon that are created!"

"P-pokemon created? You're joking, right? They're not real like you or me?" he asked incredulously.

"You'd be correct, sadly. They exist in these places only to attack Pokémon who enter, using just my experience." She answered, a frown adorning her short muzzle.

It took Liam a while to respond, as he took in all this information. "All right, Gloria, walk me through this. I'm a bit fascinated, but also terrified at what you said."

"Right, just follow me. We need to find the stairs to go to the dungeon's next room, as they'll lead us to the end of the dungeon." Gloria began walking ahead of him, down one of the room's many corridors. "Hopefully, we don't run into any Pokémon, but that shouldn't be an issue." An embarrassed look then crossed her face. "I'm afraid I don't know more about the dungeons than any other Pokémon. Most of the information comes from books and personal experience. I still believe there has to be some Pokémon that know the truth," she rambled on as they walked forward.

Liam pressed on, right behind her. 'So, not even the Pokémon know why they exist, or how they work other than basic stuff. That's-'

"Hey, I found the stairs!" Gloria uttered delightfully, breaking his thoughts.

There would be a time and a place for everything. This would all make sense to him later - he knew it.

Sunshine Forest

BF 2

He was just as shocked to know that she was literal in terms of finding the 'stairs'. It was made out of earthy materials, like tree roots, dirt, and grass. Walking up the stairs seemed to alter their perception, the room around them vanishing as they appeared in another maze-like room, only leaning further into the surreal nature of everything.

As they went deeper into the dungeon, Liam tried to understand the Mystery Dungeon, going piece by piece on how these worked with his awareness and the knowledge Gloria bestowed him along the way. She had warned him about traps, but he was far too absorbed in looking around that he didn't notice he had stepped right into one, the sound of a clicking noise filling the air.

The natural dirt floor beneath him shifted into a plate of metal with spiked chestnuts engraved on them. He didn't know it was a trap until a barrage of those same spiked chestnuts pictured below showered on him from above. Doing the only thing he could do, he rose his arms over his head in defense as the small chestnuts started to pelt his fur. They didn't actually hurt as much, most bouncing off with no real inflictions on his form.

Gloria was going to warn the distracted Fighting-type, but stopped to giggle into a paw, as she knew it was too late. It was only after Liam's confused and frantic head snapping after the attack ceased that she addressed the surprise.

"You walked into a Chestnut Trap; they're mostly harmless. Still, there are some annoying ones, and some really dangerous ones."

The Riolu slowly nodded, not wanting to question it as he brushed leftover flakes of chestnut spikes off of him. Luckily, just up ahead was another set up stairs; they took them.

Sunshine Forest

BF 3

"Ah! There's some enemy Pokémon!" Gloria exclaimed, dodging a shot of silky string.

At the other side of the room's corridor were a pair of Bug-types. Apparently a Scatterbug and a Weedle according to Gloria. No sign of life or intelligence was visible in their eyes. They slowly wormed their bodies toward the pair, eager to attack the dungeon's intruders.

"This will be some good training. This Scatterbug here isn't too tough, so you can use a move on it and take it out. I'll take the Weedle!" She explained to him, before grabbing the attention of the other Bug-type Pokémon, which entered the room at a snail's pace.

Meanwhile, the Scatterbug inched along as fast as its measly legs could muster, trying to ram the Riolu. Liam backed up each time, thinking to himself. 'Am I really going to lay the beatdown on this random Pokémon and... use a move? What is a 'move'?'

He looked toward Gloria for answers, who inhaled and opened her mouth to spew out tiny snowflakes that coated the Weedle, freezing it into an icy-encased shell. As her foe was defeated, she noticed the Riolu staring dumbfounded and motioned for him to go on with a paw.

"Just concentrate, Liam! Every Pokémon knows how to use a move," she responded, the Weedle she froze in ice vanishing in a flash of bright, orange light.

The vagueness of her statement only added more questions. 'Can I really, though? If I wasn't a Pokémon before, or at least know how to be like one?'

The Scatterbug then closed its distance while he was in thought, ramming its tiny body directly into Liam's stomach. Almost on instinct, he brought his paw down and smacked the bug, sending it careening into a nearby mound-like wall. It crumpled to the floor, glowed a bright orange, and disappeared into nothingness.

Gloria looked astonished. "Wow! Was that Force Palm, maybe?" she theorized, grinning at the Riolu's results.

Liam stared at his paw, almost mesmerized by what he just happened to do. 'It glowed purple when I struck it! And at that moment I knew exactly what to do.' His thoughts were interrupted by Gloria's soft voice echoing from beyond the room.

"I found the next staircase!"

Nodding, he took a deep breath before following her.

After what appeared to be the final set of staircases, the reality of the dungeon around them began to collapse into darkness yet again, the pair finding themselves in another clearing in their regular reality, like the Mystery Dungeon never happened. A quick glance at Liam's behind revealed the familiar lingering shadow of the dungeon's entrance, showing that they somehow were warped to another side of it.

"Are we out of it? Is this the end of the Mystery Dungeon?" he asked the Vulpix.

"Yup! And now the apples I need should be here." Gloria scanned the area until she looked upwards and exclaimed, "There they are! But... oh. Now I'm kind of glad I met you."

The apples she sought to collect were just a few feet higher than she expected, suspended on a tall tree in the middle of the clearing.

Liam didn't understand, observing the apples as he asked. "How so? It's just apples, right?"

Gloria dug a paw into the ground, her muzzle burning a bit. "I'm, um, a bit too short to reach them, and I'm not exactly a good climber" she admitted, reaching her neck around and grabbing the empty basket on her back. "Shhooo?" she spoke with the basket in her mouth.

He understood completely.

Reaching down, he wrapped his arms around the barrel of the Vulpix. Gloria gave a muffled squeak as he rose her as high as he could into the air. With her height problem now solved, she began to pluck the bright red apples as best as she could with her free paw, with Liam diligently trying to keep his hold and not get hit by the occasional falling fruit. Once she was satisfied with the amount, Liam released his hold on her as she gracefully fell back to the earth.

"Eheh. Let's continue onward," Gloria spoke with exasperation.

Liam wordlessly agreed.

After collecting the many felled apples on the ground, Liam bent down and scooped up the now quite heavy basket of apples, the two of them picking up the trail through the reticent forest once more.

The Vulpix broke the silence. "Don't worry, Liam. I won't just leave you out here all alone. If you were shocked over the Mystery Dungeon, then you're going to be amazed by my hometown," She explained, tails wagging slightly.

Liam scrutinized her excitement. 'Surely her home isn't as nonsensical as that Mystery Dungeon was, could it?'

Gloria noticed his lingering stare and huffed, flicking her plume of tails. "I hope you're not thinking that I live in a forest."

He did, just for a moment.

The Vulpix shook her head, "Come on, I'll show you!"

She picked up the pace and passed him to look at what lie beyond the forested path. Not quick to fall behind, he ran ahead and stopped in his tracks as he saw exactly what the Vulpix was eager to see. His eyes widened as he stared forward, mind enamored. A sprawling city that stretched miles across the plains greeted the both of them. But the sight that caught Liam's attention the most was the sleek black tower soaring high above every other building, nearly piercing the clouds with its imposing presence.

Gloria saw his adoration and giggled once more. "That's my home... Empyrean City."

The horrors that boy experienced, but does not remember... yet.

Author's Notes: This is a story - one that's been waiting ten thousand years to be told.

Want to discuss anything related to The Phantasmagoria with the author himself? If so, send a friend request to my Discord linked below!

Discord: z2h2z

Next Time: Roark