MOCK EXPLORATION: DUNGEON EXPLORATION

[ultrapenumbramods]

So you've been going about your new lives as Pokemon for the past week... which you may or may not have gotten entirely used to by now, but at least it's not as bad as things were when you first woke up. You haven't really gotten many leads on why this happened or how to change back, outside of, perhaps, conversations with Kangaskhan and Wigglytuff... but even then, it was kind of vague and unhelpful, outside of the lead of these... "Mystery Dungeons."

And, as luck would have it, Wigglytuff and Kangaskhan seem to want you all to gather in the center of town! They say it's an opportunity for you all to get experience with Mystery Dungeons... and maybe a little bit of treasure on the side, too. Who knows, it might even give you answers! ...I mean, probably not, since you're in the tutorial dungeon phase, but hey. It's worth a shot, right?

So, when you arrive at the center of Pokemon Square, you'll find the familiar faces of Wigglytuff and Kangaskhan there, but also a distressed-looking Butterfree and Metapod. Kangaskhan is quietly comforting the two unfamiliar Pokemon, while Wigglytuff addresses you directly...

"Hey, friends! I figure since you're new and here under some pretty weird circumstances, you might wanna take care of this. See, Ms. Butterfree's kid Caterpie's gone missing, and since they're my friends, I want to help! They're pretty sure he's lost in a Mystery Dungeon, and since he hasn't been gone that long... it's probably pretty easy for some new people to take care of.

So, since you're probably gonna want to go through Mystery Dungeons to figure out what's happening with you friends, I figured this would be a good way to get you started! You're probably gonna want to split into four teams of five to deal with things. I'll answer some questions for you, and then I'll take you where we think the Mystery Dungeon is!"

Comments

QUESTIONS FOR NPCS

[ultrapenumbramods]

GENERAL EXPECTATIONS

[salvationcode]

[Wigglytuff will first see a familiar face approach him belonging to the new Mimikyu in town. 'Jack' admittedly doesn't expect any new information compared to the last time he tried questioning this fellow, but maybe the greater urgency of the matter will get him talking just a teensy bit more.]

What should we be expecting when we go in? What all do people generally find beyond the person we're supposed to be rescuing?

[ultrapenumbramods]

Hmm! Well, they've gotten a little different since I last went in one, where they were a bunch of ever-changing floors with Pokemon roaming around in them.

Basically, there are a few different rooms that you have to get through to get a key of some kind! They're usually full of traps and puzzles you'll have to work your way through. Once you have all the keys, you'll be able to enter the final door, where you'll run into a Pokemon you'll have to convince to leave!

[becauseyou]

...Do you just expect us to know what Caterpie looks like?

[ Seriously though, Natsuki has no idea what Caterpie looks like beyond the fact that he's probably some type of bug. ]

[ultrapenumbramods]

[That causes the Butterfree to speak up, actually!]

Oh, well, he looks just like his father, but everyone says he has my eyes!

[A muffled groan comes from the Metapod that’s with her, in the vein of frustrated teenagers everywhere...]

Gosh, mom, Dad’s a Ninjask. Caterpie looks nothing like him. Anyway, he’s got red antennae and six stubby legs.

[betheman]

Four teams of five...

[He ponders it, for a moment.] Should we perhaps group together in a particular manner, then?

[They all seem to have unique abilities... ...not to mention some have been gathering funds for supplies...]

[becauseyou]

[ Natsuki's unsure if she can even be much use with this whole 'finding a lost child in a mystery dungeon' thing, but... ]

...So, what, are we teaming up now or something?

[ultrapenumbramods]

[Kangaskhan ponders that and decides to answer, since they’ve met before.]

A lot of the teams I’ve seen cover each other’s weaknesses pretty well. You’re a Fighting type, hon, so it might be a good idea to team up with an Electric or Ghost type... but I think if you find someone you work well with, you’ll do fine, too.

[itsjustrats]

Teams?

[You can't see it under the makeshift cloak he's wearing to hide his obnoxiously pink feathers, but Garrett is rolling his eyes.]

Thanks but no thanks. I work alone.

[Aaaaand he's sauntering off.]

[whatsmytalentagain]

... Hey, wait. I don't think going in by yourself is a good idea.

[Sorry, this teenage mudbray is gonna try and talk ya outta that.]

[ultrapenumbramods]

[Wigglytuff, almost as if by magic, pops over in front of Garrett, smiling. Smiling very intently.]

You could do that, but it’s not a good idea. If you get lost alone in there, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll end up part of the dungeon and we’ll have to rescue you, too!

[fuhuhuhuhu]

[Almost immediately after Wigglytuff finishes his explanation, Undyne leaps up onto a nearby surface and strikes a heroic pose, grinning widely. A rescue mission, huh? This, she can definitely do! And with all these monsters helping out, there's no way they can fail! She shouts to the air, as if Ms. Butterfree can hear:]

Don't worry, Ms. Butterfree — you're kid is as good as found!

[She then shifts her posture a little, leering down at the other Pokémon who've gathered.]

Now, who here wants to join me and Hakai's group, Team Kaima?! Just a warning — you gotta be the toughest of the tough and be ready to take on anything, 'cus the Kaima Crew. Doesn't. QUIT!!!

[She pulls a rock from out of nowhere and crunches it into pieces for dramatic effect. That's gotta taste awful.]

[makehistoria]

[Oh hey Stocke remembers Undyne. Or more accurately, it's pretty impossible to forget Undyne.]

[A teamup with her is probably gonna be... equally unforgettable. But no one can say she's not ready to cooperate with others, and he did already chat with her. It'll work out.]

[Besides, Undyne's team - especially with both her and the fire-breathing dog - will probably need someone a bit more level-headed to balance it out. (Thinks Stocke, the giant hypocrite, who is a-okay with doing the dumbest shit but less emotively,)]

I'm here, if you'll take me.

[bornfromanger]

Every time you call it Kaima Crew, my rage boils to unimaginable degrees.

[Hakai says as he stands behind her, although there doesn't sound like there's an ounce of said rage in his tone. It's there, though. Trust him.]

...Maybe that's for the best. I can save it and take it out on the baby.

[A pause.]

I mean use it to save the baby.

[ultrapenumbramods]

Oh, my!

[Ms. Butterfree is awed by this display of strength!]

I was a little concerned when Wigglytuff said he was getting new people to take care of things, but you seem very capable!

[onetwoboom]

[...ok, well, after Undyne's display, Gaige is feeling a little bit shown up - and if they need to split into teams she was not going to let this be a recreation of highschool gym class.

She floats a little higher up into the crowd, and sparks off to get some attention.]

Alright, listen UP! I'm looking for four of the FINEST, most toughest badasses for my team of...not vault hunters, but, uh - [Shit. She didn't think of a name in advance.] - BABY hunters. We're gonna...hunt some babies. [A pause.] The name's, uh, the name's a work in progress.

...I'll be considering suggestions.

[fuhuhuhuhu]

[yelled from across the room]

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO HUNT BABIES FOR SPORT!

[wegotone]

[Janine tries not to laugh, she really does, but she does giggle a bit at the team name.]

Baby Hunters sounds a little- [Undyne blurts out her observation from across the room, interrupting Janine's train of thought. A pause.] Yeah, that.

You up for another ghost on your team?

[castlethrasher]

[Susie is grinning as wide as physically possible.]

Oh hell yeah! I'm-

[...she turns around to face the right way.]

I'm IN. That name blows, though. How about..

[She pretends to ponder for a moment, as if she doesn't know exactly what she wants to name the team. "The Fun Gang" was cute and all when she was stuck in the Dark World, but it's no match for..

She clears her throat.]

..the FUCK SQUAD!!

EXPLORATION START!

[ultrapenumbramods]

[Wigglytuff will take everyone down a road into the forest to the dungeon entrance, which is... kind of a hazy forest trail? Your eyes just kind of... don't want to focus on it properly. Wigglytuff will turn to you and smile cheerfully!]

Welp, there it is, friends! Have fun exploring the dungeon! If I don't hear from you in a while, I'll come in after you. I used to do a little exploring back in the day! I think you'll be fine, though.

[With that, he'll wave at everyone as they head on in!]

ROOM 1

[ultrapenumbramods]

[The Mystery Dungeon, at least from here, doesn't seem very different from the normal forest outside. You find yourselves in a clearing rather like the one you first woke up in. The trees are tightly-packed around you, their branches knit together in such a way that you probably can't escape through them. It doesn't look like you can fly above them either; though some sunlight still filters through, the canopy here is thick.

Maybe all the shade is why the ground's slightly damp? It's kinda gross and squelchy. There's red-and-white spotted mushrooms growing around, too.

ROOM 2

[ultrapenumbramods]

[When you enter this area of the dungeon, you find yourself in a dimly lit cave that can only be described as, well, damp. It’s not impossible to see, possibly by virtue of the luminescent mushrooms casting a blue glow over the area, but… well, you might want it to be a little brighter for two main reasons.

One, what appear to be threads of silk criss-cross the path leading forward in seemingly random intervals. They’re spaced such that you can get through if you’re particularly agile, but who knows what will happen if you actually touch them? You should probably investigate to see what you can do to get around these threads.

Two, complicating the matter, if you look really closely, you can see that the floor isn’t as level as you’d like it to be… and not in a natural way, either. Maybe you should take a closer look to see what’s up with the floor.]

ROOM 3

[ultrapenumbramods]

[The landscape here is a little different. You emerge into a hill with large rocky outcroppings. This is the first part of the dungeon with any sign that someone else may have passed through - a few paces from the door there's a pile of stuff. Investigate?

There's a variety of items here: pots and pans, trash can lids, old broom handles. Some of it's common household stuff and some is straight-up junk, but one particular trend emerges as you sort through it - this is all stuff a child might use as play weapons or armor.

There's rustling behind one of the rocks nearby.]

ROOM 4

[ultrapenumbramods]

[You find yourself in a tunnel of sorts, which is actually fairly nicely lit. There are some irregularly placed holes in the ceiling that are letting light into the tunnel, which means there are nice little patches of grass dotting the ground. It’s worth noting that they’re not everywhere, and that there are depressions along the floor at some random intervals.

Maybe it’s worth investigating the depressions… and maybe it’s worth looking up, too. People never look up.]

ROOM 5

[ultrapenumbramods]

[You can't actually enter this area yet. It's a walled-up cave with a door in front of it, with four empty depressions in it.

You'll probably have to get through the other four rooms before you can enter this door... the contents of which will be revealed tomorrow!]