Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Adventurers of the Universe

Air Arrival

"Are we here?" Lani asks as they hit land again.

There's a busy little town in front of them that goes up a hill and has a large windmill in the centre of the town. An archway goes over the path connecting the docks and beach to the town.

"Yep." Zeke confirms, looking at the map and his notes on the world's settlements. "This is Baram!" They get out of the dinghy and adjust back to landlubbing. Afterwards, the duo proceeds to explore the town, purchase some items, talk to some people, get coffee, and head towards the town's exit leading further into the continent. They're stopped by an orange Ninetales with red eyes. "Welcome to the Air Continent, human and Zorua." They say.

"You... how'd you know?" Lani asks.

"I know so, so much. Like how the Wind Card you're looking for is guarded by a powerful being residing atop the Hill of the Ancients." The Ninetales informs them.

Zeke nods. "Thank you, informed Ninetales. We'll be on our way now."

As the Adventurers of the Universe walked off, they notice rustling in the bushes ahead. Zeke checks it out, and finds nothing. The forest they've entered is awfully dim and quiet. Not as spooky as the one on Ghost Island, but still odd.

In the middle of the forest is a huge lake. In the middle of the lake in the middle of the forest is a small island with a shrine. Something is written on it, but they cannot read it. Moving on, they find an odd object that Lani recognizes. A spoon. Zeke has no idea what it is. Lani takes it and puts it in their toolbag.

As they pass through the rest of the forest, more things only Lani knows start appearing. As they exit the forest, a double decker bus drops from the sky. Extremely freaked out, they run down the path until they reach the next town: one simply called Pokemon Square. They find a run-down building on the settlement's outskirts. It's crumbled a bit, but the copper statues of a Bonsly, Lucario, Mime Junior, and a Weavile are still intact. A sign sits next to the knocked over mailbox, and it reads, "Red Rescue Team Base".

In the actual town, most of the buildings have been reduced to rubble. A fissure runs through the middle of the plaza, north to south. They walk up north and find a Whiscash in a pond at the bottom of a little waterfall. "Young ones, approach." He says.

The duo goes over to him. "Youse better off leavin this place. Nobody else survived the attack. Why might two youngins travel through these parts?"

"We're looking for an Entercard protected by some strong person. The Wind Card?" Zeke answers."

"Ah, yes. Seek guidance atop Mount Freeze. Far to the north and to the east, yes. Yet the heroes capable of helping you acquire this artifact are holed up there, battling beasts. If you could assist them, they would surely assist you." Old Man Whiscash directs.

Lani thanks the Whiscash, and the AotU head east.

They travel far.

Very far.

They navigate through the perilous Lapis Cave, and over the scorching Mount Blaze. Into the Frosty Forest they go.

"We've come far for these heroes the old Whiscash spoke of..." Zeke muttered.

Lani nods. "Yeah. But it'll be worth it if we can halt and reverse the darkness up above."

"I guess." Zeke sighs. "Woo, it's cold. Even chillier than it was a moment... ago... oi!" A white blur tackles him from the bushes. More drop from the trees and out of the bushes, attacking the two.

Lani does something that blasts every attacker away, then Zeke puts up a Protect barrier that covers both of them. They're Absol. All of them. So many Absol. Some have scars. Some have war paint. "I think we may have trespassed into their territory." Lani gulped.

A Mega Absol steps up. "What brings you into these parts?" She booms.

"Uh... erm... Um..." Lani sputters.

"Were you trying to kill us? Or the firstborn elemental bird, Articuno?" She asks. "Attack in three... two..."

"WE ARE HERE!" Zeke shouts at the top of his lungs. "TO SEEK HELP! From... people that a Whiscash told us were atop the Sacred Mountain of Ice and Snow, Mount Freeze."

"People? Atop the mountain?" The Mega Absol mumbles. "Ah, right! The Rescue Team is up there. Where are you from, little ones? You have Adventurer badges. What guild?"

"The Guild of Worlds." Lani says. regaining her voice.

"Aw, really? How's my boy doing?"

"Your... boy?"

"Yeah! Abso Frost. He's my only son. He left with the Crimson Gold a bit after his best friend left with the Red Rescue. Tell him, when you get back, that I, Malyssa, his mother, love and miss him, okay? Thank you so much! You may proceed." And all the Absol disappear back into the Frosty Forest. Beyond is the Frosty Grotto and the forest's heart, where Articuno slumber. Quietly they enter the mountain.

Many Glalie, Dewgong, Walrein, and other powerful ice types reside within, and prove to be threats throughout the high-level mystery dungeon. They were even OHKO'd a few times by Sheer Cold, but Reviver Seeds and Oran Berries kept them from being kicked out and roughed up too badly.

Atop the mountain stands an Alakazam, Charizard, and Tyranitar. They're fighting a large, unidentifiable beast with a detachable, explodable head that's mainly white. They're struggling.

Zeke prepares an Electro Ball, which he'd learned from a mission they'd gone on a month back where they captured a Raichu. Lightning jumps out of it and it makes a squealing noise only comparable to many birds screeching at the same time, non stop. He runs in and strike the beast. At that moment, Lani recognizes it from a tale Adelno had told her. This was an Ultra Beast. Like the muscle mosquito Buzzwole. This one was Blacephalon. A fire and ghost dual type that uses the move Mind Blown.

It stumbles backwards but doesn't fall. "What... did you just do?" The Tyranitar asks.

"We've been up here for days, and in a few seconds you've done more than all three of us combined!" The Charizard adds on.

Lani jumps up. A black stone tablet does an orbit around her, and shadow spears drop from above onto the Blacephalon. "Dread Plate: Judgement!"

It faints.

A, C, and T turn and stare. "Not even I..." Alakazam says, "could've seen that coming."

"Your five thousand intelligence quotient brain didn't know that would happen? You said that Arc would send help! Was that a lie?"

"It was more like a seed of hope I tried to plant into our brains. Even mine, as I wanted to give up yesterday. Tell your names, please."

"I'm Lani."

"I'm Zeke."

"And why are you up here?" Charizard asks.

"We were told to seek you out to ask about the Wind Card. Really, to learn the location of the Hill of the Ancients."

"Oh, that? The Hill is at the end of the Great Canyon. Though I don't know about any Wind Card." Alakazam directed them towards the canyon.

"Thank you so much." The AotU left Team ACT and headed towards the Great Canyon.