Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rising Spirits

Chapter 13, Part 3 - Revolution, Unending

Upon going far enough into the Temporal Tower far enough to the point where the sight of both Madeline and Locke had long since faded in the distance, everyone remaining now found themselves in the midst of a labyrinth constructed by thick, marble walls dimly lit by rows upon rows of blue torches. Although the tower's diameter was already massive from the outside, Trevor could tell from the way his footsteps echoed across the corridors' startlingly high ceilings that the dimensions of the interior was inexplicably far larger than that of the exterior. Everything about the maze, from its bright, blue torchlight, sleek, chiseled walls, as well as its vast nature emanated a distinctly grand atmosphere which almost made Trevor want to freeze up in reverent awe.

This train of thought was abruptly broken as the condition of the Pokémon rushing forwards by his side only seemed to worsen the further they progressed into the tower. Strained uneven breathing hissed through clenched teeth as Aiden, Greydon, Alpha, Charlotte, and Jett all appeared increasingly drained of energy with each passing second. Nevertheless, Aiden remained astute enough to look around and connect this place to several ones which had come beforehand.

"Wait... the tower itself is a mystery dungeon?!" Aiden noted incredulously in an attempt to divert attention away from the searing pain which relentlessly constricted her head. "Ugh, what a hassle!"

"Correct," Jett responded darkly, "Mythicals, being as reclusive as they are, often reside in dungeons so as to avoid potential intruders. Which means that we should expect the worst. Letting our guards down for even a second could mean certain death here."

Everybody remained on guard as Trevor, being among the two Pokémon present who resisted Dialga's influence, led the way forwards while endeavoring to map each floor's layout in his head. After the recent encounters with the hordes of Sharpedo and Sableye, not a single Pokémon dared to relax even slightly. And yet, despite everyone's extreme caution, the number of crawlers they encountered while progressing through the dungeon seemed unusually scant, and what few enemies they did encounter were weak to the extent that they were reduced to dust in a matter of seconds. By the time everyone had reached the thirteenth set of stairs which led upwards, a mere two floors away from the tower's peak, Trevor's determined expression had sunk into that of dread.

"What's going on?" Trevor found himself murmuring, "Something's definitely wrong here..."

"You always say something along those lines," Luka grumbled quietly, "But you're definitely right- this is way too easy."

"What're you complaining about?!" Alpha grunted amidst harsh, shaky breaths, "Compared to everything we've been through so far, this is nothing!"

"So far," Trevor repeated firmly while staring upwards the dim opening which marked the entrance to the fourteenth floor, his heart gripped by an indescribable sense of foreboding. "I'm really not liking the look of this."

"We're gonna have to go up eventually, whether we want to or not." Charlotte murmured darkly. Jett silently nodded in agreement.

"Hmph! There's no sense in waiting." Greydon declared boldly while loudly cracking his knuckles, "Not when I'm itching to give this Vul guy a piece of my mind. We'll see how calm and collected he sounds after a few Bullet Punches to the head!"

"Hey." Aiden murmured while placing a trembling paw onto Trevor's shoulder, managing to let out a wide grin despite the aching heaviness which seemed to be siphoning her energy with each passing second. "Whatever we encounter up there, we'll overcome it together."

"Nothing to it but to go up, yeah?" Luka chimed in, "For the sake of everyone waiting for us back down."

With his fellow teammates smiling by his side, Trevor shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and put on cast his goggles over his now determined eyes before setting foot onto the marble steps which lay before him. Although his heart instinctively pounded against his chest, the Meowth nonetheless found the resolve to swallow his fear and face whatever awaited him on the next floor.