So, uh, hi. I guess this is a bit of a preface. I've been going kind of insane during isolation, so insane that I've actually gotten back into reading some fanfiction. Turns out Mystery Dungeon has some good stuff, surprised I haven't looked into it before. I'm also so insane that I actually decided to write a story myself, despite very, very little fiction writing experience. I always got some praise for some of the minor writing work I did in my movie class, but I never actually got the chance to write anything big before I left, and really haven't practiced since. But I guess some switch got turned on, and here this is. So, uh, feedback is appreciated, and I hope someone enjoys it. Cheers.

Author's POV

"Last call for the 6 am train to Lumiose City!"

The faint cry of a PA system cuts through the quiet, hillside town like a sword through a string. As it makes its way up the hill, the sound reaches the ears of two uniformed officers, one an older man, the other a young woman, seemingly snapping them out of a trance.

"R-Right… Chief," the woman stammers, clearing her throat in the process. "I heard back from the department in Lumiose, and… she wasn't… it's definitely her." She collects herself, and awaits a response from the man, but to no avail.

"You know… this will get big, right? Something like this happening here of all places. It won't be long before the news crews from all over show up."

"Well, when you've been around for as long as I have, you'll learn you can't be worrying about that right now." The Chief finally speaks up. He bends down and studies the ground intently. The woman gazes down briefly, but quickly looks away. Crimson. And a fair amount of it. The red liquid slightly stains the cobblestone roads, pooling in the cracks like a river delta.

"Damn rain," the senior officer swears softly, "There was only a little drizzle last night but who knows what it washed away. I'd say there could've been enough blood here to cover a couple square feet, but I can't say for sure. Tessa, look over there will you, I believe there's a small blood trail leading to the edge."

Not wanting to observe the bloodbath any longer, the junior officer was glad to comply. Carefully, She shifted her attention to the drop a few yards away. Indeed, despite the rain damage, a few faint streaks and drops of red were just barely visible during the walk to the drop. She finally stopped just short of the edge.

"This drop isn't too steep, or even that far for that matter, but you could still get hurt if you tumble beyond this barricade," Tessa calmly states. She takes hold of the wooden fence that goes up to her waist. "The ground is torn up here, and the fence is at a slight angle, like someone leaned on it. Or rather, they were pushed over it."

The junior turns to the senior, only to find him staring at her, as if waiting for a certain response. As she returns to investigating the edges, her gaze wanders to over the fence and…

"Wait, what the hell?" She exclaims.

"So, you finally understand the biggest problem here?" The senior officer finally gets up and walks over to Tessa.

"Yeah… I mean… well, she clearly tumbled over right here. That's what the evidence says. But if that's the case, where the hell is she?"

Indeed, no matter how hard the young officer scanned, nothing was at the bottom at the cliff. No body, no tire impressions, no footprints, not even the tracks of a Pokemon that could've dragged her away. Nothing. Completely clean.

Tessa's mind begins to go into a daze. "I've never seen, o-or heard of this before, what do we even tell everybody? We don't even know if she's alive or…"

She's grabbed by the shoulder by her superior, and lightly shaken. "Calm down, don't start whipping yourself into a frenzy. We just tell everyone what we know right now."

"Alright…" Tessa replies "But, how will anyone be able to comprehend all of this?"

"I'll admit, I'm not completely sure," the Chief says, looking up into the sky. "I don't know what to make of all this either. But my gut is telling me this might be big. Something bigger than what we can even imagine."

? POV

…

…

…

Huh, I'm in a lot of pain. That's not good.

It's as if my head was crushed inside a trash compactor. I try to move my limbs, but my legs offer very little response. The only thing that seems to work is my eyes, though just barely. Despite all my efforts, I'm stuck to this… oddly soft and wet ground.

What even is this place? It appears to be… a swamp? Why am I here? Why am I hurting? I don't know of any swamps. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't…

The realization hit me like a fastball to the head. I don't know. Anything. The only thing in my mind is a migraine.

Well, okay… okay… that's not good. But all I need is a little rest. Everything should be fine after that. But before I can do that, I'm going to need some HEEEEELLLLLLP!

My attempt to scream produces no results. My energy has been sapped to the point where my mouth cannot even open.

Damn, is this really it? Am I really going to just die out here without the slightest reason why? At least the mud I'll be decomposing in is still pretty soft. That's good. After all, it's not like anyone is coming around here in the middle of who-the-hell-knows-nowhere to miraculously-

"Ugh, it's like I'm ssslithering through wet concrete. Where did we even get ssspit out?"

-get me the fuck out of here! It's faint, but that's definitely a voice! And it's slowly getting closer! They should be here in no time!

"Who in the hell knows! You know the damn thing is finicky. Hey, you back there, you doin' alright?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. Can we just take care of her and go home? Today hasn't been pleasant."

A second! And third! My prayers are answered! A party of three should be able to carry me to safety quite easily. And "her"? That must be referring to me! I knew SOMEONE must be looking for me, even if I can't think of who. They DID say they would take care of… take care of me?

Once again, I have to stop and collect myself. "Take care of"? Well, really, I guess that can mean anything… and yet, why am I this uneasy? These voices are making me so uncomfortable, should I know them?

"Believe me, I share the same sentiment," the second voice interrupts my thoughts. "There is nothing I'd like more than to gut that bitch wide open! Could've screwed everything!"

H-Huh?

"Enough with that graphic talk around me." The third voice delivers a long sigh. "But… do what you need to do. It doesn't make a difference to me."

Why? W-Why do they find this necessary? What did I do to deserve all this?

Finally the first voice I heard speaks up again.

"Both of you be quiet, before sssomeone hears usss. Our main priority should be getting out of thisss place. I'm not even sure the girl sssurvived the trip. And even if she did, we don't know what she'sss become!"

"The trip"? "What I've become"? This is just making my head hurt more.

"Oh good. Looks like there's an opening up thisss way. Unfortunately, the foliage is quite denssse here. Thisss might take awhile to cut, ssso get working boysss."

That opening they're talking about must be where I'm laying currently. Wait, no no no no. That's not good! If they're for real, I need to get out of here, NOW! Though, ugh, there is a slight problem with that.

No matter how hard I try, any attempt at movement results in excruciating pain.

I can't. I really can't, can I? Damn! Don't give me all these questions and then just kill me off! No! No! NO! NOT LIKE THIS! GO!

I think this is what's called a "fight or flight" response? I do something that I feel like I haven't done in an eternity; I lift my legs up, and stand. My head pounds harder than it has before. My legs are on fire. But none of that matters. I take my first proper look at my surroundings.

So… I was near a stream… makes sense. I, uh… should follow it. It seems to snake around a bit… and the plant life is heavy… that should provide decent cover… so… follow it… follow…

The only thing I can do is focus on that word. Follow. Follow until I find civilization or faint due to exhaustion. Follow. Follow. Follow. With that single word in mind, I put one leg forward. And then another. And another. And another.

Voice 3's POV

"Ah, finally!" I sarcastically shout. "All of that hard work, all for, what, 50 feet of ground?"

I hear the bushes I came out of rustle, and soon after, my partners emerge.

"It'sss not our fault we were ambushed by a herd of Carnivine!

"Well, can't say it waddnt fun! Heh heh, I pray for the poor sap who has to clean all that up!"

"And I pray for your psssychologissst." My ally slides up beside me. "Anyway, how much time do you figure we lossst? Thirty minutes?"

"Perhaps more, but it's not the end of the world." I respond. As my eyes adjust to the light and greenery, I finally get a good look at the wetlands we landed in.

Hmm… let's see here… we've landed on a muddy river bank situated next to an equally muddy river. And that smell… is it salt? Ah ha! If we're still on the island, I might have an idea as to where we are! Now, to just… hmm?

Something about the ground several yards in front of me catches my eye.

"Hey now, what's gotten into you?"

"Oh, right. Something. Just follow me." I walk up and study what lies before me. Despite most of the river bank seeming to be untouched, this particular spot seemed to be caved in, as if something-or someone-was laying here. Not only that, but the ground in and around it seems to be stained, as well as…

"Yellow fur!" The sudden outburst breaks my concentration. "I sssee… perhapsss the little inconvenience isss-"

"She is here! ALRIGHT!" My other partner points a feather to the ground ahead of us. "And all those lil impressions there must be footprints! Come on boys! We gonna run her down and have some fun!"

"Actually, we're not." I interject. "Or at least, we're not going in guns blazing like I know you want to."

"Huh? Now why the hell not?"

"Well… a few things…" I mutter. "But! Most importantly! Do you see our surroundings? There's only one place I can think of where a saltwater swamp might be."

"Ah, I underssstand. We're clossser to civilization than I thought, aren't we?"

"Correct." I turn to the trouble brute to my right. "I know you're upset, but I still believe we should follow the tracks. I'm merely suggesting that we be cautious. There are bigger things right now than some nosy girl who might not even make it."

"I know, I know," My partner gives himself a moment to think, before finally opening his mouth. "Alright, we've made it this far together, no reason to doubt your judgement now."

"Good! Now let's get going!" I whip my body around, and begin to follow the footprints. "Oh, and don't worry, if we DO find her, I'll gladly let you two… erase the problem."

And with that final message, we enthusiastically trot further into the swamp.

? POV

Has it been minutes? Hours? Days? YEARS? Well, I'm not so sure about that, but it sure feels like I've been walking that long. But there are a few positives of note. For one, I haven't been tracked down and killed yet, that's always good. But now that I've gotten up and moved around a bit, I've gotten quite used to the pain. That being said, the pain and fatigue hasn't gone away either.

Ugh… I don't even think I'm running properly… it feels as though I'm crawling on all fours… agh, nevermind that! I need to get out of this place! Just how big is this damn swamp? I mean come on now. I know I'm confused, covered in mud… and hurt… really hurt… am… I bleeding?

It took awhile for me to notice, but indeed, I can feel a bit of blood trickle down of my head, dripping onto the ground every once in a while.

Shit! I left a trail! Now I've gotta double time it!

Despite my body protesting, my pace begins to quicken. A walk turns into a jog, and soon enough, a run. But the faster I go, the more I burn.

Ugh, the pain… doesn't matter! Keep at it! I think… finally something is up ahead. And that salty smell… could it be? Am I near…

As I round one more corner, and the stream beside me begins to open up, my suspicions are confirmed. What assaults my eyes is a truly spectacular sight.

It's… the ocean. It's so crystal clear. And that sunset! It's… so… so beautiful!

While it is certainly concerning that this sight of the sea is completely unfamiliar to me, I still can't help but to simply stand in awe of the view before me. The sun, slowly setting behind the horizon in front of me, stains the water before me a fiery orange. The sky, on the other hand, has taken on a gorgeous blue-violet colour, wonderfully contrasting the sea below.

Heh, this has got to be a good omen. If I wasn't so banged up, I think I'd call this place paradise. Though I can't stick around for too long.

I take notice of the runoff below me.

Well, perhaps a bit of wash-up is a good idea. This water isn't quite as clean, but I need to get some of this mud off of me, it's been weighing me down. Ugh, and the blood, too. I think it's all over my face. Hell, the half of my muzzle not coated in mud is dotted with red specks. Hopefully the swamp water isn't salty, I don't want it… to…

...sting.

…

…

…

Huh? What did I just say? My… m-m-m-

Hesitantly, I adjust my vision to observe where my nose is supposed to be and… uh… what I see is… uh… is a…

MUZZLE?!

My vision might not be great right now, but my nose has definitely been replaced with a long yellow snout. I quickly try to reach out to feel my new addition with my arm…

*SPLASH*

...only to fall head first into the water below.

MMMmmph… ack. Wh-what was that? Why couldn't I move my arm properly? I know I wasn't running properly earlier and… oh no. Oh no no no. Don't tell me… if my nose changed… then… did…

I slowly lift up my "arm", and what greets me is…

Oh. A… yellow paw. Huh. Okay.

…

…

"What in the HELL? Why is… wait, my voice! It's back! Thank Arceus… but, what's going on here? What happened to my body? What am I? I-I'm supposed to be human… right? I need to remember… I need to remember…"

And yet, still nothing. My mind is as empty as the moment I opened my eyes. Suddenly, a wave of nausea overcomes me, and my vision begins to darken.

I… I think I'm gonna vomit. This is just way too much to handle right now… please… someone help… get me out of this place… please…

"Um… what was that about your body? Are you alright?" A soft, feminine voice calls out.

The unfamiliar sound of life immediately grabs my attention. I twirl in the direction of the voice, and spot…

"Oh, just… a wild Pokemon… I think?" Indeed, what stood several meters to the left of me was quadrupedal, and covered in brown fur… and rocks? There's no doubt I'm looking at some sort of doglike Pokemon, but it's no Pokemon I've ever seen before.

My eyes begin to dart around. "Well, no matter, whose voice was that? Cause… agh… I've got to admit, I'm not… definitely not alright." Despite my search efforts, I can't spot any other lifeforms. The Pokemon in front of me takes a few steps forward, and gives me an inquisitive tilt of the head. Finally, it opens its mouth, and-

"Oh, that was me, sorry! And don't worry, um… I'm not a wild. Sorry, I should've said so first…"

-answers… my previous… question…

…

Ah, of course, of course, I see now. It all makes sense. The talking Pokemon, the amnesia, my body being all wrong, the growing, agh, pain. It was so obvious!

The unknown Pokemon finally speaks up again.

"Um… you've kinda just been staring at me for a while now…" It takes a few steps forwards, and as it does, it's curious face turns into one of shock. "Oh my! The blood! Y-you weren't kidding when you said you weren't alright, were you? Um… Vaporeon! I need you!"

"Oh, heh, I uh… the shouting for help shouldn't be necessary! Ha, ha ha…" I say, as I feel a smirk begin to grow on my face. "I was just thinking about my current situation. And you know what? I've got it ALLLLLLLLL figured out!"

"Oh, um… what have you figured out?"

"DREAMING!" I throw my arms up in the air, only resulting in me falling flat on my face again. "MMMMphhh. Agh, anyway, all I need is to get a little bit of… ow… shut-eye. That… that will surely fix thINGS!" Immediately, my hind legs begin to buckle, and I'm thrown back onto the ground, back to how things were when I woke up.

"N-NO! Wait!" The Pokemon shouts, rushing over to my side. "Please, d-don't fall asleep! Please stay with me!"

"Oh, don't you worry… beauty sleeps fix everything! Hell, the pain… ugh… is starting to… ease… already…"

A wonderful sensation comes over me.

Relief! Finally! After all this running, after all this burning, I can finally get some rest! All is good in the end!

And yet, the Pokemon behind me seems to panic, constantly turning around, as if expecting someone to appear behind it. It begins to nudge me with it's snout, it's face twisting into one of fear.

"Hmmm stooop… that tickles… I can't sleep like this…" I groggily say. "Loooook… the sunset… just watch… that."

"Oh… yes it is! Why don't you watch that instead of sleeping?" The Pokemon whips around one more time. "VAPOREON! WHERE'D YOU GO?!"

It really is beautiful isn't it? And the ground…

"Oh… no… please…"

...it's so, SO soft! Though… oh who gives a damn! I'm already muddy and wet!

"V-VAPOREON?!"

Ah, I'm getting so warm… and cozy… I can feel the drowsiness… now I can get…

"H-Hey! Keep those eyes open!"

...some...

"Vaporeon! There you are! Quickly, don't ask questions, just help me drag her!"

...sleeeeeeep.

I close my eyes, and prepare for a nice, long slumber.

I didn't exactly expect to hit 3k words on my first attempt, but hey. That's a good target for your first attempt, right? It's definitely a first attempt though, but I'm happy with how it came out. My only fear is that I end up getting lazy and let this thing go cold once the quarantine is lifted. Don't think that'll be a problem now, but I won't have a set schedule for chapter releases. Can't think of anything else to say right now, so peace, or something like that.

Oh it could get a tad gay later on :)