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Pokémon Pizza with a Slice of Pain

zion of arcadia

too much of my own quietness is with me
Pronouns
she/her
Partners
  1. marowak-alola
Beta read by MadderJacker and DemiurgicPen. Also got some advice from Shadow of Antioch.

This was written for the oneshot contest, but it's also part of my own ongoing interest in exploring different genres and narrative structures. For this story, the genre was straight comedy/absurd caper, and I wanted it to feel like the pilot episode of a sitcom (I also had this realization that rescue teams are cops and my little pea brain exploded. in an alternate universe we'd be getting a grim dystopian fic exploring that lmao). Pilot episodes as a concept are often created before the rest of the show and used as a pitch for networks to pick up said show, which I've always found neat. Of course, I ran into the issue of figuring out how to conclude the oneshot in a satisfying way, since most sitcoms will end on a punchline fading into credits. I considered leaning more into the sitcom-style as a framing device, going a more conventional route and concluding by letting the two main characters escape, or testing out the "punchline ending". And then I ran out of time, haha. SO I just sort of winged it and made sure both main characters resolved a conflict--be it internal or external--and their "subplot" and called it a day. I might change the ending eventually, but it was certainly an interesting experience regardless.

Edit 2.0: changed up the ending. Might still make adjustments, we’ll see.

Pizza with a Slice of Pain

Long ago, Mt. Travail was a terrible place indeed. The mystery dungeon's peaks and ridges loomed over their surroundings with a brooding ferocity. But then one day a drowzee scaled Mt. Travail's vicious hide, resting atop the crown to repent far away from society. Everything changed. His soul touched the heart of the mountain, transforming the mystery dungeon's spirit into one of benevolence rather than malevolence. Some say the drowzee and the mystery dungeon merged after his death, although no one knows the truth of the matter.

What was true, however, was that as time passed, Officer Magnezone and his deputies began using Mt. Travail more and more often as a place to house outlaws. The dungeon proved receptive to their needs, providing food and water and shelter, and, more importantly, a peculiar quirk: those who entered could only leave when they were ready. No one had ever escaped Mt. Travail.

Many, many years went by. The human and his partner who had saved the world faded into the mists of myth. But Mt. Travail remained, a steadfast home for those who had lost their way.

It was a warm summer's eve when Raine Whiffletwist arrived.

Most inhabitants were enjoying their supper in the mess hall. Glittering red crystals spiraled out of the vast arches high above the heads of even the largest pokémon, shining a gentle light over long stone tables filled with assorted mushrooms. The mushrooms were a special sort, capable of tasting like whatever foodstuff desired most.

For Eloise the furret, they tasted like pizza and waffle fries. The mushrooms were good if lacking the texture of the aforementioned food. But she minded little, content to nibble away at her meal, tucked far away from other pokémon in her own little corner of the mess hall.

The large stone doors banged open. A ripple spread through the room as everyone glanced up. In strode Raine Whiffletwist, a rather impressive looking grimmsnarl covered in thick silver fur—although his green skin and hint of dark roots rather gave away the truth—flanked on either side by magnemite deputies.

Raine Whiffletwist leapt onto one of the stone tables, knocking over a mound of mushrooms in the process. A nearby quilava growled his displeasure but was ignored. Raine Whiffletwist placed both claws on his voluptuous hips and declared: "Greetings! I am Raine Whiffletwist; yes, that Raine Whiffletwist, bane of the Grass Continent, the dashing and debonair human-turned-grimmsnarl, capable of striking fear into the heart of even the most intrepid exploration team."

This was, of course, a lie. Raine Whiffletwist had been born an ordinary impidimp, and grew up engaging in all manner of traditional fairy work. Such as but not limited to: kidnapping small children, leading travelers astray, attending morning choir, and other generic evil rot. But this backstory was far too banal and mundane for the likes of Raine Whiffletwist! Therefore he improvised, aiming instead for the rare and exotic.

Everyone silently appraised Raine Whiffletwist. Grandstanding was nothing new to the halls of Mt. Travail, but it had been some time since someone made an entrance quite like this one. Eloise straightened from where she had sunk down low in her seat, ears perking with interest.

"If you're so great 'n all, how'd you get caught?" asked the annoyed quilava. Many of the surrounding pokémon tittered. Unruffled, Raine Whiffletwist clapped his hands together.

"A most excellent question! For you see, the great Raine Whiffletwist would never allow himself to be captured under normal circumstances by mere magnemite"—he realized he had positioned himself off-center between the two behind him, and edged to the right, knocking over more innocent mushrooms in the process—"no offense meant, of course."

"None taken," said one of the magnemite in their typical monotone, "we shall depart now."

"In but a moment, my good fellows." Raine Whiffletwist's arms fluttered about, the tendril-like fur flaring in synchronicity with his speech patterns. "But yes. I allowed myself to be brought here so that I could be the first to escape Mt. Travail! My legend will indubitably grow ever-reaching once I accomplish such a miraculous feat."

Surprised glances were exchanged within the mess hall. The quilava scoffed, unimpressed. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say."

"Indeed." Raine Whiffletwist beamed, baring his impressive fangs, before dismissing the deputies with another theatrical wave. "Thank you for your time, gentlemen. Truly, the scene set would not have been nearly so striking without your stoic presence to provide stark contrast."

Both magnemite bobbed in response, taken aback by their own sudden onset of bashfulness. After all, were they not a rather impressive, intimidating sight? See how their metal hulls gleamed in the dim lighting, how their singular eye swept the hall in alienating surveillance. It felt good to have these facts acknowledged by one as notorious as Raine Whiffletwist.

"We appreciate your gratitude, even if we cannot condone your general villainy. Have a pleasant day." With that declaration made loud and clear, they left, a new spring to their levitating step.

Raine Whiffletwist sprang off the table, settling beside the quilava. He plucked a particularly plump mushroom from the table and popped it into his mouth. Flames rumbled to life around the quilava's collar, the surrounding temperature skyrocketing. Tension quivered in the air while something else, something curious, lurked just beneath the surface of the hall.

The quilava snorted, turning his back on the grimmasnarl; he knew fighting was forbidden within most of Mt. Travail's hallowed chambers. Instead, he gestured toward his mates. They moved away, deserting Raine Whiffletwist and the others. This was perfectly acceptable to Raine Whiffletwist, who continued devouring his meal. Not bad, not bad at all. The mushrooms tasted like the warm milk proper fearful folk left out to placate his ilk.

Eloise summoned her courage, hesitantly leaving her own private corner. She slinked toward Raine Whiffletwist, avoiding any cracks in the stone floor. Halfway there she paused. The space between them stretched onward forever. No matter how many steps Eloise took, she would never close the gap. Other pokémon were staring, were they not? Surely they must be.

(They were not.)

Panic almost overwhelmed Eloise. Her breath hitched and she flattened her belly, hunkering close to the floor. Cool stone soaked through fur and flesh as Mt. Travail soothed her. The space once again looked manageable; Raine Whiffletwist wasn't so far away after all. Steeling herself, Eloise closed the gap.

"Um… hello," she said.

Raine Whiffletwist blinked, glanced around, then finally glanced down. He grinned. "Why hello there! What brings you here? Have you come to be regaled with more thrilling, adventurous tales of danger and mystery and woe?"

"Oh, no. Or, um, I don't think so. Maybe?" Eloise frowned, suddenly uncertain. "I guess, well, are you really human?"

"Certainly, m'dear. I promise you, anything that passes from my lips to your ears is most assuredly the truth and nothing but the truth."

Eloise hesitated, but decided to trust him. He had a nice voice. What did she have to lose, anyway?

She lowered her voice. "Well… I-I'm a human, too. Or was."

"What?!" Raine Whiffletwist raised his voice.

Several pokémon turned at the noise. Eloise flinched, shrinking away, the tip of her tail flicking back and forth. Some of Raine Whiffletwist's over-exaggerated posture relaxed. When he spoke again, it was softer, gentler.

"Many pardons. I was just surprised."

"I-I was surprised too." Eloise scuffed the ground with her paw, refusing to meet Raine Whiffletwist's gaze. "I'd heard stories about other humans becoming pokémon, but I didn't think I'd ever, um, meet one."

Raine Whiffletwist's mind raced. This was an opportunity to learn more about the mysterious, elusive hoo-man, thus further fleshing out his already grandiose backstory. But he would have to tread carefully, or else the furret would no doubt learn of his ruse. What a stroke of luck! He should have gotten caught ages ago.

"Yes, I only met one other human-turned-pokémon in my various travels. Was a gibbering lunatic, poor sod." Raine Whiffletwist made the symbol of yveltal over his breast, nodding solemnly.

This was mostly true, although the human-turned-pokémon in question had not gibbered so much as mumbled incoherently. When Raine Whiffletwist tried teaching him the finer points of dictation, it only worsened his condition. Not one for enunciation, that lad.

"Oh, that's so sad." And also mildly alarming. Eloise hoped the madness wasn't as contagious as it appeared.

"Never you mind. I have a feeling we were brought together not by accident, but by fate. A sign that my historical escape is favored by destiny!" Raine Whiffletwist struck a pose. Eloise had no idea how to respond, head tilted askance. Then Raine Whiffletwist frowned, tapping his own cheek. "What did bring you here, anyway?"

Little Eloise was hardly the outlawing vagabond type. She shuffled her feet, face heating up.

"Uh, right. Well, when I first woke up several months ago, I didn't really know what was going on. And I got hungry, and there was this blanket with seeds on it, so…"

"You stole from Kecleon? Ah, unfortunate. And outrageous! Why are you still here of all places?" Raine Whiffletwist demanded. He was an absolute cad, it made sense for him to be locked away. Someone should never suffer for the sake of survival.

"Oh. Oh!" Eloise's eyes widened, and she at last dared to meet his stare. "I've been able to leave pretty much since I arrived. They brought me here for the food. I just, well, haven't. Left, that is. I-I kind of like it here."

Raine Whiffletwist was flabbergasted. Who would want to stay here of all places? Just traveling to the mess hall had been boring. Grey, brown, grey, some more brown, such intolerable monotony that no amount of discerningly placed crystals could ever fix. Stuffy inscriptions in pillars with trite sayings such as In Reflection Comes Tranquility abounded around every corner.

(Now, some might argue that one who had once unashamedly rhymed time with thyme was not one with the keenest of mind needed for subtle architectural decisions—but such an observation was far too petty for anyone harboring obviously superior taste in interior design.)

"Why?" Raine Whiffletwist's curiosity was genuine. Much of the wide world was strange and varied and mysterious and, best of all, hostile. Mt. Travail took the mystery out of the term mystery dungeon.

"Because… because…" Eloise struggled finding the words to explain. She floundered for a few moments longer before changing her mind. "I could show you?"

Raine Whiffletwist made his decision immediately. He turned, gesturing toward the double doors with a flourish and a bow. "Lead the way, madame."

Self-conscious, Eloise took a few steps, then checked over her shoulder to make sure he was still there. Raine Whiffletwist was, in fact, still there. She went a few steps further before checking again. Raine Whiffletwist followed her lead. This stop-start motion carried them out the mess hall and down one of the many tunnels networking through the mountain.

Gradually, Eloise became more confident. Although the tunnels shifted like most mystery dungeons, Mt. Travail was simple to navigate, with many recognizable milestones marking specific cave systems. More than that, she trusted Mt. Travail to bring her where she wanted to go. And Mt. Travail trusted her to go where she was needed most.

Raine Whiffletwist remained quiet, cataloguing his surroundings, a mental map forming in his head. He would need every advantage he could get if he was to defeat this most wily foe. And, now that his shock had worn off, Raine Whiffletwist began to appreciate the good fortune of not only coming across a human-turned-pokémon, but a human-turned-pokémon who seemed intimately familiar with the dungeon, even if he could not for the life of him fathom the reason behind it.

Besides, there was something pleasant about watching a furret walk. The undulation of their long bodies, the pitter-patter of their adorable little paws, the rhythm of their rolling gait. Why, Raine Whiffletwist could almost hear a cheery jingle playing in his ear to the beat of Eloise's movement. How could one maintain any semblance of a dour mood in the face of such natural whimsy?

Eloise darted past glowing silver lichen into the cavern hidden behind it.

The differences were stark: a wool carpet blanketed the ground while a fire crackled in the brick fireplace. There was a long counter jutting out the far end of the cavern, as well as a wooden table and two chairs. On the table lay a checkered board decorated with the most curious figurines.

Raine Whiffletwist approached the board, intrigued. His large, furred claws dwarfed the pieces, but despite his insistent tugs, they remained rooted firmly in place. He tried a few more times before giving up with a shrug.

"What's all this about, then?"

Eloise was surprised. She sat up on her hind legs, more at ease here, away from the crowd. "You don't know chess?"

Raine Whiffletwist inwardly cursed. Some common human convention, no doubt. And he had already failed the first test. But then, a brilliant idea struck him.

"Unfortunately, I… have amnesia. There's very little about my former life that I can recall. My identity, gone with the wind! Truly a most depressing fate." Raine Whiffletwist sighed, briefly overcome by his own tragic past. "But we make do with what we have, yes?"

"My god, I'm so sorry." Eloise lowered herself back to the ground. She felt very stupid, and also disappointed. He probably couldn't help her figure out how they had transformed, then. This was no doubt becoming a waste of Raine Whiffletwist's time. "I-I didn't know. I'm sorry, that's awful…"

"You have nothing to apologize for, m'dear, for you could not have possibly known." Raine Whiffletwist lowered himself onto one knee, meeting her wayward gaze. "But, perhaps you could explain this chess? So I can get in touch with my humanity once more... mayhaps it'll even jog my memory."

"O-okay." Eloise brightened at the thought that she might be of service. She padded over to the chessboard, gathering herself before jumping onto the chair. Her body spooled onto the seat like an unwound thread. "Although I'm not that good. I played sometimes with my grandpa but that was about it…" She trailed off, homesick, before continuing. "It's a two-player game. All the different pieces move across the board in a specific way, and you want to try and capture the king."

She pointed at the specific pieces with her tail.

Raine Whiffletwist moved closer. "Fascinating."

Several figurines had been set aside. Eloise smiled. "I've been playing with Travis. He's slow but super smart. I haven't beaten him once yet."

Raine Whiffletwist stared blankly. The tip of Eloise's tail flicked upward at the ceiling. A pregnant pause followed, and then Raine Whiffletwist gasped, eyes lighting up. Surely not! And yet…?

(And yet, indeed!)

"I-I know it sounds silly." Eloise's tail curled around her paws, and she kept her gaze fixed on the chessboard. "He's a really good listener though."

"Incredible," Raine Whiffletwist marveled. If true, Mt. Travail was even more of an anomaly of a dungeon than anyone had realized. "How do you know for sure it, well, hmmm, him I suppose, is the one you're playing against?"

Eloise opened her mouth and then closed it. An awkward silence bloomed between them.

"Well, never mind that," Raine Whiffletwist said, sliding into the seat opposite her. "Tell me more about chess."

Grateful, Eloise seized the topic change with both tiny forepaws. She pointed out pieces, explaining their functions, and even moved a bishop to put pressure on the opposing king. It all sounded very strange to Raine Whiffletwist—castling, in particular, seemed too ridiculous to be real, more an invention of hatchlings that hated losing—but also quite fascinating. The hoo-mans were truly marvelous creatures.

He began revising his backstory. Raine Whiffletwist, a poor street urchin who spent much of his formative years with nothing but his great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather's chess set to keep him company. He honed his skills, suffering untold humiliations in the process, but eventually rose above and overcame everyone else, becoming Raine Whiffletwist the grand champion of chess.

Perhaps he should stick with the amnesia angle.

"Is this helping?" Eloise asked. Raine Whiffletwist blinked.

"The company is excellent, of course, but my memory is all rot still, I'm afraid. Perhaps if I could challenge this Travis to a match of my own…"

Eloise drooped a little, disappointed once more by her own uselessness, but then frowned. "Why?"

"Why not? If I am to escape this, this Travis, I must prove my worth to him in a match of raw brilliance and tactical verve."

"I guess. But why not just ask if you can leave?"

"Ask? Ask?!" Raine Whiffletwist stood, knocking the chair over in his eager outrage. "Does one ask the exploration team apprehending them to stand down? Of course not. A fight is requisite, a means to establish your strength."

Eloise's ears flicked back. Did Raine Whiffletwist have to be so loud? But he had been kind, so she straightened, quelling the urge to flee. "W-well, you can't really fight a dungeon, can you? And… and not everything has to be about fighting."

"Too right, too right. Only most things." Raine Whiffletwist laughed. "But for it to be an achievement, it has to be a struggle. No one has escaped Mt. Travail before, they say it cannot be done. That alone makes it a challenge, a challenge ripe to be plucked from its lofty high branch.

"Even if this 'asking' would work, which I'm not convinced it would, it would be too easy. There must be trials and tribulations! The lowest of the low points. Snow and wind and freezing cold as you trudge up the steep side of the mountain. Pain, agonizing pain, until at last, you crest the summit. And there before you, the world lying at your feet. Triumph. Satisfaction. Euphoria."

Raine Whiffletwist closed his eyes, feasting upon the mental imagery. Overcoming conflict and evolving from it: that was what it meant to be pokémon.

Eloise had no clue what to say. She gazed upon the crackling fire in the hearth, pensive, suddenly struck by her own inadequacy. Eloise played many chess games with Travis and never once beaten him. And she had taught him the rules. What did that say about her?

This world seemed so loud and angry sometimes.

"Surely there is something you want, m'dear. Something to strive for, yes?"

Of course, Eloise immediately knew the answer to his question. But it felt silly, childish even, to admit it, especially on the heels of Raine Whiffletwist's grandiose declaration. Eloise hesitated. He had soft eyes, though.

"Pizza," she said. "My family… owned a pizzeria. I wish I could make pizza again."

The heady scent of rising bread and melted cheese; the enormous vat she'd help stir yeast and sugar and water into; the bright taste of tomato sauce, oregano, and basil mixed together. Even more than that, the people, her grandfather and her brothers smiling and laughing together. Eloise missed it all dearly, missed them all dearly.

Raine Whiffletwist cocked his head. He wasn't quite sure what a pizza was, but he wasn't one to be fooled twice. Kneeling down to Eloise's eye level, he patted her on the head.

"Well, we'll have to see what we can do about that, won't we?"

Eloise smiled, a little teary-eyed, turning away to hide her sniffles. She was glad she had made a friend, it helped her feel less alone.

(Mt. Travail had been listening. Slowly, ever so slowly, it began to shift.)



Eloise brought Raine Whiffletwist back to her hideout the next day. She bounced on the balls of her paws, moving with far more confidence than before. They'd spent the previous day exploring the rest of Mt. Travail; Eloise liked the way Raine Whiffletwist bobbed his head knowingly whenever she explained something, even mundane things like the various shower routines everyone participated in. He moved with such exuberance, it energized her as well.

Both Eloise and Raine Whiffletwist halted at the sight of the hideout. The white rook had moved to E3 on the chessboard.

Two new caves flanked either side of the fireplace, which had transformed into a furnace. Various appliances decorated the long stone table. Eloise padded forward, somewhat cautious, and then brightened. Travis must've done this for them!

Raine Whiffletwist looked around suspiciously. Travis must've done this for them. Constant vigilance would be required.

The two caverns opened into two distinct tunnel systems.

The left was filled with food. Pepperoni stalactites spiraled from the ceiling, cheese stalactites blooming out of the ground. A lake of marinara sauce burbled off to the side. The shores of the lake were not sand but rather flour.

The right was filled with obstacles. Precarious platforms floated over a chasm of mist while jutting spikes and statues dangled from the ceiling. On the very, very far side lay an exit shrouded in more of the curious fog. Freedom, perhaps.

Both Eloise and Raine Whiffletwist found each respective cavern positively brilliant.

"Oh! Oh!" Eloise hopped up and down. She ran back into the other room, tail wrapped around a rolling pin, mouth dragging along a pizza pan. She had never cooked alone before but that wouldn't stop her now. "D-do you want some, too?"

Her words came out muffled.

"Never you mind, never you mind, I doubt I'll be here much longer." Raine Whiffletwist waved a hand, striding away, toward the obstacle course. He was intrigued by Eloise's strange rituals, but more importantly, he had a mountain to conquer. Still, all things told, this had been a delightful, worthwhile venture deserving of his legacy.

Raine Whiffletwist stretched for several minutes. From toe touches to side lunges to the vital glute bridge, he worked from top to bottom, slow but thorough. While cold stretching was often frowned upon—muscles would clench together more tightly as a result—the mysterious healing properties of the dungeon emboldened Raine Whiffletwist.

Perhaps it wasn't surprising someone like Eloise preferred to stay here if Travis coddled inmates this way. Raine Whiffletwist cracked his fingers, fur roiling as though it had a life of its own (which, technically, it did). The dark streaks grew bolder underneath the white dye, and Raine Whiffletwist flung himself forward, fur elongating along his arm, surging toward the nearest platform.

His body contorted itself, grotesque, bypassing the first set of spikes with ease. His fur hooked into the rock, dragging him forward. Easy. Too easy.

A hammer appeared out of nowhere, slamming into Raine Whiffletwist's midriff. Sharp pain cracked his ribs as he tumbled into the foggy void. Goodbye, cruel world was his last fleeting thought. If he must die, at least it would be death in pursuit of the miraculous.

Then Raine Whiffletwist blinked and found himself sprawled out on the entrance of the cavern. He sat up, grimacing, rubbing at his tender ribs. He looked around wildly before clapping his hands in grudging respect.

"Well played, Travis, old sport."

(Although Mt. Travail did not answer, it was, in truth, rather proud of its own cleverness as well.)

Raine Whiffletwist rolled his neck before trying again.

Meanwhile, Eloise was hard at work making her pizza. She couldn't wait to cook a big one to share with others. That had always been one of her favorite parts of working at the pizzeria, seeing the way people's faces would light up with pleasure when the food was delivered. Of course, it was less nice when they didn't enjoy their meal, but hopefully that wouldn't happen.

She sent a quick prayer of guidance to her grandfather, humming Pure Imagination under her breath as she kneaded flour and salt into dough. What if there was such a thing as pizza oompa loompas? What if oompa loompas had been pokémon all along? Shiny mr. mime, maybe?! Eloise peered at the marinara lake, a little suspicious.

Then she shrugged and continued humming, although she squeaked to a stop upon hearing a strange noise. Convinced it was Raine Whiffletwist, she whirled around, but there was no one there. Face hot with embarrassment, Eloise crept out of her own cavern to peek in on him.

Raine Whiffletwist was a rather alarming sight to behold. He had been pummeled, immolated, stabbed; his fur was a wild tangle seething around his battered form. He stood and roared something unintelligible before leaping toward the nearest platform. At the halfway point, a gout of flame shot out the side of the tunnel, sending him spiraling to the abyss and then back to the beginning, fur smoking but no longer set aflame.

Eloise decided to leave him alone. He looked busy. And scary.

While waiting for the bread dough to rise, she stared at the chess board. Paralyzed by indecision, she turned away. Eloise told Travis: "D-don't worry, I'll be sure to let you try some, too."

The ground beneath her paws rumbled softly. Eloise stared at the flour staining her fur white, struck by a sudden case of nerves. What if Travis didn't like it? What if Raine Whiffletwist stayed, and ended up disliking it too? She wished her grandpa was here to help.

Creeping back to the other cavern, she settled down to watch Raine Whiffletwist batter himself some more against Travis's traps and tricks.

After dozens of attempts, Raine Whiffletwist knew the ins and outs of the obstacle course. The exact angle the hammers would fall, the velocity of an unladen swellow, the patterns of the flame gouts, and so much more. All of it, he knew. All of his failures, he'd learned from. It had become second nature, knowledge turned reflex.

He was trying so hard. Travis had worked hard, too, no doubt, to answer their wishes. Eloise breathed in and out through her nose. She wouldn't let them down! Turning tail, she headed back into her little pizza cavern.

A hot, melted cheese scent began seeping through the caverns. Raine Whiffletwist groaned, stomach rumbling—he'd wasted so much energy healing—but remained strong. This was but another aspect of the test. He would prove himself, he would be the best, all would remember Raine Whiffletwist after this. Life was a competition he was determined to win.

Raine Whiffletwist believed this time would be the time he succeeded. The certainty caused his mouth to water. That or the scent of food. Details, details.

Eloise watched the first pizza in the fireplace stove cook. Had she spread the sauce evenly? Were the pepperoni slices arranged in a pleasing manner? A yowl echoed from the other room, and Eloise banished the intrusive thoughts. Time to focus.

Raine Whiffletwist roared again, asserting dominance, and began his trial once more. One last time, surely. He moved with elegance and grace despite how haggard he'd become, lithe body twisting as he swung from ropes of fur.

His eyes burned with conviction, a conviction that bordered on obsession. The swinging hammers were avoided with ease, the unladen swellows dodged with a flick of the wrist, the spiraling flames bypassed with manic laughter.

Raine Whiffletwist was so close he could almost taste it. He reached the last portion of the chasm, the part he'd failed every time, when all he'd learned converged upon him simultaneously. Never again! It was as though a third, inner eye had opened; he breezed through the section, past a cacophony of fire arrows and divebombing birds, landing on the other side without bothering to look at the fiery explosion behind him.

Victory. Far more delicious than any hoo-man delicacy. Satisfaction flooded through Raine Whiffletwist's being, validating all the frustration in that brief, addictive high.

He savored the sensation before stumbling through the mist—

And ending up right back where he started.

Raine Whiffletwist gazed across the length of the decimated chasm. After a moment, he straightened. "Ah, of course, only the first test. I see, I see. It was hatchling's play, after all. Sensible."

Travis was perhaps the only one worthy of being christened Raine Whiffletwist's arch-nemesis. Shame he was a mystery dungeon. Such an abstract concept would be difficult to visualize as a concrete story. This revelation cheered Raine Whiffletwist up. It also made it easier to ignore the pain in his ribs, which were almost assuredly broken. He limped back into the main cavern where Eloise was cutting her pizza into eight triangles. Such small portions!

"A-are you okay?" she squeaked, catching sight of him.

Raine Whiffletwist settled heavily beside her. "This? This is nothing in the face of my ever-present existential crisis. Have no fear, madame, I'm made of stern stuff."

When Eloise offered him a slice, he gobbled it down so fast he didn't even taste it. Eloise's eyes were round and large as saucers.

"Do you like it?"

Raine Whiffletwist took another slice, remembering to chew before swallowing. The hot cheese, the golden crunch of the crust, the texture of the red sauce; it was divine. He gave her two thumbs up.

Eloise's face brightened.

"My grandpa probably wouldn't approve," she confided. "He's very traditional. The whole lake business would be too unsanitary for him, I think."

"Nonsense," Raine Whiffletwist said. "The threat of disease only heightens the experience. Besides, one cannot get sick in a dungeon."

"Oh, yeah. Thanks, Travis!"

(Travis accepted her thanks with quiet dignity.)

It occurred to Raine Whiffletwist that he should go back to the drawing board. Travis had thwarted him, this time; he would no doubt need diligent forethought to prevail. Yet, Raine Whiffletwist was tired. And the pizza tasted truly excellent.

"D-did you remember anything?"

Raine Whiffletwist shook his head. Then he paused, head tilting theatrically. "There was, perhaps, an echo of a face. My parents, perhaps…?"

Eloise gasped.

They could well be king and queen of a long-lost kingdom. Or, perhaps, martyrs sacrificed in the name of a noble cause. Both Eloise and Raine Whiffletwist's thoughts raced with unknown—or untold—possibility.

She fidgeted, embarrassed, taking a slice and saving it for Travis before Raine Whiffletwist could devour the whole pizza.

"I-I'm not sure I could've made this without you," Eloise said. Raine Whiffletwist blinked.

"Truly?"

"You're very… bold. And good at knowing how to a-ask for what you want. How to work for it. It's kinda amazing."

Raine Whiffletwist was, well, he was touched. Warmth that had nothing to do with the food in his belly lit him up from the inside. He rather lost interest in fabricating further lies; he wanted to know more about Eloise, and inquired as such.

She fiddled with her sticky paws.

"My grandpa raised me. Before I came here, though, he was very sick. I don't know if he's okay."

Raine Whiffletwist frowned. He had never given much thought to his parents' fate. They were probably off terrorizing hapless villages in a far-flung corner of the world.

"But he makes great pizza?"

"The best!" Eloise beamed, muzzle crinkling, before licking some of the cheese clinging to the edges of her smile. She told Raine Whiffletwist about how they would always open the store together, laughing and dancing to crackly old-timey music coming out of a shoddy stereo all the while.

Going from listened to listener was a curious experience. But Raine Whiffletwist found he did not mind too much—aside from the occasional fidget—while his body consumed the legendary legacy pizza and healed itself. (Travis listened attentively as well, vaguely aware of the various pokémon also going about their daily routines. They milled about, content and contented.) All was peaceful for the moment.

Raine Whiffletwist polished off the rest of pizza. Eloise had lost herself in her own memories, expression relaxed and far away. Standing, Raine Whiffletwist stretched, his stomach bulging from the amount of food indulged.

He ambled over to the chess board, looking it over. After a scrutinizing pause, he pointed at a knight, long talon-like fingers slick with grease. "What would happen if you moved this one?"

"Hmm?" Eloise cocked her head, taking in the board positions. The knight was currently pressuring Travis's queenside rook. But if she ignored it, played aggressive…

The moves fell into place in a flash of insight. Eloise squeaked, then apologized, her apology broken up by said squeak. Paws trembling, she pushed the knight into a more offensive position. Checkmate in three.

Travis's king toppled over.

"We did it!" Eloise skipped around Rhaine Whiffletwist, overjoyed.

Raine Whiffletwist, meanwhile, had no idea what just happened. But Eloise's excitement proved infectious, so he smiled along with her looping victory dance.

It was strange. Under normal circumstances Rhaine Whiffletwist would feel like a cheat for helping Eloise win. But the glow of satisfaction spreading like wildfire through his veins felt eerily akin to earlier when he had conquered the maze.

"You're a natural, m'dear," he assured her. Eloise paused, ducking shyly away. She was rather proud of herself.

"I-I've probably di-dis-distracted you enough. Sorry."

"Never!" Raine Whiffletwist's barrel chest swelled. "This has been most invigorating. In fact, if you don't mind, I'd like to cut in and challenge you myself in Travis's stead. Best two out of three."

Raine Whiffletwist saw no reason to rush his dashing escapades. There was always tomorrow. There would always be tomorrow.

"Okay." Eloise smiled down at her paws.

Together they reset the board.
 
Last edited:

Spiteful Murkrow

Busy Writing Stories I Want to Read
Pronouns
He/Him/His
Partners
  1. nidoran-f
  2. druddigon
  3. swellow
  4. lugia
  5. quilava-fobbie
  6. sneasel-kate
  7. heliolisk-fobbie
Heya. Throwing you a review from an offsite review exchange:

Long ago, Mt. Travail was a terrible place indeed. The mystery dungeon’s peaks and ridges loomed over their surroundings with a brooding ferocity. But then one day a drowzee scaled Mt. Travail’s vicious hide, resting atop the crown to repent far away from society. Everything changed.

His soul touched the heart of the mountain, transforming the mystery dungeon’s spirit into one of benevolence rather than malevolence. Some say the drowzee and the mystery dungeon merged after his death, although no one knows the truth of the matter.

Huh. That's a lot about this world that got communicated or else implied in just two paragraphs.

In no particular order, it sounds like we're in an Explorers fic, and those are some really trippy assumptions of how Mystery Dungeons work. Not bad, per se, but definitely a lot more supernatural than I'm used to.

What was true, however, was that as time passed, Officer Magnezone and his deputies began using Mt. Travail more and more often as a place to house outlaws. The dungeon proved receptive to their needs, providing food and water and shelter, and, more importantly, a peculiar quirk: those who entered could only leave when they were ready to go. No one had ever escaped Mt. Travail.

Sure hope nobody's smuggling those Outlaws Escape Orbs.
:fearfullaugh:


Many, many years went by. The human and his partner who’d saved the world faded into the mists of myth. But Mt. Travail remained, a steadfast home for those who had lost their way.

To be fair "getting yeeted in by law enforcement" is a really debatable definition of "lost their way". :V

I get the intended meaning, but I'm half-expecting it to come out that there's some sort of dark cloud to all of this.

Most inhabitants were enjoying their supper in the mess hall. Glittering red crystals spiraled out of the vast arches high above the heads of even the largest pokémon, shining a gentle light over long stone tables filled with assorted mushrooms. The mushrooms were a special sort, capable of tasting like whatever foodstuff the consumer desired most.

For Eloise the furret, they tasted like pizza and waffle fries. The mushrooms were good, although they lacked the texture of the aforementioned food. But she didn’t much mind, content to nibble away at her meal, tucked far away from other pokémon in her own little corner of the mess hall.

Oh, so that's what those food orbs are in this setting. I think. But I certainly hadn't seen that take on the "food pill" route of sidestepping the meat problem before. It works quite well with the trippy vibe the MD here has.

The large stone doors banged open. A ripple spread through the room as everyone glanced up. In strode Raine Whiffletwist, a rather impressive looking grimmsnarl covered in thick silver fur (although his green skin and hint of dark roots gave the game away), flanked on either side by magnemite deputies.

Actually, I'm curious now, what is the story of the naming scheme in this story anyways? Is there something special about this particular first and last name?

Raine Whiffletwist leapt onto one of the stone tables, knocking over a mound of mushrooms in the process. A nearby quilava growled his displeasure but was promptly ignored. Raine Whiffletwist placed his claws on his rather voluptuous hips and declared, “Greetings! I am Raine Whiffletwist; yes, that Raine Whiffletwist, bane of the Grass Continent, the dashing and debonair human-turned-grimmsnarl, capable of striking fear into the heart of even the most intrepid exploration team.”

This was, of course, a lie. Raine Whiffletwist had been born an ordinary impidimp, and grew up engaging in all manner of traditional fairy work. Such as but not limited to: kidnapping children, leading travellers astray, and other generic rot. But this backstory was far too banal and mundane for the likes of Raine Whiffletwist! Therefore he improvised, aiming instead for the rare and exotic.

That backstory is at once seriously
:charhaha:
and
:grohno:
, but this guy's an interesting character to see already. Very Miles Gloriosus. Or whatever the Outlaw equivalent of that is.

Everyone silently stared at Raine Whiffletwist. Grandstanding was nothing new to the halls of Mt. Travail, although it had been some time since someone made an entrance quite like this. Eloise straightened from where she’d slunk down low in her seat, ears perking up with interest.

I might be nitpicking, but I think you're missing an "up" there

“A most excellent question! For you see, one such as the great Raine Whiffletwist would never allow himself to be captured under normal circumstances by mere magnemite”—he realized he’d positioned himself off-center between the two behind him, and edged to the right, knocking over more innocent mushrooms in the process—“no offense meant, of course.”

“None taken,” said one of the magnemite in their typical monotone, “we will take our leave now.”

“In but a moment, my good fellows.” Raine Whiffletwist’s arms fluttered about. “But yes. I allowed myself to be brought here so that I could be the first to escape Mt. Travail! My legend will indubitably grow ever larger once I accomplish such a miraculous feat.”

Quilava: "Yeah, okay there, buddy."

Surprised glances were exchanged within the mess hall. The quilava scoffed, looking unimpressed. “Yeah, sure. Whatever you say.”

:charhaha:


Man can I call 'em or what?

“Indeed.” Raine Whiffletwist beamed, baring his impressive fangs, before dismissing the deputies with another theatrical wave. “Thank you for your time, gentlemen. Truly, the scene set would not have been nearly so epic without your stoic presence to provide stark contrast.”

Both magnemite bobbed in response, taken aback by their own sudden onset of bashfulness. After all, were they not a rather impressive, intimidating sight? It felt good to have this acknowledged by one as notorious as Raine Whiffletwist.

“We appreciate your gratitude, even if we cannot condone your general villainy. Have a pleasant day.” And with that, they took their leave, a new spring to their levitating step.

I see Raine knows how to turn up the charm if he's doing this to his captors.

Raine Whiffletwist cheerfully jumped off the table, settling beside the quilava. Flames rumbled to life around his collar, the surrounding temperature skyrocketing. Tension quivered in the air while something else, something alien, lurked just beneath the surface.

The quilava snorted, turning his back on the grimmasnarl; he knew fighting was forbidden within most of Mt. Travail’s hallowed halls. Instead, he gestured toward his mates. They moved away, deserting Raine Whiffletwist.

Wait, so what happens if they do fight anyways? Does something lazor them from existence?

Eloise summoned her courage, hesitantly leaving her own private corner. She slinked toward Raine Whiffletwist, avoiding any cracks in the stone floor. Halfway there she paused. The space between them stretched onward forever. No matter how many steps Eloise took, she would never close the gap. Other pokémon were staring, weren’t they? Surely they must be.

Panic almost overwhelmed Eloise. Her breath hitched and she flattened her belly, hunkering against the floor. Cool stone soaked through fur and flesh as Mt. Travail soothed her. The space once again looked manageable; Raine Whiffletwist wasn’t so far away after all. Steeling herself, Eloise closed the gap.

“Um… hello,” she said.

For a second I thought that the MD there was messing with literal space with Eloise, but no, she just had jitters there.

Eloise: "... I can already tell I'm going to regret this." ._.

Raine Whiffletwist blinked, glanced around, and then finally glanced down. He grinned. “Why hello there! What brings you here? Have you come to be regaled with more thrilling tales of danger and adventure?”

“Oh, no. Or, um, I don’t think so. Maybe?” Eloise frowned, suddenly uncertain. “I guess, well, are you really human?”

Raine: "Oh but of course! Truly the most humanliest human you ever did meet!"
Eloise: "Really? Because I could've sworn the narration said you made that all up earlier." >_>;

“Certainly, m’dear. I promise you, anything that passes my lips to your ears is most assuredly the truth and nothing but the truth.”

Eloise hesitated, but then decided to trust him. What did she have to lose, anyway?

:sceptical:


Imagine believing this from a Grimmsnarl when they have an attack that's literally based around deceiving and manipulating opponents.

She lowered her voice. “Well… I-I’m a human, too. Or was.”

“What?!” Raine Whiffletwist raised his voice.

Raine: "How on earth did you-?! Er... so what's the story of how you ended up here, fellow human?"

Several pokémon turned at the noise. Eloise flinched, shrinking away, the tip of her tail flicking back and forth. Some of Raine Whiffletwist’s overexaggerated posture relaxed. When he spoke again, it was softer, gentler.

“Many pardons. I was just surprised.”

“I-I was surprised too.” Eloise scuffed the ground with her paw, refusing to meet Raine Whiffletwist’s gaze. “I’d heard stories about other humans becoming pokémon, but I didn’t think I’d ever, um, meet one.”

Raine Whiffletwist’s mind raced. This was an opportunity to learn more about the mysterious, elusive hoo-man, thus further fleshing out his already grand backstory. But he’d have to tread carefully, for the furret would no doubt learn of his ruse if he grew careless. What a stroke of luck! He should’ve gotten caught ages ago.

- Raine produces a pen and paper -
Raine: "Okay, so tell me your whole life story, in as much detail as possible."
Eloise: "You know, if you're really human, you're doing a good job at convincing me that you're just trying to copy my own story for yourself." >_>;

“Yes, I have only met one other human-turned-pokémon in my various travels, and he was a gibbering lunatic, poor sod.” Raine Whiffletwist made the symbol of yveltal over his breast, nodding solemnly.

“Oh, that’s so sad.” And also mildly alarming. Eloise hoped the madness wasn’t as contagious as it seemed.

Again, imagine reflexively trusting a Grimmsnarl. Especially an Outlaw Grimmsnarl.

“Never you mind that. I have a feeling we were brought together not by accident, but by fate. A sign that my historical escape is favored by destiny!” Raine Whiffletwist struck a pose. Eloise had no idea how to respond, tilting her head askance. Then Raine Whiffletwist frowned, tapping his own cheek. “What did bring you here, anyway?”

Well, I buy the 'fate' part, if exactly nothing else. For the "What did bring" I think either do "What brought" or if wanting to keep Raine's more theatrical bent, perhaps "What was it that brought", since something about that verb tense feels iffy to me.

Little Eloise was hardly the outlawing vagabond type. She shuffled her feet, feeling her face heat up.

“Uh, right. Well, when I first woke up several months ago, I didn’t really know what was going on. And I got hungry, and there was this blanket with seeds on it, so…”

“You stole from Kecleon? Ah, unfortunate. And also outrageous! Why are you still here of all places?” Raine Whiffletwist demanded. He was a genuine cad, it made sense for him to be locked away. Someone should never suffer for the sake of survival.

Yeah, I called it about this place as a prison having some sort of dark catch. You know you're in a messed-up world when your justice system that finds it normal to sentence residents to months if not years in a MD over petty theft.

“Oh. Oh!” Eloise’s eyes widened, and she at last dared to meet his stare. “I’ve been able to leave pretty much since I arrived. I just, well, haven’t. I-I kind of like it here.”

Raine Whiffletwist was flabbergasted. Who would want to stay here of all places? Just travelling to the mess hall had been boring. Grey, brown, grey, some more brown, such intolerable monotony that no amount of discerningly placed crystals could ever fix. Stuffy inscriptions in pillars with trite sayings such as, ‘in reflection comes tranquility.’

Eloise: "I mean, it has free food that could ever ask for and it always tastes like my favorite meals. Between that and getting beaten up for accidentally shoplifting... yeah."
Raine: "Surely you could set your sights higher than this." >_>;

“Why?” His curiosity was genuine.

“Because… because…” Eloise had a hard time finding the words to explain. She floundered for a few moments longer before changing her mind. “I could show you?”

He made his decision immediately. Raine Whiffletwist turned, gesturing toward the double doors with a flourish and a bow. “Lead the way, madame.”

... Well that doesn't sound ominous at all.

Raine: "Ha ha, looks like escaping will be easier than I thought!" :^)

Self-conscious, Eloise took a few steps, then checked over her shoulder to make sure he was still there. Raine Whiffletwist was, in fact, still there. She went a few steps further before checking again. Raine Whiffletwist followed her lead. This stop-start motion carried them out the mess hall and down one of the many tunnels networking through the mountain.

Gradually, Eloise became more confident. Although the tunnels shifted like most mystery dungeons, Mt. Travail was simple to navigate, with many recognizable milestones marking specific cave systems. More than that, she trusted Mt. Travail to bring her where she wanted to go.

Oh, so she developed a bond with the MD or Drowzee's spirit or whatever and that's what lets her get in and out like that.

Raine Whiffletwist remained quiet, cataloguing his surroundings, a mental map forming in his head. He’d need every advantage he could get if he was to defeat this most wily foe. And, now that his shock had worn off, Raine Whiffletwist began to appreciate the good fortune of not only coming across a human-turned-pokémon, but a human-turned-pokémon who seemed intimately familiar with the dungeon, even if he could not for the life of him fathom the reason behind it.

And besides, there was something pleasant about watching a furret walk. The undulation of their long bodies, the pitter-patter of their adorable little paws, the rhythm of their rolling gait. Why, Raine Whiffletwist could almost hear a cheery jingle playing in his ear to the beat of Eloise’s movement. How could one maintain any semblance of a dour mood in the face of such natural whimsy?

I mean, just that description is already doing a good job at selling that vibe. So yeah, I buy Raine's amusement there.

Eloise darted past glowing silver lichen into the cavern hidden behind it.

The differences were stark: a wool carpet blanketed the ground while a fire crackled in the brick fireplace. There was a long counter jutting out of the far end of the cavern, as well as a wooden table and two chairs. On the table lay a checkered board covered in the most curious looking figurines.

Raine Whiffletwist approached the board, intrigued. His large furred claws dwarfed the pieces, but despite his insistent tugs, they remained firmly in place. He tried a few more times before giving up with a shrug.

“What’s all this about, then?”

Eloise was surprised. She sat up on her hind legs, more at ease here, away from the crowd. “You don’t know chess?”

Raine: "... I know enough that for board games like this, the pieces aren't supposed to be glued to the board! (Or at least I assume it's a board game.)" >_>;

Raine Whiffletwist inwardly cursed. Some common human convention, no doubt. And he’d already failed the first test. But then, a brilliant idea struck him.

“Unfortunately, I… have amnesia. There’s very little about my former life that I can recall. My identity, gone with the wind! Truly a most depressing fate.” Raine Whiffletwist sighed, briefly overcome by his own tragic past. “But we make do with what we have, yes?”

:hoodLUL:


Nice save there.

My god, I’m so sorry.” Eloise lowered herself back to the ground. She felt very stupid, and also disappointed. He probably couldn’t help her figure out how they’d transformed, then. This was no doubt becoming a waste of Raine Whiffletwist’s time. “I-I didn’t know. I’m sorry, that’s awful…”

“You have nothing to apologize for, m’dear, for you could not have possibly known.” Raine Whiffletwist lowered himself onto one knee, meeting her wayward gaze. “But, perhaps you could explain this chess? So I can get in touch with my humanity once more. Perhaps it might even jog my memory.”

Eloise: "... Again, why does it feel like you're pumping me for information right now? >_>;
Raine: "I'm just curious? Amnesia does leave a lot of glaring blanks, you know."

“O-okay.” Eloise brightened at the thought that she might help. She padded over to the chessboard, gathering herself before jumping onto the chair. “Although I’m not that good. I played sometimes with my grandpa but that was about it…” She trailed off, homesick, before continuing. “It’s a two-player game. All the different pieces move across the board in a specific way, and you want to try and capture the king.” She pointed at the specific piece with her tail.

Raine Whiffletwist moved closer. “Fascinating.”

Several figurines had been set aside. Eloise smiled. “I’ve been playing with Travis. He’s slow but super smart, I haven’t beaten him once yet.”

Raine Whiffletwist stared blankly. The tip of Eloise’s tail flicked upward at the ceiling. A pregnant pause followed, and then Raine Whiffletwist gasped, eyes lighting up. Surely not! And yet…?

“I-I know it sounds silly.” Eloise’s tail curled around her paws, and she kept her gaze fixed on the chessboard. “He’s a really good listener though.”

“Incredible,” Raine Whiffletwist marveled. If true, Mt. Travail was even more of an anomaly of a dungeon than anyone had realized. “How do you know for sure it, well, hmmm, him I suppose, is the one you’re playing against?”

Waaaait a minute, is Travis Mt. Travail? I think that that's the implication there, but it's not super clear. If that is the case, it might've made sense for Raine to look around for a Pokémon or more explicitly stop and wonder a moment before putting two and two together.

Grateful, Eloise seized the topic change with both of her tiny forepaws. She pointed out pieces, explaining their functions, and even moved a bishop to put pressure on the opposing king. It all sounded very strange to Raine Whiffletwist—castling, in particular, seemed too ridiculous to be real, more an invention of hatchlings that hated losing—but also quite fascinating. The hoo-mans were truly marvelous creatures.

He began revising his backstory. Raine Whiffletwist, hoo-man urchin who spent much of his formative years with nothing but his great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather’s chess set to keep him company. He honed his skills, suffering untold humiliations in the process, but eventually rose above and overcame everyone else, becoming Raine Whiffletwist the grand champion of chess.

Raine, why would you even-?

Perhaps he should stick with the amnesia angle.

Yeah, just saying. You're not going to impress someone who's actually played chess trying to BS your way into pretending you're a champion at it, Raine

“Is this helping?” Eloise asked. Raine Whiffletwist blinked.

“The company is excellent, of course, but my memory is all rot still, I’m afraid. Perhaps if I could challenge this Travis to a match of my own…”

Eloise drooped a little, disappointed once more by her own uselessness, but then frowned. “Why?”

“Why not? If I am to escape this, this Travis, I must prove my worth to him in a match of raw brilliance and tactical verve.”

“I guess. But why not just ask him if you can leave?”

- Beat moment -
Raine: "Wait a moment, you can do that?"

“Ask? Ask?!” Raine Whiffletwist stood, knocking the chair over in his eager outrage. “Does one ask the exploration team apprehending them to stand down? Of course not. A fight is requisite, a means to establish your strength.”

Eloise’s ears flicked back. Did Raine Whiffletwist have to be so loud? But he seemed nice, so she straightened, quelling the urge to flee. “W-well, you can’t really fight a dungeon, can you? And… and not everything has to be about fighting.”

“Too right, too right. Only most things.” Raine Whiffletwist laughed. “But for it to be an achievement, it has to be a struggle. No one has escaped Mt. Travail before, they say it cannot be done. That alone makes it a challenge, a challenge ripe to be plucked from its lofty high branch.

Eloise: "But I've left this place multiple times already." >_>;
Raine: "Aside from you. I still don't understand what exactly you're doing there."

“Even if this ‘asking’ would work, which I’m not convinced it would, it would be too easy. There must be trials and tribulations! The lowest of the low points. Snow and wind and freezing cold as you trudge up the steep side of the mountain. And pain, agonizing pain, until at last you crest the summit. And there before you, the world lying at your feet. Triumph. Satisfaction. Euphoria.”

Raine Whiffletwist closed his eyes, feasting upon the mental imagery. Overcoming conflict and evolving from it: that was what it meant to be pokémon.

Somebody's certainly theatrical there.

Eloise didn’t quite know what to say. She stared at the crackling fire in the hearth, pensive, suddenly struck by her own inadequacy. Eloise had played many games of chess with Travis and never once beaten him. And she’d taught him the rules. What did that say about her?

Eloise: "I'm reserved and don't question things a whole lot?"
Raine: "That much is obvious."

“Surely there is something you want, m’dear. Something to strive for, yes?”

Of course, Eloise immediately knew the answer to his question. But it felt silly, childish even, to admit, especially on the heels of Raine Whiffletwist’s grandiose declaration. Eloise hesitated. He had soft eyes, though.

“Pizza,” she said. “My family… owned a pizzeria. I wish I could make pizza again.”

The heady scent of rising bread and melted cheese; the enormous vat she’d help stir yeast and sugar and water into; the bright taste of tomato sauce, oregano, and basil mixed together. Even more than that, the people, her grandfather and her brothers smiling and laughing together. Eloise missed it all dearly, missed them all dearly.

Wait, how long has Eloise been here? Though I guess that explains why she's not ditching the free mushroom meals. (edited)

Raine Whiffletwist cocked his head. He wasn’t quite sure what a pizza was, but he wasn’t one to be fooled twice. Kneeling down to Eloise’s eye level, he patted her on the head.

“Well, we’ll have to see what we can do about that, won’t we?”

Eloise smiled, a little teary-eyed, and then turned away to hide her sniffles. She was glad she’d stumbled across another human, it helped her feel less alone.

Mt. Travail was listening, and slowly, ever so slowly, began to shift.

>dat last line
:uhhh:


Eloise brought Raine Whiffletwist back to her hideout the next day. She bounced on the balls of her paws, moving with far more confidence than before. They’d spent the previous day exploring the rest of Mt. Travail; Eloise liked the way Raine Whiffletwist bobbed his head knowingly whenever she explained something, even mundane things like the various shower routines everyone participated in. He moved with such exuberance, it energized her as well.

Both Eloise and Raine Whiffletwist halted at the sight of the hideout. The white rook had moved to E3 on the chessboard.

Two new caves flanked either side of the fireplace, which had transformed into a furnace. Various appliances decorated the long stone table. Eloise padded forward, somewhat cautious, and then brightened. Travis must’ve done this for them!

... I'm suddenly getting the suspicion that the Pokémon trapped here in Mt. Travail aren't stuck because they can't leave.
:uhhh:


The two caverns opened into two distinct tunnel systems.

The left was filled with food. Pepperoni stalactites spiraled from the ceiling, cheese stalactites blooming out of the ground. A lake of marinara sauce burbled off to the side. The shores of the lake were not sand but rather flour.

The right was filled with obstacles. Precarious platforms floated over a chasm of mist while jutting spikes and statues dangled from the ceiling. On the very, very far side lay an exit shrouded in more of the curious fog. Freedom, perhaps.

Both Eloise and Raine Whiffletwist found each respective cavern positively brilliant.

Yeah, I'm calling it now, Mt. Travail is the MD equivalent of a Lotus Eater Machine given that it's literally giving wish fulfillment for both these characters.

“Oh! Oh!” Eloise hopped up and down. She ran back into the other room, tail wrapped around a rolling pin, mouth dragging along a pizza pan. She’d never cooked alone before but that wouldn’t stop her now. “D-do you want some, too?”

Her words came out muffled.

“Never you mind, never you mind, I doubt I’ll be here much longer.” Raine Whiffletwist waved a hand, striding away, toward the obstacle course. He was intrigued by Eloise’s strange hoo-man rituals, but more importantly, he had a mountain to conquer. Still, all things told, this had been a delightful, worthwhile venture deserving of his legacy.

Eloise: "Again, Raine. You can just ask Travis to make a way out for you!" >_>;
Raine: "Nah, I refuse to believe it'd be that easy. Tah-tah."

Raine Whiffletwist stretched for several minutes. From toe touches to side lunges to the vital glute bridge, he worked from top to bottom, slow but thorough. While cold stretching was often frowned upon—muscles would clench together more tightly as a result—the mysterious healing properties of the dungeon emboldened Raine Whiffletwist.

Perhaps it wasn’t surprising someone like Eloise preferred to stay here if Travis coddled inmates this way. Raine Whiffletwist cracked his fingers, fur roiling as though it had a life of its own: which, it did. The dark streaks grew bolder beneath the white dye, and Raine Whiffletwist flung himself forward, fur elongating along his arm, surging toward the nearest platform.

I see the text is headed down that direction I suspected.

Raine: "Ha! Piece of cake!"

His body contorted itself, grotesque, bypassing the first set of spikes with ease. His fur hooked into the rock, dragging him forward. Easy. Too easy.

A hammer appeared out of nowhere, slamming into Raine Whiffletwist’s midriff. Sharp pain cracked his ribs as he tumbled into the foggy void. Goodbye, cruel world was his last fleeting thought. If he must die, at least it would be in pursuit of the miraculous.

Then Raine Whiffletwist blinked and found himself sprawled out on the entrance of the cavern. He sat up, grimacing, rubbing at his tender ribs.

“Well played, Travis, old sport.”

Although Mt. Travail did not answer, it was, in truth, rather proud of its own cleverness as well.

- Blink moment -
Eloise: "Yeah, I'm gonna go and try to bake a pizza in my cave. Have fun with that death gauntlet of yours."

Meanwhile, Eloise was hard at work making her pizza. She couldn’t wait to cook a big one to share with others. That had always been one of her favorite parts of working at the pizzeria, seeing the way people’s faces would light up with pleasure. Of course, it was less nice when they didn’t enjoy the food, but hopefully that wouldn’t happen.

Wow. A bit less snarky, but wasn't expecting that to come in literally the very next line.

She sent a quick prayer of guidance to her grandfather, humming Pure Imagination under her breath as she kneaded flour and salt into dough. What if there was such a thing as pizza oompa loompas? What if oompa loompas had been pokémon all along? Shiny mr. mime, maybe?! Eloise peered at the marinara lake, a little suspicious.

Then she shrugged and continued humming, although she squeaked to a stop upon hearing a strange noise. Convinced it was Raine Whiffletwist, she whirled around, but there was no one there. Face hot with embarrassment, Eloise crept out of her own cavern to peek in on him.

Raine Whiffletwist was a rather alarming sight to behold. He had been pummeled, immolated, stabbed; his fur was a wild tangle seething around his battered form. He stood and roared something unintelligible before leaping toward the nearest platform. At the halfway point, a gout of flame shot out the side of the tunnel, sending him spiraling to the abyss and then back to the beginning, fur smoking but no longer set aflame.

Eloise decided to leave him be. He looked busy. And scary.

Eloise: "Yeesh. Guy's certainly got some messed-up priorities there."

While waiting for the bread dough to rise, she made her move in the chess match. She told Travis, “D-don’t worry, I’ll be sure to let you try some, too.”

The ground beneath her paws rumbled softly. Eloise stared at the flour staining her fur white, struck by a sudden case of nerves. What if Travis didn’t like it? What if Raine Whiffletwist stayed, and ended up disliking it too? She wished her grandpa was here to help.

Creeping back to the other cavern, she settled down to watch Raine Whiffletwist batter himself some more against Travis’s traps and tricks.

Yeah, that's a really insidious prison there if everyone's just getting affected by similar wish fulfillment dynamics like this.

He was trying so hard. Travis had worked hard, too, no doubt, to answer their wishes. Eloise breathed in and out through her nose. She wouldn’t let them down! Turning tail, she headed back into her little pizza cavern.

A hot, melted cheese scent began seeping through the caverns. Raine Whiffletwist groaned, stomach rumbling—he’d wasted so much energy healing—but remained strong. This was but another aspect of the test. He would prove himself, he would be the best, all would remember Raine Whiffletwist after this. Life was a competition he was determined to win.

Raine Whiffletwist believed this time would be the time he succeeded. The certainty caused his mouth to water. That or the scent of food. Details, details.

Imagine thinking that when you've literally failed dozens of times in rapid succession and are in a space that's just flatly warping reality like this.

Eloise watched the first pizza in the fireplace stove cook. Had she spread the sauce evenly? Were the pepperoni slices arranged in a pleasing manner? A yowl echoed from the other room, and Eloise banished the intrusive thoughts. Time to focus.

Eloise: "... Yeah, I'm just gonna let Raine do his thing and focus on this pie here."

Raine Whiffletwist roared again, asserting dominance, and began his trial once more. One last time, surely. He moved with elegance and grace despite how haggard he’d become, lithe body twisting as he swung from ropes of fur.

His eyes burned with conviction, a conviction that bordered on obsession. The swinging hammers were avoided with ease, the unladen swellow dodged with a flick of the wrist, the spiraling flames bypassed with manic laughter.

Raine Whiffletwist was so close he could almost taste it. He reached the last portion of the chasm, the part he’d failed every time, when all he’d learned converged upon him simultaneously. Never again! It was as though a third, inner eye had opened, and he breezed through the section, past a cacophony of fire arrows and divebombing birds, landing on the other side without bothering to look at the fiery explosion behind him.

Victory. Far more delicious than any hoo-man delicacy. Satisfaction flooded through Raine Whiffletwist’s being, validating all the frustration in that brief, addictive high.

He savored the sensation before stumbling through the mist—

And ending up right back where he started.

Wow, Travis just does not like this guy, does he?

Raine Whiffletwist gazed across the length of the decimated chasm. After a moment, he straightened. “Ah, of course, only the first test. I see, I see. It was hatchling’s play, after all. Sensible.”

Travis was perhaps the only one worthy of being christened Raine Whiffletwist’s arch-nemesis. Shame he was a mystery dungeon. Such an abstract concept would be difficult to visualize as a concrete story.

This revelation cheered Raine Whiffletwist up. It also made it easier to ignore the pain in his ribs, which were almost assuredly broken. He limped back into the main cavern where Eloise was cutting her pizza into eight triangles. Such small portions!

“A-are you okay?” she squeaked, catching sight of him.

Raine: "Never felt better!" ^^
Eloise: "... I'm gonna take that as a 'no'. o_o;

Raine Whiffletwist settled heavily beside her. “This? This is nothing in the face of my ever present existential crisis, or that time with the supernova slugma. Have no fear, madame, I’m made of stern stuff.”

When Eloise offered him a slice, he gobbled it down so fast he didn’t even taste it. Eloise’s eyes were round and large as saucers.

“Do you like it?”

Raine Whiffletwist took another slice, remembering to chew before swallowing. The hot cheese, the golden crunch of the crust, the texture of the red sauce; it was divine. He gave her two thumbs up.

Eloise’s face brightened.

Huh, I see that Travis can go out of his way to influence reactions of others as part of wish fulfillment. Maybe. If so, that feels like you could take it some really nasty places with a suitably negatively-minded inmate.

“My grandpa probably wouldn’t approve,” she confided. “He’s very traditional. The whole lake business would be too unsanitary for him, I think.”

“Nonsense,” Raine Whiffletwist said. “The threat of disease only heightens the experience. Besides, one cannot get sick in a dungeon.”

Raine, pls.

It occurred to Raine Whiffletwist that he should go back to the drawing board. Travis had thwarted him, this time; he would no doubt need diligent forethought to prevail. Yet, Raine Whiffletwist was tired. And the pizza tasted truly excellent.

“D-did you remember anything?”

Raine Whiffletwist shook his head. Then he paused, tilting his head theatrically. “There was, perhaps, an echo of a face. My parents, perhaps…?”

Eloise gasped.

They could well be king and queen of a long-lost kingdom. Or, perhaps, martyrs sacrificed in the name of a noble cause. Both Eloise and Raine Whiffletwist’s thoughts raced with unknown—or untold—possibility.

Or he could be lying through his teeth like the narration said about 3000 words ago, but let's not get into that. :V

“I-I’m not sure I could’ve made this without you,” Eloise said. Raine Whiffletwist blinked.

“Truly?”

“You’re very… bold. And good at knowing how to a-ask for what you want. How to work for it. It’s kinda amazing.”

Raine Whiffletwist was, well, he was touched. Warmth that had nothing to do with his food lit him up from the inside. He rather lost interest in fabricating his lies further; he wanted to know more about Eloise, and inquired as such.

She fiddled with her sticky paws.

“My grandpa raised me. Before I came here, though, he was very sick. I don’t know if he’s okay.”

Raine: "... Wait a minute, so if Travis has let you go at any time, why are you not going after your grandfather if you're this worried about him?" .-.

“The best!” Eloise beamed, muzzle crinkling, before licking some of the cheese clinging to the edges of her smile. She told Raine Whiffletwist about how they’d always open the store together, laughing and dancing to crackly old-timey music coming out of a shoddy stereo all the while.

Going from listened to listener was a curious experience. But Rhaine Whiffletwist found he did not mind too much—aside from the occasional fidget—as his body consumed the legendary legacy pizza and healed itself. Travis listened attentively as well, vaguely aware of the various pokémon also going about their daily routines. All was content for the moment.

Raine Whiffletwist polished off the rest of pizza. Eloise had lost herself in her own memories, expression relaxed and far away. Standing, Rhaine Whiffletwist stretched, his stomach bulging from the amount of food indulged.

Raine: "I should probably be more worried since I didn't remember eating that many slices, but boy that hit the spot."

He ambled over to the chess board, looking it over. After a moment he pointed at a knight, long talon-like fingers slick with grease. “What would happen if you moved this one?”

“Hmm?” Eloise cocked her head, taking in the board positions. The knight was currently putting pressure on Travis’s queenside rook. But if she ignored it, played aggressive…

The moves fell into place. Eloise squeaked, then apologized, her apology broken up by said squeak. Paws trembling, she pushed the knight into a more offensive position. Checkmate in three.

Travis’s king toppled over.

“We did it!” Eloise skipped around Rhaine Whiffletwist, overjoyed.

Raine: "... Wait, we did what now?"
Eloise: "We finally beat Travis in chess!" ^^

Rhaine Whiffletwist, meanwhile, had no idea what just happened. But Eloise’s excitement proved infectious, so he smiled along with her looping victory dance.

It was strange. Under normal circumstances Rhaine Whiffletwist would feel like a cheat for helping Eloise win. But the glow of satisfaction spreading like wildfire through his veins felt eerily akin to earlier when he’d conquered the maze.

“You’re a natural, m’dear,” he assured her. Eloise paused, ducking shyly away. She was rather proud of herself.

“I-I’ve probably di-dis-distracted you enough. Sorry.”

“Never!” Rhain Whiffletwist’s barrel chest swelled. “This has been most invigorating. In fact, if you don’t mind, I’d like to cut in and challenge you myself in Travis’s stead. Best two out of three.”

Oh no.

“Okay.” Eloise smiled down at her paws.

Travis hummed beneath their feet. Rhaine Whiffletwist saw no reason to rush his dashing escapades. There was always tomorrow. There would always be tomorrow.

Together they reset the board.

And made it to the end @zion of arcadia . Somehow that was all really cute, and really, really dark given the implied ending note that this is just how the two are going to spend their time until Travis gets bored of them. Potentially for the rest of their lives. I know that you had mentioned elsewhere that you see the ending as a bit more hopeful than my read and point towards an eventual happy ending, but... I didn't quite pick up on that ray of hope in the text of the version I read.

The characters were definitely memorable and it was fun watching them interact with each other. And it's definitely one of the most memorable takes I've seen on Genius Loci MDs in a long while. I'm surprised you managed to pull this all off in just a little over 5000 words.

Nice work there, and I hope you also have some longer works kicking around where you show off these concepts or these characters a bit more. Since it's certainly a fresh take.
 

love

Memento mori
Pronouns
he/him/it
Partners
  1. leafeon
I thought this was an amusing read and could work as a sitcom concept. The dungeon's sentience would allow for all manner of wacky shenanigans that reflect the characters' desires.

Though there were some jokes, the heart of the story was the dynamic between Raine Whiffletwist and Eloise. Her trustingness is just so charming.
“There was, perhaps, an echo of a face. My parents, perhaps…?”

Eloise gasped.
I also enjoyed the description of her gait, the contrast between her pizza preparation and Raine Whiffletwist's daring adventures, and the fact that Raine Whiffletwist was invariably referred to by full name. I don't have much to say otherwise, just wanted to mention that I thought this was a cute story and liked it.
 

windskull

Bidoof Fan
Staff
Partners
  1. sneasel-nip
  2. bidoof
  3. absol
  4. kirlia
  5. windskull-bidoof
  6. little-guy-windskull
  7. purugly
  8. mawile
  9. manectric
It's been a while since I read one of your fics, Zion, but I'm glad I picked this one up. It oozes charm, and the sheer absurdity of the situation made me giggle. But at the same time, it has its emotional moments, too. Like when Eloise is talking about her family's pizzeria.

While the beginning felt a little bit expository, I feel it was probably necessary, due to the nature of the premise. It diverges a fair bit from Canon. That said, the exposition is short and to the point, and is quick to jump into the story proper.

I love the dynamic between Eloise and Raine. There’s just something charming about watching interactions between this big, kind of full of himself guy who's always finding ways to make himself sound cooler and this sweet, charming, and shy young girl that’s just booking for some peace and to make some pizza.

The cuts between Eloise making her pizza and Raine doing his deadly obstacle course and just. Getting bodied is comedy gold. It reminds me of that one scene from one of the Spiderman movies where Stan Lee is listening to classical music while a fight is going on in the background. It has the same kind of energy.

The ending is absolutely adorable, and it gives you the feeling that both Eloise and Raine grew through the story. Overall, I had a lot of fun with this one. It’s definitely going on the favorites list.

As a closer: I kinda want to draw that final scene. I don’t know when/if I’ll get to it though.
 

kintsugi

golden scars | pfp by sun
Location
the warmth of summer in the songs you write
Pronouns
she/her
Partners
  1. silvally-grass
  2. lapras
  3. golurk
  4. booper-kintsugi
  5. meloetta-kint-muse
  6. meloetta-kint-dancer
  7. murkrow
  8. yveltal
  9. celebi
I love this story, my goodness. It's not anything like I was expecting from your other works, but at the same time I think there's core themes that still track up--unlikely friendships, the external problem being indicative of the internal, the sense of a rich and lush world further beyond. This was such a delight to read.

Eloise and Raine are an excellent duo to play off of one another. Eloise is so trusting and pure, and Raine is a grandstander with a heart of gold; you're able to use them to really bring out deeper angles in each other in a way that gives the story a natural flow. Raine's initially interested in Eloise because he wants to scavenge backstory details, but by the end he's able to stop and actually listen a bit to what she's saying. And Eloise initially wants to talk to Raine because she thinks that meeting another human here will make her feel less alone--we as the audience know this isn't true, but her problem is still solved, at least temporarily. It's a really great structure of "needs" vs "wants"; the resolution isn't what the characters initially wanted, but they grow enough to understand/accept what they need instead.

Travis is of course my favorite character. I love the concept of "prison mystery dungeon" (putting the P in PMD let's GO) and I admit from the author's note I thought this was going a much different direction. But yeah, in a more gentle world, one that can literally shape itself to provide what we need and teach us individualized lessons or offer targeted moments of kindness, there could be room for growth. I love the mysticism in the intro with Travis; it does feel a lot like it could be a voiceover. "No one had ever escaped Mt. Travail" is such a metal concept to build a story around, mostly because of the word "escape"--I get the sense that when you're ready, the dungeon decides you're allowed to leave, but at that point it's no longer an escape.

As an overarching story concept I think Travis is great as well, because it really lets you open up a ton of character scenarios, new settings, and different subgenres pretty much at a drop of a Travis. Would love to see more of this world if you've got it.

Structurally I see your struggle with wanting to make this a pilot and a standalone, but I think you nail it pretty well. Oneshots don't inherently need every problem to be solved, and oftentime short stories only really have room for one or two victories; there's a lot of open ends here that don't necessarily feel resolved without feeling unsatisfying.

I've been thinking a lot recently about concepts that I think are pretty accurately summarized in the title. Why is it tempting to want to only focus on the bad and awful things that happen to us, the enemies we must defeat, the struggles that push us down? And why is it equally tempting to want to only focus on the nostalgic past, these things that we seek but might never get back, these seemingly inconsequential sparks of joy that are only meaningful in the sense of what they mean to us? (Drama aside I've bene having these thoughts mostly in a writing setting--why stories with dark/traumatized characters and stories with light/optimistic ones rarely intermingle and overlap/appear in the same story, even though happy people are capable of sadness and sad people are capable of happiness). I don't really think I have a good answer here yet, but I think this story provides a goldilocks style solution, in that you need what's good for you, but often that's both.

(And I like how on a deeper level, Eloise and Raine aren't really in a particular camp either. Eloise internally is constantly fighting her own battles against her self-doubts and insecurities. Raine internally is seeking out false glory days. It's a nice crossover that really works on an emotional level, and especially helps sell the ending since it relies on them understanding each other--which they totally can, because the parts of themselves that they aren't showing are incredibly similar).

And in general I really liked the tone of this piece--it's a good use of omni third, which is a sentence I've found myself typing basically never, but it makes perfect sense with the sitcom setup you're aiming for here. I'm reminded a bit of Douglas Adams, in that we hop around the scene to get info and the humor varies wildly from being on the page/in your face to being funny only because there's a new bit of information that we learned from a previous head hop. It's incredibly charming but also soothing to read in a way I can't quite describe, but very much appreciated. I think you pitch the humorous moments in a really effective way as well, such as this one:
Both magnemite bobbed in response, taken aback by their own sudden onset of bashfulness. After all, were they not a rather impressive, intimidating sight? It felt good to have this acknowledged by one as notorious as Raine Whiffletwist.
And I get that this is kind of played for laughs, but I liked how this hints at the strengths of Raine as a character--he's good at making people feel good about themselves. I love this strength when it's couched in a storyteller sort of character, even if most of his are about himself, because it's kind of true--at the end of the day, this is why we tell stories.

Overall this was such a delight. Thank you for sharing!

Some line thoughts in the spoiler below.
(I also had this realization that rescue teams are cops and my little pea brain exploded. in an alternate universe we'd be getting a grim dystopian fic exploring that lmao)
👀 tbh

The dungeon proved receptive to their needs, providing food and water and shelter, and, more importantly, a peculiar quirk: those who entered could only leave when they were ready to go. No one had ever escaped Mt. Travail.
I really liked this intro, actually. I'm reminded of the videogame/whacky genre episodes of Community that start with dramatic voiceover and then transition into hijinks; it very much feels like a homage to why we love the dramatic voiceover bits/putting the really core info onto the page in an effective manner while still acknowledging that the story's mostly light.
Eloise straightened from where she’d slunk down low in her seat, ears perking with interest.
I think "slunk down in her seat" doesn't quite parse, since slinking is more of a walking verb.
—he realized he’d positioned himself off-center between the two behind him, and edged to the right, knocking over more innocent mushrooms in the process—
I LOVE HIM
“no offense meant, of course.”

“None taken,” said one of the magnemite in their typical monotone, “we will take our leave now.”
I LOVE THEM TOO

(truly it's a testament that I love every single character in this intro within the span of like five paragraphs)
“You stole from Kecleon? Ah, unfortunate. And also outrageous! Why are you still here of all places?” Raine Whiffletwist demanded. He was a genuine cad, it made sense for him to be locked away. Someone should never suffer for the sake of survival.
OH NO

(also yesss Raine, good, good)
“Oh. Oh!” Eloise’s eyes widened, and she at last dared to meet his stare. “I’ve been able to leave pretty much since I arrived. I just, well, haven’t. I-I kind of like it here.”
I really like this detail as well, since on a deeper level it means Eloise isn't ready to "escape" yet either--to me she only will have fully learned what Travis has to teach her once she's ready to leave.
And besides, there was something pleasant about watching a furret walk. The undulation of their long bodies, the pitter-patter of their adorable little paws, the rhythm of their rolling gait. Why, Raine Whiffletwist could almost hear a cheery jingle playing in his ear to the beat of Eloise’s movement. How could one maintain any semblance of a dour mood in the face of such natural whimsy?
brb gonna listen to accumula town for ten hours
He’s slow but super smart, I haven’t beaten him once yet.
I think this should be a period.
If true, Mt. Travail was even more of an anomaly of a dungeon than anyone had realized.
in which travis continues to be the best character
“How do you know for sure it, well, hmmm, him I suppose, is the one you’re playing against?”
honestly I was waiting for the reveal that there's another character who's scooting the pieces around at night and Eloise is just to innocent to check because kids aren't supposed to stay up for Santa or whatever
castling, in particular, seemed too ridiculous to be real, more an invention of hatchlings that hated losing
this is 100% true
Travis must’ve done this for them!

Raine Whiffletwist looked around suspiciously. Travis must’ve done this for them
I love how much is conveyed by swapping the exclamation mark for a period
Although Mt. Travail did not answer, it was, in truth, rather proud of its own cleverness as well.
AS IT SHOULD BE. WE STAN TRAVIS.
She sent a quick prayer of guidance to her grandfather, humming Pure Imagination under her breath as she kneaded flour and salt into dough
I think this would read a bit more clearly if the song title were in quotation marks, but tbh that's a section of grammar that I never really immersed myself in.
“My grandpa probably wouldn’t approve,” she confided. “He’s very traditional. The whole lake business would be too unsanitary for him, I think.”
In general Eloise's entire backstory is lowkey horrifying and I get why she's refusing to engage with it on a deeper level, because wow, oh god, oh no. I am sad. In this very specific instance I liked the kneejerk reaction to praise being "oh but it's not that great actually, here's something unrelated"--it feels incredibly real.
Travis accepted her thanks with quiet dignity.
WE STAN TRAVIS.
Raine Whiffletwist frowned. He had never given much thought to his parents’ fate.

“But he makes great pizza?”
I love the switch here, from "oh shit my backstory" to "oh shit Eloise's backstory". It is not much growth, but it is there.
Together they reset the board.
I thought this was a fitting meta ending.
 

Pen

the cat is mightier than the pen
Staff
Partners
  1. dratini
  2. dratini-pen
  3. dratini-pen2
help I have been stricken with an unaccountable craving for pizza . . .

This was so sweet, gosh. Raine Whiffletwist was a ton of fun--I loved how exaggerated everything about him was and how much gusto he has for everything he does, from lying to getting beaten up. For how amusing he is, he also feels like more than just comic relief. He's a people person, and that really shines through in all his interactions. Sure, he's initially interested in Eloise to prop up his fictitious back-story, but he quickly grows interested in who she is as a person and taken with her quietness and sweetness. I really enjoyed the moment when he reflects on how he's become the listener for once, but he doesn't mind. Maybe it's just the grand and amusing name, but I got some Moist von Lipwig energy from him (from Terry Pratchett's Going Postal) in his need to constantly find danger.

Eloise was also great. Meek, sweet ferret who just wants to make pizza doesn't sound like it should be anything as compelling a character hook as it ends up being. Ultimately, as with a lot of quieter characters, her strength of character came through for me in the negatives. She's been through a lot--being randomly transported into the pokeworld and losing everyone you love really really isn't much of a fantasy if you don't have complete amnesia and have a single thing left to lose. It's actually kind of incredible to me how rarely I see that side of the whole human-turned-into-a-pokemon thing explored, and while it's not the focus here, Eloise's quest to taste pizza again and her grief for her family give the story a kind of grounding and solidity beneath the delicious layer of comedy.

The overall premise bears mentioning. Travis gives me a mix of Hogwarts and TARDIS vibes--big friendly mountain, and I love that he gets to be a character in his own right. It's kind of refreshing that no one is really malevolent in this fic. Travis is trying to help--he's not able to fullu help Eloise until she vocalizes what she really wants, and she's not able to do that until Raine gets it out of her.

Finally, I liked your choice of narrative style for this one. The 3rd omni was fun and punchy and did a great job tying it all together.
 

ShiniGojira

Multiversal Extraordinaire
Location
Stranded In The Gaps between Multiverses
Pronouns
He/him/they/her
Partners
  1. froslass
  2. zorua-gojira
  3. salandit-shiny
  4. goomy
Hi there! Hope you're having a great day! This fic was amazingly adorable.

I love a story where the tough or proud character gets their outer shell pricked and prodded by a nice and pure character. It makes such a heartwarming dynamic between the two characters and when done well, it can be an amazing read.

Long ago, Mt. Travail was a terrible place indeed. The mystery dungeon’s peaks and ridges loomed over their surroundings with a brooding ferocity. But then one day a drowzee scaled Mt. Travail’s vicious hide, resting atop the crown to repent far away from society. Everything changed.
The start makes me glad I've decided to play Sky to its fullest last year 'cause I don't think I would've understood or known what this was nor why Drowzee was up there.
Many, many years went by. The human and his partner who’d saved the world faded into the mists of myth. But Mt. Travail remained, a steadfast home for those who had lost their way.
I like how this story starts off by stating that this is many years after the events of Sky, though this does make me wonder how long it's been 'cause in order for something like this to happen, I think it'd take at least five decades.

His soul touched the heart of the mountain, transforming the mystery dungeon’s spirit into one of benevolence rather than malevolence. Some say the drowzee and the mystery dungeon merged after his death
Interesting. I'm guessing Travis is Drowzee's soul possessing the dungeon?
The mushrooms were a special sort, capable of tasting like whatever foodstuff the consumer desired most.
Magic mushrooms. Nice hint at what's to come.
This was, of course, a lie. Raine Whiffletwist had been born an ordinary impidimp, and grew up engaging in all manner of traditional fairy work. Such as but not limited to: kidnapping children, leading travellers astray, and other generic rot. But this backstory was far too banal and mundane for the likes of Raine Whiffletwist! Therefore he improvised, aiming instead for the rare and exotic.
Going to that side of fairy tales, eh? That's pretty cool, if a bit dark.
Even if this ‘asking’ would work, which I’m not convinced it would, it would be too easy. There must be trials and tribulations! The lowest of the low points. Snow and wind and freezing cold as you trudge up the steep side of the mountain. And pain, agonizing pain, until at last you crest the summit. And there before you, the world lying at your feet. Triumph. Satisfaction. Euphoria.”

Raine Whiffletwist closed his eyes, feasting upon the mental imagery. Overcoming conflict and evolving from it: that was what it meant to be pokémon.
Philosophy from Raine, an unexpected surprise but a welcome one.
The ground beneath her paws rumbled softly. Eloise stared at the flour staining her fur white, struck by a sudden case of nerves. What if Travis didn’t like it? What if Raine Whiffletwist stayed, and ended up disliking it too? She wished her grandpa was here to help.
Liking how Eloise has some insecurities, makes her feel more alive and then her actions makes more sense.
Travis hummed beneath their feet. Rhaine Whiffletwist saw no reason to rush his dashing escapades. There was always tomorrow. There would always be tomorrow.

Together they reset the board.
Cute ending. Rhaine has such a kind heart even if he doesn't want to admit it.

The characters were lovely and memorable. Eloise is so pure and so cute, and how she reacted when hearing Raine being a 'human' was a bit sad since it wasn't true but it added a nice layer of depth to her character.

Take care! Hope you're having a lovely day.
 

zion of arcadia

too much of my own quietness is with me
Pronouns
she/her
Partners
  1. marowak-alola
Okay, first of all, apologies to all the lovely people who left comments on this story. I promise I wasn't ignoring your thoughtful responses out of ill will or anything like that, lol. It was a wonderful surprise to come back to, appreciate you all. With that out of the way, some replies:

I thought this was an amusing read and could work as a sitcom concept. The dungeon's sentience would allow for all manner of wacky shenanigans that reflect the characters' desires.

Though there were some jokes, the heart of the story was the dynamic between Raine Whiffletwist and Eloise. Her trustingness is just so charming.

I also enjoyed the description of her gait, the contrast between her pizza preparation and Raine Whiffletwist's daring adventures, and the fact that Raine Whiffletwist was invariably referred to by full name. I don't have much to say otherwise, just wanted to mention that I thought this was a cute story and liked it.

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I tend to focus on the character dynamics first when conceptualizing a story. Raine Whiffletwist and Eloise make a great straight man/funny man pairing and let me come up with some very funny scenarios as a result. (With Travis operating as the disruptive third character, heh.)

It's been a while since I read one of your fics, Zion, but I'm glad I picked this one up. It oozes charm, and the sheer absurdity of the situation made me giggle. But at the same time, it has its emotional moments, too. Like when Eloise is talking about her family's pizzeria.

While the beginning felt a little bit expository, I feel it was probably necessary, due to the nature of the premise. It diverges a fair bit from Canon. That said, the exposition is short and to the point, and is quick to jump into the story proper.

I love the dynamic between Eloise and Raine. There’s just something charming about watching interactions between this big, kind of full of himself guy who's always finding ways to make himself sound cooler and this sweet, charming, and shy young girl that’s just booking for some peace and to make some pizza.

The cuts between Eloise making her pizza and Raine doing his deadly obstacle course and just. Getting bodied is comedy gold. It reminds me of that one scene from one of the Spiderman movies where Stan Lee is listening to classical music while a fight is going on in the background. It has the same kind of energy.

The ending is absolutely adorable, and it gives you the feeling that both Eloise and Raine grew through the story. Overall, I had a lot of fun with this one. It’s definitely going on the favorites list.

As a closer: I kinda want to draw that final scene. I don’t know when/if I’ll get to it though.

Thank you! I wasn't trying to hew all that close to canon, it was more meant to be a couple fun winks at most. It is a weird enough concept that I felt it necessary to throw down some exposition so everyone knew what they were getting into.

Heh. When I wrote the switching between the pizza making and the obstacle course running, I def thought of a show cross cutting between two wildly different scenes. Was a fun bit of contrast.

I'm glad you enjoyed. :)

I love this story, my goodness. It's not anything like I was expecting from your other works, but at the same time I think there's core themes that still track up--unlikely friendships, the external problem being indicative of the internal, the sense of a rich and lush world further beyond. This was such a delight to read.

Eloise and Raine are an excellent duo to play off of one another. Eloise is so trusting and pure, and Raine is a grandstander with a heart of gold; you're able to use them to really bring out deeper angles in each other in a way that gives the story a natural flow. Raine's initially interested in Eloise because he wants to scavenge backstory details, but by the end he's able to stop and actually listen a bit to what she's saying. And Eloise initially wants to talk to Raine because she thinks that meeting another human here will make her feel less alone--we as the audience know this isn't true, but her problem is still solved, at least temporarily. It's a really great structure of "needs" vs "wants"; the resolution isn't what the characters initially wanted, but they grow enough to understand/accept what they need instead.

Travis is of course my favorite character. I love the concept of "prison mystery dungeon" (putting the P in PMD let's GO) and I admit from the author's note I thought this was going a much different direction. But yeah, in a more gentle world, one that can literally shape itself to provide what we need and teach us individualized lessons or offer targeted moments of kindness, there could be room for growth. I love the mysticism in the intro with Travis; it does feel a lot like it could be a voiceover. "No one had ever escaped Mt. Travail" is such a metal concept to build a story around, mostly because of the word "escape"--I get the sense that when you're ready, the dungeon decides you're allowed to leave, but at that point it's no longer an escape.

As an overarching story concept I think Travis is great as well, because it really lets you open up a ton of character scenarios, new settings, and different subgenres pretty much at a drop of a Travis. Would love to see more of this world if you've got it.

Structurally I see your struggle with wanting to make this a pilot and a standalone, but I think you nail it pretty well. Oneshots don't inherently need every problem to be solved, and oftentime short stories only really have room for one or two victories; there's a lot of open ends here that don't necessarily feel resolved without feeling unsatisfying.

I've been thinking a lot recently about concepts that I think are pretty accurately summarized in the title. Why is it tempting to want to only focus on the bad and awful things that happen to us, the enemies we must defeat, the struggles that push us down? And why is it equally tempting to want to only focus on the nostalgic past, these things that we seek but might never get back, these seemingly inconsequential sparks of joy that are only meaningful in the sense of what they mean to us? (Drama aside I've bene having these thoughts mostly in a writing setting--why stories with dark/traumatized characters and stories with light/optimistic ones rarely intermingle and overlap/appear in the same story, even though happy people are capable of sadness and sad people are capable of happiness). I don't really think I have a good answer here yet, but I think this story provides a goldilocks style solution, in that you need what's good for you, but often that's both.

(And I like how on a deeper level, Eloise and Raine aren't really in a particular camp either. Eloise internally is constantly fighting her own battles against her self-doubts and insecurities. Raine internally is seeking out false glory days. It's a nice crossover that really works on an emotional level, and especially helps sell the ending since it relies on them understanding each other--which they totally can, because the parts of themselves that they aren't showing are incredibly similar).

And in general I really liked the tone of this piece--it's a good use of omni third, which is a sentence I've found myself typing basically never, but it makes perfect sense with the sitcom setup you're aiming for here. I'm reminded a bit of Douglas Adams, in that we hop around the scene to get info and the humor varies wildly from being on the page/in your face to being funny only because there's a new bit of information that we learned from a previous head hop. It's incredibly charming but also soothing to read in a way I can't quite describe, but very much appreciated. I think you pitch the humorous moments in a really effective way as well, such as this one:

And I get that this is kind of played for laughs, but I liked how this hints at the strengths of Raine as a character--he's good at making people feel good about themselves. I love this strength when it's couched in a storyteller sort of character, even if most of his are about himself, because it's kind of true--at the end of the day, this is why we tell stories.

Overall this was such a delight. Thank you for sharing!

Some line thoughts in the spoiler below.
👀 tbh


I really liked this intro, actually. I'm reminded of the videogame/whacky genre episodes of Community that start with dramatic voiceover and then transition into hijinks; it very much feels like a homage to why we love the dramatic voiceover bits/putting the really core info onto the page in an effective manner while still acknowledging that the story's mostly light.

I think "slunk down in her seat" doesn't quite parse, since slinking is more of a walking verb.

I LOVE HIM

I LOVE THEM TOO

(truly it's a testament that I love every single character in this intro within the span of like five paragraphs)

OH NO

(also yesss Raine, good, good)

I really like this detail as well, since on a deeper level it means Eloise isn't ready to "escape" yet either--to me she only will have fully learned what Travis has to teach her once she's ready to leave.

brb gonna listen to accumula town for ten hours

I think this should be a period.

in which travis continues to be the best character

honestly I was waiting for the reveal that there's another character who's scooting the pieces around at night and Eloise is just to innocent to check because kids aren't supposed to stay up for Santa or whatever

this is 100% true

I love how much is conveyed by swapping the exclamation mark for a period

AS IT SHOULD BE. WE STAN TRAVIS.

I think this would read a bit more clearly if the song title were in quotation marks, but tbh that's a section of grammar that I never really immersed myself in.

In general Eloise's entire backstory is lowkey horrifying and I get why she's refusing to engage with it on a deeper level, because wow, oh god, oh no. I am sad. In this very specific instance I liked the kneejerk reaction to praise being "oh but it's not that great actually, here's something unrelated"--it feels incredibly real.

WE STAN TRAVIS.

I love the switch here, from "oh shit my backstory" to "oh shit Eloise's backstory". It is not much growth, but it is there.

I thought this was a fitting meta ending.

One of the things I like about messing around with new genres is that it forces me out of my comfort zone. So that's probably why it feels fairly different.

With this one specifically I went into it thinking a lot about reframing common ideas in PMD stories. The point you made about the semantics of the word "escape" highlights this really well. The partner pokemon often functions as aspirational in some aspect while the human protag actualizes their inner potential. While working on this I found myself thinking: but what if they weren't? But also, in a weird way, they still were? And I had a similar idea with the mystery dungeon, which I often find underutilized in many stories. Where instead of just a passive plot device it was also its own character and a symbol for rehabilitation.

The rise of bathos as popularized by first Buffy and then Whedon's Marvel movies has created this reaction toward tonal dissonance in story telling that I find interesting. (I think it also coincides with the rise in irony on the Internet and how in many ways that's 'safer' than sincerity, but I digress.) More and more often there seems to be this prevalent idea that narrative beats should either be always serious or always silly, but often one can further emphasize the other. (They can also undercut each other, of course, which is where the criticism came from and it's very valid!) I don't think there will ever be one good answer, mostly it just comes down to what you think works best for the type of story trying to be told.

I liked the point you made about Raine and Eloise's emotional bond. While editing I had a conversation with one of my betas about whether Raine never revealing he'd been lying was a good idea or not. But I felt like it didn't matter to the overall story, and would sort of derail a lot of the jokes and vibes. The growth is small but was meant to stem more from companionship than any sort of punishment. I think that was another thing I wanted this story to emphasize-- the idea of punishment and hyper competition is turned into a joke and performative measure. Which is also a useful way of, ummm what's the word, de-powering the more toxic aspects of these concepts that are inherently baked into either/both pokemon and video games overall.

Line-by-lines have been noted and I'll be sure to look at the stuff you pointed out. :)

This was so sweet, gosh. Raine Whiffletwist was a ton of fun--I loved how exaggerated everything about him was and how much gusto he has for everything he does, from lying to getting beaten up. For how amusing he is, he also feels like more than just comic relief. He's a people person, and that really shines through in all his interactions. Sure, he's initially interested in Eloise to prop up his fictitious back-story, but he quickly grows interested in who she is as a person and taken with her quietness and sweetness. I really enjoyed the moment when he reflects on how he's become the listener for once, but he doesn't mind. Maybe it's just the grand and amusing name, but I got some Moist von Lipwig energy from him (from Terry Pratchett's Going Postal) in his need to constantly find danger.

Eloise was also great. Meek, sweet ferret who just wants to make pizza doesn't sound like it should be anything as compelling a character hook as it ends up being. Ultimately, as with a lot of quieter characters, her strength of character came through for me in the negatives. She's been through a lot--being randomly transported into the pokeworld and losing everyone you love really really isn't much of a fantasy if you don't have complete amnesia and have a single thing left to lose. It's actually kind of incredible to me how rarely I see that side of the whole human-turned-into-a-pokemon thing explored, and while it's not the focus here, Eloise's quest to taste pizza again and her grief for her family give the story a kind of grounding and solidity beneath the delicious layer of comedy.

The overall premise bears mentioning. Travis gives me a mix of Hogwarts and TARDIS vibes--big friendly mountain, and I love that he gets to be a character in his own right. It's kind of refreshing that no one is really malevolent in this fic. Travis is trying to help--he's not able to fullu help Eloise until she vocalizes what she really wants, and she's not able to do that until Raine gets it out of her.

Finally, I liked your choice of narrative style for this one. The 3rd omni was fun and punchy and did a great job tying it all together.

I'm glad the third omni feels good. I've been practicing. :)

I definitely wanted something mostly lighthearted and silly. For my own sake as much as anything, sometimes I get stuck too much in my own head, haha.

Yeah, if I had any critique of the PMD genre as a whole, it's that using it purely as a means of escapism into swashbuckling adventure misses out on a lot of story telling potential. Not so much that people shouldn't write about that if that's what they want, but when that makes up the vast majority of the genre, it can start to feel stale. Or writers discard humans (or de-centers their humanity) almost entirely, which is cool and fun, but again feels like something is... missing, that originally drew me to this franchise as a kid.

I love fleshing out weird new ways to write mystery dungeons. It's one of my favorite things. And yeah, the idea of putting yourself out there and asking for help was one of the core ideas I had for Eloise when I first imagined her character.

Edit: Oh yeah, I see what you mean with the Terry Pratchett vibes. I wasn't consciously aiming for his blend of humor and pathos, but in retrospect the similarities are there.


Hi there! Hope you're having a great day! This fic was amazingly adorable.

I love a story where the tough or proud character gets their outer shell pricked and prodded by a nice and pure character. It makes such a heartwarming dynamic between the two characters and when done well, it can be an amazing read.


The start makes me glad I've decided to play Sky to its fullest last year 'cause I don't think I would've understood or known what this was nor why Drowzee was up there.

I like how this story starts off by stating that this is many years after the events of Sky, though this does make me wonder how long it's been 'cause in order for something like this to happen, I think it'd take at least five decades.


Interesting. I'm guessing Travis is Drowzee's soul possessing the dungeon?

Magic mushrooms. Nice hint at what's to come.

Going to that side of fairy tales, eh? That's pretty cool, if a bit dark.

Philosophy from Raine, an unexpected surprise but a welcome one.

Liking how Eloise has some insecurities, makes her feel more alive and then her actions makes more sense.

Cute ending. Rhaine has such a kind heart even if he doesn't want to admit it.

The characters were lovely and memorable. Eloise is so pure and so cute, and how she reacted when hearing Raine being a 'human' was a bit sad since it wasn't true but it added a nice layer of depth to her character.

Take care! Hope you're having a lovely day.

I did want the Sky references to be something that, if people got it, enriched the story's backround, but wouldn't dominate it in any way. Just a cute little aside, mostly. I don't have any concrete answers because I didn't think it mattered too much, but I'd say at least a century or so has passed.

I love how dark fairies are in folk tales. Any chance I get at pointing that out I'll probably take, heh. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
 
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HelloYellow17

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. suicune
  2. umbreon
  3. mew
  4. lycanroc-wes
  5. leafeon-rui
Hello hello! I know I have reviewed this one-shot as a judge two-ish years ago, but I’m absolutely thrilled to come back and review it as a regular reader this time! Plus, it looks like you’ve made some tweaks here and there! Admittedly, I might not catch every change you made since it’s been quite a while since I last read this, but regardless I’m very excited to dive in. This story was a delight to read while judging, and it will be a delight this time, too!


The dungeon proved receptive to their needs, providing food and water and shelter, and, more importantly, a peculiar quirk: those who entered could only leave when they were ready.
This is such a fascinating premise to me, and there’s so much you can do with it! You could write a whole longfic about a cast of characters learning what they need to do to be released. You could write one-shots of entirely different characters and tell different stories each time. The possibilities are endless, honestly.
For Eloise the furret, they tasted like pizza and waffle fries. The mushrooms were good if lacking the texture of the aforementioned food.
The idea of eating something that tastes like pizza but has the texture of a mushroom…eugh. 😂 I don’t know how I’d feel about that. Inb4 someone’s favorite food is crackers or something hahaha oh no
In strode Raine Whiffletwist, a rather impressive looking grimmsnarl covered in thick silver fur—although his green skin and hint of dark roots rather gave away the truth—flanked on either side by magnemite deputies.
IT IS HE, THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND
"In but a moment, my good fellows." Raine Whiffletwist's arms fluttered about, the tendril-like fur flaring in synchronicity with his speech patterns. "But yes. I allowed myself to be brought here so that I could be the first to escape Mt. Travail! My legend will indubitably grow ever larger once I accomplish such a miraculous feat."
There are so many charming things about this story, from the colorful narration to the occasional meta commentary to the characters themselves. But I think the aspect that shines brightest of all, at least for me, is the dialogue. You get such a clear view of who each character is, not just on the surface but also a glimpse into their deeper desires and motivations as well. It’s so distinct and full of personality, and it makes the story come alive!

Other pokémon were staring, weren't they? Surely they must be.

(They were not.)
Hahaha what a mood. Also, yes, I love the meta comments sprinkled in. I’d like to think the narrator here is actually Travis himself, in a way, and these comments come from him.

Eloise hoped the madness wasn't as contagious as it appeared.
This line freaking killed me, man. 😂 I don’t know, it’s just so clever and says so much about how Eloise feels and how Rain Whiffletwist comes off to others!

"You stole from Kecleon? Ah, unfortunate. And also outrageous! Why are you still here of all places?"
As a PMD player, my question is: how on earth did you survive.

Raine Whiffletwist cocked his head. He wasn't quite sure what a pizza was, but he wasn't one to be fooled twice. Kneeling down to Eloise's eye level, he patted her on the head.

"Well, we'll have to see what we can do about that, won't we?"

Eloise smiled, a little teary-eyed, turning away to hide her sniffles. She was glad she'd made a friend, it helped her feel less alone.
UGH MY HEART I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. I’ve only known them for five minutes and if anything happened to them I will kill everyone in this dungeon and then myself I’m already so ridiculously invested in them. And their dynamic!! I’d love to see story after story of these two!! (Hi yes this is me requesting more Eloise and Rain shenanigans)

"Oh! Oh!" Eloise hopped up and down. She ran back into the other room, tail wrapped around a rolling pin, mouth dragging along a pizza pan. She had never cooked alone before but that wouldn't stop her now. "D-do you want some, too?"

Her words came out muffled.
This is the CUTEST FREAKING IMAGE EVER, are you KIDDING ME. She’s so precious. What an absolute bean. She needs to be protected at all costs. Do you hear that, Rain? ALL COSTS.

"My grandpa raised me. Before I came here, though, he was very sick. I don't know if he's okay."
Oh my heart. I don’t remember this line from my first time reading and it was a gut punch. Eloise doesn’t say much, she doesn’t get too terribly personal and she doesn’t spill everything about herself (unlike Rain, who, ironically, can’t stop talking about himself despite the fact that his entire backstory is a lie. I’d really love to know more about why he chose this route…)

That said, this little piece of dialogue right here speaks volumes. About how lonely she probably is. How hard it’s been to be away from home, stuck here in this world, not knowing if her grandpa is okay. Maybe a part of her is scared to return because she doesn’t know if he’s okay or not. Perhaps that’s why she’s content to stay here, hiding from some potentially painful answers?

Gosh I swear there is SO MUCH you could unpack from this scene alone. If you ever decide to make more content of these two, I will be there in an instant.

My favorite part, though, has to be when Rain and Eloise beat Travis at chess. (Is this a new addition? Gosh my memory is so fuzzy.) The moment Rain sees Eloise happy and feels as triumphant as he did when he beat the obstacle course is just—AAAH. So good!! Character development!! WE LOVE THAT IN THIS HOUSE

I love this one-shot and I’m so so pleased I got to read it again. It was one of my favorites from the contest, and it still holds up as strongly as ever. Thank you for sharing this wholesome little story, I’ll definitely be returning to it whenever I need a pick-me-up!
 

Ambyssin

Gotta go back. Back to the past.
Location
Residency hell
Pronouns
he/him
Partners
  1. silvally-dragon
  2. necrozma-ultra
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. dreepy
  6. mewtwo-ambyssin
Vengeance is mine!

For as clear of a contrast the dialogue and behavior creates between Elois and Raine, I'd argue it's the lemony narrator stealing the show since they're providing the bulk of the descriptors here. And injecting a fair amount of color commentary, to boot. The way they switch from a more boisterous voice to mimic Raine toward something more quiet and contemplative to match Elois is a nice touch. I think you even vary some of the sentence structure a tad. With some unconventional run-ons for Raine, particularly when he's considering how to revise his backstory based on new knowledge that he's gained. Whereas little asides to personify the dungeon get parentheses. And Elois sees the narrator stumbling or interruption themselves with em dashes and semicolons. It's all a nice touch.

I like the dynamic between Elois and Raine. Not going to lie, the title of this one-shot led me to think Elois would make her pizza, only to find that Raine did escape. So she'd present her finished product to nothing. The "side of pain" being more that of desertion than the physical blows the dungeon dealt Raine.

Of course, there is that underlying knowledge we as readers have that Raine is lying through his teeth about being human, so this connection with Elois is somewhat fabricated and maybe if this were a multi-part thing that would come up. But I like to think the one-shot ends with the fabricated connection becoming genuine and Raine's blowhard lying not really mattering much.

My last bit is that I find it nifty that the way this dungeon works from a rehabilitation standpoint is closer to how (I think) European incarceration systems work. As opposed to America's jail system... which would definitely not create such a cushy mystery dungeon. XD

Nice work overall. ^^

The mystery dungeon's peaks and ridges loomed over their surroundings with a brooding ferocity.
[insert Jojo MENACING characters here]
Raine Whiffletwist
And now I'm imagining a wiffle bat with Sean Chiplock's voice (Rean in The Legend of Heroes)
traditional fairy work
Ah, yes, the truly traditional fairy work of being awful tricksters and criminals.
asked the annoyed quilava
Maybe this would be better as an annoyed quilava? For a second, I thought Elois changed species.
anything that passes from my lips to your ears is most assuredly the truth and nothing but the truth.
Forget the "So help me, God," 0/10 worst faker every.
You stole from Kecleon? Ah, unfortunate. And outrageous!
And extremely painful!
Mt. Travail took the mystery out of the term mystery dungeon.
Given its benevolence, I'd argue it took the "dungeon" out, too.
Besides, there was something pleasant about watching a furret walk.
I imagine he's hearing Accumula Town playing in his—
Raine Whiffletwist could almost hear a cheery jingle playing in his ear
—oh god damn it
If I am to escape this, this Travis
Truly the worst imprisonment. Stuck in a copy of No More Heroes. 😔
My family… owned a pizzeria.
Mamma mia!
Pepperoni stalactites spiraled from the ceiling, cheese stalactites blooming out of the ground.
This hits different in a world where Pizza Tower (and a mod that replaces Peppino with an eevee) exists.
From toe touches to side lunges to the vital glute bridge, he worked from top to bottom, slow but thorough
This is so hilariously extra considering all of grimmsnarl's muscles are just hair.
All of it, he knew. All of his failures, he'd learned from.
Dungeon generated Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
 

Flyg0n

Flygon connoisseur
Pronouns
She/her
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. swampert
  3. ho-oh
  4. crobat
  5. orbeetle
  6. joltik
  7. salandit
  8. tyrantrum
  9. porygon
I have to say, I had no idea what to expect from this story when I started.

A PMD fic, with a dungeon, except set in a prison! But its not a epic fic about breaking out and there's no fighting gods and epic quests its much smaller, slice of life. And the dungeon is actually sentient!

I gotta say my favorite part of the story was the interactions between Eloise and Raine, and the cheeky sort of narrator quips sprinkled throughout. I think they really steal the show here, I could see myself enjoying another short story or two about them. Eloise is clearly more reserved and uncertain, whereas Raine is apparently very determined to project himself as a capable and dashing human with an epic backstory. The humor wasn't in your face but I think there was quite a few moments that made me chuckle in a much more subtle way.

The entire sequence of the juxtaposition between Raine's 'quest of combat' against the dungeon with Eloise trying to bake a pizza was really funny to me, especially his dialogue and determination to overcome. Yet by the end of it he doesn't want to leave. (Although whether thats truly because he doesn't want to or because he also believes this is the first of many tests is pretty funny). Along with his dismissal of just seemingly leaving in a normal way, he insists upon making it harder for himself lol
The ending was so sweet though, with the decision to stay, and with Eloise gainging some confidence and Raine seeming to subtly begin learning to appreciate some good pizza.

I think the biggest bit about this story that fascinates me though is the concept of how the dungeon strikes me as fascinatingly cosmic horror or sort of... eldritch? But benevolent eldritch. Can a gilded cage be a home? Maybe, if its one you can leave anytime. Eloise has always known the way out but why leave when staying here is so nice? Especially with Travis as a friend and now Raine. If the dungeon cares for all your needs then really, why should you leave? And on another level it raises a lot of questions about life and desire and values. if all raine wants is the thrill of challenge and overcoming in a fight and maybe all Eloise wants is to make pizza, why should you leave?

is the prison really bad if the inside can be better than the outside? Probably Im reading too far into this but I just think its so fascinating because it feels like such a weirdly nice extradimensional entity that some might see as scary but really could just as easily be nice, especially with it just trying to teach people some good lessons, heh.

Anyways, this was a fun read that maybe I over analyzed! good stuff
 

Starlight Aurate

Ad Jesum per Mariam | pfp by kintsugi
Location
Route 123
Partners
  1. mightyena
  2. psyduck
Oh my gosh, what an enjoyable fic! Thank you so much for writing and sharing this with us. I'm unfamiliar with PMD, but I enjoyed every bit of this ride.

Your characterizations are so strong. Raine Whiffletwist is such a treat: he's conceited and full of himself (and tried to dye his fur white so everyone would think that he was a shiny Grimmsnarl?? That's genious!), and pretends he's a human just to come across as more interesting, but also has genuine interest in the other Pokemon around him and never comes across as unlikeable. His entry was fantastic: not just from the grandiose words you use to describe him, but also how everyone reacts to his appearance (love those magnemite!) and give him all of their attention when he's present. Seeing his interest in Eloise's human past turn to genuine concern for her feelings and wellbeing was so sweet; it was really heartwarming to see him compliment her pizza, assure her that her grandfather would have LOVED it, and even help her win a game of chess against Travis! I love the fact that he is always called by his full name and never just "Raine"--it's so fitting for someone with as big of a personality as his.

And Eloise was so loveable as well! Even though she enjoys her life in Mt. Trevain, my heart pinged when it became clear how dearly she missed her life with her family and working in their pizzeria with her grandfather. It was so nice to see the mystery dungeon create a pizzeria for her, and to watch her take delight in practicing her craft. And her joy at successful pizza baking and in finally winning a game of chess was so well-deserved <3 Watching the unlikely friendship grow between her and Raine Whiffletwist was adorable, and really well-done! I especially like how you use such different language when switching between their perspectives: it's very distinct, yet it never feels jarring and actually flows together really well. Kudos!

A few lines that stuck out to me:

Raine Whiffletwist placed both claws on his voluptuous hips and declared:
"Voluptuous" is such a FANTASTIC word for Grimmsnarl hips!

She lowered her voice. "Well… I-I'm a human, too. Or was."

"What?!" Raine Whiffletwist raised his voice.
LOL I bet Raine Whiffletwist had never even known that humans COULD become Pokemon!

A lake of marinara sauce burbled off to the side.
I admit: I read this as "a lake of marijuana" at first.

the velocity of an unladen swellow,
THANK YOU FOR THIS REFERENCE

"The threat of disease only heightens the experience."
This is 100% true in the Pacific islands and Southeast Asia.
 
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