SudoTree0185
Youngster
Scorbunny hopped out of his bed. Morning had come to the Pokemon Guild, which meant one thing: Another fun day exploring Mystery Dungeons! He couldn't wait to see what kind of quests were up. Already excited, he bounded to Cutiefly and Pikachu, his still-sleeping teammates, and shouted, "Wake up!"
"Five more minuuutes..." Pikachu grumbled, pulling his hat over his face. Cutiefly stretched and flew up out of bed, still rubbing her eyes, while Scorbunny rushed downstairs to get ready. Once they were all downstairs, they quickly ate breakfast, secured their badges, and went outside to check the quest board.
Four months ago, Scorbunny had been brought to this world by a strange light, but to him, it still felt like yesterday. He wasn't entirely sure what he was meant to do, or how to get back to the human world. But he had friends by his side, and whatever was trying to harm the Pokemon world, he was ready for it. And in the meantime, doing rescue missions was a great way to learn how the world worked!
He'd ran into Pikachu and Cutiefly after escaping a Mystery Dungeon, and then a Bidoof had asked the three of them to help him through another Dungeon. Then, they'd arrived at a small village with an abandoned Guild. With no adventurers present, the village was on the verge of collapsing - but the three of them decided to stay and help, and the Pokemon Guild and Team Moonflower were born.
They approached the quest board. Gurdurr and Lairon of Team Muscle and Frogadier and Fomantis of Team Shadestrike were already going through some of the requests. Cutiefly looked through the papers, picked up one and held it out to her teammates. "This one seems pretty important..."
"Pikachu, what does it say?" Scorbunny asked. Talking to the Pokemon verbally had come easy to him, but he hadn't learned the written language yet.
"Hm... 'My brother and I were harvesting seeds in Windcatcher Grove, but he got lost at some point and didn't come out. I'm worried that he may be in trouble, but I don't want to reenter the Dungeon alone. He's currently in the last of six sections. I need a rescue team to escort me through to find him. Signed...'" He paused, then muttered, "Vigoroth. Can't we wait for someone else to take this one?"
"It's a missing Pokemon, Pikachu. I know you and Vigoroth aren't... close, but she needs help as fast as possible." Cutiefly tugged at her hoodie's drawstrings. "And Windcatcher Grove is a new Dungeon. We're looking for new Dungeons, remember? We haven't found anything helpful to our guest in Dragon Hill or Ash-White Temple."
With that, he caved. "Fine..." he sighed, looking at the ground. "I guess I can put up with her."
"That's the spirit!" Scorbunny patted him on the back and hopped away. "Team Moonflower is on the job! Let's go find our client!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vigoroth's home wasn't very difficult to find. Being one of the few residents with a treehouse instead of a den, hut or burrow helped, but the constant smell of smoke and concentrated magic was the prime giveaway.
Pikachu and Vigoroth were both dedicated to studying the magical powers of Pokemon - but while Scorbunny's teammate researched magic that came directly from a Pokemon's body, she preferred to experiment with collected magic of various types, mixing them together to create new effects. The two seemed to get into an argument every time they crossed paths, mostly about whether magic was stronger pure or concentrated.
Cutiefly flew up to the treehouse's door, knocking gently. "H-hello? We saw your escort request, and-"
"In a minute!" Loud POOFS and noises that could only be described as 'sparkly' could be heard from inside. Then Vigoroth emerged, shaking off a shiny powder. "Finally! I've been waiting for a while now!" She climbed down to meet Team Moonflower.
"So you're looking for your older brother. Slakoth, I assume? The one who's always at Cinccino's juice bar?" Pikachu asked.
"That's him. We were supposed to be collecting seeds for me to use, but knowing him, he probably decided to sneak off and take a nap somewhere. By the time I realized he was gone, I'd already left the Dungeon. So now, I need you to go back through and help me look for him."
"Sounds easy enough!" said Scorbunny. "Just show us where to go! We haven't been to this Dungeon before."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mystery Dungeons were usually named after an interesting trait, and Windcatcher Grove was no exception: a strong breeze pushed through the impossibly tall trees at all times, regardless of the weather outside the Dungeon. The sky was barely visible through the leaves, and the branches seemed to twist and move on their own.
"What kind of Pokemon live here..." Pikachu mumbled to himself, staring into the dark spaces between the trees. "Maybe Bug-Types? They love small spaces where they can sneak around..."
"The only Dungeon-dwelling Pokemon I saw here were some Ledyba and Wurmple. Maybe a couple Zigzagoon, too." Vigoroth cut through a bush with her claws. "Not too hard to deal with, and there weren't many hostile ones either."
For a moment, it seemed like the two would be able to go through the Dungeon without fighting. But once they went through the Gateway to the second section, she added, "Maybe this Dungeon has some sort of resistance to the Darkness Rift... If I snag something from the Dungeon's environment, I could run a test..."
Pikachu rolled his eyes. "Not like you'd get good results with your weak concoctions."
"Weak!?" She whipped around to glare at him. "Precise calculations have been made to ensure the strongest possible effects. And they have far more uses than pure magic!"
"Pure magic has plenty of uses, and is far faster!" he countered. "Using combined magic will only lead to cluttered results."
While they bickered in the background, Cutiefly scanned the section's layout from above. She pointed to their left. "Looks like the next Gateway is this way."
The last Gateway had looked normal enough - 'normal' being a gaping black hole surrounded by warped bark and twisting grass - but this one was tinged with red - a sign of festering Dark Energy. From what Scorbunny had learned, Dark Energy was something that commonly manifested in Mystery Dungeons. It corrupted Pokemon native to the Dungeons, making them angry and aggressive. All Dark Energy came from the Darkness Rift, which, according to Pikachu, was created by a malicious non-Pokemon entity during a war from hundreds of years ago.
If Dark Energy was visible around the edges of the Gateway, that meant there would be a sharp increase in the amount of hostile Pokemon. But that also meant that Slakoth would be in more trouble. Scorbunny marched through, ready to take on whatever was on the other side.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fortunately, the rest of the Dungeon was relatively easy, just as Vigoroth had described it. Team Moonflower breezed through the next three sections, stopped only by a handful of Ledyba. Now all they had to do was track down Slakoth, and then they could go home.
After fending off a couple Spinarak, they turned a corner, and there he was - Slakoth, lounging on the ground under the shade of a large tree. Once he noticed the squad of Pokemon approaching, he slowly lifted his head. "Oh, so you found me." He yawned and sat up. "I was just resting, it's so nice and cool here..."
"Slakoth! You don't just split off from your team while exploring!" His sister immediately started scolding him. "Are you TRYING to get attacked by-"
A Ledian, Linoone, and Whirlipede pounced from the bushes, interrupting her lecture. These ones were growling, and a faint red energy surrounded them - these were Pokemon afflicted by Dark Energy. They glared at the Earth-Dwellers, tense and ready to pounce.
Scorbunny, Cutiefly, and Pikachu formed a protective shield around their escorts. "Don't injure them, guys," Cutiefly said, "just try and knock off the effects of the Dark Energy."
The Linoone charged forward, baring sharp teeth. Scorbunny dashed under him and landed a Double Kick to the stomach. Pikachu shocked the Ledian with Thunderbolt while Cutiefly Charmed the Whirlipede. The Dungeon Pokemon were big, but Team Moonflower was tough - they'd fought stronger Pokemon and won.
Another Double Kick, and Linoone was down, Dark Energy dissipating. Scorbunny was about to help his teammates, but was struck by Tackle from the Ledian. They'd used Supersonic on Pikachu, who was stumbling around, throwing Thunder Waves in random directions. He retaliated with Ember and followed it up with Flame Charge, knocking Ledian into the Whirlipede and defeating them both.
Cutiefly hurried to Pikachu's side, trying to snap him out of his confusion. After a bit, he shook it off, clutching his head. "Great job, team!" Scorbunny said, then turned to Vigoroth and Slakoth and pulled out his badge. "You guys ready to go home?"
"Yeah, sure," Vigoroth answered, then went right back to telling off her brother. "I told you not to bring anything with Sleep Seeds in it, and you completely ignore me! Can you please just go ONE HOUR without drinking that stuff!?" She tapped the badge with one claw, and the two Normal-Types were sent back to the guild.
"So, should we keep exploring?" Pikachu asked.
Cutiefly sighed. "Vigoroth mentioned that this was the last section. I don't think we'll find anything."
"Aw, man!" Scorbunny scratched his head, disappointed. "I guess we'll have to keep searching for new Dungeons. Let's head back home."
And with the press of a button, the three Pokemon teleported back home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Woah! We got a lot of coins from that mission!" Scorbunny hopped through town happily, coin pouch in paw. "What should we use them on?"
"I think we could use some new gear, my Special Attack Scarf is losing its strength." Pikachu took a bite from a Rawst Berry he'd been given for his headache. "And we're running low on Apples, I believe."
"I hope they have Juicy Apples for sale... Those are my favorites," murmured Cutiefly.
Sure enough, there were a few Juicy Apples left at the market. The trio bought a couple and went home to eat. On the way, however, a familiar voice called out to them.
"Pikachu! Scorbunny! Cutiefly! How have you been doing?" It was Togepi, another adventurer and the self-proclaimed king of the Pokemon Guild. He waved his tiny scepter at the trio. "Are you all working hard for the Guild?"
Yet another figure appeared in the shadows, red eyes glinting greedily. "Yeah, you got any good loot?"
"We're not giving you anything, and we aren't letting you steal it either," Pikachu said, annoyed. "You can quit lurking around now, Weavile."
"Pshaw, whatever." She leaned against the trunk of the tree she was under and examined her sharp white claws. "I'll just go raid a Mystery Dungeon tomorrow or something."
Weavile and Togepi were the first two Pokemon to join the Guild after it was rebuilt. Together, they were Team Crown - named after a crown the five Pokemon had been trying to reclaim from a Lillipup corrupted with Dark Energy - and of the many other teams, they went on adventures and missions with Team Moonflower most often.
"So, what kind of mission were you on?" she continued. "Seems like it was a pretty big one."
"We were looking for a lost Pokemon in a new Dungeon," Cutiefly replied. "What about you two?"
"Cherubi lost one of her Blast Seeds in Dragon Hill, and we ventured all the way to the ninth floor to find it!" Togepi waved his scepter around dramatically. "Looks like we've all been doing very important missions today."
"We sure have!" Scorbunny nodded in agreement. "Now if you'll excuse us, we've got some Juicy Apples to eat!"
Waving goodbye to their friends, Scorbunny, Cutiefly, and Pikachu hurried home. Scorbunny set down the Apples on their table, and Pikachu cut them into eights. While they ate their slices, Scorbunny looked out the window at the den next door.
"Is something wrong?" Cutiefly asked between sips of Apple juice - she couldn't chew, so all her food was squeezed into juice or mushed into pulp.
"Hold on, I'm gonna take some of these next door." He picked up a handful of Apple slices and ran out to the stone den, knocking rapidly on the door.
A gentle voice came from inside. "Come in."
Scorbunny opened the door and walked inside. The scent of flowers and plants reached his nose, and he instantly relaxed. "Hey, I brought you some Juicy Apple slices. I know you've been doing solo missions already to gather food yourself, but Juicy Apples are hard to come by, and I thought these might be more filling than Pecha Berries."
"Thank you." A Pokemon emerged from another room in the den. She was tall and green, with a tail covered in leaves and a deep red underbelly that matched her eyes. She carried a staff made from a large lily flower, with a marble-like stone fastened to the end.
The Pokemon Guild's guest, Sceptile.
Team Moonflower and Team Crown had found Sceptile wandering near Dragon Hill, aimless and alone. Like Scorbunny, she claimed to have almost no memories of her past. They'd invited her to stay in the Guild with them while she tried to recall who she was. At first she refused, but she eventually changed her mind after a few encounters. She was reserved and didn't leave her den often, but they chalked it up to her needing to adjust.
"Sorry for the strong aroma," she said softly.
"Oh, no! It's all good, I like how it smells here!" Scorbunny held up the apple slices and she took them, placing one in her mouth. "So, you remember anything new yet?"
"Sadly, no. Just more memories of that last battle. I'm trying to recall more, but..." She paused, then grunted in pain. "Ow. It's like something is... blocking off the rest. But how has your day been?"
"Pretty well. We explored a new Mystery Dungeon and helped find someone's missing brother. I was hoping we would find something that could help you, too, but nothing interesting showed up."
"Oh. Well, you still did a lot; that's something to be proud of. How are your friends?"
"Pikachu and Cutiefly are fun to go on quests with. And Pikachu's helping me learn to read, which is really nice. Togepi and Weavile are great, too." Scorbunny went quiet, his ears drooping down. "It must be really sad, not being able to remember your friends."
Sceptile fiddled with a potted flower. "It is, sometimes. But I have you all for company, too. I'm sure you'll find some sort of clue soon."
That seemed to cheer him up. He held out a paw. "I know we will! We'll keep exploring, and you and I will get our memories back, together!"
"Together..." she whispered. She took his paw, a slight smile on her face. "Thank you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHARACTER COUNTERPARTS (for anyone confused)
Scorbunny > GingerBrave
Cutiefly > Strawberry Cookie
Pikachu > Wizard Cookie
Gurdurr (mentioned) > Muscle Cookie
Lairon (mentioned) > Avocado Cookie
Frogadier (mentioned) > Ninja Cookie
Fomantis (mentioned) > Beet Cookie
Vigoroth > Alchemist Cookie
Slakoth > Vampire Cookie
Cinncino (mentioned) > Sparkling Cookie
Togepi > Custard Cookie III
Weavile > Chili Pepper Cookie
Sceptile > White Lily Cookie
In the CRK timeline, this would take place sometime during or after the events of Hero's Gate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you enjoyed this! I probably won't make continuations for this crossover anytime soon, as I have other active projects I want to work on. But I've been thinking a lot about Darkness Eternal, and I wanted to share a bit of the world I've come up with.
"Five more minuuutes..." Pikachu grumbled, pulling his hat over his face. Cutiefly stretched and flew up out of bed, still rubbing her eyes, while Scorbunny rushed downstairs to get ready. Once they were all downstairs, they quickly ate breakfast, secured their badges, and went outside to check the quest board.
Four months ago, Scorbunny had been brought to this world by a strange light, but to him, it still felt like yesterday. He wasn't entirely sure what he was meant to do, or how to get back to the human world. But he had friends by his side, and whatever was trying to harm the Pokemon world, he was ready for it. And in the meantime, doing rescue missions was a great way to learn how the world worked!
He'd ran into Pikachu and Cutiefly after escaping a Mystery Dungeon, and then a Bidoof had asked the three of them to help him through another Dungeon. Then, they'd arrived at a small village with an abandoned Guild. With no adventurers present, the village was on the verge of collapsing - but the three of them decided to stay and help, and the Pokemon Guild and Team Moonflower were born.
They approached the quest board. Gurdurr and Lairon of Team Muscle and Frogadier and Fomantis of Team Shadestrike were already going through some of the requests. Cutiefly looked through the papers, picked up one and held it out to her teammates. "This one seems pretty important..."
"Pikachu, what does it say?" Scorbunny asked. Talking to the Pokemon verbally had come easy to him, but he hadn't learned the written language yet.
"Hm... 'My brother and I were harvesting seeds in Windcatcher Grove, but he got lost at some point and didn't come out. I'm worried that he may be in trouble, but I don't want to reenter the Dungeon alone. He's currently in the last of six sections. I need a rescue team to escort me through to find him. Signed...'" He paused, then muttered, "Vigoroth. Can't we wait for someone else to take this one?"
"It's a missing Pokemon, Pikachu. I know you and Vigoroth aren't... close, but she needs help as fast as possible." Cutiefly tugged at her hoodie's drawstrings. "And Windcatcher Grove is a new Dungeon. We're looking for new Dungeons, remember? We haven't found anything helpful to our guest in Dragon Hill or Ash-White Temple."
With that, he caved. "Fine..." he sighed, looking at the ground. "I guess I can put up with her."
"That's the spirit!" Scorbunny patted him on the back and hopped away. "Team Moonflower is on the job! Let's go find our client!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vigoroth's home wasn't very difficult to find. Being one of the few residents with a treehouse instead of a den, hut or burrow helped, but the constant smell of smoke and concentrated magic was the prime giveaway.
Pikachu and Vigoroth were both dedicated to studying the magical powers of Pokemon - but while Scorbunny's teammate researched magic that came directly from a Pokemon's body, she preferred to experiment with collected magic of various types, mixing them together to create new effects. The two seemed to get into an argument every time they crossed paths, mostly about whether magic was stronger pure or concentrated.
Cutiefly flew up to the treehouse's door, knocking gently. "H-hello? We saw your escort request, and-"
"In a minute!" Loud POOFS and noises that could only be described as 'sparkly' could be heard from inside. Then Vigoroth emerged, shaking off a shiny powder. "Finally! I've been waiting for a while now!" She climbed down to meet Team Moonflower.
"So you're looking for your older brother. Slakoth, I assume? The one who's always at Cinccino's juice bar?" Pikachu asked.
"That's him. We were supposed to be collecting seeds for me to use, but knowing him, he probably decided to sneak off and take a nap somewhere. By the time I realized he was gone, I'd already left the Dungeon. So now, I need you to go back through and help me look for him."
"Sounds easy enough!" said Scorbunny. "Just show us where to go! We haven't been to this Dungeon before."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mystery Dungeons were usually named after an interesting trait, and Windcatcher Grove was no exception: a strong breeze pushed through the impossibly tall trees at all times, regardless of the weather outside the Dungeon. The sky was barely visible through the leaves, and the branches seemed to twist and move on their own.
"What kind of Pokemon live here..." Pikachu mumbled to himself, staring into the dark spaces between the trees. "Maybe Bug-Types? They love small spaces where they can sneak around..."
"The only Dungeon-dwelling Pokemon I saw here were some Ledyba and Wurmple. Maybe a couple Zigzagoon, too." Vigoroth cut through a bush with her claws. "Not too hard to deal with, and there weren't many hostile ones either."
For a moment, it seemed like the two would be able to go through the Dungeon without fighting. But once they went through the Gateway to the second section, she added, "Maybe this Dungeon has some sort of resistance to the Darkness Rift... If I snag something from the Dungeon's environment, I could run a test..."
Pikachu rolled his eyes. "Not like you'd get good results with your weak concoctions."
"Weak!?" She whipped around to glare at him. "Precise calculations have been made to ensure the strongest possible effects. And they have far more uses than pure magic!"
"Pure magic has plenty of uses, and is far faster!" he countered. "Using combined magic will only lead to cluttered results."
While they bickered in the background, Cutiefly scanned the section's layout from above. She pointed to their left. "Looks like the next Gateway is this way."
The last Gateway had looked normal enough - 'normal' being a gaping black hole surrounded by warped bark and twisting grass - but this one was tinged with red - a sign of festering Dark Energy. From what Scorbunny had learned, Dark Energy was something that commonly manifested in Mystery Dungeons. It corrupted Pokemon native to the Dungeons, making them angry and aggressive. All Dark Energy came from the Darkness Rift, which, according to Pikachu, was created by a malicious non-Pokemon entity during a war from hundreds of years ago.
If Dark Energy was visible around the edges of the Gateway, that meant there would be a sharp increase in the amount of hostile Pokemon. But that also meant that Slakoth would be in more trouble. Scorbunny marched through, ready to take on whatever was on the other side.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fortunately, the rest of the Dungeon was relatively easy, just as Vigoroth had described it. Team Moonflower breezed through the next three sections, stopped only by a handful of Ledyba. Now all they had to do was track down Slakoth, and then they could go home.
After fending off a couple Spinarak, they turned a corner, and there he was - Slakoth, lounging on the ground under the shade of a large tree. Once he noticed the squad of Pokemon approaching, he slowly lifted his head. "Oh, so you found me." He yawned and sat up. "I was just resting, it's so nice and cool here..."
"Slakoth! You don't just split off from your team while exploring!" His sister immediately started scolding him. "Are you TRYING to get attacked by-"
A Ledian, Linoone, and Whirlipede pounced from the bushes, interrupting her lecture. These ones were growling, and a faint red energy surrounded them - these were Pokemon afflicted by Dark Energy. They glared at the Earth-Dwellers, tense and ready to pounce.
Scorbunny, Cutiefly, and Pikachu formed a protective shield around their escorts. "Don't injure them, guys," Cutiefly said, "just try and knock off the effects of the Dark Energy."
The Linoone charged forward, baring sharp teeth. Scorbunny dashed under him and landed a Double Kick to the stomach. Pikachu shocked the Ledian with Thunderbolt while Cutiefly Charmed the Whirlipede. The Dungeon Pokemon were big, but Team Moonflower was tough - they'd fought stronger Pokemon and won.
Another Double Kick, and Linoone was down, Dark Energy dissipating. Scorbunny was about to help his teammates, but was struck by Tackle from the Ledian. They'd used Supersonic on Pikachu, who was stumbling around, throwing Thunder Waves in random directions. He retaliated with Ember and followed it up with Flame Charge, knocking Ledian into the Whirlipede and defeating them both.
Cutiefly hurried to Pikachu's side, trying to snap him out of his confusion. After a bit, he shook it off, clutching his head. "Great job, team!" Scorbunny said, then turned to Vigoroth and Slakoth and pulled out his badge. "You guys ready to go home?"
"Yeah, sure," Vigoroth answered, then went right back to telling off her brother. "I told you not to bring anything with Sleep Seeds in it, and you completely ignore me! Can you please just go ONE HOUR without drinking that stuff!?" She tapped the badge with one claw, and the two Normal-Types were sent back to the guild.
"So, should we keep exploring?" Pikachu asked.
Cutiefly sighed. "Vigoroth mentioned that this was the last section. I don't think we'll find anything."
"Aw, man!" Scorbunny scratched his head, disappointed. "I guess we'll have to keep searching for new Dungeons. Let's head back home."
And with the press of a button, the three Pokemon teleported back home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Woah! We got a lot of coins from that mission!" Scorbunny hopped through town happily, coin pouch in paw. "What should we use them on?"
"I think we could use some new gear, my Special Attack Scarf is losing its strength." Pikachu took a bite from a Rawst Berry he'd been given for his headache. "And we're running low on Apples, I believe."
"I hope they have Juicy Apples for sale... Those are my favorites," murmured Cutiefly.
Sure enough, there were a few Juicy Apples left at the market. The trio bought a couple and went home to eat. On the way, however, a familiar voice called out to them.
"Pikachu! Scorbunny! Cutiefly! How have you been doing?" It was Togepi, another adventurer and the self-proclaimed king of the Pokemon Guild. He waved his tiny scepter at the trio. "Are you all working hard for the Guild?"
Yet another figure appeared in the shadows, red eyes glinting greedily. "Yeah, you got any good loot?"
"We're not giving you anything, and we aren't letting you steal it either," Pikachu said, annoyed. "You can quit lurking around now, Weavile."
"Pshaw, whatever." She leaned against the trunk of the tree she was under and examined her sharp white claws. "I'll just go raid a Mystery Dungeon tomorrow or something."
Weavile and Togepi were the first two Pokemon to join the Guild after it was rebuilt. Together, they were Team Crown - named after a crown the five Pokemon had been trying to reclaim from a Lillipup corrupted with Dark Energy - and of the many other teams, they went on adventures and missions with Team Moonflower most often.
"So, what kind of mission were you on?" she continued. "Seems like it was a pretty big one."
"We were looking for a lost Pokemon in a new Dungeon," Cutiefly replied. "What about you two?"
"Cherubi lost one of her Blast Seeds in Dragon Hill, and we ventured all the way to the ninth floor to find it!" Togepi waved his scepter around dramatically. "Looks like we've all been doing very important missions today."
"We sure have!" Scorbunny nodded in agreement. "Now if you'll excuse us, we've got some Juicy Apples to eat!"
Waving goodbye to their friends, Scorbunny, Cutiefly, and Pikachu hurried home. Scorbunny set down the Apples on their table, and Pikachu cut them into eights. While they ate their slices, Scorbunny looked out the window at the den next door.
"Is something wrong?" Cutiefly asked between sips of Apple juice - she couldn't chew, so all her food was squeezed into juice or mushed into pulp.
"Hold on, I'm gonna take some of these next door." He picked up a handful of Apple slices and ran out to the stone den, knocking rapidly on the door.
A gentle voice came from inside. "Come in."
Scorbunny opened the door and walked inside. The scent of flowers and plants reached his nose, and he instantly relaxed. "Hey, I brought you some Juicy Apple slices. I know you've been doing solo missions already to gather food yourself, but Juicy Apples are hard to come by, and I thought these might be more filling than Pecha Berries."
"Thank you." A Pokemon emerged from another room in the den. She was tall and green, with a tail covered in leaves and a deep red underbelly that matched her eyes. She carried a staff made from a large lily flower, with a marble-like stone fastened to the end.
The Pokemon Guild's guest, Sceptile.
Team Moonflower and Team Crown had found Sceptile wandering near Dragon Hill, aimless and alone. Like Scorbunny, she claimed to have almost no memories of her past. They'd invited her to stay in the Guild with them while she tried to recall who she was. At first she refused, but she eventually changed her mind after a few encounters. She was reserved and didn't leave her den often, but they chalked it up to her needing to adjust.
"Sorry for the strong aroma," she said softly.
"Oh, no! It's all good, I like how it smells here!" Scorbunny held up the apple slices and she took them, placing one in her mouth. "So, you remember anything new yet?"
"Sadly, no. Just more memories of that last battle. I'm trying to recall more, but..." She paused, then grunted in pain. "Ow. It's like something is... blocking off the rest. But how has your day been?"
"Pretty well. We explored a new Mystery Dungeon and helped find someone's missing brother. I was hoping we would find something that could help you, too, but nothing interesting showed up."
"Oh. Well, you still did a lot; that's something to be proud of. How are your friends?"
"Pikachu and Cutiefly are fun to go on quests with. And Pikachu's helping me learn to read, which is really nice. Togepi and Weavile are great, too." Scorbunny went quiet, his ears drooping down. "It must be really sad, not being able to remember your friends."
Sceptile fiddled with a potted flower. "It is, sometimes. But I have you all for company, too. I'm sure you'll find some sort of clue soon."
That seemed to cheer him up. He held out a paw. "I know we will! We'll keep exploring, and you and I will get our memories back, together!"
"Together..." she whispered. She took his paw, a slight smile on her face. "Thank you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHARACTER COUNTERPARTS (for anyone confused)
Scorbunny > GingerBrave
Cutiefly > Strawberry Cookie
Pikachu > Wizard Cookie
Gurdurr (mentioned) > Muscle Cookie
Lairon (mentioned) > Avocado Cookie
Frogadier (mentioned) > Ninja Cookie
Fomantis (mentioned) > Beet Cookie
Vigoroth > Alchemist Cookie
Slakoth > Vampire Cookie
Cinncino (mentioned) > Sparkling Cookie
Togepi > Custard Cookie III
Weavile > Chili Pepper Cookie
Sceptile > White Lily Cookie
In the CRK timeline, this would take place sometime during or after the events of Hero's Gate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you enjoyed this! I probably won't make continuations for this crossover anytime soon, as I have other active projects I want to work on. But I've been thinking a lot about Darkness Eternal, and I wanted to share a bit of the world I've come up with.