A Few Days Later
Marowak Dojo
Treasure Town, Grass Continent
It has been a few days since Victor arrived in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Universe, and nothing interesting has happened thus far. Victor takes the chance to look around the town during these few days and even earns some money by helping the townsfolk with chores.
In just a few days, Victor has met every citizen of the town. He first met the Kangaskhan and Goodra, named Kara and Gary, the owner of the town's inn and restaurant for any explorers who visit the town. Honestly, Victor didn't expect the food to be so good and cheap in Pokémon standards. He still feels guilty for letting Thorn pay for his food, so he decided to offer a Helping Hand to the inn's owner, and much to his surprise, they agreed without hesitation. No interviews, no 'experience', nothing is required; he was immediately hired, unlike his world, where dumb shits are required just to apply for the job, and it wasn't guaranteed to even get them a job.
As he works, he has found a lot of things about the owner. Gary admits he's from Water Continent, specifically the Serene Village, and comes to this town as an explorer. But he had discovered that being an explorer isn't for him, so he decided to give up and open an inn for any visiting explorers or rescuers. He still occasionally visits his home village to see his son, Goomy. The knowledge itself shocks Victor to the core, as he didn't expect to meet someone related to characters from Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon.
For Kara, she's like most Kangaskhan around the world, acting as the storage keeper for any items that are deposited in her shop. She had helped Gary with the inn ever since he opened the shop, since he lacked mon-power, and despite now having enough employees to take care of the inn, she still helps with the inn as the head chef of the inn's restaurant. Another fun fact about them is that both are head over heels towards each other, but due to the fear of rejecting each other for being incompatible in making a child, they didn't take any action and let their feelings remain hidden.
That does beg the question: Is Goomy an accident or adopted? Victor decided to push the thought away; it was not worth opening that can of Orthworm.
Victor helped the pair with any jobs they asked him to do, mostly cleaning the guest room and being the waitress for the restaurant. It wasn't much, but the job provided quite a decent pay for someone like him, 200 Poke per hour. That's decent if he compares to the money he earns when finishing the game's mission, especially when he helps them for 4 hours.
Victor also met with the rest of the townsfolk. The Kecleon brothers were like normal salesmen, but they made their intention clear, wanting customers to buy their items with any means necessary. At first, Victor didn't know how to react, especially when their attempts to do so were very clear, or other Pokemons didn't seem to notice and just bought it.
Kara had explained that the townsfolk did it out of pity as the shop had once been on the brink of bankruptcy, and the brothers had desperately lowered their price as much as possible just to get the money to keep their shop, inherited from their family, open. Kara also mentioned that the item prices in the shop are so much lower than those they found around the globe, something that surprises Victor a lot as he didn't expect much lore from a shop in Treasure Town before reminding himself that he's in a real world and not a game.
He also encountered Spinda when strolling around the town, and honestly, he would rather not talk about it.
Speaking of interacting with the townsfolk, he also spends time with his future team. He mostly spends his time with Thorn, helping him with anything he asks, despite Thorn insisting that it wasn't necessary, but Victor didn't listen, and Thorn had no choice but to relent.
Victor managed to get the chance to know Thorn more. Thorn mentioned he's the son of a Rescuer, coming from Air Continent, more specifically, the Pokémon Square. He admits that the reason he's in Air Continent has to do with a family issue back in Air Continent. His entire family consists of famous Rescuers who made a name for themselves, but their reputation plummeted to the ground once Team Pokepals had made a name for themselves, for having the first human to ever become a member of the team and saving the world from the falling star.
This surprises Victor a lot, not expecting a mention of humans saving the world so suddenly. He knows that the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series was all connected, but each game rarely ever mentions events from previous games, so hearing Thorn mentioning a human, especially when he was only in this world for a short amount of time, shocked him to the core.
Thorn explains more about how his parents put so much pressure on his siblings to the point that they even adopted their toxic mindset. Thorn decided to run away from home and go to the Grass Continent to start a new life, and not long after he moved there, he met Tesla and Sabo.
Victor can't help but sympathize with Thorn, but he can't help but question why Thorn would even tell him about his past, especially to him whom Thorn had just met for a few days. Thorn simply says that Victor is trustworthy, which confuses Victor, but he also feels guilty. He hasn't been fully honest with Thorn, yet he trusts him? Victor would never understand how Thorn put so much trust in him.
He also interacts with Sabo more, and honestly, Victor can't help but feel tired with so many lore drops from Sabo. When Sabo says he loves legends, he wasn't kidding. He had a lot of books telling about the legends around the world. Sabo had to tell the content of the book since he didn't understand the language written in the book.
Sabo not only tells the stories in the book, but he also helps with the language. Sabo was extremely helpful with the lesson, as Victor had a much easier understanding of the lesson on this world's universal language than any lesson he ever took back in his school or college days. But, he still has a long way to go to even properly understand a single sentence.
During their interactions, Sabo had mentioned a lot of lore regarding the world. First is the Jirachi the Wishmaker, which is a simple lore about a shooting star landing on the Grass Continent before it reveals itself to be a Pokémon, said to have the power to grant any wishes. No one had believed it was real until it was discovered to fly away from the Grass Continent and into the direction of the Water Continent. Victor does wonder if the Jirachi is the same one from PSMD and the Bidoof's special chapter, but he wouldn't know since he didn't even know if any of Wigglytuff's Guild member exists in this universe.
The second lore is the Ninetail's curse, the first legend to ever mention humans. It's similar to the legend told in the game, but Sabo also added about the story of how the story was used to accuse a human who turned Pokémon. This proved that some stories remain the same as canon, which only made Victor question why he is here.
The third lore is the legend of the Weather Trio, but the legends called the trio Rulers as the three of them ruled over the three aspects of Earth itself: earth, sea, and sky. It's a simple legend of how the earth, sea, and sky formed, and the three Legendary Pokemons ruled them over, maintaining balance. This made Victor sweatdrops with how the legend made the trio look benevolent, when in reality, Groudon and Kyogre had beef with each other that they were willing to endanger every Pokémon with their extreme weather just to fight, while Rayquaza is a glorified babysitter for the duo. At least, Rayquaza is much better than those two, as even though he has a bad temper, Rayquaza would at least do his job by taking out threats coming from the sky, like the falling star, and in some incarnation of Deoxys that threatens the world.
Sabo has been really helpful with the world's lore and the language lesson, and Victor would occasionally pat his head affectionately after Sabo helped him with a few things, albeit he did it unconsciously. This always made Sabo flustered, feeling slightly embarrassed.
Sadly, his interaction made Tesla hate him even more than before. Tesla is overly protective towards Sabo, to the point Victor questions himself if the Pikachu's a bro-con. He had an irrational beef towards him, wasn't willing to give Victor a chance, and was envious whenever Sabo interacted with Victor.
Victor had once asked Tesla about his irrational hatred, and Sabo simply replied that he cared about him and was afraid I might get hurt. This doesn't satisfy Victor at all, but he can't do anything as he can't forcefully demand that Sabo tell him a backstory worth explaining, so he just leaves it at that. He made sure to avoid interacting with Tesla as much as possible, not wanting to deal with Pokémon like him.
Currently, Victor is training his Attack by sparring with Daichi. Victor tries to hit the Marowak with his fist, but Daichi proves to be much faster and more agile than he looks. Victor then switches tactics by using kicks to catch him off guard, performing a Roundhouse Kick, but Daichi blocks it with ease by simply raising his bone club and thrusting it to Victor's chest, sending the Veemon flying.
"Oww…that hurts…" Victor groans as Daichi chuckles.
"Your growth truly amazes me, Victor." Daichi compliments before he gives Victor a Helping Hand, which he accepts.
"Still too weak, though," Victor mutters.
"You're very impatient, young V-Mon," Daichi huffs as Victor stretches his limbs. Thanks to constant training, Victor can coat his fist with MP as fast as 3 seconds. It was a small improvement compared to the one where he managed to lower from 10 seconds to 4 seconds, but it's mostly due to him focusing more on unlocking other moves.
He had discovered that using MP on his entire body is much easier and allows him to instinctively use a few moves: Veemon's Handstand Kick, Aerial Kick, and Aerial Knee Kick. This grants Victor more options for attacking and a faster pace in clearing the training dungeon. Other moves he has successfully learn are Jab, V-Headbutt, Victory Rush, and Boom Boom Punch, but he refuses to call out the name of the last move he learns.
He is surprised at how much he learns, but given how simple the moves are, it is to be expected. He was able to last longer than before and endure more hits, but was still weak in terms of endurance. He still has zero luck summoning the sword and is only able to light up his crest.
Speaking of training, the team has improved more than he expected. Thorn is shown to grow into a much better battler after several dungeon clearings, managing to even break a new record. Victor thinks it must be due to his past, but that begs the question: why would Thorn and Sabo say Tesla is a much better battler than they are?
For Tesla, he managed to clear the dungeon in his second try, but he is much slower than someone who was supposed to be a better battler out of the trio. He seems to be more injured compared to others when they finish clearing the dungeon. Victor suspects it was due to his recklessness and his tendency to charge in headfirst.
Sabo has the best improvement out of all three, able to finally clear the dungeon after his 4th try on the makeshift dungeon. He managed to clear the dungeon faster in his 5th and 6th tries, almost catching up with his brother.
From the training, Thorn was able to learn Growth and Leech Seed, and he's on the way to learn Poison and Sleep Powder. Victor honestly encourages him to learn that move, given that it's a very good move to inflict a status condition. Given the opponent they might face, those moves might be needed.
For Sabo, he was able to learn Double Kick, which surprised Victor, as it was an egg move. This did make Victor wonder if either of his future team members had any egg moves. Sabo also claims that he might be a Psychic by demonstrating it on a tiny pebble, which floats an inch above the ground for a few seconds before it falls, and Sabo almost fainted. This proves that Sabo is on his way to unlock Extrasensory, which puzzles him. Can Pokémon inherit Egg Moves from multiple Pokémon that share the same egg group in this universe, or does it follow a different rule, like Pokémon can learn Egg Moves despite not inheriting them?
Victor starts to think this universe is hard to understand.
For Tesla, he learns Thunder Wave and Agility, much to his frustration. Victor is surprised when Thorn and Sabo reveal that Tesla knows Volt Tackle and can learn Fake Out, but he can't help but grimace, especially when he considers Tesla's short fuse, recklessness, and his tendency to charge in headfirst. That move is more of a suicidal move instead of a powerful move in his hands, or in this instance, his front paws.
Overall, Victor is pleased by the improvement, and if they keep it up, they could reach a higher rank shortly after they become an apprentice of Wigglytuff's Guild. Speaking of the Guild, he had tried to research more about the Guild, and it turns out that Wigglytuff isn't the only Guild in this world. Victor shouldn't be surprised, but it did catch him off guard.
Guilds and Explorers were never given more in-depth lore, except for the origin of most members of Wigglytuff's Guild. So many explorers exist worldwide, so Wigglytuff isn't the only one with a guild.
He explores deeper, and with Sabo's help, he finds more info on Guilds in this world. The Rogue Guild, consisting mostly of Dark-Type and Ghost-Type Pokemons, is located in the Sand Continent and is infamous for taking explorer jobs faster than most Guilds, leading to a suspicion that they are bribing the Explorer Association (something that surprises Victor because it wasn't ever mentioned in game, but it made some sense as it explains how the Guilds got their jobs) to get as many job as possible. The guildmaster is a Hisuian Zoroark named Yushin, with mastery over illusion and cheap tactics.
Next Guild is the Wisdom Guild, consisting mostly of Psychic-Type and mostly known for being the rivals of the Rogue Guild, located in the Water Continent. The Guildmaster is a Metagross named Neo, known for his vast intellect and strategic skill. The majority of the members are infamous for being a stuck-up know-it-all dickhead who thinks everyone has an inferior intellect compared to them. Victor wants to facepalm when reading what he had discovered. Why in the world do those two guilds exist, and why did this Explorer Association not do jack shit about this!?
The next guild is the Warrior Guild, located in Air Continent, and to his surprise, the Guild didn't discriminate among each other. But they are also infamous for having the 'survival of the fittest' mindset. They didn't outright kill each other, but they play by the rule that whoever is the strongest should be their Guildmaster, and currently, the Guildmaster is a Dragonite named Sam, known for his versatility and flexibility. This surprises Victor a bit, and he has to give the Guildmaster a bit of respect since he is more than just strength, but his guild leaves a lot to be desired.
It's safe to say that Victor dodged so many massive bullets by joining the Wigglytuff Guild, as it was mentioned that it's the most recommended Guild for anyone, but when it comes to strength, they are very much lacking. This leads to mixed feelings for most Pokémon as they are torn between a guild with a healthy workplace, allies, and flexible rules, or guilds that consist of so many powerful Pokemons. Most Pokemons prefer the three Guilds over Wigglytuff's due to their desire to fit in, wanting to be seen as the strongest and have a higher pay.
All Guilds have the same fee policy of 90% price payment, something Tesla always complains about, calling the Guilds greedy and all. The reason the three Guilds are known for having higher pay is due to the jobs they choose that pay more than intended, so even with the 90% Guild fee, they still earn more Poke. Only Wigglytuff's Guild is willing to take the low-paying job, but they compensate with free 3 meals daily and a place to stay. This made Victor groan, unable to handle the bullshits between Guilds and curse whoever sent him to a more complicated universe.
"Hah!" Victor groans when he hears Tesla open his big fat mouth. "That was pathetic! You didn't last very long against Daichi-sensei!"
"Need I remind you how you folded in just 2 seconds?" Thorn deadpanned.
"O-oh, shut it!" Tesla exclaims in annoyance as Sabo sighs.
"Alright, I think that's enough for today," Daichi says, getting their attention. "I had to say, you all had exceeded my expectations in just a short amount of time. I can safely say you all are ready to take the Guild's entrance trial."
Another thing that Victor discovered about this world's Guild is that they have an entrance trial. Some guild members are required to meet a minimum requirement set by the Guild to even join. Victor is super grateful that he gets the chance to train before joining in.
"I…I think I would like to train more before joining…." Sabo mutters. "I…still find myself lacking."
"So am I," Thorn says.
"It's better to be safe than sorry," Victor agrees as Tesla seems conflicted before relenting. He believes that the exam wouldn't be that hard and even Victor could easily pass it, but given Sabo wanting to train more before tackling the exam, he can't protest.
"Well, then, don't hesitate to return to this Dojo," Daichi says with a beaming smile. "The door is always open for the 4 of you!"
"Thank you!" The four of them say in unison before excusing themselves and leaving. Daichi can't help but be happy as he honestly expects them not to return to the Dojo, but to his surprise, they return here the next day. This made Daichi motivated to train them to the best of his abilities, including a private tutor to help them teach them moves. He has learn a few things on move tutoring through a Hawlucha who owns the Slam Shop.
But one thing that confused Daichi was how Victor's biology worked. Since Victor is a Digimon, his moves work completely differently from most Pokémon. He could only rely on his knowledge of Aura to assist Victor, as MP works almost similarly to Aura, but Victor exceeded his expectations, as he could learn a lot of moves.
He had to hold back his laughter at one of the Attack's names when he asked Victor for more details about it. But besides that. Victor did great, but he didn't know why Victor still felt frustrated despite his amazing progress. Overall, he's proud of his 4 students.
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Hearth Inn
Treasure Town, Grass Continent
"Hmm," Victor muses as he looks at the notebook he had bought from the Kecleon Store using the money he found in the makeshift dungeon, and writes down anything that he finds over time. His training progress, information about this world, and some questions that keep lingering in his mind, some questions were answered, but some lead to more questions. One question continues to bother him a lot.
What happened to the Future Squad, aka the future human, Grovyle, and Celebi?
This keeps haunting his mind as he is unable to understand the entire situation. Where is the true protagonist of the Explorer saga? Is he okay? Is he alive? He can't help but consider the worst possibility that befalls the protagonist and what might happen in the future. If something bad happens to the protagonist, more specifically, if he dies, Victor doesn't know what he should do.
"Hey, Victor?" Thorn calls, snapping Victor out of his thoughts. "You're okay? You've been spacing out."
"A-ah, sorry. There have been a lot of things on my mind lately…" Victor apologizes.
"Are you willing to talk about it?" Thorn asks in concern.
"I-it's nothing you need to be concerned about, but I appreciate your offer," Victor says as Thorn frowns before nodding.
"Here are your meals, kids." Kara the Kangaskhan arrives and places a tray of food for each of them. Sabo had a stir-fried rice with Tauros meat, Tesla has a Miltank Steak covered with cheese and ketchup, Thorn has a berry salad with Chansey Eggs, and Victor has a well-balanced meal consisting of Miltank meat, rice, vegetables, and Chansey egg, as well as a bowl of berry salad and a glass of water.
"I never get used to seeing you eat a lot," Thorn says as he stares at the meal with wide eyes.
"I burn more energy when using moves, like a lot," Victor explains. "I need a lot of food to sustain myself. Of course, I made sure that the nutrients provided by the food are balanced, or else I might have a very round belly."
This made Sabo and Tesla pause before looking at their belly, both brothers feeling self-conscious about it as they pinched it, noticing the fat on their bellies. This makes Thorn and Victor sweatdrop at their actions.
After a meal, Tesla and Sabo went their separate ways while Victor and Thorn went to the Sharpedo Bluff. As they walk, they watch the sunset from the cliff, silently watching each other.
"Hey, Thorn…" Victor calls, getting Thorn's attention. "Why… are you willing to trust me?"
"Well, why not?" Thorn asks.
"I….mean, I am a stranger…you could just ignore me and leave me alone…but you didn't…" Victor muses.
"…being a son of a famous rescuer had a lot of pressures, but there's a lesson I learn…when you see someone in danger, don't hesitate to help…" Thorn says, getting Victor's attention. "And besides, I honestly said I have a good ability to read Pokémon's true intention, and you…you are trustworthy. Sure, you have your secrets, but who doesn't?"
"You…don't mind? About me having a secret?" Victor asks, a bit surprised. A lot of people prefer that the person they trust could spill secrets just to prove they're trustworthy.
"Is your secret involving something that might harm me?" Thorn asks as Victor pauses.
"…I…am unsure," Victor honestly replied, surprising Thorn a lot. "It's…connected to the mystery of how I got here, so I am unsure…"
"Oh…" Thorn sighs in relief. "I…suppose that is fine, and besides, it's still your secret. So, it's up to you if you want to tell me."
"… Sorry, I am not ready to share it yet," Victor says as Thorn nods.
"I respect that," Thorn says.
"But," Victor adds. "When I'm ready, I'll tell you first." This answer stuns Thorn, not expecting Victor to promise something like that.
"I…am flattered, but why me?" Thorn asks.
"You're the one who's willing to offer a Helping Hand to me, or in your case, a pair of helping vines," Thorn snorts and rolls his eyes. "Like I said earlier, you could've just left me alone, but you didn't. You helped me, although I didn't do anything to gain that much amount of trust from you, so the only way I could repay your kindness is to put as much trust as you did in me."
"…thank you," Thorn says with a smile before he turns to the side, looking bashful. "So…we're friends?"
"…pfft," Victor can't help but burst into laughter, causing Thorn to look flustered.
"C-come on! D-don't laugh!" Thorn stutters as Victor calms himself down.
"I-I'm sorry, I…I didn't expect you to ask the question that has been lingering in my mind!" Victor exclaims, surprising Thorn before they both laugh. It took a while before they both calmed down. "But for your question...yes, yes, we are."
This made Thorn beam as he smiled widely and pulled Victor into a hug, surprising the human-turned-Digimon before he returned the gesture. Victor may dislike him getting isekaid, but getting a friend from another dimension doesn't seem so bad for him.
To Be Continued