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The Swamp's Edge ~
Zori looked on toward the swamp, her nose wrinkled at the smell. "This won't be pleasant, will it?" The Eevee asked quietly. Suki swayed from side to side; shaking her head. "I seriously doubt it, Zo. This doesn't look like a friendly place to be, does it?” The Misdreavus replied calmly, although her anxiety showed through the glimmer of light in her crimson eyes. At least she couldn’t get covered in mud, being a Ghost-type. Zori would be trudging through the thick of it, and it would take away a lot of her speed and agility. ”Well, Suki; it looks like we’ll just have to suck it up. We’ve got a job to do.” Zori sighed, shaking the stiffness from her sleek, black paws. The black Eevee trotted forward, the silver swirls on her body duller than usual in the misty, sun-deprived light. Suki following, her eerie white and blood red form standing out against the dreary atmosphere.

Floor 1 ~
Zori trudged through the mud, shaking her little black paws every so often to shake off the gunk that was clinging to her fur. She could hear the soft hum of her partner’s breathing behind her. Suki was so quiet that Zori was continuously looking back to make sure that her friend was still there. Suki sighed softly, her ghostly form fading in and out of view. The mist made it hard for them to see sometimes. Suddenly, Zori stopped. ”This mist smells wrong, Su. And it’s getting thicker by the minute.” The Eevee told her partner, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Suki could tell by the way Zori’s ears were flattened that she was concerned for their safety. Suki hovered closer. ”Everything here smells wrong, Zori. Don’t you think that you’re being a little bit paranoid?” The Eevee glared furiously. ”You think I’m just stirring up drama, don’t you?” Hurt and fury flickered in Zori’s golden eyes. ”You are, to put it mildly, Zori.” Zori flattened her ears, grudgingly following the Misdreavus as the pair continued through the mud.

Floor 2 ~
The mud was getting thicker and deeper now. Zori bounded through the mud as carefully and quietly as she could, while Suki floated on just ahead of her. After a few minutes, both Pokemon came to a halt. ”I’ve never seen mist so thick.” Suki commented quietly. You can barely see where you’re going…” Zori glared at her partner, still angry about the Misdreavus’ earlier comment. ”It classifies as smog, now, Suki. And it smells worse than a thousand Koffing put together.” Both Pokemon froze, eyes wide as they glanced at echother. ”Koffing!” They said together, realizing the truth in Zori’s words. So that was it. It had never been mist, or fog. It was the smog from nearby Koffing. That was why it was so difficult to see through, and the explanation for it’s terrible smell. They nodded to eachother, argument forgotten. ”We’d best be on our guard, Zori. We don’t want to be caught up in a fight.” Zori nodded in agreement. ”Let’s do our best.”

Floor 3 ~
Suki was in the lead again. The mud was still letting off it’s usual stench, but the smog was getting thicker. Much thicker. Zori coughed, trying to clear her lungs. She stretched, trying to get her head above the majority of the smog. It didn’t work very well, but it was a little bit better. ”Come on, Zori; I think I see higher ground ahead!” Suki told her partner encouragingly. The dark-furred Eevee bounded ahead, following the Misdreavus toward the hill. Both Pokemon slowed, taking deep breaths of the closest thing they could find to fresh air. Suddenly, Zori coughed again, her tiny frame shaking with the effort to breathe. ”Zori, look out!” Suki cried. Zori’s head shot up, and suddenly, a Koffing came hurtling out of the mist, and slamming into Zori. Tackle. Zori went flying through the muck, and the little Eevee struggled to squirm her way free of it. ”Shadow Ball!” Suki screeched at the Koffing, sending a large ball of shadowy aura slamming into the Koffing. Another emerged from the smog around them, and both cirled in. But Zori was back up and moving. ”Sand Attack!” Sand hurtled into their faces, getting into their eyes. Suki narrowed her crimson eyes. ”Ominous Wind!” Zori ducked in behind Suki, quickly diving out of the way of her teammate’s attack so as not to be hit. The wind carried with it a dark violet aura as it struck both Koffing head-on. The pair of Koffing collapsed into the mud. Zori and Suki glanced at eachother, laughing nervously. For a while, the only sounds were their loud, harsh breathing, and the faint squish of Zori’s paws moving through the mud.

Floor 4 ~
Zori limped slightly as she walked patiently after Suki. The Misdreavus was moving more slowly, to account for Zori’s injury. The long gash on her leg wasn’t deep, but it certainly wasn’t comfortable. Luckily, the mud was much shallower here. They were walking on higher ground. The Eevee flicked her ears back slightly. ”Suki, do we have anything to bind up my leg with?” She asked quietly. The Misdreavus shook her head sadly. ”No. Just food items.” Zori bit her lip, glancing around. ”Hey; maybe we could use those grasses to bind it up?” She suggested brightly, gesturing to up ahead. The faint, jagged outline of grass was barely visibly through the smog. But it was there. ”That might just work, Zo! And the natural oils of the grasses here will protect your cut from the sludge.” Both Pokemon seemed pleased with the idea, but the grasses were still at least a floor away. ”Can you hang on for a little longer without it, Zori?” Suki’s wispy voice echoed with concern. Zori nodded sharply, her coal black ears flicked forward with determination as she limped along next to her partner.

Floor 5 ~
Zori held her injured leg above the mud at an awkward angle, just barely keeping her balance. Suki wascarefully arranging and draping the grasses over her injury. ”How long can it take to bind up a cut, Su?” Zori complained quietly, wincing as Suki prodded the cut. ”I have to make sure that there’s nothing inside it, and that the grass covers up all of it. You don’t want it to get infected, do you?” Zori sighed. ”You’re right, and I’m sorry. I know you’re trying your best.” The Eevee yelped in pain as Suki pulled a little shard of rock from the cut, and Suki immediately started stroking the Eevee’s fur to quiet her. After a few more minutes of awkward balancing, grass tying, and injury examining, the job was done, and Zori set her leg back down into the mud with a quiet squelching noise. ”Thanks, Suki.” Zori told her friend, stretching her stiff muscles. The Misdreavus nodded in reply, her white body glowing with an eerie aura. ”It was no trouble. No let us be on our way; we’re sure to have attracted unwanted attention to ourselves. To stay any longer would be unwise.” Zori nodded in agreement and both Pokemon set off through the smog, heading for the sixth floor of the swamp.

Floor 6 ~
Suki floated just above the mud, with Zori padding silently along beside her. The only noise between the two of them was the squishing of the mud beneath Zori’s paws, and their combined breathing. Even then, they were doing their best to be stealthy. Neither one was in the mood for another fight. They could hear the loud croaking of a nearby Croagunk. Not a Pokemon they wanted to disturb. Croagunk were strong. And they were known to be sour-tempered and easily annoyed. Zori hid herself swiftly in the safety of the grasses, and Suki floated sharply upward, hiding herself in the smog. Zori held her breath as the Croagunk wandered right past her hiding place. If she were to reach out, she could almost touch it’s smooth, blue skin. She swallowed silently. It was definitely a scary Pokemon. She didn’t really like it being so close. After a few moments, it wandered off, and Zori slipped silenty out of the grasses, her breathing quick and quiet. Suki appeared out of the smog. ”That was scary…” Zori whispered softly. ”I thought for sure that he’d catch me…” For a moment, Suki didn’t respond, staring into the smog. ”So did I.” The shakiness of Suki’s voice made Zori look over at her partner. The relief shining in her bright, crimson eyes was enough to make Zori embrace the Ghost-type in a strange, one-way hug. Zori’s forpaw was curled around her friend’s wispy body. It was solid and warm, but Zori kept expecting her paw to go straight through her friend. Suki smiled, and her white and red body curled slightly around Zori’s. As the two pulled away, they both nodded to eachother. ”We got into this together.” ”Let’s get out of it together, then, too.”

Floor 7 ~
The loud splattering of mud behind Suki and Zori was enough to alert them to the presence of the Mudkip. Zori turned on it, growling dangerously at the young Water-type. It was very cute, sure, but it was also incredibly dangerous. Suki’s dark, red-violet aura mixed threateningly with the smog. The Mudkip growled back, either too brave, too aggressive, or too stupid to back down. It shot a blast of water at Suki, and the Ghost-type dodged sideways to avoid the Water Gun attack. Zori reacted instantly. ”Quick Attack!” She hurtled straight into the Mudkip’s side, her movements blurred by the intense speed of her attack. She quickly leaped back out of the Mudkip’s way as it tried to Tackle her in response. Suki was getting irritated. ”Confuse Ray!” The Misdreavus called out, sending waves of pulsing energy across the battle field. The Mudkip staggered, and tried to Tackle Zori again. But it’s confusion caused it to miss miserably, and slam headfirst into the muddy ground. Zori stayed where she was, her tail curling around her hind leg in a nervous, defensive manner. Suki, however, moved in closer for a better look. ”Suki!” Zori cried, as the Mudkip suddenly rolled over, sending a huge shot of water rushing directly into Suki’s face. A Hydro Pump! Zori let out a furious cry, rushing past her unconscious friend and hurling herself at the Mudkip. Bite. She sank her sharp fang into the Mudkip’s blue skin, her energy fueled by fury. The Mudkip cried out in pain, and shook her off, using Protect to defend itself from any further attacks. Zori growled once more, warning it off, and the Mudkip grudgingly retreated into the smog. Zori sniffed at Suki’s collapsed form. She licked the mud off her friend’s face, and carefully dragged her unconscious form onto her back. Zori carried her unconscious friend through the smog, heading determinedly away from the site of the battle.

Floor 8 ~
Zori trudged along. Her progress through the thick mud was slow and difficult. Suki didn’t weigh much, but it was difficult to keep her properly balanced on her back. She didn’t want the poor Misdreavus to fall. She was continously looking around, anxious that the Mudkip would return, or that another Pokemon would show up. Zori flattened her dark ears, the pale silver swirls on her fur glowing faintly in a way that reminded her of an Umbreon. Zori paused as she reached a spot of dry ground, and set Suki gently down onto the dry surface. She pressed a gentle paw to her friend’s forehead. ”Come on, Su. Wake up.” Zori pleaded, not daring to raise her voice above a whisper. ”Suki, I need you. Milotic needs you. You’ve got to wake up.” She sighed with relief as she watched Suki’s eyes open. ”…Zo? Is that you?” ”Yeah. I’m here, Suki.” The Misdreavus smiled, carefully floating up off the ground, and turning herself right-side up. ”I was beginning to wonder why the ground was moving. And covered in fur.” Zori laughed softly. You’re so weird, Suki.” ”I know. And you love it.” Both Pokemon were smiling now. ”Come on; let’s get moving. We can take a proper break when we reach floor nine. It’s too dangerous here.” Zori murmured to her friend. Suki nodded and followed. ”Thank Arceus the little brat didn’t hit harder. I feel like someone’s thrown my skull through a brick wall…” Zori just laughed.

Floor 9 ~
Zori sprinted across the rare section of bare ground, stretching out her stiff, mud-soaked legs. Suki watched with mild interest, digging through their bag for their apples that they had brought. She pulled them out with gleaming eyes, her belly growling. Neither or them could go another floor without food. At the sight of the apples, Zori stopped running around, and trotted over to Suki’s side. ”Apples?” Zori asked brightly, staring hungrily at the fruit. Suki nodded, and began to divide all three of their apples up between the two of them. This way, they’d both have enough energy to get through the entire dungeon together. Zori bit into her apple happily, thoroughly enjoying the taste of the delicious, sweet fruit. It made a crisp crunching sounds with every bite, and it only made her hungrier. Suki licked her lips. Clearly she’d enjoyed it just as much as Zori had. The pair of Pokemon lazed about on their little patch of dry ground for a little while longer, resting up. Zori’s leg was really beginning to bother her, and Suki resolved to bring Zori straight into the hospital the moment that their mission was completed. As the pair got back up from their break, Zori felt Suki staring at her leg. She turned. ”Are you sure you’re okay to keep going, Zori? I really think we should bind up your leg again.” Suki asked her quietly, her tone ringing with concern. ”I’ll be fine, Su. Don’t worry so much. We can bind it up again a little bit later on, if it makes you feel better, but we really can’t stay here much longer. It’s just too dangerous to stay in one spot.” Zori replied. Suki frowned nervously, but nodded, and the pair wandered off toward the next floor of the dungeon.

Floor 10 ~
Suki floated a little bit ahead of Zori, keeping a sharp lookout for any approaching enemies. The grasses on Zori’s leg were coming loose, letting mud into her cut. She was limping pretty heavily, but there was nothing they could do. The grasses here were just as mud-coated as the ground was. It would only do more harm than good to put those on. They could hear hurried footsteps behind them. The Mudkip from earlier was following them. They’d discovered this not long after they’d left the ninth floor, when they somehow happened across a set of rather familiar Mudkip prints. Neither Zori nor Suki were pleased by this fact. Zori flattened her ears, her jaw set as she tried to ignore the sting of the mud in her leg. She straightened up her posture a little bit, and tried to speed up her pace to avoid another confrontation with the Mudkip. Suki adjusted her pace to match Zori’s. The pale, ghostly Misdreavus flat out refused to leave Zori behind, and make her own way to their client. Zori had defended her, and carried her on her back when she couldn’t make her own way through. It was only right that she returned the favour. She felt a strong bond with her new partner. She had a bit of a temper, sure, and she was pretty emotional, but that made her who she was. Suki didn’t mind. The soft-hearted Eevee turned her head toward her, her large, golden eyes wide with shock. ”Something’s coming, Su.” Zori whispered urgently. ”The Mudkip?” Suki could handle an injured Mudkip. ”No. It smells different. I think it’s a Muk…” Suki frowned. Muks were made up of sludge. The Pokemon could be hiding anywhere, and they’d never know it. Until it decided to attack, that is. Which it did. Zori screeched, leaping for higher ground as the sludge beneath them rose up. A massive, toothless mouth opened up in the center of the rising slime. Suki floated warily higher, watching the Muk’s small, angry eyes open up on either side of it’s large mouth. Crap. This was not a fight they wanted to get into. Suki sped toward Zori. ”Hurry! Let’s get out of here!” The Misdreavus called out to her partner. Zori definitely agreed, moving as fast as she could manage with her injured leg. She could hear Zori’s harsh breathing beside her as they fled, and the loud, low rumbling of the Muk behind as it gave chase. Zori squeaked in pain as her leg bindings caught on something in the mud, and she tumbled down onto the ground. The grass bandage had come off, and her leg was exposed to both the mud, and the slime of the angry Muk. Zori flattened her ears in terror as The Muk reared up, spitting a Sludge Bomb at her. Suki threw herself into the way, taking the full force of the blow. Zori’s eyes widened in shock as Suki went spinning backward through the air, but stayed upright. She sent a Sand Attack spraying straight into the Muk’s face, quickly followed by a Shadow Ball from Suki. The Muk roared, using Acid Armor to heighten it’s defense. It swiped at them with one of it’s gooey arms, but it missed, due to the sand in it’s eyes. Suki used another Shadow Ball, followed by a Confuse Ray to keep it’s massively powerful attacks from making contact. After a final Bite from Zori, the Muk fled back into the depths of the swamp. Zori and Suki fled in the opposite direction, heading for the eleventh floor.

Floor 11 ~
Zori and Suki moved silently along this floor, searching it for any sign of the grasses they’d used earlier to bind up Zori’s leg. Their battle had deepended the injury, and infection was becoming a huge danger. Both Pokemon were exhausted from their battle against the Muk, and so neither of them had any arguments to lying down in the mud to rest. After a few minutes, Suki floated back up out of the mud, and continued to look for grasses. She returned after an hour or so, with a pile of relatively clean grasses. Zori held still without complaint as she began to wind the long, oily grasses around her injured leg. It hurt quite a bit, she had to admit, but struggling would do no one any good. The pair spent almost another half hour there before they were both up and moving again, heading for the next section of the swamp. They were hoping that it would be drier than the previous sections. No such luck.

Floor 12 ~
Zori limped alongside Suki. They were getting better at this. Neither one had spoekn a word since the incident with the Muk, but both knew when their partner needed to stop and rest, or when Suki had to adjust Zori’s makeshift grass bandage. The ducked into the grasses for what had to be the eighth time in this section of the swamp, hiding from a passing Zigzagoon. Zigzagoons seemed to be very common here. They were quiet literally everywhere. As the scruffy, raccoon-like Pokemon passed by, they slid out from their hiding spots, and continued along. Only to hide again. Suki looked incredibly annoyed. She didn’t have enough energy left to take them all down, so she had to hide, but it was still annoying. Zori was of the same opinion. Their pattern of walking, spotting enemies, and hiding continued on for what had to be the longest time before they reached the thirteenth floor.

Floor 13 ~
Suki glanced over at her partner. ”Zori?” The little black and silver Eevee turned her head to look at the Misdreavus. ”Yeah, Suki?” That was funny; it didn’t look like she needed another break. She seemed to have regained the majority of her energy. She just had something to say. ”How far are we from the place where the Milotic was last sighted?” ”Just two more floors to go, Su.” She replied quietly. ”Then why is the grass rustling?” A rather familiar figure emerged from the grasses, towering over both Suki and Zori. The Croagunk. Zori hissed, spitting at it. She could feel her fur fluff up threateningly. Suki let loose a powerful Psybeam, hitting the Croagunk square in the chest. The Croagunk retaliated with Sucker Punch, and Zori watched her partner go flying into the mud once again. Zori used a combination of Quick Attack and Headbutt, slamming hard into the Croagunk’s side. It shook her off as easily as a Water-Type would put out a fire. She groaned painfully, hauling her body out of the mud. A sudden blast of water shot past her, striking the Croagunk in the face. The Mudkip! It darted past her, and shot yet another Hydro Pump at their opponent, this time hitting him in the stomach. Zori used Sand Attack, sending a spray of sand straight into the Croagunk’s eyes. ”Shadow Ball!” A huge ball of shadowy aura shot past, striking the final blow to the Croagunk. It toppled down to the ground, faceplanting in the mud. Zori and Suki let out a collective sigh of relief. As Zori turned to thank the Mudkip, she realized that it had already disappeared. She frowned, and Suki led the way to the next floor.

Floor 14 ~
They were almost there. After the battle with the Croagunk, the majority of Pokemon seemed to stay out of sight, hiding from the outsiders that trudged through their swamp. Some showed themselves, but they never made any aggressive or hostile moves toward either Suki or Zori. For this, Team Stormcloud was extremely grateful. They were very tired, and this dungeon was fraying their last nerves. They were pretty hungry by now, but when they were so close to the end of the dungeon, there was no point in eating their supplies. They could eat when they returned. Every so often, one or the other would ask a question about their location, or their direction of travel, but most of the time, they were both quite quiet to avoid agitating the native Pokemon. They paused once or twice to adjust Zori’s grassy bandage. The gash on her leg was becoming increasingly worse, and Suki was sure that the sludge, mud, and slime of their journey had started an infection. They would need to visit the hospital as soon as they could.

Floor 15 ~
Zori’s eyes lit up as she spotted a slim, graceful silhouette up ahead. She limped forward, and Suki took the lead. ”Hey! Milotic! We’re here to take you home!” Suki called out, delighted and relieved to have found their client. They could finally go home, now! The Milotic turned it’s head toward them, looking very irritated. ”What in Arceus’ name took you so long?! You should’ve been here hours ago!” It snapped. Zori’s ears drooped. ”We’re here now… Would you like to go home?” The Milotic sighed heavily, as though considering the option. ”Of course. What are you? A Wobbuffet? …Idiots…” Zori’s little body shook with fury at the Milotic’s harsh words, but Suki held her back, and simply held up their badge. It glowed brightly, and Milotic was transported back to the guild where it belonged. Suki glanced at Zori. ”Don’t let that pain in the rear bother you, Zori. Probably just scared and tired from being here alone for so long. Now come on, let’s get you home.” The badge shone again, and this time, Zori, Suki, their bag, and their badge were all gone from the dungeon.