Reinvigorated, Blitzer and George continued past the bridge, taking the first leftward trail they could find, as had been instructed. The trail was sparse and partially overgrown with thorns that had grown past George’s head. Blitzer had a way around it: If the thorns were too connected to the rest of the vegetation, they’d go around, and if they were largely a single patch of grass, Blitzer was more than happy to use his weapon.

“Hey George, watch this.”

He threw his mouth wide open and scorched the thorns back into the ground. George was stunned. Incredibly impressive, but intimidating: The power of Fire was one unlike any other.

“Wow Blitzer, that was incredible! Firebreathing’s something to behold!”

The Charmander shrugged. “Says you, the waterbreather!”

George sheepishly curled his mouth. “Is that really so impressive? It’s only water.” ‘And that’s if I can even breathe it .’

“And this is only fire,” said Blitzer, scratching his neck. “I can’t breathe fire for more than a few seconds before I start coughing, anyway. It tires me out really quickly, so I have to be careful. And I don’t want to accidentally start fires all over the place, either. It’s rough.”

“Do you think water would be any different?” asked George, twirling his ears around.

“Well, the waterbreathers back home do it real easily, and I’m the only firebreather in Greenfield, so… yeah. It shouldn’t be too difficult, I think. They can do it without coughing.”

“...Sure.” ‘ Maybe it’s because they’re already experienced, Blitzer .’

After a good amount of burning and dodging, the trail finally ended at the base of a hill shrouded in a thin mist. The birds had stopped singing, leaving only the wind howling as Blitzer and George arrived. Due to the mist, it was difficult to make out anything ahead, only that the greens in the grass had faded, leaving just a blue spirit behind. George tensed up, keeping one hand close to his scalchop. There was something off in the air, as if it was trying to tell any guests to turn back right this second.

“Here we are,” Blitzer whispered. “There’s the sign, right over there.” He pointed towards a path leading up the hill. Underneath some moss, the words “Azure Hills MD - Keep out!” were written. George eyed the hill through the mist and shivered.

“Do you think this is where we’ll find the berries? It looks very cold up there.”

“Well, we were told that there are berries plenty in the Azure Hills. Only one way to find out, right? If we’re lucky, we might even find one of the villagers there, and they can point us in the right direction.”

George crossed his arms over his scalchop. “But it’s a mystery dungeon.”

“Oh, yes, that’s right…” Blitzer smacked himself on the side of the head. “Then we’re on our own. No sense in waiting around here for others to show up, is there? Yeah, that’s right! We can do this ourselves!” He stepped forward and straightened his scarf, as if he was about to start a race. “Let’s do this, George!”

George waddled next up to him, firmly holding onto his basket. ‘ Here goes nothing .’

Mists enveloped all around as they ventured onward. Right off the bat, exploring the hills wouldn’t be so simple. The trail was a mess of switchbacks running up to the top, leaving little room to move around that didn’t involve going into the grass beside. Little separated the trail from a drop on one side and the wall of a cliff on the other. Not to mention the trouble of moving uphill constantly. It was bound to be tiring, and there was no way around it.

Up at the top of the hill, the mist wasn’t as prevalent. Alas, it was a short celebration. A glance ahead revealed little besides more zigzagging trails up different hills. Down below in the fog, trails branched off in all directions; some up another hill, some back to nowhere. Or so it seemed. You were left second guessing yourself when dealing with the fog. All you had to work with were vague outlines and shadows darting across.

“Well, some climb this is. I could do this all day!” Blitzer eyed the fog below with the contempt of a conqueror staring down at his latest triumph. George looked down, eyes drawn to the shadows moving in the mists. His ears shifted back and forth as cries echoed through the valley, all while shivers continued to strike.

“I don’t know about this, Blitzer…”

The Charmander grabbed George by the shoulder, nudging his chin up to the level of the hilltops in the distance. “Eyes on the goal, George. You see those bushes over there? That’s what we’re after.”

George put a hand above his eyes. Leaning forward, little bits of color were vaguely visible in the bushes. “The berries! But there’s not that many of them, though.”

Blitzer shrugged. “Who knows, we might find a whole bunch of them if we look long enough. In any case, we’re on the right track. If we go from hilltop to hilltop, we should be able to get all the berries we’ll need and then some.”

“Does it matter which berries we gather?” George asked, imagining his mouth full of Oran Berries.

“Yeah. My parents always tell me to eat a large variety. That’s how you get stronger. But if we have to, then any berries will do.”

George nodded, and gave one last glance to the hilltops in the distance. “Got it.”

Blitzer took the initiative in selecting a path down the hill, once again leaving George following behind, much to the latter’s chagrin. He had his own ideas on where to go, but never got to voice them, let alone convince Blitzer of them. Trying to argue or yell to get his attention was a waste of time; it was as if Charmander’s hearing dropped whenever they were running.

And so he once again had to run after Blitzer, with the mist growing thicker as they descended the slope into the echoing valley. The mist was a good keeper of secrets; there were tiny streams flowing all over the place, cutting a path through the damp grass and even the trail itself. Splashes from their feet stepping inside echoed in all directions - for a brief moment, a mammal howled in the distance.

“We’re going right here.”

“Why though? Wasn’t the- Hey, wait up!”

“Has to be. There’s a steep cliff ahead, I can see it.”

They ran down the trail for half of a minute. George couldn’t shake off the feeling that they weren’t the only ones running down the trail, but didn’t peek over his shoulder to look; keeping up with Blitzer was more important. A smell reminiscent of a dog’s crept into his nose once he caught up.

“Ah, it’s a dead end. My bad.” Blitzer wiped down his brow and turned on his heel. George’s ears vibrated as a growl came from behind. “Do you see any other trail we can follow?”

George shook his head. “No. But I do see that!”

The black feet of a Poochyena stepped out of the mist. Its fangs lay bare, ready to strike. George slid back as the creature approached. Fighting weak little bugs was child’s play compared to what they were facing now. Blitzer threw his basket aside and held his claws out in front of him.

“Careful here, George, there might be more.”

“How do we fight this off? It wants a piece out of us!” George said, his voice shaking. Blitzer tapped him on the arm.

“Simple. Just like we fought off the bugs.”

“This is not a bug!”

“It’s still a Pokemon, though.”

The Poochyna lunged straight towards George. He gasped, before being thrown into a pool of water to the side. Blitzer struck the Pokemon on the face, clawing out a trail of black hair in the process. George rolled his face out of the water, a pained expression resting on his face. The Poochyena barked and jumped up at Blitzer’s throat; Blitzer grabbed it by the neck, threw it down on the floor, then fell to his knees with his mouth wide open. Expecting a surge of fire, George shielded his face. A crunch, followed by a yelp, followed by scratching sounded. As George put his arms away and stood back up, Blitzer stood dusting the hairs off of his scaly body.

“Phew, that was a close one.”

George spat at his feet. Some muddy water and bits of blue grass had gotten into his mouth. “Blegh, you could say that again,” he said, trying to find his basket, which had landed further back in the grass.

“You know George, you’re not making things easier by acting all scared,” Blitzer said, basket back in hand.

George annoyedly stomped his feet into the ground. “What? Like I can control how I’m feeling! How am I not supposed to be scared? That thing wanted to eat us!” He kicked the Poochyena in the back, biting his lip in the process. This wasn’t fighting bugs any longer. Going up against creatures of his size wasn’t even on the same planet. How could it be? He wasn’t all that fit when he was a human, and now he wasn’t even that. Just a frail, little otter running around with a basket and an ill fitting scarf.

“Well yeah, but that won’t help us. No one is going to save us down here except ourselves.”

“I know that… It’s just, I can’t do it. I’m not ready to be here.”

“Just stay calm, please.” Blitzer patted George on the shoulder. George nudged him back, shaking his head in disappointment.

“It’s no use. What am I? Nothing but baggage. You’d have been better off without me coming here.”

“No, don’t say that about yourself, George!” Blitzer got right up to George’s face, close enough for George to feel the warmth of his breath fly past. Blitzer then threw his basket back down and angrily shook George around. “You’re not baggage, not ever! It is scary out here, and it is dangerous, and you haven’t learned how to fight yet, but come on! You can’t just say you’re useless!”

“But it’s the truth, though-”

“It’s not! You weren’t useless yesterday, either. You were awesome! You should have seen yourself!”

“That was against bugs,” George muttered.

“And? Bugs aren’t a joke, and I can breathe fire on them! They can’t handle that, yet I still can see that they’re dangerous! Let me tell you, Poochyena aren't much more dangerous than the bugs yesterday, George. If you try to fight back, you’ll see.”

George shook his head. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“Come, let’s go.” Blitzer said, walking back the way they came, making sure George remained right next to him. “We’ll figure this out eventually. Let’s go and get some berries now, I want to be back home before it’s dark outside-”

The two found themselves face to face with another Poochyena. It stood on the edge of the mist, teeth bared just like the one before it. Its eyes were full of rage, staring down Blitzer with monstrous intent. George’s heart pressed against his ribs. ‘ Another?! Did it follow the other one? ’

“Quick, George!” Blitzer fell back into his fighting stance, dropping his basket beside him. George idled for a bit. ‘I don’t know, I’m not a fighter… but, Blitzer…’ he thought to himself. In the end though, he couldn’t run from this or hice behind anyone. Then, when another sent the hairs on the back of his head upright. It was time to bite the bullet. He threw down his basket and held up his hands.

“Ow!”

Blitzer winced and bumped into George, causing him to tumble into the grass next to the road, feet slipping and tail flying into the air. The scalchop pressed into his chest, sending a wave of convulsions through him. The Poochyena took it’s chance, lunging straight at Blitzer who was struggling to find decent footing. Blitzer threw his hands forwards to try and block it, but the Pokemon was too strong. They fell over backwards, Blitzer landing on his back, kept from the jaws of the Poochyena only by his hands pressing against the beast’s neck.

“George!! Help me! Help!!”

George scrambled to get back onto his two feet. Blitzer’s cries out to him rang in his ears, echoing in his head as if they were made from the bottom of a ravine. His feet felt limp, his arms brittle, all at the worst time possible. He had to do something, and fast. Blitzer’s resistance was growing evermore shaky by the second. George gasped, closed his eyes, and threw himself forward. As his feet left the air, there was but one thing taking place inside.

‘ I had to do this .’

Fur, then skin collided against George’s arms. He and the Poochyena rolled to a stop, the ground forcing the scalchop against him. Groaning and sputtering, his arms went upwards to the attacker’s underbelly out of reflex. The Poochyena barked, trying to muscle it’s way downwards. George breathed heavily towards the attacking Pokemon. Nothing but air came out, and the only one hurting was George.

‘ Where’s the water? Why can’t I do it?! ’

Tears welled up in his eye as the pain pulsated around the scalchop. George tried as hard as he could to push the Poochyena off, pushing and pushing, but it just wouldn’t relent no matter how hard he tried. It had to have enormous amounts of energy after seeing one of its kin fall. Vicious and out for blood, didn’t matter whose blood. For the first time, George felt true fear. Not mere worries over a yelling from the headmistress, or being scared of getting picked on, no. Fear of the end which stared him right in the eye.

“Graah!”

A red claw then struck the Poochyena in the face. The Pokemon winced, then was shoved aside like dust under a broom. George’s arms were knocked to the side; a jet of flame flew over his head, landing and blasting on top of the Poochyena. With a cry, it fell still, leaving George tasting grass. He was then pulled off the ground by that same claw.

“You alright there, George?”

George panted out for a few seconds, the water streaming past his face. He was shaking, hands vibrating to the point that picking the basket back up was a herculean task. All that had stood between him and his own demise was an arm’s length. That close.

“I feel weak,” George said.

“Why?” Blitzer asked, reaching over to his own basket.

“Nothing went right there. Nothing.”

“We’re both still here.”

“But I tried spitting water. Nothing came out, at all. There was nothing I could do anymore, I thought I was done for. And you just took it out with fire, too.”

Blitzer shook his head. “Not when I was on the ground. I couldn’t do it until you took it off of me. Maybe the same thing is true of you and your Water Gun, George. When you’re feeling hurt, you can’t breathe water. Were you hurt around your chest just now?”

George looked meekly down at his chest, hands resting on the sides of his scalchop. The pain caused by that little shell was unbelievable in how much it stung. “Yeah, I think so. The fall got me pretty bad,” he said, to which Blitzer scratched his chin.

“In that case, we should try again later. Or, well, you should try again later, I mean.” Blitzer chuckled. “We should keep going, before more of those Poochyena find us here.”

George bit at his cheeks. “Yeah.”

* * *

Upon coming out of the dead end, the two discussed which direction to try out next. Having been somewhat humbled by the misty dead end and the fight for their lives, Blitzer gave George’s suggestion a pass, and went straight ahead. The valley had gotten quieter since the fight; this time, the hilltops were the ones echoing the cries of wild Pokemon: The barking and howling from canines locked in a clash somewhere in the distance. Something George was glad to be nowhere close to.

The trail zigzagged a few times, before pitching upwards against the slope of a hill. Company awaited the two there; a Drilbur and a Geodude, to be more precise. Not wanting to take any risks, Blitzer went on the attack, George reluctantly following after him. Fortunately, the wild pokemon were so dazed by the strike from the mist, they were unable to mount much of a defense. The Geodude went down after one powerful blast of fire, while the Drilbur was given a beating until it was left seeing stars, leaving the trail to the top open. Blitzer decided it was a good time to do a few stretches.

“I’m hoping it won’t be too much of a hassle to get through to the top. It’s been pretty tiring so far.”

George gazed up; nothing but mists. “I don’t know about this. Wasn’t the top of this hill further up than the previous one?”

“Yes. But that’s where the berries are, and that’s what we’re here for,” Blitzer said, then licked his lips. “Although, maybe we won’t get to fill the whole basket up…”

George was stunned. “But didn’t you want to fulfill your promise? You said you wanted to bring a whole basket back.”

Blitzer’s tail flame spiked; a breath forced its way past his teeth. “Yes, yes I did! Come, we should go,” he said, hastily putting his feet forward. George wasn’t so sure of himself anymore.

‘ He looks awfully worried. Maybe he’s gotten the idea that we’re not capable of doing this? But that’s not like him. Not at all. Why am I getting the feeling that he’s about to cry? ’

A simple road winded its way uphill. After a few zigzags, George glanced back and forth between the mist and Blitzer walking ahead. ‘Simple’ was giving it too much credit: All there was between them and the mist was the trail, a grass slope on one end, and a steep cliff on the other. And it went on and on, further up the hill in a frustrating manner. They had to reach the top at some point.

“Do you see anything up there yet?” asked George.

“Nope. Just more trail,” replied Blitzer.

“Great. I know we said that it looked further up and all, but this is just ridiculous. Why does it have to be like this, anyway?” George said, arms folded over the scalchop. At least his chest didn’t hurt as much.

“That’s what I’d like to know. Doesn’t matter who or what made these Mystery Dungeons to begin with, I just want to know why.”

“Do you think a person made it?”

Blitzer shook his head. “No, because people think about each other! Enough to not make my feet get wet from all the dew on the grass! Aaargh! You know what, to heck with this! I’m going up my own way!”

With an angry flick of his tail, Blitzer threw his basket to the ground and put his claws into the grass beside him, and began to climb his way up to the top.

“H-hey, wait! What about me?” George said wide eyed. Blitzer was set on his ways, however, continuing to climb at a steady pace. Even with the claws on both his hands and feet, Blitzer struggled to get up. He was putting a lot of energy into lifting his body further up, by the sounds of it. Something George didn’t need to try out himself to know it was something he couldn’t manage, not with his stubby arms and feet.

“Can you give climbing a try? It’s not the most difficult- agh!”

Blitzer’s claws slipped. He slid down like a cat in a curtain, leaving a trail of claw marks on the way back as he tried to get a grip, to no avail. “Blitzer! Hold on!” yelled George, as the Charmander fell onto his belly and rolled off the slope, straight towards the steep drop on the other side of the trail.

“Aaargh! AH!”

Blitzer rolled off the edge of the trail, just barely managing to hold onto the cliff with his two claws, teeth bared and painfully hissing breath. “No!” escaped George’s throat. He had to help him, but fate wouldn’t have it that way: On the other side of the mist, another canine Pokemon emerged, barking and snarling at the cliff’s edge. His body ran cold, and the hairs on his head stood upright as Blitzer tried to pull himself back onto the ground, but couldn’t.

‘ n-No! Not now, of all the times… why now?! ’

The wild Pokemon steadily crept up to the edge. As Blitzer tried once more to pull himself off, he got a hold of the scent. In an instant, his eyes opened wide out of fear. “R-Rockruff!!” he shouted, shrill and forced. George stood horrified watching, hoping that somehow, Blitzer had the strength left to breathe fire. But step by step, as the Rockruff came close enough for its breaths to be felt by Blitzer, and as the sound of Blitzer hyperventilating reached George’s ears, that clearly wasn’t going to happen. And George’s fear turned into something else entirely.

‘ Not now, ’ “Not ever!”

His lungs filling up to their maximum, more than he ever thought possible, George felt a strong convulsion inside his chest; the little pain he suffered was soon drowned. Pressure rising to his mouth, he held his arms steady, as a stream of water shot out of his mouth, right at the wild Rockruff standing haplessly over the edge. George closed his eyes; a yelp reached his ears, before a sharp pain inside put the water to a stop, leaving him gasping for air briefly. Dazed, he looked around. No sign of the Rockruff anywhere.

“Oh, oh!! Wow!” Blitzer suddenly freed himself from the cliff’s edge, with the energy he’d have after a long nap. “George, did you just breathe water!?”

George had gone back to clutching his chest. “Yeah, I did… but that was very painful. I don’t think I have another one of those in me.”

“But you did it! Not just a little, either!” Blitzer grabbed George by the shoulders, who stared back with all the enthusiasm of a sick child.

“What do you mean?”

“Did you not see that? That Rockruff literally flew off of the edge!”

“Huh?” George scratched his head. He expected to see the wild Pokemon lying somewhere in front of him, but it was nowhere in sight. “Where is it?”

“Somewhere below! I told you. I saw it flying myself!”

George raised a brow. “Did a little water really do that? Is that even possible?” he said, as he picked his basket back up.

Blitzer went to pick his basket back up. “A little water didn’t do that. You did!”

George was awestruck. “M-me?! But how?”

“Don’t act so surprised. You’re a water type, you should be able to do that! You have that strength inside of you, and you just used it on a Rockruff! They hate water! Honestly, I think you’re a cut above the average water type, too,” said Blitzer.

George’s mouth curled up; that pleasing image of himself with two seamitars in his hands came rushing back. “You’re, you’re not making that up, are you?”

Blitzer nodded. “What I’m saying is that I’m very glad to have you on my side, George.” A smile appeared on his face. “You know, it was stupid idea to try climbing, but I’m glad I did it.”

George nodded back. ‘ So am I .’

Having regained their footing, the two continued further up the trail. Although his chest still hurt, George was proud of himself. Slowly but surely, he was getting the hang of his new body. There was still much to learn, though. The pain in his chest made that clear enough. And as they reached the top, he realized that perhaps he hadn’t been learning fast enough.

“Here we are- stop… D-do you see that?!”