The Dungeon of Loving Beasts Chapter 3: Forming the Upper Deeps (Patreon)

Nightfall. The time of quiet, of sleep. Repose for the mind, body, and soul.

24 hours into being a Dungeon Core, and I was already taking serious risks for serious rewards. Sending the team out to scavenge and scout was prudent; I didn’t need everyone idle while I slowly carved out the upper parts of my dungeon. Moving directly to hunting down a pack of monsters was probably a power move; risky, but again, high rewards.

Rescuing a kid, and letting all and sundry know something weird was going on? Maybe not the best choice. Still, I didn’t think I would be able to live with myself if I’d just let him die, and my guardians would have protested or just ignored me if I’d tried to stop them from intervening. For that matter, I wouldn’t have considered leaving him to die, except that he’d now told people about my team. They knew something was up.

I pondered the information being fed back to me by my scouts. Could I lean into the suspicions of the locals? Spin up a fake ‘summoner’ or wandering mage to hide my presence?

I checked everyone’s classes, and I felt resigned irritation sink in as I reviewed my guardians’ skills. Alexi and Yahenni had chosen the Telepath and Steelmage classes, respectively. Neither was well-disposed to disguises or deception; telepaths might be able to fog or alter the minds of one or two. That plan was a wash.

Not like I’d be able to hide myself for long. Carnwennan indicated that the dungeon entrance was no more than a dozen miles from the town; well off the beaten path, but within a day’s travel, even for someone on foot. The town’s ranger, Issac, could probably find us in a month, if he gave a proper search.

That meant I needed to go deeper.

It ran firmly against my instincts to rush into building, without having all my required research or a fully fleshed out plan; but I needed to move my Core into a more defensible position. It would, however, mean a shift in priorities.

I peeked into the rune lab, and set my ‘sight’ on the three figures working within. Yahenni and Alexi were busy at work on our former ‘main’ project, working their way through the arcane essentials research tree. The ‘part-time’ researcher of our group, little Hope (Togepi had finally chosen a name) was making inroads on the berry research.

I spoke into the room. <Yahenni, Alexi. We’re going to need to shift ou priorities around in response to recent developments.>

Alexi waddled in a circle, a stream of muttered Scottish curses drifting from his hidden lips. <”I will be very happy when I finally evolve again and can simply fly. I assume this has to do with our foolish rescuee and walking information leak?”>

<It is. Security through obscurity is no longer a perpetually available option. We need to have some layers between the entrance and the Core Room. Yahenni, I want you to shift to environmental projects we’ve earmarked. Getting the first floor’s layout into something that makes best use of our capabilities is a must.>

<”Affirmative.”> Yahenni nodded in place. <”I will begin work on trees, underbrush, and fungi.”>

<Alexi, finish out your current research project, then shift to flooring, water features, and mana-fed growth mediums. I can see we finished the skystone project, so we have sunlight for crop growth.> I finished. <Hope->

<”I’m just finishing up work on the essential berries.”> Hope responded. <”Should I start work on the intermediate ones?”>

<No. Start work on the basic Bug-types, and I’ll start work on Swarm-Type insects.>

The Dottler in our little group gave a warbling chirp. <”Ah. Foodstock?”>

<I’m sorry->

<”Do not be.”> At my own broadcasted incredulousness, and Hope’s startled look, he continued. <''I was a wild Blipbug before you captured me. Dying to a Rookidee or Corvesquire was always a possibility, and I know that Yamper and Nikit both went after us when they got hungry enough. We’re near the bottom of the food chain for a reason.``> He shook his shell slightly. <If you’re going to put larger creatures in the forest we’re building, they’ll need prey. And bugs are easy for that.”>

<Yeah. Non-sentient, of course.>

<”Good.”> Alexi trundled back to his station, done with the conversation. I watched as Yahenni nodded and moved back to their station in turn, leaving Hope peering at my Core through the doors.

<Hope, are you alright?>

<”..not really anwyl.”> The little Pokemon shook herself, and I watched her gather her wits again. In both her lives, Hope had been human raised and adjusted; such creatures were inevitably more intelligent, and most had similar morals to humans. Hope was no exception.

I paused as she started to move back to her starting position. <Ah, Hope? What does Anwyl mean?>

<”Oh! It means loved one, sir. In Old Feldish.”> She seemed to wilt slightly. <”Is that-”>

<It’s wonderful, Hope.> The Togepi brightened up as I spoke. I let my verbal voice ‘cough’ slightly. <I’ll need to come up with a proper name soon.> I paused, considering what she’d said. <What is it like, remembering multiple lives?>

Hope blinked as she trundled from the rune room, coming to look up at my Core. <”You don’t?”>

<!->

Hatching my first egg, looking in confusion at the little critter which had failed to lose half it’s shell- both through a screen and in my hands.

A powerful white being, fluttering around me as I walked forward at the Battle Frontier, joyful cries bounding off the stones…

Six pokemon, chosen for coverage, resting at my side as I advanced on the ‘unbeatable’ champion, Leon’s smirk evident as he prepared his famous pose…

<-do. But they’re less evident. And slowly fading in.> I acknowledged, even as I realized the truth of the words I spoke. <You all had them descend upon you in a rush, as far as I could see.>

Hope wiggled back and forth. <”It’s less strong for me than the others. You loved us all, but in our first life, we weren’t a frontline battler. Not like Steven.”> She tilted her head. <”And then things were different again in Sinnoh and Galar. Hatched again by you in Sinnoh, but traded to you in Galar. But every time, the core is the same; love care, and the dance of battle.”>

<And it is different for some of the others?>

<”Semi and Alexi only have one set. Beacon has two, but one is mostly them being a reservist, and they’re in the same region. Carnwennan has multiple sets, but only a few which stand out. Eevee is the worst off, with five incarnations and different species and she’s… adjusting.”>

<That’s good.> I sent and felt feelings of gratitude and contentment, and watched Hope relax. <We should both get back to work.>

As Hope trundled back to the lab, I began my own labors. First, I dug out another large chamber right off my own room; I started by lining it with skystones, the orbs of rock lighting up with the daylight outside as soon as I began to supply them with energy. I then laid down a layer of soft green moss across the entire cavern, forming perches, live trees, and mud puddles for the less standard sleepers.

With the new sleeping quarters done, I put a second cavern thrice the size of the first off it. This I filled with soft loam, the research just completing, then began to plant the results of Hope’s work; berries, in all of the eight main varieties. I grimaced as the costs began to mount as I placed each row in the plantation, sighing in relief as I finished the row of Persim berries.

I turned my attention to my core chamber, frowning as I viewed the pitiful size of my current floor. With a pulse, I pumped enough mana into my core to level it twice, then settled back. With my new additions, I could better plan the rest of my expansions, which was good, since I needed to fill my tank back up again.

As I settled in, delicate footsteps sounded in my core room as one of my more recently-reclusive guardians made their presence known. Zain moved to stand before my core, wine-colored eyes looking up at my physical shell. <”Sire, I have a message for you from Lord Arceus.”>

<What?> The word summed up my response, in both content and feeling. And then I started a second time, as a wholly unfamiliar golden text box materialized between me and Zain.

Divine Quest

Go forth and be fruitful and diverse.

Mandate:

Create 151 different pokemon species, not counting your current guardians.

Have at least 500 Pokemon in your dungeon, all self-stable

Failure:

One full year passesReward:

A Prototype, renewed and made ready

On the one hand, as a former quest giver and writer, I could appreciate a good ‘secret reward’. On the other, putting a time limit on how soon I should have over five hundred new Pokemon in service… well, that meant abandoning entirely a ‘slow and steady’ approach.

Checking my stock of energy, I pulled up my old plans, and began revising several of my timelines. I wasn’t going to have the time to get my entire floor fleshed out before populating it, so I might as well switch to using several intermediate steps.

I started by widening a chamber down the corridor I’d laid out, creating an acre-sized chamber after deepening the room. Reaching back up the corridor, I sliced a narrow, slowly widening channel and letting a portion of the pool at the entrance flow down it, setting a few springs along the path to increase the small creek into a significant river. As the new river formed a waterfall, I set a small lake at the base, letting the water pool and drain away into a siphon.

With the entrance squared away, I began churning the earth of my new chamber, creating a rich, hydrated soil. Seeding the entire chamber with grass, wildflowers, and a healthy smattering of oak and birch saplings, I prepared the land to act as the genesis for my forest chamber. As the mana-fed plants began to stir, I finished my work by placing an array of light crystals in the ceiling to provide light for my new plants.

Finally having exhausted my mana for now, I settled back into my cradle, sighing to myself. <Alright, that’s done for now…> I then paused as I watched a familiar little form trundle into the now-grassy room, look around, and happily pronk into the grass and begin rolling in it. <Okay, yeah, happy mareep are adorable.> I mused before I spoke up. <Ah, Beacon. Do you like the new room?>

<”Uh-huh. The orchard’s nice, but…”> He finished rolling, coming back up on his hooves. <”This place will be better to practice.”>

<Practice? Oh, I suppose battling practice is important…>

<”Yeah.”> The little electric type settled down, peering in the direction of my Core. <”So… what’s your goal?”>

<Hmm? I don’t understand, we’re working to keep this place safe.>

<”No! I mean, past that.”> Beacon shook himself. <”We had to deliver a package, then beat team rocket, then beat the League, and then explore Kanto, and then deal with Red. And after all that… You stopped.”> He shook his head. <”Don’t wanna do that again. So, what do we want to do?”>

<I suppose I haven’t been thinking that far ahead.>

<”Once you figure it out, tell me. Then I’ll know what class to pick up.”> Beacon rolled back over. <”Until someone else gets free, or it’s time for dinner… I’mma gonna nap.”>

<...I suppose you don’t have much of a job yet.>

<”Nope. When you figure that out, let me know.”> Beacon cracked one eye open. <”Huh, I just qualified for Hermit Mage. I’ll look at it later.”>

As I watched Beacon drift off, I checked my reserves for the last time. There was just enough in the tank for one final work. With an effort of will, I bent my power to perform my first proper creation.

With a pop, my first actual pokemon formed beneath a small sapling. I grinned as it began to look around. I felt elated… which was a tiny bit ironic.

<Wurmple,> I decided as the little red-and-white bug began to nose the grass around itself. <Shouldn’t make me feel god-like. And yet I still have the desire to chant ‘It’s alive!’>

<...thus, Beacon makes a strong point, but one I’m unable to ponder over without more information.> All twelve Guardians had gathered in the main room, taking up newly woven seats or sitting on soft moss, my entire Core Chamber covered in thick green fuzz. <We’ve already done some highly limited scouting, but we may need to expand on that to acquire the resources we need.>

<”More research materials would be useful. And looking over your plans, we will require a much more varied selection of seeds and substrates.”> Yahenni acknowledged. <”However, as of now, we have an imbalance when it comes to utility.”>

<”I hate to say it, but they’re right.”> David spoke from his place around my core. <”Jean, Carn, and I are all good for scouting and exploration, while Yahenni and Alexi are needed in the lab. We’re all good at fighting, but most of us aren’t great elsewhere. We need either education, or more people.”>

<Education might be best. I’m currently unable to create more intelligent, trained beings, at least not with my current limitations; summoning a group of builders, researchers, or farmers is beyond me.>

Beacon bleated. <”I’ve chosen Hermit Mage, and it seems to be focused on magical contemplation and potion-crafting. A lot of self-development and philosophy. Would that help any?”>

<It might. Do you think it might make you a possible researcher?>

Yahenni rumbled. <”Not for our current research paths. But for others, perhaps. Do we have the resources to create a second laboratory?”>

<Not as of right now; specialist structures like that one requires a lot of spiritual essence, not just mana. And I’m a little low on that right now, since we aren’t killing or fighting things. I should have enough in the next couple of days, though.>

<Acceptable.>

Jean raised one claw, teeth poking out around her lips. <”If we need to kill things, there’s a lot of animals around we could hunt…”>

<”From what I’ve seen, most of the wildlife is weak.”> Steven chompled out. <”I can’t imagine that anything so weak will provide much in the way of resources.”>

<Proper monsters will be better, yes.> I interjected. <There may be more out in the mountain ranges, but the local area seems mostly clear. Further from civilization, we may find more.>

<”So we’re going hunting?”> Jean asked easily.

<Not yet. Carnwennan, how goes scouting the immediate area?>

The zubat fluttered her wings from her perch. <”Between David, Jean, and myself, we’ve mapped most of the region immediately surrounding the town. If Steven reached the river, we could scout some distance in each direction, which might expose more sites of interest. But since we’ve been focused on scouting the humans, we’ve not gone very far into the deeper woodlands or mountains.”>

I thought about that for a few long moments before I ‘nodded’ internally. <Finish your scouting around the humans, then. Jean, I need you to go hunting; specifically, hunting birds. We need more eyes in the sky, and right now diverging into birds is too pricey from a research standpoint. Let’s bring the cost down.>

Alexi perked up. <”You know, if we could summon Tristain…”>

I sighed, even as I thought about my Corvinight ally in Galar. <My connection with Tristain is actually much slimmer than my connection with you all. He was a good Pokemon, but unlike you and many of the others here, he was an expected and calculated partner.>

There was a lot of nervous shuffling from the gathered Pokemon. <”Ah, could you explain that?”> Steven rumbled.

<Whenever I started my journeys through the ‘games’ I played, I’d often begin with a set team in mind. And then, over the course of play, I’d find Pokemon to fill gaps until I could build that team… and those Pokemon would somehow come to eclipse some of the earlier, calculated choices I made before my journey began.”> I reasoned.

Alexi paused, then nodded. <”That… hmm. It matches my experiences. You knew from the start you wanted Tristain as a teammate, but I was just a helpful pickup… for a time. Then I grew into the role.”> He looked about. <”That depth… is it also why, despite the number of journeys, I only see two of the regional starters?”>

<Yes.> I passed my gaze over Steven and David, the starters shifting under my attention. <Steven was my first Pokemon, but then his counterpart joined me for another adventure, by pure serendipity. And David, you were with me through several regions, even in a single lifetime.>

David nodded. <”It was odd, to see you in a different shape and a different land. Odd, but not bad.”>

Steven chuckled, even as the rest of the Pokemon settled around him. <”Going from a trainer-bred pokemon to a wild-caught one is a bit of a leap, but I think I’m ritcher for it.”> He paused, then tapped his chest. <”Hey, do you think we can still find me a Mega-stone? Mega evolving was a rush, and we might need the power.”>

Yahenni chimed in before I could. <”Mega Evolution is a research path far beyond our current means. We will have to postpone such talk.”>

Steven and Zain both sighed as I acknowledged those words. <Indeed. We have more sources of strength now.> I hesitated. <Ah, I believe I know the name I will take in this new land. You all can’t keep calling me boss or master; we are, as we always have been, partners. From here on out, call me Gwyn.>

Hope squeaked. <”Hey, that’s Feldish!”>

<It is. It means blessed, as I am blessed to have all of you with me.> I said warmly. <Now, we have a big day tomorrow, so everyone please head for the new sleeping quarters. Except you, Carnwennan; your choice whether to be diurnal or nocturnal, I think.>

As my teams began to head for their new quarters, Zain stopped and looked up at my core. <”Gwyn?”>

<Yes?>

<”Thank you for caring. Even if we were just puppets.”>

<You were not, I think. The nature of the universe is one of infinite wonder; even through a screen and worlds apart, real or no, I felt for you all. And now, standing before me, I cannot help but love you all.>

The little kirlia blushed. <”Love you too, anwyl.”> They said softly, before heading towards their own quarters.

I sighed within the confines of my own head. As titles went, I think I could learn to like that one. I shook off the warm and fuzzies, turning my attention to my dungeon, and the slowly growing stock of weak bug-types within. Sleep was unnecessary, and there was work to be done. I had a dungeon to build, and an ecosystem to construct.