The sun filtered softly through the treetops as the group descended from their mounts, their boots crunching on the gravel-strewn path that wound toward the outer boundary of the breeding dungeon. The atmosphere here was different—dense, humming faintly with ambient energy.
The dungeon's entrance loomed not far ahead, partially obscured by swirling distortions in the air, like heat waves above pavement. Subtle but unmistakable, the warping shimmer was a sign of the dungeon's unstable spatial field.
Asher's boots came to a stop just before the edge of the marked perimeter. He turned to face the trio of eager faces behind him. "The space near the dungeon entrance is unstable," he began, his voice even but firm. "There are guards stationed there for emergencies, but that doesn't mean you should let your guard down. If anything feels wrong, call for help immediately. And listen—don't call out your Pokémon in that zone. They aren't strong enough to resist the spatial anomalies, and they could get hurt—seriously."
Sersi's expression shifted to something more serious, even if her eyes still sparkled with excitement. Rodnick gave a sharp nod, while Michael muttered a quiet "Got it" as he glanced at the air distortion with barely concealed curiosity.
"Can we see the spatial stabilizer inside the dungeon?" Rodnick piped up, his tone rising with anticipation. His eyes flitted from the warped air to the stretch of facility up ahead, like a child peeking through the window of a candy store.
It was their first time entering a dungeon—any dungeon—and their enthusiasm was practically radiating off them in waves. Even if this one was domesticated and relatively safe, the word dungeon still carried the mystique of unpredictable wilds and ancient technology.
"I'll take you there first," Asher replied, the corners of his mouth twitching into a nostalgic smile. "After that, we'll visit the breeder station. Back in my day, we were just as eager to poke around everything we weren't supposed to."
Michael's hand shot up like he was answering a question in class. "Bro, can we ride in the dungeon vehicles instead of using Pokémon? Please?"
Before Asher could respond, Sersi chimed in. "Yes, me too! I heard your first ride feels like floating and tumbling at the same time—like being inside a Clefairy's teacup ride."
Asher chuckled. "You've been reading those tourist blogs again, haven't you?"
After decades of study and careful development, dungeon exploration had evolved. What was once treacherous terrain only navigable by tough Pokémon or the bravest of trainers was now being traversed by specialized vehicles—some even faster and more reliable than a well-trained Rapidash. These innovations changed the landscape of both research and rescue missions.
They soon arrived at a large clearing—the vehicle deployment zone. Smooth, metallic platforms embedded in the stone floor gave off a gentle hum, and the shadows of tall, reinforced storage capsules loomed in the background. Standing at the center was a spherical vehicle—sleek, silver, and just slightly translucent, like a giant luxury Pokéball with tinted glass panels.
The kids stared in awe as they approached.
The sphere's surface shimmered faintly with embedded gyroscopic rings, constantly shifting and adjusting to invisible pressure gradients. Inside, padded seats were arranged in a ring around a central stabilizer core, while faint light strips pulsed in sync with the vehicle's internal calibration system.
"These babies are stabilized using high-level dungeon-grade gyroscopics," Asher explained, tapping the glass gently. "This one's based on Gen-IV Dungeon Sphere tech. Designed to adapt to unstable gravitational pockets, repel low-level anomaly pulses, and cruise over uneven terrain without flipping like a rookie trying to ride a Tauros."
Rodnick let out a low whistle. "That's actually kinda sick."
Sersi pressed her nose to the glass like a kid at a cake shop. "It's so shiny. Can we go in now?"
Michael squinted at the markings. "Wait... Bordeax Dynamics? Is this one of the models from the Zephyr line?"
"Yep. Zephyr Bordeaux himself designed the original prototype. Bit of a nutcase, but brilliant," Asher said as he signaled the nearby operator, who opened the sphere's hatch with a quiet hiss. "To fund production, he offered a 1% stake to our grandpa, Champion Drake. On Grandfather's advice, he also gave 7% equity to the Pokémon League in exchange for exclusive dungeon vehicle contracts. Now he's got a seat on every PokéTech board that matters."
"Dude basically turned a PokéRover into a rocket ship," Michael muttered, visibly impressed.
They stepped inside, and the vehicle's door closed behind them with a low, vacuum-sealed thump. The inside was cozy, futuristic. Cushioned seats with adaptive restraint tech, interface panels on the armrests, and the faint scent of sanitized metal and plasma coolant.
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Small Competition:
Okay, let's have a little fun this time. 😏Can any of you guess where I got the inspiration for Poke-rovers from? 👀
First one to figure it out gets a shoutout in the next chapter!I know it's not much, but hey—bragging rights and being part of the lore reveal is a pretty cool prize, right?
Drop your guesses in the comments, and let's see who's paying attention. 😄🔥
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Hey everyone! Sorry for missing the update yesterday—had some personal stuff to handle at home.
But I'm back now, and to make up for it, I'll be posting four chapters today! Two for yesterday, and two more to push the story forward. Hope you're ready.
Now, let's talk Power Stones!It's time to Mega Evolve this Rayquaza of a story and push it up the rankings. 💥If we hit 100 Power Stones by the end of the week, I'll drop a special bonus segment—a full 3000-word chapter (or divided into multiple chapters, you know me). As a gift for your support and a boost for our journey!
Also, a huge thanks to everyone who's been following, reviewing, and commenting. But we still need more reviews! Your feedback means a lot—criticism, praise, suggestions—I read it all and use it to make the story even better.
Speaking of shoutouts—Big thanks to Alice_Chris_Noah for sending in a character template! Here's a quick peek:
Name: Alaian NoahType Focus: Human-like Fighter PokémonCore Team: Greninja (Protean), Lucario (Mega available), Scizor (Technician/Mega potential), Gallade, Bisharp, Blaziken (Speed Boost). Possibly Kubfu, though still debating because of the mythical status.
Personality: Calm and kind when not in battle, but passionate and intense when training or fighting. Loves meditation and even sparring personally with his Pokémon. Definitely the type to chase strong battles.
Possible Roles: Could be an Aura Guardian, a champion or ex-champion, or even a top officer in the Aura Legion—the military division I mentioned back in the World Changes chapter that deals with wild Pokémon disasters and criminal threats.
Since Lucario and Gengar are popular (and so, won't be on the MC's team), I'm making Alaian a major character within the Aura Legion—to do justice to Lucario and Gengar in the story.
Also, if any of you have characters you'd like to see appear in the story, now's the time! Drop your templates in the comments before I fill out the rest of the major character slots myself.
Oh—and before I forget…The System is coming. Very soon.👀 Stay tuned.
Now, real talk :
What's your favorite Pokémon?
More importantly… should Micheal catch it? (≧∇≦)ﾉ
Got a cool idea? Toss in your fav Pokémon with a backstory, quirks, weird habits—heck, even give it a dramatic slow-mo entrance if you're feeling spicy. If it fits the vibe, I'll totally try to weave it into the story!
Enjoying the ride?
Hit that Add to Library button so you don't miss the next chapter!
Got theories, feedback, or just wanna geek out about Dragon-types and dratini eggs? Drop a comment—I read 'em all.
And lastly...
POWERSTONES.💎💎💎
Feed 'em to this story like they're Rare Candies and help it mega evolve!
( •̀ ω •́ )✧