Explorers of Origin: A Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction, Volume 1

Chapter 7: The Hidden Passage

Flames: tools of destruction, yet also beacons of hope...

Espeon leads the group into Wigglytuff Guild's hidden passage, imposing their presence within the glum, humid pipe system that crawls through the natural stone walls like goosebumps populating one's arm. Its empty, hollow structure creates a tingling tension within the team, forcing them to carefully navigate through the passage without causing excessive noise. Given its uncertain outcome with the passing of time, the passage generates valid concern from Pikachu as he keenly pays attention to the residual material pasted on the floor and walls. Unable to ignore the conditions of the passage, he initiates his first impressions towards his teammates.

"Talk about a dying tunnel."

"Well, Jigglypuff did say it was a fifty year-old passage; it's bound to be rusty and humid. Not to mention the unexpected dangers that may come up. Hey, Espeon, for how long have you used this path to do things?"

"I've known about the passage ever since I first met Wigglytuff. Only government leaders had authorized access to it, with the purpose of safely make diplomatic trips without the risk of suffering any type of violent aggression. The passage here is a lot more complex than you might think; there are many hidden entrances that these leaders knew about, as they specifically built them in places where no one would stop and check their surroundings. Such an entrance would exist in seemingly obvious areas such as towns and cities, but they also show up in random pieces of nature. As for anyone else using them, the leaders choose trustworthy Pokémon to utilize them for trading items and sending messages. It sounds old-fashioned, but it totally works."

"I wouldn't be surprised if there were acts of corruption around these parts."

"Attempts were made, but none were successful. While it's true that the hidden passage has that sort of side effect, this criminal activity is easy to thwart because the only way to commit crimes without the public's knowledge is to somehow invade the passage."

"Does this mean that the government leaders dispatch a specialized security force to crack them down?"

"Pretty much. Their job was rather easy, actually."

"Go figure."

"There are similar passages in your world, right, Pikachu? I can imagine the many secret treasures that sit there for hundreds or thousands of years!"

"It ain't all gold and silver, trust me. The only "secret" paths I can think of are sewage systems, and those are easy to find. I watched vlogs of people entering them to check for quality; the sewers are gross as hell. Lots of feces stuck on the walls and liquefied waste on the walking surfaces. Piles upon piles of trash are just left there. Trust me, you don't want to continuously picture that in your minds."

"Well, in any case, I happen to have two small bottles of perfume and one bottle of cologne for the three of us to use. Pikachu, Mawile, pick them out from my bag and put them in yours. We'll spray some on us when we get to the exit leading to Acai Town."

"Sounds fair. We never got the chance to shower back at the den, either."

"Well, about that, Pikachu: the den did not have any bathing area installed; the washroom was the only hygiene room my daughters and I set aside."

"Pokémon usually do not need to clean up their bodies as frequently as humans do. I've read on an online article that the 'normal' human takes showers every day, sometimes both in the morning and at night. We're aware of the possible desperation for complete hygiene, but it doesn't happen often."

"Huh."

During their discussion on the importance of hygiene (or the lack of it), a cold breeze begins to howl through the intricate structure of the hidden passage. This breeze injects into Mawile's back, crawling inside her skin to sprout goosebumps. Suspicious of its sudden development, she inspects the pipe-filled walls for any openings.