A PBA Story

Creative Section Literature
1

Happened one day that I was pacing my way around the far-west, looking for new and exciting berries, that I came across a faded path. The rain was dreary, though I was hardly miserable; it was fun to get out and about, see parts of the world I’d never seen before, and the roads of the our world were always so clear; aside from the odd plant in the way. No matter how many times I cut them down, it seemed they’d always be right back there, when I ended up travelling down those paths again.

So it was odd that nature had seen fit to take this path back, out of all the pathways in the world. Reckless, feckless, it didn’t really matter: I wanted to go see what nature was hiding. Oh, I hardly knew what I was getting into, but my snout twitched with adventure… a bag full of berries and apples meant I could surely take on the world, right?

The path was drab, and rolled over a hill or two, but just as I seemed to lose it, a set of signs appeared. Brilliant timing, surely, I thought!

By now, I really had no idea where I was, and the trail seemed hopelessly convoluted and wiggled everywhere. So, I was quite eager to get some directions - hell, even some fellow Pokemon contact would be great; there seemed to be nobody around at all for miles.

All was well and good as I read the first sign: North - Mt. Skylift. Great!

I already knew that Skylift was near that old, icy pathway to Winden; so I was somewhere north-west of Grassroot. It didn’t really tell me much more than that, though, or what Skylift was like, and I really knew I didn’t care at all about it - Quilavas don’t have a head for heights, and Skylift sounded horrifyingly vertical.

So, I read the second sign - and rather instantly, find myself confused. It wasn’t until I looked down the direction of the arrow that I notice the ever-more-faded pathway creeping along the ground, somewhere off to the north… but more disturbing still was the lack of help and advice the normally reassuring signpost was offering.

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2

Claps
Very good!
This is a good story Sandlava.
I always wanted and think about PBA and everything…it seems soo mysterious.
Hope you continue with this :joy:

3

A vivid little short, great work. c:

4

Walking along the forgotten path was horrendous. The terrain was terrible, and it wasn’t long until the path itself was twisted and mangled, and completely broken beyond recognition. Dead trees littered the route, and only a few flowers dared to grow. But my pride was at stake as I pressed on, determined to conquer these silly obstacles.

Even so, with all my massive ego, I couldn’t help squeaking right out loud as, with one, mis-placed pawstep - the ground crumbled away at my feet, knocking me tail-end down a cliff onto hard, lifeless cobblerock.

Ow.

… it was hard to get up, at first. The bruises of the rough fall were heavy on my paws and hinds - but I’d normally shake them off. What was wrong with me?..

The music -

the moment I noticed it, I couldn’t stop hearing it. Like a distant Bronzong, a chime and echo reverberated through the air. As if guided, I turned around… to find myself facing the most horrific cave-dwelling I had ever seen, and burning with a compulsion to dive inside.

I couldn’t think at all.

There was really only one thing in my head.

That voice… c̴̷̢͔͉̗͕͚̖̪͎͕̯̱̗ͤͪ̊ͨ̔̐̐ͭ̂ͭͣ͑̏̅ͪ͟͟ͅő̆ͭ͊̃͆̂̕͏̷̳̙̟̬̩́m̛̳͓̘̍͒̌̐ͤͩ̇̔̐̿̓̚e̦̯̲͙͓̲̺͍͔͍̣̪̻̟͇̓̔̌̿̑ͨ̾ͮ̽̋ͭ̃̒̓̋ͨ̀ͪ̕͟͢ͅ

5

There wasn’t anything inside the cave - just jagged rocks, twisted turns, dead and dying roots creeping from the walls in knarled furls and knots… and no light to speak of, except the flares on my back. I found myself relying on my own, inner flare-fuel for light and peace - but rather than fear, all I felt was something guiding me deeper, over crags in the ground, through turns in the tunnel…

I was wanted; something weak and child-like needed my help; and it talked to me - told me, it was deep in the cave, very deep, very dȁ͓̰̂ͤ͛͒rk and dee̯̳ͤͮ͒ͬp…

I swallowed, feeling ill.

But even my flames couldn’t penetrate that darkness.

6

I really like the way you tell your story with the first person POV, and the pictures for visual aid. I find the way you write it to be quite stimulating, though short and to the point. I also like how you take the time to get into your pokemon’s perspective, too, whilst still going through the same thoughts I’m sure a lot of players were also getting upon their first visit to Pitch Black Abyss.

Looking forward to reading more of your adventure. It’s pretty interesting thus far. :joy:

7

claps

8

The very first moment I stepped forward into that black hole, the creature in control of my mind dissapeared- and so did the floor.

I hit the dirt below on my side, aching all over. But I picked myself up… I felt strong. Really, really strong. It was almost as if this place was filled with power - but all in all, I would have preferred more light. Only a few patches of what looked like lava lit the caverns, which arced off in four directions. I’d lost my bag of supplies- my inventory was empty, and I had nobody to call for help.

Seemed like all I could do was take the first step.

I decided to head north. No real reason, really; it’s just what I’d been doing before I got here. It got darker as I went - step by step, my eyesight grew more useless, and I found myself relying on glimmers in the darkness to help locate even cracks in the dirt.

But it only got worse… even my flares were useless now, and the oppressive veil of darkness sapped my pride. I began to feel real fear - I had nowhere to go, no direction to follow, and unless I was imagining it - each time I turned around, the caves had changed behind me. It was as if each step I took into a new part of the caves changed everything around me!

In delirium, all I could think about was a bed of hay in Grassroot Town.

Was this even real…?

OH ARCEUS, NO.

GHOSTS. In a sudden flash of light, ghosts poured from the walls - hat-wearing witches, soul-sucking cycloptic rocks; a barrage of shadowy balls chased me down the halls as instinct took me, and I fled.

I hadn’t even opened my eyes; it didn’t make a difference, it was as dark around me as pitch night and in this abyssal place, I couldn’t see a thing! Ghosts! Ghosts existed, in this place! It was all I could think about, and I mewled as I ran.

But I was soon tired, as the darkness and the running and the heat sapped my strength. I opened my eyes at last.

But what fresh hell was this?

Panting with exertion, beads of sweat ran across my snout. Light from lava spewing from an endless sea of rocks…

I couldn’t step over them, the heat was devestating. They littered the floor, and turn after turn lead to dead-end after dead-end.

Ha, dead end.

But even as hours seemed to pass in this endless maze, I couldn’t feel real hunger - all my pains withdrew. Time seemed to heal me just enough for this wicked dungeon to continue its tortures, and only the spare berry or two on the floor did little to satiate a burn on my leg, and couldn’t help me find any exit.

Oh, but in time, in time… an exit I found.

9

Light grew and faded around me as I stepped onto the teleportation squares on the floor, leaving me dazed and disorientated, staring at an icy wall. I shuffled uneasily - slipping on the ethereal sandy floor of the pit.

Laughter echoed through the bowl.

Ghosts still fresh on my mind, I shivered at the voices of unseen monsters, growling and laughing-- as one by one, they appeared. In one moment they were never there - in a blink of the eye, they appeared, ferocious. A pristine, glamorous Ninetails glared at me. Stately, a Xatu unfurled his steel wings. And the clacks of a Drapion’s feet pushing through the ground towards me sent shivers through my body.

The battle began - as Drapion shielded himself in glowing light, the Ninetales fired a beam of searing sun, tearing a hole in the rocks and passing a hair’s breadth from my ears. Xatu flapped his wings, a terrifying wind whipping through the chamber… I could only bare my teeth, and with claws and fire, I leapt at the Ninetales.

And yet, as soon as my claw swiped through the fur of the vulpine body, it dissapeared in a puff. Xatu flapped his wings, the powerful wind whipping me to the other side of the bowl; my side grated along the floor, as the Drapion slammed a claw into the dirt, narrowly missing me. His protection vanished with the attack, and I saw my chance- a breath of fire surrounded him, but just as soon as my attack graced his armour shell, he vanished.

It was just me and the Xatu, now. We faced each other from across the pit, firing blasts of searing heat and steel-edged knives of wind. Then we collided; his psychic distortion blurring the world, just as my paw swiped at his wings, tearing-

and as suddenly as it began, the Xatu vanished.

Only a brief chime alerted me to the change, as I scanned the cave, terrified. Where had they gone? Were they real? Was this real?

I had no choices, though. The pit was barren, not even a bone in the ground to tell the story. This was my only route - my only path out of this terrifying, dark and lonely, ghost-infested place.

I stepped onto the teleportation plate, for good or for ill…

THE END

10

Thanks for all the compliments, guys! You made it fun to write this, knowing someone was reading. ;D

<3

This was actually my first run through PBA, and it’s an awesome dungeon. All the atmosphere… I loved it. Huge props to the mappers and the developers and the scripters who worked on this. You guys are great. :3

11

Very funny ending!
I hope you do more of these stories :joy:

12

Quite a well written story. and actually, only one person really worked on Pitch Black Abyss… I am trying to get him to read this, but I don’t think he has yet.

Regardless, it was a good read. I enjoyed the ending~

13

Very nice story, and I’m glad you enjoyed the dungeon. Kekeke…

14

That was a quite nice story, I truely enjoyed it. Loved the surprising ending.

15

Hmm, it’s a nice story and a good ending, I’d say.~