Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Quenched Torch

Chapter 52: Fallen Yet Standing

The leaves rustled as a soft, pleasant wind blew through the sprawling maple forest, one of many covering this part of Gray Orient. Under the starlit sky and shining full moon above, a serene calm hung over the still lake holding the entrance to the Caverns of Being. At the shoreline, a sudden rush of wind abruptly broke the calm, a flash of light giving way to a Quilava and Leafeon. They were over forty minutes behind their fellow explorers in Team Fraternity, they knew, but that time had been required. While Arden had needed time to get used to his regenerated foreleg, the previous the victim of a Blast Trap, there had also been more pressing matters to attend to.

"Alright. Which one of us talks to the dog first?" May asked as the two started towards base camp, squinting in the dark of the night.

"No offense, but I've got more know in this, I'll do the heavy lifting here," Arden said.

"That... is fair. But, you know, heavy lifting. With that arm," May pointed out.

"Hearty har har," Arden said as the two passed the first tent.

"Alright, you wanna wait in his tent or get some rest before...?" May trailed off, her gaze drifting over to her partner as he stopped in his tracks. His face slowly shifted as his ears swiveled around.

"...do you hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" May asked. Arden gave her a grave look.

"Exactly," he said. The Leafeon cocked her head for a bit before her eyes widened in understanding. Base camp was completely silent aside from them; no talking, no footfalls, no late night snacks sizzling over the fire. Just dead silence.

Team Apex had been on this Guild for long enough to know this was not normal.

May quickly clicked her tongue, gesturing into the nearest tent and cautiously making her way over, sneaking silently along with practiced grace. The two pulled the door back, peeking into the tent, then paled.

Sprawled on the floor was Krookodile and the rest of Team Fraternity, their bodies still. Arden was quick to run up to them and put a paw on Hitmontop's neck, quietly and profusely cursing to himself.

"...there's a pulse, they're not dead," he whispered, examining the tent further. "Shit... are you seeing this? Look at the wall, there's tears near the door there. And the floor, those don't look like they just conked out. This... there was a struggle. This was an attack."

Arden and May exchanged a quick glance before running out of the tent, dashing to another tent and looking inside, then another, and another. In each and every tent, signs of scuffles framed unconscious Pokémon, and with each new tent, the realization was hammered in further and further for the two veterans.

Everyone in base camp was out cold. They were alone in here.

"...shit! Arcanine!" Arden soon said breathlessly, his gaze turning towards the Caverns' mouth. May's ears drooped, though before she and Arden could begin their mad dash back, something stopped them.

"—think I heard something this way, you think they missed any?" a voice asked from afar. The two immediately bolted back into camp, diving into a tent before the source of the voice could spot them. Seeing that this tent, too, hosted a couple of unconscious Pokémon, Arden and May exchanged a glance before getting onto the floor, positioning themselves as naturally as they could around the unfortunate explorers and going limp just before the tent's door opened, the silhouette of a Pokémon standing with light to its back.

"See. Nothing. Probably just another feral coming in for the free food. Really, Dreepy, lighten up, have a drink, they won't be long down there," another voice said, growing fainter as the footfalls carrying it drew farther away. Arden immediately made to get up, his vents already sparking, though a glare from May stopped him.