Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Quenched Torch

Chapter 54: Bruises That Won't Heal

Impetus Town was silent.

The moon was just nearly full, shining bright moonlight over the frontier town. The streets should have been alive, buzzing with Ghost and Dark types happy to see the night, Water-types basking in the draw of the moon, perhaps even the odd circle of Clefairies from out of town dancing in formation in the town square. Yet tonight, as it had been for weeks now, the town sat still and deathly quiet.

The Guild laid still as ever, though now adorned with the torchlights of the night guard tasked with patrolling the perimeter. Such was most certainly a new sight for the Pokemon atop the campus's watchtower, a pair of ghostly Marowaks, who could not help but keep their bones held tightly at the sight of the patrol. Neither knew what exactly to watch for— all the Guild had told them was an attack was likely, and that under no circumstances was anything to happen to one team in particular. Nothing more.

As they watched Impetus Town in the distance, one of the Marowaks hung their head, releasing a breath. "It's too quiet. It's... I ain't seen a town this quiet s-since the war..."

"Hey. No, come on. This ain't the war. There's no Tyranitar comin', just another fringe group. The Societies'll mop them up, like usual," his companion said, not breaking his watch.

"But... you saw the news board. Twenty attacks across the frontier in the last couple weeks. This ain't normal... just, I lost my pop when Tyranitar attacked Grave Pool, and my sister's just over the hills in Edelwood Town, if they attack here, then she's... and mon, what about you?" the first Marowak said. The other sighed, turning his gaze.

"Ossie, come on. I'll be fine. We'll all be fine. Persian at the inn, he's talking doom and gloom for the attention, you know him," he said. Ossie groaned, squeezing the tower's railing.

"No, no, it's not just Persian. Raichu and his mate, the Kecleons, Quilava, even Delcatty, they're convinced that... fuck, Cal, wh-where'd we go wrong?" he asked.

"...Ossie. We didn't do anything wrong. Things'll be okay," Cal said quietly, putting his bone staff down to wrap his arm around his partner's shoulders.

"I... I'm sorry. I'm... I'm scared. If another war's starting, or something like it... mon, I don't wanna lose you," Ossie said, pressing against the other ghostly Marowak. Said Marowak hesitated for a moment before leaning up against him with the click of bone against bone.

"You won't. I'll make sure. Can't get rid of me that easily, right?" Cal said quietly, eyes darting to that one base as he comforted his partner. One among many lining the street, but Delcatty had taken the time to point it out. Maybe...

"...thanks, mon. Sorry, I just," Ossie said, giving a shaky sigh.

"No need to be. I get it," Cal said, his arm tightening around the other Marowak's shoulders. The two stood together at their post a moment, staring out at the darkened town before Cal continued. "I don't know, maybe... maybe this Team Reach bunch has it figured out. If the dog wanted an eye on them... well. We met up here, we ain't gonna die up here. I've got my faith in that bunch, whoever they are.

---

"...you got the map upside down," Mavy said, his tone flat.

I blinked as I looked up to meet his gaze, giving a nervous chuckle as I turned it rightside. Right, north was shown as south here. I still didn't quite know why that was. Whatever the case, I watched as Rye smoothed out the map on the floor, midday light shining onto it through the windows. Rather than just Gray Proper and its surroundings like our standard-issue map showed, this map showed the entirety of the continent, Gray Proper regulated to a small section to the north. Such a view was necessary, as Rye showed as he pointed to a spot.