Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Quenched Torch

Chapter 58: Shoes to Fill

The neighborhood bonfire wasn't necessary to the day-to-day survival of the community, but the people liked it anyway. Not only was it an excuse for free food and heat, but it was an opportunity to interact with neighbors and friends and to let them know what they'd been doing. Not necessary, but a decently efficient way to coordinate. And sure enough, Samuel always had to watch his own father go up front to address the neighborhood.

What was he even talking about? He'd been tuning in and out.

"—and I would like to reiterate, don't go anywhere near the Dreamyard. We still don't understand what happened to it or how the anomaly inside it works, and until we can be sure no one else disappears in there, we don't want to take any risks. That fair?"

There was a murmur of agreement around Samuel.

"Right. Sorry to end on that note, but I've got confidence we'll have better news next week. All about attitude," his father nodded before going to sit down as the gathered neighbors clapped. With that, Samuel put his banjo back on his knee and started where he'd left off before the announcements. The fiddler and guitarist (he couldn't quite remember their names) were quick to follow his lead, kicking the upbeat tune back into gear.

As Samuel played, he couldn't help but train his ear on his father, especially as Mr. Van Virbank sat down next to him.

"—you sure telegraph is the best place for the kid, Hilbert? He's been in a mood."

"He's good at it, that much is obvious."

"Yeah, but do you think he's happy? Like, should he get a Pokémon , at least?"

"Otto, look. I don't think he's ready for everything out there. I'm trying to keep him safe. You understand, right?"

"...yeah. Bit too well. But I don't think this compares. This isn't the Castelia tsunami, he's not being pinned under the Center, and he isn't about to drown, is he?"

"No, I know, I'm sorry. I'll... consider it eventually."

Samuel couldn't help but grimace. His dad said that before, and yet here he was still...

---

My ear twitched as I stared down at my banjo, Rye and Bert watching me questioningly from their spots around the fire. I hadn't been zoned out for that long, had I?

"...am fine," I coughed, putting the instrument away.

"Everything good?" Bert cocked his head.

"Said am fine," I replied a bit too forcefully. The turtle raised his hands in the air and sat back, glancing to Rye as he scanned over the map.

"...th-this isn't gonna be good," the gecko said. "W-we can use the rivers for a little while, but... i-it's a hundred miles of desert between this one here and the Gold River..."

"What? That's not a river, kid, that's the edge of the plateau. The closest river to the Bronze is that one, the High River," he pointed. "We can go up it a while, but it's still a good three hundred miles from there to the source. Fifty of that's prairie, but it shifts quick."

Rye stared down a moment before putting his head in his hand. "H-how do we even..."

"Either we bear it or we find someone out there willing to help. There's barely any Pokémon that live out there, but those that do are probably feral. But we can probably figure it out," Bert said.

"...B-Beck? You can talk to... y-you know, those, right?" Rye asked.

"...kinda?" I said. "I dahno..."