Explorers of the Life Force, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon

A Painful Reminder

"Chase?!" Aria shouted stumbling backwards where she then landed on her rear.

"Whoa! Are you alright?!" I tried to approach her, yet she seemed to turn away.

"Yes! I mean no! I mean, why are you here?! The last time I saw you, you decided to just vanish without a trace!" I was the one to step back with Aria turning on me with a vengeance. "I was worried sick for weeks! Ellie kept telling me worrying was pointless and that you would probably come back! We informed the guild and reported you a missing Pokémon and Chatot thankfully saw your vanishing act and agreed the guild could help. Then Lee explained that he saw you leave town with a bunch of strangers and they called the whole thing off! So why are you back now?!" My back was against the wall as I tried to form words.

I was hardly ever scared, but seeing the pain and sorrow behind her eyes ignited terror in my heart. "I... I didn't have a choice."

That seemed to make her even angrier. I began feeling heat radiating off of her. "Didn't have a choice?! Everyone has a choice Chase! My mistake was choosing to trust you!" I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it hanging my head in shame. Her words struck me deeper than any injury had before. My knees grew weak and I slid down the wall putting my head on my knees. I didn't care about her seeing me like this, I was too tired to bother hiding away. I just sat there willing to let her verbally or physically attack me.

"Um, Aria?" I turn to see Ellie standing a little ways away. Her expression was filled with concern, but for Aria or me I couldn't tell. "Chatot needs the item we got for Caterpie still. Mind if you could turn it in?" Aria nodded firmly walking away from me.

After she left Ellie took a closer step towards me. "Hey... want to... catch up?"

I shrugged getting to my feet again, "Yeah, alright." She nodded starting off towards the ladder heading up.

On the surface again we head down hill. At the bottom there is another hole that I didn't see before with a stair case leading down. We head down the stairs to a strange restaurant? Maybe a bar of some kind? "Well Chase, this is Spinda's Café." Ah, so a bit of both. We took seats at a table and waited for what I assumed would be a waiter.

Ellie cleared her throat, "So... hi."

I couldn't help chuckling a bit at her awkward response, yet quickly fell glum again. "Long time no see..."

"Yeah, it has been awhile." I nod, though was unwilling to ask the first question. Instead we both remained quiet until a Wynaut approached our table.

"What'll it be?"

Ellie responded first, "Um, can I get the Oran Salad?"

"Wynaut?" I frowned a bit unable to tell if he said 'why not' or his actual name. "What about you sir?"

"I'll..." I look at myself shaking my head. "I only have this Cheri Berry."

"Wynaut?" He took it from me walking away. I frowned looking to Ellie for an explanation.

"He's taking it to Spinda to turn it into a drink."

"Really? That's something they do here?"

"Yeah, this place opened up recently and they have some pretty cool options as far as what you can do here. Maybe sometime I can show you around?"

"That sounds nice, thanks." I smiled despite my mood. I then settled into my seat letting out a long sigh. We enjoyed the sounds of Pokémon chatting and the small hum of activity as I still waited on Ellie. I looked at her more closely trying to find differences in her appearance from last time. Her fur was a bit ruffled, possibly from her last mission with Aria. She had more of a confident look about her face, possibly from adapting to the world like I have. She had a blue scarf and two different badges attached to it. The one was a golden badge with golden wings, but the other looked like a white and pink egg with wings. Wait... that scarf...