Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Quenched Torch

Chapter 4: Pests and Patriarchs

"Alright, Beck, you ready to start?" Rye asked me, a thin book in his hands.

"Sha!" I exclaimed.

The noon sun shone brightly through the sick bay's window, the now familiar sound of exploration teams going about their day piping through. Following our agreement the previous night, Rye had managed to convince Team Apex to lend him a notebook to help me out. Apparently, only more well-off Pokémon could afford actual paper, so we were both a little puzzled as to why they had decided to give us a notebook full of it. Apparently, in Arden's words, it isn't every day you get chummy with a feral, now is it?

Fair point, I guess.

"Let's start with your name, okay?" Rye asked me. Another nod prompted him to pause for a second before hanging his head.

"...uh, come to think of it, I'm not sure how exactly you can just learn it... sorry, I'm a bit new to this whole teaching thing..." he sighed. "J-just try to copy what I say, I guess."

'Okay, sounds easy enough.'

As it turns out, it wasn't. Instead, we found ourselves making bizarre noises at each other for twenty minutes straight in the hopes I would get it right at some point. What fun.

"No, no, try to touch the top of your mouth with your tongue. Beeeck," Rye explained, putting emphasis on the 'ck'.

"Sheaagh."

"No, don't, uh, put your voice into that last bit. Do it like this. Beck, not Begh."

"Sh-sheaak," I managed out. Despite my still rather limited vocabulary, Rye seemed to be pleased with our progress.

"All right, you look like you're getting the hang of it! Now, let's-"

He paused as a small snicker sounded from the door. Turning our heads, we found Ms. Audino with the amused Arden and May standing behind her.

"H-how long have you been standing there?!" Rye choked out, his face reddening.

"Long enough, kid. Long enough," Arden said, still grinning. I swore I could see years crumble off the Treecko's lifespan as the two veteran explorers straightened up.

"Don't worry, that's not what we're here for," May said, turning to Ms. Audino, who was giving her usual warm smile.

"Guildmaster Arcanine says he wants you two in his quarters," the nurse said.

Seeing as I was still in no condition to actually walk, Arden had to carry me like a baby through Arcanine's Guild as our group, now including Pike, left the sick bay. Whatever dignity I had left from being spoonfed berry pulp that morning was lost right then and there, I think.

The Guild's headquarters was what I could best describe as a small village of its own. On the hill it was built upon, a grid of team housing, various utility buildings, a mess hall, and an amphitheater rested. From what I could tell, it was arranged in a hierarchy of sorts, the more important locations and teams being placed further up the hill, with an unassuming building I could only assume was Guildmaster Arcanine's quarters resting on the hilltop. The Pokémon I had only heard outside my window now walked beside me, heading out for lands unknown. Some looked at our little group oddly, exchanging whispers.

"Don't worry, it's just that Team Apex's a bit well-known, and, uh, that you're new here," Rye explained.

'Please let it be that.'

Thankfully, any unwanted attention was taken off my situation as an annoyingly high-pitched voice rang out.

"Hey-hey, if it ain't ol' Team Pixies!"