Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Quenched Torch

Chapter 8: There and Back Again

"How much longer do you think...?" Rye asked meekly.

"Judging by how the wind's comin' at us and how nasty that lightning's lookin', I'd say well into tonight," Pike replied.

Cowering in our makeshift shelter consisting of a burrow dug under our beached raft, our group definitely wasn't in an enviable position. Since we had landed an hour prior, we had found several items had been lost to the torrent, had to deal with two incapacitated team members, and had just barely saved our bags from the mud flowing in from above. Arden appeared to have recovered from his paralyzed state, though he hadn't said much of anything and jumped at sudden noises. Bert had resigned to his shell in the corner, and the rest of us were huddled against each other in the small space, trying to stay warm.

Not exactly what I would call a very smooth first outing, if I do say so myself.

'Well, at least it couldn't possibly get-'

"Priiii!" a shrill voice screeched. A Patrat had made its way into our shelter seeking refuge from the rain, and judging by its unkempt claws, its matted fur, and the fact that it was hissing at us from the entrance, I could assume that it was feral.

"Everyone stand back," Pike whispered, approaching the Patrat. May sent an angered whisper his way. Though I couldn't hear it over the heavy drumming of rain over us, it was apparently enough to turn Pike around.

"I know what I'm doin'. It's just a Patrat. I'm not about to tear this place up," he said.

He began flapping his wings, trying to shoo the feral away. All he got in result was hissing and spitting from it. Narrowing his eyes, he began expanding his feathers, lowly growling and staring the rodent in its red and yellow eyes in an attempt to intimidate it.

"Ya see? It's startin' to-"

"PRIIIIIIII!"

Pike screamed in pain as the Patrat sank its teeth into his leg. His shock quickly turned to rage as his wings began to glow with energy. May tried to stop him as he let out a yell and reared them back.

"Wait, Pike, don't-"

The Wing Attack struck the Patrat directly on the head, lodging it several inches into the floor. However, it also hit the muddy ground, covering everything and everyone in the shelter in mud. Pike stopped caressing his bleeding leg long enough to look up at us, his eyes wide.

"...S-sorry 'bout that. I was aimin' for the door," he stammered.

'Damn you, fate.'

Bert groaned from inside his shell, having heard the whole thing, then popped his head out and started hosing off our filthy party. Arden, already taken aback by his faceful of mud, yelped and tried to make for the entrance, but was discouraged by the rain just long enough to get sprayed. Although now clean, he was apparently peeved enough that flames somehow erupted out of his dripping back, giving us a sweet moment of warmth.

"If someone dies out here, I entirely blame you, Pike.", Arden growled as he retreated back to his corner. We sat in silence as May threw the unconscious Patrat outside, listening to the storm rage outside. Eventually, Bert straightened up.

"Hey, kid. Mind if I talk to you about what you did back there?" he asked.

I shifted in my seat, still too spent to actually stand, wondering what he had to say.

"That Water Gun was honestly pretty sloppy."

My face fell.

"From what I can infer, you didn't focus it at all, it wasn't consistent in the slightest, and it honestly would have annoyed a good opponent at best."