Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Quenched Torch

Chapter 38: Loose Ends

Mount Twist Path

3F

There appeared to be nothing in Zangoose's eyes as he stared down the party and snarled in warning, only pure animalistic rage. With his fur matted and blood from a fight with some other feral dripping from his mouth, Rye and Mavy could only stare in horror. They knew full well what would happen should one stray off the dungeon path or linger on a floor at the wrong time, but they had hoped they'd never have to see it for themselves, especially not to anyone they knew. Yet here Zangoose now stood, ready to tear them to ribbons.

Of course, there were none more horrified within the group than Nidorino and Raboot, whose professional demeanors were long gone as they stared at their former friend.

"Z-Zangoose! Come on, it's us! S-snap out of it, 'mon!" Raboot tried to reason. As Zangoose only seemed to get more upset, Rye stumbled back in fear as Mavy tried to step up.

"We gotta tranquilize it! Gimme a Sleep Seed!" he demanded. Team Luster only ignored him as their pleading continued.

"Zangoose, please! R-remember, w-we-" Nidorino began.

"Zyaah!" Zangoose screeched, charging towards the group. Before anyone could do anything, he sliced at Nidorino's face and kicked him on his side, incapacitating him. Raboot staggered back in shock, though that only opened up the opportunity for Zangoose to dash behind him and strike him hard with a Pursuit. As Raboot fell to the ground and tried to stagger away from the growling feral, the bleeding Nidorino looked up again, tears in his eyes.

"Sh-Shiloh, please..." he pleaded. Before Zangoose could go for the kill, though, several sharp spines suddenly whizzed through the air and lodged themselves into his body, causing him to screech in pain.

His Pin Missile a success in turning Zangoose's attention, Mavy gestured to Rye, who shakily held a seed from Team Luster's bag. As Zangoose gave a furious, animalistic cry, Rye threw the seed as hard as he could, managing to land it in his open mouth.

The two young Pokémon scrambled away as Zangoose immediately made to skewer them in response, managing to nick Mavy's ear before his swings started to become more sluggish. As he fell to the ground, his eyes drooping, Zangoose gave one last snarl before going still. With the Sleep Seed having done its work, Rye bent over to check on his partner.

"M-Mavy, your ear..." he said, seeing blood oozing from the wound.

"Screw mah ear, we gotta tie him up so he don't eat us when he wakes up. You gotta rope in that bag?" Mavy responded.

Rye gritted his teeth, though nodded as he snaked a length of rope out of his bag. As he tried to ignore Mavy's demands of "come on, wrap 'er round, now crisscross, applesauce" and tied Zangoose's limbs behind his back, Team Luster could only regain their bearings and stare forlorn at the sight. As Rye tugged at the rope to make sure it was secure, he turned to face them, giving a grim look as he cleared his throat.

"W-we're good now, I think. What do we do n-"

Raboot's fist slammed into Rye's cheek, cutting him off and sending him staggering back. Too shocked to at the sudden act to truly comprehend what had just happened, he shakedly held a hand up to the welt as Nidorino held back the furious Raboot.

"We could have saved him! W-we could've gotten outta here and this wouldn't have happened! But no, you just had to take your sweet-ass time in getting here, and... and..." Raboot yelled as angry tears stained his fur. With an anguished cry, he fired an Ember, narrowly missing Rye before collapsing into Nidorino's forepaws. "Sh-Shiloh... fuck..." he choked out.