Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Recovering Memories

Chapter 12: Questions Answered

Moon Continent Explorer's Guild, West Coast Branch

After the incident involving the shiny beldum, it was time for Team Seekers' official promotion to bronze rank, with which they received new badges made from bronze, rather than the tin ones provided to new, normal rank explorers. Normally, this sort of situation would call for a celebration, and there was sort of one; not really a big party, but there was cake. That evening, though, after the sun had set, Ryan climbed and sat down on the windowsill by the newly repaired window in the team's room, staring out over the moonlit environment outside to look at the stars. Thanks to the nonexistent light pollution, he was able to see many galaxies and nebulae, and it was gorgeous to someone from a place where even the big dipper was barely visible on the best of nights. He sighed with longing, which Lena had her attention drawn to. She got up from her own restless attempt at sleeping and looked out the window besides him.

"...something wrong? Normally, you would be fast asleep right now," Lena began quietly to not wake up their teammates.

Not turning his head in her direction, he replied, "You know how that beldum sounded to you like they are someone important?"

"Yeah?"

"The way you said that... makes me think of someone myself... someone very important to me... two of them, actually."

It took the sneasel a few seconds to realize what Ryan meant by that. "Oh, you mean your parents?"

Ryan sighed again. "Yeah, they're exactly who I mean. I miss them..."

Near Seattle, Washington, 5 years ago

"Make sure to be good for your uncle Terry while we're gone," a man with messy blond hair said as he tried to flatten it down last minute. Jack and his wife, Delia, who had a pink bow in her long brown hair, were Ryan's parents, and they were headed out on a date. Their plan was to pick up their only son in the morning. "You have everything? Clothes for tomorrow, your 3DS, and... there's probably something I'm forgetting, but hopefully you have that as well!"

A boy, standing about four-foot-ten, with brown hair, a blue hooded sweatshirt, and a backpack filled with the aforementioned items his father had listed, stepped out of the car. He was excited to see his only other living relative. "Yeah, don't worry about me, mom 'n' dad, I'll be fine!" he said, smiling. "Just make sure to have a good night out. Don't let me ruin it for you!"

Just then, Terry practically burst out of the house, a patch of his rapidly thinning hair burnt away from an unknown caustic substance. "I'm here, I'm here!" he said. "Gotta see the lovebirds off, ya know!" He pointed a finger gun at the married couple.

"Terry!" Ryan cheered as the man who perpetually wore a labcoat and jeans ran over to the car parked in the street. Terry ignored his nephew for a moment and focused on his brother, relative to whom the uncle was ten years older.

"Oh, sister of mine," Terry said playfully, "and her wonderful husband, make sure you two don't go dyin' on us!"

"We'll try!" Jack winked back. Delia was in a less playful mood.

"Well, I certainly hope we don't. What would Ryan think?"

"Ah," Terry scoffed, covering Ryan's ears, "don't put that nonsense in his head! You two'll be fine! You're just headed to some fancy-schmancy restaurant in downtown!" He waved them off. "Now go and live your best lives!"

"Sure can do!" Jack answered, giving a thumbs up before rolling up the window and driving away.

"They have nothing to worry about," Terry said under his breath before turning to Ryan. "Well, it's still early in the evening. Whaddaya say we go order some pizza and play some Mario Kart?"