Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Hands of Creation

Chapter 78 - Back to Basics

He couldn't find the words, so he just stumbled toward her. It felt like even longer than the walk through the plateaus, but he finally collapsed into her lap. The first sound she made—a weak, entertained laugh—nearly made him break down, sobbing. It had been too long since he'd heard anything that even resembled another voice.

"Mom," Owen blubbered. "I th-thought you—"

"Shh, shh..." Using her free hand, she rubbed the back of Owen's head. Her voice was so faint that Owen tried to quiet his sniffling to hear her. "Are you okay?"

"I—I am now," Owen said, rubbing his eyes. "Ugh, I dunno where this is! Mom, where'd you go? Where are we?"

"I don't know," Amia said softly, scratching behind Owen's head. He stretched and pressed against her, letting out a happy chirp. "Owen, are... you okay?"

"You asked me that already," Owen said, laughing. "I'm okay, kinda. Oh, um, and I know I used to be a Charizard."

Her eyes widened at that.

"I don't get it, either. But, Mom, you—" He looked at her wounds, finally remembering them. It wasn't just on her side. There were cuts and bruises all over her body, and some of them were still bleeding—especially the one by her side. "What happened?"

Amia shook her head. "Wraiths... I..."

That was all he needed to know. The way Amia's injuries looked, compared to the single wraith he had encountered before, it seemed like she had suffered a lot more than a single one. Yet, she fought them all off!

Still... "I—I'll go and look for some berries, or... There are berries, right? Somewhere?"

"No, no," Amia said gently, reaching down. "I'll be f..."

"What? You'll be what?"

"I don't need..."

"You do," Owen insisted. "Please, do you know where any are? I've been looking for food, and I'll find some for both of us!"

Amia hesitated, squeezing her eyes shut. "It's dangerous."

"Well, it's—" Owen felt the flame on his tail intensify. Dangerous? Everywhere was dangerous! Was she just trying to make sure he was okay because he was a little Charmander again? He was still in a better state than she was. "Just tell me."

Amia bit her lip.

The words fell from his mouth before he had the chance to think about it: "Tell me, because it's my turn to take care of you."

She didn't answer immediately. Instead, another dry, dusty wind blew across the cave, little purple clouds creeping their way inside.

"Forest," Amia said. "There were a few..."

"A forest? That black stuff, off that way?" He pointed toward the wall.

Amia nodded weakly. "Please, be careful."

"I will, but I need to get us food, and berries for you." Owen stepped away, holding his crystal like it was a badge. He scanned the cave for something similar, but found nothing. Puzzled, he said, "Did you run into any of these things?" He held the crystal up.

Amia didn't recognize it.

What drew him to her, then? Owen had his doubts it was something sentimental. It felt too tangible.

"Okay." That didn't matter. He still had to keep Amia safe, and if a wraith happened to wander in...

Owen stood up, taking a few paces away from Amia and toward the cave's exit. There, he stopped and stomped his foot on the ground. Then, another, and another, a little bit of his power draining each time. He panted, but pushed through until he had stomped across the cave from wall to wall. "If anything tries to sneak in, they'll hit one of my Fire Traps," he assured Amia. "I'll be fast!"