Rocky Road ~ House of Dill, Saltriv, Shiron, and Vix

[Sudmensch]

"Wow, that's... c-cool," Dill said, his voice cracking a bit. His tail flicked ever more as his focus on the fluttering leaves outside grew ever tighter.

 

[IFBench]

"What's wrong?" Saltriv asked, as they glanced at Dill's flicking tail, and heard the cracking in his voice.

 

[Sudmensch]

"Nothing. I..."

...oh, who was he kidding?

"...just miss someone, is all."

 

[IFBench]

"Oh."

They laid a vine on Dill, in an attempt to comfort them.

"Well...maybe you can visit them! I'm visiting my friend from back home despite him being a world away, so maybe you can visit who you're missing!" Saltriv said.

 

[Sudmensch]

"I don't know, it's... complicated," the Feraligatr said. "I..."

He shuddered a bit as he recounted the memory.

 

[IFBench]

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Saltriv said, a soothing quality to their voice.

Did something happen to Dill's friend or family?

 

[Sudmensch]

"No, no, I... well, might as well just get it out there, you know?"

He sits back, frown more apparent than ever.

"I'm... p-pretty sure I... died before showing up here."

 

[IFBench]

Saltriv's eyes widened, and their vine wrapped around Dill. "W-what do you mean?" they asked, the soothing quality replaced by worry.

Dill couldn't be dead...right?

 

[Sudmensch]

"I don't know, it's... I can't explain. One moment I was on the ground, tryna talk to my friend and going into the light, the next... well. I don't know..."

 

[IFBench]

Saltriv pondered that for a moment, then said, "Maybe...you were brought here just before you would have died, saving you?" they suggested.

"Whatever happened, though...I'm here for you."

 

[Sudmensch]

Dill's jaw clenched.

"Thank you, Sal, that means a lot. Just... damn it, everyone back home must think I'm dead. Ma, Dad, Sinni, Rye... oh, Arceus, Rye..."

 

[IFBench]

"I...can sympathize sorta. My family thought I might have been dead or a shadow Pokemon when I went missing for three months back in my world," Saltriv said, the soothing quality returning. "I...know it's not the sane as your situation, but still. But on the bright side, think of how happy everyone will be to see you again!"

 

[Sudmensch]

"You...?" Dill asked, giving Saltriv a look of concern.

 

[IFBench]

"Yep. About three and a half months before I wound up here, I disappeared on the way home from school. I wasn't found until three months later, in the middle of a mystery dungeon next to an Oshawott. I didn't have any memory of the three month I was missing, and the Oshawott barely had any memory at all," Saltriv told, their tail beginning to quiver again as they retold the tale. They didn't need to mention the platform, the human, and the hand. "Luckily, my best friend found me not long after, and he was really happy to see me again. And once we got out of there, my family was overjoyed to see me again, too."

 

[Sudmensch]

"Oh, berries," Dill said, trying to put his monstrous clawed hand on Saltriv's shoulder. "Sorry to hear that. Do they... you know. Know you're here?"

 

[IFBench]

"...not yet," they said, comforted by Dill's touch. "I was going to ask Gen to tell the others once I visit him."

 

[Sudmensch]

"Ah," he nodded. "Er, who's Gen?"

 

[IFBench]

"The Oshawott I woke up next to in the mystery dungeon," Saltriv said. "He's part of me and my best friend's team now."

 

[Sudmensch]

"Ahh," Dill said, his tail flicking again. "You got to make a team, huh? Heh, we were gonna get around to it, Rye and I, but... you know. Spectrum's nice, but I wish we coulda seen ours through... damn, if I'd just waited another day to go in..."

 

[IFBench]

"Well, maybe you can make one with Rye once you get back!" Saltriv suggested, their leaf shifting to the side.