Although Skyloft is easily the most populated island in the skies of Skyward Sword, it doesn’t mean that it’s the only one with a population. A couple mintues of soaring from Skyloft will get you to Pumpkin Landing, where the Lumpy Pumpkin bar resides. The little bar is known throughout the sky for it’s soup and has earned a reputation as a rest stop for many bird riders. Those who have explored the skies of Skyward Sword for themselves might have experienced working for the Lumpy Pumpkin after sending an expensive chandelier crashing to the ground, and then being forced to work off the debt incurred by the crashed chandelier. Kina, a young lady working at the bar, will be present for many of the side quests that happen at the bar.
The first encounter most players will have with Kina is recieving a warning from her about the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, which Link can shake until it falls down, causing him to fall into debt with the Lumpy Pumpkin. Many of the side quests Link can complete at the Lumpy Pumpkin involve Kina in some way, such as helping her pick Pumpkins, plow the field, and accompanying her as she sings for the guests. After helping her out with her singing, Link will finally have repaid his debt and can continue to help out the bar, but for Rupees instead.
By chatting around the bar, you’ll discover the bar is owned by her father, Pumm, which makes it seem like the Lumpy Pumpkin is a family shop, as the most important employees there are all part of the same family. Eventually, however, you can get one of the Mogma, Guld, to come to the bar to help Kina out, and he decides to continue helping in order to impress Kina, thinking that she has fallen for him. If he ends up being right about Kina’s feelings, he might just end up continuing the family business tradition by joining the family.
Kina’s presence at the Lumpy Pumpkin, and the bar in general, brings a lot more life to the world of the sky in Skyward Sword. It’s always been one of my personal favorite side quests in the game and I always look forward to doing it again whenever I replay Skyward Sword. In fact, it makes me wish there were a couple more islands like Pumpkin Island in the skies.
