The assembled Receiver cell arrived in Reality B, their new recruits in tow.
"Alright, everyone. We're going to have four people in each scouting team. That means two Pokemon Trainers and two Receivers," Lawrence said. "Oh, and, I'll have to divide the Potions and all the medical items we got amongst each. There's enough that we'll be able to give everyone three of each item."
"You might want to look at this map, see where we're headed." Charlene gestured to an enormous mounted map on the wall, marked with numerous annotations detailing Threat hotspots, supply caches, and locations of interest containing supplies.
"Alright, We're moving out for the first supply runs in a few days. Get yourself comfortable. We do have a link back to Sandgem Town if your Pokemon get hurt. Just… try not to get them perforated with bullets, OK?" That came from Henry. "I'll show the Trainers to the new armory here. They'll need it. Oh, and – make sure your Pokemon are in their balls at all times here. The architecture of this place is not meant to handle any sort of supernatural creature."
The Trainers and Receivers chatted idly amongst themselves. For the first time since becoming the Receiver cell's leader, Lawrence cracked a smile.
Charlene grabbed a pack of water-purifcation tablets off a shelf. This was her first supply run she had done with a Trainer.
"Here, use this." She tossed a packaged multi-tool to Andrew, who eyed it curiously. "You'll find that useful. Come on, open that up. I've got one too."
"Cool," Andrew said, holding the tool in his hands. He fiddled with it, checking each attachment. "Wait, this thing has a ruler and a magnifying glass? Why would anyone need that?"
"Who knows? Whoever made it decided they'd be useful. Oh, yeah, and it does go without saying you should keep that thing closed when not using it. Like this." She gave a demonstration. "Keep that thing in your pocket. Now, let's see. I'll be over by the backpack section if you need me."
Andrew opened his pack up. Unlike the ones from Reality B, it was equipped with miniaturization technology, allowing hundreds of items to be contained with no concern about weight. Most Trainers stored whatever they could in spare Pokeballs for the same effect, albeit with a more limited capacity. The Receivers were absolutely envious when he told them about it: their world clearly did not posses advanced miniaturization technology. Then again, that was to be expected.
"I'll get you a backpack too, Andrew. It'll be a good compromise if that high-tech pack of yours gets shredded." Charlene's voice almost made him jump. He made his way over to see her looking at a rack.
It took five minutes to find a suitable backpack for Andrew, but he managed to stuff it into his back all the same. It was then Charlene spoke up.
"Andrew. Your backpack. What happens it it gets damaged when items are inside it?"
he froze. That was not much of a consideration on his world. He stammered out a response, before Charlene advised him to carry the new pack on his body.
"Let's see," Charlene said. "We've got a 1-liter package of water purification tablets. That'll do. Hand me your bag. I'll put the box of freeze-dried stuff in."
Before Andrew could reply, she continued. "Stay behind me. No telling what kind of danger is out there."
Save for Andrew almost being spotted by a drone, the trip back was uneventful. Charlene shot it out of the air before it could do harm. She caught Andrew flipping it open a few times, checking out every function the tool had to offer.
Cecily moved through the abandoned mall, "slicing the pie" as she went. Deep breath. Check one corner, then the next. Move in a semicircle. That was what she was taught.
Beside her, Marill chittered happily. She shushed it and peeked out. One Threat turret.
"Marill, Water Gun!" The blast struck the turret's camera, shattering it. Large blue sparks flew from the socket.
"Good job, buddy," she said. Drawing her pistol, she flicked the safety off. "Be ready for anything. Don't do anything until I tell you to, OK?"
A patrolling Threat shock-drone moved around the room. It didn't seem to notice her, so she blew it apart before it could do harm. The sharpness of the recoil continued to surprise her even now. Maybe it was because of her time spent in a different world.
She grimaced and motioned for her Pokemon to follow. It wasn't a good idea, going alone with only a Pokemon and gun. Any injury could kill her.
The Rec Center was fairly close. There wasn't much to do; just report kill-drone activity and fend off the stragglers of drones that moved in. Charlene was out there somewhere, with Wooper, possibly assaulting a Threat hotspot by herself. Not that she'd survive with that leg of hers.
A pillar flickered in and out of reality, causing her to almost hit her head. She gulped. That could have been much worse. Currently, she was in an open courtyard in the mall's center. It was… a sort of 'hub' area, if she could call it that. Checking the signs, she directed her attention to a large supermarket at the far end. Like many of the shops in the mall, this one was abandoned and partially trashed. Picking her way over overturned shelves, she hurled a Pokeball at a 24-pack of water bottles. Before they had contact with the Pokemon world, she wouldn't even dream of that.
With the bottles secured, she continued to move deeper. Security cameras whirred above her, silent witnesses to the ruins around. Nothing interested her except the canned food, which was promptly put into a Pokeball. She had difficultly lifting the heavy box, but in time she managed to get it down thanks to a lifter that was still operating.
Flickering static filled her vision, and the supermarket entrance turned into car parts. They formed crude facsimiles of cash registers and counters, before the flickering returned.
Localized reality failure. Great.
She hastily recalled Marill and ran out, passing by an electronic store. The products in there were obviously not useful – with no Internet and phone communications down worldwide, there wasn't much to do with them. The power banks could be used or temporary low-power tasks, so she grabbed five of them.
Not like the Threat had kept puppeted humans around, either. TV broadcasts still played, powered by extra-dimensional means. They were little more than scraps of images pulled together from thousands and thousands of broadcast, with every played clip more and more incoherent than the last. They were hazardous to any mind that viewed them, casing a slow corruption than ended in death.
The media is a Threat. We have a technique to help.
Find the tapes. They are our only means of survival.
She shook the lingering thoughts out of her head. The Receivers had always fought against the Threat, in whatever form it took, on so many different worlds. Hell, she wasn't sure on which world the original Receiver cell originated.
A gun shop here would be good. She dreamed of shotguns lining racks, shelf upon shelf stacked high with ammunition. That would be the best hope right now.
One of the security cameras in the corridor looked off. Instead of a silent husk or basic flickering red light, this one had a cone of cyan luminescence. Upon spotting her, Cecily's vision was filled with grey static again. The recognizable shapes of Threat killdrones materialized, and it was all she could do to duck behind a heavy shelf and hide.
She took a breath and ran.
This is the first time there is no Receiver tape at the start of the chapter.
Finally, the Receivers and Pokemon Trainers take the fight to the Threat.