When we could see again, a blue ball was *ding*ing quietly on the floor. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Janelle sagged to the ground. We were both shaking.

"It's not time to relax yet!" came Mac's strained voice behind us. "This place isn't coming down around our ears now, but I don't know how long that'll be the case!"
Now that he brought my attention to it, I realized I wasn't shaking from nerves. There was a slight tremor running through me from the floor. Janelle was crawling towards the ball like she was in a trance.

"Janelle, faster!" I urged, "Dart, go make sure we still have a way out." I wrapped Vola up in my arms, cradled protectively beneath me, and got to my feet. I returned her and looked to see Janelle reach the Great Ball and pick it up. Now she was staring down at it, as if wondering what to do with it.

"Blast Burn!" I swore, "Mimsey, grab Janelle! Let's go!"

"Mime!" The Pokemon dropped his hands and ran forward, through where a solid wall had been an instant earlier, and scooped up his trainer. His awkward, loping strides were surprisingly ground-eating, and when I tripped on a suddenly-loose floor tile, he passed me.

"Mac! Janelle needs help! Get her out of here!"
Mac's head snapped around from where he was concentrating on a losing battle against a building. He shifted his weight to use his shoulder and free up a hand, and let out Dodrio. "Get Janelle up the wall! We'll be right behind you." he said.

Dart nearly took the other bird off its feet as she sped back through to me, chirping and nodding. I was about to reply when I heard a weak voice behind me.

I looked back.

"Dreee," slightly louder this time, clear enough to make out. Sludge, Misdreavus. It might be a ghost-type, but they weren't immune to everything. I wasn't sure ghost-types could die, exactly, but I didn't think anyone would enjoy a building falling on them.

"Dart, go grab Misdreavus. We can't just leave it here in that condition." She expertly twirled around a piece of ceiling that fell and wove past a beam that collapsed against a wall. Meanwhile, I stood again and started for the door.
"Ot-to!"

I looked back to see Dart frantically grabbing at Misdreavus, her talons passing right through.

"Katie, move!" Mac yelled, "We can't keep holding it."

Use that creative head of yours. "Go!" I called back, "I'm right behind you!"

I saw worry crease Mac's features, but he said, "Okay. Graveler, stay until she's out. Let's move, Hitmonchan. Return, Cloyster."

I threw a Pokeball at Misdreavus.

Mac cleared the door.

*ding*

Magmar and Electrode followed their trainer.

My momentum from the throw spun me around.

I heard him tell his Pokemon to toss him up, followed by the sounds of Pokemon being returned.

"Dart, grab the Pokeball!"

I lost my balance.

I fell on my back.

I felt stones and metal dig into me.

I saw the chunk of ceiling, already loose, begin to fall.

A weight slammed into me.

It took a second to register that I was, in fact, not dead.

My ribs hurt from where something was pressing into them, doubling me over.

My ears were ringing.

I instinctively curled my fingers into something soft.

I opened my eyes to see long, trailing feathers fluttering next to my face. The world around me was streaking by, too fast to see.

An instant later, I felt blankets close around me, then the world spun and my stomach dropped out of me.

When things righted themselves, I felt claws curling around me, clutching me close as wind whipped my hair around.

I couldn't see anything but cream-colored feathers.

Not until I coughed, and mixed a bit of crimson in with the cream.

I felt the world slow for a little while, then I was being gently laid on solid ground.

"Looks like it's not exaggeration, what they say about your kind, huh," a voice nearby, slightly out of breath. Mac's?

"Rio-io-io!" came a three-toned response.

Someone else was panting heavily.

I opened my eyes to see a Pidgeot standing over me, head cocked in concern. Mac had a hand on her shoulder, faint wonder in his eyes.

My head lolled to one side and I saw Dodrio sitting calmly, Janelle clinging to its back for dear life.

"Why does everything hurt?" I croaked out.

Mac laughed and looked down at me. "Do you want a list?" he asked, "Your ankle is swelling out of your shoe. Your back is a mess of cuts and bruises. You also got hit in the gut by a giant bird going something like Mach 3, then put on an air show doubled over it. It looks like you played punching bag for a Primeape."

Janelle's breathing had slowed during Mac's explanation, and she added, "Not to mention, the back of your top is shredded and your hair is an absolute mess. We cannot be seen together like this."

I couldn't help it. Despite the pain that shot through my chest with each heave, I started laughing.