Two hours before midnight, Jenna was in the same getup she wore when heading to Oreburgh. She couldn't sit idle while her brother was dying. She was desperate and didn't know what to do— how she'd aid, but she had to find something to make Chris feel less miserable.

Bizzy was asleep. Jenna ensured such before leaving so he wouldn't worry and had filled his bowl in the kitchen with chow. She hadn't been eating adequately but wouldn't forget about him. She put a small bottle of water in her pouch and, with stealth, unlocked and slipped out the front door. Jenna locked it behind her and put the key in her pouch as well.

She knew it was nonsensical to go outside the walls during the night and alone at that, but she felt antsy with every moment she did nothing. Jenna wasn't taking Hydro, either. He was a huge help last time but slowed her pace significantly and made too much noise.

What she feared was getting raped or murdered, and who would be there to save her? Now people were coming back to life for the sake of spreading the rapids, but Jenna wouldn't let it strike too much anxiety into her.

She'd evade what she had to and handle danger accordingly. The longer she waited, the more savage the land grew. Soon enough, it'd probably be impossible to leave Celestic.

She walked toward the eastern wall under streetlights and cool air, keeping her head down to avoid interaction from whoever was still outside. She didn't want to be questioned, not about her brother or where she was going, which worked until it didn't, and that was when she reached the wall.

Jenna saw a luxray sitting by the platform one of the defenders were occupying. That was Amy's pokémon, and Jenna knew what came next.

"Jen?"

She looked up and saw Amy as expected. She wore the base's standard tan padded outfit and gloves and had a rifle on her side hanging by a worn strap. Her white hair was in a ponytail, and she was prettier than Jenna overall— at least Jenna thought so. Amy was only a few years older than her but was fond of that color. She was one of the only defenders Jenna liked and that cared for the teen's safety, but Jenna didn't need that now.

Amy climbed down the ladder and stood before her. "Where are you headed at almost midnight again?" She patted her luxray's head and twirled her silver necklace around her fingers. A heart pendant hung from it.

"...None of your concern," Jenna mumbled.

She crossed her arms. "Your brother wouldn't allow this if he was well."

It was true, but to Jenna, this was more important than rules. "I'm searching for medicine because we're all out. I can manage, Amy." She hid her irritation.

"I'm not saying you can't, but you need to consider whether it's worth risking your life. Chris wouldn't want you putting yourself in danger for him."

She didn't have to keep trying to guilt her. "I'll be fine."

Amy put her hand on her hip and stared at her. She wouldn't be able to reach Jenna while she was in her current state, no matter how hard she tried. "Okay then, at least do me a favor."

She watched Amy open a box by the ladder, take out a rifle among many, and then load it with a mag before handing it to her. Chris taught Jenna to shoot many weapon types while building the base, which paid off well. She hadn't shot in a good while, but it'd come back to her.

"It's an auto and one of our only… Take one of the bikes too, and please tell me where you're going. It's for everyone's safety."

Jenna hung the rifle's strap over her shoulder and grabbed one of many black mountain bikes leaning against a wall nearby. "Sunyshore." No one from the base had stepped foot in that city. Parties had been sent to Veilstone and Pastoria recently, but that would stop when the world outside inevitably grew too hostile. This was likely Jenna's last chance.

Amy foresaw nothing but a terrible outcome, but Jenna was old enough to make decisions, although she couldn't afford to make bad ones if it meant contracting the rapids. To the left of the platform was a steel door one could use as an exit instead of lifting the wall, which she opened. "Be safe. That's a ways out."

"Thanks," Jenna replied. "Bye, Hiko," she said to Amy's luxray before passing and entering Celestic. Jenna had always been fond of Hiko. He was a luxray full of confidence and mystery while owning a soft side he displayed only to those he trusted. She wished she had a lux, but it was too late. Jenna couldn't catch any pokémon as there was a chance they could be infected. Besides, she was more than okay with Bizzy.

She took a deep breath before hopping on the bike and starting her journey. Jenna felt eyes on her but didn't look back, instead eyeing the dark roads and structures visible due to faint moonlight while steering around gaps between vehicles, eventually moving to the sidewalk after nearly running into a door on the street.

Silence encompassed her.

Jenna had half a mind to turn back. Maybe she wasn't mentally sound. She could be panicking due to Chris' illness and that it led to a guaranteed death. Is that why she was doing this? It didn't matter. Jenna had to be of assistance, just as Chris had always been to her. She wouldn't let him down.

After two hours, ensuring to have kept to Veilstone's outskirts to avoid running into trouble or being followed, she approached Sunyshore and saw the city's solar-paneled roads and dark silhouettes of buildings ahead. Generators powered the Celestic Base as the region's power grids were offline, but Jenna felt a base in Sunyshore would be more beneficial due to the city's power source being solar energy.

She got off the bike and set it against a tree. She'd go on foot from here to reduce noise. Jenna had no idea what she was walking into but wouldn't back from her mission after getting so far. All she had to do was hit the Pokémon Center, maybe a Mart, and head back to base. Easy enough.

Jenna looked around frequently and listened for any noise that wasn't her footsteps while heading north toward the city's heart. She had been to Sunyshore a couple of times in the past, so she had a good idea of where the Center was. She looked behind at the entrance fading from view while venturing deeper. Buildings towered over her in congregation, and Jenna noticed many stores with broken windows or that were collapsed altogether.

She soon saw a Poké Mart ahead, which meant the Center had to be nearby. She was feeling more uneasy by the second, though, so Jenna walked quicker while keeping her steps light.

A minute after passing the Mart, Jenna saw it. Between two buildings sat the Pokémon Center. "There." Jenna approached the door and gripped its handle with her gloved hand. It was unlocked, meaning it'd been looted. Still, Jenna wouldn't walk away without checking for herself. Someone could have missed a bottle or didn't need it.

She held her rifle and slowly pushed open the door, taking the flashlight from her belt and shining it around the room while stepping over scattered miscellaneous items. Jenna hopped the counter when she got to it and pulled open a few drawers, shining her flashlight on a few pill bottles she found. "Nope… Nuh-uh..." She sifted through multiple drawers, bottle after bottle, to no avail. She dropped one unintentionally, fortunately not creating too much noise. Jenna sighed and looked around, her eyes falling onto a cabinet she hadn't yet checked.

She stepped and opened it, scanning more bottles with her flashlight before seeing a familiar one: 'Anastin,' it read. A powerful prescribed painkiller the doctors at the base used sometimes. "Yes." Jenna reached for it but froze when she heard a noise outside. She shut off her flashlight and knelt behind the counter.

This couldn't be happening. She couldn't be this unlucky. Why didn't she hear or see people before? Hopefully, she hadn't been watched.

"You leave this door open?"

"No, could've been Ben. You know how the kid is."

Okay, so they didn't know she existed, at least. Jenna sat up slightly and peeked over the counter but crouched again as they entered. It was hard to make anything out in the dark, but they were both men by the sound of it. She looked behind her and saw a hall leading to a glass door. That was an easy way out, and Jenna could try to leave now, but she needed that bottle.

Jenna had stayed behind that counter for too long. She saw frequent beams from flashlights and heard the men chatting. Whoever they were must have been here recently, and there was a chance they'd find her hiding. Who knew why they were here? Jenna looked up at the open cabinet she couldn't reach without standing. She swallowed, feeling her heart beating out of her chest.

"Box is where we left it. You got the key?"

"Yeah, we're just moving this to the depot?"

"Boss's orders."

Boss? Depot? Jenna had stumbled into something she shouldn't have. She sat up slowly and peeked over the counter. They were occupied at the right corner of the store. She had to go for it. She needed those damn pills.

Jenna took a breath and held it, reaching her left hand up to the cabinet and slightly standing while trying to maintain her balance. "Gh, come on." She was close enough for her fingertips to touch the bottle but couldn't reach, so she inched up and promptly snatched it. Jenna crouched and shut her eyes for a moment while taking silent breaths, struggling to keep herself composed.

She did it. Okay, time to go. She stayed crouched for the most part but started moving toward the back door.

Unfortunately, Jenna couldn't see well, and her foot kicked the bottle she'd dropped while searching earlier. She grimaced and froze again, hearing the chatter stop and picking up whispering. They heard it. Fuck, they heard it. Her legs felt like bricks, but Jenna kept walking until a powerful beam of light hit her back and lit her surroundings.

"Hey!"

Jenna heard a deafening bang followed by something whizz past her. She flinched and widened her eyes. Why were they shooting? She hadn't done anything.

She stood and ran out of panic, stumbling while more bullets zipped past her. One shattered the glass door, making her flinch again and cover her head.

Jenna made it but heard two more shots and felt something hit her left hand, causing her to drop the Anastin as she ran through. She stopped. "A-Ah," she gasped and held it up, feeling warm liquid run down her arm. "Nh…" Her hand shook. She heard more gunfire and snatched the bottle off the ground with her other hand, then hopped a short chain-link fence and ran down the road in the direction she came as fast as she could, breathing quickly.

However, Jenna was tackled abruptly from around a corner on the way. "Uhf!" She landed on her back, the bottle flying out of her hand again. Someone was sitting on top of her. They lifted a walkie-talkie to their mouth.

"Found him." It was another man, heavyset. "Who's with ya'?"

Jenna struggled to get from under him, grunting while pushing his chest and attempting to lift herself with her legs but was met with a swift hook to the jaw. "Ih–" she felt nothing but the impact since her adrenaline was pumping, but it stopped the fight she was putting up.

Jenna saw a flashlight hit her face and winced.

"Eh, a girl? Wouldn't have punched you." He began to stand and tugged her arm. "We'll question you at-" another gunshot.

Jenna felt his grip loosen and shoved him away, rolling onto her stomach while tears welled in her eyes. She couldn't catch a break yet as she saw another figure approaching.

Jenna spat blood on the ground she felt pooling in her mouth, weakly gripped her rifle, and tried her best to aim it at her next attacker.

"Jen?"

It took her a moment, but she recognized that voice. Jenna fell limp and dropped her defense while catching her breath.

"What'd they do to you?" Amy grabbed for her flashlight and crouched, shining it across Jenna's body and lifting her jacket, then feeling around her stomach, sides, and chest until finally falling on her hand. "Fuck… that's bad." She'd been shot in her palm, and Amy saw that blood covered her arm upon shining the light down it.

Amy reached into her pocket and took out the gauze she carried. "Gonna slow the bleed. This'll hurt." She held the flashlight in her mouth and wrapped the cloth around Jenna's hand and its wound, tying two thorough knots to apply as much pressure as possible.

"Mhn…" Jenna gritted her teeth from the pain radiating throughout her hand as it was pressed and watched Amy pull both ends of the fabric firmly to keep it in place.

"You okay, besides the wound?" Amy checked their surroundings for more danger. Maybe that was the last of them.

"S-Sure, yeah." Jenna started feeling dull, heavy pain in her jaw and the back of her head but could ignore it. The pain in her hand, not so much.

"We need t-" Amy saw their surroundings flash brightly for a split second, heard a pained screech, then a zap. She looked up and saw a person fall to the ground that was approaching from a road beside them with smoke rising from their corpse. "Nice catch, Hiko." Amy glanced back at her luxray.

Hiko had stayed on watch while Amy was tending to Jenna. He walked and stood beside them.

"I'm sure there are more, Jen. I'll help, but you have to get up now," she said. No one knew what dangers this city held, and they were in its center at night.

Jenna nodded and stood with Amy's aid, leaning against her as they started walking while her arm was around Jenna's waist. They were making ground too slow to be safe, but it was better than sitting out in the open.

Just then, Jenna remembered the Anastin she dropped. "A-Amy, the pills."

"What?"

"I dropped them."

"Ugh…" Amy scanned the area before setting Jenna down and shining her flashlight along the ground, soon spotting the bottle several feet away resting against a curb, and jogged to grab it. They didn't have time, but it'd at least make Jenna's injuries worth something. "Here." Amy handed it to her upon returning.

"Thanks." Jenna, this time, put it in her pouch and zipped it closed, standing with Amy again. "How'd you know?"

Amy pulled her up as they walked. "I took Hiko and followed you. I knew how this would go… I'm just glad you're alive, but don't do anything this stupid again. I mean it."

"I won't." More tears streamed down her face. As much as Jenna wanted to function independently, it didn't seem to be in her. It disappointed her, as it wasn't the woman she could afford to be, but her true nature refused to budge.

Amy grinned. "You did get the pills, though."

A gunshot crackled and filled the sky, significantly louder than the last three. Jenna froze and heard a corresponding thpf, then felt Amy's arm slip from her waist.

"Ghf–" she fell to her knees and wheezed while clutching her chest, her eyes dilated.

"Amy?" Jenna looked around frantically. She saw and heard no sign of people nearby, and neither did Hiko. "A-Amy." She felt dizzy and didn't know whether it was from blood loss or the situation. Jenna knelt and held her up with what little strength she had. "Amy, no, p-please… "

Hiko ran to his trainer while she coughed up blood and choked before collapsing onto her stomach, forcing Jenna to release her. Amy writhed as blood pooled around her chest on the ground. He saw her movement stop; in her open eyes, fear and excruciating pain.

"Help…" Jenna's clothes had her and Amy's blood on them, and enough tears were in her eyes to where she couldn't see properly. She leaned over and took Amy's necklace from around her neck, and while she did, another shot echoed and hit Amy's body, blood splattering onto Jenna's face and clothing.

She gasped and stumbled back with the necklace, sitting at a distance while gagging. She wanted to curl up and hope this was a nightmare.

Hiko nudged her arm. "Lux." They wouldn't last another five minutes if they sat here. There was a sniper atop one of the buildings and more people coming, likely.

Jenna wiped her eyes and runny nose and stood, almost falling over but gaining balance. She saw Hiko trot in front of her and dropped her rifle, following behind. Still weak, she fell upon hearing another gunshot ricochet off a nearby bench.

Jenna got back up with Hiko's help. He had run back to nudge her rear up and let her use his back as leverage to get on her feet. "Amy..." Jenna glanced back at her body multiple times. She felt horrible leaving her.

Jenna didn't know how close she'd get to Celestic, but she didn't want to pass out in this city. If she did, she'd hope to die before those sick people got ahold of her and Hiko.