A lone, wistful wind whistled through a faded and lifeless Hearthome City, bringing it the only breath it had besides the dejected pokémon living in it. Various structures, from homes to mini-marts and dirty skyscrapers were dilapidated from no upkeep and weather, with moss and vines creeping up and through their shattered windows.
Wild pokémon resided in them, such as pachirisu, bidoof, and more who'd created nests and food storages out of vacant rooms to care for their families and efficiently hide from predators. Purugly kept their young glameow in the closets of homes or under the desks of offices while she and her mate guarded entrances prepared to fend off hungry humans and pokémon who went after any and every victim they could get their hands or paws on as a meal.
Parking garages were full of parked vehicles with not a soul in them besides stunky, pikachu, and more, who slept in or under the abandoned automobiles. Massive department stores and shopping malls were stocked with designer clothing and once-expensive electronics that gusts swept through and shivered. People and pokémon had emptied them of food and any water or beverages.
More abandoned traffic lined otherwise empty streets, some stuck against fallen poles or other cars with deformed bumpers from accidents, and the Contest Hall, once teeming with trainers, pokémon, and thousands attending to watch shows, was uncannily silent and had rusted cars still parked in its lot.
An ongoing sunset replaced the glaring sunlight shining above Sinnoh; an owner and his pokémon were searching a home amid the city for anything inside they could benefit from.
"Crystal!" Ray shouted his espeon's name from one of the rooms. He occasionally sent her to search for supplies, weapons, and anything edible while looting. He always told her not to stray too far but trusted Crystal to handle herself. They'd been doing this for a while.
"Anything?" Ray asked as he saw her approach. She was slimmer than an espeon should be with dingy fur due to not cleaning properly. A slight outline of her ribcage was visible on her form.
He stood at average height with a rather slender build as well resulting from the times upon them, although he'd been able to shave recently since he found a kit in a home. He had short black hair with just a section sticking up at the front that he could never keep down and wore a generally unkempt appearance he tried to keep up with enough to function.
She shook her head and sat. Hearthome was a major city, so Crystal expected it to be cleaned out entirely after this long. If there was anything left, it would be difficult to find.
"Same here. We should get going then, I guess. Not safe to be in a central city… especially overnight." Pokémon and possibly people may be roaming to seek trouble or steal supplies, and he knew they weren't afraid to kill for it. Ray wasn't the type unless it was absolutely necessary, but he kept a pistol holstered on his hip he'd found last month on a body as a precaution.
Most of the populous and many pokémon in Sinnoh had passed from the virus, so it was rare to see a human that wasn't dead now, and most pokémon were scared of humans unless they were starved. Ray would kill, but only in self-defense, although he knew he would feel guilty afterward. He also wasn't the best shot, but he had some experience in the past from when his father taught him.
It had been three months since the virus classified officially as SRC-1 took everyone he knew: his mother and friends. He was lucky never to have caught it, and there were a few instances where he or Crystal definitely should have, but Ray never really questioned it. He was just glad they were still here.
His mother forced them to leave a week after the symptoms began upon the illness becoming unbearable, and she was afraid for them to catch it. It wasn't clear how it started or was spread, but he knew it killed whomever it infected quickly. Ray would be nineteen soon. He didn't think he'd survive this long and could only hope Crystal would stay healthy. If she died, he wasn't sure what more would motivate him to persist.
He and his mother were somewhat prepped for economic disaster and had stocked canned foods and water that Ray took from when they had to flee, but no one was prepared for one on this scale. It hit abruptly and almost instantly turned the region into ruins .
He adjusted his gray jeans and slung his heavy black backpack over his shoulders, exiting through the residence's front door with Crystal walking beside him along the sidewalk. The bag tired him out quickly due to its weight, and his black boots didn't always help, but their utility was essential. It wasn't wise to carry something so heavy that he couldn't properly run with, so Ray would try to take care of it after they found a safe spot for the night. "Let me know if you're feeling anything odd, as usual."
"Esp." Crystal was no umbreon, but she saw well enough during the evening to spot movement. As they strolled, she glanced around at their surroundings and kept her ears perked to pick up strange noises in the area.
Curious bidoof and bibarel briefly peeked from broken windows or entrances of stores to see who or what was passing by before hiding again.
Starly watched Ray and Crystal stroll through the city from roofs or light poles, giving the occasional cry. One was on the ground, busy pecking at an injured, squirming, and crying wurmple it had caught from Eterna Forest and dropped from two stories to immobilize it, though it flew off after seeing a human approach.
A clueless and innocent eevee stepped out of a worn shop nearby but was snatched back inside by their mother, a flareon with a mane matted and dingy in several spots, who'd grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and scolded it afterward while the eevee cowered with flattened ears.
On the other side of the road was a dried pool of blood and matted brown fur stuck to it, leading Crystal to believe that one of her young had suffered an awful fate.
Lifeless corpses of pokémon and some humans littered the pavement here and there, some with puncture wounds, missing limbs, that were almost with remaining bloodied skin or fur attached skeletons, or that had passed in one piece from the virus with odd bumps over their fur and boils on exposed skin as they decayed. They filled the air with the stench of rotting flesh worse than anything they had ever smelled.
Crystal and Ray always held their breaths and looked away whenever they noticed a pokémon or person unable to or barely moving, clinging to what little life they had, like the girafarig she saw bleeding out on the road from its torn stomach and gashes in its legs and around its body, groaning in pain.
It was overwhelming when countless dead structures and individuals that had lives encompassed them that Crystal wished she could save or bring back, and it was always eerie seeing forsaken and grimy Pokémon Centers, plazas, apartment buildings, or condos. Everything felt bleak, the gray, ineffable remnants of what had once been a living megalopolis.
Crystal walked across grass that had grown through cracks in the sidewalk and layered moss. She could still see a bright and populated city she now missed more than anything among the desolation. The dead, motionless traffic in endless lines and flipped cars were on their wheels and moving, the marts and restaurants had people shopping and dining inside.
Crystal could almost smell what they were cooking. All of that fleeting beauty in its entirety was easy to take for granted once had for so long, and she couldn't see anything close returning, at least not in her lifetime.
"We'll rest when we get to Solaceon. Wouldn't want your paws getting too tired," Ray grinned and wiped the sweat from his head. The weather was humid, and it didn't help that he wore a jacket. They'd been searching buildings for hours on top of that, so he couldn't wait to rest. He just wouldn't here. He wouldn't be at peace.
Ray had nothing more to do since he had a few changes of clothes in his bag and had recently washed them at a pond with a bar of soap, along with himself and Crystal. He did that very rarely and only when they were too musky, as he didn't want to be caught with his pants down— literally.
They'd only found a couple of stray waters and snacks while searching today, but it was better than nothing and would help get them through the next few days. He preserved what he could and only ate when necessary. Ray pulled his backpack up so it rested comfortably, thinking already about where they'd move tomorrow.
They never stayed at a location for more than a day or two as it was too much of a risk, although it was tempting sometimes. He grew tired of walking constantly, but they had to so they could find more items and reduce being tracked.
In over an hour, including multiple stops on the way to rest, Ray noticed Solaceon's tall buildings ahead in the distance from the route they'd taken, and it brought him relief that the journey had gone so smoothly under nightfall. As they entered the town, Ray diligently scoped out his surroundings and put Crystal on alert as well. Several uninhabited homes less than a mile ahead appeared empty, but he couldn't tell for sure until he went inside.
Ray would skip exploring the town's structures tonight since he was exhausted, as was Crystal. He'd keep quiet and hope they weren't found by anyone or thing potentially lurking.
However, Crystal had the ability to sense presence when anything living was within a mile of them. She also had a better pair of ears, so they weren't completely blind.
"There…" Ray spotted a cornered residence with trees surrounding it that relatively hid it from sitting in the open. Before it was an old car accident involving three vehicles covering the surrounding street in glass and scattered car parts. Grass and vines grew on their wheels and hoods from deep cracks in the abandoned asphalt.
Crystal followed and shut her eyes briefly, the gem on her forehead glowing a light blue while scanning for nearby entities and seeing soft blue in her head. It seemed to be clear other than a few she felt inside, but she could feel their gentle aura. The more aggressive they were, the redder aura was. Crystal looked up at Ray. "Es..."
"Anything viciously evil or more wild mon?" Ray always co-existed with wild pokémon that happened to occupy homes unless they were protective of a litter or didn't trust him, and who was he to kick them out? They were there first.
Crystal nodded. Six were inside. She talked to them sometimes, usually a light exchange, but most pokémon were focused on surviving and wanted to be left alone in such untrusting and unforgiving times. Crystal understood.
She felt a minor headache coming on, and her gem had dimmed as she lost energy. She couldn't scan more than a few times per day because each one gradually drained her, so she had to use them wisely, and that was her last. Scanning further could disorient or faint her. Fortunately, even without psychic, her sensitive fur allowed her to feel minute changes in the air if anyone was in their proximity.
They made a great team, she and Ray, and Crystal was always ready to battle anyone who dared to challenge them. She hadn't had to kill a human or pokémon yet but wasn't opposed if the day arrived. She didn't want to become desensitized to taking lives, but she may not have a choice.
Ray pushed open the creaky door and entered with a loaded pistol in hand, flicking off its safety. He swept the house thoroughly with Crystal and stumbled on what she'd sensed in one of the bedrooms. It was a clefable with a litter containing two clefairy and three cleffa. He stared down at them as they froze and returned it anxiously.
The clefable stood in front of her litter with a hardened gaze and slightly quivering arms out, a relentless mother ursaring who would readily give her life to defend her own. She was awaiting Ray's move, glancing at the pistol he held and at Crystal. She'd lost one of her cleffa to heartless humans with weapons like that already while transferring homes and couldn't bear to lose another.
"Sorry. We aren't here to harm you... not you or your young." Ray couldn't imagine having to raise and ensure his kid's safety in present Sinnoh, especially multiple. He noticed the clefable eyeing his gun, so he holstered it to help reassure her.
"Esp... espeon," Crystal said to her, telling her that they were only here to rest for the night and would take another room. She eyed her petrified litter. "Espeon." They would respect her space and be gone by morning.
After a moment, the clefable lowered her arms and glanced down with a hint of hopelessness, then nodded once. "Flable..." She acknowledged Crystal's words. The espeon sounded genuine, but she couldn't trust them in the slightest and didn't want them here. However, she didn't want to risk losing her life if she didn't have to and wouldn't take her litter out to find more shelter unless forced, as they were easy targets for predatory pokémon and humans alike. She wanted to stay alive and witness them grow. They were lucky to have found an empty home to claim.
"Thank you." Ray wasn't sure what he'd do if he ever found someone in a home. There wouldn't be much time to debate whether they were a good person or not. He turned and went to the next room over. "Think we're good… for tonight, anyway." Ray sat on its half-made bed with a huff, reaching over to close the curtain by the window.
Darkness saturated the room as he did, though a dull haze pressed against the translucent cloth. He set his backpack on the floor and his pistol on the nightstand next to him, clicking the safety. He rubbed and rolled his shoulders, hearing a corresponding pop. He also grabbed a folded paper and flashlight from his bag's side pocket. "Hungry?" He patted a spot on the bed beside him, and Crystal hopped up.
She was hungry but would rather sleep. She didn't have it in her to chew, so she shook her head for now. Crystal rarely had an appetite nowadays. She only ate enough to keep her going. She thought about sharing with the clefable in the other room, but Crystal knew she and Ray had to survive too, and she may not want to be bothered.
"Here, rest your legs." Ray reached his hand and ran it down her sleek back, then twirled his fingers around her tail when he got there. He pulled his hand away and lay on his back, unfolding the paper to reveal a worn map of Sinnoh torn in unimportant areas. Ray wouldn't get undressed for a few reasons, but mostly so he wouldn't get too comfortable.
While looking over the paper, he felt pressure and looked down to see Crystal eyeing him with a tired gaze, her paw on his stomach, her other raised, and her tail swaying. "Come here, sweetheart," he grinned and set the map aside.
She climbed onto Ray and lay down, curling up and draping her tail over her thigh. She'd always been close to her owner. They'd had each other since she was an eevee after he adopted her from a rescue group, but current circumstances made them depend on each other more than ever.
Crystal had been separated from her mother, a glaceon, shortly after birth after their den on Oreburgh's outskirts was invaded by a small pack of houndoom. They murdered her before her father, a jolteon, had been able to fend them off temporarily.
He ran while carrying Crystal by her scruff, but they pursued after recovering. Enough distance was between them and her father for him to act, and there had been a river nearby, so that's where her father dropped her before running back to meet the houndoom and buy his daughter time.
Crystal was terrified and had fought for her life to stay above water for several minutes, falling and going under seconds at a time, tumbling and disoriented, coughing up water until a grouping of branches caught her in its net.
She was too small and weak to move against the current, however, so she had to shiver alone in drenched fur for hours while the water got colder and splashed her face. Fortunately, before nightfall arrived, a pokémon ranger of all people caught sight of her while on a scenic walk and saved her life.
She would likely have died otherwise. He kept her at his home overnight, dried her off, fed her, and brought her to his group the next day, where they put her up for adoption at their events in cities around the region. Ray had come across her in Jubilife.
"Night." He pulled her up so she rested slightly on his chest and placed his hand on her leg, running his other over her ears while she rested her chin on his chest and stretched her front paw across it. Crystal was a delicate creature, and he always treated her as such to ensure she knew she was loved. He caressed her until she drifted to sleep, and after she closed her violet orbs, it gave Ray a chance to look over the map properly.
He reached and grabbed his flashlight, clicking it so it turned on and shifting slightly onto his side not to disturb Crystal, who breathed softly and gave a few twitches of her tail's tips. "Celestic and Veilstone…" he whispered. A city northwest and another in the opposite direction. Those were their best options from Solaceon. Entering a new town or city always brought Ray anxiety because it was essentially uncharted territory, but there were no better options.
They'd started from Sandgem Town, where he was from, and ventured deeper into Sinnoh for supplies in the past months. He awaited the day they fell into a situation they couldn't run from. It couldn't keep going this smoothly. It just couldn't.
"Give me a sec, Crystal. I'll be out in a minute," Ray said while throwing on a bland blue tee. He'd slept into the early afternoon and was readying to go out with Crystal, who was eager to play and explore. She wasn't usually energetic, but when she was in the mood, she could run three fields and then some.
She was sitting by the front door, waiting patiently and looking across the living room at Ray's mother doing something in the kitchen.
"Can't wait, can you?" He adjusted his jeans and put on his white running shoes by the door. He tried never to keep her waiting longer than necessary. She was too cute.
"Esp." The outdoors and adventures they held brought Crystal half her joy. She hoped to run into one of her friends today, preferably the pachirisu she sometimes got into friendly mischief with around town.
He opened the door and saw Crystal slip through before he could completely, making him chuckle. "Be out for a while, Mom!"
"Sure. Try to be back for dinner!"
Ray stepped out and shut the door, looking at a cloudless sky. Sandgem was a sunny mountainside town filled with grassy fields and trees. Houses were spaced from one another due to the vast amount of land. Life here was simple, built on compassion and hospitality.
People visited neighbors to talk, gossip, borrow salt, or help each other with yard work. Small store and diner owners waited patiently for customers to enter since every day was a slow one.
A few older people kept busy by picking up trash around town with an assisting floatzel and Mr. Mime dragging bags behind them that they put items in.
Others repaired busted pipes and anything else that needed fixing in homes or stores. Teens attended the small school Ray had gone to and graduated from recently, and the unruly bored ones skipped classes with friends or partners they'd likely break up with next week.
The most unique aspect of the town was its research lab in the center, where Professor Rowan worked and taught courses to aspiring students.
Ray loved life as it was, laid-back and among trustworthy individuals. He wasn't a city boy and couldn't imagine living in such an overwhelming, congested space with soaring crime rates in comparison. However, the major cities in Sinnoh were fun to visit. There was a lot to do and buy the last time he took Crystal to Jubilife, and his favorite experience with her by far was cooking poffins at the Poffin House there, where Crystal had eaten enough to sicken her.
She walked far ahead and sniffed the air, sitting on a dirt path with nothing obstructing the view but people walking by or a wild pokémon scurrying past. Miles west were congregations of trees before an extensive forest of significantly taller ones, and beyond that were steep, massive mountains covered in greenery. Crystal could sit and gaze at nature for hours. She'd hiked those mountains with Ray several times. They mainly went for walks through the forest to explore and watch pokémon.
He grinned while watching her. They had hours to spend before supper, so he wouldn't disturb her. Crystal would let him know when she had enough. It wouldn't hurt to sit beside her, though, so Ray took a step, but he couldn't. His grin faded, and he looked at his legs. He fought to lift one to no avail, straining. They were thick and numb, and his feet felt like they were planted into the ground. When Ray looked back up, he no longer saw Crystal.
He opened his eyes. It was a dream, and the worst kind- one of those good ones set pre-pandemic when all was well and his mother was alive, and when he worked and had hobbies such as exploring nature and jogging with Crystal when she was in the mood. It made him want to tear up, but he'd shed enough tears as it was. He would pay any amount, do anything to so much as eat at a populated restaurant or watch television again— activities that used to be so accessible now permanently non-existent.
Ray accepted this new life because he had to, so recollections like that never helped. He looked down to ensure Crystal was still with him and hugged her side, feeling her stir atop him in her sleep. He lay back and stared up into darkness. He didn't have a clue what the last part of the dream meant, but he didn't like it. He looked down again and watched her body rise and lower with each breath in a peaceful slumber.
Seeing that she was alive every morning brought him relief. Ray feared daily that Crystal would catch the virus, and if she did, he wouldn't leave her to die alone. He'd catch it too.
Upon looking at the curtains, he could tell it was dawn. A hint of light had broken in the sky, a faintly dull blue present and resting against the fabric, meaning the sun would rise soon. It was the best time for them to make distance.
What cut the idea short was the abrupt yelling he heard from outside that instantly choked him. It sounded hideous.
It immediately woke Crystal, who was a lighter sleeper than she had ever been. Her ears twitched while she lifted her head and looked around the room frantically, her breathing rapid.
"Stay here..." Ray set her on the bed and sat up, sliding off the bed. As afraid as he was, he had to know what was happening around them at all times. He took his pistol from the nightstand and slid it inside his holster, his hand shaking slightly. Ray pulled his shirt over his holster to conceal it and pushed the curtain to peek outside.
Crystal was just as worried about Ray as he was about her. He protected her at all times, and even though she knew how to battle efficiently, Crystal knew she would ultimately be weaker against a human with a gun. She sat up and watched. She still wouldn't want him handling a dangerous situation alone.
"It stopped?" Ray took a step back, but as soon as he did, he heard the blood-curdling yell again. "Fuck..." he sighed. "Yeah, I have to see what that is; stay." It was hard to fight against the fear crawling in his chest. It pulled his every step that he tried his best to disregard.
He left the bedroom and walked down the hall toward the front door with Crystal following against his command. Ray opened the creaky door and held his holster while looking around. It was all silent. No sign of movement. Nothing yet.
He stepped out and began to close the door but saw Crystal run between his legs and stand in front of him. "Crystal," he whispered harshly. "I don't want you out here." But there was no time to debate with her while danger could be lurking nearby, and he knew she would be stubborn about it. "Just stay behind me."
Ray headed toward the town's main area— and there the scream was again, this time significantly louder, resembling a screech. He followed the noise's source this time, soon falling upon it by a doorless Pokémon Center.
A man sat on the ground, his poochyena next to him. Ray studied the weakened individual while keeping his hand on his gun. He appeared in his late 20s and wore a black long-sleeved shirt, a vest over it, and gloves. A part of Ray wanted to offer aid, but he may be too kind still. Enough hadn't happened to him yet.
He must have noticed Ray some feet away because he was now looking at him. "Y-You... You've gotta shoot me."
Ray saw his face and tilted his head. It looked as if he'd been set on fire and was burned severely. His eyes were filled with tears.
"I know you've– you've got a gun. Just sh–"
He heard the man wheeze between words. "N-No. Hey! S-Stay back!" Ray had to keep the man at bay as he started to get up. He had to work on his confidence in words. "What happened to you?"
"Have you— agh!" he coughed and spat blood on the ground. "Been living under a rock? I have the fucking rapids!" The man groaned and picked up his pokémon who barely responded, almost limp, holding it in his arms to cope with constant pain.
"Huh? Elaborate?" Ray's hand left his holster, which Crystal noticed. "You mean SRC?"
She was ready to attack for him and wouldn't lower her guard, as she couldn't afford to. Neither could he. The remaining would do whatever it took to see another day when resources ran so scarce. This man could even be tricking them.
"Yes. It's what we c-ch... call the illness now. I'm close to death. I-It took a week for it to start feeding... A single week. It's just a cough at first, aches, sore throat, some itching, but it s-starts eating you from the inside out. That's what it feels like anyway. It's torture... I'm asking you to shoot me—" he inhaled. "So I don't have to sit and let it work at me slowly," the man finished in a raspy tone.
Ray felt sick. It angered him to hear. His mother died that way? He wouldn't wish that experience on anyone, but he had one more very important question before he granted the man his wish. "How does it spread?"
"Direct c-contact as far as I know. I'm positive that's how I got it. Had to fight some insane bastard off and showed symptoms two days later. If I tap you right now, you might get it. I feel it e-everywhere..." The man held his pokémon tighter and peered at Ray. "I've helped you, kid. Now it's your t-turn."
He swallowed and took a step closer to the man, nodding. That was fair. He grabbed his pistol and disabled the safety. He couldn't leave this guy to suffer for however long the virus took to finish him off. It wasn't in his heart, but it was still killing someone. At the same time, it was for a decent reason.
Ray saw the man shut his eyes and hold his breath. "...Sorry this happened to you," he mumbled. He ensured the barrel was aligned with his head and turned his face so he wouldn't have to see the initial shot. He took a breath and held it so his hand would stop trembling so much, then pulled the trigger.
Crystal flinched and flattened her ears as the shot echoed across the sky. She watched the man fall onto his back with his pokémon falling onto his chest and nearly rolling off, and it was now that Crystal noticed just how weak the pokémon was. It could barely keep its head up and eyes open. Maybe it was sick too.
Ray looked back and stared at the man's lifeless body, as did his poochyena while taking glances at Ray. It no longer had an owner. Ray stepped back to Crystal and exhaled. "Rapids..." At least he'd gained some basic knowledge. That slang alternative must be the preferred term among the living.
He saw Crystal staring at the poochyena, knowing how lost it felt with no one to guide it. It would only be fair to kill it, but Ray had enough trouble killing one person. He couldn't bring himself to end a pokémon too. "We can't help it... No chances." Ray leaned down and tapped her side to get her attention before heading back to the house that they slept in.
He grabbed his backpack from the bedroom and walked out. "After that gunshot, we have to get far away from this place. There could be a group running toward us as we speak." Ray's stomach growled, and he knew Crystal had to be hungry as well, but it wasn't worth their lives. They could eat later.
While they walked through the town towards the exit, Ray thought about how horrible the virus was to catch after that encounter. It had to be the strongest and most terrifying one he'd seen in his lifetime, and he couldn't believe his mother had to endure such a slow and painful death, but it wasn't like he would have been able to put her out of her misery. Ray had to find a way to be stronger when it mattered too.
His mind then drifted to either him or Crystal catching it. He would have to see his sweet espeon live through unbearable pain and suffering or shoot her as well, and she would have no owner if he were to catch it first, like that poochyena.
Ray wished he could just leave Sinnoh with her, but it was a quarantined region. All transportation to and from Sinnoh stopped abruptly after the virus began spreading, which was a good call, but everyone here was stuck indefinitely in despair as a result.