Finally. Lore. Heh.. heh.. heh.. haahhh... evil slow laugh.

I woke up groggy. Yesterday was a blur. I climbed out of the backpack and headed to the sound of the river. I could barely see. When I got to my destination, I plunged my face into the water. Like a shot of espresso I was shocked awake.

I wiped drips of water from my face and looked around. It was dark out. There was a full moon dimly lighting everything, I could see better without my eyes for now. Though the sky had dawn twilight, the sun would be up soon anyway.

I looked behind me scanning the camp. Everyone was asleep next to the coals of what used to be a fire. I cupped a sip of water with my hands. Apparently we head for the ruins today. I was glad to be up and walking about.

I had gathered some wood for the fire and piled it quietly onto the coals after narrowly escaping stepping on a tail. Ignoring that detail I blew on them waiting for a flame to lick up.

After the fire was going I felt the morning chill wash away. It felt warm. I sat there for what felt like a good minute. But, the fire died out. It was almost pitch black again. It was suddenly cold. I jolted up my defences kicking in.

"You thought you could run?" A deep cold voice echoed.

"Stay behind me!" Sam was awake now, defensively standing in front of me.

I had no clue as to what was going on. As sudden as the dark swept through the wind picked up around me. Crzzrrk! Crzzrrk! Crzzrrk! It sounded like electricity. Flashes of light surrounded me until as sudden as it started, it stopped.

"How annoying. I should've finished you off when I had the chance. No matter. It seems you can no longer fight."

We stood there for what seemed like an eternity. The campfire breathed to life again but I was on edge. Sam was panting out of breath behind me.

"What was that?!" I asked.

"I.. I don't know… but whoever it was, they wanted you dead."

That was very un comforting. I have this mystery dude who shows up and wants me dead? Nah. As if I didn't have enough issues already as it stood.

"What happened?"

"Im kinda hungry."

Everyone erupted in chatter. It seemed that event woke everyone up. My heart was pounding out of my chest. I walked over to my bag and sat down.

"You okay sky?"

I looked over at Rin. I didn't notice her but she was next to my bag.

"I.. Im fine. It.. It didn't get me."

"What didn't get you!?" Her voice plunged deeper into concern.

"I.. don't know."

Thats all I could say really. It terrified me. Though it probably lost interest in me from the way it sounded but.. why would it hunt me?

"Everyone ready to go? We leave in ninety counts!"

Everyone was still chattering away. I grabbed onto my mostly empty bag and stood up slinging it onto my shoulders. I looked at Rin. She seemed dazed from being woken up early but still got up.

OooOooO

Wiggles had just announced the dungeon up ahead. I started walking closer to Rin getting beside her. Again the path started winding and branching off into different directions. Me Fraya and Rin ended up isolated from everyone else.

"Woaaaa! I've never seen walls like that before."

I froze. The other two stopped as well taking notice to me. I walked up to the wall. It was a steel wall. And it had words on it. Floor B. It was familiar, felt like it.

"You good sky?"

I snapped to my senses,"Yea im fine. But this wall, its human made. But why here?"

"Don't forget sky. Sam said this is a human ruin. Isn't that why we are here in the first place?" Fraya then turned to continue.

I followed,"Yea, your right."

As we continued, those walls seemed to be the theme of the dungeon. Walking through here felt like being in a facility like a lab or government building. It was even lit with fluorescent lights.

We kept on through the twists and turns throughout this place. It was just like any other dungeon. Just looked manmade. And designed like a maze.

There was a red white orb looking thing sitting in the middle of a room. It noticed and started to float our way.

"I got it!" Rin shouted excitedly. I readied up an aura sphere.

She shot off one of her dark pulses. It connected to the orb but it continued seemingly unaffected. I shot my sphere off but before it could land.. BOOOM! The room shook with a bright flash of light.

"RIN!" Me and fraya shouted.

We rushed over to her. She was only knocked out thankfully. I could see her body expanding with each breath. Thank goodness. The orb was also motionless. It looked like a self destruct move or something.

"What do we do now?! Are we screwed sky?!"

I looked at fraya. She seemed to be panicking a little pacing back and fourth. I remembered my backpack. I pulled it off and set it down next to Rin opening it. Then I lifted and shovelled her into the bag, making sure she was comfy. I then zipped it half shut and lifted her onto my back. I guess it was her turn.

"Fraya, do you know any ranged attacks? We cant let them get close to us if we are going to make it through."

"Uhhh, only thunderbolt. But voltorb are strong against it. Our types match."

"Then just leave it to me."

We trekked on through the dungeon. I was able to protect us but it was challenging. Fraya had no effect on them, she tried her best. But it was like she said. They are strong against her type. This went on for an eternity until we finally saw everyone grouped up. We had made it through.

I collapsed on my stomach, Rin still on my back. I had to use too much aura. Fraya was fanning my face with her paw trying to get me to stand back up. I refused her beckoning for now.

"Okay head count! Everyone here?" Sam shouted.

Everyones names started getting called with their responses. Eventually it got to my group.

"Rin?"

My ears perked up.

"Is rin here?"

"Yea, though unconscious." I groaned out.

"As long as shes fine. And your here too. Terra?"

That seemed to be the last name he called for. I mustered up the rest of my strength and stood up. I lumbered over to the crowd. We were in what looked like a cave, like the initial entrance to this place. But there was a steel door that had everyone's interest.

"Alright, this is the location. Everyone look around. If you find anything, please let me know. We need to find a way in." Sam announced. "I don't want the same result as last time we were here."

I knew this is where I came in. I had the biggest chance out of anyone here on getting inside. I sighed and pushed past everyone.

I looked closer at the door. It was huge. It was a pair of steel sliding doors. Caution tape lined the point where the doors connect. I looked to the sides of it for some kind of access panel.

I spotted one on the right. I walked up to it. It was a number pad with a card reader. Above it read LAB E Knox Laboratories. I paused staring at knox. It was.. my last name.

"You find us a way in?" Sam was behind me. I turned to him pulled from my thoughts.

"Maybe, though we need a password. Or a card of some sort. But this will send power to the door if we figure it out."

"Its nice to hear this isn't a dead end. I wasn't even sure if that was a door or not."

I started trying number combinations into the pad. I tried my phone password, no dice. 1234? I tried it at least. Nothing seemed to work. I was worried id have to brute force the combination. That would take hours, or days. I sighed. At least it still somehow had power.

Power… I facepalmed. I could've brought my electronics. If we got in I could've definitely used the power here. Though, I still wanted to make the solar panel. I shrugged it off and kept guessing passwords.

"Uhhh, sky? I umm. I wanna give this back. I forgot to leave it on your bed. Umm.. Im sorry."

I turned to see terra, extending out my ID card in her paw. My face lit up, I couldn't stop myself from laughing. Imagine.

"Whats so funny?"

I grabbed the ID from her. "Nothing hehe. Just coincidences stacking up. Might be my lab."

"Wait, your lab? What do you mean?"

"Knox. My name is Skyler Knox. And either this might be a lab built by me, or someone else with the same last name built it. Either way, lets find out."

I held my breath, and swiped the card. Beep! The terminal lit green. SKREEAAWW! It sounded like metal grinding. Big door.

Everyone was whispering to eachother about the door. Their gazes were mostly directed at me.

"Soo, its your lab I rekon?"

Ed must have overheard me and terra. I looked around. It seemed literally everyone overheard me.

"I.. I guess so. I mean.. it has my name on it. And my card opened it."

"Hahaha oh man. I guess theres more of ye than meets the eye." He chuckled. "So yer a human er something haha!"

I turned to him. "Yea, that sums it up."

He stopped laughing, his face shifting to surprise. "Yer seriously a human?!"

"Yea." I responded.

I left everyone to their thoughts about me and continued into the lab. Right behind me sam and terra followed me in. It was a hallway on theme with the dungeon earlier. Floor S was painted on the wall.

There were only five doors, one was marked with a staircase symbol. The rest went from S1-4. Everyone split up at this point, or picked a spot to sit down and relax in. I was too curious to rest right now, though I left Rin with them.

I clutched my keycard and scanned the doors. S2 was locked for whatever reason. S1 seemed to be an office. S3 seemed to be a room. There were charred combat dummies inside of it. As well as a one way mirror I guessed? It connects to S2. S4 had shelves. On said shelf lay a box of plastics, metals and a smaller box labeled chips. As enticing as the boxes were, I left it alone. There was also a desk in there with a soldering kit laying out.

I turned out of there and approached the locked door. I clutched my keycard and looked around. Nobody was paying attention to me. I shrugged. I guess im looking at this one alone. I swiped my card. Click!

I stepped inside. The door closed behind me. The room was lit blue by a giant monitor along the top of the back wall. There was also two vats hooked up to said monitor. There was also two sets of mice and keyboards. The vats though.. They looked to be right out of a sci fi movie.

I still had no clue what this lab was doing, or why I had built it. Did I even build it? I didn't know. Maybe I knew at one point. I started messing with the computer curious for answers.

It seemed to be a custom designed operating system. It had three applications, one VAT, one SEC and the last one was ACA. There was also a terminal but that doesn't count. I clicked open sec.

It opened a grid of live video feeds from I could guess was this lab. There was a feed to every single room in the lab, including the one I was in. There was only two floors. In the basement two of the rooms I had no view into for whatever reason, and two more were just empty rooms. The third had more general lab equipment, though seemed less specialized than the equipment up here.

I closed out of the program. Curious about vat, I opened that program. It opened up a ui that seems to control the vats. Fill, calibrate, start. There were also indications for how much fluid was left and a red DNA indication.

I think I understood a little more about the lab. And maybe got an explanation? It seemed likely that I could've turned myself into a Pokémon? But why? Why would I do that?

I closed out and opened the last program. All that came up was two buttons labeled format and update. I was clueless. I closed out and stepped back out to the hall.

"Anything in there?" Sam asked. They were leaning into the corner to my left.

"Nothing I really understand, though maybe I used to understand it."

There was an awkward silence before sam responded with "ok."

I made my way through to the fifth door down the stairs. Terra and Fraya we're exiting the far door and spotted me.

"Hey sky? You wanna look at this room? None of us know what its for."

They gestured to the room behind them. I sighed.

"Just some microscopes and acids or something. Id rather look at these ones. I haven't gotten a look."

I pushed open one of the private rooms. It looked like a bedroom. There was a computer though. A whiteboard? Stuff about ohms law, and diamagnetic materials. Beyond questioning for now. But this room felt nice.

I closed the door behind me, heading for the other door. I pulled on the latch for the door, but it wouldn't budge.

"Eek!"

I heard someone in there. I looked around.

"Terra, have you seen anyone go into this room?"

"Huh? No. Everyone is still upstairs except for fraya… uhh. Why do you ask?"

"Well, someone's in here. They locked themselves in I think."

"NOONES HERE!"

I almost laughed. I was unsure before but they made themselves obvious.

"Its fine to come out you know. Why not introduce yourself?"

"I could say the same!! Who are you?! How did you get in?!"

"I mean.. Isnt this my lab? Im Skyler knox."

"!?!?!"

The door flung open and I was pulled into the room. I couldn't slow myself down and my face planted into a bookcase. I was clutching my face groaning.

"I.. I can't believe its you! You.. Your alive!"

Still clutching my face I peered up at them. There was a blue otter standing above me. I stood up, half ready to fight.

"Whats the big ide-" I was interrupted by them hugging me.

"Uhhh, okay? Im getting mixed signals here."

"Why would you run off like that!? I thought they killed you!"

They were crying into my shoulder. I was honestly confused. I guess they knew me? Wait..

"Do you know me or something?"

"What are you talking about?" He let go and grabbed my shoulders. "Are you okay?"

I shoved his hands off me. "Im fine. But I need answers. Who are you? And why is my name on this lab?"

"Huh?" They weren't crying anymore, just a look of concern plastered over his face.

"Are you sure your fine? I've known you since kindergarten! Dont you remember.. the apocalypse?"

"Apocalypse?! What do you even mean?!"

"Its why there are almost none of us left!"He took a deep breath in.

"We might be screwed now."

I was confused as to why they would say that. We're screwed? No way.

"How are we screwed?"

He sat down on his bed laying down.

"You had everything figured out… now its gone."

"Hey sky! Who are you talking to in there?! Were gonna bust in!"

Terra was shouting from the other side of the door. Her voice was very faint. I walked to the door and pressed the button.

"Its fine come in." I turned to the otter. "Mind introducing yourself?"

"Hey, Im astro." He stated meekly.

"Im.. terra." I was surprised terra went before fraya there.

"Im fraya.. so how do you know sky?"

"Oh.. I grew up with him. And we were in the middle of saving the planet, but we might be stuck."

"Hold on, the planet?"

"Yea. It's pretty brutal. It wiped out ninety nine point nine nine percent of us. Like a good hand sanitizer does to germs."

"Hand saniteezor?"

"Sanitize! Did you guys even… wait hold on how are these guys even talking?"

I shrugged. "They are like a medieval civilization. Basic metallurgy."

"Im glad someone took over. That means we wont run out of food. Thank god."

"So.. hold on sky. Is this another human we are talking to?"

"Yes" "yea" we said in unison.

"Ah, so heres where the answers are hiding!" Sams voice chimed into the room.

The room had five of us now and started feeling smaller than it was. It felt claustrophobic.

Sam started chatting with astro for what felt like an eternity. Every question sam asked seemed to feed a loop of info into more questions. Went from cars to electronics to food. I sat down in the corner waiting for this to blow over. I had a headache from the bookshelf and the talking.

"Yea sky had a way to stop it, though with how it's going I think were stuck."

"Stop what exactly?" I asked.

"Oh ummm.. we're talking about the decay."

I was left with more questions.

"What exactly is the decay?"

"Mysteriously, pokemon are ending up dead all over. And not just them. Entire areas of life are wiped out overnight, even the plants!" Sam stated.

"Yea, it wiped out humanity too. Almost." Astro chipped in.

"Well, you said I could stop it or something. Did I say anything about it?"

"No, which reminds me.."

Suddenly I had a jet of water blasted at my face.

"What was that for?!" I shouted standing up. I was soaked.

"For running in guns blazing! Wherever you disappeared to cost us! I thought you weren't coming back!"

I had nothing to say at that point. I thought hard for a while. I felt horrible about this. It reminded me of the other time this happened.

"Sorry."

I felt out of place in that room, so I walked out.

"Sky.. wait a second!" Ignoring terra, I walked over to the seemingly vacant room and entered, locking the door behind me. Everything seemed familiar in this room. It felt cozy and organized. Was this my room? I flattened out on the bed.

It felt nice in here. But that didn't last. It was my fault that we didn't stop this sooner. Apparently, I could've stopped it.. from killing people… Its killing people…

I felt sick. The reality of it started setting itself deep into my core. I blundered it. My memories gone with all our chances of fighting this. I was clutching my gut. It felt like my stomach would explode. I felt like I needed to vomit, but there was nothing to vomit out. It just reflected how empty I felt. How empty my mind felt.

OooOooO

Rin's POV bc sky aint feelin it rn frfr, also character development. Important ig.

I woke up to my face being prodded at by someone. A bright light was blinding me, but not sunlight. Everything shifted into focus. Bright white rectangles. And Ed was poking me.

"What's happening?" I croaked groggily.

"Sky went an locked himself aways er sumthin. Sam wanted evryone to backtrack to the guild, they teleperted."

"Ah… Wait sky?!"

"Ye. Its just us six.. er seven."

I crawled out of skys backpack and headed with ed down some stairs. Everyone was crowded around one of five doors. I joined up with them.

"Oh rin. Mind talking to sky? He wont respond to us, im worried. Its been awhile. " Sam stated.

"All I did was splash him.. you think I was too harsh?"

"Your fine, sky is resilient. No way it was the water."

I banged on the door. "Hey sky?! You okay!?"

I could hear a groan coming from the other side of the door. Still alive. I knocked again.

"Sky?! Seriously whats wrong?! We are friends! Let me help!"

An unnerving silence permeated the space. After what felt like forever I heard the door click.

"Only.. hrrk.. rin please."

He gagged in the middle of his sentence. I was a little more worried. The door automatically opened and shut after astro hit a flat square. Sky was facing the wall on a bed in the corner.

"Do you need anything?"

"I hrggl ah, dont know."

I was almost scared for sky, ive never seen him like this. He was huddled into the fetal position clutching his stomach. What happened when I was out?

"Do you wanna see chancey? She will probably.."

"Its not that.. not urgk that at all."

Sky turned over to me. He looked mortified and confused. Like he was in pain.

"Im empty rin."

I couldn't even begin to understand him.

"What.. do you mean?"

I was terrified to even ask. But I had to.

"Uhg, im.. destroyed. I screwed up. Uhgnn I.. had a chance. Ulgh, to save them. But ive.. hollowed out.."

I could see tears forming under his eyes. I couldn't stand to see it. I wanted to help. But I didn't know what to do. Though I had to do something. I walked to the bed and sat down next to him putting a paw on his head.

"Your not empty sky, you're full of you! Stop saying nonsense."

I was surprised by sky's embrace. He started hugging me. He was crying softly. I returned the hug pulling him closer. I hoped this was helping. His hug felt nice either way. He half chuckled still crying.

"I guess, I guess your right Rin."

"I know im right, now stop crying. We gotta get back to the guild. Everyone is waiting."

Good morning, good afternoon and goodnight everyone!! Thank any you for reading I guess. Almost like a quarter of the way through some lore plans and things such as that. But truss me broh, cooka dah meataballe. Add le béchamel and toast! Ykwim? Mario is just trippin balls? Bowser is the side effects, breathing fire = fever and stomp = weakness? Ykwim sukasa? Sukasa?

-I cried at that scene btw, top 10 anime deths. Watch dr stone stoned if your legally allowed and want to. If not just watch dr stone. Unless you don't want to. Idk im not your conscience.