The sizzling sound of eggs being fried on the pan aroused Ash's attention. Fresh from the bed and a night of intense cuddling with his mother, the young man found himself drawn to the all too comforting smell of fried eggs. How long has it been since he had a sunny side up or a good half boiled? He hastened his steps down the hallway and found himself smiling at the sight of Pallet Town's very own Nurse Joy preparing breakfast. The high ponytail hairstyle, pair of bike shorts and loose fitted blouse gave the illusion that Rosa was his roommate, a hot older roommate that was admittedly way out of his league. She hummed a catchy tune with Chansey standing next to her, supplying the fresh and nutritious eggs that she was frying in the pan. The oval pokemon squeaked at the sight of Ash and waved its adorable feelers at him, earning a smile and a wave back.

"Good Morning Ash! I was just preparing breakfast." Pampered by her generosity, Ash sat on the dining table with Pikachu leaning onto his head all groggily, the poor electric type was still recovering from the curse that is morning drowsiness. The young man admired the rose haired lady's handiwork and glanced at the scrumptious breakfast she was making. Having Chansey to supply them a steady stream of eggs practically solved all of their food issues, so as long Chansey can keep laying them. Eggs are versatile too, soft boiled, hard boiled, scrambled, poached or fried, all these scrumptious foods should be good for them in the long run. He continued to watch Rosa making breakfast with his eyes drawn to her figure, there was something really cozy and sweet watching someone preparing food for you wholeheartedly, it invoked a sense of fiery warmth in Ash's heart. This whole zombie apocalyptic scenario was more relaxing and intriguing than he initially anticipated yet Ash knew he was one of the lucky few who managed to find a safe haven in these dire times.

It wasn't long before Rosa finished making a set of eggy breakfast, runny and yolky half-boiled eggs with a bit of soy sauce, fried sunny side egg with thyme sprinkled on them and a toasted bread plated with custard and butter, a fine and simple morning breakfast. She placed the plates of eggs on the table and sat next to him. The smell of soy sauce and spices mixed with herbs really made Ash's stomach growl with hunger.

"Thanks Rosa! How have you found the place so far?" It's only been a night but Rosa was absolutely loving this place. Working toilets, a clean shower room and her own comfy bed, this place was heaven compared to the cramp storage room. It was a miracle that she managed to survive this long with Chansey.

"You're welcome Ash, this laboratory is lovely! Super comfy and warm, it even had a medical bay too, perfect if we ever got injured or sick." They lucked out, Oak's laboratory, while small compared to the other state of the art research facilities around Kanto, was phenomenally equipped with basic household facilities and amenities since it doubles as a place of accommodation. The only aspect that is lacking is a defense system and a self-sustaining farm, but that problem is for future Ash to solve, for now, present Ash just wants breakfast.

"Mmm, this is delicious." Rosa chuckled at Ash earnest's efforts at devouring the eggs whole. As a Chansey trainer, she had the luxury of feasting on yummy eggs everyday. Chanseys lay eggs daily and any extra eggs they lay are for treating injured pokemon.

"Chansey's eggs are very nutritious and delicious, she was more than happy to provide for us." The beloved oval pokemon nodded jubilantly, happiness and joy must be shared with others! It squeaked when Ash patted its head, a well earned reward for her efforts.

"That solves our food and nutrition problem, we're counting on ya Chansey." The young nurse smiled at Chansey's coo and content state, it loves being petted and hugged but only by the selected few. So far, Ash and his company all earn the grace and affection from the oval pokemon.

"Chanse!" Rosa patted the head of the jovial pokemon and scooped up the runny egg yolk with her spoon. She gently blew the steam emanating from the yellow goodness and smiled at the familiar sight of the comfort food.

"It even prevents common flu or fever too, eggs from Chansey boost the immune system and increase the white blood cells of the body. No need to worry about common flu or malnutrition!" The young man nodded along, disease would still be an ever-looming threat to them. With clinics, pharmacies and hospitals obsolete, over the counter medicine, prescriptions and diagnosis remains elusive as ever. Having the basic immunity to common viruses and sickness is a very valuable, life changing even. Yet the young man's thoughts turn to the pokenotic virus that started the pandemic in the first place.

"I wonder if eating the Chansey's egg every day would give us antibodies to the virus." It was an optimistic thought, naively so, but Ash held out a glimmer of hope that some form of natural immunity to the virus would eventually show itself. Alas, Rosa shook her head and sighed at their reality.

"Unfortunately, no." Quick and blunt, her downcast expression earned a squeeze to her hand. She nearly jolted from her seat when Ash's warm and rough hand covered hers, but the sincere and determined look on his face soothe much of her worries.

"Rosa, you can talk to me if you need to, don't be afraid to open up to okay?" Her lips curled upwards at Ash's priorities, she could tell he places a huge emphasis on a shared community and mental health, given the prevalence of social media and the topic of discussing mental health becoming more acceptable and normal with each passing generation, it wasn't hard to see Ash proactively taking lead in ensuring everyone is okay. Utterly ridiculous to have a child to lead them but Ash's staunch and unfaltering attitude had guided them so far.

"Thank you Ash, you're very mature for someone of your age." He brushed the compliments off and crossed his arms, he was just doing what he can for the people who believed in him, but even he knows they can't sustain this lifestyle forever. The sound of footsteps tapping against the floor grasped his attention, he smiled when he felt the warm motherly scent of Delia hugging him from behind. She gave a kiss to his cheek and scratched Pikachu's ears, earning a coo from the electric type that still rests on top of his trainer's messy hair. The rookie officer too made her appearance by letting out a customary yawn of her own, she was absolutely tired after the strenuous hike from yesterday and remodeling her room.

"Morning everyone." The toned lady of the law sat down next to Rosa, her eyes were naturally drawn to the yummy eggs on the table. Any morning greetings to her was swiftly cast aside in favour of the eggy goodness.

"Did you prepare this Rosa?" The incredulous look drew a chuckle from the kind nurse, she simply nodded and took a piece of bread from the plate. Toasted with butter spread across, Rosa dipped the bread into the half-boiled egg dripped with soy sauce.

"Mhmm! Chansey here helped supply them. Come! Let's eat." With the occupants of Pallet Town all sitting together enjoying breakfast, Pikachu leaped onto the table and munched on the small toast of bread Ash gave it. The young man eyed his starter for a moment with his thoughts drifting to other more important matters, do pokemon count Mareeps to sleep like humans do?

"What's our next plan Ash?" The earnest question from his mother broke his stupor and he assumed a more focused expression. The lack of social media stimulants meant his mind must preoccupy itself with other entertaining thoughts.

"Territory, I was thinking Xenia and I would head around Pallet Town to do a routine sweep. We can even start clearing up the town and the rubbish in the river, I want to whip this town up to shape." The young officer agreed wholeheartedly with Ash's idea, the past week they have been relatively tardy on ensuring the town is safe from any unwanted visitors. Though she frequently does a routine check with her fluffy and trusty Growlithe, a thorough inspection around the town's borders managed to evade her.

"Rosa you can check on the lab's healing machine, see if it functions and learn how to operate it." The head nurse nodded with Chansey giving a salute, they had already done an inspection on Oak's healing machines. State of the art, easy to use and undeniably expensive, the machine would serve them well, provided they can get it working.

"Will do Ash, it's good to familiarize myself with the laboratory machines and assets. I already did a brief check on the healing machine, the core semiconductor and nanochips have been damaged by the power outage, so for now it's not functional. But! We still have other drugs and First Aid available to us." The raven haired teen gave a thumbs up in return, a bummer that the healing machine is not operational but at least they have over the counter medicine.

"I will work on the farm too, the seeds are sprouting nicely. Harvest should be done in about two weeks if the weather is generous." He cleared his throat when his mother placed a hand on his, nothing sensual or anything of that sort, but the sheer taboo nature of their relationship just made every physical contact or affection exciting. Unfortunately for the young man, Delia's astute nature caught wind of his flustered reaction and gave a small smirk of her own.

But with the long and busy day ahead of them, there was no time to act all flustered or being turned on by your own mother. Everyone began to set out to do what was expected of them. Clad in his sleek riot armor, Ash put on the padded armor around his chest. The elbow guards were easy enough, but the thigh guard was a tad bit large for Ash given he was just a 15 year old kid. He fumbled about the suit when Xenia appeared right next to him, though not as heavily equipped as him, she did recover her protective vest and a leather jacket she found on the street. She firmly tightened the strap of her boots and gave a small chuckle at Pikachu cheering his trainer on.

"That riot gear looks good on you Ash, you're practically untouchable now." The practically untouchable man can barely move. With no leg room to squat or allow his nether regions breathe freely, Ash forsake his pride and ego by subtly nudging Xenia for help.

"I won't say that, but uh it's a little tight." The staunch officer nodded along, the young man had fastened the strap too tight to compensate for the large size. She sat down next to him on the sofa and began to readjust the lower half of his suit. The poor adolescent held his breath and averted his gaze when Xenia's hands were dangerously close to his crotch, but she looked absolutely unfazed and treated this like any normal duty. She gave a grunt once she finished strapping up the young man, Ash would easily look like a fresh blue from the academy if he was a tad bit muscular.

"Good?" He moved his limbs around, no restriction or awkward movements, perfect! He walked around the laboratory and nodded at how much of a fit the once cumbersome suit is, maybe Xenia does have the magic touch after all. He turned towards the firm lady of the law and gave a thumbs up.

"Yeah, it fits great. Let's go!" Xenia held back a chuckle over how excited and enthusiastic Ash was, playing around the new gadgets and toys were always the highlight of police academy training. The strapping young lad took his trusty machete and perched Pikachu right on his shoulders, the extra padding and armor would save them from any potential ambush. The duo bid farewell to Delia and Rosa to set off towards the neighbourhood town. Strolling across the running rivers and budding farm fields, most of Pallet Town's devastation and destruction had slowly begun to recover. The daily work of trawling up rubbish and debris from the river worked wonders for the town, though the demolished houses and the stagnant puddle of waters were still an eyesore. The high schooler eyed the overgrown grass that danced to the tune of the wind, any wild infected Rattata can lie in ambush there and pounce at them when they least expected it. So with a trusty machete in hand, Ash began to cut down the overgrowth while Xenia surveyed around Growlithe by her side. It was hard work especially under the spell of the heavy suit, but Ash managed to clear a decent chunk of the overgrowth around the edges of their perimeter.

"You see anything?" The turquoise haired lady shook her head, so far Growlithe did not pick up any scent of a foreign pokemon. Pallet Town is utterly abandoned and deserted, the only residents here are just the four of them. A cause for celebration to be sure for safety sake, but also eerily creepy when you realized that Pallet Town was once home to the 300s.

"Nothing." Ash glanced around the surroundings, no Pidgeys chirping and no Oddishes hopping around in glee, just the lone silence of the residences walking about. He gave a sigh and felt the cooling gale of the late summer wind. Soon Autumn would descend upon them, while Ash loved Fall and its lovely scenery, the frigid temperature would soon become a dire issue.

"I was thinking that since winter is approaching soon, we should be prepared for it." Xenia placed a hand on her hips and leaned forward while wagging her index finger in the air.

"Already one step ahead of you, I created a list of items we need. More fluffy blankets, an abundance of firewood, food preservation, winter clothing and shovels for digging out excess snow." Though Ash had experienced the harsh Kanto winter before, that was when running infrastructure and a sound society was still pretty much alive. Now with the power grids down and no routine maintenance of roads and food production, this was going to be a Frostpunk like scenario. His thoughts turned to the infected, though flu cases usually spike up during winter months because of lower immunity and more time spent indoors, the infected should in theory move more slowly during winter due to constricts of blood vessels that make movement difficult. Honestly, it's a coinflip whether the infected would be deterred by the cold.

"Do you think infected activity would slow down during winter?" Xenia shrugged but gave more thought into it as her mind rolled over the various scenarios they might find themselves in, chances are the infected's biology has not been severely altered by the virus.

"Hmm well if we go by conventional logic or what we see in movies, most definitely. Our bodies move more sluggish during the winter, I predict that most infected would die off during the winter either by starvation or cannibalism." That was a gruesome thought to Ash, though pokemon eat pokemon all the time because of the rules of nature. A human eating another human out of sheer desperation and hunger is just- uncomfortable.

"That's only for human infected right? Pokemon can survive anything." A little exaggerated on Ash's part but Xenia can see where he is coming from. Remarkably durable and adamant, pokemon's genetic composition just allowed them to survive or adapt to any climate. Even fire types are known to adapt to frigid colds normally devastating to them, with how much stronger infected pokemon are, there is no telling what effect the cold spell has upon them.

"Correct but pokemon are known to hibernate during winter months, I'm not sure if the virus would alter their instincts and hibernation patterns but we will see." Xenia was absolutely confident that pokemon would still retain their instincts to hibernate in winter.

"I wonder-" A sudden rustle from the nearby shrubbery froze both of them, Xenia didn't hesitate to hoist the firearm from her pouch and aimed directly at the source of the disturbance. Her focused turquoise eyes were laid dead center with her fingers mere millimeters away from the trigger. She placed her other hand on Ash's chest and slowly pushed him back, despite being fully armored geared in a sturdy riot suit, she was not keen at having a young child being a human shield on her behalf. The rustling continued with the long blades of grass ruffling around and before long, a bipedal pokemon in the shade of purple appeared right in front of them.

"A Nidoran." Ash spoke with much caution and fear, his hand naturally gripped his machete tighter as he prepared for a potential confrontation. Yet the lack of aggression or sudden movements from the Poison Pin pokemon gave Ash time to analyze and observe his foe.

"It's not infected." Xenia's eyes were still dead set on the timid looking Nidoran, its natural red eyes dilated as two defensive looking pokemon glared at him with every intention to inflict harm to it should it make any sudden movements. She momentarily glanced back at Ash, his calm and collected demeanor softened the intensity of the situation.

"How can you tell?" The young trainer knelt down and took off his face shield, hoping that a friendly face is enough to calm the intimidated Nidoran who can't be more than a few years old.

"Eyes are not glowing red and it's not breathing heavily, it's also not attacking on sight. Be careful though, most wild pokemon are equally as dangerous, they probably think we're going to hurt it." Pikachu maintained a steady gaze on the Nidoran, showing no signs of hostility to the interloper. Quick to become Chief Ambassador for Pallet Town, it leaped off Ash's shoulders to converse with the poison type, hoping to get a conversation starting between them to soothe any tensions.

"It looks spooked." The matter-of-fact tone from Xenia and the lowering of her firearm, drew a sigh of relief from Ash. With negotiations underway, Xenia knelt down and slowly shuffled closer to the Nidoran. It was a cute little fella with big ears and stubby paws, the way it chatted with Pikachu indicated that it was happy to see someone who isn't out for blood.

"It's okay little one we're not going to hurt you." The motherly tone from Xenia was surprising, she slowly petted the poison's type fur and observed its reaction, completely content and docile with no signs of aggression at the slightest. But the cautious side of Ash was alarmed seeing Xenia petting a poison type with no protective equipment.

"Xenia I don't think you should-'' The sudden flickered movement from the Nidoran's horn managed to cut Xenia's wrist, drawing blood that dripped upon its barb. Xenia winced from the pain and quickly distanced herself from the Nidoran out of knee jerk reaction. The frantic look on the Nidoran told her that it probably didn't mean to hurt her and was panicking, but Ash was quick to order a thundering retribution.

"Pikachu Thundershock." With sympathy towards the Nidoran, Pikachu fires a thundershock directly in front of it to scare it off. The Nidoran scuttled away in fear and hid away from the bushes it came, leaving a poisoned Xenia and a worried Ash in its wake. The young man narrowed his eyes and turned to Xenia, her pale complexion and lethargic look made him gripped her shoulder tightly.

"Ash, I feel hot." Her voice trailed off in a mumble while her Growlithe whimpered at the sight of his mistress being in pain. The raven haired teen placed the back of his hand on her forehead and gritted his teeth at how hot it was, she was having a high fever. Can poison from a Nidoran really cause high fever so quickly? No time to ponder and think, he had to get Xenia treated now.

"Toxins are in your streams, hang in there." Without tarrying a moment, he swept Xenia off her feet and clutched her tightly in his arms. The heavy riot suit that encumbered him was nothing now with the blood pumping adrenaline rush coursing through Ash's body. He sprinted his way back to Oak's Laboratory with the two pokemon following suit behind him, forgoing all sense of reality as his instincts and mind focused on getting Xenia the aid she needed.

"ROSA!" The loud scream from him earned the attention of the very person he was seeking. The young nurse swiftly ran out to the main hall to meet him, fearing a potential infected attack or an emergency situation. Her eyes widened at the sight of the once strong and proud Xenia groaning in pain, muttering a sleuth of profanities and swears that would leave a sailor blushing.

"Ash? What- is Xenia okay?" He promptly rushed towards the medical bay of the facility and placed her on the bed. He gently placed the back of his hand on her forehead again, checking the rapidly rising temperature that left his hand uncomfortable. The occasional groans and whimpers from her drew a sympathetic look from Ash and a panting Rosa who managed to catch up to him.

"She's poisoned by a Nidoran, please help her Rosa!" Her faithful Chansey placed her feelers onto Xenia's body, feeling the pulse and scanning the body for any abnormalities. The toxins had so far not spread around her body yet, meaning there is plenty of time for a timely intervention. Yet for Rosa, she frantically looked around the medicine cabinets and shelves for anything to treat wild pokemon injuries or venoms. Her heart clenched when she realized not a single antidote was within sight.

"We don't have any antidotes Ash, I-I don't know what we can do." The young man blinked and turned around to face her, his hazel brown eyes darted between Chansey and the nurse before taking his helmet off, revealing beads of sweat that gathered from all the intensive running.

"Can't Chansey use Heal Pulse? Or Softboil?" The oval pokemon's ear dropped downwards, none of its known moves can heal status afflictions. Human anatomy works remarkably similar to those of pokemon, which is fitting given pokemon were once partners to humans, equal in every way shape or form. But now with the lack of working Healing Machines or a proper medicine, an accidental prick from a Nidoran may spell doom for the rest of the group.

"They don't cure ailments Ash, I'm sorry." The nurse spoke with as much compassion and care as possible, she could see the sizzling frustration boiling in Ash's face. He scowled and clenched his fists, the absolute feeling of helplessness and despair was the worst. Distance footfalls grew louder and Delia huffed her way to the medical bay from all of the commotion, she gasped at the sight of a pale Xenia and a disgruntled Ash standing in her way. The young officer winced and reached for Ash's hand, interlocking her fingers with his tightly.

"A-Ash it's okay, look… not all pokemon venom are fatal to humans, maybe it's better-" He refused to entertain the idea of leaving Xenia in this state, any attempt at persuading him to let her suffer like this was futile. He knelt down to her side and clasped her hand, his mind racing towards the multitude of solutions to help Xenia. There is only one possible solution he could think of at this very moment, a natural remedy that can be found in the wilds.

"Don't say that! Pikachu with me! Rosa look after her and try to ease her pain as much as possible." With little room for delay, his faithful starter leaped onto the shoulders, allowing the duo to dash outside of the laboratory after a solemn promise to the officer. In the midst of confusion and panic, Delia watched her only son frantically running out of the laboratory as if his life depended on it.

"Ash!" Out of ear shot from motherly concern, he sprinted towards the outside of the gated compounds of Pallet. Scenes of barbed wires and makeshift barricades transitioned to lush trees and dense tree lines. The nearby berry forest that stretched far and wide near the town is a known natural reserve, popular among hikers and nature lovers. But since the start of the outbreak, Ash had placed a hard ban on entering the forest for fear of ambush and potential infected activity. So as far as he knows, he is entering into uncharted territory. With one step into the beaten path of the forest, Ash halted right then and there with Pikachu firmly perched on his shoulder. He managed to catch his breath and regulated his breathing, taking a moment to think rationally before blindly charging in out of guilt and desperation.

"The berry forest should be filled with infected but I'm willing to take that risk, you with me buddy?" The electric mouse nodded with a smile, come hell or high water Pikachu would electrocute any foes that dare threaten them. The berry forest is relatively flat with trees occupying the canopies and skies, so any sign of infected Mankeys swinging from treetop to treetop can be easily detected or spotted. The true terror are Rattatas camouflaging in the shrubbery and ambush them at will, the wretched vermin are known for digging burrows or molehills near food sources.

"Pika!" The raven haired teen smiled at his starter's support, in his haste of chasing after Pecha Berries in the forest for Xenia, he had forgotten to retrieve the handgun from her. He narrowed his eyes and summoned Makuhita out from his contraption, allowing the fighting type to act as a closer quarter tank to draw in the threat while Pikachu would dispatch any stragglers that stray from the sidelines.

"Makuhita battle stance." The Guts pokemon slammed both of his fists together, creating mini shockwaves that kicked up dust from the dirt trail. It gave a rallying cry and began to loosen its muscles to get the blood pumping, the thrills of an adrenaline rush makes one stronger and faster, and fighting types are known to manipulate their body's biological capabilities to push them to their fullest extent. With two of the finest bodyguards he could ever hope for, the young man descended into the forest that had dense foliage and tree tops blocking sunlight, leaving patches of shadows and shade around him. Treading lightly upon the dirt trail path, Ash was astonished at how peaceful and untouched the berry forest is. Many of his fondest memories during childhood was playing with the local Pidgeys and Poliwag who eagerly played hide and seek with him, not a mote of the scenery has changed since he last visited these serene woods. But he was no fool, tranquility cannot be mistaken as peacefulness and predators are known to stalk their victims silently before pouncing on them.

Pikachu scanned the entire forest, its ear twitched to every rustling of the leaves and the sound of the wind brushing against the foliage. The distant sound of rivers gushing against rocks and banks seemed natural enough, yet the heightened paranoia of something, anything attacking them was enough to leave all of them in cold sweat. The Mightyena incident was still fresh on their minds and none of them would ever forget that harrowing experience. The electric type perked up when his trainer halted his tracks, the crestfallen expression on his face was heartbreaking, as if he had lost hope at everything.

"The berries are all gone guys." The pokemon followed their trainer's gaze and was met with the sight of berry bushes being clad empty, not a single harvest or berry fruit can be seen dangling among the shrubbery. The local pokemon had swiped all of them clean, probably in preparation of the coming Fall season. The young Ketchum sighed and sat on a nearby boulder, any chances of saving Xenia grows slimmer as time passes by. His initial hope of finding a natural remedy in the forest was dashed, the only thing they could do now is to venture deeper into the woods and pray to Arceus that a single Pecha Berry is left untouched.

'That is a death trap waiting to happen.' He frowned at the thought of the local fauna being infected with the virus, given that the Spearow Flock is the first victim of the virus in Route 1, the avian fiends would easily spread the virus around by launching aerial assault onto the local populace. He glanced inward into Pallet Town Woods, the dense mesh of branches and leaves swallowed any form of sunlight seeping through the forest floors. It was ominous and foreboding, but the young man is tenacious and determined to see it through.

"Come on guys, let's push on, Xenia is counting on us." The pokemon nodded and cheered at their trainer's decision to enter dangerous territory, this might be their last chance to get the much needed Berries for Xenia. Not to mention they can harvest the other berries and grow them in their own backyard, a self-sustaining farm of sorts! Cleave and cut, Ash cleared a path with his trusty machete once the hiking trail path was obstructed by the force of nature itself. It seems the lack of maintenance from the local town council had allowed nature to reclaim back bits and pieces of its territory, the trail essentially ends with the overgrowth blocking their path.

"Whew, that was tiring." His two pokemon chuckled at his panting expression, who knew cutting down thick fibrous vines and roots would be such a hassle? Ash swept aside the cut foliage and waddled through the forest, his eyes firmly set on the rows of berry bushes that aligned upon the landscape. It was a beautiful sight, but the lack of fruits or budding flowers around the area just dashed all hopes of acquiring a single Pecha berry to treat Xenia. They were now stuck in a dilemma, risked further going into the woods and get potentially flanked by all sides from the infected, or they go fast and hard.

"What do you think guys? S-Should we just call it?" The two pokemon frowned at how hesitant their trainer was to leave, it was clear he was ready to go above and beyond to find the Pecha Berry for Xenia, but saner thoughts prevailed at the fact Ash cannot risk or even trade his life for the police officer given that his mother and Rosa relies on him too. It's a harsh reality, but a calculated risk is in order. Amidst his trainer's inner turmoil and conflict, Pikachu's ears twitched to the sound of movement among the bushes, it swiftly turned towards the direction and generated large watts of electricity near its red pouches, ready to pulverize and disintegrate any foe that dare cross their path. Alarmed by his starter's sudden defensive nature, Ash and Makuhita braced themselves from a potential fight with the infected. He gripped his machete tight and distanced himself away from the source of the disturbance, any minute now and a-

"Sen?" cute and cuddly Sentret would appear out of nowhere, huh?

"A Sentret?" Its long dark brown ears, beady black eyes, and a small mouth made it look like a plush toy fit for a carnival prize. It has a round body with wide arms and two small feet, with its belly having white ring while its tail is large and strong. The Tanuki like pokemon is quite popular among countryfolks in Johto, farmers often employ them to look after their ranch and be on the lookout for any wild pokemon that prey on the livestock. This little fella didn't seem to be infected, in fact it looked spooked at the sight of two pokemon glaring daggers at it.

Seeing its frightened and timid state, Ash calmly unsheathe his blade and slowly walk towards it. Though a part of him couldn't help but to think deja vu, this is how Xenia got poisoned and injured, he was willing to risk it given a Sentret can't really poison them and its preferred attack by tackling or slamming its tail onto them, something which a well made riot suit can shrug off easily.

"It's okay, we're not going to hurt you." Makuhita eyed the interloper closely, any signs of aggression and the full force of his might would be swiftly delivered. Fortunately, the Sentret was receptive to Ash's approach and even the experimental head pat was well received by the Scout pokemon. Ash's lips curled upwards at the content expression on its face, head pats and belly rubs are absolutely fantastic tools to get on a pokemon's good side. Yet the presence of a Sentret begs the question, why is it here?

'What is a Sentret doing all the way here?' The young man glanced at the awe-inspiring Mt Silver peaking over the horizon, dubbed as the tallest mountain in the world, its unforgiving climate and harsh conditions is home to many powerful pokemon. It also acts as a natural barrier between Kanto and Johto, making it difficult for the infected to crossover. Given the close proximity of the two regions, it was plausible that Sentret and its community migrated down south to Viridian forest and into Pallet Town. He sighed and sat down on the forest floor, petting the Sentret who seemed to calm down and adjusted to its new environment.

"The infected are scary aren't they?" The gentle whisper from the young man earned a nod from the Sentret. Its entire community was separated after the local Rattatas and Mankeys went berserk for no apparent reason. It dearly missed its loved ones and being a community based pokemon, they aren't made for solitary life. It's been weeks since she saw a friendly face, fortunately the human that is petting her seemed kind enough! The normal type tilted its head to the side when it caught the company's frowny expression, they looked anxious and stressed despite being in good health.

"The berries are all gone guys, now what do we do? It would take days for a berry to regrow and Xenia- there has to be a way, I should have stopped her from petting with the Nidoran." The Sentret blinked, so that's why they looked so worried! They have a friend who is poisoned by a Nidoran. It used its strong tail to appear taller and waved her stubby little paws to get their attention, frantically crying its name out.

"Sen!" Ash smiled at the adorable display and petted its head, he watched as she tugged his wrist and started to pull him towards a direction in the forest. Though a little wary of a potential ambush, Ash went along with it as his curiosity consumed him. The Pallet Town trio patiently waited once Sentret retreated to a burrow near a river, filled with an abundance of berry bushes that aligned along the river bank. Nice scenery all things considered.

"Sen!" The young high schooler's eyes widened when Sentret returned to present a large pile of berries it presumably gathered. It carefully scanned over the berry types as its paws went over one of them, Oran, Chesto, Pinap- ah ha! Pecha berry. It proudly presented the sweet berry known for healing poisonous ailments, handling it towards Ash with her two paws clasped together.

"Huh, is that a P-Pecha berry? You're giving this to me?" The tone of disbelief from the human was evident, but Sentret just nodded along with a smile. The young human child seemed flabbergasted for a moment as he slowly took the berry from her, before giving her an Ursaring hug. The normal type squealed when Pikachu and Makuhita gave a cheer, finally a cure for Xenia! This trip was worth it after all.

"Oh thank you, thank you! You're the sweetest Sentret! W-Why don't you come with us? Where are your friends and family?" At the mention of its loved ones, its ear dropped downwards. Any chance of finding them was near impossible given that the seasons are changing and they have been separated for weeks, their scent and trail was now lost on her.

"Sen..." Ash sighed at the downtrodden expression and placed it on his snuggly lap. He stared at the life saving fruit in his palm and browsed over his choices. Out of passion and gratitude, he blurted out that Sentret should come with them, and while he would love to catch Sentret for saving Xenia's life, he also had to be practical here at the ramifications of using a limited resource like a pokeball on a Sentret.

'I shouldn't waste a pokeball on a Sentret but she just saved Xenia's life, it's only fair that we take care of her too. Not to mention it's really cute, hmm might be a good pokemon for mom too.' The idea of his mom owning a Sentret was growing more attractive to Ash, not only they are cute, easy to raise but they eventually evolve into a Furret, an even cuter evolution with some impressive combat capabilities by utilizing it slender and agile body. Even so, does it justify using a pokeball that could be otherwise used to catch other much more useful pokemon like a rock type or grass type?

Absolutely.

"Hey, why don't you come with us? We can keep you safe! Pokemon caught by trainers are immune to the virus." The Sentret cocked her head to aside, are trainer owned pokemon truly immune to the virus? It vaguely encountered trainer owned pokemon before, but that was before the pandemic. So its knowledge when it comes to the outside world is fairly limited. This might be a chance to experience what it's like to have a trainer and if it can boost her chance of survival and not make her alone anymore, she would be a fool to not take the chance!

The normal type chirped and nodded enthusiastically, drawing rapturous cheers from the other pokemon who eagerly welcomed a new friend in their ranks. Ash chuckled at their excitement and unclipped a pokeball from his belt, enlarging it in the palm of his hands.

"Here you go girl." He extended the pokeball outwards, allowing the curious pokemon to tap the contraption with its paw before red energies and a glowing light consumed her, successfully capturing it. The pokeball shook for a few moments before the all too familiar click was heard, signally a new capture and a new friend. The trainer spirit within Ash roared back with fiery glory, this is technically the first pokemon he caught! Though it's a Sentret, he can't help but to be proud of his achievement and how far he had come.

But there was little time for gloating and glory, he swiftly clipped Sentret's pokeball on his belt and shoved the cluster of berries Sentret presented to them in his bag. The wide assortment of medicinal berries are a blessing gifted by Sentret itself, they can grow these berries in their backyard and harvest within the safety of the compounds. It acts as a food source for pokemon and humans too, the perfect crop for a zombie apocalypse.

"Let's go!" With blazing speed and thundering stomps, they sprinted their way back to the sanctuary that is Oak's Lab. The raven-haired teen ignored the burning sensation on his legs and pushed through, shoulder tackling against the front door of the laboratory just to keep his momentum. The unexpected loud slam drew an aggressive growl from Growlithe, but it swiftly barked in glee after seeing Ash and his crew coming back safe and sound.

"Rosa! Pecha berries!" The nurse did not need any further explanation from the young man and quickly took the berry from him. With no words being exchanged, Ash watched anxiously as Rosa and Chansey grinded the berry to a more soluble form for easy digestion. Growlithe whimpered as it watched in earnest at its mistress writhing and in pain, the poison must be causing severe body inflammation. Rosa wiped the sweat from her forehead after rigorously preparing the treatment, filled with Chansey's soft boiled eggs, water and the grinded Pecha Berries, this should hopefully be enough to cure her from her ailment. Chansey swiftly shoo the rest of the group away from the room to prevent them from intervening or acting compulsively, leaving a concerned Ash and pokemon outside of the room waiting.

"Ash!" He barely had time to sort out his emotions and register the voice when Delia slammed her entire body onto him, embracing him tightly in his arms as they hugged each other. She placed her hands on his shoulders and gave her son a reassuring nod, giving him the hope and confidence that Xenia would be just fine.

"She will be okay, don't worry Ash." The Saffron survivor merely sighed but accepted that he can only hope and pray for the best. He grasped his mother's hand to calm his nerves, everything would be just fine. Minutes passed and not a spec of sound can be heard from the room, was Rosa delaying the inevitable? Was it already too late to save Xenia in the first place? Has the poison spread-

"Rosa!" The trainee nurse had a tired but jubilant smile on her face as Ash and Delia ran up to her all anxiously. She calmed the mother and son duo down before declaring the good news.

"Xenia would make a speedy recovery. Her pulse has largely stabilized, the toxins would still be in her body but the Pecha properties would slowly decompose the venom over time. She would still suffer from diarrhea and need plenty of fluids." The duo breathed a sigh of relief and held each other's shoulders. The younger Ketchum rubbed the ears of Growlithe as it barked in celebration of its trainer's recovery.

"Would Xenia fully recover?" The question posed by his mother earned Ash's attention, for all they knew the venom had already left a permanent scar on Xenia's body and compromised her immune system, a deadly combination in a world that was left at the mercy of a ravaging virus.

"She will, but cytotoxins and hemotoxins from Nidorans can cause severe organ failures and internal bleeding. Granted, that is only if they activate their poison barb abilities on purpose. Normally if you are pricked by a Nidoran by accident, you would only suffer from nausea or diarrhea, similar to food poisoning." The rather quick explanation froze Ash in place for a moment, he processed the words from the kind nurse before realizing that Nidoran never really intended to hurt Xenia, it was just an accidental flicker of movement that caused the brief scrape.

"Wait so Xenia was never in real danger?" Rosa sighed inwardly, how she wished Ash gave her the time to do a thorough inspection on Xenia's condition with her Chansey before he bolts out to the nearby forest. Talk about a savior complex.

"Did Nidoran's horn glow when Xenia touched it?" He shook his head, he couldn't recall any faint purplish glow.

"No."

"Then it didn't mean to hurt her, it probably accidentally pricked her. Xenia's body went hot and face went white because of a natural body response, perfectly normal. Most trainers or owners who own poison types need to get vaccinated to prevent mishaps like these, it's actually very common for pokemon to accidentally hurt their trainers while playing." Ash bit his tongue lightly, all the melodramatic scenes and outburst was all for nothing then. Xenia wasn't in mortal danger nor was she going to die, at least not immediately.

"I overreacted huh." Rosa and Delia exchanged worried glances at the young man's pensive reaction, mayhaps Ash was expecting too much of himself. The pink haired beauty nursed a soft smile and placed a hand on his shoulders, her vibrant sapphire eyes sparkled with the same compassion and warmth his mother emanated.

"I don't think you did Ash, you were rightfully worried. Even if it isn't lethal, there is no telling if the toxins would leave a permanent effect on Xenia's immune system. I already informed Xenia about this too, so don't worry. But in the future, we do need to be careful when dealing with wild pokemon. The means of getting vaccinations or treatment is very limited." The trained nurse had already decided to implement a Standard Operating Procedure when encountering wild pokemon, the do's and don'ts as you will. It's imperative they set it up now as Rosa foresees potential conflict over the shortage of medicine or unexpected illnesses arising from bacteria infection.

"C-Can we see her?" She shook her head and sternly told the young man off, keenly aware of his desire to see Xenia as soon as possible. It was touching, but Rosa had to set some ground rules first.

"No, don't disturb her, She needs to rest. I will go prepare her lunch when she wakes up, until then no one gets to visit her." Delia silently watched the nurse enter the kitchen to prepare for Xenia's meal, her lips curled upwards at the sight of her son accepting the counsel from Rosa. She seized the moment and embraced him from behind, wrapping her arms around his neck as he laid his head on her bosom.

"I told you everything would be fine Ash." He chuckled at his mother's cheeky tone, always one for lifting his spirits just when he is feeling stressed or down. If he had to be honest, ever since he returned to Pallet Town, the need to be in control of everything and make sure everyone is okay had made him very on edge and tense. It was part out of pride and out of fear, the need to be strong for everyone that depended on him was tiring to say the least.

"Yeah, everything turned out alright in the end, Xenia is safe. Ah before I forget, I would like to introduce you to someone!" Delia watched in earnest when her only son took a pokeball from his belt and summoned the very creature he wished to show her. At the sight of the adorable fuzzy Sentret cheering its name, Delia's heart squealed at the sight and didn't hesitate to fawn over it.

"Oh she's cute~ hello!" The normal type waved her paws to the older human. It glanced around the laboratory and marveled at the different colours and intricate design of a human house, so this is how humans live, how curious!

"Mom meet Sentret, it was thanks to her we managed to find the Pecha Berries for Xenia." The Pallet Town mother smiled and knelt down to the pokemon's level, softly petting its head as thanks for lending its aid in their time of need.

"Thank you so much Sentret, I'm glad you are with us now." The astute trainer observed the interactions between mom and pokemon. He cleared his throat and took out her pokeball, extending it towards his dear mother who was preoccupied with giving Sentret a belly rub.

"She's yours mom." Delia stopped what she was doing and stared at her son incredulously, did she misheard what Ash told her? Her son entrusting a pokemon to her?

"Eh?" He placed Sentret on his lap and petted its head, his two other pokemon laid their heads on Growlithe's warm body as a makeshift pillow as they lazed around them.

"I've been thinking of giving you a personal pokemon, Sentret here is very docile, very kind too! It's always on the alert and on the lookout, perfect to spot out dangers." Delia smiled at her son's attempt to keep her safe, she knew deep down his intention to give her Sentret was to ensure her personal safety at all times. They can ill-afford to leave behind the more combat ready pokemon like Pikachu, Makuhita and Growlithe to be sentries, while Chansey has little to no combat experiences.

"You're entrusting her to me?" The vigorous nodding from her son drew a giggle, he seemed more excited than she was at the prospect of her owning a pokemon. Of course when discussing a change of ownership, you must always seek the permission from the pokemon in question.

"If she wants, what do you say Sentret? My mom is an awesome cook, and she gives the warmest of hugs. We are all in this together, so don't worry if you think we're going to be separated. All of us would be right here with you." Sentret placed a paw on its chin, she didn't expect this development but she welcomed it nevertheless. This Delia woman seemed very friendly too, she exudes a motherly aura that made her feel right at ease!

"Sen!" The enthusiastic cry from the normal type made Delia's heart melt, she didn't hesitate to scoop her up in her arms and hugged the little one tightly.

"She's so cuuuuute!" Quick on his fingers, Ash frantically pulled out his phone of a pokedex to forever immortalize the precious image of his mother hugging Sentret. With a sleight of hand, he scrolled over the pokedex function and scanned the furry little creature, hoping to extract as much data as possible.

"Let me just check her profile. Sentret the Scout Pokemon. When Sentret sleeps, it does so while another stands guard. The sentry wakes the others at the first sign of danger. When this Pokémon becomes separated from its pack, it becomes incapable of sleep due to fear. It's ability is Run Away and its hidden ability is Frisk. Its known moves are Scratch, Growl, Defense Curl, Quick Attack, Fury Swipes and Foresight. Its hidden egg move is currently unknown." Delia and Sentret were amazed at how effective the pokedex is at analyzing the normal type's detail, borderline creepy at how pokemon can be tabulated to mere data and statistics in the span of a few clicks.

"Hmm interesting, Sentret really lives up to the Scout pokemon name, Run Away is useful when escaping quickly, Frisk allows it to analyze its foes patterns, Foresight is incredible for identifying weaknesses and highlighting threats from a distance, while Growl is useful to alerts us in case of danger. This is the perfect sentry pokemon." He browsed through the evolution of Sentret, Furret. His eyes lit up at the pokedex entry, apparently Furrets are the natural predators of Rattatas. Its long and slender physique allows it to flushed out the burrows dug by Rattatas and their speed matches the vermins too. This is incredibly important and game changing given that the majority of the infected pokemon are primarily made of Rattatas, to have a natural predator of the horde on their side would be a hell of a morale boost. Not to mention the Sentret line are known for alerting their community for any signs of danger, the perfect watcher pokemon.

"Ooh our own little watcher." He smiled at his mother's attempt at coddling the Sentret, it looked visibly confused at what's happening but was otherwise enjoying the hug it was receiving from the most awesome woman Ash knew in his life.

"This might work, I already have a few ideas in my head." Ash's lips curled upwards, one of the most memorable lessons he had with Miss Roxanne was about Team Diversification. Trainers often fall to the trap of only catching pokemon that excel in combat and nothing else. A Tyrannitar may be a powerful pokemon, but can it perform Search and Rescue? When it comes to a trainer's journey, the pokemon you catch shouldn't be just based on their ability to nab you a gym badge or wooing judges in a contest, it should be based on your situation's needs and wants. A fire type to set up campfires and boil water, a water type to ferry you across large bodies of water or a rock type to create constructs for you to climb over difficult terrain, all of this is to be kept in mind when creating a team composition.

A Sentret may not be impressive in conventional pokemon adventure settings, but in a world ridden with infected and an ravaging virus? The sheer utility of its lookout capabilities and perfect counter to the horde of Rattata makes it invaluable. Even common pokemon like Zigzagoons are amazing to have due to their ability to forage and scavenge for scraps and food, not to mention their abundance of curiosity makes them excellent candidates for scouting and reconnaissance missions.

"Mom, you and Sentret get to know each other first, I will check up on Rosa." Delia nodded with Sentret in her arms, his mother looked absolutely adorable like this. The true motive of leaving his mom and Sentret was to get his mother to familiarize with Sentret's personality, quirks and its ability to listen to commands. He excused himself to the kitchen when his nose caught the whiff of the smell of congee scented with chives and egg. His eyes lingered on Rosa's figure, the nurse outfit while modest and professional still highlighted her curves. He slapped himself on the face for those intrusive thoughts, teenage hormones be damned. He is stuck with his MILF of a mom, a muscular tomboy policewoman and a pretty nurse that gives wholesome big sister vibes.

"Hi Ash, I'm preparing congee for Xenia, would you like some?" The young man only nodded with his left cheek flushed. He cleared his throat and leaned against the counter, the ever so jubilant Chansey was preparing the bowls and cutleries for Xenia.

"Sure." He crossed his arms as Rosa diligently prepared the meal. Stirring the congee with the wooden spoon before deciding against pouring pepper, instead she placed the shredded chicken and fresh onions into the pot.

"Say Rosa, does Chansey know any status recovery moves like Heal Bell or Aromatherapy?" She tweaked the intensity of the flames and covered it with a lid. She turned back to Ash and smiled at his ever curious look, she patted Chansey's head and sat on the dining table to further their conversation.

"Unfortunately not, Chanseys don't learn the move naturally, only through specific breeding or TMs. Though Chansey and I are licensed practical nurses, we do not directly treat wild pokemon or field related injuries due to the sheer knowledge and experience it requires to tend to wild pokemon." Ash nodded with his hand supporting his head, part of him was questioning why the Nursing School decided to give licensed nurses a Chansey that does not know any status recovery moves. Logically speaking, you would teach Chansey a TM like Heal Bell before handing it over to a Nurse Joy right?

"Right, that's because you just graduated from the academy right?" Rosa nodded and raised three digits of her finger.

"Correct, trainees like me need at least 3 years of mandatory service in Pokemon Centers before we are able to specialize into different fields. That is why we have the Healing Machines doing most of the work for us while Chansey and I mainly focus more on administrative or caretaking work. The Nurse Joys and their partner pokemon you see outside of Pokemon Centers are all very experienced, they do not need a Healing Machine to do most of the diagnosis or treatment." Now with a bigger picture, Ash understood why Chansey's aren't taught any status recovery moves. Trainee Nurses are expected to do day-to-day tasks and focus on providing hospitality services to trainers, status recovery moves are only really needed in the wilds when there is no pokemon center or marts to be found.

"That's interesting... I-I'm sorry that I shouted earlier Rosa, I didn't know." She chuckled at his guilt-ridden look, she completely understood his sentiment and feelings when he saw Xenia was in pain.

"It's okay Ash I understand, but~ I won't mind if you offer to prepare breakfast for everyone instead of me once in a while." The little wink and cheeky smile drew a bright grin from Ash, his ego swelled and his cooking abilities have become second to none, the best of the business as you can say.

"Heh alright deal, maybe we can prepare breakfast together? I can help with washing and cutting the vegetables." Also known as the most tedious part, Ash can personally vouch that his reason for not liking cooking is the preparation and clean-up process. Rosa seemed to accept his gesture and leaned forward with her hand clasping her cheek, the loose strand of her rose hair and charming smile had Ash enthralled at that very moment.

"Sure! I will teach you how to make yummy eggs in no time." As conversations between them flow, Rosa turned to the simmering congee and turned off the stove. She inhaled the fragrant scent and scooped a bowl out into a wooden bowl. The hot steam and bubbling bubble further enhanced the smell it permeated in the room. Filling and hearty, perfect for any occasion!

"Here Ash, why don't you take this to Xenia? I think she should be awake right now." The young man carefully took the bowl, though he was more perplexed at why he should bring it now. Wasn't Xenia sleeping and didn't she bar them from disturbing her?

"So soon?" The deceptively devious nurse smirked and leaned forward, her soft and sensual voice near his ear sent a shiver down his spine.

"I will let you in on a little secret Ash, Xenia was awake the whole time. She was just a little embarrassed to see anyone, poor girl is blaming herself for causing everyone so much distress." He gingerly moved back and slowly nodded to her words, it made sense that Xenia wouldn't want to see anyone after the whole fiasco.

"And you want me to bring her lunch to break the ice." She simply nodded and ruffled his hair like a little child.

"Clever boy." He merely nodded and did what he was told, with Pikachu and Growlithe waiting patiently outside of the room. Their eyes lit up when Ash instructed them to follow him, igniting their hope to see Xenia again. He hoisted the tray of congee in one hand and knocked the door with the other, announcing his presence to the sick officer within.

"Come in!" The tired and hoarse voice from her was concerning, so he pushed open the door to poke his head in. The sight of her laying in the bed with her tank top and flushed face made him speak hesitantly, maybe he should let her get decent first?

"Hey champ." Xenia nearly jumped when she heard the familiar male voice, she peaked over her blanket and lowered her head into the comfort of her blanket when Ash, Growlithe and Pikachu waved to her.

"Ash- I thought Rosa would be the one bringing in food." The meek tone from her and shy antics made Ash chuckled, man she can be absolutely adorable sometimes. He opened the door wider and allowed Growlithe to reunite with its beloved trainer, it pawed over her side and licked her cheek, earning a giggle and a fluffy neck rub from Xenia. The high schooler closed the door and set the steamy congee on the table, pulling a nearby chair by her side.

"Chasing me away already?" Xenia rolled her eyes at Ash's attempt to look pitiful and pathetic, such spell does not work against her.

"Of course not." He helped her sit upright and fluffed up her pillow, allowing her back to lay on it. Her straight down turquoise hair was a different look with her warm hazel brown eyes, but otherwise she was in good shape. Growlithe gave a content sigh as it snuggled next to her, rubbing its fluffy mane against her lap with her hands running over his fur.

"Congee, careful it's hot." Ash stirred the bowl with a spoon and began to feed Xenia. She gave a deadpanned look to the young man but given her hand was serrated with poison, she still felt numb and weak. In other words, she had to rely on a 15 year old child to spoon feed her, Arceus helped her. Still, she was wise enough to accept the circumstances and forgo her ego for the sake of everyone.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have touched the Nidoran, I put everyone's safety at risk." He sighed and put away the bowl for the time being and shuffled closer to her. He didn't blame her for trying to soothe the Nidoran, as a student enrolled in the trainer course he should have been the one who should warn Xenia of it. Not to mention he was the one with the protective gear, so to assume such an aggressive and defensive stance against a young Nidoran might be unnecessary, wild pokemon are just trying to survive too.

"It's alright, you're okay now that's what matters." He spoke as he stirred the congee with the spoon, mixing bits and pieces of the rice and minced meat together. There was something cathartic watching Ash stirring her lunch and blowing on the spoon filled to cool it before feeding her, in a way Xenia can't quite describe. She leaned forward and took a bite, her face flushed pink from the heat and intimacy, why must Ash stare at her with those beautiful warm hazel brown eyes of his?

"I know you risked your life to get the antidote for me, that was very stupid of you to do." The rather blunt statement from her was keenly observed by Pikachu, Xenia was quick to deflect her feelings of sentiments and gratitude towards its trainer with snark and cynicism. Ash chuckled at her grumpy look and placed the hot bowl of congee on his lap, waving her off with his other hand to dismiss the dangers of the situation.

"You made it sound like I went through a horde of zombies to retrieve the berry." Xenia softened her expression and reached for his hand, interlocking them on the blanket.

"Ash, you know the risk you took-"

"And I would do it again." The swift reply from him made her sigh, she honestly didn't know what to think. There was gratitude, plenty of it, but his compassionate heart and selfless dorky nature just made it difficult to tell him off. After losing contact with her friends and being separated from her family for so long, she had difficulties of being attached to others for a fear of losing them. Now when it was just the four of them in a small town, Xenia could already envision the absolute pain and trauma when one of them is inevitably bitten.

"Idiot." The soft whisper from her drew a grin, he tugged their clasped hand before parting it to feed Xenia scoop by scoop. Between the little chatters, the occasional protests that Xenia is more than capable of feeding herself, the two pokemon watch in glee as the two humans exchange laughter and joke with one another. The once tense atmosphere and mood between them slowly subsides in favour of a lax and cozy one, allowing her to open up much more to him. But alas, with time quickly dwindling by, a knock onto the door managed to break the flow of their conversation.

"Come in!" Rosa popped her head and smiled at the two getting a little too cozy with each other. Ash was now sitting directly next to Xenia on the bed with their pokemon on their lap shoulder to shoulder.

"I'm just checking in, is everything okay?" The two were quick to create a gap between them and feigned ignorance, holding onto the facade that they weren't talking deeply about Ash's childhood youth and his dreams of becoming a Pokemon Master.

"Y-Yeah." The nurse merely smiled at the two reactions, though she only knew them for a day or two, she was quick to pick up that Xenia is very shy when it comes to expressing her emotions and gratitude while Ash can get overly flustered and nervous, a deadly combo for diabetic cuteness. The officer of the law cleared her throat and assumed a more authoritative tone to exert her martial presence and recover her pride.

"That reminds me Rosa, we need to start on the radio device too. With communications still not restored, our best hope of contacting the outside world is through a functioning transmitter and receiver." The rather technical terms made Ash scratched his head, with Kanto still suffering from a nationwide blackout and no news of any government intervention, Ash was perplexed at what they should do next. Establishing a community, guaranteeing the supply of food, water and basic amenities, those are the no brainers stuff. What comes after however, remains elusive to him.

"Where on earth do we get that now? Most of them have been fried." Rosa crossed her arms until her sapphire eyes gaze upon Ash's phone on the table.

"Xenia would a pokedex work?" The turquoise haired officer nodded, she didn't even think about that. Ash's pokedex was by far the most complex machinery they have functioning at the moment. How he managed to get such a sophisticated device was a mystery given standard pokedexes are only given to fully fledged trainers.

"Yes actually, Pokedex has built-in chips and radio that separate frequencies. It would make life so much easier if you could plug it into the machine I set up at the lab." Ash managed to swipe his pokedex away from Xenia before she could reach for it, he sternly wagged his fingers and raised his voice sternly.

"No moving around Xenia, only after you recover." Xenia groaned with her hands covering her face, to be bossed around by a young child who saved your life is an incredibly humbling if not demeaning experience.

"Fine." Rosa chuckled at Xenia's fed up expression, hopefully by tomorrow noon she would have fully recovered from her poisoned state. A loud yawn escaped Xenia's lips and she began to shoo Ash off her bed, much to the young man's displeasure.

"Okay now I'm really tired, I would like to get some sleep please." Ash extended his hand to allow Pikachu to run up to his shoulders, allowing the electric type to perch on them to wave goodbye to the tired officer. Though fatigued, she didn't hesitate to wave back to the adorable electric type.

"Anything call us okay?" Xenia scoffed but smiled at Ash's concern nevertheless, such a worrywart.

"Yes, yes I will." Satisfied with the answer, Ash and Rosa left the room to leave Xenia and Growlithe to rest. The nurse swiftly headed to the washroom while Ash was left to his own devices. He fumbled around his backpack and pulled out the cluster of berries from within, maybe his mother would know a thing or two on cultivating berries.

"Let's go see how mom and Sentret are doing." Pikachu nodded and eagerly welcomed the sunlight once they stood outside. From a distance, the clear view of the big blue sky that stretched far and wide made the duo smile at how far they have come. But there was little time to reflect, now it's time to work. They walked further into the pastures and farm fields that were completely barren, the freshly tilled soil seemed to indicate signs of farming activity. His mother has been busy.

"Hi Ash!" The sight of his mother wearing a straw hat with Sentret and Makuhita standing next to her covered in mud made him chuckle. They seemed to have finished preparing the farm fields for seed sowing. Soon Pallet Town's glittering fields of rice paddies would return to its golden glory.

"Hey mom, how are things?" Delia huffed and gave a thumbs up, Sentret and Makuhita have been very helpful with moving the equipment and seed packs for her. The fighting type's mighty strength helped push the tiller to break up the rough soil together.

"Good, so far it's alright. Soil is not the greatest but it's loose now and that's important! It allows air and water to trickle through the small holes to reach the roots, allowing nutrients to breathe too." The young man didn't know there was so much to farming, he always thought throwing in the seeds would be enough to let it grow naturally. His mother's green thumb and love for gardening certainly came in clutch in dire times.

"I have some berries for you, courtesy of Sentret here." The normal type nodded proudly when Delia patted its head for a job well done. Bringer of berries, savior of the poisoned and keeper of all things shiny, Sentret had brought much fortune and prosperity to the town of Pallet. The single mother took the berries and handed it over to Sentret, allowing the Scout pokemon to scurry off to identify the most optimal location to plant them. The beautiful auburn haired mother turned to her son once Sentret was out of sight and spoke more softly.

"How is Xenia?"

"Recovering fine, much better now." Ash of course omitted the fact he was basically cuddling with Xenia on the bed, a statement that might draw mix reactions from his mother given their relationship is well… complicated.

"That's good, but you are not off the hook mister." The calm tone laced with brimming anger froze the young man, the temperature around him dropped rapidly despite the sweat sweltering around his forehead. He recognized his mother's displeased and angry tone, one which meant he was in a whole lot of trouble.

"Uh-"

"You ran into the forest completely alone, I know you were worried about Xenia's condition but we can discuss the matter first before you choose to dive straight in." She crossed her arms with an unamused expression, clearing disappointed at his decisions to blindly charge in without informing them of his plan. He knew it was foolish of him, but the situation was so tense and he honestly thought Xenia was going to die under the toxin's curse, any risk posed to him was waved off in favour of getting the cure for Xenia.

"But I was so worried for her." Delia narrowed her eyes, her son's compassionate nature while praised worthy, is also incredibly selfish. Blindly putting yourself in harm's way for others is not noble, it's stupid. The least he could do was discuss his plan of action with them and not leave them out of it.

"Worried or not, at least tell us what your plan was before making a run for it. If it weren't for Rosa deducing that you were searching for Pecha berries in the woods, I would have ran for you Ash. I am not a mind reader." The guilt weighed heavily in his chest, he understood what he did was still selfish despite the selfless act. It reminded him of when he chose to save Risa against Miss Roxanne's order, deliberately defying her out of petty spite and putting him and his teacher's life at risk. Now, he could imagine his mother and Rosa running for him without any pokemon with them, only for a squad of Spearows charging towards them and assaulting them from above.

"I-I understand, I don't want any of you to risk your own safety for me too." Delia sighed, this firm lecture was necessary to keep her son's pride at check. He needs to understand that they are a team, not becoming all-knowing to look cool in front of others.

"Let this be a lesson okay? Tell us what you intend to do before you go running off, you won't want me to leave you without saying anything right?" He shook his head and clutched his mother's arm, holding them tightly for dear life as the mere thought of her leaving him again just churned his stomach the worst way possible.

"No! Of course! I just- I'm sorry." The crack in his voice and downtrodden expression earned a tight embrace from her. She pulled him into a hug and rubbed his back, alleviating the guilt and pain from him. It was a harsh lesson but she couldn't bear the thought of losing her Ash, not after everything.

"You can trust me okay? Don't think you need to do everything alone, your mother is here for you." The bobbing movement from him made Delia kissed his hair, they are a team now, no matter what they do all of them should be informed. She pulled away from the embrace and cupped his cheeks, rubbing the tears that swelled on his eyes with her thumb.

"I promise." Her heart ached at how fragile and timid he sounded, he was still her little boy at the end of the day, a 15 year old child who has no experience in handling the cruel realities of the outside world, no amount of tough facade or grizzled experience is enough to take away his innocence. She briefly wrapped around his neck and leaned her chin on top of his hair, feeling the rough riot suit that would keep him safe from any future skirmishes.

"This armor of yours seems heavy." He chuckled at his mother's inquisitive tone as he wiped away his tears, he could thoroughly feel her hands touching and squeezing his muscles.

"It is. My back is killing me, what I won't give for a nice massage." At the tender age of 15 years old, Ash had realized that perhaps youthful age should not be mistaken as immunity to body aches or body pains. He flinched when his mother pressed her knuckles against his back, relieving the pressure points that had an instantaneous effect on Ash's body, pain.

"That can be arranged." The matter-of-fact tone from his mother made him wonder what she was hinting at. The various intimate scenes of his mother massaging him while they bathe in the dimly lit room with just their towels on was enough to send his imagination running.

"Huh?" Delia winked at her son and spoke with the sultry tone that had Ash stiffened. She briefly nuzzled her against his neck and leaned her breath towards his ears for a hush whisper.

"Trust your mom hun, I give killer massages." A pleasant shiver was sent down his spine when his mother squeezed his shoulders. Despite the padded armor meant to protect the user from any scuffles or physical trauma, Ash can thoroughly feel his mother's strong hands through the suit.

"Oh I don't doubt that, but most massages end in happy endings." The very down bad son spoke with a growl, envisioning the session with his mother after she relieved his pent up stress and fatigue by offering special services to reward her dear son.

"Happy endings?" Delia didn't have the faintest idea what it meant, but she presumed it had something to do with something raunchy and suggestive given her son spoke with a husky voice. Ash however was quick to change the subject once he realized the sheer audacity of his request.

"N-Nothing! Forget I said anything." Delia blinked and poked his waist.

"Is it an internet thing?" Ash was not telling his mother how he came across that term.

"I'm not too sure honestly, it's been memed a lot." Delia wasn't all too familiar with internet slang or lingo, but she does know what memes are. Ash spends a lot of time online for his leisure and the topic of a lack of internet stimulants was something they honestly should discuss. In a digitalized world where everyone can connect with one another, forging meaningful relationships have strangely become more difficult.

"How do you feel after being offline for so long? You were always on your phone or on Discord was it?" The mother and son duo sat on the nearby bench as the wind blew past the swaying trees and grass. Ash took the moment to collect his thoughts and ponder about how the lack of social media usage affected him.

"You know after weeks of not being online I thought I would feel some kind of withdrawal symptoms but so far I've been managing." Delia leaned towards his shoulders and stared at the town below. Situated right at the highest point of Pallet, Oak's laboratory gave the residents a magikarp-view of the surrounding area. It was beautiful, if you ignore the demolished houses and broken cars.

"Miss playing games?"

"Miss my friends." She wasn't expecting such a sentimental answer from him, but it made sense given how close the bunch were. She intertwined their fingers together and set it on top of her lap, nursing the brightest smile she could muster for her son.

"They will be alright Ash, I'm sure all of them are reunited with their family now." Ash hoped so, the alternative was just too horrifying to think about. He dearly wished when they reunite next time, it would be filled with hugs and cheers, and not guns and tears.

"I hope so, we're incredibly lucky." The two shared a tender embrace, his arm swung across her shoulders to pull her for a hug. Sentret and Pikachu can be seen chasing after each other with Makuhita training its body by doing pushups. The hellish abomination that came close to clawing them alive were nowhere in sight, it was almost surreal to think this town was once crawling with them.

"It's almost been a month since everything started, I still can't believe it. It really just seems like yesterday where all hell broke loose and I was stuck in my dormitory wondering what was going on." A month has rapidly passed since then, the line between yesterday and the day before was blurred. No news of reprieves or authorities coming to their aid, they are truly on their own. So far they have managed to come this far and Ash intends to see the rebuilding of Pallet Town to its fruition.

"Having you by my side still feels like a dream Ash. Even if the whole world goes under, as long as I have you, everything will be okay." The heartfelt statement from his mother earned her a passionate kiss from the emotionally charged son, capturing her off guard by his bold move but was well reciprocated nevertheless. The string of saliva parted between them with Ash cupping his mother's cheek, gently rubbing them as they leaned their forehead against each other.

"That makes two of us."


Sentret let out a yawn as it stretched its limbs, the little lookout tower that Ash and Xenia created for her was lovely! Situated on top of a tall Oak tree, the watch tower allows her to see any outsiders that lurk behind Pallet Town's fortifications. It squinted its eyes and placed her paw above her eyes to shield them from the sunlight, no signs of abnormalities here. It glanced at the berry farm below, all of the fruits had sprouted nicely thanks to its mistress' green thumb and efforts. The Scout pokemon squealed at the thought of the promised pokeblocks Rosa and Delia would prepare for the pokemon as a job well done, she couldn't wait to taste them!

But there was little time to be distracted, Sentret did her duty by patrolling around the compound of Oak's laboratory. The recent expansion of their territory was to be celebrated after reclaiming the commercial hub of Pallet Town, filled with mom and pop shops and boutiques. The variety of used goods and products were still in good shape, household products were especially important given the means of manufacturing most of them have been paralyzed. The normal type nodded once it inspected the town, nothing out of the ordinary, time to head to the docks.

It ran on all fours to reach the pier that had a nice little fishing hut, free from the carcasses of the Spearows that once plagued the town. The pristine blue ocean that stretched far and wide was a calming sight, the gentle waves washing ashore, the bright sunlight glistering among the water surfaces and a speedboat heading straight towards Pallet Town are all- wait speedboat?

Sentret swiftly activated Foresight and Frisk, allowing it to have a close-up look at the trespasser that is rapidly gaining speed as it comes ashore. A single individual is piloting the craft, a female human with poofy hair. It quickly ran towards the laboratory and gave out a piercing loud cry, alerting the residents of Pallet Town of an intruder closing in on their ranks. With haste and vigor, Growlithe was first to arrive at the scene as it barked along to echo the message back to the lab, causing everyone to rush out.

"What's going on?" Xenia took control of the situation once she arrived near the old fishing hut, her eyes squinted at the silhouette of a figure riding a seacraft. The sound of its engines and motor grew louder with every passing encroachment, though wary of a potential threat, it is also possible for the person to be a survivor desperately seeking asylum and safe haven. The police officer instructed everyone to take their place and took out a working flashlight, turning it off and on again to catch the attention of the interloper.

It wasn't long before the speedboat arrived near the docks, with the helmsman being revealed as a tall and beautiful woman who dressed similar to a scientist. For Ash however, he instantly recognized the figure given many of his research paper references and materials came from her. He quickly diffused the situation by running towards her, helping her to get off the boat as she seemed to carry luggage and other important documents sealed in a waterproof bag. The fair lady breathed a sigh of relief once Xenia lowered her firearm, any altercations and she was certain that she was done for. She however blinked at the young man's courteous attitude towards her and took his hand, getting off the motorboat that outlived its services.

"Thank you. Are you Ash?" Perplexed by how she knew his name, the young man nodded with Pikachu sitting on top of his shoulders, analyzing this strange woman who magically appeared from the waters.

"I am, are you Professor Juniper?" The Unovian researcher smiled, it seems her reputation precedes her. She placed a hand on her chest and nodded, this quaint little town was indeed as cozy as Samuel described.

"Yes I am. Aurea Juniper, pleased to meet your acquaintances." The three women raised their eyebrows, Ash seemed very polite and respectful to this lady whom they never met. They were near certain the sight of an attractive older lady was enough to wash away any of Ash's suspicion.

"Ash, do you know this person?" The young student nodded with his hands on his hips, he credited much of his academic findings and studies to the professor.

"Yeah, she is a renowned researcher in pokemon, I have to do a paper on why certain pokemon evolved later compared to others, so I used many of Professor Juniper's findings." At the mention of her published paper, Aurea's eyes gleamed and nodded excitedly. To think a young student like Ash took such an interest in her work and used it in his thesis paper, it made her heart swell with pride and satisfaction.

"Ooh I remember that piece, Professor Fennel and I worked together on that one." Seeing the two geeking out over pokemon findings is an amusing sight but Xenia has to be thorough with her questions to ensure Aurea's intentions first before letting her in.

"Then why are you here Professor?"

"I will explain in due time, please let us head to the laboratory as soon as possible. Gray clouds were following me." The group glance at the incoming dark clouds that loomed on the horizon, it seemed that a heavy rain is expected. Growlithe and Makuhita swiftly escorted the group back into the laboratory before the heavens above started to pour. The sound of thunder booming and storm brewing drew a timid mewl from Sentret, it wasn't used to the storms in Kanto given Johto's weather is quite mild. Fortunately, Delia was quick to hug the Scout pokemon in her arms as they sat on the couch.

Safe and sound, Ash locked the doors and closed the blinds once they were in the living room. Rosa was quick to boil some much needed warm tea for everyone with the rest of the occupants resting on the sofas. Aurea smiled when Rosa handed her a cup of tea, the warm hospitality and kindness was a rarity in times of strife but she was grateful.

"Thank you, may I ask for your names?" The Kalosian spoke first with her arms crossed, free from the poison that paralyzed her, the young Jenny had taken a more authoritative and commanding approach. She couldn't stand the thought of Ash bearing all of their burdens, so she had stepped up in defense coordination and disaster preparations as a mends for her previous blunder.

"I'm Xenia, this is Rosa and Delia." The two respective ladies waved hello to the young scientist, she wasn't expecting Pallet Town to look so inviting and cozy. Much of the destruction of Pallet Town seemed to have recover after they took control, and to think it's home to only four residents, incredible.

"A pleasure to meet you, I apologize for my intrusion but I came here at the request of Professor Oak." Everyone gave incredulous looks before Delia sat upright and hugged Sentret tighter, much to the normal type's displeasure as she was getting comfortable.

"Samuel! Is he alright?" Aurea chuckled at the mother's attempt to soothe her pokemon's deadpanned expression before assuming a more serious look.

"They are fine, Cinnabar is one of the first cities that took precautions when the outbreak started. But the authorities there have made it next to impossible for everyone to get in or out." She vividly recounted her escape, avoiding the spotlights, the guard pokemon and the security cameras. All of it made it seemed like she was in a spy movie, it was surreal just to think about it.

"How did you leave then?" Ash sipped his hot tea slowly while rubbing Pikachu's head with his other free hand. He hoped that Gary and Daisy are safe, Arceus knows that the fate of his other friends were already unknown to begin with.

"My colleagues, Professor Oak, Rowan, Elm and Sycamore all voted in favour of terminating me from the research team, leaving me in an expendable position in the eyes of the authorities. In truth, it was a calculated move to get me off the island." It was a ludicrous statement, a group of highly respected professionals purposefully creating drama and tension among the team just to create a smokescreen of disunity and conflict to fool the Cinnabar authorities to let Juniper go. Looking back, Aurea was surprised how much of a soap opera it was considering Rowan and Sycamore had Oscar worthy performances in creating a fuss.

"Why?" She crossed her arms and leaned behind the sofa, eyeing the Ash for a moment before turning her gaze to the others

"A few days ago, the Cinnabar Radio Station picked up a potential frequency from Pallet Town. When Oak first heard the news, he immediately began planning on getting one of us out to seek safe harbor here. There was no way any of us could leave the island together and Oak was by far the most important individual on the team, so after a night of discussion, they chose me. We need someone to share our findings and research with the rest of the world." Xenia placed a hand beneath her chin as the explanation continued, the radio frequency they picked up was none other than the one she set up with Ash's pokedex. After hours of combing through different frequencies and fine tuning the machine, nothing was heard from. Yet for Cinnabar to pick up their signal was concerning, potentially alerting raiders and bandits of their location.

'I suppose that's the trade off, either we try to connect with other survivors and get backstabbed or we close off to the outside world for good.' The officer sighed and raised her voice slightly.

"How would he know it was safe? What if it was bandits or psychos trying to lure unsuspecting travelers?" Aurea gave a dry smile in return, she and the other researchers had warned Oak of a potential trap waiting to happen, but the former champion was near certain that it was a teenagers named Ash Ketchum seeking help. How he managed to be so spot on and precise was beyond comprehension, but she suspects that Samuel already had contingency plans for Pallet Town before he left for Cinnabar.

"Intuition or perhaps blind faith, either way he was adamant that we were safer in Pallet Town than Cinnabar. Blaine has been very strict and draconian since the outbreak, much of our research regarding the virus have been heavily monitored, and it wasn't as if we went in blind, my Archeops was sent to monitor the situation in Pallet town days before I escaped." Archeops? That is a fossil pokemon from what Ash can recall, he couldn't recall seeing them. Sentret would have spotted it unless it found a blind spot, quite concerning to say the least. But not as concerning as Professor Oak's scarily accurate prediction.

"Did Old Oak mention anything about me?" The esteemed scientist nodded, Oak practically view Ash as his second grandson.

"Yes he did Ash, he spoke very highly of you all the time. When he first received news of potential survivors in Pallet Town, he said Ash made it back safe and sound. I must admit I have my doubts, but the old rascal seemed to be right!" Ash hid his frown internally, it confirmed his suspicions that the professor wanted him to find the letters hidden in his office.

'He definitely was expecting me to find that confidential paper in his office, but how would he know that I would make it back to Pallet Town in one piece? Unless…' He slowly pull out his pokedex that was given by Bill itself, booting the system up to browse through the Privacy and Settings page. A couple of years ago, there was a huge scandal that broke out from Silph Co that millions of trainers' data has been sold to advertising companies and dodgy third party websites. The scandal was leaked from a whistleblower within the company and it became national news, with lawmakers and parents calling for greater data protection for trainers and minors. The company was not brought to court of course, after a few PR stunts and paying off the media, big monopolies and conglomerates often get away scot-free and the public forget about the scandal in a few months time. Too big too fall in other words.

In truth, Ash knew from Gary that the mandate to give every trainer a pokedex was a smokescreen to hide its true purpose, surveillance and data collection of trainers. The type of pokemon they have, their location and whereabouts, the online banking activities, contacts, everything. The pokedex, while acting as an all in one tool for convenience sake, also became a catalyst for collecting your entire life's journey into data and statistics, gathering every digital and physical footprint as accounts of all different service platforms are all interlinked to one another. With the Pokemon League Committee and Silph Co controlling the data sets, what they intended to do with every trainers' data was beyond Ash's knowledge. But there are other individuals that have access to a trainer's pokedex data too, schools and even researchers responsible for giving your starters. So Ash theorized that Bill and Professor Oak might have access to his whereabouts at all times, given that Bill was formerly Oak's student, it was plausible that the Pokedex inventor gave access to his mentor for research purposes.

'But professor Oak would know that I don't have a pokedex yet, unless Bill told him that he gave me one? How would that work? Hmm these are all speculative, nothing concrete.' He mused over the thoughts, these were all just theories so far but Ash would like to believe Oak and Bill is keeping an eye on him, hopefully for noble purposes. Between his deep thoughts, they were interrupted when Rosa posed a question.

"Now you are here Professor Juniper, won't Cinnabar send their people after you?" The Unovan shook her head and brushed off the concern, Cinnabar can ill-afford to send their precious manpower and resources for one professor who is more problematic than she is worth.

"No, their job is to keep people in and infected out. I'm considered an outsider behind those walls and I do not plan to go back there. It's almost a prison cell with guards and cameras monitoring your move 24/7. All of the research materials and brains are still confined to the island, losing me won't be deemed as a big deal. So please, if you don't mind, permit me to stay. I will do what I can to contribute to the community." She sounded almost desperate, her thighs were squeezed together with the cup of tea on her lap. Her brightly sky blue eyes gleamed with her lips curling downwards, displaying her innocence and vulnerability that instantly earned the sympathy of the residents. Delia was quick to offer her a place to stay as she spoke softly.

"You are more than welcome Aurea, we certainly will need the help of an expert if we are to survive in these tough times." Xenia and Rosa nodded vigorously, having a scientist on their team is crucial now. They need every skillset they can get, a diverse team of individuals working together as one is important to rebuilding a healthy and thriving community.

"Thank you Delia, Samuel spoke very glowingly of you and your warm hospitality, he never told me how beautiful you are though!" The group shared a chuckle, with the young mother blushing from the glowing compliment.

"Aww I would send him my regards, but is he and his family safe?" Aurea nodded with a smile, Cinnabar island is probably the safest place in Kanto. As an Island city, the only infected that can attack them is by air or sea, and Cinnabar has its own naval and air force base. A technological and academic driven hub, the island city attracts bright and brilliant talents all across the globe, so there is no shortage of capable individuals there.

"Yes everyone is well, Cinnabar is one of the few cities that has not fallen to the virus. Running power, water, and guard patrols everywhere, they were thoroughly prepared even before the outbreak started." The throw away sentence at the end earned Ash's attention, majority of Kanto's research facilities are located in Cinnabar, it was plausible the authorities there were well informed and aware of what was happening before the attack on Saffron.

"Professor Juniper I know you just arrived and are tired, but do you have any information regarding the virus that started it all? You said you and the other scientists were researching this, do you have any leads?" The beautiful professor smiled at Ash's question, that was entirely the point of her presence here. She placed the tea on the table and took her suitcase that hosted her laptop and documents.

"Indeed, in fact I intend to share my findings with the whole world. Follow me, I know there's a meeting room here." The group swiftly followed the professor and entered a meeting room. Thankfully with the power restored, she plugged in her laptop and turned on the projector. She browsed around when she spotted a laser pointer on the wooden podium, the perfect tool for a presentation.

"Please be seated everyone and be warned that some of the images shown would be... disturbing." The grave tone from her earned the nods from the residents, but for Ash he was well used to the gruesome and fleshy sight of the infected. It used to haunt his nightmares, now it was just an average Tuesday. Aurea cleared her throat and began to start the presentation slides. The first image showcases a picture of a corpse lying in a cave, judging by the clothes the victim wore it was no doubt a hiker.

"On the 25th of April, the body of a male hiker was found on Mt Moon, the body was believed to be discovered by another hiker traveling from Pewter to Cerulean. The victim's body was found to be decomposing with many bite marks and lacerations found on its body. Autopsy reports suggest that the local Zubats were responsible for the attack, traces of the deceased's vitality and blood being drained was found." The slide flipped through the various photos taken, each more grotesque than the last. For Rosa, she instantly understood that Zubats must have used Leech Life on the poor hiker to drain its energy and life force before feasting on its flesh. Aurea went on with the next slide, this time using her laser pointer to mark the map of Pewter city.

"5th of May, three more cases of wild pokemon attacks occurred, this time from a confirmed Rattata attack near Pewter City. Victims camping near the lakes of Pewter were suddenly attacked by the pack of Rattata when setting up a camping site, they were found to be bitten on their forearms and legs, but were otherwise safe and suffer from minor injuries. A few days later, the three victims developed flu like symptoms and displayed extremely aggressive behavior. They were later sent to the Pewter City General Hospital for monitoring and quarantine, however their condition rapidly deteriorated over time. The three victims were then forced to be put down after violently attacking the medical officers treating them." Delia jotted down the key information with a pen and paper, writing down a variety of questions that needed to be answered. From what the auburn haired woman observed, the infection dominates the host body's within seconds or minutes, yet from what Aurea is telling them, the campers in Pewter had 3 days of incubation before turning aggressive. A virus mutation perhaps? In such a short span of time?

"Preliminary reports done on the victims suggest that they contracted a pokenotic virus from the wild pokemon that attacked them. Both the male hiker and the three victims share the same strain of virus found within the body, confirming pokemon to human transmission." Ash nodded with his arms crossed, this just confirmed that this was indeed a Pokenotic virus. Since this occurrence has been happening since late April, there was no doubt the farmstead infection in Pewter reported by the authorities in July was happening way before that. The virus had already infected the local pokemon, it was a matter of time before the virus further spread to other cities.

"I have a question Professor, how did you come across these images? They looked confidential." The question posed by Delia earned a cheeky smile from Aurea, she leaned forward at the podium and spoke with the utmost coyness.

"Let's just say I know a reporter from Kalos who is very good at her job. I received a tip off from her after she confirmed the reports. I flew to Kanto as soon as possible after my associates also received the same information." An investigative reporter sharing classified and sensitive information with relevant scientist groups? This sounds more interesting and convoluted by the moment. Delia glanced at her notes and used her pen to cross of the question she asked before moving to the next one.

"What else can you tell us about the virus?" Aurea flipped through her documents and reports before putting on her reading glasses, thoroughly skimming through each piece to authenticate the information.

"We believed that the current strain of virus is a mutation of a pokerus virus. The pokerus has always been deemed as a mutualistic virus that benefits the host, but much of the research and available data surrounding the pokerus remains unknown. A mutation of this strain has always been cause for concern, but we suspect the mutation is caused by a cross species transmission between pokerus and viral encephalitis. Infected individuals affected by this strain have abnormal brain activity, slurred speech and uncontrollable aggression, similar to symptoms found in encephalitis." Ash had no clue what viral encephalitis is, but he knows what a cross species transmission thanks to his biology classes. The phenomena occurs when a pathogen that typically infects one species successfully jumps to and infects another species. Typically this is found in groups of pokemon who shared a water or food source with one another, leading crossbreeding of pathogens. He placed his thumb underneath his chin before remembering what Gary briefly told him over the phone after the emergency broadcast by the Kanto Health Ministry.

"What about Rabies? Is there anything related to it?" Aurea nodded to Ash's question, that was the first virus that comes to mind when it comes to unusual aggressive pokemon behavior.

"That was the first theory we put out too. It is also possible the origin of the virus came from a pokemon suffering from rabies and pokerus at the same time, infecting its community before spreading off to others, but so far we have no evidence to suggest it. Theoretically, rabies would also explained the extreme aggression and the inflammation of the central nervous system found in infected pokemon." Rosa glanced at Delia's notes for a briefly second before she took a pen and wrote down another question ask, prompting Delia to read it and ask.

"Is there a cure for pokerus?" Aurea winced at the question, despite existing for so long and numerous clinical trials that seemed promising, there is no official cure for it.

"Sadly no, there are claims that trading pokemon can cure pokerus but that has not been scientifically proven. Any cure or vaccinations for this new strain remains unheard, vaccines need heavy funding and extensive clinical trials before being released for public use. But considering the Central Power Grid is out of commission, I highly doubt we can get a vaccine running within a year." Storage is by the far the most important logistical issue they need to tackle if they wish to developed a vaccine, and that is provided they have a group of working scientist and virologist untouched by bureaucracy and politics.

"Figures, what about the government? What good have they been up to?" The cynical and dry tone from Ash made Delia raised her eyebrow, since when did her son become so politically concerned? Mayhap there was something he is not telling them. Aurea seemed surprised by Ash's statement too but was eager to answer his question given that she too was fed up.

"There has been very obvious attempts of cover-ups from authorities, tactics that you commonly see are heavy censorship, deleting sensitive reports and banning any conversation surrounding the matter. But it's too late now, our attempts at warning the public during April back fallen in deaf ears. No governor or mayor was taking us seriously when we reached out to them, only when news reports of pokemon attacks become more wide spread that things started to take a drastic shift. All scientists and researchers who worked on the pokerus were immediately taken to Cinnabar or Indigo." Ash sighed and rubbed his temples, all of this can be prevented the fools on top took things seriously. Pikachu patted his trainer's lap and gave a bright smile to cheer him up, though they can't change what already have happened, they still can change the future. No need to dwell on what could have happened, those people who hid the truth from public would pay for their crimes.

"Our pokemon is immune to the virus, any theories as to why?" Delia spoke with her leg crossed with one another, the proper and professional tone from his mother made Ash question was she always this serious at work. At home she is super laid back and relax, perhaps a way to not bring stressful work to home and instead focusing on providing the best environment for him. The best mom ever.

"Ah so you guys are aware. In all honesty, we are not too sure why that is the case, we've been scratching our heads over this too. There are hypotheses that when capturing a pokemon, its DNA composition and structural molecule is modified before capturing it. Pokeballs were originally designed to tame aggressive pokemon like Mankeys or rhyhorns by making them docile, so it's plausible for it to work on a rage inducing virus like Rabies." Ash rubbed his face, all of this talking was quite a lot to take in for a high schooler. All of the information was just dumped on him, he needs to time to thoroughly process everything.

"This is heavy stuff." The self murmuring earned a chuckle from the group, earning a flushed response from Ash, he was just talking to himself! Thankfully, Aurea shared his view and clasped her hands together.

"I understand, I'm sorry I can't be more helpful but with our hands tied and constantly under surveillance, we had difficulty furthering our research." Rosa waved her sheepish tone off, the professor had enlightened them of the origin of the virus. It had started months before and was concealed by the local authorities, a classic pandemic scenario.

"You have done more than enough Professor, at least now we have a greater understanding of where this virus first originated. Mt Moon seemed to be ground zero then, this virus seemed to be from Zubat origin." While Rosa's assessment was a fair one, Aurea would like to caution that this was not confirmed yet. Misinformation is by far the worst enemy they can have in an era of uncertainty.

"It's plausible, there are no earlier reports indicating other vectors or host but I won't dare to jump to any conclusion. Traditionally bat pokemon are known for being carriers of numerous viruses, so I won't be surprised if this time it is the case." Ebola, Nipah, Marburg, all of these viruses came from Zubats, Gliscors, Swoobats and Noiverns. Of course it won't be fair to pin the blame on these species alone, human activity such as rampant deforestation and the destruction of pokemon habitats are also the reason why pokenootic viruses are sprawling everywhere in recent years.

'From what Aurea is telling us, this virus seemed to be natural origin, nothing shady yet.' Ash had not forgotten what Surge and Nathan told him, the infected seemed to have a strategic hive mind when attacking settlements and are intelligent enough to cripple critical infrastructure. So it is still up for debate whether this virus is a natural one, still, it was best Ash keep those thoughts to himself to prevent the ones he loved from being more afraid.

"What about the World Health Organization? Have they said anything?" Aurea was not expecting these questions from the small group of four, it was almost as if she was in a press conference, but as a scientist who loves asking questions, she also loves answering them.

"Before I left Cinnabar, we still had connection to the outside world since Cinnabar is an autonomous province with its own grid and infrastructure. Internationally, there are talks of aid but majority of the Regions had essentially viewed us as an existential threat to their country, nobody wants to import infected pokemon to their turf when sending aid. WHO, while more sympathetic to Kanto's situation, basically is all talk and no action, similar to the United Regions. Any talk of aid has been stalled and nothing else is getting done." The young man nursed an unamused expression, though he expected nothing, he was still disappointed. Kanto is truly on their own, just like Surge predicted.

"I apologize to everyone but I would like to rest first if it's alright." The fatigue in her voice was obvious, Aurea was parched and tired from all of the explanation and travel from Cinnabar to Pallet. She worked tirelessly on the slides to be as digestible and straightforward possible, hopefully she can share this with a member of an authority who can take criticisms for once. The Kanto Champion Lance would ideally be the perfect individual, but his fate sadly remains unknown with the information blackout.

"Of course, I will show you your room, but please join us for dinner. Delia's cooking is a must try." Aurea smiled at Rosa's warm hospitality. The Chansey by her side with a nurse hat was just the most adorable thing ever, she didn't hesitate to pat its feelers and squished its puffy cheeks, much to the Chansey's delight.

"Hehe of course! Thank you again for accepting me, I will do what I can to help." It was hard to take this woman seriously when she is poking Chansey like a little child, nice to know even professionals can act loose sometimes. But with the prodding done and Rosa leading Aurea to her new room, the rest of the survivors gathered together to discuss things further.

"That was interesting." The rather blunt statement from Ash made Delia chuckle, she placed her notebook in front of the table and presented it to everyone.

"I managed to write down most of the points, I would stick them on a noticeboard and update it as we gather new information." Ash liked the sound of that, preserving any source of information is crucial given modern devices and cloud storages are not operational now. Good old fashion papers and pen remains reliable as always.

"Ooh good idea mom." Delia responded by ruffling his hair, earning a smirk from Xenia.

"So what do you think of our new friend?" Ash assumed a thinking pose, it was a surprise to be sure, but a welcomed one.

"Friendly, didn't expect someone like her to show up at our town." The policewoman agreed, though a part of her is concerned with the ramifications of using the radio device from now on. They should only use it once they confirmed of a potential rescue operation from the military or a urgent call for help from a proven survivor group.

"Moving forward we will need to be more cautious of using the radio. Don't want to attract the wrong attention and crowd. We were lucky that it was Aurea who followed the signal and not bandit groups." A shiver sent down Ash's spine, he could imagine that a groups of desperate survivors that sought for their aid were secretly bandits and bastards who were looking to pillage and rob them whole. Perhaps they should refrain from using the radio for now, at least until they have a proper defense system working. Which reminds him..

"That reminds me, I will need to look into creating a proper bell system for Sentret so she can ring it from the watchtower." Sentret nodded enthusiastically to the idea, it would save her time and energy from running up and down if she ever does spot an intruder from the watchtower. They can even install multiple alarm system around the town to ensure every part of Pallet Town can be alerted.

"Great idea Ash! I can help you with that." Xenia had a few ideas in mind already, a few metal sheets and a striker, the simple but effective bell that would be hung on top of the watch tower. The watchtower they constructed were made with wood and their carpentry skills have been steadily developing with every passing project and craft.

As the storm outside begun to subside, daylight has turned into nightfall with the fresh smell of petrichor began to make its mark. The glassy sky above covered over Pallet Town, with its resident huddling outside of the grassy fields with a warmly lit bonfire in front of them. The sound of utensils clink clanking against pots and bowls suggested a grand feast was going on and indeed it was! By some miracle, the sizzling pots and pans were filled with pasta adorned with sausages, shallots, sauteed peppers and marinara sauce. Aurea was quick to devour the cooking made by the courtesy of the combined efforts of Rosa and Delia, a combination so fearsome that would leave any celebrity chef quaking in their boots. She took a bite of the pasta with her fork and let out a moaned over how good it was, this was the best thing she ate for three months!

"This is divine! Soooo much better than the cheap pasta in Cinnabar." The group giggled at her glowing review, this was indeed a hearty and fine dish, perfect for cold and windy night. Rosa stirred her tea with her spoon and huddled closer to Xenia, sharing her warmth as the fire crackled before her.

"Now that you have escaped Aurea, are you planning to head home to Unova?" The young professor placed down her fork and sighed, she wished she could go home and reunite with her family, but with borders closed off and xenophobia against Kanto being at an all time high, she doubts she would get the chance.

"Not a chance, Unova would never accept me even if I am a renowned scholar and professor in my own home country. There is too much risk and fearmongering, Kanto has become an information blackout, nobody outside of the region knows what is going on. As far as they know, everyone is a carrier." Ash leaned towards his mother and laid his head on her shoulders, he considered himself extremely fortunate to be united with his family. Nobody should suffer from a separation, that is a very cruel and lonely fate.

"Looks like you are stuck with us then." Her lips curled upwards at Xenia's cheeky tone, if she was stuck anywhere, she would rather be here!

"Then I count myself lucky, I'm glad that I'm here. I hope everyone at Cinnabar is doing okay, things get awfully dull and boring without me around." The flamboyant hair flip from the stylish professor earned giggles, the low cut of her white blouse showed quite the cleavage with her green pencil skirt showing off her toned legs. Ash was thoroughly having a field day with all of these beauties surrounding him, but there is something that excites him more than beautiful woman.

"Hey Aurea you said you have an Archeops right, can I see it? I always wanted to know what a fossil pokemon looks like!" The giddy and excite tone from the young man made her chuckle, she remembered how young and budding trainers always sound so excited when it comes to pokemon. The Archeops she owns were revived in Unova, it evolved recently from an Archen and although it struggles to fly for long distances, it managed to honed it endurance by constantly training itself. Hell, at one point it purposefully took a direct hit from an infected Pidgey (after knowing trainer pokemon is immune to it) because it thought doing so would boost its flying capabilities. It didn't work, at least not directly, but the placebo effect of thinking it did somehow made it a better flier, so maybe it did work in retrospect.

"Of course!" Aurea took a pokeball from her lab coat pocket and summoned the prehistoric pokemon from within, It let out a triumphant squawk and flapped its wings, feeling the cool crisp air of the night. It froze when so many eyes laid on it and the proud pokemon soon became timid. Fortunately, the rest of the pokemon were quick to welcome it by greeting it warmly.

"Wow, so cool!" Absolutely awestruck by such a rare and cool pokemon, Ash quickly settled down his bowl and rushed to the side. The rather heartwarming and comical scene of Ash gushing over the colourful bird type drew chuckles and giggles, it was nice to see him acting like a total goofball when pokemon are around.

"Arch!" Ash took his pokedex to scan the First Bird pokemon while surrounded with the rest of the pokemon. With Ash preoccupied, Aurea took the opportunity to whisper a question regarding the young man that captured her interest..

"How old is Ash if you don't mind me asking?" Delia smiled and gaze at her son, the precious smile on his face was something she treasured wholeheartedly. She is very proud of him, even after everything he still retain his character and chivalrous attitude.

"15." Aurea nodded solemnly, to think a young child has to endure all of this. She couldn't imagine what others have to go through, she was fortunate enough to be in Cinnabar when everything started, sheltered from the harsh realities of the situation. She shuddered just to think about the chaos and anarchy when the infected burrowed through homes and gnaw them whole.

"I see… Rosa briefly told me that he came all of the way from Saffron, it's hard to imagine what he had to fight through, all of you must have seen the horrors." Xenia smiled and sat over next to Aurea, grasping her hand as she flashed a confident smile. She firmly believes that so as long everyone looked after each other and accommodates each other's strengths and weaknesses, they have what it takes to survive or even claim back Kanto from the claws of the infected.

"Yes, but we always have each other's back, as long as we work together and trust one another, everything will be okay." It was undeniably cheesy but Aurea loved the idea of a small group of people accomplishing amazing things together. She raised her cup of tea and cheers to the occasion, earning the same gesture from the other ladies.

"Hey what were you guys talking about?" They smiled when Ash came back to them with the pokemon following behind him, he had just finished scanning Archeops pokedex entry. Remarkably intelligent and powerful, the defeatist trait is something Ash would keep in mind when organizing a defense. He had already planned out a detail strategy for each of the pokemon and their expertise. Archeops would be a fantastic sweeper who can decimate hoards of infected once they drain their vitality or stall them long enough, Makuhita would be the frontliner with Chansey supplying heals and restoration to them. Growlithe and Pikachu would rain destruction from afar while Sentret would identify the key weaknesses of the horde and alert them of any infected slipping past them.

"Oh nothing, just about you." Ash pouted at the sing song voice form his mother, why does she always does this?

"Huh? Hey come on don't leave me out of this, I want to know." The whiny tone from him earned a eye roll from Xenia, he could be quite the mischievous brat once you get to know him, but it was all in good spirits and to get a laugh from others. Rosa placed a finger on her sakura pink lips before she leaned towards her Chansey for a warm fluffy hug to shrug off the cold breeze of August.

"It's nothing really. Why don't you tell Aurea how you managed to escape from Saffron? We were so awe-struck and amazed when we first heard it, and I'm sure Aurea would like to know what happened too." The Unovan was beyond curious, not many people survived Saffron and a survivor's firsthand accounts would be incredibly insightful to how infected behavior works. She squeezed her thighs and clasped her hands together, she was still careful that Ash might not be comfortable in recounting the experience.

"If you don't mind of course, I don't want to open old wounds and unpleasant memories." Ash smiled at the careful tone from the ladies around him, he was thoroughly aware of their concern but he had learned to embraced that what he been through was a harrowing experienced that had hardened him. What matters is not about his own morality or his own sense of innocence, it's all about protecting the ones he loves and those who believed in him. See infected, kill infected, simple as that. Besides, he gets to gloat in front of four beautiful ladies! A rare opportunity for the young Ketchum.

"I don't mind! It all started when my friends invited me to the rooftops…"