A Close Call
#3 of Only Crystal
The plague spread across Sinnoh and wiped out a majority of its population in less than a year. A teenager who has yet to contract the virus, along with his espeon, must survive in an increasingly dangerous region. With only his pokémon to keep him company, he soon can't help but feel differently about her.
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Existing; complete stories: 'Midnight.' (Male umbreon x fem trainer.) 'A Night She Couldn't Resist.' (Male midnight lycanroc x fem trainer.) 'Cassidy's Journey.' (Male braixen x fem trainer.) 'All They Knew.' (Male alolan ninetales x fem trainer.)
^ Excluding 'Midnight,' all three existing works take place in the same universe.
"How does Veilstone sound, Crys'?" Ray asked while holding Sinnoh's map. They were walking north through Route 210's dirt path from Solaceon under a rising sun. He often glanced at the greenery on either side of them in case someone wanted to lunge at them from a bush or behind a tree. He could never be too cautious, although being on edge at every moment was exhausting.
"Espi," Crystal confirmed and nodded, staying beside him. She didn't care much where they went, and she'd agree with Ray's decisions unless she felt it was a bad one.
"I hope it's not gutted this time. We'll stop to eat once we're there. I have berries that'll rot if you don't finish them." He spoke as if she could reply, but she could understand, and that was enough. It wasn't like he had anyone to interact with, and he wouldn't trust a soul he came across since they could kill or turn on him at any moment, possibly even have the virus. He folded the map and slid it into his backpack's pocket.
As Crystal strolled, she felt her stomach rumble. Those berries sounded great, but that wasn't all she felt. She stopped in her tracks and lifted her paw, perking her ears while staring behind her. Her tail's tips quivered while she honed in on a disturbance in the air.
"What is it?" Ray stopped and looked back as well. He was glad to have Crystal. Her ears and fur were great at picking up noises and movement he couldn't. "Is something there?" he asked again, and she hastily trotted to a line of trees and bushes on the side of the route and hid among them while staring at Ray. It would conceal them well enough.
He followed without a second thought and knelt behind one of the trunks. "I bet they followed the gunshot..." Ray set his backpack down and held his holster. He had five shots left and only had two mags in his bag, so he had to be wise about using them. He peeked from behind the tree. "Are they closer? I need nod updates."
Crystal nodded and twitched her ear. The footsteps were getting closer by the second-- heavy ones, and it didn't take long until they were in such proximity that Ray could hear them, and they sounded horrifying. The noise stopped a short distance from him and Crystal on the route's main path.
"That shot was nearby, so watch our surroundings." Was that a female's voice? Ray hadn't heard that in too long. A part of him wanted to look again, but he didn't know her intentions, and it seemed she was talking to someone.
"Crystal... stay," he whispered. He knew she wouldn't mindlessly dart out and attack but reminded her.
"They'll be in the next city. We should check for supplies quickly and head back." Ray heard a male's voice this time. She definitely wasn't alone. He heard the footsteps fading and peeked again to see who it was after ensuring they passed. It was a blastoise and two people in thick tan padded outfits, boots, and gloves.
Ray watched them soon turn a right and enter Route 215 toward Veilstone. "That could have gone bad... Thank you." He reached over and patted Crystal's head, to which she nuzzled his hand. "I guess going to Veilstone isn't an option anymore. We aren't taking on a blastoise and two bodies."
Now would be a perfect time to do what he'd put off long enough. Ray unzipped every compartment of his bag. He wasn't looking forward to it but had to lower his backpack's weight. He didn't want to take another step with it overpacked. If Ray didn't have Crystal and that couple saw him, he would have had to leave his bag behind for a chance at outrunning them.
So he spent ten minutes sifting through and taking out items that weren't necessities, often showing certain foods and supplies to Crystal for her opinion. When finished, he left everything on the trail for another survivor to come across. It hurt to leave behind things like extra water and clothes, but Ray was tired of frequently stopping for breaks and walking slower than he should be.
He slung a lighter backpack over his shoulder and took out his map. "Much better... now Pastoria or Oreburgh?" he mumbled and eyed it. Ray was in deep thought, and Crystal stared curiously while he gazed over it. "Or... why don't we try Eterna? We'll get there before dark." It was a major city located west of Celestic. They'd have to keep heading up through 210 and enter Celestic, maybe stop on the way to search a few buildings, but they couldn't take all day doing so.
Ray stood and stretched his legs. A lot more walking was ahead of them. Crystal went in front of him in case those people had stopped or turned around, and he watched her trot. At first, his espeon looked cute, but he took more time to watch her elegant and slim tail sway behind her. Her hind legs and thighs moved in a fluid and controlled manner while her paws carried her along. Ray had never eyed Crystal's body in such a manner, so he pushed all thoughts of her out of his head.
That woman's voice must have done something to him. He hadn't even masturbated since Sinnoh died. He'd been depressed and was too focused on surviving to think about anything else, and he now had to focus on getting to Eterna before sunset. "Since that threw off our day, I'll get you fed when we're farther from the route. I promise." Ray let Crystal know that he hadn't forgotten.
Today marked the first day he had killed someone and probably came close to being killed himself. There was no way that couple and blastoise were looking for friendship.