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Ray was beyond exhausted after running down the bike path's dampened dark road for minutes on end. His legs were numb, and the infected wouldn't stop pursuing. He looked back to see Crystal panting and barely keeping up. "Crystal!" Ray slowed and let her. When she did, he scooped her up and held her against his chest while running as fast as he could.

He'd broken a heavy sweat. His shirt and collar were covered in it. They were headed back to Eterna City, and he still would be lost as to how to outrun the infected. Just their luck, more would be waiting for them. It felt like his legs would give out at any moment, and Ray wouldn't look back at the horde at this point, his breathing rapid and his heart pounding.

Crystal saw multiple closing in and would beam them if they got too close, although her attack's recoil could knock Ray over. Many bodies stumbled and fell over repeatedly while pursuing but scrambled back onto their feet.

If she were more confident in her abilities, Crystal would try and force them back with telekinesis, but she wouldn't want it to go awry again. Exploding their bodies wouldn't be bad in this situation, but there were several possible outcomes, and now wouldn't be the best time to experiment.

Ray saw two figures, one massive, ahead in the distance but couldn't stop.

Great, more trouble.

He then heard a loud blast and saw a fast projectile source from the large figure. It startled and nearly caused him to lose balance. The confusion increased once the projectile passed him, and Ray heard what sounded like water hit something behind him.

"Keep hydro pumping!" he heard and slowed his pace to look behind him.

What he saw made him stop in his tracks. The infected were being assaulted with a continuous blast of high-pressure water. As Ray closed in on the shadows he saw, he made out a blastoise and what had to be its trainer standing beside it.

Since the workers' bodies were decaying, the water melted their skin and tore them apart in seconds.

Ray fell to his knees and wheezed while clutching Crystal. He couldn't catch his breath and felt dizzy enough to puke or pass out. He'd never run that far a day in his life, so his body was freaking out.

The person walked and stood in front of him, and he eyed their black boots. He didn't have enough energy to defend himself and Crystal. He'd have to hope whoever this was wasn't hostile.

"Needed assistance?"

Now that Ray was close and could focus on something that wasn't running for his life, he made out from the voice that she was a girl. He'd assumed that pokémon was the same blastoise he and Crystal hid from, but this girl's voice sounded higher.

The trainer knelt and studied Ray and Crystal under the moonlight. "You mind dropping the gun?" she asked, and he did.

Shooting her and a colossal blastoise wouldn't be an easy task, anyway. Truthfully, Ray needed all the help he could get.

"Thanks." She kicked it out of reach and stood. "Are you infected?"

"Not... that I know of," he replied between breaths, looking up at her enough to notice auburn-colored hair resting over her shoulders. She looked his age and wore a black utility belt holding various items, weapons, and a pouch. She wore dark jeans and a jacket to blend in with the night.

Crystal had looked her over as well. She licked her maw and had stopped panting, though her breaths were still quick. She was glad they'd been saved. As much as Crystal hated for the idea to cross her mind, they would have died otherwise.

"We'll see... I'll take you and your pokémon somewhere safe for the night." She reached a gloved right hand down, to which Ray gripped and pulled himself up while letting Crystal go.

The glove felt abnormally warm, almost hot, and she grabbed his pistol with it after helping him up. Why she trusted that he didn't have the virus and touched him and his equipment, Ray didn't know, but he didn't have it in him to ask.

"Name's Jenna, yours?" She started down the path and motioned for the blastoise to follow, turning a dial at the bottom of her glove. Ray lagged with Crystal, which forced her to slow her pace.

"It's Ray. Thank you for saving us..." He was a lot more grateful than that. Maybe he'd be able to express his gratitude later.

"What's your little one's name?" Jenna looked at the espeon. She didn't trust Ray but didn't feel uneasy so far. Still, she kept her distance and was ready to pull the pistol on her belt if necessary.

"Crystal... It's been her and I for the last few months," Ray replied. It felt odd conversating with someone, almost surreal. This was his first genuine interaction with another human since his mother sent him off.

"I get it. I only have my brother and a pokémon of my own. Hydro here belongs to him." She glanced back at the blastoise trudging along. "By the way, that pistol of yours won't get you far anymore."

Ray assumed Jenna was referring to the virus' recent evolution. "I've noticed."

"We're studying the virus back at base. So far, we know it mainly targets the respiratory system, but then it seems to branch out and just wreak havoc... No one can pinpoint its behavior or the effect its mutation has on us. We aren't even sure how long the virus stays dormant before its host begins showing symptoms, but we get general ideas as we go. I haven't seen them travel in groups like that yet, though. I'll have to share that info with our doctors... Wish we had scientists."

Ray had nothing more to say, but this info was interesting. He just felt relieved to be going somewhere safe and what sounded sophisticated, especially when a seemingly friendly girl was taking him there. He hadn't been at rest for a long time.

"We do know this virus hates heat, and it's why I keep this insulated glove on when I'm out. It reaches up to one-twenty Fahrenheit if I dial it, so I can touch items or people that may have rapids. To be safe, we still disinfect constantly, and I only touch what I have to."

---

In over an hour, Jenna had led them into Celestic Town. "We're here. We have a section of this town to ourselves some miles down, including the Pokémon Center." She shrugged. "We just call it the Celestic Base. No one bothers us but potential virus carriers begging to get in and some bodies recently. We have a ton of weapons for that."

Ray glanced at her, then down at Crystal. Weren't they potential virus carriers? He wouldn't say a word about that, as he needed this aid more than ever, but he now wasn't sure what treatment to expect. Ray looked up at the usual abandoned skyscrapers and buildings, some with vines and leaves covering walls. The town's trees were overgrown and needed some tending to, with leaves and branches pressing against windows and having broken through several.

"I assume you've searched like every building here?" Ray was surprised he hadn't come across this base when he and Crystal walked through Celestic. Then again, they stuck to the outskirts.

"Pretty much. It's not the smallest town, but we do rounds several times per week in a certain radius for safety. It mainly helps prevent people from scouting us." Jenna realized how much she'd been running her mouth to someone she didn't know and shouldn't be. She really spilled throughout the entire walk here. She was generally talkative, but she didn't know this person. Jenna had to control herself.

It didn't take long for them to reach a large reinforced metal wall built between two structures east within the town. Barbed wire lined the top, with two platforms attached to both ends of a scaffolding that two armed people currently stood on.

"Stay," she told Ray and approached the wall. "I'm back. It's Jenna," she said upon approaching.

One of them shined a flashlight on her, then behind her on Ray and Crystal. "Who's your friend?" the man asked, leaning over the railing.

Ray shielded his face from the powerful beam, and Crystal winced.

Jenna didn't want this to be a big deal. "Just get them tested. I saved them earlier."

The man turned off the light. "You shouldn't be out this late, and your brother was strict about bringing in more survivors. It's how places like this get eaten from the inside out. We've done a lot of work here."

"If you want to tell Chris, be my guest, but debating with me outside the gate won't get us anywhere."

Ray was tense. He didn't feel good about how this would turn out and wouldn't want to get Jenna in trouble. He saw the man disappear and pull up the wall moments later. Ray could smile while watching it.

She looked back. "Through here."

He followed her and stopped a few steps in, watching a guard scan the inside of her wrist with a white device and check its screen before letting her go. He then heard the wall close behind them after Hydro entered. Besides working streetlights, interiors of buildings he saw with more lights, and people casually walking the streets or hanging out, it looked like the rest of the city.

Crystal saw a couple of pokémon as well. She didn't know why, but it almost excited her. She wouldn't come in here expecting to make friends, but seeing something that resembled civilization brought her warmth.

"Congrats, you're safe. You're out of my hands and in Jan's for now. You'll be tested and quarantined in a dedicated room for the night so we're certain you have no trace of the rapids. If you don't, you two will see me tomorrow... or later, since it is tomorrow. Night." Jenna waved them off while leaving.

"This way," Jan said. He wore a black bandana over his nose, but his short blonde hair was visible.

Ray heard his voice come from behind and walked east with him along the wall's outskirts. He received glances from many people along the way. Hopefully, he wouldn't feel like an outcast here. From Ray's knowledge so far, new people weren't welcome.

Crystal looked around as they walked through double doors and down a lit hall with many more. She wouldn't let her guard down just yet. Crystal felt odd about Jan, and the bandana made it difficult to see his face. Maybe she was still on edge.

"You'll stay in here until our testing proves you aren't sick." Jan stopped at a reinforced metal door and took out a key, unlocking and opening it before stepping aside.

Ray saw a bed in the corner dressed neatly with a white blanket and a restroom on the other side. There were no windows. He entered and set Crystal on the floor, turning to face Jan.

"The head doctor will be with you soon."

"I appreciate the room, sir," Ray replied and watched him shut the door, hearing it lock. All he could think of was collapsing. He hadn't gotten much sleep, ran more than he ever had, and nearly died tonight. Ray sat on the bed. His body was vibrating, and he couldn't take another step.

Crystal joined him and sat on the edge. She was exhausted too but didn't feel she could sleep without knowing they'd be able to stay. Then again, this may be the only time she could without worrying about being woken up by an infected or murdered her in her sleep.

Ray lay back on the bed and sighed, reaching his hand down to touch Crystal's tail. "Glad you're still with me."

She glanced at his hand and stood, walking and lying beside him. She was, too. Running down that road still felt unreal looking back on it, and never again did Crystal want to experience anything of the like.

The only thing Ray was bummed about was his backpack. It was likely contaminated now, and he'd never step back in Oreburgh. He wasn't sure what to do about supplies if he and Crystal couldn't stay, so Ray would have to hope they didn't have the rapids.