More of the Same
#4 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.
~
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.
"Tired?" Ray asked Crystal as they approached Eterna from route 211 during the afternoon.
She nodded up at him and stretched her hind legs between steps. She was exhausted. They'd kept to the outskirts of Celestic and had searched several buildings while walking through the city earlier.
They entered Eterna in minutes, and Ray surely couldn't clear such a massive city but would do what he could with Crystal. He was also worried people would be occupying Eterna. The remaining population had to stay somewhere after all.
"We need a house. Let me know if anyone is around." Ray scanned miles of skyscrapers and vacant businesses with shattered windows and some with charred interiors while strolling the central road. Lamp posts were broken and on the ground, along with decayed bodies they came across now and then. It created a somber environment.
"Cities definitely got the worst of it," he mumbled. Ray was glad he wasn't in one when things went awry, and Eterna used to be one of Sinnoh's liveliest. It was uncanny hearing nothing but soft breezes whistle past him.
They soon came upon a residential area a mile north. He stopped and looked at the rows of homes. It didn't make a difference which they chose, but none of the ones burned to the ground would do. "The house on the left, I guess." He led, approaching the white one-story and looking at Crystal while standing at the door.
She didn't feel any presence. It seemed vacant, and Crystal let Ray know by stepping closer to the door and pawing at it.
He opened it with her confirmation. Most locks or doors were broken due to others breaking in previously. He checked every room as an additional precaution and found the decayed remains of an adult and child in the bathtub, which looked like a suicide. A putrid stench filled his nose that made him hack and cough, so he quickly shut the door again and went to one of the bedrooms.
It seemed like a kid's one, making it harder to stay in this house after seeing what was in the restroom, but what could he do? It was the region around them. There was a Wii set up in front of a TV and some toys scattered along the carpet. "We've been in a lot of beds. At least most of them have been made." Ray set his backpack on the floor and took off his boots before sitting on a yellow blanket. The air was stale and stuffy throughout the home. It needed fresh air, but he wasn't comfortable opening the window.
Crystal hopped on and smoothed the blanket with her paw before sitting. She was famished but wouldn't beg for anything to eat when both of them were beat.
She'd learned to keep it to herself if she could, as Crystal didn't like Ray going out constantly just to find a bite for her. He was tired, as was she, and he deserved to rest just as much.
"Here..." He unzipped the main section of his backpack to pull out a plastic carton of berries he'd put together while traveling. He also poured some water from one of his bottles into a separate carton. "A lot of pecha and oran in here." Ray opened the lid and set it in front of her, putting a few in his mouth.
He watched Crystal lean down and take a few berries from the assortment. Tending to her needs had been the only thing making him happy during the past months. Ray reached his hand and ran it down her back while she ate and lapped at the water.
When finished, Crystal licked her lips and exhaled while sitting back up. She was grateful and felt better already. She didn't require a lot of food to fill her, especially after adapting to their current lifestyle.
"Full?" he asked with a grin and received a nod. "I'll eat later. I just had to make sure I took care of you." Ray patted his lap and moved back on the bed. He didn't eat much either, but he knew he had to at least once a day to hold onto energy, or else they weren't making a lot of ground.
Crystal stood and went to sit in Ray's lap. When comfortable, she looked up at him, which he returned while holding her cheeks in his palms. "You've got pretty eyes." He stared into them, then leaned and kissed the gem on her forehead. "I want you to get some sleep."
"Espi." Crystal was beyond tired and could use a nap, but she wanted him to sleep too. Caring went both ways. She just couldn't express it as deeply since there was a language barrier.
"Thank you. I'll sleep in a bit." He set her at the top of the bed so she wouldn't have to take another step. "Sweet dreams." Ray watched her curl up and tuck her tail around her hind legs.
He took a water bottle from his bag and removed its cap, sipping it, then switched his pistol's magazine. Ray hadn't grown an appetite but knew he would have to eat soon. He'd lost enough weight and didn't want to end up too malnourished. He looked over at Crystal and yawned. The loneliness hit harder when he was awake by himself. Ray couldn't talk to anyone but himself. He couldn't share his emotions or feel anything. Without his espeon, he'd go insane.
He thought about his old friends and that one girl he used to like. Leigh was her name. She was dead now, a brunette about a year younger than him. Ray felt he'd never get a chance to have a relationship as long as he was in Sinnoh, which hurt. He was too paranoid to trust, go near, or touch people, not that he came across anyone but the man he shot and others he hid from. It hurt badly that he couldn't change that. Ray was almost desperate at this point, but what could he do?
He shut his eyes tightly and held his face, attempting to calm himself and prevent an emotional breakdown. He eventually was able to drop the thought and went to lie next to Crystal. He made sure not to wake her and checked his pistol's safety, then slid it under the pillow.
Ray set his hand on her side and sifted his fingers through her fur while watching soft afternoon sunlight enter the room through the window's curtains.
He had no clue what they would do tomorrow. Search more buildings, maybe travel to the next city? They were surviving under no meaningful purpose besides that itself-- unless they were to get out of Sinnoh one day, but what if the virus had somehow hit other regions? Ray lived in the dark. Television didn't work, and he had no radio. He had to believe in hope.