Pitch Black
#19 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.
Jenna opened her eyes and wiped drool from the corner of her mouth. She groaned, lifting her head and looking at Bizzy asleep in her lap. She had to have been out for hours.
Jenna remembered what she had to do and set Bizzy on the couch without waking him, then stood, wincing and holding her lower back. That'd hurt for at least a week, and it was bound to feel worse tomorrow. She also felt head pain and hoped not to have a concussion. It was probably just the injury.
She went and crouched by the bag at the front door, unzipping it and finding the Anastin in her pouch. She stared at it in her hand. "Hope this helps..."
Jenna then walked out the door and across the base toward the hospital under an orange-tinted evening sky. She saw a small number of people out, which felt nicer than earlier, where it was like every eye was on her throughout the walk.
Jenna assumed Chris would be upset with her for endangering her life to find medicine if he knew of the event. She understood now how reckless her actions were, but it was too late for regret.
She slowed her pace upon approaching the building when she saw Harrison and multiple defenders gathered around the front, which was unusual. Jenna continued, but the situation grew odder once they noticed her and stopped conversing. She tilted her head while watching Harrison tell the defenders off as she approached, and they took glances at her while leaving at that.
"Jenna." Harrison nodded and attempted to hide his sorrow.
"I came to drop this off for Chris." She held up the bottle. "How is he?"
He held his chin and looked down for a second. He had no idea how to break it to Jenna, but he couldn't hide the fact.
"What?..." She eyed him.
He dragged his eyes back up. There was no easy way to say it. "He passed, Jenna, this morning."
She let her arm fall. "Oh."
"I apologize for not telling you earlier. You seemed to be going through a lot."
Jenna didn't recall the virus killing its host so quickly. "How did he die?"
Harrison sighed. "Suicide... He left a note that seems to have been written to you. I didn't read much of it after I realized." He took a folded paper from his pocket and handed it to her. "We're holding a memorial for him in three days. You're more than welcome to join in the garden."
She slipped it into her pocket. "Thanks." Then turned, walking back. Her mind was a blank slate. Jenna didn't know how to take her brother's sudden death. It meant all of her efforts were in vain. She knew she couldn't have cured it, but in her broken state, maybe-- just maybe she thought it would have made a difference.
But she was useless and careless in reality.
Jenna closed her front door, thrown back into silence, and stared at Bizzy, who was still asleep on the couch. He was now all she had left that brought her the minuscule amount of joy still present.
Amy was gone.
Chris was gone.
Jenna's heart ached, and she let out a whimper. She gripped the bottle of Anastin firmly, gritted her teeth, and threw it as hard as she could against the wall. It popped open upon impact, its contents scattering across the floor.
It woke Bizzy abruptly from his nap. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, seeing Jenna sitting on the floor with pills surrounding her. He got down and approached, standing a foot away.
Jenna stared at the floor while holding her temple as her headache worsened from the outburst. Not an ounce more of energy was in her. She took the paper Harrison gave her out of her pocket and unfolded it, holding it up and squinting at its words under poor lighting:
_'It has started feeding. It's the worst pain one could experience and doesn't fade. _
Harrison told me everything. Jenna, I would never ask that you endanger yourself for me the way you did during those nights. It was and has always been my priority to protect you. I know what mindset you were in and appreciate your care and efforts. I know who you want to be, but don't fight who you are. You have the sweetest personality and beauty to complement. Don't push that away. It's valuable.
_I picked up the virus last week when helping conduct a search with a few others in Pastoria. I strayed off and was attacked by an infected growlithe that bit my arm before I was able to fend off and kill it. This, I kept to myself, quarantined in my home, and treated it until I couldn't. I began showing mild symptoms the next day, and now we're here. My condition has gotten worse, and no treatment has helped so far. I can no longer handle it and won't let it take me as it has countless others. _
I've been tracking the siren over the past weeks while on group supply runs and have heard it the loudest by Jubilife. Canalave is nearby, which would be a good ferry extraction point. I can't say for sure who is in control of it or why, but I'm betting on it being a call for survivors. Other regions had to step in at some point.
If you choose to find its source, take heavy weapons and don't go alone this time. I love you too.'
Jenna folded the note and slipped it back into her pocket, wincing from her excruciating headache. It was either lack of sleep or the situation again-- possibly both.
She looked up and saw Bizzy. This couldn't be good for his mental. "I'm gonna shower. We'll eat, then sleep."