FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

They'd arrived at Floaroma fifteen minutes ago and found an empty home to reside in that Ray swept thoroughly. He left Jenna, Crystal, and Bizzy inside with his bag and went to search the town with his rifle for supplies to treat Jenna's new wound. He'd wrapped it with gauze to hold it off until his return and had to be quick before it bled too much. The gauze only delayed it.

He was currently inside a Mart after finding alcohol in a Pokémon Center, which was rare, considering most stores were wiped, but what he found would be useful enough. Ray exited and paced north down a dirt trail with overgrown grass lining it toward their temporary residence. Most of the town's flower beds and patches still bloomed in disorganized fashions, but the environment felt more depressing than ever.

Floaroma was such a vivid and kind place. It was one of his and Crystal's favorite towns. They'd come and occasionally eat at an outdoor restaurant built in a field abundant in flowers for a view after he got paid, which was better than the food itself. He wanted those times back whenever he thought of them, which is why he usually tried not to.

There wasn't a single dead body in this town that Ray had seen so far, but that was no longer a good sign since they came back to life and saw red. Crystal had scanned before he left and sensed no danger in the immediate area, but Ray didn't feel comfortable leaving his group and had to tend to Jenna.

He'd been gone long enough, and at this point, he'd probably shoot on sight if he saw anyone near them. Perhaps it wouldn't be an ideal decision, but Ray didn't want to risk fighting up close and sustaining injuries he couldn't afford to get. What else could he do?

The house was ahead and off to the side among a row of others. Ray always chose small homes hidden from the public eye since he felt looters and bad people were more likely to target larger ones that were immediately visible.

He entered upon arriving and went to the room Jenna was in, leaning his rifle against the wall. Bizzy and Crystal were in another, where Ray placed them so Jenna could rest.

He saw Jenna's arm over her head, and her eyes were shut. He walked to the bed and set the supplies on the floor, kneeling. "Hey." Ray wished he could relieve all that plagued her. He already missed who she was on the first night they'd met, even though he barely knew her. Now, Jenna was silent, dejected, and suffering in every sense of the word.

She lowered her arm and slowly opened her eyes. None of it had faded. Every passing moment was one of near-unbearable misery, and Jenna was close to wishing for death, but she wanted to hold on for Chris and Bizzy. It would be worth it in the end.

"I have something for your ankle... Can I check?"

Jenna half-glanced at him. "You shouldn't touch me."

"Because you might have the virus? The houndoom attacked me too, and you could have picked it up beforehand. All four of us are screwed, but we'll be in Canalave tomorrow." Ray inched closer. "And I want to get you there alive, so let me help."

Jenna wanted any kind of relief, truthfully, and Ray could be right. She'd gone outside the base twice when there and had always thought about the virus infiltrating it and causing an outbreak. It grew more likely as it spread, which was another reason not to live there. The walls didn't grant complete immunity.

She nodded and propped herself on her shaky elbows, watching him move to her legs and lift her injured one so her foot was hanging off the bed.

"Gonna remove the gauze." Ray unwrapped it while avoiding her injury and pulled her sock off as well, rolling her pants up to her shin. He eyed the deep gashes left from the houndoom's teeth. It was a gruesome bite. "...This'll hurt, but I need to disinfect it," he said while grabbing the alcohol.

Meanwhile, Bizzy and Crystal were in the next room over.

He was deeply concerned for his owner and felt more useless than before. Bizzy was endlessly beating himself up over it. Why did Jenna even bother bringing him along? He wasn't a valuable asset. He allowed that houndoom to harm her as her pokémon, which should never be.

"Esp..."

He glanced behind from where he sat on the bed's edge and saw Crystal standing behind him. What did she want? He wasn't in the mood to chat when he felt like crying and dying a million times over.

Crystal sat. She didn't want Bizzy to be so down and could feel how much he was affected. "Espen?" Crystal knew how it felt to be worried about the human closest to you. He had to be sick with it.

"Bizzl... ui bi." Bizzy told her how weak he felt during this journey. He'd been nothing but a coward and had no idea what to do in any dangerous situation that called for his action. Jenna had to be disappointed and had every right to shun him. Crystal had put in so much more work.

She twitched her ear and sat closer, tapping his back with her front paw.

"Bu?" She must want more of his attention, so he reluctantly turned to face her.

"Espeon, es?"

Has he been trained? Bizzy raised his paw and wiggled it. Not much. "Buizel. Buiz." And he had zero experience outside of the base's safety.

Crystal grinned slightly, "espi esn." If that were the case, Jenna would surely understand. Crystal only knew how to perform because she'd been living in such an environment for months. "Spi, pen." While at it, she introduced herself properly since they had the chance.

Bizzy nodded. "Bue." He did the same. He found her name pretty. Crystal was kinder than most pokémon he'd met in the base, and he couldn't comprehend how that was if she'd been living among the infected since the beginning.

Concurrently, Ray held the bottle over Jenna's wound and had been waiting for her say. "Ready?"

She took a deep enough breath to tramble her and lay back, closing her eyes. She couldn't watch and knew it would burn intensely. She pulled her arm from under her sleeve and put it in her mouth, ready to bite. "Mhn."

He poured the liquid over her ankle and saw it foam in moments while hearing Jenna attempt stifling moans against her sleeve. Ray moved up and took her hand to help her cope, feeling her squeeze his and tense while arching her back.

Bizzy had run to the room with Crystal following upon hearing the commotion. From the doorway, he saw her ankle, the bottle, and Ray sitting beside her.

Ray glanced back upon feeling their presence. "I just had to clean the wound."

Jenna gradually came from a fiery burning sensation and had trouble catching her breath. She wiped the tears that had formed in her eyes and slightly loosened her grip on Ray's hand, though she was still biting her sleeve, and her stomach still heaved with her heavy breaths.

He reached for her pouch by the pillow and grabbed the bottle of water out of it, setting it beside her. "Drink that when you can. I have to rewrap your ankle."

Jenna let him go and spit out her sleeve, working on calming herself and taking several deep breaths. The pain faded slowly, but only more was present in her hand and various bruises.

Bizzy felt like bursting into tears watching. Jenna needed medical help, or she wouldn't last much longer.

Crystal saw his expression and sat beside him while hugging his backside with her tail. They'd essentially just met, but Crystal couldn't help the sympathy she felt for others. Hopefully, it didn't bug him.

He glanced at her tail, then at her. Bizzy appreciated it but couldn't find it in him to so much as grin. He'd thank her later, maybe.

Jenna slowed her breathing as the scorching pain died down for the most part. She opened her eyes and sat up slightly to uncap and sip the water.

Ray stood. "I'll let you rest and check on you in an hour, but you can call if you need anything. I'm close."

She nodded, lying back and shutting her eyes. Jenna could barely go on even if she wanted to, and she did want to since they were so close to point B.

"Come on, Crystal." Ray left Bizzy with Jenna this time and took his rifle, leaving the door cracked. He wanted to stay and sit with her to grant what comfort he could, but she likely wanted to be alone after what just transpired, and he didn't know how she would feel about that either.

Bizzy approached the bed and looked up. He wasn't sure how she felt toward him but wanted to be with Jenna since it was the least he could do, although he felt pathetic being in the same room as her.

She opened her eyes. She knew he was there and figured he didn't want to be a bother. "You can come up."

With that, he took a moment to climb the blanket until he got a grip on the frame with his hind paws, then pushed himself up the rest of the way. Bizzy stood before her while eyeing her and could no longer help but tear up, which he tried wiping from his eyes.

Jenna didn't want to be in this state either, especially in front of Bizzy, as he didn't deserve to deal with it. She winced while shifting onto her side and lifted her arm to invite him into her hold.

Which he practically threw himself into, but not abruptly enough to harm her. Bizzy felt her arms embrace him while she pulled him to her chest, looking at her face while resting his cheek on her arm. He was beyond relieved Jenna still accepted and loved him. He promised to improve and very quickly. He promised.

She pulled him closer, tilting her head so Bizzy could bury his face into her neck. Jenna never thought it would turn out like this. That this would happen to her, and all so quickly. At least they were close to Canalave, and she'd need to get as much rest as she could to make it there.

Crystal had just entered the room with Ray and was on the bed while he sat on the edge. She could feel his stress and wasn't sure how to aid other than granting her presence, so she walked and ran her body along his back before sitting close to him.

"Sick of this." He was starved and parched among much else and was impressed they made it this far. He didn't even feel like eating but would probably drink water. Their next stop was Canalave, but Ray didn't know what he'd do if nothing awaited them. They'd surely all been infected during the houndoom attack and contact after it if not at that base.

They'd just die, and maybe that was for the best.

---

Ray's eyes shot open to a loud noise blaring in his ears, quite disoriented. He sat up and realized what it was shortly after gathering himself.

That was the siren, and it sounded closer than it ever had.

Crystal was woken abruptly as well. She sat up and yawned with flattened ears, looking out of the window and seeing that the sun had broken dawn.

"Wait here." Ray grabbed his rifle and went to Jenna's door, knocking. He'd checked on her multiple times throughout the night before falling asleep shortly after her.

But he heard coughing on the other side of the door as the siren faded briefly. It resembled a common cold, but he knew it meant something far more severe.

Jenna opened a moment later, suited with her rifle in hand and Bizzy beside her. Her face was pale, and her eyes were rheumy. She looked as if she'd collapse at any moment.

"Meet me at the door," Ray spoke over the siren. He didn't know how he and Crystal weren't feeling sick but was grateful since it meant they could lead effectively. He paced to the room Crystal was in. "Could you scan?"

On it. She shifted on her paws and shut her eyes. The scan took longer than usual as it was difficult to focus when the siren was on a deafening loop, so Crystal initially didn't feel anything but was soon overwhelmed by over ten red entities. "Espn." She opened her eyes.

"Must be the siren." He then heard screeching outside to confirm. Those infected had to be heading to Canalave, where the siren was. He beckoned Crystal while walking to the front door, where Jenna and Bizzy stood. "I don't know how we're doing this... I don't want them on us."

Jenna leaned against the wall. "We may have to fight some off, but I'm sure we can find an opening." Or so she hoped, but they couldn't spend all day standing here.

Crystal approached from the hall and sat by Ray while eyeing Bizzy. She saw him bring his paws up to cover his mouth while stifling a cough. Could he be sick? Now wasn't the time to ask, but it would be awful if so.

Ray went to the door and pressed his ear to it as the siren played its last intense note, reducing to a gradual and permanent fade. He listened for the slightest noise. It was crucial they weren't caught amid any remaining bodies.

Another scan from Crystal would help determine that, but he'd hate for her to drain herself in case they had combat ahead. Ray pulled away and looked at her. "Crystal, I need you to scan one more time."

She sat and obeyed, her gem aglow while she felt for presence. In seconds, she found four red nearby and opened her eyes. "Spe."

Ray stepped back. "Less than before?"

Crystal nodded.

"We'll give it a minute. They're likely also following the siren."

"Won't that mean-" Jenna coughed. "Canalave is overrun?"

"Possibly... but it's our only option. We just have to play it safe and don't rush in."

So they waited in silence for several minutes through urges to cough and grim expectations. There was only a string of positivity to be had. All they had left to do was run to Canalave and hope not to die on the way and then hope a golden ticket out of Sinnoh was waiting with open arms, but everything about that seemed more than far-fetched.

Ray felt enough time had passed and was tired of standing idle. They were too close, and if there was a ferry, it wouldn't be docked forever. "I'll check." He took a breath before opening the door and eyeing all he could see: other homes, flower bushes, and dirt.

It was still and deathly silent outside so far. Ray stepped beyond the door and cautiously walked onto the dirt trail, actively watching for movement with his rifle in hand.

Crystal tilted her head upon feeling a stir in the air and felt uneasy. Something was nearby. He couldn't be out there yet. "Espeon!"

He turned back to the door. "I think it's-"

A blur tore past him, and he felt a deep pain in his right calf, causing him to fall and hold it as blood gushed from a deep gash. "F-Fvv... Ugn..." He wanted to scream but tried his best to hold it in not to bring unwanted attention. Instead, Ray groaned and held his breath with winced eyes.

Jenna gasped and ran outside, as did Crystal, which may not have been the wisest decision since it seemed like an ambush, but Jenna wouldn't let Ray die on her watch.

Crystal reached him, but before Jenna could, she saw what had attacked him standing far ahead and froze. She stared at the white-eyed weavile, then noticed three more emerge from nearby and surround them, one with a missing arm. Weavile were known for their well-coordinated hunting strategies, so the odds of them walking out of this were low.

Crystal eyed them as well and knew she had to strike before them, so she moved away from Ray and set her eyes on the last one to the right while swaying her tail, preparing a quick and half-powered psybeam. Crystal's tail quivered while she focused on the air and felt the weavile lean to the right, so she grounded her paws and shot in that direction.

The weavile only smirked, faking out Crystal's abilities and leaning left upon her shooting the beam, feeling its heat pass his face. While she was occupied, another of the four weavile approached from behind with stealth.

"C-Crystal, behind you!" Ray brought his rifle up with one hand, though it'd be too risky of a shot. He'd been watching the situation to the best of his ability even though he was injured critically.

"Pi?" She turned to see it hop over her and prepare to deliver a fatal slash, but before it could, a powerful blast of water sent it flying.

Jenna followed the water to Bizzy standing nearby and grinned, "keep it up, Biz!" While the weavile was getting up from the ground, Jenna trained her rifle on it and shot multiple times. She killed it but knew that brought a lot of attention to the group.

Ray stood, huffing and having trouble staying on his feet. "L-Let's kill the last of them and ditch. We don't need a third party." After gunshots among silence, they were now major targets.

Jenna glanced at Crystal and Bizzy. "This'll need teamwork."

"Pi." She nodded to Bizzy, which he returned. They'd need as much coordination and chemistry as these weavile, and they needed to come up with it quickly.

"Buiz, ui," Bizzy said as Crystal trotted to him. They had to overwhelm their opponents and force a slip-up, which wouldn't be a simple task. They couldn't be intimidated by the weavile, but they couldn't underestimate them either.

Ray stared at the two weavile glaring back. "They c-can't dodge bullets." At least not half a magazine full.

"One on the left, then. Follow it." Jenna looked back upon hearing multiple shouts and screeches. As expected, a lot more infected were on the way. "Well, that's not good..."

Ray aimed while watching the other. He wanted to keep an eye on the one Crystal and Bizzy were dealing with as well, but he had to drop the protectiveness and trust them to handle it, or else this would fall apart.

Crystal prepared another psybeam; simultaneously, the weavile created multiple chunks of ice with its mouth.

"B-Bi!" Bizzy warned Crystal to dodge it, but ice shard was quick, so he hopped in front of her as the weavile grabbed and tossed the solid chunks their way.

Crystal heard Bizzy grunt upon the shards hitting his face and chest, and he stumbled back into her, but she nudged him onto his paws again.

She'd charged her beam to its fullest extent and hopped around him, shooting it at the weavile and being pushed back against the dirt. Crystal was trying to catch it in its recovery and hadn't had time to ground herself properly.

Which it dodged again.

Bizzy held his cheek from his injury and brought water from within, shooting it at their opponent.

It dodged the hydro pump as well-- barely, but fell over after being riddled with bullets.

Crystal and Bizzy looked to the side and saw Jenna lower her rifle.

"I know you two had it, but we're out of time," she said, then turned her head to see Ray spraying at a weavile running toward him in a hard-to-track zigzag motion. She also laid fire, several bullets hitting it as it closed in, which caused it to trip and roll across the dirt.

Meanwhile, Crystal heard footsteps behind them and saw a large crowd of infected humans and pokémon running. "Espee!" she warned before readying another psybeam.

Bizzy stood beside her, ready to melt as many as he could with pressured water.

Was he terrified? Yes. His tails were shaking, and a part of him wanted to run, hide, and pray to Arceus for this to pass, but that Bizzy was no more. He'd never forgive himself for Eterna Forest, and he'd never again allow anyone or anything to bring harm to Jenna or his group so easily.

Ray stared at the swarm coming for them, many being torn apart by Crystal and Bizzy's projectiles. The last armless weavile had fled, so they were clear to run. Ray whined while trying to keep his balance. It'd hurt immensely to walk, but he wouldn't keel over after making it so far.

Jenna jogged and helped him up, although not in the best condition herself. "Almos-st there." She coughed several times and grunted while pulling his weight. "Come on, you two!"

Crystal panted, beam after beam. She was slow to shoot as the attack started draining her but kept at it. She'd do so until she was close to fainting, as there were too many infected surrounding them to ignore.

Bizzy patted Crystal and ran to his owner with her following, still turning to pump several that were getting too close. He breathed quickly too, close to exhaustion.

Jenna gritted her teeth, helping Ray along while her ankle brought her significant pain and difficulty. "Mhgf..." It wasn't as severe as Ray's injury, which was leaving a trail of blood behind them.

While Ray dragged, he turned and shot multiple bodies now and again but noticed they were rushing from many directions-- including the one they were heading in. He started feeling lightheaded and knew it was due to rapid blood loss. "Th-There's too many... Crystal!" He didn't want them to get separated. If they died, Ray wanted to be with her.

Jenna had to let go of him to attempt to keep up with the number of infected rushing them. She raised her rifle and pulled its trigger, spraying while turning to cover as many directions as she could until she heard a click.

They were closing in, and she was out of bullets and time to reload. Jenna hit an infected man with her rifle's butt as he tried grabbing her, but it only knocked him to the ground, to which he snagged her leg and bit her shin. "Eeah!"

Ray then saw another tackle her. "Jen-" several more knocked him over as well.

Crystal and Bizzy were cornered into each other, shooting projectiles until they, too, were overwhelmed by bodies.

Ray felt nothing but crushing pressure and constant scratches and tears to his body while he covered his face. His ears rang, and his eyes filled with tears, but not for him. They were for Crystal, Jenna, and Bizzy, the group he swore to protect and leave Sinnoh with. Getting this close just to die was a massive smack in the face.

Ray felt weight leave moment after moment, and he at first thought it was because he'd died, but his hearing returned somewhat, though his vision was blurred. He heard nonstop gunfire but couldn't lift his head.

Ray blacked out.