Liv’s Journey - A Pokemon Fanfic Part 2

A young boy came running through the large glass door, on the verge of hyperventilating. He sprinted straight up to the counter in the empty room, where a dignified-looking woman waited with a stubby-limbed pink creature beside her. 

"Liv! Liv! Please help!" the boy yelled through gasps. His eyes were red and puffy.

"What is it, Greg?" The woman asked in a calming voice.

"It’s Patrick. He... He..." Greg held out a pink Apricorn ball. "We got attacked by a Seviper. It just came out of nowhere!... We manage to run away, but… not before Patrick." Liv turned the dial, unlocking a mechanism of the top of the hard shell. A beam of light shot out and placed a small rodent with large front teeth on a gurney beside the counter. The Patrat was panting, shivering, and bleeding from his left hip. 

In an instant, it was clear to her what was wrong, she nodded to her pink partner, his long tan feeler hanging from his ears flicked. The Audino pushed the poisoned rodent into a back room. Coming out from behind the counter, she knelt beside the boy. "It's going to be okay. Alright?" Greg's eyes pleaded with worry beyond his years. "I know this is hard, buddy. You two have been together since you were born, right? And you're how old now?" 

The boy sniffed, "Nine." 

"Nine!" Liv whistled, "Heck, you're almost old enough to be a Trainer, aren't you!" She resisted the urge to rub his head. "Now. On a Trainer’s oath, can you make a deal with me? I have to go back there with Patrick – just to wrap a few little bandages on his injury. What I'd like from you is to run back home and get your mom. Because even as the strong Trainer you are, I don't think you'll want to fill out all this boring paperwork, am I right?" A small smile appeared on his face as he shook his head. "Alright, get going! We'll have Patrick as good as new when you come back." Liv beamed as Greg turned and ran back out the door.

When he was halfway up the hill, and she was sure he wouldn't turn back, Liv's face dropped. She tightened her hair into a Ponyta-tail and hurried to the back room. Patrick was matted with sweat and blood, tossing and turning with small squeaks and groans. Allie was already grinding and straining a Pecha berry into a bowl, "We're going to need at least two." Liv felt the Patrat's head. Cold, but he was sweating like a faucet. "Make it three. And quick.” She ordered Allie. “Patrick. Patrick!" She said into his ear. His eyes opened; they were so dilated that the colored rings of his eyes were just thin lines. "Hey there." Liv snapped and made a sign to Allie; he was responsive but barely. "I need you to be very strong for me. For Greg. I can't numb you, okay? There's too much poison in you as it is." Patrick blinked, slow but intentional. "But I have to clean this wound. It won’t be fun, but you have to stay still." A slow blink again; this time, his eyes stayed closed. Allie walked over and handed Liv a syringe of the liquefied Pecha. Liv made three injections around the gash. Patrick seemed not to even notice. "How much longer on the cleaning paste?" Allie made five short chimes. "Give me half raw. But use the same amount of herbs for the mixture to double the strength." Allie nodded, scooped out a peach mush, and placed it in a separate bowl. Then began adding specific powders and herbs to what remained.

After five minutes of squeezing, draining, wiping, and pained squealing, Allie placed his finished product beside Liv, exchanging it with her purple and red-drenched rags and instruments. Patrick's breathing was still labored, but Liv could tell his temperature was returning to normal.

In another five minutes, the front doorbell rang as she finished wrappings around Patrick’s hip. She let out a sigh and looked to Allie. "I'm so glad Greg didn't have to hear all that." Leaning over to Patrick's ear, she said, "You did fantastic, little guy. Thank you. I'm going to go tell Greg about your strength." He let out a faint, happy murmur. After cleaning up, changing aprons, and smoothing her hair back once more, she stepped out of the back room and behind the counter. Smiling like she hadn’t been fighting to save someone’s life in the time it took for a nine-year-old boy to run two blocks and back. 

The look on Greg’s face as Liv told him that his partner would be fine was what made everything worth it to her. Sure, the job itself was satisfying; saving lives, healing broken bones, putting a band-aid on a scratch – is what made her happy. But the looks of gratitude, the waves of relief, the happy tears. That was why she did what she did – and made sure to do it so well.

Allie came out from the back room and gave a nod and a small chime. Liv smiled, and pushed the eager Greg to go see Patrick. She stayed in the lobby with his mother. "Eileen, I’m not wanting to step on your toes here. But are you letting him Adventure?”

“Heavens no! He’s never crossed the town line without me or Glenn before. And you know him… He still sleeps with a night light…" She whispered. “I have no idea where he would’ve gotten attacked like that.”

She nodded, “Please when he is ready, either send him back to me or tell me what you can figure out from him. Where? What they were doing? Anything. I need to know if there is just an angry Seviper in our town or if he, boys being boys, angered it." Eileen nodded and lowered her head. 

When Patrick could stand on his own, they changed his bandages one more time, gave him another injection, and sent them on their way. Liv locked the door behind them and watched them walk up the hill as the sun crept below the horizon. 

After straightening up some more, the two tired nurses walk to a room in the back of the Center. They laid down on the small cot and flipped through old reruns and infomercials before drifting off. Something they would have never thought of just a few years ago when they used to spend their whole twenty-four hours shift wide-eyed and ready. Now, no longer newbies, they understood that waking up for a midnight emergency was a much safer practice than trying to stay awake during it.

A buzzer sounded once, then twice. The third time was long and drawn out. Liv blinked, stretched, rubbed her eyes, and checked the clock, 04:30. Allie’s feelers flicked, and he nodded to Liv, who was already grooming herself. The buzzer sounded again. "Always at the crack of dawn." she smiled and walked into the bathroom – unrushed by the continual buzzing. Only two minutes but countless buzzes later, Liv unlocked the Center’s door. Letting in a young man in overalls. "Hey there, Kneal. How are you this..." 

"Liv, come on! You took forever." The man said, pushing passed her, eyes locked on Allie. He took off a leather belt with four green Apricorn balls strapped to it. "Just a once over. I know Ruffel has a cut in his wing,; aslong as it’s healthy, leave it. He wants it to scar." He whispered the last part with a wink. Allie smiled and nodded before walking into the back room. Kneal looked out the window to a sky with the first licks of fire coloring it. 

"Hey Kneal, how old are you again?" She knew he was just a few years younger than him, but she needed to talk about something to cut through his tension. 

"Twenty-three." He glanced to the back room before fixing his dull blue eyes on her.

So four years younger just like most of the people I graduated with. She let out a quiet sigh, relaxing her tightened chest. If only I hadn’t… She shook the thought away. "And how far have you managed to get in the League?" 

He blinked, coughed, then adjusted his square glasses. "Well... You see, as you know, I only have the four right now. Pokemon, that is. Badges... I have… um... Two. But, I, uh. I’m trying to catch and train some others for my team right now before... trying... again."

His awkwardness reminded her of someone she used to know. She shook away the guilt and focused back on Kneal. "And if I recall... You like flying types?"

"Well birds, specifically." He glanced at the sky again. Dang, I shouldn't have brought that up. His foot began tapping. “That’s why I’m always so early… You know. If the early birds get the Wurmple, the early Trainer can get the bird!" He said with an air of high pride. She wondered how long it took him to come up with that one. 

Liv nodded with a smile. "How is little Ruffel? He was your first, right?" 

"He's great! Just a little longer and he’ll be a fully matured Braviary!"

Allie entered the room again with the leather belt and gave a cheery bing. "Oh! Thank goodness! " he said, running over to Allie and snatching the belt. "Thank You, both!" he said, soaring past Liv and out the door. See you tomorrow!” 

Allie's eyebrows bounced, and their ears flapped. "Him? No! No, Thank You!" They laughed, "Getting up at the crack of dawn every morning to bird hunt?" Liv scrunched her face. "Plus, last time we talked, he was going on and on about trying to ask some girl out that he’s known since middle school. I’ll have to ask him how that went next time." She shrugged and looked at the clock. "Well, almost shift change, is everything cleaned and ready?" Allie chimed three times, "But you know I still have to recheck anyway." He chimed again with a smile. She came over and rubbed the soft pink fur of his head. 

Another hour passed when the front door opened with a ring. "Early as always, Ethel." Liv beamed to the older lady heaving a large bag on the counter. 

"Well, you know what I always say." 

"Early is on time. On time is late." Ethel grinned.

“It only took three years of you working here, but I guess I was able to teach you something you didn’t already know.” The older lady brushed wisps of graying hair out of her face. "So, how was your shift? Anything I should keep an eye out for?" 

"Well, Kneal has already stopped by, so you don’t have to worry about seeing him till after his bird hunt.”

"Nice young boy. You know what they say about people who treat Pokemon as good as he does, right?” Liv nodded but honestly didn’t know what she was talking about. “Plus! He is also single, last I checked.”

"AND!" Liv pushed ahead. "Last night, before locking up, Greg and Patrick came in... Patrick was badly poisoned. Said that a Seviper attacked him… Maybe on the edge of town. It might just be a crazy accident. I told his mom to send him back up here to give me more details, so expect that sometime today, hopefully. Other than that, it was a pretty normal day. A bit sl..." The old lady eyed her hard, "A bit not as bad as normal." 

Ethel nodded, approving, "You know better than to say that S word. You learned not to make that mistake in the year you Shadowed me. Now, if things get too busy because of that…" She pressed her hands to her back and straightened with a few pops. "Don't know if I can keep up as much as I used to." She grinned. They both knew full well she could keep up with sprinting Blitzle when it came to medical work. "Got any plans? Gonna go flash those baby blues around a pub or two?" Ethel's eyebrows wagged.

Liv ignored it, like always. "As of right now, I’m just going to meet up with a friend." 

"The one with the adorable loops in her hair, from Undella?" 

"Yeah! Normally, we'd just meet up in Lacunosa. But since you're giving me a few extra days off, I'm actually going all the way there to see her." 

“Now, did you graduate with her, or was she from the first class?” She asked, stretching her back out again with a groan.

“No. Joyce was from my original class, before the accident. She is the only one I really still talk to.” Allie did something that she caught out of the corner of her eye. But she didn’t turn. She didn’t need to see him silently scolding her.

"Well, at least you still talk to her. I’m sure the class you graduated with are just as good company." Ethel heaved the large bag off the counter and headed to the back room. There was another tightening in Liv’s chest. She took a deep breath and nodded to Ethel, who just smiled at her. "Let me get comfortable and you can be on your way. Okay?" 

*****

After a nap and triple-checking their bags, Liv and Allie departed from their small studio apartment. The midsummer day was humid and sticky, but it was still a pleasant stroll. Around eight hours later, as the crisp smell of sea salt permeated the air, she shot Joyce a message with the Poke-pad. Letting her know how close they were.

Another hour later, Liv and Allie were in the fresh cooling air of an apartment double the size of their own. Elated screams filling the air. However, hugs were put on hold till, at least, a change of clothes could happen. "We would have been here sooner if someone hadn't stopped to smell, every, single, flower." She smirked at Allie, who chimed and shrugged. Seemingly at the thought of flowers, Heerra, Joyce’s Blissey, let out two high-pitched sneezes.

"Man," Joyce said, collapsing on her tattered couch, "This week has been rough! I'm exhausted! It's summer break, and everyone is coming to challenge the gym leader at the beach.’" 

"How is the new leader doing?" Liv said, hesitant to take a seat. The old couch had definitely seen worse than one humid-soaked girl – being that it used to have to put up with all Joyce’s younger brothers. But between the walk here and how comfy she remembered it being… She’d sit just on the edge. Just till they were done talking.

"Good, I guess. We get people in and out of the Center all the time. In the year since he took over, he has only given out one badge. I also heard he only uses a Scrafty. Weird for just a water centric gym, hu?" Heerra walked over to Allie, carrying the travel packs into the guest bedroom. "Hey?" Joyce sat up to look at Liv, who had melted into the soft couch. "Have you gotten anything..." She put a finger to her chin, her wide hazel eyes cast to the ceiling. "Weird? Lately?" 

"Weird how?" 

"Again, my center mostly sees injuries from the gym. Being surrounded by the ocean and a mountain, we don’t normally see a lot of… Trauma, from the neighboring routes. But here lately, I mean it could just because of the increase of tourism. I was just wondering if you noticed anything… out of the normal?” She brushed her fine brown loop of hair over her shoulder.

"Well to be honest it’s been pretty slow lately." Liv felt a twinge of Ethel’s ingrained paranoia that a single word could change the entire workflow of the day. "That could be mostly because almost no one is challenging our gym. But..." Images of her surgery on Patrick flashed in her mind. "I did have a bad poison case yesterday. Where the Trainer was supposedly attacked in town."

"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about." Joyce rolled her loop into a small bun, released it, and the hair flared back into the pristine loop. "We've had a big increase in badly wounded patients from the routes. Most of the Trainers say they were blind sighted, even ambushed." She stopped playing with her hair and leaned forward. "Like the Trainer was being attacked by Pokemon. Their poor Pokemon are getting wounded trying to defend them." Joyce shook her head. "Heerra and I are scared to walk around after the sun sets. Reminds me of…"

Tension filled the air for a moment. Liv just smiled through the fuzzy memories. Then decided now was a good time to bring up the bigger problem at hand. "Dinner? I'm buying. Anywhere you want!" 

"Oh man! I'd love to go to Ben-Nel's! They have the best wraps in Unova!" 

"That would be great! You girls get ready!" she pointed between Heerra and Joyce. "Me and Allie need to freshen up.” She eyed her two friends again. “I meant it. You to better be ready. We’ll only be, at max, an hour.” They nodded. Liv rolled her eyes with a smile.

Exactly an hour later, the two came out of the bathroom refreshed and clean. "Are you serious? " Liv chuckled. There was a pile of clothes Joyce had loaded up her bed with. “Every time.” She sighed through a smile.

"What? You never know who you're going to meet when you're out and about. What if I see Mr. Right? I don't want to be in my sweat pants and baggy shirt."

Liv shook her head, "He's not Mr. Right if he can't like you at your comfiest." They both giggled, "I get it.” She said, looking down at her long, flowy summertime dress, then back up to Joyce’s mountain of clothes. “Hmm... The Blue top, those pants. No. Yeah, those ones and these shoes. Light makeup; eyeliner, no shadow." Joyce hugged her with a trusting sigh of relief. After an hour and a half of stomachs rumbling, Joyce emerged from the bathroom. "Oh yeah! Every guy will want to be Mr. Right tonight." They laughed through the halls as they left the apartment complex.  

Joyce checked her phone for the hundredth time while they waited for their table. "Is everything okay? Are you on call or something? Should we get it to go?"

"No! No..." Joyce stopped herself from checking it again, "I... Umm. I just."

"Am waiting for a surprise guest star," a deep voice with a familiar smoothness said from behind Liv.

She spun, "Tyrese?" She wanted to hug him, but her heart clenched at the thought. So she smiled and took a small step back. He held out an unsure hand. Heerra came over and wrapped them both in a hug, with her tiny arms squeezing them close. Once free, Liv said. "It’s been... what? Since your graduation?” She knew it had been exactly that long but couldn’t think of anything else to say. He had grown even more handsome in the passing years. His strong jaw was now covered in a trimmed beard.

"Yeah." He nodded, "Over five years now. How are you?" He switched his balance between his legs and kept glancing behind her. "How do you like your post?"

"Closer to eight, since…” She caught herself just barely too late but pushed through anyway. “And I love it in Opelucid.” Liv followed Tyrese’s green eyes to find Joyce fiddling with her loop. "But I think I understand. I’ll let you two talk.” A young hostess came out of the restaurant and waved to them. “In fact, we’ll go get our table and some drinks.” She nudged Allie, who was smelling lilies in the nearby flower bed. They followed the hostess to a table out on the patio around back, Heerra not far behind.

The crisp smell of bread came through on the steady breeze of the coming summer night. Heerra stood waiting for the hostess to return with a wider chair. "Hey, at least this place is nice enough to supply bigger chairs. Remember when the café in Lacunosa tried saying you had to stand the whole time." Heerra chimed and nodded. "Never going back there. Alright! So spill it, how long have they been together?" Heerra chimed again, still smiling, swayed her body back and forth, then tapped on the table twice. "About two years? Why didn’t she tell me?”

"We hadn’t told anyone till a few weeks ago. And I wanted to tell you in person.” Joyce's small voice came from around the corner. "We were worried about what everyone would think. Plus, with Phenn…" Joyce took her seat across from Liv. 

"You really think he would’ve held it against you?”

“Well, he hasn’t talked to either of us much since. Has he mentioned anything to you?” Tyrese asked, pulling both Joyce’s and Heerra’s chairs out for them.

“I… Um.” Liv’s throat closed, and her thoughts scrambled. “Well, you see…”

“She has been busy and often forgets to… reach out to the others.” Joyce interrupted with only a hint of frustration.

Tyrese chuckled, finally taking his own seat. “Oh, I’m glad. I was worried it was just me. I was worried that you thought I had abandoned you guy since I dropped out of the nursing program.”

Liv took a long drink of water, pushing her thoughts away. Allie’s feeler gently rubbed her arm. She smiled at him. “So, you've been researching types as part of your professor’s thesis, right?" Liv asked, changing the subject before her connection with the nurses from her second round in the program could be brought up. "You've wrote a theory on other ‘hidden’ types that we don't know about yet?"

Tyrese coughed, choking on his water but managed to not spill any. And adjusted his tight rectangular glasses, "Wow, glad to know someone is interested in my research. I can't seem to find anyone to fund, much less back, my theories." He stared hard at her, and for the first time tonight, she saw the heavy bags under his eyes. "But, yes. I believe and will prove that there are at least two if not more types we don't currently know. There's scattered writings of a man, pre-league, that actually might have typed them. His research was since lost, or destroyed, but he definitely was on to something from what I have gathered on him. His name was Hawthorn, ever heard of him?" Liv shook her head, "Dang. I know how much reading and research you do, did... In school. I was just hoping maybe you came across something I hadn’t yet." 

“No. Sorry.” She chuckled softly, “I have remembered a lot, but somethings are still a little blurry. That night, especially, I can’t remember. And the weeks and months before and after can be… difficult, as well.” The table fell into a deep silence.

“I didn’t mean to…” Tyrese said after the waiter dropped off their drinks. “It’s just we learned so much from you back in school. And you did pass the program, after... Everything. I just thought…” He cleared his throat. “Never mind, I’m sorry to bring all that up.”

A few more moments passed. Liv wanted to say how sorry she was for letting the class graduate without her, for not staying in touch like she promised, and for lying to them. For still lying to them. Instead, she smiled, “Well, maybe I’ll come across something. I’m still studying all the time. I mean, I did get bored enough to read your papers.” The air around them lightened with their laughter as the waiter returned with their orders.

*****

After the delicious meal, Tyrese walked them back to Joyce's home. On the way, a police officer approached them. "Excuse me!" She was thin with short teal hair, which Liv found respectable and intriguing for an officer. It also stirred up a foggy memory. Broken images came to the surface of her mind, yet still, with some of her memories, she couldn’t put them together. "Can you please state your business?" 

"We are just headed home from dinner. Is there a problem?" Joyce said with no waver in her voice. Liv smiled; the fog and irretrievable memory were replaced by the image of a shy, little mouse Joyce used to be, from not even being able to ask her own questions in their Saturday study group to be the first to respond to an officer of the law without a second thought.

The cop eyed three of them, then relaxed a little. "No. No problem, ma'am. Just a routine sweep." Now that she wasn’t holding such an intimidating look, Liv saw her face was young and smooth. “Just with these attacks and everything… We’ve increased patrols, for your safety. Don't be surprised if you run into my partner. For your safety, be sure to head straight home.” With that, she tipped her hat and turned to leave.

But she didn’t get far. With two curious nurses and an inquisitive professor, they bombarded the new recruit with questions. Hoping to gather any information on what exactly was going on. But, much like the nursing field, the police force trained the few recruits they got hard. So, with that ease of a seasoned officer, she dodged most of their questions, only giving them the most general answers.

Still curious but very tired from all the day’s events, they left the officer and finished their walk to Joyce’s. "’ Potential problems with local ruffians.’ That’s all she could give us?" Joyce said, unlocking the front door. 

"Look!” Tyrese said, “I'm sure they'll tell us when they can. They just don’t want to cause a panic. I mean, they barely have twice as much staffing as your field. Can you imagine three to four officers trying to take on a city in panic over just a few attacks?”

“Just a few attacks?” Joyce repeated, flopping onto the plaid couch. “You remember the condition of that Emolga I told you about a few days ago? That poor guy is probably never going to glide again. These aren’t ‘local ruffians’ if you ask me. And people need to know that.”

He took a deep breath. He knew she was right, but what could they do? Hunt down the culprits? The three of them go to war with what could be a potential gang? Or activist group. Or worse. He shook his head. “For now, just keep Heerra with you. Stay out of dark alleys.” He stopped himself, glancing at Liv. “And if you're scared, have someone walk home with you. You know I’m just a phone call away." Joyce blushed. They hugged, and the tension between them eased. "Well, I don't want to ruin ladies’ night more than I have. So, I'll be on my way." They hugged again. And with a nod to Liv and Allie, he returned to the dark, solemn streets. 

While they waited for him to message that he had got home safely, the girl sat on Joyce’s dilapidated yet amazingly comfortable couch. Liv talked about the new books she had been studying and how things at work were going. "So, you really don't have anyone that you hang out with there? You just go to work then home? That’s it?" Joyce asked, checking her phone for the hundredth time, fidgeting with her hair, even while Heerra was brushing it. 

"Of course, I talk to the people in the town when our paths cross, I'm not a prude. I just… like having my me time. Well, with Allie there, of course." She rubbed his fuzzy head, and they both smiled. "And I'm not a shut-in either. We spend our days off going out gathering herbs and berries for the Center. We help around the town when needed. Just last week, we helped the Wenzers move into their new house." Joyce smiled and shook her head. "Oh, you quit it. Don't judge me! Our line of work makes it hard to have a social life. The only two people you’ve dated were only because we knew them from school. And look how one of those worked out…" 

Joyce blanched and curled her nose. But before she said anything, her pad buzzed. With eyes that lit up, she let out a deep breath, "He got home safely! Oh, thank goodness." She wrote a quick reply, then shot her eyes back to Liv. "Yes, Phenn and I had differences, but at least I tried. What happened to you? You used to be the one who kept us all together. Now… I mean, when was the last time you talked to Tyrese before today? Are you at least in contact with anyone from your second class?” Joyce watched Liv sink back into the chair. "I'm just saying reach out to the people you already know, at least. It’s making us feel… You know. Responsible. Especially Dayna. You know the person whose life you were saving when you were given amnesia.” Joyce smiled, pained. “Even just a ‘hey, you guys aren’t the reason I failed at the nursing program.’ would go a long way.” Liv laid her head back, her chest tight and a lump in her throat.

Still, she couldn’t bring herself to talk to the group after everything they did for her and what she did to them. They had put so much effort into trying to regain her memories, tried to reteach her three years of knowledge in less than a month. And it all made Liv feel guilty, not because they tried and failed, but because they succeeded. She couldn’t tell them that she chose to fail the program. That she stayed behind to help the next round of students pass. That she wanted them to move on without her so they wouldn’t be reliant on her. A decision that only ended up putting her in a class with people she felt more like a teacher to rather than a peer. All while the friends she betrayed flourished in the field, growing a divide between them.

She let out a sigh, sunken farther into the couch, facing the ceiling, and curled her nose. “I just… I have my work, you, and Allie. I’m happy with that.” She shrugged. “I’ll try, though, for you.”

Joyce patted her leg and gave her the so-you-say look that she was so familiar with due to Allie. “Thank you. Now! I’m wiped. Sleep now. Shopping and movie night tomorrow.”

*****

Before they both knew it, their weekend together came to an exhaustingly happy end. On their way home, Liv and Allie came across two police officers. One at the entrance to Route Thirteen, who offered to escort her if she needed. They declined the female officer, who did not seem to recognize her despite being the same teal-haired officer from the other night. The other office simply watched them and everyone passing through Lacunosa’s main road. They didn’t bother approaching the hardened, older man.

The hot summer day was made bearable by the lack of humidity and the large clouds that rolled under the sun from time to time. Along with the many breaks due to Allie still stopping to smell almost every flower they saw. His long tan feelers gently dabbed at each one. His happy chiming was literally and figuratively music to Liv's ears. Even though Route Twelve was the shortest on their journey home, because of Allie, it was taking them just longer than Route Thirteen to get through it.

They stood at the base of the large hill on Route Twelve, a cloud lingering under the sun as Allie took his time with a massive bed of flowers. Liv smiled at him; a sudden shiver tightened her back. At the same time, Allie's feelers stiffened. They exchanged no words, nor did they even look at each other; each took a deep breath and began walking again. Rustling sounded behind them, but they continued—fist and attention tight and ready. 

"Hey there, lady!" A voice said, much closer than she expected. "I can't help but notice that you don't have any balls on your belt. Does your little friend here always wonder free?" They continued on, doing their best to ignore him. "I'm talking lady. And it's rude to..."  

At the sound of the man moving to catch up to her, they spun around, muscles tensed and ready. "What is it you want, hu?" 

The thick-faced man stood there, bald head gleaming in the sunlight. He wore a leather jacket that, even though it was sleeveless, still seemed impractical for the heat. "Oh!" He grinned, "Sorry to bother you. I just wanted to know if you believed in freedom for Pokemon?" Allie's feelers flicked, causing Liv's ears to perk up, managing to just barely hear a rustle from behind them. "Because I work with some people who have ideals about Pokemon freedom." Another cloud passed under the sun, covering only the three of them. With a quick glance behind them, she was struck with fear for a long moment. A Scolipede towered over them, its maroon, segmented body stretched across the entire width of the path. Allie tugged at Liv's sleeve and gave the wordless pep talk that was always enough to get her through anything – tiny clinched fist and a furrowed brow.

The bald man laughed, "Got a little fighter there, hu? I like that. But we're not looking to fight. However, that doesn’t mean we are afraid of one." The Scolipede rutted its back two legs and lowered its head, showing off its long, thick horns. 

"So, you don't want to fight?" Liv straightened her back and looked at the bald man, "What did you have in mind then?" Allie's focus stayed on the muscular insect. "Let me guess, recruitment? To join whatever gang, cause, or ideals as you put it? Am I close?" 

The man laughed, "Pretty, feisty, and smart. Ghytis would love to meet you." The man lowered himself, "But for some reason, I'm thinking that he won’t get a chance. Will he?" Allie’s feelers twitched once again. His eyes widened, and he was on the move before Liv had even thought of a command. 

++++

It was a beautiful day, made even more perfect by the fact that finally, after years and years of preparing himself to ask, Nancy said yes to Kneal’s date request—just by simply asking! He chuckled to himself. She flashed her cloud-grey eyes at him—curious. He smiled and grabbed her petite hand; she squeezed it with a blush. Her dark hair flipped in the breeze as she twirled, trying to hide it from him.

He didn’t want it to, but the date was coming to an end. She needed to be home in an hour to babysit her little brother. Just an hour left of this perfect moment. Just long enough for a romantic, flowery stroll through Route Twelve. Kneal thought he heard something as they approached a curve in the trail but was distracted by Nancy’s heavenly laughter. He guessed she remembered the joke he had made to the waiter during lunch. Again. He smiled. Man… Today is so…

They rounded the corner. A burly, bald man barred the way of a lady, trapping her between him and a massive Scolipede. A determined-looking Audino was sprinting at Kneal and Nancy. Wait... Not just any Audino… That’s! With little thought, Kneal stepped in front of Nancy, grabbed one of the green balls at his hip, and… At speed that shouldn’t be possible for such a large creature, the Scolipede lowered its horns and was on them in a blink.

At least we got one date… Kneal thought, closing his eyes, hoping beyond hope that his body would be enough to stop the insect’s thick horns – hoping Nancy would make it unscathed. He never would have thought death was followed by just a soft chime. The ground vibrated, shocking Kneal’s eyes open. A pink, prismatic barrier shimmered just in front of him. Allie stood beside the glittering wall that perfectly encapsulated Kneal and Nancy. He nodded with a chime. Not taking the time to nod back, Kneal launched the ball in his hand to the sky.

Bursting open, it released a bird with a large white mane and massive talons. It let out a screech that would be heard for miles. With fire in its eyes, it immediately focused on the insect. And even though the bird was less than half the size of the massive bug, it and the bald man froze in fear. "Ruffle! Brave Bird, Now!" Kneal shouted. The Braviary dove, at incredible speed, straight at the startled bug. 

++++

In only a few seconds, Allie saved a couple’s life; a Braviary appeared and nosed bombed the Scolipede so hard it was launched into the trees. When Liv returned to herself, she whipped around to find that the bald man was running off into the woods. Her instinct took over. She sprinted to the red and blue bird perched on a rock near Kneal and Allie. It had a large gash between its eyes and possibly a sprained wing. Liv made some quick but effective stitches and put a small brace around its wing. If she hadn’t known Kneal, she would’ve made him swear to get Ruffle checked up as soon as he could. But he would be in the Center before the sun peaked out of the horizon even if Ruffle hadn’t even come out of his ball all day. So instead, she insisted they get home; she would make the report to the police. It had been a while since she had talked to Cyrra anyway.

"I'm proud of you," she said to Allie as they crossed Village Bridge. The sun was digging into the horizon, and the orange and reds of the sky reflected in the river. "Protecting them like that.” She smiled. “But!" She stopped, kneeling to his level. Allie's smile dropped, "If that Scolipede would have notice, it could have easily moved the few inches over to attack you instead. You who were outside of the protection bubble…" She rubbed his head, "Again, I'm happy you helped them – grandma would have been so proud. And I know you can only protect a small area. Just..." She gave him a boop on the nose, "Please try to be in that area when you're protecting it." Allie chimed softly. After a long hug in the multi-hued sunset, we finished their eventful walk home. Stopping to smell just a few more flowers.

*****

Since it was on the way, they stopped by the Center to see Ethel. They entered the Center to find it a complete mess; papers, gauze, feathers, and fur scattered all over. Allie placed a bundle of flowers on the window seal. Liv called out as they made their way to the counter. Just before they were about to enter the back room, Ethel staggered out, waving her hands and grimacing. Liv struggled to hold back a laugh seeing the old woman, always so keen on order, rules, and structure, to be in such disarray; hair disheveled, apron shifted to the side, sleep still heavily painted in her eyes. "Is it Tuesday?? Already?" She grumbled, "Oh, Thank goodness."

Liv smiled and placed her pack on the counter, "Why yes, it is. Why don't you tell me what's going on? Then you can finish your nap in the back?" A visible weight was lifted off of Ethel. She spilled out all the details of the last few nights. Pokemon came in with some of the worst injuries she'd seen in years, under conditions that were so bad she had to administer three or four doses, and one patient came in completely frozen. "To the core!" Ethel said, her eyes beginning to redden. Apparently, even a few Trainers came in, beat, bruised, and even burnt. Many with the pain of loss deep in their eyes. Liv took in all the horrors while she changed into her work clothes. As Ethel finished up her recounting, the front door bell rang. To no avail, she insisted that Ethel just stay a few hours before heading home. But couldn’t blame her that she wanted out of the Center after such a rough weekend. 

With a nod, Allie followed Ethel to the back to help her pack. Tightening her apron, Liv turned to the patient approaching the counter. “Hello! How may I… Oh, thank goodness it’s just you.” She let out a sigh and stepped out from behind the counter.

“What the hell happened here?” The caramel-eyed officer glanced around the wrecked lobby.

“One terrible Monday, from what I understand. Thank you for responding to my message so fast.”

“Of course! Is all this,” She gestured to the disorder around them. “Due to the other victims?”

“Oh, goodness no.” Liv shook her head. “No, I attended to them on the route where it happened. And to be honest, the attacker’s Scolipede is the one that was worse off, thanks to Kneal.”

The officer flipped out a notepad. “Mhm. Kneal Connal, the local bird catcher, who attacked, wounded, and scared off the assailant.” She nodded, “Whom you weren’t able to get any information from?”

“Not that I remember.”

“Mhm. And the other victim, Nancy Holland, she is unharmed as well.” Liv nodded once more. “Good. Good. One more question.” She flipped closed the notepad and locked eyes with Liv, “Are you willing to take me up on that dinner offer yet?”

Liv only took a moment to process the question, “Oh come on, Cyrra. Really?” She rolled her eyes with a smile.

“That’s not a no.” Cyrra’s smile widened.

“It is, and you know it.” Allie came out from the back room. With a loud chime, he ran over to Cyrra and hugged her hips. “You, of all people, should understand how much work I’ve had lately.”

“Mhm…” Cyrra patted Allie’s head, “Is that why, for the past three days, all police reports from this center have been posted by Ethel?” She eyed her for a long moment. When Liv’s mouth moved to protest again, Cyrra said, “So! I don’t want to hear you can’t get time off. Hell, if you don’t want to have dinner with me, at least come out with me. Flash those pearly blues around the bar.”

“That’s what I keep telling her.” Ethel said with a grunt, lifting her bag that was somehow just as full, if not more, as it was three days ago. “But instead, she insists on coming back to work a day early…” Liv just smiled. “Thank you, dear. Truly. I’m so sorry for the mess.” Liv waved off the comment. If she was being honest, she was looking forward to cleaning it. Especially if it got her out of this conversation.

Unfortunately, they both stayed on the subject for a few minutes longer. And Liv happily rejoined the conversation once it was finally changed. That was until Allie began straightening up the lobby; then, she couldn’t help herself anymore and joined in. Cyrra and Ethel said their goodbyes with wide smiles and shaking their heads. Cyrra made a friendly reminder her offer was still on the table, as always, before walking Ethel home.

*****

Months passed, and things grew worse; attacks worsened, causing Liv to lose more patients than she had her whole career. On top of that, despite what she had always said she wouldn’t, Ethel retired due to being unable to keep up with the work. At her retirement party involving the whole town, she begged Liv to take on a Shadow from the school or get more Pokemon to help around the center. Yet still, she continued to work by herself, even going as far as having an apartment building connected to the Center for her and Allie. Which the town did happily, even if many worried for her.

Even worse, a group called themselves Team Cruor sent a public message to all of Unova. They spoke of the cruelty of people who ‘enslaved’ Pokemon. They spoke of how they didn’t wish to hurt so many, but it was deserved by those who wouldn’t see their way. They demanded the end of using Apricorn balls, to disband the League, and most importantly, to stop everyone from being Trainers. Ending their message with the tag “Release your Slaves. Release your Resistance.”

This strained nursing and policing, two fields already stretched to breaking, even shorter. Allie did his best to patch up those he could. But many of the injuries coming in needed her skilled and precise hands. Cyrra, or whichever office could be spared at the time, would make at least two walk-throughs of the Center just to check on her and to get all her reports. Though Liv suspected that most officers only came to get some time away from their office. Which was almost constantly full of angry and concerned civilians. She didn’t mind the extra feeling of safety it provided to her and the patients.

*****

"So, how are things going?" Liv asks Joyce over the phone. Summer had returned and had graced her and Allie with an oddly slow day. This meant she finally had time to fold laundry and straighten up the center after almost a year of nonstop surgeries. Allie was in the kitchen cooking something that smelled like Grandma’s cooking. "Hello? I asked, how are things?" 

"Sorry," Joyce responded, her voice a little distant. "I saw someone running... I was expecting the worst...” There was some shuffling and her voice was clear on the phone call once again. "Honestly, it’s been pretty..." She paused, trying to think of a 'safe' word to use. It was odd how a superstition you didn't believe in still held control over your daily work life. "Alright. Our gym leader left a few days ago. To talk to your gym leader actually. And attacks have seemed to have lessened. I guess it’s just the calm before the storm, right?" They both forced out nervous chuckles. 

"Let's hope not." The doorbell to the center door rang. Before Liv could react, Allie came out from the kitchen and held up a furry hand, shaking his head. And made his way to the lobby. She placed the half-folded sheet down, waiting – trusting him but still nervous. "What’d he come all the way up here for?"

“He said it was something about leadership stuff. Almost like… He wanted them to join forces or something. I can’t imagine… If he is basically undefeated with just a Scrafty… Can you imagine what he’d be like with a dragon?” 

Allie came back into the room with a small box. He gave her a warm smile, winked, and did a little show to let her know it was something he had ordered for their dinner. After a deep breath, she returned to folding the now pristine white blanket. Images of it covered in red the day before flashed in her mind. “Would be quite a sight, in like ten to twenty years – after he finds, trains, and fully grows one.” She let out a huff and shook her head.  “Now, stop deflecting. I meant, how are you, and you know it." 

They both chuckled, this time with an air of relief. "Well Tyrese is; wanting? needing? needed? I'm not sure. To go work in Driftveil City. Something about there being more Mineral egg groups down there to study." There was tension in her voice.

"Quit playing with your loop." Joyce gasped, then let out a huff. "So what does that mean? For the two of you." 

Joyce shifted, most likely trying to find something for her hands to play with. "I... Well, I haven't given him the answer yet. But I think… I am going with him. The one student that has been Shadowing us here just graduated. And a nurse in Driftveil is going to be retiring soon…. So, I'm sure I could slip in over there, no problem. It’s just..." The pause hung heavy over the line. 

"We will still see each other." Liv said with an audible smile. “Just think, even with all this craziness, we’ve still been able to see each other. Yes. It will be harder being that much farther away.” She almost felt the weight being lifted off of Joyce. "But I promise we will." 

"But how? They still haven't even sent you a Shadow from the school yet?" It came out as a hopeful question. "I mean, I know only one or two are graduating every four years, but for you to not have back-up out there for as long as you have…” 

"I told you, I’ve chosen to do these next few years by myself. And no. It’s not because I don't want anyone up here with me." She took a deep breath. "I just feel I have a handle up here. Let them divert the Shadows to other Centers, the ones that need them. I'm fine up here. But trust me, they'd send me someone completely untrained if I asked. Shale has said so himself." Joyce snorted.

"You must have really impressed him that second time through.” There was a long pause. Liv pushed past the lump in her chest, and with a few more words, she finally broke Joyce. “Alright! I’m going with Tyrese! I'll tell him the next time I see him." The Center’s bell rang out again. Allie poked his head out from the kitchen – feelers twitching. 

Not thinking, she dropped the sheet in her hands. "Call him and tell him. Got to go." She hung up, placed the phone on its base, and opened the door to the lobby room – all in one fluid motion. "Hello, how might I help you?" She said, with an honest smile on her face. A Trainer, bleeding from their shoulder, held up an Apricorn ball matted in coagulated blue blood. “Allie! Code Red!”

++++

Unfortunately, it had been the calm before the storm. Team Cruor had moved their attention away from Trainers for the time being. Instead, they began attacking what they found to be the ‘source of the enslavement’ of Pokemon. They began chopping down and burning groves of Apricorn trees all over Unova. There were even reports of them doing the same in all the regions.

Once the trees became too hard to find, they moved to attacking the artisans and crafters of the balls. Destroying their workshops – centuries-old buildings and their priceless antique tools- burned away night after night. Finally, they moved to attacking Trainers again, but now they targeted their Apricorn balls. Uncaring if a Pokemon was inside or not, they would steal the balls from the Trainers and smash them – releasing Pokemon housed in them. This might not have been a problem without Team Cruor’s remorseless way of fighting. Without Apricorn balls, this often left sick and injured Pokemon laid out on routes with no easy way to get them the help they needed.

With the creators and the users of Apricorn balls being thinned out. There was one last target in Team Cruor’s sights. They saw them as the Keepers, the Traders, the Suppliers – a place perpetuating the injustice of keeping Pokemon enslaved.

++++

Liv woke to the sound of glass shattering. Allie was already at her side, a tiny handheld as a strong fist. She popped out of bed and ran to the door, cracking it open and peering out. Two lights swung around the lobby in the midnight darkness. A loud crashing sound shook her to the core, dull thumps, then more glass shattering – precious tools and machinery being broken. Each followed by the sound of laughter. She and Allie locked eyes and steeled themselves, like so many times in their life.

Screaming, she whipped open the door, and Allie burst into the lobby. When both flashlights trained on him, she ducked back into the room. Allie's eyes began to glow. "One... Two... Thr..." The light of day flashed into the room for just a moment, and even though Liv held them tight, it still hurt her eyes.

The yells of pain and frustration were as good as a queue as any. She bolted out her room, around the corner, and into one of their patient's rooms. She saw two thin, limbed, big, eared silhouettes with different tails as she passed through the main room. If they have those two… There must be a third member somewhere. She shook the thought from her mind as she scrambled to get the supplies she needed. The shimmering clang of Allie's protective shield-taking attacks sounded out. She mixed faster, uncaring of the right ratios. Another clang and pink light flashed from the lobby again. "Just one more...” She pleaded as she began sucking the mixture into a syringe. Gracefully, the clang sounded out a third time as she equipped herself with a hand full of packaged needles.

She cried out Allie's name and shielded her eyes again, "One... Two.. Three..." The blinding light illuminated the whole center again. Liv dashed into the lobby. A loud but gentle bell sounded from the direction of Allie and a wave of ease and concentration washed over her. 

The closest intruder was halfway across the room. She got there just as he was removing his hand from his eyes. She jabbed the needle into his shoulder while he was still trying to blink away the afterimages of Allie’s Flash. The man howled in surprise more than pain as she dispensed almost a fourth of the hastily made concoction. However, Liv was already sprinting toward the next man. Removing and re-equipping a fresh needle on her syringe of, hopefully, instant anesthesia.

The second man had either covered his eyes completely or recovered much quicker than the other because he was alert and focused on her. And as she got closer to him, he took a swing. But it went wide. Even though she didn’t need to, she dodged – dropping to the ground. The man stumbled, then screamed as she jabbed the needle into his leg. He swung again, this time aiming slightly better. He knocked the back of Liv's hand as she stood – sending the needles flying into the darkness.

"Allie! Do It!" Liv shouted as she saw an enraged, simian Pokemon beginning to ready themselves for another attack. She again dodged away from the man, making her way to Allie. In an instant, his fist began to glow in the faint shape of a star. The man behind her yelled a command, and the Simisear veered away – turning, heading straight at her instead. Allie made contact with the Simisage as it leaped for his face. With a star-shaped explosion, Allie sent his assailant flying through the air. Its body burst through one of the large windows near the entrance.

As the Simisear leaped for her, Liv dropped backward to the ground. In her own last resort, she pushed the plunger on the syringe, spraying the furiously flailing flame ape with the remainder of its contents. The concoction sprayed right into the beast's face – splashing into its wide, crazed eyes. It squalled in pain, landing on Liv, knocking the wind out of her but thankfully forgetting its ordered attack. She pushed it off and ran to the entrance where Allie stood.

Two silhouettes lit by the town’s light ran over the hill, a man and a Simipour. She let them go. She had people’s lives to worry about now. She wiped away flacks of her mixture off her rapidly numbing skin. "Allie! Go check that man, please.” She pointed to the one she had first injected. He lay unconscious, drooling, in the middle of the lobby. Allie nodded, confirming the man was still breathing. “Now, the others, please.” She searched outside for a moment but could not find the Simisage Allie had knocked out the window. “I guess it’s not our problem then...” She said, feeling bad for the injured thing despite what it had done. She shook her arm, trying to regain feeling. “Now… We need to call the police.”

By the time the sun was peaking over the hill, the center window was boarded up, the men and the Simisear were stabilized and apprehended, and Liv had been questioned. Too many times. “Man, you just can’t stay away from trouble, can you?” Cyrra said, her small, caramel eyes peeking out behind sunglasses.

"So, are they members of Team C?" Liv asked, watching Cyrra’s golden hair reflect her car's red and blue lights. Foggy, broken memories flashed in her already exhausted mind.

"Yes, from what we could make out from the one you got conscious,” Cyrra said, sitting beside her. “Now these bastards are attacking Centers... Places where even wild Pokemon are brought to be healed.” She took her sunglasses off. “Did you hear about the raid on Nimbasa's Center last week?” All Liv could do was shake her head in response. “Five of the Team C members, two of which had Golems, attacked in the middle of the day. Which, in a weird way, was lucky. First responders were there instantly. However, they still caused six casualties; two were Trainers.” Cyrra wrapped her in a light hug. “I’m just glad you two are unharmed. If you guys would’ve went down…” She rubbed Allie’s head, “Let’s just say, I’d be mourning more than just because I never got that dinner. And I definitely wouldn’t be mourning alone.” She glanced over to the town members who had boarded up her window and three of the four officers who worked that night. Even though the adrenaline still coursed through her, she relaxed. Cyrra smiled back at her, “We’re all glad you’re safe.”     

She sat in silence for a long moment. Even after Cyrra had left with the other cops, she sat thinking about all that could have gone wrong tonight, what that would have meant. If she hadn’t woken up if Allie’s Protection hadn’t worked three times in a row. If… The touch of Allie's soft feelers snapped her mind back. The sun blazed over the tree line, and the day began warming. "This is... It’s just crazy. Who attacks Centers?" Allie wrapped her in a hug, and they made their way to the back of their apartment.

By the time Allie had brought out some warm tea, Liv had mapped out a whole security system for the Center. "These two areas will set off the door’s bell, giving us a total of three rings before someone is actually to the building." She bounced ideas off Allie for a few more minutes when she was interrupted by the Center's phone ringing. After only three hours of sleep, she jumped up and snatched the phone off its base with more vigor than she thought she had. "Hello Opelucid’s Center. How might I help?" 

"Hey... Liv." The deep voice was shaky but familiar, "I couldn't find your personal number, so I figured this was the next best thing." 

"Oh! Hey Tyrese, thanks for the call. When I messaged Joyce, I didn't expect a call from you. But thank you. I’m fine." There was a long pause, and she could feel his confusion. "I texted her about the attack that happened last night. My center is pretty banged up. We're okay, but... She didn't mention this?" She did some mental math, "Oh! She must be asleep. She worked last night, right?" A single unmistakable noise sounded from the earpiece, and something snapped together for Liv. "Tyrese. What happened? Is she okay?" Tyrese sobbed again – hard. Her throat tightened, and her eyes began to swell, “What… Happen?”

++++

In Joyce’s apartment, everyone moved around Liv in a blur. Her mind was flooded with memories, making her miss the days when she couldn’t remember anything. She is gone. My best friend is gone... Joyce Young, age 28, sister, daughter, friend, is d... gone. Allie squeezed her waist in a hug. The love and warmth from his touch pulled her back down to the present. Tyrese blinked, eyes full of pain staring through her. "I said, I think we got most of it." His deep voice was weak, shaking. "Did you get everything you wanted?" 

She grabbed his arm softly and pulled his eyes into focus, just as Allie had done for her. They both sobbed a few times before she led him over to Joyce’s ragged, old couch. She thought of all the time they had spent on it together, all the time she and her brothers must have spent on it, all the time Joyce had spent on it... "So... I need to know what happened." He had given her a spill over the phone, and Cyrra had gotten her the police report. But she felt he needed this as much as she needed to know the details.

Tyrese's eyes glazed over once more, ready to recite the same report he had given her a few nights before, the one he had had to repeat a thousand times to everyone who asked. She grabbed his shoulder again, waited for his eyes to focus once more, then firmly held his hand. "Tell me. Tyrese. Just like when we were in school – I’m here for you." She flashed a weak smile that wasn't returned. He simply nodded and took a deep breath. 

"She and I had a great day, Liv. The weather was perfect, the food was exquisite, and our... love was strong." He took a moment to gather himself. She handed him a tissue. "Believe it or not, I woke up early that evening… with this hollow pit in my stomach." He chuckled, shaking his head. "I just thought I was hungry." 

"Feelings, and especially following your instincts, is something that takes time and practice. It helps to have a partner who does it out of nature." She rubbed Allie's head. "You can't blame yourself for the; 'I should have known's or 'I could've done something.' We both know that even if you knew exactly what was going to happen..." Now Liv wiped her face, powering through the lump in her throat. "She would've gone anyway."  She bowed slightly and waved him on. 

Tyrese squeezed her hand, and to her surprise, he continued without pause. "So… I made breakfast! First time in years. But again, it turned out wonderfully. The smell of the bacon woke her up. We sat, ate, and stared into each other for a whole hour, just talking. Which made her a little late." Tyrese's face twisted, fighting himself. "I just wonder, if I hadn't had to change the batteries in the clock, maybe we would've stared longer. And she would've..." She eyed him. He nodded. "She called about two hours later, she thought Heerra was sick, said she was acting strange. Couldn't find anything wrong though." He shook his head. "I stayed on the phone with her... the whole time." Liv watched the couch soak in the tears. "They suspect Team C. Just like how they attacked your place.” He took another deep breath, closed his eyes, and began again. “They busted in, I told her to stay, hidden, and she was but.. In the end, it didn’t matter. I should've told her to get out of there... or.." She squeezed his hand again, and he cleared his throat. "They got frustrated because they couldn’t get to the supplies and storage since they’d been locking them up at night. Well... They decided that since they couldn't destroy things directly... They would just... they..." 

"That’s when they used the Voltorb?" Liv asked when she was able. "If they couldn't get the supplies, they'd just take the whole building out..." Tyrese nodded, sobbed, and wiped his face. They sat silently on their friend’s historic couch, feeling the emptiness around them and within. 

++++

Liv leaned over the desk of news articles and wildly scribbled notes. Cyrra sat across from her, eyes heavy, her body swayed, then jerked, swayed, then jerked, swayed... "Hey Cyrra," Liv said softly. The officer jumped out of her chair, wide-eyed, scanning the room. "You should go take a nap or, better yet, just go home and sleep." She shuffled some papers around. Allie grabbed their mostly full dishes from the dinner he served hours ago, and took them to the kitchen. 

Cyrra rubbed her baggy eyes. "My goodness, girl, how do you do it?" She said after a long yawn. "We put in long nights on cases all the time. But this..." Cyrra shook her head, "You've been working on, what two? Three? hours of sleep a night for months now." Cyrra looked at her Pokepad and yawned again. "Look, I'm not one to give up hope. But we've been working on this for three months now. The Force has been trying to take down Team C for over a year... I don't know what else there is to find." She stood, walked over to Liv, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You've done what you can. But I just don’t think we can find their leader." Cyrra hesitated, squeezed, and sighed. She knew they were the wrong words but felt she had to be honest. "But now it’s time to just mourn and move on."

Without looking up from the paper, Liv brushed Cyrra's hand off her, then stood and walked toward the kitchen. "Mourning is all I’ve done." she said at the kitchen's doorway, still not looking at Cyrra. "I want to do something now. I want to stop this vile team; I want to stop the pain I feel from spreading anymore.”

“I understand. But there’s a point where you’re bringing more pain on yourself. I mean you are already running yourself to the bone being one of the only six Centers still up and running. Not to mention, you’re still refusing to let them send you help.”

“That is why I do this. We can’t begin to rebuild if the problem is still out there.”

“I agree, but we have people working on it. You need to focus on your own problems. I understand you lost your friend, but I want to make sure you’ll be able to save someone that pain by being awake and alert when they come in.”

“She was my only friend! I have to try something.” She grabbed at the small loop in her hair, cherishing the memories that came through the fog. “As a nurse, we can’t stop until our patient is saved or until… there’s no hope left. I thought the same was true for the Force." The lump in her throat made her angry tone waver. “That dedication is a part of me… it’s all I have now.” She turned back and stepped toward the kitchen.

“Maybe if you let me, any of us, care for you, then you’d see how much that dedication is hurting you.” The door's bell rang moments later as Cyrra left the center. Liv collapsed at Allie’s feet in the kitchen, weeping just as she had for the past hundred and two nights.

A few hours later, they hid away all the papers about Team Cruor and cleaned themselves up to look presentable. Liv glanced at her Pokepad, its screen full of message notifications and missed calls, and once again, she just left it on the nightstand. She came up to the counter just as Kneal walked through the door. "Hey there. Just a check-up as normal?" She could hear her own tiredness but still forced a smile.

Without thinking, he handed her his belt of green balls. Two of the four were slightly cracked. “Well, actually. I came to check up on you. I’m worried…”

“It’ll just be one moment, " she said with a held smile and walked to the back.

++++

As the days passed, the threat of Team Cruor loomed over Unova. They focused on the large Centers in Castelia and Nimbasa and continued their patrols on the main routes. Liv found herself luckier than most nurses and Trainers. She still had to see the horrors the Team was inflicting, but her Center was often not in danger. And even at that Cyrra had banded a group of volunteers to help patrol the town. And still, between surgeries, check-ups, and check-ins with the police, she continued to study the case files. Trying to find any connections within her clouded memories.

The door rang as it opened; Liv hadn’t heard the first two warning bells. She slid the files into a cubby just below the counter. “Hello! How may I…” She looked up to see Cyrra walking through the lobby. “Oh. Hi.”

Cyrra flashed a half smile, “Hey, I’ve been trying to give you space, but there was no one to trade duties with today. Not with Ghytis in town. Plus, I wanted to say I’m sorry for what I said. I… I’m just…”

Something sparked in Liv’s mind, something deep in her fog. “What’d you say?”

“That you should just move on, that you’re hurting your…”

“No! Not that.” She twirled her hand in the air. “Who is in town?”

Cyrra’s eyes dropped to the floor and let out a sigh. “Ghytis.” She cleared her throat, regaining herself, and straightened her back. “Prick always asks for a personal escort. The new girl got assigned to him, thankfully. Have I told you about her, teal hair, looks crazy familiar.”

But Liv was no longer listening. A fire started deep in her mind, helping to clear some of the fog. But it was still too thick to see the memory. “Why does he need an escort?”

“Hell if I know. Honestly, it feels like he is just trying to waste our manpower sometimes. I think…” Cyrra took a few steps closer to the counter – hopeful.

“No.” Cyrra stopped, dropping her eyes to the ground. “I mean, who is he. How can he get away with asking for one?”

“Oh!” She moved forward once again. “He is Undella’s gym leader. Young guy with pale green hair, and only uses a Scrafty.”

Something else lit up in Liv’s mind, but she ignored it. I must have heard Joyce say his name before. No, that doesn’t feel right. I’ve heard it somewhere else… Allie walked over, brows scrunched in concern. One of his feelers reached out and touched her. The fire ignited, completely dissolving the fog. “Ghytis! That’s the name the thug used!”

“What?”

“The thug that attack us on Route Twelve. He must have slipped up, he said ‘Ghytis would love to meet you.’ I was too concerned with Allie, Kneal, and Ruffle, it slipped my mind.” She scrambled some of the papers out of the cubby and began rereading them.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you. But I’m going to need more than your memory of some thug saying a highly esteemed gym leader's name…” Cyrra placed a hand on the counter, bending her head down to try to look into Liv’s eyes. “Not really how I wanted my apology to go…” She glanced at Allie, “Could I bother you for a glass of water?” He chimed and slowly walked to the back, his eyes locked on Liv the whole way. “I’m thinking he knows something he’s not saying…”

“What?” Liv said, shaking her head but not looking up from the papers. “No. So, I know that Joyce was already dealing with attacks before we got our first one here… Off these notes, I can’t say for sure that they started in Undella, but there are a lot of reports that came out of there. And don’t you find it odd, none of the gyms or leaders were ever attacked? Wouldn’t you think as an organization that wants to end the League, they would attack the places that are the source? I mean their methods of ‘protecting and freeing’ Pokemon is quite ironic and seemingly counterintuitive. But, to them, they are making progress, right? So, why not burn down gyms like they did with Centers and Apricorn Workshops?”

A deep tone bell rang – the first warning bell. She glanced up and passed Cyrra out the window. Her brow furrowed, she looked to the clock – just past noon, he shouldn’t be back yet. A medium tone rang out, and Liv looked to the window again. Kneal was just at the base of the hill. Is that a wheelbarrow?... Oh, man. “Allie! Code-Red!” The sound of dishes clattered from the kitchen. She locked eyes with Cyrra. “After you get his statement. Please. Please, look into Ghytis. I know what I heard. That thug didn’t expect me to get away from that fight. Nor did he know who he was speaking to. And I guarantee he wasn’t smart enough to think of misleading us.” The front door burst open so fast the bell didn’t even ring. “Please...”

“LIV!! Help him!” Kneal dropped to the ground, out of breath and covered in blood. She couldn’t tell if it was his, Ruffles, or a mix. She and Cyrra went for him, but he slammed his hand on the wheelbarrow, “Him… First!”

With a nod, Liv grabbed the barrow and pushed it to the back. Where Allie stood ready. “We have multiple slash marks, an electrical burn, and possible paralysis.” They lifted the limp eighty-pound bird onto the table and got to work.

++++

Five and a half hours later, Ruffle was stable enough for Liv to check on Kneal – Cyrra had already taken his report back to the station. He sat on the ground, not far from where he had entered. He looked at her, one eye swollen shut. She nodded to him, no smile, but it was enough. He nodded back, satisfaction grew on his face. He fell unconscious to the floor. With a sigh, she called for Allie to get a gurney, carried him to the room beside Ruffle, and began patching him up. She hadn’t been trained to work on people but had had to learn over the last few months. His cuts and bruises weren’t nearly as bad as she had thought. Still, a fair amount of blood loss and pure exhaustion had been the cause of his fainting.

Once awake, he explained all about his run-ins with Team Cruor. Apparently, he had been going out searching for them every day for the last few months. “The volunteer group is too passive in my opinion. It’s not that I thought I could take the whole team down. I just thought… Well, maybe I could at least keep them from entering the town. I guess they had spread the word that I was causing problems. We were blind sighted, ambushed.”

After his confession, she allowed him to see Ruffle. The large bird was still sedated, so his movements wouldn’t hurt the healing process. He laid on his back, wings spread wide and bandages wrapped around most of his body. He would make it, but it would be a long process. The first warning bell made its deep ring, and Liv left the two wounded partners alone in the room.

A few moments later, Cyrra entered the Center and dropped more files on the counter. “Guess it’s time for another all-nighter.” She said with a wink. “The chief is keeping it hush, but he is interested. Said, we have twenty-four hours, or else he is going to forget I ever even suggested it.”

But they didn’t even need twelve; with Cyrra’s eye for detail, Liv’s determination, and now that they had the missing piece, the puzzle fit together perfectly. Ghytis was in town for most of the major attacks or at least had visited just before one. And not only that, but none of the Trainers that help protect his gym used Apricorn balls. It wasn’t incriminating but was something to point them to his ideals. He never used any transport that used Pokemon, no Lapras fairies, never used a bird for flight, and was even quoted that he hated restaurants or any company that used Pokemon for labor. Reports even stated that he ‘cheated’ for his almost undefeated record, claiming he would ‘get in the way of attacks’ or ‘join in with the Pokemon fighting.’

It might not have been enough to arrest him outright, but it was enough to please the chief. Better yet, it was enough to please the chiefs of Undella and Lacunosa, who all decided to pull their officers together to conduct a search of Ghytis’s gym and home. After a week of difficult scheduling coordination, they were ready to conduct the search.

*****

“I’m going.” Liv said. Cyrra stood in the lobby, dressed in her full Opelucid police uniform, the day before the raid on Ghytis’s gym. She gripped her hat in between her gloved hands. Allie waved his arms, along with some chimes. “The Center will be fine. They’ve issued a mandate forbidding all adventuring for the next few days. I have no reason not to go.” He wiggled and made softer tones, “What? Is there another reason I shouldn’t go?” His feelers drooped.

“I mean…” Cyrra spoke up after her hour of awkward silence. “I, from what I understand, agree. I just don’t think that you should be there. We have no idea what is going to go on.”

“Exactly.” She said, glaring at Cyrra. “As a nurse, I should be there for back-up. Undella has barely rebuilt their Center and is down two nurses. I have all the reasons to be there. I just don’t understand why you’re not on board.” Her eyes locked on Allie again, who was squeezing his fists together. “Just tell me why you don’t want me to go.”

He moved this way and that, binging and humming. His whole body was a story that Cyrra could barely read. Liv stared at him, eyes widening, hand on chest. “How long have you known?” Allie let out a few chimes. She gasped. “Did…” She cleared her throat. “Did Joyce know?” He dropped his head with a nod.

The Center was silent; Cyrra could hear her squad car rumbling outside. The minute hand switched the hour on the clock. Liv shook her head, “I can’t… Do you realize that that was the connection we needed?” Her voice was tight, strained. “If we had known that, it could have led us to his record… We could have…” She took a breath and closed her eyes. “This is even more of a reason for me to go.” Allie nodded slowly and moved toward Cyrra. “No.” Liv bit off. “No… You stay here. Watch the Center, just in case anyone shows up...” She brushed passed Cyrra, went outside, and entered the car.

++++

The windshield was showered in light rain as the girls drove through to Undella. The sun would be out soon; even now, Cyrra could see some light just past the orange and red tree line. Which meant the raid on Ghytis’s gym would begin in under an hour. They’d be making it there just in time for the briefing. “I...” Cyrra cleared her throat. It was the first word said since they left the Center. “Would you like me to drop you off at their Center?”

With a heavy sigh, Liv turned from the window, the first sign to Cyrra that she hadn’t been asleep this whole time. “I just don’t understand. Why wouldn’t they have told me?” She looked to Cyrra with puffy red eyes.

“I… um. Told you what?” She said, adjusting in her seat. Suddenly, the car felt very small, and the seat was terribly uncomfortable.

“How long had they known? How’d they find out?” Liv sighed again and shook herself. “Ghytis. He is the same person who attacked me back when I was in the nursing program. The one who killed my friend’s Pokemon. The one who gave me amnesia.” She took a deep breath and turned to stare out the window again. “It just doesn’t make sense. We could’ve arrested him. None of this had to happen. Joyce still could’ve...”

Moments later, Cyrra parked the car next to the other police cars, the large building looming in front of them. She looked to Liv, wordlessly asking her if she’d be okay. She nodded back. The briefing was just a few words. They had spent days planning this, and all the officers were well-trained.

With a word over his megaphone, the officers burst through the massive door and stormed the halls. They scattered through the halls. They kicked down doors, yelling their orders and the rights of the law as they swept the place. In a matter of moments, they finished the job. They raided the gym and Ghytis’s mansion. They found evidence that he was Cruor’s leader deep within the massive home. Unfortunately, he was not there. No one was.

His absence was short-lived. Moments after the evidence had been collected and the mansion confirmed clear, Liv’s Pokepad lit up. She grabbed it looking around as she saw many of the other officers grabbing theirs as well. A video displayed on her screen, the green C of Team Cruor spins into the frame. “My fellow people… I have some terrible news.” A voice said as the C spun away. Ghytis’s face appeared; his pale green hair hung just past his jawline, and his sharp grey eyes stared straight through the screen as the camera zoomed out slowly.

“It seems that you still haven’t accepted my proposal for a better, new way of life. In fact, you have gone as far as attacking my place of work – my home. I have asked, I have demanded, and I have tried to enforce. But still, you fight me.” The camera was zoomed out enough to see most of his body now. “But I’ve had enough! Now I conquer!” The screen displayed him standing on a balcony of an army of different Pokemon of all shapes and sizes. All are deadly in their own way. The video cut off. 

//

Beginning in the mountains near Mistralton City, groups of Team Cruor started attacking civilians, buildings, and Pokemon with no discrimination and, even worse, no remorse. There was no hope in helping their victims, not with how few Centers there were. Not that they could be easily transferred anyway, for they lay in the streets as infernos raged, thunder crashed, and the grounds quaked around them.

By the time they had devastated Mistralton, the Unova government was deploying its own forces. As Ghytis’s army split into two groups, one heading to Icirrus and the other to Driftveil, the Unova forces began setting up defenses. To keep Cruor out of the main city and the few they could spare, the strongest forces in Nimbasa were sent throughout the other cities for protection and, many, for evacuation.

Driftveil was lost in less than a day. Icirrus, with the help of the gym leader and the towns’ people, held out longer. Due to this and their quickly dwindling numbers, they resorted to recruiting volunteers to help with the fighting. Liv was one of the first on the phone.

++++

The front bell rang just as Liv clicked the phone off. Cyrra stepped up to the counter, golden hair disheveled. She wore street clothes, as most officers did when trying to get work around the city done. People ran passed the Center’s door in a frenzy, trying to get things together to flee. “Any news?” Liv asked, grabbing hold of the small commemorative loop in her hair.

Still out of breath from fighting through the streets, Cyrra said, “They’re held up at Tubeline Bridge. They could be here in a few hours, or wait out there a few days.” She smoothed her hair back and took a deep breath. “And what about you?”

“They’re still dodging my request. I can’t see why, in a time like this, with so little nurses as is, they won’t accept me as a volunteer.” She released the loop, understanding why Joyce had a habit of doing it now. She shrugged, “I mean, I will be joining once they reach the city, if they like it or not.”

“You’re not going to evacuate like the rest?” Cyrra chuckled, “Of course, never mind. I know better.” This brought a small smile to Liv’s face. Cyrra glanced around, “Are you still not talking to the little guy?” Liv rolled her eyes. “Come on, Liv, you have to see that yo…” She bit her tongue, “You two are partners; you can’t just block him out like this.”

“I’m sending him out of this city for his safety. It will just be easier to move through the destruction by myself, and this way I’ll know he is safe no matter what.”

Now, Cyrra rolled her eyes. “Even if I did believe that was the reason, what of your safety? Who will watch your back? Make sure you eat.” Cyrra placed a brown sack on the counter, and Liv’s stomach groaned as the smell of steamed berries filled her nose.

Liv cleared her throat. “I can take care of myself. Like I said, I’ll be able to move faster without having to worry about him.” She glanced between Cyrra and the bag.

“Hmm…” Cyrra handed the bag to Liv and said nothing else.

Halfway through her wrap, both Liv and Cyrra’s phones rang. Liv dropped everything and snatched up the receiver. “Opelucid Center, how many I…” The video screen flicked on, and she stood dumbfounded in front of a burly man with white bread and a cigar in his mouth. “Hello, General, thank you for finally getting back to me. I am Olivi…”

“I know who you are.” He barked. His voice was grizzled but not as deep as she would’ve thought.  “Have for a long time.” He puffed out a cloud of smoke that blocked the camera momentarily.

“Okay. How… No, never mind. Why is everyone avoiding my volunteer request?”

“Not avoiding. We just needed to weigh some options first.” He bit into his cigar once again.

“So you put it off till almost three cities have been wiped out by a radical group. Do you realize how many people could use my services?”

He cracked a smile. “More than even you realize. We accept your request under two conditions, " he said, leaning closer to the screen.

“Oh. I’m allowed to volunteer now that the enemy is on my doorstep.” Cyrra tapped on the counter. Liv waved her off.

“First. We can’t waste a woman of your talent. So, like all of the nurses you will be assigned a Sergeant for protection and over seeing your duties. However, you will also be assigned your own guard team for even more protection.”

“And what if…”

“Secondly.” Cyrra tapped even more forcefully on the counter. Liv swatted at her. “You will be called on for help by us again. And you will answer. No matter what.”

“LIV! They just got off the bridge, they’re on Route Nine now.” Cyrra’s words froze her.

“Olivia.” The General voice grabbed her. “Agree, and I will have a protective squad in your Center in five minutes.”

“I want...” An explosion sounded from the west, followed by screams. The crowds outside went from running in all directions to running in one. “Done.” She looked back to the screen, but it was black. She checked the power. Dead.

Another explosion sounded out, and the girls looked at each other. “You ready to be on the Force?” a completely uninformed Cyrra asked, tightening her gloves and placing her hat on. Liv wondered if she had been wearing the uniform under her street clothes or had changed while she was on the phone.

She smiled, “I just want to save lives.” Another explosion shook the Center. Liv could see fire now. She looked to the back room, Allie still hadn’t come out of his room. With a crinkle of her nose, she and Clare entered the chaos of the streets.

Two homes crumbled, half collapsed, near the edge of town. Another was up in flames. Their town's normal, quiet city street was a riot of screams and fleeing. A small force of men and women stood just on the other side of the destruction. Some were familiar faces dressed in the same uniforms as Cyrra; others wore military attire, but most were civilians. She spotted Kneal in the crowd. Opelucid City had not been lucky like Icirrus. Their professional, very skilled dragon gym leader had abandoned Opelucid in their time of need. So, Ghytis’s visits were for more than just inquiries. They were meetings... But she didn’t have time to worry about that.

These few were the only ones to stand as a wave of Pokemon came through their town. After having no luck looking around for the chief, Cyrra let out an ear-piercing whistle. Grabbing everyone’s attention. “Stand your ground the best you can!” She yelled to all, “Don’t worry about going after type advantage, just go after what you can. And try not to get hur…” A house right next to the road exploded. Debris flew through the ranks, and what remained turned into a raging inferno – giving more light to this late evening battle.

At least seven large, fully matured Pokemon rounded the street corner. Liv could make out an Emboar, whose three-clawed hands still smoked with the hint of flames, and a Beartic before locking her eyes on the part of the battle she could fight.

The oversized, white bear let out a blast of frosty air as Liv took off toward the burning house. Cyrra yelled something but was cut off – distracted by something Liv didn’t bother to turn and see. There were three patients lying on the ground. Three things she knew how to deal with. Three things she could be able to do. This was her part of the war.

Dropping to her knees as another blast rang out, she slid up next to an Escavalier. The heavily armored bug was smaller than it should’ve been most likely due to being given armor too young. She shook the thoughts away, placing her medical kit next to its head. Not the time. One of its lances where broken, and its armor was scuffed, but overall, it was fine. Just dazed from the blast.

Jumping up to move to the next patient, she noticed her empty hand and dropped back down to grab her medical bag. A rock the size of her head zipped right over her – the wind from it tossing her looped hair over her shoulder. It halted her for only a moment before moving to the next person. This time, much lower to the ground. A scream cried out from behind her, fist tightened; she continued on. She had to focus on who was in front of her. As much as she wanted, she couldn’t help them all at once.

The man lay groaning, but with a once-over, she declared him fine as well. With a few sprays of her new, rapidly numbing concoction, she got him to his knees and pointed him to his Escavalier. Looking toward the next patient – a Leavanny based on what she could see of it. She struggled. The cry of true pain sounded behind her again; she glanced back, a man lying in the middle of the street. His leg missing. She grabbed her pack and ran to him.

After a few comforting words, she began inspecting the man’s leg. She sprayed it, grabbed a few things out of her bag, and began working, tightening a tourniquet around his thigh, clamping off what veins and arteries she could. She reached her hand behind her, waiting. She waved it a few times, and with a huff, she turned to find no one there. She shook her head and reached back into the bag for more supplies. After twice as long as it should’ve taken and dirtying more tools than needed, the man was patched up enough for her to focus back on the destruction around her.

She looked around, seeing body after body lying on the ground, both person and Pokemon. There was no one to drag this man out of combat or help her properly clean herself off. Just blasts, flames, screams, and panic. Still low to the ground, she ran back over to the Leavanny she had left near the burning home.

Getting to its side, she figured the injury was on, and her heart dropped. A chuck of flaming debris laid over the top of the slender body. And had burnt through it. Liv kicked the debris away and patted out the burning leaves the Leavanny wore as clothes. If she hadn’t wasted her time with the first two if she hadn’t… She choked off her sobs. Got up, as another home was drenched in fire, and ran to the next body she could see. Not knowing if they were completely fine or already dead.

Finishing the stitch on a Heatmor’s abdomen, who, in the comfort of a Center, would recover in a day or two. But out here, as the enemy was closing in, the dust and smoke in the air, and no way to move her – there was no telling. Liv got up and moved down the street to a Zebstrika that continued to whinny in pain. There was no way for her to tell, but it couldn’t have been longer than an hour since the attack started, yet still, the city looked like it had been under attack for days. Buildings were destroyed, homes only stood as torches in the growing night, and bodies lay all about the street – human and Pokemon alike.

The Zebstrika let out a terrible cry as Liv approached. She held up her hands and said gentle words. But still, its head swung this way and that as it whinnied wildly. Suddenly, it grew calm. Liv only steps away, it locked eyes with her. Glowing eyes. Its body began to spark, arcs of electricity coursing up to its long mane.

Just as she hit the ground, a thick yellow streak of pure electricity stretched over Liv. A thunderous crack sounded, followed by an explosive growl. Flipping over onto her back, she found herself in the shadow of a massive white mound of fur. Stretching itself to its full terrifying height, it let out a bone-shaking roar. A batch of missing hair was on its shoulder, and the smell of burnt flesh crept through the smoky air.

The Zebstrika let out a weak neigh from behind her as the Beartic finished its growl. Grabbing her medical bag, she scrambled through it for something, anything! The numbing mist stared at her from the bottom of the bag; it was running low. But it was her only shot. The bag disappeared right out of her grasp in a blur of white. The frosty breath of the giant bear pushed her bangs out of her face. Its beady, cold eyes barely moved away from Liv’s face as it pulled back its huge paw for another slash.

As the blur of fur closed in on her, Liv squeezed her eyes shut. Wish Allie was here to protect her. A second passed. She felt no pain. She knew this happened. The worse the injury, the less the pain – pure and simple shock. She cracked an eye open, expecting to see half her body feet away from her.

The damage was much worse, all she could make out was black and red streaked her vision. No, not red. Orange? The stripes jerked, and the Beartic groaned. Liv blinked and refocused herself. An Arcanine stood over the toppled bear, its teeth buried deep in its back – arcing with electricity. A hand grabbed Liv’s shoulder. She spun around with a fist. Cyrra dodged it with ease. “Whoa, girl!” She said, putting her hands up, “Hey, next time, I won’t risk my life searching for you.” Liv ignored everything and just wrapped her in a hug. Cyrra smiled, “Finally, the greeting I always wanted. Remind me to put you in war more often.” Realization hit her, and Liv looked back to the Beartic. Its muscles spasmed in tell-tell signs of paralysis. She let out a breath. Another explosion sounded in the distance, her moment of relaxation broken.

“We need to get out of here. Now.” Cyrra said, checking her watch.

“No.” Liv let out a cough and pointed to all the bodies that littered the street. “I have to save them.”

“We will, but not now.” She made a small whistle, and the Arcanine released the immobile bear, moving to their side, and stood guard. “The Elites are making their way down from the mountain. And there’s more Team C that just entered the city.” The ground shook for a long moment. “If we stay, we’ll be more in the way. Meaning it’ll be longer till we can get these people's help. Now come on.” She tried getting Liv to stand.

But she jerked away, “No. I have to at least help this one.” Liv gathered what little, still sterile, supplies lay around her medical bag.

“But!” A rock blasted into Cyrra’s Arcanine. The large dog didn’t howl or flinch as the bloody rock dropped from its muscular side. It simply lowered its head and growled at the living crystal giant that lumbered toward them. “You got five minutes.” Cyrra stood and yelled some commands.

The striped horse that had saved her life lay panting. It really wasn’t in terrible condition. It bled from wounds due to a thorny vine wrapped tightly around all four legs. But aside from that, the worst thing about it was that it had been on its side for far too long. Liv reached behind her instinctually. The tool she needed was placed in her hand. She beamed and turned, hoping to find her partner.

Instead, Kneal stood there, his face matted with ash, and dried blood painted his arm. “I hope those are the right ones.” He smiled back, “You heard her. Five minutes.” A choppy, high-pitched cry sounded as a thick-chested white bird dropped from the sky. She nodded and began cutting at the thorny vines. Kneal’s Swanna cried again as he yelled something; a moment later, a strong blast of water shot out the bird’s mouth, striking a leg out from under the Gigalith. Making its next blast of rocks miss wildly.

A few moments after Liv got the fleshly patched Zebstrika to its belly, it stood eagerly. And clopped over to a man lying face down on the ground. Cyrra and Kneal both yelled for Liv, but she followed the horse. The man seemed fine, so with Zebstrika’s help, she lifted him onto its back. And with its permission, she loaded two more people on.

With the Gigalith overturned, Cyrra had her Arcanine do the same – loading five people and smaller Pokemon. Kneal let out two more of his birds, who each grabbed one more body. And headed to the Center for someone she never should’ve left behind.

When they were close enough to see the Center, Allie ran to Liv and wrapped her in a full-body hug. Even though the assailants of the city hadn’t managed to make it this far, there was still debris and craters from their attacks. Allie had shut down the Center so it wouldn’t be a neon glowing target in the night. It looked odd to Liv, like a fresh grave with no flowers or a… twenty-four-hour healing center that was closed. She thought to herself, bringing an unexpected chuckle.

But when she saw what was inside, she understood. Even without the lights on, many locals had run here for shelter; the old, the young, those who had no Pokemon to help in the fight. They went where they knew they would be cared for, a place of protection and health. Liv smile grew to her watery eyes as she rubbed Allie’s head. He looked up at her with soft hums. “Alright!” She said after clearing her throat. “Let’s get these people out of this city.”

The air around them turned dark. Not the sky, for it had been night for some time now. Not from the fire being put out, for no one could’ve doused all the fires in the city at once. No, this was an unnatural darkness that spread through the whole city. A deep gargle, as if the night itself was clearing its throat for a long slumber, permeated through the darkness. Followed by a spine-tightening laugh. Cyrra looked at Liv with wide eyes. “And fast! I don’t want to find out if that’s one of the Elites or a Team C member.”

When they were out of the city, warning and preparing the people of Village Bridge, Liv looked back to their lost city. The darkness that enveloped it was in the shape of… a coffin? She shook her head. Her exhaustion must have been getting to her.

++++

A few days later, Liv sat in the Lacunosa Center, checking on the few people they had managed to carry out of the city. Only one was still critical, but she was confident they’d pull through. There was still no news of what happened to Opelucid, but based on the strong military presence here… Liv wasn’t hopeful.

She thanked one of the other nurses as they traded shifts. It was still odd to have two other nurses around, helping. But at least she hadn’t ever truly been working alone. She rubbed Allie’s head. Three uniformed men strutted into the Center, looked around, and headed straight for Liv. “Hi. There, how might I help you? " she said, straightening her apron.

“Hello, ma’am.” The closest one to hear announced, “We are your protective squad. Ma’am. We’re here to help you.”

Liv couldn’t help for laugh. The boy was probably five years younger than her, most likely his first time seeing live action. “You men must have not gotten the memo.” She said as calm and respectful as possible, for one of the boys looked hurt by her laughter. “But I have my protective corps already.” She gestured to the two seats on each side of the lobby. Cyrra and Kneal got up and joined her at her side, where Allie stood already.

The military boys looked at each other and shrugged. “Very well, ma’am. Prepare your platoon and all patients to head out.” They each about-faced in a blink.

“Head out? Where?”

The closest boy spun around. “We head for Undella in six hours. It a stronger hold point, and from there we will be shipping out any and all civilians for their protection.” He nodded and whipped back around. “From there, I believe you and your platoon will be sent to Nimbasa. They’ve been holding the line there for days now. Your skills are greatly needed.” With that, they left.

“Well,” Cyrra said, straightening her hat. “Guess this isn’t over yet.”

Liv looked at each of her friends with a smile, furrowed her brow, and clenched her fist. “At least we’ll have each other.”