I quickly rose to my feet, “Get behind me!!” I barked at them as the object shot straight at us. Axe acted immediately, scooping up the kid and pulling him close as I laid on my side with my durable armor in the direction of the oncoming object. The two of them nestled along my underbelly and braced for impact. I counted seconds till it hit, one, two, three, four, Boom!!! The shockwave blasted right into me as the ground shook and the loudest noise I’ve ever heard thundered in my ears. I shut my eyes as dust and debris sparked against my hide. My arms encircled the two of them, pulling them close to me. Holding on to them for dear life as dust filled my nose and scrapped the metal shell that protected us. We sat huddled there for a moment as dust literally settled on and around us. I chanced a peek after half a minute of nothing. My visibility was almost nil, the branches in the Sakura Tree next to us wiggled. I glanced down to my guildmates.

“You two okay?” I asked.

“Feeling peachy. You Pat, how’re you doing?”

“I’m okay” his timid voice sounded out. I sneezed and coughed as I cleared my lungs of dust. The two of them pulled out from under me as we all got back to our feet.

“We need to find the others, quickly!” Axe said as he took off into the gloom.

“Wait, Axe! We need a plan!” I yelled after him, but he was gone already. I sighed, typical. “Pat, wait here.” I told him as I fiddled with my bag.

“I don’t want to! I want to help!”

“You are helping.” I told him. I brought out my last light orb and hit it once. It began to cast a bright light, something that would be visible through the falling dust for several minutes. “Take this high into the Sakura Tree. We’ll use it to guide people towards it. Can I count on you?” He nodded resolutely and grabbed the orb before starting up the tree. Once I was sure he was high enough, I took off into the dust after Axe.

“Axe! Boomer! Olivia! Anyone, answer me if you can hear me!” I shouted out. I coughed out as dust kept getting into my mouth and throat. “Hey! Anyone, can you hear me?” I yelled, desperate. I sat and listened for a bit, trying to pick up on any noise, any trace that someone was around.

“Laddie..” I heard off to my right, it was weak but I heard it.

“Corey?! I hear you, where are you?” I walked towards where I heard the voice from.

“Here. I’m here.” I heard again. I spotted her. She was on her back, a wing extended for me. I sprinted to her side. As I got closer, I saw the large boulder that pinned one of her wings to the ground. “Laddie, laddie. You nea’ to help me. My wing is in bits.”

“I’m here, don’t worry.” I did a quick ring around her, looking for any other injuries. Some scrapes and bruises but the main injury was her wing. The boulder was about as large as I was, nothing I couldn't handle. The trick was to remove it without causing Corey any more injuries.

"Alright, I'll lift this off you, you pull your wing free.

"I'm reade." She said as I got into position. I stood up on my back legs and my front paws gripped the boulder as tightly as I could. I breathed deep and grunted as I engaged my lower leg and back muscles. My steel claws sank into the rock to secure my hold on the misshapen rock. The rock rose as I lifted, next to me Corey kawwed out in pain as the pressure lifted.

"Hiyaahhhh!" I shouted as I threw the boulder to the side. I panted at the exertion, reminding me that I still wasn't rejuvenated after my exploration earlier. My large bird friend winced and cried in pain as she got to her feet. Looking her over, it was obvious her wing was broken. It sat at an unnatural angle and I saw drops of red blood come from her wound.

"Ahh, many thanks laddie." She said through a gritted beak 

"Can you walk? If yes, head for the Sakura Tree." I pointed towards the light.

"Aye, laddie, I can make mae way there. You get on with it."

"Stay safe." I said as I walked off to continue my search. I made my way up the street shouting out for anyone.

As I passed into what I thought was the town square, I kept my senses peeled for any signs of life. My limbs were screaming, urging me to lie down. My heart thumped in my chest, adrenaline would only carry me so far. ‘Don’t you dare collapse!’ I screamed at myself. The worst thing would be to end up needing to be rescued in the middle of a crisis. The shops were next to me, first was the bank, it was run by Logan the Oinkologne. The structure itself looked okay but there was a large cluster of rocks blocking the entrance. I scampered up the precarious pile. There was a small hole through which I could look inside.

“Hello!! Is anyone in here? Can you hear me?”

“Ron!” I heard a voice from within the dark. Through the crack, I saw the face of my guildmate Ada the Ariados.

“Ada!!” I scooped some more dirt out of the way so I could see her better. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I am fine, but I can’t get out. The rocks are in the way.” I looked down at the pile in the way of the door.

“Is Logan in there with you?”

“No. I dived in here as I saw the meteorite crash. Logan must have been somewhere else celebrating.” In the ruckus I had totally forgotten that we were celebrating. It felt like ages ago and not a few minutes.

“Alright, I’ll clear the rocks, you stay back!” I said.

“No, wait Ron! Have you seen Tim, is he safe?!” Her voice sounded desperate. One of her legs slithered into the air. ‘Why Tim in particular?’ I asked myself but I answered her honestly.

“No, I haven’t. But don’t worry, I’m sure he’s okay. Let’s worry about you for now.” I replied as I touched her extended leg. “Now stand away from the door!” I hopped down the mound to assess the situation. There was one large rock at the bottom, it was piled by other smaller boulders but as long as the large one remained the door was going to stay blocked. It looked to be about three times the size of the one I pulled off of Corey.

“Dammit!” I swore softly to myself, like before I stanced up and gripped the boulder with my front claws and called to my power, the source of strength in all Pokemon. I knew Pokemon could perform amazing feats of strength, generate fire or water, manipulate elements, warp even reality, but it was entirely a different experience to become one and accomplish those feats myself. One of the first things I had to learn after coming to this world was how to survive, to fight, to call upon my power. I hypothesized that there’s a gland somewhere in my body that lets me accomplish these things, but that didn’t matter right now. Right now I need to save Ada! The last dregs of my power filled my limbs, it didn’t alleviate my fatigue, it didn’t make the rock lighter, nor did it magically make me stronger. It fueled my willpower to do what needed to be done.

“Rock.. SLIDE!!!” I shouted. I ripped the boulder from the ground as my thighs and joints stressed against the weight. I screamed in exertion, my last few drops of power still in my veins and while it was there I could still move mountains. I could do anything.

I suplexed the boulder over my back and tossed it at the height of its arc. I flew a few feet before slamming back down to the earth. I felt a shockwave as it landed. I stumbled on my feet, my knee joints were shaky, I was beyond tired. The last few drops of power fizzled out and I couldn't feel it anymore. I was empty, but I did it. With the large boulder dislodged, the smaller ones fell down gradient across the floor. The doorway appeared and from it came the red spider form of Ada.

“Ron! Ron! You okay?” She asked as I panted, drool and froth forming on the sides of my mouth. I nodded, since I couldn’t find my voice.

“Good, I’m going to go find Tim!!” She turned to skitter off and I found it in myself to reach out and bite her leg, not hard, but enough to get her attention.

“No.. Head for, Sakura Tree.” I said as I nodded towards the orb.

“Ron, no. I need, I need to find Tim! Please!” she begged me, her purple eyes were emotional, wild, anguished. I put my forehead to hers, her spike scraping across my face plates.

“Stop! Think! I know you’re worried. I am too. But we need a plan. Don’t run off without a plan.” I fell to the ground as my front legs couldn’t support my weight. Ada didn’t run off, she took a breath and I saw her calm down.

“You’re right, plan. You said the Sakura Tree, is that a light orb?” I nodded. “Alright, if you’re sending people there and other people can see it, he might be there already. How long ago did you light it?”

“I don’t know, it was soon after the meteorite hit.”

“Then it’s probably soon to fade out, then we’ll all be lost. We need to avoid that.” She spat out some silk and with her front limbs fashioned it into a bracelet around my front limb. “I’ll head to the tree and look for Tim and the others there, if not I’ll go look for him. I’ll take this tether there, you’ll be able to follow it even if the light goes out.” I nodded in understanding, Ada’s silk was near indestructible. It was the perfect thing we needed in this moment. I caught enough of my breath to stand up, I shook my head to clear my headache but only succeeded in exacerbating it. I felt a small nip on my cheek from her pinschers and if I was able to I would have jumped in surprise.

“Thank you, for getting me out of there. And calming me down.”

“We’re a rescue guild, it’s in the name.”

“You’re right, and we’re damn good at it.”

“The strongest guild.”

“The strongest.” I smiled as she finished our motto. It gave me the willpower to move forward, we all played to our strengths, we supported each other where one of us couldn’t do it alone. Boomer’s Rescue Guild, we are the strongest. No discussion.

“Alright.” I said with a groan as I turned back down the block. “I’ll head to the end of this block, see who else I can find.”

“Stay safe, Ron.”

“You too.” I said as I trotted forward back into the dusty mist. My knees hurt, my breath was still ragged, my head hurt, but I moved forward. I’m not sure what carried me forward at the moment. I was tired, I wanted to sit down and pass out, I wanted to sink into my bed, I wanted to take a breath that wasn’t full of particles, I wanted to be anywhere other than here. But I moved on into the darkness.

I called out as I went still searching for anyone that might need help. I passed by Kecleon’s shop but didn’t see anyone. I searched Bella’s building and couldn’t find anything. Next was Kanga’s storehouse, a frequent location I used during my quest. My ears picked up a noise, I trudged towards it. The sounds of crying got louder in my ears, I pushed myself into a trot to get there as fast as possible. ‘Keep moving, keep moving, keep moving.’ I told myself.

I found Khan crying alone in the street. “Khan! Are you hurt?” I called to her. She kept wailing even as I neared her. “Khan?” I looked her over. I didn’t see any noticeable injuries. “Khan, come here. Hey, shhh shhh shh. Hey.” I whispered to her. I pulled her close. She clung to me, tightly, probably looking to cling to anyone. “Khan, where’s your mother?” her sobs softened as she held me tightly but she either didn’t know, couldn’t tell me, or didn’t understand what I asked. I sighed and looked around. If Khan was here, Kanga had to be nearby. Her storefront was in shambles, the roof had fallen down. I supposed that the initial shockwave must have hit it hard.

“Kanga!! Can you hear me?” I called out hoping to get an answer. None came. I felt the panic, the unspoken fears hit me. I squashed them down, this wasn’t the time for thinking like that. It wasn’t going to help Kanga, it wasn’t going to help Khan, and it wasn’t going to help me.

“Mama..” Khan sobbed into my chest. “She’s there, hic.” I looked down at her while she pointed at the rubble. The realization hit me hard. I scooped Khan onto my head and rushed into the wreckage. Wood and splinters littered the ground and pressed into my hooves as I stepped over them. Metal shrapnel and the smell of crushed berries greeted me further inside, a town’s worth of stored goods were kept here, and now they were ruined.

“Kanga, can you hear me?” I called again while scanning left and right in hopes of finding her.

“Mama!” Khan said as she jumped off my head and ran off into the pile of debris.

“No, Khan. Wait!” I called after her. She crawled through the pile before I could catch her. ‘Dammit!’ I cursed. I started ripping wood and shards of wall to the side as I dug through the pile after the little one. I needed to get her back, to find Kanga, to get them both to safety. The whole while my head throbbed in pain. As I got through the first foot or so, I saw her, I saw both of them. The image of Khan pulling at Kanga’s hand to get her out from under the rubble that encased her was going to haunt me. I pushed it away for now as I crawled through a little tunnel I made towards them.

“Mama, Mama!!” Khan cried as she hopelessly pulled at her arm. I came up next to them.

“Kanga, can you hear me?” I said as I looked her over. A brief look over her showed that she was breathing, but her eyes were closed. ‘Unconscious, not good.’ I said. She needed medical attention immediately, and I needed to get her out from under here to get her to safety. A single large beam was across her back, it looked like the main load bearing one from the roof. It was going to be heavy. Maybe too heavy, especially with as tired as I felt now. ‘You’ve got to try.’ I told myself.

“Khan, I need you to move.” I said to the youngling as she kept pulling at her mother’s hand. She didn’t move. “Khan, please!” I asked her. I couldn’t move the beam or even attempt to while she was here. I growled in frustration. “KHAN!!” I shouted. She turned and looked at me. Tears were streaming down her face. I held out my paw towards her, her eyes gazed into mine. “I’ll save her, you can trust me.” I smiled at her as softly as I could at the moment. Anything I could do to assure her that it was going to be okay, I wasn’t going to abandon either of them, I was going to save them. She reached out and grabbed my paw, I pulled her with me as I shuffled backwards from under the wreckage. The entire way I maintained eye contact with her, she looked so scared, fragile. I couldn’t imagine what was going through her young head. When we were out of the way, I put a paw softly on her shoulder. “Stay here, okay?” she nodded at me. I touched her head with my nose, the way I’ve seen Kanga do to her time after time. I don’t know why I did that, it just felt like the thing to do.

I turned back towards the rubble and dived in. I squirmed over and around the debris in my way. The sharp edges and points of various detritus scrapped across my scale armor, the noise was harsh and echoed in my skull. Fortunately, the sound seemed to cause Kanga to stir as I got back near her. She groaned and shook her head as she looked around at her surroundings.

“Kanga, I’m coming. I’ll be right there.” I watched as she looked in my direction. One of her eyes was closed and she had gashes along her cheek.

“My baby, where’s my baby?!” She asked me. The maternal instincts to protect a child when she herself was in danger, it floored me. It was a strength that I doubt I’d ever be able to reproduce.

“She’s safe, I found her outside. She’s safe, I’m here to get you out.” I said as I pulled myself right next to her.

“Oh, legends above, oh great Guardian of all that is Good! Thank you, Thank you, Ron! Thank You!” She started sobbing. I placed a reassuring paw in her hand.

“Thank me when you’re out of here.” I said. “I’m going to try and lift the beam on you. Do you think you can get out from under the rubble?”

“I, I’ll try.” She said as her tears stopped. I sat and breathed for a bit. My lungs were stinging a bit from the continuous exertion and strain I’ve put on my body. ‘I can do it. I’ll do it.’ I told myself. I moved into a position under the beam quickly, to not let myself doubt whether I could or not. I wedged below the beam. The timber pressed down on my scales and along the spikes of my back. I set my feet down and shook them around to make sure they wouldn’t slip as I pushed up.

“Ready?” I asked.

“Yes.” I heard.

“Here.. we… gooooo!!” I said as I pushed up. The weight was intense, the ache in my legs was great, the pain in my back was unbearable. But every inch, every centimeter higher I could push it the better, the easier for Kanga, the closer to safety I could get her.

“Ron, Ron. It’s not working. I can’t move.” I barely registered what she was telling me. My body is what ultimately gave out on me. The beam’s weight was too much, I felt like it was going to push me into the ground. I lowered it back down. It creaked and shuddered, I worried for a moment that it would collapse on top of me that would be the end. At least the pain in my entire being would be gone. I hurt, I couldn’t do any more. I couldn’t even turn to look at Kanga. And if I did, it would just be to look on her as a failure. ‘Think, think, think, you idiot. There’s got to be something you can do.’ I wracked my brain, trying to find a solution, to find a way to get her out of here. But I couldn’t. My brain was foggy, all I felt was pain. I was tired. I just wanted to lay down and sleep. Sleep forever. My screams in my mind weren’t enough to keep me going.

“Kanga… I’m sor-”

“You need some help, kiddo.” the voice rumbled down the tunnel I dug, I resonated across my bones. Boomer, my boss.

“Boss!” I called back to him. I couldn’t turn around from under the beam. I couldn’t face him. But just the knowledge, the fact he was here was godly. He’d save us, he’d save me. I could rest, I could let him take care of it.

“Boomer, thank goodness.” Kanga said, I could feel the relief in her voice. I felt it in turn, tenfold.

“Alright, kiddo. You lift, I’ll pull her out.” My joy crashed down. I wiggled out from under the beam even though my limbs were shouting in their unspoken language to just stay put. I turned to look at him. His neutral scowl was on his face, his eyes were brimming with power and calm strength. He could do it, he could do anything

“Boss, I can’t. I tried, but I couldn’t. I can’t do it. I can’t.” I pleaded at him. “I’m so tired, Boss. I can’t. Please, you need to do it.” I continued on and on, making all manner of excuses why I couldn’t, why I’d fail, why he could do it instead.

“Ron.” He said after a dozen or so seconds of my whining. It shocked me still, I halted mid sentence. The word hit me hard, harder than any of his fists ever did. It hurt me down to my soul. “I can’t get under there, not without shifting the rubble and potentially collapsing the remaining structure. It has to be you.”

“But.. Boss.” I said, tears welled up in my eyes.

“There are no buts allowed. Not when you’re a rescuer.” He shook his head once at me. It was one of the first rules that he told me. One of the first rules I learned about being in a rescue guild. I remember just disregarding his teachings, his lessons, for the longest time. Too long, perhaps, but eventually it stuck. My mind was split, I didn’t know if I could do it. But I spotted something, just past Boss, a tiny Pokemon with large black eyes wet with tears. Khan. Kanga’s daughter.

She looked so worried, her eyes met mine, through my own tears. They looked right through me, they saw me for the coward, the liar, the deceiver I was. ‘I’m not a hero, I’m not strong enough.’ I told myself, we maintained eye contact. It stripped me down, my armor was nothing to stop those stares, the silent accusation. “I’ll save her, you can trust me.” I told Khan that just a minute ago and I couldn’t uphold it. I failed. I lied, again. ‘It’s just another lie, I’ve already told everyone so many. What’s one more?’ I thought. I hated the thought, but here, at my wit’s end, it’s what I thought. But, surprisingly, it wasn’t my only thought. ‘And are you okay with that?’ I asked myself. ‘Are you okay with that? With being a liar, a weakling? With letting a daughter grow up alone when you could have done something about it? ARE YOU?!!’ I grit my teeth into a snarl. Everything in my vision faded away until all that I saw were those eyes, the eyes of someone in need, someone I could help. I had only one answer for myself. ‘NO!’

‘NO! I’m not okay with that! I’m not okay with walking away! I’m not going to run away again!’

“I’M GOING TO SAVE HER!”

“Now, grit those teeth and show us YOUR MANLY SPIRIT!” Boss ordered me.

“YES, SIR!!” I yelled. I turned and dove under the beam again. ‘I’ll do it. I’ll do it. I’ll save Kanga. I won’t be a liar, not again, not one more blasted time!’ The feeling of the beam along my back was back as it wedged into my spikes again. My muscles were weak, my shoulders burned in pain, my eyes ran dry of tears, but my mind was clear, my soul was certain, I wasn’t going to run. I was going to do it. I will do it!

I set my legs again, the feeling of splintered wood underfoot and the blunt pressure of the beam overhead were all that I focused on. “Boss, I’m ready!” I called to him.

“Then on three. One!”

“Two!” I responded.

“THREE!” We shouted at the same time. I pushed, I pushed hard enough to move a moon from orbit, to shatter the earth below my feet, to save my friend. I pushed to prove I wasn’t a liar. Time stopped, pain became my existence. Each atom of my body burned as if I submerged into lava. Seconds, minutes, hours, days. It didn’t matter. I pushed, I struggled, I rebelled against gravity. I pushed higher, stronger, further. Every micron higher was a hard won victory, my prize. I felt like I was screaming, but I didn’t hear it. All I heard was the rush of blood as my heart pumped faster and faster. I didn’t know what was happening with Kanga, I didn’t even have the sense of mind to wonder what was happening to me. I simply pushed. And then, I was flying. 

The feeling of air rushed past me. ‘I’m dead, this must be what death feels like’ was all I could think. I felt cold, sleepy, done. ‘I just hope Boss got Kanga out okay, if my life was ever worth anything, let that be my legacy.’

Within the sea of agonizing tranquility I felt something else, something beat against my body. ‘Wait, my body?’ My chest pulsed out twice. And the beat was back, constant, unrelenting. ‘Just stop, just stop, JUST STOP!!’

I sucked in a breath and screamed, my chest was on fire, each movement lit wildfires among my nerves. Pain, it seems, would always be my existence. Here or anywhere else. I looked around without actually recognizing where I was. I felt like vomiting, so I closed my eyes and tried to let my vertigo pass. Next noise returned to my ears.

“Ron, can you hear me?” I answered without opening my eyes.

“Boss, it hurts. Everything hurts.”

“That’s the manly pain of Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, kiddo. Embrace it. While you’re in pain, you’re alive. Now just breathe.”

“Kanga..?” I weakly asked.

“Don’t worry about her, she’s safe. You did a good job. Leave the rest to me.” I felt a hand grip my paw.

“Thank you, Ron. Legends be praised.” Her voice, it felt so amazing to hear. ‘I wasn’t a liar.’ I gripped the paw as hard as I could.

“Just a rescuer.” I sighed out.

“A rescuer for my guild, the strongest guild.”

“The… strongest.” I answered.

“Alright, we need to get you two to Olivia. She was heading towards a light on the other side of town.”

“The tree” I wheezed out. “Sakura Tree.”

“Is that where the light was?”

“Pat. Light orb. Meeting point.” Was all I could say in response.

“I don’t see a light out there, kiddo.” I opened my eyes in shock and tried to get up. I immediately regretted that decision. The pain in my chest reignited.

“Stay still, kiddo. I can deal with this. Somehow. It wouldn’t be wise to go out there with the dust still in the air.” I felt a touch on my arm. I looked right and saw Khan, her eyes were still teary but they looked at me with amazement, awe. I saw that look on some of the other Pokemon I’ve rescued before but I always dismissed it. I never felt like it was for me. But here, at this moment, it was. I smiled back at Khan.

“Told you I’d save her.” I said. She smiled at me and gripped my arm tight. Something waved in the motion that caught my eye. A whitish strand of web. A tether.

“Boss!” I looked over at him. He stood contemplating what to do, rubbing his chin in thought. He glanced my way.

“What’s up, kiddo?” I waved my right arm at him. He must have seen the web since he reached down and observed it. “A web, Ada?” he asked.

“Yes, she went to,” I groaned, even speaking hurt my chest. “To the tree, this will take us back.” He laughed out loud, a deep laugh from the bottom of his lungs.

“Damn, Ron! You’re saving all our hides today.” He pulled some slack from the tether and wrapped it around his own wrist. He bit the part between him and me to disconnect them. “Alright, Kanga, put Khan in your pouch. You’ll go on my back. Ron, you’ll go under arm. I won’t lie, it will hurt.”

“It already hurts, Boss.” I smiled at him.

“Then it won’t be anything new.”