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The door slams shut, the sound echoing throughout the building. Wes rests his back against the door, taking a moment to catch his breath. This moment of peace won't last forever, he knows this more than anyone.
Living on the streets, he knows that he needs to keep moving. He can find a hiding spot, a temporary haven, but they never last. While he's used to people chasing after him, he isn't used to those...things.
Those monsters.
They look like monsters anyway. He's never seen anything like them before. Grotesque and disfigured with unnatural body movements. Beings that almost resembled humans, yet not quite.
His hand unconsciously grips the steel pipe in his hand. It had become his makeshift weapon since returning to Orre. Found in the Outskirt Stand, or what remains of it, this weapon had been at his side since then. Dried stains left their mark from each monster that got in his way.
Wes glances out the window. He can't see anything beyond the heavy fog. It's unusual weather, rare, but never as dense as this. It's a miracle he could even see his hand in front of him when he was running around out there.
He pulls his gaze away from the window to take in the sight of the Pokemon HQ Lab. Like most places, the building seemed like it was abandoned. A layer of dust covered the furniture, as if no one had been here for years.
Wes had only been gone for two years, hadn't he?
People still lingered, well, a handful. None were pleasant to speak with. As much as he was hoping to see a familiar face, a part of him dreaded the thought.
His footsteps are the only sound in the building aside from his breathing. There isn't even the faint sound of a light flickering or the hum of the elevator. As much as he wants to test his luck, he'd rather not get into that confined space at the moment.
Instead, Wes turns to the Purify Chamber. The doors slide open, allowing him to enter. He hates the fact that he's grown used to the automatic doors. In a place like this, nothing should be working.
The room is just as he expects.
Deserted, empty, no trace of any living being around. The computer screens are off, not even showing his reflection. The cables that were neatly pushed against the wall now scatter around the floor. The machines in the back weren't any different.
In the center of the room are the remains of the Purify Chamber. The glass container in the center had shattered, looking as if it caused a rippling effect and broke the four surrounding it. The bottoms looked burnt, as if overloaded from too much energy. He doesn't even want to acknowledge the colored markings on the ground.
Wes never quite understood how this worked. He remembers the basics somewhat, knows what it's supposed to do, but he never used it. Never got a chance to.
"It'll lessen the burden, you know?"
The young voice makes his blood run cold. He takes in a breath, his hand gripping onto his weapon tight enough that his knuckles turn white. He knows that voice. How could he not?
It's the one that's been haunting him since he got here.
"You won't be having to do all the work yourself. They'll be okay. And...so will you, Wes."
When his name is spoken, he turns, trying to find the source. Unfortunately, there's not a living soul in sight. He gulps, heart racing as he examines his surroundings.
He hears footsteps and immediately turns on his feet. Wes catches a quick glimpse of spiky red hair and that familiar yellow vest. He opens his mouth to shout, but his voice gets caught in his throat. He knows that he should move, give chase, yet he's finding it hard to move.
"You...shouldn't be here..." Wes mumbles to himself, his voice sounds unnatural as it fills in the silence.
After taking a moment to recover, he forces his body to move. He shouldn't linger, not when he finally has someone familiar to chase. And the very same person who led him back home.