Author's Note: O-kay. Sorry for the long (and I do mean long) wait between chapters. I've had a few real life issues to work through, as well as a heinous case of writer's block. But I'm back with a new laptop (instead of posting everything from my phone) so I should be able to post more consistently, and cut back on those pesky spelling errors that keep slipping through the cracks. Everything should be back on track now, though, so here we go, and happy reading~

"Fuck..." The single word escaped Wren's lips as the towering form of the Onix loomed over her and Jaime; the little vulpix yelping in pain as the rock Pokemon; so many times larger than him, crashed into him. Wren felt bile rising in her stomach as she heard a crunch in the collision, hearing Jaime's cry of pain as the weight of the serpentine Pokemon smashed into him. Much smaller than the Onix, Jaime barely made it out of the way of his towering opponent, managing to slip out of the way before being crushed entirely; though even from her position, Wren could hear the snapping of fragile ribs meeting solid rock. Wren wasn't the only one to hear it. Across the road, the man's hand still closed around her throat, Alexis' eyes went wide in shock, and she crumpled in his grip, spilling the contents of her stomach onto the ground in a single, violent heave. The leader of the trio released his grip, an almost satisfied grin on his face; leaving Wren fighting the urge to smack that smug grin right off his face. He kicked out at Alexis, the dull thud of his boot connecting with her stomach echoing the feeling of Wren's heart hitting the pit of her stomach as he stepped back, arms outstretched, like a showman putting on a display.

"You think you c'n walk into Viol't City- my city- and jus', what? Leave wit'out payin' your respec's?" The pair behind him chuckled, a high pitched, nasal cackled that sent shivers down her spine. And from behind her, she heard the sound echoed. The sound of dozens more laughing. She glanced behind her, over her shoulder, and her heart dropped once more, lower than before. They'd backed her against the tower. The crumbling ruins of the Bellsprout Tower loomed over her from behind, the cold stone of its walls against her back. From the jagged windows of the tower, she could see figures of men, maybe two dozen in total. Each wore the red patch of Rocket. She was surrounded. They were surrounded. She glanced back over to where Alexis sat crumpled on the ground at the feet of their captors, and at Jaime- poor, brave Jaime- who was struggling to his feet as the Onix circled around him. "This is my city!" The man continued in his slow, nasal drawl, raising his voice for all to hear, and from behind her, she could hear the murmured agreement of his lackeys. "E'ryt'ing in these walls b'longs t' Giovanni. An' th't includes you an' yer bitch." As he spoke, he leaned down, gripping Alexis by the hair and roughly pulling her to her feet, holding the girl upright by the grip. He leered at her, his other hand lowering to cup his crotch, rubbing it lewdly as he leaned in, his face mere inches from the pink haired Joy's face, and licked her; his tongue curling out in a long, slow motion; leaving a trail of his saliva up her cheek. Wren could only watch in impotent rage, her fists balled against her sides. There was nothing she could do. Jaime was hurt badly, and Ebony's leg was still in a splint. The only healthy Pokemon she had was Faith, and the Dratini was in its ball at Alexis' waist. And even if she could reach, the Dratini had never been in a battle, so there was no guarantee that she'd be able to do anything. All she could do was wait, and listen, and hope for an opening as this man, Giovanni, spoke. "Now, we've 'ad our fun, girly. But I'm afraid 't's time ta call it a night. But I want you ta look at 'er." He tugged forcefully at Alexis' hair, bringing a pained whimper from the girl's lips as he leered. "An' I want this ta be th' last thing you see. 'cause I want you ta know that I'm gonna take very good care o' her..." He laughed, and the sound sent a shiver of terror down Wren's spine at the sound, and the words. "Kill 'em!" The last words were directed at the Onix, and the beast roared once more, turning its head to glare down at the much smaller forms of Wren and Jaime, who had managed to pull himself to his feet, and had imposed himself between the Onix and his trainer, growling weakly.

"N-no..." Wren's eyes burned with tears of frustration and terror, but through her blurred vision, she saw Alexis struggle weakly against his grip, struggling to form words. "W-Wren, run... please... Don't worr-" Her words were cut off in a fit of coughing, gasping for air as Giovanni slammed his fist into her gut; driving the air from her lungs and making it impossible for her to speak. But still, her eyes locked onto Wren, mouthing the word 'run'. Wren, for her part, bit back a sob as she saw Alexis' treatment and heard her words. Even if she wanted to run, though, there was nowhere for her to go. The tower was at her back, and she was surrounded. Nowhere to go.

End of the line.

The Onix roared once more; its cry yet again that same mingling of agony and anger, and bore down on her, closing the gap between them in seconds; time enough for Wren to pull Jaime into her arms and hold the little Vulpix tight, as if her fragile grasp would protect him. Her eyes locked on Alexis and, in the split second before the crashing weight of the Onix hit, mouthed the words 'I'm sorry.' If Alexis saw, it was no consolation to Wren, as the moment those words escaped her lips, the Onix hit, crushing her against the wall behind her, muffling the sound of screaming, though in the oncoming darkness, Wren couldn't be sure if it was her own, or that of Alexis...

Rocks fall. Darkness comes...

Cold. Dark. Wet.

The taste of blood. Her own.

Maybe.

Yelling, cursing. Coming from outside.

A man's voice. Angry.

A woman screaming. Terrified.

Familiar. Alexis?

Darkness. Silence. Cold again...

"Lex!" Wren's eyes shot open, sitting upright in a single, jerking motion, though the shivers of agony that shot through her entire form made her wish that she hadn't. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust in the darkness. The only light that illuminated her surrounds were a few slivers of light that filtered through the rocks that filled most of the small chamber where she had come to rest. It was quiet. Like a tomb. The thought was of no comfort. Maybe it was a tomb. Maybe she was dead, or... She shook her head, forcing herself to think. To remember. The Onix had come crashing down on her, driving her back against the tower wall. Through the tower wall. She looked around once more, and then up. A gaping hole had been broken through the roof, or... floor, above her. A similar hole had been broken through the wall a level above her, and then re-filled with fallen rocks. The Onix had punched a hole through the tower wall itself; knocking her to what appeared to be the basement levels of the tower. She started to stand, and immediately stumbled, her right leg buckling beneath her. Putting her arm out to catch herself sent another searing wave of agony shooting through her body as the chosen arm likewise buckled, and Wren's head clashed with the stone floor of the tower's basement; sending her head swimming, and bringing the taste of blood to her mouth once more. "Owwwww... fucking... oww..." The girl struggled back to a sitting position, where she could take stock of her injuries. Aside from a multitude of cuts and scratches, and a mild concussion, her right leg was fractured, and she guessed her arm was dislocated. She was fucked.

Grimacing, she gripped her arm, just below the shoulder, and mentally psyched herself up, squeezing her eyes shut, readying herself to pop the limb back into its socket. "1... 2... 3." The arm popped back into the socket with an audible pop, and an agonised scream tore itself from her lips; piercing; breaking the silence of the basement; her scream breaking against the stark stone walls like waves on the beach. Darkness swam before her eyes once more, and it took all of her willpower not to lapse back into unconsciousness. In the ebbing echoes of the scream, another sound took its place. A soft snuffling sound; weak; that of a wounded animal, followed by a soft cry. "P-pix..." A small, bloodied form shuffled from the shadows, its red fur matted with blood, limping heavily on wounded ribs. Jaime. Wren winced slightly at the sight of her Pokemon, reaching down and scooping the brave, battered Vulpix into her arms as the Pokemon curled up in her arms once more. Wren forced a smile. "You're a mess, Jaime." The little Vulpix lifted its head and gave a slight, dignified huff, as if to say 'And what about you, human?' Afterwards, however, Jaime lifted its head, giving Wren's chin a slight, comforting lick. Wren huffed a laugh; tinged with sadness, turning her head to gaze up at the hole in the wall through which she'd fallen, speaking words that would never be heard by the one they were intended for. "I'm coming, 'Lex... Hold on..."

Author's Note 2: Alright, guys, there we go. Bear with me for a few chapters as I get back into things, but I'm trying to work out some pacing issues as pointed out to me in some reviews. Hopefully I'll be able to keep to a steady once-a-week posting rate from here on out, and I'll hopefully be able to stick around to see this out to its conclusion. As always, reviews, favourites and follows are appreciated, and I'll listen to any constructive criticism as long as I think it'll help the fic' moving forward.