I nervously glanced at the clock above the bookshelf. She should be back, I thought.

I ran a tanned hand through my dark hair. Marisa was never this late. She would have been back by now. She would have been kicking back with Will, Drake, June, and I, ignoring the destroyed world outside our walls. Those were the kind of nights that could've happened before the Regions went to shit. Before a plague broke out in Johto and spread to Kanto, before our families were killed and eaten by monsters who were once humans and Pokemon.

I always looked forward to these nights. Mostly because I got spend them with her.

She found me on the side of a Route 1, staring at my dead parents with a gun in my hand and the bodies of Walkers all around me. I was gathering water when they were attacked. They were mapping out where to go to next. They insisted that I take the guns with me.

I heard their screams for help. They screamed my name over and over again. Dan! Dan! I remember how fast I ran to their screams. In all my days of running from Walkers and zombified Pokemon, I hadn't run as fast as I did that day. I was too late.

I remember Marisa's sad smile and her sweet voice with her Pichu perched on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she had said.

After that, she brought me to Viridian City, the only civilized community in Kanto. She slowly brought me back to being myself, to being human. He introduced me to the gang and went out of her way to help me catch Growlithe. She was my only light in the world then. She was now the one that shined brightest out of all my lights.

I heard Growlithe's paws click across the wooden floor. He whined and pawed at my legs. I bent down and ruffled his orange fur.

Marisa left to scout out any threats in Viridian's area. She was a master at getting around with her Pichu. Nothing could have caught her. I kept telling myself she had gotten held up because of the snow, but the feeling of losing her kept eating away at me like a Walker would to my flesh.

"Somebody needs to go find her." I nodded to my partner.

"Growlithe!" he barked in agreement.

I pulled on a jacket and went out the door. Growlithe trotted alongside me as I walked down the quiet street of Viridian. The street was covered in a thin layer of snow while more floated to the ground. I spotted a few kids playing in the snow while my neighbor walked past me. I waved and kept walking. I stopped at the Gym's doors; it had become our armory. I threw a glance on each side of the street then creep into the alleyway beside the Gym.

Growlithe silently padded over to me. A Rattata scurried off, causing Growlithe to almost bark. I shushed my partner. I propped open the Gym's window. My eyes darted around. No one in sight.

"Be on guard," I whispered to my Growlithe.

I slipped through the open window and landed silently on the floor. I was in the Gym's lobby. A dusty, white couch was set against the wall with a coffee table lined with beer bottles in front of it. Fred, the guy in charge of the armory, was passed out on his desk. I didn't know his story, but I knew he had a reason to drink. His glasses barley hung onto his face as his chest rose steadily with every snore.

I stealthily snagged the key from his coat pocket and snuck over to the weapon's room. I unlocked it and slipped in. I quickly grabbed one of the rifles lining the wall. I also armed myself with a pistol and knife. I was out of the Viridian Gym in a flash, covering up my tracks behind me. I left everything the way I found it.

I met Growlithe in the dark afternoon light in the alleyway. We slipped back into the street and started for the main wall. The main wall was the entrance into Viridian City.

"Hey, Danny, where are you going? Why do you have that gun?" a stout boy with brown hair approached me, rifle in hand.

"Open up the gate, Will," I said.

"It'll be dark soon, man. Besides, I can't just let you leave!"

"Marisa is out there. I need to find her and bring her and Pichu back."

"She just got hold up is all. She'll be back with good news from her scouting run, I'm sure of it."

"You've known her longer than I have, Will! She's too good to be held up by snow or anything! I need to leave, now!"

Growlithe growled lowly at Will. Will's eyes dropped to the pure white snow at his feet.

"I guess I'm going over," I pushed past, scooped up Growlithe, and climbed a ladder leading to the platform that ran along the wall.

"Danny! Get back down! Leaving won't help anything!" Will yelled.

"More than what you're doing!" I yelled back as I reached the platform.

A wave of shame washed over Will. I didn't mean to be harsh on my friend, but Marisa had to be in danger. I uneasily looked over the wall. Route 2 stretched clear to Viridian forest and Walkers speckled the tall grass.

"It's not that far down," I said to Growlithe.

I hugged him to my chest and jumped down. Growlithe yipped as I landed in the snow. I wiped the snow out of my face and set Growlithe down. My partner shook his fur coat and expelled flames from his nostrils. I turned around to see if Will was on the wall. He wasn't. He either had faith that I would come back, or I would die out here.

I took a few steps into the tall grass. I heard the hungry moan and a green, rotting Pidgey flapped crazily in front of me.

"Pidgey!" It screeched as it swoop down to each on my flesh.

Growlithe leapt into the air and caught Pidgey's neck in it's mouth. Growlithe jerked his head, snapping the zombified Pokemon's neck.

"Thanks, bud," I gave him a quick pet as he dropped the dead Pidgey in the snow.

A Pokemon was a rare privilege to have out in the wilds. It had numerous abilities that could be applied to any situation. Some valued them more than guns or food for their power and sometimes friendship.

We continued through the grass, slipping pass Walkers and Pokemon. We only engaged unless we had to. I pulled my knife from a Meowth's skull and sat back with a sigh.

"Marisa, give me a sign. I'm walking around blindly here," I said to the sky.

The sky blew up in a flash of yellow. Zigzags of lighting stretched across the darkening sky. Growlithe barked around and trotted in circles. The light was coming from Viridian Forest.

"Pichu....Marisa!" I exclaimed.

I scrambled to my feet. Growlithe and I took off. We tore through the tall grass until we met the dark mouth of Viridian Forest.

"Stay close," I said to Growlithe.

I looked to the sky. Night would be upon us in an or two.

"I'm coming, Marisa. Don't burn out. You can't."

I needed to be on full alert. Viridian Forest was a dangerous place to be. It was full of zombified Pokemon, creeping in the shadows. They were more mobile and more deadly than Walkers.

The drone of the undead grew louder with each cautious step I took. A bead of cold sweat trickled my face. Was I too late? I heard the voice of a young woman calling out.

I advanced faster but kept my senses alert. Growlithe ran a few paces ahead of me. The unmistakable moan of the Walkers were right ahead. I stepped around a tree and saw a cluster of Walkers around a tree. I looked up and saw her. Marisa's brown hair was in a tangled mess but still beautiful. Her skin was pale as the moon but sparkled like the stars. And her eyes. Arceus, her stunning, bright blue eyes.

Marisa clutched Pichu to her chest. Pichu looked to be on the brink of fainting.

I raised my rifle and squeezed the trigger, making a Walker's head exploded with a crimson liquid. The other Walkers turned their attention to me. I backed up and kept firing; they dropped one by one. I smashed the last one's head with the stock of my rifle. My eyes traveled up to see the princess in her tower. She was in complete shock and awe.

"Hey," I said weakly. "I knew something was wrong so I came to bring you home."

It was the lamest thing I had ever said in the Apocalypse, but tears started to form in Marisa's eyes.

She shook her head, "Danny."

Growlithe and I stood at the bottom of the tree as Marisa carefully stood up from her branch. She swiftly climbed down the tree with one hand cradling Pichu. She practically jumped on me when she got close enough to the ground. I stumbled back but wrapped my arms around her. Marisa rested her head in the crook of my neck.

"Thank you," she said in a hushed voice.

"I was doing what you would have done," I smiled.

To my dismay, Marisa pulled away and grabbed a Pokeball. She tapped it on Pichu's head. A red light cloaked Pichu and absorbed him into the ball.

"And how can I forget the real hero here!" Marisa started ruffling a delight Growlithe's fur.

"Growlithe!" he licked her face.

Marisa giggled. Was everything about her perfect?

"We should get a move on before night comes," I stated.

"Yeah, I have news for-"

"Tauros!" a voice bellowed.

I whirled around to see a robust, bull like Pokemon with three tails that snapped like whips. Half of the Pokemon's face was ripped off. It started stomping its hooves.

"Marisa," I said slowly, "reach into my back pocket and take the gun."

"You just want me to touch your butt," she smiled devilishly as she reached for the gun.

"Or maybe because I want to live."

Marisa took the gun. The zombified Tauros approached us. The rotting stench of death came ever so closer.

"Now!" I fired at the Tauros, blowing a piece of his horn off.

Furious, the Tauros charged forward, dodging our gunfire. Growlithe launched a fireball at Tauros, slowing him down.

"Run!" I grabbed Marisa's hand as the Tauros closed in on us. My mind would usually be abuzz at the touch of Marisa, but my worries of surviving outweighed my giddy crush.

The three of us ran into the trees, away from where I came. The snow on the ground slowed us down. We passed by Walkers and they gave chase as well. The Tauros reached closer and closer, grunting with hunger. A crazy idea popped into my desperate head.

"Keep going!" I shouted to my two friends.

"What the hell are you doing?" Marisa screamed.

I turned around and sprinted to the Tauros. The beast was only a few feet away from me. I dropped on my back and slid under the Tauros. I raised my rifle and blew its head off with the pull of a trigger. Blood sprayed into my face as the Tauros collapsed behind me.

I sighed with relief and got to my feet.

"You do realize that could have gone to shit in more than one way," Marisa smirked withe her arms folded.

"Thank you for saving my life, Danny!" I said in a feminine voice.

"My life isn't worth exchange it for yours," said Marisa seriously.

"It'll give my life all the more meaning," I said quietly.

There was an awkward pause. Growlithe whine in confusion. We exchanged patterns of visible breath. I stared at the red snow beneath me. I felt soft fabric touch my face. I flinched but realized it was Marisa with a handkerchief.

My face went as red as the blood on it. I looked back down. I could feel Marisa's smile as she wiped
the blood off my face.

"Let's go home," she said.

I nodded and we started walking back.

*************************

The worst thing happened to us: night. We could barely see anything in front us. Growlithe took the front and guided us with his unparalleled senses.

"Do you hear that?" Marisa asked.

I almost jumped; I was used to the silence.

"No," I frowned.

We halted and listened. I heard a faint buzzing. Growlithe growled ahead. Then he jumped on his hind legs, pointing to the trees.

"Growlithe! Growl! Growlithe!" he barked.

I tried shushing my companion but he kept barking. The buzzing rose.

"What is it?" I questioned worriedly.

The buzzing soon became unbearable. Growlithe breathed a stream of fire into the air. My heart stopped. A colony of zombified Beedrill were posted on the trees. The fire died in the air, leaving us in darkness.

"Danny," Marisa choked.

"Run. Growlithe and I will hold them off," I struggled for the words.

"I'm not going any-"

"I'll meet you at home. You have to tell them about what you found."

"I better see your ass back home," Marisa said slowly.

"I have something to tell you, Marisa."

"Tell me when you get home. I'll be waiting." Marisa took off.

The buzzing ceased. The giant, undead bugs swooped down. Growlithe breathed a stream of fire on our attackers. I start unloading my clip on any Beedrill that came near us. As another Beedrill dropped dead, I started to think we would be home in no time. A hot, searing pain shot in my shoulder.

My rifle dangled in my other hand as a clutched my shoulder. A glowing needle stuck out of it, allowing a trail of blood to flow down. I heard a sorrowful whine. I turned to Growlithe who was being attacked constantly with Pin Missile.

"Leave him alone!" I opened fire on the Beedrills. I missed more than I hit them.

I couldn't bare to look at my dying best friend. Pins were sticking out of him like he was a bloody pin cushion.

"Growlithe, I'm so sorry," I crouched next my friend while reloading. Tears burned my eyes.

He smiled grimly at me before his eyes rolled back.

"Grow-" my body went completely numb.

It became impossible to breathe. I dropped my rifle with shaky hands. I slowly looked down to see a shimmering Beedrill arm impaled through my stomach. I hacked blood onto the snow. The Beedrill ripped his arm from my stomach, and I collapsed in the snow which felt like getting stabbed in an of itself.

I reached out to Growlithe as a couple of Beedrill ripped into him. I couldn't feel the Beedrill as they tore my opens and started devouring my insides. The snow had become red. Something so fresh and pure had been marked by death. My death.

Marisa, I love you. Thank you for bringing me out of the dark. I love you, I thought over and over again as I slipped away from this world. These were the words I was going to say to her. The ones she is waiting. The ones I'll never speak to her.

**************************
-Marisa-

"It's been days, Marisa. I don't think he's coming back," Will said somberly.

I smiled at his doubt and continued to stare at Viridian Forest from the wall. "He'll be back. And I'm going to wait for him to come back like he always did for me. He has something to tell me, something very important."

Pichu gave me a strange look of worry.

"Danny is more than likely dead, Marisa."

"No, no. He's alive. He can't leave me like that. He'll be here, you'll see. Danny always comes back!" I said.

I heard Will climbed down the ladder. Danny might have been torn to shreds along with Growlithe, but he would be back. He couldn't just leave me. I dragged the knifed along my hand and squeezed blood onto the snow underneath me. I did this once everyday. Nothing was pure anymore.