The Road to Hell

Aiko, Elaine, and Vermilion Gym's Second, Jack Riley, navigate the ruined streets after the Stormbringer passes. Aiko feels deeply ashamed of freezing up during the storm but is relieved that her mind is clear now. Elaine, conversely, experiences subjective time dilation and feels a dangerous sense of invincibility.

They hear someone screaming from a burning building, but Jack insists on heading to the hospital instead to help more people in less time, forcing a cold utilitarian choice. Aiko and Elaine reluctantly agree, though Aiko is deeply disturbed by the decision. Continuing on, they find three unconscious civilians and realize they were fed on by drowzee. The psychic pokemon ambush them from an alley. Aiko frantically uses awakenings to keep her team conscious while they fight off the attackers alongside Jack's zebstrika and liepard. One civilian dies before they can act, but they carry the other two toward the hospital.

Along the way, they are intercepted by Giovanni riding a flygon, who transports them the rest of the way. At the hospital campus, Aiko and Elaine take a brief rest before heading back out for another escort mission. However, Aiko is shocked to run into Red, who looks utterly devastated. Red reveals that Leaf was critically injured by a nidoqueen—suffering a broken arm, ribs, and lung—and is currently in surgery. Red refuses to leave her side, so Elaine volunteers to stay at the hospital while Aiko goes back out with Red and Jack.

Racing back to the burning hospital, the group is caught in a localized earthquake. The tremors collapse the hospital's first floor, trapping the remaining gym members inside. Despite previously insisting on strict triage, Jack immediately strips off his gear and uses his blastoise to use Brick Break on the rubble, refusing to abandon his people. Red desperately begs Aiko not to follow, arguing that it's a suicide mission with no logical plan or preparation. But Aiko, sick of sacrificing others for the greater good and desperate to prove her courage after freezing under Zapdos, kisses Red's cheek and runs inside after Jack, leaving Red behind.