"No!" Leon screamed as Cassandra went over the edge, unable to stop herself. The Abomasnow was in a fury, and it took too much strength to rush over to her Pokémon, Boltund in his arms while Corviknight lumbered behind. Charizard and Arcanine finally found their footing and blasted fire at Alpha, forcing her back. Yet, the damage was done. A Blizzard had begun, and it wasn't going to stop any time soon—not with the ice-type Pokémon encouraging it even as she backed away. Her Icy Wind prior had done its toll, too, and Leon could only see ripples from where Cassandra had gone through the ice.
She hadn't come back up yet. There was a lot of blood on the snow.
"Take him," he told the Tyranitar, handing over Boltund. It wasn't the easiest thing with smaller arms, but he managed. "Get Lapras down there as soon as you can!"
Before any of the Pokémon could give him a questioning growl, he trudged back a few paces, and then sprinted off with a leap, diving down into the waters below. The freezing temperature almost made him lose all the air he held. He kept it together—just barely—and swam downward. Even with it being daytime, he could barely see. Still, he swiped with his arms and kicked with his legs, looking everywhere—there! He found her, slowly sinking further away. Bubbles slipped out little by little, as did blood from her side. He pumped his legs harder, fighting against the sharp cold. His body wanted to stop and turn around, but he forced himself to reach.
His fingers found cloth and he pulled her to him. He looked to the surface, and with the first stroke he realized how heavy they felt now. It was suddenly that much colder, too. Going down had been so easy compared to going up, and he was running out of air.
Another body slammed down into the water through the ice, and for a moment, he panicked. However, it turned to relief when he realized it was Lapras, zipping towards them with ease. He grasped hold of her shell spikes as soon as she was close and she tore to the surface, breaching with no trouble at all. He gasped for air, panting and shivering as he pulled Cassandra on better, rolling her to her back. The freezing wind that hit them brought out another gasp as he leaned over her.
He tapped tap and cupped her face, "'Cas? Cassandra! 'Cas!"
She wasn't breathing. Leon cursed, panic taking hold, but then sense found him again. Quickly, he intertwined his fingers and began to push down rapidly on her chest enough times he lost count and then pressed his lips to hers to breathe in air. The first time didn't work, causing desperation to join panic, but he kept at it, praying to Arceus she would cough up the water. By the third go dread was setting in strong, and it was only her sudden jerk, cough, and vomiting that let some relief through. It didn't last long, though; despite returning to life she was barely conscious as she hacked up the rest of the water. She was deathly cold and still bleeding—he could see red dribbling off with the water. She needed that wound treated, and she desperately needed to get warm. Now. He did, too, else they risked hypothermia.
Howls and calls come from above. Arcanine was trying to work his way down while the others were stuck up higher up besides his Charizard, whom descended to hover close. They wouldn't be able to get down, but neither could Lapras get up. Thankfully, Cassandra's pokéballs had remained on her belt, and the distance wasn't too far, so, with some work, he managed to get them all back safely inside including her injured pair. He left Lapras out to take them to shore where, stiffly he got himself and Cassandra to dry land, practically slumped on his shoulder, and then returned the water-type. He looked to his fire-type, who rumbled uneasily.
"D-do you kn-now the way bb-back—c-can you fly us-s-s?" he asked, but his Pokémon gave no sign of confidence. He cursed and brought Arcanine back out, whom whined and nuzzled his trainer wearily. Even half-conscious, she reached out to him, but it was a struggle.
"Arcanine, you k-know t-the w-way-y?" he asked, shivering worse now as the wind blasted and howled. The Pokémon nodded and laid down so he could lift Cassandra up. She fell forward, but he caught and steadied her long enough to slip on himself. Arcanine's body was a warmth they desperately needed, but it wouldn't be enough to save them. He pulled the redhead close, wrapping an arm around her firmly while he grasped the collar hidden within the mane as tightly as he could. "H-hurry—we're r-r-r-running out of t-t-time. Chariz-zard, f-follow c-c-close! K-keep anyth-hing away f-from us-s-s!"
He didn't need to tell them twice. Arcanine shot off, forcing Leon to press them both into the soft fur. Ultimately, he didn't mind as it helped to buffer the wind and give them more warmth. Cassandra was so still, though, that he worried each second meant she was that much closer to dying. He couldn't let that happen, though. He couldn't fail someone else, not after she'd saved him a second time. He couldn't let her down. He couldn't lose anyone else he cared about.
By some miracle, they reached the cave in what felt only moments after clambering up and over the mountains again. His body was terribly stiff when he slipped off, stumbling and falling onto the hard ground of the cave. He forced himself up as his knees throbbed and gently pulled Cassandra down, doing his best not to fall again.
"The f-f-f-ire," he croaked, and the Arcanine blasted a flame into the make-shift hearth, igniting the remaining wood at once. The Pokémon then barked, and to his surprised the pokéballs on her waste flared to life. All but the Boltund and Corviknight emerged, the two Pokémon still recovering. Arcanine settled down by the fire pit, ready to curl around them as he had before. Lucario helped bring them over, an arm around his trainer's back to shoulder the weight.
"W-wher-r-e?" she spoke, weakly, making his heart skip a beat.
"T-the c-c-cave. G-gotta-a... g-get... w-warm."
"C-clothes-ss.... B-body-y... h-he..a...t."
She was fading again, but he understood well enough. She was right, their clothes were practically frozen solid. If they wanted any hope of getting warm they had to get them off—like how she had for him before. The fire was an Arceus-sent gift for that, helping to ebb the cold in his hands so he could do even so much as grab a zipper or button. Arcanine was likewise helpful, blowing hot air from his mouth. To his surprise, his Charizard began to do the same, having somehow picked up the trick. It helped bring enough movement into his fingers and limbs that he was able to take off her jacket, albeit slowly. He paused, though, realizing he'd need to go further—and because of the wound. It had torn through the thick material and undershirt completely, and now he could see it was somewhat deep. The cold must have slowed the blood flow, but she needed treatment.
"Y-your... w-wound," he spoke, a little more steady now.
"P-p-pack. S-sup-plies."
She tried to gesture to her tent, but barely lifted her arm. He was in luck, though; her Pokémon were a step ahead, and the Lucario bounded over to grab the bigger backpack within and set it beside them. A few blankets were brought next by Tyranitar, whom rumbled uneasily. Lapras sat not far off, whining gently and singing a gentle tune, unsure how to help.
"G-get... c-clothes-s-s... c-c-cold-d," she croaked.
Leon hesitated, and admonished himself for it. She was technically the first woman he'd undressed, but he'd seen plenty of women in bathing suits or underwear for modeling shots. Sure, it was hardly the same situation, but he shouldn't be nervous about it. Still, he made a point to not look as he undid her trousers and boots, tugging them off as gently as he could. She had, to his embarrassment's relief, under armor briefs meant for the cold and not plain underwear. He eased her long-sleeved shirt off next, again careful not to stare, even if she was wearing a sports bra. He could see the full state of the wound now, though, and hated how far along her side it went, reaching from almost her belly button to her hip. It would scar he imagined, but he supposed she was used to it—based off the others he could see on her pale, freckled skin. He couldn't help noticing she worked out, too; her muscles well-defined.
He pushed such notions aside, though, as he quickly went through the pack, finding a cotton cloth to use with alcohol to clean, and then wrap to use as bandages. Truthfully, she needed stitches—and a proper doctor to look at her, but they were in no condition to move, especially when the blizzard had become worse. He would have to do what he could, which wasn't much. He had never been great at First Aid and hated himself for never learning better.
"Lapras, I n-n-eed a gentle Wat-ter G-gun t-to clean," he spoke, relieved he was warm enough to talk mostly proper and use his hands, although his body still shivered from his own frozen clothes. The Pokémon complied, shuffling closer, and spewed a gentle stream that helped wash the blood off. He wiped with the alcohol next, which made her squirm, much to his dismay. She grasped hold of his pant leg, whimpering before briefly passing out. That made his heart skip a beat. She came back with a groan, though, and he placed antibiotic ointments onto it along with a cloth and bandaged it as best he could.
It was shoddy work, but what else could he do?
Leon cursed as he finally removed his own jacket and top, sighing as he felt the heat of the fire on his shivering skin. He worked his pants off next, and, after another moment's hesitation, shifted himself and the redhead so they were both lying against Arcanine's fur with a blanket wrapped around as best he could. He brought her against his side, letting Cassandra's head rest on his shoulder. She was still ice-cold, and he was only marginally better. But that slowly changed as he felt hot air come from below and saw Arcanine had worked its snout beneath the blanket. Charizard, likewise, blew from the top, and he did feel better.
The others sat around them, uneasy and worried for their trainer. The love they had was enviable, and it was all too easy to see why they held such affection for her. She was a strong, honorable, and kind person. She'd faced danger for him, and gotten hurt because of his uselessness. He didn't deserve it and hated himself for dragging her into it.
"I'm sorry, 'C-Cas. This is all m-my fault," he whispered, pulling her a little closer.
"S'not... s'that... id...iot," she rumbled back, and he couldn't stop a half-grin. She was cracking wise even now. He wished he was that strong half the time.
"I led-d him h-here. R-remember? They're why I end-ded up how you f-found me."
"Might... m-might w-wanna... e-explain."
His gaze fell, "It's... I d-don't know who they a-are exactly. B-but... Swordward... he approach-hed me, said he wanted t-to talk—wanted my h-help. I wasn't g-going to agree, n-not after Rose betrayed m-me, but... he said it involved Zacian and Zama-z-zenta. The ones Gloria and H-hop summoned for Et-ternatus. I knew I h-had to hear it. See what was g-going on."
"H-he wants-s t-to c-control the-em?"
"I think s-so? He talked about... being rulers—him and his b-brother. About descendant of the k-king of old. How the Legendary Pokémon s-stole their glory. Said S-sonia's book was... wrong. He wanted me t-to lead them t-to the sword and shield that summoned them. He t-told me it was to show the world the t-truth. He said I was w-worthy of being t-their Champion and could re-reclaim my 'glory'."
She snorted, which eased his worries some, "P-p-pretenious-s d-dick."
"Yeah. S-said it different, b-but yeah. I refused. He got p-pissed. D-demanded I submit. Told me I would regret if I d-didn't. That they'd f-find the relics without me. I only had Chariz-zard—left the others in my apartment... in the Tower. Chariz-zard couldn't stop them all at-t once. They attacked us b-both, so we fled—right into the s-storm. I was t-trying to get to Hop. They got to him f-first. Or so he s-says."
"W-we'll save h-him e-eitther w-way. Once—once we're w-warm. N-need... to stay... awak-ke."
"Okay. Yeah, okay. How ab-bout... how... why... why'd you... g-go and do that, huh?" he chuckled weakly, his guilty tightening in his chest again. "Risk yourself for me-e l-like that. That's—that's m-my job."
"Y-you done enough-h. Was m-my t-turn. I... I don't like... f-failing e-either," she replied slowly, and he felt her arm move downward. He glanced—mindful to avoid her torso—and saw her stroke Arcanine's snout. The warmth paused briefly as he whined and licked her hand. "G-good boy. Good b-boy. S-sorry I w-worried... y-you."
"You raised them... well. Even—even Charizard's learning," he chuckled, reaching over touch his Pokémon's snout just outside the blanket. His fire-type rumbled softly, nuzzling his trainer's hand. "Yeah, I'm... feeling b-better."
"S-so... l-looks like... y-you... like... w-we're... e-even... n-now."
He frowned, "Huh?"
"Y-you g-got t-t-to und-dress-s m-me t-this... ti-time," she half-grinned. He could feel her shaking and worked his arm a bit closer around, chin settling on the top of her head.
His cheeks were warm, "D-don't say stupid stuff like t-that."
"W-what? F-first g-girl y-you t-took the p-pants off-f-f of?"
"Y-yes, if you must know... Not s-sure you need me a-anymore, though... cracking j-jokes... like that."
"I-I lik-ke to s-see y-you smile. Y-you've... been t-through enough."
"And... you... haven't?" he asked, pulling back to look at her, but her gaze was set downward. He brought her chin back to look at him. "You... failed, too... right? What... was it?"
She didn't answer for a time, worrying him, but then let out a shaky sigh, "A-a... f-f-few things. S-sinnoh... f-f-first. T-tried... stop... stop b-bad guy. Cy... Cyrus-s...W-wanted... t-to d-destroy w-world. B-become G-god... w-with... P-Pokémon. O-opened hole t-to other d-dimension E-ended up... b-badly h-hurting h-him... l-left him t-there. C-couldn't... s-stop him. C-couldn't...m-make him c-change. H-had before w-with... others. B-but... n-not... him. H-had to... s-stop him. P-pretty s-sure.... H-he died."
Memories flickered in the flames before them.
A dark, twisted dimension full of chaos and danger. A dark, Legendary creature watching them with red eyes, awaiting the end. An older man, his hair a vibrant blue, and cruel, soulless, dead eyes. He'd been beaten. Bested. But his anger fueled him. He refused to stop; refused to yield. He kept trying to hurt her—to stop her from "defiling" his perfect world.
She'd shoved him away, and he fell onto a shrapnel of the strange world they've entered. He couldn't move. He coughed blood.
The Pokemon shrieked, eyes searing into her. The dimension was closing.
She ran.
Leon's voice brought her back, "Sounds... like he... deserved... it."
"M-maybe. B-but... The o-others... R-rocket... S-silver... S-stopped them... D-din't... h-hurt them."
"You... punched... Silver."
She weakly smacked his chest, "N-not same. B-but-t-t. F-face."
"You just... call me... buttface?" he laughed as he felt relief. It finally hit him how much she was talking. She was feeling better, he hoped—prayed. Surely talking after almost passing out was good?
"Y-yes," she chuckled.
"W-weirdo," he snickered, pausing for a moment. "A...and the other?"
Cassandra went quiet again—this time, for so much longer Leon worried she had passed out once more, this time for good. He called out to her softly, at which point she shifted and he could see her eyes were open. She was collecting her thoughts, and his own mind couldn't help finally noticing the feeling of her against him. She wasn't as cold now—she shivered less, too—but even then, the remaining coolness wasn't bothersome. Rather, he enjoyed it, holding her like this. It was strange; he'd held others before, and in certainly more comfortable situations, but not like this. The craziest thing was that it wasn't entirely intimate, or, rather, the situation wasn't. It was a struggle to survive; to keep warm, and yet in a weird, selfish way he was glad for it to give him this moment of closeness.
He shoved the thought back when she finally sighed and spoke.
"In... Unov-va..."
"You d-did Champion work-k... there, too, right?"
"N-no... I... I-I'm not--not a C-champion. I-I d-didn't... f-finish. I l-left b-before."
"W-what? How c-come? You... won... so many..."
"I...," she started, again pausing. When he looked down again, he saw a pain in her hazel eyes. He meant to say something, but she spoke up once more, "I... f-f-failed... my-y f-f-r-reind. He... he was... a g-good.... P-person. Want-ted... b-best f-for... P-Pokémon."
He looked to the fire, "What... happened?"
"I.... c-c-couldn't... h-he...," she croaked out, no longer just shaking from the cold. He brought his other hand up to grasp her shoulder.
"You d-don't have to... t-tell me... right now."
"S-sorry... I-I... j-j-just... I'd... n-never... f-failed... l-like t-that... I..."
"That's... why y-you didn't-t... finish? B-beat Champion?"
She deflated against him some, "Y-yeah... I... r-ran. C-couldn't... f-face it. Like... c-coward."
"I'd... say y-you're... hardly.. c-coward. You j-just risked... your life... f-for me."
"N-no... I-I... am... w-was. S-still a-am. B-been h-hiding aw-way here... r-running f-from... all."
Leon frowned, trying to understand. She was running from failure, and it brought her out here? He had been running from his own guilt, so he got it in a way, but it was still so strange. What would have driven her to such lengths to be out here, and yet give her all to help him? She was like an enigma, and it made him admire her and pity her more all at the same time.
"What... happened... to him? The... f-friend?" he asked softly.
"H-he..." she started, shutting her eyes. Leon looked down when she trailed off, her hands clenching against his chest. Her eyes were squeezed tight, and she shook again. He pressed his face into her hair, wishing he could comfort her more than this.
"You... don't have to t-tell me," he spoke gently, rubbing her back. When she didn't respond he wondered if maybe she'd dozed off, but then she sighed.
"S-sorry."
"It's fine. I didn't tell you... the truth, either..."
"Y-you have... n-now."
"Not the... same. S-so don't... worry. Gotta... focus on... getting warm now. Gotta... stop... that guy. The other one, too."
"H-he... p-probs... stuck, t-too. I-if not... f-frozen."
He chuckled, "If only... but he's... definitely... stuck. L-like us. B-but we... gotta leave... soon as we can."
"Y-yeah. O-once s-storm eases... warm... up," she nodded, pausing to shift and look up at Charizard. Weakly, she reached up and touched his nose, making him pause. "Y-you... stop—for n-now. S-save i-it to t-take over... f-for Arc. C-Can't k-keep it... g-going too... too long."
"S-she's right. You stick... stick close, but... wait on... breath," Leon added, smiling up at his Pokémon, whom rumbled uncertainly, but ultimately nodded.
Cassandra looked to her other Pokémon, worry clear in their features, "It'll... b-be okay. J-just... watch o-over, alright-t?"
A round of meek rumbles, barks, and chirps were the response. Tyranitar was the only one to actually move, placing himself close to the entrance. She could just make him out between everything, and saw his shoulders tensed, tail lifted slightly. He was agitated, no doubt blaming himself. He took after her probably the most, which was ironic considering he'd disliked her when they first met, if only out of stubbornness and pride. He would no doubt stand there until she was better.
She hated admitting she wasn't sure if she would.
Despite the first-aid Leon had given, her body hurt. Talking was only a means of distracting herself, but she was in pain. Breathing thankfully didn't make it worse besides a burn in her lungs from the cold, but any big movement did, and she wasn't sure the bleeding had stopped. She was still so cold, too, and prayed it wasn't because of the blood loss.
"Don't... l-let me... f-fall asleep, L-leon," she called out, almost a whisper.
"I won't. P-promise. Are you... okay?"
"N-not... really. I'm c-cramping some," she replied, which wasn't a lie. It was a tad uncomfortable how they were, although the proximity was welcoming.
"Ok-kay, hold on," he mumbled, easing her forward gently—he silently cursed when she hissed in pain—and shifted so he was the one lying directly back against Arcanine's fur. He nudged her a little so he could slip his legs around either side of hers and then eased her back to she was lying against his chest. His elbows moved to the top of his knees so he could grasp the blanket and bring it close to her neck. "Better?"
"Y-yeah. Just...D-don't... g-get... too... too excit-ted," she chuckled, and he laughed as warmth filled his cheeks.
"That's my l-line. Not-t just anyone g-gets to cuddle half nak-ked with an ex-Champion."
"I'm h-honored t-to be... f-first," she chuckled, and, after a pause added, "I-I guessed right. Y-your c-chest fe-els nice t-too."
Leon's cheeks flared again and he groaned, "C-can't you at least act hurt-t!?"
"N-never. Just... just start t-talking 'bout... s-something else. K-keep awake."
"Right. Well, then... let's.. t-tell me more... about your home—Johto," he offered, and, to his relief, she did.
She told him of its warm, mountainous climate where storms could roll in from the shore and then die just as quick; she described the thick forests that ran between towns, and the stretch of land across the bay where one of the gyms resided. She went in length of the great Mt. Silver, where she'd faced the strongest Pokémon in her journey, and where her Tyranitar found his former colony, but chose to stay with the team. She spoke of ancient legends come to life, which he once would have scoffed at but now believed. She mentioned Kanto, too, her sister-region, which was much the same, though had a less "traditional" feel.
By then his head began to droop every so often. He didn't mean to, and he wanted to blame the warmth that had filled the blanket and soothed his body. The cold had long passed by the time Charizard began his round of "heated breath" and both he and Cassandra's speech had improved, though still reflected their exhaustion. Her even more so, and he urged himself to stay awake as she mentioned how she had to deal with an obnoxious Snorlax blocking her way once, although he didn't recalling her saying where exactly. By then he vaguely thought she'd stopped talking, but he couldn't be sure nor keep his eyes from closing.
Last he was certain of was noting how her lovely red hair had a beautiful, golden glow in the flame light.
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Leon woke with a start, visibly jerking, and flinched again when he found two snouts in his face, one wet and the other scaly. Arcanine and Charizard. They had been making noises at him, but now that he was awake, they pulled back and returned to muffled rumbles. He quickly glanced around, regaining his bearings, and recalled the woman in his arms. She felt much warmer now, but she was quiet—she'd fallen asleep, too. He cursed, having broken his promise, but it was hard not to. They had been drained after the battle and brush with death. He sighed, closing his eyes, lingering a bit longer. He relished in her against him, as pathetic of him as it was, but he wanted to keep her there; wanted to feel like he was keeping her safe, even if he couldn't. And that was pathetic of him. What man couldn't protect the woman who'd saved him not only once, but twice? She'd gotten hurt because of him, and now he couldn't even stay awake for her.
Some man he was. Worse still, some friend.
"Hey, 'Cas," he nudged gently, but she didn't answer. He nudged again, "'Cas?"
Nothing.
Worry hit hard as he turned her and realized she was sweating—a lot more than she should have been. Her breathing was ragged, too, and when he touched her brow, it was scalding hot. He cursed. She had a fever, and he had a good idea why. He shrugged off the blanket to lay her down flat. Thankfully, the cave was now warm thanks to the fire and the work of Charizard and Arcanine, who looked a bit weary themselves, but a lot better than their trainers. He grimaced at the sight of dark stains that had seeped through the bandages. The bleeding hadn't stopped, and when he peeled them back he could tell the skin looked wrong. He didn't see puss, but it didn't look how it should.
"We can't wait," he breathed, looking to the entrance. The blizzard hadn't stopped, but it wasn't nearly as bad as before or when he'd gotten lost. Still, it wasn't something he wanted to try and contend against again—not when he'd nearly died before. But Cassandra didn't have time. He looked to where he'd tossed their attire, but the garments were gone. "Our clothes?"
Lucario barked, walking over to where they'd been laid out on Lapras shell again. They had been dried, like when he'd first arrived here. He was endlessly grateful as he worked to dress her as carefully as he could, which wasn't easy where the wound was. She whimpered, which was like a stab to the heart. He got it done, though, and quickly dressed. He wrapped her belt around his waist and turned to all the Pokémon. Boltund and Corviknight had elected to remain in their balls, leaving the four and his Charizard.
"We can't stay. She's needs proper medical help. You'll all need to go back in your balls, and we'll leave everything here. Charizard... we have to go through the blizzard. She'll die if we don't. I... we need to get to someone who can help—a hospital or something. I'm not sure where's closest, but someplace safe and with people we can trust completely. I know it's a lot to carry, both me and her, but..." he began, and the only response he got from his Pokémon was a flare of its wings and a confident snarl. A spurt of flame for good measure was added, and then the lizard sauntered to the entrance and lowered down, giving room to have passengers.
"Thank-you, my friend. Now, all of you, let's go. I'm not your trainer, but I promise I'll do everything I can to take care of you and her," he went on, and, seeing no protest, returned them all to their pokéballs. Hooking them in place, he crouched down to wrap Cassandra in a blanket and lift her into his arms. She groaned, so he did his best to gently set her in place on Charizard's back. He lamented his Pokémon wasn't as large as the others of his kind as she'd described, even if he was taller than him still. His weight had never slowed his friend down before, but now there were two of them, and they were fighting a blizzard. Still, his fire-type did not waver as he clambered on, making sure the young woman was held close to him while he grasped a loose patch of skin near the base of the neck with his free hand.
It was going to be an awkward take off, but his Charizard never backed down from a challenge. Despite the wind and the cold and the thick snow, the lizard-like Pokémon took off at a lumbering run. He must have sensed the wind right, for it suddenly blasted them from behind and Charizard lifted with a leap. The blizzard hit hard, and it was only the jacket and hat Leon wore that protected his back from feeling the brunt of it. The air nipped his legs and fingers and cheeks, though, and he was only so glad he was shielding Cassandra from most of it. He kept his head low to keep an eye on her. After all, even if the snow wasn't blinding, he would be of no help. He was pants with direction, as his brother would say.
"Fly fast and true, Charizard. I'm counting on you, bud," he murmured, his worst lost to the wind, but he knew his Pokémon understood.
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The fluff is real guys, and so is the guilty pleasure. Too bad they were both semi-dying. Cas more so. Hopefully she survives... otherwise this story is gonna be over pretty quick ¯\_(ツ)_/¯