Many visitors found it astonishing that winter ever came to Alola. It was hard to believe that such a tropical climate, surrounded by warm waters and brilliant skies could host anything other than eternal summer. However, like everywhere else in the world, Alola felt a seasonal change, although admittedly not as drastic as others. Alola was currently in the midst of its traditionally short winter months and gray clouds had rolled in announcing rain, not snow. Snow was a rarity on Alola, even on the coldest winters, only falling upon Mount Lanakila, the home to many wild ice type Pokémon, as well as the Pokémon League.
Moon knew the mountain well. Just over four years ago, she climbed it for the first time, reaching the summit and becoming Alola's first Champion. Still thinking about it gave her shivers, and she often chose to make the hike than simply paging a Charizard to fly her to the top. Since her first journey up the mountain, much had changed to the path, however the initial elevator from the mountain's base remained the same. The steep cliffs and sheer angles of the mountainside were deemed too hazardous for trainers to safely traverse, even with the help of their Pokémon. Plans were being discussed for creating a road for trainers to take that would challenge them, while still ensuring their safety, however these would take a few years yet to complete. As it were, she and Professor Kukui had decided to start building the way to Alola's Pokémon League from the top down. Although the League was Kukui's dream, he was determined to have the first champion's input, and it was an honor Moon took seriously.
The elevator hummed to a halt as it reached the top of its track, and she waited for the safety door to slide open. A shiver ran through her, and a small cloud puffed out as her breath froze in the air. It was freezing. Of course, it was winter and Moon knew the air on Mount Lanakila was colder than usual, but this was far and above the norm. Moon frowned as she zipped up her coat, thankful she thought to wear it. Finally the doors slid open and she stepped out onto the snow that had covered the path up the mountain. This winter was turning out to be particularly cold for Alola, and Mount Lanakila had seen the worst of it. While the land below had received rain, the mountain got snow, and Moon had to pick her way through over a foot as she began her journey.
She knew it would be quicker and far warmer to simply fly, however she believed that if she was asking trainers to make the journey to the top, to battle for the position of Champion, they deserved the same respect from her. Besides, even though it was freezing, and the wind was blowing straight through her, she had to recognize the joy of the ice Pokémon playing amongst the snow. This was certainly their environment and they reveled in it.
The snow changed the mountain, familiar rocks and pathways were completely covered in a white blanket, making it seem like a whole new experience. Moon looked ahead of her, trying to plan her ascent. Snow had started falling, making it harder to see clearly, but she was able to make out the large opening that led to the ice caves. As she walked, she noticed a disturbance in the snow, as though someone had recently passed through, perhaps her challengers. As her eyes followed their tracks, a sharp freezing wind blasted down the mountain side and crashed into her. With a shout, she stumbled and hunched away from the force of it. For a moment, it let up, and she was able to regain her balance before another blast hurtled into her. Drawing her coat tight, she knew she had to make it to the caves immediately, instinctively sensing the increasing danger. She placed a hand on her hip, feeling the belt that mounted her team sitting in their Pokéballs. Moon could practically feel Absol shaking in its ball, trying to get out. "I know girl…"
Moon set out, trying to guard herself from the ferocious wind while carefully making her way to the ice cave. A growing sense of dread settled in her stomach, and she knew she had to get there as soon as possible, but was also aware that a misplaced step could very well send her off the side of the mountain. When she was more than half way there, two things happened simultaneously.
Her head down, bearing against the sharp wind, Moon could have sworn she heard a voice. Looking around, she could just barely make out a figure standing at the cave entrance, waving at her. Judging by their body language, they seemed to be encouraging her to move faster, to head their way. At the same time, a loud cracking sound came from above, shortly followed by a rumble. By the time it took Moon to instinctively look up, a loud roaring sound filled the air, permeating everything around them as a massive wall of snow hurtled down the mountain side.
Eyes wide, Moon wasted no time in running full sprint, as best she could, through the snow. As she did, she could see the person in the entrance, staring at her in horror. She waved her arms at them, shouting as loud as she could, "GET BACK! GO INSIDE!"
Legs pumping, she ran with all her might. Behind her, a massive force of snow from above slammed into the pathway, right at the spot she had been standing just a few seconds ago. Moon didn't look back, she couldn't afford to. Just a few feet and she would clear the danger, just a bit more. Suddenly a force hit her from the side, knocking her legs out from under her. The impact pulled the air from her lungs, and made her dizzy as it swept her from the path and over the side.
…
A small click sounded, and a stream of red light manifested into a Decidueye. The Pokémon gave out a shriek of fear and concern as it hovered in the open air, examining its unconscious trainer. The avalanche had swept Moon down, landing on an outcropping that jutted from the mountainside by about five feet. The force of the impact had knocked her out and she lay, face down, one arm dangling over the edge. Her legs were trapped by a mound of snow and ice that had come crashing down with her, possibly saving her from falling any further.
The Decidueye hovered nervously, trying to find a place to land, but it was worried that if it flew too close, Moon would slip and fall. The Pokémon looked around for other ideas, its sharp eyes falling onto Moon's belt. Each Pokéball was still attached, but the belt had come loose and was stuck in the snow. Along with Decidueye's ball, only one other was exposed. Coming to a decision, it flew closer, careful not to make things worse with the beat of its wings. It reached out a talon and deftly pressed the button on the exposed Pokéball. A flash of red light appeared, manifesting into a Type: Null.
The Type: Null took in the situation and knew what it had to do. Taking great care not to harm Moon with its talons, it stretched one leg forward, wrapping it around her torso and pulled her farther back onto the ledge, away from the edge. As it did, Moon moaned in pain, causing her Pokémon to cry out nervously, their concern evident. The two Pokémon locked eyes and a silent understanding passed between them. The Decidueye flapped its wings and rose into the air, flying away as quickly as it could to find help. As it did so, the Type: Null settled down next to Moon, trying to keep her safe and warm.
Twenty minutes passed by when the Type: Null lifted its head in concern. Moon moaned and shifted, her eyes opened, blinking painfully at the light. The Pokémon rumbled a soft purr, attempting to comfort its trainer as she gasped in pain and confusion. Moon looked around and saw nothing but open air and mountainside. Her head pounded as she tried to piece together what happened, the pain in her side and arm was making it difficult to concentrate. She became aware that something was holding her close and she shifted to see her Type: Null lying beside her. Delirious, she reached her good arm and patted its side. "Hey," she said weakly, "how did you get out?"
The thought brought a rush of clarity, and her hand flew to her hip. A gasp of terror escaped her lips as her fingers failed to find the familiar shape of her belt. She sat up, blatantly ignoring the pain from her broken ribs, feverish eyes darting around in attempt to find her team's Pokéballs. A gentle coo came from her Type: Null and she turned toward it, instantly relieved to see the belt safely between its talons. With a sigh, she reached for it, crying out in pain as the action brought back all memory of her injuries.
Alarmed, her Pokémon stood up, carefully picking its way around her. In her pain, Moon was getting too close to the edge of the small outcropping. The Type: Null nudged her gently, encouraging her to push back against the mountainside where it was safest. Moon realized what her Pokémon was asking her to do and nodded, gathering her strength for the move. "Alright…Okay…Give me a moment."
With a deep breath, Moon positioned herself and pushed backward against the wall, crying out in agony as she did so. Her Pokémon paced, as little as it could, and watched nervously. Moon noticed and gave it a weak, but reassuring smile, "It's alright, don't worry."
The Pokémon hummed in nervousness, but settled down beside her, leaning against her in attempts to keep her warm. She smiled and pet it with her good arm as she struggled to think through the pain and fear building up inside her. Moon looked down at her lap and examined the Pokéball belt laying there. For a moment, a tinge of panic swept through her as she saw Decidueye's Pokéball was open. Taking deep breaths, she forced herself to think, trying to figure it out. She noticed her Type: Null looking at her, its expression calm and determined. She took a deep breath and addressed the Pokémon, "Did it go for help…and you stayed to watch over me?"
The Pokémon hummed in agreement, nodding slightly to show she understood the situation. Moon sighed, feeling more than a little relieved that help would be on its way. She took a moment to marvel at the brilliance of her Pokémon, how capable they were of taking care of her. She was so grateful for them all, particularly since she noticed her ride pager was gone and her survival would depend primarily on her Pokémon's actions. She hugged her Pokéballs to her chest, willing the others inside to be calm, "It's okay. I'm okay. Don't worry, we'll get out of this soon."
She thought about her options. Decidueye was going for help, her Type: Null beside her. The only others she brought with her were Snorlax, Absol, and Lycanroc. None of them would be particularly helpful in the current situation. With a sigh, she leaned her head back against the rock, looking up at the sky. The wind blew, sending her hair whipping across her face. The light was starting to fade as the sun began to sink into the horizon. Moon frowned, knowing it was bound to get colder by the minute. The ledge they sat on offered little protection from the wind that still blew around the mountain, chilling a person to the bone. With determination, Moon unzipped her coat and stuffed her Pokéballs inside. Even in this dire situation, she was going to protect her Pokémon, this time from the cold.
As the sun went down, the wind seemed to pick up, bringing a freezing chill to the mountain. The two figures on the ledge huddled together, trying to keep each other warm. Moon shivered, between the cold and pain, she was starting to lose consciousness. Suddenly, a dull realization made its way through her mental haze and noticed her Pokémon beside her, shivering just as violently. With her remaining energy, she stroked it, whispering soothing words, "Hey, why don't you get back into your Pokéball? It'll be warmer there."
The Pokémon shifted and looked at her as though she were insane. She ignored that and reached into her coat for its Pokéball. "I'm sure someone will be here to rescue us soon. I'll be fine, just get inside and be warm."
The Type: Null huffed, making it clear that there was no way it was going to leave her side. She recognized that stubborn determination and shifted tactics, starting to feel the edges of her sight darken as the cold sank into her. Soon, she wouldn't be able to do anything, "Please," she begged weakly, her hand beginning to drop to her side, "Please get inside….be safe…"
The Pokémon saw its trainer go still. Alarmed, it rose from her side, turning to face her. It nudged her, but Moon didn't respond. Terrified, it brought its face close, peering into hers, trying to find any sign of life. With some small relief, it noticed a small puff of air coming from her mouth. She was still alive, but the Pokémon knew it wouldn't be for much longer if something wasn't done.
The Pokémon whined in despair as it stared at its trainer, her life slowly leeching away. It nudged her again, willing her to move, to pet it like she did whenever they won a battle. It longed to see her smile reassuringly, just like she did early on every time the Pokémon would lash out in confusion. It wanted to hear her laugh and talk to it, like she had every day they had been together. Type: Null cried for her, remembering how kind she was, always patient. She never pushed it too far, never asked it to evolve before it was ready. Even when it knew she went to the Aether Paradise to ask Gladion about his Silvally's evolution, she had made sure that her Pokémon understood she loved it just the way it was. Now, with the very last of her strength, she only cared for the Pokémon's safety.
As it cried out, light seemed to surround the Pokémon. In its sorrow and determination to save its trainer, it stepped back, feeling a rush of emotion and power as it evolved. As the light faded, the Pokémon's heavy mask fell to the ground, broken into pieces. Amazed at the sense of freedom, the newly evolved Silvally shook its head, trying to get used to life without a mask. Still, a sense of urgency pushed it forward, and it pawed at the bag that had miraculously stayed with Moon as she fell. The Pokémon carefully dug through it, pulling out its prize in the form of a small disk. Without any delay, the Silvally activated it, immediately feeling a flash of heat searing through its entire body.
…
Moon gradually came to the realization that she was conscious. She opened her eyes, and blinked. All around her was darkness except for a red glow that seemed to fill her vision. She could feel the freezing wind upon her face, but for some reason she was warm, very warm. Groggily, she moved her good arm in front of her, pushing at the mass on her legs. The movement caused the red glow to shift and reveal a face, peering eagerly at her in hope and wonder. She blinked at it dumbly and reached a hand out to it, stroking its neck, "Hi there…"
The Pokémon cooed in delight and relief, causing some dull spark of recognition to nag at the edges of her groggy mind. She continued to stroke its neck, squinting as she tried to recall what was happening. Wasn't she trapped on a mountainside? Didn't her Type: Null refuse to go back into its Pokéball? Then who was this, so nice and warm?
It came to her quickly, realization and understanding at what had happened. "Oh….You," she cried out in wonder, "You evolved!"
The Silvally hummed with happiness as its trainer threw her arm around its neck, hugging it tightly, "I'm so proud of yo...OOooooh you're so warm!"
Moon sank into Silvally's fur and felt the warmth radiate from the Pokémon. She realized it must have fished out the fire memory drive in order to keep her from freezing. Moon hugged her wonderful Pokémon tighter, "Thank you."
Silvally purred, a feeling of relief and joy filling it as it knew its trainer was going to be alright. High above, a loud screech sounded, and both Pokémon and trainer looked up to make out a Decidueye speeding toward them. Close behind was a rescue team coming to save them.
…
Two men stood by the door of the darkened room, speaking in hushed voices. Inside, a Silvally lay at the foot of a hospital bed, its head resting upon crossed forelegs. Its trainer slept soundly, several wires attaching her to machines that beeped as it monitored her vitals. As the murmur of voices washed over the Pokémon, its eyes opened, sensing a change. The Silvally got to its feet, claws tapping on the hard floor as it moved to Moon's side. It hummed in pleasure as its trainer lifted a hand and weakly stroked its neck.
At the sound, the two men stopped their conversation and looked in. Both had expressions of relief as they entered, coming to her bedside. Silvally kept nuzzling her hand as she looked up at them, a groggy smile on her face, "Hey...what's with those expressions?"
One of the men, Gladion, crossed his arms, looking down at her with his sharp eyes, "You worried us. Who told you it was a good idea to go mountain climbing in a blizzard?"
The other smiled widely and put his hands behind his head, leaning back in his carefree manner. "Yeah! Lillie was ready to board the next ferry to Alola and….Oh! I should go call Lillie and tell her you're awake!"
Gladion and Moon watched as Hau ran from the room, startling a nurse and calling apologies over his shoulder as he made for the lobby. Gladion shook his head in amusement as Moon chuckled softly, finding herself thankful. Suddenly, the laugh caught in her throat and caused her to start coughing. The spasms sent shockwaves through her, rekindling the pain in her middle. She gasped, squeezing her eyes shut and waiting for it to pass.
Gladion had come around to her bedside, sitting down as he helped her with a glass of water. As Moon tried to catch her breath, he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The gesture seemed to help and she put her hand over his, sinking into the feel of his touch. "You really scared me," he told her, his voice wavering.
Moon opened her eyes and met his. She could see the lingering fear in them and she frowned. "I'm sorry," she said, hesitating as she struggled to recall something.
"Gladion, where you there? I don't really remember…"
He nodded, shifting to put the water glass down on the side table. "I was at the Aether Paradise talking with a researcher when I was told about the avalanche on Mount Lanakila. The Foundation knew there would be Pokémon in trouble, so they were moving out to help, but I had a bad feeling about it. I paged a Charizard and left first to scope out the situation. When I arrived at the League's PokéCenter, I was just in time to see some idiot trainer trying to catch your Decidueye. It was obvious there was something wrong, and when another trainer showed up saying they saw someone get swept away in the avalanche, I knew it was you. So I gathered a rescue team and went to find you. Once we had you safe, I contacted your mother, who brought along Hau, and you can guess the rest."
Moon frowned, "Where is Decidueye and the others? I don't see them."
Gladion smiled reassuringly, "They're fine. They're waiting for you at the PokéCenter. Decidueye put up a bit of a fight, but ultimately was too exhausted to win out. Silvally here was determined to stay with you, and once I explained things, the doctors reluctantly allowed it to stay. It wasn't an easy task, barely anyone has seen one before and they were naturally cautious, but they came around. Nurse Joy had already stopped by and took care of it, said that it needed rest and food, both easily accomplished."
As he spoke, Silvally rumbled a contented purr and nuzzled Moon's arm. As it did so, a loud voice filled the room as Moon's mother came bursting in, "Oh my little girl! I'm so glad you're safe!"
Gladion moved aside to allow Moon's mom through, smiling as Moon whispered reassurances while hugging her mother tightly. Hau came in then, laughing in happiness at the reunion. "I just called Lillie," he announced, "I talked her out of coming back right away, since she has a ferry scheduled for next week for her trip home. So she's going to wait and follow her original plan instead of coming back early."
Moon nodded, "That's good. I don't want her rushing back for no reason. I'll still be hurting by then so she won't miss anything really."
Hau laughed at her joke, but in truth it felt a little forced. They all knew how much danger she had been in, and how close they came to losing her.
For the next ten minutes they all chatted and laughed, keeping the mood light and positive until Moon presented them with a massive yawn. Seeing her heavily blinking eyes, they all agreed that she should get some rest. Hau left to take Moon's mom to the motel while Gladion stayed behind.
Once it was quiet, the only sound came from the beeping of machines and Silvally snoring softly in the corner, Moon settled down. She found it more comfortable to be on her side, and she looked over at Gladion, sitting in the chair beside her bed. They locked eyes and he smiled at her reassuringly, but changed to show concern when he saw her expression. Kneeling at her bedside, he wiped away the tears that were streaming from her eyes. "What's wrong? Are you hurting?"
Moon shook her head and sobbed quietly, catching his hand in hers and holding it to her face. "I was so scared," she whispered, voice cracking with emotion.
Gladion's eyes went wide and he leaned stroked her hair to comfort her. "I'm so sorry, Moon. I hate to see you this way, in pain."
"It's not your fault. There's nothing you could have done."
"I know, but that doesn't mean I don't feel it. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you. I'm so glad you're safe."
Moon let out a sob and closed her eyes, letting herself be calmed by his gentle caresses. After a while, she sighed and looked at him again. "Thank you…and thank you for staying with me."
Gladion smiled and leaned forward, kissing her softly on the forehead, "Get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake up, I promise."
Moon nodded weakly and with a sigh of content, she closed her eyes and drifted into slumber.