"What happened?" Calem asked. Serena noted that he seemed to be out of breath. The snow rushed past them, but she could do little more than give him an unfocused stare from the ground. "What's wrong? Are you injured? …Serena, say something, you're scaring me!"
"I-I… w-water… fell…" she trailed off, suddenly confused. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't figure out what to say. Her mind was too foggy. "So c-c-cold…"
"Okay… okay…" Calem sighed. "Don't talk for now. Let's stand up, okay? I'll help you."
Serena grit her teeth and leaned heavily against him as she resumed a standing position. He grunted and tried to guide her back into Frost Cavern. Serena was too weak to argue that he was going the wrong way.
The lack of wind and blowing snow was apparent as soon as they entered, and though it was an improvement, the temperature still had to be below freezing. Calem allowed Serena to sink against the cave wall, then he fell back onto the ground in front of her. Both of them were quiet for a few moments, the silence of the chamber interrupted by the sounds of their laboured breathing.
"Flareon," Calem finally said. "Go sit next to Serena to warm her up."
"Flareon!" The next thing Serena knew was sudden heat. It was almost too much. She pressed herself against the fluffy eeveelution regardless, her heart pounding as her body tried to adjust to the sudden change in temperature.
There was a flash of white light, and an absol appeared. "Absol, go back to town and get help!" Calem instructed. The absol nodded once and then bounded back into the roaring blizzard. Calem watched his pokemon leave, then looked back at Serena. "Absol's the reason I found you. They can sense natural disasters, and he kept trying to pull me toward Frost Cavern… I knew Trevor was going there, so I thought maybe something had happened to him. But then I met up with him, and he told me you'd been out here for a long time. I could see the blizzard that Absol had predicted starting…" he shook his head. "I didn't even think to prepare, I-I just called out Flareon to make a path through the snow with his fire and I ran. I didn't consider you could be in need of medical attention… I'm sorry I can't do more."
Serena shook her head, trying to communicate that she wasn't upset with him. She shivered and clung to Flareon, who sat patiently next to her. Jolteon had curled up on Flareon's other side, taking advantage of the heat.
Calem quietly watched her for a few moments. "Are you feeling any better? You look terrible…"
Despite her condition, Serena still managed to send her rival a glare. Calem got the hint after a few seconds of giving her a blank stare.
"Oh, uh, I-I mean… well, you do look pretty bad. You're really pale, and your lips are kind of blue. B-but…" He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Usually you're so happy and determined and full of life. It's just scary seeing you like this; that's all I meant."
Serena blinked at him, then smiled and looked away.
"There's some colour returning to your cheeks, I think."
Serena was sure her blush deepened if nothing else. "S-shut up…"
Calem furrowed his brow. "The first coherent thing you say to me is 'shut up'?"
Serena paused and sheepishly looked away. "Thank you, C-Calem. I… I dunno if I… w-would h-have made it…"
Calem rolled his eyes. "You were passed out on the ground. There's no way you would have made it back to Dendemille Town."
Serena hesitated, then shook her head. "…I m-meant… I-I could have… you know…" The wind whistled eerily as it flew by the cavern, allowing her sentence to be understood without being completed.
Calem's expression hardened, and he shook his head. "Why would you go to Frost Cavern by yourself at this time of the day anyways? You ought to have known that would be a bad idea. You aren't even wearing a jacket, or gloves…" Calem's eyes widened. "Serena, let me see your hands. I want to make sure they aren't frostbitten."
He stood and walked over, gently placing both of her hands into his own warm gloved ones. Serena blushed nervously and stared away.
"Does it hurt when I hold them like this?" Calem asked, carefully examining Serena's hands.
"Y-yeah, kinda…"
"That means you can feel them though, right?"
"…Kinda, y-yeah."
"I think it's just mild frostbite. You won't lose your fingers."
Serena's eyes widened considerably. "Th-that happens?!"
"Yes, but like I said, I don't think you were outside long enough, thank goodness." Calem pulled off his own gloves, and slipped them onto Serena's hands. "Take mine. You need them more than I do."
Serena hastily wrapped her arms back around Flareon. "Th-tha-nk you."
"You need to change out of that wet clothing, too…" He ran a hand anxiously through his dark hair. "Did you say you fell into water?" Serena nodded her response. "How long were you in there for?"
"I-I dunno, a-a minute or two."
"Jeez, Serena…" Calem was quiet for a few moments. "Maybe take your boots off too. Put your socks on top of Flareon so that they can dry."
Serena nodded and began following his advice. "Y-you seem t'know a lot…"
Calem raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
"Like…" Serena paused as she removed the first boot and began working on the second. "Y-y-you k-know what you're doing…"
"Oh." He shrugged. "Well, hypothermia treatment is pretty basic stuff, isn't it?"
"H-h-hypo… what?"
For the first time, Calem cracked a small smile. Serena stared at him for a few seconds, and then imitated it. "Serena, where did you move from when you came to Vaniville Town?"
"H-Hoenn." She finished removing her socks, and hastily stuck her frozen feet into Flareon's warm fur. "Sl-Slateport."
"Hoenn?" Calem asked, looking genuinely intrigued. "That's down south, right?"
Serena nodded. "M-Mom wanted t-to retire… somewhere quieter. Somewhere with culture. V-Vaniville."
"Well, that explains it."
"…Explains… what?"
Calem chuckled. "Why you were so inadequately prepared. It doesn't snow in Hoenn, or at least not in Slateport, right?"
Serena nodded. She was really beginning to miss going to the beach every day. "D-doesn't snow m-m-much in Vaniville… d-does it?"
"I grew up in Laverre City; it snows a lot there in the winter. My dad was the gym leader there for a while, and when he left, his younger sister took over. Valerie is my aunt. I guess my story's sort of the same as yours, though… they wanted to retire somewhere quiet. We moved when I was ten."
"Oh…" Serena shifted a bit, and Flareon followed her movement. "I didn't know."
"It's not a big deal."
"Jolt!" Jolteon barked her annoyance at Flareon moving away from her. Flareon snorted and gestured for her to move closer. Jolteon curled up next to him, shivering lightly.
Calem watched with a small frown. "Hey, Serena? Maybe you should recall your jolteon. Pokeballs provide shelter from the cold, unless they're housing an ice-type, of course."
Serena blinked, and looked at the ground around her. Fear suddenly gripped her. "I… I dunno where my bag is!" Her eyes widened. "My other pokemon!"
"Jolt!" Jolteon stood and lightly shook herself. "Jolteon!" she walked to the entrance of the cave, and stared pointedly out of it.
"Did you leave it outside?" Calem asked. Three pairs of eyes locked curiously on Serena.
Her bag… she vaguely remembered dropping it. She remembered all of the contents falling out, though at the time she had been indifferent. Images of her poor pokemon being buried alive in snow filled her mind, and her eyes widened considerably. "Oh… oh no!" She struggled to pull herself off of the ground, and once she had succeeded, she stumbled and collapsed back to the ground. Undeterred, she bit her lip and tried again.
"Serena!" Calem shook his head and stood. Serena paused, and looked at him in panic. "Calm down. I'll go and get them for you."
As he left, Flareon crawled back on top of her trembling frame. Serena rubbed the area between her eyes and groaned. How could she have been so careless as to forget about her own pokemon?!
"Jolteon." Jolteon had walked back over, and affectionately nuzzled her trainer. Serena knew that it was Jolteon's way of trying to comfort her.
"Thanks, Jolteon…"
Jolteon settled herself next to Flareon and Serena. The cave had gone quiet, with the exception of the howling winds outside. Serena was exhausted, and without Calem there to distract her, she found her eyelids slowly drooping shut…
"Serena!"
Serena blearily reopened her eyes at the sound of her name, but then closed them again.
"Serena! Serena, stay with me!"
Somebody was gripping her shoulders and shouting. She tried to focus her vision. "C-Cal…"
"Stay awake for me, okay Serena? Stay awake. I have your bag and your pokemon; they're safe."
"Ugh…" She shifted and wrapped her arms around her body. She was still shivering violently, but her eyes were fixated on Calem. "I-I - "
Calem sighed. "Okay, good. I know you're tired, but please don't fall asleep here."
Serena gave a tiny nod. Her breath was still coming in shaky gasps, despite the heat that Flareon was putting off. She was starting to become accustomed to being extraordinarily cold, but that didn't make it any less painful.
Calem watched her for a few moments, then dropped his gaze and stared at the icy floor. "I'm sorry for yelling. You scared me… but you're probably scared too, huh? Probably more than I am."
Serena shivered and gave another weak nod. She knew that people could die from the type of exposure she was going through. She dropped her gaze as frightened tears welled in her eyes.
"H-hey now…" Calem realized his mistake and gently wrapped an arm behind her to support her back. Serena looked up in confusion, trying to gage his intentions. "Absol will be back soon with help; nobody in their right mind will ignore a panicked absol, I promise." He smiled his reassurance, and carefully leaned her forward, away from the cave wall. "Uh, Serena?"
Serena could only stare at him and smile back, her heart thudding in her chest. "W-what?"
"You aren't going to get any warmer as long as you're in wet clothing. Are you, uh…" He awkwardly cleared his throat. "Are you wearing anything under your sweater?"
Serena was stunned for a few moments, then she glared and tried to push him away. She wasn't strong enough to actually move him, but he quickly retracted his hands all the same.
"I'm being serious!" Calem argued, a light blush appearing on his cheeks. "You could be in serious trouble right now…"
Serena dropped her glare; he was right, after all. "I-it's n-n-not like I'd… I'd've brought a-a change of clothes."
"No, I know. You can take my jacket. It's waterproof, so it's still dry." He unzipped his blue jacket and rested it on top of Flareon. All he had on underneath was a white t-shirt. "I can't offer much else. My jeans aren't in much better condition than yours, and I, uh, kind of want to keep those on, anyways."
Serena watched the jacket for a few moments, then turned concerned eyes onto Calem. "No. Y-you'll end up… the s-same way…"
"You're the bigger concern here, Serena. If you make it out of this alright, then I'm sure I'll be fine."
Serena stubbornly shook her head. "I c-can't."
Calem furrowed his brow. "If you don't change into it yourself, then I'll have to make you."
Serena wore a surprised expression for a few moments, then smirked. "Y-yeah right…"
Calem hesitated, then rolled his eyes and stood up. "Okay, no I won't, but please just take it. I'm fine. I'll walk over here t-to… to let you change." He walked away, rubbing his arms as he did so.
He was trying to hide it, but it was clear that the effects of the low temperature were starting to take their toll on Calem as well.
"Flare!" Flareon tipped toward her so that the jacket was at arm's length and politely looked away. Serena bit her lip, but shakily gripped the bottom of her purple wool sweater and tried to pull. The front of it had been warmed by Flareon's body heat, but it was still soaking wet. The back was frozen to her skin, which made removing it both difficult and painful. Jolteon bounded over to help her, and together they managed to tug it off.
For a few brief moments, she was almost completely exposed. She gasped and hastily grabbed the jacket. Jolteon helped her tug it on, and even before she attempted to maneuver the zipper, the feeling of being covered in something warm and dry was amazing.
Serena reached for the zipper, but even with the addition of the gloves, her fingers were refusing to obey her commands. Her arm trembled around the bottom of the jacket, but her fingers weren't even able to close all the way. She shifted the coat as best she could to cover her chest, and cleared her throat. "Um… Calem?"
"Yeah?" Calem's voice called back. "You done?"
"Y-yeah… 'cept the zipper…"
Calem rounded the corner, and paused to examine Serena. His mouth twitched into a smile. "It… it looks good on you." He rubbed the back of his neck and blushed.
Serena couldn't help but smile back, though she rolled her eyes. "Help?"
"Y…Yeah, sure!" Jolteon padded out of the way as Calem approached and crouched down in front of her. In one fluid motion, he zipped the jacket as far as it would go.
Serena huffed behind the material that now covered her nose. "Show off."
Calem grinned. "For doing up my own jacket?"
"…Y-yes."
He chuckled and sank down next to her, his arms wrapped around his own torso. "Hey, Flareon? You still doing okay, buddy?"
"Flare!" Flareon nodded and moved to that he was lying horizontally across both of their laps. Her socks were still lying on top of him. Serena had shifted to sitting cross-legged to protect her bare feet.
Calem grinned and rubbed his pokemon's head. "I owe you one."
Jolteon crawled as close as she could to Flareon and lay her head on top of his neck. Flareon looked over in surprise, but then seemed to settle in, and put his fluffy head on top of Calem's knee.
"You never recalled your Jolteon," Calem noted.
Serena smiled as she watched the two eeveelutions. "They l-look so… so c-cute, though."
Calem blinked and refocused his vision on the two pokemon. He slowly smiled as he watched them. "Yeah, they k-kinda do."
Jolteon's black eyes flicked between the two trainers. She gave a contented sigh, and rubbed her head affectionately against Flareon's neck before closing her eyes.
Calem and Serena simultaneously turned their heads to steal a glance at each other, then quickly turned back once they'd realized that they had the same plan.
Calem chuckled to himself, and Serena laughed softly back. "Th-this is - " Her voice was barely present, and she broke off to try to clear it. "S-such a weird sit… situation." Serena's attempts to save her voice didn't work. She was now speaking in whispered tones, and was barely audible against the snowstorm outside.
Calem grinned, his gaze turned back to the two snuggling pokemon in front of them. He didn't seem to have any issues understanding Serena. "Maybe later we'll b-be able to laugh. H-how… how did you even fall into water?"
Serena tried to think back… how had she ended up in this situation? Did Calem say she'd fallen into water?
…Where was she, for that matter?
Calem smirked knowingly. "Y-you underestimated the wild pokemon here, d-didn't you?"
"…I-I... I f-f-forget."
"Yeah, sure." He chuckled.
Serena paused, then silently giggled back. "N-n-not f-funny!"
"It'll be funny w-when we're warm."
"Yeah, so i-it's not funny!"
"Then why're you laughing?"
"'C-cause you're laughing."
The two laughed quietly, though Serena's mind was too fuzzy to recall what had been funny in the first place. She hugged herself to Flareon and offered Calem a tiny smile.
"AAAABBBBB!"
A thundering roar came from somewhere deep within the cave. The blizzard outside almost seemed to imitate it, as a sudden howl of wind resounded almost as loud as the initial roar. Serena jumped in shock and nearly fell over, but Calem caught her and joined their two pokemon in staring around in bewilderment.
"A-A-Absol?" Serena gasped.
Calem stared at her in bewilderment. "Are you joking? Whatever that was is probably way bigger than Absol."
"AAABBOMMM!"
The loud cry sounded again, joined with a sudden burst of snow from outside of the cavern. Jolteon was on her feet first, growling and releasing warning sparks from her fur. Flareon gently dislodged himself from the two trainers and joined in. Both paced around the immediate area, ears perked for any sign of immediate danger.
Serena and Calem automatically moved closer to each other as their live heating pad walked off. Serena trembled and pressed her head against Calem's shoulder as they wrapped their arms around one another. He still felt warm to her, and Serena wondered how he was possibly benefitting from the exchange; she imagined herself as something akin to a giant icicle.
Serena looked up at him, intending to ask, but instead finding that she could no longer get words out. Calem, seemingly unaware, simply smiled down at her. He reached across with a shaky hand and tucked some of the frozen hair hanging in her face underneath her brown hat, then replaced his arm around her back.
She told herself that this entire situation was out of necessity, but she would have welcomed it either way. Both of them shivered violently as they fought to maintain body heat.
"F-Fl-Flareon…" Calem said. Fortunately, yelling didn't seem to be necessary, as Flareon bounded obediently over to his trainer. Jolteon didn't follow, and continued to scout around the area. Calem coughed a few times. "Blizzaroi… t-talent est alerte neige. S-stay here, please."
The Hoenn region was not bilingual, and Serena could only understand bits and pieces of French so far; Calem knew that. He was probably trying to hide something from her. She didn't need any additional reasons to be frightened, so she didn't argue it.
"Serena?"
Serena didn't respond. She wasn't sure if she even could. Her eyes slowly fell shut.
She felt Calem shift, and then he gently coaxed her feet out of her cross-legged position. He was taking care not to jar her head too much, as it was still lying on his shoulder. Curiosity drove Serena to blearily open her eyes for a few moments. He was pulling her now-dry socks back onto her feet. She closed her eyes and trusted him to continue with her boots.
"S-Serena?"
Serena gave a barely-audible moan in response to her name. Calem was gently shaking her shoulders.
"H-hey, Ser - "
The world went black for a moment. She drifted back into consciousness, but her eyes were too heavy to open.
"…Arceus nous aident… n-nous aident…"
Calem was desperately muttering something to himself. Serena cracked open her eyelids; he was now supporting her with both arms and staring out of the cave.
"Serena… I-I…"
Serena's eyes gave in. She was vaguely aware that Calem was still shaking. She, at least, had become oddly still.
"Je s-suis vraim-ment d-d-désolé."
Serena recognized the last word: sorry. Somehow, she managed to open her mouth to whisper one last line: "don't be: thank you."
Calem jumped and quickly turned to look at her, but she was fading too quickly to concentrate on the rest of what he was saying. She felt oddly warm; her once erratic breathing was shallow, but smooth. She was no longer aware of her previously pounding heartbeat.
The irony was that she couldn't tell if she was improving, or rapidly dying in her rival's arms.
Before she could put more thought into it, her world again dissolved into darkness.
...
French translations (my French is pretty rough, but this is my best attempt):
"Blizzaroi… talent est alerte neige." = "Abomasnow... ability is snow warning."
"…Arceus nous aident… nous aident…" = "...Arceus help us... help us..."
"Je suis vraiment désolé." = "I am really sorry."
Thank you for reading!
