Dawn

Winterfell

She hadn't meant to get lost in the snow. In any other circumstance, she would've waited until the storm passed, or sent the eggs through a teleporter. But these eggs were so close to hatching, and the forecasts said that the blizzard wouldn't hit until nightfall. Dawn had been confident that she could cause Mount Coronet before then.

After all, she'd done far crazier things with Ash Ketchum.

It'd been over a year since she last saw that crazy kid from Kanto, when she traveled to Unnova for a little adventure. After saving the world multiple times and meeting Arceus and the Creation Trio, going back to continuing her Pokemon Journey on her own just seemed so...boring. She still loved what she did (who wouldn't love to work with Pokemon everyday and not be in school?), but it just wasn't the same. At least with her trusted companion, Piplup, she could trust there'd never be a dull moment.

The blizzard had snuck up on them, hitting the mountain much faster than she feared. Foolishly, Dawn had gone in her skirt instead of more sensible pants, and within minutes she was a shivering mess. The forest around her was consumed in howling winds and blinding white snow, and soon she was forced to take shelter in the shade of a large tree. She felt herself slipping into hypothermia, and with no signal on her phone, she knew help wouldn't arrive until it was too late.

Arceus...Palkia...Dialga, She prayed, for the first time in years, After everything Ash and I did for you, after all the times we saved the world... please, help me now. Don't let these eggs die here. Don't let my Pokemon die here. I don't want to die either... but I wouldn't mind becoming a Froslass, if my friends survived.

Things became blurry after that. She felt like she was falling, or floating, in a cold abyss. She remembered the storm coming to a stop, but being too cold to care. She remembered Piplup running off to get help. And she remembered strong arms picking her up, wrapping her in furs, and carrying her off in some weird-looking Rapidash. Or at least she thought it was a Rapidash - She could've been dreaming for all she knew. Unconsciousness took her soon after...

As consciousness returned to her, she realized she was in a soft, warm bed made of furs. Something small was laying on her chest, breathing in time with her. She wanted to return to slumber, the gnawing pang of hunger forced her into the waking world. She opened her eyes, and was surprised to see that she wasn't in a PokeCenter or a hospital. Instead, she thought she was in some kind of lodge, as the floor and walls were made of stone and wood, covered in various furs or old tapestries. She was reminded of stories and pictures she'd seen of Kalos and Galar, distant lands a world away. Had she been taken to some kind of themed hotel or resort?

"Piplup?" Her partner chirped, uncertain yet hopeful.

"...Hey, Piplup," She said weakly, still forcing herself awake, "You're alright, pal?"

Her starter Pokemon climbed up her chest, nuzzling her neck warmly. Dawn smiled, wrapping her arms around the feathery fluffball.

"He really cares for you," Someone said. Dawn looked up, and noticed a woman sitting next to her bed. She was a little older than her, maybe fifteen or sixteen, with the same dark blue hair as her own. She wore a dark brown tunic and brown pants, her exposed arms pale and toned with muscle. Bright blue eyes watched her curiously, expectantly.

"You can understand him, can't you?" The stranger asked, shifting in her chair, "Everyone here thinks I'm crazy, but I can hear him just as clearly as I hear you now."

Dawn blinked, looking down at Piplup. The Pokemon shrugged, as if to say, You're guess is as good as mine.

"Well," Dawn admitted, "Piplup and I share a bond. He can understand my words, and I can understand what he's feeling. But Pokemon don't talk like people do, usually. Only Psychic-types and Legendaries can talk to people who aren't their partners, but Piplup isn't either of those things." She furrowed her brow at the stranger. "Can you understand him?"

"I do," The stranger said, "Piplup was the one who led me to you. He was crying out, 'Help! Help! My partner's in trouble!' No one else could understand him, but I could."

The Pokemon Coordinator furrowed her brow. This stranger didn't look like she had psychic powers - they all had a certain "vibe" to them, even when they were friendly. This girl, if anything, had the vibe of someone who specialized in Fighting- or Ice-types. "Who are you?" Dawn asked.

"I am Lyanna Snow," The stranger said, "Daughter of Eddard Stark, Lord Paramount of the North. And you're Dawn, right? Dawn Hikari, that's what Piplup called you."

Dawn nodded, shifting into a more comfortable position. "Where... am I?"

"This is Winterfell," The lady explained, "Home of House Stark. We found you out in the forest not far from here, freezing to death next to a dead direwolf. Do you remember how you got there?"

Dawn furrowed her brow. None of that first sentence made any sense to her. "I... I was carrying a shipment of eggs over Mount Coronet," She said, "When I got caught in a blizzard. I took shelter under a tree, but I didn't think I was going to make it."

Lyanna furrowed her brow. "There are no mountains near Winterfell," She explained, "Not for days and days."

Dawn was considering this, when there was a knock at the door. It opened, and a servant walked in carrying a platter of oatmeal and milk. They took a break to allow her breakfast, and the trainer enjoyed the sense of warmth and fullness that came with it. As she finished, Lyanna said, "If you're feeling up for it, I'd like to give you a tour of the castle. It's not often that we have visitors."

Dawn stretched out, starting to feel a little stiff. Learning more about where she was would beat out spending all day in bed, if her body was any judge. "Sure," She agreed, "That sounds fun."

"Wonderful," Lyanna said, offering a small smile. She got up and handed her a large fur coat, which made her think it was big enough to be a tent. "You might want this. It hasn't exactly warmed up since you arrived."

Winterfell truly was an amazing place. The castle was large enough to be a city, with hundreds and hundreds of people dwelling within its halls. The sky was cold and cloudy, not too different from Sinnoh in winter (which made Dawn feel both homesick, and thankful to finally be in some warm clothes). As Lyanna showed Dawn around, the Trainer noticed many inhabitants staring at her as they went.

"You're not from around here," Lyanna said, noticing the Trainer's discomfort, "You don't have the look of the First Men or Andals or Rhoynar. Foreigners are rare to Westeros, and rarely come up this far north."

"I can see that," Dawn said, drawing her cloak closer across her chilly body. She looked across the courtyard, where she spotted the pigpens and chicken coops. "It's weird, not seeing any Pokemon around. There aren't even any Rattata or Spearows around, and those guys are everywhere."

"Lyanna!"

The girls turned to see a page running up to them, looking downright panicky. As he approached, the boy declared, "Milady, Lord Stark calls for you! The eggs are starting to hatch!"

Lyanna and Dawn looked at each other, and quickly followed the boy across the castle. After a minute or two, they made it to the stables, if the smell of hay and dung was anything to go by. They made their way past a crowd of onlookers and stalls of horses to the far end of the building, where several boys and girls gathered around a man next to a makeshift nest. They all turned to look at them, and the youngest boy and girl whispered to the man.

"Dawn," Her guide began, "This is House Stark, my family. Those are my sisters - Sansa and Arya - and those are my brothers - Jon, Robb, Bran and Rickon. And this is my father, Lord Ned Stark. Everyone, this is Dawn Hikari of Sinnoh." Dawn bowed politely, befitting a guest meeting her hosts. The older man furrowed his brow at the mention of Sinnoh, as if it were familiar to him. She had but a moment to notice this before the youngest children swarmed her, barraging her with questions.

"Where's Sinnoh?"

"Why were you in the forest by yourself?"

"Where can I get your pet bird?"

"Your clothes are quite beautiful. What are they made of?"

"Are the eggs about to hatch? Are they dragon eggs?"

"Everyone, settle down," The tallest boy (Jon?) said, gently pulling his siblings back, "Give our guest a chance to answer your questions."

"Umm," Dawn admitted with slight embarrassment, "I don't know how much I can tell you. I don't know where Westeros is, or how I got here. But I can tell you those aren't Dragon-type eggs. Those are-"

CRACK! CRACK-CRACK! CRACK-CRACK!

Everyone turned around at the sounds, the Starks watching in amazement as the eggs began to shift and glow with bright white light. The Westerosi stepped back, murmuring in surprise and fear, and Lord Stark started to reach for the sword on his side.

"Hey, don't freak out," Dawn said quickly, "It's alright! They're just about to hatch!"

They all looked back at her for a brief moment, just as there was a bright flash that illuminated the entire stable, startling the remaining horses and the spectators that had gathered outside. It took a few seconds for everyone to blink away the spots in their vision, but as it returned, they were all graced with the most adorable sight they'd ever seen.

"Wee! Wee!" Cried eight small balls of fluff, each one looking like an adorable mix of fox and puppy. Some started wrestling with each other, others stared back at the crowd with large, dark eyes. There was a collective gasp, and the Stark children rushed in, grabbing and petting and holding them.

"By the gods," Sansa exclaimed, holding one against her chest, "These are the cutest things I've ever seen!"

"They're Eevees," Dawn said, "Evolution Pokemon. They're often given out as partners for trainers just starting on their journeys. I suppose the same can be said for you guys. I don't think Nurse Joy would mind if I gave them to the family that saved my life."

All the kids grabbed one. Jon ended up picking the one Eeevee that looked different from the rest - a lighter, almost icy gray compared to the browns of his brothers and sisters.

"Oh hey, that's a Shiny!" Dawn explained, "Those are really rare! You're lucky to find one like that."

"He looks like a Ghost," Jon said, staring into the Pokemon's eyes. The Shiny Eevee stared back, ears flicking curiously.

"That sounds like the perfect name for him," Lyanna said, scratching her Eevee under her chin, "He matches your personality, after all." John gave her an annoyed look, and she returned with a playful smirk that all sisters seem to know instinctively.

As the children played with their new pets, Dawn noticed that Lord Stark hadn't moved from his spot. Rather, he stared at them with an equal mix of love and dread. But why? What harm could a bunch of starter Pokemon possibly do?

In time, Dawn would find out exactly how much a Pokemon could do in a place like Westeros...