Cassandra came to Galar running from a past she couldn't bring herself to face.
Leon was running from his failure, and enemies that either wanted him on their side or dead.
Be it fate or destiny, their meeting during a blizzard in the mountains wa...
THIS ISN'T THE HAPPIEST CHAPTER BUT LIKE HOLD UP 'CAUSE OH MY GOD I GOT FANART AND IT'S SO FREAKING CUTE JUST LOOK AT IT
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ICEOFFIRE336 YOU'RE SO YOU ARE AMAZING OH MY GOD I'M STILL SCREAMING <3
Okay now back to the actual story xD
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Leon couldn't tell if it had been hours or minutes. It should have been an hour flight at most to the nearest city, but the howling wind and the bone-chilling cold made it hard to tell. Charizard cut through it well enough, but it wasn't his top speed. Still, his Pokémon pushed with all his might, and just as Leon thought his hands would freeze solid and lop off, the winds finally ebbed and the snow fell gently. The chill had lessened, and he could move his digits again. Cassandra was no different from before, or was she worse? He couldn't quite remember, all his strength and focus on keeping his grip on Charizard. It was a bit easier knowing the air would get warmer—to an extent. It was winter in Galar, after all. He would hold on for her, though. He had to.
"Keep going!" he bellowed, and his Pokémon responded at once, flapping its wings hard, and thrusting faster.
Familiar terrain passed below, and he knew they'd reached the southern Wild Area. When they'd gone by Hammerlock, the northern Wilds, and even Motostoke he had no idea. He thought of chastising the Pokémon for taking them past the large cities which hosted excellent hospitals, but then thought better of it. Charizard wouldn't have done it without reason, and based of their trajectory, he was heading further south—to Postwick. Home.
Leon managed to grin, realizing what his partner was thinking. Home had always been a safe place, and one of the people he could trust with certainty and with his life was there.
Sonia.
Charizard was taking him to Sonia.
He'd never doubt his Pokémon again.
Although, if what Swordward said was true, his enemy had been there, too. Hop was staying at home working as an assistant to Sonia these days, now that she was an official professor. That could mean they knew he'd go back home—if they got his brother. It was hard to say, truth be told. He recalled Hop had said he was going to come try out the Tower at some point not too long ago. Could he possibly have been in Wyndon then, and still be okay? Regardless, they couldn't afford to go back now. They were almost to the lab, and he didn't want to waste more time—not when Cassandra could fade away at any moment. He still needed to avoid being seen, though.
A thought struck him then, and he pressed his hand into Charizard's neck. The lizard slowed his speed, turning his head to growl in question.
"Land not too far from Sonia's lab. We need to go in without flying. If... if that man and his brother or if he has any allies that are around... they might be there. They might have Hop, so..." he grimaced, and his Pokémon nodded. The orange-colored flier veered off to the left, skirting around by the forests outside Postwick and touched down within the cover of the trees. The air was decidedly warmer, enough so he'd consider taking off his jacket, but not now. He pulled out a pokéball and released Arcanine. "Good job, Charizard. Try and stick to the ground for now and meet us at the lab."
