Snow fell as bells rang through the night. People merrily enjoyed the night of Christmas Eve. In the corners of the world, people celebrated, forgetting their sorrows and problems for one night. Yet for some, Christmas couldn’t bring them the comfort and happiness that others felt. Davy Miles, a college student, was one of them.

In the cold night, tears and frustration covered his face. "This sucked" Davy muttered as he looked back at the house where his parents lived.

With clenched fists and teary eyes “I will never be good enough,” Davy recalled the scene as he slowly made his way to the bus stop.

“Nial, you did a good job getting high scores on your exams. I’m proud of you, son,” a middle-aged man with a beard and glasses, a stern look, and a well-built body, wearing a polo and trousers, said. “Don’t be like this good-for-nothing freeloader. Strive to get more and be successful,” Davy’s father told Nial, Davy’s younger brother, as he ridiculed Davy. “I won’t be, Dad. I’m better than him.”

As his younger brother ridiculed him all day could do is clench his fist and stay silent. He knows from experience that fighting for himself will only backfire to him.

The woman in the other side of the room looked at him and spoke “What do you plan to do with your life? Are you just going to stay here forever? Look at your brother and sister; they’re successful in their studies. What about you? You can’t even get half the answers right on your exams.”

Davy clenched his fists harder. “I will do better, Mother,” he said, bowing his head. He could see his younger brother looking at him with a sense of superiority and his mother with a look of disappointment.

“Davy, maybe you should stop attending college and just get a job already. It’s better that way since you don’t need to rely on Mom and Dad’s money,” said a brunette sitting on the couch near the TV, adorned with excessive makeup, expensive clothes, and jewelry. Jenna, his sister was always the one to stir the conversation to make him look unreliable and weak. Davy hated Jenna, since that time when they were young where he insulted her In front of her crush, she has been antagonistic towards him

“That’s a good idea. Since you’re not doing well in your studies, it’s better for you to just work and stop using our money,” Davy’s father added with an amused look on his face.

Davy despite knowing it's better for him to just drop out, could not let go of studying as it is the only way he could please his parents “Father, please, I can do better, I promise,” Davy pleaded, tears welling up in his eyes. “Enough! How many times have you said that already? You’re a failure of a son! Stop making excuses and bringing more shame on our family! Tomorrow you’ll drop out, and if you don’t, I’ll make sure you’ll regret that decision!”

Davy couldn’t hide his tears as he replied, “Yes, Father.” His father gestured to the door. “Go and pack your things. Tomorrow, I want to see all of it back here in this house.”

Davy clenched his fists harder as he waited for the last bus to arrive. “I guess this was bound to happen” Davy wanted to scream yet he knows that won't do him anything that can improve his situation or distract him from the cold reality of his life. He took out his phone and booted up the emulator for Pokémon Platinum. This was Davy’s first time playing this version, but he had played a few other Pokémon games.

The only times he could distract himself from his own problems and struggles was by playing Pokémon games. Since young he was a massive fan of the pokemon franchise, even though his parents always make him cram to get better at his studies and take away his only source of comfort, he always loved playing it.

As he started his playthrough, the bus arrived. On the way to his apartment, he couldn’t stop thinking about his life. “Is this what I’m worth? Why am I like this? Why can’t I be like my siblings?” Hoping someone would answer him, but no answer came. With a deprecating smile, he cursed himself. “Maybe it’s better if I never existed. Maybe if I die, I won’t be a burden. Maybe…”

Years of neglect and ridicule had made Davy lose all of his confidence. Despite his efforts to please his parents, he could not meet their expectations. “Ha... haha...” Davy knew these thoughts were poison to him, yet he couldn’t stop them from appearing in his mind. Just like how he couldn’t focus on important things in his daily life. Like a curse put upon him by some god, he could not concentrate on one thing for long periods of time. Since he was a child, this “curse” had made him unable to blend in with other kids his age and still affected his ability to socialize with his peers up to this day.

Ring... ring... ring... His phone started ringing. Davy checked to see who was calling him. “Hello, Josh?”

Seeing his childhood friend calling him at that time made him glad. Josh has been with him since they were elementary grade, he's the only friend Davy had and also the only person he could feel safe and comfort in. He felt gratitude for him for sticking to his side despite all the flaws he had, staying a loyal friend to him.

“Wassup, Davy? How’s Christmas treating you?”

‘Should I tell him? Why am I hesitating? It’s not like it’s going to change anything.’ “I need to quit the university.”

“What?! Why? Don’t tell me it’s your family again?!”

Davy smiled at the thought of his friend caring for him. “You know I have no say in the family. I have no worth.”

“Davy, stop that. Where are you right now? Let’s meet up and have a drink.”

“Thanks, Josh, but I just want to be alone for now.”

“Don’t give me that shit. Who knows what you’ll do if I leave you alone. Look, man, you’re not worthless, so stop telling yourself it’s better if you didn’t exist! I’ve got you, man. Let’s talk like always; I’ll help you.”

“How did you know?”

“I’ve known you since we were kids; of course, I know what goes on inside that thick skull of yours.”

“Then how come you failed that friendship test we took?” While smiling Davy jokingly said to Josh.

“Hey, hey, that doesn’t count. That fucking test was a scam,” Josh retorted.

Davy felt a warm sensation in his chest, knowing he had a real friend to lean on. “Thanks, Josh, I appreciate it.”

“It’s nothing, man. Don’t mention it. So, let’s meet up at your apartment. I’ll bring beer.”

As Davy was about to hang up, Josh said, “Davy, promise me one thing, just this one thing.” Davy remained silent, waiting for Josh to continue. “Live and keep living. I know life has been hard for you, but always remember there will be sunshine after the storm. I’m here for you, man. Don’t forget that.”

Davy took a while to respond to Josh and finally managed to reply, “I’ll... try.”

“No, don’t try. Promise me, Davy.” Josh firmly said to Davy.

Davy contemplated his reply and answered, “Okay, I promise.”

“Then see you later.” Josh hang up as Davy were left contemplating on what promise he just made and on how much his friend cares about him. Without much thought Davy finally made the decision to fulfill the promise he made and decided to message Josh. 'One day I'll pay you back for everything, thank you for giving me courage and for always pushing me forward'

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Davy leaned on the window, his thoughts all over the place. Anxious about his future, his own shortcomings, and his inability to focus. Looking at the time, he wondered if he could pack up all his things in time for tomorrow, knowing the rest of his days would be far from desirable. As the night went on, with cars honking on the road, one thought came to mind:‘I will surely remember this night.’

Not knowing this night would be the start of a new beginning and journey that he would forever remember.

The bus stopped at a bridge where construction was underway. Wondering why the bus stopped, Davy asked the driver, “Sir, what’s the problem?” “We can’t go any further. The bridge is being fixed. They didn’t put up any signs or announcements. We have to take the long way around,” the driver said, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

As the bus started to reverse, a speeding car slammed into the back of the bus, causing it to be thrown upon impact and fall into the river along with Davy. Sinking to the bottom of the river. Davy was confused but managed to regain his bearings and tried to get out of the bus, but his clothes got entangled in the broken pieces of the bus’s debris.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Davy screamed internally, trying to free himself, which he eventually succeeded in doing. “I can’t die here! I have to get to the surface!” Davy swam up as fast as he could, driven by panic as his oxygen slowly ran out. “I’m almost there! Just a little bit more!” Davy desperately swam, but his consciousness slowly faded. “Just a little bit... more.” Soon enough, he felt his energy leaving him as he succumbed to his fate, and everything turned black. Yet before he lost consciousness, he saw a glitter of light wrapping him whole.

Davy could not perceive his surrounding all he could feel is the cold, wondering if he had died 'Did I die?' Davy could not move his own body. It felt like he was floating in the sea, the alien sensation that he felt does not last long as it was replaced by a warm feeling 'Is this heaven? Or it might be the afterlife or even hell, or there might not even be anything and this is my last moments before dying' Davy's thoughts wandered as he felt his own consciousness slowly drifting further and further away. 'Josh I'm sorry, I couldn't keep my promise' Finally before completely losing consciousness he felt a pulling sensation. He could feel his body rapidly being pulled by some unknown force, and finally he could feel his body again.

“Hah... hah... hah... I’m alive?” Davy gasped for air, but what he felt was a shivering cold and icy wind. “What the fuck?!” Looking around, all he could see was white and snow.

“What happened? How did I get here? Is this a prank?!” Expressing his bewilderment, he screamed, hoping someone would answer him, yet no one replied.

“I need to find shelter first.” Against the brutal cold and blizzard, his mind tried to make sense of the situation, but no matter how much he thought about it, he could not explain what happened. ‘How did I get here? Was I kidnapped? How much time has passed? No, my clothes are still wet, then how did I get here? There’s no mountain high enough to have a blizzard around where I lived.’ Even trying to think of possible scenarios, nothing made complete sense to him. Traversing through the rough terrain he could not see anything far, the strong gust of wind and snow keeps his vision limited. Continuing forward, he stumbled upon a cave where he could rest.

“Finally,” relief washed over Davy as he found a place where the cold and brutal weather wouldn’t reach him. Shivering and freezing, he walked deeper into the cave to find a place to lie down and rest. ‘What’s that? An animal? Please don’t be a bear or anything dangerous.’ He slowly walked forward, trying to get a closer look at the creature.

The moment he set eyes on the creature, his eyes went wide as he couldn’t make sense of the situation. ‘That thing… it’s a Pokémon!’ It had a little feline-like body structure, Its fur was primarily a deep dark purple, with a light blue underbelly, large pointed ears with a dark purple hue on the outer side, and light blue on the inner side. Its eyes were narrow and red. Davy recognized the Pokémon and was stunned for a few moments before sorting out his thoughts. ‘It’s really a Pokémon, a Sneasel at that. How is this possible? Am I inside the game? …....Oh no.’

Davy felt a shiver down his spine as he remembered bits of information he could remember about Sneasel. ‘If I remember correctly, they’re vicious and aggressive. I can’t be seen by it.’ He tried to back away slowly, trying not to attract the Sneasel’s attention.

Before he could make an escape, another Sneasel came in from the cave’s entrance. Davy froze in place, not knowing what to do. The Sneasel made an angry face and screamed at Davy causing the other sneazel inside the cave to come over. “Fuck!” Davy ran outside as fast as he could, but the Sneasel blocked him and attacked. “Arrghhhh!” In time, Davy blocked the attack with his arms, taking all the damage and starting to bleed. All he could do was keep running outside, hoping he could lose the Sneasels that were pursuing him. But reality was brutal, and the Sneasels ran faster than humans in their habitat. Not long after, the two Sneasels caught up with Davy. “Fuck, get away! Don’t come near me!” Davy desperately tried to struggle against the Sneasels.

A flurry of swipes was launched against Davy, and all he could do was scream in pain. ‘Not like this. I don’t want to die yet. I... I want to live.’ He remembered the words of his friend: “Live and keep living. I know life has been hard for you, but always remember there will be sunshine after the storm.” He mustered all his strength and managed to push the two Sneasels away.

He ran faster than he ever had, disregarding the wounds he had sustained from the enraged Pokémon. But soon, the injuries took a toll on his already weakened body, and he couldn’t run anymore. Near a big tree, he collapsed, breathing heavily. The cold blizzard wind made breathing harder. The Sneasels slowly approached Davy with smiles across their faces, knowing they had caught the intruder of their home. The Sneasels rushed to claw at Davy to finish him off, and all he could do was close his eyes, awaiting his fate.

Moments passed, and no attack came. Davy slowly opened his eyes. “Huh?” He expected to see the two Pokémon taking their time toying with him before killing him. But contrary to his expectation, in front of him stood a fox-like Pokémon with cream-colored fur around its neck and bushy tail with a cream-colored tip. The Pokémon stood in front of Davy, protecting him from the two angry Sneasels.

Eevee's POV

A young fox like creature is sleeping along it's brothers and sisters. She had just hatched a month ago, yet the feeling to grow stronger among it's pack were strong. Among it's sibling she was of different color and is the strongest, able to beat the others at fights had made her pridefull and arrogant.

The adults were out hunting as they are not affected by the cold whether outside unlike the young Eevee's who have yet evolved into glaceon.

Resting under their home under the tree she along with her siblings were sleeping. Until a sound outside woke her up.

Curious she peeked outside to see what's happening. In there she saw 3 creatures she had not seen before two of them looked the same and they were hunting the bigger creature. She watched as the two hunters slowly close the gap. As she looked at the creature she understood it was gonna die. A feeling of pride rose up in her chest thinking she could take on the two hunters on her own and save the other creature. She left the safe place of their nest and confronted the two hunters

Davy's POV

“Snea, Sneasel!” the Sneasels screeched angrily. “Grrrr,” the small Eevee growled.

Davy could not understand why the small Eevee is defending him yet he had hoped she would win against the sneasels or atleast scare them away.

Moments passed as what looked like a standoff ensued. The Sneasels made the first move, launching Fury Swipes at the Eevee, but it flawlessly dodged their attacks. Eevee Counterattacked by sending a flurry of Swift. One of the Sneasels got hit and stumbled back. Eevee didn’t let the Sneasel recover and sent another barrage of Swifts at it.

Davy, watching the battle, couldn’t help but be amazed and fearful at what he was seeing. ‘This is amazing, not like the ones I saw in games or anime. If I got hit by those, I'd probably die.’ He tried to stand up to find a way to help Eevee. ‘If I help now, I’d just be a burden.’ His thoughts stopped him from helping his savior. All he could do is watch and hoped the small Eevee would win. Frustration came over Davy as once again he have felt useless and powerless.

A few minutes passed, and the Sneasels finally landed a hit on Eevee, making it fall to the ground. The two Pokémon didn’t let Eevee recover and lunged at it with more Fury Swipes.

“No!!” Davy stood up and tried to protect Eevee from the two Sneasels, meeting their claws with his own body. He hugged the fallen Eevee tightly, trying to shield it from the bloodthirsty Pokémon.

As he was getting mauled, a spark of bluish material appeared a few feet away and flew toward the attacking sneasels. Davy stared at where the attack came from and saw a couple of feline-like silhouettes emerging from the thick blizzard. With icy blue fur, long pointed ears, and tipped with ice-blue tufts. A couple more Ice Shards were thrown at the Sneasels causing them to stop attacking.

“Sneaaa!” The Sneasels growled and immediately retreated. Davy was grateful for their saviors and let out a sigh of relief. ‘Thank God.’ Before losing consciousness, he felt a glimmer of hope.'atleast saved this Eevee' was his last thoughts