A cold stone slab was my bed as I slowly felt myself coming around, the frigid air acting as the world’s worst alarm clock. The ground was slippery and white, as I slowly pushed myself up from the cave floor.

“Where am I?” I received no response. I reached down to my belt and grabbed air. Not a single poke ball to my name, and Emilie was nowhere to be seen. The muscles in my arms and legs radiated with a dull ache as my stiff bones slowly started to move.

The tunnel I now found myself in was frozen solid. The natural stones and dirt were trapped behind a thick prison of ice and frost, and long icicle stalactites descended from the ceiling like jagged teeth, ready to swallow me whole.

I put my hands around my mouth. “Is anyone there?”

Silence greeted me for a single, frozen moment in time. I noticed the thick, thermal mittens on my hands, and looked further up my arms to take stock of myself. I had at least four layers on, including a thick winter coat.

How the fuck was I still so cold?

A frigid wind blew through the tunnel, accompanied by a thick, mechanical grinding. The entire chamber started to shake.

The corridor collapsed behind me, and I sprinted forward as the ceiling started to cave in, narrowly moving out of the way of falling stalactites. My lungs screamed at me as I panted in the biting winter air at a quickening rate.

A light shined up ahead, and I grinned. Little further. Just a little more...

The ground turned icy underneath my feet, and I slipped and fell forward. My heart hammered in my chest as I slid, barely staying ahead of the cave in, and into a massive frozen over chamber.

The cave sealed shut behind me and I floundered as I carefully tried to pull myself to my feet.

The entire chamber was one big sheet of ice. White and blue intermingled as I breathed out a very visible shuddering breath. I didn’t think it was possible, but it was even colder here.

I cautiously took a few more steps forward, looking around the chamber for an opening of some kind. Everything looked so similar and bright that it made it hard to see-

I froze, no. My brain stopped working as I ran in place for a few seconds before falling flat on my face. I crawled along the ground to what I saw, my blood frozen in my veins.

Tall, frozen statues of my friends stared back at me as I pulled myself up, my eyes meeting the solid white face of my girlfriend in widened disbelief. Wayne was standing in front of Jasmine, both Nuzleaf and Skarmory stanced up and ready to fight whatever did this. Wally had a pair of poke balls in hand, his fingers hovering just over the release button as he stood with angry eyes between May and Wayne.

Suzy stood, still as a corpse, in a fighting stance. How the fuck do you freeze a fire type?

“How?” The words escaped my lips to chittering teeth as a presence invaded my senses. The world went white as the entire chamber shook once more, and the overwhelming cold overtook me. Pain radiated through my skin as the very air itself seemed to freeze. I strained against my hardening body to look behind me, desperately trying to get a look at what was doing this.

My body solidified into a frozen sculpture before I could really look at it, but seven, glowing red eyes glared at me as my world went white.

I shot up from my bed and sucked in a massive breath of air, my heart hammering in my chest as I took in the drastic scene change. The familiar glass wall on the far side of the room gave way to sandy beaches and palm trees. May’s clothes were strewn about on the floor to my left, and the prevailing frigid air felt like a furnace compared to what I just went through.

“Just a dream,” I muttered between shaky breaths. My hands were shaking. What the fuck even was that? Why would I dream that? I lifted my hand up to my chest and took a deep breath, trying desperately to slow my heart down.

“It was a dream.” I repeated, breathing out through my mouth. “But it felt so real.”

“Glad to have you back,” Wally said, coming through the open door.

I whipped my head up to take him in. He was fine, breathing harness and all. Nothing had happened to him. He was fucking fine.

“Weird dream?” he asked, pulling up the chair next to me and leaning forward.

I shot up from the bed and pulled him into a bone crushing hug, lifting him out of the chair in the process. “You’re okay.”

“Should I not be?” Wally tried, and failed, to pull away. “Oi, I’m happy to see you too... but I already have trouble breathing... and you’re not making that any better.”

I let go and looked away, blood pooling in my cheeks. “Sorry.”

Wally held the respirator closer to his face and breathed deeply. “Not that I'm not happy to be hugged by a pretty girl, but what was that about? Couldn’t resist my charming personality?” He held his arms out on either side of him as he finished talking.

“Nightmare.” I grimaced. “Really, really bad nightmare. I’m just... really happy to see you right now.” I looked around the room. “What happened? Wasn’t I fighting Brawly?”

Wally winced.

“What?” I asked.

“We were hoping you would tell us. Emilie got one tapped and you kind of" Wally paused, looking up to the ceiling in thought. “shut down. You passed out on the field.” Wally looked moved so that he was looking at me again. “May was really worried.”

My ears perked up and I looked around the room. “Where’s May?”

“Considering how late it is? Probably finishing her gym battle right about now,” Wally said.

My eyes opened wide, and I started moving towards the door, grabbing Wally’s hand in mine as I pulled. “May’s winning her second Gym Badge and we’re in a stuffy center room? Why aren’t you with her? I’m fine!”

Wally stayed rooted in place. “May was adamant that someone stayed with you. I was barely able to get her to leave for her battle. She’s probably on her way back now, so stop trying to rip my arms off.”

I groaned and let go. “I really wanted to see Suzy fight in this gym in particular. Martial arts duels are soooo much fun to watch.”

Wally gave me an odd look.

“What? I know May always gives me weird looks whenever I talk about kung fu movies, but everyone’s-”

“You aren’t sad you lost?” Wally asked, cutting me off.

“Huh?” I asked before wincing and looking down. “Oh, right. I lost.” I frowned for a moment before sighing. “I mean, it sucks, but I can just try again in a few days-”

“A week.” Wally interrupted. Again.

Why do people like interrupting me so much?

“A week?” I asked.

“It’s the minimum grace period between attempts,” Wally explained. “I might have done a bit of research while you were passed out.”

“Well, that’s shitty, but it gives us plenty of time to train for the rematch. Fuck, if me and Emilie weren’t fighting with a handicap, we might have brought it home today!” I brought my arms up in front of me, fists clenched as I smiled.

“You’re really taking this much better than I thought you would.” Wally said, looking me up and down.

“It’s just a gym battle, Wally.” I repeated the words that Emilie told me before the fight. “Losing’s not the end of the world. Probably won’t be the first time-”

“You passed out,” Wally cut me off. AGAIN.

I winced. “That had nothing to do with me losing the gym battle.” I breathed in through my nose before exhaling through my mouth. “I’m fine, though. Really. Don’t worry so much.”

Wally’s gaze lingered for longer than necessary. “Well, I’m glad you’re taking this so well. Your team will probably need that enthusiasm.”

I winced. Joern and Emilie in particular were probably going to be miserable. Yeah, that was not going to be fun. “Think my boundless enthusiasm is infectious enough to kill the angst party?”

Wally chuckled. “It might help.” Wally paused again, the sounds of his suit filling the empty air as he stared me down. “I want to know why you passed out, Lea. If you know, that is. I want to be able to help you.”

“I-” Images played back through my head as I tried to force myself to focus. “I-” Emilie. Emilie on the ground. Defenseless.

“Lea.” Wally’s voice pulled me out of it, and I felt his arm on my shoulder.

“Thanks,” I muttered, before walking back to my bed and sitting down.

Wally reclaimed his seat and grabbed my hand. “Sorry.”

“Don’t, I-”

“Should I come back later?” May asked from the door. “I leave you alone for a few hours, and you’re already putting the moves on my girlfriend?”

Wally turned and smiled at May. “You left her alone, she needed someone to comfort her in her time of need.”

“Tauros shit.” Both me and May said at the exact same time.

I giggled. “If I ever send you away, May, assume mind control or robotic replacement. Did you win?” I pulled my hands from Wally’s grip and smiled at her. “Am I the only reason we’re still stuck in Dewford?”

May returned the smile, sitting down and pulling me into an awkward, bone crushing hug.

Legends above, this is what I did to Wally earlier, what the hell is wrong with me. “Can’t... breathe...”

“Deal with it. You gave me a heart attack passing out like that. I know losing sucks, but-”

“She had a flashback to when Solrock and Lunatone abducted her, had a mini panic attack, and passed out.” Wally interrupted. “Also, we still need to do a mail run in the cave, so-”

“How the fuck?” I whipped around, glancing away from my flinching girlfriend, and stared at Wally with wide eyes, cutting him off before he could finish.

“You’re not freaking out about losing, so.” Wally paused before looking me up and down. “It’s not that hard to piece together.” Wally winced at my look. “Sorry, you were struggling with it, so I just... ripped the band aid off.”

My gaze shifted to a glare. “It’s fine, I guess.”

Was it fine? This was the same kind of crap I’d yell at Emilie for. I should be the one to tell people crap like this.

Except I didn’t want to talk about it, and I still wanted May to know.

I sighed, before shooting Wally a smile. “Just, warn a girl next time.”

“Are you going to be alright?” May asked.

“I’ll work through it,” I said firmly. “Now answer the damn question! Am I the only reason we’re staying another week?”

May grinned smugly. “I think I set a new record for fastest gym battle. I was in such a hurry to get back here that I just... played really aggressively and took it down two to three.” She pulled out her badge and showed it off. “Sorry we don’t have a matching set.”

“It’s fine, I’ll get it soon.” I smiled at her.

May leaned back and stared at me like I grew a second head.

“What?” I tilted my head at her.

“I was surprised too, but I think she’s legitimately okay with it,” Wally said.

“Why wouldn’t I be? I get to see that awesome Gallade again!” I exclaimed with glee. “It was terrifying while I was fighting it, but now looking back, that thing was so fucking cool! Oh, I can’t wait for Gawain to evolve, he’s going to be twice as bad ass.”

Wally puffed up a bit in pride at my praise, and May laughed.

“Calm down, you have to get there first.” May said. “Besides, freshly evolved, he’s probably going to be about as bad ass. I don’t think that thing was used to being a Gallade yet. He didn’t go melee enough.”

“May, did we watch the same fight?” Wally asked.

“Yeah, and Gallade hasn’t been sucked into the fighting type brain rot yet. He still used all the fancy ranged options. Most fighting types are trying to figure out the most effective way to punch something as often as possible.” May sighed as she stared down at her belt.

“So, Emilie should’ve been a fighting type. Got it.” I grinned at my girlfriend. “I’m just super excited to fight it again. The rematch is going to be awesome once me and Emilie work the kinks out of our battle tactics. I have so many cool, new ideas.” I started bouncing up and down on my bed.

May just smiled at me before pulling me into another spine shattering hug. “You’re so adorable when you get like this.”

“May... I love you... but sometimes... your love hurts,” I complained.

May smiled sweetly at me as she pulled back. “Deal with it.”

“Gag,” Wally sounded off from his chair, before looking around the room. “Did you leave Wayne and Jasmine behind in your rush to get here?”

May winced. “Uhh...”

I gave May a pointed look. “Do they even know where I am?”

May winced again. “Uhhhh...”

A shadow was cast from the door leading out to the hallway, and I looked over to see the pair start to make their way inside.

“We had to guess, and our first bet was the hospital,” Jasmine glowered at my girlfriend from the door, her boyfriend close behind with a matching expression.

May sheepishly turned away from me and chuckled nervously. “Oops.”

In all the madness, a single dark spot on May’s neck made me realize something.

“May, did you go into your match without, uh...” I trailed off and pointed at my neck.

May’s face went white as a sheet before shifting to a brilliant red.

I patted her consolingly on the back as she buried her face in her hands.

----------------------------------------

I looked down at my contingent of poke balls in the little tray that Nurse Joy laid out for me and frowned. The fact that Emilie hadn’t just let herself out yet was already worrying. I sighed before reaching out and picking up the white ball.

“Just open the damn thing, would you? I’m hungry,” Jasmine said, her head peeking over my shoulder.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Nurse Joy smiled at me. “She’s fully recovered, she just got her bell rung. A little quiet, but that’s not uncommon with Ralts.”

Oh. Legends above, this is worse than I thought.

“Emilie?” May asked. “Quiet?”

“Are you sure this is the right Ralts?” Wayne followed up, looking down at the white ball from behind me.

Nurse Joy nodded, before bowing. “Thank you, we hope to see you again.” She turned and left through the door behind the counter.

“Well, I suppose...” I clicked the release button on the poke ball and prepared for the worst.

The ball opened and a very weak white light filled the area as Emilie appeared on the counter, hunched over with vacant, listless eyes.

I leaned forward and lightly poked her on the side of her head. “Emilie?”

No response.

Jasmine sighed before walking up to the psychic type and picking her up. “Okay, look. You lost a gym battle, it’s not the end of the world. Hell, your trainer is handling this better than you are, and it impacts her more-”

Emilie teleported out of her hold and reappeared on my shoulder, her arms crossed as she sulked. “My life is pain.”

“You-”

“Have to give up your cookies for a week.” Emilie cut me off as she wailed, her sorrow palpable through the cry.

The tenseness left my shoulders as I stared at my starter with unimpressed eyes. “Good, maybe going cold turkey will curb your addiction.”

Emilie sniffled. “It’s not an addiction, it’s a way of life.” She winced as my unimpressed stare shifted to a glare, before turning away. “It’s okay though. I know I fucked up.”

It was my turn to wince. “You didn’t fuck up. Neither one of us was at our best out there,” I argued. “You were right the other day. If we had worked out a better way to communicate-”

“We would have lost a whole lot sooner, because you would have been a gibbering mess for the entire match against Gallade.” Emilie turned and glared at me. “I could’ve just stalled the round out and let him pass out to Leech Seed, but nooooo, I had to show off like a dumb ass and get wrecked for it!”

“I could’ve started working on something with you before things hit the fan in my head,” I countered. “I didn’t want to think about it though, so I put it off. THAT is what cost us this match.” I sighed before looking down at the floor. “I fucked up too, so stop beating yourself up, okay? I’m the trainer here, it’s my job to help direct you guys, not the other way around.”

“I just, how the fuck did that thing just... cleave through the Emilienator like butter, huh? I packed that sand tight enough that it may as well have been a brick wall!” Emilie wailed as she grabbed the collar of my Haori and started shaking. “How?!”

“I’m sorry, what did you call that thing?” Jasmine asked to the backdrop of Wayne’s boisterous laughter.

Emilie whipped her head around and stared at the group at large. May and Wally both had their mouths blocked by their hands, but the faint sound of snickering could still be heard. My adorable little starter blushed bright red, before crawling down my arm and pressing the return button.

“Oi, Emilie, get back here!” I jammed the release button to no effect. The fuck, how the hell are you doing that, you psychic drama princess! I lifted my head up to the judgmental stares of my friends. “The fuck you looking at?”

“You. You have no right to make fun of my naming conventions ever again.” May leaned forward and bumped my forehead. “The fuck is an Emilienator?”

My face shifted to match Emilie’s earlier look as I did my best to look anywhere other than May’s face. “...a pun using Emilie’s name and eliminator.”

Lucas’s ball burst open, because of course it did. “Hon hon hon hon hon.”

The connotations of Lucas’s approval weighed heavily upon my soul as I braved a glance back at the rest of my friends. “Look. I wholesale stole that name from the game you got me. They’re terrible at naming shit, not me.”

May just gave me a look. “Then why did you copy it?”

I looked away again. “I thought it sounded cool.”

“Hon hon hon hon hon” Lucas started laughing even harder.

Stupid, piece of shit, Kalosian sword. I take it all back. The stupid Absol can have you.

“Emilie, please come back. We’re laughing more at Lea than you. It’s fine.” Wayne said each phrase through chuckles as he pulled himself back up and started walking towards the hallway that led to the cafeteria. “You’ll miss dinner if you spend the whole night sulking in your ball.”

“How the hell are you hungry?” Wally rasped as he chased after him. “You ate like, two bags of popcorn and half a pack of pocky during Lea’s match alone.”

“I’m a big man, I have to eat more than you people.” Wayne called back.

“That’s not how it works!” Wally shouted.

Jasmine sighed before staring at me expectantly. “You want dinner? I know it doesn’t feel like that long, but lunch was like, seven hours ago, and you barely touched your plate.”

May’s gaze sharpened as it locked in on my sweating form. “You’re supposed to be maintaining a solid diet to make up for the calorie deficit the regenerators caused.”

“Uhh...” I blinked a few times as I tried and failed to think of a good excuse. “I was nervous, alright?”

May practically dragged me towards the cafeteria, grabbing the tray that my remaining poke balls were in as she went.

I watched as Lucas and Jasmine both stared at each other for a brief moment, chuckled, and followed.

Traitors.

----------------------------------------

I stared at the hulking monstrosity of a meal my girlfriend made for me with wide, fearful eyes. “May, I can’t eat all this. I’m not you.”

“Should’ve thought about that before skipping a meal.” May glared at me before setting her own tray down and sitting next to me.

“You ate half of my food!” I complained.

May winced. “That’s beside the point, there was still half a sandwich, at least.” She glanced down towards my gloved hands as I slowly gripped my fork. “I really have been slacking on helping you through rehab, have you-”

“My grip’s gotten way better, don’t worry.” I waved the fork around to prove my point before sticking it into the noodles she got me. “Nothing to worry about.”

Wally sat down right next to me and leaned in close. “I’ll sneak some food off your plates, don’t worry. I think May’s just in helicopter mode because of earlier.”

I winced, before carefully sneaking a bowl of rice onto Wally’s tray as May started talking to Jasmine. “Thanks.”

Wally nodded.

“-are we going down?” Jasmine asked.

May froze at whatever the hell Jasmine just said.

“Huh?” I asked, leaning forward. “What are we doing?”

Jasmine sighed, before glaring at me. “When are we going down into the Dewford Caves? I know you just had your gym battle and are dealing with that, but I really want to talk to Steven.” The girl practically vibrated in her seat. “Just thinking of that interview is fighting with my ability to sit still.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Wayne stabbed aggressively at his plate. “When do we get to meet the pretty boy ex champ?”

I stared down at his food and winced, that poor piece of chicken. “I mean, I know I’m going to have to do some work with Emilie so we can fight together better. At least for the short term. I’ve got more than a few ideas for that, so hopefully that doesn’t take too long.”

Emilie winced from her perch on my shoulder, cracker in hand.

I patted her on the head, before turning back to the group. “I also want to see if I can teach any of my pokemon Dark-Type moves. That was how he blasted Emilie’s golem-”

“The Emilienator.” Wally piped up as his mask shifted, revealing a teasing grin as he grabbed the bowl of rice.

The rice glowed blue before rising up and smacking him in the face.

“Emilie.” The word left my lips with a token glare.

“I’m sorry, I-”

“Once wasn’t nearly enough,” I said, cutting her off.

Emilie grinned as Wally glared at me, his rice coming to life in his bowl as it deftly moved away from Wally’s eating utensils.

“You’re both exceedingly mature,” Wally said.

“Thank you for acknowledging that.” I grinned as Wally finally managed to get a bite of food. “But yeah, Dark-Type moves to deal with psychic attacks better. I need to learn that before my rematch, so I should probably have my team learn before we go down into the abyss.”

May muttered something I couldn’t quite hear as Wayne lifted up a single poke ball.

“Nuzleaf can probably show your crew a thing or two. He’s kind of a dick, but he knows what he’s talking about when it comes to dark type attacks,” Wayne said, spinning the ball on his finger. “I can have Skarmory there to make sure he behaves.”

I vibrated in my seat at the prospect of finally meeting the grass ninja. “I’m looking forward to meeting him, I think Joern could probably learn a thing or two from him at least, so that’s good. I already know he probably wants a rematch.”

A light exploded from my waist as Joern formed in front of me. “Lombre. Lom lom.”

Emilie looked down at the Lilypad Pokémon with a glare. “He said he’s soloing the stupid psychic type by the end of the week, and to not worry about learning to order me around.”

Joern smirked up at me before glaring at my starter. “Lom.”

Emilie winced. “Yeah, I screwed up. We’ll-”

“Would you stop blaming yourself?” I glared down at my starter before shifting it over to Joern. “And don’t make her think our loss is her fault. We all fucked up both before and during the match.” I glanced down at the table. “Considering how well Lucas did in his match against Heracross, I could’ve saved us all a lot of pain and sent him out sooner.”

Lucas rose up from his hiding place in my shadow and grinned at me. “Honedge?”

Another light exploded from waist as Apollo formed behind the laughing Ghost type, only to smack the back of his hilt. “Pelipper, Pel-”

His chastising got cut short as rain clouds quickly started to form. I instantly went for Apollo’s poke ball and returned him as Emilie lifted her arms up and started ushering the rain clouds out the window.

“Okay, I also apparently need to teach Apollo how to hold it in, didn’t think that’d be a thing,” I muttered, staring down at the ball with a pinched brow.

“He did just evolve,” May muttered stiffly.

What was up with her?

“Then, yeah. Probably going to have to train that too, somehow.” I sighed at the growing to do list. “How the hell do you train a pokemon to not make it rain?”

May opened her mouth, closed it, frowned, and pulled out her pokedex. “Uh... let me get back to you on that.” She closed the dex before staring back up at me, her mouth pulled into a frown.

“May, are you-”

“This is starting to sound like a really long training session,” Jasmine said, cutting me off by echoing my earlier thoughts with a frown. “So, are we all going down after Lea’s rematch, then, or-”

“I don’t think Lea should go down with us.” May rushed the words out so fast that I had trouble understanding her.

“Come again?” I asked.

My girlfriend took a deep breath, leaned back in her chair, turned away from her untouched food, and stared me right in the eyes. “I think you should stay up top and train while we go into the caves.”

Never mind, I didn’t have trouble understanding her. She did just tell me to wait up here while she storms down into the frozen abyss.

I leaned back from the table as the rest of the group, as a whole, decided now would be a good time to make themselves scarce. Plates clanged, chairs scraped along the floor, and little mini dust clouds formed in the areas that used to be occupied by Wally, Wayne, and Jasmine.

May looked around the table before sighing. “You passed out because Emilie got knocked out and you freaked out. What do you think will happen when you go underground?”

I froze as memories played out across my eyes. Bloody rocks pulling away torn sleeves. Blank stone faces urging me deeper into the abyss.

“I’d manage.” I choked out, as images from my dream beat back the memories.

May shook her head, a sad look on her face. “No, I don’t think you would. I think you’d have an episode the second we got attacked.” May sighed. “It’s not your fault, but going down there, with how you are right now... I think we all know that’d end badly.”

“Lom.” Joern nodded once, his eyes focused as he looked my way. “Lombre.”

“He said to listen to your girlfriend,” Emilie said, lifting her cracker up and nibbling on it. Her face scrunched up and she stuck her tongue out. “I agree too. If me getting knocked out sent you into a panic attack, then the caves are going to make you catatonic.”

“I, I don’t-”

May groaned before glaring at me. “Please, just. For once, listen to me. I know you had your heart set on meeting Steven, but-”

“I don’t care about the stupid champion,” I shouted, earning a few glances from other tables.

May leaned back. “I don’t-”

“I need to be there to keep you guys safe.” I leaned over and grabbed her arm. Fuck, why did it feel colder? The sun went down, you idiot. I-

“Lea, I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but I am in fact a very accomplished trainer.” May scrunched her nose up, before pausing. “Well, accomplished enough, at least. Dewford Cave doesn’t have anything that scary in it.”

“You don’t know that,” I muttered. I felt like I was grasping at straws, but I actively didn’t understand how to explain this without sounding like a crazy person. I dreamed of you all turning into fancy ice sculptures, so please don’t go into the island cave without me.

It sounded fucking ludicrous, and I didn’t even say it out loud.

“Even if there was, the four of us would be able to handle it. We might not be able to do that while protecting my comatose girlfriend who can’t even use half her team at the moment,” May said, her voice firm.

I flinched back and pulled my hand away, before staring down at my plate. “Right.” I picked up my fork and started playing with my food. “Got it.”

The conversation fell into an uncomfortable silence as May looked down at her untouched plate.

“I’m sorry. That-that might have been a bit too far.” May picked up her fork and started playing with her noodles, awkwardly twirling without actually moving the fork up. “I just need you to listen to me. Anything else and I’d have you right there with me. I just-”

“You’re right, though.” I sighed, stabbing at my dinner plate. “I hate that you’re right, but you’re right. I just... I want to be there to keep you safe.” I looked up at her, before looking back down at my plate. “I wasn’t the only one that almost died down there, you know?”

May winced, and I couldn’t tell if it was from the reminder of what happened to me, or what almost happened to her. Her grip tightened around her fork, and a light scraping filled the air as she pressed down harder against her plate.

“What would it take to get you to stay up here?” May asked. “I know this is hard for you. How can I make it a bit easier?”

I froze. What could she even do? I wouldn’t be able to see her for days. I’d be alone up here, with-

Emilie patted my hair and Joern reached out and grabbed my tensed hands. Fuck, that hurt. My hands were cramped up so bad right now.

“Thanks, guys.” I squeezed Joern’s hand before looking up and meeting my girlfriend’s eyes, frowning at the hunched over form. “I, honestly, I don’t know what to ask. Just let me know you’re alright, I guess? Leave me Sergei and call on Wally’s phone. Every night.” I felt myself get a bit more confident as the words left my mouth. “If I don’t hear from you, I’m charging into the place, ptsd episode be fucking dammed.”

May looked away before nodding. “I can agree to that." She looked back up at me. “Was probably going to do that anyway. I’m going to go nuts not having you with me.”

I smiled at her. “You know, the easy solution to that-”

“No.” May glared at me again.

I sighed before looking back down at my plate. “Fair. I guess. I’m going to miss you too.” What else did I need to-

Oh.

“You’re also going to leave Absol with me.” The name fell from my lips like a piece of bile. “Like fucking hell you’re taking that thing with you into the pit. I’ll have enough to worry about without the chance of her breaking out and going back on her word to behave.”

May winced, before looking down at her belt. “I-Do you really-”

“Yes,” I said with the same intensity May did to me earlier. “You taking that thing down with you is as stupid as taking me right now. Give me the damn dog.”

“Cat.” May smiled at the glower I shot her way, before sighing and unclicking a single poke ball from her belt and placing it on the table. “I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about, though. She’s been good. Way better-” The words died on her lips as she took in my glare.

“And how exactly would you know how she’s been?” I asked, my eyes narrowed into slits as I glared hatefully at the ball.

Emilie levitated it up and it shot into my open palm. “She knows because she’s been sneaking little conversations with the murder hobo.”

My glare intensified. “You promised-”

“I know.” May sighed out through her nose. “I’m sorry. I just, she’s not really angry anymore. She just... doesn’t really emote much at all.” May looked down at the table. “I’m worried about her, honestly.”

I glanced over at the ball with a frown. “You do know you have one of the foremost experts on pokemon behavior on speed dial, right?”

“He’s already been helping me with her, actually,” May admitted.

I leaned back from the table and stared at her.

May chuckled. “I know when I’m in over my head, it just takes me a bit to realize, sometimes.” May stared forlornly at the ball. “I’ll agree to this one if you do me a favor in return. Could you talk to her for me?”

“Me?” I asked. “What the hell do you think I can do?”

“You’ve got a certain way of bringing people out of their own head.” May went back to playing with the food on her plate. “It’s one of your best qualities, honestly.”

I glared at the ball in my hand before reaching back and pocketing it. “I guess I can agree to that.”

The conversation died again, and I sighed before picking at my plate a bit more. It felt like I was forcing myself to eat right now, given how many knots my stomach was tied into.

You know what, fuck it. May can look at me like a crazy person if she wants to. “If you come across a weird frozen over cave down there, have Gawain teleport everyone out.”

May looked up from her plate and stared at me, her eyebrows pulled back. “Huh, Lea, I know it’s cold, but going underground is going to make it warmer, not colder.”

“I had a weird dream, and bad things happen to you if you go there,” I said.

Emilie looked at me oddly.

“I don’t think it means anything. The whole thing was really weird and what I saw honestly feels impossible, but... I need you to just promise me that you’ll get out of there if the dream was more than a dream,” I said.

“Was there anything specific about the room?” May asked, taking me a lot more seriously than I thought she would.

“Whole thing’s completely frozen over. I’m actually not sure if there’s any rocks under the ice in there, it just looked like a big hollowed out ice cube,” I said.

May nodded. “Got it, stay away from the giant frozen room of death. Can do. Probably would have done that anyway.”

“You’re... taking this far more seriously than I thought you would.” I glanced at May, before smiling.

“Lea, over the course of this trip, I’ve seen you do all kinds of impossible things. I’m taking your warnings very seriously, even if future sight is one of the most inconsistent parts of a psychic’s tool kit. I’ll be careful, don’t worry.” May nodded once at me, before staring down at her plate and taking a bite.

Emilie just looked at my head with a frown on her face. “Do you think it was a vision?”

I shook my head. “The things I saw honestly didn’t make sense. It still felt like a dream, just... a lot more vivid.” I sighed. “I don’t really know what it was.”

Emilie looked down in thought for a moment before nodding. “Guess we’ll find out.”

Those words put ice in my veins.

“Lombre.” Joern glared up at Emilie, before reaching out on the table and grabbing a bowl. “Lombre lom.”

“Hey?” May asked.

I looked up from the two pokemon and stared back at May. “Yeah?”

“We’re good, right?” May looked away shyly. “I know I was kinda harsh, but I just wanted to make sure you would listen to me. I didn’t know about the other stuff. I’m sorry if I was a bit much.”

I smiled at her as well as I could. “I guess this qualifies as our first fight?”

May winced.

“You’re right. I’m sorry you had to go so far for me to see it.” I looked down at my plate. “I’m also sorry you felt like you had to. I really didn’t do a good job of listening to you before, huh?”

May smiled bitterly before shaking her head. “I didn’t do a good job of stopping you, either.”

I chuckled. “Yes, we’re good. Don’t worry so much. I’ll stay up here, you can go down and find the rock fanatic, and beg him to come up and give me an autograph.”

May giggled, before reaching across the table wrapping her hand around mine. The touch seemed to chase the cold away, and I smiled at her.

“Good,” May said. “I’ll drag him kicking and screaming if I have to.”

I smiled at her before looking back down at my plates. “And May, this is still entirely too much food.”

May just started giggling, before reaching over and grabbing a plate for herself. I grinned at her mercy, before digging in.