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If there was a worse time to get caught in a blizzard, it was right now. The only thing keeping Blake from becoming lost inside the storm was the map of the Crown Tundra on his phone, showing him the way back to Freezington, and the only thing stopping him from becoming a popsicle was Sapphire rubbing up against his side. One of the benefits of having a fire-type by your side was that it made the colder weather a lot more bearable, but even she was starting to shiver from the onslaught of snow.
"Just stay close to me, Sapph! We're almost there!" Blake yelled over the storm, wrapping his gloved hand around her paw.
The pair continued to trudge through the snowy plains, following the path laid out for them on the map. Even with the snow gear that Blake wore along with a scarf around his face and goggles covering his eyes, it still felt like icicles were piercing into his body with every step they took.
Finally, after what felt like hours, the faint lights of Freezington illuminated the snowy fog, revealing the end of the proverbial tunnel. Spurred on by the prospect of warmth, Blake and Sapphire sped up their pace until they were practically running towards the town and base camp.
No time was wasted barreling through the door and swiftly closing it behind them, blocking out the chill that they had been slogging through for the past couple of minutes.
"That...was the worst thing...ever," Blake stammered out while shaking out the snow that had snuck its way onto his caramel hair.
"C-Cind..."
"At least we made it back in one piece!" he added with a chuckle before moving past her into the bedroom in order to change out of his expedition uniform.
Sapphire huffed with a smile and sat down at the table, heating up her body with the natural fire that all fire-types wielded; useful for attacks and for keeping them warm in cold environments, though she'd be much happier to stay where it's warmer instead of in the chilly blizzard.
Blake had mentioned the Crown Tundra to her back in Wyndon but it wasn't until after they got back from the Isle of Armor that he suggested they go check it out. What followed was an adventure that Blake had always dreamed about - exploring a new part of the region and finding new Pokémon to catch, including several legendaries that he didn't think existed at first until he actually caught them.
Then there were the Dynamax Adventures that Peony introduced them to. Legendaries that were thought to only be found in other regions and even creatures from another dimension somehow made their way here. That alone spurred Blake on more. Sapphire didn't like it at all though, given that she wasn't allowed to come along with him due to fear of "over-exposure to Galar particles". Thankfully, he only did it a couple of times before deciding to spend the rest of his time with her exploring the region.
She snapped out of her thoughts when the bedroom door opened once again and Blake stepped out in a much more comfortable outfit - a navy cable-knit sweater, grey plaid PJs that were his go-to for relaxation, and a pair of socks to keep his feet warm.
He smiled at her as he shut the door and pointed towards the window, "Okay, I'm gonna go ahead and put it out there that I don't want to ever go through that again."
"Bun cinderace cin?" she smirked.
"What can I say? Hindsight is twenty-twenty."
Sapphire shook her head while Blake went to the kitchen. He was lucky enough that Peony had thought to bring along a kettle as well as several boxes of Tapu Cocoa for situations just like this. Blake had actually been surprised at first when he came face-to-face with the Rose-look-alike, a fact that was confirmed when he had run into Oleana and the truth was spilled, though Peony didn't seem too bothered by it. The former steel-type gym leader was certainly eccentric and was able to get Blake to snort at his jokes every once in a while. It was the least he could do to make up for what his daughter pulled.
The kettle whistled after a couple seconds. He poured two cups of cocoa, bringing them over to the table and placing one in front of the Cinderace. Blake barely felt the chair beneath him before he gulped down the cocoa, not caring about the scalding his mouth was currently undergoing.
He lowered his cup with a big sigh of contentment, "I think if I'm dethroned as champion, we should open a restaurant that just sells Tapu Cocoa."
"Ace cind bun cinderace," Sapphire tittered.
"Hey, I can't know if they'll be good if I don't test them myself first," Blake shrugged, "Wouldn't want customers to be disappointed after all. Plus, it beats spending so much money on Pokéballs just for them to fail."
Sapphire rested her chin on her paw and raised an eyebrow, "Bun cini?"
"Oh, don't even get me started."
For Blake, catching the legendaries that were across the Tundra was the most frustrating thing he's ever done. Despite stocking up on Pokéballs to the point where his bag was overflowing with them, none of them remained aside from the few that were actually successful. The legendaries that Sonia had asked for him to track were the worst offenders, forcing Blake to waste Pokéball after Pokéball even when they were on their last legs. The Regis were almost just as bad, though thankfully he caught them a lot quicker than the others. The birds were by far the easiest. It was just a matter of actually tracking them down; that was the really tedious part as all three of them retreated to different parts of the entire Galar region. It was like chasing after the celebrity nutjobs but multiplied by ten.
"I swear, if I have to chase after another legendary, someone is going to pay."
Sapphire laughed again before finishing the rest of her cup. The howling of the wind outside stole Blake's attention, watching the snow race by the window, "Sheesh, it's getting bad out there. I hope it doesn't-"
A loud snap rang through the house and plunged the two of them into darkness, accompanied by a scream of surprise from Sapphire and a loud thump from the floor.
"Oh boy..." Blake groaned, pulling out his phone and turning on the flashlight. He stood up and reached over to the lightswitch nearby. As he expected, flipping it didn't turn the lights back on, confirming that power was gone.
He sighed and shined the flashlight around the room, "Sapph? You alright?"
"Cini..." he heard her groan.
He looked over the side of the table to see his Cinderace sprawled out on the floor in a heap. Her eyes found his and she pointed a threatening paw at him, "Cin. Der. Ace."
Blake chuckled and dragged his fingers over his lips before leaning down to help her back up. A shiver wracked through him once she was on her feet.
"Uh oh, if the power's out, that probably means the heater is too." He facepalmed, "Why didn't Peony invest in a fireplace?"
The cabin was getting colder fast and there was only one plan that came to mind.
"C'mon, we better grab the blankets from the bed," he said, grabbing some candles out of a nearby drawer and leading Sapphire to the bedroom, "It's gonna be another Route 10 kind of night."
Sapphire blushed as she flashbacked to that route. It was the last route to get through before reaching Wyndon where they would battle in the Semifinals, but the entire route had fallen into a blizzard, similar to the one currently outside their cabin. They were forced to take shelter inside their tent, but the storm still sneaked its way in, pushing Blake to the edge of hypothermia. It was only thanks to her that she ended up grabbing all the blankets she could and wrapping the two of them close together in order to take advantage of her fire-typing and staying warm through the night.
To say that she didn't enjoy being that close to him would be a lie, but it still made her heart stop knowing just how...intimate the whole situation had accidentally become.
Blake lit up the candles on both sides of the bed to illuminate the room and began to rip the covers off the bed. His breath was starting to become visible due to the cold, so he picked up the pace. He hopped onto the bed with the blankets wrapped around him and motioned at the fire-type. Slowly, she nestled into him and he curled the blankets around them until they formed a cocoon and leaned back onto the headboard.
"Ah...much better," Blake sighed in relief, immediately feeling the warmth return to his body.
Sapphire's blush only grew as she wrapped her arms around him and pushed her face into his chest. She shouldn't be embarrassed about this, but the loud beating of her heart said otherwise.
"So, it was an eight out of ten for the Isle. What about here?" Blake asked her, prompting her to finally look up at him. She hoped he didn't notice how red her face was as she signed another eight.
"Another eight, huh?" he mused, "Guess we need to start thinking of going to completely different regions."
"Ace..." she said, lowering her head back down to his chest.
"Maybe Kalos? I've heard that Prism Tower has quite the view at the top."
"A-Ace..."
Blake's brow furrowed. His partner wasn't usually this quiet.
"Hey...you alright?"
She nodded silently.
"Is this...uncomfortable for you?" he frowned.
"Cin, cin..." she hastily shook her head.
"...You're thinking about Route 10, aren't you?"
A muffled groan from the fire bunny was his reward. He smiled as he did in fact take notice of the shade of red under her fur. To him, the time they spent on Route 10 during the blizzard was a memory he would cherish, not just because she saved his life, but because spending some alone time with his starter was the one thing he cherished even more than being champion.
It seemed she felt the same way.
He tightened his hold on her, causing the Striker Pokémon to lift her head again, as more memories soon flooded his mind until he finally spoke.
"Y'know, it's strange to think that if we hadn't met that day, I'd probably still be in Postwick wondering what the heck I'm gonna do with my life."
Sapphire tilted her head, wondering where he was going with this, but felt her heart start to pound as he gazed into her ruby-colored eyes with so much affection that it stoked the warmth she felt inside her.
"Do you remember that night we first met? Up on the hillside?"
She nodded with a smile. How could she ever forget a moment like that?
"Before I met you, that spot always gave me a place where I could be alone and think," he lamented, "...I wasn't always the goofball you know me as. A lot of times, it felt like I was stuck and I just had no clue what I could do to change that. The Gym Challenge was really just a last-ditch option if I somehow found a sponsor."
Sapphire gave him a reassuring squeeze, returning the smile to his face as he focused back on her.
"But then, I met you. The Scorbunny that fell into my arms and practically flipped my life upside down."
Her face was now covered in a crimson hue and she pulled her ears in front of her to try and hide her embarrassment. However, her faint smile said otherwise as Blake pulled her closer to him.
"That night...I just wanted to be sure that I was making the right decision to go through with the Gym Challenge...and seeing how excited you were to go on that journey with me..." His smile grew, "...There was a reason I said you were special."
He tenderly drifted a hand along her cheek as she let go of her ears and returned eye contact, leaning into his hand while savoring the feeling of it on her fur.
"Ever since then, there's so much I've seen and there's so much more that I want to see. But despite all that, even with the entire world waiting to be explored..."
Blake drew her closer until their noses were touching. The warmth inside of Sapphire had spread to every part of her body while her smile grew more and more.
"...There's nowhere I'd rather be than right here with you."
Sapphire could barely contain the happiness that now roared to life as she locked her arms around his neck, nuzzled into his neck, and squeezed her body against his with as much force as possible. Blake laughed and returned the gesture, his heart beating just as fast as hers.
She always knew how much he cared about her. She knew when they chose each other on the hillside. She knew when they reconciled by the fireside. She knew when they embraced each other under the starlight. She even knew when they fell asleep vacationing on the isle.
Hearing him say it out loud though...it was a feeling like no other. She had to double-check to make sure she wasn't dreaming, but the feel of him in her arms was very real. The power of their bond was very, very real and it blazed to life between them, rippling like a shockwave until it connected their hearts to each other.
She let the words pour out of her without a second thought.
"...I love you."
Blake froze and leaned back to stare at her wide-eyed. Did she just…?
"...What did you say?"
Her smile didn't waver, "I love you...so much."
His breath caught in his throat, "Sapph...I...I can understand you..."
Now it was her turn to freeze, "...Really?"
Blake's smile morphed into a beaming grin, prompting the Cinderace to hug him even more.
"This is amazing..."
"You're telling me," Sapphire smirked.
He started to chuckle before it was broken by a yawn, "Oof, guess today is starting to catch up to me now. Luckily, I'm exactly where I want to be."
The Cinderace rolled her eyes, "You're lucky you're so endearing."
"I like to believe it's one of my best qualities."
He leaned over to blow out the candles, only to feel a small peck on his cheek.
"You're right. It is."
His face echoed the crimson hue that adorned his partner's cheeks and, as Blake shifted his head until it fell against the pillow, pressed his lips into her forehead, "...I love you, Sapph."
The fire-type curled around him, "I know."
The howling of the wind became muted as their eyes fell shut and their consciousness began to fade. The cold would have no place here tonight, for the warmth that emanated between partners was more than the freezing chill of snow could compete with.
"Good night, Sapphire."
"Good night, Blake."