Chapter Text
Biting wind slashes across Amethio’s face with all the sting of a belt whip. He grits his teeth, focusing on keeping Corviknight steady in this sudden storm.
He’d left Zir and Conia behind after his battle with Friede, opting to travel from Galar to Paldea alone. It was bad enough they witnessed they shame of him losing by such a significant margin, he couldn’t stand their pitying looks for the entire journey back.
Amethio is a failure of a pokemon trainer and a failure of a grandson. It’s no wonder Gibeon lost faith in him. He wishes he could just disappear for a while, to go to a place where no one could find him.
Another strong gust of wind off-balances the pair and Amethio quickly finds himself spiraling downward with his partner.
Keep calm, Amethio
With all strength he can muster, Amethio leans against the force of the wind to right their trajectory, slowing the death spiral into a hasty glide. It’s not enough. They’re approaching the lake below them rapidly.
“Steady girl, I’ll handle this”
The soft spoken words seem to calm Corviknight down, enough that she listens when Amethio gently pulls at her wings, silently asking for her to fly into the pull of the raging winds. The lake comes closer and closer as they descend.
Amethio takes a deep breath and recalls Corviknight, bracing for the worst
I’m sorry, mom
There’s a thundering crash and the sensation of being hit by a truck as Amethio breaks the surface.
The water feels like shards of glass against Amethio’s skin. He’s assaulted from all angles. His limbs flail uselessly in the chaos, and he can’t tell which direction is up. The world around him has turned dark as the pull of waves rise and crash, keeping Amethio trapped.
Amidst the swirl of bubbles surrounding him and preventing Amethio from righting himself, he can taste iron in his mouth. The water stings his eyes and his lungs burn, already beginning to ache from the lack of oxygen.
Is this it? Will he die a disappointment, with the last thing he ever did being humiliated by Friede? It doesn’t matter now, Amethio thinks, his mind growing fuzzy.
Nothing matters now.
The last thing Amethio sees is a faint purple glow before the world fades to black.
—
In the distance, Amethio can make out the gentle sounds of waves lapping at the shore. The push and pull is steady and constant, Amethio matches his breathing to the rhythm as he lets his mind slowly catch up to him.
No longer does the wind above howl and shriek with the ferocity it did before. It’s the calm after the storm, soothed from the previous events of the night. He tries to remember the last thing that happened.
The last thing…
… ah.
Amethio must be dead now.
He always thought his mother would be the first one to greet him into the afterlife. The realization of her absence hits him at once and Amethio begins to cry. Please, don’t let him be a failure in the afterlife, too.
Sobs rack his body, one after another, sapping away what little energy Amethio has left. Why, why, why-
“Ceru, Ceruledge?”
Amethio opens his eyes, seeing Ceruledge poised above him, concern in his partner’s eyes. No, Ceruledge is dead, too?
“I-I’m sorry, Ceruledge. I really a-am a failure”
He sits up and pulls his knees to his chest, letting the sobs continue to run their course. Everything aches. He can sense Ceruledge kneel beside him, offering his blades to keep Amethio warm. It’s useless now, but the gesture brings out another rounds of sobs that leaves Amethio feeling numb.
Why did everything have to go wrong?
“I am sorry to interrupt the reunion, but you appear to be doing poorly”
Amethio lifts his face towards the unfamiliar voice, sniffling and rubbing the tears from his eyes to get a better look. A face he doesn’t recognize stands before him. His eyes widen, and he looks around at his surroundings.
There’s a thick fog, though Amethio can still make out that he’s near the lakeshore. At this realization, the bitter cold and the pounding of his heart hits him at once, shooting a rush of adrenaline through his body that has Amethio gasping for air on dry land.
The person opposite him waits patiently for Amethio to regain his composure.
“Are you, t-the one who saved me?”
Knowing the circumstance, the stutter is understandable, but brings him no less shame to face his savior this way.
“You could call it that, I suppose. Your nose is bleeding”
Amethio wipes his gloved hand across his face, idly noting how it comes back crimson. He doesn’t have anything dry to clean himself with, though that seems like the least of his worries now.
“You suppose?”
The mystery person turns their head towards the sky, ignoring his question. What exactly happened? The clothes of his savior appear dry and unaffected by the breeze around them. His head hurts too much to dwell on it for long, though.
“Come now, we need to make haste if we’re to reach shelter before the cold front arrives”
Shelter… that sounds nice. Amethio braces his hand on the ground, standing up on shaky legs. Ceruledge is there to catch him the moment he falters, reliable as ever. Tears begin to well in Amethio’s eyes again. He gets the impression it’s for a different reason, this time.
The figure in front of him walks confidently towards an unknown destination, seeming to glide easily across the shore while Amethio can only stumble and drag his feet uselessly, kicking up sand with every step. There’s no energy left in him for embarrassment. He’s empty as he trudges into the unknown.
It feels like hours drag by as Amethio stares at the back of the person he’s following. They seem to flicker in and out of existence, proof only of Amethio’s weary eyes.
Not once in their journey do they turn around to face him nor offer him a hand, even when Amethio stumbles and has to brace himself against Ceruledge to keep his balance. It feels cold yet familiar, and memories of Gibeon flash through his mind as they walk.
One step and then another.
Amethio feels weak. He’s not sure how he’s kept his body moving for so long. He can’t stop now, though.
Slowly but surely, a cabin begins to appear amidst the fog. Amethio isn’t sure if it’s real or not, refusing to get his hopes up over a mirage. It’s not until his guide stops and turns to look at him for the first time since he stood up that Amethio let’s himself believe it’s real. Let’s himself believe he’s alive and this all isn’t part of some horrid nightmare.
“We’re here. I need you to open the door”
Too defeated to argue or question why, Amethio trudges forward and turns the handle, letting himself stumble through the doorway. His guide appears beside him soundlessly, and Ceruledge is the one who closes the door behind them.
A belated thought comes to mind and Amethio fumbles through his pockets desperately, cursing himself for not remembering sooner.
“Your partner is safe in her pokeball. I sent her to seek shelter earlier. She’s to thank for this refuge”
The words lift a weight from Amethio’s shoulders. He’s really a wreck now, isn’t he? His head pounds and his body shakes from exhaustion. It must be some time well past midnight now, in the quiet hours of the night.
“Thank you”
Silence follows for a beat too long, unnatural yet fitting for such a desolate place.
“... There is still more to be done. Ceruledge will set the fire, you will be best off in dry clothes”
With that, Amethio nods and finds himself wordlessly following his guide to the bathroom of the cabin, opening the cabinet they gesture to and pulling out towels and a change of clothes. There’s a well worn hoodie embroidered with the Galar rescue service logo, letting him know who the cabin belongs to.
It’s slow as Amethio dries his hair and attempts to unbutton his shirt. Sensation is returning to his hands and his fingers begin to itch wildly from being subjected to the cold.
When he is finally changed he trudges out of the bathroom, spotting his guide standing and waiting for him. They say nothing as the two of them walk back to the main section of the cabin. Amethio makes a note to ask for their name in the morning, when he has the energy to spare for words.
For now, Amethio lets himself fall onto the couch by the fireplace, sleep overtaking him faster than it ever has before.