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Leon jerked awake suddenly, blinking through the darkness of his room. No. Not his room.
Confused, the Galar champion looked around the room he was in. Familiarity began to sink in as he recognized his surroundings; the circular table he was sitting at, the little window above the sink that was currently letting in a sliver of moonlight, the stacks of manila folders full of information.
Sonia's house.
As he continued to look around, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he saw Sonia herself. She was sitting across from him, fast asleep, her head resting against the open folder in front of her. Leon nudged the professor-in-training gently. She didn't budge.
Leon frowned. So, if Sonia hadn't woken him, what had?
He got his answer a second later as he heard a soft whine from the back door. He stood, tiptoeing through the silent house groggily. waiting to be let outside into the night for a bathroom break was Sonia's Yamper. The Pokemon wagged his tail gratefully as Leon opened the door to let him out. The Galar Champion left the door slightly ajar as he headed back into the kitchen for a moment. A clock on the wall farthest from him told him it was nearly two in the morning.
Leon sighed, his gaze sweeping over the tons of file folders on the table. One was propped up against Sonia's rumpled orange ponytail as she slept.
The two of them had been going through all the files, which were full of nearly every single bit of research done on the Galar region, looking for anything on Zacian and Zamazenta. Leon and his brother, Hop, as well as Hop's friend Gloria, had encountered the two mysterious Pokemon in the Slumbering Wield a few weeks ago. Leon had explained the whole thing to Sonia, who of course knew exactly what to look for.
Unfortunately, the looking part involved a lot of sitting and reading and headaches.
So many files, all chock full of information. Leon and Sonia had been reading through each and every one, searching for some mention of the twin Pokemon lurking in the mists of the Slumbering Wield. So far, they had only found two mentions of the creatures. It was enough to make Leon want to quit trying, but Sonia had never been one to give up.
Apparently, as Leon was now realizing, both of them had fallen asleep.
Tiny footsteps clicked happily against the tile floor as Yamper scurried back inside. Leon walked over to close the back door, his gaze drifting back to the cluttered kitchen table as he did so.
He looked at Sonia. She looked so peaceful, calm. He considered leaving her where she was so she could just keep sleeping. She deserved the break; as far as Leon knew, the girl hadn't slept for longer than a few hours for the past few days, too swamped with missions from her Gran and now this to get much rest.
But as the soon-to-be professor shifted slightly in her seat, the file propped against her head now falling forward softly, he figured that if Sonia was going to finally get some sleep, she should at least be comfortable.
Taking a breath and praying to Arceus that Sonia wouldn't up, Leon took a few steps toward her chair. He crouched, pausing just to make sure Sonia's eyes were still closed, her breath still slow and even with sleep. Then, as gently as he could possibly manage, he wrapped one arm around her back, looping the other beneath her legs. He lifted her out of the chair bridal-style, taking a step backward. He paused as Sonia shifted, her head resting against his shoulder. To Leon's relief, she remained asleep.
Ignoring as Yamper jumped at his leg for a pat on the head, Leon headed into the living room, which was just next to the kitchen. He leaned over one of the two couches, gently laying Sonia down on the plush cushions. She rolled over onto her side, murmuring something Leon couldn't quite make out, but otherwise stayed fast asleep.
Yamper, who had apparently figured out what was happening, jumped up onto the couch as well, curling up at Sonia's side. Before heading back to the kitchen, Leon pulled off his Champion's coat, which Sonia had long ago dubbed his 'wearable blanket.' He spread it over Sonia's sleeping figure, not seeing any other blankets nearby.
And maybe part of him just wanted to see her reaction when she woke up wrapped in his coat.
Leon froze. He looked down at his best friend, a ghost of a smile gracing his lips. A few hours ago, she had claimed she wouldn't rest until her research was done. Now, she was out like a light. No matter how much things changed, Leon could always count on her to fall asleep, whether she did it in class, on the bus, or even at her own kitchen table.
He allowed himself a few more seconds before walking back into the kitchen. He took his seat once again, pulling the nearest file closer to him and flipping it open.
Yawning, he got back to work. If Sonia was finally going to get some sleep, the least he could do was finish this for her.