She stumbled blindly through the dark night. Cold winds howled. Her arms clutched tight to her chest. Gripping her Pokéball fiercely, she shivered under the harsh snow.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I'm so sorry."

The tiny Pokémon pounded on the walls of its prison. All it wanted was to get out, to help its trainer, but the ball didn't open. The girl's hands were clasped tightly, refusing to let the Pokémon out. Her partner hadn't done anything; the poor Pokémon didn't deserve this fate. She only hoped that one day someone would find her cold lifeless body and the Pokémon would be free. Free to forget the trainer who'd failed it.

Staggering through the snow, the cold slowly overtook her. Her senses numbed and faltered. Shivering, her eyelids drooped, her sight turning blurry. The endless forest of pure white snow stretched forever. It was a bitter grave.

So great was the cold that she failed to notice it; the dim yet warm light before her. Through the girl's interlocked fingers her Pokémon saw it, a dim hope fighting a bleak fate.

Her legs gave out; she collapsed in the snow. Curling into a ball she hugged herself and shivered violently. She began crying and pouring her heart out to the little Pokémon.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this. This wasn't the plan. I really thought we could make it." She smiled sadly at her Pokémon. "I'm sorry."

With that final desperate apology, the girl's eyes closed. She stopped shivering and stopped talking; she lay still. The tiny Pokémon pounded harder than ever on the walls of its prison. The Pokémon could see it, the orange firelight dancing in the distance.

Relentlessly the Pokémon smashed against the confinement of the ball. It had to get out. It had to save her. This couldn't be the end, not already. Tired, the Pokémon slumped over, breathing heavily. It glared at the prison walls. The Pokémon gulped in a lungful of air before screaming at the top of its voice. The cry escaped the confines of the ball and rang quietly throughout the forest.

A short distance away an ear twitched as it heard something. What an odd noise. It sounded as if someone needed help. Peering through the window, a Buizel inspected the woods outside the cabin. Buizel's trainer looked curiously at her.

"What's up, girl?" He asked, lifting his eyes from the book in his hands.

"Bui..." Buizel replied quietly.

Listening intently, Buizel heard it again, the desperate cry of a Pokémon in need. Buizel jumped from the couch by the window, wrenched open the door and dashed outside.

"Huh... Buia!" Her trainer cried as he chased after her.

Buia didn't slow down, she kept running, homing in on the location of the troubled Pokémon. "Bui-Bui!" She shouted.

Her trainer dashed through the forest. "Buia, what-" He froze at the sight before him.

A girl of about seventeen lay unconscious in the snow. In her hands was a Pokéball carrying a screaming Piplup. He grimaced at the sight of her; she didn't look well. Frostbite nipped her fingertips. Her clothes were soaked through. He easily picked her up, cradling her gently in his arms.

Walking back to his log cabin he smiled at his Pokémon. "Good job, girl. Run home and get some blankets ready." Buia nodded and dashed away. Jogging through the snow, he smiled at the Piplup. "You just saved this girl's life."

******

She groaned tiredly. Her weary eyelids fluttered open. Slowly, she sat up and looked around. She lay on a comfortable couch; blankets were draped over her cold body. A fire burned hotly in a fireplace.

"Pip!" A little voice cried.

Turning her head, she saw her Piplup running towards her. She smiled as the Pokémon jumped into her arms.

"Oh Piplup," she said, nuzzling the penguin Pokémon.

"That Piplup saved your life," said a voice.

She whipped her head around to see a boy standing behind a bench. He seemed to be mixing ingredients in a bowl. He looked young, only eighteen or nineteen, but he had an old face. He was clean-shaven. Curly brown hair adorned his head, sitting there like a fluffy mess. Grey sweatpants fell to his ankles, hanging just above his bare feet. He wore a black singlet which clearly displayed his prominent muscles. A Buizel had draped herself across his shoulders and hung there like a scarf; her tails drooping down one side, with her head on the other.

He examined the girl closely. Brown hair cascaded wildly down her back. She a pink t-shirt with a Roselia pattern. A dark blue skirt clutched to her hips, falling low on her thighs. He shook his head; no way was she prepared to brave the snow. He sighed tiredly and rubbed his temples, turning back to what he'd been doing.

While he was distracted, she looked around the room. It was large and comfortable and had been divided into two clear halves. On one side was a couch, reclining chair, bookshelf, and a cosy fireplace. The other side housed a kitchenette and a small table.

Her observation was disrupted by his moving into the kitchenette. He stepped back a moment later and placed five bowls of Pokémon food on the floor. She jumped in fright when he suddenly shouted.

"Dinner!" He called.

Half a moment later, a Turtwig, Shieldon and Gible ran into the room, charging headlong into the food. Buizel peeled herself from his shoulders and dove for her dinner. He smiled and gestured to Piplup. The penguin Pokémon jumped from its trainer's arms and ate ravenously.

He stood up and smiled at the Pokémon. His attention was completely focussed on them when Ally's stomach growled. He looked at her in surprise and she blushed furiously. He just chuckled and stepped into kitchen again. He fiddled for a moment before approaching the couch, carrying a bowl of steaming soup.

"You should eat something," he said, offering her the bowl and a spoon. "Careful, it's hot."

She cautiously grabbed the spoon and scooped a simple mouthful. She swallowed the warm soup gratefully. It was delicious, though in her state any food might've seemed delicious. Eating rapidly, she practically inhaled the meal. He chuckled, serving her another bowl before sitting down to eat himself.

She stopped long enough to look up and smile at him. "Thank you for helping me."

"You're welcome."

The pair lapsed into silence as they ate. After they finished, he took her bowl and placed it in the sink. Washing the dishes, he casually asked, "What's your name?"

"Ally," she replied, watching the Pokémon.

He waved mindlessly. "Well Ally, I'm Kellyn. Before I found you out there it got pretty bad. It'll be some time before you're back to full strength. Is there anyone you want me to call?"

"No!" Ally yelped.

Kellyn's eyebrows raised curiously and he looked at her with interest.

She blushed and shook her head slowly. "No, thank you. There's no one."

"Huh," he grunted. "Well then, the nearest hospital is in Jubilife and you're in no condition to travel. It's not ideal, but you should stay here and rest up."

Ally glanced at this stranger warily. He'd already saved her life once, but she didn't know anything about him. Though, what could she do? This was her one chance, and she couldn't blow it; she couldn't call home.

Her gaze grew vacant and she became lost in thought. She only came back to reality when Kellyn handed her a blanket.

"You need to keep warm," he said dismissively.

"Oh, thank you," she replied awkwardly.

He stepped away and smiled softly. "You can stay here while you get back on your feet. Don't worry, with my help you'll be out of here in no time."

Coming from a stranger, that should've sounded creepy, but it didn't. It felt like an honest promise. Ally smiled and nodded in return.

"Alright," Kellyn said, looking around. "It's late. I'm gonna hit the hay. Bathroom is just down the hall, first door on the right. I'm in the room opposite if you need anything."

"Oh, goodnight then," said Ally.

"Goodnight," he replied, nodding.

Watching his retreating, Ally noticed a stiffness about him, like a discomfort. Well, he was housing a stranger. Smiling to herself, she noticed Turtwig, Gible and Shieldon, pile up on the recliner, while Buia chased after her trainer. She called to Piplup, rolled over, and promptly fell asleep.