Snow on Mount Silver

Chapter Four: Darkness

    Gold sat against the frigid wall, shivering uncontrollably while he cuddled close to Typhlosion, in hopes of warming himself. It didn't do a thing. The Pokémon was frozen over as well, but like before, Gold swore he could feel slight heat emanate from its skin. Perhaps it was his imagination, though, for it made no difference. He still felt like a living icicle...not that he felt very alive, anyway.

    It had taken him a while to come to his senses. The horror and terror of discovering the loss of his leg and eye was enough to practically drive him insane, and quite literally too. He'd been lying on the ground for a while, but when the cold began to overtake him and he almost drifted into unconsciousness again, he had forced himself up. Though he was unsure how he would go on without a leg, he knew he couldn't let himself give up. There had to be an end to this. He couldn't give up...yet he was beginning to feel completely hopeless.

    He was exhausted—physically, emotionally, and mentally. The cold never ended; sometimes he could hardly move. His fingertips had blackened, and his breaths felt tight and unsatisfying. He'd also grown incredibly hungry, but none of these things could be helped.

    Gold stayed snuggled to Typhlosion for a while longer, mostly to comfort it and himself, then he put it away. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he lifted his head. "I-I have to get up." He gritted his teeth, grabbing at the cold wall and attempting to boost himself up. He collapsed immediately, unable to support himself on his single leg. Shaking his head hard, again, Gold attempted to stand. This time he managed to, but he wobbled where he stood, and knew he wouldn't make it walking on one leg. He doubted that, even with two legs, he could keep himself afoot for long. But he had grown desperate, his panic and urge for survival driving him forward, as it had since the moment he realized his life was truly at stake.

    He hobbled forward, keeping one hand against the wall for support while the other wrapped around his tremoring body. Shadows crept around him, looming against the walls. Somehow or other, a frigid wind blew through the tunnel-like cave, chilling Gold even more. He could hardly feel a thing, yet the frigid sting of the weather still affected him greatly.

    The farther he went, the more he felt the reality of the deadly situation press on him, and the more he wished to be free of the misery he was forced to endure. He shuddered harder, staggering along the wall and gasping for breath.

    "It's so cold," he said, his voice hoarser and gruffer than before. He barely recognized it. Fighting back the urge to crumple again, he forced himself onwards. The ground sloped upwards beneath his foot. He struggled on, his heavy breaths increasing. He stilled for a moment, his thoughts reverting to his life before this. He had been so happy, yet...so careless and unappreciative of how wonderful of a life he had. It'd been quite a while since he truly appreciated everything good in his life. His Pokémon, his friends, his home...his mother.

    "Mother..." Tears welled in Gold's remaining eye. He took a few stumbling steps forward, focusing ahead. He saw only darkness. "It feels so cold..." He nearly fell but kept himself upright. Striving on, he shook his head vigorously. "I can't go on..." But he had to. He couldn't give in. Yet, the cold, the pain, the fear...it all begged him to.

    But he couldn't!

    Yet, how he wished this misery would end...

    As Gold grew deeper into the cave, his surroundings became blacker and blacker. Pretty soon, he could barely see where he was going. He could only feel the stone wall his hand pressed against, and the frigid cold filling the area. A flicker of hope entered his chest once he saw an opening up ahead, outlined in white. This hope vanished, however, for he realized he would be facing more snow.

    It took him longer than he thought to reach this exit, for his movements were labored. As he stuck his head out, he discovered the cave exited onto a snowy ledge, where the wind whipped all around him. He could hardly see a thing, mostly blurred white.

    He leaned against the mouth of the cave for a moment, silently motivating himself to release it and let himself walk on his own. He did, then hopped forward. Barely feeling the aches and pains of his leg (for he was too cold), he made his way through the whiteness, to where another figure stood, their back to him. Gold halted, gazing at the person with a wide, desperate eye. They turned around, and just as Gold had expected, it was Red. He seemed to be in a similar state to Gold, except his body was intact. He looked incredibly frostbitten, and sorrow lingered on his face while he gazed at Gold. He met Red's sad look with a tragic, pained one of his own.

    Like this, the two freezing trainers stood, simply staring at each other in the midst of the wicked blizzard. Gold could feel his leg giving out, but he didn't let himself keel over. He had to do this. He had finally reached someone, though he could hardly believe it. It hardly felt real...but it couldn't just be a hallucination, could it? Red was there, right? They could help each other.

    Moving slowly, Red pulled out a Poké ball. He was challenging Gold to a battle. Somehow, Gold wasn't surprised. Help was too good to be true. What could either of them do, anyway? Gold lowered his head, letting out a long, painful breath. How he'd awaited this moment in anticipation, dreaming of the day he could hike up Mount Silver's many slopes, all the way up to Red. He had always dreamt of defeating him, of taking another glorious victory against a champion such as himself, one of the most famed Pokémon trainers. But the reality of this dream was sickening.

    Red tossed the Poké ball, and out came Venusaur. It looked similar to the gruesome remains of Gold's Pokémon, but it appeared to be alive...barely clinging to life, that is. The frozen-over skin, the gaping holes in its body, and its single, pitch-black eye would have been enough to send Gold running away, had he found this without experiencing all the torture he'd since endured. He hardly flinched at the horrid display, simply sighing deeply as he reached for his Poké ball.

    He knew Typhlosion was low on health and just barely hanging on. He didn't know if the poor thing could last against even one opponent, whether it was also dying or not. He would just have to see. After murmuring a quiet apology, Gold raised his head and focused on the Pokémon before him.

    Lifting his hand, he spoke his final, desperate plea, "Don't die, Typhlosion..."

    He threw the Poké ball. 

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    This chapter was a bit shorter than the others, but I wanted to get past all this before the battle.