Chapter 68: Can You See the Snow from Where You Are?
A month had passed in the blink of an eye. The end of the year had arrived. If this world had a calendar, today would be called the "winter solstice," a day for everyone to gather and eat dumplings. But unfortunately, no such thing existed in this world, and this day in the capital of the Dragonite Kingdom was no different from any other. In fact, as the weather grew colder, the entire capital seemed to become more deserted, with hardly anyone on the streets.
Liz was still buried in work every day, dealing with the increasing number of conflicts between the two kingdoms. Her life seemed unchanged, and yet, it had changed. It had become a bit like the time before Lan appeared in her life: dull and tasteless.
Although Blaze and Scorp often played around her, and their antics could occasionally dispel some of the loneliness, her heart was no longer as settled as it used to be. It was like a small boat on the great sea, drifting without an anchor. The feeling Lan gave her was something that all the other Pokémon combined could not replicate.
Liz often found it difficult to sleep at night. The boundless darkness was silent and long, enveloping her heart and slowly devouring its warmth. And when she couldn't sleep, she would think about what Lan was doing, how he was molting, whether he was injured...
"Hah..."
Breathing out a puff of hot air, Liz stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the sky. Ever since the day Lan had left, the sky seemed to have been permanently gray.
"It's snowing..."
Liz opened the window and reached her hand out, catching a snowflake in her palm. The moment it touched her skin, it instantly melted into water. The icy temperature seemed to pierce through her skin and into her bones. Liz couldn't help but shiver, pulling the snow-white cape behind her tightly around herself. The cape was soft, just like touching Lan's skin, which brought her a small measure of comfort.
CRASH!
The study door was thrown open. Iris ran in, holding Nattie, with a now-evolved Charmeleon and Scorp chasing boisterously behind her. The little ones crowded around Liz, and the temperature in the study seemed to warm up a little.
"Be careful now, don't fall," Liz said with a smile, then turned her head again to look out the window, towards the place where the Mt. Silver range lay.
This world was strange. Sometimes, it seemed very small. Even after twenty years, lives that were meant to cross would eventually meet again. Other times, it seemed very large. A journey of only a few hours, with no mountains or seas in between, yet you couldn't easily see the people you wanted to see.
"It's okay even if you don't get stronger. As long as you come back safe and sound."
"Lady Liz," Hestia said, walking in with a tray in her hands.
"Yes?"
"The gloves are ready."
Hestia held up the tray. On it was a pair of pure white gloves.
Liz's eyes lit up. She walked over and put on the gloves she had been thinking about for so long. Their texture was different from the cape's. Because they were made from Lan's skin when he was still a Dratini, they were even softer and more delicate.
Liz put on the gloves, returned to the window, and reached her hand out again. The pure white gloves looked even purer than the snow. Snowflakes once again landed in her palm, but this time, she felt no cold at all.
"Even when he's not here, Lord Lan is still doing his best to protect you," Hestia said, standing beside Liz and looking at the snowflake in her palm.
"Yes," Liz nodded gently. She pulled her arm back and looked up at the sky.
"Can you see the snow from where you are?"
...
The outer edge of the middle ring of Mt. Silver.
[Dragon Rush]
Will descended from the sky like a blue-purple meteor, crashing straight into the chest of a Nidoqueen. The massive impact sent the Nidoqueen flying back several meters, where it crashed into a tree and fainted.
His face purple from poison and his body covered in wounds, Will quickly returned to his cave. He found a Pecha Berry and swallowed it whole. His complexion gradually improved as the poison was neutralized.
"So tired," Will said, coiling up in the cave.
The physical exhaustion and his injuries were so severe that he hadn't even noticed the weather outside getting colder. He casually ate a few berries that helped with recovery, then closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but a rustling sound from outside the cave woke him. His eyes snapped open and he rushed out. Behind a large tree, a Machop emerged and beckoned to him with a finger.
"You again," Will said, looking at the overly confident Machop with a sense of resignation. After more than a month in this area, he had made some "old acquaintances." This Machop was one of them; it would come looking for a beating every few days.
Another battle began. A few minutes later, having easily secured a victory, Will seemed to notice something. He looked up. A single snowflake drifted down through a gap in the dense canopy and landed on the tip of his nose.
"It's snowing?" Will was stunned for a moment, watching the snowflake gradually melt into water.
He stood up and flew above the forest. The clouds were piled up thickly, obscuring the sun, which was why they appeared a cold gray from below. The forest of the Mt. Silver range seemed to be covered in a cotton blanket, a world of pure white.
"I wonder what the capital is like right now... Blaze should have evolved by now. Liz is probably still in her study, dealing with those trivial matters."
Will faced the direction of the Dragonite capital. But the distance was too great; no matter how good his eyesight was, he couldn't possibly see dozens of kilometers away.
The snowflakes were still drifting down erratically, and many had already landed on his body. A Dragonair's naturally low body temperature made the snow melt very slowly on him.
"Can you see the snow from where you are?"
Will floated silently in the air for a while. Soon, it was as if he were wearing a snow-white cape made of snowflakes. He shivered, shook the snow from his body, and quickly flew back down into the forest. As a Dragon-type, he didn't much like the feeling of snow landing on him.
"ROAR!"
A roar came from nearby. Will turned his head and saw a giant Nidoking. It had probably come to avenge the Nidoqueen he had defeated yesterday. The moment it saw Will, it charged forward without a word. Will did not back down, whipping his tail to meet the charge.
In the middle ring of Mt. Silver, even if Will didn't proactively seek out battles, other Pokémon would come looking for him. He didn't have a single day of rest.
The battle began again. Will had no time to feel sentimental about the arrival of winter, nor did he have a moment to quietly admire the beauty of the Pokémon world's winter. He had to keep fighting, to keep getting stronger.
Until the day he felt he could return to her side.
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