To be a true hero, kid, is a dying art

[if one is brave enough to venture outside in the cold and snow and ice and onto Route 34 today, he or she may notice a feral child just outside the entrance to Goldenrod-- Johto's very own Mowgli is sitting cross-legged off to the side, hunched over with his arms wrapped tightly around himself. surprisingly enough, snow is pretty chilly when one lacks a winter coat.]

[it's not out of not owning one, however; Sora's coat is actually laid out on the ground in front of him. no... wait, it's haphazardly draped across about the top third of a Dratini, who is curled up with his head resting on Trainer's lap. the coat isn't much, but it's all Sora's got.]

C'mon... We're maybe ten minutes away from the Center. You can do it! We've made it this far together, right?

[a pitiful whine from the Dratini. Sora's momentarily defeated expression is obscured by his hair, and by the fact that he's staring down at the ground. though it's probably equally pitiful, that defeat hardens into steel determination-- he and Pokémon hadn't trudged around out in who-knows-where for two weeks, and finally back onto the route to wind up freezing to death now.]

All right. [his voice is unsteady, but warm.] I think you've pulled more than your own weight lately... I'll keep going for the both of us. Okay? Hold still; I'll carry you.

[... how Sora intends to pick up and carry what is essentially a 6-foot giant worm is questionable, but dangit, he's going to try-- once he picks himself up and actually gets going, anyway. good thing Dratinis are on the light side for their length.]

[as with any other resident of Johto, Sora is drawn out of sleep by that giant flash of light and what sounded almost like the earth cracking open-- all things considered? this is entirely possible. so he clambers out of bed-- Bell is the only one of his Pokémon who sleeps out of the ball, so he grabs her along with his 'gear, too. not that he notices his other Pokémon are mysteriously missing-- and practically stumbles out of the inn in Violet to check out what the heck just happened.]

[except he's not in Violet. he's in Goldenrod.]

What the--

[so Sora's now standing in the middle of the street, barefoot and in his pajamas-- they're blue with little Totodiles. don't judge-- and holding one little Togepi in his arms. looks like it's just the two of them for now.]

[after a few minutes of stunned silence, Sora finally thinks to turn on the video feed.]

Hey! Is everybody okay?