TMWolf: So, I told myself I was done with fanfic for a while-at least until I finished something original. And then I played Pokemon Sword.

I am a filthy liar and a clown. Honk honk.

For real, though, Leon is bae and I am in love with his adorkable heroism. I couldn't resist writing this thing, and even finished in 10 days and spend the rest of my time editing it when I'm not busy with life and school lol But it's done so I figured I might as well post it even though I didn't plan much out, I just ran with it to certain plot points I wanted. But I love Leon and I love Pokemon more, so why not?

Anyways, there's a lot more romance than I usually do this time around, or rather it comes about quicker, but hey, romance is cheese, and I love cheese ;) There will be mature language here and there, but not enough to change the rating.

Also, for those who know and love my OC Catherine from other fics... Cassandra is deeeeeefinitely not her. At all. Nope. Not one bit. Definitely not. Seriously. *shifty nervous eyes*

Alright, so... Okay, I will have some important extra notes at the end about some things regarding the AU world and how I'm going to be writing it, so be sure to read if you plan to continue on. Otherwise, enjoy Champion's Sword, Galar's Shield!

P.S. THIS IS POST GAME AU just to clarify lol

Summary: Cassandra came to Galar to run from a past she couldn't bring herself to face.

Leon was a man running from his failure-and an old, hidden enemy that either wanted him on their side or dead.

Be it fate or destiny, their meeting during a blizzard on the mountains was the start of a journey neither of them expected. The ending, however, is on a path wrought with danger: the mountain holds no mercy and neither do their new enemies. It's going to take everything they have to stop the madmen proclaiming themselves King, who seem to bear some grudge against the legendary Warrior Pokemon who stopped Eternatus for a second time not long ago...

But first, they have to survive the mountain.

Post-Pokemon Sword AU (heavy), slight slow burn, Leon x OC

CHAMPION'S SWORD, GALAR'S SHIELD

By TMWolf

01 - Encounter

Somewhere south of Wyndon...

The blizzard had gotten worse, and it made Cassandra even more grateful for her Arcanine that pressed through the high drifts and freezing winds. Snow pelted his coat, but it was plenty thick and heat radiating from within his belly, so he was unfazed. It helped her keep warm, too, where her thermal coat and winter gear didn't do the job. Luckily, she had become somewhat accustomed to such weather in the higher reaches of the Wyndon mountains during dead of winter. After all, she'd only been camping for months now with her Pokémon, enduring all it had to give. If anything, this was just another Monday—if it was that, she honestly wasn't sure—although it was windier than she expected. Visibility was almost minimal, but her Arcanine's nose and keen sense of direction were practically second to none.

Glancing through her ski-goggles and beneath her fur-lined hood she could just make out the rise of a ledge, the shape of which reminded her of a Dragonite's head, horn and all. The cave she and her team had come to take shelter in was that way, up on the very ledge they were nearing. It wouldn't be long now before she and the others in their pokéballs could get warm. She imagined the three she left waiting for her there were getting a little worried, but they couldn't bear the cold like the others could. She would have rather not gone out at all today, but they were a little low on supplies. They'd ventured out in originally in sunshine, but that was one of the dangers of any trek in the mountains: weather changed quickly. That, or sometimes the dangerous, and occasionally unruly ice-type Pokémon living here liked to throw a fit. This time, though, it had been only nature talking.

"You doing okay, Arc?" Cassandra spoke loudly over the wind, touching the soft, white-tan fur of her companion. He glanced back, blue eyes bright in the dimming light, and gave an affirmative bark. She nodded and urged him off, nestling her body into the back part of his mane. As always, she could trust her friend, who had her back since she was just a young girl. They had always been together, and nothing, not even Arceus itself, could tear them apart. She could say the same for the rest of her team, of course, even if some she'd only met here a year ago in the Galar region. They were her team, and she couldn't imagine life without them.

Arcanine suddenly paused, ears flicking back and forth quickly as its head turned this way and that. Cassandra watched carefully, trying to read the signs. He was uncertain of whatever it was he was hearing, no doubt the noise and scent swept up and away in the winds, but he could sense it. She felt the rumble in his chest move through his body, but it was of concern, rather than unease. Seeing nothing ahead, the young woman raised her gaze skyward, peering through the mostly white blur. There was something out there—her Arcanine was sure of it. But no flying Pokémon would dare do so during a storm, and there were no flying ice-types around here. Not that she knew of—or anywhere besides Articuno, but that beautiful creature was easily a thousand miles away in Kanto somewhere still. So, what could it be?

"Ah!" she gasped, spotting the flicker of red the same time her Arcanine did, alerting her with a bark. He bounded towards it, though not too quickly. Yet, even so, the red was approaching faster, bobbing unnaturally and seemingly against the wind. It was a Pokémon, that she was sure of. Arc wouldn't act like he was did if it wasn't, and his concern cemented one thing for her: it was hurt. An injured fire Pokémon wouldn't last long out here. Oh, to be sure they could endure the cold better than most besides an ice type, but even they had limits. Fires could go out.

The red light suddenly plummeted, a mournful cry echoing through the blizzard's howl. Arc's bounding turned to quick leaps; snow blasted behind with each push of its powerful legs. The red was flickering now, so very weak in the white, and panic filled her. The Pokémon didn't have long, but, thankfully, her companion was faster.

She couldn't help staring at the sight before her.

A Charizard.

A full-fledged, living Charizard.

In a blizzard.

They technically were native to Galar, but so very exceedingly rare. In fact, she only knew of one person who had one, and any others were either found in dangerous dens after searching for ages, or they would have to be specially brought from Kanto, which another long-winded feat all by itself.

"Arc, hurry, put some fire to that flame," she commanded, slipping from her Arcanine's back. While she trudged slowly, rummaging for potions and restores, her companion curled around the fallen Charizard and opened its maw by the weak flame on the tip of its tail. With a hiss fire flared from its jaws slowly, melding with the small flame. It wouldn't burst it to life right away, but it would keep it from going out. If they wanted to fully heal the rare creature, they would have to raise its body temperature so it could keep the flame strong on its own.

The Charizard groaned when she reached it, eyes opening weakly. It did not shy away from her, or even snarl. Rather, it seemed to welcome her hand on his head, gently stroking along its smooth, scaled skin. It had turned a pale shade of orange. She quickly pulled out a full restore and unscrewed the cap. It wouldn't heal it immediately, but it would help.

"Hang on, we'll get you somewhere safe, but first drink this," she explained, and, to her surprise, the Charizard was compliant as she eased its head up, titling it slightly, and let her slowly pour the fluid into its jaw. Some spilled, but most of it got down. It groaned tiredly, but she knew it would ease the burden on its body.

Arcanine made a chuff-like sound, alerting her to something it was nosing on the body. It wasn't the easy to see in the blur of snow, but she could still make out the dark stains of blood from wounds. Nothing too deep, and some shallow at most, but they had taken a toll. That, or there were other injuries she wasn't aware of. Either way, the Charizard must have been flying for hours, but from where? And why? And where was its trainer? There was no way this a wild Pokémon just by its temperament. Charizard were notoriously proud and listened to only those they deemed worthy. Wild ones would never let a stranger get so close, especially when injured.

"Ah—hey, stop, don't move, you'll make it worse," she gasped when the Pokémon made to rise. It struggled, and a pained, mournful cry came from its throat, thought it did not seem to wince over its wounds. Rather, its gaze was into the flurry, staring at something hidden in the cold. Cassandra frowned, looking to Arcanine, who sniffed the air carefully. He made a bark, having found another scent. He shifted away from the Charizard, though paused to blow more fire to the small tail flame before bounding through the snow again, about a hundred feet away. He dug quickly for a few moments before finding its quarry—signaled by a distinct tail wag and yip. The Arcanine took hold of something, and in another bound, her companion had returned, a man in tow.

So, she'd been right—about two things: one, that the Charizard had a trainer; and two, that only one person in Galar had one.

The man Arc held by his shirt in his jaws was none other than Leon, former Champion of Galar. He, too, was injured, and no doubt freezing."

"Shit. Arc, we need to get them back to the cave. Quick, lay down and curl around him," she commanded, and her companion complied, setting the trainer down and maneuvering so the former champion was tucked into his side, head and tail closing the circle. Cassandra, meanwhile, took her two remaining pokéballs from her belt and called out her other Pokémon.

"Lucario, Tyranitar, sorry to bring you out, but it's an emergency. We need to bring the Charizard and his trainer to the cave. We need to hurry, though. Think you two can carry him alright? You need to be mindful of the tail. Arc, you'll need to keep warming it up as we go."

The smaller fighter type nodded with a confident bark, while her large Tyranitar merely grunted, as if offended that his prowess was in question. She grinned, always pleased with her companions. They had yet to fail her, and she prayed she would never fail them in turn. Still, she lamented exposing them to the cold, even if they were her more resilient Pokémon.

"Okay, let's get him on you then, Arc, easy does it," Cassandra hummed as she turned to Leon, who, like his Charizard, was pale. His wounds weren't too terrible, but he was hardly dressed for the cold in his red turncoat and tanned pants. They needed to warm him up soon. Luckily Arc gave off enough heat to help and was strong enough to carry both trainers. He would need to, as with Leon unconscious she was going to have to hold him up. It was no easy task, but the charcoal collar she'd given to her Arcanine made for a good grip. She glanced to her other two, whom had hefted up the Charizard easily enough, Tyranitar taking the bulk, and Lucario keeping the tail safely out of the snow and at a height Arcanine could blow fire on.

She nodded, "Alright, let's go. Fast as we can."

'We took way too long,' Cassandra couldn't help thinking, but after an eternity of enduring the freezing wind they made it to the cave. There, her other Pokémon came rushing forward, both relieved and then confused by their new guests. Only her Lapras remained reserved in the back, not exactly capable of moving around easily. Her Boltund was, per usual, uneasy at their new guests, but trusted his trainer as she directed Tyranitar and Lucario to set the Charizard by the fire already going in the cave. Arc brought her and Leon close, so she only needed to slip off, lowering the man gently to the ground.

She motioned to the weak fire Pokémon, "Arc, quickly, curl around him again and keep the tail flame strong. Please increase the fire pit, too. We need it warmer in here. Corviknight, Lucario, can you go fetch some more blankets and my sleeping back from the tent? Our guest here is going to need all we have."

The dark-feathered bird chirped in agreement and hopped with her Lucario towards the small tent near the back, opening the flap to being shuffling around for the items in question. Cassandra, meanwhile, set Leon as close to the fire as she dared and quickly checked his pulse. It was weak, but still holding on. Good. His clothes were wet, though. How, she didn't know, but it wasn't good. He wasn't going to get warm any time soon with them on, to which she groaned. Her cheeks warmed a bit, too, knowing what had to be done, but it was that or he could get sick—if he already wasn't—and die.

"You're a grown ass woman, 'Cas. You've seen a man naked before—accident, of course, but still. And this is to save a life. Besides, you'll have him in blankets and sleeping bag soon," she quickly told herself, and, after a motivational slap to her cheeks—and a chuff that she knew was a laugh from her Tyranitar—she got to work. The boots and hat went first, which she set side in a pile. His coat and undershirt were a bit of an annoyance, the buttons proving difficult, but then they were off—she did her best not to stare at his incredibly fit figure and instead noted his breathing was getting a bit ragged—and then his pants followed suit. She didn't dare do more, and by then her Pokémon had brought what she needed. She motioned for Lucario to help, and he was gentle as he eased the young man up so he could be set down in her sleeping bag. The cloth interior would help, but she still put her blankets on top, covering him as best she could.

"Okay, that's what we can do for now... You're doing good, Arc. Keep it up. I'll tend to the wounds next. Lapras, can you make some fresh water?" the young woman asked, finally pulling off her goggles and hat. She would shed her coat at some point, too, what with the fire making the cave warm already, but for now she focused on gathering bandages, full restore sprays, and medical towels to help clean things up.

Lapras gladly nudged her a full bowl of water she'd made—always so eager to do some good—and her Pokémon were intuitive enough to form a blockade-of sorts from the weather outside by standing on the side of the fire closest to the entrance. She couldn't help smiling at them, always so proud of their work. She knew she could always count on them, but now the Charizard and Leon were counting on her.

"Alright, big guy... let's fix you up. And don't worry, we'll take good care of your trainer. You'll make it through just fine. Just let Arc keep you warm. He won't let your flame go out, promise," Cassandra spoke softly, stroking the Charizard's head. The Pokémon rumbled as it half-opened an eye, glancing at them all, then closed it again. Smiling gently, she began the next round of work.

Cassandra did all she could for the Charizard, and was confident he could recover in a few days, so long as his tail kept strong, which she was sure it would, and there weren't any other underlying problems. Arcanine wouldn't fail in his task, and the others would do what they could to help, be it providing extra warmth, kindle, or food and water as needed. The Pokémon's trainer, though, would be another story. His life relied on keeping him as warm as possible and praying he didn't go hypothermic. She only had so many basic human medicines, and if his injuries were worse than she initially thought he could get an infection.

So, she got to work on him, too, lifting the blankets enough to inspect, but try to keep him from feeling the cold. Thankfully, he was better off than his Charizard, but she couldn't help but wonder what in the Alternate World had caused such injury to the Champion. Or, well, former one, but still. He was the #2 trainer in all the region; no one should have been able to do this to him—not with his Charizard around. The only one possibility would maybe be the current Champion, but she was a hero and a family friend. So who? Was it some fan taking a violent turn and somehow got around Charizard? Or an unhappy rival? There were people who would do such heinous things, with or without a Pokémon, but the Charizard just made it seem so unlikely.

Cassandra shook the thoughts from her head as she turned her focus to bandaging the young man and then returning the blankets. There, he would be alright. She hoped. For now, though, she needed food, as her stomach reminded her. She imagined her Pokémon were famished, too. Thankfully, she had plenty of packaged meal to put into her pot, and also some fresh supplies they'd gathered. It wasn't easy catching Arrokudas in this season, let alone the area which hosted few bodies of water, but they'd lucked out. She was grateful for the fishermen who taught her how to gut, which made it possible for her to cook a fish curry for everyone, although she added some pokécubes for her team. They, of course, were delighted.

The Charizard made a sigh-like sound as it roused, still weak, but it couldn't resist the smell of food. Cassandra chuckled as she knelt beside him and held out her own bowl, which had a bit left.

"Here, eat this. Not too much just yet. You're still weak," she explained, although she wasn't sure it heard as it slowly scarfed down the rest. It settled back down after, breathing slow and steady. Good. Cassandra looked to his trainer. He was still unconscious, but he looked better. He was less pale, anyways. She'd have to keep a decent vigil with the help of her team. She was the only trainer for miles, after all, and she couldn't let Galar's former Champion die. He might have finally lost a few months ago, but that didn't mean he was any less important to the country—and to his friends and family. He was still needed, so she'd do her damned best to keep him alive.

She just hoped the one who did this didn't come looking—she couldn't guarantee the son of a bitch would leave the mountain without burns. If at all.

"Alright, let's get a watch going. I'll keep an eye on him first. Lucario you're next. Then Corvi, Boltund, and then Tyranitar. Arcanine, stay awake as long as you can, but sleep when you feel you need to, just keep the tail near the fire. Lapras, care to sing us a good tune—but not to sleep?" Cassandra chuckled as she began to slip off her coat. The water-type Pokémon grinned impishly before a melodic tune filled the cave, drowning out the howls outside. Cassandra couldn't help humming along as she started her vigil beside the man's head, making sure she could notice any changes in his condition. His face contorted suddenly, as if in a bad dream.

"Don't worry, you're safe, Leon," she called out softy, placing her hand on the side of his face. The touch made him flinch at first, but combined with her words, it seemed to help. He relaxed—just enough. Cassandra nodded to herself, pleased, and braced herself for a long, tense night.

TMWolf: Alright and there's chapter one! I PROMISE SOME GOOD SASS IS TO COME. But right now we have to build up to it and set things up. Also Leon is kinda KO but we'll learn more as we go. This was mostly to intro Cassandra and her team, so Leon will pop up proper next chapter! :)

Now... Some notes:

1. I don't follow the anime for this and I don't use typical battle format of the game. I try to be realistic as I feel I need and try to write how I feel it would go in the real world (i.e. no turn taking and Pokemon can do some fighting without commands thanks to training and experience).

2. I overall try to be realistic about the world, too, lol. Like Pokemon eating Pokemon and people eating fish/bird Pokemon (like Farfetch'd, poor thing).

3. It is HEAVILY AU. I basically take the post-game plot and run with it, making it a lot darker and more intense. I always thought it was such a silly plot line so yeah xD

4. I don't know all canon history of regions perfectly so I take some liberties here and with other games' stories I involve, so also some heavy to light AU's for those games/areas, too xD

5. Leon's character is my interpretation of things with my own spin on it, too, so sorry if he's a bit OOC?

6. I finished the fic, so updates will be regular until complete! :)

That should be it. If there's anything else I'll try to remember to catch it!