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Avery hikes through the snow with a very determined look on her face. There's a scarf tugged tight around her face but it does little to hide the rosiness of her nose and cheeks. Snowflakes get stuck on her eyelashes and she blinks rapidly as she side steps, following the footprints of someone in front of her that had already cleared a path. She really needed to invest in some boots with the rubber slicks that prevented snow from getting in her socks.[break][break]

She pauses as the smell of hot chocolate hits her senses and she reclines, pulling hair from her mouth and grinning, eyes closed, as she really absorbs the scene. When she reopens her eyes, she's realised that the foot prints she's been following were from her friend - and the woman herself was waiting patiently by the hot chocolate stand holding not one but two deliciously warm drinks.[break][break]

"Bo! Apologies if I'm a little behind, I like to walk real slow when there's so much snow. I'm terribly clumsy sometimes and I was afraid I'd fall in the snow and disappear completely."[break][break]

She's grinning and she tugs her scarf down past her lips so she can speak clearly. The young woman giggles as she glances back at Bo's snow barrier. [break][break]

"Is that a fort? Did you make that?"[break][break]

Her eyes seem to glitter with excitement and amazement at the woman's handicraft.

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Avery grins back at the woman, clearly over the moon to be hanging out with a friend this afternoon. Even she needs some time spent away from mewling and bawling babies once in a while.[break][break]

"Wigglytuff and Clefable offered to help look after the youngin's today. I still feel a little weird leaving them behind but grandpapi always insists, insists that it's good to take a break sometimes. And, what better way than to spend it with you?"[break][break]

She giggles, glancing at her feet bashfully for a moment before she draws her attention back to the hot chocolate being offered to her. Her hands wrap around the warm cup, offering her further coziness alongside the warmth already given to her by her fingerless mitts.[break][break]

"This is wonderful, Bo, thank you again. You're too kind."[break][break]

The young woman giggles again at the suggestion that they get into a snowball fight. She glances at her noodle arms that had definitely never thrown anything with force before in their life.[break][break]

"I'm not sure how good I'd be at a snowball fight, but I'll give it my best effort!"

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Avery is oblivious to the hotness that creeps into Bo's cheeks, confusing it for the cold mixing in with how warm and delightful their hot drinks are. She does, however, think that the colour in Bo's face makes her appear cuter - if that were even possible.[break][break]

"Oh! Yes, they're amazing, really. They're so smart and the older ones really catch onto babysitting. They never complain or grow tired and I'm so, so thankful for it. I'm proud of them."[break][break]

She smiles softly as she thinks of them and her thumb rubs up and down the side of her cup absently as she becomes lost in thought.[break][break]

Bo winks at her and she blinks in surprise, blushing profusely at the open display of affection and teasing.[break][break]

"O-oh, really? That's good to hear, then!" [break][break]

She grows overwhelmed but giggly at the two options presented, and the pink-haired woman shrugs and grins.[break][break]

"Why not let the Pokemon out for some fun? I wouldn't mind it!"[break][break]

Avery fumbles around in her pocket, holding her hot chocolate away from her chest in case she spilled. With a grunt, she manages to grab the few pokeballs she'd brought with her. With a few separate flashes of light, she releases her Lucario, Smoochum, Pichu and Alolan Ninetales.[break][break]

Lucario stands quietly and with mild intimidation tactics as he observes the situation with muted indifference. Ninetales follows his lead to some extent, but is otherwise thrilled to be outside in the cold.[break][break]

The two most excited to come out to play are the younglings. Pichu immediately dives into a snowbank, followed closely by the Smoochum who has taken to laughing uncontrollably.

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Avery smiles, the warmth in her belly seeming to grow in response to Bo's comment. [break][break]

"I'm sure I don't need that much convincing.."[break][break]

The woman blushes a bit, suddenly worried that she spent too much time at the daycare and not enough with her friends.[break][break]

While Bo releases her own pack of snowball fighters, Avery can't help but gasp and coo after every one of them - especially the raucous Murkrow that chases after her smallest Pokemon.[break][break]

But what catches her eye is Bo's careful attention to the Salazzle, and the woman can't help but peek around Bo's shoulder to inspect.[break][break]

"Oh my.. how did that happen?"[break][break]

Her question would go unanswered, however, as Bo encouraged their snowball fight to begin. Avery grins widely at the prospect, taking one more sip of her hot chocolate before she'd soon be too cold to even pick it up.[break][break]

"Yes! Of course I am! Come on, guys, lets go!"[break][break]

Avery giggles as she waves her Pokemon to follow. Pichu and Smoochum dive-domb out of the snow, hoping to startle the Murkrow that had been playing with them. Both small Pokemon giggle and snort before climbing up onto Avery's ankles as she waddles out to her side of the fort.[break][break]

Lucario hangs back, unsure what to make of this.. foolishness. The Ninetales, meanwhile, is indifferent and happy to just nap in the cold.

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The Murkrow flutters out of the snow and squawks in surprise, which immediately triggers more giggling from her Pichu and Smoochum. The two cling tighter to Avery's ankles as she makes it to her side of the fort. However, before she could hunker down and begin to make some snowballs, the two have disappeared and she's already being pelted with cold.[break][break]

Lucario looks at the space in front of him, just on the ground, where a snowball had fallen just out of reach of his feet. The Pokemon glances up to see a determined Golduck had been the culprit. His eyes widen in surprise as more and more snowballs are thrown his direction, and he holds up one hand to

force palm

it away. He huffs, and Avery clicks her tongue and laughs.[break][break]

"C'mon, buddy. It's just for fun! You remember how to have fun, don't you? Big, tough Lucario too old now to kick back and throw some snow?"[break][break]

A blush forms across her partner's face as he abruptly turns his face away. Ever since he'd evolved he'd acted more mature and postured, like he had some sort of big stick up his bum.[break][break]

Avery is hit with the powdery remains of the Murkrow's snowball. It dazzles her hair and dampens it, and she flattens her toque a little harder before throwing her own snowball. It's aimed for Bo, specifically.[break][break]

The rest of her Pokemon continue to either pack snowballs or throw them aimlessly. Pichu and Smoochum eventually argue over who gets to throw and who gets to pack.[break][break]

But the real surprise is when Lucario picks up a snowball slowly, methodically, as if conflicted with his feelings. But, eventually, he does throw a snowball back in the direction of his previous attacker.

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Avery gasps as her snowball finds Bo, her hand rising to her mouth while her eyebrows disappear into her bangs. She definitely had not actually intended to hit her. [break][break]

Lucario is equally surprised to see that the Golduck has ducked away. His snowball-throwing arm lowers when the Pokemon disappears. Whatever drive he had had to participate fizzles out momentarily, misunderstanding the situation as a sort of cease-fire. [break][break]

That is, of course, until the Salazzle takes aim and chucks a half-hearted snowball at Lucario's feet. The aura Pokemon glances to Avery for assistance, but the woman is too distracted with her own situation to offer the Pokemon any consolation.[break][break]

His distraction costs him, and while the Lucario is distracted by the Salazzle as it squirms and flees, taking cover behind a Murkrow that promptly leaves her in the dust, he is his from behind by another of Bucky's throws.[break][break]

The snow slides down the back of his neck uncomfortably, and he turns back around to face his attacker. [break][break]

While he exacts his revenge, Avery's baby Pokemon are sprayed with the Murkrow's dusting of snow. They giggle and squirm in their makeshift snowbank, eventually abandoning the fight to create snow-angels.