with so much stillness in the air, it's easy to overlook things. especially when their opponent is just as still as the ice itself, waiting for them to pass by. maki and her houndoom don't even notice it, as it blends in with the rest of the icebergs around them.

then, without warning, there's movement. the avalugg lets out a guttural roar as it forms an icicle that it sends crashing down toward them. houndoom senses the change in the area milliseconds before it happens, and shoves maki out of the way. they both skid on the ice before coming to a stop as there's a loud crash behind them, the icicle shattering into pieces. the avalugg lumbers after them, intent on defending its territory.

maki stands, wobbling on the ice, ready to take command. after a few flamethrowers, the battle is over just as quickly as it started. she briefly contemplates catching the other pokemon, but decides to leave it.

she continues onward, deeper into the ice fields.

as maki walks, she wonders to herself how a single, small area can have its own unique weather system. she read up on the history of this place, how a rogue legendary pokemon left it covered in ice, killing anyone and anything that happened to be here... but that doesn't explain the snow and hail, or how it continues to be so cold.

her answer, or at least one answer, comes as the ground rumbles beneath her. something massive is approaching... maki and her houndoom quickly hide behind a shelf of ice, peeking out around the side to watch what happens. the creature approaching is something maki's only seen in history books. what is a fossil pokemon doing here?

it brings hail and snow with it. it must have snow warning, maki thinks. that could be pretty... useful. she almost stops at 'pretty', mesmerized as she is by the precipitation.

this battle isn't as easy as the last. thankfully, this aurorus doesn't seem to know any rock type moves, but its typing and the weather still makes things more difficult. houndoom's nasty plot is essential in raising its attack power while it dodges the aurorus's take down. the dog's paws slip on the ice below, and he's hit with a freeze dry before he can climb back to his feet. it doesn't hurt too much, but it's enough to slow him down for a second.

the next flamethrower, powered up as it is by his nasty plot, ends it. the aurorus collapses to the ground, which shudders under its weight. maki throws the pokeball, waits for it to settle, and then turns around to leave the area. maybe she'll be back later... but for now, she wants to heal her pokemon and re-assess her team.