Disclaimer: Nope. Still nothing profitable owned by yours truly.
The next time Anna woke up, her restlessness overpowered Kristoff's warnings, and she found herself stumbling through the door to the man's house and out into Arendelle City for the first time in her usual garb. Covered in snow, the City looked far more subdued than most of the places she'd traveled through. Smoke gently wafted from several chimneys, the distant sounds of snowmobiles punctuated by the natural sounds of ice type Pokémon that were walking beside people as they went from place to place. Anna could name them off the top of her head- Mamoswine, Avalugg, Beartic, and their unevolved forms, among others- only due to her familiarity with icy mountains in general.
Olaf pressed against her leg slightly, taking in the sprawling city with wide eyes. Though he was generally distrustful of human settlements as a rule, Anna noticed how he was definitely more at ease than usual, possibly thanks to how spread out Arendelle City was. Unlike most places they'd been to, the city seemed to spread itself leisurely across the available flat land rather than pack itself tightly. Out of all the snowy settlements they'd visited, she guessed this one had fewer people in it than usual, despite the size.
"Well, what'd'ya think, buddy?" Anna crouched down, putting one gloved hand on the ground to keep herself steady. Her head still felt a little light when she moved around, probably since she was still trying to recover her strength. "You like this place?"
Olaf nuzzled into her side, not exactly answering her question but not protesting either. She took it as a good sign and got up, turning back to look at Kristoff's house so she could find her way back to it after exploring a little. To her surprise, she spotted the window to the room she'd stayed in and felt her jaw drop open a little. That had to be at least ten feet up and there didn't appear to be anything under the window for the Abomasnow to stand on yesterday.
Just how tall was Marshmallow?
"Anna!" Kristoff's voice caused Anna to swing her head around, catching sight of the man riding Sven towards her from further up the street. Sven was pulling a sled with a few blocks on ice on it. "Hey, good to see you walking around. How're you feeling?"
"A little lightheaded but the fresh mountain air is helping." The redhead shrugged. "So, this is Arendelle City?"
"Yeah." The blond made a sweeping gesture towards the surrounding houses and the forest and mountains beyond. "Pretty great view, huh?"
"Not bad at all," Anna replied, scanning the view again. In the distance, she could see the orange roof of the Pokémon Center and the blue roof of the PokéMart, both set on a slight ridge on the north side of the city. "Where's the Gym?"
Kristoff frowned, pulling back the sleeve of his jacket to check his watch. "I don't think she's awake yet. Elsa stays out pretty late checking the trail, so she tends to sleep in late, too."
The redhead wisely chose not to mention how she was already well aware of that.
"Oh, I'm not going to challenge her, not today anyway." The redhead smiled. "It's just something I've noticed over the years; you can tell a lot about a place by checking out the Gym's location." He gave her a quizzical look, so she decided to explain. "Some places are built around other businesses, so the Gyms are located towards the outskirts of the town. Other places have the Gym at the city's heart, because the Gym is the driving force behind the city's economy. Glowerhaven, for instance, has its Gym on the side of town closest to the route leading to Arendelle City. All the hotels, restaurants, and services for trainers make up the heart of the city, so new trainers are pretty much assaulted with an overload of information regarding Arendelle City and the legendary Blizzard Badge before they get to the Glowerhaven Gym, no matter which way they come from. Every trainer I talked to at least considered making the trip up to take on the Blizzard Badge because of all the hype, which keeps them in town spending money longer than if no one mentioned it or if the Gym was on the other side of town."
"Huh, okay. Guess you have a point." He gave her a sheepish grin and nodded towards a side street. "Follow that fence line all the way around and you'll see the Gym."
Though it took her a moment longer than someone who wasn't directionally challenged, Anna eventually smiled. "It's the first thing you see when you come off the route to Glowerhaven, isn't it?"
"Yeah." He shrugged. "It's what everyone comes here for, so..."
"But the Pokémon Center is to the far north, meaning trainers who fail have to go through the town in order to heal their Pokémon." Anna nodded. "In order to leave, they'll pass through the middle of the city again, so... what, is that where all the hotels and restaurants are located?"
"Actually, all the businesses are on the west side." Kristoff pointed off to where the greatest concentration of smoking chimneys were. "They all press up against the forest, which blocks a lot of the wind and snow. We've found that during especially bad blizzards, buildings on that side of town come out with the least repairs, so we put the important stuff over there." He got off Sven's back, patting the Pokémon's shoulder in the process. "Even if, well, my house ended up needing major repairs and I needed to stay somewhere else, I could head over to the inn and still get a hot meal." He paused a moment. "Then again, my dad's the one who runs the inn, so he might just do that for me anyway."
Anna chuckled to herself as the blond seemed to genuinely puzzle over the situation before moving on.
"At the same time, the Pokémon who call this mountain home tend to make their nests a bit further north, just on the other side of that ridge line." He pointed out the formation in question. "We've had some... issues with less than savory characters trying to mass capture the young Pokémon during the spring time, so in order to get up there, they have to get past the Gym and all the residents of Arendelle City."
The redhead smiled, nudging Olaf gently with her leg. This place was looking better by the minute. "Everyone lets their Pokémon roam free during the day, I take it?"
"For the most part." Kristoff shrugged. "We've noticed that letting them wander around town keeps the more territorial wild species at bay, but sometimes they cause trouble for their trainers. Like with Sven and Glaceon, though they at least contain their mess to my house."
Blinking a few times, Anna cocked her head to the side. "Yeah, about that, I'm kinda confused. If Sven originally belonged to Elsa, how was Glaceon here first? Or was that the hypothermia messing with my head?"
At the mention of Glaceon, Sven huffed, bending his head low to poke at Olaf, apparently losing interest in the trainers' conversation.
Kristoff laughed. "No, that part's just confusing for an outsider. See, Glaceon originally belonged to Lucius- the previous Gym Leader- along with the Glalie Elsa uses. He gave them to her so she could continue representing Arendelle City as an ice type Gym before he left."
"Oh, okay. Then she gave you Sven. Is it normal for Pokémon to trade between trainers like that around here?"
The man shrugged. "There's really not that many to be traded. It seems like each family has one or two of the hardier ice types but no one has an abundance of Pokémon just hanging around. I think the Center has six Chanseys on staff but that's the most owned by a specific person or place in Arendelle City. Uh, aside from Elsa's Pokémon, of course."
"Right." Anna nodded, blinking as she recalled a question she'd meant to ask previously. "Does Arendelle City not have a hospital? I mean, not that I don't appreciate your hospitality or anything, but I kinda expected to wake up to white walls and a beeping heart monitor."
She left out the part where she wasn't really expecting to wake up at all.
"We have a doctor, but no hospital." He shrugged. "I know it looks like we have the space for it but we don't bother building things we won't use often, most of us prefer staying home when we're sick or hurt anyway, and my mom fully believes people heal quicker when they're comfortable. Elsa doesn't really have a guest bedroom made up, so she brought you to my place." He frowned slightly. "I also think that's in part because she's somewhat terrified of my mom. I don't blame her; a lot of people are."
"The whole doctor thing can be really off putting." Anna awkwardly laughed, biting her lip. She was definitely one of those who tried their hardest to stay far away from medical professionals, unless they were affiliated with a Pokémon Center. Those types, she could handle.
"Wait until you've met her; my mom's an... interesting character, shall we say." Kristoff chuckled, blinking in surprise when Sven chuffed and pawed at the snow. "Oh, right! Sorry, Anna, but I have to go. I have some deliveries to make still before I take my turn down at the mine. People around here are really friendly but don't go past any of the orange markers; they're the limits for Arendelle City and wild Pokémon tend to brush really close to them as they move through the mountains."
"Got it." Anna turned towards the fence line Kristoff indicated. The cold was starting to settle into her skin and she would rather move around than continue allowing her body temperature to drop. She could probably continue pestering Kristoff with questions about the area later, in the warm house as opposed to outside it. At his nod, she started off. "I'll be back in a little while."
"Just be careful. I'm serious about staying within the limits." He jerked his head in the vague direction of the forest. "The Abomasnow are still moving through the route, and they aren't the worst when it comes to wild encounters. Marshmallow tends to scare them off but they might attack if they feel threatened."
"I'll be careful." She assured, Olaf falling in step beside her after bidding Sven goodbye.
Finding the Gym was ridiculously easy once she passed the homes that had previously obstructed her view. The building itself was huge, with the stylized emblem and roof made out of ice- or something that looked a lot like ice. It easily dwarfed every other building in the city and most of the ones Anna had seen, except maybe the Celadon City Department Store. It was certainly bigger than any Gym she'd challenged over the years, which made sense given the battle style the Gym used.
While walking, Anna could catch glimpses of every day life in Arendelle City. People and Pokémon coming and going from the marked path through the forest, hauling felled trees or carts filled with ore or precious stones.
On her way, she saw a young man trying to patch his roof and offered to help; she taught him a bit about shingling while he gave her some useful tips about the dangers of allowing snow to accumulate on a roof. She also helped a mother reconnect the starter on her snowmobile while Olaf entertained her sons, both of whom were extremely energetic. She advised Anna to be careful; there was a group of Froslass that would play tricks on people occasionally, but they were mostly harmless pranks. Anna merely rolled her eyes and made a joke about ghost types.
She was immediately pelted by a snowball that appeared out of nowhere and apologized to the air as the boys laughed, teasing her about ignoring their mother's warning. Overall, she was just too pleased about being out and doing things to really take the teasing to heart, laughing off her embarrassment.
As she continued towards the Gym, Anna listened to Olaf's encouraging chirps. Overall, the people seemed nice, accepting Anna's help and offering advice in exchange. What Pokémon they encountered were laid back, neither causing Olaf nor Anna any grief, so long as they didn't disrupt their work. People and Pokémon alike seemed interested in Olaf's unique coloring but not enough to make a fuss. It was just a nice, small town that happened to be in the mountains.
"Well?" Anna bent down to look at Olaf. "Leaning one way or another?" He looked around, as if slowly taking in his surroundings, but looked back to the redhead with worried eyes. "I promise, I'll stay here, too. Maybe I can live with Kristoff for a bit before setting up on my own. Or, maybe there'll be a vacancy when we come back and I can move straight in to a nice little house." She straightened up and took a deep breath. "Air's a bit thin, but I'll acclimate. Then, I can start doing little stuff, maybe take a job at the Pokémon Center to supplement my income. I'm sure Arendelle's Nurse Joy wouldn't mind a little help every now and again. Or I could just, I dunno, make supply runs down to Glowerhaven? Think they have someone who does that already?" Her gaze fell on him, hands on her hips as she grinned. "You know what; it doesn't even matter. I'll figure it out. Always have, right?"
Olaf squawked, hobbling over to a snow back and jumping in, wiggling around a little before popping his head out.
Anna laughed. "Well, then I guess it's settled!" She glanced over her shoulder at the imposing Gym in the distance. "We'll win the Blizzard Badge, beat the Elite Four, and come back to settle down." She turned towards the west side of town. Surely the inn would have a phone of some sort. "Let's go tell Mom and Dad the new plan!"
Olaf chirped happily, hurrying after the redhead.
While the day before was spent exploring the City a little and calling home, Anna was finally feeling well enough the next afternoon to do something long overdue: reconnect with her Pokémon. Olaf preceded her through the door, waddling over to Marshmallow, who was standing by the window still. He'd come by to check on her without his trainer, waiting outside until Olaf noticed him and woke the redhead up. She hadn't intended to sleep in so late but, she reasoned, her sleep schedule was thrown way off by the blizzard, so she should just soak in the rest while she could get it and get back on track before leaving for the Elite Four.
While she was glad Olaf had taken to the towering Abomasnow- seriously, she'd never seen one that large in her life! She'd heard of unusually large specimens of certain species but had never seen one in person before- she was even more relieved Olaf had something to distract him.
Pulling them from her bag, Anna cradled her five remaining pokéballs in her arms, each enlarged so she could release her precious Pokémon quickly. Kristoff was especially kind and considerate and had offered to attend to her team, but she wanted to reconnect with her team personally rather than have them tended to by others. She was surprised by how much he knew about Pokémon in general rather than just ice types, and a few hours' worth of conversation had made them fast friends, much like Olaf and Sven, but it wasn't the same to let him do it. She needed to remind herself how close she came to letting them down in order to drive the lesson home.
"Alright, guys, time to come out!" She called out, heaving the pokéballs into the air one after another and smiling wide as each opened, releasing the Pokémon within. In the blink of an eye, her entire team stood before her, each happy to see their trainer. They rushed up, nuzzling against her and begging for attention. Being larger than the others, Arcanine and Pyroar gently nudged her shoulders, careful their paws didn't land on Vulpix, Eevee, or Tyrunt, the former two pressing against her calves while the latter poked at her with his pointed snout. "Calm down, guys, one at a time, okay!"
She was laughing, of course, running her hands through their fur- or, scratching just behind the jaw in Tyrunt's case- and trying to spread her attention across all five of her faithful friends. Olaf, who was watching from next to Marshmallow, thankfully didn't seem to mind; he would occasionally start squawking if he felt she was paying too much attention to the others, though she always scolded him about fairness, seeing as he was the only one who typically accompanied her during their travels. For his part, the Abomasnow seemed curious about the others, eventually lumbering over once the group had calmed a little.
Which, of course, prompted Anna to remember that Olaf wasn't the only one who had a tendency to be over protective of her.
Arcanine and Pyroar immediately stepped in front of Anna, snarling at Marshmallow in warning as their teeth flashed. Vulpix and Eevee joined them, taking up post between the larger creatures' paws and wearing similar snarls, while Tyrunt charged forward, intent on taking on the towering Abomasnow himself. Olaf was quickly squawking out some sort of warning but Marshmallow was responding to the threatening display, a cold wind picking up as he prepared to defend himself.
All it took was a firm command from Anna to cease the madness altogether.
"That's enough, all of you!" She waited until all seven pairs of eyes were watching her. She fixed her gaze on her instigators, noting how they were all cowering slightly in shame. She softened her gaze, allowing her posture to relax. They were only trying to protect her, so they weren't really in trouble; there just wasn't anything to protect her from, in this case. "Don't be so rude to Marshmallow, guys. He saved our lives. You should be thanking him!"
Sufficiently chastised, her beloved Pokémon turned back to Marshmallow and dipped their heads in acknowledgement, prompting a growled response from the towering ice type. A moment later, the entire group seemed to be chatting eagerly in whatever way Pokémon could understand each other, though the 'conversation' seemed to be between Olaf, Arcanine, Pyroar, Vulpix, and Marshmallow. Tyrunt seemed more interested in studying Marshmallow while Eevee returned to Anna, clawing her way up the redhead's clothes to settle snugly onto one shoulder.
After a few minutes, Vulpix grew disinterested with Marshmallow and made her way onto Anna's other shoulder while Pyroar and Arcanine began a game of tag between each other, as they often did when allowed to simply play, using their paws to swipe snow at each other. What felt like forever ago, she initially worried about how the two would react towards one another once they evolved; as a Litleo and a Growlithe, they absolutely loathed the other and would fight almost constantly. Had they maintained such a dislike for each other after growing several feet and hundreds of pounds in size, Anna wasn't sure she would've been able to keep them from seriously injuring themselves or each other outside of a battle. Luckily, their evolutions matured each of them and they reconciled to save their trainer the grief.
It may have involved a few good pecks from Olaf, too, but it got the job done.
Tyrunt, on the other hand, was still fascinated by Marshmallow's towering height and, after a bit of prodding from the tiny dragon type, the giant bent down and allowed Tyrunt to clumsily claw his way into Marshmallow's hand. Carefully, he was lifted up, until he could jump onto the top of the Marshmallow's head, letting out a roar of victory as he towered over the others.
It only took three seconds until Tyrunt realized he might have a slight problem with heights, tucking himself low and using his short arms to grab hold of Marshmallow's fur, whining in distress as his tail twitched uncontrollably.
Anna laughed, being sure to keep herself as stable as possible so she didn't jostle Vulpix or Eevee. "Aw, are you okay up there, little guy?" At Tyrunt's terrified cry, the redhead nodded and whistled for Arcanine to come over. "Calm down, buddy, I'm coming!"
Kneeling down, Anna extended her arms so her two passengers could safely disembark before climbing onto Arcanine's back.
"What is that?" The redhead turned, noting the slight furrow to Elsa's brows as she craned her neck to stare at Marshmallow's head.
"He's a Tyrunt. They died off a hundred million years ago, supposedly." Scratching behind Arcanine's ears, Anna maneuvered him towards Marshmallow with her knees, turning a friendly smile on the ice giant. "Mind if we come up?"
Marshmallow nodded and grumbled something, carefully seating itself to make things easier for everyone. With his hands behind him to brace the weight, Marshmallow allowed Arcanine to put his front paws on the giant's chest and curled forward slightly. From her perch atop Arcanine's back, Anna carefully inched up until she was resting on his head, extending her arms towards her trapped dragon.
With only a moment's hesitation, Tyrunt jumped forward, crashing bodily into Anna's chest and nearly knocking the wind from her. She would've lost her seat completely if it hadn't been for the grip she had on Arcanine using her thighs, and she quietly thanked the Laramie clan for teaching her how to ride. The redhead soothed the poor creature while Arcanine slowly backed up on his hind legs and lowered his front paws to the ground, going so far as to drop his shoulder so Anna could dismount easily.
As she slid off his back, Elsa approached, watching the grateful Tyrunt in Anna's arms with curiosity.
"For being extinct, he seems very... lively."
"Some scientists were able to revive him from a fossil I found while traveling through Kalos." Anna hefted Tyrunt up, holding him out for a proper introduction. "Tyrunt, this is Miss Elsa. Say hello!"
Tyrunt blinked, then opened his jaw wide and gave a roar that startled the blonde back a step.
Anna rolled her eyes, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. "Not like that, you goober!" Shaking her head, she set the dragon type down and pushed him towards Eevee and Vulpix. "Go play while I apologize for your rude behavior."
Tyrunt toddled off, chasing after Eevee and Vulpix as the two played in the snow, turning the game into a three way version of tag.
"I'm really sorry about that." The redhead laughed awkwardly, scratching at her cheek. "He's a bit... temperamental."
"It's fine. Glaceon was the same way when we first met, believe it or not." Elsa shrugged. "Why did you have to rescue him from Marshmallow's head?" She crossed her arms over her chest, surveying Anna's playing Pokémon with mild amusement. "Do I even want to know?"
While this particular group had encountered snow a multitude of times, very rarely were they allotted time to just play in it. Anna tried to keep her fire types out of the harsher cold weather, unless she was in dire need of their warmth. Given the opportunity, the whole crew was having fun throwing snow into the air for Arcanine, Pyroar, and Vulpix to melt and turn into steam.
"Oh, he wanted to be taller than Arcanine and Pyroar." The redhead huffed, setting her fists on her hips. "Ever since those two evolved, Tyrunt's had trouble accepting that he's the smallest of the males for this group. Too bad he didn't realize he's scared of heights until after he got up there." Anna walked over to the Abomasnow, stroking his arm with a warm smile. "Thanks for being a good sport about it, Marshmallow."
He grumbled in reply, turning his attention to the smaller Pokémon as Vulpix and Eevee jumped onto Marshmallow's thighs and taunted Tyrunt, who couldn't quite jump as high as the quadrupeds and instead ran around the Abomasnow, searching for a way up.
Anna shook her head, turning back to the Gym Leader who was watching her with a small smirk. "What?"
"I'm not surprised by your choices in companions." The blonde nodded towards Anna's Pokémon. "You tend towards cute, cuddly fire types, yes?"
"Hey! All Pokémon are cute and cuddly!" Anna began to scowl but stopped as she felt something nudge her shoulder. Beside her, a Glalie was hovering quietly. She instantly threw her arms around the Pokémon. "Yes, even you, Glalie!"
The redhead jumped back a few seconds later, shivering and rubbing her arms to ward off the sudden chill that invaded her body.
Elsa laughed, putting her hand on top of Glalie and rubbing between his horns. "I should've warned you; my Glalie has the ice body ability. Touching him is... ill advised, if you're unaccustomed to the cold."
"Gee, thanks for the warning." Anna grumbled, not surprised when Arcanine came over and shoved his face into her chest to help warm her up. "Anyway, I do have other types of Pokémon. I guess I just have a special attachment to these guys." Anna turned a fond smile on the Pokémon, looking to each as she spoke their names. "Eevee was given to me as my 'starter' before I left home since Olaf wasn't quite well enough to battle. Vulpix I encountered in Johto, trying to escape from Team Rocket. Pyroar and Arcanine- in their unevolved forms, of course- just wouldn't stop following me around after we put an end to the Pokémon Circus that was mistreating them. Tyrunt, well, he was a fossil and he doesn't behave himself back home. He keeps trying to eat the Professor's shoes." She laughed, shrugging as she returned her attention to the blonde. "I've really bonded with all of them, though, and they really like each other. Some just happen to be similar in type and body style, I guess."
Elsa nodded, giving Glalie a brief hug before allowing him to hover over to the other playing Pokémon. While Pyroar sniffed at the new arrival with curiosity, Tyrunt tried his hardest to jump and sink his teeth into the floating ball.
He wasn't having much luck in that department.
"I suppose I know what you mean. My closest companions seem to have similarities I never intended as well." From seemingly nowhere, Glaceon's head appeared over Elsa's shoulder, followed by his front paws. Absently, the blonde reached up and began scratching behind his ears, earning a contented purr from him. The motion brought the hem of her jacket up just enough for Anna to catch sight of the pokéballs on her belt. She might not have noticed their number if one wasn't an all white premier ball; those tended to stick out quite a bit.
"So, who're in the fourth and fifth pokéballs?" The redhead motioned to Elsa's belt at her surprised expression. "I mean, you let Glaceon, Glalie, and Marshmallow roam free. Why not the other two?"
"Oh. No, Marshmallow isn't mine; he's a wild Abomasnow." The Gym Leader walked over and put a hand on the Pokémon in question, smiling softly at him. "He's grown attached to me, true, but I don't have the heart to capture him."
Anna could hear the faintest tint of sadness to the other woman's voice and tilted her head to the side, obviously curious but opting not to press Elsa. She vividly recalled their conversation from the other night and supposed that if the blonde was willing to continue, she would.
For her part, Elsa seemed a little uncomfortable with the subject, keeping her attention fixed on Marshmallow as he grumbled soothingly, but soldiered on regardless. "I told you that both times I was caught in the blizzards outside, Marshmallow was the one who saved me. As a child, he took me to rescue squad's checkpoint, and as an adult, he brought me to Arendelle City, but these mountains have always been his home. He's-"
Anna felt a sad smile touch her lips, reaching out to place a hand on Elsa's shoulder in reassurance. She hadn't anticipated for the blonde to abruptly cut herself off but, after a brief glance, the gesture was accepted, tension ebbing away slowly.
"He's been nearby ever since I returned." She smiled up at the giant briefly, something that could be called a laugh if it was louder escaping her lips. "Something like a guardian angel, I guess. I don't think he trusts me to go out on my own anymore. Confining him to a pokéball, even briefly... I just can't bring myself to do it. How can I even consider calling myself his trainer when he teaches me so much more?"
The redhead smiled, looking up at Marshmallow to note the Pokémon's fond gaze as it regarded Elsa. Even without capturing him, it seemed the two shared a bond just as strong as the one Anna shared with Olaf. She'd encountered such before on her travels but it never seemed to amaze her how some things transcended regional boundaries and cultures.
"You're a really good Gym Leader, Miss Elsa," Anna said, surprising herself when the words left her mouth. When Elsa glanced at her, she just smiled.
"You sound confident about that." The blonde frowned slightly. "But some days, I'm not so sure." She sighed. "If this was anywhere else, I'd be willing to believe it but the Blizzard Badge has occupied a special place in the Yensid region since the Gym was founded. It's supposed to be a unique challenge to trainers, something that tests their abilities and their bond with their Pokémon." Her brows furrowed. "But so few trainers seem to understand that. They think it's just about the prestige, the bragging rights, the easy ticket to the Elite Four, and their recklessness is obvious. Even those who wait for the groups never truly consider the challenge they're taking on, just the rewards. Before they've even arrived, they've already lost. It's disheartening, to defeat so many without ever really feeling challenged. Sometimes, I wonder if this is really what my parents would've wanted or if I'm wasting my time..." Elsa suddenly shook her head, looking back to the mountains.
Anna was about to reassure the Gym Leader but Elsa continued, apparently frustrated with herself.
"I didn't come to say all that, though." When Elsa turned towards her, Anna's smile faltered slightly, surprised at the emotions she saw swirling in those blue eyes. "I... I actually came today to apologize. Again. For the other night."
Anna quirked a brow. "Apologize? For what? Because, the whole, uh, hug thing was totally my fault-"
"N-no, I didn't mean that. Specifically. It's my fault anyway, really," the blonde replied, clearing her throat as a slight blush appeared in her cheeks. In some far off part of her mind, Anna compared the sight to watching the mountains around them catch the morning light, pink lightly painting white snow. She really needed to drop this fixation on how pretty the Gym Leader was; beating her was already going to be difficult, she didn't need the added distraction. "I mean, I would like to apologize for... burdening you with the details of my life. I shouldn't have done that."
"Burden?" Anna laughed lightly. "Miss Elsa, you didn't 'burden' me with anything."
Elsa wasn't amused, the cold anger from their first encounter returning to her eyes. "If I hadn't explained my past, you wouldn't have felt pity for me-"
The redhead furrowed her brows in confusion, allowing that to smother the slight irritation building in her. The last thing this conversation needed was to turn into an argument. "I don't feel pity for you." Okay, that came out harsher than she'd meant, but it seemed to shock the Gym Leader into silence, so she rolled with it. "I don't, because 'pity' implies that I somehow removed myself from the equation, that your pain doesn't affect me."
"It shouldn't," the blonde replied, silence falling to the cold anger Anna had seen before. "Regardless of the circumstances, it's my burden to bear-"
"You're wrong." Somewhere in the back of her mind, Anna registered that the Pokémon around them had ceased their playful antics and were focused on their trainers, watching their body language closely. Glaceon was stock still on Elsa's shoulder, tense and waiting for some indication on how to react to what could very well be building up to an argument between the two women. "No one has to go through life alone-"
"I did." Elsa bit back, shocked by her own admission and dropping her gaze to the ground. "Aside from my Pokémon... I did go through life alone. I left Hoenn as soon as I was able to come here. I don't have friends; my family is gone. And I'm fine-"
"Fine is a type of point, not a state of being." Anna shook her head. "You deserve to be happy, Miss Elsa. And you do have friends! You have me and Kristoff-"
"You're my friend?" The blonde rolled her eyes and made to turn away but Anna quickly grabbed her hands, holding them in her own. For whatever reason, Elsa didn't pull away immediately, instead averting her gaze and speaking softly. "You barely know me."
"But I can learn." Anna squeezed the Gym Leader's hands. "I'm pretty good at judging people and I think you're a good person- a strong, smart, beautiful woman who's doing her best. I'm not going to just stand here and let you blame yourself for things that are way out of your control or for talking about how you feel!" Anna sighed, trying to get a handle on her frustration; her voice was steadily rising with every word and she wasn't trying to yell at the Gym Leader, just emphasize her point. "Look, bottling all this up can't be good for you, and you've been doing it for years. I'm glad you were able to tell me because you need someone to talk to, to complain to, to just listen to the big stuff and the trivial stuff, too, and I'm totally up for being that person because, as much as I can ramble about silly things, I'm actually a pretty good listener. And you haven't even heard me ramble yet, so just you wait, because you want to talk about 'burdens' I'm pretty sure I can bury you under an avalanche of syllables, and yes, that was supposed to be a stupid snow pun and you can blame Kristoff." She crossed her arms over her chest, resisting the urge to smile as she noticed the flicker of amusement in Elsa's eyes. "Since I'm guessing I need to explicitly state this, I will. I'm not saying any of this because I feel sorry for you. I didn't listen to you that night because I felt sorry for you. I want to be your friend and listen to your problems because I like you and I care. Also, I'm stubborn as a Tauros, so good luck getting rid of me." She nodded. "There. We're friends now. Deal with it."
Silence stretched between the two before Elsa broke it, her face betraying no emotion. "You think I'm beautiful?"
Anna blinked, then slapped a hand to her face, smiling in spite of herself. "Because that was the important part out of everything I just said. Good to know you were listening." She chuckled, dropping her sarcastic tone to shrug helplessly. "Yes, you are. Plus all those other things."
The Gym Leader cracked a small smile. "I suppose I should say the same of you." She reached up to idly scratch behind Glaceon's ear, a light blush coming to her cheeks. "We're friends now... is that it?"
"Well, I'm never one to ignore possibilities," Anna replied before realizing that probably wasn't what the blonde meant. She was quick to continue, though she did notice how Elsa's smile grew a little wider. "But I guess I have to consult my official decision-maker first." She turned towards Olaf, who had gravitated closer during their exchange. "Well, buddy, what do you say? Is it okay with you if Miss Elsa and I are friends?"
Olaf scanned the blonde, peering up at her a moment before waddling over to give Elsa's leg a hug. Although initially surprised- she probably expected the Delibird to attack her like he did when they first met- the blonde turned a kind expression on him and reach down to lightly stroke his head... which somehow gave the rest of Anna's Pokémon the green light to express their approval as well, and they rushed to do so. Arcanine and Pyroar rubbed their heads against her shoulders while Eevee and Vulpix rubbed up against the blonde's other leg, Tyrunt poking his snout against the leg Olaf was hugging.
"Um... is this normal for them? Anna?" Elsa tried her best to maintain her balance as Pokémon pressed in against her from all sides. Anna had to use both hands covering her mouth to contain her amusement. "A little help please? Anna?"
"I'd be happy to assist!" The redhead stepped forward, gently pulling Arcanine and Pyoar back while maneuvering around the smaller Pokémon. Just when Elsa was about to release a sigh of relief, Anna closed the distance and put her arms loosely around the blonde, careful not to jostle Glaecon's perch. "There; now we can get a real group hug going! Come on guys!"
Her team once again pressed close, this time joined by Glalie and Marshmallow, the former pressing against their ribs while the latter carefully wrapped his arms around the group. Glaceon nudged his head against Anna's neck, unable to do more given his position.
They all stood still and soaked in the moment, the quiet breathing of the Pokémon and snow falling around them the only way to measure the passing of time. Just as the redhead started to release her hold and step back, Elsa tentatively returned the hug.
"You do realize I won't go easy on you just because we're friends, right?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Anna replied, drawing back just enough to look the blonde in the eyes, a slight frown coming to her lips as she caught the barest hints of uncertainty looking back at her. "Other people have tried that, huh?"
"More than I'd care to count." The blonde closed her eyes a moment, smiling as she opened them. "But I choose to believe you're being sincere."
"Good, because I'm a notoriously terrible liar and that's one area I really don't want to improve in. But, just so you know, I won't be taking it easy on you, either!" Anna cast a quick glance around. "These guys might seem cute and cuddly, but inside, they're lean, mean, battling machines! Right, everyone?"
Arcanine and Pyroar immediately set about showing their ferocity by opening their mouths and... licking Anna's cheeks. The redhead stumbled back, surprised, only to trip and land flat on her back in the snow. Which wasn't so bad, until Eevee, Vulpix, and Tyrunt decided to capitalize on the opportunity by pouncing on her; Eevee and Vulpix were at least somewhat careful but Anna gave a soft 'oof!' when Tyrunt landed squarely on her stomach, flailing slightly as everyone suddenly decided she made a pretty decent pillow. Olaf, being the considerate one, waited until the others were settled on her stomach and thighs before hopping onto her chest, further winding her.
Anna groaned, a grin coming to her lips as she caught the sound of barely restrained laughter, catching Elsa covering her mouth with both hands. Those stunning blue eyes were laughing, though, and she really didn't mind. "See? I told you: this is a vicious crew I've got here."
"I'm sure." The Gym Leader glanced up at the sky before returning her gaze to the grounded redhead, a soft smile on her lips as she gestured over her shoulder. "The sun will be setting soon. It promises to be a mild night but I would advise going inside before the temperature drops. You'll be more susceptible to the cold until you've acclimated." She knelt down, allowing Glaceon to dismount and lingering long enough to reach out and brush some of Anna's hair back from her eyes. "Lying in the snow certainly won't improve your resistance."
Anna couldn't help smiling at the action. "I'll go inside soon. Promise."
Without another word, the blonde stood and stepped lightly into Marshmallow's awaiting hand, climbing onto his shoulder with practiced ease. Glalie and Glaceon started towards the route, while Elsa and Marshmallow hesitated. After another moment's consideration, she spoke, her tone one of cool, crisp authority. "If you're still intent on winning the Blizzard Badge, I'll accept your challenge tomorrow at midday at Arendelle's Gym."
Anna opened her mouth, ready to offer her assistance with patrolling the route but thought better of it in light of the Elsa's advice. Instead, the redhead nodded and winked. "I'll see you then. Be prepared to lose!"
She listened as Marshmallow's tromping footsteps receded, soaking in the affection of her team as her mind wandered. She'd accepted the whole moving to a new place and starting a life there for Olaf's sake a long time ago; now, she had other motivation to reach that point and it was a surprisingly pleasant realization.
Getting caught in that blizzard might've been the best thing to ever happen to her.
Author's Note: This is not as fluffy as my more recent stuff but I'm still a glutton for angst, apparently. Sorry about that; it does get better. Also, the Gym thing is pretty legit; go back and look at the Kanto maps for the cities. For the most part, if there isn't something plot related (i.e. S.S. Anne, Silph Co.) or something unique (Celedon City Department Store. Safari Zone), the Gym is in or near the dead center of the city/town. If there is something important, though, the Gym's on the edge of the map. Not always true but it's a pretty decent general rule. Also, I may have taken some liberties with the Pokémon abilities. I honestly haven't seen the show in years, so I don't know if it ever gets explored in the canon, but I figure that if something literally has an 'ice body' ability, it would be cold to touch. Thanks to all of you who have read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this story; I'm really glad y'all are enjoying my insanity.