Snorunt

Last night, the air had been thick with snowflakes. This morning, it made the scenery brightened with white. A smooth layer of snow disguised an uneven terrain underneath. It was breathtaking, but if one were not careful, the dangers of this land could take more than one's breath away. Perhaps even a life.

Despite that, there was a cottage by the roadside. It was made of sturdy logs and coated with dense clay to keep the warmth inside. Outside of the cottage was a brawny man. Although it was cold enough to freeze his breath, he was splitting logs. His tools were the simplest kind: a stump, a wooden wedge, and a hefty iron axe. Nearby was a heap of snow taller than the rest. Oddly enough, it was in a conical shape.

The man looked down at the heap of snow for a moment. "Snorunt, are you just going to stay there?"

Although the Trainer could not understand, Snorunt replied, "It's a blizzard buffet out here! I must be in Heaven!"

He looked at the mound his Pokemon was under, then shook his head. "I'm still not sure what to do with you."

Shaking the snow off his orange outer shell, Snorunt hopped over. "Must you be so serious all the time? You'll blow a blood vessel or something. Come on, come relax in the snow." He then reburied himself in another spot.

A short time later, a middle-aged woman on snowshoes approached them. "Hello new neighbor!"

The man paused his work to wave at her. "Good morning, neighbor."

She held up a tin can. "It's an odd time of year to be moving in up here, so I brought over some split pea soup. Just needs to boil in some hot water for a bit; it's good for your health."

He smiled. "Thanks, ma'm."

Noticing the progression of holes and the Snorunt's point sticking out of the snow, she added, "Oh, and you've already got the blessing of the local Pokemon, I see."

"This guy? He's not local; at least, I'm not sure where he's from. He's part of my application."

"Application?"

"Right, to become one of the Elite 4. You must complete a special challenge. They give you an unidentified egg. From the day it hatches, you have a year to train that one and build a team theme around it. After the first birthday of the egg's Pokemon, you must defeat the current Elite 4 with that team." He shook his head. "Despite it being a mystery egg, they always manage to give you that one type you know least about. I brought him up here in hopes of learning more about his kind."

"The Snorunts? You see them when snow and ice are on the ground, like now. They usually travel in groups of five. There's always five if you don't catch one alone. It's odd, but no one has figured out why."

"I wouldn't know," Snorunt said. "I hatched in a hot place; I was miserable when I went outside for the first time. I hate hot things."

The man put his axe down for a moment to think it over. "Hmm, so then he'd be more comfortable on a team of five rather than six."

"Probably," the woman said. "The old folks say that a house visited by them will have good luck, and one that keeps one will have good fortune and prosperity."

"Is it just an old folks' belief or something mystical?"

She chuckled. "I think it's something more practical myself. We have long and hard winters here in northern Sinnoh. You have to have enough stored food to feed your family, but you need a Pokemon to protect your home. However, the Snorunts are content to eat just snow and ice in the winter. They're perfectly healthy on that diet in cold weather. So the house prospers by having protection without having that extra mouth to feed."

"I see. Thanks for letting me know. I was worried when he didn't eat last night."

"That's cause I knew there'd be something much better to eat in the morning. And here it is!"

"He does seem like a smart one," the Trainer went on. "I've used mainly fighters and rocks up to this point. So this Ice type is completely foreign to me."

"I'd be willing to let you know more, but I haven't fought in ages. My son's looking into being a Trainer. He's ten."

"Is that so? I remember how it was at that age. You both can come up to visit anytime you like. It's a lonely wilderness out here and I'd appreciate the company."

The Snorunt popped out of the snow. "Yeah, new friends are the best."

The woman smiled. "We might just do that."

…

Sapphire entry: Snorunt survives by eating only snow and ice. Old folklore claims that a house visited by this Pokemon is sure to prosper for many generations to come.

On request of a reader, this Snorunt is the same one that was in the Gible entry.