Chapter Two: Thin Ice

I was lost. Well and truly lost, walking in complete circles. Mt. Coronet was already a natural maze, and the blizzard and heavy wind combination made it impossible to keep track of where I was going. I was going to freeze to death- of that, I had no doubt. I was going to die in this weather, or I was doing to die when Froslass decided she was done playing with me.

The mischievous Pokemon was having a blast toying with me. She made that perfectly clear: giggling and smiling at me. Tormenting me in general. If her goal was to disorient me, wear me down, and scare me she'd succeeded. I don't even know how long it's been since she first destroyed my Pokeballs and I realized I was lost. A half an hour? Five hours? All the time blended together because of my complete and utter terror. Every second felt like my last. I was on thin ice, waiting for Froslass to finally make her move and go in for the kill.

I had a feeling it was going to be soon. She was showing herself for longer periods of time now. At first she'd only appear out of the storm for a few seconds, now...she would emerge and just stand there. For a minute or more at a time, staring and smiling.

That's what I hated the most. Her inhuman eyes and that nasty, evil smirk... cold and calculating.

Shivering, I shakily opened my backpack. I didn't have anything for this type of situation. Who could predict something like this? Froslass' aren't even supposed to be on Mt. Coronet, but that did explain why so many Pokemon were absent. This Froslass had invaded, and was causing a disruption in the ecosystem here. Perhaps she'd even killed many of them. I wondered why she was here. How could she have even gotten here?

Tugging open the flap, I begged and prayed that Arceus -or any god- would send me something that could help. A Pokemon savior- perhaps that Absol that'd tried to warn me. Gritch - coming back with a rescue team after realizing I'd been gone for too long. Anything. Obviously, nothing happened. It was just wishful thinking and I knew that.

Yelling in frustration, I threw my backpack to the ground. At this point, it was an unnecessary weight. The blankets were no help, and neither was my sleeping bag. I couldn't even find a cave to sleep in, anyways. "Damn it," I screamed, my eyes burning. I'd already cried once already, I wasn't going to let this fucked up Pokemon bring me to tears again. I inhaled a rush of frigid air. Then exhaled.

"It'll be okay," I whispered. "I'm too young to die. It'll be okay."

I heard a giggle in the distance. "Laugh all you want," I snarled at her, "I'll survive!"

Froslass's only response was another chilling laugh.

I shuddered with dread and did the only thing I could. I kept moving forward.

My feet ached. My entire body did, but especially my feet. I was cold all over, miserable and wet...

I fell to my knees in the snow. "Fuck!" My legs quivered and throbbed with pain. That's when she appeared. About half a meter away. If I reached out and stretched I could touch her face. She was even more horrifying up close. A slender, graceful figure with burning yet frozen eyes. Strangely beautiful. She smiled when she saw the expression on my face, reaching out with one hand.

"Lass~" She teased, waiting for me.

Did she expect me to take her hand? I stared at it. She wiggled her fingers, nodding slowly.

So now was the time. That she would kill me. I suppose there was no point in resisting any longer.

"Fine," I smiled, "you can kill me. I don't care anymore." I just prayed that my Pokemon were all safe in the PC. Sighing softly, I reached out. She stared at me, still smiling, and drifted closer. Froslass were supposedly so cold they could kill with their touch. This was how I was going to die. Would it be painful? A slow, freezing death? Or would it be instantaneous, the shock alone killing me...

Trembling, both from the cold and terror, I touched her fingers with mine and... I didn't die. I didn't even feel pain. It was strange, Froslass were known to be so cold they were deadly. Yet, this one was strangely warm. Her mouth twisted into a nasty grin, and she pulled me upward. Ah, she wanted me to get up? "Why?" I whispered as I got to my feet, trembling slightly. "Why didn't you kill me?"

She didn't say anything. She just turned away, gently drifting through the air, and began to lead me away.