Rain descended upon the earth, filling the air with the soothing sound and fresh smell of spring. Not that everyone had such an appreciation for the weather. Humans would close themselves off in their homes, or seek shelter in caves or under trees. Many Pokemon took a similar approach, making their way with haste to their dens or nests, or did what they could to keep dry and warm.

Water-Types were a different matter. Rain made them more lively and active, as they went about their business without the interference of others in the area. It was a fascinating balance of nature, much like how daytime and nocturnal species rotated in and out during the course of a day.

While other Pokemon bustled around the area, seeking shelter or becoming more active, a pair of Pokemon continued their stare down. Rainwater coated their fur, yet neither of them seemed to care. One of the Pokemon was a bipedal mammal Pokemon with bright orange fur and a pair of blue fins attached to its arms. Along with a twin set of tails flicking behind it, the most notable feature on its body was a yellow ring around its neck, very similar to the kind that human children would cling to when they went swimming.

The rain running down its body gave it a sleeker, more streamlined appearance, and a slightly cocky grin flicked across its muzzle. Rain was no hinderance to it, for water-types adored the dampness, and in battle, the affinity with water became even more crucial to claiming victory.

Opposite the Buizel was a quadrupedal Pokemon with light blue fur, now soaked in water, making the natural quills of the fur appear limp. Each of its paws were darker colored, bordering on teal, or maybe turquoise, which matched the color of the markings on its back, and the tip of its tail. More notable were the strange dangles framing the Pokemon's face, like the flaps of an arctic hat.

An equally cocky grin graced the Pokemon's face as its dark eyes gazed back at the opponent. Each breath the quadruped took released a cloud of icy mist into the air, transforming the rain before its face into snowflakes.

"Not going to wait all day, Raze," the ice quadruped said, his tone absolutely consumed with smug amusement. "The rain doesn't bother me. Accept your advantage and beat me already."

The Buizel rolled his eyes and propelled himself forward at high speed, drawing the rainwater around him into his fur like a sponge, adding a surprising amount of speed and bulk to his charge.

The Glaceon opened his mouth and exhaled forcefully. The temperature of the air around them plummeted immediately, and all the rain in front of the Glaceon froze solid, some of them becoming simple snowflakes, but others becoming thicker shards of ice. As if guided by the Glaceon's breath, the newly frozen droplets launched themselves at the Buizel, who was now moving too quickly to change direction or evade.

At first, the bombardment of snow and ice seemed to be nothing but a momentary inconvenience, simply sticking to the water coating the Buizel's fur. The truth became apparent soon after, as the ice and snow passed its temperature to the neighboring water droplets, freezing them and converting what was once the Buizel's shield and sword into a revolution.

The Glaceon nimbly leapt backwards as the Buizel swiped his claws towards him, still oblivious to the danger presenting itself to his body. The ice-type's grin widened, his eyes inspecting the ongoing conflict of water and ice struggling to overcome the other, with Raze's fur serving as the battleground for the rebellion.

Raze still hadn't noticed, and that was truly miraculous. Miraculous and hilarious. His teeth were chattering from the plummeting temperature, but rain still fell upon the earth, and so he continued to attack, unaware that his fur was no longer slick and shiny, but partially frozen. The rain that descended upon the frozen fur dampened the snow further, changing it from simple flakes of frozen water into an increasingly impenetrable layer of ice, the type that humans would have to bring special picks and shovels just to clean it off their walkways.

The Glaceon rolled sideways when the Buizel launched a barrage of sparkling stars from his mouth, the stars adjusting their trajectory to match the target's movements, grazing the Ice-Type's side and sending him sprawling across the rain-slicked grass. This proved to be no true hinderance to the Ice-type, as he found his footing mid-tumble and righted himself. He winced immediately, and adjusted his stance, favoring his right side slightly, but doing what he could to hide the detail.

The Buizel seemed to have finally noticed the mob of snowflakes overthrowing their rainwater tyrants, and by this point, he couldn't stop them from taking over the capital of his body. He could only stall it, and the freezing pain would worsen with time. Shivering violently, the water Type dropped to the grass, signaling to his opponent that he conceded.

"You had rain on your side, and you went for Aqua Jet? Seriously, Raze?" the Glaceon snickered, walking over to his fallen opponent. Every few steps a brief limp betrayed his strained left hind leg, but the shivering Buizel didn't seem to notice or care.

"Just thaw me, Frost!" Raze growled. "You can point out all my errors afterwards!"

"Hmm, that really was your only one," Frost noted. "Here, take this," he said, passing the Buizel a yellow berry with notable markings from among a small pile of different ones. The Buizel gulped it down promptly, and immediately regretted it, his facial expression twisting and contorting until it almost resembled a prune.

"Yeah, those are super sour, by the way," Frost said, observing his companion with unabashed amusement. The Buizel swallowed the remainder of the berry in his mouth with difficulty, his eyes watering up. The effect was almost instantaneous, and the ice coating his fur melted away as the Buizel's internal body temperature skyrocketed the moment the fruit hit his stomach. It was a brief surge of heat, but it still left Raze shaking and panting afterwards.

"Last time I spar with you," Raze muttered.

"I stock up for a reason. Imagine if I didn't," Frost replied dismissively. "I even bring Rawsts, but how are we going to get burned?"

"If I shoot hot water at you."

"How would...actually, that's a good point. Theoretical as hell, but a good point," Frost mused. He shook himself, sending droplets of water in all directions, and then immediately blew an icy mist over his shoulder, freezing his wet fur into the trademark icy quills his species was known for.

"So what are you going to now? Sit in the rain and pretend you're a Vaporeon?" Raze asked, looking up at the sky. "This isn't stopping any time soon, so I'm hitting the lake. Don't you dare stop by to freeze it again."

"I didn't think it would actually work," Frost said with a smirk.

"You did it at the start of February and declared it evidence of six more weeks of winter," Raze deadpanned.

"I know. I was hoping for an early spring."

Raze raised an eyebrow. "Frost, is that going to be one of those cryptic comments that will suddenly make sense in a few weeks? Because you don't actually earn 'Mysteriousness Points' from me when you do that."

"That's because you're male."

"Forget it," Raze said, shaking his head, but he was grinning. "See you around. Same time tomorrow?"

"Naturally."

With a mutual nod between them, the Buizel left the clearing, heading in the direction of the local lake. Frost chuckled privately before turning and walking in the other direction. It had been a worthwhile sparring experience, but that was to be expected. Many Pokemon he had seen and faced were too predictable, because their styles were so similar to one another, or to his own. The truly skilled and powerful in the world would have experience facing many different styles and body types, and be prepared for unorthodox methods.

Pokemon trainers were renowned for being able to provide such a challenge. From the days that he was a mere Eevee living in the arctic hell of Mt. Coronet, he had been taught about humans and Pokemon, and their relationship in the world. He had heard of the challenges that Pokemon trainers faced in pursuit of their goals, and the ways that trainers could formulate unique tactics for their Pokemon to perform, tactics the Pokemon were unlikely to ever have formed on their own in the wild, and how unpredictable professional battles were.

And then there was the glory and honor for the team to achieve. Human and Pokemon alike would have their names and accomplishments immortalized in records, monuments, and many other such things. It was fascinating to hear, and would be even more fascinating to see.

And even better to actually do.

It didn't take Frost long to know that such idle dreams and desires bordered on delusional. All human kids wanted to become the greatest Pokemon master or some other tripe. There could only be one at the very top. You either had what it took to get there, or you had to be prepared to do all the work needed to climb to the top, rank by rank. Immeasurably difficult, but not impossible.

He would do one better than that, though.

Frost glanced skywards, allowing a frown to crease his brow. Raze was definitely right about the rain storm's longevity. The gray clouds extended from horizon to horizon, a solid blanket for the heavens to weep through.

Not that rain in itself really bothered him. As demonstrated by his sparring match, water was just melted snow. And snow was just frozen water. And he could freeze things on a whim.

Even just thinking the thoughts caused the air around him to chill drastically, extending the field of cold around him little by little, until his body was surrounded not by rain, but by scattering flakes of snow, clinging to the damp grass. If he so willed it, he could blanket the area in snow...but the local Pokemon tended not to appreciate that, and while he could probably beat a large group of Pokemon hindered by icy weather with his eyes closed, it was pointlessly cruel. There was no real fighting there, no challenge. It would be bullying, and not even the kind that'd rally them into action or motivate them, but the kind that'd prove he picked on weaklings for fun, and only weaklings he had ensured would be at a disadvantage BEFORE the fight even started. Cowardly and sickening.

Not a reputation he wanted. And not even worth the effort involved.

Frost observed the snow falling around him with a tiny smile of fondness. The peak of Mt. Coronet was a treacherous cliff side where snow and ice ruled with its icy grip around the inhabitants, but many Pokemon had managed to live there and in retrospect, their true strength for doing so was overwhelmingly obvious. There were packs of Sneasel, forests of Snover and the odd Abomasnow, and outside the range of Ice-Types there were things like Meditite, who endured through focusing their minds and bodies to the ultimate limits. And then there were his parents and himself, the only Eevee to dare to live in such an extreme environment.

It was beautiful. Harsh, but beautiful. It had been of no surprise that he had evolved there, to truly embrace the element of ice beyond simple appreciation and respect for its power. The power to frighten, to ensnare, to sap and drain, or even ultimately kill those too foolish to understand its strength. Such beauty in such terribleness.

So he made that power his own.

He didn't immediately realize how rapidly the temperature around him was dropping while he was lost in his reflection, but the quiet sounds of whimpering drew his focus. He stopped manipulating the temperature at once, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the realization that something had been nearby while he was fooling around with his power. Rain was usually cold enough without transforming it into ice.

This shameful feeling only worsened when he spotted a young quadruped with tan fur. Even a cursory inspection allowed him to identify it as a Leafeon, and this realization made him cringe. Leafeon were exceptionally vulnerable to extreme temperatures, both hot and cold.

The Leafeon's back was to him, and for a moment, Frost contemplated sneaking away without being noticed, if only so he wouldn't have to admit his careless oversight, but these thoughts faded when he noticed that the Leafeon actually seemed far younger than he would have guessed.

Frost may not have seen many Leafeon for the sake of comparisons, but he had enough exposure to them that he could usually get a good read on them, with some inaccuracies. The Leafeon's ears and tail were smaller than average, so it wasn't fully grown. This wasn't too weird, but it was a strong indicator that the Leafeon was less than two years old, which was usually around the time they reached full size. The sprouts on its legs, as well as the leafy parts of its extremities were slightly wilted, so it was suffering some sunlight withdrawal. Not life-threatening, but not a good idea to be forming snowstorms around, either.

A cursory glance around the surrounding area also suggested this Leafeon was alone. Young, low-energy, and alone. Not a good combination.

So despite Frost's more selfish judgment, he walked nearer to the Leafeon, keeping enough distance to not give off a threatening vibe, and cleared his throat.

The Leafeon jumped and turned his head, startled by the sudden sound. He seemed momentarily angry at being disturbed, but the look softened, and his brow furrowed to blank confusion as he stared at Frost. The lack of recognition in his eyes even after several seconds tipped Frost off that his species was utterly unfamiliar to the young one.

"Ah, my apologies for startling you," Frost stated smoothly. It was always easier to start conversations with a non-threatening or submissive remark, and then judge the reaction before probing for information. It was probably pointless to use the same tactic with a young Pokemon, but why change what works?

"Hi," the Leafeon said flatly.

"Are you all right?" Frost asked. This particular case might need a different approach. The Leafeon wasn't hostile, but he wasn't in the mood to talk. Not really a surprise; most Grass Pokemon were reluctant to use much energy during poor weather. Offering a bit of concern and sympathy might help lower his guard.

"I guess."

"Just guessing?" Frost asked with a chuckle.

"What do you want?"

The question caught Frost by surprise. Perhaps the Leafeon's mood was worse than he expected. He really didn't want to exchange small talk if he had already asked why Frost was trying to talk to him.

"I'm sorry for bothering you," Frost stated finally, an idea forming in his mind. "I was just a little concerned about how you were faring, but if I'm intruding, I'll leave you alone."

The Glaceon allowed a moment or two for the words to sink in, and started to take a few steps away, watching the Leafeon from the corner of his eye.

"Wait..."

"Yes?" Frost asked casually, hiding a smirk. The Leafeon had turned around to fully face Frost, and was looking uncomfortable.

"I'm...just having a bad day..."

"Ah...we all have those. Is there anything I can do to help you? Are you lost, or maybe need someone to vent to?"

"Nothing like that...I don't know," the Leafeon muttered, looking around with a bit of frustration in his voice. He even shot a glare skywards as rainwater dripped onto his muzzle from the sprout on his forehead.

"Well, let's start with the basics. My name is Frost. Yours?"

"Leaf."

Frost raised an eyebrow. "Were you always intended to be a Leafeon, or is that a coincidence?"

"I don't know what that means," Leaf replied dully.

"Hm, a bad question, I'll admit. I merely was wondering if you were intended to-"

"Speak in smaller words."

Frost paused. That...was going to be a tall order. It shouldn't have been, but as a Pokemon who was even taught how to read human writing, it was actually difficult to remember that he had an unusual vocabulary at times, and while most Pokemon got the gist of what he was saying even if particular words slipped past their understanding, he was dealing with a younger Pokemon than normal.

"Did your parents want you to be a Leafeon, or did it just happen?"

"It just happened. I evolved a few days ago. What are you?" Leaf asked, peering at Frost's fur with a mixture of curiosity and confusion.

"Glaceon. The ice evolution of an Eevee."

"Aren't you cold?" Leaf wondered.

Frost chuckled. "Cold weather is comfortable for me, but thanks for your concern. I assume you don't care much for the rain?"

Leaf gave a shrug, but shifted restlessly. That was enough of an answer for Frost. He smiled briefly and focused. After a moment, he felt a disconcerting amount of warmth flow through his body, and a small sphere of light appeared, rising up slowly until it was a few feet above their heads. Leaf watched it with a blank look, but the glowing sphere's natural warmth and light finally reached him and the tension in his body melted away.

"What...is that...?" Leaf purred, a dreamy expression coming across his features. Rainwater continued to bombard his body, but a faint vibrant green glow began to surround his body as the artificial sunlight became absorbed by his sprouts and leaves.

"It's a little technique called Sunny Day, it produces sunlight. I don't practice with it as much as my other ones, because sunlight really doesn't mix well with an Ice-Type compared to rain or ice, so I don't know how long it'll last," Frost answered.

Leaf didn't really seem to be listening too closely in favor of basking in the sunshine. Frost hid a grin. The little guy was ridiculously cute. Definitely on the young side, because only kits could truly replicate the innocent bliss now present within him.

Frost allowed a silence of two or three minutes before speaking again.

"Are you with anyone? Seems a bit weird to be alone during the rain."

"My older brother," Leaf said, but his tone had sobered a bit in contrast to his outstretched position on the grass.

"Where is he now?" Frost wondered, casting another look around the area.

"Under a tree, not too far. We were caught in the rain, and...I needed to think. I don't want to talk about it."

"Fair enough," Frost said, deciding to gloss over that subject. "Do you want me to escort you back to him when you're ready? I think he might worry about you otherwise."

"I almost hit him with a leaf."

Frost just blinked at that comment. It just came out of nowhere, didn't even fit well with what he had just said, and also made no sense. He was about to ask for elaboration, but then paused. If Leaf didn't want to talk about whatever he needed to think about that separated them, then outright asking for elaboration probably wouldn't work. He'd need to give a response that took what Leaf just said, and clarify the situation through guesswork. Kits didn't like to repeat themselves any more than adults did.

"You mean...like a Razor Leaf?" Frost wondered. Odds are, if Leaf had just evolved days ago, he didn't have even a tentative grasp of some of his species' battle techniques. He could definitely understand an issue coming from almost impaling a family member by mistake.

"I dunno," Leaf answered, becoming lost in his sunbathing again.

"Hmm...how much battle training do you have?"

Leaf shifted onto his side, cuddling against the grass. "I can tackle stuff."

Frost waited, until it became clear that Leaf genuinely wasn't going to say anything else. "That's it?"

"That's all Shadow taught me," the Leafeon said distractedly. "We've been traveling for a few days, haven't gotten the chance to do more."

"Didn't your-" Frost stopped speaking abruptly. He was about to ask whether the young Leafeon had gotten any tutoring from their parents, but then realized that this was probably going to be a sensitive issue. If only the two brothers were traveling together, then the parents were probably not in the picture. They could be dead, or captured by trainers, or the siblings could have been the product of a breeding center, or any number of things that all amounted to the same thing - no parental figures.

Leaf didn't seem to notice Frost's partial sentence, but he did whine a little when the Sunny Day sphere fizzled out. Frost made a mental note on much time had passed since producing it, as Leaf sat up, in far better spirits and energy than when they first met.

"Okay, I guess I can go back to Shadow now."

"All right, which way is...what the...?"

Frost's sentence trailed off as he noticed something even he had never seen before. Coming towards them was an Espeon with black fur instead of the traditional lavender. The Espeon's silver eyes were narrowed on Frost, but the Glaceon wasn't really concerned. The Espeon's stance lacked true battle confidence. He would unquestionably become aggressive if pushed, but Espeon tended to move with significantly more grace, as their telekinetic abilities let them have a wider 'feel' for their surroundings.

"Hi Shadow!" Leaf chirped energetically. The Espeon paused and gave Leaf a rather surprised look, something Frost could relate to. Leaf's mood and energy had done a complete reversal just from being bathed in sunlight for a few minutes.

"Ah, so this is your brother?" Frost murmured. That was definitely interesting. With a name like Shadow, the Glaceon would have suspected the fur color to have been a genetic feature from birth, but at the same time, he somewhat doubted it. Most Eevee parents were not so cliched with their naming patterns. Some probably were, but if Leaf's name was a coincidence, Shadow's name almost certainly was, too.

"Feeling better, I take it?" the Espeon asked, once close enough to really address Leaf directly. The Leafeon nodded, and Shadow turned his attention to Frost, who simply smirked. "And you are?"

"I'm Frost, and you must be Shadow," he answered, allowing a hint of dismissiveness to enter his tone. As hoped, Shadow's stance relaxed slightly. Protective instincts tended to relax when the perceived threat doesn't actually care very much about the individuals.

"Yes, I am. Did you have something to do with this?" he asked, nodding towards Leaf, who was cheerfully flicking his tail while watching the leafy end of it. That was a little strange, actually.

"A Sunny Day boost. He was sunlight deprived," Frost replied smoothly.

"Oh? You know about Leafeon?"

Frost chuckled. "I know all the evolutions. I didn't come from a clan, so I haven't seen all of them in-person, but I think I know the basics of how most of them function, from what my parents taught me. Don't you?"

Shadow stared at Frost in silence so long that the Glaceon finally winced, feeling a throb of pain expanding through his head.

"Ah, of course. It really is a delicate topic. My apologies. Now focus elsewhere, please, you're giving me a headache."

Shadow blinked, but obligingly gazed at a different point, looking past Frost's shoulder, which was actually fairly distracting, but it removed the pressure within the Glaceon's head. "What do you mean, I gave you a headache?" the Espeon wondered.

Frost raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me you have no idea how your psychic abilities work?"

Shadow narrowed his eyes. "Do you?"

Frost laughed. He couldn't help it at this point; it was so ridiculous. "Yes!"

"Prove it," Shadow said curtly.

"Answer these quick simple questions first," Frost said, waving a paw dismissively. "Did my earlier comment upset you? Even a little bit?"

"A little," Shadow said.

"Thought so. Have you had any luck with using your psychic powers at will? Or are they chaotic or random?"

"The second one," Shadow answered blandly.

"Have you been emotionally stressed either before or after evolving?"

The black-furred Espeon paused for a long time, then gave a grim nod. "I definitely have."

Frost smirked widely. "Then I can help you."