Of the extant pokemon native to the poles, only Seel is not considered to be of the ice type. In eras when currents, volcanism, and the planet's orbit made temperatures at the poles less extreme, others like the water-type Piplup were found there; they have since faced extinction (at least in the wild) and Seel is the lone holdout. The secret of its typing lies in its thick, extremely warm coat of fur, which forces it to maintain a body temperature warmer than even its ice-type evolution of Dewgong, too warm to be ice. Indeed, it is said that their fur is so warm that they seek out the coldest parts of the arctic to cool off, for it is not already cold enough in the rest of the ocean.
Sadly, this fur has also led to Seel's decline. Indigenous arctic peoples have always hunted the Seel for their fur coats, and indeed some say it was their fur which allowed humans to expand to the far reaches of the north to begin with. As empires from the south subjugated the northern lands, people heard tales of a fur which could keep them comfortable through the winter, and to this aim they hunted Seel to the edge of extinction.
Thankfully, the Seel are nothing if not resilient. The ships which brought their pelts to Japan also saw some live Seel stowed away; today they live in the frozen caves spread throughout the country. Others sharpened their horns into drills which can not only pierce sea ice but kill a grown man in a single shot. And with the rise of indoor heating, Seel coats are no longer the commodity they once were: with any luck, this pokemon will make a comeback.
