Although the ancient arctic was bereft of predators in Aurorus' time, this did not make it bereft of danger. Aurorus were large pokemon and grew even larger with age, and their vast size combined with the snowy ground to often trigger avalanches, especially in mountainous regions – and avalanches could also occur from earthquakes or other non-biological causes. In order to protect themselves, the Aurorus encased themselves and their surroundings in a brilliant, multicolored dome of ice, which was permeable to living pokemon but not to the dangerous elements. These shields also protected some of the low-growing shrubs which provided them much of their food supply, and the ancestors of modern mammals who coexisted with them in a still poorly-understood but likely beneficial relationship.
Although Aurorus have been extinct for millions of years, their aurora shields were unlike anything else that existed in nature. Because there was nothing else to override it, the instinctual response to their domes survived in the many descendants of those early plant and mammalian lines. For most of human and pokemon history, this was expressed primarily in feeling a vague sense of security when admiring the beauty of the Aurora Borealis, and as a decorative motif in places of sanctuary.
However, the Aurorus have recently been revived from fossils, and many trainers have sought to teach them to battle. They are not particularly powerful pokemon, but their shining auroras and peaceful disposition awakens an instinctive response of nonviolence and calm in many pokemon – and in both opposing and prospective trainers, for that matter. Many battles containing Aurorus devolve into farce and stalemate when both sides, despite the rambunctious crowd, fail to comprehend or accept that they are meant to fight.
