Snom's extremely low body temperature renders liquid water unsuitable for hydration, for it freezes upon touching their mandibles, so they must instead eat snow as others drink water. These pokemon are active only in winter, awakening with the season's first snow, and must use the season to devour enough snow to evolve into Frosmoth with the coming of spring.
Humans have long used wheeled vehicles in snowy climates, and although sleds work well enough on flat terrain, Galar's rolling hills and uneven weather saw many wish to use the summer roads year-round. A common apocryphal story tells of a stalled royal messenger who thought his mission doomed by the season's first snow, only to be saved when he passed under a Frosmoth hive and followed a Snom trail to his destination. He captured one and began breeding them himself to make his mission easier the next winter.
Many have emulated that messenger over the generations. Leaving a few Snom out overnight was sure to give postmen a smoother ride the next morning, or farmers an easier time on market days. Their wild ancestors, and indeed the Snom in said legend, resembled Weedle, Wurmple, or some other unremarkable larva more than today's favorite, but generations of selective breeding have shaped Snom into an adorable, beloved companion with a voracious snow appetite to match.
Snom are far cheaper than everstones, and do not stay small forever. Some are reluctant to say goodbye and continue to raise Frosmoth for their scales, long used in clothing and cosmetics – in modern times, they are also used for battles. But most are content, once they are fully nourished, to congratulate these pokemon on a job well done, watch them fly away, and say goodbye to Snom – at least, until their eggs hatch the next winter.
