Cryogonal's emotions have often been mistaken for a puzzle, for their eyes make a happy face while their mouth frowns; some have even claimed their facial expressions to be frozen in place. In truth, these are almost always happy pokemon, capable of adjusting their eyes at will; but rarely with any need to show a different expression. Cryogonal's chain of ice, although often mistaken for a frown, however, is frozen in place; it is gravity and the shape of their mouths which gives these pokemon their distinctive false sorrow whenever not using them in battle.
A Cryogonal's ice chain is its primary weapon, used in the wild for hunting dragons so powerful that they had forgotten that they could ever be anything but predators. Cryogonal are one of very few pokemon capable of melting or evaporating without dying in the process, and they use these changes in state to gain the element of surprise, for few pokemon are ever on guard against a puddle or a cloud of steam. These chains bind, freeze, and pierce their foes simultaneously, although against a prepared foe they can not do all three at once nearly as effectively; should their sneak attack fail to bring victory, Cryogonal will continue to fight by channeling their ice into more traditional attacks.
Although these form changes are technically legal for domestic Cryogonal, they are rarely used, for the nature of an official pokemon battle makes it very difficult for Cryogonal to use the element of surprise. Opposing trainers have at times proved able extinguish a Cryogonal's frown in the process of a victory, grabbing or punching the ice chain out of them; ironically, this is the only time these fiercely competitive pokemon are sad enough to weep.