Raven thought the blizzard would pass quickly, like the ones before.
But to his surprise, it dragged on for many days, coming and going in waves.
The clay collection and brick firing had to stop, and the entire territory ground to a halt.
Through February, the snowstorm showed no sign of ending.
The residents stayed indoors, gathered with their families around fireplaces, only venturing out during lulls to clear snow.
The only blessing was that enough food had been stored before the storm hit. The granaries were full, enough to carry them through the winter.
Even the wild beasts were less active in this season.
Raven had little to do. Apart from occasionally calling Anna over to train with her Zorua, he stayed at home with Dratini, Snivy, and the Minccino, waiting for the storm to end and spring to come.
Humans and Pokémon enduring the blizzard together—this was something new.
As Ice-types, Snover weren't afraid of the cold. Yet even they huddled under eaves with their young, watching the snow fall outside.
This was the second month since the Snover had joined the territory. In that time, they had grown close to the people here, especially the children.
Now, three Snover lived with a six-year-old brother and sister, and their mother, in a small wooden house.
They sat around a table. Bowls of porridge and black bread, fruits the Snover grew, and grilled fish filled the table. In front of the Snover sat piles of plump berries.
It was lunchtime.
The children cheered and dug in.
Their mother smiled softly. "Eat slowly. There's more in the pot. George, Peppa, finish your porridge." She turned to the Snover. "You eat plenty too."
The Snover's muffled calls filled the room.
Her expression softened.
The children's father had died in the last snowstorm. Since then, the siblings had rarely smiled. But ever since the beasts joined their household, laughter had begun to return.
Watching her children share food with the Snover, the woman couldn't help but smile again.
＊
Elsewhere, Simisear was roasting berries for Lyon.
"Wow, that's amazing," Lyon said, giving it a thumbs-up.
"Simisear."
It laid the roasted fruit in front of Lyon, Pidove, and the others.
This had been its favorite food back when it was a Pansear. Now, it wanted to share it with the human it liked.
"Huh? You made this for me?" Lyon asked, surprised.
Simisear nodded eagerly.
"In that case, I won't hold back." Lyon grinned, taking a big bite.
The fruit was soft, steaming with warmth, and the heat spread through his body.
"Simisear."
Seeing Lyon enjoy it, Simisear was overjoyed. It grabbed more berries from the basket and began roasting again.
Lyon was moved. He hugged the Pokémon tightly. "You're too good to me."
Simisear froze for a moment, then scratched its head shyly.
"Simisear…"
Scenes like this played out across the territory.
＊
In another house, Megan and her brother Chris dragged the wooden tank with their Magikarp closer to the fire.
"See? Now you won't be cold," Megan said, smiling.
The six Magikarp drifted slowly. Suddenly, one used Splash.
Water sprayed everywhere as it flopped onto the floor, wriggling helplessly.
Megan laughed and scooped it back into the tank, then dropped in cut berries.
"Alright, time to eat."
The Magikarp leapt again, scattering water.
"Stop jumping or I'll leave you alone," Megan warned playfully.
The fish settled down, obediently nibbling the fruit pieces.
"That's better," she said with a smile.
Beasts weren't as frightening as people thought.
Slowly, seeds of change were taking root in human hearts.
This winter, in this small territory, humans and Pokémon were learning to live side by side.
＊
The snowstorm raged until the end of February.
Then, the thaw began. Rivers flowed again, buds pushed through the soil, flowers bloomed in the bushes.
Beasts—Pokémon—emerged from their winter dens to roam the land once more.
In early March, when the air was still cold, Raven stood with Dratini and Snivy, gazing over the reviving land.
Spring had come.
They had survived the long winter.