Exhausted from the snowball fight, Natsuhiko sat with his Pokémon around the Snorlax.
Snorlax now not only served as a tank, but also doubled as a bed.
During this time when Natsuhiko and the Pokémon camped in the wild, the quality of sleep had truly gotten much better.
The softness of Snorlax's fur and fat was incredible, softer than most beds, sleeping on it felt like lying on a warm goose-down blanket.
Moreover, Snorlax was naturally big, and Natsuhiko's Snorlax was even larger than the average one, enough for all of them to sleep comfortably.
The only concern was that Snorlax might roll over unconsciously while sleeping, turning from someone resting on a meat cushion into the meat cushion itself.
Now, Snorlax also acted as a walking hand warmer in the icy wilderness.
By threading your hand through Snorlax's not-too-thick fur, tightly pressed against its body, warmth would transfer to your hand.
While warming his hands, Natsuhiko looked up at the sky; the sun was about to set, and the surrounding temperature was dropping further.
"We should reach Snow Peak City by tomorrow, let's find a place nearby to rest today," Natsuhiko said.
The Togetic, who previously longed for a soft bed, now clung to Snorlax's arm, completely forgetting the feel of a bed, nodding eagerly.
In the ice and snow of winter, who could refuse a soft "bed" with its own constant temperature control?
The snowball fight dispelled the fatigue from seven days of travel. Tomorrow, entering Snow Peak City, they would definitely encounter people from the Hunter Guild; although they didn't know his identity, it's essential to be prepared and vigilant.
A good night's sleep is a fundamental condition for maintaining a good state tomorrow.
He put away Snorlax and Sharpedo and got ready to find a place where Togetic could use Secret Power to create a secret space.
At the very least, they needed a tree thick enough to ensure the secret space was large enough and wouldn't be crushed by thick snow or blown down by a blizzard.
Whoosh—
As night fell, a piercing cold wind whipped through the snow-draped woods.
Despite Natsuhiko's superpowers providing warmth, he instinctively tightened his clothes against his body.
Whooshing—
The wind grew stronger and gradually evolved into a snowstorm, eventually becoming a blizzard.
In such conditions, movement became increasingly difficult; pausing even briefly, snow would accumulate on one's body, and standing still for a minute might turn one into an ice sculpture.
The rapidly fluttering and dense snowflakes impaired vision, reducing visibility.
A vague shadow freely moved through the wind and snow, constantly changing its position.
Seemingly at its urging, the blizzard intensified, and within minutes, the ground's snow rose by several centimeters.
"Although it's my first time experiencing a blizzard, this size is a bit excessive," Natsuhiko frowned, shielding his eyes with one hand against the blowing snow and scanning the surroundings with the other, extending his super sense.
To assist Natsuhiko, Yujira also activated its Super Sensing, even incorporating its Future Sight ability.
However, after multiple scans, there was nothing unusual, and it seemed to be just an ordinary, somewhat large blizzard.
But Natsuhiko wasn't satisfied with this result.
After awakening his superpowers, he increasingly felt his Sixth Sense was extremely accurate; when things felt abnormal, he was usually not wrong.
With a thought.
He whispered something to Yujira, asking it to relay his message to the other Pokémon.
"Yongji."
Yujira complied.
Then, the speed of Natsuhiko and his Pokémon's movements amidst the snowstorm gradually slowed.
Dense snow accumulated on them, and within a minute, they were completely buried by snowflakes, turning into standing "snowmen."
Once they stopped moving, the blizzard surprisingly began to wane.
Although it didn't completely stop, it indeed became noticeably smaller compared to before.
Soon.
A floating shadow quickly approached, circling the snow sculptures formed by Natsuhiko and his Pokémon, emitting delightful laughter.
It then rolled up the snow sculptures and quickly left.
After it left, Natsuhiko and his Pokémon's figures reappeared in the area.
Squinting, Natsuhiko watched the rapidly retreating Pokémon.
"Froslass?"
Although he didn't see clearly, the floating, pure white figure with its ability to control ice and snow pointed unmistakably to its name.
Froslass, indeed.
Its behavior matched perfectly.
Froslass roams the blizzards in search of unsuspecting humans and prey, using its abilities to control or freeze them into ice sculptures for capture.
They are said to secretly flaunt their collection of frozen hunts.
A Pokémon with somewhat poor temperament, actively hunting beings in the snow.
It's one of the Pokémon to be cautious of in snowy terrains.
Natsuhiko pondered slightly.
"Let's take a look."
He then, with his Pokémon, cautiously followed.
Froslass is both Ice Type and Ghost Type Pokémon, and judging by its evasion of Yujira's Super Sensing, it seemed rather strong.
Following Froslass, Natsuhiko and his Pokémon arrived in front of a small cave adorned with ice crystals.
Froslass carried those fake "snow sculptures" directly inside.
"This is quite a decent dwelling; it shelters from the storm and offers enough space," Natsuhiko mumbled, walking into the ice cave.
Inside, various ice crystals formed, the ground covered with a thick layer of ice, requiring caution not only for slippery surfaces but also for the icicles of varying sizes hanging above, which might fall anytime.
The translucent ice crystals gathered and reflected light, keeping the cave from being entirely dark, bathed in a faint glow, allowing visibility of the surroundings.
"This is..."
While walking.
Natsuhiko noticed that among the ice crystals surrounding him, there were Pokémon almost completely frozen, and occasionally, humans who had been frozen for unknown durations.
Their expressions lively, as if frozen unconsciously.
Natsuhiko's face darkened, his brows knitted.
These were likely Froslass's so-called "collections."
If Natsuhiko and the Pokémon weren't careful enough, they might have become part of this collection too.
The fierce blizzard stiffened bodies, reducing sensitivity to temperature changes, coupled with Froslass's elusive abilities, they might indeed end up frozen.
"Everyone, be careful," Natsuhiko warned in a low voice.
Beedrill and Yujira nodded solemnly, while Togetic nestled in Natsuhiko's arms, burrowing into his clothes, leaving only its small eyes visible.
The ambiance in this ice cave was quite unnerving.
Cautiously approaching step by step, they finally arrived at the deepest part of the cave.
Hiding behind a massive ice rock, Natsuhiko watched as Froslass joyfully prepared to sweep away the snow from "snow sculptures" to reveal the creatures inside.
As it swept, three little heads popped out from the crevices between the ice blocks, joyously approaching Froslass.
Snorunt!
Yet, one Snorunt particularly caught Natsuhiko's attention.
Because the appearance of this Snorunt differed from the other two.
Shining Snow Child!
At this moment, from not far away, a chilling voice suddenly emerged from the crevice of ice.
"Who are you?"
Natsuhiko's heart skipped in surprise.
Someone was here!