1. Ash's Story (Part 10: Galar)

Chapter 55: Snow Over Steamdrift Way

Steamdrift Way began where the warmth of town thinned into white air. Snow fell steadily over the road beyond Gordie's stadium, soft enough to look peaceful from a distance and sharp enough to sting once it touched my cheeks.

The Hero's Bath was still ahead, hidden somewhere past the rising road and steaming vents. For now, the route belonged to snow, freight tracks, and low clouds that made every sound feel wrapped in wool.

Pikachu tucked closer against my neck. "The air bites, but it smells clean."

"It does," I said, pulling my jacket tighter. "Cold clean, not comfortable clean."

Alice laughed beside me, though she was watching the road carefully. Her battle with Melony was waiting in Circhester, and every patch of ice under our shoes felt like a quiet reminder.

Before we reached the first bend, my Rotom Phone chimed with a Hammerlock Academy work notice. I opened it and saw a single Ice-type assignment highlighted for our current route.

MCR Freight needed help moving shipments through the snow.

The message was practical, not dramatic. Their cargo wagons had to cross the upper Steamdrift Way road before the storm worsened, and the company requested five Ice-type Pokémon to stabilize the cold route and protect frozen goods from sudden temperature changes.

Gloria leaned over to read. "That is almost too perfect for where we are."

"Snowing weather, freight through blizzards, and an Ice Gym waiting ahead," Flora said. "It sounds like the road chose our homework."

Helen adjusted her basket with a thoughtful hum. "Freight work also means hungry workers. Good. I packed extra."

Elena looked toward the pale road. "MCR Freight is careful, but Steamdrift Way gets difficult quickly when snow thickens. If we help them, we should stay close together."

I accepted the assignment. "Then we help them get through."

The freight station was a short climb from the town's edge. A line of cargo sleds and insulated wagons waited under a metal roof while workers checked straps, wheels, and temperature gauges. The cargo labels showed frozen food, medical cooling packs, and boxed ingredients headed toward Circhester kitchens.

A woman in a blue MCR coat hurried toward us with relief already on her face. "You are the academy group?"

"That's us," I said. "How many Ice-type partners do you need right now?"

"Five for the route team," she said. "We have Vanilluxe and Avalugg from our side, but the snow is turning heavier than expected. We need three more to keep the cargo stable and the road safe."

I looked to Alice, then to our Poké Balls. "Lapras and Abomasnow can help."

Gloria raised Eiscue's Poké Ball with a careful smile. "Eiscue can help too, as long as we do not push too fast."

The worker nodded gratefully. "That gives us five. We will move in stages. The cargo must stay frozen, but the wheels cannot ice over completely."

"That sounds like balancing two opposite problems," Alice said.

"Exactly," the worker replied. "Too much cold locks the equipment. Too little ruins the shipment. Steam vents along the road make it worse, because they warm one side of a wagon while the other side freezes."

She showed us a route board marked with three danger points. The first was a steep rise where loose snow gathered. The second was a vent crossing where heat could soften the road beneath the sled runners. The third was a narrow turn where wind pushed sideways hard enough to tilt smaller wagons.