First Snow | Pokémon One-Shot

First Snow

This simple one-shot was inspired by the children's books I read when I was little and anunnamedgalaxy's beautiful artwork displayed in the media ❄️💙☃️

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･✧

The month of December brought mild white winters to the Sinnoh region. Snowflakes glided through the frostbitten air, dancing on the cool breezes. They landed wherever they pleased, from rocks to lakes to treetops. Everything turned white—even Pokémon.

A young Alolan Sandshrew sneezed as a flurry tickled her nose. She jumped and shivered then pawed at her muzzle. Then she grew curious; what did the snow taste like? Closing her eyes, she stuck out her small tongue to eat a flurry. She tilted her head. Nothing, she learned. The snow tasted like nothing. Curiosity sated, she buried her face back into the soft red scarf her trainer gifted her.

"Snowbelle," the said trainer, Kory, called. He set down his strange, wooden toy to cup his gloved hands around his mouth. "C'mon, Snowy, you gotta keep up. We're almost to the top."

Snowbelle blinked, wondering how he and her mother, an Alolan Sandslash called Vanilla, had gotten so far ahead. Their matching red scarves stood out like beacons in the snow. Vanilla waved her paw, encouraging her daughter to hurry.

Snowbelle waddled as fast as she could through Kory's kicked-up path. Her ears twitched in delight at the satisfying crunch of snow crushing beneath her weight.

Kory chuckled at her cute running style, saying to himself more than his Pokémon, "How can you be so clumsy in the snow? You're an Ice-type."

Vanilla's chest rumbled, mimicking the trainer's laughter. Snowbelle hid her face in her paws, flustered. Sensing her embarrassment, Vanilla nuzzled her cheek in a reassurance. Snowbelle warmed at the loving gesture.

"I have an idea," Kory announced.

He laid his toy on the ground, letting Snowbelle see it clearly for the first time. It was three times her length and separated into two main parts. The top portion appeared to be a wooden slab, similar to the flooring at home. On the bottom, metal bars propped the toy up.

Kory picked up Snowbelle, causing her to squeak, then placed her atop this curious object. He said, "This is a sled: you ride it down hills to go fast. You can ride it 'til we get to the top so you don't get lost."

Snowbelle looked at Vanilla for comfort. Her mother nodded; the sled was safe.

"Okay." Kory picked up the rope attached to the sled. "Let's go!"

The sled jerked as the trainer began pulling it. A terrified squeal escaped Snowbelle. She leaped off the contraption, straight into her startled mother's arms. The two tumbled through the snow, sending the icy wisps flying skyward.

Snowbelle flailed, having somehow gotten herself stuck face-first into a snowdrift. She clawed furiously at the cold crystals and struggled to free herself. Relief filled her as two human hands wrapped around her body and pulled her free. However, it was short-lived as Snowbelle twisted and saw that a girl she'd never seen before was handling her.

"Sandshrew!" Snowbelle bawled, startling the stranger.

Snowbelle flailed her body and jerked free from the stranger's grasp. Frightened tears streamed down her face as she scampered to hide behind Kory. She clung to him tightly, claws ripping his pants as she trembled. Kory pried her from his leg, lifting her to his chest. She hid her face in his winter coat instead.