Chloe clapped her hands together, trying to get some more warmth into her fingers. Her breath spiraled in front of her in wispy swirls and the snow crunched beneath her boots as she walked.

  “How much further?” she whined, sincerely regretting her life choices up until this point.

  “Chloe, we barely left. We won't get there until tomorrow. We're camping out here.” Fiona replied with the tired tone of a mother with a van full of children.

  “Camping?” Chloe whined, “In this? We’ll freeze to death!”

  “That's why we brought sleeping bags, Chloe,” Eleanor said patiently, “We’ll be fine.”

  Chloe grumbled, but didn't argue. She was too cold for an argument, despite her layers.

  “Besides,” Eleanor added perkily, “Maybe we’ll get to see the auroras! I want a photo!”

  “Auroras are pretty cool,” Fiona agreed, “I’ve seen a couple.”

  “Is there anywhere you haven't been?” Eleanor replied, voice oozing with jealousy.

  Fiona shrugged, “A loving home?”

  Silence.

  Then, Troy spoke.

  “Fi, you have issues.”

  Fiona rolled her eyes, “Tell me something I don't know.”

  “You don't have to guilt-trip me,” Chloe mumbled, “I’ll stop whining.”

  Fiona scoffed, “Nah, whine away Princess. It's endearing when you do it.”

  “So what about you?” Eleanor countered, “What's your excuse for trauma dumping?”

  “Just flexing my superior angst,” Fiona replied, “Gotta repair my image thanks to this idiot.”

  Fiona rubbed Heather’s head, causing the Skitty, once again contained within Fiona’s jacket, to purr.

  “You don't have to rub it in,” Eleanor grumbled.

  Fiona snorted, “El, please. You never had any punk to begin with.”

  Eleanor rolled her eyes, “That's not what I mean and you know it.”

  She looked wistfully at the content Skitty in Fiona’s coat.

  “Everyone else caught something already. You and Chloe have twice as many Pokemon as me.”

  Eleanor pointed at Chloe.

  “I mean, Chloe even found a damn fossil Pokemon. Somehow,” she said with a glare.

  “I found an egg,” Chloe explained.

  Eleanor rolled her eyes, “You said that. I wanna know where.”

  “...in Mount Coronet?”

  Eleanor sighed.

  Troy put his big hand on her shoulder. He was spared the blankets, having found a spare coat back at the Snowbound Lodge. It was a little small for him, but still fit.

  “Give it up El, there's no use trying to understand Chloe.”

  “It's her Fairy Princess Bullshit,” Fiona agreed, “There's no replicating it. Like my aura of badassery and hotness.”

  “You mean your bitchiness and edge,” Chloe countered.

  “Exactly,” Fiona agreed, “Anyway, just catch something. There's Pokemon everywhere.”

  Fiona gestured with an arm to prove her point.

  Route 217, despite the cold and snow, was teeming with life. Herds of Swinub roamed, individual Snover picked their way through the snow while the occasional Delibird flitted about. There was even a pair of Machoke wrestling in the shadow of the trees that lined the route.

  “I don't know…” Eleanor said, “None of them feel right.”

  Fiona scoffed, “If you wait until it feels right, you’ll be stuck on two forever. Come on Eleanor, just choose something. Bad choices are the heart of a good time.”

  “That's terrible advice,” Chloe chided, “But I agree with her. Happy accidents are the most fun.”

  “That's because your happy accidents lead to extinct Dragons,” Eleanor replied, “Normal people get embarrassed, not lucky.”

  “Eleanor is known to have accidents,” Troy supplied helpfully, “This one time, when we were eight…”

  “Shut it, Troy!”

  Troy closed his mouth when Eleanor snapped. Instead he leaned down to whisper into Fiona’s ear.

  Fiona burst out laughing.

  “Fucking really?” she chortled.

  “What, what happened?” Chloe demanded, not wanting to be left out.

  “She…” Fiona began.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Nooo!” Eleanor yelled, launching herself at Chloe.

  “Don't listen to them! They’re lying!” she said, trying to cover Chloe's ears.

  “I wanna know!” Chloe protested, attempting to wriggle free while the others just laughed.

  Ten minutes later, a very red faced Eleanor was standing away from the group in a huff while Chloe, dishevelled and covered in snow, giggled.

  “Aww, cheer up El,” Chloe soothed, “We’ve all done it.”

  “I did it last week,” Troy supplied helpfully.

  “I hate you guys,” Eleanor muttered, not meeting their eyes.

  “We're just fucking with you,” Fiona said, “Accidents happen. Also, Troy? Gross man.”

  “What? I have a weak bladder.”

  “The only thing weak about you is your brain,” Eleanor said, “You will pay for this Troy.”

  “Anyway,” Fiona said, “We should get moving. If nothing here takes Eleanor’s fancy, we should stop past Acuity.”

  “Sounds good!” Chloe agreed, the others also nodding assent.

  “Fantastic, come on. Chloe, Troy. …Bedwetter.”

  “Nooo!” Eleanor howled.

  “Too late! It's your name now!”

  Fiona left, laughing her ass off, Troy hot on her heels.

  Chloe moved to follow, pausing to hug Eleanor as she did.

  “I still love you,” Chloe reassured her, “Even if you’re never using my sleeping bag again.”

  Chloe gasped as Lake Acuity came into view. It was, in a word, gorgeous. Smooth, crystal clear water reflected the surrounding landscape. Ice covered hills and trees sparkled in the afternoon sunlight as the lake sat, silent and unmoving except for the occasional ripple from the movement of Pokemon.

  All around its shores Pokemon played, fed and rested, a haven of serenity for the dozens of wild Pokemon that called the lake home. Chloe marvelled at the winter wonderland that lay before her. A click beside her announced that Eleanor had also stopped, camera raised, photo snapped.

  “Fuck me,” Fiona remarked, “That's a view and a half.”

  The group stood for a while, just enjoying the view, before Chloe led the way down the hill to approach the calm waters.

  “I don't think I should be catching Pokemon here,” Eleanor confessed, taking in the surroundings.

  “This place feels almost… sacred.”

  “Probably the Legendary Pokemon living in it,” Troy remarked, causing Chloe to turn to him, curiously.

  “Legendary Pokemon?”

  Troy nodded sagely.

  “Rarko,” he told Chloe confidently.

  “Woah…” Chloe said, gazing out across the lake.

  “The Legendary Rarko,” she muttered, voice filled with awe for this powerful being.

  Fiona sighed, sharing a look with Eleanor.

  “Your turn,” Fiona told the other girl, who wore a pained expression.

  “Okay, there is just like, soooo much wrong with that, that I don't even know how to begin,” Eleanor said, exasperated.

  “What do you mean?” Troy asked, “There's a Legendary here. They said so in school.”

  “Well, yes,” Eleanor began, holding up a finger, “But A, it's not called Rarko, it's called Raikou.”

  Eleanor raised a second finger, “B, Raikou isn't even in Sinnoh, that's a Johto Pokemon. Lake Acuity is the home of Uxie.”

  She raised a third, “C, it's not here anymore. Uxie retreated from Sinnoh after the Galactic Affair. Hasn't been sighted for ten years.”

  Chloe looked at Troy, betrayed.

  “I trusted you…” she whispered.

  Fiona snorted, “Really? You're surprised that Troy got something wrong?”

  “He’s usually right!” Chloe defended.

  “I mean, it's debatable if he is ever right, and even if he did have a point on occasion, why would you listen to Troy about history?

  “Because I have optimism," Chloe replied, pouting.

  Fiona reached over to tousle her beanie. “And that's why we love you. You don't let any amount of being wrong get you down.”

  Chloe beamed, wrapping her friend in a hug.

  “Aww, I love you too!”

  Eleanor cleared her throat.

  “Chloe…”

  Chloe froze.

  “She called me stupid again didn't she?”

  “She did.”

  “Yep.”

  “I did, yeah.”

  The others all deadpanned in unison.

  Chloe pushed Fiona away, then strode off in a huff.

  “Last time I give you a hug,” she muttered.

  “Why does she put up with you?” Eleanor asked, watching Chloe stalk off, plotting some kind of revenge.

  Fiona shrugged, “I’m awesome?”

  Troy laughed, “More like she's a saint. Still, bold move Fi, going for the negging play.”

  Fiona glared at him.

  “Don't you start,” she warned.

  Troy brushed her off.

  “Pretty sure you started it,” Troy said, “Besides, it won't work on Chloe. She's the sort that needs pampering.”

  Fiona snorted, and walked off.

  Though, she did make a note to buy Chloe more than just shoes when they got to Snowpoint.

  They decided to camp the night at Acuity, setting up on the snowy shores. It would make for a longer walk the next day, but none of them were willing to leave yet.

  Chloe took the opportunity to continue her attempts to train Mr Growly. Her Tyrunt was as unruly as the name would suggest, and possessed the sheer bulk to turn his playful antics into an actual problem. He barrelled around the campsite, chasing the other Pokemon as fast as his stubby little legs would take him and chewing on anything that he could fit in his mouth. And considering the size of it, there was very little that he couldn't wrap his jaws around.

  Chloe had been forced to resort to the age old tactic of unruly pet owners everywhere.

  “No, bad Growly!” she scolded, spritzing him with a spray of water, taken directly from the icy cold lake.

  “Grrrr,” Growly protested, recoiling from the water.

  “I know her name is Salad, but she is not food!” Chloe said firmly, “Now spit her out!”

  Grumbling, Mr Growly complied, releasing Salad, the little Oddish immediately scampering away to take shelter behind Troy. The big guy was doing his usual workouts, while Eleanor was off on the other side of the lake, taking as many photos as she could.

  “I don't think you should let that thing out in town,” Fiona remarked dryly.

  “He’s not a thing! He’s Mr Growly. And he’s a good boy, he just gets excited!”

  “Uhuh. That's why he’s eating your tent, is it?”

  “Eating my… Growly! No!”

  Chloe wrestled her tent peg away from her unruly little Rock Dragon, then sighed, recalling him.

  “I think that's enough for today,” she muttered.

  “You’re probably right,” Fiona agreed, “Anyway, come sit, you’re going to want to see this.”

  “See what?” Chloe asked, wandering over to where her friend was sprawled out on a picnic blanket.

  Chloe turned to follow Fiona’s gaze, but squeaked when the other girl reached up and grabbed her hand, pulling her down to sit beside her.

  “Wha?”

  “Just sit, and look up,” Fiona instructed her. Chloe did what she was told, turning her gaze to the sky.

  She gasped.

  “Woah…”

  “Yeah.”

  The sky above the rolling, snow covered hills was a riot of colour, auroras snaking their way across the sky, reflected in the mirrored surface of the lake. It was an ethereal riot of colours the likes of which Chloe had never seen.

  “That's amazing,” Chloe said, awestruck.

  They watched in silence, sitting there in the snow, taking joy in the beauty of their world.

  “Hey Chloe?”

  “Yeah?”

  Fiona cleared her throat. “I… I’m sorry that I’ve been a bitch today. You’re not stupid. You’re actually…”

  “Fi?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Stop ruining the moment with your self-loathing bullshit.”

  Fiona stared. Chloe looked her right in the eye.

  “If you crossed the line, I would have said something,” Chloe told her, holding Fiona’s gaze. “So shut the fuck up and stop apologising to me every time you say something mean. It's annoying. And it's insulting.”

  Fiona was speechless. She had never seen Chloe this assertive.

  “I umm,” she said dumbly, “Okay. Sorry.”

  Chloe glared at her.

  “Right, okay, okay. No more apologising,” Fiona said, raising her hands, “Geez.”

  Chloe snorted.

  “Good.”

  Chloe turned back to looking up at the aurora, but Fiona continued to stare.

  Chloe felt her stare piercing into her, and turned back after a moment.

  “What?”

  “Nothing. Just not used to hearing you swear,” Fiona admitted.

  “I save it for when people piss me off, like you do when you treat me like a child.”

  “I’m sor…” Fiona began.

  “Don't you dare.” Chloe cut her off.

  “I like this side of you,” Fiona admitted.

  “Well I don't,” Chloe replied, “So don't make me do it again.”

  “Yes ma'am.”

  “Now shut up and look at the pretty lights with me.”

  “Yes ma'am.”

  “What are we…” Eleanor began to say, returning to the camp to see Fiona and Chloe sitting together. She was interrupted by Troy shushing her. She stopped talking, staring at him quizzically. He beckoned her over, and she approached, boots crunching in the snow.

  “What?” she demanded as she approached. Troy held a finger to his lips, then gestured at the two girls.

  “They're having a moment.”

  Eleanor watched as Fiona said something that sent Chloe giggling. The blonde girl leaned in, resting her head on Fiona’s shoulder as they stared up at the light show that was on display above them.

  Eleanor smiled.

  She raised her camera and snapped a photo of them, sitting on the shore of this idyllic lake, enjoying each other's company.

  “They're cute together,” she said to Troy, who nodded.

  “Shame they're both idiots,” he replied, and Eleanor laughed.

  “Yeah. Still, I think they'll work it out.”