The Day Before the Journey to Mt. Silver

Time passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, December was drawing to a close. The temperature in Blackthorn City had dropped another notch. Going outside without a cotton coat or down jacket was enough to freeze you stupid.

Flying through the sky on Garchomp could freeze you into the White-Browed Hero.

Umbreon had become increasingly reluctant to move, as though it had gone into hibernation. It spent all day curled up under the heated table playing on its phone, or pestering Heiduo to turn on the air conditioner.

Heiduo wondered if Pokémon could get air-conditioning sickness.

It was so cold inland. He had no idea why they did not live by the coast.

Heiduo watched the white mist billow from his mouth. Though the temperature was low, it had not snowed for some reason. Perhaps it was artificially controlled. After all, for Dragon-type Pokémon, snow was best avoided whenever possible.

Oh, right. Heiduo had previously wondered whether temperature affected Pokémon of different types. That question had been confirmed not long ago.

Now, if Garchomp did not warm up before a battle, it would absolutely lose to Scizor. Its body was as stiff as a centenarian's, and it only began moving normally after taking two Bullet Punches.

Umbreon, which Heiduo had forcibly dragged outside to exercise, laughed at it.

"Why is your ace-level strength so unstable?"

That casual remark made Garchomp, which had lost to Scizor, flush bright red. The white mist spilling from the corners of its mouth was like steam from a boiling kettle.

Unfortunately, Umbreon was telling the truth. Winter suppressed it far too heavily, far more severely than it had imagined. At the very least, it could no longer enter battle in perfect condition right from the start.

Because of this, Heiduo called Cynthia. Sinnoh was