A/N: Pikachu Fan Number Nine from the SPPf Shippers' Truth or Dare Thread dared me to write a PenguinShipping drabble with winter as a theme. This went in a different direction than expected - mostly because it contains mentions of death - but I'm really proud of the result. Enjoy.

They play in the snow, waddling around my backyard happily: the older Piplup - mine - with his feathers turning gray but his spunky personality still intact, and the younger Piplup - Kenny's - with his eyes bright and ready to experience all that life has to offer. The young Piplup's father, Kenny's Floatzel, watches his son contentedly from the living room window, not wanting to leave the warmth of the house. Last night was the first snowfall of this winter season, and freshly powdered snow forms a layer of white on Twinleaf Town.

I sit next to Kenny on the porch swing, my head resting on his shoulder and our breath forming misty clouds in the crisp winter air. We carry hot chocolate in our gloved hands, smiling as we watch our Pokemon play in the snow. Presently the two Piplup are piling snow into a small mountain, and they look like they are really enjoying themselves. I smile as I watch the Pokemon. They seem so happy, and it's hard to believe that the Epidemic officially ended less than a year ago.

Kenny was devastated when his Empoleon, whom he had since the very beginning of his Trainer's Journey, died of an illness that at the time none of the region's doctors and nurses could cure. The illness - the Evolution Epidemic - targeted only third-stage Pokemon. The cure has since been found and Sinnoh has since been restored to a healthy state, but not without tremendous losses. Everyone lost at least a few of their loved Pokemon. I lost Typhlosion, Barry lost Staraptor, and Zoey lost Gallade. But Kenny's loss was the most devastating of all, because Empoleon had been his very first Pokemon.

When the Epidemic struck Sinnoh, we all had to grow up fast, Kenny most of all. Growing up was hard for Kenny, who had always been the one to joke around and tease his friends. When we were both kids he really liked me, but he expressed it mostly through playful jabs, so I decided that I only liked him as a friend. The main reason why I didn't pursue a romantic relationship with him at first was because I thought he lacked maturity and responsibility. But then the Epidemic happened, and Kenny turned out to be the most mature and responsible of us all.

That was why I eventually fell for him. He was the one who united us - me, Zoey, Barry, even Paul and Ursula - and made us promise each other that, even though we were once rivals, we would give each other nothing but support and strength throughout the tough times.

When Empoleon passed away, I grieved alongside my childhood friend. We knew that nothing would ever replace the hole left in our hearts by Empoleon's death, but we had the egg she left behind. The young Piplup would grow up without a mother, so Kenny and I promised to take care of Empoleon's child to the best of our abilities. Kenny's Piplup hatched a few weeks ago, and he's already getting along very well with my own Penguin Pokemon. My Piplup was good friends with Kenny's Empoleon, and I'm glad that a piece of Empoleon lives on in the hatchling.

"Dawn?"

I gaze up at Kenny lovingly. "Hm?"

He chuckles. "I dunno. I just want to say that I love you, and I'm so glad that you're in my life."

I give Kenny a quick kiss. "I love you too," I say, and I mean it. "You mean so much to me."

Kenny and I are silent for a while as we sip our hot chocolate and continue watching our Pokemon play in the snow. It's cold, but my heart is warm from the drink I have and the love I feel for Kenny. It's amazing how quickly time flies. It seems like yesterday when I was kneeling at my Typhlosion's newly formed grave, tears flowing freely down my cheeks as Kenny stood next to me, holding my shoulders with his strong arms. I still miss Typhlosion, and Kenny's Empoleon, and my friends' Pokemon too. But Kenny has helped me heal. Today, I feel like the happiest girl in the world. I may have lost loved ones, but I have my friends. And, best of all, I have Kenny.

"Kenny," I say, laughing, "remember when you used to call me 'Dee Dee'? Man, you really liked to tease me back then."

Kenny smiles. "Yeah, I was a kid then," he says frankly. "I didn't realize that I shouldn't have overdone it. It was funny while it lasted, though."

I make a face, and then burst out laughing at how silly I probably look. "Yeah, I guess so," I say. "Thanks for cutting it out, though. I really appreciate it."

"No problem. You know that, at least now, I'd never do anything you don't like."

We continue enjoying the winter day without a care in the world.

-END-