The Tundra Guild lobby glowed warmly with lanterns, and the area was decorated with garlands of holly and colorful berries. A pine tree in the corner sparkled with Oran Berries, ribbons, and twinkling fairy lights. The guild members gathered around and exchanged wrapped gifts with one another. Guildmaster Tundra and Assistant Guildmaster Luca watched the event from a distance.
“Hmm… where are those two?” Tundra looked around, arms crossed. “It’s not like them to miss a celebration.
“I heard they’re still hard at work organizing the job boards,” Luca smiled knowingly. “They wanted to finish before joining the party.”
Tundra tapped his icy beard, an idea ruminating in his head before a grin formed. “Well, they’ve worked hard this year. I think it’s time the Guildmaster did something special for them.”
"How so?" Luca asked as Tundra eagerly walked down in the direction of his office.
"You'll see soon enough," Tundra smirked, waving a paw, and inviting Luca to follow along.
The two made their way to Tundra’s office, the room dimly lit with a few candles on the desk. In the corner, Tundra opened a large chest, rummaging through its contents. A few seconds later, he pulled out a bright red Santa hat and a matching crimson jacket lined with fluffy white fur.
“Oh, this old thing," Tundra pawed off the layer of dust still clinging to the costume. "This is perfect for the job."
“How have I never seen this before, sir?” Luca asked, glancing at the chest and back at Tundra.
“I wore this for the holidays before you became my assistant,” Tundra donned the Santa outfit and slung a sack full of presents beside him over his back.
“Oh! I almost forgot!”
With one paw, Tundra rummaged through the chest and took out an identical Santa hat, handing it to Luca.
“You need to wear something festive, Luca,” He urged the Santa hat closer to the riolu. “Get into the spirit! I think there’s also a white beard if you want to wear i—”
“No thanks, Guildmaster Tundra, I appreciate the hat,” Luca quickly placed the hat on his head, adjusting it to fit around his ears. “Shall we surprise Pepper and Hazel, sir?”
Beartic gave a firm nod. “Let’s make this Christmas one they’ll never forget.”
Meanwhile, in the Job Board room, Pepper and Hazel busily sorted through job requests. The only sound in the room was the shuffling of papers and the sighs of the two members.
“We’ve been at this for hours,” Pepper slumped to the floor, rolling to his side. “How much more is there?”
“Just a few more,” Hazel counted with her paw. “We’ll finish in time for the party, don’t worry.”
Suddenly, the door creaked open, surprising the two. They looked up to see Tundra dressed as Santa Claus and Luca in a Santa hat behind him, palming his face from the upcoming embarrassment.
“Ho, ho, ho!” Tundra stepped into the room with a jolly laugh, hoisting his bag of presents. “Merry Christmas, Team Horizon!”
“G-Guildmaster?” Pepper breathed out with a smile. “Is that… you?"
“What are you wearing?!” Hazel laughed out loud.
“Just spreading a little holiday cheer!” Tundra set his bag down to the ground. “You two have been working so hard, I thought it was time for a special delivery.
Tundra pulled out two neatly wrapped presents from his sack and handed them to the poochyena and eevee.
Pepper gently held the gift between his paws. “For us?”
“You didn’t have to, Guildmaster!” Hazel’s voice filled with gratitude.
The two eagerly tore the wrapping on their gifts off, as Pepper revealed a red and black scarf and Hazel shone a sparkling pin.
“A Power Scarf!” Pepper rushed to wrap it around his neck. “This will make my moves so much stronger!”
“A Defense Pin!” Hazel fastened it on her chest. “I can stay in battle for longer now!”
“You’ve both done so much for the guild this year,” Tundra beamed. “You’ve earned it.”
“But did Assistant Guildmaster Luca get a present as well?” Pepper asked, turning to the riolu. “He’s helped you a lot as well!”
Luca readjusted his Santa hat with a grin. “I don’t need a present, this is more than enough.”
“Nonsense! I’ll find something for you here!” Tundra poked his head into his bag and took out a similarly wrapped present and handed it to Luca. “Here’s my present to you!”
Luca neatly unwrapped the present to unveil a glass jar filled to the brim with an assorted color of gummis.
“Gummis… my favorite snack…!” Luca turned the jar in his paw, admiring the inside.
“I knew my collection of presents would never fail to make someone happy! Now, why don’t we head back to the lobby? I’m sure that the rest of the guild is waiting for us!”
Tundra and Luca led Pepper and Hazel back to the party. As they came out of the hallway, the guild members all cheered with joy.
“The Guildmaster really knows how to make Christmas special,” Pepper commented, watching Tundra hand presents to the other guild members with the help of Luca.
“Yeah,” Hazel grinned, placing a paw on her pin. “This has been the best one yet.”
As the guild celebrated, snow began to fall outside, blanketing the town in white. Outside, the warmth of the guild's light spilled out into the snowy night. The large tree of Sonamu Town stood tall over the beautifully decorated homes from below, blanketing them with a cool embrace.
----------------------------------------
The words “Happy holidays from the Tundra Guild!” lit up the theater screen, the background fading to black in a circular shape reminiscent of the classic Christmas movies Harper loved as a child.
“So how was the editing for that?” Celine diverted her attention to Harper, Beartic, and Brycen who sat behind her as the theater room’s lights slowly lit up. “I think that ending with pulling the camera back from the town looked great.”
“The camerawork was excellent as always,” Brycen complemented with a single nod. “I have no criticisms to share.”
“I think my Santa outfit stood out really well,” Beartic grinned, rubbing his beard like he did in the recording. “It’s a shame I can't keep it…”
*All the pokémon worked together really well with the larger scenes. Everything looked great.*
Celine jumped out of her seat, making her way to the exit. “Great! I’ll get this sent back over to post-production before I head home for the evening. Thank you guys for being the last people to check the footage out, Merry Christmas!” And with a click from the double doors, she had left for the holiday break.
Unlike film studios from Harper’s past, Mr. Stu Deeoh had introduced a new policy at Pokéstar Studios that allowed everyone to take a break during the last couple of weeks of the year, starting with Christmas week. As Christmas Eve arrived, the studio was nearly deserted, with only Harper, Beartic, and Brycen remaining. Caleb and Claire, Zorro and Eve, and Bianca had left much earlier to return to Nuvema Town. It was only natural that they would want to spend the holidays with their families as soon as they could.
“So… What do we do now?” Harper turned to Beartic after hopping off his seat. “We have the rest of the day to ourselves.”
“I dunno,” Beartic shrugged, getting up from his seat at the same time as Brycen. “We’ll figure something out together, but let's go back to the van for now, shall we?”
Giving no prior warning, Beartic grabbed Harper by the waist and hoisted him up, placing him behind his neck. At this point, Harper grew used to the sudden shoulder rides. Since Beartic had wider strides than him, it beat walking longer distances.
As they left the theater and headed down the lots, Harper took in the sights around the studio, which had been transformed into a festive wonderland at the insistence of Mr. Stu Deeoh. Strings of multicolored lights crisscrossed above as their light shone onto the fine layer of frost clinging to the leftover set props outside. Massive, shimmering models of cryogonals hung from the streetlamps, swaying gently in the brisk breeze.
“Don’t you think Mr. Stu Deeoh went a bit too far with the decorations?” Harper asked, glancing around at the festive displays. The film studios he frequented back in his past life never bothered to decorate their backlot beyond where guests were allowed to tour.
“Personally, I don’t think he went far enough,” Beartic grinned as they passed by the decorated Christmas tree at the heart of the lot that sparkled with tinsel and bore a large star on top. “You’d think that he would add a few more ornaments on the tree.”
“A few more?” Harper waved a paw at the tree that was absolutely engulfed in ornaments from top to bottom. “Any more and it’ll fall under the weight.”
“Have you no confidence in your Christmas spirit?” Beartic questioned with a hint of elegance. “With that kind of pessimism, you’ll be getting a lump of coal from Santa.”
Harper groaned and rubbed the top of Beartic’s head, who chuckled at his playfulness. This was the first Christmas in a while where he’d be spending it with someone other than being by himself. He had no idea how he would spend Christmas Eve in a nearly empty movie studio, but it beat laying down in bed at home doing nothing.
As they arrived at their vanity van, Harper spotted something wedged in the door frame. Taking a closer look, he found an enclosed envelope sealed with a wax emblem shaped like a flame.
Beartic tapped Brycen’s shoulder, pointing at the message. “Hey Brycen, looks like there's a letter.”
“I think I know who it’s from,” Brycen grabbed the envelope and flipped to the other side, nodding at the writer’s name. “Seems I was right.”
*Who was it?*
“Alder,” Brycen answered, gliding a finger through the envelope and taking a letter out. “He never used his Xtransceiver much ever since he stepped down as the Champion, but we still maintained contact this way.”
*With letters?*
Brycen nodded as he unfolded the paper. "Now, let's see what he has written for us."
After clearing his throat, Brycen began reading the letter out loud. “Dear Brycen, I hope you’re having a pleasant Christmas season so far. I want to invite you to Floccesy Town for the lighting of the famous Clock Tower. The event will take place after dark, and I assume this letter will arrive to you before the sun has set. I hope to see you there!”
Brycen looked at the end of the paper, reading the final message under Alder’s signature. “P.S: I hope to see Beartic and your new riolu partner as well, he had such a stellar performance in ‘Full Metal Cop!’”
“I didn’t know that Alder knew me,” Harper breathed out, stunned. He heard some time ago that Alder had retired as the Champion, but it didn’t change the fact that a person as famous as him knew Harper.
"Of course, he would," Beartic responded. "It's not like a theater is stopping the former Champion from watching anything."
After Brycen placed the letter in the inner pocket of his kimono, he looked up at Beartic and Harper. "We'll head to Floccesy Town immediately before the sun sets completely, we'll take a quicker way there."
"A quicker way?"
“I heard what Brycen rode when he went to Floccesy Ranch,” Beartic grinned. “I think you’ll have fun with it.”
----------------------------------------
Harper hadn't anticipated that Brycen's "quicker way" would involve riding a Ranger's sawsbuck to their destination, but he wasn't about to complain. It felt like a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively, to be out of Pokéstar Studios and in a natural setting. With Route 20 covered in fresh snow, undisturbed by any foot traffic other than the path they traveled on, this unfamiliar sight beat the lack of snow back in California, where it was the same climate year-round.
The Pokémon Ranger, Anton, and his partner, Viva, were pleasant to be with. With Beartic towering over eight feet, he remained in his pokéball, leaving Harper awkwardly riding on Anton's shoulders instead of riding Viva like how Brycen and the Ranger were. Despite Harper's repeated refusals, Anton cheerfully picked him up and placed him high on top. Sitting on someone else's shoulders brought back a rush of embarrassment for Harper. There was something about getting a shoulder ride from an adult who was roughly his age that felt more awkward than being hoisted up by a polar bear.
“Is it comfortable up there, Harper?” Anton the Ranger turned his head up. “Brycen said you got shoulder rides all the time from his beartic.”
~I’m not a child… but I can’t lie that this is… pretty fun…~
“Is that a smile? Because that looked like one to me!” Anton grinned.
“Anton plays a lot like this with his daughter,” Viva explained. “Don’t mind him when he’s like this.”
As they continued through the snow-laden path, the crunching sound of Viva’s hooves mixed with the occasional flurry of wind, Anton glanced up at Harper again.
“Say, Harper, do you mind if I can ask for a little autograph?” He took a notepad out of his pocket and held it high for Harper to grab. “Brycen gave me his first but I’d love to show my daughter both Full Metal Cop’s and his partner’s autographs together!”
Harper blinked, momentarily startled. “Oh, um… sure,” He grabbed the notepad but froze when he flipped to a blank page. How was he supposed to give his signature without revealing his literacy? He left his whiteboard back at Pokéstar Studios no one knew about it outside the property.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
“Trace your paw on the paper,” Brycen suggested, also understanding that Harper shouldn’t reveal his literacy.
With a nod, Harper balanced the notepad on Anton’s head, much to the amusement of the Ranger. Viva also temporarily stopped to prevent any mistakes as Harper traced his paw on the paper, slowly drawing until he connected the last line. After filling a space where he placed his paw pad with an oval, he returned the notepad.
“Thanks, Harper,” Anton smiled at the drawing. “I can’t wait to see the look on my daughter’s face when she sees this. She was mad that I had to work on Christmas Eve, but we’re going home as soon as we can, isn’t that right, Viva?”
“Of course,” Viva answered with a nod.
As the group approached the end of Route 20, the trees began to thin, revealing glimpses of a single cabin through the snow-dusted branches. Harper slid off Anton’s shoulders with a soft thud onto the snow, feeling a mix of relief and lingering awkwardness. Brycen shook hands with the ranger on the back, exchanging a few final words of gratitude before they went their separate ways.
With Beartic now out of his pokéball, they made their way to the secluded cabin. The building was only a short distance from Floccesy Town, which Harper could just glimpse on the horizon. On the porch, a man with long, fiery red hair sat polishing one of the pokéballs that hung around his neck. When Alder noticed them approaching, his face broke into a warm smile, and he stood up to greet them.
“Brycen! It’s great to see you again after so long!” Alder greeted the veteran actor with a firm, one-armed hug. “I assume the letter arrived as intended?”
“By ‘intended,’ you mean lodged in my doorframe?” Brycen asked dryly, raising an eyebrow.
“That’s how it was delivered? I hoped that it would’ve been treated better…” Alder replied with a sheepish chuckle. “Regardless, I’m glad that you arrived on time with your Pokémon as well!”
Alder turned his direction to Beartic, who towered over the two men. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, did your beard get bigger?”
“Maybe a little,” Beartic rubbed his icy chin, a playful glint in his frosty eyes.
Alder then faced Harper, who stood beside Beartic’s leg. He crouched to Harper’s “And you’re the riolu that’s been grabbing everyone’s attention with those movies you’re in. Seymour and Cassie have been telling how much they loved ‘Full Metal Cop’ and I had to watch it for myself.”
“I… Thank you,” Harper tilted his head down in a slight bow.
“A shy one, isn’t he?” Alder chuckled, crossing his arms. “Pretty paradoxical for a famous actor.”
“Where is Benga?” Brycen asked, looking around the vicinity. “I expected to see him with you for the holidays.”
“He’s busy fighting trainers at the Black Tower to be its Boss Trainer,” Alder explained, his tone warm but tinged with a hint of longing. “This is the first Christmas that he’s not here with me, but I don’t mind. He’s sent his season’s greetings to me.”
Alder pulled out a photo card and turned it around to reveal a child with the same flamboyant hair as the former Champion, wearing a necklace of Poké Balls. In the selfie, the child flashed a “V” sign with his fingers alongside his Garchomp. Scrawled in black Sharpie were the words, “Merry Christmas from the Black Tower, Gramps!”
"Alder has a son?" Harper asked Beartic with his voice low to not intrude.
“Grandson,” the Ice-type corrected, nodding toward the photo with a proud gleam in his eye. “And it looks like he’s dominating the Black Tower so far. I’ve heard that Garchomp is a monster on the battlefield.”
“Anyways, enough about me and my grandson,” Alder pocketed the photo back and waved down the path. “Let’s head over to Floccesy Town for the event, shall we?”
The distance to the town was quite short, with the dirt path quickly giving way to a cobblestone road. Along the side of the road were street lamps parallel to each other, emitting a mellow, orange glow as night came. The buildings around them featured beige brick walls, red-tiled roofs punctuated by small chimneys, and arched windows set above plain blue doors. The various Christmas lights draping the roofs ranged from pristine white to the classic red and green hues that shone brightly.
The architecture closely resembled Floccesy Town from Harper’s short playthrough of Pokémon Black 2. However, being here in person made the structures feel more vibrant and alive. It was a strange experience to find himself in a place he had only seen in a game, now transformed into reality.
After quietly enjoying the festive Christmas decorations scattered throughout the town, they finally reached the iconic Clock Tower, the same one Harper recalled from the games. From every direction, townspeople were coming together to drape the spire in lights and tinsel.
“Everyone, it’s Champion Alder! He’s here!” A man atop a ladder called out, his voice ringing with excitement much to the delight of everyone around.
Immediately, the group halted their work and approached them, noticing Brycen, Beartic, and Harper behind the renowned man.
“Who did Champion Alder bring?” Someone in the crowd murmured curiously.
“Wait, they look familiar!” Another voice exclaimed, leaning closer for a better look.
“Isn’t that Brycen?” A man near the front gasped.
“And his Beartic?” A woman beside him added, pointing at the large Pokémon.
“Did Champion Alder invite them?” A young boy wondered aloud.
“That’s Brycen’s Riolu! The one from that movie!” A teenage girl shouted in astonishment.
“What? Really?!” An older man craned his neck to see Harper better.
Before the crowd could rush closer towards Harper, Alder stood forth, raising a hand to stop everyone. “Yes, this is the famous Brycen and his two acting pokémon, but please allow them to view the event tonight without any intrusion to their privacy. They would like to enjoy this Christmas Eve in peace.”
Soft murmurs of agreement spread through the crowd as everyone quickly nodded in support of Alder’s request.
~Wow, he stopped that crowd so fast…~ Harper looked at everyone working in amazement. ~Guess he isn’t the former Champion for nothing.~
“Now, let’s continue with decorating, shall we? That Clock Tower isn’t going to finish itself!” Alder readjusted his woolen mittens as he climbed up a spare ladder. “Someone toss me that end of the lights!”
As Harper saw the crowd swiftly work together with the aid of the former Champion, he noticed a nearby spare box of ornaments left deserted. A thin layer of snow covered the top, and Harper began to feel bad for how it was neglected.
“Can we help with decorating?” Harper pulled Brycen’s kimono to get his attention, pointing at the box.
“Do you want to help?” Brycen asked, and Harper nodded in response.
Beartic picked Harper up and placed him on one shoulder and the box on the other. “If you wanna help, then let’s get to it!” He cheerfully beamed. “There’s no way you can reach up high without me!”
As Harper helped hang up the ornaments where he could reach, he realized that he hadn't done any decorating since he was a child back when he helped set up the Christmas tree at home. He vividly remembered when his father brought a tree home and his family all got together to decorate it. He never forgot the laughter from his parents when he accidentally got himself coiled up in the lights and his father playfully spun him around like a spinning top, leaving Harper dizzy.
Harper was glad that he spotted that box earlier; he realized he hadn't had this much fun decorating anything in a long time, nor had he taken the time to decorate anything since then.
“Hey kid, you ok?” Beartic asked, tapping a digit on Harper’s leg. “You spaced out there for a moment.”
“Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” Harper quickly wiped a tear he felt under his eye away, away from Beartic’s line of sight. “I just wanted to admire what we helped with.”
“I don’t blame ya, I think we did a fine job,” Beartic placed the now-empty box down and took a step back, gazing from the bottom of the Clock Tower to the top with a grin. “This wouldn’t have looked half as good without us.”
After checking out their work some more, Harper turned to Beartic with curiosity. “Is there a bigger reason why Floccesy Town decorates their Clock Tower or do they do it just because?”
"From what I know, the Clock Tower acts as a landmark so Santa can spot the town when he travels around delivering presents," Beartic replied with a playful chuckle. "It makes it easier for the red man himself to make sure he stops by."
~That’s… actually pretty wholesome,~ Harper thought to himself before mentally pausing. ~Wait, Beartic explained that as if Santa was real… Eh, he thinks I’m a kid so…~
“We finished the decorations from this side, Champion Alder!” A voice shouted from behind the Clock Tower, a thumbs up sticking out from the side. “Everything’s good to go now!”
“Alright! And just ‘Alder’ is fine!” The former Champion added with an amused huff, talking to himself. “Everyone knows that Iris is the Champion now, I don’t deserve the title.”
Brycen placed a hand on Alder’s shoulder. “It’s their sign of respect, Alder. It is best to let them.”
“Very well,” Alder sighed before looking up at the unlit Clock Tower. “I guess it’s time to turn this thing on for Santa Claus, shall we?” He announced to everyone, receiving a collective response from everyone.
“I have the switch, Champion Alder,” A man held a device up to him. “Would you like the honor, sir?”
“I shouldn’t, I did it last year,” Alder shook his head, soon waving his hand to Harper. “Why don’t we have one of our guests pull the lever this year?”
Harper pointed at himself. “Me?”
Brycen nodded. “The opportunity fits you well.”
“A young pokémon like you should have the fun, right?” Beartic added, walking up to the man with the device.
Harper grabbed the switch and nervously held onto it, one paw on the handle and the other on the side. The pressure was on him to not mess this up, and this somehow felt more jarring than being in front of the camera.
“You nervous, kid?” Beartic asked, eyeing Harper with a raised eyebrow, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.
“Of course I am, I don’t wanna mess up the timing,” Harper admitted, his voice tight with anxiety.
Beartic gave a reassuring smile. “You’re not going to. Just have fun, ok?”
Harper took a deep breath in and out. “Ok… I’m ready.”
Taking notice of Harper’s readiness, Alder turned to all the people with two hands cupped around his mouth. “Everyone! On the count of three!”
“1!”
“2!”
“3!”
Harper flipped the switch, and in an instant, the Clock Tower's lights burst to life, illuminating the town square with a dazzling array of colors. The reflections from the glass ornaments danced on the pavement, making it seem as if the ground itself was aglow. The crowd erupted in applause and cheers at the sight as family members and lovers treated each other with hugs and kisses.
“Merry Christmas, Harper,” Brycen said, giving him a firm but kindly pat on the back.
“Merry Christmas, kid,” Beartic rumbled, gently nudging Harper with his head, careful not to shake him too much. “You did good.”
“Merry Christmas, and thanks for everything” Harper replied, sincere with every word.
The three stood close together and continued to gaze upon the Clock Tower with the rest, appreciating the moment. It was a few minutes of silence until a voice interrupted the silence, alerting everyone of the blurred visage in the sky.
“Look!” The boy exclaimed with excitement. “It’s Santa’s sleigh!”
The others turned to follow his gaze, spotting the gleaming silhouette of the sleigh as it slowly descended from the stars. A murmur of awe rippled through the crowd, everyone craning their necks to catch a glimpse as it grew closer, its lights twinkling against the night sky.
“What the…?” Harper squinted hard at the sky, blinking multiple times to make sure he was looking correctly. “He’s… real?”
“Of course he is!” Beartic answered before tilting his head. “Were you thinking he wasn’t?”
“I thought this entire event was a symbolic tradition and not an actual thing!”
“Then how do you think presents are delivered to all the children around the world?”
“Bu— Isn’t he— I— Wha—” Harper stuttered in confusion as the sound of jingle bells grew louder and Santa’s sleigh spiraled down gracefully from above. He already experienced reincarnation into a pokémon’s body in a completely different universe, so seeing Santa shouldn’t have been a surprise, but it still was.
In a final, gentle swoop, the sleigh landed softly in the center of the square, the numerous stantlers coming to a quiet stop.
“Ho ho ho! Hello, Floccesy Town!” Santa joyfully exclaimed. “I appreciate you lighting up your Clock Tower! Tonight, I have gifts for all the good little boys, girls, and pokémon!”
With his jaw dropped, Harper stared in bewilderment as Santa took presents out of his big red sack and handed them to the children and young pokémon who waited in a single file line. Beside the bearded man was a delibird, assisting in the distribution of the presents with their own tail acting as a bag.
When the last child and their ducklett received their wrapped gifts, Santa turned his attention to Harper, locking eyes and freezing him in place.
“There’s one more Pokémon left that hasn’t received their gift,” Santa said with a twinkle in his eye, taking one final gift and holding it forward. “And I think I know exactly who it’s for.”
Beartic walked towards Santa Claus and leaned forward, allowing Harper to take the present.
“I— Thank you, I didn’t expect to get any gifts this year…” Harper held the long and thin box in his arms.
“Nonsense!” He laughed out loud. “You brought so much joy and happiness to all the people who watched the movies you were in, especially for everyone back at the North Pole!”
“That’s… That’s an honor to hear—” Harper’s eyes suddenly opened wide, realizing what he just heard. “Wait, did you just understand m—”
“I must head on my way to deliver the rest of my presents tonight!” Santa greeted everyone goodbye as he grasped the reins of his sleigh. “Have a Merry Christmas everyone!”
As people shouted their well wishes, Santa's sleigh floated off the ground. The herd of stantlers began to pace their hooves in midair, accelerating the sleigh forward before it shot forward and up to the sky. The sound of jingle bells grew fainter as Santa Claus became smaller in the night sky.
“Let us head back to Pokéstar Studios, it’s far past Harper’s bedtime,” Brycen told Beartic as the families around them returned to their homes.
“Why don’t I help you?” Alder offered as he jumped into the conversation, holding one of the pokéballs around his neck in his hand. “Braviary can fly you there, it’ll be safer than walking back at night.”
“Thank you, Alder, we’ll accept your offer,” Brycen nodded as he summoned Beartic back into his pokéball, who waved goodbye before disappearing in a flash of red. He then unlatched Harper’s pokéball and held it forward. “I assume that you want to stay outside?”
Harper nodded, he wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to fly on a pokémon and feel the wind on his fur.
----------------------------------------
“Kid, wake up,” Harper felt something gently shaking him awake. “C’mon, it’s Christmas morning!”
“Hrgn… Beartic? That you?” Harper grudgingly sat up from his sofa bed, rubbing his eyes open. He could barely remember what happened after riding Alder’s braviary back to Pokéstar Studios, did he fall asleep on the way? If he did, it certainly explained why he was in his bed without any memory of entering it.
“Yup, now wake up, sleepyhead,” Beartic called from the van’s window, pointing his arm from outside to the end of the van’s inside. “It’s time to open your gifts.”
“Gifts?” Harper emphasized the ‘s,’ turning to where Beartic pointed. “Don’t you mean one gif—”
To his surprise, instead of the one gift he received from Santa, there were two more that sat beside them underneath a tiny Christmas tree. Both were small boxes, one more square-shaped and the other like a thin rectangle. Harper had no clue when they prepared the gift or when Brycen had set up the tree, but they clearly planned this out much earlier.
“The presents are for you,” Brycen spoke up, waving to the small, decorated tree. “Feel free to pick the first one you would like to open.”
Instead, Harper reached for his whiteboard and began scribbling his response.
*I never got you or Beartic a present though.*
“Your presence is the greatest gift we could ask for,” Brycen responded. “I have never seen Pokéstar Studios so lively when you arrived, and I must thank you for that.”
“C’mon kid, go open them already!” Beartic urged Harper. “I’m bursting with anticipation already!”
With a chuckle, Harper first grabbed Santa’s present, leaving the best gifts for last. He eagerly tore through the wrapping and opened the box, revealing a long scarf expertly knitted with black and white wool to mimic the pattern on a clapperboard.
“This is really high quality,” Harper held the scarf up for Beartic and Brycen to see. He wrapped it around his neck, letting the ends hang down from his shoulders. “And it fits perfectly!”
“Santa’s got good taste,” Beartic joked before pointing to the other gifts. “Now open the other ones!”
Doing as Beartic instructed, Harper picked the square-shaped gift and opened it, holding a cold figurine in his paw. The figure was shaped like a riolu holding a marker and whiteboard.
“Is that… me?” Harper held the figure closer to his face, taking in the intricate details at every angle.
“Sure is, and it was made with Never-Melt Ice!” Beartic explained, taking note of the fine mist descending from the figure. “I carved it myself after Brycen purchased it for me.”
“I… I can’t imagine how long it took to make this…” Harper wondered, feeling bad for the time Beartic had to spend to finish this piece of art.
“Don’t worry, kid! It’s a hobby of mine to make figures out of ice. It just helps that I used Never-Melt Ice so that it, you know… never melts!”
Harper rolled his eyes at the terrible pun as he reached for the last gift from Brycen. Once he tore off the wrapping, he found a case in his paw, resembling those typically used for rings or earrings. When he flipped it open, a single badge nestled in soft velvet caught his eye. The badge, shaped like three white icicles, stood out with a striking azure blue base on the top.
“That Freeze Badge is the last one of its kind before I retired as a Gym Leader. I believe that you more than earned it for your work here,” Brycen explained, his voice filled with pride as he watched Harper's surprised expression. “You've earned this, more than you know.”
Harper found himself at a loss for words, struggling to express his gratitude for the heartfelt gifts he had just received. Although he usually viewed himself as an adult, today he decided to set that self-image aside. With a burst of emotion, he leaped onto Brycen's bed and wrapped his arms around the veteran actor in a warm hug. Brycen returned the embrace with a single arm, and Harper dashed out to the van and hugged Beartic, who scooped him up in an even tighter embrace.
“I don’t know what to say,” Harper stated as he looked up between Beartic and Brycen. “I can’t find the right words… I—”
“You don’t need to,” Beartic replied softly. “We can see how much you appreciate the gifts.”
“Merry Christmas, Beartic.”
“Merry Christmas, Harper.”