Viroro-kun

"Ho ho ho ho ho! Merry Christmas, everyone!"

The jolly, rotund old man clad in red made sure to fly right above the central plaza of the little town, his Stantler-pulled sleigh clearly visible by all below. They all stared at him in confusion, and in some cases beaming grins, all while he continued to laugh behind his bushy beard.

"Look! It's Santa Claus!"

"No way! It's real?"

"That must be a publicity stunt, it's-"

"Shut up! It's real!"

The man enjoyed the brief attention, but quickly put his gloved hand inside his sack to grab several presents, tossing them downward for the crowd to claim. All the people rushed to get their presents, until they all joyfully held one package each, all of them ripping them open to see what it was. He smiled even more as he waved at the crowd, with them waving back at him.

Soon enough, the sleigh left the skies of the little town, and the man and his steeds quickly landed on a quiet hill where no one could see them. The man allowed himself another giggle, and with a quick twirl the jolly symbol of Christmas was replaced by a cackling, amused Gastly. The Ghost-type looked over the town he just passed, his grin only widening.

"Very well, that's one more town crossed out." He materialized a notepad, quickly writing over it with a floating pen. Behind him, the Stantler took the form of another Gastly, a Haunter, and a Gengar, all stretching themselves as they joined their unofficial leader.

Haunter scratched his head, looking over at the town again. "I don't get it, boss. Why are we trying to act like that Christmas guy? I thought we were all about scares."

"Normally, yes, but this is a special case." Gastly glanced up, losing himself to his memories. "I was there when Christmas was created, and it was a most interesting circumstance. One worth passing on to the future generations."

Gengar widened his eyes. "Wait, you created Santa Claus?"

"It was originally the red-cloaked mysterious man and his metallic assistant, but changing social mores required a facelift over time to a more family-friendly image, you know." Gastly shrugged off with his gas. "But nah, the current image wasn't actually my invention."

"How did we get to it, then?" The other Gastly tilted his head.

"That's on me."

Hearing the unfamiliar voice and the booming laugh that followed, the trio of Ghost-types quickly turned around in surprise, while their leader remained nonplussed. Just as he expected, a swirling mess of pixels materialized ahead of them, quickly taking the form of one of the most iconic and enduring symbols of commercialized Christmas.

"Howdy, Santa. Already done with your world tour?" Gastly floated onward, grnning.

Santa nodded, dusting off his clothes. "Yeah, it was easy. A lot of children will wake up quite happy tomorrow."

Gastly was pleased to hear it, feeling just a bit more relaxed about his current duties. He was definitely taking it easier than his three compatriots, whom were staring at his old friend completely speechless. It took more than a few seconds before they all inched closer, staring at Santa in disbelief.

"Wait wait wait! You're Santa?"

"And you're real?"

"And all pixel-y and stuff?"

Gastly allowed himself an amused chuckle at that and many other weird questions flowing from the trio to the old man. For his part, Santa let out another jolly laugh as he walked closer to them.

"I'm real indeed. I like to do good and spread happiness, but I needed a P.R. guy to project a friendly image for what I do, and Gastly here had a legend that worked well for that."

"It is a pleasure and a honor to help, the Santa Claus image is one I take a lot of pride on." Gastly made a mock-bow, only to then squint his eys in the distance. "A shame that drink company still insists on not paying the trademark..."

"Always thinking about money. You'd definitely end up on my naughty list if you were a child."

Gastly floated right to Santa's face, rolling his eyes with a grin. "Oh really? So much for service loyalty."

Santa and Gastly laughed it off together, just as they always did after their pluricentennial partnership. As their gleeful exchange petered out, Gastly peeked at the other three Ghost-types, still seemingly dwelling on the implications of what they learned. And then, they all grinned together.

"Wait a second, if you manage Santa's image-"

"That means we can improve on it! We can make him all scary and stuff!"

Haunter pumped his fists, and so did Gengar. The other Gastly just floated up and down with enthusiasm.

"The creepy giftmancer! Materializing items out of nowhere while staring straight inside your soul!"

"That's going to be a total hit, for sure!"

"But we need to be scarier! Better! Let's think of something more hardcore!"

The three's chatter quickly descended into incoherent babbling as they traded ideas, going from the plausible to the implausible rather quickly. Gastly lost track of the idea flow not even a few seconds later, and traded a puzzled glance with Santa. They remained silent for a brief while.

Santa looked back at the three conspirators. "Are they your interns, by any chance?"

"More like part timers. Albeit they're more comedians than storytellers..." Gastly sighed.

The giver of gifts stroked his beard, trying to glean what the trio was suggesting. "Creepy giftmancer, huh... Wonder how MissingNo. would take that..."

Gastly shoot a glare at Santa, before his attention went back to the three Ghost-types from Lavender Town. His job was going to be far more difficult from then on...

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Crossoverpairinglover

Having many friends meant she had been drawn into many clubs for moral support and waiting on them. One such club focused on business had once said that for every opportunity there was both a benefit and a cost.

She could put in the effort needed to get the benefit or not, and as she chose she'd take the cost.

Either not getting the benefit, or taking a cost later down the line.

A club she only vaguely recalled was suddenly more relevant to May as she walked through Petalburg Mall, wallet lighter than she'd prefer it to be and the holiday just a bit close for comfort.

Only the price slashes currently present gave her any hope she could make it this time around, vividly standing out in the windows in their most eye catching fonts and colors. They certainly getting her attention, though for more necessity than mere benefit as it normally was.

"Okay May, so what if you had to bail your friends out because they forgot their lunches, or even that the school board jacked up the prices out of nowhere. You are a smart shopper, and you can accomplish anything if you want to."

Her self-mutter and a pat to the chest later, May walked with a bit more confidence in her step, her shoes clacking against the floor with a bit of extra oomph.

It was no problem. She'd just have to cut a few corners. Her friends would understand. If she did that it left plenty of money for Dad, Mom, and Max, and..

Remembering she had paternal relatives made her returned enthusiasm deflate as she took one final triumphant step, standing still as the weight of the problem returned to her all at once.

Who'd she have to disappoint? Who'd she have to skimp out on? Maybe she could just explain and ask for some replacement money...

'May, I am proud of you for doing the right thing and helping your friends out on. As your father I couldn't be prouder of you! However as your father I also need to educate you on how all actions, even the right ones, have consequences. So I sadly can't give you any more money, but be free to skimp out on me so I can keep the lesson in mind too. Papapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapa!'

Why did that conversation in her head lead to her father laughing like one of the characters in those manga she read?

That would probably be how it went, laugh or not. Though the idea of not giving her father the best present felt wrong. It was wrong.

"Hey there little miss. You look like you could use a bit more spendin' money?"

Her attention was taken out of her mind and towards a store that wasn't quite as flashy and advertisement-rich as the clothing and accesory stores that mostly populated the mall. It was a simple convenience store, unremarkable and a tad rough looking, and where a middle-aged man with greasy hair and a bit of a gut was waving her over.

Had he not called her over, she'd have kept walking.

"I don't have time for a job."

She really didn't. This last year was murder to deal with, and she didn't have time for a job on top of it all.

He shook his head at her clear remark, quite unperturbed.

"Oh no no no little miss. I'm not offerin' you anything, I'm selling ya it."

He held out a flat sheet of paper with a bold and aggressive font on top loudly declaring BIG WINNINGS. It was just like what was in the windows, but with a few less red and green seasonal colors.

She knew exactly what it was, and the exact problem with it.

"I'm not old enough to buy a lottery ticket."

People thinking she was older than she was, for two specific reasons, was entertaining once. Flattering even. Then it started to get old.

She was fourteen, and people never seemed to catch that. Not the Magikarp salesmen, not people visiting the gym, no one.

Should she dress younger so people would get it? Perhaps something really pink and frilly. Or something to make it clearer.

The man seemed taken aback by her age statement, and she caught his eyes dart down once in disbelief, but he recovered quickly enough.

"These aren' tickets, they are scratch cards. You scratch a card, and you can win. Not lottery big, but a few hundred bucks a 'noth I think for a fourteen year old."

They were pretty cheap to buy, but she didn't have a lot of money on hand. Blowing a couple of bucks a scratch card for little chance would be dumb, though she then saw the salesrack with the cards on them.

Only a single dollar, and as she looked at the cards she felt a tingling feeling.

The sort that she'd often get when playing crane games with her friends. The feeling when it was just right to click the button, and get herself a new plushie.

She felt her worries begin to melt away.

"Sure, one couldn't hurt. I mean that's not going to make or break anything."

The greasy man nodded eagerly as she entered the store, watching her with anticipation as she approached the card wrack.

"So, will be five, or seven..."

She plucked one card out of the way, then a second and third, before her finger rested on the fourth one.

A card that seemed a bit bluer than the others, one that made her body tingle like static electricity just by holding it.

She replaced the first cards she took and held out the single card.

"Nope, this one is enough."

He looked at her like she was an ignorant child, probably much younger than she actually was, but he took her cash regardless as she took out a coin and scratched at it.

He stopped looking at her as if she was some sweet summer child, and stared at her in disbelief, as what the scratching coin revealed.

First one, than two, and finally three red sevens.

"I win."

She smiled even as the man stared at her in stunned disbelief, his jaw hanging wide open and exposing a few blackened teeth. Though she did give him credit for not doing something like shouting she cheated or something petty like that.

She was May, the luckiest girl in Petalburg. The best at crane games, the best at board games. The one with the best father in the world and a good and honest person.

And now the one with all the money she'd need to get the best Christmas presents she could in Petalburg before seeing the world beyond next year.

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Viroro-kun

Looking back to it, he never really spent time to appreciate all the effort that went into preparing Six Island for Christmas. Every single home was lit up with festive lights, and right in the middle of the town's central plaza stood a giant, well-decorated Christmas tree, around which several families were gathering to spend time together. It may not have been the biggest of the Sevii Islands, or even that big of a place in general, but it still managed to make the place feel warm and welcoming.

Rosso sighed, adjusting his winter coat. The fact he was only appreciating such a thing now said a lot of how much he belonged to his hometown.

He traded glances with Electabuzz, Scyther and Machoke, all standing near the rock he was sitting on, their gazes fixated on the lone town of the island, shivering just a bit. They probably could've used a visit to the Pokémon Center and a cup of hot chocolate, and they deserved it after all their training.

Rosso clenched his fists, his attention going back to the central plaza. The place was bustling with life, everyone going through their own preparations for the coming holidays, and almost all of them wore a smile on their faces. The same smiles he destroyed himself for his own amusement, using 'going all out' as just an excuse for his own cowardice and insecurities. Treating weaker opponents as his punching bags to feel stronger.

He turned away, trying not to dwell too much on the people he hurt. And that was when he heard some sounds of clash, not too far from where he was.

"Use Gust!"

"Dodge it and use Drill Beak!"

The familiar voices snapped Rosso and his Pokémon to attention, quickly looking over a more remote part of the clearing. It was only then that he noticed the old man and the young kid with glasses facing each other, recognizing them as the old man Unsho and his grandson Shige.

They seemed to be in the middle of a sparring match, with Unsho's Fearow running circles around Shige's little Pidgey. The match was more than a bit lopsided, and Pidgey would've never stood a chance against a Pokémon with Fearow's experience.

And yet, the boy and his Flying-type didn't seem worried or deterred. He still tried to attack whenever it could, using Gusts to force Fearow to go where he could hit him, and employing a variety of clever tricks. They were never enough to actually gain an advantage, but they were more than enough for Unsho to beam with pride all the way through. Even when Pidgey ultimately fell down out of exhaustion, neither Shige nor Unsho changed demeanors as they recalled their Pokémon and praised their performance. They put their Balls aside and closed the distance between each other.

"You're doing very well. I'm sure you'll become a great trainer." He patted Shige's shoulder, a proud grin on his face.

Shige smiled back at his older relative, pumping his fist. "I will! I'll be even stronger than you and Red in the future!"

Grandson and granfather continued to enjoy their little moment together, way happier than they had been for a long while. Rosso continued to look after them, unsure of what to say or think.

Rosso could feel the stare of his Pokémon bearing into him, and even without turning towards them he knew what they wanted to say. He could've tried to make amends, to apologize for his actions, to prove that he wanted to be a better person. It was that time of the year, after all.

The trainer passed a hand over his face, then sighed and stared downwards. It would've been nice for the stupid, selfish idiot to find redemption and acceptance, and he knew Unsho and Shige were very good people anyway.

His gaze went back to the twosome, lingering on them for far longer than he wished. After more than enough, he stood up and gestured at his Pokémon to follow.

He looked towards Unsho and Shige once again, gulping, trying to think of what to do. And then, he exhaled and turned the other way, towards the Seagallop Ferry harbor and away from everyone in his hometown. The only true way to ensure a good Christmas in Six Island without ruining anyone's day after how he acted towards the inhabitants.

Even if Christmas was a time of miracles, he really didn't deserve any.

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BRANDON369

"A toast to Christmas! A toast to piracy! A toast to Captain Crook!"

Partying and drinking nonstop, a pirate's life was certainly lively, even more when you were part of Captain Crook's crew. The Captain was a smart guy, even when it came to celebrate the holidays. While other idiots would go celebrate Christmas in icy places and get their asses frozen solid, Crook's pirates celebrated on a small island south of Mandarin he had discovered himself. It was a tropical deserted island, full of fruit and some Farfetch'd flocks, a hideout for his most valuable treasures and the perfect place for a warm and relaxing Christmas.

"Alright, you swabbies!" The Captain raised his hug, getting the crew's attention. "Let's drink to another glorious year for our pirate crew! Bring in the rum!"

For the first time in quite a while, Captain Crook was happy. He had always enjoyed the Christmas holidays, since his honorable father, may he rest in peace, had taught him everything about it.

At least until that accursed flying Bloodliner turned him into Feraligatr snack.

He had decided; that night he'd get drunk along with his crew on that tropical island, and they'd party until dawn. Nothing could ruin his good mood…

"Oi Captain... You think we should send the Phantom a Christmas card? Maybe he'll forgive us for losing our booty to that Hiker. He could even give us a ship. We need a new ship, remember?"

Sure, nothing could ruin his good mood... except for that dumbass Scuz.

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Fox McCloude

A raging blizzard was all over, and she was lucky enough to reach the shelter before it hit in full force. Asuka Jouda was a strong woman and an experienced traveler, but even she knew better than to challenge nature itself. Then again, she had ventured quite high into Mt. Silver to take the shortest path, but the weather seemed to disagree, at least on that particular day.

A pity, really, but she couldn't make it to Kanto in time to celebrate Christmas with her husband and son, and she was stuck there until the weather improved. As much as it hurt, she'd have to wait until the storm had passed.

As she downed some hot chocolate from her thermos, her cellphone beeped. The woman pulled it out to find alerts of several photos her husband had sent her, of him and their son attending a grand party.

"Oh, that's right. They told me the Fisher Clan had invited them to celebrate."

She wished she could have made it in time. When she made that brief stop in Matcha City and met with Akira, she was pleased to see he had found some good company for his journey, even more as she was such a charming young lady.

"Hmm? What do we have here?"

The woman stopped for a bit to check one of the photos. It had tagged Akira and the young Fisher daughter, Jeanette… while they both were kissing under the mistletoe. Then she checked the next one: taken right after the kiss, her son was stretching his hand towards the camera with his face full of embarrassment. Behind him, despite the blush on her cheeks, Jeanette was giggling in amusement. Jin's comments below read: "Couldn't let you miss this. Merry Christmas, honey".

"Of course, darling." She quickly typed a reply. "Thanks for the photos. If everything goes well, we'll meet for New Year's Eve. Love you both, Merry Christmas".

She clicked the Send button and stared outside the window. The storm was still raging on, but not as hard as a few hours ago when she arrived. She'd be able to continue her trip tomorrow and meet with her family soon enough. Until then, no matter where she was, her thoughts would always be with them.

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Viroro-kun

"Merry Christmas, Meteor Village! Let's make this a great one!"

Ryuga hopped over one of the many rocks of the cave and held his banjo skyward with a huge grin, before he started to strum it with as much ferocity and lack of musical skills as he could, all while yelling in tones no humans should be able to reach in a very bad approximation of some festive Sootopolitan song.

Zinnia bit her lip to held back the urge to yell at him, all while the Elder, Aster and several other Draconids were observing the kid with mild to overt curiosity as he kept making a fool of himself with the most stupid grin on his face.

After bravely attempting to withstand the acoustic torture, the Lorekeeper finally walked to Ryuga and ripped the banjo off his hands, giving him a stern glare all the while.

"We Draconids don't celebrate Christmas, you should know that." She folded her arms, still keeping the dreadful instrument out of the boy's hands. That didn't stop him from trying to jump and grab it again, of course.

"But the outside world does it, and we need to be prepared for anything on our adventure! Right, Swablu?" Ryuga asked in-between jumps. His faithful Flying-type nodded along, before it tried to grab the banjo from Zinnia's hands as well.

Much to the Lorekeeper's suprise, the Swablu managed to snag the banjo out of Zinnia's hold and toss it back to his trainer, whom barely managed to grab it before he held it to the sky like a sword and placed his free hand over his chest in pledge. "As a brave Draconid warrior, I'll be able to withstand any holiday the outside world throws at me! No matter how weird or convoluted to celebrate!"

No one, not even the little crowd of Draconids forming around them, really knew what to say. Zinnia crooked an eyebrow at him, and Ryuga grumbled and turned the other way, scratching his neck.

"I mean, there's a chance I can meet up with Sawyer, or that Stone guy, or any other Sootopolitan there." The boy folded his arms, his grin back on his face. "I can't afford to give a bad impression of our tribe, right?"

"I guess." Zinnia shrugged, really not getting him. For his part, Ryuga's stupid grin only grew wider.

"Let's celebrate, then! We can afford to do something new for this year!" He prepared himself to play the banjo again, turning around to rush at an even bigger rock with a far better view of the village. "Come on, everyone! Sing with me!"

The boy rushed and hopped over the rock, going back to act like an idiot and badly butchering other Christmas songs he barely seemed to even know as he kept smashing the strings of his banjo. Zinnia quickly rubbed her forehead, exhaling and shaking her head. "I can't wait for his departure at this point. He's insufferable."

"I find him pretty charming, personally." The Elder smirked, propping up Aster and letting her see the impromptu performance. "With all the bad blood between Draconids and Sootopolitans, it's nice to see someone like him and his friend."

"He'll just get hurt like the fool he is, you know that." Zinnia stared down at her grandmother.

The Elder chuckled out. "I think our 'brave Draconid warrior' is good enough to manage."

Zinnia didn't reply to the older Draconid, her attention going back to the younger kid. He was still continuing to embarass himself further, but he had somehow managed to grab the attention of most of their tribesmates as he kept singing, even managing to beckon them to sing and dance with him in celebration, with some of them even taking up the offer. The awkward festive feeling only continued to grow from there, and Zinnia was surprised to find herself tapping her foot at the singing's awful rhythm along the way.

That wasn't lost on the Elder, as she paced closer with Aster and looked back at the kid. "Shall we join the celebrations?"

Zinnia continued to stare at Ryuga instead of replying. At least, until she grumbled in defeat.

"Not like we've got anything better to do."

The Elder smiled, and Zinnia reluctantly followed her grandmother and her daughter towards the little awkward celebration, which had now brought the entire Meteor Village together around their most boneheaded kid.

And yet, seeing everyone singing and dancing together happily, a brief smile lit up Zinnia's face. Maybe, just maybe, she was gonna miss that stupid boy after all.

----------------------------------------

Fox McCloude

"Hah! Hah! Hyah!"

Anybody could use the training post for kicking practice. But only Maylene would so on a snowy day, and with her usual training garb of blue and black leotard and baggy white pants.

By some miracle, she had endured two hours outdoors, and she was trying to break her record. However, she finally reached her limit after her five hundred forty-seven kick to the post. She fell to her knees, having to quickly rub her bare shoulders.

"Brrr… too cold…"

She then felt a winter coat gently falling on her, covering her from the icy air. As she glanced above her shoulder she saw a very familiar smiling face, albeit with a slight frown.

"It's Christmas Eve and you're still training? In this cold no less?"

"Hey, Reggie," she greeted him, ignoring his worried tone.

The girl got back on her feet as she held the dark brown coat. She still felt the cold floor on her bare feet, but it didn't bother her. Training had hardened her feet's soles so much that she could withstand it.

"Really, this would only occur to you," Reggie said as he placed his hands on his hips. "If I didn't know better, I'd believe you'd walk in those clothes all the way to Snowpoint."

"Don't give me ideas, I might just do that one day," she replied with a challenging smirk.

Reggie sighed. "Look, I know you're a tough girl, but you might get sick one day if you don't look after yourself."

"I'm fine. I'm used to the... a-a-achooo!"

"You were saying?"

Maylene rolled her eyes as she rubbed her nose, pouting slightly at Reggie's I-told-you-so expression. Still, she still had one or two things to say in her defense.

"Reggie, I might not look like it, but I can take care of myself. I was about to go in anyway right now. You don't need to worry about me."

"We're friends, I'm supposed to worry about you," he replied.

"Are you treating me like this because Paul is not around?" she asked as she folded her arms under the coat.

Reggie didn't answer, but he looked away. She had hit the bullseye: Reggie was probably feeling lonely because his little brother wasn't in town. Seeing his expression, the Gym Leader softened her expression.

"Sorry, I guess that was a low blow."

"No, you're right," Reggie replied as he placed his hands in his pockets.. "We've spent Christmas together since Mom died. Not that he likes it too much, but at least… we had each other as family, you know."

Maylene nodded. "Yeah, I can sympathize. Tanimoto-sensei and the rest of the students went to spend their holidays with their families, and since my dad's too busy at the slot machines, I'm actually really bored here by myself."

"Is that why you're training in this cold? Then good thing I came, you might have frozen if I didn't arrive earlier."

"Did you just come to rub that in my face?"

"Of course not. To be honest… I was wondering if you'd like to come over for dinner. Force of habit, I cooked for two, but since Paul isn't here…"

Reggie looked away as he scratched the back of his neck, and Maylene's demeanor softened again. It wasn't like she had anything better to do. Sometimes she felt Reggie was too nice for his own good, and he needed somebody he could be nice to. Maybe that was why he acted like a big brother worried by his little sister towards her.

Of course, that wasn't a bad thing in the least. Plus, she would feel bad rejecting the invite... and her rumbling stomach made the choice for her anyway.

"Well, since we're both alone, we might just be alone together," she said. "Mind if I go change first, though? I don't want to be seen outside with this thing on."

"What, don't you like my winter coat?"

"It's not that I don't like it, but you're a couple sizes bigger than me, remember?" She pointed at the coat's lower edge, dragging on the floor.

Reggie gave a hearty chuckle, and Maylene immediately went inside the gym to get her own winter garb. Even if Reggie's coat was pretty warm and she could have easily gone with him wearing it, she didn't want to be seen like that on Veilstone's streets. If people didn't know her actual age, they'd probably think she was a child with a coat too big for her.

In any case, at least she wouldn't have to spend Christmas Eve alone and bored at the gym.

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BRANDON369

Christmas was just around the corner, meaning the Cinnabar Gym Leader was pretty busy. Like every year, many trainers came over for a last minute challenge before closing for the holidays.

"Houndour, finish with Flamethrower!"

The canine Pokémon fired a flaming torrent that roasted his foe, causing it to faint.

"Wailmer is unable to battle," the robot referee said aloud across the gym. "The challenger is out of Pokémon, victory is for the Gym Leader, Blaine."

Another battle was over, so Blaine saw his challenger out and saw the clock: he still had a couple hours left before closing time. As he turned around towards his robot, he realized one year had passed, but he still hadn't gotten used to it. He missed having his granddaughter to referee his matches and congratulating him afterwards.

But she wasn't there anymore, she was out seeing the world and living her own adventure. In fact, he had begun using that robot a few months ahead because he wanted her to leave on her journey without any worries about him.

It would be the first Christmas he'd spend without Alish around, and to be honest, he wasn't sure what to do. Things like the Christmas dinner or the gifts weren't nowhere near as fun when you were alone. Neither could he ask his lab assistants to stay around for Christmas; they had their own families. At that rate, all Blaine could think about was to spend Christmas studying those essays about Bloodliners Professor Oak had asked him to check.

Right then, someone else entered the Gym. Blaine was about to get ready for his next battle, but the new arrival wasn't exactly a challenger. He was an old man wearing glasses and traditional Hoennian garb.

"Blaine, old buddy! I see you're still looking good!"

Blaine quickly recognized him, pleasantly surprised to see him there. "Well, well, if it isn't my old pal Moore. Does a former Elite Four want to challenge my humble gym?"

Both old men chuckled as they hugged each other. "What are you doing so far away from Hoenn?"

"Just on vacation. I promised Flannery I'd take her to a warm place abroad to spend our holidays." Moore paused before he continued. "Though almost all hotels in Cinnabar are full, but then I recalled my old rival runs his own inn, so..."

"Rest easy, there's always room here for an old friend." Blaine gave him a challenging smirk. "As long as you can solve a few of my riddles."

Moore smirked back at him. "Of course, as long as you're willing to listen to some of my poetry."

Both old men laughed out loud, and they spent the rest of the afternoon chatting. Fortunately, no more challengers came that day.

It'd be fun to have Moore and his granddaughter staying at his inn for the holidays. Maybe that wouldn't be such a boring Christmas after all.

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Viroro-kun

Among the Maple family, there was no doubt that Max was among the most intelligent and studious of all of them. And with the wealth of knowledge he had, he was able to find the perfect Christmas gift for his sister.

As he wrapped the unboxed phone charger in the appropriate fashion, Max adjusted his glasses and grinned to himself. May had a weakness for cute things and often used her phone to talk with her friends, and as such, a Pokémon-shaped USB charger was the perfect mix of cuteness and practicality for May to love it. And best of all, it was pretty cheap to buy.

The kid chuckled to himself, proudly holding the gift as he knocked over the door of May's room. There was no way his plan could backfire now.

"One moment, I'm talking!" his sister said. Max groaned as he heard her talk on the phone, but still remained there in wait. May could be insufferable and annoying more than a few times, but she was still his sister and she deserved a good gift on Christmas at least. He just hoped she wouldn't take forever to end the call this time.

As he remained in wait, however, he heard his sister explode into histerical laughter. Curious, Max pressed his ear over the door, managing to make out enough words of what his sister was saying.

"No way, really? He gave her one of those chargers shaped like a Pokémon? The ones that get the plug right on the butt?" May laughed even harder. "I can't believe it! That's more than embarassing! I hope that didn't ruin their relationship, I would never want someone to give me stuff like that even as a gift!"

Max froze, his attention going back towards the charger he had wrapped. One with an USB-shaped hole right where its rump should've been.

Crud.

Alarmed, the boy turned around and strode away with long steps, putting the gift away and running through other options. Sure, it was already Christmas, but maybe he could've-

The creaking sound of an opened door stopped Max on his tracks, and the youngest Maple turned around to find May looking at him. He started to sweat, shifting his hands to hide the gift further.

"What's up, Max?" May walked closer to him, head tilted.

Max gulped, trying to step away. "Uhm, well-"

Unfortunately, as he did so, he lost the grip on the gift and the wrapped item fell down the floor. He tried to catch it, only for May to be faster. She took the gift, and smiled as she saw it.

"Oh, is this for me? Thanks!" She started to unwrap it immediately, the heinous charger making itself known.

Max's heart skipped a beat, trying to grab the gift back. "Wait up! It's-"

His efforts were for nothing as all the wrapping fell on the floor, revealing the Pikachu-shaped charger in all its unfortunate glory.

May blinked, trying to discern what it was, with a glimpse in her eyes that made clear she recognized it. "Uhm, is this-"

"It's a... it's a desk ornament!" Max blurted out, gulping once again as he continued to sweat profusely, all while May continued to scrutinize her gift.

She seemed confused by his remark, even more so when she went back to checking it and its underside. "Why does it have a-"

"It has a special stand that sort of looks like an USB charger! I'm looking to find it still, but I wasn't able to yet!"

May continued to study the 'desk ornament', squinting and trying to fit it with Max's description. The boy waited anxiously for her answer, trying to think of half a dozen other explanations of it. And then, May shrugged and smiled.

"Well, it's pretty cute!" She tackled her brother into a hug, taking Max by surprise. "Thanks a lot! And Merry Christmas!"

"Y-Yeah, Merry Christmas to you too." After a long pause, Max awkwardly hugged his sister back. After a little while, the two separated and May closed the door behind herself, finally putting an end to that embarassing moment.

Max finally managed to breath again as he fell on the floor, heart racing wildly as he slowly calmed himself down. That was enough of a close call, but he managed to resolve everything in time, and that was what mattered.

Now, he just needed to find something to pass off as the 'desk ornament''s stand somehow...

----------------------------------------

BRANDON369

This Christmas Eve would be different from his usual ones. In the past years, he'd spend it in some cave or mountain, drinking some punch with his Pokémon to celebrate the holidays. And yet, this year he was in a hotel room.

For a man people called "the Hiker", this was an unusual situation. He hadn't slept in a hotel for years, and yet there he was. The reason? This time he was spending the Christmas holidays in the company of a little yet very smart girl, Mizu.

When he found out his little companion had never celebrated Christmas and had no clue what that celebration was about, the Hiker took it upon himself to show her how great it was. The plan was simple: they'd stop by a hotel to turn in for the night and while Mizu watched the Christmas specials on TV, he'd go off to buy her some gifts.

Everything went smoothly. He had gotten the presents: a new canteen, a pair of Pokédolls, and an action figure of the new series starring Brad Van Darn. Anything a girl would want for Christmas.

He made sure to hide the presents inside his backpack and then entered the room. Luckily for him, she was distracted watching TV as she drank a glass of water.

"Mister Hiker, you're back." The girl stood up to greet him.

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"Saw anything interesting, Mizu?"

"Well, this box is teaching me a lot of things about Christmas." The girl pointed at the TV with a smile. "Though Kooky was too tired, so he went to sleep."

"Maybe you should go sleep too. Remember, if you were a nice girl, Santa Claus will bring you presents. You don't want him to find you awake, do you?" Seeing his companion's thoughtful expression, the Hiker realized something. "You know who Santa Claus is, right?"

"Well, according to the box, he's an old man who travels around the world giving toys." The Hiker nodded, and Mizu continued. "But there's something I don't understand. How does he travel across the entire planet in a single night? You told me the world is pretty big. How can he travel around so many places that fast?"

The Hiker found himself split. How could he answer that question? He didn't expect to have that talk with Mizu so quickly, especially when she was so young to begin questioning Santa's existence. The Hiker himself believed in it until he was fifteen, and he couldn't let the little girl lose her faith so early.

Fortunately, his swift mind found the perfect answer.

"You see, Mizu, Santa Claus can travel across the world very fast because…" The girl stared at him intrigued, curious to know the answer. "Because he is... a Bloodliner."

Silence fell between them for a few seconds. The Hiker trembled slightly, thinking his answer hadn't worked. However, Mizu's smile quickly dissipated his worries.

"I see, so Santa Claus is like me. That makes sense."

The Hiker had to fight the urge to sigh in relief. That had been a close call. Now, if she didn't have any more questions, they could finally…

"But if that's the case, why does he fly in that sleigh-thing? And how do those Pokémon pulling it fly through the air?"

And so, his worries came back full force. He had to think fast if he didn't want to sound like a liar. Maybe it was time to bring back the memories of all Christmas episodes he saw on TV as a kid.

With luck, the magic of Christmas would help him through this little pinch.

----------------------------------------

Fox McCloude

Not many girls would choose the softball stadium as a date spot, unless they were into it. One of the pluses of having a boyfriend who was a sports buff himself, Whitney thought, and Roderick seemed to agree.

Having volunteered to coach the junior league team, Whitney had to attend their first official match, and right now they were leaving the stadium just after the victory celebration. Though before leaving, she gave the kids some surprise gifts as a reward for their hard training, plus they were near Christmas and all.

"Those kids really love you. Sorry you had to break their hearts by introducing me."

Whitney just shrugged. "Ah, they're kids, they'll get over it in no time."

It was no secret that the kids adored Whitney as much as she adored them, and more than a few had crushes on her. Even if she couldn't return them, she appreciated it, especially considering her previous luck at getting dates.

At least until she met Roderick, almost one year ago. She'd never forget when she found him freezing on Goldenrod's streets and carried him all the way to her home. One thing led to another, and he ended up moving in and now he worked part-time at her farm.

Ironically, many of the same men who previously rejected her were now wondering what she saw in him. Well, for starters, his height, dark hair and blue eyes fit the description of a rather good-looking young man. He was also nice, hard-working, and surely enough much sweeter than any jerk who couldn't stand having a girlfriend who was stronger, more athletic or better trainer than him. Not to mention he always knew how to make her laugh.

"So then, what's the plan for tomorrow?" Roderick asked.

"The usual, Uncle Milton asked us to get the ingredients for our Christmas dinner." She then pulled out her phone. "But first, how about a little kiss for a selfie?"

"But we're not under the mistletoe."

"Does that matter?"

"Hmm… no, I guess not."

They both chuckled, and immediately brought their lips together for a sweet kiss while pressed the button to snap the photo. Plus, it'd be great to send a postcard to Lady Dragonbreath, and remind her who did have a boyfriend to share her holidays.

Last year, her Christmas had been great, sure, but this year it'd be downright special.

----------------------------------------

Viroro-kun

"Hello, Tracey!"

As he heard the familiar voice in the middle of the Hearthome street he was waiting in, the Pokémon Watcher turned around towards it. A short distance away from him, he saw a rather scruffy-looking kid running towards him, hand raised in salute, a Trubbish at his side. He still dressed exactly like the last time they saw each other in person, and the boy wore the biggest grin on his face as he got closer.

Tracey smiled back, arms folded as the boy stopped right ahead of him. "You look good, Minu."

"Thanks! Me and Trubbish have been doing our best here." Minu grabbed his Pokémon and hold him tightly, then pumped his free fist. "We're almost ready to become proper trainers here!"

"I'm sure you'll be great."

"I'll try." Minu chuckled out, before shifting closer to his friend. "So, how's been your work for the artist thing?"

"Way too busy." Tracey exhaled and rubbed his neck, his attention going towards a drawn poster at the entrance of the Contest Hall. "Turns out there are far more requests for official illustrators than I imagined."

"But it's the fun kind of busy."

Tracey grinned. "Of course."

"That's the important thing." Minu smiled back again. He then placed Trubbish down, and quickly rummaged inside his tattered coat. "Oh, by the way! Here, Merry Christmas!"

The former street urchin produced an envelope and placed it on Tracey's hands. The Pokémon Watcher quirked an eyebrow in curiosity as the boy continued to stare at him, twitching in wait. The artist opened it immediately, and what he found inside was a drawing of two crudely put together pictures that sort of vaguely resembled himself, Minu and their Pokémon if one squinted.

Tracey blinked at it. "This is..."

"A remade version of one of my first drawings, yeah." Minu turned his head now, scratching his cheek and blushing in embarassment. "It's a bit better, right?"

The man didn't immediately answer, his attention going back to the picture. However, he gave an approving smile to his friend soon after.

"It's still a bit rough, but I can tell you put all your passion in this. Great work."

Minu beamed in response, bowing with joy. "Thank you! I know I'm not a great artist or anything, but I hope to draw as well as you do one day!"

"I'm sure you will." Tracey put the drawing back in the envelope and placed it inside his bag, only to take out a small wrapped box of his own. "And this one is my gift for you."

Minu tilted his head at the box, quickly grabbing and unwrapping it on the spot. Once Tracey's gift was on full display, Minu went wide-eyed.

Tracey smiled as the boy continued to stare at the blue flip-top device in disbelief. "No way, this is-"

"The latest model of PokéGear. It's good to have one when you travel a lot, and I thought you probably couldn't afford one easily."

Minu continued to stare at the phone device, unable to hold back his huge grin. However, he turned back to Tracey with a heavy scowl almost immediately, staring down at him. "You didn't need to. It must've costed you a fortune!"

"I'm getting a good pay recently, I can afford it."

"Way to make my gift look underwhelming, here." Minu rolled his eyes as he placed the gift away, but his scowl quickly melted away as a sly grin replaced it. "Well, that doesn't matter. I had another gift in mind anyway."

Tracey gave him a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

"I found the best hill of the whole town yesterday. Perfect for some artistic picture." Minu giggled, grabbing Tracey's hand. "Come with me, I'm gonna lead the way to it!"

The boy started running towards the city's outskirts right after while dragging the artist with him, with his Trubbish keeping pace with them. Tracey was surprised and took a bit to settle on the pace, but quickly smiled back at the boy's enthusiasm. "If you found it, it's bound to be a good place."

"You bet! I have a reputation as a guide to uphold, here!" Minu grinned once more, with just a hint of smugness. "Prepare your pencils, because you'll love it!"

Tracey laughed out at that, looking forward to where the boy was leading him towards. Minu could be unpredictable at times, but that only made the artist more happy to call him his friend.

----------------------------------------

BRANDON369

Flareon was still a young Pokémon, but he had come to know many interesting things, thanks to his trainer Alish.

One of them was Christmas. He still recalled that party he had spent with Alish and her grandfather. It had been really fun, and made his trainer quite lively.

That was exactly why he had noticed that, despite being around Christmas, his trainer didn't look as happy as she was that time. On the contrary, she seemed melancholic as she walked towards the next Pokémon Center. They had to get there before nightfall.

"Alish, can I ask something?"

"What's the matter, Flareon?"

"Are you... sad?"

Alish stopped his walk, clearly surprised at his sudden question. She then kneeled down to look at him in the eye.

"Don't worry, Flareon. I'm not sad, just... thinking about some things."

"What things?"

"This is the first Christmas I'll spend away from Grandpa. The first Christmas since I began my journey." The redhead sighed. "How do trainers spend their holidays traveling away in foreign regions?"

"Well…" Flareon tried to answer, but he didn't have a single clue.

"Maybe it would be better if I traveled in company. Like Misty and the others…" Alish sighed again. "I miss Grandpa."

True, the last time they had seen her grandfather was when she challenged him before leaving Kanto. He could still recall that defeat. "Maybe you shouldn't have challenged him for an instant entry to the Pokémon League?"

"Well, I wanted to test our skills, and the Cerulean Gym was shut down. Come to think of it, the Water-type gym in this region isn't that much of a big deal either." The redhead became thoughtful once more. "That's it, next year we're going to Hoenn! I've heard they've got a great Water-type gym there."

"Let's hope we'll do better there than with your grandpa."

Flareon thought that little jab would lift his trainer's spirits, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.

"I wanted to show Grandpa what I had learned during my journey. I knew I couldn't win, but I wanted to leave a good impression." The trainer sat on the ground to rest for a bit. "We couldn't even beat even one of his Pokémon."

"Hey, don't be so harsh on yourself. Besides, didn't he congratulate you for training me well?"

Flareon hoped this time he could get his friend to cheer up, but seeing her turning all red, breathing slowly to contain her Overheat, he realized he still didn't make it.

"Flareon, do you think I'm a good trainer?" Alish glanced at him, a few tears almost coming out of her eyes. "I was supposed to become a Fire-type Master, yet I only have five Pokémon and still haven't gotten the full potential out of any of them. At this point, Ash Ketchum had a Charizard able to fight on equal ground against Grandpa's strongest Pokémon."

"Alish, you'll be a great trainer, the strongest of all! But that takes time. Remember what your grandfather said, it's not enough to have a bunch of Fire-types, you need to train them all individually and bring out their inner power. You just need to keep doing your best."

"Thanks Flareon." His trainer smiled at him. "You're right. I'll turn you into the strongest Flareon in the world. I'll even surpass my idols."

"Now you're talking!"

The redhead stood up and pumped her fists. "I'll show everybody! I'll be stronger than Ash Ketchum! More powerful than Flint Oba! Even better than the legendary Koa!"

Alish was so excited that she almost let out an Overheat, again. Fortunately, she calmed down and managed to breathe.

Meanwhile, Flareon smiled in satisfaction. He was glad Alish was back to her usual self. And no matter the cold weather around them, he still felt his inner flames burning inside. His trainer had a dream, and he would do his best to help her reach it no matter what.

Their next Christmas, they'd be celebrating their victories together.

----------------------------------------

Viroro-kun

As he strode through the decorated walkways of Rustboro City, Steven took a deep breath, basking in the festive cheer as he adjusted his winter coat. Between League commitments and filling in for his father at the Devon Corporation he barely had any time for himself or his Pokémon recently, and as such any single moment of quiet he could gain was one he had learned to treasure.

He tried to ignore the passerbys pointing at him and taking pictures and simply focused on the moment. He didn't have any particular plans for Christmas beyond spending time with Wallace and the Elite Four once work was over, and beyond looking into some gifts there wasn't much occupying his mind.

That was, until he heard a quite familiar voice shouting commands.

"Now, dodge it and use Take Down! Bagon, try to avoid it!"

Steven stopped and turned around to a nearby park, finding a familiar green-haired boy wearing a yellow winter coat directing a shiny Beldum and a Bagon to fight each other, dodging and cornering each other in an attempt to strike at their foe. They hit hard and fast, yet continued to dodge at the last second, in a rough but constantly improving exchange of blows. All the while, a small Treecko observed from the sidelines with bright eyes.

The shiny Pokémon and the Dragon-type continued to fight for several more minutes, until they were finally too tired to do anything more and fell to the ground. Sawyer rushed to their side, producing a pair of Super Potions and nursing his trusty Pokémon back to health with a smile on his face.

Steven smiled, and approached the boy while clapping enthusiastically.

"Pretty impressive for someone without a training license," he said.

Sawyer snapped back to attention, turning around to Steven. He froze in place and went wide-eyed, straightening himself in shock. "Mr. Stone?"

"It's nice to meet you again, Sawyer." The Champion smiled, studying all three of the boy's Pokémon. "I see you're keeping both of your Pokémon in top shape. And I see that you've got one more."

"Well, unofficially." Sawyer gave a sheepish grin, sinking inside his coat. "Professor Birch told me I could take care of him for now, but I still can't actually train him until my studies are over. We're looking forward to it, however!"

Steven chuckled, his attention going back to the Treecko as he climbed over Sawyer's shoulder. He was glad to see that Birch took his recommendation to heart and allowed Sawyer to get his starter early, even if still within limits. After their scuffle with Team Zenith, the Champion had grown quite interested in seeing Sawyer's potential blossom in full.

He folded his arms, proudly looking over the kid. "Your enthusiasm is the hallmark of a good trainer."

"I'm not that great, really." He hung his head low for just a second, then pumped his fists in excitement. "Plus, Wally is far beyond me, even with just a Gallade. I can't afford to slack off while he recovers!"

Steven didn't say anything, simply smiling again. He knew better than most people how a rivalry could push trainers to do their best, even under the unusual circumstances Wally and Sawyer found themselves in. And considering that Wally had a massive headstart with his attempt at a journey, maybe there was something he could do to tip the scales.

The Champion grabbed his Metagross' Poké Ball, his smile wider. "How about a fight with me, then? I want to see how you've improved directly."

If Sawyer wasn't shocked before, he definitely appeared to be now, eyes even wider and jaw hanging open.

"Me, fighting the Champion?" He pointed to himself in utter disbelief. Steven nodded back.

"It's only through great hurdles that a trainer can truly earn experience," the man said, tossing and catching his starter's Poké Ball.

Sawyer looked over his three Pokémon, and a face-splitting grin dominated his face as he noded vigorously. "Sure! We're ready to gain as much valuable experience as we can!"

"Very well." Steven's smile grew just a tad more confident as he turned around to lead the way. "Better leave for the outskirts now, however."

"Why, Mr. Stone? This park is pretty good for practice." Sawyer scratched his head, observing the wide-open area they were currently in.

Steven adjusted his winter coat and turned down to whisper at the boy. "Let's just say I may have some... obligations to elude."

Sawyer didn't quite understand, but as both he and Steven noticed a quite angry-looking secretary snooping around the road, they both resolved to train somewhere less conspicous and as quickly as possible.

All the while, Steven smiled as he led the way for Sawyer. There were few things that he liked more than helping the next generation, and if it gave him a reason to put off the evil paperwork, that only made that Christmas even better.

----------------------------------------

Fox McCloude

Like Cheryl's grandfather used to say, Christmas was a time to share a bit of your stuff with your closest friends.

After going through so many troubles to find the Enchanted Honey, it seemed fair enough to put it to good use, and what better use than preparing some delicious Christmas desserts? Right now, she was heading for the Eterna Gym with a cake for her best friend.

After crossing the doors, she quickly took notice that the Gym Leader hadn't spared any efforts to decorate her place. She truly had been thorough to create the proper atmosphere for the holidays. Then again, almost everybody in town did so, especially when it came to the Christmas trees.

"Gardenia? Gardenia, are you here?"

As she didn't get any response, Cheryl just walked inside to check the battlefield, in case she was there. And indeed, she was, but…

"Gardenia, I've brought some… GARDENIA!"

The Gym Leader had her head stuck into the mouth of a large Carnivine, who seemed to enjoy munching on her. Cheryl dropped the box with the cake and was left paralyzed in horror... until her friend pulled her head out and laughed as if nothing had happened, petting the Carnivine's head.

"Yeah, yeah, who's a good boy? Who's a good boy? Ah, hi Cheryl!" she greeted her nonchalantly.

"Oof, you got me there," the green-haired girl sighed in relief, only to notice the other issue. "Oh no, my cake!"

She frenetically opened the box and luckily, it didn't get too squashed by the fall, neither was its decoration too ruined. They could still eat it without issue.

Gardenia approached to see. "Sorry, was that cake for me?"

"Made with some Enchanted Honey." Cheryl grabbed a chunk and handed it to Gardenia. The Gym Leader grabbed it and tasted it, and just a second later her eyes sparkled like a little girl's.

"Oh my gosh, delicious!" she cried out like an enamoured fangirl and holding her cheeks before grabbing another chunk to devour.

Cheryl chuckled; few things could get Gardenia that excited, Grass-type Pokémon being the main one. Sometimes maybe a bit too much, Cheryl thought, such as letting them chomp on her head like right now.

"Good thing you came, I was about to invite you to my Christmas party," Gardenia said, once she was done fangirling over the cake.

"As much as I'd love to come, I've got plans with some friends already," Cheryl replied. "So I'm sorry, I'll have to decline."

"Aw, too bad. Next year, maybe?"

"I'll think about it." Cheryl smiled. "But well, since I'm here, could I help you with something perhaps?"

"I just need to decorate the center Christmas tree. I think I could use an extra pair of hands."

They both walked up to the aforementioned tree, the biggest of all and still lacking ornaments of any kind. Cheryl glanced at the boxes under it and she knew it'd take quite a while to put all that stuff on it, even with the two of them. Then again, she had plenty of time in her hands.

She might be a treasure hunter, but no treasure was more valuable than helping and sharing the holidays with good friends.

----------------------------------------

Viroro-Kun

It was a dark, cold and unloving night, one where all the joy was sucked away and the world seemed to be nothing but dull and grey disappointment with no hope of things ever getting better.

Well, it was actually a quite joyful and pleasant festive night out of Flint's house, but at the moment the Sinnohan Elite Four member wasn't able to see Christmas the same way he used to. Not after what happened the last time.

Flint sunk deeper inside his couch, his Infernape looking over him in concern. He sighed; with Volkner now far less moodier at Christmas, there was no need to put the three Ghosts act to work. Sure, it had never actually worked, but he liked to think it was an important part of his and Volkner's Christmas by now. Realizing that his friend likely never saw it as more than a nuissance stung pretty badly, especially when what he needed turned out to be just someone to spend time with.

The man passed a hand over his red afro, mumbling to himself. He really wished he could've realized the problem sooner, and instead do something both actually enjoyed. Maybe he should've listened to Volkner and let his problems simmer for a while as he tried to lift his spirits normally. Why did he even think that would ever work? Probably one of his most childish ideas, in hindsight.

He shook his head, looking back at several years of failed attempts with a more critical eye.

"Fliiint..."

Yeah, he really could remember how much effort he put to find the right tone of voice to convey regret with just a bit of creepiness.

"Fliiiiint...?"

The first few times Volkner seemed at least a tad bit surprised by it, but after a while he had to try and get creative. Though, he didn't recall ever looking for himself in his past attempts. His memory must've gotten funky.

And then, he felt someone poking at his shoulder frantically. He peered his eyes open, only to find his Infernape looking behind him with his teeth bared. He blinked in confusion, until he felt another poke.

"Flint, turn around."

Still confused and just a bit curious, Flint turned around to find the stranger and most horrific sight he could ever imagine to find.

Someone, dressed up as a ghost, staring straight at him in the most dull and boring way imaginable. He wasn't even waving his arms around, he was just staying still and talking with the most normal voice ever!

And yet, the nightmarish creature still soldiered on. "I'm the Ghost of Christmas Past, here for-"

"Volkner?" Flint's eyes turned into slits, staring at the unprofessional ghost.

That gave the ghost pause, and then it continued. "No, I'm the Ghost of-"

"What do you think you're doing?"

Flint folded his arms, his stare still on the incompetent would-be-scarer.

Once again he took several seconds to reply, his voice barely even cracking. "Well, you see-"

"You're doing it all wrong! You aren't even trying to be atmospheric or scary! That's not how this works!" Flint slammed his palm on his forehead, taking a heavy sigh before he looked back at Volkner. "If you really want to make an impression, you need to put more emotion into this! More heart!"

"I was-"

"Oh no, don't go justifying yourself on me! If you want to pull the three ghosts act, you're gonna do it properly! Now, come with me!"

Without further ado, Flint grabbed Volkner's hand and brought him along with him to another room, bedsheet and all, while Infernape followed after them. If he really wanted to try and cheer him up, then he would make damn sure he did it the right way. He didn't spend the last decade or so to improve his craft for nothing.

Flint finally felt the surge of excitement flow back into him, and he grinned with confidence. That was going to be a good Christmas now.

----------------------------------------

Fox McCloude

One of the perks of working in the fashion industry was that she was never at a shortage of clothes for any occasion. Then again, having too many choices sometimes made it hard to make a decision.

As she walked across the ample wardrobe, Elesa wondered which would be the best outfit for her Christmas cards. She had winter dresses and coats aplenty to choose from, or even Pokémon costumes for the season, if it came to that.

"Hmm... no, I wore this one last year," she said as she discarded a sweater with an Emolga-like hoodie. "This year I need something different."

Different, but still fitting for the season. Among the pile of discarded clothes, she spotted a lone Santa Claus hat, and she decided to put it on just for kicks. When she glanced at the mirror, though, she had to admit it didn't look half-bad, and following the pattern she grabbed a matching minidress, complete with white fluff on the armbands and the skirt's rim.

"Red is not my usual color, but maybe…"

The Nimbasa Gym leader smiled. She had never pictured herself as a Ms. Claus, but there was always a first time. The dress and hat could go nicely with her usual black leggings, and she'd just have to replace her usual stilettos by a red pair.

"I wonder if Sunyshore's pretty boy would like this?"

It'd be fun to get a reaction out of him. She just needed to complete the outfit with some accessories, and maybe additional scenery. A sleigh and a sack full of presents would do the trick.

It was decided; she already had the perfect picture for her Christmas cards.

----------------------------------------

Viroro-kun

"Let's play together, Uncle Tony!"

Hugo and Alma tackled their relative to the ground, Tony's form just physical enough to make him fall on the ground as they hugged him tightly. The Gengar was surprised and let out a heavy oof, but he quickly put on a smile as he tried to get back on his feet, hugging back the twins even as he felt too tired to do anything. His younger relatives appreciated it, quickly helping him back up as they dragged him along before he could actually answer.

Their attempted kidnapping was cut short by Agatha holding up her walking cane. She put it back as soon as the twins halted, and then smiled at them. "Now, you should wait a bit. You can play all you want until midnight once dinner's over."

"But granny, we want to be with Uncle Tony!"

"Your Uncle had to fight over five Pokémon himself due to a very stubborn challenger today. He deserves a good rest."

Alma and Hugo didn't seem particularly enthused by the notion, but a stern glare by their grandmother was more than enough to make them desist, quickly leaving Tony's side with a huff and letting their grand-uncle flop over the ground in exhaustion, rushing to play elsewhere in the house.

Tony sighed in relief, giving Agatha an appreciative nod as he floated back up, allowing himself to stretch his limbs and rest some more. He definitely appreciated to spend time with the kids now that they knew who he actually was, but between battling with Agatha and his little independent activities with the wild Pokémon, he appreciated any moments he got to rest up.

He looked after Hugo and Alma, happy that they decided to spend their Christmas alongside them regardless of their energy. They continued to rush and play together, until their attention finally went on the other guest the Grimm siblings were having, currently busy checking her phone while slouching on the couch.

"What are you doing now, Enide?" Hugo asked, propping himself up and trying to look on the screen.

Alma did likewise on the opposite side. "Is this one of your blog things? Are you gonna tell everyone how cool granny is?"

After a few seconds spent trying to ignore the twins, Enide shook her head.

"Life is too short and full of misery to focus on the exploits of a woman who lived too long," she said without even turning away.

Tony crooked an eyebrow at that. Agatha instead clenched her hands around her cane, her stare honed on the teenager. "Well, that sure felt nice to hear."

"You're an Elite Four member that everybody thinks is a jerk, and your brother is a Ghost-type Pokémon." Enide continued to check stuff on her phone, barely even changing expression. "The Grimm family was defined by misfortune and the inexorable passage of time, a true testament of the tragedy of living."

Hugo and Alma just stared at their cousin in utter confusion, while Agatha barely changed her expression before she traded a glance with Tony.

Both Grimm siblings grinned at each other, neither touched by the girl's words after so much time, and the Elite Four member strode closer to her granddaughter. "Perhaps, but what good is there dwelling on the bad stuff? Life will always be hard on you. It's how you react to it that matters."

She offered her hand to her brother, and Tony took it right away, smiling once more. It was a lesson they had learned well by now.

Enide spared them a mildly interested glance before her attention went back to her phone, opening several tabs of internet as she started to type. "Well, that's a good one for a post now."

She continued unperturbed, even as Hugo and Alma pressed themselves closer to see what she was writing, looking more than a little annoyed at her.

"Do you always need to write there, Enide?" the boy asked, trying and failing to grab the phone from Enide's hands.

Alma nodded along, pouting. "Hugo's right. You never do anything with us."

"Really now?" Enide stopped typing, a sly grin on her face as she held her phone up. "Let's do a selfie together then. I'm going to post it right away."

Suddenly, both Alma and Hugo's faces lit up at once, with Alma in particular beaming at Enide. "We're gonna be on your blog thing?"

"I want to be there!" Hugo raised an arm, trying not to be left out.

Enide's smirk didn't last long, but she did finally get off the couch and held her phone higher, beckoning the others to come closer. Both twins got in position right away, and with a quick look from Enide, Tony and Agatha knew that she wanted them there as well.

Neither of the Grimm siblings needed any further shows, both moving to take their place for the photo, with Tony floating right behind the ground and grabbing the entire family into a big hug, his smile splitting his face as he enjoyed their presence.

And as Enide took the picture, Tony truly felt like part of the family for the first time in forever.

----------------------------------------

Fox McCloude

Finishing her work shift earlier had its pros and cons. On the one hand, she had spare time for herself. On the other, she was bored out of her mind not knowing what to do.

Christmas time was no longer that much of a big deal to her. Not since she ran away from home so many years ago. She had lost count of the holidays she'd spent without her family, and even though she missed them sometimes… she quickly set those thoughts aside.

Thus, she had nothing else to do but go to sleep earlier. Even if her workmates in the shelter had told them she could celebrate during the Christmas party with them, she didn't feel like it, and asked them to not to wake her up unless it was something important.

For that very reason, the knock on her door came off as really annoying.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," she said as she got off the bed, quickly putting on the slippers and the coat before opening the door. It was the shelter's janitor. "What's the matter, Mr. Elliot?"

"Sorry, somebody in the lobby's asking for you. Some glasses-wearing redhead, says she brought you a Christmas present."

Glasses-wearing redhead; Krysta only knew one person fitting that description. Well, if Lorelei had come this far away from home to visit her on Christmas Eve, the least she could do was meet her in person and properly thank her for it.

"Alright, tell them to wait a few minutes and I'll be there."

After getting dressed, the ice Bloodliner walked downstairs to the lobby. She wasn't too enthusiastic, especially with the partying the rest of the workers and travelers staying were having. But she couldn't let that affect her, neither would she ruin everybody's mood.

"Krysta? Over here!" someone called out. When she turned in that direction, indeed it was Lorelei. She hadn't changed a bit since their last encounter.

"Hey, good to see you," she greeted upon getting closer. "What are you doing around here?"

"Nothing special." The redhead smirked. "You know, I wanted to thank you for that little birthday gift, but since I don't know yours..."

"That's really thoughtful of you, but you shouldn't have," Krysta replied.

"Well, too late, I'm already here, so I hope you like it." Lorelei gave of a big smile before looking to the side. "You can come out now!"

Two people walked from behind one of the baggage shelves, a man and a woman both wearing winter garb. As soon as they lowered the hoodies to reveal their faces, Krysta's was left with her mouth agape upon recognizing them.

"Mom? Dad?"

It could have been over a decade since the last time she saw them, but there was no mistaking them. Her mother, who looked so much like her except for the brown hair, like hers used to be before her powers manifested, and a few small wrinkles in her face. Her father, whose own brown hair was now showed a few small white streaks, and also had a beard. But they were her parents, no doubt.

"Krysta… Krysta!"

Her mother was the first to rush in to hug her. She was so shocked at first, she didn't know how to react. Only until her father joined them in the hug, falling just short of breaking a rib, she finally returned it.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked, and then quickly wanted to slap herself, realizing that wasn't the best way to greet them after not seeing them for so long.

"We've been looking for you all these years!" her mother replied, her voice tinted with a slight indignation. "Young lady, you've got a lot of explaining to do; for starters why did you run away?"

"I… after that fire, I thought…"

"You thought we'd abandon you, or worse?" her father piped up. "No matter what happens, you're our daughter and that will never change. Regardless of what you can or can't do."

The girl felt something melting in her chest. Since her powers first manifested, it was like she had built an icy barrier to prevent others from hurting her. Even though she could fit in and survive, she'd always keep her distance from everybody, except her Pokémon and, to a lesser extent, the few human friends she managed to get, like Lorelei.

Now, trapped between her parents' arms, she couldn't do anything but embrace them the same way, a few tears rolling down her cheeks.

…

While her parents were busy renting a room to stay the night at the shelter, Krysta had sat on the living room to chat with Lorelei. She had many questions for her, especially about how she had gotten in touch with her parents, of all people.

"Frey called me a few months ago. He told me he ran into a couple looking for their daughter, and they had a picture. Said that hair of yours is pretty hard to mistake for another."

"Yeah, I never had to spare a dime in hair bleach," Krysta said as she flicked her longer bang. "I assume he got in touch with you about it?"

"That he did." Lorelei nodded. "I had told him we met here on my birthday, and when he told me the couple's surname was Blizzack… it wasn't too hard to put two and two together."

"I can barely believe it. They've really been looking for me all these years," Krysta said as she looked towards the reception desk.

"But that's proof they don't have cold hearts. And despite your abilities, neither do you, right?"

Krysta touched her chest. Indeed, she might've been an Ice Heart Bloodliner, but her heart was neither cold nor hard as ice. Neither were her parents'.

She'd always remember that Christmas, and her gratitude towards Lorelei and Frey for reuniting her with her family. One day, she hoped she could give them a present just as special to thank them for it.

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BRANDON369

The Christmas spirit was so great, it even came to the smallest towns in the Kalos region.

A woman was in her kitchen, very busy as she prepared dinner with the help of her trusty Delphox. Christmas was one of her favorite times of the year; after all, the true meaning of that holiday was to share with the family. Even if her own family was smaller than the others in town, consisting only of her Delphox and her little boy, who was close to turning nine years old.

She was really proud of him. He was a brave and kindhearted kid, her biggest pride and joy. As she heard the door open, the woman smiled as she heard her son's voice .

"Mom, Delphox, I'm home!"

"I'm in the kitchen!"

The woman left her delicious Christmas stew cooking thanks to Delphox's fire and went to greet her son... but her joy turned to worry as she saw he had a black eye and his nose bleeding slightly. She quickly came closer to check the wounds.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

"Sorry Mom." The boy proceeded to explain. "I was outside playing with my bubbles without being seen, but I heard some screaming. I went to check out and I found some kids kicking around a Scatterbug for fun. I tried to help it, but they got mad at me and... I'm so sorry."

The woman stared at her son for a moment, and seeing he was about to burst into tears, she stroke his hair to comfort him. Her boy had a heart bigger than himself and she was proud of it, but for some reason he didn't have any friends.

"You did the right thing," she said as her boy glanced at her. "Those kids were a bunch of bullies, and someone had to help that poor Pokémon."

"I know, but if I had used my bubbles, they wouldn't have beaten me…"

At those words, the mother sighed. "We've talked about this before; nobody must know about your powers."

"But Mom, all I do is firing bubbles, nothing too bad! I don't get why I should keep it hidden!"

"It's for your own good, my boy." The woman embraced him again. "I don't want anybody to hurt you."

"Then what good are these powers for? Why do I have them? I could be a strong man like the Blaziken Mask!"

"Listen, God didn't give you those powers to beat bad guys up," she said, causing her son to stare at him confused. "Quite the opposite, really strong people use their abilities to protect and help others. Promise me you'll never use your powers to hurt a human being."

"I promise, Mom."

This time he hugged her. Her boy was such a sweetie, she couldn't bear if something bad happened to him. All she could do was raise and prepare him, as she hoped for a day when the world would accept Bloodliners.

"You know, I think I have the perfect way to cheer you up."

"What is it?" the boy asked with curiosity.

"I'll give you a very special Christmas present!"

"Really?!" The boy's curiosity made way to excitement and joy.

The woman called her Delphox and asked her to bring along the present. When she did so, the boy couldn't be any happier: it was a Pokémon egg, one her Delphox had laid not long ago. Her boy loved Pokémon and dreamed to become a trainer, so it was the perfect gift for him.

Between all the joy, the boy could only say one thing to his mother. "Thank you Mom! I love you so much!"

"I love you too... Fitz, my beautiful boy."

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Viroro-kun

"Amber, what's Christmas?"

It had been a quick, innocent question as more and more information flowed inside Mewtwo's head. The Pokémon looked at his sister as they enjoyed a pleasant view from a hill in their shared dreamscape. The name sounded interesting, and she always had an answer for most of his doubts and curiosity.

She gave him a giddy grin, as if he had asked about something fun.

"It's a holiday that comes at the end of December! You eat food with family, you share good moments, and if you've been a nice kid, Santa Claus is going to bring you presents!" She rose up and twirled on herself as she spoke, looking over the sky.

Mewtwo tilted his head, looking up too. "Who's Santa Claus?"

"It's an old man who travels the world to give gifts to good kids. If you've acted nice, he gives you toys and other nice things!"

The Pokémon squinted. "That sounds kinda strange. How does he know that?"

"Nobody knows. But it's fun to think how." Amber giggled once more, coming closer to her brother. "But Christmas is always a nice time. It's a holiday to share love with the people you care about, and to enjoy their company."

Mewtwo paused at Amber's words, trying to imagine what that kind of holiday could be. Sharing love with people seemed like such a far cry from all the bad things his head had been filled with, and yet it didn't actually feel wrong or impossible, not when humans like Amber existed. The Pokémon smiled back at his sister, his curiosity peaking.

"That really does sound nice. I wonder how it is." He floated closer to Amber, almost trying to glean an answer out of her.

Amber beamed brightly at him. "I can show you, if you want!"

She started to picture it right after, their entire dreamscape morphing in a more appropriate form: wooden walls surrounded them until they were inside a rather warm house, a fireplace materializing and radiating a pleasant warmth all around, while a big and decorated tree sprouted on the side and a big table full of any sweet and food they could think of completed the picture, with Amber adding just a few other details while wearing the fondest smile Mewtwo had seen on her yet.

"Huh...? Is it already December?" Mewtwo blinked. He tried to count which day and month they were at, but Amber derailed that train of thought with another happy giggle as she came closer and grabbed his hand tightly.

"Is it really important?" Amber brought her brother along, showing off all the festive decorations she set up around the house. "This is a special Christmas, just for the two of us!"

Mewtwo struggled to follow along and not fall face-first on the floor, but he still looked around to see all the food Amber created on the table, all the decorations she placed on the ceiling and the tree, and all the other touches she put to really fit the holiday feel.

He wasn't sure what were the right traditions for Christmas or anything like that, but she still went through all that effort just for him. And realizing that couldn't help but fill him with all the warmth of the room, a smile popping up on his face.

"Come on, let's eat! It's gonna get cold here!" Amber said, letting go of Mewtwo's hand as she headed for the table, still gesturing towards him.

Without a further word Mewtwo floated up to the table, right across Amber's own chair, a matching grin across his face.

His sister giggled, and both her and Mewtwo grabbed fork and knife, ready to dig into all the food stashed ahead of them. But first, Amber beamed back at him. "Merry Christmas, Mewtwo!"

"Merry Christmas to you too, Amber." Mewtwo's smile was as radiant as hers.

And so, the two children ate together at their personal banquet, enjoying the festive atmosphere built only for them. They shared laughs and kind words as they ate through the food, then moved on to play with several scattered toys placed under the tree, enjoying the moment and the mood without any care in the world as they reenacted all the traditions Amber could remember. They were clumsy, they messed up the tree, and they probably got wrong about half of them, but nothing of that mattered. They were together, they were happy, and that was all that was important.

If only that time never ended.

Mewtwo quickly opened his eyes again, the freezing weather of the mountaintop snapping him out of his memories. From the distance, he could hear the faintest of thoughts of something about Christmas, probably happy feelings of how they could spend their time with people they loved.

The Pokémon clenched his fists on instinct, turning towards his surroundings. There was no trace of Amber or warmth around him; only cold and bitter reminders of what could've been.

He thought he could move on, that he could truly put those thoughts at bay, to start a new chapter of his life. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring himself to forget about Amber. She would've loved to be there, to explore the world, to have all the adventures they could only dream of.

The Psychic-type shook his head, quickly turning away and putting his thoughts of Amber on the side. Dwelling on the past would have done nothing good to him, not anymore.

He paced away in the snow, back to where he should've been. He had a lot of work to do.

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BRANDON369

The local Houndour's howls signaled that midnight was getting closer in a little town. Everybody was celebrating Christmas Eve with presents and delicious food, at their homes with their family.

Of course, had any of them stepped out of their house that night, they'd have noticed the small figure walking across the snow-covered paths. It was a young girl with red hair, who wasn't partying with her family. She was limping as she walked towards her destination, a bit dirty and beaten up, but strangely enough, she didn't seem sad. Her face instead showed a big smile.

The girl knocked on the door of the local church, and after waiting for a moment, the doors opened, revealing a younger girl with brown hair, no older than six years.

"Mars! What are you doing here so late?!" the girl asked in surprise.

"Hi, Kibou. Thought I could stop by for a surprise visit."

"But you look so beat up," Kibou said with worry. "What happened?"

"Nothing important, I just tripped over," Mars replied, still smiling. She was a strong person, her little friend didn't need to know the specifics. "You think I could hang out tonight with you and the priest?"

"Sure Mars! Nothing would make me happier!" Kibou quickly hugged her friend. "Though we'll have to help the priest, our Christmas dinner got burned and we're trying to fix it. Can you cook?"

"Of course, Kibou, you can count on me."

After that, both girls entered the church. Mars knew that her Christmas days weren't the best, but she was sure that as long as she stayed strong, things would get better in the future. As long as Kibou was with her to cheer her up, she could endure any punishment with a smile in her face.

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Viroro-kun

As he made his way through the snowy path, the Squirtle continued to grit his teeth with each step; even after months, that limp on his leg showed no sign of healing anytime soon. It was safe to say his days as 'Scout' would be all in the past now.

Months ago, such a turn would've probably been devasting, but after what happened in that underground passage the Water-type was happy just being alive at all. It had taken all the combined efforts of him, Thinker and Heavy to make enough of a path for Joker to break free, and they had to rush a way through one of the still open passages before they could even reunite with him, as the tunnel continued to collapse around them and he could do nothing but look as Heavy held him close. Just remembering it was enough to make him tremble.

Heavy didn't stop until they finally found their way to safety, losing Thinker along the path. Even then, Heavy put any thoughts of resting aside as the stubborn Squirtle rushed towards Cerulean in an attempt to get him healed. Unfortunately, an Ekans on the path thought they would've made a fine snack and decided to ruin their plans.

The Ekans proved too much for his tired friend, but he had recovered enough to be able to fend it away after much effort with a few well-aimed Water Guns. Unfortunately, it also led to him tripping down the large incline and rolling quite a distance away from where Heavy was, with little way to return there quickly. By the time he managed to get back on his feet, Heavy was already gone.

With no danger left and no way to seek out his friends in the immediate future, he had taken to wandering around as far as his broken leg could lead him, and while it wasn't the best life it was still far better than being dead. He always liked to explore and learn new things anyway, so the change didn't bother him too much.

Plus, being an unassuming wild Pokémon meant he was privy to a lot of talk of the street, and as such he got to hear of all kinds of interesting news.

Stories of how a blind girl was helped by a smart, glasses-wearing Squirtle, tales of a young member of his species that assisted the Officer Jenny of Vermillion on her duty, recollections of a small and strong turtle Pokémon defeating anyone on his path, and news of a particularly capable Water-type helping a trainer do very well in the Kanto League circuit.

Scout smiled to himself. In the end, they had kept their word and all managed to make it out alive. They may not have been the Squirtle Squad anymore, but he knew they would meet again someday. They just needed some time to let the waters calm down first, and until then wish them a merry Christmas and pleasant time from the distance.

The Squirtle continued to happily trudge through the snow, his attention going to Cerulean City in the distance. The best Christmas cakes were on sale now, and he had no intention to miss those, leg or no leg.

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partner555 (edited by Viroro-kun)

It was snowing heavily that day.

Blizzards raged as far as the eye could see.

Only the foolhardy would ever brave the storms by choice.

Which was why two of Ash's most stubborn Pokemon thought it was perfect for training. Ash and the other humans were celebrating Christmas at Pallet House while the other Pokemon on the ranch just wanted a break.

Primeape and Charizard though had different ideas and left before their friends could stop them.

"Take this, you damn dummy!" shouted Primeape as he punched the training dummy up, down, and sideways.

"Burn!" said Charizard as he used Flamethrower on his specially-made fireproof targets.

As time passed though, Primeape looked at his dummy in frustration.

"Dammit!" he said. "I don't feel like I'm #$%^ getting much out of this. Charizard, got any suggestions?"

"What about trying to think back on some of our embarrassing losses? You know, using them as motivation," said Charizard.

"You mean like when you lost to James and Koffing?"

Charizard made a face, but he nodded to Primeape's question.

"Yeah, like that," he said as he turned to the targets once more. He took a deep breathe, and unleashed a Flamethrower that was larger than his previous ones. "Burn, you pitiful, inanimate objects! And when I meet you again Koffing, I will regain my honour and recover from the indignity of ever losing to the likes of you!"

Primeape turned back to his own targets, contemplating them briefly. Charizard's idea didn't seem half bad, and he had quite a list of grudges to draw power from.

And so, he stretched his arms, pulled his left one back, and punched.

"Take that, that $%^& guy who cut me in line that one time! This one is for that damn Vileplume that $%^& sneezed on me once!"

The Fighting-type continued to punch at the dummy, more and more, yelling of every offense he ever had throughout both of his lifetimes, from defeats to slights to even imaginary offenses, drawing power from each and all of them. He punched more, and more, and more, each hit stronger and faster than the previous one.

Galvanized, Primeape continued to hit, more and more, running through every single embarassing occurrence he could remember, almost going on autopilot, losing himself to his own memories.

And then, one memory in particular wormed its way on his mind, almost making him freeze on the spot. Memories of being cold, alone, psychic energy coursing through his body, and the wicked grins staring down at him-

The Fighting-type clenched his gloved hands even more, slamming his fists on the already ruined dummy even more. His fists ached as he battered up his target, but he didn't care, his rage unleashed with each hit.

He wasn't weak! He wasn't bait! She didn't break him! He was Primeape, and he was going to kill that monster! She would never sneer at his weakness again! She would never win! She wouldn't! She just couldn't!

Primeape continued to slam his punches over the target, barely managing to survive the onslaught of punches, but the Pokémon didn't care., not even when his fists started to bleed and pain became sharper. He needed to win! To destroy! To-

"Primeape, stop!"

As he felt the grip of a claw around his arm, Primeape found himself unable to hit again. He turned around, gaze sharp in rage. Rage that subsided considerably the moment he met Charizard's concerned gaze.

Primeape felt all the rage subsided, replaced by a tinge of worry. A worry that only intensifies as he turned back to what used to be the dummy, now an unrecognizable heap of destroyed and scattered stuffing.

Charizard looked over it as well, and then he exhaled. "Maybe this wasn't one of by best ideas."

Silence fell between the two, and Primeape could feel Charizard's stare on him. After what felt like forever, Charizard cleared his throat and let go of Primeape's bloodied fist.

"If you want to talk about what happened, I can help."

Primeape would've yelled at him, but he could guess why he said that. He had heard of what happened to his first trainer in that new reality, after all. He could relate to that pain.

So, he just turned the other way and dismissed him with a frown. "You aren't my shrink. I know which memories are the good ones, the real ones."

"I'm sure not everything you've gone through in your new life has been bad. There must be happy memories in there, right?"

Primeape got what Charizard wanted to say, but still said nothing. The idea of diving back in his mind, to relive all of those memories alone, scared him more than he would ever admit.

And then, he felt a claw around his arm again. But instead of a tight grip, it felt more like a warm and supportive gesture. He looked back at Charizard, seeing the Fire-type give him a rather confident smile.

Primeape swallowed out his hesitation, and gave a cocky grin of his own. "I once $%^& punched a Rocket grunt, right where it hurt most!"

Both Pokémon laughed together, and Primeape managed to breathe easier than before, other funny tales coming back to his mind as he related them to Charizard, the fear and memories melting away like snow. And as he kept relaxing with his comrade, a realization hit him.

That was Christmas, the season to be jolly. He would not let Sabrina's shadow loom over him again. She was gone, and he was free. And that was the only thing that mattered.

----------------------------------------

Crossoverpairinglover

His daughter had many tells, and as her father he had learned them all.

He could hear her still being on the finishing touches for her presents, the crackle of paper and the trilling of tape being faintly audible from outside her room.

He stood to the side of her door, arms crossed as she finished up. After a few minutes the tape went silent and the sound of things being shoved into her closet was audible.

That was his cue, and the moment the sound of the closet doors shutting reached his ears he knocked on her door.

His daughter yeeped in surprise, and he could mentally picture her double checking to make sure that the closet wasn't noticeable before opening the door, a flustered look on her face.

"Daddy!"

"Can I come in?"

She nodded, caught a little off guard as he entered May's den of pink and frills.

As opposed to Max's den of posters and notebooks, and his and Caroline's quite soundproofed den of marriageable bliss.

He shut the door behind himself before he began. No need to get Caroline in on this one.

"So, I hear you had some luck with a scratch card?"

May's face held a surprised look, trying to figure out how he could know that.

He was her father, he knew a lot more than she knew, same when it came to Max. Also he had friends who walked around in the mall too.

Some of them even texted him if they noticed his daughter doing things they figured he should know about.

May looked ready to defend herself, which she really didn't need to do.

He raised a finger to spare her the trouble.

"You don't need to explain May: I already looked into that. This isn't a 'you were irresponsible with your money' talk, I am well aware where it went and it was the right thing to do. If I really wanted to I could say that it was far too moral and not responsible enough, but I am not that kind of person nor is this the time or place for such a talk. Nor am I here to tell you to give the money back or donate it away."

He briefly considered teasing her about knowing where she had hidden the gifts, but decided against it. That would just freak her out more, and make her think the surprise was ruined.

That wouldn't do.

"What I am here to talk to you about, is being more careful."

That seemed to confuse his daughter.

"What do you mean with careful? I mean, I'm just really lucky. Nothing dangerous about that."

He fought the urge to react to that.

His daughter was many things: she was loveable, she was filled with energy, she was sweet and kind. She was, if he had to be honest though, not the brains of the family.

She was not the one to go to about arithmetic, literary history, or picking up on subtle things that someone who was paying attention could notice.

Like the fact that her luck very much wasn't just a matter of chance. Though if he had to be honest, that wasn't entirely her being a student that warranted the occasional nudge.

It was in part a problem of age when it had been the most relevant, as well as Caroline doing her job.

He briefly wondered about making his concerns quite clear, but he could hear Max a few rooms over scribbling something. Their rooms were not soundproofed like his was (his friends had interesting anniversary gift ideas), and he wasn't sure if anyone else was ready to know what they were talking about.

Perhaps one day, but not then.

So he'd have to be a bit less direct.

"Well as a parent I can't let you just coast on by with luck. That would be a horrible way for someone to grow up, especially because luck isn't infinite. I want my children to be able to get through periods of bad luck, and you can only do that with your own skill and perseverance. I mean I don't want you to Gladstone your way through life, that is hardly what a parent should be allowing their child to get into."

"I don't recognize that verb, and I was just studying the things yesterday."

He chuckled nervously at that catch.

"It's not really a verb, it's a reference. I couldn't think of a word to go there, but I'm sure you could if you study and don't just luck your way through. Also 'luck your way through' proves why you need to study instead of just winging it."

"Daddy, it's Christmas next week. Do you really need to encourage me to study. It's just one grammar test."

May's complaint was a lot more light-hearted than it might've sounded.

"Well I'd be a pretty horrible parent if I reminded you to keep up good habits with an example of what happens when you don't remember your verbs. Papapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapa!'"

She stared at him in stunned disbelief at his new laugh.

"Goodshow said I should laugh more, and make it really my own while I am at it, what do you..."

"No."

A regular chuckle both escaped his and May's throats as the two hugged, the entire thing settled.

May got what he was aiming to say, and his worries about her abated for the moment.

Though as his eyes were over her shoulder, they drifted to a single photo framed on a window. One with a much younger May, beaming in a flower girl outfit.

That did not mean his worries were gone completely, but they could but they could stay on the backburner until after the holiday was over.. Plenty of time to talk then before she went to see the world herself.