FOX BLUEREAVER

“Thank you very much, come back soon and Merry Christmas!”

Having delivered the order and with the customer leaving, Serena removed the apron she wore as uniform. Her shift was finally over and she could take a well-earned break, after a rather active day in the Vaniville local bakery.

As Christmas came closer, the workload in the bakery increased exponentially, so they’d always look for some pairs of extra hands to help with the cake orders. Serena was pretty good at it, to the point the owner several times tried to hire her full time, but she kindly rejected it.

Even so, she didn’t sneeze at other fringe benefits she had of working at that place, aside from earning some money for herself. Aside from her, there was another workmate in the break room at the time: a green-eyed brunette girl who wore her hair in a ponytail, and a pair of rose-shaped earrings, the owner’s daughter, who used her time to surf across the Internet in her laptop.

“Ah, Serena, just in time! I think you want to see this.”

“What is it, Lita?”

In response, the aforementioned turned the laptop around to show her the screen. She’d opened her Facebook profile, and was watching the profile of…

“Is that Ash?”

“How do you like this? Seems your beloved’s been posting quite a few photos lately.”

Serena blushed at the word “beloved”, but ignoring that, she focused her attention in the aforementioned photos. Since she couldn’t use internet media at home, sometimes Lita would do it for her, so as to keep track on Ash’s activities when he wasn’t on TV.

Ash had posted several photos of him with his Pokémon at Professor Oak’s field, the most prominent of which being one with a large group of them, some she recognized from his matches on TV, and others were new. He was kneeled as he greeted the camera with his Pikachu, Bulbasaur and Squirtle in front of him. Behind him were his Charizard, and the same Pidgeot who’d delivered that letter a few months back. Around them were a Butterfree and a Yanma fluttering around them, an Ambipom standing upside down on its tails, a Farfetch’d holding three leeks, Primeape, Kingler, Serperior, Gigalith, some Tauros, and was surprised to see among them some Kalosian Pokémon, a Goodra and several differently colored Vivillon.

All of them looked healthy, strong and happy, as much as Ash himself, and she was certain they’d all help him during the upcoming Indigo League a few months after the Christmas holidays.

“I noticed something else,” Lita added. “The scarf he’s wearing in all the photos, isn’t the one…?”

“Yeah, that’s the one I made for his birthday,” Serena answered happily. It filled her with joy to see him wearing it, as she knitted it specially for him.

“That’s good, means he keeps you close to his heart. Though… I’d be a little worried if I were you.”

“What do you mean?”

Lita shifted the view to slides to show her other photos. They didn’t show only Ash and his Pokémon; there were a few with his mother… and with a few girls who looked close to their age. Serena came over closer to get a better look: there were three and she remembered seeing two of them in the same tournaments Ash had taken part in.

The redhead was called Misty, and the dark-skinned one Iris; both had competed in the Battle Dome and the Fuchsia Tag Tournaments at the same time as Ash. For some reason that gave her a sting in her chest. Was that a coincidence?

“Ash seems to have grown popular, hasn’t he?” Lita said with amusement. “Seems you have competition, girl; they could snatch him from you if you’re not careful.”

“Stop saying nonsense, Lita,” Serena replied with a blush. “There’s nothing wrong with him having frmale friends at Kanto; he’s not even yet my boyfriend.”

“Yet?” Lita arched an eyebrow, causing Serena’s blush to intensify once her own words sank in.

“God, look at what you make me say?” She covered her face in embarrassment.

While Lita continued to laugh at her expense, they kept watching the slides. Some photos had invitations for Pallet Town’s annual Christmas party, and Serena thought it’d be nice to attend one of those sometime.

That said, Lita’s words about having “competition” continued to ring in her head, but like she said, Ash wasn’t her boyfriend for her to claim. Besides, for all she knew those girls could just be his friends, and if any of them was something else, she’d have no issue with that.

After all, why would she have a problem with another girl only because she liked the same boy as her? That was ridiculous; she had no right to judge them for that. And they probably were very nice people if Ash hung out with them. She was sure they could even be good friends if they met.

She made a note to ask her mother to help her write Christmas postcards after returning home. She needed something to shake those thoughts off her head, and that little sting in her chest she still didn’t know the origin of.

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CROSSOVERPAIRINGLOVER

"You know Froakie, this is probably the first time you've been back here for the holidays. Think you were still out in the world the last time."

Had he been? At some point they all started to blend together in a bog of mediocrity and disappointment. What was the one from this point last year?

It wasn't the foppish one, or the ruffian, or one of the dunderheads? Was it the one whose sister had fallen ill and had to drop his plans?

No he almost liked that one. He had apologized to him for 'wasting his time' and simply asked him catch a partner who would be willing to wait his sister's illness out. After he had helped capture a healing Flabébé he had found and given him a golden nugget in sympathy. That one was the closest to what he had wanted, and the only one who apologized to him for not being good enough.

The one from this time of year was the ruffian, and he was truly the worst of them all. He was some sort of old-money idiot who believed the world owed him, got angry at 'common riffraff' for not giving him the respect he believed he was due, and wore the most atrocious orange outfit in the last few days he had been with him. He left soon after that. He could have dealt with the garish orange, but not the attitude.

The professor slid him a steaming cup with one of the hot liquids that humans liked to drink in the cold. The smiling professor had a larger cup fit for his hands as he took his own drink, and in politeness he mirrored them.

The man was probably going to be presented with a natural child of his one day, but he was polite and kind. It was only right to respect such traits as much as he shook his head at his antics.

"I hope I can make your holiday enjoyable. I'm told I'm excellent company."

"Froa."

He was better than the last human he had been with during the holiday, but he’d would probably be superior to that scoundrel even if he spent the season in the midst of 'securing his grants' with the government officials. It was no huge bar.

He was appreciative of it all regardless, but it was again no great hurdle.

"Say Froakie, what do you want in a trainer? You have so much trouble finding one that you'd like perhaps I am just going about it the wrong way."

"Kie."

“Not sure what you hoped to get from asking me. You can't understand what a Pokémon says. A trainer, the sort that he would want to work with for the rest of their days, would learn such tells in time. Same as you knew what Garchomp was trying to say.”

He was not Garchomp.

The professor chuckled.

"Humor me why won't you? I'm perceptive enough to get something out of anything you can offer."

He put his own cup down before hopping over it onto the center of the table.

Very well. He would speak in the language of body to convey what he wanted, dramatically posing as needed. He would make himself heard without a voice.

He wanted a trainer willing to challenge the greatest of opponents in battle. He could respect the work that went into the art of being a virtuoso or a trouper but that was not him and he could not be such a person's Pokémon and be happy.

He wanted a brave and noble trainer who protected the weak and helped the needy. They must strive to be the best and bring out the best in those around them. They must not tolerate evil yet see that those in error can become better.

He did not need a person with a brilliant mind or the strength to match his own, but he wanted someone who could compliment what he could do. The human mind was different from that of his own and he wanted a mind that could take full advantage of it. No more dunderheads.

If he wanted to be alone, he'd like a trainer who could respect that while always being open to him. A bit contradictory of him but sometimes one wanted quiet and sometimes the invitation could change one's mind.

He paused if there was anything else that he'd want in a trainer that was crucial. He could think of a few odds and ends that he could prefer, but not be deal breakers if they were absent. Were they worth saying with his physical motions 'aloud' so of speak?

"Amazing. The solution was obvious but I had never even considered it before. Tell me Froakie if I am wrong, but with what I feel you are trying to say it almost feels like a new trainer may simply be a poor match for you. Someone who’s learned about themselves would be able to show you who they are becoming. A new trainer is so often a blank slate that it is easy to be caught off guard by who they become or show themselves to be. You want to see the path a trainer is on and know they will be the right one for you.”

He stared up at the Professor. Clearly he had misspoken, sort of speak.

He had said nothing about experience. While it was true that such a person would be clearer for him to read and know he saw no reason why a fresh-faced trainer to be with little idea of what they were doing couldn't prove themselves. You didn't simply develop the worst of your habits when you walked off with a Pokémon. You had them when you started.

A new trainer could save a pedestrian from a malfunctioning jalopy. That would be a person he could respect and work with. They didn't need experience to learn to do that, they had to move before they had time to think.

It was an odd interpretation of what he wanted, extrapolating what he wanted to a conclusion that was flawed.

"Froakie I'm going to take you with me on some trips I need to do in a few weeks next year. A few of them here in Kalos, and a few beyond. We'll run into trainers of all sorts of stripes and scars and we can find the perfect trainer for you. Even if we don't it will still be a change of pace for you. Think of it all Froakie! Beaches! Mountains! Farms! I'll make sure you are happy no matter how long it takes! It's the least I can do for completely missing an obvious solution for you for so long."

You were still extrapolating a solution to a problem that wasn't necessarily the actual issue, but if you are going to be so earnest about it...who was he to dissuade you?

Perhaps he'd meet the right trainer doing that. If nothing else, he'd settle that bet with Garchomp if you actually did get things done at the meetings or if it was just you on a beach lazing about for the week.

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BRANDON369

Losing a loved one was never easy. In fact, such a painful feeling would continue to accompany you for the rest of your life.

Or at least, Katie felt it that way. It’d been over a year since John Archer’s death and she still felt the same stinging pain from the day she got the tragic news. There wasn’t a day she didn’t think about him, and at this point, she doubted she’d fully get over it during her lifetime.

However, Christmas was supposed to be a season of joy. So after leaving the graveyard and paying respects to her dear departed friend, she walked towards a park, hoping to find something that could cheer her up. She strolled deep in thought for a few minutes, until she saw an explosion in the distance.

She knew immediately a Pokémon battle was ongoing, and decided to approach to take a look. Perhaps watching a good battle could improve her surly mood.

Once she came close enough, she saw on the improvised battlefield a Mightyena, notably beaten up. Its trainer was a guy who looked like a delinquent, sporting a large old-fashioned pompadour, and strangely enough was riding on a Hariyama’s back. Weird, to say the least, though not as weird as the fact that their opponent Pokémon was nowhere to be seen.

“Now!”

Katie got the answer to her unspoken question when a Dusclops emerged from the shadows and finished off the Mightyena with a single, energy-charged punch. The Lilycove trainer was a little dismayed for having gotten just to see the end, missing out the entirety of the match.

She was about to leave, until the trainer with the pompadour approached to congratulate his opponent, and said something that caught her ear.

“I’ve never had a battle this exciting in all of my life! Couldn’t expect any less from one of the Elite Four!”

Elite Four?! As soon as she heard those words, Katie looked at the girl who’d just won the match, realizing it was someone she’d seen before.

She only knew of one girl wearing those extravagant clothes, and that was Phoebe, the Master of Ghost-types. She’d grown quite known lately as she was the youngest trainer to join Hoenn’s Elite Four.

“I hope to see you again, my friend! And Merry Christmas!” the Elite Four member replied.

As the pompadour guy left the place riding on his Hariyama, Katie thought it’d be a good chance to approach Phoebe. She wondered if the dark-skinned girl still remembered; after all, they had a battle during last year’s Pokémon League. It could be argued that Katie had met her before she made herself a name, by becoming the superstar she was now.

Then again, she hadn’t behaved in the best manner during their match, and they only had a short chat afterwards. She probably didn’t even remember her.

“Oh! You’re… yes, it’s you, Katie!” It seemed that she did remember. And it was the Elite Four trainer herself who approached. “How have you been?! I hadn’t seen you since that Hoenn League.”

“You still remember me?” Katie asked, still a little nervous.

“Of course! I’d never forget any of the people I’ve battled,” she replied with a smile. “You were amazing on this year’s League! If you keep that performance, I wouldn’t be surprised to see you next year challenge the Elite Four with the winner’s trophy.”

As good as she felt for the praise she got from an Elite Four herself, Katie couldn’t help but feel a little sadness at the last statement. After all, a couple hours ago she’d promised over John’s grave to win that trophy for both of them. That was a promise she intended to keep at any cost.

“Are you alright?” Phoebe seemed to note her sadness, so Katie forced herself to smile to hide it.

“It’s nothing. What are you doing around here? I didn’t expect to find you in this city,” she asked trying to deflect the topic.

Judging by Phoebe’s joyful expression, she succeeded. “Just came to visit the graveyard. I love graveyards,” she declared happily.

“Er… you say you love graveyards?” Katie asked, half-intrigued, half creeped out. “Aren’t they a little, you know… depressing?”

The Elite Four smiled. “I wouldn’t call them that way. To me, graveyards are more of a place of reminder.”

“What kind of reminder?” she asked curiously.

“A reminder to appreciate the people around you.” Katie didn’t seem to get her point, so Phoebe decided to explain herself better. “You see, when you visit the people you lost at a graveyard, it makes you realize that no one stays on this world forever. That helps you appreciate more the living. It reminds you to treasure the friends you have now, as you don’t know when you could lose them.”

“Oh… yeah, I… I think I understand that feeling.”

“I like it, because visiting graveyards makes you feel more connected not only to those who are gone, but also the ones that are still with you,” the Elite Four continued with a dreamy expression. “Sometimes, you need to value the living to honor the deceased.”

Something in Phoebe’s words dug deep into Katie. She really missed John; she missed him dearly and always thought about him. Maybe if she had been by his side, if they hadn’t gone separate ways, just maybe… she could have prevented his tragic fate.

When he was alive, she didn’t appreciate him as he deserved, being too blinded by their rivalry, and only really valued him when he was no longer with her. She didn’t want that to happen again, so she promised herself to pay more attention to people around her, to appreciate the living…

She was so deep in thought that she forgot for a moment that she was in front of an Elite Four, and Phoebe had to call her attention, snapping her with a few pats on the back.

“Come on, don’t make that sad face. It’s Christmas!” Suddenly, she seemed to get an idea. “Ah, I got it! Why don’t you come with me to our Christmas celebration?!”

“Christmas celebration?”

“Yeah, every year, we of the Elite Four gather for a Christmas party, and we’re allowed to bring friends too,” she said with an ample smile. “Why don’t you come as my guest?!”

“You want me to what?!” Katie was both shocked, and nervous at the sudden proposal. “But I…”

“I won’t take a no for an answer! It’ll be fun. Old man Drake knows plenty of great stories about ghost ships. I could even show you my traditional dance. Even better: we could perform it together!”

“Dance, me?!” She turned beet-red at the simple thought of dancing in front of the Elite Four. “No way! I’m no dancer, and besides…”

“Oh, come on, it’s not that hard,” Phoebe insisted. “Trust me, I’m sure you’ll enjoy yourself.”

Katie was still quite unsure about this. She was flattered alright, but attending an Elite Four party? That sounded pretty big for a trainer who’d just gotten out of her sophomore year.

“Why me, though?”

“Because we’re friends,” she said with a sincere smile. “Come on, the party starts in a couple hours and my Drifblim can take us. Unless, of course… I’ll understand if you have other plans.”

The Lilycove trainer thought about the offer. Once upon a time she’d have rejected it in a heartbeat; she wasn’t good at socializing with strangers outside battling, hence why she was nicknamed the Cool Beauty.

But then again, she’d skipped out on spending the holidays with her family to visit John’s grave, and she actually didn’t have any other plans. She thought back about Phoebe’s words about appreciating more the living, and how sometimes one could ignore the people who mattered the most, only truly valuing them when they were gone from our lives.

She inevitably thought back about John and how different things could have gone, had she realized before how she really felt about him… and she couldn’t make that mistake again.

“I don’t have any plans, Phoebe. I’ll accept your invite to the party.”

The Elite Four member cheered happily, and quickly brought out a Drifblim for transport, dragging her new friend with her.

As they left the city through the air, Katie watched the graveyard in the distance, and smiled for John Archer. She knew him better than anybody, and thus knew the last thing he would have wanted was to see her depressed during Christmas. So she had to have fun at that party, not only for herself, but for John too.

This would probably be a merry Christmas for her after all.

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FOX BLUEREAVER

Kanto Village wasn’t a particularly notable landmark on the maps. Travelers rarely passed through there, as it didn’t have much to offer, other than maybe warmth and hospitality.

The fever that broke out that year had forced the residents to stay home unless it was absolutely necessary, and all signs pointed that the annual winter festival wouldn’t take place due to that. For the young villager Hanako, this would be a rather boring winter.

‘Same place, different day,’ she thought, as she walked home carrying some firewood before the incoming blizzard broke out.

And so it was; Kanto Village was a place where nothing exciting would ever happen, and without the festival, this particular winter was going to be a very long one.

As the sky began to darken, the young villager saw a silhouette ahead on the road. As she walked closer, she realized it was a Pokémon, a black and blue canine whose forepaws were glowing green, as it bathed with that glow a human figure covered in a travel coat. Said figure was leaning against a tree beside the road, and seemed unconscious.

“Oh, for Arceus,” she gasped upon seeing them. Most likely a lost traveler in need of help.

Momentarily dropping her firewood load, she approached them. The Pokémon noted her presence and immediately stood in her way, threateningly.

“Do not come closer!”

“Please, I just meant to help,” she said. Then she realized something else. “Wait… have you just talked? You’re a Pokémon and you can speak?”

“All Pokémon can speak,” the gruff, male-sounding voice was clearly offended by the remark, “it’s just that humans don’t always listen.”

Hanako supposed that made sense to an extent, but leaving that aside, this Pokémon clearly tried to protect his master. He probably was injured and lost, so all the more reason for her to help them.

“What happened?” she asked, pointing at the human. “Please, I assure you I just want to help.”

The Pokémon was still wary, but he relaxed his stance as he glanced at his master.

“He seemed to have gotten a sickness in the past few days. He assured me he would be fine, but he seems to have reached the limits of his strengths. He’s burning in fever.”

“There’s been a fever outbreak across the region,” Hanako explained. “I’m afraid you chose a bad timing to travel through these roads.”

The woman removed the hood to see the man’s face. Outside the fact it was red due to the fever, Hanako’s first impression was that he was rather handsome, and if he weren’t in such a state, she would have gladly admired it. But her rational side, and her sense of sacred hospitality in Kanto Village drove her to act, and she carefully lifted him by placing herself under his armpit.

“My village isn’t too far from here,” she said, addressing the Pokémon. “I apologize for asking you this, but could you help me with my firewood load? I’m afraid I can’t carry it and take your master with me at the same time. I’m not that strong.”

The Pokémon didn’t say any more words, but immediately complied, picking up the wood pieces she brought before, albeit splitting the stack in half before holding it under both his arms.

“Please lead the way,” he said.

Without further ado, Hanako began walking, taking the unconscious traveler to her place.

…

Last thing Sir Aaron recalled before passing out was that he was walking through a snowy path. Kanto Village shouldn’t have been too far and he was certain he could make it there, but the fever ultimately beat him.

Now he’d opened his eyes, he realized he was at a humble house, and listened to the sizzling sound of a fireplace, as well as the steaming of a kettle. He was resting on a comfy bed under a warm blanket, as Lucario glanced at him with a mixture of anger and worry.

“You finally woke up,” he said. “I warned you against traveling in that condition. You should have rested until the fever receded.”

“Alright, I made a mistake,” the knight admitted. “How did we come here?”

“You owe it to that young woman over there,” he said, stepping away so he could see a woman kneeled next to the fireplace, heating up the kettle he heard before. “She found us shortly after you fainted, and brought you to her home.”

Sir Aaron was a bit surprised that she’d carried him here all alone, but was nonetheless grateful. The young woman grabbed the kettle and poured its contents in a cup before approaching his bed, and then he could get a good look at her. She was indeed fairly young, maybe no older than her mid-twenties or perhaps less. She had fair skin, brown eyes and hair and a warm smile.

“Oh, I’m glad you’re awake,” she said. “Please drink this, it’s an herb tea to help you feel better, good sir.”

Even her voice radiated warmness, Sir Aaron thought. But he couldn’t remain silent and stay dumbfounded by his hostess’ beauty; so he immediately accepted the cup to drink the beverage. As soon as the first sip, he felt the effects.

“Hmm, it’s true, I am feeling better now. I appreciate your attentions, milady, you have my heartfelt gratitude.”

“Oh, I am no lady, just a humble villager,” the young woman replied modestly. “My name is Hanako, and attending lost travelers is part of Kanto Village’s sacred hospitality.”

“Then, I must thank my good fortune for allowing us to meet, Miss Hanako. May I introduce myself; Sir Aaron, knight of Rota, at your service.”

“A knight? Oh, please forgive my rudeness, Sir Knight!” The woman immediately stepped away and curtsied in an exaggeratedly respectful manner.

“No need for apologies,” Sir Aaron said. “Please stand up, I am the one in debt here. If there’s anything I can do to thank you…”

“For now, you and your companion should rest,” Hanako said, a bit less flustered. “Evidently the fever outbreak caught up to you. And a huge blizzard is coming.”

“I understand,” Sir Aaron nodded. “My apologies for the inconveniences.”

Between apologies and thanks, and some reprimands from Lucario for his stubbornness, Sir Aaron finally agreed to stay at her place for a while, at least until he was fit to travel once more, and weather allowed it.

Little did he know, this would be just the first of many winters he’d spend in that village, and how special his young hostess would become to him in the future.

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VIRORO-KUN

There was nothing quite like Christmas in Wyndon. The whole city was lit up in a row of lights, some simpler, others in elaborate shapes representing anything from Pokémon to angels to much more, dotting the whole cityscape in a hard-to-forget spectacle that everyone looked forward to each year, be they human or Pokémon.

Scorbunny was no exception, sitting on a row of boxes and munching out the final piece of the cake he had stolen, enjoying the scenery with a smile over his face. Sure, part of it was keeping guard in case someone would decide to snoop by their little hideout, but there wasn't a lot that a wild street-dwelling Pokémon could enjoy without running into some sort of trouble, and the Wyndon Christmas lights were thankfully among those.

As he munched over the last of the cake, Scorbunny stood back up, stretched his limbs and hopped down, towards the three small figures huddled in the corner. The Nickit were deep in a blissful sleep, their fur matted by their own bits of cake, warming up each other. Seeing his partners in crime rest up without any fear made the rabbit smile, pride swelling in his chest. He was glad to have helped them reach the end of another year.

Scorbunny glanced over his dirt-covered fur, what was once white still as brown as it should've been. When he first met up with the trio, he had done that as a way to blend better, to make himself one of them, a disguise he put on to make himself approachable. And then, as the time passed and they schemed, ran away, ate and slept together every day, that brown fur started to feel like his true self. He and the Nickit were family, and that was what linked them together.

Yet, as he looked back to the colorful buildings of Wyndon, the Fire-type stilled, swallowing down the lump in his throat. He was living a great life, doing everything he wanted, with the best friends he could ever ask for. That was all he could ever ask for.

Then why? Why did he still feel like that wasn't enough?

Scorbunny shook his head, already knowing the answer to his own question. Wyndon was a big, sprawling city where everything could happen... yet, it felt so small the more days he spent running through its streets and hiding behind its corners. There was a whole world out there, and he wanted to see all it had to offer.

He turned back to his friends, pressing themselves closer to each other as they continued dreaming. He knew that they would've understood him if he decided to leave on an adventure, perhaps even supported him. But they didn't deserve his selfishness, not after everything they had gone through together.

Scorbunny sighed, recovering his smile as he laid down next to the Nickit trio. He grabbed them into a tight hug, closing his eyes as he cuddled his friends under the night sky, enjoying their shared warmth. The same warmth that made every day they spent together special.

His tired body drifted into dreamland, his mind already working on the mischief they would be up to the next day. That longing for adventure would probably never fade, but for now, he saw no reason to ever leave the Nickit's side.

Because they were family, and that was never going to change.

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ANDER ARIAS

“...and done!” Squirtle said, as he finished tying up a piece of canvas around the object in question, while Bulbasaur held it with his vine whips, and Butterfree watched. Squirtle then handed the wrapped item to Butterfree. “Ready for delivering!”

“Thank you guys for lending me a hand. Literally.” Butterfree replied. He would have wrapped the item himself, but his hands were too small and lacked dexterity.

“Don't sweat it,” Bulbasaur said. The three of them just stayed there, Bulbasaur and Squirtle looking at Butterfree, who was rooted in place, gazing at the package with his large red eyes. “Well? Are you going to stay there, or are you going to give it to her?”

“Y-Yes!” he stammered, before he began to fidget. “Is that, well...”

‘Please don't say what you’re thinking, please don't say what you’re thinking...’ both Bulbasaur and Squirtle thought in unison.

“What if she doesn't like it?” And he said it.

Both Bulbasaur and Squirtle groaned in unison, while they rolled their eyes. Squirtle downright walked up to him, and slapped him across the face.

“H-hey! What was that for?” Butterfree protested.

“To remove any negative thought! Do you need me to slap you again? This time I'll put some actual force behind it!” Squirtle said.

Fortunately, Bulbasaur used his vine whips to gently push Squirtle away from the Bug-type before he could carry out his threat.

“What Squirtle is trying to say is that your doubts are unfounded. She's going to like it because it's a gift from you. Besides, didn't you say that she actually asked for it?”

Before Butterfree could say anything, Squirtle added: “Yeah! Plus, she'll sure realize how hard you worked to get such a present for her. She'll appreciate that at the very least. So get moving now!”

Butterfree sighed, but complied. They were right, there was no point in stalling. He pushed aside the invading thoughts of Viv rejecting his gift, or worse, even mocking him for it, and reminded himself to have a little more faith in his new mate. He took flight and headed towards where he told Viv to wait for him: the holm oak when they had their first exchange after that disastrous first meeting at the fight club.

And just like he expected, Viv was there, sitting on a branch. The Kalosian bug smiled upon seeing her mate.

“Hey there!” Viv greeted him, waving one of her tiny arms.

“Hello,” Butterfree said.

Before he could say anything else, Viv's black eyes drifted towards the package in Butterfree's hands. “Oh? What are you carrying there? Is it food? Because I could use a Tamato berry now.”

“No, it's not food. Though it's a gift. For you,” Butterfree said, as he handed the wrapped item to Viv.

“A gift for me? Wow, how kind of you!” Viv replied, as she eagerly took the package. However, she didn't move to open it immediately. “What's the occasion, though?”

“You see... I don't know if you ever heard of it, but around these special days they call 'holidays'. And for the ones that take place during winter, there's this tradition to give a gift to a loved one, as a way to show how much you care about them,” Butterfree explained.

“Really? Awww, that's so cute of- OH NO!” Viv suddenly shouted, startling Butterfree.

“What? What's wrong?” he nervously asked.

“That I didn't get you any gift in return!” Viv moaned. “Why didn't you tell me about what you planned to do?”

Butterfree's head fell. ‘I knew it. I knew something would go wrong,’ he lamented on the inside. He then a took a deep breath, and decided that it was best to salvage the situation. “Uh... I wanted to surprise you? I mean, that's why the gift is wrapped, it's also part of the tradition. Sorry for not telling you about it.”

“Well, I wish I could have get you something in return... but I can't be mad at you for wanting to surprise me, now can I? Still, I will get a gift for you, even if it's out of season, and not a surprise,” Viv stated.

“I guess that's fair. Well, why don't you open your gift?” Butterfree suggested.

Viv nodded, and did so. After she unwrapped the cloth, she gasped loudly upon seeing what was inside: a bright pink ribbon tape.

“WHOA! Is this... the ribbon that Skiploom used to wear around her flower?” she excitedly asked.

“Y-Yes. I heard you saying a couple times how much you liked to have one, so I convinced her to trade it to me for some Pecha berries,” Butterfree asked. Of course, he wasn't going to specify the large amount of berries the Skiploom asked in return, nor how much time Butterfree spent gathering them. “Do you like it?”

“Like it? I love it! Thanks a lot, it's a wonderful present, Butt!” Viv happily replied, as she glomped her mate.

Butterfree heard a pair of snorts coming from nearby bushes, but Viv either didn't hear them or paid them no attention.

“Let me put it on you,” Butterfree said, as he carefully wrapped the tape around Viv's neck, before making a rudimentary bow. “And done!”

“I can't wait to for everybody to see how great I look with this ribbon!” Viv gushed, as she started to take off. “Though, remember what I told you, Butt!” more snickers came from the bushes. “I'm going to make you a gift just as good as this one, or even better! Just wait!”

“I'll be eagerly waiting for it!” Butterfree replied. Once Viv was no longer within earshot, Butterfree frowned, and looked at the laughing bush. “You can come out, guys. I know you're there.”

Unsurprisingly, Squirtle and Bulbasaur emerged from within the bushes.

“See? I told you everything was going to be fine,” Squirtle said, before snickering again. “Nothing to be afraid of, Butt.”

“Yeah, Butt. We knew she'd like the present,” Bulbasaur said, snorting as well.

Butterfree pierced them with an unamused glare. "I hate you guys so much."

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

VIRORO-KUN

It was a quiet, snowy night in Mahogany Town on Christmas Eve. Most people were tucked inside their own houses, in front of a hot chimney, enjoying the company of family and friends and generally having a good time, as the holidays were meant to be.

Unfortunately, for the local Gym Leader Pryce, that was everything but a time to be joyful. It was a period of remembrance for what he lost, of how his life ended up being years later, and with the keen awareness of how no one but his Pokémon would be there during the night. A period he only wanted to end as quick as it could, so that things could resume as normal.

As he entered back inside his Gym and closed the door behind him after a harsh and intense training session with his team, the elderly trainer exhaled, the empty, cold building looking even less inviting than it already was. At the very least, it would be only a few hours to weather now.

And then the sound of unfamiliar steps echoed through the supposedly empty building, putting the old man on alert.

Pryce pressed his walking stick down, his free hand already pocketed. "Who's there?"

"Pryyyyyceeee..." a voice called, echoing through the battlefield, in an almost clichéd attempt to sound menacing and foreboding.

Mere seconds after that, a figure dressed over in a bedsheet popped out, arms raised over its cover and the eye sockets showing a domino mask. "I'm the ghost of Christmas pa-"

"Sneasel, Beat Up!"

Sneasel burst out of his Ball as soon as Pryce threw it, and the would-be home invader was swiftly sent flying away as he smashed through the window and out of the building. The Gym Leader looked over the shattered glass, at best mildly bothered at that weird exchange.

He really needed to add annoying kids to the list of Christmas bothers to prepare for...

…

While sitting in Sunyshore Gym's private quarters, Flint grimaced as he continued to listen to his colleague Will on the other end of the call, nodding along his story, furrowing his brow the more it went on.

"Yeah, I see... no, you should've been more theatrical! Explain what he did wrong! I'm gonna teach you the routine better next year, alright?" No reply seemed to come, and as Flint put down his PokéGear, it was clear what Will thought about it.

Sitting across his friend, Volkner gave a shrug. "I told him that the ghost schtick was no way to try and cheer up the old Pryce, but he really had to try to get it, I guess."

"Don't twist the knife further, now."

Volkner did exactly that. "You've been doing that routine for years and it never worked. I tried it and it never worked. When are you going to get tired of it?"

"Never! It's a great, classic way to cheer up people!" Flint pumped his fists, his determination flaring up all of a sudden as he then pointed skyward. "And I won't stop until I prove it!"

The Electric-type Gym Leader continued to look utterly baffled at his best friend, yet knew there was little he could do to dissuade him from his silly schemes. No matter how many people got annoyed along the way.

Perhaps he should've never got past his funk...

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BRANDON369

Nimbasa City was a dangerous place. Crime and robbery in that city was pretty high, especially during Christmas. Fortunately, the denizens could sleep peacefully, with no worries about their own safety, for they were protected by the Jimmy Ray: the greatest superhero in all the planet.

Said hero was in the middle of a mission of utmost importance. He’d gotten important intel from the trusty vigilance network he set up all over town (which consisted on having his multiple Patrat to patrol the streets) and thanks to that, he had confirmed that several members of his rogues’ gallery would have a meeting in an old warehouse during Christmas Day to plan their next movement.

They’d probably put in motion one of their most dangerous evil plans. Maybe take over the entire city, hijack Christmas itself, or worse, maybe kidnap Santa Claus! He couldn’t allow that to happen! Jimmy Ray and his Patrat had to stop them at any cost!

“Alright, fellas, it’s time to begin the infiltration,” he addressed to the large group of Patrat following him.

Thus, the Patrat took advantage of their small size to put to the test one of their most complex infiltration maneuvers Jimmy Ray had taught them. Surprisingly, there wasn’t too much security around the warehouse, barring two guards his Patrat dispatched with ease.

With nimble and stealthy movements, Jimmy Ray looked through the warehouse’s window, just to find himself a huge surprise; the place was packing with villains he’d faced before!

There were big names like the seductress Black Purrloin; the dangerous Cryogonal Man, with his henchmen dressed as Vanillite; the well-known Dream Thief, along with his Beheeyem; and even that green-clad weirdo who’d always make up riddles… and whose name Jimmy couldn’t remember.

The most important now was to foil these villain’s plans. He couldn’t let these perverse minds plot whatever they were up to. He had to stop them at any cost! Thus, he kicked down the door and entered backed up by a large group of Patrat ready to engage in combat.

“Nobody moves!” he ordered with authority. “I caught you all red-handed! I’ll make sure you all go back behind bars!”

An entrance worthy of the great Jimmy Ray, no doubt, but far from being worried, scared or even getting ready to fight, the villains were simply confused.

“Under which charges are you going to arrest us?” the Purrloin-clad girl finally asked.

“Don’t play dumb! I got you during this secret meeting! I won’t let you put into motion whatever you’re going to do to take over Christmas!”

“Oi, we’re not doing anything,” the green guy said, rather indignantly. “This is just our Christmas party; we were about to do our Secret Santa gift exchange.”

Right then, Jimmy Ray realized the entire warehouse was decorated with Christmas Lights, a traditional Christmas tree and another made of aluminum, of all things. There was a table full of punch drinks and several plates with food leftovers, and indeed every villain was carrying a gift-wrapped box in their hands.

“Er… I can still send you to prison for breaking into someone else’s property.”

“Actually, I own this warehouse,” Cryogonal Man intervened. “I’ve got the ownership papers in order, just if you want to check them out.”

“Bête,” the Beheeyem guy muttered while chuckling under his breath.

Thus, the villains celebrated a merry Christmas and Jimmy Ray once more went out to patrol around town. The Patrat hero was at ease, as with his worst enemies so busy celebrating the holidays, there was nothing to feat. The city was safe once more and the denizens could celebrate at ease. All thanks to the invaluable protection of Jimmy Ray.

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

CROSSOVERPAIRINGLOVER

Vermillion City was not a cheap place to live. It was booming, bright, and bustling meaning that land was expensive and in constant demand. It was fairly basic economics, and she understood that. She also understood why her father would take any means of avoiding the expenses while taking advantage of all of the benefits.

The fact that the Cerise Laboratory was expansive, pretty looking, and everything her father could possibly want in a work space was even more understandable.

"Gen Gen Gen Gen!"

Many would question it was worth sharing a space that was being haunted by a spiteful Gengar even with dirt cheap land prices. Especially when you were wanting to decorate for the holiday season. As it left the hallways she had spent an entire afternoon decorating with tangled lights and the candles with cracked sides.

"Gen Gen Gen Gen!"

It was a giant mess, and even after she had broomed up all the stray glass shards that would otherwise probably end up in Yamper's paws it was still a mess. The place looked more like a Spinarak lair than a holiday celebration. Like a web.

As she stared at the lights a spark of inspiration came to her.

A spider's web of holiday lights.

...

His former trainer loved Christmas. Humans loved the holiday with no origin in general.

He did not. It was too happy, too cheerful, and too... him.

They all got to be happy and pretend they weren't going to abandon you the moment they had the slightest excuse. Humans were predictable.

"Mmm and mmm of mmmm age. Mmmm you mmm to see mmmm strange."

They were also strange, even when they weren't humming a half-audible song that said it outright.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

He watched the girl as she took to his damage with a different approach than he had expected. Instead of struggling to remove tangled lights, which he was sure would take her ages if she didn't want to damage the wall, she was rearranging them to be like webbing.

Like something from a Spinarak, though he had no idea why. That was a different holiday, not Christmas. And she was keeping some of the less broken candles?

Humans. You couldn't understand any of them, except that they were beyond comprehension, compelled to cruelty, and couldn't capture him casually to contain him.

Her friend had tried, though it was fun to smack him in the face with his own Pokéballs. Perhaps he should go bother him and do some more of it. This wasn't any fun after all, just strange.

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FOX BLUEREAVER

The Christmas party in the Pewter Gym was the best Brock had in a long, long time. The house hadn’t been so full of life at that season since the last Christmas the Harrison siblings spent with their parents.

It was nice to bring Lucy along as a guest; his siblings adored her so much she was practically part of the family already. Then again, it was just a matter of time before they made it official, but it didn’t hurt to have everyone’s approval at this point.

The dinner went nicely, with the youngest siblings asking Lucy to tell them stories, which she gladly agreed to, but that was nothing compared to the moment the gift exchange finally began. After about half an hour of screams of excitement, hugs and joy (and one or two minor disappointments), and with the whole living room littered with pieces of gift wrap everywhere, the best part had finally come.

“Alright, family, we have one last gift to conclude the exchange,” Brock declared, rising up to get his siblings’ attention.

“This one’s a shared present,” Lucy explained holding up the package, which looked about the size of a small suitcase. “It’s from me and Brock, and for all of you.”

“Ohhh! What is it what is it what is it?” all but the oldest siblings exclaimed, with the youngest ones trying to jump on the girl to take the box, and she simply laughed as she held it above her head to keep it out of reach.

Her height did have its perks, like now.

“Easy, easy everyone!” Forrest intervene. “Don’t make out future sis-in-law mad, or she won’t marry our big brother, remember?”

Brock and Lucy blushed at the remark, but still laughed too. Everyone took that for granted, themselves included, so there was no point in denying it.

“As I was saying, this is a gift for all of you,” the tall girl continued. “It’s something we know you’ve all wanted for a while, but it comes with a great responsibility. Are you guys ready to assume it?”

“YES, YES WE ARE!” the little ones chorused, jumping impatiently.

“Alright. In that case, Merry Christmas everyone!”

The cries of joy went off immediately, and after giving them the package, all hands went to mercilessly rip out the wrap. Under it, there was a plastic container with a transparent lid, with three Pokéballs inside.

The Harrison siblings all stared at them silently for a minute, until they realized what it meant. And once more they screamed cheerfully, this time fighting over who got to open the Pokéballs first.

“I got one!” Yolanda exclaimed as she activated it. Instantly, a pink, fluffy Pokémon landed on her arms. “Oh, it’s a Clefairy, so cute!”

“I wanna touch it!” Billy and Tilly exclaimed simultaneously. “No, me first!”

As the youngest twins argued over who would play with the Clefairy first, the second Pokéball was in the middle of a two-on-two tug-o-war.

“What happened to ladies first?” Cindy exclaimed, helped by Suzie.

“What happened to equal treatment?” Tommy replied, aided by Timmy from his side.

The Pokéball ended up going to the girls’ side, who opened it up to reveal a small, scale-armored yellow rodent.

“A Sandshrew!” Suzie shouted before cuddling it. “I always wanted one of these!”

A bit disappointed, Timmy and Tommy went with Salvadore, who took advantage of the mess to snatch the third Pokéball, and upon opening it, he was surprised by a little metal blue-eyed creature.

Which of course was just a little bit heavy, and made him fall back on his rear.

“Ow,” he said, rubbing his posterior as he held the Aron in his lap. “Little help, guys?”

As the two boys helped their brother lift the metallic Pokémon, the three eldest in the room just watched the show with a smile. Seeing the younger siblings play around with their new friends, who’d also be their responsibility, brought a warmth to their hearts.

“Think we should have caught some more?” Brock asked.

Lucy giggled. “Possibly, but we would have been late for the party.”

Indeed, the night prior to Christmas Eve both took a little escapade to Mt. Moon, so Lucy could catch a Pokémon to give them, after Brock decided to give them the Aron. She was lucky enough to catch a Clefairy just as she expected, but when they were ready to leave, a Sandshrew almost fell rolling from above on them, and they figured they might as well take an extra one.

In the end it was a good thing, if only to reduce the infighting over who’d play with them.

“Don’t worry too much,” Forrest said, crossing his arms. “I get the feeling they’ll calm down, once they understand the ‘responsibilities’ they’ve just assumed.”

Indeed, they always wanted to have Pokémon of their own to play with. Having these would help them understand everything that meant, but at least for tonight, they could just play and enjoy it all they wanted.

The best gift for the Harrisons was to share everything, like the big happy family they were. Or would eventually be, in Lucy’s case.

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

BRANDON369

Unova’s Route 4 was shrouded in mystery, especially thanks to a small sector known as Area 28. Many travelers who camped in its forests had reported sightings of UFOs or strange visions leading them away from that mysterious place.

However, the one responsible for these sightings lived in a lonely shack, near the summit of a nearby mountain. Many people would probably be surprised if they discovered the most recent project the renowned astrophysicist, Professor Icarus, worked with alongside his loyal Elgyem.

“Ha, this is completely crazy. I don’t know how you convinced me of this-” The Professor gazed at his little Elgyem, who just replied making a few lights glow in his hand. “My old students would probably laugh at me if they found out the use I’ve found for dark matter.”

In his constant attempts to recreate the spaceship he saw in his childhood, Professor Icarus had developed numerous flying saucers powered by dark matter, most of which ended up as big and loud failures. His most recent model, on the other hand, was a complete success, despite its non-conventional shape.

An excited Elgyem hopped onto this flying saucer, which looked exactly like Santa Claus’ sled. It was an almost perfect copy, with the rocket boosters even shaped like Stantler to give the illusion of them being the ones pulling the sled.

A weird project, no doubt about it, but it was his Pokémon’s idea. After all, if all his failed projects made people believe in UFOs, why not do the same to give some Christmas joy for the kids of the nearby town?

“Alright, here’s the toy bag,” the professor said, handing Elgyem a large bag to be held by psychic powers. The alien Pokémon looked rather excited to pilot the sled and bring Christmas joy to others. “Just remember to be back on time for our own Christmas dinner. You too have a gift waiting here.”

With his lights flickering, an excited Elgyem put the rocket sled in motion, and flew away until it vanished from sight. The Professor just watched with a smile; that Pokémon certainly changed his life since he’d found him lying in that forest. Even then he offered the chance to send him back to his planet with one of their ships, but Elgyem chose to stay by his side, and Professor Icarus raised him like he was his child.

“Thank you for everything,” were all the words the Professor could say, at the greatest gift he’d gotten in his entire life.

That night, many kids in town swore they’d seen the real Santa Claus and seemed rather excited about it. Similarly, that little shack in the mountain nobody came closer irradiated happiness, as a man and his Pokémon enjoyed their Christmas Eve dinner together.

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FOX BLUEREAVER

The Pride Sniper would always fulfill his contracts. That was the golden rule.

This was supposed to be an easy job. Contract assassins didn't take vacations, so no matter if it was Christmas, he'd fulfill the contract. Too bad for whoever celebrated, for their Christmas would turn red instead of white.

He'd never expected to end up being the one shot down. He could only take solace in the fact that, at least, it wasn't his victim's doing. That would have been much more humiliating, less than being pinned against a wall, both arms and legs disabled by two or three shots each, plus a few more in his stomach.

"I can't believe… I was overpowered and outgunned by a kid."

"Don't take it personally, old man," said the aforementioned kid, who was actually somewhere between his mid to late teens. "You offed my benefactors, thus you cut all my source of profit. Then again, I was planning on killing them myself, but you beat me to the punch."

That had been a strange twist of events. This kid seemed like another cleaning worked in his target's manor. And it turned out he not only knew how to fire a gun; he actually cut his escape and killed every single witness with a single bullet each before they could call the police.

For a kid, he was pretty skilled, and he respected him for it, from a killer to another.

"Where did you learn how to fire a gun? That aim and dexterity, you're not common street thug. You clearly know what you do."

"Dearest mother, rest her in hell, forced me to learn how to use them," he said nonchalantly. The Sniper caught a strange mixture of resentment and gratitude in his tone. What kind of mother could have raised him? He wouldn't be surprised if thanked her with a bullet to the head or the heart after he got old enough.

And he liked that thought.

"Alright. Before you finish me off… do I get a final request?"

"If it's to spare you, I'm sorry, but that cannot be."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not gonna beg for my life. I just want to be sure my pending contracts can be fulfilled. You know, I value trust with my clients, and I'd hate to let them down."

"Hmm?" The kid stopped pointing the gun to his head. He had his interest now; good.

"You know how to fire a gun, I can tell. Check my belt's side pouch."

The kid didn't comply immediately, perhaps suspecting of a trap, but he ultimately did what he was told, opening the aforementioned pouch. He then pulled out the emblem he carried around: a stylized A that looked like two crossed blades, with a Cofagrigus face in the middle.

"The guild of assassins I work for values skill greatly. Present that emblem as proof that you finished me off, and you'll have access to all my assets and resources."

"And how will I find them?"

"You won't… they will find you."

The teenager smirked, and put the emblem into his pocket before aiming the gun back at his head. Good, he'd do it quick and clean. He'd be a worthy successor.

"Sounds like a good deal. As a reward, I grant you a second request before I blow your brains off."

"Well… I'd like to know the name of my successor, before I 'retire' permanently."

"Hmm, seems no big deal. but since you insist. Name's Descant, old man."

"Good… Descant, you'll be the new Pride Sniper from now on. Hope that makes a good Christmas present for you."

Next, he shut his eyes, awaiting the imminent end. He didn't fear death, and if he left his pending contracts with this kid, he'd leave without remorse. After all, he seemed even colder and more ruthless than he was.

"Merry Christmas for you too... Pride Sniper," were the last words he heard before the detonation.

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

CROSSOVERPAIRINGLOVER

He faintly remembered the holiday from years past, but it was not something he had particularly paid attention to before. It was just a background detail, a random period where humans put a lot of strange lights on random things and the same series of strange sounds came out from them at this time of year and at no other. He had other things on his mind and the season just past him by as he focused on other things like survival.

It was just a strange thing that humans did, and he had no context for them. Though he now knew someone who did.

"It's called Christmas. It is a human tradition with no origin that occurs at the end of their cycle of events known as a calendar. Ideally it is a holiday celebrating good will to your fellows and celebrating the completion of a cycle of seasons as humans judge it. It's also the main driving factor for the employed livelihoods of thousands of humans but that was not the intended purpose. It was a side effect."

Stoutland and himself were atop a hill overlooking the human city, awash not just in bright lights but red and green lights that came only this time of year. Stoutland was watching the town with a wistful look, the slightest glint of remembrance in the eyes he could almost see through Stoutland's hair.

"You go to different lands they do different things this time of year. My old friend and I saw many of them first hand. In Unova they prefer to use white lights in Opelucid City and colorful lights in Nacrene City. In Fallarbor Town in Hoenn they string their lights with colorful berries to attract flocks of a Pokémon called Swablu while to the south in Rustboro they wouldn't dare in fear of fearsome Taillow swarms. Johto has the Apricorncrackers made in Azalea Town that are popular decorations all over the region, with some of them even being functional for the crafting of special holiday juices made from Apricorn juice. I don't get why myself as I always find the taste a bit too bitter."

He was a wild Pokémon born and raised to whom a human was just a bigger Rattata to outwit for food. One whom you just couldn't tell by looking at them if they weren't a Raticate with Hyper Beam or not. Stoutland was not such a Pokémon.

He had once been the partner of a human whom they had traveled the world together with multiple times. They had been to dozens of lands and seen thousands of things. It had been at the end of their world travels they had come to Alola in something that humans called 'retirement'. The human was no longer alive.

"Nine thousand three hundred and twelve."

Stoutland randomly said a number that was too large to comprehend. His attention was more fully on Stoutland as he gazed down at the city.

"The lights of Hau'oli City as seen from up high in holiday cheer. The nine thousandth three hundredth and twelfth wonder of the world. The world at large is filled with wonders both great and small, and one should strive to see as many as possible. The Jungle Relic of Summerland, the ice swept peaks of Mt. Coronet, the tranquil beauty of Mt. Quena, the yearly festival of Shamouti, the harsh beauty of Peril Cliffs, the mournful silence of Celestial Tower, the shipyards of Slateport, the reflective walls of Reflection Cave....you can never see all of the wonders of the world. Man creates, finds, and improves them constantly that it is no way to see all the world has."

He meowed in confusion at all of the names. Some of them seemed like they naturally existed, but so many just seemed to be made by humans for no real reason. Why make ships? Why build a tower? Why a relic?

Why a holiday with lights and cheer where, as he understood, it was frequently the coldest part of the year? He asked Stoutland this, who chuckled.

"Why do humans do anything? They are a strange species, but there is always a method to their madness and I have had decades to see unfold everywhere and most everywhen. Tell me Litten, do you think of the stars that much?"

No.

"Understandable. Only the Ledian have any reason to care half the time, and I suppose the Clefairy too. But Clefairy are strange. Humans put much stock into stars. It's why they made their calendars as they did: humans in ancient times noticed what stars appeared in certain times and mapped them out. This star meant it was time to plant, that start meant it was time to harvest. The star over there means you should sail the seven seas, and that star tells you to only do that if you wish to leave this world."

He looked up the stars, then back to Stoutland, then back up at the stars, then at the city below, then back at the stars.

You could do that with stars? Scratch that, how did you tell a star from another star?

"Humans have a few means of doing that. They use the moon, the directions, that sort of thing. There are also these things humans think they see called constellations that I've never been able to really get. Humans believe that you can see shapes in the stars you see, and if they want to think that is true I can't really say they are wrong. Humans see things we simply cannot sometimes. They even believe that individual stars can mean things. Like there is a star that always points north for example."

If that was because there was a star that constantly was in the north, he could actually see how a human would believe that. It was reasonable.

"Now if you go from that star and look towards the direction of the rising sun then down a bit you'll see a star that is visible most if not all the time. It's not quite a directional guide, but there is a legend about it in a region a good ways away from here."

Stoutland hung on his words until he managed to see the star that Stoutland was looking at. It was a star that didn't seem to be the most obvious thing in the world, but he'd see what Stoutland had to say.

"They call it a few different things depending on where you call. It's named the Sea Guardian's Star in the Orange Island, the Travelers Star in the Kanto region, and the Valor Star in Sinnoh. Excuse me as I ramble to get one name off the top of my tongue... it's a star that isn't visible in the bleakest part of winter after this holiday ends but shines brightly as spring returns. It is most bright at the end of May...oh yes. In another land it is known as the Comrades Star. They say that those who look up at it will be guided to those they will be with for the rest of their days in battle and life. Not quite love of course, the romantic love star is another star entirely, but it is a nice legend I find. I'd watch that star if I were you young one."

He held his gaze to the star, not sure what Stoutland meant. Or why he sounded so wistful as he said it.

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

BRANDON369

Christmas could be a lonely season sometimes, especially when you lived alone in a remote and mostly unknown island. But Ultima was used to it and she had her own way to celebrate the holidays.

The elderly woman leaned on her favorite couch, holding up a sake bottle and served two cups, one for herself and one for her Dragonite, relaxing herself with the heat from her fireplace.

“There, my old friend. Don’t hold back; we have plenty to drink to.” The old lady searched through her pocket and pulled out a few letters. “Check out the amount of Christmas postcards we got this year. Quite a record, don’t you think so?!”

That was the biggest fun she had for these parties. The old master skimmed through the Christmas cards with all the joy in the world. She smiled amused when she saw the one from old man Briney; that old sea dog would always send a postcard without fail since she could remember.

She took a sip of her sake as she read a letter from Ciel, telling her about how her boyfriend Fitzdane was going through the Johto gyms, and thanked her deeply for that season they spent at her home learning Hydro Cannon. Among all the apprentices she had, Fitzdane and Ciel were the ones she kept in touch the most with, and that was nice.

She continued checking the postcards, until she found one written by an old friend. People knew him as the illustrious Professor Oak who changed the entire world, but for Ultima he’d always be her old friend Sammy. Though as she read the letter, a wave of nostalgia invaded her.

“It’s been a long time since the last time we were all together,” she said, looking up as she drank another sip of sake.

During her youth, Ultima traveled across the world to train herself and become worthy of continuing her family tradition, as keeper of the Ultimate Moves. During those journeys she had notable achievements, so people knew her as one of the “First Generation of Legendary Trainers”. She found the title amusing of course, but actually didn’t take it too seriously.

Far from being legends, those remarkable trainers were just a group of friends who’d meet here and there during journeys and competitions, and whose rivalry soon turned to friendship. Back then they were quite close and had a lot of fun when they were all together.

In fact, the best Christmas she had in her life was when she managed to get everyone for a gathering in Two Island, like a sort of vacation from their journeys to celebrate together the New Year’s Eve.

She had plenty of fun back then. She still recalled how Agatha lectured Sammy over supposedly not taking his training seriously, even though the latter repeated her was busy with another project. Of course, rather than paying any heed to the argument, Ultima preferred to play with Pryce and Tony, cracking jokes at the stoic Kurt, who’d only ask to be left alone to concentrate, as he glanced at what he called “the Pokéball of the future”.

Ultima began chuckling as she remembered all the shenanigans they’d done during that Christmas party. And they even ended up doing a trip to Four Island because the cheery Pryce was curious about exploring the Icefall Cave.

Oh yeah, those were very happy memories she treasured with all her heart… so why did she shed tears, if she recalled them with so much joy?

True, all of her friends had long gone their separate ways. Sammy turned into a busy researcher who’d barely have time to send Christmas cards; Agatha was an Elite Four member with all the responsibility that implied, not to mention what happened to Tony; Kurt was too busy developing new types of Pokéballs, her two friends from Four Island got married and settled down for running a daycare center; and Pryce… for some reason stopped being a cheerful boy, becoming an embittered old man and isolating himself from all of their friends.

And what about her? She fulfilled her lifelong dream becoming the keeper of the Ultimate Moves, and now she lived on a mostly deserted island, reading cards during Christmas…

“Gron.” Her Dragonite’s voice snapped her from her thoughts, apparently worried for seeing her shedding tears.

“Don’t worry, Dragonite. I’m fine.” She patted his head to calm him down. “No time to get depressed, my old friend! It’s Christmas and we’re gonna celebrate with the full bottle!”

She served another cup of sake and toasted with Dragonite, celebrating a new Christmas. She toasted to the fact that each of her friends had fulfilled their respective dreams, and them being happy wherever they were. She also toasted to the new generations following their footsteps. She would toast until the bottle was empty.

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

VIRORO-KUN

As he walked through the plain grassy hills of Route 29, just outside New Bark Town, the young Goh couldn't help but scowl, kicking off some pebbles on the way. He really didn't get why his parents decided they had to spend their Christmas vacation in the Johto region of all places; perhaps it was an attempt to make up for how their previous trip to Azalea was a complete bust, but Goh still would've rather forget about it. Not that he didn't like the region: it was full of interesting Pokémon, with lots of things to learn about and see, and he already planned to pester Professor Elm for clues on Mew's whereabouts the next morning, but as he remained alone before dinner, he couldn't help but think of Horace and their promise. How he shattered it without regards for their friendship, right when he thought there was something special between them.

He shook his head, trying to enjoy the free, quiet afternoon he was given, but thoughts of his prior experience in Johto continued to come back to him, twisting the knife further into his still fresh wound. He didn't need to think about Horace! He didn't need any friends! Why couldn't he just stop thinking about what that guy did?

Fortunately for him, someone was quick to come and distract him from his thoughts.

"Hello, kid! Merry Christmas!" the unfamiliar voice called, and turning his head, Goh was met with a rather anonymous-looking dude, smiling and waving at him.

Goh gave a quick wave back with a fraction of the enthusiasm. "Merry Christmas, I guess."

"I've never seen you around these parts. How many Pokémon you-"

"I'm not interested, sorry." Goh's reply was blunt as he gave a shrug, already heading back for the town. He had enough experience with door-to-door cons to know better than give any stranger the time of day.

However, the dude was not deterred, quickly catching up to him and looking him over. "Why the long face? Did something happen?"

"I just don't like to be here. And I don't need any Pokémon." The boy thumped his chest, flashing a grin. "My starter will be Mew, after all!"

"Mew? The mythical Pokémon?" Just like every other person he told his dream about, that dude was staring at him in utter bewilderment and disbelief. Goh snickered, enjoying the attention as he nodded back.

"Yes! I met him years ago, you see." His smile widened, thinking back of his fateful encounter with the New Species Pokémon way back in Professor Oak's Summer Camp. "It was so cool, and I just know he needs to be my first Pokémon. It's my future, and I can hold it in the palm of my hand!"

Goh expected the man to laugh it off, or consider it a pipe dream, just like how every other adult would do. Seeing the dude pull off a thumbs up and smile back at him took the boy by complete surprise.

"A very lofty goal. I like it!" The man folded his arms, waggling his finger in the boy's direction. "But don't take your future starter for granted just yet. Maybe you will find your true partner before Mew."

"Not a chance. Mew will be my first Pokémon, no matter what!" Goh pointed his thumb on himself, unfaltering in his boast.

"Well, if you are so sure..." The dude rubbed his chin, pensive as he looked over the boy. "But in that case, then you'll need to know how to catch it. What's your plan?"

"Of course, I..." Goh paused, his mind rushing to elaborate some plausible sounding plan. His failure was accompanied by a sheepish grin, averting his gaze. "I... I have no idea..." he whispered, almost hoping not to be heard.

The man beamed back with glee. "You're in luck, then! I'm none other than the Dude, the greatest Pokémon catcher in the world, and I can teach you a few tips to throw your Poké Balls and never fail."

"Really?" Goh's asked, curiosity lighting up in his eyes, eager to learn more. That sounded like the perfect way to ensure he would catch Mew!

The Dude grabbed a Poké Ball, tossing it up and down with skill. "Of course! I can show you how to pull off a Curveball right now!"

Goh grinned, nodding without delay. "Alright! Show me what to do!"

The Dude took his position a few feet from the boy, tossing a Poké Ball that Goh scrambled to catch. After barely doing so, he glanced over the red and white device with interest, truly feeling like he was holding his future in the palm of his hand now.

"The basics of the Curveball are simple: just twist your wrist and throw it, and you'll manage to send it with just enough curve to hit a target without them realizing it. Try to launch it at me!"

Goh turned back to the man, judging the distance between two. He smirked with pride, tightening his grip on the spherical device, moving his wrist at just the right angle, and then threw with all his strength, almost falling. Goh watched on as the Poké Ball flew in a parabolic trajectory, right for the Dude's hand- or rather, his forehead.

"Ow!" the Dude yelled, doubling down at the sharp pain as the Ball hit the grass.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" Goh rushed at the man's side, cheeks flushing red in utter embarrassment. Thankfully, the man smiled back at him.

"It's okay! You just gotta try again!" Grabbing the capture device once more, the older guy put it back in Goh's hands. "You'll get it right in no time, I'm sure! And then I can teach you about Capture Spots!"

Hearing that, Goh's embarrassment subsided immediately, replaced by confidence and a desire to try again. "I can't wait for it!"

And so, both Goh and the Dude continued on their little training session, spending the rest of the afternoon perfecting the boy's throws, learning of all the small ways to improve the chances of capturing even the most resilient and evasive Pokémon.

Goh had no way to know that back then, but years after that day, he would've forever remembered that as the most important Christmas gift of his whole life.

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

ANDER ARIAS

“Alright, almost done, Eevee!” the young girl said, as she ran a comb through the small Pokémon's fur.

“Eev!” the small Pokémon cooed.

“We need to be at our best, since this performance is very important,” she stated. “But I'm sure you'll do your best, won't you?”

“Vui!” Eevee affirmed.

Sakura smiled in return. The youngest of the Kimono Sisters was getting her Eevee ready for the afternoon's performance. This performance wasn't just another of their typical dance shows, since all the money earned from this show would be donated to a charity association that helped both homeless people and abandoned Pokémon, in accordance to the holiday's spirit of giving to those who had very little.

“Oh, there you are,” a new voice said. Sakura turned around, and saw her sister Tamao, her Umbreon by her side. “You're already dressed. Good. We're going to start in five minutes. Is Eevee ready?”

“Yes. I just wanted to make sure she was extra ready,” Sakura confirmed. “How many people are there?”

Tamao beamed. “Beyond full capacity! Many people are even standing up in the back. They didn't care if there were no empty seats left.”

“Nice. That means we'll collect a lot of money,” Sakura smiled in return.

“Hey, people in Ecruteak are rather charitable, so it shouldn't come as that much of a surprise,” Tamao said, before she left.

Alone once again, Sakura turned toward her Pokémon once more, and deciding she had combed her enough, it was time to go. She and Eevee went to the stage, where her sisters and their respective Pokémon were already waiting for them, already in their initial positions. Sakura and Eevee quickly ran to take their place.

In less than a minute, the curtain went up, the spotlights focused on them, shamisen music started to play in the background, and the show began. Like most of their dances, today's show was a collaboration between the girls and their Pokémon. They would dance with each other, while their Pokémon ran around and used their elemental attacks to create special effects. Some would call it similar to Contests or Showcases, but while in the former two there was more emphasis on sheer spectacle, the displays were more theatrical in nature.

As the dance reached their end, they prepared for the final number. The five sisters would form a circle, and their Pokémon would then form a pyramid, with Vaporeon and Flareon at the bottom, Umbreon and Jolteon on top of them, and Sakura's Eevee on top.

The music finally stopped, and the girls and their Pokémon stood there, looking at the audience, waiting for the applause to come. However, this dance still had one last surprise.

“Eev?”

Suddenly, they could hear a buzzing click, and much to everybody's surprise, Eevee started to glow with a blue light. Her body grew while becoming slenderer. Her bushy tail elongated and slimmed down, and split in two at the end. Two tufts of fur grew near the eyes. When the light faded, there was a new Pokémon there.

“Espeon!” the newly evolved Espeon cried in joy.

Joy Sakura shared. She was about to say something, but before she could open her mouth, her eyes widen in shock as the pyramid started to tumble. Espeon had become heavier upon evolving, and the sudden mass increase had thrown the balance of her fellow Eeveelutions below her.

“No!” Sakura cried. Was fate going to be as cruel as to make her Pokémon finally evolving come at the expense of ruining an otherwise great dance number?

“Eon!” Espeon cried, as her eyes started to glow with a pink light. Suddenly, the other four Eeveelutions started to glow with a blue light as well, and all four of them felt as if invisible hands were keeping them stable.

“Amazing... she's using her newly awakened psychic powers to keep them from falling down,” Satsuki whispered.

Once the pyramid was made stable again, a deafening silence reigned over the dance theatre. Then, a single person started clapping. Then another. Then another, and another, and another, until everybody in the audience clapped with such enthusiasm, the applause could be heard even outside the theatre.

Sakura beamed at her newly evolved Espeon, who smiled back at her. Thanks to her, their dance number would become unforgettable.

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

FOX BLUEREAVER

“This is gonna be my night!”

“In your dreams! I’m still undefeated!”

There he was again, struggling in a strength duel as he pushed arms with the Boss Poliwrath. Around them Machop, Mankey and Tyrogue watched, along with the rest of the Pokémon in the alleyway cheering them on to push one another out of the ring.

For a moment, it seemed like the Poliwrath Boss was beginning to push him on his knees. After all, he doubled him in size, but he wasn’t going to get beaten so easily.

“Grrr… I’m… not… gonna… lose!”

Rather than trying to fight back, Heavy allowed him to push from above, and used his own momentum against him to grab him by the belly to hoist him up, raising him above his head with both arms, using both his legs and tail for additional leverage.

“Haha!”

“Hey, what’cha doing?! Put me down, put me down now!”

Heavy would gladly comply, but not before he strolled around the ring as he spun Boss Poliwrath over his head. The humans in the nearby gym called this move ‘airplane spin’, although he thought it looked more like a helicopter.

Whatever it was, Heavy finally stopped spinning and tossed Boss Poliwrath out of the ring, towards some of the cardboard crates to cushion his fall.

“Ring out!” Mankey declared. “The winner, and still undefeated champion of the strength brawls, the Squirtle Heavy!”

All of the Pokémon in the alleyway began cheering him on, as he posed triumphantly flexing his arms, happy to bask into the fans’ attention. Meanwhile, Machop and Tyrogue headed towards the fallen Boss Poliwrath to help him back up, and Heavy approached to shake hands.

“Nice fight, you almost got me there.”

“Someday I’m gonna take my title back,” the Boss said, accepting the handshake with dignity. “Nice trick, by the way. Now that’s what you call using your tail.”

Heavy chuckled. Mankey then announced show was over for the tonight and to come back next week. Everyone left and they too headed for their own lair.

And that was how things had gone, since he split from his own gang a few months back. After that underground cave-in, he and Scout tried to find the others, but that Ekans showing up thinking they’d make a good snack caused them to get separated, and he couldn’t find him later.

As he wandered around looking for something to eat, he found these four doing some kind of Pokémon gathering in an alleyway. The Fighting-types loved to show off in strength fights, but never to cause harm, just for entertainment value. Anybody who wanted to take them on was free to do so, and being a strength challenge, he couldn’t resist and asked to take part.

Despite their confidence due to all being Fighting-types, he managed to defeat Boss Poliwrath in a one-on-one, even though he boasted about being the strongest of the bunch, undefeated until he showed up. But to his surprise, rather than angry at losing his streak, he asked if he wanted to join them, even making them their new boss based on strength alone. He declined on the latter, but after he was offered a few energy snack bars for food, he had no choice but to agree to join, if only to fill his stomach.

At first, he only intended to stay temporarily to recover enough to go find his friends, but… time went by and he’d stayed with these guys. He wouldn’t feel good leaving them after they took him in, not like that.

“Alright, Champ, you’ve earned your prize,” Poliwrath said, pulling out a box full of energy bars, wrapped in red and green paper due to the holidays. “This one fell off the delivery truck the other day, so we saved them for today’s tournament winner.”

“Cool! Thanks, fellas!” He unwrapped a few of them. “Hmm, I love these; want a few?”

“But they’re for ya, you won them,” Tyrogue said.

“Who cares? There’s plenty for all of us. C’mon, have a few.”

He insisted quite a bit, but finally the others agreed to split them up. Christmas time was to share with friends, and his new friends had done a lot for them in that time. It was only fair to give back a bit of that as well.

He missed his old gang, but he was sure they’d be alright somewhere. In fact, he saw one time a tournament on TV where a trainer used a Squirtle he was sure his old Boss. And if he was alright, the others surely were too.

He hoped he could introduce them to his new friends someday. He was certain they’d get along nicely.

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BRANDON369

Being a prince, the heir to an entire kingdom, was something a bit complicated. Looking after the prince, on the other hand, was all but impossible.

“Prince Lear! I’m begging you, open that door!” a dark-skinned, burly teenager asked.

“Please, Prince! You can’t stay in your room all day!” a young woman with purple hair and a creepy look in her face asked as well.

“I’m not opening that door! Rachel, Sawyer, leave me alone!” the young prince’s voice called out from the other side of the door.

Sawyer and Rachel were quite worried; it wasn’t normal for the Prince to behave this way. Since they’d been assigned to this task (Sawyer for his evident physical strength, and Rachel because she was just two or three years older), Prince Lear always behaved like a kind-hearted and sweet young boy, if a little bit arrogant.

In a situation like this, only one person could get the prince out of his room.

“Your Majesty!” Sawyer and Rachel quickly bowed as they saw the Queen herself arrive, who simply beckoned them to stand up and approached the door.

“Lear, it’s me,” the Queen spoke with a sweet and soothing voice.

“Mama?” he asked from the other side of the door.

“May I come in, my little prince?”

A few seconds of silence later, the Queen got her answer.

“Alright, Mama, I’ll open. But I don’t want Sawyer and Rachel to come in.”

A bit confused, Sawyer and Rachel obliged their prince’s orders, who opened the door to let his mother in, and closed it behind them. Once inside, the Queen was surprised to see the large amount of paper sheets scattered all over the ground, all of them scribbled in one way or another.

She sighed and glanced at her son; she already more or less knew what was up.

“I’m sorry, Mama,” the little boy apologized. “It’s just that Christmas is coming and I wanted to give Rachel and Sawyer a picture as a gift, but… I can’t get it right! It’s just so hard!”

The little prince seemed frustrated, so the queen simply ruffled his silver hair and pushed his red shades up back into place, before hugging him.

“Let me help you with that, my little prince,” she gently offered. “We’re gonna fix these pictures and you’ll have a nice Christmas present for Sawyer and Rachel.”

“But I’m supposed to do this on my own, Mama,” Lear replied. “I’m the heir to the throne, and I must be able to do everything on my own.”

“Oh, you think so?” she asked amusedly. “What kind of king do you want to become?”

“I want to be mighty king,” he instantly answered. “An invincible king who never knows defeat, and who can do anything. The strongest king in the world!”

“No king can grow strong on his own. We all need to rely on others to get true strength.” The boy titled his head in confusion, so his mother proceeded to explain her point. “We all have our limits and flaws, and there are times when we can’t win alone, no matter how hard we try. That’s why we need other people or Pokémon to rely on, to help us surpass our limits and cover our weaknesses.

“Well… I rely on Rachel and Sawyer,” the boy replied. “Rachel is always nice, looking out for me and is always being kind. Sawyer doesn’t speak much, but he always teaches me new stuff and he protects me when I’m scared.”

“Then let’s put those feelings into this drawing of yours,” his mother said enthusiastically. “Let’s show them both how important they are to you. With both of them by your side, I’m sure you’ll be the luckiest king in the world.”

“Yes, Mama! Let’s draw together!”

Prince Lear spent the rest of the afternoon drawing along with his mother, doing his best in each one of his drawings and having fun like never before. Meanwhile, Sawyer and Rachel stayed outside, still worried not only for the prince’s strange attitude, but also fearing for the sickly queen’s health, spending so much time outside her room.

All their fears, however, were quickly dissipated by the Christmas Eve dinner, where the prince gave them his drawing, and they accepted it with tears of joy, leaving a smile of satisfaction in Lear’s face.

Interestingly, the Queen herself had also given them a letter, which read:

“ Thank you very much for taking care of my little prince. I trust you both to stay by his side whatever may come, Lear is very lucky to have your loyalty.”

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

FOX BLUEREAVER

Since the day she’d left her hometown, holidays were no longer important to her. After all, she’d hardly have motives to celebrate, being too busy in her crusade to cleanse the world of worthless people.

Others might have gone crazy with boredom after being locked in this confined space for over a year. But she wasn’t. For starters, she knew her jailers had all the reasons in the world to take these preemptive measures with her. Both the cell itself as well as the device she wore in her head were designed to keep her psychic powers at bay and prevent her escape.

As if she wanted to escape anyway. She no longer had any motivation to do so.

“Attention, Sabrina,” she was called out by the built-in speakers. “You have a visitor.”

“Oh? Someone visits me on Christmas Eve? How considerate.”

Very few people, she thought, would have a reason to visit her, and even fewer knew her current confinement location. In fact, the only person coming to mind at the moment was her father, but she hadn’t seen him in months. She knew how hard it’d be for him to see her after their last encounter.

To see what his sweet little girl had become.

The security doors opened, and much to her surprise, it wasn’t her father who’d come to visit her. It was a member of the Busters, dressed in his full uniform.

She caught on he also wore the same equipment he used to defeat her and put her behind bars, including those protective glasses to block hypnotic waves. However, judging them unnecessary, he removed them to look at her eye to eye through the glass.

“It’s been a while… Tommy. Have you been well lately?”

“Quite,” the aforementioned replied. “I’d ask the same, but I wouldn’t like to offend you, asking something that’s quite obvious.”

“You’d be surprised. Solitary confinement isn’t as bad when you get used to it. It’s rather quiet and gives me the chance to think… and reflect on things.”

Yes, to reflect on many things. On everything she’d done, and what she perhaps should have done. Of course, she had no regrets over her decisions, neither did she lament the consequences thereof. She simply accepted her fate when she was defeated by someone who outsmarted her.

“But I assume you’re not here just to say hi, are you? Neither to rub in my face how you defeated me in our last encounter.”

“No, that’s long in the past,” Tommy said. “Truth be told, I came to inform you I’m doing some arrangements, to make your stay here more… comfortable.”

Sabrina raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t uncomfortable enough to complain or demand for things. After all she didn’t need them, and he had no reason whatsoever to grant her such luxuries.

“If you wish for some kind of entertainment, perhaps books you’d like to read or cable TV, I can get some of my contacts to provide them for you. Only if you wish to, of course.”

“And why are you being so generous to me?” Sabrina asked intrigued. “It’s not like you and I are exactly friends, are you?”

“Maybe not,” he said. “I don’t think I’ll be able to forgive you for what you did, between terrorizing Turquoise Town, and the deaths of all my comrades who tried to stop you.

“But at the same time… I can’t help but think, maybe if you had someone, a friend who’d dissuade you from that dark path… could have things gone differently?”

Again, Sabrina stared at the Buster who arrested her. Despite the psychic dampener preventing her from reading minds, something inside her made her guess what he was thinking at the moment, and her assumption was confirmed as he continued talking.

“You were always alone. You never approached anyone, always buried in your studies and your own business. Almost no one tried to be your friend. Even after you discovered your powers and began using them to help, people only sought you to do things for them. Heck, even I was a bit scared of you, and that was before you began terrorizing everyone.”

The former Saffron Gym Leader looked away. There was a fair bit of truth on that: it wasn’t easy to be the person with the biggest brain power (quite literally) in town. There was no one she could call an equal… let alone a friend.

Was Tommy trying to make up now, for never trying to approach her over a decade ago?

He wasn’t her friend, and probably would never be, but there was hardly a single person in the world she’d come to respect more. It took him over a decade, and he needed a lot of help to do so, but he was the one who brought her down. And she bore him no ill will; he simply fought for what he believed in, and from her perspective, his might proved him right.

After giving his offer some thought, she finally made a choice.

“Actually… I do have a list of books I’d like to read again.”

Tommy nodded and pulled out a Tablet to write it down. She wasn’t going to abuse, so she was content on giving him her Top 10 favorite books for the time being. Even if she knew them by heart, it’d be nice to re-read them to relive some old memories.

“I’ll do my best to get them for you,” Tommy said. “It’s not much, but… consider this a Christmas present from me.”

Right after, he was called out that the visiting time was over, so he excused himself and left. Once more alone in her cell, Sabrina sat over her cot, thinking about what just happened. She and Tommy were, or at least had been, mortal enemies, yet he came here to see her, and offer her something to make her feel more comfortable.

For the first time in quite a while, she experienced a feeling she’d thought long forgotten: the gratitude of getting a Christmas present.

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

BRANDON369

In a remote, apparently deserted island of a random archipelago, a strange man walked over the beach’s sand, tumbling around with a huge headache, still trying to drink from an empty bottle.

The previous night they’d been celebrating Christmas Eve big time, drinking and dancing with the rest of the crew, the members of which were scattered and lying across the sand.

Unfortunately, such huge parties also had consequences. The hangover came full force and hit him like a train, his headache was unbearable and he could barely walk as he tumbled around forward and backwards. He was so dizzy that, at first, what he thought he was seeing by the beach was probably an alcohol-induced mirage.

“By the Phantom’s beards… is that a dream?”

What he’d found was none other than a giant cargo ship, that seemingly had gotten aground near the shore. Unable to believe it, he rubbed his eyes only to see the figure of a man in a trench coat hopping off the ship and flying away on a Dragonite.

Unsure as to whether that was a product of his drunkenness, he rubbed his eyes only to blink several times and realize that the figure was gone. But that large and abandoned ship was still there…

Ship… a ship? A ship! Possessed or not, that was a ship, right in front of him!

“Captain Crook!” the man began screaming as he run in the opposite direction, his drunk stupor all but gone thanks to the excitement. “Come ‘ere quickly! I’ve found a ship! Just what we needed!”

Scuz didn’t know whether it was a cursed ship, a random shipwreck or perhaps a Christmas gift (was the trench coat figure actually Santa Claus in disguise?). Whatever it was, something was for sure: his pirate captain would be in great mood when he woke up, and probably would reward him for it.

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

FOX BLUEREAVER

Another Christmas approached in Sunnytown for Duplica. The master of disguise and performer was always happy for this time of the year, as much as everyone else, through this year she seemed to have stayed out of the entertainment business.

Normally, she’d volunteer for a role in the yearly theater play the local church/orphanage did for the kids. She and Ditto had already portrayed roles such as the Grinch, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Stantler, among many others, and it was always satisfactory to see the little smiles in the children’s faces after the show.

This year they were going to have the classic A Christmas Carol, but when she went to offer herself, she was told that they’d hired a troupe for the job, which of course would provide the full cast, scenery, and everything else. A pity, but there was nothing she could about that.

“Guess it won’t hurt if we take a look. Maybe we could help with something else, what do you think, Ditto?” she asked, speaking to her battle and stage partner.

“Ditto!” the little pink blob in her arms replied cheerily.

Thus, she headed for the church’s building, to see if they needed a pair of extra hands for anything, and if not, she could at least stay for the show.

But she was in for a shocking surprise when she entered and saw the local priest, Father Maxwell, speaking through his cellphone, and his tone didn’t sound cheery at all.

“Please don’t tell me that. Are you sure you can’t do anything? What will happen then? The children were expecting it and… yes, I understand. I know you’re not to blame, but thank you for trying.”

The priest put his phone away and after exhaling a resignation sigh, finally noticed her presence.

“Oh, young Duplica. Can I do something for you?”

“I came to see if you needed help or something, for the Christmas play,” the girl said. “Did I come at a bad time?”

“Ah, yes, about that, I’m afraid we’ll have to cancel it,” the priest said. “You see, it turns out the company we hired for the play, the Flower Garden Troupe, just called me to say they won’t be able to come, so they will refund our deposit.”

“Eeeehh?” the green-haired girl gasped. “No way, is that true? What about the orphans?”

“There’s nothing that we can do. We have only two days before Christmas Eve, and it’s impossible to gather a full cast and get everything ready in that time.”

The pigtailed girl stared at the sad priest. She knew the man held a deep love for the kids who lived in the church, and sought to give them a piece of joy every year, but if that wasn’t possible this year…

Wait, maybe it didn’t have to be that way. Not if she could do something about it.

“Father Maxwell… how about we give the play a new spin this year?” Duplica asked. “We don’t need to gather a full cast, if one person can play all the roles.”

“What do you mean?”

The girl simply smiled, and handing him Ditto for a moment, she stepped away before twirling around, changing her outfit into an old-fashioned winter coat, with a scarf, cane and top hat.

“Bah, humbug!”

The priest was impressed at her Scrooge impersonation, but the girl didn’t stop there. Next, she twirled once more, adopting an elegant suit, albeit with chains and shackles in her arms and legs.

“I wear the chains I forged in life!”

And without stopping, a third twirl gave her an angelic appeal, a white tunic with wings on the back and completely barefoot; then a baggy coat that made her look like a fat guy with a fake beard and moustache; and finally a black hooded tunic that covered her completely, with a scythe in hand, Grim Reaper style. One last twirl and she returned to her normal attire, smiling widely.

“What do you think?”

“Young lady, where did you learn that?” Father Maxwell asked.

“It’s my secret talent for disguise,” the girl said with a wink. “No need to worry for a cast, I know the full script by heart, and I think I can give it my personal touch as a narrator too. That’ll give it an original spin, don’t you think so?”

“God bless you, girl, you’re like an angel sent from Heaven,” the priest said with a big smile. “Me, and the orphans will eternally be grateful to you.”

The girl smiled too. There was a lot to do, so she’d better get to work. The kids would have their Christmas show, and all thanks to her special talents.

After all, she loved using it for that, to bring some joy to others, either in Christmas, or in any other season of the year.

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

BRANDON369

Christmas Eve was a time many would take to rest and relax, to take a break after working so hard during the whole year. However, for Pokémon trainers, holidays did not exist.

Or at least, that was what Rubrum thought, who even during this time of the year was full of energy and always sought any chance to have any Pokémon battle. Each match was a new chance to test his skills to hone them and be better every time.

And that time he’d been quite lucky, for he’d found himself a foreign trainer. He didn’t know his name, but as soon as he heard him say he came from Mocha Town in the Sinnoh region, he challenged him to a double battle to face unknown Pokémon.

At first he was in a pinch: both his Torchic and Swampert were being pressed by his opponent’s Pokémon, a Marowak and a strange Electric-type Pokémon that his lazy Pokédex identified as a Luxray. Everything seemed to spell an imminent defeat for Rubrum…

At least, until Torchic unleashed his special ability, becoming engulfed in flames like he was a volcano.

“Okay, you guys! Overheat and Muddy Water, combine now!”

That combo attack was enough to conclude the sparring. Rubrum made a note to thank the Gym Leader, Roxanne, who helped him train alongside his Torchic to master his Hyper Ability. Though that being the case, he should also thank his friend Katie for directing him to search for the Gym Leader. He probably should have sent Christmas postcards to both of them later.

“We’re growing stronger every time, Glalie.” Rubrum glanced at his first Pokémon, who grinned amusedly. “If we keep this up, we might just win the Pokémon League, or another important tournament soon.”

“Glai!” Still grinning, his Pokémon blew some frost in his face. Already used to this, Rubrum wiped it off and laughing heartily hopped on top of him.

“Let’s get going, girl. We need to get to the next town ASAP and find our next adventure!”

An adventure that now was much easier now that Snorunt had evolved and could carry him around. That saved him hours of walking and he was happy with it.

“Glaile!” Though his Pokémon seemed to complain about something.

“Easy, girl. Once we get to the town, I’ll buy you those Christmas cookies you love so much.”

His declaration seemed to make Glalie relax and feel happy too. It was a tradition they had for Christmas, to have a good meal together with his Pokémon. It could look simple at first, but it was the only thing Rubrum could think about to celebrate. After all, he had no close family to spend the holidays with and they had to get by on their own.

“That was quite a good match, Rubrum. The trainer you’ve just fought has competed in three leagues already, and he was the runner-up in one of them. Defeating him is an impressive achievement; I wasn’t wrong on my assessment of you.”

The new voice in the area caught both trainer and Pokémon’s attention, and they stopped in their tracks to see an attractive, black-haired girl, who glanced at them with a finger on her chin.

This would normally be an awkward or uncomfortable situation, but Rubrum immediately recognized her.

“Hey, it’s you!” He pointed at her. “You were watching my match?”

“Of course I was,” she said with a sly smirk. “The Prince sent me to verify the new ‘technique’ you’ve developed and gauge its power.”

“So, the Big Brother’s watching over me?” Rubrum asked. “That’s so cool! Torchic and I worked really hard to control the Hyper Ability, what do you think?”

“Against the 69.3% odds you had in my expectations, I must admit I’m impressed. You’re not the first of your siblings to control a Hyper Ability, but you’re definitely the first I’ve known who succeeds on the first evolutionary stage. I suppose you’re the exception that confirms the rule. Add to that the recent evolution of your Snorunt, and your improvement since our last meeting is quite remarkable.”

“It’s the least I can do to help Big Brother,” Rubrum said with an unusually serious expression. “I must become stronger, if we really want to stop that guy. I don’t want more of my siblings to end up like Johnny-bro.”

“Yes, that old Emissary can be quite cruel.” The girl sighed. “Had we come to him first, John Archer might have joined our cause. However, you’re still not ready for that kind of tasks. Remember you’re still on what we can call the lowest ranks, and should we send you against one of the Bloodliner King’s henchmen, there’s a 96.39% for you to wind up dead. And I’m sure my Prince wants to prevent any harm that comes to his dear siblings.

“I know, and I get it… but I want to do more to help my siblings. I can’t let some guy kill them off because they’re ‘useless’ to him,” Rubrum groaned.

“If that’s what you want, then I have a task to assign you.” The girl placed a hand on her hip and pointed at him with the other. “Toughen yourself up! Train both your Bloodline and your Pokémon, and become stronger. We’re going to need your help in the events that are coming. The Prince will need your strength.”

“Gotcha! Then I’ll do that!” Both Rubrum and his Glalie seemed to have renewed energies as they screamed out loud. “I’m gonna get stronger and make a notable achievement! I’ll win a Pokémon League or defeat the Elite Four if I have to! I’ll be strong enough to help Big Brother when he needs me!”

“I like that enthusiasm. Seems you’re more than a trainer full of energy who’s easily distracted. That’s why I like you, Rubrum.” The girl seemed amused at the trainer blushing at her praises. “You’re easier to deal with than many of your siblings. Some of them can be a little… conflictive, shall we say? But that’s not important right now, you just keep strengthening yourself and stay loyal to the cause. With your help, we’ll change the world, and make it one where you and your siblings can live happily and without worries.”

Rubrum didn’t say anything else, he just nodded with a determined and loyal expression, which the girl seemed to find amusing.

“See you around, Rubrum.” She winked at him. “And have a Merry Christmas.”

Just as soon as the appeared, the girl vanished in the air, leaving Rubrum alone with his Ice Pokémon. They remained silent for a few minutes, deep into thought, until the trainer broke it out in the loudest way possible.

“HMMMM, NOW I’M MOTIVATED!” After screaming it at the top of his lungs, he petted his Glalie, ready to continue his path. “Let’s get going, Glalie! We have a lot of work to do.”

He continued across the road, riding on his Pokémon, though now he was in a much better mood. He was glad that, after so long, Big Brother had finally begun to take notice of him. Rubrum would become stronger to help him fulfill his destiny.

And who knew, probably by the following Christmas he’d have a family to celebrate with.

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VIRORO-KUN

Observing that weird dude helping the kid learn the ropes of catching was a dark, purple-colored bird resembling no other Pokémon known. He stared at him intently, seeing him waste away his supposed Christmas day to make a kid happy. He would've called that futile, perhaps even boring, but after the adventure he just went through, he couldn’t deny to have some interest in where that story would be going.

Of course, it was only so he could know how to best engineer things to make the boy's future miserable, and only that. There was absolutely, categorically no way that he held any interest for anyone's future in any positive way. Perhaps if the glitch kept repeating himself that, he would've finally believed it as well.

Fortunately for MissingNo., his warring thoughts were put on hold as he heard the vilest, most sickening words ever conceived.

"Oh ho ho ho, Merry Christmas!"

The Bird-type’s eye twitched, his head snapping to the side to see the bearded, chubby and way too joyful face of his arch-enemy, sitting right next to him on the same tree branch.

MissingNo. pierced Santa with a rather severe scowl. "Oh, not you now. I'm not in the mood for a fight today."

"I'm not here for a fight either, my dear." The annoyingly happy old man laughed once more. "I've seen you deal with that 'ZZAZZ'. So, there's more like us coming out of the woodwork?"

"Looks like it. Not that it's too surprising."

Santa smiled under his beard, joining the bird-shaped glitch in observing the Dude and Goh's little ball-throwing session. "So, have you changed your mind on them?"

MissingNo. grumbled, really, really not wanting to answer that question. But he knew that silence or denial would've been easily picked apart, and thus, the glitch sighed.

"I already realized the side characters could be entertaining. But this is the first time they felt useful." A brief, almost happy grin appeared on MissingNo.'s face. "I think I get why you're so appreciative of them now."

"Oh ho ho, now this is a Christmas miracle. MissingNo. having a change of heart." Santa clearly ignored the returning scowl on MissingNo.'s feathery visage as he beamed back at him. "We should celebrate it in the appropriate fashion, don't you think?"

Santa snapped his fingers, and right after the fact, a wrapped-up present manifested in his hands, offering it to the glitch. MissingNo. stared at the package in abject horror, giving the jolly man in red a disgusted glare.

"No, no, no. Don't you dare!" MissingNo. said, trying to push the gift away. Santa was quick to dodge it, only to double down on presenting it.

"But you've been such a good boy this year. And you need a present for it."

"I'm evil! A being of chaos and destruction! The bringer of misery and death!"

"And you just saved the world. That balances things enough for the nice list."

Santa quickly placed the gift in MissingNo.'s wings, then waved at him gleefully. "Enjoy your gift, my dear!" he told his arch-enemy, before disappearing in a flurry of pixels, no doubt going back to his stupid gift-giving personal duty.

MissingNo.'s rather foul expression remained unchanged, more so as he turned towards the gift he was aggressively given. He toyed with the idea of just burning it to ashes and not even give a look to the contents, but he couldn't deny a degree of curiosity at what the happy buffoon decided to give him as 'reward' for that little Glitch war he fought.

And thus he unwrapped the ribbon, opened the box, and found himself looking over a small diorama featuring several of his own forms, from his glitchy rectangular one, to his current bird one, to even his Sinnoh myths-based one or his bald man guise, all in various states of striking cool poses where applicable. Attached to it was a note, saying: "To the universe's worst villain."

MissingNo. looked it over, blinked a few times, and then couldn't help but laugh, legitimately amused by that little gift.

"Heh. Merry Christmas, you old coot," he said, a genuine smile on his beak.

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FOX BLUEREAVER

At this point, parties in the Pallet House restaurant had become a rather frequent occurrence. Ash was pretty much used to it, since whenever his mom found a motive to celebrate, she’d do so big time. And Christmas was no exception.

However, before the party began, there was another thing to sort out, and better to do it fast, since once the party started and the huge mess the celebration with the townsfolk would turn into, they’d have no better chance.

“Iris, you sure about this?” Ash asked.

“Completely sure,” the wild girl said. “If it is true what you told me about this holiday, then we should have as many reminders of it as possible.”

“I won’t disagree with that, but… is it really necessary to have the four of us this close,” Misty asked.

Strictly speaking, what they were doing wasn’t that much; after all, pretty much everyone took photos for Christmas with their family and friends. Some were for postcards, others to keep it home as memories of good times.

Plus, it was a good pretext as any to show off their new Mareep wool sweaters, each with a proper motif for this time of the year.

Ash wore a red sweater with a white snowflake and gift box pattern, and a black jagged stripe in the middle, of which hung three buttons with smiling faces of Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle, wearing a red and white striped floppy cap, a green wooly cap, and a pair of red earmuffs respectively. He complimented the attire with a Santa Claus hat replacing his usual one, and the black muffler dotted with blue lightning bolts (and his own name) Serena had given him for his birthday.

Misty’s sweater had several shades of blue and white, and while it also sported a snowflake pattern, these alternated with water droplets, and near the chest there was a Lapras pattern over the white streak. The redhead was quite grateful, as her family never bothered to buy her one of those “ugly Christmas sweaters”, having to use old plain ones. She loved the design of this one, and made a note to wear it every year during Christmas.

Anabel wore one of the simplest ones: her sweater was a plain light purple matching her hair, with the picture of a snowman with a dark purple top hat and scarf. While she did have a few of these back home (gifts from her uncle), she hadn’t returned there since she started traveling with Ash, and the others, so she was grateful to get one too, so as to avoid having to do a trip back there (even if she could easily teleport in a blink).

Finally, Iris had decided to wear a Christmas elf sweater, the classic green with the black belt, and the red neck full of bells. Ash admitted it looked pretty good on her, while he internally was split between being grateful and disappointed that the wild girl hadn’t chosen something more provocative, like a Mrs. Claus sexy dress he’d seen in some calendars.

With all of their Pokémon at the time celebrating their own particular way at Oak’s ranch, this party would be for humans, and it’d be very special for all of them for many reasons. Thus, after taking a few photos, starting by Ash with his mother, then Ash together with each of them, then the three girls together, now they were standing with Ash in the center, surrounded by the three of them.

“Okay, you guys look just fine this way,” Delia said, as she finished framing them into the camera. “Now smile!”

Surrounded by the girls, Ash lamented having only two hands. He placed one around Misty’s waist and the other on Anabel’s shoulder, trying to resist the temptation to bring them closer (as if that were possible). Iris for her part stood behind him, with one hand on his shoulder and the other wrapped around his back.

Truth be told, it wasn’t as embarrassing as he thought, and he actually was enjoying the moment.

“Ready?” Delia said, before pressing the camera’s button.

And with the flash, the photo was taken. It’d stay forever as the reminder of what would be one of the best Christmas he’d spent in his entire life, and the first of many that would be very special for him, and for his female companions.

FIN.