Posted on: 1-9-2018 At: 4:15 pm (CST; GMT: -6:00)

Full Synopsis:

It's been about a year & a half since Ash & Misty saw each other. Ash had been training at his grandparents estate in Vermilion City. Sai Ketchum is very hard on Ash because of the strained relationship between Sai & his daughter: Delia. Ash only stays because he knows he needs to get a grip on his powers. Misty decides to visit Ash for Christmas. Sai refuses to let them meet. Good thing Ash has a cell phone and is good at sneaking out of windows. This is connected to Temperance #1- and is an Ash x Misty fic. There is a lime (I consider it a light lime but others might consider it border-line: lemon. This story is aimed older teens because of some of the suggestive situations towards the end. But younger ones can read it as well, I suppose.

A/N:

This was supposed to be posted a week or two ago. Just before, or on Christmas. Then after that passed, I set the new deadline to the 31st. But my mom got sick on the 30th- when I was planning on editing this chapter/one shot. She ended up being hospitalized at midnight on the 31st (between Saturday and Sunday). She only just got released from the hospital on Thursday, I've spent most of today sleeping from all the stress finally being over. And could only edit this on my phone. So, I hope I don't have too many errors.

Anyway, this story was meant for Christmas 2017 and I'm sorry it's late. This one shot is connected to T#1 (Temperance #1) and is a sort of bridge for T#1 and the next fic: "The breaking point". There isn't much plot to it. More fluff than plot, actually. And is mostly meant to show Ash and Misty's relationship and how it is (despite the 2 being separated for about a year and a half) after they have been separated for a time. But also a few other things like what happened to Isabella Giovanni and a bit about Ash's relationship with both his mother's parents.

For anyone who finds this one shot separate from Temperance #1- and is confused: this is connected to a larger series called The Temperance Series. And can be read as a standalone, but is likely to be a bit confusing if you don't know that 20 chaptered fic that this is connected to. So, I won't say that you HAVE to read that fic before this one. But, this will be more easily understood if you read that one.

If you are unfamiliar with the temperance series, you should also be aware: yes, the stories are MOSTLY based on the anime- however I use game maps and some game/manga only characters are planned to show up in later parts of the series. And also some info from only the manga and radio drama is used in this as well... So it has mixed sources, and not one source. I also use the English dubbed names in most regards, because I have spent around 20 years now with the Dubbed names, even though I am aware of the Japanese names, I feel more comfortable with the English names. It's the same for me, with: Sailor Moon.

There are just some series I prefer the English names to (usually because I spent 15 or more years (like with Pokémon, I found Sailor moon when I was 10- almost 11 years old. So I've known those names first. I have absolutely NOTHING against the use of Japanese names generally). That said: Ash and his grandfather are BOTH named: Satoshi.

Ash and his grandfather's nickname are both shortened from Satoshi in these stories. I could also get the names: Toshi, Sato, Ato, Sata, Shia and Hoshi (if I really stretch it) from Satoshi. If you are reading this fix out of context from Temperance #1- Ash might seem OOC. But he made some slight personality changes in T#1. But I tried to make them feel natural, and like it was still Ash, in that fic.

So, while he may seem OOC here... He may not seem to OOC in T#1 by the end of it. I try to make all characters seem IN character for them. If any seem OOC it is because of changes that gradually occurs in the course of the story. Also, keep in mind: Ash is growing older and children change a bit or a lot, as they grow up. Misty is the same way.

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Chapter: A Temperance Christmas Special...

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Vermilion city at Christmas time was a pretty sight. So was the Ketchum estate. Tabitha Ketchum had the staff at the manor and the children there who were there to train to use, and/or control their auric abilities (some were intending to become aura guardians, like their current tutor had been), to all help her decorate the place. Ash liked his grandmother. Tabitha and her daughter: Delia were very much alike. But he and his instructor: his grandfather- Sai Ketchum, did not get along well at all.

Each resented the other for their own reasons (Ash resented Sai because he had abandoned his pregnant daughter wjen she needed help, and Sai: because Ash existed and was the blood son of the leader of Team Rocket).

As a result, Sai was harsher on Ash than the other teens staying there to train. This would be Ash's second Christmas here. He would be 18 on his next birthday, and he wouldn't have to stay here. Technically, he could leave at any point, Ash had no intention of becoming an aura guardian). But he was smart enough to know that he would be dangerous, if his aura powers were not under control. He had killed (he assumed) his other grandmother, Isabella Giovanni without really intending to do so. He had just wanted to stop her from hurting Misty.

So, Ash stayed, for now. But by his estimates he would be in full control of these abilities by the time he was 18. At least, he hoped so. He was tired of staying here. He had never liked sitting still for long... And Sai's attitude towards him did not help. Last year, he had sent Misty a gift for Christmas. A necklace with a Tentacruel charm on it.

And she had sent him a Pokénave. Not that he had the ability to use it much here.

They had e-mailed back and forth a few times, and spoken once on the phone... The discussion had gotten a bit dirty and Ash had been harassed by his grandfather for the things that he had said to Misty... He didn't want kids having phone make out sessions ("Or whatever it's called these days!") In his house.

Ash had gotten PO'ed and had sarcastically asked if it was allowed OUTSIDE of his house. To that, Sai had snapped and said that Ash was like his mother, sleeping with anything of the opposite gender. That earned Sai a broken nose and Ash a stinging fist. He had told Sai not to bad-mouth either, his mother, or his girlfriend ever again. He had not spoken to his grandfather for a few weeks after that. Now, it was Christmas-Time again. He had been training so hard, the last few months that he had not even been able to train his Pokémon. Let alone call or email Misty, or his mother or his other friends, for that matter... It had been 7 months now, since they had been in any sort of contact. This year he had sent her a stuffed Azumarill plush. But he had yet to get a gift from her. So, he was depressed.

11:56 pm: Christmas Eve

Currently, Ash was laying on his bed with his legs dangling over the side of it. Pikachu was sleeping on Ash's pillow. It was after curfew on Christmas eve in the Ketchum estate. The other trainees were in their respective rooms. He could hear the low him of music coming from several of the rooms. Turning on his side, he looked out the window from where he lay. There was a steady, softly falling, snow. Frowning, Ash sighed as he reached up to idly play with the piercing in his left ear. Maybe Misty had given up on him. Maybe she- he startled a bit as his phone started to vibrate on his bedside table. Grabbing it, he saw Misty's name on the caller ID. He quickly answered it.

"Mist?!"

"Hey Ash!"

"Hey. It's good to hear you. I missed you."

He could hear the smile in her voice when she spoke next:

"I miss you too. I tried coming to see you, earlier. But your grandpa said you were to have no distractions... He turned me away."

"You're in Vermilion city?!"

"Yep."

"Where?! I'll come see you!"

"At the Pokémon center. But, don't you have a curfew?"

Asked the 18-year-old redhead.

"Screw that!"

She laughed then.

"In that case, I'll be waiting, Ash."

Then the call ended after she told him her room number at the center. Looking at Pikachu, and the snow outside, Ash chose to leave his buddy here. He grabbed his coat, hat and scarf. He tossed them out the window into the tree, and then he climbed out. If he had put them on first, he would have had a harder time of getting out. He closed the window mostly, once he was outside on a ledge, then he jumped to the tree. He grabbed his coat, scarf and hat, then jumped down into the nearly 4 feet of snow. Once on the ground he put the winter gear on and started trudging through the snow. He was 5'8" tall now... But still. The snow was almost as high as he was tall, in some places. Once he made it off of the Ketchum estate's property, he dashed for the Pokémon center- the center here in Vermilion was always open (24-7/365 was what it said under the center sign). Once he was in the center, and standing just outside her room- he started to knock.

Suddenly the door opened and there she was. Misty smiled at him. Her hair was nearly waist long now, and braided down her back. The sapphire in her forehead winked and sparkled as she moved. As-did the ones in each of her hands... She was wearing a set of silken PJ's with squirtles all over them. The base fabric was a sunny yellow color.

"Misty!"

He pulled her to him before she could speak and he kissed.

"Hi Ash!"

She giggled as she hugged him after he released her from the kiss. He hugged her back. Tightly.

"I missed you so much!"

Misty said against his shoulder. She breathed in deeply, taking in his musky scent. She was in his arms again. He was in her's again! After a few minutes, they pulled back from the hug, and she grinned, pulling him into her room. He yelped, startled by her sudden action as she kicked the door shut after he was inside. He blinked, stumbling then sitting on her bed.

"Huh?"

"I want to show you something!"

"Uh... Ok."

He said looking at her beaming face. She closed her eyes, and after a few minutes, the sapphires in her skin started to glow. Then she opened her eyes, they were glowing blue as well. Ash gulped, he had a flash back from when Isabella tried to control Misty. Nearly causing her to kill, both him, and Pikachu. But, she wasn't under Isabella's control now. He watched as she held one hand over the other, about 7" apart.

"It's ok, Ash."

She said: she could see the aprehension flash in his brown eyes, as she formed a ball of water between her hands. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open.

"Mist... I- is that a water pulse...?"

She smiled.

"Exactly! Isn't it interesting?! I can do something similar to a Pokémon move!... Though I don't really know if it can be called a water pulse, though..."

He laughed.

"Wanna get in a Pokéball? I would win my next battle with no problem if I used you!"

She made a face.

"Bad joke, Ketchum. I'm able to use something similar to a Pokémon move. I'm not a Pokémon, smart-ass."

She said, and he laughed. Reaching out, he hooked a finger in the waistband of her PJ bottoms, pulling her closer. The gems and her eyes stopped glowing with his sudden action, and the ball of water dissipated from between her hands as she fell into his arms with a yelp. She blinked, finding herself sitting on his lap.

"Ash, that was dangerous!"

She said as he kissed her neck, his arms around her.

"You wouldn't willingly hurt me, Misty"

He said calmly as he looked at her. That sobered them both up, though. She hugged him: remembering that she had almost killed him once. Suicune had helped with her PTSD that resulted from it... But she still remembered it all.

"You're right. Not willingly..."

She said shakily. He tightened his arms around her.

"How are things at the gym?"

He asked as he rested his forehead against her's.

"Daisy and Tracey eloped. The twins: Nathan & Tempest, are both doing great! Both of them can breathe under water, as we suspected. The sapphire in my body seems to react to them. If they get even a cold, just being near me helps them to recover quickly. Daisy has them in water shows already. They are playing the baby siblings of the magical mermaid. Between those silly shows, and all the challengers I have, I'm usually working really late. Its just Daisy, Tracey, the twins and me, right now. Violet and Lily are staying with Dorien at the Coastline gym and Rudy at the Trovita gym."

"They left the Cerulean gym?"

"Yeah. And, it's not really a surprise. It was always mostly Daisy running the place. Then when I was old enough, it was Daisy and me... My sisters, neither of them, were ever really into running it, too much. I think it reminded them too much of my dad and mom."

"Any sign of your parents?"

She shook her head.

"Not really. But, Ash... I do have some news..."

She looked up at him seriously.

"Go ahead..."

"Isabella Giovanni isn't dead."

Everything within him stilled.

"W-what...?"

"You heard me, Ash. Your grandmother is alive. Though, from what I hear, she is in fairly bad condition."

He sighed, tightening his arms around her a bit more.

"Good."

He said, a haunted look in his eyes. She wondered if he had some PTSD, from that incident, as well.

"Anyway... How are you Misty, really?"

He asked, changing the subject. She sighed softly, resting her head on his shoulder.

"People from the whirl islands are trying to make me become the new sea priestesses, in place of Maya... Since she's gone now..."

She said softly. At that: he stiffened. If that happened, she wouldn't be allowed to leave the whirl islands. He might not see her ever again with all the guards that she would likely have to have...

"... Anyway, this isn't why I came here..."

"Wanna make out?"

He asked with a hopeful look on his face. She laughed at his suddenly spoken half-joke, and then she started trying to wriggle out of his arms. But he held her close.

"Ash, seriously. Let me up! I can't get your present if you don't let me up."

"Not happenin' Mist, I like holding you... You're enough of a present!"

He said against her neck and she smiled slightly.

"Did you get my gift for you, yet?"

He asked after a minute, his lips were pressed against her bare shoulder, exposed by her sleeveless PJ top.

"Yes. The plushy was adorable."

She said, still trying to free herself. Though, she would be the first to admit: her attempts were halfhearted. Her wiggling was seriously turning him on, though. With how she kept stimulating a certain part of his lap. Finally, he let her up in the sake of self preservation. She was making him hard. Ash found himself watching her hips sway as she walked over to her travel pack, which law on the floor in a corner.

"So, how are things with your grandparents?"

She called over her shoulder as he eyed her backside when she bent to her bag... How were PJ's with squirtles all over them so sexy?

"I like granny-Tabitha... But Sai. He and I don't really like each other."

Ash said with some resentment in his voice as she stood up straight and turned to him. He blinked. She held a large flattish, white box in her hands.

"Where'd you have that stashed?"

He asked. She just smiled and sat it on his knees. He looked from it, up to her, and then back down to the box.

"Go ahead and open it, Ash... I couldn't get it in time to mail it to you. So I came to give it to you in person."

He nodded and when he had the box open, he stopped short. He glanced up at her, before looking back down at the jacket that lay in the box. It was a hard to get item. A limited edition Pokémon league jacket. Years ago he had only been able to get the hat, when he was 10 years old. They ran the contest for the hat and the jacket every year at the league. Viewers on TV could participate, the jacket usually had the date it was issued on it along with the league symbol. He looked up at Misty.

"How did you-?"

The jacket said that it was the official league jacket, but for next year's league! She grinned, sitting beside him.

"It helps that we know Mr. Goodshow. And that I'm also a gym leader. You never mentioned getting the jacket, so I had hoped that you just got the hat when you got the one you had when we first met..."

He smiled and unfolded the jacket to look at it. He blinked as a new hat fell from the folds and into the box. Ash picked it up and saw the new league design on the hat. It was also on the jacket. He assumed that the old man hadn't just given it to her... He wondered how much, buying this set had cost Misty. When he looked at her sitting beside him, though... All thoughts left his mind. He saw her smiling at him, and he smiled back.

"Thank you, Mist,"

He leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips as the snow continued to fall softly outside. He'd worry about how to get back to his grandfather's estate later. Pikachu would worry, but he could wait a bit for Ash.

"Merry Christmas Ash,"

Misty said softly as he held her close to him.

"Merry Christmas, Misty,"

He said happily as he kissed her again. She whimpered into his mouth as she leaned into the kiss. Suddenly, though, she yelped in surprise when she found herself on her back on the bed. One of his hands roamed her body over her PJ's as he groaned into her mouth. She whimpered as his tongue tangled and danced with hers. As he shifted position she felt his hardness through his jeans, as he slid a hand under her PJ top. He sucked in a breath when he found that she had no bra on. As long as he never saw his father's side of the family again: his life would be perfect from here on out. He had a beautiful girlfriend who he loved more than his own life, and he would be trying for the Indigo Pokémon League once more after he got out of "Grandpa Sai's evil boot-camp for those with aura abilities" and he was happy and content for the time being.

Ash had started to kiss down her throat after he had her top unbuttoned. His left hand was molding the mound of flesh on the right side of her chest as he nipped and trailed kisses to her collarbone. She suddenly pushed him back a bit, though and he frowned. She ignored the annoyed look in his eyes as she reached into her bedside table and pulled out a small item in a foil wrapper. Misty was on birth control... But still- she didn't want to risk it right now. She handed it to him. The last time or two that they had done this (also the first and second time for both of them), they had been really risking it, with no protection at all. This time-

"What do I do with this?"

He asked her dumbly as he eyed it. She blushed brightly and rolled her eyes. Shoving him completely off of her, she grabbed it from his hands and started undoing his jeans.

"It's a good thing one of us knows how to do this... Though, I've only practiced on bananas. Hopefully I won't hurt you..."

She said as he blinked down at her hands, it was currently 1:37 am Christmas morning.

"Psyduck isn't going to just pop out of it's ball and watch us, is it?"

She blinked horrified blue eyes up at her boyfriend.

"Uh, no. That would be just... No. I knew we'd likely be doing this. So I left my Pokémon all with nurse Joy."

She said, then apologized when he yelped because she had accidentally caught him in the zipper. He had really made her nervous with that question. The thought of Psyduck or any of her Pokémon, or his, for that matter, watching them while they-

"Misty, watch what you're grabbing! That's a part of me, not a Pokéball!"

She was startled out of her thoughts by his protest. She looked at where her hands were, and she blushed even more.

"S-Sorry..."

She muttered as she tore open the foil wrapper with her teeth and one hand, while holding him with her other hand, after pulling him out if his shorts. Then she started working the package's contents onto Ash. Trying to be careful. She didn't tell him she had squashed a few bananas while trying this, so... She was more than a bit nervous. If she wanted anything more to happen with him tonight, though... She knew she had to be more careful... If she damaged him, neither of them would be doing more than crying tonight.

When Misty woke up, it was around 4:37 am, she found him proped on one elbow just watching her sleep. She told him that was a bit creepy, as the two re-dressed, then she had watched him go. She wished she could stay with him, though. Once he was gone, Misty dug into her travel bag and found the life-sized Azumarill that Ash had sent her this Christmas. She snuggled back into her bed with it clutched tightly in her arms and went back to sleep with the memory of his touch on her skin.

5:19 am: Christmas

Ash slid his window open as quietly as he could, and tossed the box holding the hat and jacket into his room. Pikachu blinked up from where he had been sleeping, as Ash hoisted himself in through the window. He had sneaked out of his room many times in Pallet Town, as a kid. But it was always in order to slip out to play with wild Pokémon in the forest outside of Pallet Town. Never to go see a girl, or even any human friends at all, for that matter. As he landed inside his room in a crouch, he released the breath he had been holding. The last time that Ash had done this, he had been considerably smaller. Only 9 and a half years old... Now, his shoulders ached a bit from pulling himself in.

He supposed that he needed to add some weight lifting into his schedule, he was not going to let himself get physically weak from all of this aura training and low activity (well, it was low, compared to what he was usually doing each day when on his journeys). Before he could even stand up, however, the light in his room was flipped on, and he found himself looking up at Sai Ketchum.

"Uh... Hi Grandpa..."

He said a bit sheepishly. His grandfather made a face, then left Ash's room. Sighing, Ash closed his window and sat beside Pikachu. The students who were here training under Sai, were on break until after the new year. He might hope that his grandfather would forget this by the time training started again. But... Knowing his grandpa- he seriously doubted that Delia's father EVER forgot any wrong doing. Ash flopped onto his back, sideways on his bed with a slight smile. Whatever his grandfather did, though... It was well worth whatever Sai put him through, to have been with, and seen Misty tonight. He saw Pikachu go over to the box and sniff at it.

"Pikachu-pi?"

Asked the yellow mouse. Ash nodded at him.

"Yeah, I saw Misty."

Pikachu gave him an annoyed look and crossed his arms in annoyance. After all, why should only his Pika-Pi get to see Pikachu-pi?!

End...

To Be Continued In-Full, In::

"Breaking Point" the sequel to all of the Temperance stories.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related canonically, to Pokémon. The Pokémon Company does.