Yes guys, im still alive and very unactive. sorry about that. the Christmas season is a very busy season for me. anyway this is a gift for ~StarWisher~ on serebii forums. i was her secret santa.

I hope you like this and enjoy it.

~midnight

Just a little gift

Ikarishipping Christmas oneshot

"Piplup!" He continued to yell his own name at me for the fifty time.

"I just can't Piplup. I mean what if he doesn't like it?" I asked my partner once more. Repeating my question again and again. Unsure if I wanted to hear an answer.

"Piplup." My water type face palmed himself. I knew he was sick of hearing the same question over and over again. He pointed his right fin at me. "Pip pip lup!" he demanded as if he saying to me "do it or else!"

I soon sighed.

"Fine, you win." I placed my hands onto my waist. "I mean all I have to do is give this gift to him and we are out right?"

"Piplup." My water type pokemon nodded as he placed his fins onto his waist. Proud that he finally able to convince me to give my gift to the brothers.

It wasn't that I was afraid of Reggie. He is one of the nicest people I've got to meet. It's his younger brother Paul that worries me. Every time my mind would think of him, everything I hate about him comes up.

Arrogant, rude, mean, ruthless, ignorant and unforgiving.

But yet I still bother giving him a gift? Oh why I bother giving him and his bother a gift was because it was Christmas Eve and I was raised in a family to give a gift to people that were important to me. My mother would always make poffins to the people in my hometown. So I thought that if I gave a small gift to all the great friends I've met they would have a great Christmas.

I walked up the hill that leaded to the Hayden's home. Only recently did I found their surname. The house remained the same since I last remembered it only a few months ago when Ash came here to Veilstone to challenge Maylene. The windows still had the teal paint on them and the wooden walls of the house still had that clear white colour to them. The plants around were in great condition even though their was snow on a few of them. Which gave me some confidence that Paul wasn't around. If he was then maybe the place would be in a mess.

Oh was I so wrong.

As I made my way up the wooden deck a young boy opened the door. Completely clueless that anybody would come to their home.

"It's you." He greeted in his arrogant tone of voice.

"Paul." I smiled and waved. Hiding the fact that my hope that he wasn't here had already faded away. "Long time to see." But all I was responded was a slammed door. I could hear Paul's voice from the other side.

"Ash's friend is here." And that's all I could here until I heard Reggie running towards the door to greet me.

"I'm so sorry about that Dawn." Reggie apologized. I tried to hide my frustration against Paul by smiling at him and waving.

"That's okay." I returned Piplup back into his pokeball as he was about to released his anger at Paul by stalking him into the house. "I wanted to give this to you and...Paul." I gritted my teeth at Paul's name.

I handed over Reggie's gift first. It was in a white Christmas wrapper with a blue ribbon placed at the top left of my gift.

"Why, thank you very much Dawn." Reggie smiled as he opened the gift from me. It was a red apron saying "Best breeder in Sinnoh". He moved away from the entrance a little. "Would you like to come in?"

As much I didn't want to. I had to. The snow at Veilstone was cold enough to make me head inside the Hayden's home. My red dress that I wore in Snowpoint wouldn't make me last long enough to head back to Hearthome for Buneary's photo shoot with Edna.

"Sure thing Reggie." I nodded and headed inside their home.

Their home was neater than I had imagined. The house had that winter country style feel to it. The walls were painted a pale yellow and the windows had frost all over from the outside and fog inside. The fireplace was alive and warm and the Christmas tree had many wonderful Christmas lights all over. I sat next to the fireplace as Reggie headed outside.

"I need to fetch a few items at the poke mart. Could you look after Paul while I'm gone?" He asked as he took he coat from the coat hanger.

"Sure thing." I waved him goodbye as he walk out of the house. I continued to sit on their 'L' shape sofa and hoped that Reggie would head back soon.

I decided to hold Paul's gift in my hands to past the time quicker. It was a small gift. I wrapped it in red Christmas wrapper with a bright green ribbon wrapped in a 'plus' shape with a fancy ribbon in the middle. I sighed at the idea that I bother to give Paul a gift. After what he had put me and the rest through. I soon heard Paul come out of the kitchen holding a mug. He blinked at me a few times and walked back to the kitchen.

"So he can't even say hello can he?" I grumbled to myself. I turned around and took off my yellow backpack and placed it right beside me. As soon I turned around I saw Paul holding another mug.

"Here." He moved the mug closer to my face.

"Um, thanks Paul." I dropped his gift on the table in front of me and accepted the hot chocolate Paul had offered me. He sat next to me backpack. I felt awkward that he was so near me. He had never done this before when I was travelling with Ash and Brock.

I wonder why?

"So what are you doing here at my home?" He took another sip from his mug.

"I came here to give you a gift for Christmas." I placed my mug on the table and was about to hand my gift to Paul until Piplup escaped from his pokeball. The look in his eyes told me his was still upset at Paul.

And what happened next really was something I didn't expect.

Piplup grabbed my gift and threw it at Paul. A critical hit as my gift hit him in the head which made Paul fall onto his back. I panicked knowing that Paul would insult my pokemon and never talk to me again.

"Piplup!" I yelled. "Why did you do that for?" I rushed to Paul's side and helped him back into a sitting down on the sofa position. Piplup had a shocked reaction on his face.

"Piplup pip!" my water type apologized. Paul continued to stare at him while holding his bruised head with his right arm. He soon gazed at me.

"You really are a bad trainer. Worse than your friend." He sighed. He tried to stand onto his own feet but I stopped him by holding his shoulders and pushing him down on the sofa.

"Let my look after you. After all it was my gift that hurt you." I grabbed Piplup's pokeball and returned him into his ball. "If only pokeballs had locks. I would get some for you." I looked back at Paul. "Just let me get some ice okay?"

Paul didn't respond and just continued to stare at me, annoyed.

I sighed and rushed to the kitchen and looked for the fridge. I opened up the freezer compartment and dug my hand in, feeling for a bag of ice. As soon I felt one I dragged it out and headed back to the main room. I soon saw Paul holding my gift for him. He seemed surprised that I would give him a gift. He looked at me, slightly confused.

"You gave me a gift?" He asked. I nodded and I walked to his side.

"Yeah I did. After all we know each other quiet well. So why not give you a Christmas gift?" I sat beside him and moved his arm down and replaced it with the bag of ice. I could hear Paul muttered that the ice stung a little against his bruise. Soon Paul looked at his gift and began to unwrap the green ribbon I placed and took off the wrapper neatly. Something I totally didn't expect from man like Paul.

Inside was a velvety sea green box. The normal box that you would put jewellery in. He shifted his attention quickly at me. Confused on why I would give an expensive gift to Paul.

To be honest I was confused as well. But when I saw his gift in the shops here in Veilstone the first person that came to my mind was Paul. It seemed that this gift I had from him only matched him. Now that I think about him like this. I can feel my heart's pulse beat faster than normal. I feel my palms sweat and my face ready to blush a bright red. I moved closer and looked over his shoulder slightly to see his expression of my gift to him. I shifted my eyes slightly to see that Paul a faint flush of red on his cheeks.

Was he blushing because I was near him?

Was I doing the same?

But why?

Inside was a necklace. A necklace made for guys. The string was a strong black and in the middle was a purple medallion. The same purple that was on my bracelet. He picked it up and held until he could see it dangle off the box. He looked at me and blushed even brighter when he saw that I was resting on his shoulder. I blush right back and move myself away from him slightly.

Why was I resting on his shoulder? I shouldn't be doing this to people I don't like. I looked back at him as he continued to look at my gift.

Did I really hate Paul?

"Thanks Dawn." I looked back at him. He moved closer to me. I began to felt nervous that he moved closer to me. "Mind if you put this on for me? I can never put things like this on right." He shifted his attention away from me. Like he was actually shy on asking me to do something for him.

"O...Okay..." I nodded nervously and grabbed the necklace off the hands and moved closer to him. So close that out legs were touching and so were our noses. I brushed his hair away as I tried to put the necklace together. After a few failed attempts I was able to connect the necklace I gave to Paul. I was heading back until Paul whispered something in my ear.

"I also have a gift for you." I looked at him confused.

"What gift?" I asked in confusion and I tilted my head to the right.

"This." And out of nowhere he gave a small peck on my cheek. I had never felt so embarrassed and yet so happy that Paul kissed me on the cheek. I looked back at him. That kiss Paul gave me had confirmed my question about him.

I liked him.

I liked everything about him.

I liked him even though he can be so arrogant, rude, mean, ruthless, ignorant and unforgiving at times.

I like him because of him.

"Merry Christmas Dawn." He replied in a nervous manner. I moved my face and kissed him back on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas Paul." I smiled.