Disclaimer

I do not own Pokémon unfortunately

Title

Maybe Christmas Isn't So Bad After All

Summary

Lance has never been the one to celebrate Christmas festivities, but thanks to a conversation with Clair, he changes his mind.

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Whilst most of the population of Johto-Kanto were making last minute preparations for Christmas Day, some residents were still struggling to get even the basics right. One of those residents was Lance Blackthorn, the former Champion of the Indigo League. During his reign as Champion, it was Karen who had been responsible for decorations and setting up the tree. Although he was no longer Champion, the people of his hometown of Blackthorn still treated him like he was one and with that came responsibility such as setting up the shrine tree.

"Lance. How hard can it be?" Clair said, folding her arms across her chest.

He gave her a helpless look. "Karen set up the tree and she did the decorations too." She always seemed to know exactly what to buy and where to put them. Her tree never looked overdone either. There was always just the right amount of tinsel and lightings, and her choice in colours gave the tree a lot of personality. Some people tried too hard with their trees and they'd be overloaded with colour-clashing decorations. But not Karen.

"Arceus, you really are hopeless aren't you?"

He frowned. "It wasn't my job. Besides. I haven't seen you putting up a tree or decorating one."

"How hard can it be?" She looked down at the numerous boxes of Christmas decorations he had found in the shrine. "Just… grab some tinsel and throw it around the branches. Grab an angel doll and stick it on the top. Add some of those glitter bells and balls and the tree will look fine."

"That sounds like a lot of work," Lance replied. He failed to see why people invested so much time in putting up a tree that would only be taken down a few days later. What was the point in decorating anyway? And why did people place presents under the tree? So many questions yet he had no answers. It all seemed like a big waste of time and effort when time could be spent elsewhere like training.

"You're just lazy, Lance. All those years at the league with your servants made you pathetic."

"Thanks for the kind words."

"My pleasure," she replied with a mocking grin. Her grin was short lived. "Look. Why don't you a give Lyra a call? I know you like her. It's about time you did something about it and what better time than now?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, he said, "What gave you that idea?"

She gave him a smug look. "I'm your cousin. I know you better than anyone else. You showed up to help her with Team Rocket. You gave her a technical machine. You've been keeping close tabs on her. There's something about her that has caught your attention and I know you Lance – you could have any girl in the world. But you've turned them all down."

"Because I'm not interested in any of them?" he retorted.

"Oh and you wanted to fight with her against me and that red-headed boy, do you remember? You chose her over family," Clair said, her grin widening. She was enjoying this. "Now either you were afraid to get beaten by her again or you just wanted to be on her side… to be her partner. So answer this Lance. If you weren't interested in her, why would you go to so much effort following her around and making sure she was safe? Sure, you could say you were just doing your job… But I think it goes further than that."

Lance turned away. He didn't want to look at her and see the gleam of triumph in her eyes. Clair was right. He just didn't want to admit it because that would just give her an ego boost and she didn't need more of that. Lyra was special. Trainers came and went, but only a rare few reached the heights Lyra had. She was smart. She was brave. She was kind. She was modest. She was-

Clair snapped her fingers in his face. "Lance, hello, are you there?"

He pulled out of his thoughts and glared. "Was that really necessary?"

"Look, do something about it before someone else snaps her up. Like that Silver guy. I've seen him giving her looks, but I don't trust him. He wouldn't be good for her."

"Well, I didn't know you were an expert in relationships, Clair."

She shrugged. "Marina might seem like a total idiot at times, but she writes some interesting stuff. She's been around the block a few times and I trust her when it comes to men. And believe me, Silver is not the sort of guy you want hooking up with Lyra. Besides, Lyra is popular with the men. Even Morty has been trying to win her over. So." She poked him in the chest. Hard. "You better do something about it."

"And what exactly should that be since you're an expert now?"

"Call her. Invite her over. She can help you with the Christmas tree. And you invite her to Christmas dinner." She dug a hand into her pocket, pulled out a voucher and held it towards him. "Blue Oak invited me. But I said no. I'm not into guys who brag about their toys if you get my gist. But you can make use of it."

He took the voucher and looked down. A booking at Restaurant Le Yeah recently completed in Saffron City. The restaurant belonged to Siebold, a member of the Kalos Elite Four league, and also a world class chef. It made sense to expand the restaurant beyond the shores of Kalos into new territories. The restaurant sat atop a fifty metre tower and rotated at a slow pace giving customers an ever changing view of the city below. Lance had been there for the opening and had been treated to a fantastic three course meal of the finest quality. "Thanks."

"They're doing a Christmas special. Siebold himself is going to be there too to host it since it's the first time ever they're doing Christmas there." He took the voucher from her and placed it on the table nearby. "Sometimes, you piss me off. More often than not actually. But you are my cousin and I love you and that's why I'm giving the voucher to you. It's a reservation for two people."

Sometimes Clair surprised him. Most of the time she was causing trouble and crushing trainers, but she did have a gentler kinder side as shown right now. He knew there had been a reason why grandfather had allowed Clair to remain in charge of the Blackthorn Gym. "That's awfully kind of you."

She rolled her eyes. "Just don't impregnate her, okay?"

"I…" He closed his mouth shut. Did she really think he would take her to bed on the first date? He was better than that. She grinned, amused by his silence. "Whatever. Just… Get out of here, Clair. I don't need you hanging around watching."

Clair's grin widened. Christmas had come early for her. She was having a blast. She headed towards the exit, turned around and said with a gleeful look, "Just remember. It is bad luck to refuse a kiss standing under mistletoe." She left before he could say another word.

.

Lyra had only visited the Dragon's Den Shrine twice for two different reasons. The first time she had come to pass Edward Blackthorn's test to obtain the final badge. Her second visit was to battle the Blackthorn cousins. The Dragon's Den Shrine was the Blackthorn family home and only those with special permission were allowed to enter the sacred place. She was certainly surprised when she received a phone call from Lance inviting her to the shrine. It wasn't as if he had a reason to.

She had considered saying no. After all, Karen wanted her help in selecting a Christmas elf costume. Not only that, but there was so much paperwork to get through. No wonder Red had turned down the offer to be Champion. It certainly wasn't as exciting as she thought it would be. But Ethan had convinced her to accept Lance's invitation explaining it would be rude to say no. So here she was now standing outside the shrine waiting for Lance to show up.

Fortunately, Clair wasn't around. Although Clair no longer treated her like she was a bug beneath her foot, she still didn't feel comfortable with her around. The woman had a fierce proud look in her eyes and she couldn't shake off the feeling Clair was still jealous. So Lyra kept her distance. But Lance was another story. He was similar to Clair in some ways, but also quite different. He was less likely to throw a tantrum and he didn't brag about his conquests. He was still intimidating however – it was hard to know how he felt towards her. Did he resent her for taking his title?

The door opened. "Lyra, I'm glad you made it."

Lance was dressed in his usual fashion. He still had that dorky black cape that reminded her of those vampires in those horror stories and his hair still resembled the back of a porcupine. If he was just some random no-name trainer, people would probably laugh at him, but because he was basically considered a legendary trainer, no one dared to mock him. She smiled at him. "Hi, Lance."

He stepped back and allowed her through the door. The first thing she noticed was the undecorated Christmas tree to the north eastern wall. She then noticed all the uncovered decoration boxes on the floor. "As you can see I'm not very good at this."

She walked over and picked up a red strand of tinsel. "You called me just to help you decorate the tree?" she said, trying not to sound disappointed. Not exactly what she had hoped. She hadn't told anyone (though Ethan suspected), but she liked Lance. He was the first person outside Ethan that had shown interest in her life. Other men were simply interested in sharing a bed for one night. Men like Blue Oak. But Lance wasn't like that. Or at least she hadn't seen it yet.

"Well, yeah."

"Oh. Okay then."

As if sensing her disappointment, he quickly corrected himself. "I didn't mean… I didn't invite you all this way just to help decorate a tree. It's just… I'm glad you're here. We don't spend time together and I would like it if we did…" he trailed off, bringing a hand to the back of his neck, as if attempting to scratch a spot that wasn't even itchy. He was nervous. That much was obvious.

"Oh. Yeah. That would be nice," Lyra replied. Lance's unsettled state didn't help her. She felt nervous too, and she couldn't fathom why. It wasn't as if she had never been here before. But something was different. Perhaps it was because she had accepted that she was attracted to him and that is why she felt butterflies in her stomach. But what explained his unsettled state? "What did you have in mind?"

"Besides from setting up the tree…. Are you busy on Christmas Day?"

"Mother and I normally have lunch together."

"Oh." He seemed crestfallen.

"But I'm sure she won't mind arranging our plans for Christmas Eve anyway."

That seemed to lighten his expression. He walked over to the table and picked up a piece of paper then returned to her near the door. "I'm serious about us spending more quality time together… I want you to come with me to Siebold's new restaurant in Saffron. He's hosting a Christmas special." He showed her the voucher. She almost squealed in delight. Fortunately, she had enough self control not to act like one of those giggly schoolgirls. Lance had invited her to a fancy dinner. Out of all people available he invited her. That had to mean something. Right?

"I would love to go."

Relief poured over his face. "Thank Arceus."

"But there's just one thing… Why me?"

He rubbed his neck again. "It's Christmas. It's the season of joy and nothing would make me happier than to share it with you. I want… I've been meaning to ask for a long time now, but I couldn't find the words. But I know if I wait any longer someone else will come along and I don't want to lose that chance."

She tried to think of something to say, but nothing would come to mind. She was too happy to form words so she expressed her joy by throwing her arms around him instead. He was stunned for a moment – taken aback by her sudden gesture – but he soon recovered and placed his arms around her and held her close. She looked up at him and beamed a smile. "I always thought you'd end up with someone like Cynthia."

"She likes Steven. Besides. I'm not into blondes. Anyway. You're better than Cynthia."

Ah, now he was more like his usual self. The calm, collected and confident Dragon Master. "Did you honestly think I'd go someplace else?" she said, pulling back a bit.

"Silver."

She almost laughed. "I'm sorry, but Silver? No way. I'd rather kiss a Muk."

"You could always kiss me instead?" he replied with a teasing grin.

Realization dawned on her. The sly dragon master. "…I'm standing under mistletoe, aren't I?"

"…Yes, you are. It might not be Christmas Day just yet… But we are close enough."

Mistletoe was a tree killing parasite, but it was supposed to bring good luck in Christmas season or more specifically Christmas Day. She wasn't sure what to do next. A kiss on the cheek? Or more? She supposed it all depended on how he reacted. She tested the waters by placing her hands on his shoulders as she looked into his dark eyes. He lowered his head, and she moved her hands behind his neck, pulling him in closer, pressing her cherry lips against his own. He breathed in her scent and kissed her back returning the gesture of affection. She wanted to remain in place, holding him close, but she knew they had to break apart to breathe.

"Well… That was…" She wasn't sure what it was supposed to be like having been the first time she had ever actually kissed someone. She suspected she was Lance's first too. There had never been media stories about Lance and a woman before. But she preferred it that way. No one to compare to. Something both of them could improve in and she was sure there'd be many more times. "…Pleasant."

"I know it's not exactly Christmas Day yet… but it might as well be. Merry Christmas Lyra," he said softly.

"Merry Christmas Lance," she replied.

Definitely one of the finer Christmas moments.