Hello! I'm Dapper Dee VI and the following story is my bid to win Smash King24's Christmas Contest 2014 (although I was probably gonna do it regardless)! This is a one-shot, and just so you know, Lucario's speech is in italics because he is speaking through telepathy. The only other time a character will speak in italics is when singing, when thinking to themselves, or just stressing a word. Enjoy, and best of luck to the other competitors!
What is This 'Christmas'?
It was a cold winter morning in the Smash Mansion. The sun had only just begun to rise and peaked over the horizon through the whispy clouds. Some floors up, two Pokémon were not quite asleep. Whilst their room did have two beds, neither of them used them in the usual sense. Lucario and Mewtwo were sitting on their unused beds in meditative poses. Neither Pokémon actually slept, rather they just sank into a very controlled state of focusing their minds. Or so they said.
Lucario was sudden awoken from his sle- mediation by a cold, wet sensation on his nose. His eyes snapped open and focused on the melting remains of a snowflake turning into a pool of chilly water on his snout. He glanced upwards towards the window, from which a cold wind blew, bringing with it snowflakes. Irritated by the fact he wasn't going to go back to sle- a meditative state anytime soon, he got up and walked over to the window. The world was under a sheet of cliché snow. The sound of giggling got his attention and he looked down to the sight of the Smash Mansion's younger residents, Ness, Toon Link, Villager, Kirby, Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings, having a snowball fight in the mansion grounds, each wrapped up in thick winter clothing. He didn't need to read their auras to know how happy they were.
Lucario never really knew why people here liked the snow so much. During his time fending for himself out in the wild, he learnt to see snow as a bad thing. It was cold, for a start, and meant many Pokémon struggled to find food or forced them into hibernation. Snow was pretty, yes, but it took away more than it gave.
The Aura Pokémon made sure to shut the window just hard enough to wake his rival, Mewtwo, from his sle- meditation, but not so hard that he could complain, before heading out the door. He stepped out into the corridor, but was alerted when a noise, which, if he had to write it down, would have been spelt very similar to 'whumf', caught his attention when he shut the door. He looked round and on the floor was a wreath, which had evidently been hanging on the bedroom door but had fallen of when he had shut it. He picked up the ring and looked at it; a circle of green with some plastic holly leaves and berries. He hung it back on the door, stroking his chin thoughtfully. He could have sworn he'd seen this before, but for the life of him he couldn't remember where…
"Chin up, Lucario!" came a cheery voice from behind him, "It's nearly Christmas!"
The Aura Pokémon wheeled around and was greeted by Princess Peach, merrily skipping up to him.
"'Christmas'?" he asked telepathically, still puzzled, although the name did ring a bell, "What is this 'Christmas'?"
The monarch smiled sweetly, "Don't you remember last tournament? The day you spent locked in your room whilst we all partied downstairs?"
Lucario pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation, "Of course. How forgetful of me…"
She giggled and continued to skip down the halls as Lucario signed. It was that time of year again, wasn't it? 'Christmas'.
•••
Out in the wilds of the Pokémon World, winter was a time of hardship, where food was scarce and life was a struggle, but here it was a time of great joy and cheer and covering the buildings in lights and singing songs and laughing. During the last tournament, Lucario had spent the day of 'Christmas' shut up in his room whilst the others partied down in the Main Hall. Even his friend the oh-so-serious Meta Knight tried to get him to have a good time. He reckoned he's spend tomorrow up there too like last year. He honestly didn't see the point.
He started on his way to the dining hall for breakfast, and on the way passed the Main Hall where one would take place in or watch brawls, and something caught his attention again. He looked round as Bowser stomped into the centre of the room, a big snowy fir tree slung over his shoulder. He dropped it down and bent over panting as Master Hand picked it up and planted it in a large flower pot, after thanking the Koopa King, who merely mumbled reply. He plodded off, and was replaced by Mr Game-and-Watch, Jigglypuff and a few Lumas and Pikmin, who began to decorate it.
This was another thing that Lucario didn't understand about 'Christmas'. For some reason, during the winter period in which Master Hand let the Smashers have a break from smashing, everyone thought it was a good idea to bring a tree inside and dress it up. At first Lucario thought it was to protect it from the cold, as everybody was always talking about 'kindness' and such throughout the season, but he didn't know why they had to make it so… shiny. He shook his head and continued on his way.
He groaned when he reached the dining hall. It had been 'decorated' too. Tinsel was draped around the walls, baubles hung from everywhere a bauble could be hung from and flashing white Christmas lights were hanging off the tables like luminescent icicles. Why?
He decided not to sit down, and instead just grabbed an Oran Berry from the buffet, and left as soon as he could. He was still just as confused as he was last year about this whole 'Christmas' ordeal. It was probably not a good idea to speculate, he reasoned, because you'll get things horribly wrong, if experience was anything to go by. It was more sensible to ask someone who knew, most likely… but who would?
•••
His first answer came from Crazy Hand. Lucario had just polished off his Oran Berry when around the corner the floating white glove came, singing an Christmas song with altered lyrics.
"Jingle Bells, Wario smells, Falco laid an egg!" sang the left hand to himself to an out-of-tune version of Jingle Bells as he passed Lucario, who stopped him.
"Excuse me, Crazy Hand', asked Lucario through telepathy, "But would you be so kind as to explain to my what 'Christmas' is about? Its true meaning if you will?"
"Oh, that's easy," said Crazy Hand, "Every year, a red-clad protagonist called 'Clawed San' flies around the world on the back of a red-nosed moose and climbs down the chimneys of all the good children's homes and fills their footwear with gifts!"
"And the bad children?"
"Well, the bad children are sent away to the country of 'Turkey' where they are watched over and eventually eaten by an elf called 'Christmas Steve'…"
Lucario raised an eyebrow, "Really?" he asked through thought.
"Eh," replied Crazy Hand, "I dunno. I think I made all that up on the spot but I never can tell with me!"
Then he left whilst singing a song about pancakes eating ducks. Or something.
•••
Lucario, being rather intelligent, thought it wise not to take an insane glove's opinions as law, and decided to ask around a bit more. It was always hard to tell who was going to be any use. He pondered who to ask next as he walked along, but suddenly collided, and rebounded off, something soft and squidgy.
"Oi," said a voice, "Watch it, will ya?"
Lucario looked up at the sight of King Dedede dressed up in a red suit with a white fluffy lining and a hat with a white bobble on the end, rubbing his stomach from where the Pokémon had collided with him.
"Oh, Dedede, I did not see you there, my apologies," said Lucario in words that never entered Dedede's ears, but just appeared in his head.
"Is it really that hard to miss such a perfect figure of a monarch?" asked the penguin, posing, "Especially one who is dressed as the one and only Santa Claus?"
"Santa Claus…" Lucario muttered to himself (well, thought in a way that was aimed at himself but still so Dedede could hear), "Is that the 'red-clad protagonist' Crazy Hand referred to as 'Clawed San'?"
"Prob'ly," said King Dedede, and continued on his way, but was stopped by Lucario again.
"One more thing before you go, Dedede," asked Lucario, "What do you think is the true meaning of 'Christmas'?"
"Well," thought Dedede, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "For me, I gotta say it's the food! Its amazing!" - he dreamily smiled and his eyes glazed over – "Roast turkey, mince pies, pigs-in-blankets, Christmas pudding, roast potatoes, Christmas cake, egg nog, chocolate, chocolate egg nog, candy canes… and, of course, the true Christmas food; Brussels Sprouts!"
He signed happily and drool started to drip from his beak as he stared into space, tongue lolling out his mouth. Lucario tried to get his attention by waving a paw in front if the tubby monarch's face, but the king was far away in a world of food.
•••
Lucario entered the living room; a room of the mansion where the Smashers could hang out and generally relax. Lucario liked it in here. It was somewhat nice, he thought, to merely listen to conversations of other people. It gave you a little window to inside their heads. Lucario could read their minds, of course, but that would have been nearly as interesting.
He sat down in a vacant armchair and absent-mindedly eavesdropped in on a conversation between Samus and Zelda.
"We never got Christmas back on K-2L," said Samus.
"In Hyrule it is not a very well-kept tradition," replied Zelda, "But when we do celebrate it, it is on a much lower key that it is here. It is very interesting to see how different traditions are celebrated on different worlds," she mused.
"Mm," agreed Samus, before getting up, "Well, I still got a bit of Christmas shopping to do, so I'm off to the Ninten-Mall before it closes. I best be going now before the Christmas Eve queues get too long,"
"Bye," said Zelda as she watched the bounty hunter leave, before busying herself by reading a book ('The Universal Laws of Magic' by Al Akazam).
Hmm, thought Lucario to himself, Zelda seems rather knowledgeable on the subject of Christmas… I think I should ask her for her opinion. She is renowned for her wisdom, after all,
He reached out a paw, shrouded in aura, and tapped her shoulder. She turned round to face him and smiled.
"Ah, Lucario," she said, folding down the corner of a page in her book, "What is it?"
"Well, your majesty," he thought to her, "I am currently searching for the answer to question, and I an wondering if you could help me,"
"I will try my best," she nodded.
"Well, I want to know what you think the true meaning of 'Christmas' is. Can you give me your opinion?"
She sat silently in a thought for a while. "Some people believe that Christmas is a historic date marking the birth of a great religious leader," she began, "I am not one to judge whether this is correct or not, but I feel there must be some reason it was started,"
"Ah, I see," said Lucario via thought, but to honest he was still pretty confused, "Thank you,"
She nodded and continued reading.
•••
Lucario had left the building. He was out in the garden, mediating; he always felt that there was nothing better than the bitter cold to help you focus your mind. He sat atop a snowman, eyes shut, in a meditative stance. Unfortunately, however, his thoughts were interrupted by a snowball hitting his face. His eyes snapped open and glared down at the thrower as he wiped the remnants of snow from his fur. Ness swallowed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"Uh, sorry, L-Lucario," stammered the boy, nervous due to Lucario's reputation of being very dangerous when angered, "But I was wondering if y-you could, uh, get off my snowman? Please? I tried calling you but…" he trailed off.
Lucario gave a small sigh and nodded, and zipped of the head of the snowman using ExtremeSpeed.
"Thanks," murmured Ness, but took a step back when the Aura Pokémon stepped towards him.
"Do not worry," thought Lucario to the boy, "I can sense fear in your aura. Please, I will not do anything to you. I just wish to know one thing before I go; what is the true meaning of 'Christmas' in your opinion?"
Ness seemed to perk up at this, "Easy-peasy," he smiled, "Presents! Each year, Santa comes and fills my stocking with gifts! This year, I want a skateboard and a new video game, but that's not all, because you also get gifts from other people! And then, you give them gifts back! You get what you want and I always like the feeling of giving a friend a gift!"
"Hmm," thought Lucario in response to the boy, "That is a new answer I will take into consideration, thank you,"
Then, he left. Ness turned around and faced Toon Link, who had just walked up behind him.
"What was that all about?" asked the young Hylian.
Ness just shrugged.
•••
Lucario was back to roaming the halls of the mansion, when he heard a rustling sound coming from the kitchen as he passed. Curious, he sensed the aura of the invaders. Mischievous, but with a strong bond; two of them. The Duck Hunt Duo.
The Pokémon walked over to the kitchen door and peered in. He cleared his throat, alerting the duo of his presence. The duck looked up from a half-eaten loaf of bread and the dog sheepishly tried to hide a large cured ham behind his back. Lucario couldn't help but smile slightly at the distressed looks on their faces, and the coloured paper hats they wore on their heads (from a couple of stolen Christmas Crackers).
"Do not worry," he thought to them, "I will not the anyone of this, if you answer this one question,"
The dog and the duck looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
"What is the true meaning of 'Christmas'?"
The duck flew over to the dog and the two seemed to have a quick, hushed conversation with each other until they seemed satisfied. The duck flew to the top of the fridge and began to arrange the alphabetic fridge magnets as the dog did so too on the bottom of the fridge, both forming words. They looked at each other and nodded, satisfied. The duo slunk off and Lucario was left looking at the two words 'written' on the fridge.
FAMILY
FRIENDS
What could they mean by that?
•••
It was getting later in the day now, and the Smashers had just finished a large meal and were generally content. Lucario, however, was still irritated. He had asked around all day and if anything he was even more confused now about the 'true meaning' of Christmas. He reckoned he probably would spent all of tomorrow up in his room after all.
Bowser stomped towards him.
There was no harm in trying one more time, was there?
"Excuse me Bowser," began Lucario to the Koopa King, "I was wondering if you could tell me the true meaning of Christmas?"
"No!" said Bowser and stomped past.
How rude.
•••
It was now night and Lucario was sitting on his bed, back to Mewtwo. He was desperately trying to get to sle- a meditative state but just couldn't. The thought of 'Christmas' was bothering him. He reluctantly opened one eye and took a peak at the clock.
12:04
Technically Christmas.
Lucario sighed and tried to relax, but a very faint noise just on the very edge of hearing caught his attention. It was a jingling noise. It steadily grew louder until it was really rather audible… then it stopped, right above the mansion. It was replaced with a 'clip-clop' of hooves… they stopped too. Then, there was the sound of heavy footsteps walking along the roof… then silence. Lucario, fearing intruders, closed his eyes and sensed the aura of whatever was up there. However, because he was separated by several floors, the aura was very faint, but definitely there. And it was on the move. Down.
Lucario ran down the stairs to the living room, which is where he could sense the aura given off by the intruder.
He arrived and ever so carefully peeked round the door. There, whistling to himself, was a man filling the stockings the younger Smashers had put up over the fireplace. He was rather round, with a big white beard, rosy cheeks, small spectacles and a costume exactly like the one King Dedede was wearing this morning. Over his shoulder had carried a large sack, bulging with gifts. The man stopped whistling, and, still with his back to the Aura Pokémon, spoke in a voice that radiated happiness: "I know you are there Lucario. Sit down, why don't you?"
Lucario was quite taken aback by all this, as he was usually the one pulled that trick. Dumbfounded, he decided to abide and sat down.
"You are the one they call 'Santa', is that right?" asked Lucario at last. The man finished filling Kirby's hopefully large stocking with gift-wrapped food ('hopefully large' is an expression used to describe a stocking that has been made bigger in the hope of gaining more gifts than usual) and turned to face the Aura Pokémon.
"I go by many names," he said, "Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Papa Noel, but you may call me which ever suits your fancy. Now, I understand there is something you wish to ask me, am I right?"
"Yes, how did you know?" asked Lucario, telepathically, of course.
"I make it my business to know," said the man, "It makes my job a lot more easy! Now, what is it you wish to ask me?"
"What is the true meaning of Christmas?"
"You see, there are many answers to that question, depending on who you are," started the man, "There are some who are in it for the food," – he picked up a gift-wrapped roast turkey labelled 'For King Dedede' and slid it beneath the tree – "Others like the present aspect of it," – he picked up a gift-wrapped skateboard and placed it in Ness' stocking – "Some believe it is the mark of the birth date of a great religious leader," – a gift-wrapped book labelled 'For Zelda' was placed beneath the tree – "Many people use the time to meet with family and friends," – he took out a gift-wrapped loaf of bread and a gift-wrapped bone from his sack, marked 'Duck' and 'Dog' respectively – "and there are some who don't know anything about it but still have a jolly good time!" – and he picked up what appeared to be a gift-wrapped flamingo, labelled 'For Crazy Hand' – "But then there are those just say 'Bah Humbug!' to the whole thing and lock themselves up in their rooms,"
"I still do not quite understand…"
"Lucario, there is something you must understand," said the man, "Christmas is what you make it. If you expect it to be boring, it will be, but if you go in and just give it a jolly old go, then who knows…? I suppose the true meaning of Christmas is what ever you want it to be! Now, Lucario" - he sat down in a chair next to Lucario - "What do you want for Christmas?"
And there we are! The ending is for you to decide, so, in theory, all of your stories are unique! (Man that sounded so cliché...) So, yeah, I hoped you enjoyed this and have a very Merry Christmas and all that jazz.
Toodlepip!