I saw Jessie kissing Santa Claus
Our apartment was filled with the sweet scent of cinnamon. Just like every year, James was busy preparing our sumptuous Christmas dinner. Even though we were always living on the poverty line, he would spend our entire savings on this festivity. He cut out biscuits, slid the roast into the oven and prepared vegetables. He enjoyed priming the festival of love. It always reminded him of his grandparents who went to great lengths to grant him an unforgettable Christmas. Golden, red and green garlands were hanging along the walls, self-made snowflakes were stuck to the windows and quiet sounds of well-known melodies sounded from our radio. I listened to the songs, trying to put me in the mood. As a young cat, I was always looking forward to December 25th. Sometimes, a good-natured chef would dump leftovers in the backyard. I licked the herringbones and oil sardine cans with relish. Only for a very short moment, I had the feeling that I was welcome and enjoyed my meagre meal.
I jumped into the kitchen to give James a helping hand. He was skillfully balancing the punch and mashed potatoes. „Could you please set the table, Meowth? We're going to use our silverware, it's a special day," he asked. I glanced over to Jessie who was rolled up and lying on the sofa. Our otherwise so fiery team member had been quite the whole morning. She was silently staring at the ceiling. "Why can't Jessie take over?" Reluctantly, I reached for the forks and knives, distributing them on the table mats with a wintery motif. James looked at Jessie. She gave a deep sigh and turned to the other side. "You know, Jessie's always a little melancholic on holidays. She misses her mother, I can't say that about me. Let's just leave her alone. As soon as she smells the food, she will move herself to the table and scarf everything down. I hope she's going to like my menu. What do you say? For starters we'll have a mixed salad with a specially created herb dressing, I've stuffed a roast for the main course and I'll serve gingerbread and chocolate biscuits for dessert," James was proud of his work and didn't let the oven out of his sight, not even for a second.
He wanted to do his best for Jessie, he wanted to sweeten this difficult time for her and spoil her with delicacies. Everything had to work out. I nodded approvingly and hold down my job. She watched us as we worked hard, not allowing ourselves a breather, while she was languidly sitting on the sofa. She wrapped her arms around her knees and stared into a void.
James paused for a moment and joined her. He put an arm around her shoulder. "What's the matter, Jessie? What's wrong? Aren't you looking forward to Christmas and Santa Claus? Maybe he'll fulfill your most secret wishes this year," he smiled encouragingly. Jessie wrinkled her nose. "Why Christmas? Why Santa Claus? So far, he has disappointed me every time," she replied, facing away. "What did you wish for?" James wanted to know, probing her. Jessie shook her head. "I can't tell you, otherwise it won't come true, but I haven't believed that for a long time. He did not fulfill my wish when I was a child and he will not fulfill it now,' she leaned back into the cushion, dejected and discouraged. "Maybe we can change that," James winked at her and disappeared into the kitchen. Somehow, he had to cheer Jessie up and make her accessible to the true spirit of Christmas. I was always amazed to see how much effort James put into lightening Jessie's bad mood. Throughout the year, he supported her in competitions, cheered for victories, comforted her in defeats. When she was tired, he carried her to bed and even read her a bedtime story. He sewed her tournament clothes, cooked for her and did everything in his power to see her happy. I was sure he would find a solution to this problem as well.
Half an hour later, James bade goodbye on the pretext that he had forgotten the celery for the roast filling. He reached for his winter jacket and rushed out of our base. A blizzard was raging outside, the wind howled through the alleys and it was already dawning, but that didn't stop James from his plan. He stomped through the meter-high snow and headed for a costume shop. The bell on the door tinged and a little old woman opened it for him. "Poor you, you must be completely frozen. Come on in," with a gesture of her hand, the saleswoman asked James into the entrance area of her tiny shop. She ran into the kitchen and brought James a hot cup of tea. "Um, I know I'm a little late, but do you have a Santa costume left? It's very important," James took a heavy sip. The woman shook her head. "Sorry, I sold the last costume this morning," she put a hand on his shoulder. "Oh no. You know, my best friend is slowly losing faith in Christmas and I wanted to prove to her that miracles are still possible. That's why I wanted to dress up as Santa Claus and give her another reason to believe and hope in the good. It was my attempt to cheer her up and now I'm failing because of a red mitre," James was more than desperate. The old woman looked at him. "You like her, don't you?" she asked the Team Rocket agent. James nodded his head. "No matter how moody she is and no matter how many times she wants to launch me into outer space, I don't want to miss her. She has her charming sides, too, as long as she is not hungry. She has often helped me out of my misery and protected me, so I want to give her the best Christmas ever," his cheeks turned red at the thought of Jessie. He had to admit that he had developed feelings for her over the years. Feelings he had suppressed for a long time, for fear of another failure. The old woman folded her hands and thought hard. "You know what? My husband, who passed away two years ago, used to dress up as Santa Claus for the children on Cinnabar Island to please them and give them mandarins and nuts. The children were excited and he could always make them laugh. I've kept his costume to this day as a memento of him," she stood up, ran behind the counter and rummaged in a cardboard box. She pulled a mitre and a red suit out of the box and handed it to James. "Here, take it. I hope it will conduce you," James accepted the costume. It moved him to tears that the woman was ready to pass on such a precious souvenir to him. "Thank you! Thank you very much!" A lonely tear rolled down the saleswoman's cheek, she squeezed his hand and accompanied him to the door. "Good luck" she shouted through the swirling snowflakes, but James was already out of earshot. He ran and ran as fast as his legs carried him. Back in their apartment, he slipped into the costume, straightened the long white beard and practiced a deep "Ho-ho-ho".
"Where's James? He's missing the delicious food. I have to say, this guy has once again outdone himself. The dinner is a culinary delight," Jessie cut herself a slice of the stuffed roast and spooned a portion of zucchini onto her plate. Without waiting for her best friend, she began to feast and smack. I wasn't sure where James was, but I hoped for him to return soon, otherwise there would be nothing left for him. Suddenly, they heard a loud rumble. The ash trickled down the chimney and Jessie discovered one boot, followed by another. "Ho-ho-ho," James' voice sounded from the depths of the chimney. Jessie got up and hurried to the fireplace. She looked up and a man dressed in red fell through the shaft. "Hello Jessie," he greeted her. The Team Rocket agent was speechless and looked at the costumed suspiciously. "Santa?" A childish tone played in her voice. James took a step towards her. "Yes, my dear Jessie. I'm here to fulfill your wish," he pinched her lovingly. "Really?" She made big eyes. "What do you want? Jewellery? Pretty clothes?" James wanted to know. Jessie shook her head and suddenly she seemed sad again. "What's going on?" James asked. "I don't wish for anything material, even if you might think so. Yes, I'm a spoiled girl and I've got pretty much everything, but I want something completely different,' she didn't quite dare tell him her secret. "What is it?" he lifted her chin. "A family, someone who really loves me. Can you grant me this wish or are you just a swindler?" Jessie looked at Santa Claus. James took his mitre off his head and revealed his face under the white beard. He reached for Jessie's hand and gently stroked it. "But Jessie," she looked at him in shock. "You have a family. You have me, Meowth and our Pokémon. We all love you with all your strengths and weaknesses," James had never thought of how much Jessie longed for security. Of course, she often talked about her time in the orphanage, but he hadn't realized for a long time that she missed the closeness to people so much. He held her tightly in his arms and ran under the mistletoe with her. "What are you doing, James?" she hesitated for a moment as she discovered the branch above her heads. "I want to show you how much I love you. I know, Jessie. When it comes to feelings, I am a scaredy-cat. I shut myself off from it and pretend not to be interested in you. But that's not true. You are a wonderful, talented person and I must finally dare to get out of this snail shell,' he put a hand on her cheek. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. He paused for a moment, bent forward and pressed a gentle kiss on Jessie's lips. I watched the two lovebirds and smiled. It was high time they found each other and today was the perfect day for it - the feast of love.