Christmas in Pallet

by crichton55

Ash comes home from the Unova Region in time for Christmas, but seems to be avoiding Misty. She worries that he might have developed feelings for the other girls he traveled with, and tries to bring herself to tell him how she feels about him.

"Christmas in Pallet"

By: Crichton55

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A/N: Sorry about the rare updates people. I am in the middle of college and I don't have that much time to write. Anyway, this is a fic describing what I want the last episode of Pokemon to be. Sorry if it's a little choppy though.

/

Ages:

Ash: 18

Misty: 19

Brock: 21

Pikachu: 15

Iris: 18

Delia: use your imagination...

Misty stepped into the pristine kitchen, her feet narrowly avoiding Pikachu as he darted in between them in pursuit of Buneary. The two had been playing Tag for most of the time Misty had been at Ash's house, about three hours, and they both had already claimed fault for the falls of both Ash and Delia. Misty giggled girlishly as she saw the two Pokemon chase each other in a circle on Delia's freshly mopped hardwood floor.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Ketchum?" she said curiously.

Delia turned around to face her, that same sweet grin on her face as it always had been whenever Misty saw her. "Yes? What is it, Misty?

"Is Ash back yet?" She tried to make it sound as innocent as possible, but there was no escaping Delia's knowing glance. Who was she kidding? Why was she trying to hide her feelings for the short, dense teen? It wasn't like everyone else didn't know already...well, everyone save Ash. Misty turned her gaze away in embarrassment, and Delia returned hers to the stove in front of her, setting the knob on high.

"Not yet, Misty," she said finally, breaking the awkward silence. "Come to think of it, he hasn't returned my call in over an hour. Poor Pikachu's getting nervous."

Misty laughed. "He seems to be getting along just fine with Buneary," she said. "Why would Ash want to go out in this weather?" She gestured to the dense layer of snow that covered the yard outside the kitchen window. It was the day before Christmas, so it was perfectly acceptable to say that nearly half the region would be covered in a blanket half a foot thick.

Ash had left about an hour after Misty had arrived at his house to put up Christmas decorations. She wasn't there so much for the decorations as she was for the excuse that the decorations gave her: to be around Ash again. This was the first time since he had returned from his journeys in the Unova Region, and the first chance she had gotten to spend some time with him since she had left them in Hoenn.

It had been so long since they had seen each other that Misty was scared that Ash had forgotten about her. Ash hadn't talked to her much in the hour or so that she had seen him, leading her suspicions towards a dangerous confirmation. He hadn't even given much hint as to any recognition other than the overzealous hug he had given her at the mere sight of her. She wasn't sure how she could take the pain if he had forgotten about her, because that would mean that her chances with him were slim to none.

However, word had spread like wildfire that he had taken the competition at the Indigo League and ran it over with a dump truck, which automatically named him Pokemon Master. This excited Misty, because it meant that Ash wouldn't be traveling anymore, forcing him to stay at home where he was closer to her. She had been tempted to consider moving into a nearby house more than once in the last three hours, just to give herself an excuse to live close to Ash, but the possibility of him rejecting her forced the idea back.

But had Ash really forgotten about her? That was something she had to figure out quickly. She didn't know if there had been anything going on between him and Iris during their journeys together in the Unova region. The very possibility sent jealous shivers down her spine. She could not take that if it were true.

But how would she approach him? She couldn't just go up to him and shout "Ash Ketchum, I love you! Do you remember me?" She had to tell him somehow, but she didn't know if she had the guts.

"Misty?"

"Huh?"

"You spaced off there," Delia told her. "I said that Ash went out shopping. Something about an order he placed two weeks ago..." She gave a slight gasp that clearly said that she had said too much, and she hastily shuffled over to the refrigerator and peered inside.

Misty left the room. She had to talk to someone about Ash. Walking past the dining room and into the living room, she spotted a tall man with dark hair stringing lights onto the Christmas tree that sat in the corner of the large room. There was no-one else in the room save Pikachu and Buneary, who were still chasing each other tirelessly.

"Brock?" she said tentatively. "I need to talk to you."

"Shure ting, Misty," mumbled Brock through the wires he had clenched in his teeth. "What do you need?" He spat out the wires and hung them hastily from the tree before turning his attention towards Misty, and at once Brock noticed that her hair had sunk down low and she wasn't smiling. His face softened; he could tell whenever Misty was having an emotional snag.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Brock held up his hand to stop her. "No need to say it, Misty. You've been thinking about him again, haven't you?"

Misty felt her face turn a dark shade of red as she nodded her head solemnly. Brock smiled "I thought as much," he said. "I know you too well."

"What can I do, Brock?" she pleaded, getting straight to the point. "I don't even know if he still knows who I am. I mean, it's been, what, two years since we split in Hoenn? And even if he does, what if he doesn't feel the same way?"

Brock looked her in the eye, and for a moment said nothing. Ahh hell, what do I say to her, he thought furiously. I can't tell her how he really feels for her. That much she has to figure out for herself. I can't give her all the answers. That would be cheating. I can't tell her how he feels, and I can't say nothing, but I can give her a few subtle hints. He gave a slight and brief smirk, momentarily thankful for his ability to think quickly.

"I watched him all throughout our travels through Hoenn and Sinnoh," he said. "And never once did one night go by that he did not tell a story or crack a joke to May and Dawn about you. He never shut up." Brock noticed the worried look on Misty's face. "Relax, Misty, there was never anything between Ash and either of the girls," he added hastily.

"That's good," said Misty with relief in her voice. "But, I don't understand. Why would Ash talk about me so much? And why would May and Dawn listen to all of those stories?"

Brock laughed loudly "Simple. They both had monster crushes on him, which explains why they always liked hearing of the encounter with Entei, or that one story he kept talking about, the one when you guys were traveling through the Orange Islands. Something about Lugia and the three Legendary Birds."

A twinge of jealousy spread through Misty. "And Ash didn't see that?" she asked.

"He knew about it, all right," Brock admitted, rearranging a stray wire on the tree. "Ash may be dense, but he's not stupid. He has a knack for knowing what another person is thinking or feeling. That's probably why he can understand Pikachu better than any of us."

Buneary gave an agreeing squeak as she passed underneath Misty's feet, Pikachu in hot pursuit.

Misty's heart gave an uncomfortable throb. If Ash had a good feeling as to what people were thinking, then that would mean-

"But why would he tell so many stories about me?" she said. "He rarely gave me that much attention when we were traveling."

Brock looped a few strands of lights around a bare section of the tree, again staying silent for a few moments. "Listen, Misty." He turned to face her and touched her cheek gingerly as a brother would a little sister. "If you want him so badly, why can't you just tell him how you feel? He isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Think it through. You've got plenty of time."

Misty tore her eyes away once more out of embarrassment. "You think I should?" she said softly.

Brock put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her head up to match his friendly gaze. "Absolutely," he said with certainty. "Guys like him don't come around every day. Catch him before another girl does. Besides, why would he go to the trouble of telling countless stories about you if he didn't care in the slightest?"

-0- 1 hour later -0-

Ash opened the door hastily and slammed it behind him, wrenching off his boots and dashing across the kitchen and up the stairs. It had been a lot colder than he had anticipated, but it didn't matter. He had to find Pikachu.

He opened up the door to his bedroom and peered inside, only to be greeted with nothing more than his messy, child-friendly room filled to the brim with Pokemon junk.

"Pikachu?" he called, but only silence greeted him. "Damn." Closing the door, he rounded the corner and turned the knob of the bathroom, not even bothering to knock.

Hey, Pikachu, you in here - ahhh!" He retreated back a step and turned his gaze away. Perched on top of a miniature toilet sat the yellow electric mouse, complete with a small Pokemon-sized newspaper in his hands. He peered over the newspaper at Ash and smiled. "Hey Ash, what's happening?"

Ash felt a small grin escape him, despite himself. "Ahh, yeah," he stammered. "Sorry, Pikachu." Pikachu waved his hand in slight annoyance as he focused his attention on the newspaper once more. "Just be sure to knock next time, Ash," he said.

Ash turned to leave the room, but as he did so he made the mistake of inhaling through his nostrils. The effect was instantaneous. His face scrunched up as though in awful pain. The smell felt as though it were burning the hair in the inside of his nose. "Awww, Pikachu! That's nasty!"

Pikachu shrugged and glanced at Ash's grimacing face. "Well, that's what happens when you chug three bottles of ketchup in one go," he admitted solemnly and sheepishly. "You can thank your mother for that one, buddy." Pikachu winked at Ash before continuing to read his paper. Ash took this as a sign to leave, assuming that it would be better to show Pikachu what he had gotten later.

"Hey, Ash, before you go..."

Ash paused.

"Yeah? What's up, Pikachu?"

Pikachu glared at his trainer as though he were looking at him from over the top of a pair of glasses. "You think what you're smelling now is bad? Wait and see what kind of digested ketchup hell I will leave you with if you fail to tell Misty how you feel about her..."

Ash nodded, turned and headed back downstairs, unaware that his cheeks had turned a bright shade of crimson.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

9:00 PM December 24th

Ash planted himself down in the living room sofa and took a deep sigh. There were about fifteen or twenty people that now occupied the room, all of whom he recognized in an instant. May and Max sat near a corner, in between Tracy and Professor Oak. Ash saw Gary, all three of Misty's sisters, as well as Iris and her Kibago, which was nestled comfortably in her large hair. Misty and Brock took up the spaces on either side of him on the couch, and Pikachu sat contently in Ash's lap, quietly munching on a crisp red apple.

He examined the pile of gifts at each person's feet, and by far Ash's was the largest. It looked as though he had been given half the region in gifts. There were boxes as small as soda cans and others a foot and a half wide. It didn't surprise him, though. Somehow, he had expected it when he had demolished the Pokemon League.

Delia trotted into the room, carrying in her arms a flat package that she set down at Oak's feet. "Okay!" she announced loudly, silencing the chatter in an instant. "Who's first?"

Several hands shot up into the air, but Misty was the first to open her mouth. "I think Ash should go first," she suggested, and around the room Ash saw heads nodding in approval. Pikachu gave a exuberant "Pika!"

Ash surveyed his gifts, and selected a box that was only a few inches across. It was from Tracey. In several swift movements, he shredded the wrappings and held up a brand new digital camera.

"Wow!" he exclaimed, then his voice befriended sarcasm, shaking the box in the air. "Gee, Tracy, don't you think this would have been useful on Shamuti?" There was a ripple of laughter from the large group as all eyes latched to Tracey.

He didn't miss a beat. "I was going to," he said. "But then I noticed how much attention Melody was giving you and I thought it would have been a bad idea."

Brock roared with laughter and Misty buried her face in her hands. Ash's cheeks turned pink.

"You should have given it to Hugh Hefner over here." Ash pointed to Brock, and his laughter died almost as quickly as if he had been shot. The group gave a few more hearty chuckles as Misty gave a now crimson Brock a playful nudge in the ribs.

"Thanks, Tracy. This is too cool. Who's next?"

They went around the group for the next hour and a half. Brock had given Misty a book on the mating habits of deep-sea Lanturns, a gesture to which he shot Ash a knowing glance. Professor Oak gave May and Max a kit perfectly suited for catching Pokemon in the Sinnoh region, giving them the suggestion of proceeding to Unova later. When everything was all unwrapped, there stood a flood of green and red wrapping paper that seemed to flow across the living room. Delia had received a complete set of kitchen cooking utensils as well as an array of different seeds for her garden. Brock got a one-year subscription to three Pokemon magazines, including Pokemon Friend. Tracy had unwrapped, from Misty, a new drawing book and a pouch that contained charcoal pencils and various pastels.

Things began to wind down as everyone migrated into the dining room for refreshments, and Ash couldn't help but grow nervous. He had rehearsed in his head what he planned to do for weeks, even before he had bought Misty's gift. In all the commotion, he had found it rather simple to keep it hidden, for it was not a big gift, and he had correctly expected it to have been forgotten by his mother.

The party lasted much longer than expected, and throughout the array of games and Christmas carols being sung, Ash felt himself being a little distant from Misty. It wasn't quite on his own free will. Something just willed him to keep to himself.

Misty took notice. Sitting on the couch, she stared blankly and longingly at the mistletoe that had been taped to the top of the doorway leading into the kitchen. She sighed. Why had Ash been so distant from her lately? Had he really forgotten about her? None of the gifts she had received had been from him, which only made her even more sad. The more she thought about it, the more she struggled to find definite proof that he had not forgotten her. It had been, what, two years? She could not remember.

But what would she do if he did remember? That did little to ease her mind, because it would leave her no closer to finding a way to tell Ash how she felt about him. She clutched her head in confusion, and silently cursed fate for putting her in such a situation.

A figure approached her. Looking up, she saw Ash looking down at her with a pleasant smile on his face. Something about his gaze sent a powerful shock down her spine, and she sat there without saying a word for what felt like days, staring at him.

It was then that she noticed how much Ash had grown. His face had gained the appearance of an Olympic athlete, yet still shone with his childish innocence. His black hair was thicker and tempted her to reach out and run her hands through it, because he was not wearing his hat. His shoulders were broader and his arms reflected his training in Sinnoh and Unova.

"Hey," he greeted her simply.

"H-Hey," Misty stammered shyly, barely registering that her cheeks looked as though they had missed the sunscreen treatment on the beach.

Ash momentarily looked away, and his face twitched as if to shoo away an irksome fly. Misty sensed that something was troubling him. The boy was never skilled at keeping his energy down.

"Misty, I, umm," he stammered, and he let a sheepish grin creep across his face, a clear sign to Misty of his innocent nature still thriving.

Ash's face began to redden as well. He made no attempt to hide his nervousness as he sat down beside Misty. "Misty, I hope you're not mad at me."

Misty considered reuniting cranium with hardened rubber, but all she could muster was a girlish giggle.

"Hey, what's so funny?"

"Ash, why would I be mad?"

"Because I didn't take you with me to Hoenn and Sinnoh," he explained, turning away from the redhead.

Misty saw her chance to toy with him. Ash had his guard down, and if she was going to eventually tell him how she felt, all the more reason to tease him as she always had.

"Well, Mr. Pokemon Master," she flared at him. "You could have just called and asked. My sisters were back by then. As I recall, I did follow you through two regions. That's two regions filled with bugs!"

Ash winced under the pressure, a reaction to which Misty couldn't help but crack a smile. Her plan was working. She had him right on the spot. If she couldn't ask him if he had a weak spot for either May, Dawn, or Iris, maybe she could simply tease the answer out of him. She wasn't exactly a novice at it, either. Two regions worth of bug-infested forests had taught her the power of feminine coercion and persuasion.

"Who were those three girls who followed you, Ashy boy?" she teased, and Ash gave a small twitch and his cheeks got redder. "What's this I hear about you destroying another bike?"

"Aha!" Misty boomed. "You must have a crush on one of them!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Alright, Ash Ketchum, prove it."

Misty looked at him with a triumphant gaze. Wriggle out of this one, Ashy boy!

Ash stared back for a moment, and Misty could sense that he was furiously thinking of a way out of her mental snare. He cursed his fear to tell her the truth. He was afraid she wouldn't understand and would overturn their friendship. He had known her for close to a decade. Eight years of friendship could be gone if he told her, but he didn't want to admit to having a false crush on May, Dawn, or Iris, for fear that if she did have feelings for him, she wouldn't speak to him again.

They stared each other in the eye intently, neither one willing to look away. Instinct melded with their emotions and silently took control, and Ash slowly began to lean towards Misty, slowly and without thinking. Misty felt her love for him boiling in her chest, spreading all throughout her body as if her heart had been set on fire. Her mind was racing, and emotion gripped her mind so hard she felt she would soon lose control.

Their faces were only about an inch apart. They could feel each other's hot and rapid breath, but took little notice. The outside world barely existed either. The couch and each other were all they paid attention to.

Half an inch. Ash's heart beat faster than ever. His battle with Lance had been less intense. All he wanted now was to kiss Misty, feel the blazing heat of her lips upon his and accept the soft touch of her skin.

The sound of something dropping to the floor and smashing careened in from the kitchen, and as if on impulse Ash and Misty wrenched themselves apart, only to be greeted by a frantic looking Pikachu, who jumped into Ash's lap.

"Ash! Help me! She's chasing me! Chasing me everywhere! She's coming for the ketchup!"

"Bedroom closet, buddy," Ash directed him, and without another word Pikachu swan-dived off his lap and scampered up the stairs and out of sight.

"Where were-"

"Come here, Ashy boy!"

Misty took Ash by the collar and pulled him into a deep and loving kiss right on the lips. His eyes shot open at the suddenness of it, but gave into the intoxicating feel of her warm lips on his. They must have kissed for minutes, hours maybe, he didn't care. All that mattered was that his lips were fused with hers and that his face was enveloped by her flaming red hair that seemed to flow over them like an elegant waterfall.

They parted after what felt like several sunlit days, but remained close. Misty gave another delighted giggle.

"Y'know," she said in an elated voice. "You couldv'e just said so."

"Have you learned nothing about me, Mist?" Ash chided teasingly. "I always like to make things special."

"I guess so Ashy-boy, but it still leaves the question."

"What's that?"

"You STILL didn't give me anything for Christmas!"

Ash chuckled heartily. "Why do you think I left earlier?"

He dug into his nearby backpack and pulled out three slips of paper and flashed them in front of Misty's face.

"Three tickets for the S.S. Anna to the Joden Region," he said with a smile. "It sets sail next Monday."

"B-Brock, too?"

Ash nodded. "Merry Christmas, Misty."

Misty's heart gave a tremendous leap of joy.

"Merry Christmas, Ash," she said sweetly. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Mist-"

They soon lost track of time, and eventually fell asleep in each others arms.

/

A/N: Finally done! I've been trying to finish this for a long time, with being bothered by college and writer's block. For the record, my girlfriend is the reason I wrote this, because she wanted me to write a fic with the scene with Pikachu on the toilet, so I did =D Sorry for the choppy ending. It's 12:35 at night right now and so I was being a bit hasty. That and I haven't written much in the last year or so. I'll probably revise it when I'm not so rushed. I may consider continuing Heat of the Moment, for all who enjoyed it so much. And I do intend on continuing the Whispers in the Dark series. I do have some interesting things in store for you on that one. Please review!