Welcome to the last story of 2016 and the first story of 2017! I say that because this story was originally written near the end of 2016, but it was written for a contest. Therefore, I wanted to wait until the judging ended in January in order to publish it.
Year aside, the story was written for the 2016 Holiday Trainer's Tales Christmas contest on Bulbagarden Fourms. The prompt for the contest was answering the question "how do wild Pokémon celebrate the holidays?" Ideas also included imagining if they celebrated the same way humans did, and what they thought of all the Christmas traditions (e.g. Santa, presents). The contest entry had to be from a perspective of a Pokémon from Gen VII (although new formes can also be included), but it did not necessarily have to be set in Alola.
The other limitation was that all contest entries had to be a maximum of 2500 words. Therefore, because of the short word limit, the style of this piece is a bit different from the other ones I've written.
As always, check the author's notes for details, and enjoy this (very belated) Christmas present!
Parade
It had been nearly one year since the fateful day.
One year since Margaret brought a chance to change the lives of her pack forever.
Now, they were finally ready to enact the risky plan that could lead them to say farewell to everything they'd ever known.
But it could also be their way out, a way to leave loneliness behind forever.
Margaret couldn't stop grinning.
Her mind whisked her away to the incident one year ago.
It has been a chance encounter, and after that nothing had been the same…
The Mimikyu pack led a mainly solitary life, their only company being the more curious Ghost types and the occasional Golbat.
Connections to the outside world were fleeting and secondhand. The only word about the outside world was from the Gastly and Haunter that came and went as they pleased.
Margaret knew it was forbidden to depart the market without the leader's permission. And no one could recall the last time the leader gave permission to leave.
According to the elders, their very presence terrified many, and they were so unpopular that people chased them away. It was safer to stay in the abyss of the abandoned market.
So the other Pokémon and the pack were Margaret's only companions.
Well, not including the other "companions" in the abandoned supermarket.
The ones that were not alive.
There was the seemingly endless darkness of the abandoned storefront, and in this dark expanse lay many empty boxes. Cobwebs clung to them. Aost products had long since been removed.
Many shelves held only the dust that had settled from years of neglect. The few products that still lined the area were overtaken with rust, if they even worked.
Margaret could not remember the last time she tried to look for something that functioned, and she didn't dare try now.
Counters stood vacant of managers, their only customer being layers of dust.
Margaret had closed her eyes, trying her hardest to visualize what it must've been like to have a person there.
But there was nothing.
One tiny thing offset the dreary atmosphere.
There was one object the Mimiyku pack knew worked, and that was a small vending machine in the corner of the darkened market.
No one carried any money, but they could still get its products.
Someone found that scrambling on top, and using Shadow Sneak to crawl in was an effective way to get the drinks out.
The soda and the lemonade had long since lost their best taste, and no one ever refilled the machine.
But at least the water didn't expire.
A free source of hydration while still keeping the pack safe was nothing the leader was going to argue about.
And so life continued on, unchanging in this bleak place.
Until one day.
It was one of the last days of the winter season, when the entire pack was alerted to the skittering of unfamiliar feet.
They all glanced upward, and collectively gasped in shock.
It was a Pikachu that had stumbled in!
Pikachu, one of the most famous Pokémon of all time!
Pikachu, the Pokémon they all wanted to be!
Margaret could hardly believe what she was seeing, and apparently the others could not either.
Confusion was written on the Pikachu's face as he stumbled around in a daze, but that did not stop the pack from surrounding him.
Margaret rushed to join in, but could not help noticing something strange on the Pikachu's head.
The Pikachu wore a hat, but it was unlike any Margaret had ever seen. The hat stuck straight up, glaring bright red. On the top was a white round circle. And the rim was patterned with the same shade of white, only it was all over.
What could the hat be for, and why was the Pikachu wearing it?
Margaret had no time to dwell on the matter, as her pack's shock had now been replaced by under admiration
They pelted the Pikachu with their own questions.
"What's it like being so famous?"
"What are the people in the city like?"
"Hello, welcome to our market! Should I show you around?"
"What is that goofy looking thing you have in your head?"
"Wow, so, how good is my disguise?"
The Pikachu did not answer any of the questions as his eyes darted around, looking for an escape route.
Finding none, an ear-shattering scream left his mouth.
This did not deter the Mimikyu, and they huddled even closer.
Suddenly, the pack struggled to fly out of the way as a rapidly moving lightning bolt shot towards them.
Then, there were the unlucky ones who could not dodge, and they took the full brunt of the attack's wrath. Margaret gasped in horror as her pack mates lit up against the ever-black darkness. The yellow was so bright she could've sworn they were lights themselves.
The elders that had previously watched were now focused on the glowing youths. Even they slunk over.
Suddenly, Margaret flinched as one voice boomed over all the others.
"Stop this at once!"
At this, all the Mimikyu disbursed as the pack leader appeared, his eyes blazing like fire.
The others bowed their heads as he began to approach the Pikachu.
The massive pack leader towered over all the others, a striking aura surrounding him. He was so large it was if he could take up an entire room by himself.
And now his gargantuan frame loomed before the petite Pikachu. The leader of the pack completely covered the smaller mouse in his shadow, and the other Pokémon trembled so much he looked like he might fall over.
The leader's voice thundered as he fixed his gaze on the tiny mouse.
"Why are you here?"
The Pikachu barely managed to whimper, and Margaret thought she could hear his breath starting to hitch.
"I'm from the nearby city, but I got separated from my Trainer. I wandered into this place on accident… I have to get home! I don't want to miss this year's Christmas!"
The pack leader at first did not move. Instead, he scrutinized the other Pokémon with every inch of his gaze.
Margaret found herself shivering.
The pack leader could destroy the Pikachu in less than a second. Was he contemplating that now?
Yet, in a heartbeat, the pack leader raised his voice again.
"Let him pass."
Margaret didn't miss the bewildered expressions that lined everyone's faces.
He was just going to let the newcomer go?
The pack leader spoke carefully, lowering himself so that he was at eye level with the other Pokémon.
"There is a path that curves around once you leave this place. If you follow that path and then head north, you should reach the city. There, I'm sure your Trainer will be waiting."
The Pikachu nodded before he scurried out of the building so fast Margaret could barely see him leave.
She hung her head.
That was it? Their only encounter with a Pikachu?
However, the pack leader turned towards them, intent on delivering another message.
"I know many of you are disappointed that our time with the Pikachu was so short. You'll be happy to hear I am not done with him, because what he said about this "Christmas" was intriguing. I would like to investigate this further."
At this, many ears perked up, and Margaret stifled another gasp.
Someone would see the outside world!
Margaret could barely contain her excitement when the pack leader called out a name.
"Margaret, you are one of the strongest and most sensible of all the Mimikyu. Therefore, I am choosing you to investigate Christmas."
A collective gasp escaped the crowd as Margaret haltingly stepped forward.
She couldn't believe the pack leader was giving her a mission so important, let alone a chance to explore!
Margaret slowly gazed up at her pack leader as he continued.
"Margaret, follow that Pikachu and find out what this "Christmas" is. Report back what you find. Understood?"
Shakily, Margaret nodded.
"Remember to take a proper disguise. Things would not bode well for the pack if you didn't."
Margaret nodded again and rapidly departed the building.
Following the Pikachu wasn't hard. In his haste, his tracks were plain to see. Choosing the proper disguise wasn't difficult either.
All Margaret had to do was pick one of the local wild Pokémon, and take its form. The new form slipped on her easily like clothing, her disguise powers a skill honed after years of practice.
No one so much as spared a glance at her.
After what seemed like hours, Margaret finally followed the tracks to a tiny house.
She ducked into a yard a safe distance away, but close enough so that she could still see through the window.
Even with her new form, she wasn't risking making others suspicious.
Yet Margaret almost lost her hold on the disguise when she peered through the window.
She had never seen so many children with their gleeful faces aglow
What made them so happy?
Margaret cocked her head.
The answer to that question was the strangest thing she'd ever seen.
One child flashed a glowing grin as he was handed a box.
Why would a box please someone, when it was easy to be surrounded by them?
Margaret's attention was then drawn to a giant tree.
Trees could be found anywhere, but somehow, this was different. Several humans pointed at the tree, and some laughed.
Margaret strained to take a closer look, and at last realized why the tree wasn't normal.
It was covered in dazzling, flashing lights in all different colors. There were so many Margaret couldn't count them, and some had colors she didn't even know existed.
Yet stranger things went on.
Margaret realized where the boxes were coming from, as the humans plucked them out from under the tree and gave them to others. And while it was the children that showed the most joy, even adults burst into gigantic grins.
Margaret cocked her head again.
Who would put boxes under trees, and why cover one with lights? Wouldn't it catch fire?
Then, Margaret noticed that the humans were placing cups in each other's hands. The humans gulped down the liquid within, then howled for more.
So drinks made them happy?
Then why weren't the humans scrambling to the vending machines? There was plenty there!
Suddenly, a sound pierced Margaret's ears. She instantly recognized the jingle of bells, and the jingling grew louder. The humans simply continued smiling.
This had pleased them, but why?
Rapidly, another familiar object caught Margaret's eye.
A small black radio swung from another human's hands. The radio didn't seem like anything spectacular, yet when the other humans saw it, they grinned wildly.
The humans suddenly erupted into song, with music so loud Margaret thought the windows would shatter. Many leapt to their feet, twisting and twirling. Those who were not singing and dancing clapped their hands, eyes shining with glee.
How could a simple radio energize the humans so much?
Amongst all the movement, she almost missed another one. It was just a flicker, but it didn't escape her.
It was that Pikachu with his red and white hat. He obviously belonged to someone in this house, and it didn't take Margaret long to find out who.
A young girl ran over, and the Pikachu scampered to her. She stroked the Pikachu's fur, smiling as her hand lingered on the hat.
Clearly she loved it, so apparently hats made the Trainers happy.
Couldn't they get hats in lots of places, though?
Why were the humans so joyful over such strange things?
Was this what Christmas was?
And how would this information help her pack? She still had to report back to them…
Suddenly, a thought struck Margaret.
If the humans enjoy things like boxes and bells during Christmas, why couldn't her pack bring those things to them?
The Mimikyu would also bring the humans happiness, and be accepted into the city!
And when that happened, the pack would not be lonely anymore! They could be in the outside world forever!
Margaret returned to the market, where her leader was waiting expectantly.
"Margaret, what have you learned?"
Margaret immediately launched into an explanation of everything she'd seen. From the boxes to the dancing humans, to even the brief sighting of the Pikachu. And at the end, she added her conclusion.
And her plan.
Margaret tried to stay patient as the pack leader hesitated.
Would he accept her proposal?
Finally, the pack leader responded.
"I believe your plan could work, Margaret. However, that Pikachu implied that Christmas only comes once a year, so we will have to wait until next year."
Margaret smiled again as her mind brought her back to the present. At last the day was finally here. The pack leader had announced Margaret's plan, and the Mimikyu had wasted no time preparing the presents.
Countless members of the pack swarmed the vending machine, and it rattled and shook under their weight. The vending machine nearly turned black with all of the Shadow Sneaks being utilized. At the end, the vending machine had been robbed of every last drink.
Margaret was alerted to snapping sounds as other members of the pack slid in carrying tree branches. One member of the pack even found a little wilted tree, although Margaret didn't know from where.
Jingling echoed throughout the supermarket as members of the pack sauntered in wearing bells. The golden bells had long since turned red with rust, yet Margaret still heard faint ringing. Others carried small rust covered bells in their hands, although those no longer rung.
Even in the darkness, the pack found some lights. The lights wrapped around the Pokémon like vines. Margaret hoped the pack members didn't fall. Some of the members were also wearing hats, although they were nothing like what the Pikachu had worn.
The empty boxes were bigger than their carriers, so the Mimikyu had to use their ghostly powers to lift them. Margaret wondered if the humans would just see a bunch of walking boxes, but she didn't dwell on that for long.
After all, she had her own gift to carry.
Within her hand she held a rickety radio. Aside from being worn out, it was an exact copy of the one that the humans enjoyed.
She couldn't wait for them to be excited again!
Suddenly, the pack leader raised his voice.
"Today is the day all of us leave our home behind, possibly forever, and embark for the city. Always remember that the gifts we give to the people in the city will help them have a joyful Christmas!"
The pack cheered as they formed a single-file line behind their leader. On his signal, they paraded out of the supermarket.
Margaret flashed a grin.
The humans would surely have a joyful Christmas, and it was all because of her plan that created this gift-bearing parade!
Author's notes:
-So the bad news is I'm not entirely satisfied with the story, but the good news is this is not the last you'll see of Margaret and the Mimikyu pack.
-When I wrote the ideas down for this story, I didn't realize how short my word limit was, and quickly realized that this idea would work better for a longer story. However, since I enjoyed the idea I had created, I decided to go with it anyway.
-Unfortunately, a lot things got squashed in order to fit the limit, and as result, I don't feel that the story was as good as it could have been. Entire events were cut out of the story, and what details remained were greatly condensed.
-Therefore, I have decided that I will do a remake of the story, and it will have no word limits. Events that were removed will be placed back in, new events will be added, things will be given proper descriptions, and there will be a definite ending. However, any events that already in this story will remain unchanged. Also, like Out of the Darkness, (see my profile if you don't know what that is) this story will remain up even after it gets its remake. This is so those that prefer the original version can still enjoy it.
-For the curious, here are some of the things that got cut out.
-There was originally was an event where the Mimikyu pack paraded into the city (hence the title), trying to give the people the "presents".
-However, the people would get scared because of how unorthodox the presents and the fact that the Pokémon carrying them are ghosts. This would alert the trial captain Arcoula, and the pack would be shocked that someone that seemed so important would come to them.
-Arcoula immediately would have noticed that the pack was trying to mimic Christmas, but sweetly tells them that they don't have it quite down. This event also turns the story into an AU, because in the game, she acts like the Mimikyu do not exist. In this story, Arcoula is forced to acknowledge their existence.
-Arcoula then would have thought that their efforts are cute, and they clearly want to see what Christmas is about. Therefore, they can be Santa's little helpers. There are a lot of presents, and a lot of people that need help delivering them. Therefore, Margaret and her pack spend the next year learning about Christmas, as well as getting proper Santa gear and presents. When they deliver them, the citizens are delighted, and the pack starts to become as popular as Pikachu. The scene ends with Margaret grinning because not only are the citizens happy, but she and her pack do not have to be lonely anymore, because they are popular, like Pikachu.
-The entire exchange was taken out for two reasons. One was that it was obviously very long, and more than my word limit would allow me to write. The other was that I realized it was just as feasible for Arcoula to reject the Mimikyu (although the fact that they even are in the city makes the story AU regardless). So I thought it made more sense to go with an ambiguous ending, even if it wasn't entirely what I'd wanted in the first place.
-However, the exchange with the Mimikyu parading into the city and Arcoula being there will be included back into the remake. At this point, I am not sure what path the exchange will take (meaning, she might still reject them, and the pack has to go somewhere else or win her approval).
As mentioned before, many details were condensed. For example, there was originally a lot more details about the supermarket. One of them included someone finding an empty cash register that no longer worked. Another included Margaret trying to imagine someone at the empty counters, but not being able to visualize anyone. There were also more details about shelves, and what products were actually left in the store.
-Details about the Christmas traditions were omitted as well. For example, in the original, Margaret notices stockings, and they translate in her knowledge base as "socks". However, there are no stockings here. Mention of Christmas dinner was also supposed to be in the fan fiction, but only mention is of the drinks because of the word count.
Finally, Margaret was originally supposed to notice a theme of red and green, but that was left out due to word limit problems. The Mimikyu were supposed to wear hats of red and green (which is one of the reasons why Arcoula can understand what they're trying to do) as a result. However, since red and green is left out, they only wear hats. All of the omitted details will be seen in the remake.
As for the story itself, it takes inspiration from two places. One of them is Pokémon GO. At the time this story was written, there was a Pokémon GO event going on that allowed you to capture a Pikachu with a Santa hat. Therefore, this special Pikachu was the same one featured in this story.
-The other is the Ghost type trial in Pokémon Sun and Moon. In it, the player has to eventually battle a Totem Mimikyu at the back of an abandoned supermarket. I also thought that the Mimikyu would see or at least hear about things like Christmas, since they live right near a city (and they are in a man-made structure). Of course, the Mimikyus would want to take part in it, in order to ease their loneliness and become more popular. So, an idea for Mimikyu trying to understand Christmas started to take form in my head.
-I was doing the Ghost type trial around the same time that the Pikachu event for Pokémon GO was introduced, and as soon as I completed the trial, this idea came to life. The Christmas Pikachu was very popular, while Mimikyu was left behind. And since Pikachu was the Pokémon that Mimikyu has always wanted to mimic, I felt like it would make sense to have the Christmas Pikachu be the reason Mimikyu tries to discover the meaning of the holiday. And so, this story was born.
-The way Mimikyu's disguise works is based on something that I also saw during the Ghost type trial. In the trial, Mimikyu is shown to be able to disguise itself as Pikachu. This is because it leads the player to the final fight by running to the back of the supermarket as a Pikachu.
-Hence, I got the idea that Mimikyu's disguise is really just a different type of transformation, and that it can transform into other Pokémon if it needs to. This also became the inspiration for Pikachu stumbling into the supermarket, and running around there in this story.
-The pack leader's description and menacing presence is based off of the Totem Mimikyu. Since it is more powerful than any of the other Mimikyu living in the area, it's not hard to imagine the Totem Pokémon leading a pack of them.
-The Mimikyu being isolated in the supermarket is based on their location in-game. In the games, they can only be found in the abandoned supermarket. Even then, there is a very small chance of finding them. I couldn't understand why a Pokémon that was constantly lonely and wanted to be popular would stay in isolated in the supermarket. So I came up with the explanation that couldn't leave because no one likes them.
-Margaret's disguise is deliberately left vague because there are many wild Pokémon around the area that she could transform into. Therefore, I wanted to leave it up to the reader's imagination which Pokémon's form she took. In the remake, I might clear up the ambiguity by describing her taking the form of another Pokémon. At this time, I am not sure which one I would have her use.
-As for the vending machines, most of the supermarkets in the games have them, so I figured it wouldn't be out of place for an abandoned supermarket to have one too. Pokémon normally don't know how to use man-made items, but I thought after living at the supermarket long enough, I thought that the wild Pokémon would figure out how to use it.
-The idea of the Mimikyu climbing on top of the vending machine is actually based off of something I saw in real life when I was younger. The vending machine at my high school was malfunctioning, and ate my money when I tried to buy something. I was feeling pretty down about it, until two high schoolers saw me and asked what happened. I told them, and cue two people climbing on top of the vending machine to try and get the food out. I don't remember entirely how they got the vending machine to suddenly start working again, but somehow I got two of the item that I wanted to buy. I guess I got my money's worth. :)
-The entire concept of this fan fiction was based on the idea that while wild Pokémon might see things like Christmas, they might not completely understand it. This is why Margaret misinterprets what items make people happy (e.g. thinking that the boxes are making the people happy when it's really the presents inside of them, thinking people are happy with simple drinks, when it's really special drinks like eggnog), and how her pack can help.
-However, Margaret and her pack do understand that Christmas only occurs once a year because of the Pikachu's comment "I don't want to miss this year's Christmas." They were originally going to understand a bit more about human traditions (e.g. Christmas Eve was specifically going to be mentioned originally), but that was taken out. This information may or may not be added back into the remake.
-Finally, for anyone confused by the time period, Margaret's flashback takes place on Christmas. The year after that the pack heads out late on Christmas Eve. The plan is to make it to the city and deliver their "gifts" on Christmas morning.
-And with this marks the last of the Christmas fanfictions (aside from the remake of this one). They were a lot of fun to work on, so I'm sad to see them go, but the holidays can't last forever…
-With this fan fiction, I can now also truly say goodbye to 2016, and step fully into 2017.
-I am looking forward to writing many more fan fictions in 2017, and wish all my readers good luck in this new year.