Christmas at Pallet Town, a pokémon fanfic

Christmas at Pallet Town

By Fox McCloude.

Preliminary note: This story is set in the same continuity as "Friends and Rivals Alike", "Crossroads: Between a Mermaid and a Princess" and "Cinnabar Summer", but reading those is not required.

Pallet Town's Battle Coliseum…

Years before, the only thing Ash wanted to do was traveling, knowing new places, new Pokémon, and have many exciting adventures. He had become quite the globetrotter at an early age, and for the most part, his returns to his home were brief respites to prepare for his next adventure. Back then, the idea of staying in a single place, even in his hometown, seemed completely absurd.

However, since he accepted Scott's offer to become a Frontier Brain and Pallet Town's Battle Coliseum was established, things had changed. He didn't have to travel in search of challenges; instead, the challenges came to him. It had been an excellent idea to have the Coliseum double as an official Indigo League Gym, for there were always challengers willing to come for a badge, although winning them wasn't easy. And speaking of, a battle for a Trichromatic Badge was on course. The challenger was using a Rhydon, while Ash was using his Squirtle. Surprisingly, the most tired one was the Rock/Ground-type, while the turtle looked in better condition and even smiled.

"Squirtle, Skull Bash!" Ash shouted.

"Squirtle!"

The turtle shot forward headfirst, withdrawing himself into his shell in the last second to avoid damage to himself, and ramming the bipedal rhino in the chest. Rhydon stumbled around in a daze after the hit, and Ash called for a Hydro Pump attack that sealed the match.

"Rhydon is unable to battle!" the assistant playing referee said as he raised a flag. "The challenger has no Pokémon left, therefore, victory is for the Coliseum Gladiator, Ash Ketchum!"

"Rhydon, return." The challenger, a young woman with long green hair, recalled her Pokémon, accepting her defeat. "You did a great job, you deserve a good rest now."

"Nice battle," said Ash, approaching to shake hands with her. "Your Rhydon managed to take Water-type attacks quite well during the match."

"Yeah well, we'll have to work even harder," the girl said. "We'll train hard for our rematch."

"I hope so."

As the challenger left, Ash stretched himself a bit and went to congratulate Squirtle for a job well done. Pikachu joined them as well, and the trainer patted both of their heads.

"Well, that was the last challenger today," said Ash. "It's time to close the Coliseum and head back home."

"Pika/Squirtle." Both Pokémon nodded in unison, and Ash returned Squirtle to his Pokéball. Pikachu then jumped to his usual spot on his trainer's shoulder.

That pretty much had ended his work schedule. The Coliseum would close for the rest of December, as he would take his holiday break. He had nothing left to do but spending some family time with his mom, and occasionally, with the friends he could invite. That year, however, it was almost for sure it would be just the two of them.

Almost all of Ash's friends had to decline the invitations, since they had made their own plans. Most of them had someone special, or were too far away and wouldn't make it in time. Nevertheless, they all sent cards, gifts, or at least gave him a call to wish him a merry early Christmas.

As he walked through the snowy paths in Pallet Town, Ash stretched again and watched she sun setting behind the hills surrounding the small yet steadily growing town. The boy sighed as he reached his doorstep, thinking he would spend his Christmas only with his mom and his Pokémon.

"I'm home!" he called out as he stepped in.

"Welcome!" Two pairs of arms quickly grabbed him, and before he realized, the boy had been sandwiched between two girls who gave them quite the smooches on his cheeks, simultaneously.

"Hey!" he shouted as they stepped away and he could see them clearly.

There they were, both of them beaming and cheerful as usual. The best friends a guy like him could ever wish for, although they clearly aspired to be something else for him. Both of them were radically different from one another, but equally charming, each in her own way.

Misty had grown her red-orange hair long enough to tie it in the same side ponytail she had when she was a kid, except this time it was longer and wavier, and it fell gracefully below her shoulder. She wore a yellow winter jacket, blue jeans and a pair of knee-high brown winter boots.

Serena, on the other hand, had cut her honey blond hair short, wearing a dark pink wool cap to cover it. She wore a matching long winter coat, with a red muffler and like Misty she also wore similar winter boots.

"Merry early Christmas, Ash. Aren't you happy to see us?" said Misty.

"We came as soon as we could," said Serena. "I would have told you, but someone convinced me we should give you a surprise."

"Well, you definitely surprised me," the boy replied, as he rubbed his cheeks trying to lay down his blush. "Not that I complain, but were the smooches necessary?"

The girls exchanged glances and then giggled at each other. Misty pointed above the door. Upon turning around, the trainer understood why. If it wasn't their idea, probably his mom had placed it there intentionally.

"Aw, come on, surely you're not gonna say you didn't like it?" said Misty.

Ash rolled his eyes, but even then he smiled. Without a single word, he opened wide his arms and caught them both in a tight hug for a while before letting go of them again.

"Pika pikachu." Pikachu then jumped first to Misty's arms and then to Serena's. "Chaaaa!"

"You're looking good, Pikachu," the redhead said, ruffling his fur for a bit.

"Welcome home, Ash," said Delia. "You're just in time, dinner is almost ready."

"That's great, I'm famished," the boy said as he felt his appetite growing.

The foursome sat down to eat, and all the while they exchanged tales to get up to speed about what they had done in the past few months. Since most of their other friends had their own plans for Christmas, both Misty and Serena decided to come to Pallet Town and help with the party organized at the Pallet House restaurant. Despite having a small population, the Pallet residents always celebrated big for their important occasions, and Christmas was no exception. In a town where everybody knew each other's faces and names, they were like one big family.

After a while, and once they were done eating, Ash excused himself and went to his room with Pikachu to rest. After making sure he was out of sight and earshot, Delia took her chance to talk to both the younger women who had stayed with her.

"Well, now that Ash is gone… I need to talk to you two about something very important," she said,

Both girls exchanged glances in worry, wondering if they had done something bad and she was about to lecture them. The older woman, however, read their expressions and decided to ease their worries at once.

"Relax, it's not what you think," she assured them. "It's about those… escapades you two frequently have with Ash."

"Yeah, what's with them?" asked Misty. "If you're worried about something, we can assure you, neither of us has done anything with Ash that we might regret."

"And neither has Ash, for that matter," added Serena.

"I'm sure of that. I trust him, and I trust you two," Delia said firmly. "No, actually, I think those escapades have had a positive effect on him, and I wanted to thank you."

"Oh?" Serena and Misty were surprised at that. Delia clearly expected that reaction, so she proceeded to elaborate.

"Look, I know very well my son, and I know he's got his heart where it has to be, but he's not always the brightest and most perceptive person with some things," said Delia. "But I've noticed he's begun to mature in some areas that a few years ago could have been unthinkable. And that's all thanks to you two."

"Do you mean…?" Serena was about to ask, and Delia nodded. "Ah, well, that's understandable. We both realized we needed to be more direct to send him the message."

"No kidding. How many times did I send him very blunt indirects? Sometimes I thought he wouldn't realize that a girl was attracted to him, even if she danced in front of him dressed only with a wrap bearing the words "I LOVE YOU" in all caps." That last comment earned her some weird looks. "What? It's not like I would have thought of doing something like that, mind you."

The other two chuckled at the remark, and soon Misty joined them as well. Once they were done, Delia decided to continue.

"Like I was saying, I think these months have helped Ash in growing a little, at least on the sentimental level," she explained. "You two have awakened feelings I had never seen in him before, and that's something that makes me really happy. I think it was a nice idea for you two make that little competition of yours."

"Did Ash tell you already?" asked Misty.

"More than that," said Delia, as her mind began traveling backwards.

Flashback, a few months prior…

If Delia had been asked which were her son's favorite pastimes, the answer was easy: eating, training and Pokémon battles. That list would have never included watching photos, but that was exactly what Ash was doing in that moment.

When he didn't come down for dinner, Delia decided to go up and deliver the tray herself, and she found herself surprised as she peeked through the door and saw him sitting on his bed's edge. When Pikachu perked up his ears, she had to put a finger on her lips so he wouldn't make any noise. Walking in carefully, she slowly approached, and leaving the tray on the nightstand, she peeked over his shoulder, seeing he had a small photo album in his hands.

"Watching some memories?" she asked.

"Gah!" the boy shouted, startled. "Mom, don't scare me like that! Also don't enter my room without knocking!"

"I told you I'd bring you dinner if you didn't come down," said Delia, and then glanced at the album again.

The current photo showed Ash during that month of vacations in the Alola region. He was at a beach, held by Misty on one side, and Serena on the other, both of them in swimsuits and smiling cheerfully as they waved at the camera. In the middle of both, Ash smiled nervously, his face red in embarrassment.

"You look adorable in this photo," said Delia. "You clearly had a lot of fun in those vacations."

"No point in denying it," he said.

"And the fact you enjoyed them with a pair of beautiful girls doesn't hurt, does it?" Delia asked with a wink.

Ash pouted slightly, but that only made her smile more. At least he was no longer in denial, and that was enough for her to know she was in the right. The boy softened his expression and then glanced at his mother with a bit of seriousness.

"Mom… can I ask you something? Did you ever… like more than one person at the same time?"

Delia tilted her head, and smiled again, knowing exactly what her son had in his mind. Why else would he be looking at those photos? It wasn't so much the vacation, but rather them, Misty and Serena. Delia grabbed the album. Passing a few pages, she realized almost all the photos were of those vacations: they showed either Ash, one of the girls, Ash with either of the girls or the three of them together. In all of them, though, they clearly were having the time of their lives.

"To be honest, those vacations made me realize many things," said Ash. "Especially, how stupid I was for not realizing what they felt for me."

"You needed to grow a bit," Delia said with compassion.

"Even so… sometimes I wonder, how could they fall for someone like me?" the boy said.

"Wouldn't it be because you're the sweetest, noblest and most loyal boy in all this town, and maybe in all of Kanto? You're always there for whoever needs you, you never give up and you always inspire others to chase after their dreams. Not to mention that you're handsome, and the best trainer to ever come out of Pallet Town."

"Mom, please be serious." Ash pouted again.

"Isn't that being serious?" Delia replied. "I'm sorry, but it's all true. You're a wonderful man, and they can see it as well as I can. But what's troubling you?"

"Well, they were never exactly subtle about their feelings, but since those vacations, they've grown much more open to show it," said Ash. "Not that I complain, though; it actually makes me happy. Somehow, it makes me appreciate them more… both of them."

Ash lowered his head, blushing slightly. Had he said too much? Like any mother worth her salt, Delia could tell what her son was thinking with little to no effort, sometimes just with a single glance or comment. And that time was no exception.

"Ash… are you worried about something with them?" Delia asked seriously. The black-haired boy stared at his mother's eyes, and took a deep breath before answering. She wouldn't laugh at him for this, so he could tell her.

"There's a part I didn't tell you about our vacations," said Ash. "Outside of that incident when Hunter J kidnapped them to get to me, being with them made me see them in a different way. Misty's no longer as short-tempered as when we met, and she's much nicer with me. And Serena has grown stronger and has more confidence in herself. In a way, it's like they're still Misty and Serena, but at the same time, they're changing, and I like that. They're really different from each other as it could possibly be, but I couldn't see one above the other. I promised I would make a choice, and I don't know how I'll do it."

"Hmm… well, first let me answer your previous question. Yes, I did have my time when I liked two boys at once," said Delia.

"And what did you do?" Ash asked. "How did you choose my dad?"

"Well, for starters, one day I told myself 'this can't continue like this', and in the loneliness of my room, I started writing a list of pros and cons of each one of them," said Delia. Ash tilted his head, probably puzzled at believing that she would make the choice that simple. "And then, I threw it into the trash, because that wouldn't help either."

"Mom…"

"Easy, the good stuff comes now," said Delia. "Instead of that, what I did was following my heart. I thought to myself, what kind of person do I want to be my lifelong partner, the father of my children? Who do I want to share the rest of my life with, and what kind of life do I want it to be? The answers to those questions helped me in making my choice."

Ash stared at her mother's eyes again. She always knew what to say to him, she had the answer to everything. She knew him better than anyone, even than himself. The boy internally asked himself the same questions his mother had said. Which of the two did he want to share the rest of his life, and which did he want as his best friend? When Misty and Serena confessed they were 'competing' for him, they both made it clear that none would hate him regardless of his decision. That at least relieved him of a worry, because the last thing he wanted was to hurt either of them with rejection. But there was the other: the fact that now he was seeing them both as something else than his best friends. He was seeing them as women, and he knew both of them harbored very strong feelings for him, which of course awakened in him an affection that went deeper than friendship. The question was, who should he direct it to? The way he saw it, neither was less deserving of it than the other.

Misty was a strong and tomboyish girl, but she could be very sweet if you could get on her good graces. She was talented, loyal, adventurous and very affectionate when she wanted to be. With her, he'd never had a single minute of boredom, and his life would continue to be an adventure every day, not to mention she would make an excellent sparring partner.

On the other hand, Serena was more feminine and mild-tempered, and her sweet nature made her charming in her own way. The fact she was an excellent cook was another point on her favor, but even without factoring that, that sweet and tender side hid a great inner strength that always came through in the moments of truth. With her, he could live a life of peace and quiet, without worries.

As he sorted out his thoughts, Ash raised his look again, and grabbed the album, seeing the last photo they took before leaving the cruise ship and finishing the vacations. Both of them were great girls, and the idea of sharing his life with either of them sounded like a wonderful future. He still hadn't decided, but… that conversation definitely helped him put things on perspective.

"Thanks, Mom," said Ash, hugging her.

"You're welcome, dear," Delia said, hugging him back. "You know that's why I'm here for you."

End of flashback.

"Wow… did he really say that about us?" Misty asked, quite surprised.

"That was really sweet of him." Serena smiled.

"My son was always good for choosing his friends, and you two are no exception," said Delia. "So I'm sure he'll make the right call."

The older woman placed a hand on the shoulder of each of the younger ones, who remained silent as they glanced at her, taking a deep breath before talking again.

"But I want you to know something. Regardless of who he chooses, you two will always be part of this family," said Delia. "Each one of you has watched over him while I'm not there for him, and I'll always be grateful for it. I know he'll be fine in your hands."

With those words, the woman hugged them both. Touched by the gesture, Misty and Serena hugged her back as well.

"We'll continue to watch over him. We promise," said Misty.

"Ash is someone very special for both of us, you know that," added Serena.

"I know he is," said Delia. "And you two are very special for him as well."

"Mom, I'll take one last snack before going to sleep!" Ash's voice sounded from upstairs as he walked down again.

As he passed by them, the three women returned to their respective spots, exactly where they had been before Ash left. For now, the boy didn't need to know they were talking about him. They had a Christmas party to prepare for.

Christmas Eve night, Pallet House restaurant…

For such a small population, the Pallet Town residents truly knew how to party big time. The restaurant had full house that night, and practically everyone in town had attended.

Of course, nobody was more animated that night than the restaurant's owner and hostess, Delia Ketchum herself. Determined to make this the greatest of all parties, Ash's mother didn't waste her time to organize a large amount of games and contests, offering surprise Christmas gifts for everyone who wanted to take part. Everything was good up to that point, until she decided to make a very particular competition, with only two participants.

"And now, for a special event!" Delia announced through the microphone. "Miss Misty Waterflower and Miss Serena Yvonne Gabena, please come over to the stage!"

In the middle of the applause, both girls walked up and greeted the crowd as they cheered. Delia stood in-between them and began talking seriously.

"Alright, what we're going to do here is a little talent show between you two," she said. "But of course, no competition is fun without a prize in the middle."

The woman gave his son an aside glance, quickly followed by the two girls, realizing what they were up to. Ash's "Oh, please no" face knowing himself as the prize of said contest was priceless. Delia quickly continued.

"We'll do this in three stages, to win two out of three. First stage, each one of you will have to sing a song in the karaoke. You can choose whichever you like. Who wants to go first?"

Serena and Misty glanced at one another, as if trying to decide. After a while, Serena stepped aside, and courtly gestured for Misty to take the first turn. Misty smiled and stood in the middle of the stage, while Delia handed her the mic.

"Alright, Misty, choose your song and delight us with your great voice."

Taking advantage of the touch screen in the karaoke's menu, the redhead passed over the songs. She finally found one she liked, selected and set it to play.

The chosen song was titled "Catch Me if You Can", and the redhead clearly had a blast as it played, every once in a while making gestures at Ash as if challenging him with the song's lyrics, along with a few flirtatious winks just to make him blush. After finishing the song, she got a grand round of applause, and thanking the crowd she stepped aside for Serena.

"Thank you very much, Misty!" said Delia. "And now is your turn, Serena! Which song are you going to perform for us?"

The Kalosian approached the menu, and her chosen song was "Meloetta's Dazzling Serenade". Somehow, that Pokémon had been able to spread her melody with the Relic Song all over the world, and many artists and musicians had done their own interpretations by adding lyrics to the song. This in particular was one of Serena's favorites, as it was quite romantic, and it came perfect considering for whom she was performing it.

After the crowd's applause ended, both girls stood side by side with Delia, who dragged her son up to the stage as well.

"Alright, son, now you be the judge," said Delia. "Which of the two is the best singer?"

"Well…" Ash glanced at both of his friends, who smiled at him as if saying "me, me, pick me!". Admittedly, both of them had really lovely voices, but if he had to pick one, the choice was clear. "Tough call, but… Misty."

"Yes!" The redhead pumped her fists in triumph, while Serena rolled her eyes, but accepted her defeat. Plus, the competition had barely begun.

"And now, for the next event, a dancing contest!" Delia announced. "Let's see which of the two ladies is more capable of keeping up with the rhythm dancing with my son here."

"Wait Mom, I'm not…"

"No excuses!" Delia interrupted. "Once again, girls, who wants to go first?"

"Since you won the previous one, you go first," said Serena, once again stepping aside to give Misty the stage. The redhead immediately grabbed Ash's hand, and making a gesture like an elegant lady, bowed respectfully before him.

"Mr. Ash Ketchum, would you grant me this dance?"

"My pleasure," he replied.

The boy decided to pick a song perfect for dancing, and one he knew for sure was one of Misty's favorites, titled "Pokémon Dance Mix". Perfect to move around with rhythm. As the song played out, Misty felt a wave of nostalgia, as she recalled having danced to that same tune with Rudy many years before. However, dancing to it with Ash as her partner, that made it all the much better.

The couple danced to the song from beginning to end without problems, clearly enjoying every second of it, but just before they reached the end Misty tried to pull Ash too hard towards her to get him closer, and in doing so he tripped and fell on top of her, with both of them ending in a rather… compromising position. Everyone ended with their mouths agape, some even liked what they saw, Delia covered her mouth to hold back the laughter, and Serena involuntarily tried to cover her eyes, though she left a little space between her fingers for her right eye to peek.

"Oops…" Misty said once the song concluded. "Ash, I like close contact with you as much as the next girl, but could you please get off of me?"

"Sorry." The boy quickly got back up, blushing. He didn't mind it either, but in front of so many people, plus Serena… that was too embarrassing to admit out loud.

"Oh, I think that's going to take a toll on your score," Delia declared. "Too bad, Misty, you were doing pretty well until that happened. Now, Serena, you're up."

"Thank you," the Kalosian replied.

Once they got the song playing again, Serena and Ash began moving again. Misty was a fairly good dancer, but Serena clearly moved with a better groove. Her experience as a Pokémon Performer definitely helped at this, to the point that, as they reached the song's finale, when she tried to pull the same move as Misty, she managed to gauge the strength of her pull when bringing Ash towards her, and that way they could end the song with a perfect pose. Even Misty clapped after seeing it.

"Wow, that was… intense…" said Ash, and then he glanced at Misty. "Well, I guess I don't need to say who won here, do I?"

"Obviously not," the redhead said. "Well, that means we're even now."

"That's right," said Delia. "Next we'll have the decisive event. But for this one, I need you all to clear the area. Everyone, please make way for us."

After saying this, Delia brought out a long paper sheet and what seemed like pretty big joke flare, but before lighting it up, she proceeded to explain the rules for the final challenge.

"I've got here a list of personal questions about Ash. When I light this flare, the timer will get going and you'll have to pass it to each other, but before passing it, you'll have to answer the question. Now, let's decide who gets to start with the flare in hand."

Delia pulled out a coin and tossed it in the air. Misty called heads. It was tails, so Serena got to decide whether she or Misty started with the flare in hand. The Kalosian decided to begin herself, and Delia warned them it would last about three or four minutes, and then it would explode in color smoke. The one who had it in hand when that happened would lose. Obviously, this was a test to determine how much each of them knew about Ash.

"Alright, we're ready to go." Delia pulled out the lighter. "I'll start the fuse will start when I finish reading the first question. When is my son's birthday? GO!"

"May 22," said Serena, and without waiting for Delia to give the signal, since that was one of the most obvious, she immediately tossed the flare at Misty.

"Correct! Next, what was the first Pokémon he caught in his career as a trainer?"

"A Caterpie," Misty answered.

"Correct! Next…"

And so, the question round continued, starting with a few easy ones, such as his favorite color, Pokémon League rankings and others. Things started to get complicated when Delia began asking about the boy's other achievements, like which Pokémon he used to win the PokéRinger (it didn't help that neither of them was present in either of them) or his favorite food (as far as they knew, he liked virtually any food, especially if it was prepared by Delia), and Ash's mother continued increasing the difficulty, asking things that most likely only she would know. They reached a point where the questions became numerical, such as Ash's height and weight (much to his embarrassment) and having to say "more" or "less" until they got it right. The fuse was reaching its climax and the flare would soon blow up.

"First Pokémon Ash Mega-Evolved in an official battle."

"Er… Charizard?" Misty asked, taking a wild guess. Truth to be told she had no idea; she hadn't seen his first official battle with a Mega-Evolution.

"Wrong!" Delia exclaimed.

"Then… Sceptile?" Misty tried again, beginning to sweat because the flare explode at any second.

"Correct!" said Delia, Misty immediately tossed the flare at Serena, who began shaking too. They estimated to have gone past three minutes and it would go off at any time.

"First Pokémon Ash used with a Z-Move in an official battle."

Serena clenched her teeth. Options were limited, since he mostly used Z-Moves only with Pikachu and his Alolan Pokémon, but time was running out and if she guessed wrong she would lose.

"Pikachu?" She took a wild guess as well.

"Wrong!" Delia replied. The Kalosian quickly hurried her next option.

"Lycanroc!"

"Wrong again!" said Delia again. Serena almost got frozen, her choices were running out and she had to say one fast. Decidueye, Incineroar…? Hoping for the best, she finally chose one.

"Decidueye!"

"Correct!" Delia exclaimed, and as soon as she did, Serena tossed the flare.

But just as soon as she did so, it exploded in the air, with a large poof of colored smoke. Both girls realized that, had they been holding it when it exploded, they'd be covered and ruined, as well as needing a good bath later.

"Oh, what's this?!" Delia exclaimed. "The flare went off in the air?"

"The rules said the one holding it would lose," said Misty. "Then… neither wins?"

"How about we count the number of answered questions?" Serena proposed.

"Wait a moment, you started, so you have one as an edge," Misty pointed. "Why not instead with the failed answers?"

"Were you counting?" Serena. "How can you be so sure that I failed more?"

Both girls turned to Ash and Delia, who exchanged glances with one another. Ash obviously hadn't keep count, and even Delia had the questions on the paper, she didn't bother to number them or keep track of time or the failed answers. They hadn't established rules for that so it would be unfair. On top of everything, she only had one of those flares, so they couldn't make another round to break the tie. There was only one thing left.

"Well… I think nobody loses here…" said Ash. "If you girls have no problem in calling it a draw, neither do we, right Mom?"

"Draw?" both girls said in unison.

"More like, you both are winners," Delia said in amusement. "If you don't mind sharing the prize, of course."

Ash gave his mother an aside glance. He should have figured she'd pull off something like this. In fact, and knowing her, maybe this had been her intention from the beginning. Indeed, both girls quickly latched onto Ash's arms, as close as they could, with their best victory smiles. Everybody began cheering and clapping.

"Well, and that brings this little competition to a close," said Delia. "Everyone get moving, the party is still on!"

People's cries began filling the restaurant, while Serena and Misty enjoyed their "prize", while Ash couldn't do anything else but rolling his eyes to his friends' affection. Though from another point of view, it seemed like he had been the biggest winner in that little competition, or so everyone thought as they saw it from the outside.

…

Happy that the competition was finally over, Ash and company sat around the table to start opening the gifts as soon as the clock hit midnight. At Delia's insistence, Ash gave Misty and Serena their gifts first. Quite big boxes, but after opening them, both girls were delighted: elegant gowns tailored to the preferences of each of them. Misty's was icy-blue, and Serena's turquoise-green, both of them complemented with a large white coat. Delia let them know Ash had bought them so they could wear them in the New Year's Eve party. Both girls were worried they wouldn't fit, but Delia assured them there was no problem with that. Misty and Serena exchanged suspicious glances, and then gave Ash a little glare, whose answer was simply:

"Don't look at me, I had nothing to do with it. It was her idea."

"As you say," said Misty. "Okay, I think it's time for you to open our gifts."

"We hope you like them," said Serena. "We really thought about what would be the best gift for a trainer like you."

"So we bought you some things you could find very useful on the road," the redhead added.

Ash opened Serena's gift first. The girl had bought him a state-of-the-art holocaster blue-platinum edition, surely enough to replace his previous one, for this one included a 3D high-definition holographic projector. Misty's gift wasn't too far behind, as it was a smart backpack with a navigational computer and high-capacity GPS, for the next time he decided to embark in a new journey, so he wouldn't get lost in case he was alone.

"Thank you, really. Thank you both," he said as he hugged them both.

While Delia and everyone else went "aww" in front of that display of affection between the trainer and his two female friends, Mimey was making a little move behind everyone's backs. Using Psychic, the Pokémon began moving a little strand of mistletoe to place it above the trio while they were still busy in their hug. Only Delia noticed, but she didn't try to stop it; she'd have rather wait until they had noticed. Indeed, only when Ash ended the hug, he realized his mom was snickering at him.

"What's so funny, Mom?" he asked.

"Look up." The woman pointed upwards. Ash, Misty and Serena looked up, and then they noticed the strand of mistletoe. Serena and Misty smiled, but Ash arched an eyebrow.

"Wait, I don't remember that being up there a minute ago."

"Who cares?" said Misty. "You know what it means, do you?"

"Do I really have to?"

"Aw, don't be like that, are you so bad with the idea of kissing us?" said Serena.

"Of course not, I just…"

Ash cut off afterwards, unsure as to what to say. It wasn't like he didn't want to, just the "implications", but when people began clapping and encouraging to answer as he had to, the girls started getting impatient.

"Alright, if you won't kiss us…" said Misty.

"Then we will kiss you," Serena finished.

And just right then they both snagged him, Serena holding his neck and Misty grabbing his chin and forehead to hold his face in place while each of them quickly took one of his cheeks, giving him a pair of smooches even louder than when they surprised him when he arrived at home, and much longer. People began clapping and cheering, though some were disappointed that the girls didn't go for the lips. Once they finally let go of him, the boy glanced at them and after snorting and rolling his eyes and smiled again.

"I don't know what I'd do without you two, really."

"Pika pikachu." His partner nodded as he climbed to his head and grabbed his hat to put it on, crossing his arms solemnly.

And thus, the party continued, since there was a still long stretch of fun, especially now that Christmas had arrived.

The next day…

After such a party, Ash was unable to get to his room, and he just dropped himself on the living room's sofa. He was still snoring slightly, covered by a blanket the girls and Delia had placed on him so he wouldn't get cold.

Delia was at the kitchen preparing breakfast, confident that once it was ready, the smell would wake Ash up better than any alarm clock, and while they waited, Misty and Serena had gone out for a while to talk to each other by the garden.

"What a party last night," said Misty. "I don't remember the last time I had so much fun."

"Same here," said Serena. "I never thought Mrs. Ketchum was such a party woman."

"Hehe, I'm not surprised, I've known her for years," said Misty. "She knows how to surprise people when they less expect, and in ways they never imagine."

Serena chuckled at imagining what Misty meant. Suddenly, she stared at her friend, as a thought formed in her head. For the way she had seen them interact during the party, if she didn't know any better, she would have thought the two of them were related.

"What's wrong?" Misty asked.

"Nothing, just… I couldn't help but notice you and Mrs. Ketchum seem to get along pretty well," Serena replied. Misty tilted her head at the remark.

"Serena… surely you don't mean to tell me you're jealous, do you?" the redhead inquired, though with no hint of malice.

"Of course not," the Kalosian replied. "Besides, she's been really nice to me as well, and it's not like she's been playing favorites. Not too much at least."

Misty remained silent for a while. The Kalosian sounded completely sincere, and indeed, Delia never played favorites with anyone, but at least from Misty's perspective, the woman's kind and motherly personality had an additional effect, coupled with the fact they had known each other since she was younger.

"I think I told you this before, my parents died when I was very little, didn't I?" she finally said, and Serena nodded. "To be honest, I can barely remember them. If it wasn't for the photos at home, I wouldn't even know what they look like."

Misty glanced through the kitchen's window, while Delia continued to cook breakfast. She waited for a few seconds before turning back to Serena.

"Mrs. Ketchum has always been very motherly to everyone, especially kids, but to be honest, I've come to see her as a surrogate mother of sorts," the redhead confessed. "She's the type of mother I would have liked to grow with. Besides, no matter what some people say, when you see them together, it's not hard to guess where Ash got his good heart from."

"That's true." Serena smiled. "My father died when I was very little, so my mother had to raise me on her own. We've had our disagreements, but I know she loves me, and I love her too. One day… I hope I can be like her, a good mother to my children."

"Hmm… and who could be the father of those children?" Misty asked.

Involuntarily, Serena glanced at the house, but she tried to hide it. Obviously Misty knew perfectly who she meant, and she couldn't blame her; after all, she had thought the exact same thing.

"I too hope I can be a good mother, like Mrs. Ketchum has been for me," said Misty. "And if he is my children's father, it'll be my way to thank her, for being so nice to me all these years."

"Maybe so, but it could also be me," said Serena. "Our competition is still underway, remember?"

"Of course, I couldn't forget that," Misty replied. "We're still friends and rivals alike, after all."

They both intertwined their pinky fingers, as a reminder of the pact they made, which would still be on even after Ash made a choice. Having Delia's approval definitely was a point on their favor, and that would encourage them both to earn the affection of the boy they loved so much.

"Hey, looks like Ash still hasn't woken up," said Misty. "Why don't we give him a little surprise for when he does?"

"Surprise?" asked Serena. In response, Misty pulled out a black pen marker and smiled mischievously. "Oh, you mean…"

"Why not? It'll be fun to see his expression when he looks in the mirror."

Once upon a time, Serena would have roundly refused to do something like that, even more when it came to Ash. But Misty's influence in the past month had made her a little softer on that area. A little innocent prank would be harmless, and she didn't believe Ash would take reprisals for it either.

Regardless of the result, this would be a Christmas none of them would ever forget.

FIN

Author's notes:

Hey, and here we are again, with my first little contribution for Christmas Eve. Heh, I'm growing fond of this continuity, I think I'll keep it up. Before I forget, thanks a bunch to Suki90 for the suggestion on the game they play during the party, it was fun to write. Also, thanks to Kisarasmoon in deviantArt for letting me use her pic as the story's cover.

And now, trying to follow the pattern of the previous ones, I tried to make it a funny and enjoyable story, regardless of which of the ships you support. Call it my peace and goodwill message for the season, even though "certain people" don't seem to get it or they simply enjoy the ongoing feud. But as I've made it clear, shipping wars stopped being fun to me years ago.

That's all for now. I'll be shortly posting the Holiday Special for Pokémon Reset Bloodlines, for whoever is interested. Happy Holidays to everyone and my best wishes for 2018.