Once again Christmas time is here. The Pokémon center had a few guests most too far from home to go back. But, there was one purple haired boy who was just too stubborn to waste time at home for the holidays and right now he was in an argument with his brother.
"Reggie, get it through your thick scull I'm not coming home. I'll just have to travel back up here after it's all over."
"I don't want to hear it Paul. It's obvious you don't want to come even after I offered to drive you here and there. I'll talk to you later" Reggie hung up.
Paul wasted no time feeling guilty he walked straight up to his room and lay in bed. Although nagging thoughts in his head kept him up. 'Maybe I should have gone. I know those losers are going home. Ash mentioned his mom before he lost their last battle it was something about underwear. What a loser.' Paul fell to sleep soon after but that was short lived when he was woken by a very annoying noise.
He watched as a blue haired girl fell out of the sky (ceiling). She literally fell and is now sprawled out on the ground.
"You will be visited by three ghosts" She screeched. "The ghost of Christmas past, the ghost of Christmas present, and the ghost of Christmas yet to come.
Paul was dumbfounded. 'Who was this girl' she sure seemed familiar but he just couldn't place her. And that's when Paul said the most stupid thing in his life "who are you?"
The blue haired cretin gave Paul a look like she was about to kill something. It was probably him. My name's Dawn we've seen each other like a bazillion times!" she slowly ascended through the ceiling her words being lost the farther she went. Paul thought the whole thing was a little ironic. But Paul being the ignorant person he is fell back to sleep.
Although when he was awoken the second time by a glow and heat of a fire he was starting to get irritated.
"Paul I know your awake now come on we have work to do." Paul turned to see Reggie and a Charizard parallel to him.
"Reggie what are you doing here?"
"I came to show you your past" Reggie inched closer to Paul.
"My past for what" Paul was now freaked out Reggie should be in Veilstone.
He said nothing and held out his hand a serious look on his face so unlike Reggie. "Come on it'll be fun" It began to seem like Reggie but Paul wasn't convinced.
"Argh" The charizard behind it came charging forward tired of waiting. It grabbed Paul's hand and they were on the charizard's back flying above the city in less than a blink of an eye. Paul saw the scenery change below. It was a path in the Johto region. The place where Paul began his journey. This place brought back memories. Mostly sad ones. "Do you remember the neighborhood friend who used to travel with you?" It got serious and somber again.
The charizard soared above the two walking figures. One was a twelve year old Paul, the Paul that wasn't so cold and bitter, and the other was a petite girl with big blue eyes and cherry colored hair.
"Paul do you remember this day this is the day you learned to hate." Its voice was monotone and scarily uncaring. Paul remained silent letting the scene burn itself back into his memory.
"The girl slowing down halts Paul "Paul … Wait stop slow down." Paul watched himself ignore his friend's pleas and continued walking. She ran to his side and pulled his hands into hers. "I know we've been friends for a long time and all…" her voice trailed off. Paul looked at her carefully her face beat red, hands sweaty and shaky. Paul knew what was coming and he didn't want that distraction. But, what he said was disrespectful and rude and he would do anything to let her off gently or maybe even accept. What he said was NO and left her standing there with tears in her big blue eyes.
"Reggie" Paul's stomach turned when he said that. "Can I go back and change this I mean what is the purpose-"
"No! These are all but shadows you cannot change them" It said very angrily.
"What are you going to show me next?" Paul said resigned to his fate. It motioned toward the charizard and they were once again flying. The crying girl on the trail changed into a town lit up by Christmas light on all the houses. The charizard landed in front o a plainly light house. Paul's house. This was the Christmas before Paul left for his journey. Reggie had come home from his to celebrate the holidays. Through the window Paul saw the nine year old self with Reggie looking the same. Reggie held a large box in his hands.
"What is it!" Young Paul exclaimed.
"Open it and find out." Reggie Taunted.
Paul opened it and inside was everything he would need for his journey (excluding the Pokémon).
"Wow thanks Reggie."
"No problem. Now what is it that you said was so special?"
"Well it's not as good as yours but I know how much you like it." Paul pulled something small wrapped in a tissue from his back pocket and handed it to Reggie. Reggie unwrapped it. Inside laid his first gym badge. It looked almost brand new.
"It was so beat up you couldn't even see the symbol and … I know how much you like it." Paul repeated. "So I fixed it."
"Wow Paul, this must have taken you hours. It's amazing!" Reggie said.
"Reg- who ever you are what is this all about" Paul glared at It.
"I am simply-"
"NO, no,no,no! Go away!" and just like that the charizard was gone, the house was gone and it was gone. Paul was back in the Pokémon center lying on his bed. Paul scoffed wanting nothing but to go to bed.
"Pikachuuuu" A bolt of lightning struck right between Paul's legs.
"We finally got his attention huh Pikachu" An all too familiar voice said followed by a Pika.
Paul turned and on the window ledge sat Ash with his Pikachu. Although if this was anything like the last experience this isn't the real Ash.
"Wait, the ogre at the beginning of this story said you guys were ghosts but you two are still alive to my knowledge." Paul questioned.
The thing just smiled but not Ash's smile. It seemed friendly but Paul could tell there were hidden secrets behind it. The Pikachu climbed on the thing's shoulder making them seem frightening similar to Ash and Pikachu.
"Come along Paul we shall see what the others are up to this fabulous Christmas day." The thing fell out the window. Paul walked over cautiously worried about what might happen night and he had a right to be. The thing pulled him out the window letting him fall two stories before saving him inches from the ground. The thing laughed thinking the fear on Paul's face was funny. He gathered himself and found himself in the middle of a busy street in Twinleaf. Then he saw them. The real Ash and his friends were spending Christmas here. An older woman came out of a shop and joined them.
'Must be the girl's mother they look exactly like each other.' Paul thought to himself.
"Come we must follow them" The thing began following them Pikachu close behind.
'The worst thing about this is there are two Ashes.' Paul thought following them
The group stopped in front of a decorated house and knocked on the front door. That annoying kid Berry came out to greet them. The thing followed them walking through the closing door. Paul was hesitant. He can't walk through solid objects. This is probably just another one of the things tricks. The ting stuck it's head back through the door a huge smile on it's face as if it knew what Paul was thinking.
"Are you just going to stand there or are you coming" The thing questioned.
Paul nodded and made his way through the door limb by limb into a house warm with Christmas spirit. He made his way to the living room where everyone was gathered playing some sort of game.
"Are you a trainer" Brock spoke up.
"Yes" The blue haired girl said in the manliest voice she could produce while having a cruel look on her face. When nobody else tried to guess she said, "You're all pathetic."
Everyone started laughing while shouting 'I know it, I know it' But Berry beat everyone to the punch shouting "its Paul isn't it." Everyone laughed even harder when the girl nodded.
"They're making fun of me!" Paul mumbled his hands forming fists.
"Let us see another Christmas" The thing interrupted acting like the Reggie impersonator.
They walked out the door and instead of twinleaf they were back in Veilstone. The house in front of them was undecorated and dark except for the light coming from the living room window. Stray Pokémon were walking around the house. Pikachu and the thing walked up to the lit window. Paul followed them looking through the window as well. Paul was saddened by what he saw. Reggie was sitting alone eating a TV dinner. An Eevee Paul knew all too well was cuddled up next to him. Paul looked at Ash somehow knowing this was the end of their journey maybe because this thing was disintegrating leaving behind a pile of dust that the wind blew away. But Paul was still in front of his Anti-Christmas house. That thing left him where ever he really was. When Paul reached for the handle of his house a chill ran up his spine causing him to turn around and he saw a weird looking Pokémon just standing behind him. It was a tall dark Pokémon it had the look of a dragon and looked very powerful.
"So I'm guessing you're the last ghost." Paul said.
The Pokémon said nothing turned the other way and began to walk away with at agonizing rate. His pace was agonizing to Paul anyway. His brain was so fried he didn't even know his right from his left anymore. That's when Paul realized he was walking as well. The dragon held out his hand and the scenery began to change. Soon Veilstone transformed into a stadium. Every Pokémon trainer Paul ever met was there standing there in a circle mocking something. Paul walked closer noticing that the dragon had disappeared and what shocked Paul out of his confusion was him standing in the middle of the circle letting everyone mock him.
"You're never going to get another gym badge, Paul, This is your 32nd loss in a row and it's only this region." Some green haired boy said. Everyone else in the crowd agreed. Paul began to walk away only to be blocked by the dragon Pokémon once again.
"What are you trying to show me? Is this my future?" Paul asked desperately.
Again the Pokémon said nothing and motioned for Paul to follow. The scenery changed as they walked to Paul's house once again. Reggie as an old man was dressed in black along with an older version of Ash and of course, Julie, her big blue eyes were once again filled with tears. In the middle of the room was a casket filled with a corpse. Paul knew who was in there only he didn't want to have himself admit it.
"If only more could have made it today I would feel so much better about my little brother's death" Reggie says, sitting on the couch with a bag of chips.
"He died alone. Rotting in that house for a week before anyone found him. If only he could've let someone into his life. This may all be different." Julie sobbed out. Her feeling for Paul never changed during the years.
Paul started crying not for himself but for everyone he let down. Ok he was crying for himself as well. He turned back to the dragon pleading with him if there was any way to change this. He pointed his hand to the coffin which was now right behind Paul lid open but coffin empty. The dragon was still pointing to the coffin.
"You want me in there" Paul asked.
The dragon did not move. Before Paul knew it he was sucked into the coffin. The Pokémon shut the lid trapping Paul in there.
But then he woke up back in the Pokémon center bed. Everything is just how it was before he went on that dreadful journey. The sun was shining through the window. He ran down to the main room where Nurse Joy was at the counter preparing for the day.
"Nurse Joy what day is it." Paul asked with much enthusiasm.
"Why today is Christmas!" She said happily.
Paul hearing the date ran back to the room gathered his stuff checked out and began to make his way home. 'I can't believe they did it in one night.' Paul thought on the trail home… and to greater things.