Type: Electric
Shipping: ElectricShipping
One-Shot 10: A Christmas Shocker
Christmas Time came to Pallet Town, normally free of snow. Ash and Pikachu had taken a break from his travels and returned home for the holidays. Delia and Mimey greeted their hometown boy and Electric Mouse Pokémon for some relaxation. Usually, Ash would have someone accompanying him. However, there was no May or Max or Brock with Ash. The temperatures outside cooled from brisk winds. As Ash and Pikachu helped his mother around the house, Delia wondered about his friends. "Ash, dear," she called. "What happened to your friends?" Ash was never shy about sharing the information, especially to his own mother.
"They'll be back," he briefed. "May and Max went Christmas shopping and Brock's stopping by Pewter City to check on his family." The explanation grew skepticism with Delia.
"And you haven't done any yet?" Ash gulped in fear from the discovery. He didn't get a gift for his mother, let alone all the Pokémon he left with Professor Oak.
"I… don't really know what you wanted for Christmas. Then again, how often have I been home?"
"That's true. On the road, it's all Pokémon business." Ash laughed as he itched his head from the realization. "You know, there's still time before Christmas Day to get me something."
"Right, I'll have to go into town to find something." He and Pikachu headed for the door but Delia had one other item.
"By the way, we've been invited to Professor Oak's home tonight for his party. I want you home in time to clean up so that way you're proper when we see him and the townsfolk."
"I will, Mom." Now the boy and Pikachu bolted out the door to a store in hopes of pleasing his mother with a Christmas gift. No question that Delia already got her Christmas shopping done prior. Just as they passed the fence, a Raichu ran on the wooded gate. Pikachu heard the squeaks of its evolved form and found the other Electric Mouse Pokémon perched. Ash also spotted the Raichu, a little shocked to say. "A Raichu..." He had the gut feeling that this Raichu may be owned. He hadn't seen a wild Raichu in his traveling as of yet.
"Raichu!" a voice called out. Ash and the two Electric Pokémon turned to the sound of a green-haired girl wearing a Gilligan's hat.
"Katrina?" Raichu gleefully called the girl over and meet up by the fence door.
"Ash, I can't believe it's you! How long has it been?" Ash remembered Katrina from a moment before. After Ash received the Earth Badge from Team Rocket, he, Misty and Brock met Katrina and her Raichu in which a movie shoot had also taken place.
"Pretty long. What's been going on with you?" All Katrina could do was shoot a look to her Pokémon.
"Well, ever since Pokémon in Love came out, Raichu's been a huge celebrity. I put my Pokémon training on hold because of Raichu's fame." Raichu stood firmly tall, unashamed about the experience.
"Funny… I thought the stars of the movie would be the leading roles, Psyduck and Wigglytuff. After all, it's named after them." All Katrina did was giggle.
"True. Critics also wanted to give Pikachu a nod but since you two were back out on your journeys..."
"Yeah… Anyway, I've got some Christmas shopping to do before the party tonight."
"Hey, so do we! How about it?"
"Of course!" Everyone started heading to the store in hopes of finding Christmas gifts. During the trip, Ash learned more about the movie that their Pokémon played roles in. "It was a flop? I thought Cleavon Schpielbunk was a famous director."
"Hey, not every movie he directs is a hit. Sure, I Saw What You Ate Last Tuesday was worthy of the Golden Growlithe aware but even I agree with the critics that Psyduck and Wigglytuff didn't have the chemistry for the plot. Pikachu and Raichu have more chemistry right now than Misty's duck or Cleavon's Tuff." Pikachu and Raichu squeaked in agreement. Once inside, Raichu motioned to Pikachu which Ash's mouse seemed to catch Katrina's rat's ploy. Raichu leaped on Ash's free shoulder before Pikachu joined Katrina's. She suddenly realized what Raichu's idea lit. "Seems our Pokémon want to switch to help find gifts for us." Pikachu giggled as it agreed to Katrina's assumption.
"So you want to get a gift for your trainer, too?" Raichu offered a few "Rai's" in confirmation. "Okay. We'll meet back at the entrance?"
"Sounds like a plan!" Now with each one's Pokémon, Ash and Katrina split to shop. Ash and Raichu were in the aisle for kitchen appliances.
"Some new cookware for mom and Brock..." Unaware of his surrounding, his traveling partners happened to be in the same store.
"Ash?" called Max. Ash and Raichu turned to see the siblings.
"May... Max, funny to run into you."
"Tell me about it," she giggled. "You doing some late Christmas shopping yourself?"
"Is it that obvious? Mom wanted to scold me for not getting her anything." Both siblings understood his dilemma when Max finally noticed the new Pokémon on his shoulder.
"Isn't that a Raichu?" he guessed. Raichu squeaked in welcoming the two. May brought out her PokéDex and scanned the new mouse.
"Raichu, the Mouse Pokémon," it computed. "Raichu is the evolved form of Pikachu. Its electric attacks can reach in excess of 100,000 volts. To prevent overexposure to its electricity, the tail will act as a ground as it empties its sacs." Learning about Raichu, May grew concerned that Ash might have given in to evolve his prized Pokémon regardless of how it felt.
"So you actually used a Thunder Stone to evolve Pikachu?" she believed.
"No, Raichu and my Pikachu switched trainers to get gifts," Ash clarified.
"Then, Pikachu's doing just fine," Max understood. "I didn't want to see you and Pikachu at odds." Raichu offered a few squeaks as reassurance about any spites. Ash decided to focus back on the topic as to why the siblings were together.
"So are you getting something for your mom and dad back in Petalburg City?"
"We sure are," May replied. "We've already got something for you, Brock, Kenny and Professor Birch."
"May found a set of Butterfree earrings that I know Mom will like," Max suggested as May brought out earrings with Butterfree's head and wings.
"She has a few pairs of Beautifly earrings and some necklaces from Dad so a similar Pokémon should be okay for her." Ash could get some earrings or other jewelery but doubt that idea.
"I don't know about earrings for my mom," he thought. "I should find something for her in here." May and Max shot a look at each other before nodding and looking again at Ash.
"We can help out." Ash couldn't be more blessed to have great friends to help out.
"Thanks a lot, guys." Even Raichu felt supportive from the siblings. Katrina and Pikachu were down a "Sports" aisle where Pikachu found a soft pair of black fingerless gloves with neon green stitch-lines that had a silk feeling running through the fur. He squeaked to Katrina who also felt the gloves.
"So this pair?" she asked before removing the pair from the rack. She rubbed the glove on her cheek and felt the same fabric. She visioned Ash wearing those gloves and rubbing against her cheek. Almost forgetting that this was Pikachu's gift, she ceased her dreaming. "Okay, that's from you..." When her head turned, she found another shelf with an item she drew glee to. Whatever it was, she gazed it like pirates to treasure. "Maybe what Mister Schpielbunk said after the shooting was right. He thought about a romance film with me and Ash." Pikachu cheered at Katrina's ploy. Eventually, Ash and Raichu found their respective presents and headed for the register. Ash picked up new gardening tools for his green-thumbed mother and Raichu chose a new hat for Katrina. Pikachu spotted Ash and Raichu ready to check out and warned the green-haired to stay hidden. Ash, May, Max and Raichu soon exited the store which Pikachu reunited with its trainer.
"Who's this?" wondered May as Raichu climbed onto Katrina's shoulder.
"I'm Katrina. Ash and I go back to when he trained for the Indigo League when our Pokémon tried out for a movie."
"That's cool!" laughed Max. "What movie was it?"
"Pokémon in Love." The name of the movie irked May to jerk awkwardly.
"That movie?" she stuttered. "Good lord!" The reaction told Ash to drop the subject.
"Okay, okay," he called for calm. "Let's head back home. I'm sure we've got gifts to wrap."
"You're right. Pointless to speak about a movie no one wants to bring up." The group soon made their ways back to Ash's house. At the gate, Katrina and May opted to go elsewhere. "We'll be over at the Professor's house." Ash smiled to the request. It could be that May and Katrina wanted to help set up the party or that they wanted to wrap Ash's and Max's gifts without them knowing. Whatever the reason, Ash acknowledged the plan.
"Gotcha. We'll see you later tonight." The Electric Mice waived each other a farewell. Ash and Max gone inside so that they could prepare for tonight's festivities. After wrapping their gifts and placing them under the tree, a few going to Brock, Ash and Max cleaned up before joining Delia to Oak's home. Delia carried some holiday treats she made while Ash brought Katrina's gift with him. Max had Pikachu on his head.
"You're bringing a gift to the party and not under the tree?" the mother desired to know.
"I may not see her after tonight." Max had a funny hunch that his traveling friend had someone he admired like Brock. He offered a sinister smile away from the Ketchums.
"At least you don't go the 'Love at First Sight' route like Brock does," he reminded. "Otherwise, I'd treat you the same way." Ash shuttered the thought.
"Misty taught a lot to you." Delia chortled at the image of Max yanking Ash away by his earlobe. They arrived at Oak's home where plenty of adults and children celebrating the holidays. "Everyone around Pallet Town came by." May and Katrina soon found the boys and the mother within the crowd. Also among the crowd were Professor Oak's Starter Pokémon: Squirtle, Charmander and Bulbasaur. They had their chance to see May and Katrina and wanted to see the others while sharing in their celebrations.
"May told me that your mom and dad will be here to celebrate Christmas with you and Ash," Katrina shared. Max enjoyed the news that his and May's parents, one of them being the Petalburg Gym Leader, would come to Pallet Town to celebrate Christmas with them. After a while of meeting neighbors, one being Gary, Ash stepped outside to see his Pokémon in the ranch. Seeing some of the Pokémon like Bayleef, Snorlax and Noctowl helped him feel relaxed. "I didn't think you were much of a people person." The sound of Katrina's voice spun Ash's head to see her and Raichu.
"I just feel better with Pokémon, that's all." Katrina reached Ash as Team Rocket floated to the ranch on their Meowth hot-air balloon. Seeing that balloon got Pikachu and Raichu to find Heracross and Noctowl as Ash's prized Pokémon carried something in its palms. Whatever was squeaked or hooted or buzzed, Heracross and Noctowl bobbed nod. Pikachu jumped on Noctowl while Raichu rode on Heracross. The Pokémon reached the balloon and surprised Jessie, James and Meowth.
"Wait a second!" yelped Jessie. "Couldn't you wait for us to even try to steal you? It's in the script!" Pikachu shook its head and squeaked to the Rockets about its intention as it held mistletoe.
"You want our help?!" translated Meowth. Just then, James noticed the stock of mistletoe.
"You're not planning on luring us to kiss Jessie under that, are you?" he suspected. Jessie and Meowth blinked as the guess of their partner.
"What are you talking about?" she questioned. Playing a tease, Pikachu gave Noctowl the mistletoe to dangle over Jessie's head. Jessie wasn't exactly happy about it and reached for the mistletoe, shaking the basket on each jump. "Get that plant away from me!" James and Meowth clasped the rim to keep from falling.
"Easy, Jessie!" Noctowl used Hypnosis on Jessie. She soon felt drowsy and collapsed in the basket to sleep. With the loud mouth quieted, Raichu and Heracross arrived where the Mouse Pokémon squeaked to explain the situation.
"Dat would be easy to do," Meowth translated again.
"How so?"
"Pikachu and Raichu want to hang da mistletoe under da basket to let da twerps have a nice smooch." Raichu nodded to the idea. James looked over to see Ash and Katrina having a quiet conversation.
"I haven't seen that twerpette for a while. Though, seeing the Raichu does bring back some memories." Given the permission, Noctowl and Heracross flew under the basket where Pikachu and Raichu pinned the mistletoe. Catching it from the corner of his sight, Ash turned to the balloon now drifting their way.
"Oh no..." he shuttered. James and Meowth came to the edge and waived down to the kids.
"Not tonight, twerps!" denied James. "Your Pikachu and Raichu asked us to help!" Ash's and Katrina's faces were of shock and dismay. Noctowl flapped its wings as it dragged the basket while Heracross pushed. Jessie stayed sound asleep. Once overhead, the kids spotted the plant underneath the basket.
"Is that mistletoe?" The Pokémon returned to Earth, hoping to see the mistletoe's magic.
"You know what happens if someone is caught underneath one, right?" teased Katrina.
"Not really..." Katrina's hands clasped the shoulders of Ash.
"Well, when you see someone underneath the mistletoe, they do this." Katrina bent herself as she pressed her lips firmly onto Ash's. She wrapped her hands on his back and head. She refused to break her lock on him. Pikachu and Raichu cheered the sight. This was what they wanted to see and now, they're getting front row seats with Noctowl and Heracross on the embrace. "Even if the director was here and saying 'Cut!', I'm not stopping." Those in the basket awed the view of Ash receiving love in this form.
"I hate to say it but the twerp does deserve someone like the Raichu twerpette," James sighed. "But I believe those caught under the mistletoe get a Pidgey-like peck, not an hour-long smothering."
"Yeah, I can't see him go after anyone who journeys along," Meowth agreed. James then recalled that moment a few minutes ago when Noctowl carried the mistletoe over Jessie's head.
"Although, do you think..." James came over to Jessie's sleeping head and leaned in, perhaps to kiss her awake, a homage to Sleeping Beauty. However, Jessie woke up on her own, finding James ready to lay one kiss on her. She decked him with a left hook to the kisser.
"Don't… you… think about it, James!" she scowled. As James fell, knocked out from that one punch, Meowth shrugged to his two humans-in-crime.
"Youse twos have been together for a long time," he reminded. "I'm shocked dat you don't show feelings, and I didn't need Pikachu's Thunderbolt for dat reminder." Who knows how long the mistletoe or the balloon will fly above Ash and Katrina, but she wouldn't care. Ash received a Christmas gift he can't get refunded. Then again, why would he?
END of ELECTRICITY