5: A Gift That Keeps On Giving
In the quiet province of the Kanto region, lies a few houses that were inhabited by a small community of people and Pokémon. During the colder months, there is a special holiday known as Christmas, where people and Pokémon express their strong bond and friendship with one another by giving gifts. It is a time where most spend time with their Pokémon at home, unwinding the fast paced world to relax and cherish happy memories. For Pokémon trainer's such as a young man known as Ash Ketchum, it means to spend time with all his Pokémon, and to reward them with a day of relaxation and fun.
After exploring the vast regions of the Pokémon world as a researcher, a time at home was needed for all of his Pokémon, especially Pikachu who had been battling almost daily as he and his teammates climbed the ranks to help his trainer become the ultimate Pokémon Champion. On the night after another victory against a local challenger, the yellow mouse curls up in a ball next to Ash, sleeping another night away with the one he loves most. Ash puts a gentle hand on his buddy, messaging his back as he drifts off to a deep sleep. "Thanks again buddy" he whispers.
"You've been working so hard with me, getting up every morning to train, battling all those strong Pokémon, and helping me rescue everyone, whenever Team Rocket shows up"
Although Pikachu was sound asleep, he made a quiet "Pika" noise that made Ash chuckle.
"No wonder you're so sleepy" he laughed to himself.
"I promise you that tomorrow, you'll get to rest easy."
Ash smiled as he patted Pikachu on the back and walked out of the small bedroom. He then looked at his mother Delia who had arrived to pick up Ash and Pikachu to go back to their home in Pallet Town.
"All ready to go sweety?" Delia eagerly asked her only son.
"I am, but Pikachu is exhausted after training with me all day" he replied, feeling a bit of remorse for the small mouse enduring the hard work.
"Aww, that's okay, he can sleep on the way there" Delia suggests, making Ash feel relieved.
"Thanks Mom, I'll try to not wake him."
As soon as Ash puts his luggage in the small van, he quietly steps back into the bedroom to retrieve his mouse. As he tiptoes up the steps to the top bunk bed, he hears quiet squeaks of Pikachu, appearing to be intensely dreaming. Ash laughs softly in seeing the electric type roll over and twitch his body under the covers.
Trying not to wake the sleepy Pikachu, the raven haired boy gently picked up his Pokémon, cradling him to his chest while he shifts his body to adjust to the new surface. Ash steps out of the room and quickly runs to the passenger seat of the van, eager to travel homeward bound. With Pikachu sleeping peacefully in Ash's arms, the mouse was unaware of the long journey home and the wonderful surprise that would be waiting for him.
"Pikachu is gonna love the weather tomorrow" Ash tells himself as he cradles his buddy to a good night's sleep.
9 hours later…
Pikachu was known for getting up early at the first crack of dawn, unlike his trainer, who normally slept in until he was zapped by a Thunderbolt attack. This time however, Ash was the first to get up, as when Pikachu finally managed to open his eyes after a long night in the land of dreams, he saw him look out the window. The light from the window appeared to be brighter than usual which made the mouse ponder.
"Pika?" he inquired, looking around the room and getting to his senses.
Everything around him looked familiar, the bed, the walls, and the Snorlax plushie on the floor. He then came to a conclusion that he was in Ash's old room, but how?
"Pikachu?" he called out to his trainer, wanting answers.
Ash looked over to his buddy and grew a cheerful smile on his face.
"Hey buddy! I'm so glad you're finally awake!" Ash spoke with enthusiasm.
"I bet you're wondering why we are back here"
"Pika." the yellow rodent nodded.
Ash then gestured to follow him to the window to take a look at what could be seen from outside.
"Pika? Pikachu!" he squeaked in excitement.
The ground outside was filled with a white and puffy looking substance. The sky was the same color, raining more down from the atmosphere. Pikachu jumped for joy as he saw his home town covered in snow. The mouse always loved the snow, as it was uncommon for a blizzard to hit the Kanto region in such a warmer climate. Ash was just as excited, letting his mind go free from the stress of the past, and embracing this moment.
"You wanna go check it out buddy?" he asked brightly.
"Pikachu!" he squealed with joy, hopping on his partner's shoulder in the process.
Upon the excitement of a brand new day and the current weather conditions, Ash bolted out of his room and stormed down the steps, a bit more aggressive than usual. Delia took notice of this, not one bit surprised by her son's enthusiasm for the snow.
"Morning mom!" Ash greeted before hastily running towards the front door.
"Not so fast Ash Ketchum!" hollered Delia just in time for Ash to comprehend.
"You shouldn't go out there with an empty stomach, because I know how you will get if you do"
Pikachu couldn't help but chuckle at this, knowing exactly what she meant that made Ash sigh with embarrassment. He then walked over to the small breakfast table where Delia sat, already munching on her own delicacies. With one full size plate, and a smaller plate for Pikachu, the two sat down and enjoyed a full sized breakfast.
Another minute passed before their meals were consumed with haste. Getting up from their seats, Ash quickly dressed in his winter attire, ready for the cold air that resulted in the blizzard. As his mother watched him get dressed, it came to her mind that Pikachu may be cold, not wearing any clothes of his own.
"Sweety, don't you think Pikachu should wear something out in the cold?" she asked in concern.
This made Pikachu ponder about his condition. He normally doesn't like to wear clothes since he has never had a reason to no matter the climate. Pikachu, like many other Pokemon, had thick layers of fur that kept their body temperature stable while protecting them from outside substances. It was natural for a Pikachu not to wear clothes, however some trainers do like to accessorize their Pokémon with outfits their size. However, Pikachu knew that Ash was not the type of trainer to force him to put on clothes just to look good. In fact, Ash always preferred that Pikachu wear no clothes, as he believed that Pokémon are beautiful just by their bare skin and fur. Ash looked at Pikachu, looking reluctant to the question.
"I'm sure he will be fine." he replied, with Pikachu nodding in agreement.
With that, Pikachu as always leapt onto Ash's shoulder, sitting comfortably on his perch now with a cushioning of his thick winter coat.
"Let's go buddy, what do you say?" Ash looked towards the mouse on his shoulder.
"Pikachu!" he chirped, matching his trainer's enthusiasm.
"Have fun boys!" Delia called out to the duo.
The moment Ash took his first step outside, Pikachu jumped off him, running on fours towards the snow lawn. He gazed at the sparkly white snow while throwing some up in the air.
"Pika, pika, pikachu!" the mouse shouted to himself, throwing more snow and trying to catch it with his tail.
Ash loved watching his buddy enjoy the rare weather, after seeing him exhausted in battle just a few days before, it was a nice feeling that he could finally enjoy himself on this special holiday. Just then, Pikachu came charging at Ash, all covered in snow so much that he looked like he was a walking snow mouse. Before the raven haired boy could react, the mouse bumped head first into his leg. Ash looked down, worried that the impact could have caused him harm.
"Buddy, are you okay?" he questioned in uneasiness.
The mouse simply responded with a fit of laughter, reassuring him that he was okay. Ash joined the laughter while squatting down to brush the frozen substance off his body. Pikachu cooed in affection, feeling his trainer's warm hand brush off the cold snow that soaked his fur.
"Are you having fun buddy?" Ash asked the happy mouse.
"Chu, pikachu!" he cheerfully replied.
"That's great, I really wanted you to have a fun day to rest from all that hard battling, so I surprised you in coming here to spend the holidays with everyone"
Pikachu looked up to his trainer after hearing his heartwarming words.
"Pika pika chu!" he cooed while nuzzling his hand.
"And speaking of everyone, how bout we go visit Professor Oak, where all our friends are going to be there!" Ash announced, with Pikachu once again matching his excitement.
"Pikachu!" the electric type squealed in approval.
"Alright let's go, the sooner we get there, the better, then I won't be late!" his trainer jokes, making them both laugh out loud.
The two then set out on a short walk through the snowy weather to the Professor's laboratory, home to his research, and a reserve to all of Ash's Pokémon he has traveled with over the many years of his journey. Pikachu was the most excited, knowing that he would finally see his old friends again after being away since Ash won the Alolan Pokémon league.
When they found their way down the street to the hill where the laboratory stood, there were already cars parked along the driveway. Ash and Pikachu then got the message that a lot of people must have been invited, which made them more excited. Upon marching up the snowy hill, Ash reached his finger to the doorbell with a press of a button. Suddenly, the sounds from inside fell silent, indicating that it was a reaction to the doorbell. Ash then tried to open the door from the outside, which miraculously worked.
The door slowly creaked open, with Pikachu peeking through Ash's shoulder to see a pitch black entrance. As they both stepped inside, the mouse could sense that they were not alone in that room. In the blink of an eye, the room went light.
"Surprise!" came a loud shout from many people surrounding them.
It took a moment for Ash and Pikachu to figure out their faces, but came to realize that it was all of his friends. There stood, Misty, Brock, Tracey, Gary, and Delia all wearing festive clothing.
"There's our champion!" Gary called out.
"Thanks guys, I missed you all so much!" Ash replied in joy.
"Pikachu!" his partner squealed in excitement.
He then jumped off Ash's shoulder to individually give his friends a hug.
Everyone took notice of this and praised the kind gesture.
"Awww, Pikachu is so nice and so cute as always!" commented Misty while receiving a warm hug from the mouse.
"Yeah, he hasn't changed really" Ash replied, overwhelmed by her praise.
A few minutes after Ash greeted all of his close friends, Professor Oak stepped in the room with a proud smile on his face.
"Welcome home Ash!" he greeted in his jolly old way.
"I was so excited to hear that you finally achieved victory in the Pokémon league, and I couldn't be more proud of you my boy"
Ash's face was then reinforced with a larger blush, coming from a well known professor who likes to be strictly professional and not showing that much emotion.
"Aww, thanks Professor" he replied while rubbing the itch on the back of his head.
The Professor could see his embarrassment and knew it was time to change the subject.
"Well Ash, now that you're here, we can start our preparations for tomorrow" he began, speaking for everyone in the room to do the same.
"But first, there are some other Pokémon who I think you should see…"
With that in mind, the Professor showed Ash and Pikachu to the back door, where a large snowy field was inhabited by a wide variety of Pokémon. As they entered back into the cold weather, all of the Pokémon sensed a presence and looked over to see none other than their old trainer. In joy, all of Ash's previous Pokémon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos charged full force to him. That included Ash's thirty Tauros who ran together as a herd, stopping for nothing to get to him.
With nowhere to take cover, the raven haired boy prepared for an enormous impact, along with Pikachu hiding behind him to avoid their painful hugging. A moment later, nearly all of the charging Pokémon fell down on top of Ash, nuzzling his whole body. Unable to move, Ash tried to calm everyone down while hearing familiar voices.
"Bulba!"
"Bay!
"Sceptile!"
"Corphish cor!"
"Nape Infernape!"
"Osha!"
"Gren Gren!"
All of the voices were all sounding at once, making it difficult to understand exactly what they were saying. Ash assumed they all were cries of rejoice, as he could understand their feelings perfectly. Pikachu on the other hand, was not listening to their praise, as he was under Ash when he toppled over when a Tauros went head first into his chest. Although he was being crushed by his best buddy, he still felt claustrophobic when it came to tight spaces even smaller than a mouse.
The increasing tight pressure caused Pikachu's cheeks to spark electricity with nowhere to escape. This caused a fully charged Thunderbolt to emit as a result of the immense electricity building up. Everyone was zapped, feeling the sting of Pikachu's electric abilities that forced them to let go of each other.
As Ash quickly stood up, Pikachu managed to cease his electric outburst. All stared at him, while the mouse looked down in embarrassment. It didn't take long for that feeling to pass when Ash and the others began to laugh together.
The beautiful snowy morning began to transition into the afternoon of clear skies. Ash was telling the tales of his adventures in Galar to his Pokemon companions while Pikachu was playing with all of his friends, when the Professor walked outside once more to find them.
"Hello Ash! I wanted to let you know that Delia was just about to leave for Saffron City to do final gift shopping" he announced.
"Would you like to go with her?"
Ash suddenly realized that he had to go, as he still needed to find that perfect gift for all his Pokémon.
"Yes Professor, I will go right away" he hastily replied while getting a running start to Delia's van.
Pikachu looked over as Ash ran, squeaking in confusion. Ash heard the noise and ran back to him.
"Buddy, you should stay here and look after everyone, I promise I won't be long." he said in reassurance, while stroking his long black tipped ears.
"Chaaaaa!" The electric rodent cooed in comfort.
"You see, I am finding you a great gift to thank you for all the hard work you have accomplished" Ash explained.
Finally Pikachu understood what Ash was doing and nodded. Ash then nodded back and stood back up to catch up with Delia. Pikachu waved as his trainer left the Pokémon field. With a moment of complete silence, the mouse began to think.
Is this the reason why Ash came here, to give gifts to all his Pokémon? Pikachu admired Ash's kind gesture in doing so much for his Pokémon. Not many trainers reward their Pokémon with a fun day of giving gifts. It was just another reason to love his Pikapi.
But was it fair that Ash could give gifts to all his Pokémon, with nothing in return? Pikachu in that moment realized how much he meant to Ash, going on a long journey just to find a gift for him. He felt as if Ash was being as selfless as ever, and feeling selfish to not do something for him in appreciation. That is when a thought hit him.
I need to find a gift for Pikapi, since he has done so much for me, I must give him something in return.
That thought quickly became a desire, to find a gift for Ash to show his love towards their bond. With that goal in mind, he thought about what gift Ash would love the most.
What could I give to show how much I love him? Maybe a gym badge? No, that's too bland. A new hat? Definitely not, I know my Pikapi hates getting clothes. Ugh, why is this so hard?
As the mouse puzzled further, the other Pokémon were beginning to notice that he had been staring at the horizon for a little while, obviously deep in thought. Some of them became curious and casually approached him. These Pokémon were Bulbasaur, Quilava, Corphish, Starraptor, Oshawott, and Greninja who all have liked Pikachu during their travels and always looked up to him.
Pikachu looked back to see them stare at him, looking confused.
"Bulba, bulba bulbasaur? (Hey there, is something on your mind?)" questioned Bulbasaur.
"Cor corphish cor cor. (It must be a lot if you haven't said a word since you got here.)" Corphish added.
Pikachu heard these sounds coming from his friends which forced him to break out of his thoughts.
"Pika pi pi pikachu Pikapi (Oh, sorry guys, I was just thinking about Pikapi)" he replied.
"Pi pika pika chu pika pi pi chu pikachu. (Sometimes, I feel like he is always putting us first, even when I don't want him to, which makes me wonder if I even deserve his kindness)"
This made everyone fall silent, letting the mouse share his thoughts.
"Pika chu pika pi pi pika chu pika chu pi pi chu pika. (That is why I want to find him the perfect gift to thank him for everything he has done)" the mouse spoke out.
The Pokémon around him all thought about it for a moment, until they all nodded in agreement.
"Osha oshawott! (You're right that's a great idea!)" Oshawott beamed in delight with all the others matching his face.
"Pika, pika pi chu? (Thanks guys, will you help me?)" the electric type asked his team.
"Bulbasaur! (Of course we will!)" shouted Bulbasaur.
"Gren, gren greninja. (I will do anything for a fellow comrade.)" Greninja added in a very serious tone.
Of course, Pikachu knew that Greninja was a battle hardened type Pokémon and that was just his personality.
"Star staraptor! (Count us in too!)" Staraptor spoke for the rest of them.
"Pikachu pika pikachu! (Thanks everyone, you guys are the best!)" The mouse praised his affection for his kind friends.
In another moment, Pikachu began to formulate his plan to search for a gift.
"Pika, pika pi chu pikachu pi ka pika chu chu pika. (Alright, we should probably think of what we want to get him before we search.)" he started, thinking of what might appeal to his trainer.
"Star star stara staraptor, star staraptor stara star star. (Maybe we could get him some Puffins, I used to eat those all the time during our Sinnoh travels.)" suggested Starraptor.
"Quil, quila quila quil quilava quil quil. (Perhaps, a new badge case to hold every single badge he has earned.)" added Quilava.
"Osha osha oshawott sha osha oshawott! (What about those little screen thingys that show pictures and make sound!)" Oshawott spoke in excitement, trying to please Pikachu.
Although their gift ideas sounded interesting, it still didn't convince the mouse. He began to think further, about what made Ash happy. He then remembered what Delia said that morning.
"Not so fast Ash Ketchum!" hollered Delia just in time for Ash to comprehend.
"You shouldn't go out there with an empty stomach, because I know how you will get if you do"
Pikachu suddenly made an assumption that Ash loved food, and sweet food for that matter. Every time he had the chance to eat, he would love every moment of it, always gobbling it down until there was nothing left. Of course, there were some cases where he would leave some for Pikachu as he made sure that his buddy was well fed. The thought of himself giving his Pikapi a giant delicacy as a gift made him sparkle with happiness with how much praise he would receive from him.
Pikachu finally took a breath of air at the thought of his plan. Ready to tell the others, they all huddled around each other to listen in.
"Pika, Pikapi pi ka pi pi kachu chu pika pi ka chu chu ka pi pikachu, pi kachu, pika? (Okay, Pikapi is counting on us to find a gift for him, so I was thinking we could go to Saffron City to scout out anything that would appeal to him, specifically food, got it?)" the mouse announced, receiving nods from everyone.
"Star, star star, star staravia star. (Alright, if you all squeeze together on my back, I could fly you guys over there right now.)" reasoned Staravia, making the others puzzled for a moment.
"Pika pika chu pi? (Could you really fly there with all of us on you?)" Pikachu inquired, a bit doubtful of such a feat.
This made the mighty bird Pokemon spread her wings and flap them vigorously with tremendous strength, making the others a bit intimidated. Pikachu always knew that Staraptor had strength during their travels in Sinnoh, but in that display, that was a whole new level to him. With that, everyone concluded that the Sinnoh bird was capable of transporting them all the way to Saffron City.
"Pika, pi pika? Pikachu! (Alright, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!)" announced the mouse, hopping onto the back of Starrator with the rest following suit.
As soon as Greninja managed to squeeze in just enough for everyone to stay on, the brave bird widened her wings and took flight. Soaring through the sky, the sight of Saffron city could already be seen with its massive buildings towering overhead. The view began to get closer as they headed full speed to the city. Pikachu was quite impressed with how fast Staraptor could go with a full load of weight on her back. Although it didn't surprise him the least that she was getting stronger by the day since Ash left her here.
Pikachu then thought more about Ash, hoping that whatever he would give, he would appreciate it.
I hope I can find Pikapi a gift in time, it has to be perfect. I want to show him how much he means to me.
Pikachu's Daydream:
"Pika pi pikachu. (Here you go Pikapi.)"
"Oh buddy, it's amazing, I love it so much!"
"Pika pika! (Yay you like it!)"
"Thank you so much buddy, you are the best Pikachu I could ever have"
"Pika Pikapi, pikachu. (Your welcome Pikapi, I love you.)
"I love you too buddy, my sweet Pikachu"
After a pleasant daydream, Saffron City was now so close, the people walking on the streets could be seen. It was crowded, that was for sure as many people filled the alleyways with bags in their hands, preparing for the festivities in the near future. The local shops looked like they were being looted, as people flooded into the doors and out, collecting gifts for their loved ones. "This isn't going to be easy" thought Pikachu as his transport circled the city in search of a place to land.
When a relatively empty spot on the street revealed itself, the Sinnoh bird swept for a dive to descend on the ground. The landing wasn't really smooth however, as the bird slowed down, she found herself with less wind speed to glide on, which made the weight on her back feel three times heavier. The end result wasn't pretty, as she hit head first onto the concrete road, with everyone else falling off the bird.
Getting to his feet, Pikachu checked to make sure everyone was okay and then proceeded with his plan.
"Pika pi pikachu pi pika, pi pi chu, ka chu pikachu pika? (Let's start by traveling north of the city where the shops are located, when we find something, we will meet back here, got it?)" the mouse instructed.
"Bulbasaur!" (Ten four, let's do this!)" cheerfully shouted Bulbasaur.
All the rest cheered in agreement and went on their way to find the perfect gift. Pikachu decided to follow the local people who were seeking to buy gifts. As he followed them, they seemed to multiply, which was a good sign that he was going in the right direction.
The mouse looked around at his surroundings. There were local shops that sold all kinds of items from little ornaments, to exotic furniture, to priceless pieces of jewelry. If there was one thing Pikachu knew, it would be Ash's deep hate for jewelry and 'girly' accessories as he describes it to be.
As he traveled onward, he did his best to avoid any sort of crowd that blocked his way by jumping on the edges of buildings. There were some he couldn't avoid which forced him to jump on and off the pedestrians. Pikachu made sure he was soft on his landings, and did not want to harm anyone. Still, it caused some to be startled which surprisingly helped clear the way.
Once he found himself at a viewpoint, all of the shops could be seen in what they were selling. The mouse found the majority of shops to be selling cheap plastic products for entertainment uses which was the last thing he would want for a gift. As he looked around, he couldn't seem to find anything special about the shops selling the same old products until he glanced at a smaller looking building that was home to a bakery.
It was a small brick building with a white roof that had a small sign that labeled 'Bonding Bakery'. Something about this particular store for some reason stood out to Pikachu. Perhaps it was because not many people were lined up waiting to get inside. In fact, the place looked almost deserted. Still, something about it looked promising and filled with love and quality.
When the mouse found a clear path to the bakery, he leapt off his perch and cautiously made his way to the entrance. The door was wide open surprisingly, with no one standing in the way. Quietly and cautiously, he stepped inside, looking to see if anyone was there. The only thing he saw was a giant display of various cakes and fancy desserts.
All were decorated in various patterns that made them look more than appetizing. Pikachu stared in awe at the giant cake in the middle of the display, a gigantic white cake topped with yellow and black icing and two giant Tamato berries on top. The cake sparkled in the sunlight which made Pikachu's mouth water, wanting to take a bite out of the delicious looking delicacy.
The electric type then thought of Ash and how their personalities were very much the same. This applied to their tastes, in that whatever Pikachu liked, he would like as well.
This is perfect for Pikapi, I have to get it somehow.
Suddenly, he could hear footsteps coming from another room, which startled him in interruption of his thoughts. He could then see a charming looking girl walk out. She had pink hair much like Nurse Joy and wore a white apron, making her seem like the baker. She then looked down to notice a yellow mouse staring at her.
"Why hello there, may I help you?" she quietly asked.
Knowing that she couldn't understand the Pikachu language, the mouse decided to play a game of charades to communicate with her. He started by waving his paws around to get her attention, then pointing to the cake.
"Oh? You want to buy a cake?" she assumed, with the mouse nodding in approval.
The woman then walked over to the selection of cakes and tried to figure out which one the mouse pointed to. It was clear that he would have wanted the giant cake that resembled a Pikachu. Looking back at him, she saw nodding with much enthusiasm.
"Pikachu!" the electric type squeaked.
"Alright, I can write a name on the cake with icing if you'd like." she explained as part of her procedure.
The mouse once again nodded to this and hopped up on the counter to see the cake in full detail. Everything about it looked perfect, just the way Ash would like it. All it needed was his name spelled out on the top.
"What name would you like to have on this cake?" the woman suddenly asked.
Unfortunately, this made Pikachu realize that he was unable to say his trainer's human name without saying Pikapi. However, Ash would know that it came from Pikachu as he is the only one who could understand him. With that, the mouse accepted his name of Ash and tried to make the baker understand.
"Pikapi" he replied, making the woman puzzled.
"Um, pika what?"
"Pika, Pi"
"Can you say that one more time?"
"Pi, Ka, Pi" the mouse replied slowly to gain her understanding.
She thought for a moment, before tracing the letters of the electric Pokemon's translation. A moment later, the letters 'P' 'I' 'K' 'A' 'P' 'I' were displayed on the top layer of the cake made up of red velvet icing. Pikachu licked his lips at the sight of a beautiful treat made just for his Pikapi.
"Pika!" he shouted to express his fondness for her great work.
"Why thank you little fella, I'm glad you like it" she complimented the kind hearted mouse.
"That will be thirty PokeDollars please"
Hearing this made the mouse wince in worry. He had forgotten that humans commonly use paper as a currency and did not realize there was a price for the cake. What could he do? He couldn't just steal the perfect cake from the nice lady just trying to run her business.
With no other options, the mouse looked down in sadness, realizing that wonderful gift was too good to be true. As the mouse pouted in sadness, the woman looked closer.
"Hey, you remind me of a particular Pikachu that belonged to a famous champion that is native to this region" she inquired.
The mouse looked up to her, trying to figure out who she was referring to.
"He had a very bland name, let me think, wait I think I know, As- Ash, yeah Ash Ketchum from Pallet town." she concluded.
Upon hearing this, Pikachu nods while gesturing with his paws to indicate that she was correct.
"Oh, so your Ash's Pikachu?" she clarified.
"Pikachu!" he replied in assurance.
This made the woman smile more than she previously showed.
"Wow, I can't believe it's you! Everyone around here knows about your trainer and are inspired by your determination." she praised, making the mouse blush.
"I'll tell you what, since you have brought joy and hope to my family business, I'll sell you this cake for free!" she announced, lightening the mood.
Pikachu jumped up into the air, in excitement for the kind offer.
"Pika pikachu!" he thanked, while giving her a warm nuzzle with his soft cheeks.
This forced a blush on the baker's face, making her day.
"Aww, your welcome Pikachu, I hope you make whoever you give this to very happy" she cheered, while preparing the cake to be sent away.
When Pikachu saw the cake all packaged and ready to go, he realized he needed help to carry the bulky package out the door. Just as he thought this, he heard noises coming from the entrance to see none other than his search team. Staraptor and the others looked at what they had just walked to see a huge yellow cake in the hands of Pikachu.
"Bulba, bulba bulbasaur! (I thought I smelled something tasty coming over here!)" Bulbasaur said, rather impressed by Pikachu's findings.
"Pikachu! Pika pika pika chu pika pikachu! (I know! You guys couldn't have come at a better time!)" Pikachu replied in delight.
Staraptor gazed at the massive cake, trying to determine its own strength to carry it. Unfortunately, this meant that she would have to fly the five Pokemon plus the giant cake on her back.
"Star, staraptor star star. (Unfortunately, I don't think even I could carry that load with all of you guys on.)" the great bird admitted.
Pikachu thought of this, even with everyone carrying the cake, it still would be quite a risk trying to get through the mob of people roaming the streets. As soon as it seemed hopeless, the baker lady stepped out of the room for a moment and came back with a small wagon.
"Um, you can use this to help you transport the cake if you'd like." she suggested, making the mouse smile once again.
"Pika pika! (That's perfect!)" he chirped in satisfaction.
Greninja and Quilava then carefully loaded the precious gift onto the wagon that made a perfect fit. To make sure the coast was clear, Bulbasaur headed out of the store first to keep an eye on the pedestrian traffic. When all was clear, he signaled to push the wagon outside and take it all the way back home. Pikachu and the others then waved their goodbyes to the sweet baker as headed homeward bound.
As they traveled down the streets of the city, each Pokémon was tasked with a special role to make sure they got home safely. The flying Staraptor of course had the duty of navigating them to find the fastest and best route to take. Greninja, and Quilava were the muscle Pokémon to push the wagon down the streets. The rest of the smaller Pokémon such as Oshawott, Corphish, and yours truly Pikachu, sat on the edges of the wagon to keep the cake stable.
Everything worked out for the most part, with minor setbacks of the time it took to exit the city. By the time they were on the forest road away from the city, the sun was already beginning to set, making the hard working Pokémon feel worried. Pikachu reassured them that everything would be okay and that they would make it home.
Upon traveling on the endless dirt path back to Pallet Town, something felt off within their surroundings. All the ambient sounds of wild Pokémon began to fall silent, too silent.
"Osha oshawott osha osha? (Why do I feel like something isn't right?)" Oshawott tensed, looking around as if they were being watched.
"Gren, greninja gren, gren gren ninja. (Cmon, no one is watching us, let's just stop worrying and focusing on getting home.)" the amphibious Pokémon responded.
A few minutes went by before sounds were heard in the forest that surrounded them. The flapping of wings could be heard, and a great many. The Pokémon all looked around, slightly intimidated but found no source of the noise. That is when things began to go downhill.
Suddenly, the flapping noises became loud buzzing which only meant one thing, Beedril. At a moment's notice, a swarm of Beedril lunged at the diverse group of Pokémon, aiming their sharp stingers at them. Already on edge, Pikachu and the gang were quick to react and dodged their attacks. Despite this, the Beedril didn't look too happy and we're far from letting them get away. Another group of Beedrill swarmed in, attempting to push the interlopers out of their land.
"Pika pikachu pika! (We gotta get out of here and fast!)" Pikachu yelled to his comrades, defending themselves from the daggered stingers of the Beedril.
"Cor, corphish cor! (I agree, let's move!)" the lobster Pokémon added while dodging a Poison Sting attack.
Greninja and Quilava pushed the cake wagon with all their might in an attempt to move away from the incoming swarm. The rest of the Pokémon ran with them, defending each other from attacks while striking back.
"Pikachu, pika pikachu! (Keep running, don't let them get the cake!)" the mouse told his comrades on the run.
The group kept running while dodging their constant attacks. The Pokémon who were not pushing the wagon did all they could to prevent the Beedrill from stealing the cake. Pikachu, Oshawott, Starraptor, and Bulbasaur all used attacks of their own to diminish the flying numbers, but to no avail. More kept appearing out of the thick forest to reinforce the swarm. Pikachu had to assume that they had awoken the entire colony of Beedrill and were too many to deal with.
"Star, star staraptor! (They're gaining!)" the bird chirped from above, trying to draw some Beedrill away from their target.
The path that led to Pallet Town began to extend downhill, making the wagon speed up, eventually accelerating much faster than Greninja and Quilava could. When Pikachu and the others could catch up to the wagon, it was still moving, but with no one bracing it.
"Pi ka chu, pika pi, pi ka pikachu! (Staraptor, get the wagon, I'll cover you!)" the mouse instructed, desperate to save the cake rolling down the steep hill.
Staraptor complied with his orders and took off after the run away gift. The Beedrill, also seeking to get a taste of the sweet scent of cake, chased after the bird with overwhelming numbers. Pikachu sparked his cheeks, ready to let out as much electricity as he could to stop them all.
"PikaaaaaaCHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! (Thunder-bolt!)" screamed the electric rodent, shooting out a powerful blast of electricity that lit the sky.
A vast majority of the grouped up Beedrill were electrocuted in seconds, making them fall to the ground unconscious. As for the rest, they realized that their match was met and scattered away.
Relief came to Pikachu's face, seeing no more Beedrill in sight. All of his friends looked okay and cheered in relief. Pikachu was proud to have overcome a dangerous obstacle on their journey back to Pallet Town. Nothing could stop them now, Pikachu thought.
As he was in sight of the bottom of the hill, there was a monstrous sight of something he feared most. There, on the bottom of the hill, was the wagon toppled over with the remains of the splattered cake.
The mouse looked closer at the wreckage, with Staraptor next to the cake looking down in shame. He couldn't believe it, all of that hard work and danger he put his friends into came down to this. Pikachu looked to his friends and back to the demolished cake.
"Star, star, star staraptor, star star. (Pikachu, I'm so sorry, I tried to stop it, but it was just too fast.)" the bird apologized, feeling full responsibility for the loss of their gift.
Pikachu just stood there in shock, unable to take in the devastating accident that spilled the giant cake, Ash's cake. Suddenly he noticed that his haunches were in a great deal of pain. He looked at his left haunch to see the yellow pigment of fur was now a purplish black venom that caused pain throughout his body.
The mouse gave a cry of pain and suddenly began to feel hazy and could no longer stand up. He then fell onto the ground, feeling his mind beginning to slow down and daze off. He heard his friends call out to him in worry, trying to get him back on his feet but to no avail. After that, everything went quiet.
"Wake up buddy, it's Christmas!"
"Pikachu! (Yay!)"
"Everyone is opening their presents, so get up and let's join them!"
"Pika pika! (Alright let's go!)"
"Pika, pikachu? (Uh, where is everyone?)"
"They got their gifts already, now let's open our gifts that we got for each other."
"Pika… chu? (Wait…what?)"
"Yeah, why don't we do it right now."
"You got me a gift, right?
"Pikachu, pika pi chu. (Um, I tried to)"
"Wait, what do you mean, you don't have a gift for me?"
"Pika, chu, pika pika…(I tried, but, something happened and…)"
"Pikachu, I can't believe you, I thought we were friends!"
"Pikachu pika Pikapi, pika…(We are friends Pikapi, I tried to…)"
"I have done so much for you, and this is how you repay me?"
"Pikachu Pikapi pika pi pika…(Please Pikapi, I didn't mean to…)"
"No, forget it! I should have known better than to trust you, to then betray me like this and ruin Christmas!"
"Pikapi, pi.. pi… Pi kachu. (Pikapi, please.. I'm sorry… I love you.)"
"I'm not happy with you Pikachu, I think it's best if you leave."
"Pika? Pika pi..ka..pi..kachu pika! (What? Please no, please I'm begging you!)"
"Get out you worthless rat!"
"Pika pikachu! (Why are you doing this!)"
"I said get out!"
"I hate you, I HATE YOU!"
The mouse awoke, out of the darkness into a room filled with light. He was on a small hospital bed with white sheets and a pillow that kept his head up. He realized that he had just woken up in the Pokémon Center. But that didn't matter to him, as his thoughts of the nightmare echoed through his memory like an electric shock.
Pikachu couldn't hold back his emotions any longer. Realizing his failure to bring Ash a gift, he thought of himself as a failure to Ash. The mouse weapted in distress, hearing the nightmare in his head over and over again.
The tears came streaming down his face like a rainstorm, unable to stop the emotions that haunted him. He couldn't save his gift for Ash, and ruined Christmas. Ash must have hated him for not giving a gift. Suddenly, there were noises coming from the door that soon opened to see none other than his trainer and friends running to him in worry.
Pikachu however, didn't even acknowledge their presence at the negative thoughts of his failure.
"Hey, buddy calm down, why are you so upset?" Ash softly crooned to the crying mouse.
"Pikapi, pi Pikapi, Pikachu chu. (Pikapi, oh Pikapi, I'm so sorry.)"
Ash was confused by this, but felt that he needed to ease Pikachu's crying first. The raven haired boy attempted to pick up the teary eyed mouse to his chest, but got rejected. He tried again and again, with Pikachu trying to hold back his love, but eventually no longer had the strength and gave in.
Ash pushed his buddy right to his chest to cry on, wrapping his hands around him for support. He could feel wet tears stain his shirt, letting Pikachu cry his feelings out.
"Shhhhhhhhhh, I'm right here buddy, can you tell me what's wrong?" he asked calmly, wanting answers.
Pikachu sniffled and made light coughs, trying to catch his breath to respond.
"Pika…pi…ka…chu. (I'm… sorry I…failed…you.)" he wept in distraught.
"What do you mean? You didn't fail me at all." his trainer replied in a soothing voice.
"Pika, pikachu pika chu Pikapi, pika pi chu pika. (Yes I did, I tried to get a gift for you Pikapi, but it got ruined.)"
"Aww buddy, you went through all this just to get me a gift?" his trainer questioned in awe.
The mouse nodded, but continued to weep at the terrible nightmare he had just been through. Ash could sense something in his eyes, a feeling of fear and sadness, something that Ash never wanted him to experience.
"Pika, pikachu, pika pi pika pi chu, pika pika chu! (I had a nightmare, about you hating me and, and wanting me to leave!)" Pikachu explained in his crying.
"Pikachu pikachu pika pika pi. (I ruined Christmas and now you hate me because I couldn't save your gift in time.)"
"Buddy, why would you think that?" Ash spoke a little louder.
"Pika, pikachu pika pika ka pika chu. (I just, wanted to give you something to repay you for all you have done for me.)"
Suddenly Ash chuckled in humor as if it was funny.
"Oh buddy, you don't have to repay me for anything." he laughed.
"Since I've known you, I have chosen to be your best buddy, to care for you and love you not by expecting you to do something in return."
Pikachu looked up with his blurry eyes, listening to Ash's kind words.
"Pikachu, Christmas is more than just about gifts, it's about our bond, our friendship and being together." Ash explained.
"That's why I brought you here, to spend time with me and all of our friends."
Suddenly, Pikachu realized what his trainer meant. Christmas isn't about trying to find a gift in time to satisfy his trainer, it was about spending time with him. At that moment, it all made sense to Pikachu, realizing that Ash wasn't upset with him.
"Gift or no gift, I still love you, and I would never, ever hate you no matter what happens." Ash nearly whispered to the sensitive ears of Pikachu.
"Pika, pikachu, pika chu. (So, you're not mad at me?)" the mouse questioned.
"Of course not buddy, not by a long shot, I love you."
Pikachu's crying went from sadness to delight at his partner's words of love. He couldn't come close to expressing how much he loved Ash at that moment. Pikachu embraced Ash with a love nuzzle and a giant hug, not letting go for anything.
"Pi ka chu, Pikapi. (I love you, Pikapi.)" he cooed in deep affection.
"I love you too buddy, let's be happy from now on, okay?" his trainer replied.
The now happy mouse nodded in agreement and continued to cuddle with his best buddy. There was a minute of silence before Nurse Joy stepped into his recovery room.
"Good morning Pikachu, I'm glad to see you finally awake!" she greeted the yellow mouse.
"You have been asleep for nearly ten hours since we last saw you unconscious last night"
Pikachu gasped at this news, not only did he sleep for a very long time, but it also meant that it was Christmas! He then glanced out the nearby window to see it was still dark outside. He lifted his head up to the nurse in confusion.
"Pika?"
"You see, it's almost five o'clock in the morning, and since then you have been recovering very well." Joy explained to her patient.
"You were brought here by your trainer when he found you lying on the ground outside; you were poisoned by a Beedrill which caused you to go unconscious."
Pikachu remembered the past events of the Beedrill chase, understanding what caused him all that pain. He then hopped off his trainer's lap to examine his haunch and foot.
"No need to worry Pikachu, while you were asleep, I sprayed some antidote all over your body to help get rid of the poisoning." the nurse added to relieve his concern.
Pikachu smiled as he licked himself clean. He then clumsily hopped back onto the lap of his partner. This made him laugh out loud which brightened the mood.
"Pikachu's foot muscles may be sore from the antidote and will need time to rest, so take it easy on excessive running." Joy implied.
After another hour of examinations on Pikachu's condition, Nurse Joy announced that Pikachu was free to go home.
"Thank you so much Nurse Joy for taking care of him." Ash praised, with Pikachu giving her a warm smile.
"No worries, and have a merry Christmas you two!"
"Pikachu! (Merry Christmas!)" waved the mouse cradled in his trainers arms.
When Ash stepped outside into the cold morning, the sky was shedding its first source of light that was a dark blue color that became red in the horizon ahead. The sun was coming up just in time for Pikachu and Ash to arrive home.
By the time they arrived, everyone had just woken up from their peaceful slumbers and all welcomed Pikachu home. All of Ash's companions were there as well as all of their Pokémon. The morning was full of fun opening gifts and playing with Pikachu sitting down calmly while interacting with his friends.
Ash was the one to cause a little chaos in the small family room after he got out a giant foam ball for everyone to play around with. Things got out of hand when the Pokémon knocked over a few tables while playing aggressively, but was soon put away to calm them down. Pikachu didn't walk around much, as Nurse Joy recommended that he let his haunches and feet rest for a while.
With all of the fun going on, the morning once again shifted to noon where everyone was gathered for a great lunch. Ash along with his mother, Professor Oak, and friends brought their own homemade meals as their tradition of giving food to others. Pikachu sat on Ash's lap as they ate each other's food, chowing down every bit a little too quickly to go unnoticed.
"Ash and Pikachu, why do you always eat like you haven't in weeks! I think you should save room for dessert." scolded Delia, without much effect on the duo.
"Boys" she thought to herself.
After a delicious feast, the main course for dessert was ready, making everyone look in the direction of the hearty delicacy. There stood something that made Pikachu's eyes sparkle and stand up out of Ash's lap. It was the exact same cake design as Pikachu made, the yellow and black icing, the two juicy Tamato berries on the side, and the name written on the top, 'Pikapi'.
Delia looked at Pikachu, expecting him to question how the cake was all in one piece.
"This cake was designed by Pikachu as a special gift for Ash and baked by a good friend of mine." Delia announced to her guests.
"After we found the remains of the original cake due to an accident, she knew just how to bake it again and made this clone!"
Pikachu couldn't believe that she went through all of this to save his cake. All of the happy emotions inside him were expressed in that very moment. As he looked up to his trainer's face, he could see that same emotion.
"Buddy, you made this giant cake for me?" Ash dumbfoundedly asked.
"Pikachu! Pi kachu pi chu Pikapi. (Of course! You are the best trainer in the world Pikapi.)" he crooned while cuddling up on his lap.
"Pikachu, I, I… love you so much!" Ash praised and hugged his partner so tightly, while getting teary eyed at the wonderful gift.
This made everyone in the room awe in cuteness. When they eventually broke the hug, they faced the table ready to feast on the greatest cake of all time.
"Everyone dig in!" the raven haired boy yelled, with everyone taking their forks and ate till their appetite was satisfied.
Every bite Ash and Pikachu took was like filling up their bonding stomachs, feeling closer than ever. When none had anything left on their plate, Ash carried Pikachu over to the rocking chair, sitting down with him.
"That was the best cake I have ever had in my whole life!" Ash praised, making Pikachu blush.
"Pika pikachu chu pika! (We sure have the same taste buds!)" the mouse answered.
"You know buddy, there is something I would like to give you as my gift." his trainer announced to his surprise.
"I actually made it myself, since I couldn't find anything in Saffron city."
Ash then got up for a minute and pulled out a book of some sort. It had a leather cover and looked like it contained many pages. At first glance, it just seemed like an ordinary book, but when he opened the first page, it was something of beauty and ecstasy. The first page contained a giant heart with a photo of Ash and Pikachu together. Pikachu's eyes lit up to the point where they reflected the heart on the page.
"Pikapi, pikachu pikachu! (Pikapi, it's beautiful and I love it so much!)" he cried in happiness.
Ash then turned the pages to see more photos of many adventures they had together, making his buddy tremble in excitement.
"I made this all for you buddy, to remember our best times together so we never forget them," Ash told his Pokémon in honesty.
Pikachu's smile couldn't go away after all the love he was receiving. There was nothing better than a gift to remember forever. As they looked at the wonderful memories they always loved, Ash cradled his buddy, rocking him back and forth, and rubbing his belly. Pikachu cooed and waved his hands, wanting more of Ash's love.
Ash compiled, kissing him all around and giving his sore feet a lovely massage, making him giggle. After he could laugh all his giggles out, they laid down together by the open fireplace, taking in its warmth much like their love. As the duo drifted off to sleep, they managed to whisper sweet words:
"Merry Christmas buddy."
"Pi chu pika, Pikapi. (Merry Christmas, Pikapi.)"
THE END
Yay!Another great story of Ashand Pikachu celebrating Christmas! Thanks to all who have been supporting me over these long months. Have a merry Christmasand a wonderful day!