Disclaimer: Pokémon is still owned by The Pokémon Company, which in turn is owned by Nintendo, Game Freak, and probably others I forgot. The following fanfiction is me playing around in their sandbox, using characters they envisioned and created, except for the odd character that wasn't. I own nothing of this.

Chapter 5: Dark of Winter

Max hadn't been expecting much when Professor Oak had told them to come to the meeting room after lunch, about a week after they'd first arrived in Pallet Town. He'd done it before, just to ask how they were settling in and if everything was going well and stuff like that. Back then, he'd told them that asylum requests took time, and that it'd likely be close to the solstice that they would hear more. That was still over a week off, and so seeing the government official – Baker, wasn't it – in the meeting room was a big surprise.

"Sit down," the Professor told them as they entered, stopping them from speaking up. "I imagine you know what this is about," he added drily once the teenagers had obeyed.

"Indeed," the official said, putting a sheet of paper on the table as the Professor said down. "It's been a busy week for us. Your interview and prompt answering were able to convince most of the holdouts, Danny, Max, but then Hoenn started getting involved." The man looked… satisfied, somewhere. "I must admit to using their words to push hard in your favour, but it worked. You've been granted asylum."

Weight Max hadn't felt fell off his shoulders, but to his left, Professor Oak leant forward. "If you can tell us, Mister Baker, what happened?" he asked.

"I'm technically not allowed," the man protested half-heartedly, but a look of exasperation from the Professor made him shake his head. "Secure the room."

Max had xatu on him, and with a quick order, the Mystic Pokémon erected a shield that would block sound, both ways. It always felt a bit strange to be in it, like there was something stuck in his ears, but it wasn't really annoying. "What could they say to let you, well… Do stuff so fast?"

"In diplomacy, there are certain protocols that are followed. It's a rule of courtesy and all dreadfully boring to teenagers your age," Baker started his explanation. "For example, meetings have to be scheduled, and except if there's some emergency, you do that and wait for confirmation. Another one is that, once you've had your say, you wait some time before raising the issue again in person."

"I'm guessing that didn't happen."

Baker nodded at Oak's words. "We'd started to discuss the details of how we wanted to do this. It's common to do that, to make sure that the message you're trying to send is just right. Most were in favour of doing it quietly, to let it pass by in the holiday, so to say." He paused, seemingly to see if everyone was still following. "Then the new Hoenn ambassador himself appears in our building, delivering a list of, well… Crimes you had allegedly committed."

Max had to ask. "Such as?"

"Destruction of public property, more destruction of private property, and owning Pokémon you weren't allowed to yet own under new law were the main ones. Most of them yours, by the way, Mister Maple. You were a busy boy for someone who didn't even have a Pokémon."

Someone who didn't… "Hang on. Is that stuff that happened while I was travelling with Ash?"

"Indeed. We asked him about most of those charges, since the timescale matched, and as it turned out, you were defending yourself from criminals. Self defence is allowed, and even if it wasn't, there's no way a boy without any Pokémon to command could do that much."

The exaggerated wink told Mas that Baker knew that he hadn't been without Pokémon in all of them. "And Pokémon we weren't allowed to own?"

"Any and all Psychic, Ghost, or Dark-types caught before you gathered your sixth badge. A baltoy and a then-duskull, if I am not mistaken."

"Those restrictions aren't even two months old," Professor Oak said incredulously. "How did that ambassador even think of adding that?"

"The Hoenn government is considering eliminating ex post facto protections," Baker said, sounding very sour all of a sudden. Max didn't understand what about, though, but he couldn't ask as the government official spoke up again. "One basic aspect of law is that it only starts working when it's signed. So something that was signed in October can't count for whenever it was that you got your sixth badge."

"August last year," Danny said, speaking up for the first time. "And even then, weren't there other requirements you could fulfil too?"

"Fifteen months of Trainer experience, which you passed this June." Left unsaid that June came before October on the calendar. "Now, seeing as the ambassador just added charges that wouldn't hold up in Kanto court and that he was quite rude about it, I might have said something about it looking a lot like you'd be thrown into prison on made-up charges anyway, and that might have caught the attention of the minister," Baker said, looking and sounding very satisfied with that.

"The Foreign Affairs minister is a former judge," Professor Oak started explaining instantly, saving Max from having to ask for the relevance. "She resided over one of the most important trials in recent Kanto history. The details aren't important, but to her, the idea of putting people into prison without proving guilt beyond doubt is anathema."

Max didn't know what anathema was, though the word rang a bell somewhere, like he'd heard it before. He could guess at its meaning, though. "I guess it helps to have her on our side?"

"It sure did. That was four days ago, but then the weekend happened, and we had to finalise some other things." Baker seemed apologetic, not that Max really cared. It was still way faster than expected. "But here we are. Any questions?"

The Professor was faster than Max on asking. "I assume you can tell us about these other things," he said as the government official drained his glass of water. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have hinted at them."

"I'm actually allowed to tell you this," Baker said with a smile. "One of them, anyway, and it's about your Trainer stipend, Messrs Birch and Maple."

Max nodded. His Hoenn account had been shut down – confiscated by the government – but it had been mostly empty anyway. He'd set up an automatic transfer from his Hoenn account to his Kalos account soon after getting one, and Danny had done the same. "We've got most of our money available. We hadn't sent the money back yet."

"We know," Baker replied, tilting his head meaningfully at the Professor. "Regardless, the dilemma on the table was if the Kanto-Johto government should take responsibility for your stipend, given that you are eligible and that you had lost the previous one through no real fault of your own." His smile turned a bit forced. "The good news is… You're getting something. The bad news is… It's not as much as you had from Hoenn." He held up a hand to forestall questions. "The main argument, and I should say I wasn't involved with this, is that you are both skilled Trainers who should be able to make your own way. On top of that, some people did argue that you did destroy that facility, and our stipend is a bit lower than Hoenn's to begin with."

"How much is it?" Professor Oak interjected, sounding a bit impatient.

"They let some number crunchers loose and it came out to around sixty percent of what you got from Hoenn. Last I heard, anyway," Baker added quickly. 'Nothing is final until you get the official letters and sign the paperwork."

It'd come when it'd come. "Can you send the letters here? Even if we leave, we can always call and get back or something. If that's okay with you, Professor," Max quickly asked, hoping he wasn't overstepping.

Instead, he got a warm smile from the grey-haired man. "I was about to suggest the same thing. It's simpler to leave it here, and unless you want to start out in Olivine or Cianwood, anywhere you go is well within range for your Pokémon to Teleport back."

Max and Danny had talked about that back in Kalos. "New Bark for us, Professor," Danny said. "We want to go to the Indigo League in February."

"I'll relay it." Baker shoved the sheet back where it came from, making to stand up before stopping, sitting back down. "Do you have any questions for me?" he asked, but none came as both Max and Danny shook their heads. "Then I'll take my leave."

Xatu took the barrier down without a word, and the man left, immediately striking left.

"There's something more going on here," Professor Oak said suddenly, drawing Max's attention. "He gave in far too easily. I was expecting to have to lean on him more to get him to tell you all of it."

"Why do you want us to know, Professor?" Danny wondered.

"Because nothing good is likely to come of keeping you in the dark." It was delivered bluntly, and in a voice Max had rarely heard the Professor use. The last time had been while discussing yveltal. "For some reason, the Hoenn government wants you, and from what I know, they will not like it that you got away, so to speak. I wouldn't put it past them to try and get you out on the road." He fixed both of them with a stern gaze. "When you leave, always have one of your Teleport-capable Pokémon on you. There are ways to block it, but those are limited. Use guard Pokémon at night, preferably several, and be prepared to fight at all hours. Even inside a Pokémon Center."

It wasn't like the Professor to be so bleak, and honestly, paranoid. Neither of them knew what to say, really.

Luckily, the Professor broke the heavy silence for them. "Now, is there anything you want to ask me? While we're here and all," he said, trying to sound normal.

It failed, Max thought, but since he didn't have anything to ask, he made to leave. Danny, on the other hand, stayed behind.

Probably was something to do with the Pokémon Professorship or something.

~~§~~§~~

It had been a few days since they'd been told they they'd been granted asylum, leaving them free to journey through Kanto and Johto, but with a winter storm moving in and blanketing the land in snow, leaving had been the last thing on Max and Danny's mind. There was some work at Professor Oak's laboratory, but most of their time since then had been spent either inside where it was warm, or throwing snowballs with some of the Pallet Town youth, who were more than eager to gang up on the teenagers.

Most such fights ended with all of them red-cheeked from the cold, and Max knew both he and Danny had bruises from where they'd slipped or where an icy snowball had hit, but that was just part of the play. None of the parents had complained either, and so he rather thought it was okay for them to keep doing it as long as the snow held.

According to the weather forecast, that could actually be for a while. There was a second front coming in, and thaw wasn't expected to set in before that time. It'd push any date of leaving back: neither of them wanted to be travelling when everything was as frozen and white as it was, and unfortunately, their cheat system of using xatu or gardevoir to get elsewhere wouldn't exactly work either. They could reach Saffron for the Magnet Train, but with Yule coming up, tickets were extremely expensive until the new year came around.

They could afford it, but with their reduced income, both of them had agreed that they shouldn't spend that much money when they could just wait. The Silver Conference that they were aiming to join was in August, and without having to detour for Performances or Contests, there was plenty of time.

The door to the communal den-like area of the Professor's laboratory slid open, causing Max to look up from where he was idling, and in walked Ash's Mum, wearing a pink winter coat with the zip open. She looked around, finding him and making to join him.

Max put his reading away, the journal having been virtually forgotten after he had glanced outside at white surroundings. "Still cold outside?" he asked by way of greeting. It was early in the morning, and he hadn't actually been out yet. Danny was, though, using Mega aggron to do some Pokémon-aided landscaping, as the Professor had called it.

"Not as bad as it could be," Deila said brightly, sitting down and putting her gloves on the table. "Just crisp and clear winter. Won't be that for long, but this winter seems to be off to a bright and early start." She smiled widely. "Something you've been having fun with despite staying here when you don't want to."

Max didn't ask how Delia had figured out that they wanted to leave. The answer was probably 'Ash' anyway. "It's what it is. Not the first time we're stuck somewhere waiting for the weather to clear up."

"I imagine not, no." There was a lot of amusement in her tone, and it made him wonder how often Ash had called home to complain about just that. "If you're planning to stay through Yule, how about you and Danny spend it with me and Ash?"

Max blinked at the sudden invitation. Since leaving, and reasoning that he'd best not think about Hoenn too much except when he had to, he'd just… Ignored Yule. Which was bad, because he had less than a week and a half left to actually go buy presents and send them all over the globe. And Pallet Town wasn't exactly good for doing the shopping in the first place.

"Max?" Delia said, imposing on his presents-filled mind. "If you don't want to, I understand."

"Oh, no," Max said contritely, embarrassment simmering in his stomach. "I was just thinking I hadn't even begun to think about what to get others for Yule. "

The motherly smile was identical to the one his mother always gave him whenever – best to not go down that route. "You've had other things on your mind. I'm sure everyone will understand. And if you want to be alone on Yule..."

"Oh, no, no!" Max interjected, and he was sure there was some red on his cheeks now. "I'd love to – and I think Danny will too. Is anyone else coming?"

"Misty and Brock have a standing invitation, but they both have families of their own," Delia started cheerfully, and Max remembered just how big Brock's family was in the process. It really was no wonder how Brock had gotten that good at cooking simple yet tasty food. "Samuel and his family joined us last year, but they've got plans this year, so it's probably the five of us."

The fifth was Mimey, Max figured. "Well, it'll beat being on our own for sure. Is there anything you want us to do for it?"

"Just to help out with getting everything from the store to home," Delia replied. "And maybe one or two simple things in the kitchen. You'll hear that later, okay?"

"Once you've actually thought of what to make," Max guessed. Nobody planned their food that far in advance, even for Yule.

A clock struck ten, interrupting their conversation. After the clock let out Pokémon cries – growlithe barks for this hour – Delia spoke up again. "Oh, I've got ideas for that, but I need to know what you can do in the kitchen. And I need to think of Ash's favourite part of the meal, too."

"Dessert?"

"Exactly."

~~§~~§~~

The sound of a heavy-set Pokémon landing jolted Danny out of his blind staring, suddenly finding that it had grown quite dark outside of the little circle near him, where dusclops had been continually feeding a small fire with Will-O-Wisp and gathered logs. They, plus a few floating balls of flame in Danny's back, had kept him quite warm even if it was below freezing outside.

Crunching footsteps followed, and Danny turned around to see a well-bundled up person walk in his direction. A moment later, he recognised the person. "Professor Oak?!"

"Yes, my boy," the Professor replied genially as the distance was closed, Danny getting up and noticing again that he was taller. "I'm sorry to interrupt your thinking, but castform just told us there was some nasty weather coming."

The weathered dragonite that had landed stepped up, spraying the campfire with a Water Gun, quenching the flames with hiss and sudden smell. "Tha… How'd you know I was thinking?"

"When you reach my age, you'll have learned a thing or two." The Professor gestured in the direction of the ranch, which stood out as a small bit of light in the distance. "Let's go before the weather catches us."

They moved slowly, snow and ice hindering their movement. Dragonite was there to catch either of them from falling over, reacting so fast Danny barely had time to realise he had lost his balance. "Professor, why are we walking? Can't dragonite just take us back?"

"He could, but then we wouldn't be able to talk in peace." The older man slowed down, and Danny felt black eyes study him. "What made you want to sit in this cold and think where nobody was around to interrupt you?"

Danny remained silent, unsure if he wanted to air his stupid childish thoughts.

"It wouldn't have something to do with the invitation Delia made, now would it?"

"It..." Danny started weakly, before realising it and shaking his head. "It made me realise that I wouldn't be home for Yule, and then..."

A gloved hand on his shoulder stopped his mouth and his legs. "You, being a teenager, decided it was a good time to sit around and sulk," Professor Oak finished for Danny.

"Got it in one," Danny said. "It… Is it wrong of me that I didn't think about it like that before today?"

"Thought about what like what?"

Danny couldn't read the Professor's face; not in the night, but somewhere, he had a feeling the Professor knew what was meant. "I didn't really realise that I couldn't go back to Hoenn. That we're exiled. That we won't see our family for months, maybe years." And all because of one person. "It's stupid, I know it is, but… Part of me wishes that Ash never took us there."

"Hindsight is perfect, as they say," the scientist replied softly. "It's not stupid to regret what led you somewhere, and far more mature Trainers than you have raged against the heavens for their lot in life. I truly shudder to think how my grandson would've reacted if he had been in your shoes. As for your other question…" A short pause fell, and Danny tried to peer into the darkness, but he saw nothing important. "Some psychologists will vehemently disagree with me, but I think there are very few wrong ways to deal with trauma. Not wanting to think about it is a very human reaction. As long as you find an outlet before it boils over, no harm done in my book."

"Does this count?"

"Yes," Professor Oak agreed emphatically. "If talking didn't help, why would there be so many therapists around?"

The teenager wasn't sure what to say about that. He'd never really noticed there were a lot of them, not that he'd gone looking for them. "I guess..." Danny said, somewhat distracted and nearly paying for it as a patch of ice made him lose his grip. The strong body of a dragonite behind him stopped worse. "And, I guess… Thank you for listening."

"Oh, nonsense," the Professor said, and Danny saw the outline of the older man make a throw-away gesture. "It is the least I can do. You've been a great help in the past weeks, and you've got all the makings of a fine scientist in a few years."

The darkness hid Danny's blush, bringing some needed warmth into his face. "It's been fun," he said when he was certain he wouldn't have his voice break or squeak or something. "I thought it'd be harder to understand. Uncle always complained about how difficult it can be."

"Your Uncle also has to find Pokémon habitats and make sure to not disturb them so his observation are valid," Professor Oak explained. "My research varies a bit, and, well, it is a topic you are familiar with."

Danny nodded. "I didn't know there were so many Mega Stones in Kanto already. I thought it was really rare, and that they weren't found here?"

"It is rare, but apparently, they are here as well. In small numbers, mind you. I believe there are three more around in Kanto and Johto, and you know two of the Trainers holding those. Regardless, all of them are in the hands of high-level Trainers.

"How high?" Danny wondered, thinking back. He knew he'd seen two Kanto Gym Leaders: Sabrina with her signature alakazam and Lt. Surge with an ampharos. They'd come over together a few days before. He hadn't recognised any of the others.

"Three Gym Leaders, two Frontier Brains, and two independent Master-tier Trainers," the Professor revealed. "Gave me a bit of trouble when I realised Max knew a few of them. Couldn't have familiarity influence the experiments. Same reason the others didn't tell you who they were either."

A memory popped up, just when Danny had thought he'd buried it. "Guess they had fun seeing me making a fool of myself with that medicham," he said, unable to keep the whine out. "Max wouldn't have done that."

The laboratory wasn't more than fifty feet away by now, but the Professor stopped Danny with an arm. The limited light from the building revealed a frown. "Why do you continuously compare yourself to him, Danny? I can't imagine it's jealousy, seeing how you two get along."

"It just comes naturally after travelling with him for so long," Danny replied easily, but the look on the older man's face caused something uncomfortable to gather in his stomach. "Professor?"

"I misspoke slightly. It is not the constant comparing, but the fact that you always seem to put yourself second-best." A hand grasped his shoulder. "It is unhealthy, Danny. Tell yourself something over and over and you might believe it to be true, even if it isn't."

"What isn't?"

The Professor sighed deeply. "That you're inferior to your friend." Danny tensed up, and he felt Oak's hand react. "You are not."

"But Max is smarter," Danny started. "And he's a better Trainer, and he's got a lot more on his plate. I'm pretty sure he feels guilty about dragging me into..."

"This whole mess?"

That was good enough of a summary for Danny, and he nodded. "Friends help friends, and he needs my help more."

"But isn't it better if you weren't held back by something you're telling yourself?" Sharp eyes fixed their gaze on Danny, he saw and felt. "From what I've observed, the difference in your intelligence and capability as a Trainer is barely noticeable, and where it is, it is irrelevant. Whether you need to ask one or two minor questions to understand a concept that is far beyond the average Trainer's understanding is truly splitting hairs, Danny, and don't believe I haven't kept an eye on the spars you've been having around my ranch. Both of you are ahead of my grandson and his rival when they were as old as you are now." The Professor's hand rose just slightly, enough to indicate the necklace hidden underneath several layers of clothing. "Max does have more on his plate, but I disagree with your idea of putting him first."

Danny bit back a remark he knew was pretty acidic. No matter how much the words hurt to hear, he couldn't do that to the man who'd given them a place to stay and learn for the past two weeks or so. "What do you mean, Professor?"

"Remember what they always say in planes about the oxygen masks?"

That was a… non-sequitur? Was that what Dad had called it? Danny cast his mind back to the instructions they'd been given the last time he flew. "That they'll fall from the ceiling?"

"That you should put your own mask on first before helping anyone else who can't or is having problems," the Professor told Danny kindly. "In this case: help yourself first. You'll be able to help Max better that way. And I know, it won't be easy," he added before Danny could say anything. "But improving yourself never is."

"And if I don't?" Danny asked, truly curious.

"At best, you'll never reach your potential," the Professor said. "At worst, and let me say that I don't believe Max can do this as he is, you'll be thrown to the side once you're not useful any longer. Like a chewed-up Pokémon toy. And I'm really not saying Max would," came a repeat. "But people change when they grow up. It's not always for the better."

Paul popped into Danny's head as the Professor said that; the memory of the boy he'd once thought of as a sort-of friend souring his mood a bit. "I don't suppose you have tips for me?"

He wasn't expecting much, which made the nod all the more surprising. "You trust your Pokémon to act independently in battle. It's as much a partnership as it is a Trainer and a Pokémon: you're a team, as equal as possible. Doing something along those lines is what I would try to do if I were you."

"I don't suppose you have specific examples?"

The Professor let out a short laugh. "If I did, would it be the right thing for me to tell you? To live your life is to learn lesson after lesson, Danny, and it's far better to discover yourself than be told something." The older man turned towards his laboratory. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to warm up. Shall we go inside?"

Danny acquiesced, and he quickly found froslass floating nearby, enjoying the cold weather as she kept an eye on him from afar. One red beam later, and he made his way inside to where it was warm.

~~§~~§~~

Kanto Route 1 was gorgeous, almost blindingly so. The wintry sun reflected off freshly fallen snow in an almost magical way, and with next to no humans or Pokémon around, Serena was free to enjoy the small route between Viridian City and Pallet Town. The air was clean, not too cold even if it was below freezing, and it was just a perfect bit of land.

She wished she could share it with her Pokémon, but none of them would like it as much as she did. Braixen didn't care for ice, as a Fire-type; zorua didn't like anything getting in his fur; altaria and cherrim detested the cold. Ducklett might like it, but she couldn't walk that fast yet, having hatched only recently. Serena did have to make sure that she actually got to Pallet before sundown. It was only eight miles or so, something she could walk easily, but the snow made it a bit harder, and worse on the Water-type.

Checking her newly bought ruby red Pokénav, she saw that it was nearing three, and that she was about a mile and a half away from Pallet. She'd made good time since noon, then, and it was a pace she felt she could easily keep up while carrying the increased load now that she was out on her own. Not that she'd need all of those things yet: she certainly planned on being in Pokémon Centers while the weather was cold, but you had to be prepared.

Spending all that time with Danny and Max had taught Serena that much.

The thought of the two boys made her smile, and she couldn't wait to see them again.

Sara had laughed at her and asked more than once if she loved one of them, but Serena was pretty certain that wasn't it. It was just that they'd spent so long together, and they'd been through so much together… And then both of them had gone on the run… Was it really that strange that she wanted her friends to be okay?

She loved Sara dearly, but it had felt like there was a bit of a gap between them now, and not because they were only talking occasionally now.

The rest of the journey was pretty boring. The sun did fall lower in the sky, which made the reflection on the snow all the worse, but Serena had come prepared with sunglasses for a reason, and it wasn't long before she had her first look at Pallet Town.

It looked like a perfect rural town, with snow-filled roofs, wide streets, white gardens, and not too far away from where she was standing on the nearby cliff, some snowball face-off. That looked to be on the main road into the town, and Serena soon made her way down the winding path that led around and down. It was a gentle walk, and she noticed a sign telling her she'd entered Pallet Town, as well as a mr. mime throwing snow out of a garden in the background.

The sound of playing children shrieking as they caught a face full of snow reached her ears before she could see them, but as she moved closer, she heard one of the children – a girl, Serena thought – yell for an attack, and a cacophony of children's voices joined her, probably rushing forward to storm whoever was on the other side.

Wait. She knew that voice. It was kind of drowned out between the children laughing, but there was an indignant teenager protesting in there. And that teenage boy sounded very familiar to Serena's ears.

As quick as she could, she rushed towards the sound, finding that she only had to turn one corner to see a heap of children burying someone in snow. And to the side, trying to not incite the wrath of the children, was a very familiar teenager.

One of the two girls spotted her before anyone else did, and as if the Pallet Town children shared minds, they all moved off of their target, revealing a very white Danny, recognisable only by his winter coat. While he got up, shaking all the snow off, Max noticed her. "Serena!"

Danny interrupted his cleaning to look at her, and she gave him a little wave as she started moving towards them, the five children backing off a bit. "Hey there!" Serena returned, and it felt good to see them in person again. The moment she could, she hugged Max; something he returned with gusto, doing the same with Danny when he got up. "So this is how you spend your days? Being beaten by a bunch of children?"

"Devious bunch of ba— kids they are," Max said, looking past her to see if the children weren't trying anything. He'd be like that. "What are you doing here? I thought you wouldn't come to Kanto until the new year?"

Serena nodded, unable to keep the smile off her face. "That was the plan, but then I got invited to spend Yule in Kanto about a week ago. Mum's over in Viridian, we arrived the day before yesterday."

"Who invited you?" Danny asked.

"I did," came the voice of Mrs. Ketchum behind them all, startling Serena and at least Danny too. "Welcome to Pallet Town, Serena. Was the trip from Viridian okay?"

"Route 1 is beautiful in the snow," Serena said honestly as the woman slotted into their little group. She had a nice pink coat that Serena liked, but couldn't really get away with. She liked reds more. "Saw maybe three Pokémon, no humans. Easy trip, even with my pack."

Whatever Mrs. Ketchum wanted to say was stopped by Max suddenly snapping his fingers. "Oh, oh!" he exclaimed, doing a little dance in the snow.. "That's why you said it'd be five of us, right? You'd already invited Serena."

Serena had no idea what he was talking about, but the adult did. "Exactly. You were expecting someone else, weren't you?" Max nodded. "He's at home now. The hot cocoa should be ready too. Shall we go there to warm up a bit? I think Danny needs that after the snow bath he got."

That sounded like a good plan, and the boys agreed, Danny grumbling good-naturedly about children being way too fast in the snow.

The Ketchum home was barely a street and a half away, and once there, Serena saw a familiar Pokémon: the same mr. mime that had been throwing snow around earlier. "I saw… him?" she guessed as the Pokémon took care of her pack with some careful telekinesis, "a couple of minutes ago. Getting snow out of a garden."

"He's a dear. Makes it easy for me," Mrs. Ketchum said, smiling as the Psychic-type led them to a comfortable homey room. "Welcome to my home, Serena. Ash isn't here yet, but he'll arrive tomorrow."

"If he doesn't get lost or caught up in training," Max quipped.

"That is why he's not here yet."

~~§~~§~~

Ash was legitimately full to the point of bursting. He wasn't sure how that had happened, after a light soup and a variety of salads and seafood, but his stomach said otherwise. "Man, I'm stuffed," he told the others. "You outdid yourself, Mum."

The three teenagers seated at the other side of the table all agreed. "It was great, M… Delia," the girl on the left said, still not used to calling Ash's Mum by her name. "Never had oysters this good, even in Kalos."

"High praise," his mother told them, starting to collect plates from around the table and giving Mimey a warning look. The mr. mime normally did that, but he had the day off on Yule, instead sitting at a second smaller table and mirroring the main dinner with Pokémon. Pikachu, braixen, clefairy, and helioptile were the other four, though Ash knew Max and Danny had both wanted to send other Pokémon out.

Sceptile, swampert, and aggron were just too big, sending out froslass inside was asking for trouble, baltoy didn't really eat all that much and manectric didn't have hands to eat with. Max had reached clefairy pretty soon afterwards, though Danny… The exaggerated listing of his Pokémon and why they wouldn't work still amused Ash.

It hadn't stopped them from putting the Ice-type Pokémon and a few others that were well-equipped to deal with the temperatures just below freezing outside with some food as well.

"I think we'll wait with dessert," Mum declared as she came back to the others still sitting at the table. "Yule logs are enjoyed best if they don't put you in a food coma."

Max disagreed with a roll of his eyes, but he didn't say anything, instead asking for and getting permission to leave the table for now. He walked over to the sofa, curling up on one side with a book on Psychic-types that he had gotten from one of the others from Hoenn. Ash'd forgotten the name.

Someone tapped him on his shoulder, and he looked left to find Danny standing there. "Going to check on the Pokémon. You coming?" he asked Ash.

Two minutes later, they were outside in the mostly snow-free garden. Mimey had removed most of it, but he had left a small amount for seasonal cheer, or so Mum had claimed. It was a pretty sight, even in the limited light that the lamp near the backdoor and the unnatural fire provided. Danny's dusclops was keeping it going, somehow draining it of most heat in the process and making it so that froslass and glalie could be near it without being uncomfortable. Swinub and absol were eating a bit further away, and Ash's Pokémon started walking up to them when she noticed them looking. "Having a good time out here?" Ash asked.

The bark was happy enough for sure, and after a quick rub on her flank, the Dark-type went back to eating, content with the attention she'd gotten. She was like that: wanting sporadic affection and then nothing for days on end.

"Did you see how Max reacted to absol?"

He had. For some weird reason, Max had looked a bit… awkward when Ash had sent absol out earlier. "Yeah. Don't think he had that last year. What gives?"

The lanky teenager – Ash was only an inch taller, if that – shrugged. "He's got that with drapion too. Sensed him underground even if he doesn't realise it was that."

"Yveltal?" Ash guessed. Powerful Legendaries had a way of leaving their mark on those nearby. He should know.

"Thought so, but it's not just Dark-types. Dusclops, come here for a moment," Danny said, and his Ghost-type did just that. "What does dusclops feel like to you?"

That was a really strange request, but Ash still put his hand on the Ghost-type's back. There was an empty chill underneath his fingers, like with most powerful Ghost-types that didn't have something else that changed things around. "Cold and empty," he reported back. "Like a Night Shade."

"Yeah. That's what I feel too. Didn't ask Max, but I think he feels something stronger." The Ghost, not needed any longer, went to tend the fire again, bowing to Danny as she did so. "He only started noticing when we were in Hoenn last month."

"Ghosts are pretty close to death, and yveltal is the Legendary of Death. Could be the result from that." Ash paused for a second. "Isn't there a legend about dusknoir being a spirit world guide?"

"You were the one who went to Sinnoh, not me. They do evolve with a Reaper Cloth, so maybe?" Danny shrugged, and Ash felt the same way. "He doesn't really have it with doublade or froslass, and we've not been that close to other powerful Ghost-types."

"You could ask Professor Oak for setting that up. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Danny smiled, but he shook his head as well. "Don't think I want to add more on Max's plate right now. He doesn't need another thing hanging over him. It's only powerful Pokémon too: someone's houndoom had pups and he didn't have any problems with the mother or the children."

The argument made sense to Ash, though he wasn't sure if Danny was right in keeping it to himself. He was as much a victim as Max had been, and from what Gary had said in occasional calls, the older of the two was also taking it harder in the first place. Or was worse at hiding it, but Ash didn't agree with Gary on that after what he'd seen in the last thirty hours. "Just take care of yourself."

That got him a suspicious look. "You're not the first to say that."

"Can't help it if it's the truth."

~~§~~§~~§~~§~~

Two members of the Team Rocket criminal gang were sentenced to prison today for attempted Pokémon theft. The duo, not identified, were caught last month on Pummelo Island after anonymous Trainers deposited them with the police. "For their own safety, these Trainers have asked to not be identified," the Pummelo Officer Jenny told the Orange Islands Courier in a statement. "As ever, we are grateful for anyone's help in taking care of these criminals."

Author's Note: A day late thanks to some early spring illness flooring me, we arrive in the dark of winter, and appropriately angsty for the time of year. It should be better from here for a while, though I won't promise a complete absence.

Next chapter, we leave for Johto.