Type: Electric
Shipping: FulaShipping

One-Shot 6: Christmas to Fula-Round

Ash and Pikachu returned to Fula City blanketed in snow and they bundled up. Pikachu's got a cute wool cap on. Looking at the Eternal Flame, recalling the chaos that was the Wind Festival. Ash walked around the city, getting himself familiar with the occasion. "I was lucky to get you something for Christmas, Pikachu," Ash brought up.

("You did!?") gasped Pikachu. ("When!? How!?") Hearing Pikachu, Risa found the group.

"Ash!" she called out. "Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu turned to Risa and her younger brother, Rick, reaching them.

"Hey, Risa!" he greeted before giving each other a high-five. "And you are…" Rick giggled to Ash's lack of knowledge.

"This is my little brother, Rick," Risa introduced. "He's behind the Pokémon Channel during the Wind Festival and he was on bed rest with a broken leg." That made Ash and Pikachu realize who was calling the shots.

"Hey, at least he did help out," Ash figured.

("He's a friend,") Pikachu determined. Eevee jumped up and tackled Pikachu from the perch before they landed in the snow. Both came out alright and Eevee nuzzled Pikachu's cheek. ("I should've known…") he squeaked with a grin.

"Seems Eevee misses Ash after so long," Risa laughed. Ash and Rick shared huffs of giggles before Ash turned to Rick.

"I can see that your leg's fully healed," Ash noticed.

"Yeah, it was painful to walk on it after a few surgeries," Rick shrugged. "But I persevered and now I'm walking free of suffering, made better with the party tonight." He showed a pair of tickets.

"Can't wait for it," Ash grinned, flashing a ticket of his own.

"Great!" cheered Risa. "Hopefully, we can see everyone from the Wind Festival!" Ash and Pikachu agreed as they headed to a ballroom in a big structure. A lot of people and Pokémon were seen. Ash toured around when he saw on the table, a picture of Harriet with black ribbons. The Pokémon seemed to have fun with toys and food. Risa's Eevee approached Pikachu and looked up, having the Mouse Pokémon copy. Above was a stock of mistletoe.

("Is that what I think it is?") he pointed out.

("Yep!") cheered Eevee.

(Flashback)

Risa held mistletoe around Eevee. "Check this out!" she called out. Eevee approached Risa and pawed the mistletoe. "This is mistletoe. It's Christmas tradition that if you catch someone under this, you give him a kiss." The Evolution Pokémon chimed in wanting to follow the tradition.

True to her memory, Eevee kissed Pikachu's lips. This made Ash's Pokémon blush and cheer wildly. Callahan reached Ash. "We're rather devastated about Harriet's passing," he groaned. "After the events of the Wind Festival, she was with us for a few months before she entered the hospital and never came out." Ash mulled Harriet's death.

"What… happened, exactly?" he asked.

"She told us not to say anything until she was gone. No one knew that before the Wind Festival, she had a terminal illness that gave her only a year to live. Losing Snubbull weighed so heavily on her. At least she's reunited with it and the city has adopted the Pokémon that traveled with her." Ash gave a prayer to Harriet.

"Are you upset that Grandma Harriet's no longer here?" a girl's voice spoke. Done praying, Ash turned to Kellie and her mother, Mia.

"I am," he nodded. Kellie gave Ash a hug while Callahan's Sudowoodo palmed Ash's head. A little while later, Torren saw Ash with Rick among the people attending the party. They were enjoying Berry Punch.

"It's funny that the incident with the Effect Spore gas has given my lab more research with additional remedies and reactions," Torren discussed.

"So, if there are new ailments Pokémon suffer, your research would have cures for them?" guessed Rick.

"We may, but we need to find those ailments and look them up," Torren assured. Chansey nodded, ready to aid him. That's when Ash saw Mayor Oliver out of the corner of his eye looking greatly worried. Ash wove a palm to stop before he approached Oliver. Pikachu and Eevee saw Ash's jog to the mayor.

"Is something wrong, Mayor?" he asked. Oliver cringed at the question.

"Did you see Margo anywhere?" he wondered. Ash and the Pokémon blinked to Oliver's concern.

"Come to think of it, we haven't seen Margo at all." It made the Pokémon think back to the Wind Festival.

("The mountains?") guessed Eevee.

("You think Margo's there?") questioned Pikachu. That's when it clicked for Ash.

"You don't think she's with Zeraora, right?" he assumed. Oliver gasped before believing in Ash's guess.

"She must be!" he answered. Ash turned to Pikachu and both fluffed nods.

"I'll get her," he motioned. "Stay here." He and Pikachu dashed out with Risa blinking to the occasion.

"Where are they off to?" she thought. Ash and Pikachu made their way out to the mountain just outside of Fula City. More Pokémon were seen.

"Margo!" shouted Ash. They looked desperately around. That's when they spotted something out of place: a small house. "Wait… what's a house doing here?"

("Good question,") Pikachu pondered. Suddenly, Zeraora emerged from the house as Risa, Rick and Eevee caught up.

"Whoa, Zeraora!" gawked Rick. Pikachu raced through the snow while Ash kept everyone back. The two Electric-Type Pokémon conversed for a little while before Pikachu ran back to Ash.

("Margo's inside!") he pointed out. Eevee heard and ran with Pikachu to the house. The kids followed and entered, slightly ducking inside. Inside was a Christmas tree with a snowy disposition and Berries hung like ornaments. By the tree, Margo with Teddiursa and Ditto put the finishing touches on it.

"Margo?" called out Risa. Margo and the Pokémon looked to the kids.

"Ash, you're back?" she gasped. Ash and the siblings made it to the tree.

"You did it all by yourself?" awed Rick.

"Not me, but Zeraora helped out," Margo clarified. "I talked to Zeraora about giving the Pokémon a Christmas for themselves." Pikachu and Eevee awed the Christmas Tree.

"That's wonderful of you," Ash admired. "But your dad's worried about you back at the hall." Margo gasped to the news.

"Oh, it's that time?" she mulled. "I lost track of time." Pikachu and Eevee pawed Margo's legs to forgive her. "I'll be back!" They left for the hall while the Pokémon were hopeful for Margo's return. Oliver learned what happened with Margo and Zeraora and knew she didn't mean to forget. Nighttime arrived in Fula City, Christmas Eve was about to end for Christmas Day coming. Ash and Pikachu said goodnight to the siblings and headed to the Pokémon Center. However, Pikachu spotted movement from the corner of his eye and looked. Someone small was heading to the mountain, most likely to the house.

("Ash, someone's going to the shelter!") he alerted. Ash turned to the figure and raced after the person.

"Let's go," he advised. He and Pikachu pursued the silhouette back to the mountain and to the house. They soon approached the house and opened it, surprising Margo and the Pokémon. "Hey, hey, it's me and Pikachu!" Margo breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ash," she called. "Pikachu…" She then became concerned. "I'm sorry, but I want to spend Christmas Eve with the Pokémon, including Zeraora." Ash and Pikachu seemed in awe for Margo's dedication.

"But… couldn't you invite them to your home and not join them in the Pokémon Shelter? Your dad wants to dedicate it to Harriet, knowing how much she helped with the crisis."

"I know, but it's not just Zeraora or Ditto or Teddiursa." That's when more Pokémon gathered with wood as they dumped it all in into a fire pit. Ash realized Margo's wish: to be with the Pokémon for Christmas.

"Suddenly, you remind me of me: I wanted to do all I could for the Pokémon to make them happy." Margo giggled to Ash's thought.

"Well, actually… this is how Mommy and Daddy met." The reminder made Ash shutter a gasp.

"Can you tell us?"

"Of course." Some of the Pokémon gathered blankets as Zeraora and Pikachu used Electric attacks to start a fire in the pit. "This was a long time ago from what Daddy told me: One night, Mommy found some Pokémon that were cold. She loved Pokémon as much as I do. She set up a tent for some of them, but then built a cabin when more Pokémon came by, not wanting to freeze. Daddy saw that cabin and wondered if Mommy needed help and she allowed it. They made the cabin and gathered the Pokémon. It was then that Daddy told Mommy that he saw Fula City and wanted to change it for everyone to live in harmony. Mommy agreed and they married and… I was born after." Ash and Pikachu seemed in shock to how Oliver met his wife.

"You adopted your mom's ability to love Pokémon." Margo looked to Ash with awe.

"I wish I learned more before she died." Sympathetic, Ash hugged Margo. She cried, her mother and Harriet in her heart. Ash and the Pokémon looked up, thinking Harriet and Margo's mother were watching over her. That's when bells were heard jingling. Ash, Margo and the Pokémon looked around.

"HO HO HO!" sounded someone familiar. Stepping through the door, Santa Claus emerged.

"It's Santa!" gawked Ash and Margo.

"My goodness!" chuckled Santa. "Who else but young Ash to bring the Christmas spirit to a girl." Margo seemed a little down. "It's been hard on you. Luckily, you have your friend ready to help out." Margo nodded.

"I bet you came by to give gifts for the Pokémon?" guessed Ash.

"I have, and to drop off yours," Santa confirmed. "I'll tell the Mayor that his daughter's safe." Margo gulped to Santa's knowledge.

"How do you know I'm the mayor's daughter?" she questioned. Ash snickered.

"It's Santa Claus," he simplified. "He knows all the kids." Santa dropped off a huge bag before giving Ash and Margo a couple of presents each.

"Now, you two get yourselves some sleep," Santa advised. "Christmas will take a lot of energy." He walked out to his sleigh before he had his signature laugh. "HO HO HO! Merry Christmas to all! And to all a goodnight!" Ash and Margo were blessed to have been visited by Santa Claus. Margo looked up and spotted another stock of mistletoe. Quickly, she claimed Ash's lips with a kiss, surprising the trainer. Ash soon relaxed as he and Margo laid down for sleep underneath the mistletoe. Morning arrived and Risa, Rick and Oliver explored the shelter. When they saw Ash and Margo sleeping peacefully, Oliver sighed in relief.

"Margo, don't run off like that again," he muttered as Risa looked above, spotting the mistletoe. She giggled, thinking of the cuteness it brought.

"So, that's why they're so close," she pointed out. Oliver and Rick saw the mistletoe as Risa closed in on the two.

"Mistletoe?" irked Rick. "Really?" Risa was by Ash's side as Margo softly wrenched Ash's head to kiss his lips. Humored, Risa leaned in.

"Merry Christmas, you two," she whispered while Pikachu woke with Eevee standing by his side. Risa kissed Ash's cheek. Rick gawked to the sight but Oliver laughed. Ash and Margo may have found themselves with the best Christmas present ever: themselves. Risa made a prayer for the two to be together. Who knows. They may be replaying Oliver's love life to the letter.

END of ELECTRIC
Next up (by Coin Toss): FAIRY

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