Serena moaned as her eyes opened, and the first thing she saw was her laying her head on the side of a hospital bed. She lifted her head and looked around to find that she was still in the hospital room, sitting on a chair next to the bed. When Serena turned to see Calem still lying on the bed, she squeaked like a mouse, and her face turned pink, forgetting that she sat down so close to him. She then noticed the light out in the window and saw that it was morning and snowing hard. Serena smiled at the view before noticing the clock next to the window showing that it was 7:34.
"Oh my gosh! Fennekin!" She shouted.
Serena sprung out of her seat and grabbed her coat. She turned to Calem and, in a moment of temptation, decided to stroke his hair before she left. Serena hung her head to hide her blush with hair even though her crush was unconscious. She then collected herself and turned to the door only to find Delia's beaming face inches away from hers.
"Serena! Merry Christmas!" Delia exclaimed, pulling Serena into a hug.
Serena let out a low "umph" from the auburn-haired woman's tight embrace. She hesitantly hugged Delia back before realizing that Mimey, Dawn, Piplup, Grandpa Ramos, and Sonia were standing behind Calem's mother. All of them looked thrilled to see her as though they were little children who just saw Santa Claus.
"Hi, Serena," Dawn greeted. "Were you here all night?"
"Uh, yeah, I was," Serena confessed. "I came over to visit Calem last night, and I guess I fell asleep."
"Oh, you're just like me," Grandpa Ramos chirped. "As long as I am lying down or sitting on something, I can sleep anywhere."
"Believe me, he has," Sonia said.
"Mr. Mime," Mimey agreed.
Serena giggled while Delia broke the hug to look at her and say, "So, how's Cay-Cay?"
Serena covered her mouth to hide another giggle from the silly name and answered, "He's doing okay. I think he has a little more color on his face than before."
"Oh, yeah, sure enough," Dawn said, examining her brother with Piplup standing on the bed again. "He's definitely less pale than before, don't you think, Piplup?"
"Piplup," the penguin Pokemon said, nodding.
"Oh, thank the Lord," Delia said as she walked over to the bed and started petting Calem on the head. "Maybe that means he'll wake up soon."
"I hope so, Delia. Dr. Proctor did say that there's no telling when he'll wake up," Sonia said.
"Dontcha worry, Sonia. My grandson isn't going to take long to get out of this coma," Grandpa Ramos said confidently. "Calem is too stubborn to face life like it is just like me."
"Yeah, like how life knows the difference between a heart attack and an episode," Sonia mumbled.
Serena smiled, having overheard Sonia before she cleared her throat and said, "Well, I gotta get going."
Delia looked at Serena, devastated, and asked, "You're leaving?"
"But we just got here," Dawn protested.
"I know, but I gotta get home and feed my Fennekin before going to work," Serena said.
"You're working on Christmas Day?" Sonia asked.
"Yeah, I am," Serena answered.
"You're not working the entire day, are you?" Grandpa Ramos asked.
"No, just from nine to five," Serena answered.
"Oh, good," Delia chirped. "That means that you can come!"
"Come? Come to what?" Serena said.
"To the Christmas party, of course," Dawn answered. "Didn't Calem ever tell you that we celebrate Christmas as a family at night?"
"I… can't say he did," Serena said honestly.
"Seriously? He's told you all about us, but he didn't tell you what we do for Christmas?" Dawn asked, dumbfounded.
"Um, well, we kinda had our own plans before my boss had me scheduled to work today," Serena lied.
"Of course, he did," Dawn said, rolling her eyes.
"Pip, Piplup," Piplup grumbled, sharing its partner's annoyance.
"Oh, if Ash were here, he'd give his brother a good talking to," Grandpa Ramos said.
Delia gasped and said, "That's right. You haven't met Ash yet, have you, Serena?"
"No, I haven't," Serena said.
"Oh, he'd be happy to meet you," Delia said. "He'll be happy to meet you."
Serena grew uneasy and said, "That's very kind of you to offer Mrs. Ke - er, Mom, but I don't think I can make it."
"Sure you can," Delia said. "You said you finish work at five, right? That's plenty of time to come since we don't live far from here and we don't start until seven. You can even bring your Fennekin with you too. I'm sure it'll have lots of fun playing with Mimey and Piplup."
"Mr. Mime," Mimey said, nodding.
"Piplup," Piplup chirped.
"But I'm not part of the family," Serena said. "And I really don't deserve to be a part of a special time like that."
"You're engaged to Calem and risked your life to save him, and yet you're not worthy to spend Christmas with us?" Dawn asked.
Serena opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself when she couldn't find a good answer. Delia smiled warmly at the honey blonde woman as she took out a business card, a notepad, and a pen and started writing on the back of the card.
"Here, write down your address on this," she said, handing the notepad and pen to Serena. "And here's our business card with our address on the back."
Serena reluctantly wrote down her address before handing it back to Delia and politely taking the card. She looked at the address on the back that said 7670 South Jamison Drive and flipped the card to look at the front of the business card.
"'Ketchum Mother and Son Estate Furniture?'" Serena read out loud.
"That's right. We buy furniture from dead people," Delia said. "In fact, Ash is out of town buying estates with his Pikachu right now."
"I see," Serena said. "Well, I better get going. Don't want to keep Fennekin waiting."
"Of course, sweetie. Give us a call after work to let us know if you're coming," Delia said.
"I will," Serena said. "Goodbye, everyone."
"Bye, Serena," Dawn, Grandpa Ramos, and Sonia said simultaneously.
"Mime, Mime," Mimey said, waving its hand.
"Piplup," Piplup chirped.
Serena gave the family a friendly smile before she turned around and left the room. As the rest of the family turned back to Calem, Sonia watched Serena leave through the glass wall, thinking about what she overheard the night before. Serena sighed as she walked toward the elevator and pressed the down button before a male nurse walked over to her, carrying a box.
"Excuse me, miss?" He asked.
"Yes?" Serena asked.
"I'm sorry we didn't bring these to you right away, Mrs. Ketchum, but these are your husband's things," the nurse said, offering the box to her.
Serena's face immediately turned red from the words "Mrs. Ketchum" and "your husband" before she snapped her eyes shut and squealed, "He's not my husband!"
The nurse looked at her as though she was acting like a madwoman and said, "Sorry. These are your fiancee's things."
Serena opened her mouth to protest, but the nurse handed the box to her and walked away without saying another word. The poor woman whimpered like a child, unable to stand how the situation was building up. The elevator doors opened, and she took a step to get in until a person's arm appeared in front of her. She turned to her left to see a small, thin man with orange rounded hair and grey eyes dressed in a fine suit standing in front of her.
"Hey, are you really Calem's fiancee?" He asked.
Serena let out another sigh, and a weary face asked, "Who wants to know?"
"I'm Trevor McFarley," the man said. "I'm a colleague of Calem's at the firm."
"Oh, pleased to meet you," Serena said, struggling to keep a friendly demeanor. "I gotta go now."
But instead of letting her pass, Trevor stepped closer to Serena, forcing her to back away from the elevator. The honey blonde woman became uneasy as Trevor spoke with a forced smile.
"I just want to say Calem is a nice guy," he said. "I hope he wakes up soon. He's already had a tough year, what with the accident last month and all."
"Accident?" Serena asked.
Trevor frowned and said, "He did tell you it was an accident, right? Please tell me Calem didn't say it was my fault."
"I'm sorry. I don't know what you're talking about," Serena said.
Trevor huffed and said, "Okay, we were playing basketball, right? I had a pencil in my front pocket because I'm a lawyer. That's what I do. I mean, come on. Who could have guessed that after we bumped into each other and fell, my pencil would go through one of his jewels?"
"Jewels? I've never seen Calem wear any jewels," Serena said.
"Not that kind of jewels," Trevor said. "I mean his personal jewels?"
Serena tilted her head, still unsure of what Trevor was talking about. The orange-haired man looked at her strangely, wondering why she didn't already catch what he was talking about. He cleared his throat and pointed at his crotch area while looking away from Serena. She looked at where he was pointing and took a moment before her pupils shrank, and her body began to shake as she realized what he was talking about.
The next thing anyone knew, there was a high-pitched scream that could be heard all over the ICU.
Serena covered her face with the box carrying Calem's things as she walked home, running away from the hospital without saying a word to Trevor. The poor woman quietly cried as she felt a part of her innocence disappear, unable to get rid of the graphic image of what happened to Calem out of her mind. She covered her face with the box so much that she bumped into the front door to her apartment complex before opening it. When she entered her apartment, she couldn't look at Fennekin as she apologized for being away for so long and feeding the fox Pokemon her breakfast. Fennekin wondered what happened to Serena, but her partner refused to say a word before leaving the box on her bedroom floor, said goodbye to her Pokemon, and exited the apartment again.
As soon as she closed the door behind her, Serena leaned against it and let out another weary sigh, and mentally told herself to focus on going to work. But as she walked down the stairs, the door to Mr. Walken's apartment opened, and Tierno's round head stuck out.
"Hey, Serena," he said. "Tonight. 8 o'clock."
Serena stopped walking down the steps and asked, "What?"
"I'm picking you up to see the ice capades," Tierno said while holding out two tickets in his left hand. "I know a guy."
"Oh, sorry, Tierno. I can't," Serena said. "I have plans tonight with Fennekin."
"No problem," Tierno said with a toothy grin. "Pokemon partners can come for free. Squirtle and I would love to have your Fennekin join us."
"No, Tierno. You can't just -" Serena began.
"I'll be at your doorstep at 8 on the dot," Tierno interrupted. "Make sure you're ready by then. It's gonna be awesome."
Before Serena could protest, Tierno had already closed the door. She groaned in annoyance, tired of people not letting her speak over the last nineteen hours. She exited the apartment building and began heading to Mickey's churro stand, grumbling as she walked. She asked Mickey to decorate her churros with chocolate sauce, feeling the need for something extra sweet to comfort her before she went to the Thom Avenue station and clocked in.
For the next four hours, Serena sat alone in the token booth. With Shauna off to celebrate Christmas with her family, Serena had no one to talk to while very few people and Pokemon came to take the train. The most she would see were a couple of families with the children carrying their new toys or some elderly people and their Pokemon going to meet their families in their homes, bringing presents and food while waiting for the train. Serena frowned and rested her head with her hand, feeling envious of the passengers celebrating with their loved ones.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Serena turned her head to see Iris and Axew through the window with a tall, pale man with bright green hair and a Pansage on his shoulder, and a ten-year-old boy with tan skin and lime-green hair and a Dratini standing next to him. The six of them were smiling at Serena with the boy cheerfully waving. Serena smiled back and stood up from her seat to open the door and let the family in.
"Merry Christmas, Serena," Iris greeted with a hug.
"Axew," Axew said inside Iris' hair.
"Merry Christmas, Iris," Serena said, hugging her boss back before turning to the man and the boy. "And merry Christmas to you too, Cilan and Maynor."
"Most merry of Christmases to you, Serena," the man named Cilan said with a bow.
"Pansage," the Pansage said.
"Merry Christmas," Maynor said.
"Dratini," the Dratini said.
Serena's smile grew as she knelt down to Maynor's height and asked, "And who is that Pokemon next to you, Maynor?"
Maynor's face lit up, and he turned to the Dratini, saying, "This is Dratini, my partner."
"Oh, wow. You have your very own Pokemon?" Serena asked, pretending to be surprised.
"Yup, he's a Christmas present from Santa," Maynor said. "We're gonna go on a Pokemon journey together after new year's."
"A Pokemon journey? That's super exciting," Serena said.
"I know," Maynor chirped. "We can hardly wait. Can we, Dratini?"
"Dratini," Dratini replied before rubbing its head against Maynor's cheek affectionately.
The boy laughed as he hugged his Pokemon while Serena smiled, happy to see Maynor and his new Pokemon bonding. Iris and Cilan watched the moment with Cilan's arm around his wife's waist before Iris cleared her throat.
"Anyway, we just thought we'd drop by while we wait for the train to take us to Cilan's parents," Iris said. "Figured my best employee could use a little company while working hard."
Serena smirked and rolled her eyes, amused with her boss' sweet-talking.
"Thank you. I appreciate it," she said.
"It's our pleasure," Cilan said. "Now, we better get to the platform so that we're ready to get on the train."
"Pansage," Pansage agreed.
"Alright, Dad," Maynor said. "Come on, Dratini."
"Dratini," Dratini replied.
Serena kept her smile as she watched Cilan and Maynor exit the booth with their Pokemon. The honey blonde woman noticed her boss watching her husband and son walk to the platform with a blissful look, and felt jealous again, wishing we could be happy like Iris as a wife and a mother. Her mind went back to Calem's family and how they wanted her to spend Christmas with her and cleared her throat to catch Iris' attention.
"Iris, can I talk to you about something?" She asked.
Iris turned to Serena and said, "Sure, what's up?"
Serena explained everything that happened between after she saved Calem and before she left the hospital that morning. Iris and Axew were baffled the more they listened while Cilan watched Maynor and Dratini play on the platform. When Serena was done, both Iris and Axew looked at the floor to contemplate, making Serena uneasy.
"Well? What do you think?" She asked.
Iris was silent for a moment before giving Serena a teasing smirk and saying, "I think you're lucky. Most guys can still have children with just one cherry."
"Not that!" Serena screamed with her eyes shut and her face red. "I mean, what do you think I should do?!"
"I don't know. I honestly don't see what the big deal is," Iris said.
"The big deal is Calem's mom thinks I'm her future daughter-in-law, Iris," Serena said. "They were so happy that I saved his life, his grandfather has some heart condition, and if I tell the truth, he's going to have a heart attack and die."
"Well, then play along with it," Iris said. "When Calem comes out of his coma, his family will be so happy that they won't care that you lied to them. They might even thank you for keeping them company while they wait for him to wake up."
"But what if Calem doesn't come out of his coma?" Serena asked.
"Well, then no one needs to know," Iris said with a shrug.
"But I don't want to lie to them forever," Serena protested.
Iris shook her head and said, "Look, Serena, when the elder from my hometown in Unova found out that I was going to marry Cilan even though he isn't a dragon-type Pokemon trainer, almost died of a heart attack. Now, are you sure his grandpa's heart condition is that serious?"
"I think so," Serena said. "Sonia did say he had multiple problems and thinks I saved his life."
"Well, there you go," Iris said. "If you tell them the truth now, you might as well shoot his grandpa."
Serena groaned, wishing her boss would give her more helpful advice. Iris sighed and said, "Look, I know you don't want to lie, Serena, but I don't see any other option. Besides, it seems like a win-win if you go to the party tonight. They get a future daughter-in-law to spend Christmas with, and you get to experience what it's like to have a family. Wouldn't you like that even if it's just for one night?"
Serena opened her mouth to answer "no," but she stopped herself and thought about Iris' question. For all of her displeasure about the misunderstanding, she couldn't deny that Calem had the kind of loving family she wished she had. She treasured the days she would celebrate holidays with her father, but there was something heartwarming about the idea of having a big family to be a part of. Maybe when Calem woke up, he might fall in love with her after all for saving him, and she would really be a part of his family.
Serena smiled at the thought before she reached into her pocket and took out the business card Delia gave her. She flipped the card to look at the address and realized that it was within walking distance from one of the train stations out in the suburb. She tried to shake the idea of going, but at the same time, she wanted to spend the holiday with the Ketchums. Serena turned to Iris, who was smirking at her employee, knowing what was on her mind. Ultimately, the honey blonde woman sighed in defeat, accepting that she couldn't resist the temptation.
"I must be out of my mind," Serena said
For the rest of her shift, Serena sat alone in the booth, thinking about going to the Christmas party. When she came home, she apologized to Fennekin for how she acted earlier that day and updated her on what was going on. The fox Pokemon was skeptical of the idea of going to the party, but ultimately agreed to go, thinking it would be fun. The two of them took the next half hour to cook treats and put them in bags before they left their apartment while making sure Tierno didn't notice them.
The honey blonde woman and her Pokemon partner took the train to Vaniville Town and walked two miles south to South Jamison Drive. They took a turn to the street until they saw a white, two-story house with the number 7670 hanging above the garage door. Serena and Fennekin stared at the home in awe, for the building was covered inChristmas lights. Serena smiled at how beautiful the house looked, suddenly feeling giddy about how it would look on the inside, but then she took a step back, which caught Fennekin's attention.
"Fen?" The little fox Pokemon asked.
"Sorry, Fennekin," Serena said. "I'm just really nervous. I know they already like me, and I hope we have a great time with them, but I'm worried that we're going to feel out of place. What if they ask me questions about Calem and find out that I've -"
"Serena!"
Serena jumped and turned her head to see Sonia and a Yamper walking over to her and Fennekin from the other side of the sidewalk. The peach-haired woman was wearing a tan trenchcoat and a brown beanie hat, and her Yamper was wearing a gray sweater with a gold "Y" at the center. Serena forced a smile on her face, hoping Sonia didn't overhear what she said.
"Sonia, hi," she said.
"Glad to see you made it," Sonia said. "And you brought your Fennekin too."
"Yeah, I did," Serena said before looking at Yamper. "And I'm guessing that's your partner?"
"Yup, this little sweetheart is Yamper," Sonia said, giving her Pokemon a sweet smile. "The two of us have stuck together since back when I was growing up in the Galar region."
"Arf, arf!" Yamper barked happily.
"Oh, you're from the Galar region?" Serena asked.
"Born and raised," Sonia said.
"What brought you to Kalos?" Serena asked.
"College," Sonia answered. "My grandmother was a Pokemon professor, and she wanted me to study abroad so that I could become one too. That's when I met Delia, and Calem and Ash's dad, Red. We've been the best of friends ever since the good old days in Anistar University, and I just didn't want to leave my friends' sides, especially when Calem was born, and I became his godmother."
"Yeah, I was wondering; don't you have to be catholic?" Serena asked.
"Not necessarily. The catholic church lets a protestant be a child's godmother as long as there's a letter from her church that proves that she's a member of it," Sonia said. "And I'm thankful that I am his godmother because he and Ash are like sons to me."
"That's nice," Serena said. "It must be wonderful to be a part of a family like that."
"It really is," Sonia said with a smile. "What about you, though? Do your parents live around here?"
Serena frowned and said, "No. My mom died when I was just a baby, and my father passed about three years ago."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Sonia said. "You must miss your dad."
"Very much," Serena said.
Sonia looked down and took a moment before she said, "You know I lost my fiancee when Delia and I were still in college."
"You did?" Serena asked. "What happened."
Sonia looked up to face the honey blonde woman again and said, "Oh, Leon was always an absentminded man. I couldn't look away from him for two seconds before he would get himself lost. One day when it was snowing, he was going for a drive, and then…"
Sonia's frown deepened, and she hung her head while Yamper let out a soft whine and nudged its head against its partner's leg.
"I'm sorry," Serena said. "That must have been hard for you."
"It was," Sonia said. "It was a very rough time for me. That's why I'm grateful that Delia was there to comfort me, and I'm glad I was there for her when Red passed not too long after they had Dawn. As far as I'm concerned, we are practically sisters."
Serena smiled and said, "That's nice. I wish I knew what that's like as an only child."
"I know how you feel as an only child myself," Sonia said before she looked at Serena seriously. "But you know, Serena, even if we're not related by blood, the Ketchums took me in as part of the family, and they are precious to me."
"I can see why," Serena said. "They are a very loving family, aren't they?"
"They sure are," Sonia said. "And I hope you understand that I won't let anyone hurt my family."
Serena grew uncomfortable and said, "I don't want anything to hurt them either."
Sonia gave her a small smile and said. "I know you don't. That's why I appreciate that you -"
"Serena! Sonia! There you are!"
Serena, Sonia, Fennekin, and Yamper turned their heads to see Delia coming out from the front door while wearing a white sweater with a golden "M" in the middle. The auburn-haired woman raced over to the four of them and pulled Serena into another tight hug.
"Oh, I'm so happy you came!" She said. "And just a couple of minutes early too."
"What can I say? I like to be punctual," Serena said with a nervous chuckle.
Delia broke the hug to give Serena a warm smile before she knelt down in front of Fennekin.
"And you brought your Fennekin too," she said while petting Fennekin's head. "It's so cute."
"Fennekin," Fennekin said, enjoying the affection.
Delia then stood up and said, "Alright, let's go in already. You must be freezing."
Serena, Sonia, Fennekin, and Yamper silently obeyed, following their host to the front door. When they got inside, Serena's mouth dropped as she took off her coat and hat and hung them on a coat hanger. The inside was more beautiful than she anticipated. It had a shiny hardwood floor, a living room with a fireplace where stockings were hanging above and a couple of couches, a large Christmas tree standing majestically with lights, thistle, and other decorations all over it, and several presents lying under it. At the end of the hallway was the kitchen where Dawn and Grandpa Ramos were decorating treats with Piplup and Mimey.
The walls were covered with family photos. Some of which included what appeared to be Calem's dad, who she thought was the spitting image of her crush, but then she noticed pictures of a guy with messy raven hair, brown eyes, and "z" marks on his cheeks. He wasn't as stunning as Calem in her eyes, but she found herself enthralled by the way the raven-haired guy was showing such energy and enthusiasm. Each picture showed him giving the camera a toothy grin with a Pikachu standing on his shoulder. She smiled as she looked at the pictures, wondering what the guy was like in person.
"That's Ash. He's the middle born."
Serena turned to Sonia, who had her trenchcoat off to reveal a teal-colored sweater with a gold "S" in the middle.
"Oh, this is Ash," Serena said. "He's cute."
"I know," Delia said, having overheard Serena. "My baby boys have grown to become such handsome men. And to think just one look at one of them changed the life of a sweet girl like you, Serena."
Serena chuckled nervously and thought to herself, "Well, she's not wrong about that."
Right as Serena thought that, Dawn saw her from the kitchen and gasped loudly.
"Serena! You're here!" She screamed.
Serena turned her head just in time to see Dawn racing toward her. Dawn pulled her into an embrace nearly as tight as Delia's, giggling in delight. Grandpa Ramos walked over to them with a bright smile with Piplup and Mimey.
"I'm so happy you came!" Dawn shouted. "I was so worried that I couldn't spend Christmas with my future big sister!"
Serena couldn't help but smile, touched by how Dawn hugged her as if they were biological siblings. She hugged the blunette back without thinking, and Delia let out an "Aw" with her hands clasped together. The two young women broke their hug, giving Grandpa Ramos the chance to hug Serena.
"Thank goodness," he said. "We were just minutes away from starting dinner too."
"Well, I'm glad Fennekin and I came in the nick of time," Serena said before she remembered her treats. "Oh, yeah. Fennekin and I made some cookies before we left our apartment. They're still in my coat pocket."
"Aw! Aren't you just a gem, Serena?" Delia said.
"So many treats made from my granddaughter and future granddaughter-in-law," Grandpa Ramos said. "I just might blow up like a balloon before new year's."
"It wouldn't be the first time," Sonia whispered to herself.
Serena walked over to the coat hanger to grab the bag of treats from her pocket and walked back to hand it to Dawn. As the blunette thanked her, Serena noticed that Dawn was wearing a pink sweater with a gold "D" at the center. She then turned to Grandpa Ramos, wearing a pine green sweater with a "G" and an "R" at the center. She looked past the old man and saw Mimey wearing a light blue sweater with an "M" at the center and Piplup wearing a bubble gum pink sweater with a "P" at the center. The honey blonde woman's heart melted as she realized that everyone in the family had their own sweater with the first letter of their names.
"Alright, now that we're all here, let's eat," Delia said.
"Wait, what about Ash?" Sonia asked.
Delia frowned and said, "He got held up, so he won't be home until tomorrow."
"Aw, that's sad," Serena said. "I'm sorry that he's going to miss out on celebrating Christmas with all of you."
"That's mighty kind of you to say, young lady," Grandpa Ramos said. "It just comes to show that he's devoted to helping running the business, I'm afraid."
"Yeah, he and Pikachu travel all over Kalos buying furniture," Dawn said.
"Wow. That's nice," Serena said. "I wish I could do that."
"What do you mean? Have you and Calem ever gone on vacation together?" Dawn asked.
Serena's cheeks turned pink, and she said, "I'm afraid not. It's a little hard to do when we're always working. I stay in the token booth, and he always drops by to take the train to work."
"Oh, that sounds like my Cay-Cay. Always working," Delia said with a pout. "But, it sounds like working a lot is something you two have in common."
"I don't know about that," Serena said as she looked away and played with her hair. "It is wonderful whenever I get to see him, though."
Delia and Dawn simultaneously went "Aw" while Grandpa Ramos and Sonia smiled. The hallway was silent for several seconds before Delia cleared her throat and said, "Enough chit chat. Let's go eat already."
Everyone said words of agreement before they all headed to the dining room, and Serena's face lit up at the sight of it. The table was covered with a red tablecloth with images of Christmas trees, ornaments, candy canes, and Santa Claus. Two red candles were standing on silver candleholders. There was a large turkey at the center of the table, and surrounding it were bowls of yam, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and green bean casserole. Never before had the honey blonde woman seen such a feast in person, even when she and Fennekin would celebrate Christmas with her dad.
Dawn took several bowls with Pokemon food and laid them down on the floor where Mimey, Piplip, Yamper, and Fennekin sat down. The humans sat around the table with Delia and Grandpa Ramos sitting on opposite ends. Delia gestured to Serena to sit next to her while Sonia sat next to Serena on her left, and Dawn sat on the other side. When everyone was settled in, everyone grabbed hands, held them up, and bowed their heads. The Pokemon also bowed their heads in prayer.
"Heavenly Father, we thank you for our time to celebrate your birth as a family," Delia began. "Bless this food to our bodies, and bless this time together. Father, we ask this time that you would be with Ash and Calem. Help Ash to finish his work, and help Calem to wake up soon. Finally, we want to thank you for Serena and for the joy she's been for us, and may she continue to light up our lives as the new member of our family. It's in your holy name we pray amen."
"Amen," Sonia, Grandpa Ramos, Dawn, and Serena say simultaneously.
The Pokemon utter calls of agreement as their own way of saying "amen" before eating their food. The family passed the food around with Serena before they started eating. Everyone ate in silence for a few minutes before Dawn decided to strike a conversation.
"So, Serena, have you and Calem decided on a date for the wedding?" She asked.
Serena choked on her stuffing and coughed violently before she answered.
"Excuse me," she said to everyone at the table. "No, we haven't decided on a date. We, uh, haven't had a chance to decide on anything."
"Because of work?" Dawn asked.
"Among...other things," Serena replied.
"Sounds like you need to work stuff out," Grandpa Ramos said. "If that's what it's like when trying to get married, how will you spend time together as a couple and give me some great-grandchildren?"
Serena let out a squeal that she instantly covered with her mouth, her cheeks turning red. She hung her head to hide her blush with her hair before she cleared her throat.
"I'd like to think we'll figure it out eventually," she said.
"I'm sure you will, sweetie," Delia said. "I used to be a stay-at-home mom before Calem, Ash, and Dawn's father passed, and I had to take over the family business. Take it from a mother and a businesswoman. Working and raising children is a struggle, but it's always rewarding so long as you're there when you see your babies grow up."
"I'll keep that in mind...Mom," Serena said, resisting the urge to call Delia "Mrs. Ketchum."
After everyone finished their dinner, Grandpa Ramos took the empty plates and bowls and put them in the sink while Delia and Sonia put the leftover food in bags and put them inside the refrigerator. Serena and Fennekin then followed the family to the living room, where Delia brought the bags of treats, including Serena's cookies, and placed them on the coffee table in front of the couches. Everyone sat down on the couches and started eating the treats, with Dawn and Grandpa Ramos having stars in their eyes after eating some of Serena's cookies.
"Holy cow, these are delicious!" Dawn exclaimed.
"They sure are," Grandpa Ramos said. "How did you get them to taste so good, Serena?"
Serena's cheeks heated up again, and she said, "I don't really do anything special. I just made them the way my dad taught me."
"Well, your dad was very talented in making pastries," Grandpa Ramos said.
"I agree," Sonia said after eating a cookie.
"I don't know about that, but the sweets you made are delicious too, Dawn and Grandpa Ramos," Serena said.
"Aw, shucks," Grandpa Ramos said, his cheeks turning pink.
"Maybe one of these days we should bake sweets together," Dawn said. "Piplup and Fennekin can help too."
"Piplup," Piplup chirped.
"Fennekin," Fennekin said happily.
"I'd like that," Serena said with a smile.
"Aw, that's so sweet, you two," Delia cooed before turning to Serena. "Now, before we start unwrapping presents, would you like to see some pictures of Calem from when he was growing up?"
Immediately, Serena's head turned to Calem's mother, looking at her like a Poochyena excited to get a treat, and said, "Yes, please!"
The auburn-haired woman giggled before leaving the room for a moment and came back with a photo book. She sat down next to Serena and began showing photos of Calem starting from when he was a baby. Serena would switch between saying, "aw, look at him," "he's so cute," and "oh, that's precious" as she looked through the album. There were pictures of him winning spelling bees, science competitions, and even a newspaper clip of him saving a family of Skwovet during a family vacation in the Galar region. In her mind, she knew it was weird to look at childhood photos of her crush as if they were together, but the more she learned about him, the more she saw him as the perfect man she wanted to marry.
When they finished going through the book, Delia stood up and said, "Alright, everyone, time for presents."
"Excellent," Grandpa Ramos said. "Who is Santa this year?"
"Uh, what do you mean play Santa?" Serena asked.
"It's where a family member hands everyone their gifts," Grandpa Ramos explained. "We go from oldest to youngest as to who gets to go."
"Aw! That's a cute idea," Serena said.
"Glad you like it," Delia said. "Anyway, I think it was Sonia who was Santa last year, right?"
"No, I was Santa the year before that," Sonia said. "That was the year Calem brought Miette with him, remember?"
"Oh, yes. I remember now," Delia said, her face turning cold and bitter. "Thank God she couldn't stay for long."
"Wow, Mrs. Ketchum really hates this Miette person," Serena thought. "I must really be a gem to her if I'm such an improvement...even if Calem and I aren't actually together."
Delia shook her head and brought back her radiant smile before she said, "Well, that means Calem went last year, which makes it Ash's turn, but since he's not here, he'll have to do it next year. So, that makes it your turn, Dawn."
"Alright!" Dawn said excitedly.
The blunette got up from her seat, walked over to the Christmas tree, and began grabbing presents. She started by handing gifts to Grandpa Ramos, followed by Sonia, Delia, Mimey, Piplup, and Yamper. She then placed two presents on her seat before taking a flat, rectangular present and holding it up to Serena. Serena looked at Dawn, confused, until the young woman giggled.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Take your present," Dawn said.
Serena's eyes widened, and she asked, "You...you mean that's for me?"
"Of course, silly. You didn't think Santa would come without presents for everyone, did you?" Dawn said with a smile.
Serena stared at Dawn, shocked, before she smiled and took the present. The blunette woman took her seat next to her, and Delia said, "Alright, everyone, let's unwrap some presents."
The family smiled and wrapped their gifts while Serena watched. Grandpa Ramos got gardening scissors, Delia got a gold watch, Sonia got flower hairpieces, Dawn got gold earrings, Mimey received oven mittens, Piplup got a new red bowtie, and Yamper got a toy bone. Everyone in the family smiled and thanked the person who got them their gifts. The Pokemon rushed to their partners' sides with Mimey and Piplup hugging Delia and Dawn, respectively, and Yamper hopping onto Sonia's lap and licking her face. Serena smiled and embraced her present, enjoying the sight of the family showing their love for one another in joy and happiness until Dawn elbowed her on the side.
"Come on, Serena. Open your gift already," she said.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Right," Serena said.
Serena undid the wrapping to reveal a white box, and she opened the lid before letting out a gasp. Inside was an ocean blue sweater with a gold "S'' on the center, a little orange sweater with a gold "F" on the back, two red stockings with Serena and Fennekin's names on them. Serena covered her mouth as she stared at the gifts before turning to Delia, who was smiling at her.
"I knitted your sweater with Mimey's help while Dawn made the stockings and the sweater for Fennekin," she said. "I was worried that I couldn't get them done on such short notice, but luckily it's not the first time we've made family sweaters. Also, I choose that specific shade of blue because it matches your eyes."
Serena stood still with her mouth still covered, unable to believe what Calem's mother, her Pokemon, and his sister made for her. Her eyes began to water as she found herself standing up to hug Delia. Grandpa Ramos, Sonia, Mimey, Piplup, and Yamper smiled as Dawn stood up to join in the hug.
"So, this is what it's like to have a mom and a sister," Serena thought.
The three women held their embrace for half a minute before Grandpa Ramos stood up and said, "Alright, time for the family photo."
"Okay, Ramos," Delia said as she broke the hug with Serena and Dawn. "Serena, you and Fennekin better put on your sweaters for the photo."
Seren opened her mouth to decline but then stopped herself, knowing by now that Delia won't take no for an answer, and put her new sweater on before helping Fennekin with its sweater. She picked the fox Pokemon up and walked to the Christmas tree, where Delia, Mimey, Dawn, and Sonia were standing, with the latter two holding Piplup and Yamper, respectively. Delia gestured to Serena to stand in the middle with her while Grandpa Ramos set up the camera on a tripod.
As Serena held Fennekin while waiting to take the picture, she felt Delia wrap her arm around her side, making the honey blonde woman uneasy. At that moment, Serena began to worry again about what the family would do if they learned the truth. Would the family forgive her for the misunderstanding, or would they be furious? Serena turned her head to Delia, who watched Grandpa Ramos set up the camera, and wondered how devastated she would be if she learned that she made a sweater for a liar. For all the honey blonde woman knew, Calem's mother would think she was no better than his ex.
Delia then noticed Serena looking from the corner of her eyes and turned to give her a bright smile. Serena smiled back to hide her unease before Grandpa Ramos turned on the camera's timer and rushed over to stand next to Sonia. Serena sighed through her nose before she and Fennekin smiled at the camera, hoping things won't get any worse.
Back in Lumiose City, a Meowstic was napping on a couch inside a dark apartment on the top floor. Suddenly, the phone in the living room started ringing, and the Meowstic whimpered and turned its body, trying to go back to sleep. The phone kept ringing for several seconds until it stopped with a click and Calem's voice came out of the speaker.
"This is Ketchum. Leave a message, and I'll get back to you."
The phone beeped, and a female voice came from the speaker.
"Hi, it's Miette. Alola is gorgeous, but I'm cutting my trip short because I've been doing some thinking, and I've decided - what the heck? I will marry you, Calem Ketchum!"