Pokémon Type: Fire

Shipping: TePigNiteShipping

One-Shot 6: The Pignite Before Christmas

Christmas Eve… The land wasn't covered in snow but the sights of the town in wreaths, candy cane poles and plenty of Christmas decorations welcomed Ash and his friends. "Christmas is a day away," Cilan informed. "The sweet aroma of holiday cheer around… I feel the need to extract my own joy!" Ash and Iris scoffed to Cilan's hums.

"Someone's in the holiday spirit," Ash laughed.

"Obviously..." Iris snorted.

"Though, it feels more like Iris' kind of Christmas since there's no snow to worry about and the weather's on the warm side." Iris shuttered at the thought of snow. As a Dragon-Type Pokémon trainer-in-training, she wasn't the biggest of fans around winter.

"Don't remind me! Such… a little kid." Ash tried to shake off the insult.

"Anyway, I think we need to split apart and find gifts for everyone."

"Agreed!" spoke Cilan. "We haven't had time apart since we came together in Striaton City… and it can't work if we're still together shopping for each other." Ash, Iris, Pikachu and Axew agreed. "So, if I may suggest… Ash, if I can borrow Pikachu to help me find you a present?" Ash and Pikachu balked, surprised to the idea.

"Okay, fine," Iris mulled. "Only if I borrow your Pansage and Ash could have Axew." Her Tusk Pokémon gawked to being offered from his master. Ash didn't see it in the same fashion.

"Actually… I'd rather have Emolga help me out," he changed. Iris had a confused look.

"Emolga?" To Cilan, he sensed a reason.

"Interesting!" he awed. "I should have expected Ash to think outside the box, but it may have a positive outcome." Iris could only wonder.

"You want Emolga, I'll take Oshawott."

"Deal," Ash agreed. They released their Pokémon and assigned their partners to shop with. Ash had a disadvantage. Cilan borrowed Pikachu and Axew, Iris borrowed Pansage and Oshawott but Ash only borrowed Emolga after they split to shop. Inside one, Ash and Emolga sprawled around aisle after aisle, looking for gifts. "See anything?" Emolga looked around before finding a pair of dragon wing earrings.

("How about these?") the Flying Squirrel Pokémon suggested.

"Let me see..." Emolga dropped the earrings to Ash's hands who observed it. "That does look like Iris' thing." As he added the earrings to a bag, a frantic Tepig squealed and found Ash running. Hearing the squeals, Ash and Emolga spotted Tepig that seemed familiar to the human.

("Master's friend!") it recognized. Ash knelt to Tepig as Emolga descended.

"A Tepig? What is it?" Tepig dashed back the direction it came, forcing Ash to follow with Emolga on his head. That's when they found Nanette struggling in an aisle.

"This one?" she wondered about women's shoes. "No, this one?" The more choices of stiletto shoes, the more frustrated she became. "What do I pick?!" Ash reached the head-clasped teal-haired new trainer.

"Nanette?" Her name heard, Nanette turned to Ash and the Pokémon.

"Ash?" Tepig returned to Nanette, hugging the Fire Pig Pokémon out of fear. "Tepig! Don't go running off on me like that, okay?" Looking to Ash, she wondered about his appearance.

"That 'Busy Brain' Iris calls at it again?" Nanette bowed her head while Tepig snorted some embers in spite.

"Please, I don't need a reminder..." She took a deep breath before explaning her issue. "I'm trying to find gifts for my parents." Ash smiled to Nanette's dedication to the holiday spirit. "I'm just not sure what to get them! I want to get my mom a new pair of shoes but I don't know what kind to get!" Tepig also felt terrible about Nanette's indecisions.

"Listen..." Ash placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about what brand to look for. After all, you're thinking about your mom and dad." Nanette seemed a little better but apologetic for panicking everyone.

"I'm sorry. I guess I got carried away in my thoughts… like all the time." Ash knew this history of her struggles.

"Finding something for your mom or dad doesn't have to come from here," he said as he pointed to her head. "When it comes from down here." He pointed to her chest which made Nanette blush.

"Cilan taught you a lot?"

"Actually, Santa Claus. I did meet him and his sleigh-stuffing Jynx at the North Pole." Nanette's awe grew at the notice of Santa.

"No way! You met Santa? He's for real?"

"Yeah, and believe me, his workshop is massive."

"That… is so cool! No pun intended..."

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, let's get this shopping done!" Nanette and the Pokémon nodded. They continued their shopping which Nanette now noticed Emolga.

"Isn't that Iris' Pokémon?"

"Emolga is. Cilan's idea to have different Pokémon switched for their trainers to get gifts."

"That's thoughtful." After making their purchases and getting their gifts wrapped professionally, Ash, Nanette and the Pokémon waited for Iris and Cilan to emerge. Unbeknown to them…

"I was wondering why you were taking so long," Iris nagged. "What a little kid!" Ash groaned at her tease as Pikachu, Oshawott and Emolga returned to their trainers.

"Come on, Iris!" he murmured. "Be nice. How I was suppose to know about Nanette being here?" Cilan sympathized with Ash as Nanette came forward.

"Iris, Cilan," she spoke up. "I did pick somethings up for the two of you when we get to the Christmas party back home." Iris and Cilan gawked but awed the invitation to Nanette's party. The group came to Nanette's home where everyone enjoyed eggnog and sweets. The Pokémon saw others as some of the people from around danced to some music. There was even a few Pokémon battles, one which Ash participated in. His Pignite battled against a Whirlipede.

"Okay, Whirlipede!" the girl called. "Use Steamroller!"Whirlipede hurled itself in the air before spinning its body like a wheel.

"Pignite, use Fire Pledge!" ordered Ash. Pignite punched the ground and kicked up pillars of fire, engulfing Whirlipede. This stopped Whirlipede's spin as it became burned beyond belief. Whirlipede collapsed and fainted.

"Whirlipede!" Cilan made the call.

"Whirlipede's unable to continue!" he judged. "Pignite wins! The victor is Ash!" The winning trainer cheered with Pignite.

"That was awesome, Pignite!" he complimented. Nanette and Tepig awed Ash's Pokémon, believing that it could also learn moves like Fire Pledge.

"Just imagine that move in our hands, Tepig," she wooed. Tepig awed the move, wanting to use it for itself. The party continued after the battles.

"Thanks for the party, Nanette," one young woman praised.

"Next time, could you send invites weeks in advance?" a young man advised.

"Of course!" replied Nanette. The night fell soon enough and people gave each other hugs, even some to Ash. Iris wanted none of the holiday love. At least Axew received hugs that Iris refused. They left but Ash and his friends stayed around.

"Let's help clean up," Cilan suggested. "I'll help take out the trash." Ash and Iris felt the urge to help out.

"I got the dishes," Ash volunteered.

"I got the living room!" requested Iris. Nanette felt grateful for Ash and his friends helping her clean up before Christmas Day.

"Thank you, everyone," she praised. She decided to help Ash with the dishes. An hour later, the house looked spiffy. Cleaned up, everyone had dinner from Cilan's cooking.

"Thank you for the meal!" they cheered. They ate and cleaned up before Nanette offered a room for them to sleep as the gifts for each other laid under a tree decorated with garland, lights and ornaments. There was also a Pokéball as a star on the top. It started quiet enough but then Nanette's Tepig nudged the bedroom door open enough to find Ash on a bottom bunk under Cilan. The Fire Pig Pokémon leaped onto Ash's borrowed bed. It reached Ash's head and nuzzled it, trying to alert the Pallet Town trainer. Ash never suspected someone or something trying to wake him other than his own Pokémon.

"Pikachu, go back to sleep..." Ash groaned. Not thinking, Tepig continued to nuzzle. "Stop, we'll open presents when we're all awake." Finally, he opened his eyes to find Nanette's Pokémon. "Tepig? What are you doing awake?"

("It's Master!") it squealed. ("She's awake.") It hopped off and footed to the door. Curious, Ash decided to wriggle himself out of bed, not jarring Pikachu. Tepig reached and climbed down the staircase with Ash in pursuit. Finally, they saw Nanette on a couch near the tree.

"Nanette?" Her name called, Nanette turned to find her Tepig leaping onto her lap.

"Tepig!" she noticed. "What are you doing, silly?" Tepig turned to Ash, hoping his appearance would aid in any of her struggles. "Did Tepig wake you?"

"Yeah, it did. I thought it was Pikachu." Nanette giggled to Ash's beliefs.

"Tepig, that was rude. You know not to wake people in the middle of their sleep." Feeling like a scold. Tepig whimpered.

("I'm sorry, Master,") it apologized. Ash knelt and petted Tepig in hopes of comfort.

"I'm sure Tepig had a reason for this," he pondered. "Speaking of sleep, you're not waiting for Santa to show up." Nanette mulled. Her reasons apparently had nothing to do with the spirit of Christmas.

"I can't be a trainer," she muttered. "I won't be able to be at the same level as you. I tried battles after our Tag Battle against Team Rocket… I can't win anything when my mind's overloaded. I can't get another Pokémon without thinking so hard. I want to throw in the towel and forget that awful thought to be a trainer." To Ash, Nanette's dream was too much to deal with. He remembered meeting Nanette in Professor Juniper's lab in Nuvema Town. She panicked at visions of choosing her starter Pokémon: Oshawott soaking the beds everynight; Snivy evolving to Serperior and suffocating her… Cilan saved her by electing Tepig as her starter. Ash could've cared less at a starter. Then again, Ash's starter wasn't any of the typical starters. Nevertheless, he called it fate for him and Pikachu to be together by Professor Oak.

"Don't say that. I can understand why you're having difficulty in Pokémon training." Nanette blinked to Ash's quip. "Pokémon training does take a lot of thought to remembering what each Pokémon can do. It does help if you take deep breaths and let Tepig or any other Pokémon that you may have in the future that you're with them all the way." Nanette blinked some more before turning to Tepig wagging its tail.

"I need to… keep calm?" She embraced her Pokémon in a hug. "That's why you woke Ash up…" Ash scoffed to the sight.

"Pokémon can understand feelings better than a lot of people. Tepig felt your pain and sought me to help out." Nanette felt humble to her starter.

"I'm not sure if you're as smart or caring as I am." Tepig didn't mind. Suddenly, a rustling from the chimney. Minutes before Christmas Day, Ash suspected someone.

"Could it be?" Down came the jolly man in red with an enormous bag. Ash couldn't be more at a loss for words.

"No way! Santa Claus?"

"Ho Ho Ho!" he laughed. "Ash, it's been awhile."

"Sure has," Ash acknowledged as he and Santa shook hands.

"I should ask why you two are up at this hour. Something tells my stomach of milk and cookies that it wasn't for me." Nanette's head dipped, faulting herself for staying awake.

"No, it's me," she admitted. "I wanted to give up on Pokémon training but Ash helped me through my struggle." Santa fluffed a nod.

"Son, always helping out those in need. You never change, and I hope you don't for my wife's sake." Placing the bag down, something flew out of the bag but only Nanette saw it. Her cheeks bled red. "Aha! Here we go! Say, Ash… your friends here as well?"

"They are, Iris and Cilan," he listed. Names given, Santa checked a small list.

"Oh, well… Iris is getting something special from me after all. Cilan as well." He put the list away before digging in some more. He pulled out a few presents. "Here's one for Pikachu, one for Iris, one for Cilan and a whole bag of Pokémon food specially made by Mary." Placing the presents down, he dug some more. "And here we are! One for each of you." Ash and Nanette awed Santa's gifts.

"Thanks, Santa!" they praised.

"Ho Ho Ho! Now I must be going. I still have millions of kids to hand presents to, even Max." Ash could wonder how his friend from Petalburg City's doing. "Merry Christmas!" They could open their presents but Nanette snagged Ash's to put under the tree. She looked up, seeing mistletoe directly above Ash. He saw the eyes and looked up himself.

"Is that mistletoe?" he asked. Nanette's hum confirmed but before Ash could react, Nanette kissed him on the lips, not wanting to let go. Tepig ate the scene. The next morning, Christmas arrived. Iris and Cilan woke up before Pikachu and Axew.

"Christmas morning!" shouted Iris. This alerted the others.

"Good morning, Iris," groaned Cilan. Pikachu needed a minute to notice Ash not in bed.

("Where's Ash?") he squeaked, somewhat panicked. He bolted down the stairs before the rest began to wonder. Pikachu arrived first to see Ash and Nanette on the sofa, cuddling together and sleeping soundly. ("What a relief...") Cilan and Iris soon arrived to see the two together themselves. Cilan huffed a chuckle to the sight of the two.

"What a little kid!" scowled Iris. "Can't sleep without someone with him."

"You sleep with Axew everynight," Cilan pointed out. "Why should you complain?" Pikachu and Axew found the large bag with the Tusk Pokémon tearing it open. What spilled was Pokémon food with sprinkles of candy cane. "Seems the Pokémon enjoy their gift." That's when Iris saw one gift with her name on it. This one had Santa's signature as who it's from.

"This one's from Santa!" Her scream somehow didn't stir Ash or Nanette. When she opened it however, her face of joy became a face of dread. "What? Is this a mistake?" Cilan and the Pokémon wondered. Looking inside, disbelief.

"Oh, dear!" She tilted the gift over and out came…

("A lump of coal?") Pikachu squeaked. Iris bawled at the spite from Santa.

"Why a lump of coal?!" she whined. It never bothered Ash or Nanette. Whatever was under the tree for the two didn't match the gift they already have: each other.

END of FIRE

Next up: DARK