The Twelve Dilemmas of Christmas
The holiday season comes with good times and bad. It's important to overlook the dilemmas and enjoy the good times. Multiple shippings.
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Dilemma Two: Buying Gifts (Pokeshipping)
There had once been a time when Misty could give Ash the simplest thing in the world and he would lose his mind over it out of sheer excitement. Those days had since passed. It wasn't that Ash wouldn't be excited over whatever Misty gave him, but she couldn't bear to just give him something simple these days. These days, it seemed important to her that she get her best friend, now husband, something meaningful – something truly special.
Misty grumbled as she left the trainer supply store near the gym in Cerulean City. She hadn't found anything particularly special there and was eager to move on to the next store. Unfortunately, a glance at her watch informed her that time had run out. She had a doctor's appointment in less than a half hour and it was easily a fifteen minute walk to the office; shopping for Ash would have to wait. It would do no good to miss this appointment and worry Ash even more than he had been lately. Misty had been sick for over a week, oddly, it always seemed to fade after she had been awake for an hour or so. It was inexplicable, especially since she was in good health; so, to the doctor's she went.
She had never cared much for doctors and being sick this close to Christmas was nerve-wracking. At least her doctor was usually on time; she would likely be in and out quickly.
It was well over an hour later before Misty left the office, a grin on her face, a list of specialists in her hand, and not a single step closer to finding Ash a Christmas present. She had been sure that this mysterious illness was nothing major, which was most certainly not the case, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it was fantastic: the exact thing that she and Ash had been hoping for.
She was two months pregnant.
After over a year of failed attempts, they had all but given up. Apparently they had done something right recently.
Still hoping to find a good gift for her husband, Misty wandered into a nearby store and aimlessly meandered around. In the back of the store, something caught her eye. It was a picture frame. A beautiful silver picture frame with a sculpted baby carriage on the bottom and the word "baby" spelled out next to it. There was nothing materialistically special about the frame but she was struck with an idea that she just knew Ash would absolutely love – even if it was just the meaning behind it that he loved.
After buying the frame and a box for it, she headed home. Over an hour of work later, a beautifully wrapped box addressed to Ash was nestled safely under their Christmas tree just before he returned home from the gym where he and Misty were now co-gym leaders.
"What did the doctor say?" Ash asked almost immediately after greeting and kissing his wife.
Misty gave a small shrug and nonchalant smile. "Nothing major. It's just a bug that's going around; should be gone soon enough."
"Good," Ash replied, smiling his usual grin. He didn't suspect a thing, which made Misty happy.
She couldn't wait for Christmas to come so that she could give Ash the gift. It was doubtful that the holiday could come fast enough.
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To be continued…