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.

x … x … x

Dilemma Three: Mistletoe (Gymshipping)

"I win!" a happy cheer shattered the moment of silence that had just ensued in the gym.

Brock smiled and recalled his defeated Marshtomp while his younger friend danced around happily on her side of the battle field. Politoed hopped out of the water and began dancing along with the young woman; Brock couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous sight.

"Loser!" Misty called playfully, sticking her tongue out. It had been a tough battle, one that Misty had initiated, and one that Brock wasn't the slightest bit embarrassed about losing. Hell, if losing the battle meant he got to see Misty dance around like this, he might start losing more often.

As Brock walked around the edge of the pool, he was struck by how little, yet at the same time, how much, the girl had changed over time. They had fallen out of touch for some time, particularly while he was out traveling with Ash, but Brock had put an end to that when he surprised Misty by showing up at the Cerulean Gym on her twentieth birthday with a pokeball containing a Vaporeon that he had rescued from a cruel trainer. He had felt that Misty would be the best trainer for the Vaporeon and knew that she would love it. Now, barely two months later, they were unseparable: Misty, Brock, and Vaporeon – who was currently sunning herself in a patch of sun pouring in through a window, watching with amused eyes.

Brock and Misty were the same as ever, yet different. Misty had noticed that Brock had matured more, suddenly not as girl crazy – he could even have a conversation with her sisters without drooling. Progress indeed. He still looked the same and still acted the same, other than that one detail. Misty had also matured, she had grown sweeter, less moody, or perhaps it was just that Ash wasn't around to annoy her…

Regardless of the reason, Brock found this newer Misty to be… alluring. She was sweet and funny, childish at times (such as now), yet still a mature young woman. She had changed the most, physically especially. She was no longer the scrawny teen Brock had originally met, but an athletic beauty. It was a different type of beauty from her sisters, who always seemed to be done up as though they were stepping on to a red carpet. Misty's was a natural beauty: occasionally accented by a touch of eyeliner, a dab of lip gloss. Her hair, barely a couple inches longer than he had always known it to be, framed her face perfectly.

Brock shook his head slightly – this was Misty, his best friend and practically his little sister. Admiring her like that was going a bit far.

"Good battle, Mist," he grinned.

Misty looked up at him with a bright smile. "Excellent battle," she agreed. "That's the most work Dewgong has ever had to do to take down a rock-type."

A proud smile curved Brock's lips. She was referring to the first round of their battle, during which Onix had stood his ground magnificently. "Your Gyarados had gotten strong," he commented. "Ash would be impressed."

"Having strong pokemon is the only way for a girl to impress Ash," Misty replied mirthfully. "That boy has to be asexual to focus so much on pokemon all the time."

"Who knows with Ash."

They both laughed at that and Brock couldn't help but appreciate the way her eyes lit up with laughter. The laughter was cut off abruptly as Misty's Gyarados exploded out of the water at the edge of the pool, his massive head hovering just over them. Misty crossed her arms and scowled at her pokemon.

"Gyarados!" she scolded him. "Wait, what do you have in your mouth? Is that mistletoe?" She reached for his mouth but he reared up higher, out of even Brock's reach.

Brock looked up at Gyarados' mouth and, sure enough, there it was. Resting on the water type's tongue, perfectly visible, was a large green sprig accented with white berries. It was drenched with water but it was unmistakably mistletoe.

"Gyarados, give that to me right now," Misty continued to scold. It was a lost cause, she already knew it. This was easily her most stubborn pokemon wasn't likely to give up the sprig without a fight and there was no way she was sticking her hand in his mouth to pull it out. It didn't seem like Brock was particularly eager to do so either.

"Well," Brock sighed. "You know the tradition." He knew as well as Misty that Gyarados wasn't giving up the sprig. Damn stubborn pokemon.

Misty sighed and turned to Brock. "We don't have to," she insisted. Gyarados gave a deafening roar at the statement, causing both gym leaders to jump. A few feet away, Vaporeon barked at them. It was a short bark with a straight-forward message.

Get it over with, already!

Surprised by his own actions, Brock moved forward and pressed a gentle kiss against Misty's lips. He didn't know why he did it, it just happened. Any argument escaped Misty when she felt Brock's lips on her own.

They froze for a second, neither having expected this to happen. Misty reacted first, and perhaps most surprisingly, by kissing him back. Her hands slid up his arms, coming to a rest at the back of his neck as her lips softly caressed his own. Finally snapping out of his surprised stupor, Brock wrapped his arms around her, savoring the sweet kiss. Kissing Misty was better than kissing any other girl. She fit perfectly into his arms and her lips were as soft as could be, tasting faintly like peppermint, no doubt because of the holiday lip gloss she wore.

They pulled away slightly after a moment and Brock couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. "Merry Christmas," he said a bit sheepishly.

Misty giggled softly. "Merry Christmas, Brock," she whispered, leaning forward to claim his lips once more.