Since yesterday's chapter was a bit on the short side, here's the next one for you all!

It's based off the fourth track of the CD. Enjoy!

Nobody Don't Like Christmas

Pikachu couldn't lie. As degrading and even a little shallow as it seemed to be to admit, he was jealous. He had told Ash he wasn't, but it wasn't true. Pikachu was, in fact, jealous. Why, he couldn't even get a good scratch behind the ears from his Pikapi without one of those…tiny, needy humans interrupting it. Finally feeling fed up, Pikachu decided he needed to go for a walk alone. Ash certainly wouldn't be happy when he found out, but right now, Pikachu didn't care. Who knows…maybe Ash was even too busy now to notice he was gone.

"Just where do ya' tink you're goin, huh?"

Pikachu stopped in his tracks, ears flicking as he lifted his head to see where the voice was coming from. As it would turn out, Meowth was standing right in front of him, arms crossed with a devious look on his face.

"Pika, pikachu. Pikachuka."

"What do ya mean "not right now?" Meowth glared. "I ain't waitin' around tah take you wit' me!"

"Chu, pikachu pikapika pikachu."

Pulling his shoulders back, Meowth blinked and asked, "whattya mean ya' left the twoip? Ain't he mad?"

"Kachu."

"You don't care?"

"Ka."

"Well, dis ain't right, not at all," Meowth mused. "I want tah take ya' back to Jessie and James like the brilliant thief dat I am, but fer some reason, dat don't feel quite right when you're not at a hundred percent. Why don't ya' tell me what's buggin' ya, pal?"

Pikachu raised an eyebrow and questioned, "kachu?"

"Of course I care!" Meowth tapped a paw over his heart. "We may be sworn enemies, but when it comes down to it, you and I are both Pokémon! And us Pokémon gotta' stick tahgether!"

Narrowing his eyes in thought, Pikachu finally nodded and turned around to dash, Meowth gasping and quickly following after the electric type. Eventually, Pikachu led the normal type back to the house he had originally left, climbing up a tree to peer into one of the first floor windows. Meowth followed behind, panting heavily as he struggled to climb the small tree.

"Okay, so I ain't as limber as ya', dat's for sure," Meowth sighed, taking a break once he'd reached the top.

"Chu," Pikachu growled, his tail twitching just once. Look.

Meowth did just that, sitting up in order to look through the glass along with Pikachu. What he saw was the twerp and the main twerpette, sitting close together and playing with two very small infants who were lying on a sprawled out blanket.

"It's just the twoips and their twoippy little ones," Meowth sounded puzzled.

"Kachu!"

"So what's dat gotta' do wit' anyting?"

"Pika," Pikachu spat, looking away indignantly.

Making a noise of interest, Meowth managed to stand up on the branch of the small tree and gasp, "no way! You're jealous of the baby twoips!"

"Pika…"

"Wow," Meowth marveled, "never thought I'd see dat one coming!"

Pikachu looked down in a mixture of shame and frustration. Meowth looked back into the house, noticing all of the Christmas decorations hanging around the room; most noticeable, the rather regal Christmas tree standing in the corner.

"Well buddy, you shouldn't be so sad!" Meowth countered. "It's Christmas time! You ain't allowed to be sad now!"

"Pikachu pi pika."

"Whattya mean Christmas is ruined?!" Meowth was shocked.

"Pikapi pi pikachupi pika pikachu pika pi."

"Who cares if the twoips are payin' more attention to dose babies now?" Meowth waved a paw at the frustrated mouse. "Ain't nobody don't like Christmas, and dat's a fact!"

"Pi," Pikachu shook his head.

"It's the happy day that everybody loves!" Meowth continued. "There's folks all over town trimmin' trees and knittin' gloves!"

"Pika," Pikachu spat.

"It's holly-jolly everywhere!" Meowth exclaimed. "Just look at dat nice tree those twoips put up! It's all covered in tinsel and ornaments and da like."

This didn't seem to make any difference to the electric type, however. He was still jealous of Ash and Misty's babies.

"Ain't you been downtown? They got Santa Claus in the square!" Meowth marveled. "And in all them high class department stores, too!"

"Pi pika chu." I know that. Of course he did. Pikachu had always gone to the mall with Ash and Misty at Christmas time. It was fun to see the big building decorated so festively, and to go looking in every store with Misty while Ash grumbled nonsensically behind them. But they didn't have time to go to the mall this year. The babies were too young to go anywhere and they needed all of their parents' attention. This Christmas was going to be nowhere as fun as ones in the past.

"It's a time of peace and love and brotherhood!" Meowth exclaimed. "A purr-fect time for families to come tahgether and love one another."

Pikachu scoffed. His family didn't care about him…not anymore. They had cute little babies now. Who needed a partner Pokémon when you could have two cute little humans? That's how Pikachu assumed his family felt about him now.

Looking back into the window, Pikachu watched as Ash looked over his shoulder, away from the babies, and called something out. He waited a few seconds, and when nothing happened, the Pokémon Master got to his feet and looked around in the room in bewilderment. Misty glanced up at him, her lips clearly reading, "what's wrong?"

"Pikachu," Ash was saying, "I don't think he's here…"

Misty jumped up as well, her own eyes appearing just as frantic as her husband's. Ash continued to shake his head around, yelling out "Pikachu! Pikachu!"

"Pika…" Pikachu murmured.

"Hmm? What's up wit' you?" Meowth asked. He turned his attention back into the house as well. By now, Ash was running around, calling out his partner's name in pure desperation. When he realized that the mouse was nowhere to be seen, he stood in one spot, eyes filling up with tears as his lips bent into a frown. Misty scurried up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

"Pikapi…" Pikachu whimpered. Soon enough, Ash was wiping at his eyes with his forearm, and the electric type could no longer watch. "Kachu!"

Jumping off the small tree, Pikachu began to run back towards the front door, where he'd managed to get out from. Meowth followed after his usual enemy, calling out, "hey! Where are ya' goin?"

"Pika pikapi," Pikachu stopped in order to answer the cat.

"Ya' goin' back tah da twoip?" Meowth inquired.

"Ka."

"Hmm, well, sometimes I can do somethin' right," Meowth smirked. Pikachu rolled his eyes and continued to dash towards the front door. "But dis ain't ovah! One day, I'm gonna' catch ya'!"

Pikachu smirked and pushed the front door open with his little black nose, just enough so he could sneak back into the living room without being noticed. Hopping towards his clearly upset trainer, Pikachu rubbed against the young man's legs, chattering softly.

Sniffling, Ash looked down and realized that his Pokémon was back; safe and sound. "Pi…pikachu?"

"Ka!" Pikachu squealed, glancing up at his trainer with sparkling black eyes.

"Oh, Pikachu!" Ash gathered the mouse in his arms, giving the electric type a tight hug. "I was so worried! Why didn't you come when I was calling you? I was really scared that something bad had happened to you!"

"Pikapi, pikachu!" Pikachu licked Ash's cheek, causing him to laugh.

Misty smiled and stroked the mouse behind his ears, cooing, "thank goodness you're safe and sound, Pikachu!"

"I don't know how I'd be able to go on without my best friend," Ash winked at Pikachu. From down on the floor, a series of throaty baby noises alerted the young parents and the small electric mouse, causing them all to look down. Little Aiden was now awake, blinking his eyes to rid them of their lasting sleep as he squirmed on the blanket. Wiggling out of his trainer's arms, Pikachu hopped onto the floor and settled himself next to the baby, curiously wiggling his nose as he leaned into the child. The proximity caused Aiden to turn his head, and set his wide, brown eyes on the Pokémon.

"Pipika?" Pikachu questioned.

Aiden cooed softly, reaching out to touch Pikachu's nose. Smiling, Pikachu nuzzled the baby's palm, causing Aiden himself to smile back.

"Wow, Pikachu, Aiden really loves you," Misty whispered.

"Both of the babies love him," Ash nodded. "I've noticed how happy they get when he's around."

Turning around, Pikachu twitched his ears and murmured, "pika, pikapi."

"I know you might have been feeling a little left out since the babies came," Ash smiled sweetly at his Pokémon, "but…I want you to know that you'll always mean everything to me, Pikachu. Just like Misty, Aiden, and Michelle. You're a part of this family, too."

Pikachu stared up at his trainer in awe. Chuckling softly, Ash held out his arms and continued to grin at the mouse.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu jumped into Ash's arms once again, cuddling against the man.

"Aww," Misty sighed, running her fingers through Ash's hair and giving the man a kiss before stroking Pikachu's fur. "This is going to be the best Christmas ever!"

And Pikachu had to squeak in agreement.