Holiday Presents
By: Aubrie1234
Christmas Eve was a night of celebration for everyone. Many of Ash's friends from over the years were going to sleep over with him that night, even Gary. The only ones who couldn't spend the night with them were Team Rocket, of course. Right now, Ash, Pikachu, and Gary were going around and singing carols to the townspeople. But, the pokemon had their own ideas about how the night was going to go.
"Well, that was the last house. Ready for a big sleepover, Gary?" Ash said as they started their walk home. They had just finished singing a carol once more and were now ready to go home and celebrate.
"Yeah, Ash. Your house isn't the roomy-est, but I still like to come over every Christmas Eve. It's kinda like a tradition." Gary answered.
"You said it." Pikachu squeaked, "I've got my own plans for tonight, though."
"What kind of plans?" Ash asked. Gary was also interested.
"Can't say, otherwise it would ruin it."
"Of course it would have to be the electric mouse who still has Christmas stuff to do." Gary snickered. Pikachu sighed, letting him off the hook this time. Ash also sighed.
"You're lucky it's Christmas, Gary, or Pikachu would've shocked you."
"Speaking of shocking people, where do you think Team Rocket is?" Ash shrugged.
"How should I know? They only want Pikachu and they tricked us recently, but I don't have any hard feeling towards them."
"Really?"
"It's the only thing they do. I feel sorry for them at this time of year."
"You're the only one that would, Ash."
"Hey!" Gary laughed.
"He's got that right, Ketchum!"
Speaking of Team Rocket, they were hiding out in the bushes and trees near Ash's house, looking through binoculars and searching for Pikachu.
"How long are we going to be here, Jess? I want to be somewhere warm..." James said.
"We won't be going anywhere until we catch that Pikachu!"
"'Dis is one of the worst Christmases that I've ever had..." Meowth groaned, but kept looking through the binoculars.
Ash, Gary, and Pikachu soon reached home and went inside. The fire was already roaring (thanks to May's Blaziken) and everyone was around it, either on the floor, standing, or sitting on the chairs and couches.
"You three took your time." Paul commented. He was wearing a sweater Reggie had made him and had made him wear (thanks to Dawn).
"We like caroling this time of year." Ash said, "And I still wonder where Team Rocket is..."
"Why? They always try to steal your Pikachu." Iris said.
"I know, but they aren't so bad sometimes." Brock nodded.
"He's right; Team Rocket can be good when they want to. There was one time in Johto when we all had to work together."
"Oh, don't remind me of that. That's the last time I ever really listen to Meowth and James." Misty moaned. May was interested.
"What happened?"
"It went like this..." Brock then told them about how they accidentally wander into Ursaring Territory and how they had to work with Team Rocket to get out of there.
"You guys don't have much good luck, do you?" Drew said. Ash hung his head and sat in the corner, depressed. Most sweatdropped.
"Look what you did, Drew!" Dawn and May scolded. He shrugged.
"I was just telling the truth."
"You're lucky I left my mallet at home, Hayden." Misty growled. All the boys (except Paul) gulped. The redhead was dangerous with it, so Ash had asked her to leave it at home (for the boys' sake).
"You guys can't make peace without threats, can you?" Solidad and Reggie sighed.
"Who do you think you're talking to?" Harley smirked.
"I miss mom and dad. Spending Christmas with your friends is fun, but I still miss home, mom, and dad." Max spoke.
"I know what you mean. In the early times of my journey, we had to spend Christmas away from home. I missed my mom too." Ash said. Many nodded, having similar experiences.
"And I almost forgot." Gary suddenly said, digging through his coat pocket, "A Staraptor flew by earlier and dropped off this letter. It's for you, Reggie." He then handed the letter to the breeder.
"I bet it's from Maylene." Paul said, smirking. Reggie growled at his little brother, then opened the letter and started reading it.
"Why do you say that?" Barry asked.
"Reggie and Maylene have been getting along really well lately, so I think you get the idea..." Kenny smirked.
"I see now. Reggie and Maylene sitting it a tree, K-I-S-S-" The redhead didn't get the chance to finish. Reggie knocked him unconscious before he could.
"If he tries to finish that when he wakes up, he's as good as dead." the purple-headed man growled, then stuffed the letter in one of his pockets. Everyone gulped, even Paul. Reggie didn't get angrily easily, but was pretty bad when he was.
"And it was from Maylene. She was just sad that we were spending Christmas away from Veilstone, but she hoped that we could come home soon."
"Don't you mean 'I' instead of 'we'?" Zoey smirked. Reggie pouted.
"No."
"Well, what are we going to do about Kenny?" Ritchie asked, pointing at the downed trainer.
"I say we just throw him on his bed and leave him." Georgia said. Trip nodded in agreement.
"Isn't there something we can do that's less hurtful?" Stephan asked.
"We could just leave him in the kitchen; it's not as far." Cameron suggested. Stephan facepalmed.
"I think placing him in bed is the best idea." Bianca said.
"Cilan, grab his legs; I'll get his arms." Brock said, and the two carried Kenny upstairs.
"I think we should go to bed soon. It's getting late." Cress yawned.
"Even I have to agree on that." Chili said.
Soon, all the humans had gone to sleep (but not before placing cookies and milk out for Santa first). After a while, Pikachu cracked one eye open, then both. No-one was awake.
"Perfect." he whispered, then clambered out of Ash's bed and down the stairs. Various other pokemon were out of their pokeballs as well.
"Now we just have to wait for the others." Roserade said.
Outside, Team Rocket had gone to sleep. The only ones who hadn't were two pokemon: Arbok and Weezing. They quiet came out of their pokeballs and went inside the house.
"Sssorry it took ssso long," Arbok explained, "They just wouldn't get to sssleep."
"It's alright. Just remember, the truce only lasts tonight." Piplup said. The two nodded. They all then ventured out to the lab and the forest, finally coming to a stack of wrapped presents on a sled.
"Hook me up. This ain't gonna be a problem." Torterra grunted. Blaziken, Empoleon, Prinplup, and Cacturne then hitched him up to the sled, where he started pulling it towards Ash's house.
Once they got there, the pokemon unloaded the presents and put them around the tree (except for Team Rocket's pokemon). When they had been out of their pokeballs a few days ago, they had gotten special presents from other people and pokemon they thought their trainers would like. While they did that, Team Rocket's pokemon took their presents off the sled and placed them near their trainers and best pokemon friend. Soon, it was all over and it looked as though nothing was out of place.
"What are we going to do about the sled?" Lapras asked.
"Let'ss hide it in the backyard, then show the others after they open their pressentss." Serperior said, his lisp not as pronounced as Arbok's.
"Good idea." Bibarel barked.
Once they did, they all went back to their pokeballs/trainers and went to sleep. On the roof, the click of hooves were heard.
"Those pokemon love their trainers enough to do this for them, even Team Rocket's. Ho ho ho!"
The next morning, everyone woke up to find many presents in Ash's living room, though quite a few were messily wrapped. Ash lunged for the presents, ripping open his, and also sent some flying. The others managed to catch them and sighed in relief.
"Wow!" Ash said, holding up a new cap, "Who got me this? It doesn't say who it's from." Everyone looked at each other in confusion until Pikachu jumped into Ash's arms.
"I did!" he said, "A few pokemon and I got together and got presents for everyone, including Glameow, Axew, Paul's Torterra, Pansage, Pansear, Panpour, and several others." Everyone looked at their pokeballs in surprise. All the pokemon involved came out of their pokeballs and smiled, some blushing.
"It's true." Cacturne said, "Arbok and Weezing also helped set this up."
"Team Rocket's pokemon?" Misty asked.
"Yep." Starmie said, nodding.
"How did you get all of the presents here? Where did you hide them?" Cameron asked.
"It was Emboar's idea to hide them at Prof. Oak's ranch. We took them all here on a sled, which was pulled by Torterra." Lucario explained. Both mentioned pokemon blushed. Paul raised an eyebrow at his pokemon.
"The sled's out back, if you wanna see." Stephan's Zebstrika said. They all went out to find Team Rocket and their pokemon already there.
"You know the truce is over already, right?" Weezing said.
"Yeah yeah, get ready to be blasted off again." Axew said as everyone prepared their strongest attacks. Team Rocket was soon sent flying, yelling: "WE'RE BLASTING OFF AAAGGGAAAAAAAIIIINNN!"
"They never give up, do they?" Barry's Empoleon said, watching them fly away.
"Nope, they do not." Kenny's Prinplup said, shaking his head.
Merry Chirstmas! Yay! And don't worry, I'll get the Thanksgiving, Veterans Day, and New Year's chapters done (eventually...)!