Kanto Gets Loud

Christmas Special

It was daytime as the wintry snow blanketed the humble town of Royal Woods, as everyone prepared for the most glorious of occasions; Christmas Time. Many were spending it in many different ways, such as decorating their houses and trees, going out caroling, baking holiday cookies, cakes, pies and fudge, and even building impressive snow sculptures. And in one large house, on the upper-class side of town, this was no exception, for this house was home to the Campbells, formerly known as the Louds, which consisted of the lone mother, Rita Campbell, and all eleven of her children. Her daughters (in birth order), Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan, Lynn, Lucy, Lana, Lola, Lisa, and Lily, and her one and only son and the middle child of the family, Lincoln. Though currently, both Leni and Lincoln were the only absent members of the family. Their reason for being absent? Both of them were adventuring throughout and island region of the coast of Japan, known as the "Kanto Region."

A few months ago, a massive fight broke out between Lincoln and Lynn that resulted in Lincoln being sent away to Kanto to give them space. The reason for their fight? A while before their massive fight, Lynn had threatened Lincoln to come to her softball game, as he had not attended a single one all during that season, which resulted in her team losing. This prompted Lynn to, in an effort to avoid taking any sort of responsibility for her team's loss, blame Lincoln for the loss on the basis of him being "bad luck." This led Lincoln to concoct the stupidest plan he had ever come up with; he carried on his sister's superstition and lie to the rest of his family, all for the sake of getting some free time for himself. The good news is that it did work, and he was banned from attending any of his sister's events. The bad news is that his plan worked TOO well, and he was eventually banned from being in the same room as them, from participating in activities he would've liked to have been a part of, and forced to sleep outside like and animal.

Realizing that he had brought this upon himself, he decided to come clean and confess his lie. However, his family, at the time, still had Lynn's back, and refused to believe him. Upon learning of this, their maternal grandfather, Albert Campbell, opted to have Lincoln sent to Kanto to help out one of his old researcher friends, Professor Samuel Oak, with his research into Pokemon. And since being a trainer, Lincoln has faced many challenges during his time as a trainer. And over time, he managed to forgive his mother and all of his sisters for their transgressions.

However, his (former) father, Lynn Loud Sr., was not as lucky. After coming over to Kanto for the first time to meet with Lincoln and discuss a deal that a Loud Family Ancestor, Harriet Loud, had made with Monster Royalty, promising the hand of one son in her family to each of the Monster Royal Families, Lynn Sr. had run his mouth one too many times, even dismissing Lincoln's career as a trainer to be… fruitless. This statement sent Rita over the edge, and wound up forcing her to file for a divorce. The trial that followed the Louds being exposed ended up not only costing Lynn Sr. his wife, but also all of his kids for life, as well as being disowned by his father, Leonard, and his younger brother, Lance. Now Lynn Sr. is carrying out a hefty jail sentence for the next few years. Now it was just Rita, who took back her maiden name of "Campbell", and all of her kids, who likewise took their mother's maiden name, living in a new house after moving out of their dilapidated old home.

"And that should do it!" Luna said, as she and Luan finished baking some holiday treats, consisting of cookies and fudge.

"They smell wonderful girls!" Rita praised.

"And if they smell this good, then I bet they taste even better!" Lola commented, as she helped Lana and Lisa with some decorating.

"Well, they were some recipes we found on the net," Luna replied.

"It's still very much appreciated," Rita replied.

"So, when do you think they'll be showing up?" Lori asked, as she hung some tinsel around the living room.

"Shouldn't be too much longer. When I spoke to them earlier, they said that once Lincoln's peers called their families to let them know about their return for Christmas, then Lincoln would portal them all back home," Lisa replied.

"It will be nice to have the family together for the holidays," Luan added.

"I got a call from both Dad and Leonard. The two of them would be coming over soon," Rita added.

"Would that include Uncle Lance and Aunt Sharon?" Lucy asked.

"Of course, sweety. Even if THAT 'man' is no longer legally part of our family, that doesn't mean that Lance and Sharon don't have to be strangers to us. Especially now that we can spend time with them without having to deal with Lance and that 'man's' petty little feud," Rita replied. Just then, they heard the doorbell ringing, "Oh, that must be them now!" she exclaimed, as she answered the door, revealing her father, Albert, stepmother, Myrtle, father in-law, Leonard Loud, and her brother and sister-in-law, Lance and Sharon, and her niece and nephews, Shane, Shelby, and Shiloh, "Hello, hello everyone! Please come in!" she said, inviting them all in.

"Thanks for having us, Rita," Sharon greeted, embracing Rita.

"Oh Sharon, you know you and your family are welcome here anytime," Rita replied returning the embrace.

"And there are my little minnows!" Leonard greeted his granddaughters.

"Good to see you again, Gramps," Lynn greeted back.

"Has Lincoln and Leni not made it back yet?" Shane asked, not seeing either of his aforementioned cousins among the guests.

"They should be arriving momentarily. In the meantime, make yourselves at home," Rita replied. The guests didn't need to be told twice, as they set their luggage down by the door, and sat around the living room, chatting with one another. Just then, another knock came from the door, "That must be them!" she squealed happily, as she answered the door, revealing Lincoln, Pikachu, and Leni, each sibling holding a few bags.

"LINCOLN! LENI!" the family exclaimed, as the two siblings entered the house. The two of them set down their bags, and eagerly accepted the loving embraces from their families.

"So good to have you both back for Christmas!" Luna exclaimed.

"It's good to be back," Lincoln replied, as Pikachu perched itself on Lincoln's shoulder.

"Why don't you get settled in, and we can get this party started?" Lance suggested.

"Funny you should mention a party, Uncle Lance," Lincoln replied, catching the attention of everyone there, "See, some of my friends over in Japan invited me over to a big Christmas Party that's being held by two of the richest families in Japan, and they said that the hosts extended the offer to bring my family along with."

"A party all the way in actual Japan?" Sharon asked.

"Well, those rich friends of yours must have really deep pockets if they're letting you bring all of us over as well," Luan commented.

"Well, both of their families are wealth conglomerates, so I think its safe to call them REALLY rich," Lincoln replied.

"Cool! So, when are we heading over?" Shiloh asked.

"Well, first I'll be heading over to Sainan to meet up with Nana and the others. They'll take me to the venue. Once there, I'll open a portal back here and bring you over," Lincoln explained, opening a portal with the amulet he got from Lilianna.

"Well, alright Lincoln. We'll see you in a little bit," Rita replied, as Lincoln passed through the portal with Pikachu, stepping just outside of the Yuuki Household. And with good timing, as the residents of the Yuuki Household exited the house, and saw their American friend.

"Hey there, Lincoln!" Rito greeted, as they passed through the house gate.

"Hey guys. Been a while, hasn't it?" Lincoln greeted back.

"I'll say. We heard about Team Rocket's downfall from Nana," Mikan replied.

"Yeah, though they didn't go down easy. They were tougher than nails," Lincoln replied.

"Well, why don't you tell us about the war as we walk?" Momo suggested.

"Sounds good," Lincoln replied, as they all began walking. As they did, Lincoln told them about everything that happened during the war with Team Rocket, "And in the end, several members of Team Rocket were given the death penalty, including Giovanni himself, while the rest got either life sentences or a few decades worth of jailtime."

"Well, at least there's one problem in the world eliminated," Rito commented.

"Yeah, and hopefully, my journeys throughout the rest of the regions will be a bit smoother," Lincoln replied.

"So, where do you plan to go next?" Lala asked.

"I haven't fully decided yet. Mom wants me to spend at least the Summer Months at home with her and my sisters, namely to take part in summer courses until I'm able to graduate with a High School diploma. For now, I'm keeping my options open," Lincoln replied, as they got to what appeared to be a bus stop. There, they saw Haruna, Kotegawa, Ren and Run, Risa and Mio, Saruyama, Miss Mikado, and even Yami.

"Hey there guys! We were wondering when you'd get here!" Saruyama greeted.

"And I see you've accepted Saki's invitation as well, Lincoln," Kotegawa said, noticing their American friend.

"I figured it would be rude to ignore an invite, especially since Nana said I was allowed to bring my whole family along for the ride," Lincoln replied.

"So, we're all going to officially meet your family, is that right?" Mio asked.

"Correct. And that includes the family on my ex-father's side, including Gramps, Uncle Lance, Aunt Sharon, and my cousins, Shane, Shelby, and Shiloh," Lincoln replied, showing a picture of his uncle's family.

"They seem nice," Haruna commented.

"They are, but this is going to be the first time in five years that Uncle Lance is bringing his family over for the holidays," Lincoln replied, just as what appeared to be a shuttle bus pulled up next to them, "Wow, they're really going all out with style."

"Well, that's how Tenjouin senpai is. She goes to great lengths to treat her guests right, even if most of the time it's to boast about how rich she is," Risa mused, as they all boarded.

"So, you were saying about your uncle being over for the holidays for the first time in five years?" Mikan asked.

"Right. See, it happened five Christmases ago, during a white elephant gift exchange among the adults, consisting of both my parents, aunt and uncle, and Gramps. My ex-Dad got a fancy new spatula, which Uncle Lance decided to steal. The two got into a scuffle, which led to them accidentally popping Uncle Lance's exercise ball. The two of them then decided it would be best if they didn't spend Christmas with one another. And just to keep from doing so, the two of them would often fake injuries just to get out of it," Lincoln explained.

"So you're saying your ex-dad and Uncle got into a fight over a spatula and exercise ball?" Nana asked.

"Yeah, pretty petty, but they refused to get over it and kept on faking their injuries at Christmas time. It even got to the point where my sisters made a Christmas Bingo game out of the injuries ex-dad said he had, as well as all the pain filled sounds he made," Lincoln replied, causing his friends to wince from how harsh that sounded.

"Are all of your sisters THAT salty?" Risa asked.

"Kind of, but now that that man is behind bars, they have no further need for the bingo game," Lincoln replied. Just then, a massive building that one would describe as a baseball stadium, only much larger. Within its walls, Lincoln also saw a massive, well decorated tree in the middle, "I'm guessing that's our destination?"

"Yep. That's the Tenjouin/Mendo Arena. It was built from the cooperation between both the Tenjoin and Mendo families," Mio replied.

"Well, you can't really say they aren't going all out," Lincoln commented, as the shuttlebus pulled up to the venue. Someone in a fancy black suit was seen standing outside the door.

"Master Shutaro Mendo and Lady Saki Tenjouin have been expecting you. Please, enjoy your time at the party," the man said, as they all disembarked from the bus.

"By the way Lincoln, are any of your friends from Kanto coming to the party?" Haruna asked.

"No, Brock, Misty, Amber, Joy, Jenny, Lara, and Midori said they all wanted to spend Christmas at home with their own families. So, it's just going to be me, my family, as well as my fiancés from the Monster Realm and their families as well," Lincoln replied.

"Ok," Haruna replied, as they entered the building, where a bunch of other people, including some monsters, were all mingling about.

"Welcome to the Tenjouin/Mendo Arena!" the haughty voice of Saki boomed, as she, along with Rin and Aya, greeted the group, "Please, make yourselves at home, and enjoy the party."

"Thanks for having us over, Saki!" Lala happily said.

"Tenjouin, would it be alright for me to bring over my family and fiancés?" Lincoln asked.

"By all means, Lincoln," Saki replied.

"Thanks. I'll catch up with you guys in a little bit," Lincoln said.

"If it's all the same, Lincoln, do you mind if I get a head start in checking out the party with the others?" Pikachu asked.

"As long as you stick close to Nana and the others, then by all means," Lincoln replied. With that, Pikachu climbed up onto Nana's shoulder.

"Don't worry Lincoln, we'll keep an eye on the little guy," Risa replied. With that, Lincoln went over to a nice open space.

"This looks like a good place. First, I'll bring over my family," Lincoln said to himself, as he used his amulet to open a portal back to his house, "Ok guys, you can come over now!" he announced. No sooner than he said that, his mother, sisters, grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins passed through the portal.

"That sure beats crowded air travel," Sharon commented, as she and the others looked around.

"*whistles* Now THIS is a venue for a party!" Luna commented, impressed with how massive it was.

"Yeah, it was built with the cooperation of both the Mendo and Tenjouin families. I'll take you to meet our hosts in a little bit. Right now, I need to call Verosika and the others," Lincoln replied, as he rubbed the rings on his arms, "Charlie, Verosika, Octavia, Loona, Milt, Miu, and Gwen, you all there?"

"We hear you, Linkey," Verosika replied.

"I'm guessing it's party time?" Loona replied.

"Yep. We're at the venue now. If you and your families are all ready, I'll bring you right over," Lincoln replied.

"We're ready on our end," Charlie replied.

"As are we," Octavia added.

"Same," Loona added.

"Ditto," Milt added.

"Ready when you are," Gwendolyn added.

"I hope our hosts don't mind us bringing over some of our sake," Miu said.

"I've got one of the latest fashion trends ready for you to see," Verosika said, causing Lincoln to blush.

"Alright then, I'm opening the portal now," Lincoln said, as he opened a portal to the monster realm. Out from it stepped each of Lincoln's fiancés and their parents, each in their own festive outfits.

Charlie and Vaggie were wearing matching ugly Christmas sweaters. Charlie's sweater was red with green trim, while Vaggie's was green with red trim. Charlie's parents were wearing more festive versions of their normal attire.

Octavia had a dark, purple outfit with snowflake patterns on it, while Stola was wearing a turtleneck. Gwendolyn and Rasha were both wearing festive garments, no doubt woven from their own silk. Milt was wearing a red and green milkmaid outfit, which was large enough to comfortably hold in her colossal breasts. Verosika was wearing a sparkly, red Jessica Rabbit-esque dress, as was Elenor, except her's was more purple. Loona, Miu, Minister Taur, Wolfgang, Akuma and Kiken were all wearing their normal attire.

"Glad to see all of you here," Lincoln commented.

"We were quite pleased to have received your invitation, my boy," Lucius replied.

"You can bet some of us will be waiting under the mistletoe!" Verosika sang.

"Heh, yeah, I'll… be looking forward to that," Lincoln nervously replied, before correcting himself, "Well, we should get moving. Our hosts await," he said, leading them back to the main area.

"Whoa," Shane said, upon seeing the massive tree in the center of the arena.

"Yeah, Tenjouin and Mendo both come from extremely rich families, so this was probably nothing for them," Lincoln replied. He then saw both Tenjouin and Mendo mingling with one another, and their respective group of friends.

"So, then I was all 'no way' and she was all 'yes way'," Tenjouin said.

"I don't believe a word of that," Momo commented dryly. Just then, they noticed Lincoln returning to the party with his guests.

"Ah, so I take it these people are your family, Lincoln?" Tenjouin asked.

"Yep. This is my mom, Rita, my sisters, Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan, Lynn, Lucy, Lana, Lola, Lisa, and Lily, our grandparents, Albert, Myrtle, and Leonard, our Uncle Lance, Aunt Sharon, and our cousins, Shane, Shelby, and Shiloh," Lincoln introduced his whole family.

"It's very nice to meet every one of you," Rita said on behalf of everyone there.

"And I take it these folks are also guests of yours?" Mendo asked, looking over at the monster royals.

"Yes. These are my fiancés, Charlie, Miu, Milt, Verosika, Octavia, Loona, and Gwendolyn, their parents, each of whom are high ranking royals in the Monster Realm, and Charlie's girlfriend, Vaggie," Lincoln replied, introducing his monster fiancés and their families.

"We're most honored to be invited to such a large event such as this," Lucias said.

"And we are honored to have such nobles as yourselves attending the party as well. Please, make yourselves at home," Tenjouin urged. Not needing to be told twice, the Louds and the Royals all broke off to mingle with the other guests. Lincoln decided to meet back up with Nana and Pikachu.

"Let's see, they should be around here somewhere," Lincoln said to himself, looking around the large crowd. He was then approached by Milt, Verosika, and Octavia.

"We were wondering where you had gone off to, Lincoln," Milt said, lifting Lincoln up into her arms, sandwiching the orange clad boy between her boobs.

"I was just trying to find Nana and Pikachu. I was hoping to introduce them to the rest of the family," Lincoln replied, trying his hardest to keep his breath.

"That's right! Your aunt, uncle, and cousins never met them before, right?" Verosika asked, as Lincoln repositioned himself to look out at the teen succubus.

"Yeah, and I was hoping to introduce her and her sisters to them," Lincoln replied.

"Well, it shouldn't be too hard to find them in this crowd. All we're looking for is someone with pink hair and a devil's tail, right? Accompanied with a little yellow mouse on that note," Octavia stated, as she looked around the crowd. Milt then lifted Lincoln up onto her shoulders to give him a better view of the crowd. Soon, like was able to find her at one of the tables, feed Pikachu some fruit.

"Ah, that's her, right over there," Lincoln said, pointing in Nana's general direction.

"Alright," Milt said, walking in the direction Lincoln was pointing, along with Verosika and Octavia, weaving through the crowd, eventually making it through to the tables.

"Does that taste good, Pikachu?" Nana was heard asking the little yellow mouse.

"Mmm, fresh tasting," Pikachu replied, eating the apple he was given.

"Good to hear," Nana replied.

"Enjoying each other's company, I see?" Lincoln asked, as they arrived at the table.

"Yep. Since we don't get a lot of time to hang out, I like to learn more about your Pokemon whenever I get the chance," Nana replied, as Milt let Lincoln down off her shoulder.

"Well, you needn't hesitate to ask for all the data I've been sending to Lisa. It's got information on every species I've caught and/or encountered," Lincoln replied.

"Yeah, but seeing how they behave up close is a lot more rewarding," Nana replied. It was then that trouble waltzed in.

"Hey there baby girl! What's your name? Your address, phone number, three measurements?" Lincoln grimaced upon hearing the familiar lecherous voice of another of his "friends", talking to Milt and the others.

"Sorry pal, but we're all spoken for," Verosika retorted on behalf of her and the others.

"Hey, don't be like that! Not when we're so in love!" the voice said, sounding too stupid to take a hint.

"Oh god damn it! Really Moroboshi! Can't you see they aren't interested in you?!" Lincoln snapped at the offending teen.

"Oh, hey Lincoln! Any chance you can lend me some money?" Moroboshi asked. He was met with a jolt of electricity.

"Darling, stop causing trouble for our friends!" Lum yelled, as she floated down to the group.

"Lum, can't you see that I'm meeting with the loves of my life?!" Moroboshi yelled, latching onto Verosika's waist, holding her tight, and nestling his head against her boobs.

"Hey, back off, pervert!" Verosika demanded, trying to pry off Moroboshi. It was then that Lance's family wandered over.

"Is everything alright, Lincoln?" Shelby asked.

"Yeah, unfortunately with this parasite, this is normal. His name's Ataru Moroboshi, and to put it bluntly, he's a lecherous pervert, and possibly the stupidest person on the face of the Earth," Lincoln replied, as Lum zapped Moroboshi, finally managing to free Verosika.

"Thanks for that… Hey, are you an Oni like Miu?" the succubus teen asked.

"Well, it is true that I am an Oni, but I'm actually an alien, much like Nana here," Lum replied, floating around Nana.

"Oh, so these must be some of the aliens you were telling us about, Lincoln!" Sharon exclaimed.

"Yep. This is Lum, a friend I made while in Kanto, and Nana, the second princess of the Planet Deviluke," Lincoln replied, introducing both alien girls to his aunt, uncle, and cousins.

"Its very nice to meet all of you," Lum greeted, bowing respectfully.

"Likewise," Nana added, bowing with respect.

"And these nice folks are my family on my Gramps' side of the family, Uncle Lance, Aunt Sharon, and cousins Shane, Shelby, and Shiloh," Lincoln said, introducing his other side of the family.

"We're very happy to meet some of friends or nephew met during his travels," Sharon greeted.

"That's right. Though, apart from that tail, you don't really look that much different from us humans," Shane admitted, looking at Nana's tail.

"Well, my sisters and I both inherited our tails from our Daddy, the King of Deviluke. We got most of our looks from our Mom," Nana replied.

"By the way, Lincoln, is what I heard really true? That you're engaged to marry Nana as well as the girls from the Monster Realm?" Shiloh asked. Both Lincoln and Nana became flustered at this question.

"Well, yeah. It's… a bit complicated to explain, but we're doing our best to make things work between us," Lincoln replied.

"Kind of like how my big sister's boyfriend is trying to make things work with both of them," Nana replied. It was then that Moroboshi had gotten in her face.

"You have an older sister? What's her name? Her email address? Her phone number? Her three measurments?" he asked insistently, only to get smacked on the head with a mallet by Lum, though he seemed unfazed by this.

"Get real, perv! She's taken!" Nana aggressively retorted.

"This guy must be like a cockroach if he can keep going like that," Shelby commented bluntly.

"Not quite… Cockroaches usually end up dying sooner or later," Lincoln replied equally bluntly.

"But he's still only human, right? He has to be injured from something like that at some point, right?" Sharon asked.

"Well, from what his friends told me, he takes a lot of physical abuse on a daily basis and still keeps on trucking. Stuff like Lum's electricity lynching, getting blasted with fire from Lum's little cousin, being on the receiving end of beatings from several girls from his high school, and something about closeups of a cherry. I still don't know what that means," Lincoln explained.

"They mean me!" a small, elderly man, the same height as Shiloh said. He was dressed in a traditional monk's outfit. He was bald, had a sleepy look in his eyes, and was really ugly to boot.

"Ick, what is that thing?!" Milt exclaimed, repulsed by the appearance of the elderly man.

"Oh great! Who invited you, Cherry?!" Moroboshi yelled in irritation.

"I came as a plus one with Sakura. After all, how can we refuse the offer of a free buffet?" Cherry replied calmly.

"Sakura's here?! Where?! Where is she?!" Moroboshi exclaimed, looking around for the woman in question.

"Oh, so this must the Cherry Moroboshi's friends were talking about!" Lincoln exclaimed, putting two and two together. Cherry then looked at Lincoln.

"Hmm, you seem rather intelligent for someone so young," Cherry observed.

"So I've been told," Lincoln replied, avoiding eye contact with the monk with how ugly he was.

"Attention everyone!" the voice of Tenjouin boomed, catching the attention of everyone there, "Are we all having a great time tonight?" she was met with a round of merry cheers in response, "We're so happy to hear that. And I would like to thank our special guests from the Monster Realm for attending this most joyous celebration!"

"Heh, this chick knows how to work the crowd," Loona commented, as she and Wolfgang ate some of the meat that was on the buffet table.

"And it is with this development that we can now unveil a little party activity, curtesy of both the Mendo and Tenjouin families. Take a look." Mendo said, pressing a button, which caused the far wall to begin separating, revealing what appeared to be an obstacle course, "It is a custom for both of our families to include something like this for the enjoyment of the guests. Participation is open to anyone who wishes to take part in it, but is NOT a requirement. However, those of you who do wish to take part have the opportunity to win one of ten fabulous prizes, provided by both families of course."

"What sort of prizes are potentially up for grabs? Well, they can range from a lot of things, such as a house makeover, top of the line cooking devices, massive cash prizes, and even a luxury cruise for you and your family!" Tenjouin announced. This really got all the guests into a frenzy.

"Whoa, those prizes are way past wicked!" Luna exclaimed.

"Just think of what I could do with a bunch of fancy new cooking devices!" Mikan exclaimed.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm gunning for that cruise!" Lola proclaimed.

"Now hold on Lola, there might be an age restriction," Rita warned.

"And you needn't worry about your safety! The entire course is designed for the safety of all our guests in mind with nothing even remotely dangerous. Sure, you may get the wind knocked out of you from some of the obstacles, but nothing more severe than that," Mendo announced.

"Sounds like you might have had this set up in case representatives from the Monster Realm were to attend the party," Lucius commented.

"That's right, you're majesty. Both families understand the consequences for violating the Interspecies Exchange Bill, and adjusted the course with their safety in mind, so any representatives from your Realm can participate if they so choose," Mendo replied.

"Eh, I think I'll take a crack at it," Shane said, as he got in line, just behind Moroboshi, who was snickering like a complete moron. He was then met with a sword coming down straight at him from Mendo, which he caught.

"Moroboshi, what do you think you're doing?" Mendo interrogated. Moroboshi, somehow oblivious to the sword in his face, smiled at the rich boy.

"Hey there, Mendo! I'm just going to try my hand at the obstacle course!" he said nonchalantly.

"Nothing happening! There may not be an age restriction, but it's recommended that everyone has at least one IQ point, of which you have not!" Mendo argued, as he threw Moroboshi across the room, "Alright then, the first person can go now," he said, letting Shane enter the obstacle course.

"Ok, let's see what I can do," Shane said, as he tackled the first obstacle, which looked to be a standard parkour, "This doesn't seem too difficult," he commented, as he began leaping from platform to platform, eventually making it to the other side.

"He made it!" Shelby exclaimed.

"This kind of seems a bit more tame than previous years," Rito commented.

"That is mainly because of the Interspecies Exchange Bill. If we were to use any of our regular traps, then both Miss Saki and Mendo would be tried to the fullest extent of the law," Rin explained.

"The idea of getting the maximum possible punishments for such traps is so great, not even my own little sister would think of doing her usual tricks," Mendo added, as they watched the next few participants joining in.

"By the way, where is Ryoko?" Moroboshi asked, looking around while perched on top of Mendo's head like a vulture.

"GET OFF ME, YOU PARASITE!" Mendo yelled, throwing Moroboshi off, while also sending him straight at Rita, Lori, and Leni, who were chatting with Miss Mikado and Miss Sakura.

"Hello, Miss Sakura, and you other babes!" Moroboshi cheerfully greeted.

"BEGONE, UNKNOWN CREATURE!" Sakura yelled, smacking Moroboshi away with an oversized paper fan.

"Darling, you idiot!" Lum yelled, blasting Moroboshi with her electricity. Once she was done, Moroboshi was then right in the Campbell's faces.

"What are your names? Can I also get your home and email addresses? Phone numbers? Three measurements?" he asked.

"Well, you have to admit, that guy's persistent," Leonard commented, as both Lori and Leni, along with Luna, Luan, and Lynn began pummeling Moroboshi for his lecherous behavior.

"It's as I told Shelby and them; Moroboshi is like a cockroach," Lincoln replied.

"Though I must say, I'm surprised that Lynn isn't taking part in the obstacle course," Shiloh commented.

"That's because of her time at the sanitorium. Apparently, she got mentally broken so badly, that her overly competitive nature was erased completely. Don't get me wrong, she's still competitive, but it's not to the unhealthy extent as it was during the whole bad luck incident," Lincoln explained.

"Well, that's good to hear. And what about Lori's obsession with putting you and Ronnie Anne together?" Miu asked.

"She was convinced to get over it by the doctors, and to stop trying to play cupid," Lincoln replied.

"Well, that's also good to hear. And I assume this also means she stopped blaming you for what happened with that Bobby guy?" Verosika asked.

"Yep. Both hers and Lynn's time at the sanitorium forced them to reflect on their own actions, and how they affected those around them," Lincoln replied.

"It had to happen eventually. Too bad it had to be through the worst possible way," Lance commented.

"And what of… him?" Charlie asked. Lincoln's expression turned noticeably grimmer at Charlie's question, as he knew who she was talking about.

"Don't know, don't care. That man is out of our lives for good, and he's going to stay out of our lives for all I care," Lincoln replied.

"With all due respect, your majesty, it's probably best NOT to bring up that subject again," Sharon advised.

"Perfectly understandable," Charlie replied, as Shane rejoined them, bruised and beaten.

"Shane baby, what happened to you?" Sharon asked her eldest son.

"Some of those obstacles were a lot tougher than they looked," Shane replied.

"You planning on trying the course yourself, Lincoln?" Loona asked.

"Eh, I think I'll pass this time around," Lincoln replied.

"You sure? You can still have some fun trying to get through," Shane asked.

"You should go for it, Lincoln," Octavia encouraged.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to at least try," Lincoln commented, as he went to get in line. It was about half an hour before it was finally Lincoln's turn, "Ok, you don't need to get through the course. Just focus on the fun," he said to himself, as he began to parkour across the first part of the course. He was doing pretty well, until he had a near slip on the last platform. He was quick to correct himself. Breathing a sigh of relief, Lincoln leapt to the end of the first stage. He continued forward, finding himself now at a net ladder.

"The boy's doing fairly well," Sakura commented, while noisily eating some of the food she had gotten from the buffet, as Lincoln began climbing the ladder.

"I'd chalk that up to his travels throughout Kanto. He's gotten a lot more fit and athletic from traversing the land," Rita replied, as Lincoln had gotten to the top of the ladder. He was now faced with a series of rope swings.

"Haven't done these since Porta Vista!" Lincoln commented, as he began to swing from rope to rope, eventually making it to the other side.

"He must be taking everything he's put into taking on the Gyms in Kanto, and using them here," Sharon commented.

"Well, we only ever saw him participate in ONE of those Tests of Character when we visited him at Maiden's Peak. All the other Gyms never showed the tests on TV," Lola replied.

"Probably to keep other challengers from using that knowledge to cheat through them," Lisa theorized, as Lincoln began crossing the next obstacle; a rotating drum.

"That's an obstacle that nearly got me," Shane commented, as Lincoln began to traverse the drum, trying to keep on top. He had a near slip, but he was, in a panic fueled motion, able to correct himself, and eventually clear the obstacle. He now found himself at the final obstacle; a gauntlet of swinging foam logs with a single balancing beam between where he stood and the finish line. Some of the competitors got smacked off, sending them plummeting to the padded floor below, while two or three of the others made it across and claiming the spoils of their efforts, "This is the one where I lost."

"How will he do with this one?" Stolas wondered, eyeing the course curiously. Lincoln, after observing the way the logs move, began making his move. He weaved and dodged each log as he made his way across the beam.

"Alright, just a little further and I'll have…" Lincoln got cut off when he got hit by one of the swinging logs, sending him into the water.

"Aw, too bad. And he made it so far too," Rasha commented. It was then that she and the others noticed Lori and Leni both attempting the course themselves.

"Ok, that last log at the end there is one we have to watch out for," Lori commented, as both sisters began to traverse the beam. As they were, Lincoln had regrouped with the others.

"Gallant try, young man," one of the men said.

"You did make it pretty far," Rita praised.

"Yeah, though I think it was that last log that clenched it for me. Oh well," Lincoln shrugged.

"Hey, get off, pervert!" everyone looked up to see that Moroboshi had latched onto both Loud sisters, nuzzling against their boobs. Both sisters were trying to pound him off of them, but he wasn't relenting, which resulted in all three of them getting smacked off the beam, sending them to the padded floor as well. Lori and Leni both got up and went to get back with their family, but Moroboshi continued to be a menace.

"Don't leave! You mustn't deny the love we have between us!" Moroboshi proclaimed.

"There is nothing between you and either of us, so get lost!" Lori demanded, as she delivered a powerful kick to the lech's gut.

"Darling, quit harassing them!" Lum yelled, zapping Moroboshi, allowing both sisters to escape.

"I don't know about you guys, but I think we've had our fill of the party," Lance commented.

"I know what you mean, son. As much as I like being a part of gatherings like this, I think I need to go rest these old bones," Leonard replied.

"And we need to get back to the retirement home before sundown. Otherwise, Sue is going to have a cow," Albert added.

"Well, we'll still be able to have time for Christmas back at the house," Rita replied.

"Too true, sweetie," Albert said. Lincoln then approached both of the party hosts.

"Thanks again for inviting us all over, Tenjouin and Mendo, but I think it's time for us to get back home to Royal Woods," Lincoln said.

"It was no trouble at all, Lincoln," Saki replied.

"Even though there were a few too many more men here than I would've liked, it was still nice to have met your family," Mendo replied, noticing that Moroboshi was regaining consciousness, "If you want to head back, I'd suggest you do it quickly, before Moroboshi wakes up."

"No need to tell us twice," Lincoln replied, as he opened a portal back to their house in Royal Woods. One by one, everyone, including the Royals, stepped through, leaving Lincoln the last one to leave. He was then approached by Nana.

"It was nice seeing you again, Lincoln," she said, as both of them took the other's hands.

"Likewise. By the way, I saw this, and thought of you," Lincoln said, handing Nana a small box, "I figured I should get you something since we were going to see each other at the party."

Nana opened it, revealing a pendant made with Heart Scales, "Oh it's absolutely gorgeous!"

"I had a feeling you'd like it," Lincoln commented.

"I love it!" Nana replied, before handing Lincoln a present herself, "And I saw this on an infomercial, and I figured it was something you'd be into." Lincoln was about to open it, when…

"Hey, where are those two babes?!" Moroboshi called, looking around for Lori and Leni.

"Damn it! I guess I'll have to call you later and tell you how I like it," Lincoln replied, knowing he had to get going before he was noticed by Moroboshi.

"Well, I suppose it can't be helped. Well, until next time, have a Merry Christmas," Nana replied.

"To you as well," Lincoln replied, as the two shared a quick kiss before Lincoln dived into the portal closing it up.

"We were wondering what was taking you so long, Lincoln," Luan commented.

"Just a little gift exchange between me and Nana," Lincoln replied.

"Speaking of, shall we get a start with opening presents?" Myrtle asked. Everyone sounded excited to hear about that.

"We also brought some gifts as well from the Monster Realm as well," Lucius commented, as he conjured up a pile of gifts, each marked as from one of the Royal Families.

"That's so thoughtful of you, but we don't really have anything to give any of you," Rita replied.

"There's no need to look so down. After all, since your son's engagement to each of our daughters was made, the deal had been fulfilled. That's more than enough for us, Rita," Lilianna replied.

"Well, if you insist," Rita reluctantly replied.

"Well, I decided to get the girls some gifts while I was still in Kanto with Brock and Misty," Lincoln said, handing each of his fiancés a gift bag.

"Aww, that's so sweet of you, Lincoln!" Charlie commented, accepting her gift, as did Vaggie with hers. For the rest of the day, everyone exchanged gifts, engaged in holiday activities, and even had an early dinner. Needless to say, this Christmas was one to remember.