December 7th means it's Aiden and Michelle's birthday! As always, here is their special birthday one shot to commemorate the day!

Aiden and Michelle: 4 years old


Dreaming of a White Birthday

Aiden's brown eyes met Michelle's green through the water filled glass orb that was situated between them.

It was settled on an icy blue base adorned by sparkly white snowflakes. Inside were the sculpted figures of a trio of ice type Pokémon: Alolan Vulpix, Glaceon, and Cubchoo. The three were frozen in a permanent state of play, fake snow and glitter swirling around them. As soon as the tempest settled, either one of the twins would pick up the snow globe and shake it as hard as they could before putting it back down so they could both watch the artificial storm all over again.

When Misty walked into the room and saw that the two were still fixated on the trinket, she giggled softly to herself.

"You both really love that snow globe, don't you?" Misty asked whimsically.

Aiden looked up at his mother and grinned, rapidly nodding his head. "Uh huh! The Pokémon look real, Mommy!"

"And all the snow is so pretty!" Michelle added.

"Lillie sure knew what she was doing when she picked that out for you two," Misty commented. "I think this might just be your most favorite birthday present ever!"

Now it was Michelle's turn to giggle. She really looked up to Lillie and was delighted that the snow globe had been a gift from her. "That's -cause she's smart!"

Without any other warning, Aiden pulled up onto his knees and excitedly cried out, "I wish it snowed for me and Shelly's birthday!"

Misty blinked and pulled her shoulders back. "You mean…real snow?"

Aiden's grin somehow managed to widen as he threw his arms up. "Yeah! Lots of it! Then it'd be like a real snow globe!"

Her brother's wild imagination seemed to be igniting Michelle's as well, for she too popped up and agreed, "I want it to snow, too!"

Although the young twins didn't realize it, this posed a frustrating dilemma for their mother. She knew the chances of snow at this time of the year were not very high, and as a result, she didn't want her children to get their hopes up and become disappointed if it didn't happen. On the other hand, she found their excitement to be just precious, and she didn't want to be the one ruining their dreams. Which meant she could either tell them the truth and hurt them now, or she could fib a little and watch them get hurt later.

Seriously, how did no one warn me that this would be one of the hardest parts of being a parent?!

Fortunately for Misty, she wound up not having to make that tough decision, because Ash came busting through the front door at that very moment, tearing the twins' attention away for the time being.

"Daddy!" Aiden cried, jumping up and tackling his father.

"Whoa, you're sure excited, champ!" Ash chuckled.

"Lookit what Lillie sent us for our birthday!" Michelle cried, picking up the snow globe and shuffling it over to her father.

"Michelle, be careful," Misty calmly warned her daughter. "That's a very fragile gift!"

"I'm careful, Mommy!" Michelle assured her.

Ash knelt down to his daughter's level and gently took the snow globe from her so he could examine it more closely. "Wow, this is so pretty!"

"Shelly and me keep shaking it so we can watch the snow fall," Aiden informed his father.

Ash chuckled. "Yeah, that's what makes these things so cool! Plus, those little Pokémon figures inside. They almost look real, huh?"

"Uh huh!" Aiden agreed. "That's what I said!"

"We really want it to snow for real on our birthday!" Michelle shrieked.

Misty groaned softly enough that Ash didn't hear her. Instead, he just grinned at the little girl and replied, "I'm sure if you really wish for it, it could happen!"

At this, Misty's eyes widened. The twins failed to notice, and instead began excitedly chattering amongst themselves.

"Come here," Misty beckoned, grabbing her surprised husband's shoulder and pulling him towards the kitchen. Once they were out of earshot of their children, Misty released Ash and spun around, her hands on her hips. "Seriously?"

"What?" Ash asked, obviously confused.

"You can't tell them if they wish for snow it'll happen," Misty groaned.

"Why not?" Ash half whined.

"Because you can't guarantee that," Misty replied, stunned that Ash didn't seem to understand that. "I don't want them to be disappointed."

"They won't be," Ash assured her, shaking his head.

Misty twisted her mouth. "I hate when you say things like that. It usually means you have an idea."

"That's because I do!" Ash proudly declared. "And if my kids want it to snow on their birthday, then I'm going to make sure it snows."

"Oh Arceus," Misty groaned, covering her face. "Just because you're the Pokémon Master doesn't mean you can control the weather, you know."

"And who says I can't?" Ash teased, reaching out to toy with Misty's bangs.

"Common sense," Misty bantered right back, playfully swatting his hand away. "Unless of course there's something you're not telling me about yourself. And in that case, I'll be pretty annoyed that you haven't made it feel like summer year-round yet."

"I don't need to control the weather to make it snow," Ash chirped, winking at her.

Misty grimaced as he stepped around her. "At this point, I'm not going to ask any more questions. I'm more afraid of the answers than I am curious." She took a short pause before adding, "Also, I swear if I turn around and find you in that fridge…"

Although she couldn't see the blush that was now gracing her husband's face, Misty could hear the refrigerator door closing. "I'm starting to think you really do have eyes in the back of your head and that's not just a lie you tell Aiden and Michelle when they're not behaving."

"Good, that's exactly what I want you to think," Misty giggled. "I don't need you spoiling your appetite before dinner!"

"I don't think that's actually possible," Ash mused, rubbing his chin.

"Well, we're not going to find out today," Misty quipped. "And speaking of dinner, could you do me a favor and keep an eye on the twins while I start making it?"

"Sure thing!" Ash replied. "I love spending time with those two."

Misty couldn't help but to smile at that. "I know you do. Maybe you could also find out what else they want for their birthday aside from…snow."

Ash grinned mischievously. "I don't need to, because I'm going to give them snow."

And before Misty could say anything else, he pressed a quick kiss on his exasperated wife's cheek and scurried out of the kitchen.

XXX

"Let's practice one more time! Glalie, use icy wind!"

The face Pokémon opened his mouth and unleashed a cool breeze, one powerful enough to send a shiver up Pikachu's spine and goosebumps to appear on Ash's bare arms. Once the frigid air had spread out just enough, Ash threw his arm in front of him and called, "Great! Now, ice beam, let's go!"

Glalie fired a bright blue beam up into the sky, just as he had rehearsed several times before. It branched off at the top, colliding with the icy wind in the air and creating a rather impressive flurry. Pikachu chattered in delight as snow began to pile up on the ground, jumping into one of the newly formed mounds and rolling around in it.

"Awesome, you've totally perfected it!" Ash cheered. "Aiden and Michelle are going to love this!"

"Gla!" Glalie agreed with a nod.

"I'm gonna go wake them up," Ash informed his ice type. "Pikachu, when I go inside and give you the thumbs up, could you get Glalie to use that combination again?"

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu confirmed.

"You guys are the best!" Ash crowed. "Okay, don't move! I'll be right back!"

He ran back into the house, practically slamming the sliding glass door behind him as he rushed up the stairs. When he reached the top, he nearly collided with Misty, only being stopped by her throwing her hands out as a blockade.

"Whoa, Ash!" She cried.

"Mist!" Ash gasped, stumbling backwards. "I'm really sorry!"

"It's fine," Misty sighed, slowly running her hands down Ash's chest. "I just wish you would look where you're going! How come you're in such a rush?"

"I was going to wake the twins up," Ash replied, nodding towards their rooms. "I've got a special birthday surprise for them!"

"Oh, what a coincidence," Misty teased, holding her hands behind her back. "I was just going to wake them up myself!"

Ash hummed and raised an eyebrow. "You know what this means."

Misty smirked and, without another word, the couple charged forward, racing one another to the closest bedroom door. Ash managed to reach the actual door first, but failed to notice that Misty had gotten her hand on the doorknob; as a result, his victorious brag was cut off by her opening the door and sending him toppling to the floor.

"You may be fast, but you don't pay attention," Misty snickered, skirting past a frustrated Ash.

From his bed on the other side of the room, Aiden mumbled softly and sat up, rubbing at his eyes. "Mommy?"

Misty beamed and flitted across the floor, taking a seat on the boy's bed. "Happy birthday, sweetheart!"

This greeting caused Aiden's face to light up, any former signs of leftover tiredness disappearing. "It's my birthday!"

By the time Ash got back onto his feet, Aiden had crawled out from underneath his covers and jumped up and down a few times before throwing himself down on his amused mother's lap.

"What are we gonna do on my birthday?" Aiden asked, gazing up at Misty.

"Daddy and I have a few fun things planned," she answered. "I think you and your sister will really like them!"

"But before all of that, how would you like a super special birthday surprise?" Ash asked, an edge of excitement in his voice.

Aiden flew back up, his eyes somehow shimmering even more than before. "A surprise? What is it, Daddy?!"

"If I tell you, it's not a surprise!" Ash chuckled. "Besides, I have to get your sister first. This surprise is for both of you, after all!"

"Shelly's comin," Aiden informed his father.

Ash was confused, but soon heard footsteps coming from behind. He spun around and found that Michelle was now standing in the doorway, her wide eyes set directly on him.

"I still can't believe how crazy that twin telepathy stuff is," Ash remarked to his wife, who giggled in response.

"You guys are loud," Michelle complained, furrowing her brow.

Aiden hurriedly crawled to the end of his bed, nearly falling over until he grasped the mattress. "Ya, cause it's our birthday!"

This didn't seem to placate Michelle. "But I'm tired!"

"Aw, seashell, we didn't mean to wake you up!" Misty crooned, standing up from the bed and walking over to her daughter, lifting the little girl up into her arms. "We just got a little too excited. But you should be too!"

"A-cited?" Michelle murmured, tilting her head.

Ash chuckled at her squeaky voice. "I've got a surprise for you and Aiden. Do you want to see it?"

Michelle's face lit up and she nodded her head.

"Alright!" Ash cheered before placing Michelle on the foot of Aiden's bed, right beside her brother. "You two stay right here. Don't move!"

The twins both opened their mouths, ready to ask an endless stream of questions, but their father had run right out of the room before they could ask a single one. Frowning, Aiden turned towards his mother and asked, "what's the surprise, Mommy?"

Misty smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "I wish I knew, little man!"

Michelle gasped and spun around. "You mean you don't even know?!"

Misty laughed and shook her head. "When Daddy has a surprise, it's a surprise for everyone."

"But Mommy, it's not your birthday!" Aiden cried.

"You're right about that," Misty giggled. "I'm pretty sure Daddy just keeps it a surprise from me because he thinks he might get in trouble."

"Will he?" Michelle asked, tilting her head.

"Maybe," Misty drawled playfully, earning amused giggles from her children. "Depends on what it is!"

Down the hall, Ash had skidded into his and Misty's bedroom, pressing himself against one of the large windows that overlooked the backyard. He could see Glalie and Pikachu standing in the middle of the yard, Pikachu gazing up expectantly at the window. Ash grinned and gave his partner the aforementioned thumbs up, which in turn brought a determined smile to Pikachu's face. Turning his attention onto Glalie, Pikachu said something to the face Pokémon that Ash couldn't quite hear, but ultimately didn't matter; Glalie was firing off his icy wind attack, just as they had practiced countless times before.

With that all set, Ash ran back out of the room and returned to Aiden's, letting out a sharp breath as he grabbed onto the doorframe to prevent himself from slipping on the hardwood floor.

"It's not a race anymore, you know," Misty teased him.

"Nah, I do," Ash chuckled. "I just can't wait for Aiden and Michelle to see their surprise!"

"Do you have it?!" Aiden blurted.

"Of course I do!" Ash replied. "You guys ready?"

Aiden and Michelle both screamed simultaneously, causing their mother to wince.

"I guess that's a yes…" she laughed nervously.

"Where is it?! Where is it?!" Aiden yelped, flying over the edge of his bed and hopping circles around his father.

"Yeah, where?!" Michelle chimed in, sliding more carefully off the bed than her brother had.

Ash couldn't help but to laugh at the twins' excitement. "It's in mine and Mommy's room. Go look!"

The twins ran right past him, not bothering to wait for their parents to follow behind. Misty sighed and stood up from Aiden's bed, walking over to her husband. "It sure is cute to see them so excited, but I have to admit…I'm a little nervous to see what this 'surprise' of yours entails."

Ash smirked and gently grabbed Misty's waist. "You've gotta trust me a little more. Not every surprise of mine results in the house nearly burning down!"

"No, just like half," Misty teased, her own smirk reappearing.

Ash sighed and gave Misty a little squeeze. "I promise I wouldn't plan a potentially dangerous surprise on our kids' birthday. I have everything under control!"

Misty rolled her eyes and pushed up on her toes, kissing the side of Ash's neck. "Famous last words."

"Daddy! I don't see nothing!"

Ash groaned and shot Misty a pointed look. "I'll deal with you later."

"I sure hope so," Misty purred, suggestively wiggling her eyebrows at him.

"Daddy!"

"Coming!" Ash called back to the impatient voice. Misty raised an eyebrow at his turned back, snickering to herself before following after him.

In Ash and Misty's room, the twins had created a bit of a mess; they'd pulled the covers off their bed, flipped over Vaporeon's bed, opened both closet doors, some dresser drawers, and the bathroom door. When their parents strolled in, the two were just crawling out from underneath the bed.

"Oh Arceus, the twin tornado really hit," Misty sighed, shaking her head.

"What are you guys doing?" Ash chuckled nervously.

"Lookin' for our surprise!" Aiden cried.

"We can't find it!" Michelle added.

"Because it's not hidden in the room," Ash informed the two. At this, both of their mouths fell open.

"You said it was!" Aiden argued.

"No, I told you guys to go into our room," Ash playfully replied. "I never said it was hidden anywhere!"

"So, where's it?" Michelle questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Ash nodded his head towards the wall. "Look out the window."

Aiden and Michelle glanced at one another before jumping up and running over to the window, pressing their hands against the glass as they pushed up on their toes to get a better look. It didn't take long for them both to gasp and spin around, their eyes set wide.

"What is it?" Misty asked, genuinely curious about the surprise.

"It's snowing!" They both squealed.

That was not the answer Misty was expecting, and that was evident on her face. "Snowing? Seriously?"

"Ya!" Aiden laughed wildly, spinning back around to look out the window once again. "Lots of snow!"

Misty furrowed her brow and walked up behind the twins, looking herself. What she saw was exactly what Aiden and Michelle had described: a flurry of snow, falling from high up in the sky and collecting in droves on the ground. She could see Pikachu hopping around in it, running in circles and throwing himself into the small piles as they built up.

"No way," Misty breathed.

"Can we play in it?" Michelle begged, whipping around and grabbing at her mother's hand. "Please, please, please?"

Misty giggled and rolled her eyes. How could she possibly say no to that? "Of course, you can. We just have to make sure you're dressed nice and warm, okay?"

"Kay!" Michelle confirmed, running out of the room. Aiden, once he realized what was going on, charged right after her, eager to get his snow clothes on as well.

As soon as the twins were gone, Misty turned slowly to face her husband, a look of disbelief plastered on her face.

"Told you I was gonna make it snow," Ash boasted.

"How did you manage this?" Misty breathed, motioning towards the window.

"I'm the Pokémon Master," Ash teased, winking at her.

Misty was not impressed by this. "No, really, how did you?"

Ash chuckled and walked past Misty and up to the window. He took one look before pointing upwards, looking over his shoulder at his bewildered wife. She moved next to him and looked in the direction that he was pointing. It was then that she saw Glalie, spinning around delightedly in the falling snow.

"A combination of icy wind and ice beam," Ash elucidated. "Dawn taught it to me. She said it would make the perfect snowfall, and she was right! Glalie and I have worked on perfecting it the past few days."

The explanation certainly made sense, but Misty was still in awe. Without looking away from the window, she murmured, "no one could ever say you're not determined, Ash Ketchum."

Taking this as the ultimate compliment, Ash smiled. "I said if my kids wanted snow for their birthday, they were going to get snow. I meant it."

Misty's own grin widened, and she lowered her head to rest it on Ash's shoulder. She didn't have to say anything to him; that simple act was more than enough.

"Mommy! Daddy! My hat!"

Ash and Misty broke apart just in time to see Aiden wandering back into their room, his knit hat pulled halfway over his eyes with just one mitten on and his snow pants covering only one leg.

"I think the hat is the least of your problems there, champ," Ash chuckled, kneeling on the floor. "Come here, let me help you."

Aiden ambled forward as best as he could, trying not to trip over the loose pant leg that was dragging across the floor. Michelle then came wandering in as well, both of her mittens on but her hat and snow pants being clutched in her little hands.

"Let me guess, you couldn't get your things on either?" Misty kindly asked her daughter, who shook her head. "Alright, I'll take care of you then!"

Once both children were fully outfitted in their snow clothing and ready to go, both Ash and Misty expected them to start begging to go out right away, or just running out the bedroom door without even asking; instead, they tackled their father to the floor with two gigantic hugs.

"Whoa, guys!" Ash laughed, barely holding himself up by one hand against the floor. "What's all this for?"

"You made it snow!" Michelle giggled. "You're the best daddy ever!"

"Ya, me an- Shelly are super excited!" Aiden warmly agreed.

Ash blushed a bit, but he was quick to grin, the widest one he'd shown off all day, and wrapped his arms around the delighted twins.

"I know how much you wanted it to snow for your birthday," Ash informed them. "I'm just glad I could make you both really happy!"

"Super happy!" Aiden laughed.

"We love you, Daddy," Michelle murmured, burying her face in his chest.

Ash sighed happily and hugged them both a bit tighter. Aiden and Michelle meant the world to him. He couldn't imagine his life without either of them, and he always wanted to make them happy. Their birthday was no exception; if anything, it only made Ash want to work even harder. His life had changed the day those two were born, and he wanted them to know that. Of course, it was hard to explain that to a couple of four-year olds, and really have them understand it. So instead, Ash settled for giving them the one gift they had begged and pleaded for, as impossible as it may have first seemed, and responding to their own little heartfelt thank yous with one he knew they would have no problem understanding:

"I love you guys, too."