FOX BLUEREAVER

“We’ll win the war by Christmas” and “We’ll be back home for New Year”. Those were the most popular mottos used for recruitment. Many eager and enthusiastic cadets enlisted by believing those words.

Well, Christmas was approaching and there was still no close end to this conflict. Although things seemed rather quiet, the recently promoted to Lieutenant Matis Surge knew he couldn’t lower his guard, and when he wasn’t fighting, he’d try to find ways to be prepared once they returned to the battlefield.

For example, this little project of his.

“Alright, you guys! Give me all the voltage you have!”

“Raaaiii… CHUUUUUUUUUUUUU!”

“Jol… TEOOOOOOOOOOONN!”

“MAGNA!”

Despite being officially registered as an active soldier, Surge had plenty of engineering knowledge, which he could put to good use when he was assigned to work alongside a division of the Kalosian Air Force. He would often assist the engineers to modify their planes, allowing them to use their Pokémon’s electric energy as an alternative power source. That saved them many gallons of fuel too.

“Still working, Surge?”

He turned to see a figure at the shelter’s entrance. The man seemed in his late thirties, wearing the Kalosian Air Force uniform, and the badges on his chest and shoulders gave away his rank as Colonel. His brown hair was parted in the middle by a white streak, and he wore a pair of black sunshades covering his eyes.

“Colonel McCloud, sir.” Surge immediately stood up and saluted.

“You may rest, soldier. We’re not on duty for the moment, and you could definitely use it.”

“With all due respect, sir, you can never be too careful,” said Surge. “We can’t be certain when the Rangers will resume hostilities.”

“True, but you’ve been working nonstop for four days straight. Resting is important too. Besides, I doubt we’ll have a lot to do for the season.”

In the spirit of the holidays, hostilities had temporarily stopped during the month of December. Both Trainers and Rangers had ceased their attacks on the other side, allowing each other to retrieve the deceased, attend to the injured, and send back home the survivors who were no longer in condition to fight.

“You could use the time to send messages home, to the family,” the Colonel suggested. “Surely you must have a lot of people waiting for you, right?”

“My granny, though I’m sure she’s doing well. After all, she’s been the undefeated arm-wrestling champion in Agate Village for decades, so nobody messes with her. I assume you too must have a family waiting for you?”

The Colonel looked away momentarily before he answered. Even those dark sunshades couldn’t hide the evident sorrow in his superior’s face.

“My wife was pregnant when I was called to serve. By now, our son must be around a year old, give or take. I can’t see the time we end this war so I can go back home and meet him.”

The Colonel’s words moved something inside Surge. While many assumed that soldiers had to be ruthless and unfeeling, deep down they’d never stop being human, and even though everyone believed firmly in the cause they were fighting for, that didn’t diminish one bit the toll it took on all of them.

The uncertainty of whether they’ll make it back home, having to deliver the bad news to the families when their members didn’t make it alive, and the thought of losing festivities as special as Christmas. Any soldier wondered how their family would be celebrating without them, and Surge was no exception.

“We’ll put an end to this war soon. I’ll give my all to make sure of that, sir,” Surge assured.

“Enthusiasm is appreciated, Lieutenant,” said the Colonel. “But at least for today, you’d do well to take a break. Why don’t you come with me, and I treat you to a few drinks? Everyone in the Sky Delphox Brigade wants to thank you for your hard work.”

That was an offer Surge could never pass. Resigned, but happy, he took the Colonel’s offer to stop working just for a bit.

Maybe he was right, he should enjoy this ceasefire while it lasted. After all, deep down he didn’t believe the Rangers were foolish enough to break it, if they had some holiday spirit.

BRANDON369

While Christmas time was cold in most places, Cinnabar Island offered a good alternative to enjoy the holidays in a warm, comforting environment. Of course, across the entire island, there was no place that reflected said warmth better than the Big Riddle Inn, the place where the Gym Leader known as Blaine, master of the riddles, resided.

This year however, was really special for him, and he’d prepared for the occasion. Blaine had closed his gym earlier than usual (blocking the secret entrance to the volcano, so no challenger would enter by mistake while he was partying), and ordered all his available Pokémon to help him decorate his inn and get everything in order.

The reason for these preparations? After many years of traveling all over the world, his dear daughter Yakimono would finally come to spend Christmas with him. He was pretty enthusiastic about it, as they’d be able to party like the old times, even preparing many new riddles as he knew his daughter loved solving them.

But when she stepped into his inn, he knew these holidays would be different to the old times. Yakimono was not a child anymore, she’d become a full-fledged woman, one who’d already formed her own family. With everything that implied.

“Maybe I should help your hubby in the kitchen. I could show him the recipe for my Christmas Stew a la Blaine,” he suggested, among chuckles.

“Haha, rest easy, Dad. You know my darling’s the best cook in the world. That’s why I married him.” His daughter smiled, joking a bit herself.

Blaine could only smile at the answer. True, at first he hadn’t quite accepted his new son-in-law, mainly because he thought Yakimono was still too young to get married. But the guy was so respectful, and made his daughter so happy, he slowly gained his blessings. Of course, his cooking talents may have swayed his opinions just a little.

“Vui! Vui!”

Suddenly, Yakimono’s Eevee entered the room skipping around and hopped onto his trainer’s head, as if trying to tell her something important. Knowing already what it could be, Blaine followed his daughter to the room she’d be staying at, walking towards a wooden cradle where a baby of a few months was giving small kicks to the air.

“Look at that, my baby girl’s awake. Come here, little Alish.” Yakimono spoke to her in the sweetest tone she could, before carefully carrying her in her arms.

“Hahaha, this little girl’s just as lively as her mom.” Blaine tried to make some funny faces to make the baby smile, though she seemed more confused than amused.

“Want to carry her, Dad?”

He gladly accepted without hesitation, carrying his granddaughter with the utmost care, like she was holding the most fragile thing on the planet. Though the baby quickly started to have fun by pulling his mustache in a comical way, eliciting a giggle from her mother.

“I see she likes you a lot.” Yakimono smiled, quite amused at the scene.

“She has a strong pull for someone so small. She probably inherited from her gramps,” the Gym Leader joked.

“This little one is my new adventure, dad.”

When his daughter mentioned that with a melancholic smile, Blaine knew exactly what she was thinking.

Yakimono had always been curious and energetic, someone for whom the world was always too small. Her craving for adventure made her jump headfirst into many trips across the world since the short age of thirteen, getting many unforgettable experiences that she would always share in her letters. But her curiosity had also led her to very dangerous situations, so much that he himself had to get involved a couple times to pull her out of danger.

It caught him completely by surprise when she called him that day, saying that she planned to retire, after many years of adventures trying to solve the riddles the world had to offer. Overnight, she sought to leave all those dangers behind, and rather than continue her travels, settle down and marry the companion who’d traveled with her for so long to have her own family with him.

“Don’t make that face, Dad,” she said, snapping him out of his thoughts and probably guessing them. “I know my travels are over, and I’ll surely miss them, but… I don’t feel sad at all. On the contrary, every time I see my little Alish, I feel like the happiest woman in the world. Haha, it’s like a true riddle, don’t you think so?”

“Yeah, trust me, I know that feeling, my daughter.” Surely he did, as he felt the same when he carried his then-newborn daughter in his arms for the first time.

“I… just want to leave that danger behind, Dad,” she confessed sincerely as a small tear fell down her cheek. “My only dream now is to live peacefully with my family, and raise my baby so she grows to be the happiest girl in the world. That’s all I want.”

“She will be; with a mother as loving as you, she’ll surely be the happiest girl this world’s ever seen,” he assured her, wiping out her tears.

“I love you, Dad.”

And so, her daughter embraced him, as he too wrapped around his arms little Alish. The family remained silent, enjoying the moment. What Yakimono said was true, Alish would be her new adventure, one she would enjoy a lot, since Blaine would ensure with all his might that her beloved daughter and the family they had made would have the happiness they deserved.

IMPERATOR MAXIMAJORIAN

Years ago, Christmas Eve, near Mt. Silver...

"I can't believe she's not coming this year," the little red-haired girl said with a frown.

Jessie was not happy. On the surface, this wouldn't be surprising. She lived in an isolated mountain community. Her household didn't have much. And she rarely saw her mother.

"These things just happen sometimes, Jessie", a man's voice responded as Jessie sulked at the small, lonely table.

Normally, however, she could bear these things. After all, she was living with a kindly couple named Futaro and Sayaka who cared for her the best they could. And she got to visit the local castle, built over a century ago for a wealthy eccentric in the style of Kalosian castles, several times a year for festivities. Sometimes she even got to sleep there. How many kids could say they could semi-routinely had fun in a castle, Kantonian, Kalosian, or otherwise?

"She's always here for Christmas," Jessie responded. "Why not this year?"

No matter how much she loved Futaro and Sayaka, however, dealing with her mother's extended absences could be tough. Sometimes, she would go months without so much as a letter from her. Thankfully, she was usually at least able to drop by for the winter holidays or her birthday.

Usually.

"She has a very important assignment that she needs to complete as soon as possible," Sayaka answered. "You know how crucial her job is."

Jessie understood, intellectually, that her mother's job was an extremely important one, and that there were good reasons she couldn't be with her as much as she wanted. Unfortunately, having to spend most of the year apart and live with her de facto foster family was a necessary evil. She'd been extremely unhappy when she first found out she'd be living with this strange couple while her mother spent most of the year away, but she'd mostly gotten used to the idea.

Still, sometimes she couldn't help but wonder if her mom just wanted an excuse to get away from having to be a parent.

"...Why didn't she tell me herself?" Jessie asked quietly.

Futaro and Sayaka gazed at each other as if unsure how to answer the question, but were saved from having to by the sound of a door opening, the noise of the swirling wind outside bookended by it closing again.

"Sorry I couldn't give you notice," a familiar voice said as the sound of footsteps echoed through the small house, "but there were-"

"Mom?" she asked, cutting the voice off. "Is that you?"

She turned her head to see that, yes, it was her mother who had entered her mountain home. She'd recognize that long purple hair anywhere.

The young woman locked eyes with her as she continued walking towards her. "Yes, Jessie, it's me," she answered, coming to a stop just over her left shoulder. "Don't worry. I was able to get you a few things."

"But... I thought you said you wouldn't be coming."

She smiled. "I thought I wouldn't either, but I managed to complete my task early. So my boss gave me a bonus and told me I could take the holiday season off."

Jessie's eyes widened. "So... that means..." she tentatively began, as if afraid of disappointment if she was mistaken.

Her mother's smile widened. "Yes. That means I get to be with my special little girl until January 4!"

With that confirmation, Jessie let out a cheer, leaping to her feet and running over to hug her mom. "Yay!"

As mother and daughter embraced, both wished they could stay like this forever. But then again, they supposed that was part of the Christmas magic.

Eventually, the two separated and sat down at the dinner table with Futaro and Sayaka. The night was not yet over, after all.

...

Years later, few would call squatting in a cabin in the woods while the rightful owner was away an ideal Christmas Eve. But when you were a group of criminals out on an assignment in the middle of nowhere, without any of your organization's secret hideouts nearby, you had to take what you could get.

They made do the best they could, though. And they could be thankful a decent Christmas tree wasn't hard to come by.

While James and Meowth relaxed by the warm, inviting fire in the den, Jessie slowly walked over to the bedroom she'd claimed to begin her bittersweet annual ritual. Her teammates gave a quick glance in her direction, then turned back to the fireplace, knowing what she was doing and why. They had enough tact to not shoehorn themselves into something as deeply private and personal as this.

Besides, they respected her mother, even if they never knew her personally. She had quite the reputation, after all.

Jessie didn't know much about her teammates' pasts, but she did know that James was lonely growing up. He once privately admitted that he wished he'd had the love she did when he was her age. Under normal circumstances, she might have punched his lights out for daring to envy her childhood, since she knew for a fact that he didn't have to worry about poverty growing up like she did. But she knew that there were some things money could never substitute for.

While she approached the window, she gave a sad smile as she gazed out at the pale moonlight illuminating the dark, snow-covered forest. She knew that Futaro and Sayaka were alright, and she stopped by to visit them on occasion, but she still missed her mother. As she sat on the bed and gazed out the window at the still blanket of snow beneath the night sky, shimmering with stars that the little cloud cover could not fully hide. a soft smile formed on her face and her eyes began welling with tears.

After a while of just taking in the silent night, she began to speak:

"Merry Christmas, Mom... wherever you are," she said quietly, a picture in her mind of a joyous reunion her brain knew was exceedingly unlikely, but her heart still longed for.

After a few more minutes of looking out into the darkness, she began moving to rejoin her teammates. The night was not yet over, after all.

ACPETERS

It was Christmas morning when Red awoke. He looked across the room that he and Yellow reserved at the Pokémon Center, noticing that the girl was no longer in her own bed. Wondering where the girl wandered off to, he pulled himself out of bed and prepared to go look for her.

"Red, Red! Time to get up!" Yellow exclaimed as she burst through the door. The young girl had a huge smile on her face and was carrying a tube wrapped in green and red paper.

"Merry Christmas Red!" She cheered as she pushed the tube into his hands.

Red briefly was confused as it had been a while since he had last celebrated Christmas after all. Not since his mom... better not think about that. He shook his head to clear his thoughts before a small smile started to spread on his face.

"Come on! Open it!" Yellow not-so patiently encouraged.

Red carefully peeled the paper away from the tube to find a poster rolled up, though he couldn't make out what it depicted. He looked to Yellow who was just beaming at him before unrolling it and seeing a poster advertising a match between Ayaka 'Gamma Fist' Gamou and Shinku 'Slammin' Tajiri. It was the same poster he once had hanging in his old bedroom before the fire. Tears began to pool in his eyes and he felt more speechless than ever before.

"Do you like it?" Yellow shyly asked, worried that she upset him.

Still being unable to speak he nodded quickly and pulled the girl into a hug. Yellow softly smiled up at him glad she was able to make him so happy.

After some time, he managed to pull himself together a little bit. He pulled away a bit and choked out "Thank you."

Still smiling yellow replied with "You’re welcome, that's what family is for."

Then it hit him. He had family again. Red smiled as big as Yellow had ever seen on him before simply stating, "Merry Christmas," before giving her another big hug.

FOX BLUEREAVER

The Kimono Sisters of Ecruteak always had a lot of work to do during the December holidays. After all, they’ll set up shows to gather funds for charity to help the needy. Although the last one was almost ruined by a small mishap, a miraculous evolution saved them, and the finale turned out better than she expected.

Satsuki would have called that a Christmas miracle, and she was grateful for it.

After the show, they’d been invited to the Christmas party organized by Morty. Aside from the local residents, several of his fellow Gym Leaders had been invited as well, and Satsuki saw a very familiar face among them.

Who right now was making a little fuss along with one of her sisters.

“No way, I’m not doing it,” a blue-haired boy said in a very serious tone.

“It’s the tradition, bird boy,” Tamao replied, holding up something in her hand. “I caught you under the mistletoe, and you know what that means.”

“You didn’t catch me, you pushed me under it,” he said, crossing his arms. “That doesn’t count.”

Satsuki couldn’t help but laugh a little. The ‘bird boy’ in question was Falkner, now the leader of the Violet Gym City succeeding his father. She still recalled how they met, when she offered to help him on his quest to capture Ho-Oh and Lugia. Shortly after she found out that he did encounter the former, and almost didn’t live to tell the tale.

Admittedly, she was quite worried when she first found out, but he thankfully recovered afterwards. They’d still kept in touch since then, and the experience seemed to teach the bird boy some humility and cautiousness. He hadn’t abandoned his quest, but now he’d be more careful when pursuing it.

Seeing the argument unfold, something pushed her to walk there, just when Tamao tried to raise the mistletoe strand over Falkner’s head, and the latter stepped back to evade it. Satsuki immediately snatched it from her hand with a quick movement.

“Okay, that’s enough,” said Satsuki. “Didn’t you hear it? He said he doesn’t want to, don’t force him.”

“Oi, what do you think you’re doing?!” Tamao complained. “Don’t tell me you’re coming to claim your bird boy now?”

“The ‘bird boy’ has a name, and it’s Falkner,” Satsuki said in a stern tone. “And no, don’t get wrong ideas, I’m just saving him because he’s clearly uncomfortable, right?”

Satsuki gave Falkner a look, discreetly winking so Tamao wouldn’t notice. The middle sister pouted, but before turning around and leaving, she said one last thing:

“Don’t think I’ll give up that easily.”

And when she finally left, Falkner exhaled in relief, while Satsuki tucked the mistletoe strand into her coat’s pocket.

“Thanks, I didn’t know how to get her off me.”

“Forget it. But really, are you sure you don’t want to give her a chance? She does find you cute, after all.”

Falkner crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, like he didn’t buy that. The eldest Kimono Sister seemed offended at the gesture, so he confronted him head on.

“Hey, if you don’t like her, just say it. Or is it that she’s not your type?”

“It’s not about her,” the blue-haired boy replied. “It’s just… I don’t have fond memories of the last time someone wanted to kiss me under the mistletoe.”

“Hooo?” That caught the girl’s interest, who gave him a look that clearly said she wanted to know the details. Falkner seemed to hesitate, but ultimately caved in.

“That was years ago, in school. The girl I liked left a Christmas card on my locker, saying that she wanted to meet under the mistletoe during a Christmas party, much like this one. I was very excited, so I went… and turns out the kiss was just a distraction so they could drop a bucket of feathers and glue on me from the upper floor. Took me about a week to remove it all.”

“Oh.” Now she understood. It made sense, such a cruel prank would leave a bad taste to anyone, and maybe just seeing mistletoe revived those memories. “Well, I can assure you my sister doesn’t want to pull a prank of that nature on you. If you explain, she’ll understand.”

“You can tell her if you want. Almost nobody believes it when I tell them, only those who saw it. I’m not going to get caught under the mistletoe again, just in case.”

Satsuki gave her sister a glance, who’d started chatting with Sumomo and Koume before glancing at them. Maybe she still thought there was something other than friendship between her and Falkner. That wasn't the case, and when Tamao asked her if she could help them get hooked up, while she said no out loud, she’d been actually helping her in secret, sometimes even pretending she was “getting in the way” so she wouldn’t suspect anything.

Well, if she couldn’t approach him on Christmas, maybe she’ll ‘drop’ the suggestion to try something else on another date. Maybe a homemade chocolate for Valentine’s Day?

CROSSOVERPAIRINGLOVER

Cissy knew her brother was up to something. It was hard not to. She was his older sister and caretaker. The squirt was a handful, always playing pranks and causing mischief. She loved the little troublemaker, but it was almost like her challengers had three tests. Target practice, racing, and Senta. Senta didn't stop as many, but he did free up time for her to wonder aloud about things she wanted to do.

It had been ages since she'd been out of the islands, and she'd have loved to go somewhere new. She'd been wondering about next year's Whirl Cup for a while now, but she couldn't see it happening. Money was a bit of a problem, though she hated that she had put it that way when Senta asked about if she was going to go. It wasn't his job to be worried about money, she was the older one not him.

While she was happy to see him not dwelling on it, whatever he was doing...was probably a concern.

The old lady at the laundromat told her that she'd seen him collecting cans that people left around or didn't put away properly and that he'd gone to the Mikan ferry with a bag of them. She asked about it and said he was going to an arcade on Tangelo. She remembered that arcade and that Tangelo had a big market with a recycle program, so it was fine at the time...at least until she wondered what he'd even play there. She went to that arcade before, none of the games were really Senta's thing.

It was probably her just being paranoid about her prank loving squirt of a brother, but then old man Delmas told her that Senta had been doing work for him cleaning up some Mikan beaches. Tourists could be messy sometimes. Then old lady Elisabeth, a retiree from Kalos, said that Senta was such a nice boy to do her gardening for her and was happy to pay him for it.

Senta was gathering money...and Cissy had no idea for what. All she knew was it probably was related to a prank, and she put in the effort to check for anything more serious than a rigged coconut. Pitfalls, misleading signs, anything. Nothing, and she looked. She looked for months, with Senta off doing more and more things to get money. What could Senta be doing? She did not want anything for Christmas that could be that expensive, so it had to be something for a prank. A really big prank. But the trees didn't catch on fire, the songs were the same as ever, and no one made the ice machines go haywire to make the island approach the condition of balmy for the season. Was it going to be a new years thing?

Soon came Christmas Day, and Cissy found a down looking Senta holding an envelope in hand. Oh....please tell her that was not a court summons.

"I'm sorry sis," Senta began as Cissy's heart skipped a beat. "I wasn't able to get tickets right to it. Flights to Cianwood and Olivine are too expensive. It's not fair, tourists come here all the time."

...what.

Senta held out the envelope, looking like he expected a scolding.

"The only round trip I could get enough money for was to Goldenrod City, so I had to ask the travel agent how long you'd need to get to Scarlet City for the Whirl Cup and he helped me do the math. I wanted to make it a perfect Christmas present for the best sister in the world, but I only had enough time to get this. I'm sorry." Senta sounded like he wanted to cry.

Cissy didn't say anything, but hugged Senta tight.

"Thank you. Thank you...so much." Cissy repeated, keeping her fears about what he was going to use the money for to herself. Forever.

"But..."

Cissy broke the hug as she looked over the tickets.

"Well guess that means I get to be a tourist for a change. I should look up what tourists do in Johto. Must be something right?"

Senta's eyes were wide, tears starting to well up.

"You... you aren't mad."

"Mad is the furthest from my mind. Come here you!"

And she hugged her little brother tightly. She could deal with the details later. She wouldn't have any trouble getting the time off, and she would likely have no trouble getting Senta someone to watch him. She'd tell him that after the holidays. Senta would insist he could watch himself...but she'd rather just ask Luana to take care of him for her. With Travis gone...yeah Senta would be fine. Though especially with Luana missing Travis these days as much as she did, Senta was certainly not going to enjoy the experience. But she could be the responsible sister later. It was the holidays, and she had a little brother to hug.

She had training to do with her Pokémon for the Whirl Cup. Senta could consider these hugs training for Luana's pent up maternal instincts.

BRANDON369

Once again it was Christmas, that joyous day that meant so much to her.

But this time it was different, as her way of living had radically changed overnight. All because of that creepy guy with the trench coat.

Thinking about it made her depressed; one moment she had all the freedom in the world, living in her quiet shelter in the forest, the company of her pack, and all the books she could ask for. And the next, she’d lost everything because of an insane man who attacked her out of nowhere.

Sure, she was ready from the beginning to run away. She was all too aware he could find her anytime, as he’d made it clear he wouldn’t let her escape. He considered her his property, a hunting pup he needed for the new era that was coming.

She was safe for now, as she was picked up by a woman named Katrina, who patched up her wounds and let her stay in her Pokémon Reserve. That would make it much harder for that man to find her. And anyway, she had to admit the cabin she lived in now was much more comfortable than that dirty basement she’d spent the first years of her life in.

But… right now she was bored as hell.

“There’s nothing to do here!”

She complained to herself, while spinning around her bed in a vain attempt to fight back her boredom. It was Christmas, her birthday, and she had nothing to do as she couldn’t celebrate it like when her mother came to visit her, or when she stopped doing so and she celebrated it with her pack. Sure, Katrina was a nice person without ill intentions, but she didn’t want to grow too attached to her, knowing that she could be found sooner or later and she’d have to escape again.

“You’re up?” Speaking of the devil, Katrina was knocking on her door.

The gray-haired girl simply covered her face with a book she’d read halfway through and turned back, without leaving her bed. Katrina stepped into the room and sighed upon seeing her in that state.

“Come on, you can’t stay holed up in your room all day,” the forest ranger replied. “It’s Christmas! Get up and come party with the Poochyena!”

“No thanks,” she spat back, still covering her face behind the book. “Right now I’m really bored and don’t feel like celebrating anything.”

The ranger gave an audible sigh. About two months had passed since she’d found her, but the gray-haired teen rarely left her room, even after she’d fully recovered from her wounds. Even so, Katrina smiled mischievously, thinking about using her last resort to get her out of there.

It’d be pointless, nothing the ranger would say or do would convince her to…

“It’s a pity you don’t want to celebrate, you know?” She stopped for a few seconds, and continued in a rather amused way. “I had even prepared some homemade chocolates, ginger cookies and other Christmas snacks…”

“Chocolates and snacks?!” She quickly removed the book from her face, jumping out of the bed. She hated giving in to the temptation of something sweet, but Katrina knew exactly what buttons she had to push.

“I’ll be waiting in the living room. This year’s Christmas dinner will be delicious.”

Well, maybe she could celebrate Christmas without boredom this year. She was starting to think that living with Katrina wouldn’t be so bad after all, even getting used to the new commodities her new home had…

“You know? Maybe we could talk about my proposal, to sign you up in the Rustboro School. One of the teachers is a good friend of mine, and she could teach you a lot of things,” she said with a smile, taking the chance now the younger girl was getting out of the bed to catch her off-guard.

“No way! I’m not going to any school!” she complained with a pout, as she crossed her arms to make it clear she wasn’t caving in.

Going to school would be boring and dangerous. She’d be exposed, surrounded by too many weird people, and she wouldn’t learn anything she didn’t already know. Whatever she tried, Katrina would never convince her to go to a place like that.

“Did I mention Rustboro School has one of the biggest libraries in the region?”

She hated to admit it, but Katrina was much smarter than she gave her credit for. She had to be so to convince the enigmatic "Gray Poochyena" that going to school would have a benefit.

CROSSOVERPAIRINGLOVER

The Captain stroked his mustache, thoughts racing as he pondered just how he got into this situation.

A client had requested a purchase be made in Kanto. Some lordling wanted spices from the Orange Islands, his client wanted lumber of a variety not grown in their home waters. As a master sailor and Pokémon wielder he was the logical choice to make a dangerous voyage and come back alive. He was already done with the first part. The lordling had his spices and his ship was loaded with tons of lumber and they’d been on their way back before that storm came and blew them far to the north.

Now his ship was beached on an unfamiliar shore. For many this would be the end, but he was not most men. For he had a crack crew of men and monsters.

Said monsters, Gastly and Haunter, were levitating the ship up from the sand while his shipwright inspected the damage. A good shipwright he was, talented and didn't scream at his ghosts in fright like his cook.

...that man could make Magikarp droppings into real food but after ten years he still thought Haunter was going to eat his soul.

Eventually the shipwright finished his inspection, asking his two spectral partners to lower the ship gently back down. They did, before slinking off to the shadows for a hard-earned rest. The two ghosts were always getting better at lifting his ship. Perhaps one day they'd be good enough to let his ship sail the skies themselves. If he lived to seventy perhaps.

"Captain, good news and bad news," the shipwright reported, sounding relieved and worried at the same time. "The good news is the damage isn't critical. She'll sail again, your ship. Also the cargo is undamaged."

The Captain nodded. That was better than he feared. The ship had taken on water, but she was not going to be Magikarp food anytime soon.

"Bad news, the damage will take a while to repair and we'll need to harvest the wood ourselves. We won't be out of here before winter comes to the Mandarins, and winter is already looming here."

The shipwright nervously eyed the shoreline, already home to shards of floating sea ice the size of Pidgey.

"This place is more than just ice." The Captain assured. Their place of landing may be unknown but there was a treeline nearby and a large one at that. This place was no rock, even in the storm it was clear the land they'd found was large. They would have lumber and firewood.

...

The next few days were about getting things set up. He sent crewmen to find fresh water and provisions, and others began felling timber to repair the ship. These tasks were easy, for lakes and streams were as plentiful as the timber. Berries grew well in the soil, and a settler from many places might consider it good land.

They were Orangemen though, and liked their land without ice and a bit of warmth.

In the first days they saw neither ship or track to say there were people here. They might be the only men here. There was life here however. Pokémon.

His Haunter and Gastly battled hard to protect his crew from the native species. Some were familiar, like the Beautifly that nearly drained every drop of his musician's blood. Others, like the brown rodents who tried to eat the ship and its support, were new to them all. Though as they saw more faces, some known like the Murkrow and unknown like the black birds who came during the day, takes from ports from Sootopolis to Fuschia seeped out from his men and fitted together.

"Hisui, sir," one crewmate told him a month before the holidays. "The crew are sure of it. That's where we are stranded."

"Hisui?" The Captain repeated. That was the name of a land beyond Almia, a place little known.

"This must be it. The fine and endless timber, the ship eating Rattata creatures, the ice that never leaves, this is Hisui." The crewmate spoke fretfully. This was not one of his more adventurous men. Fair enough, as this man had a wife and kids back home to return to.

"Ice and wood gnawing beasts we can deal with." The captain assured the seaman. "Are there people here?"

"Yes sir, terrifying ones. It is said they can summon Pokémon with flutes, are a natural race of tanmllmers who don't need mysticism or apricorns to control them, and that their women are hairier than Sootopolitian Men!"

"That last one isn't hard." The Captain joked, somewhat defensively stroking his prized facial hair. "I don't want to think of some woman with a finer mustache than my own, but I'll accept it if they are friendly and can help fix the ship. What is their temperament?"

The crewman unsurely shrugged.

"They don't really venture out. They aren’t unfriendly apparently, they just aren't seafarers. They love deeper inland, no one knows for sure."

So they couldn't count on help from the locals. So be it.

...

Three weeks till Christmas Day came danger.

"DRAAA!"

A great purple beast, its body made of many segments and massive claws, had emerged onto the beach to attack. As Captain, as a Champion, and as a valiant man he and his partners stood to defend the rest of his men from it. On this voyage he had not lost a man yet, and he intended to keep it that way. Ice nor Pokémon would change that.

Gastly spun around the beast, blasting at it with Night Shade. It was more effective than his haunter trying to throw it away with Psychic as they had the local Gyarados: it was immune to telekinetic removal. A Dark-type of some sort, though also not being all that bothered by haunter and his Dazzling Gleam attacks.

The Captain was not idle either, having rushed at the beast with an axe. Said axe was now broken, fortunately unlike his ribs, and he was jabbing at the beast with his rapier. The great beast's hide was thick though.

"Pionnnn!" And now it lunged at him with a glowing toxic claw. The strike was deftly dodged, though this combat, he had to admit, was going poorly. Some intervention would be nice, as unlikely as it might be to be completely friendly.

"Wooohooooo!!"

A low but audible hoot, like a whistle, wafted through the forest. Light filtered through the trees, leaving a dappled illumination that revealed little detail, but drew in the four combatant’s attention regardless.

"Wooohoooo!!" The sound repeated. The beast's head rotated, not moving the rest of its body to leave a clawed limb or a clawed tail ready to strike at any of them if they moved, before spewing out a bullet of corrosive slime into the forest. It landed like a cannonball, sending up debris and shattering understory. The forest was silent for a moment…

"Wooohoooooo!"

And the sound came a third time, this time much closer, and was followed by a shape flying out of the forest and striking the beast in the body. The blur, a brown and red feathered creature, then jumped back away from the beast and fired three arrows, entirely made of downy feathers, into the enemy. The blows struck hard, causing the beast to yowl.

"Draaaaa!"

Before burrowing itself into the sand and vanishing. Leaving the Captain and his trusty specters to see who had saved them. A Pokémon, but not one he had ever seen before.

It was some sort of bird Pokémon, like a Fearow or Wingull, but humanoid. Its plumage was thick, a white and brown with red plumage to resemble a hat and a tied brooch around its chest. It stood like a man, though it would be standing at about the height of a somewhat short woman.

"Your assistance was appreciated. I thank you on behalf of me and my crew." The Captain spoke first, noting his men emerging from hiding shortly after the vile burrower's departure. The Pokémon adjusted its hat, as one might when speaking with an acknowledging hoot.

"....That's another new Pokémon. An Archery Pokémon....never heard of such a thing," one crewmember told another.

"This island is filled with strange things. Ice months before the winter, strange cave art like we saw the other day, women hairier than a Zigzagoon...." Another crew member had clearly been a victim of exaggerating story telling. As they filtered back to what they were doing before, be it processing the timber or what else may be needing to be done, The Captain noticed the Pokémon staring at the ship, but not quite in fear. It was...familiar, the staring.

"You have seen ships before," the Captain guessed. The Pokémon nodded, its gaze never leaving the ship. Its expression was...more than familiar.

"You weren't born here, were you?"

The Pokémon nodded, its gaze on the ship. A victim of a shipwreck perhaps, from some land far beyond the shores of the lands of the Orangemen, Draconids, and Fiorians. Those boats came from time to time in the more distant ports, and they were surely not the only ships blown to Hisui by storms...

"Doooo!"

"They're back!" One crewman shouted in terror. The new Pokémon immediately ran to save the ship from the ravenous munching rodents, quickly followed by Gastly and haunter.

...

It was Christmas, and it was time to be thankful. For one thing, the ship was nearly complete. A second was that they had all had plenty of time to stock up on things from this land that would let them make up for the lost time being stuck here. Extra timber to sell at port, iron ore, shed Stantler antlers and broken Walrein tusks, and other commodities. If he was able to go afield on his own, they might have found untapped Stantler herds to harvest enough of their antlers to retire, but even with their newest ally the men were too vulnerable to be left alone for such a long hunt.

The third was they had all avoided death. Some frostbite was the worst of it.

Fourth was to a new friend.

The arrow shooting Pokémon, whom the Captain believed to be some sort of Grass and Fighting Pokémon, stared in confusion at his men. Men who partied and sang, jumping around in joy and merriment. Many without even using their specially saved caskets of alcohol.

(Scuz was still hallucinating after trying to make more with local materials. The blue and white slug Pokémon found on shore's purple mucus was not apparently fermentable...at least as a proper drink. The man was a bit dumb, it was a wonder how he had a family back home as well).

"Is this holiday unknown to your homeland?" The Captain inquired. The quiet but helpful creature nodded. "Well, it is a strange one. No one can agree why it was celebrated, but it was celebrated everywhere. Even from afar travelers speak of a holiday where man celebrates fellow man, loves family and friends, and does by others as they wish to be done. It's a good ideal to live by, even if few will ever do it every day."

"Whooo..." The Pokémon nodded. It was a helpful beast, seemingly drawn to assist those in need, his men or random Pokémon near the shore who meant them no harm. Like a wandering noble warrior, a being of a thousand stories and a hundred realities. Smiling, The Captain reached into his bag and presented the Pokémon with a large seed. It took it with a set of finger-like feathers at the end of wings, holding it curiously. It looked like it was about to bite the seed, but realized it was not food.

"A Miracle Seed. A rare embodiment of the verdant forces of nature. Grass-types like yourself seek them out. It will do you more good than if I was to hold onto it." The Captain smiled, as the Pokémon looked overjoyed to receive it. "Your help in defending my crew is a debt I cannot simply repay with a single rare seed. Tell me, do you wish to leave this land?"

The Pokémon looked surprised by the offer and looked to be pondering it, before shaking its head. Alas, The Captain could guess at least one reason. They did not know the land from which it hailed, so it would not be home. This Pokémon wanted home, not a new land far away from it. The Captain smiled sadly.

"Alas....well I'll be here if you change your mind."

...

The ship, since returned to the water, was leaving Hisui. They traveled south, lit to the east by the rising sun. At the front of the ship was Haunter, ensuring that ice would not strike their ship from the front with Psychic. Gastly floated in watch at mid-ship, ready to blast large icebergs apart if any approached.

The Captain was at the stern, staring at the shrinking shore. On the shore stood the Pokémon who had helped protect them, his white feathers wafting in the sea breeze.

Captain and Pokémon, even unable to see the other's faces, could see each other clearly. Their last looks to each other were definitive, and a touch sad. The crew would be returning home, but not their ally. Their ally could only describe his home so much, and it was clear it was a land far across the sea and not easy to reach. To go find it was to venture into the unknown following rumors, it was simply an impossible task.

As the coastline grew fuzzy their friend fidgeted with its 'hat' a bit before turning and walking back towards the snow-capped pine forest. Even as the island grew farther away, as the waves and ice created their own sounds to drown it out, The Captain could hear its whistle for a time before the sound was lost to him forever by the sea's own orchestration.

"Whooohoooo."

"Whooo....hooooo...."

"......whooohoooo....."

".......hooooo."

CYBERBETA

The Elder of the Village of Dragons sighed as she settled into her chair. Another winter had come and her old bones ached with the cold as usual. The Axew eggs had been checked and none were going to hatch anytime soon so she was taking her time to rest her weary bones. A Turtonator on loan from Alola for a breeding program rested nearby, gently radiating heat throughout the room.

She had been settled for a few minutes before the sound of a doorbell rang through the air. Sighing, the Elder slowly stood and made her way to her front door. Looking out the peephole she saw Drayden in a heavy jacket standing on her porch waiting for her to arrive.

Smiling as she undid the locks, she opened the door. "Welcome Mayor Drayden, what brings you to the Village so late?"

Stepping in and removing his coat Drayden responded, "News, Elder. Hopefully good news to you."

Leading to the small study in her home the elder offered Drayden a seat and a drink. After turning her down he reached into his briefcase he had brought along and pulled out a folder along with some papers. "It looks like an old case of the village may have a new twist."

Drayden offered the folder first. Opening it, the Elder took note of all the iconography for the Pokémon League and bandied about Galar Region. "I'm not sure what you mean by an old case. Just looking at what I have, all I see is advertisements for Galar tourism. Unless you are saying a Dreepy or member of its line was the cause of some old mischief."

"Not this time, though if there had been one of the Galar Ghost Dragons you can bet I would have been doing some tracking," Drayden responded with a chuckle. "No, this is from the Indigo conference earlier this year. Galar and their Macro Cosmos group had some stalls set up at the League to promote their Region and were looking to do the same in each region in rotation during their respective league championships."

Leaning forward Drayden got a strange look in his eyes. "Go in a few pages to the 'Curry' Contest. The competitor's photos should be interesting."

Raising an eyebrow in curiosity the Elder shuffled through the pages in the folder until she reached the aforementioned contest. Looking through the mention of the dishes and the people eating, she was about to ask what he meant until she saw the fourth photo.

Tall, even seated as she was in the image. Purple hair in a semi tamed mane. The shape of the face and eyes even as she was quickly eating a plate of food with a half shattered bone sticking out of the mound of rice and sauce. Were it not for the fact she knew the woman in question was still in jail, she would have thought it was the disgraced mother currently in the Unova Women's Penitentiary with a dye job.

Looking up from the photos the Elder noticed Drayden had picked up the papers he had pulled out with the folder. Seeing she was looking at him he spoke up. "I saw the same thing you did and looked into it more. The young lady first appeared in Lavender town in Kanto several months before the Indigo League competition. She's been traveling around with a small group since she appeared and has always been seen with at least one Dragon type Pokémon. The most common one was an Axew that later was seen as a Fraxure. Her name," Drayden looked at the Elder directly, "Iris."

The Elder sat back, multiple emotions and thoughts passing through her head before breaking out into a joyful smile. "The hatchling thought lost and dead has survived and matured into a dragoness." Looking back at Drayden she could see the satisfied happiness on his face over the conclusion she had drawn. Leaning forward he offered the papers to her this time. Scanning through them she read the simple info given: Her basic Trainer Bio, what Pokémon she was seen to have and her recent locations of travel at the time of the information printed.

Handing the papers back she asked, "So, even though she has matured and found a wing to be with, do you think there is the chance we can at least have her visit the Village so she can learn some of her past?”

"Possibly," replied the Mayor cum Gym Leader as he checked he had all the papers before placing the materials back into his briefcase and locking it shut. "At this time though she is traveling with a small group led by a Kanto-born trainer named Ash Ketchum. They are currently in Johto. Should she stay with him and he continues to travel, then we will most likely see them for their Unova League challenge."

"And on the chance they separate or settle down, we can easily send an invite to our lost village member." The Elder rose from her seat and moved to a locked cabinet. Opening it she removed a bottle and two small glasses. Pouring herself and Drayden a drink she raised her glass in a toast.

"To a lost one being found safe. May her wings spread and carry her onward." Drayden tapped his glass to hers. "May she fly with her wing mates safely this winter on their journey," he replied.

VIRORO-KUN

It was the night of Christmas Eve, and as always, Volkner was out waiting for the Holidays. Much less depressed than usual, but still knowing what was to come.

It had been several years since his friend Flint began to pull his 'ghosts of Christmas' schtick, and it had long outgrown its purpose. And yet, every year, it continued to happen without fail.

Most would've probably grown sick of it. Heck, Volkner did grow sick of it before, as well. And yet, it continued on, because Flint was nothing if not dedicated - the Gym Leader was sure if he applied himself even more to Pokémon battles, he'd easily be among the best eight trainers of the world.

And that same dedication was being put into a stupid, years-long little game between them, one that showed no signs of stopping, solely to cheer Volkner more. For as much as he wished to see his best friend as stupid, he couldn't deny all that effort.

That was the reason he was there that day. For once, he wouldn't ruin the game, wouldn't stop Flint. He'd just allow him to play the whole schtick completely straight - with no subversion and no lampshading.

Perhaps he would realize Volkner was letting him, but it was the Gym Leader's sort of Christmas present for the Elite Four member, and he couldn't think of a more fitting one after all his dedication.

And so, as he heard a shuffling of feet and spotted a surprisingly tall bedsheet ghost from the corner of his vision, spookily calling his name, the Electric-type Gym Leader chuckled to himself, taking a deep breath.

It was time to see their little game through, for one more year.

BRANDON369

Evil was a parasite that lurked in the heart of people, until it made them despicable beings, capable of ruining the world if left to their own devices. Even on Christmas Night, Gurkinn, the Mega Evolution Guru, couldn’t shake that thought off of his mind.

He was aware that Christmas was supposed to be a season of joy and happiness; he tried to celebrate it that way, with the tree, the fireplace burning, the presents and some hot chocolate to vary his usual tea time.

But it was also a time that brought him painful and frustrating memories.

He was reminded of those Christmases he spent training, along with his mentor and his fellow disciple. The latter turned his memories sour; Tarasque was his name, and once upon a time he even considered him a friend. Once upon a time when he was naïve and stupid.

He found out in the most painful way that Tarasque was a monster tainted by evil, evil inherited from his father and which would probably continue to tarnish his lineage. He gritted his teeth in anger as he thought about it.

“Grandpa! Look, look! Check out what Santa Claus brought me!”

That voice came from a blonde little girl, no more than four years old, accompanied by a Riolu just as small as her. It was Korrina, his granddaughter, who’d just opened her Christmas present and seemed quite enthusiastic about it. Said present was a pair of rollerblades, which were growing very popular across the region.

Gurkinn didn’t say a word, he simply caressed his granddaughter’s head softly and continued to take another sip of his hot chocolate. The little girl smiled and left with her Riolu to try her new rollerblades, full of joy and with a lot of energy.

“Come on, Riolu! Full speed ahead!”

With her new rollerblades on, the girl tried to gain momentum forward. But she couldn’t keep her balance and ended up falling backwards. After complaining about the pain, she got back up, only for her eyes to become glassy, until she couldn’t hold it anymore and exploded into tears, while Riolu tried to calm her down.

Gurkinn heard her cries in a couple seconds, leaving his cup on the table and approached the little girl, helping her get back up and caressing her hair to calm her down. Once the little girl stopped crying, he decided to talk with a firm voice, but caring nonetheless.

“Try it again. But this time hold on to me. I’ll be by your side so you won’t fall.”

Still with glassy eyes, the little girl clung to him, and she rolled forward little by little, until she gained confidence and started having fun, letting go of him to roll forward by herself with her new Christmas present.

Gurkinn simply watched her silently, and wouldn’t say another word for the rest of the night. His poor Korrina, so naïve, so fragile, simply not prepared for this cruel world full of evil awaiting her outside.

But he’d take care of her, prepare her, and wouldn’t make the same mistakes as his mentor.

Gurkinn was determined to train his granddaughter, to prepare her in the best way. He would have to be hard and stern on her, so the radiant light of Korrina would never be tainted by the abominations of evil all over the world. He would prepare her for the day she would inevitably face a being as tainted by evil as his former fellow disciple: Tarasque, one of the greatest criminals in the entire story of Kalos.

FOX BLUEREAVER

Being a mother was a constant challenge. Even when you were economically well-off, there were things money couldn’t buy, and the joy of seeing her son’s smiling was something priceless for Luana of Kumquat Island.

She’d known for years how special her son was, in many ways. Just like she suspected, little Travis developed talents and abilities most other kids didn’t have. But that was their little secret, and they couldn’t go around telling everyone.

“Hold still and let me grab you!”

At the moment, he and his best friend, his Pikachu, were floating around the room, which seemed like a weird mix of a gym with obstacle courses, full of all kinds of gadgets to hide, hold onto, and pull all kinds of stunts. Stunts that only users of the move Magnet Rise, like in this case Travis and Pikachu, could pull off.

While she suspected it for years, Luana still got a huge scare that night when she discovered her son floating over his bed with a magnetic aura, while still asleep. She quickly recognized it as the move Magnet Rise giving him the ability to levitate. As they had to keep it a secret, she paid to build this basement under their home, where her son could use his special talents at his leisure, with no one to see him but her.

Of course, she was now using them to play tag with his Pikachu.

“Now I’ve got ya!” he said, once he trapped Pikachu in a corner of the room.

“Pikapika, pleeeehh.” The yellow rodent mocked him, sticking out his tongue and pulling his eyelid, to which Travis replied charging to catch him… only for his friend to sneak below him, give him a tail slap from behind and send him crashing against the wall.

Fortunately, she’d make sure the entire room would be cushioned all over the ceiling and walls, so they wouldn’t get hurt. While Pikachu was laughing out loud, Travis shook his head and slowly floated back down to the floor, right where she was.

“I’m starting to regret teaching him that move. He’s better than me at using it.”

“Rest easy, honey, you’ll catch him next time,” she said. “Just practice more.”

“I still can’t believe it.” Travis looked around. “You spent all that money just so I could have this room for Christmas?”

“They finished ahead of schedule, but nothing’s too expensive for the light of my life.” She then started affectionately pulling on his cheeks.

“Mom, knock it off! I’m not a kid anymore!”

She knew that, but Travis would always be her baby. Even if puberty had been particularly generous during the last summer, and he was almost leaving her behind in stature. He probably would do so by the time of his next birthday, which gave her conflicted feelings of joy and sadness.

Joy because she was happy to see him grow strong and healthy, and sadness because the day he turned fifteen and eventually set out on a journey was coming closer. She would feel very lonely when that happened, and until then, she wanted to spoil him as much as possible.

“Well, honey, if you’re done playing, how about we go help in the kitchen? The cooks are going to have a lot of work for the Christmas dinner, after all.”

“You don’t have to remind me,” he said a little awkwardly, while his Pikachu descended too and perched on his shoulder. “Can we go out later? I still have to buy you a Christmas present.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. Just by being here you give me the best present in the world.”

The woman immediately hugged her son. No matter how much he grew, he’d always be that little boy running across the beach while she watched, and even when she raised him alone, there was no greater joy in her life.

“I love you, Mom.”

“And I love you, honey. And I love you.”

Those words brought back mixed feelings to Luana. Joy because she knew how much her son loved her, and sadness because this would probably be their last Christmas together at home in a very long time. But as a mother, she had to support her son with his dreams, and she’d do so wholeheartedly.

BRANDON369

On that Christmas Eve, the streets were quiet and silent, nothing moved… except for the group of Patrat running across the rooftops at full speed, in extravagant, yet organized formations. Running in front of them doing some parkour moves and doing his best to avoid falling off any ledge, was the valiant protector of the weak, a man with a Watchog costume, popularly known as "the Peerless Jimmy Ray, defender of Nimbasa City".

Our valiant hero was about to set out on a very important mission, but also one of the most dangerous he’d gotten involved so far. Fortunately, he wouldn’t be alone this time.

A few minutes passed after he reached the meeting point on Route 3, when one of his loyal Patrat informed him of the arrival of their peculiar ally.

His arrival was heralded by the sound of that unique motorbike, which stopped right in front of him. The rider wore an extravagant red armor, with a helmet of the same color concealing his identity, white gloves and boots, and a black scarf waving in the wind. He was also accompanied by an Accelgor, in whom he clearly had inspired the design of his armor and motorbike.

“Sorry I’m late, but you should already know heroes always show up at the last moment,” he exclaimed with a confident voice.

That man was none other than Driftveil City’s living legend, the bane of criminals, the speedy hero people knew as "the Mighty Accelguard". Both had collaborated in the past, when their paths crossed to face the threat of Cryogonal Man’s last attempt to freeze the entire city, but the mission they’d be doing now was on a completely different level.

“So what’s the current status, Ray?” the biker asked, unable to hide his worry.

“Not looking good,” the defender of the innocents confessed. “This could be our greatest challenge to date.”

“I was afraid of that. How many of them are we dealing with?”

“I sent Number 9 and Number 36 to scout ahead and… well, there’s about ten and fifteen. They outnumber us, and they’re out of control,” he informed what his Patrat had commented.

“They’re more than I expected. Did you bring what I asked for?”

“Of course, who do you take me for?” he said more confidently, while his Patrat transported a large red bag. “What about you?”

“You don’t even need to ask.”

His trusty partner made a gesture, and his Accelgor pulled out a similar bag, which hopefully would serve to keep the situation under control. Both heroes were aware of how many there were, but they were confident in their experience as defenders of truth, justice and the Unovan way. Working together, they could face any challenge no matter how hard.

And so, they rang on the place’s doorbell.

“You guys are… Thank heavens! I’m glad you could make it.”

Both were greeted by a pretty young woman wearing an apron, and brown hair tied in a ponytail, who seemed quite relieved to see them as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

“Sorry for the lateness, Miss Daniela,” the Mighty Accelguard apologized a little ashamed.

“We got Christmas presents for everyone!” the peerless Jimmy Ray exclaimed with all his holiday spirit, while his Patrat handed over the red bag.

“That’s fantastic, the kids will be very happy to see them! Come on in, please!”

In the long history of adventures our heroes could boast about, very few could be as hard as helping a kindergarten teacher to cheer up her Christmas party as special guests. Even so, giving presents to a bunch of little, rambunctious kids and seeing their happy faces, could feel even greater than fighting supervillains.

FIN