Capítulo 16: chapter 16

Traveling in the Sinnoh Region, Ash, Brock, and Lana head over to a Pokémon Center to rest for the night. Their walk to Sunyshore City has left them exhausted, considering the fact that Route 222 was pretty long indeed. With Ash's eighth gym battle coming up, there was no way he could let up on training. Despite it being dark outside, the trainer headed for the doors to begin his training. "Hold it right there mister" a blue haired coordinator stopped Ash. "Where do you think you are going right now?" she asked sternly. lana puts her hands on her hips while lightly tapping her foot on the ground waiting for a response from Ash.

Looking at Lana, he found it weird that she would knowingly prevent him from training. Well then again it was dark but at the same time, that has never really been a problem. Deciding that honesty was the best policy, he figures he might as well tell her the truth. "I'm going to train for my next gym battle" Ash states while he waits for Lana's response.

The coordinator's eyes open wide. She knew Ash was a dense person but this is borderline blind. "Can't you see by all the decorations that a very special day is coming up" she points to the red and green orbs randomly lying around.

Immediately Ash panics. He better not mess this up again. "Umm happy birthday" he blurts out remembering that he still had to get lana a gift.

In that instant, Lana planned on making Ash regret he said that. "Oh come on Ash, I'm not some self centered person who expects the whole world to know my birthday" she said to the teen hoping he would feel guilty. Indeed, she succeeded into guilt tripping the trainer. Laughing at his expense, she decided that she has had enough fun. "It's almost Christmas silly" she playfully pushes him.

Not long after, the two friends hear the doors to the Pokémon Center slide open. They see Nurse Joy walk in backwards while directing a group of guys carrying a Christmas tree. "This way, and be careful where you step" she told the group.

In that group, Ash and Lana see one of their friends helping. "Brock!?" the two said confused. Wasn't he putting up the decorations?

"Hey you two don't mind me. I'm just here helping Nurse Joy" he said. To Brock's friends, his calm behavior was out of the ordinary. Helping the rest of the guys, they all managed to put up the Christmas tree in the lobby of the Pokémon Center. "And now I'm off to see what Nurse Joy thinks about the tree," the breeder said as he went off to find the nurse who was busy attending to injured Pokémon.

With Lana as his partner, Ash begins decorating the Pokémon Center. There was no way he would be the only one of his friends to not help with the decorations. Ash, being his fearless self, decided that he and Lana should handle all the wall decorations. He was handed a mistletoe and told to hang it near the Christmas tree. "I think this is a good spot," he said. With Lana holding onto the ladder, Ash managed to hang the decoration in the entrance to the lobby near the tree.

Lana of course had a mischievous smile and decided to taunt the trainer once more. With Ash down from the ladder, "You know, they say those underneath the mistletoe have to kiss. Otherwise, it's bad luck" she explained.

Ash began blushing a light shade of red. "So this means that we have to…" his blush intensified. "Kiss" he said in a low whisper. Clearly he understood Lana's explanation.

Lana found Ash's blushing and his whisper quite amusing. But she also thought it was cute how he whispered the word 'kiss' as if it was forbidden. "No need to worry Ash, it's not really bad luck at all" she told the trainer. Despite her original intention of taunting the trainer, a part of her wanted Ash to follow the tradition. Throughout their journey, she developed a crush on the Kanto teen. With Ash's eighth gym battle coming up that meant their journeys together was ending.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ash was glad he didn't have to go through with it. Looking at Lana, for some reason she seemed a bit down. Before he had a chance to ask what was bothering her, they heard a familiar voice near Nurse Joy's desk. "The tree is up and you're smiling. The decorations are up and you are smiling. Nurse Joy, I know of another way to keep you smiling forever" Brock began his usual proposal to Nurse Joy.

"Croaguuuuunk" the poison type screeched as he jabbed his trainer in the ribs.

"If you're laughing, you're smiling" Brock weakly said as his Pokémon dragged him off to an unknown place.

Both Ash and Lana couldn't help but laugh at their friend Brock. Even if he knows the results of every encounter with Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny, he never gave up. Seeing as how it was almost midnight, Ash and Lana decide to head to their room. Hopefully Croagunk already took Brock there so they wouldn't have to search for the breeder.

Sure enough, they find Brock lying on the ground as soon as they return to their room. "Pip pip pip" the water type chanted as he lightly pecked Brock. It seems the breeder was out cold for the night. Pikachu also joined by lightly tapping Brock with his tail. Still nothing.

While the two Pokémon were busy trying to wake up their friend, both Ash and Lana realized this would probably be their last Christmas together. Just that thought alone was enough to silence the room. "Hey lana!" Ash began to speak, getting Lana's attention. "This is probably our last Christmas together. How about we make it the great one?" he asked.

Lana simply smiled. Of course she wanted this Christmas to be a special one. "What is it that you have in mind?" lana asked. Although she loved the idea, she had no clue as to what Ash was planning.

Since they began traveling, they always enjoyed each other's company on the holidays. To them, that was more than enough to enjoy Christmas. This time however, Ash decided to make it a bit more personal. "This year let's get each other a gift. I'm sure Brock would love that idea too" Ash explained.

Clearly Lana liked the idea of putting some thought into a gift. "Alright Ash, we'll exchange gifts on Christmas" Lana agreed to Ash's plan. Even if she had no clue what she wanted to get the trainer, she had two days. She figured that one be more than enough time to find him and Brock a perfect present.

With that out of the way, the two friends went to sleep. Unfortunately for Brock, he was going to spend the night on the ground since he was too heavy for Ash to pick up.

Morning time came and while Ash and Lana had their plans for the day, they still had to let Brock in on the details of the Christmas plan. After telling the breeder what they planned the night before, Brock immediately left the room to begin his search. "Brock doesn't waste a minute when it comes to his friends," Ash said.

"He probably went to look for Nurse Joy knowing him," Lana said, guessing the real reason why he left in such a rush. "Well Ash, I'll see you later" she said as she walked off to search for presents for her friends. "Let's go Piplup" she told her starter Pokémon.

"lana wait" Ash called out. Lana stopped hoping everything was alright. "I was wondering if you could help me with Brock's gift" he shyly explained. For some reason or another, he had a hard time asking for help with a gift for someone who he considers his brother.

"You mean you don't know what to get Brock?" Lana asked in disbelief. And here she was thinking that Ash and Brock were the best of friends.

"It's not that," Ash replied, much to Lana's relief. He pulled out a stack of pictures and a photo album. "I was kind of hoping that you could help me arrange all of these pictures of our past adventures. I would do it myself but I want to have enough time to look for your gift too" he explained. Knowing Christmas was only one day away, he knew time was not on his side.

Much to Lana's surprise, Ash already had a present for Brock. Feeling bad for doubting the trainer, she agrees to help. Besides, this would be a chance to learn of other past experiences the two shared. "What is it that you want me to do?" she asked unsure how she could actually help.

Quickly Ash began separating the pictures. "I'll separate the pictures and put them in the order they need to be in. I want you to place them in the album" he briefly explained. Not sparing another moment, simply because he wanted enough time to search for a gift for lana, he separated the pictures into three piles. The first of which was from their journey with Misty. The second pile consisted of their journey through the Hoenn Region with Max and May. And last but not least, the third pile was of their current journey through the Sinnoh Region with lana.

With clear instructions from Ash, Lana managed to place the pictures in the photo albums with relative ease. Although she wished she had some time to look over the pictures of their past adventures, she knew they couldn't waste too much time. One thing she did notice however was how small the pile of pictures from their current journey was. "Looks like we didn't really take many pictures together" Lana mentioned getting Ash's attention.

Immediately the trainer stopped and realized the same thing. He briefly thought for a moment as to why they never took many pictures as opposed to his past adventures. "I guess we were having too much fun to really do anything else" he replied truthfully. Thinking back to his previous journeys, this one was filled with its great moments and its bad moments. For better or for worse, they always managed to overcome any obstacle with a smile.

Thinking back to their journey together, there wasn't a single day she wished would just go by. Traveling with Ash and Brock was almost like living life as if it was your last day. Every day was always an adventure no matter how small. Looking back into the photo album, most of the pictures were mainly of places they visited and Pokémon they have seen. One picture however caught her attention. "Hey Ash, I thought you didn't know what a mistletoe was?" she asked looking at a picture of him and Misty underneath the mistletoe. From the looks of it, Ash was just as clueless as ever while Misty on the other hand appeared ready to go through with the holiday tradition.

Knowing the tradition behind the Christmas ornament, thanks to lana, Ash's face became slightly tinged in red as he turned away from lana to avoid eye contact. Clearly he wasn't as dense as people thought he was. "Umm well, it was kind of an accident" he explained in a low voice hoping Lana would drop the topic with such a brief response.

Unfortunately for Ash, Lana had no plans of letting that moment go. Had Ash not responded in a shy manner, she could've easily let it go. Now however, she would tease the trainer to no end. "What's the matter Ash? Did you have cold feet when you heard you had to kiss Misty?" she jokingly asked. Looking at Ash, he just remained quiet but this time, his face was no longer its normal color. It was instead replaced with a dark shade of red she has never seen on Ash before. Either way, she found his expression amusing nonetheless.

With Brock's present finished and out of the way, Ash leaves the room to begin his search for Lana's present. "I'll see you later lana. Let's go Pikachu" he said as the electric type jumped onto his shoulder. The two left with Lana and Piplup knowing they had plenty of time in the day to search for a gift. "You know Pikachu, I thought finding a gift for Lana would've been a lot easier," Ash admitted as he realized he had no idea where to begin.

Like Ash, Pikachu was also in the same boat as his trainer. He had no idea what would be a suitable gift for Lana since she seemed like the person to be happy to receive anything. One thing he noticed however was Lana's behavior. Lately she has been acting quite strange around Ash.

"You know buddy, I'm sure you noticed but Lana hasn't been herself these past few days," Ash said out of nowhere, getting Pikachu's attention. He had no idea what could be the cause of it but he certainly hoped he wasn't part of the problem. But one thing was for sure was that she loved teasing him about the mistletoe tradition which he found quite annoying at times. "If this is going to be our last Christmas together, let's make it one to remember" he proudly said. With that, both Ash and Pikachu ran off into Sunyshore City to find Lana a present.

Back in the Pokémon Center, Lana was busy thinking of what she should get Ash and Brock. She decided to start with Brock's present first. Since he was more a practical person than Ash, finding Brock a gift would be much easier than Ash. If nothing else, she could always set him up on a date with Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny. "Hmm now that I think about it, I could get Brock a nice suit that would get anyone he wants in his arms," she told Piplup. The water type agreed. He knew Lana had an eye for fashion and poor Brock could really use the help.

Now that only left Ash. This time however she found the trainer a bit hard to read. If it's Ash receiving the gift, he would accept it no matter what it was. But she certainly didn't want to give him something random. If she was going to give him something, she wanted it to be something memorable for the two of them. The only problem she now faced is what kind of gift would do just that. "Why does finding a perfect gift for Ash have to be so hard Piplup?" she asked her starter rhetorically. She threw her arms back onto the bed in frustration.

The Penguin Pokémon sat next to his trainer doing his best to offer support. That of course wasn't much. "I can think of a good reason why finding a present for Ash is much harder than you expected," Brock said, surprising the two as if he appeared from thin air.

Lana took a quick second to regain her composure. She hadn't expected Brock's appearance. And what was this that he could think of a good reason why she couldn't find a good gift. "What exactly do you mean by that?" she asked unsure how the breeder would respond.

Brock was going to be direct to Lana on the few things he noticed recently. "You haven't been acting like yourself lately" he begins. He notices lana visibly flinch. It seems even she was aware of her strange behavior. "I may not know what is running through your head, but I think it may have something to do with how you feel about Ash" he let out. It didn't take long for him to receive a response.

"The thing is I'm kind of upset that our journeys will end and Ash won't have something to remember me by" she sadly admitted. Although just by saying that, she could tell she wasn't being entirely honest with herself.

Brock could also see that she wasn't being completely honest. Whether she realized it or not, a special bond has been formed between the two. "I have to say, other than me, you are the closest friend Ash has" he began once again. With Lana listening closely, he continued speaking. "By the way you two train, spend time together, and interact with each other, it would be crazy to think neither one of you has developed feelings for the other one" Brock told lana. It seems Brock wasn't anywhere near as dense as Ash was.

Now that lana thought about it, a simple crush was probably putting the way she felt about Ash lightly. Still though, she couldn't deny that there was obviously something there. Even if Brock didn't help much with deciding a gift for Ash, she certainly had something to think about. "Thanks for the help Brock," she said to the breeder. "But if you'll excuse me, I think I need to go look for Ash's gift" she said as she left with Piplup.

Back with Ash, his search for Lana's present led him to a bike shop. Seeing as how Pikachu destroyed her old bike, which wasn't much of a surprise when he found out, he felt this would be the perfect gift for the coordinator. Looking at the price tags however, he found they were way out of his reach. "Well Pikachu, looks like we have to look for something else since this is way too much for us to even think about" Ash stated as he began walking out of the store.

As he was leaving, the shop owner overheard his conversation with Pikachu. "Hold it young man" the shopkeeper walked over towards Ash. "It's seems my bikes weren't able to put a smile on your face. If anything, they did the opposite. Is there any way I can help change that?" the man told Ash. It was clear that he had one goal in mind, customer satisfaction.

In that moment, Ash had the urge to ask the man to lower the price of his bikes. But even he knew that was asking for too much. "I appreciate your kindness, but I couldn't possibly ask you to do what I want you to," Ash truthfully replied to the shop owner.

Judging by Ash's response and his expressions, the shop owner could tell this bike meant more to him than just a method of transportation. "I don't mean to intrude into your life but is this a gift for someone else?" he asks. If this was the case, he would be more than willing to work with Ash.

Ash didn't want to be rude and leave without replying. "Yeah, Pikachu over here destroyed a bike that belonged to a close friend of ours" he replied. Pikachu on the other hand lowered his ears remembering that fateful day.

Growing even more curious about the story behind the destroyed bike, he decides to continue asking about that fateful day. "If you don't mind me asking, can you please explain how exactly the bike was destroyed?" The shop owner hoped it wasn't because of some argument and the bike just happened to be a victim of revenge.

Ash found it strange that a man would be asking questions about a bike. Then again, he was the shop owner of a bike shop so it only made sense he would be curious about bikes. "To make a long story short, Pikachu and I were coming to the Sinnoh Region when a couple of bad guys tried to take him from me. The two of us were separated after that" he said from his experience. "But once we were separated, lana found Pikachu and tried to catch him thinking Pikachu was a wild Pokémon" he recalled what lana told him about her first encounter with Pikachu. "Needless to say, Pikachu didn't like that and used Thunderbolt on her Piplup only to end up frying her bike" the trainer finished. Pikachu meanwhile was busy looking at other bikes. Hopefully these wouldn't end up having the same fate as Lana's.

Sure enough, the shop keeper had questions of his own. "As amusing as your story was, the lana you are talking about wouldn't happen to be lana the coordinator from Twinleaf Town now would it?" the shop owner asked. If it was who he was thinking, he could probably help Ash out.

"That's the one," Ash replied.

"So you must be Ash Ketchum, the trainer travelling with her who is going to compete in the upcoming Sinnoh League" he added earning a strange look from Ash. Immediately he knew why he received such a face. "If you're wondering how I know all these things, I like to keep tabs on trainers with a lot of potential. They are the ones that have exciting matches" he told Ash hoping the trainer didn't see him as a stalker.

With that out of the way, Ash could breathe easier knowing there wasn't a stalker on the loose. "I'm sorry to cut this conversation short but I need to find Lana a gift before tomorrow," Ash said as he once again walked towards the door.

"If a bike is all you need, I'm willing to make a deal with you" the shop owner said before Ash stepped outside. Getting Ash's attention once again, he continues with his plan. "I have to ask, how much does lana really mean to you?" he began giving Ash something to think about.

The trainer however did not hesitate one bit with answering. "She is my best friend," he proudly replied. Why else would he go through so much trouble for just one gift?

Ash's response certainly wasn't what the shop owner was looking for but he'll take it nonetheless. "There's a city wide tournament taking place soon. It's called The Battle of Christmas Eve. If you enter the tournament and win, I'll give you any bike of your choice for free" he told Ash his plan.

As much help as that would be, Ash couldn't accept the offer. "I appreciate the offer, but I can't take it," he began to explain. "If I can't get lana a gift by myself, then I shouldn't really be getting her anything to begin with" he finished.

The shop owner simply laughed. Ash certainly was a stubborn fellow. "Relax, by winning the city tournament, it will tell me just how much you really care about your friend. Plus I love watching great battles which is why I keep tabs on potential trainers" he explained.

Taking in every word the shop owner said, Ash accepted his offer. It's not like he would find anything else with the time he had remaining. That and it would be nice to have a few battles before he decided to challenge the Sunyshore City gym leader. With that, Ash and Pikachu went to register for the tournament.

Back with Lana, she just finished getting Brock his present. "Well Piplup, I hope this fits Brock the first time" she expressed her concerns. She did her best from memory to judge a size that would fit the breeder. "And now it's time to get Ash a gift" she said still not knowing what to give her friend.

In a shopping center in the middle of Sunyshore City, Lana had endless possibilities. Sadly though, she didn't have that much time. She looked around to see if there was anything that would possibly get Ash's attention. "Oh man Piplup, why does this have to be so hard" Lana complained to her Pokémon.

Piplup hated seeing his trainer in a terrible move. He only wished he could actually help Lana rather than just lay down stomach first on her head. Looking up, he sees a shop that specializes in rare Pokéballs. "Pip pip piplup" the Penguin Pokémon frantically pointed at the shop.

"Hmm a Pokéball shop. It certainly looks promising" she told Piplup. Figuring the worst that she would risk is a few minutes of her time, she walks in as Piplup suggested.

"Hello there and welcome to the Pokéball Emporium here in Sunyshore City" the salesperson greeted her. The female clerk motioned lana over. "From the looks of it, I can tell this is your first time in this store" she pointed out. Lana simply nodded before she continued. "Well worry not, I'll take care of you. So how can I help you?" she asked.

Lana took a quick look around. Being used to designing clothes, she could quickly look around without being overwhelmed by all the various assortments of Pokéballs. "I'm looking for a gift for a friend of mine" she simply said hoping the salesperson could really help. Taking a closer look however, she somehow felt at ease with the strange woman. Something about her felt awfully familiar.

Immediately, the salesperson noticed who she was talking to. "Wait, you're Lana, the Pokémon Coordinator from Twinleaf Town am I right?" she asked hoping that the person she was talking to would be who she thought she was. Lana simply nodded confirming her suspicions. "Oh my, it's quite a pleasure to have you here. I'm actually a big fan of yours so please, let me know how I can help" she went on again.

"What kind of Pokéball do you think would be good for a Pokémon Trainer who wants to be a Pokémon Master?" Lana asked. Looking around however, most of them appeared as if they were regular Pokéballs painted over with designs. If she was going to get Ash a Pokéball as a gift, she was going to be sure it was every bit useful as it was personal.

Hearing the description that Lana gave, the salesperson knew the gift was for. "If it is a gift for Ash Ketchum, then you might want to look over here" she led lana over to a smaller selection of Pokéballs. "These various Pokéballs are made to do a certain task and only that. For example, this Dusk Ball is perfect for catching Pokémon in caves and dark places" she explained. The salesperson put the Pokéball down and grabbed a blue Pokéball with a net around it. "This is a Net Ball, it is perfect for catching bugs and water types" she continued explaining.

Looking through their collection, Lana saw one in particular that stood above the rest, literally. "What about that purple one with an 'M' written on it" lana pointed to the strangely colored Pokéball.

"That right there is the Masterball. It is capable of catching any Pokémon without fail" she gave a brief description. One thing the salesperson dreaded however was the moment when she would ask for the price. She would hate to crush her spirits but she had to do her job.

In that instant, Lana knew that would be a perfect gift for Ash. She doubted the trainer would ever use such an item, knowing his attitude towards catching strong Pokémon only, but it would make an excellent gift nonetheless. "How much for that Masterball?" she eagerly asked.

The salesperson simply sighed. She didn't have trouble turning most people away since they simply searched for such an item for one reason, power. lana on the other hand was different. Her humble attitude and her intentions painted a different picture. Not wanting to say the price out loud, she wrote it down on a small sheet of paper and handed it over to her.

Lana quickly opened the slip of paper before she froze in place. "Oh man, there is absolutely no way I could ever dream of buying anything like this in my lifetime" she thought to herself when she saw the steep price tag.

Piplup meanwhile waved his arm in front of his trainers face. There was no way to snap lana out her little trance. Piplup took in a deep breath, "Philipp lup lup lup" he chanted as he used Bubble on lana.

"Huh wha…" she woke up from her little day dream. Immediately she remembered why she was stuck in her little trance. Rather than showing her disappointment, she put on a smile. "Thank you for all your help. But it looks like I won't be getting Ash anything from here" she told the salesperson.

The woman gave her a sad smile in return. Out of everyone she had to turn away from buying the Masterball, Lana was the most disappointing. Even though it wasn't much help, she had an idea to help Lana have a possibility of obtaining the Masterball. "Listen, I know this might not help much but they are having a tournament today. The winner of the tournament will receive a gift card that can be used to buy any item at participating stores. It's called The Battle of Christmas Eve" she explained. Lana grew curious and continued paying attention. "It just so happens that this store is a participating store" she added.

Lana's eyes instantly lit up. "You hear that Piplup looks like we have a chance of getting Ash a Masterball after all" she cheered while holding her starter Pokémon.

The salesperson couldn't help but smile along with Lana and Piplup. If there was one thing that the two were capable of doing, it was bringing joy to others. "The rules of the tournament are simple. You are only allowed to register one Pokémon and it has to be native to the Sinnoh Region" she explained the basic rules. There was one downside however. "But you have to hurry. I'm not sure when registration ends and the tournament begins" the salesperson let out.

Hearing this, Lana spared no time as she left the Pokéball shop in a rush. "Thank you and I'll be sure to drop by later even if I lose" her voice echoed as she ran out.

Elsewhere in the shopping center, a man on a stage began speaking to the crowd. "Merry Christmas everyone and thank you for coming to this year's The Battle of Christmas Eve Tournament. As always, we welcome each and every one of you and the participants. Now to kick off things, let's present you the participants." With that, everyone participating in the tournament stepped onto the stage with their Pokémon. "Ladies and Gentlemen, will you please take a look at the sixteen participants standing before you. One of these will walk away with a gift card to purchase anything they would like at participating stores" the announcer continued.

Hearing the cheer of the crowds, Lana ran towards them hoping the tournament hadn't begun. "Due to time constraints, we will be holding two battles at the same time with a 5 minute time limit." Seeing all the contestants on stage, Lana's heart sank. No, there was no way to obtain a gift for Ash. She put her head down in frustration. This was not how things were supposed to turn out. She shed a tear knowing all her efforts were for nothing. Hearing the cheerfulness of the crowd, she only wished she could join them in their excitement. Now that she thought about it, this was Ash's idea in the first place. If she had never agreed, she wouldn't be in a desperate position.

"Hey lana, what's wrong?" she heard a voice calling out to her. It was Ash.

Immediately, she came up with a lie. "I'm just thinking how I wouldn't be spending Christmas with my mom again" she quickly let out. As much as she hated lying to her friends, she didn't want to let Ash know the real reason for her mood.

Unfortunately for her, Ash could see right through her lie. In a way, it did hurt him to know that she would even lie to him as if she couldn't trust him. Still though, he would do whatever it takes to cheer her up. Putting his arms around her, Ash hugged lana. "I may not know what's going on, but remember this. I'll always be here for you if you ever need it" he said in a low whisper.

"Now our first two battles will be between Ash vs. Barry and Ricky vs. Bobby" the announcer spoke.

Ash let go of lana and left Pikachu behind. "Take care of Pikachu for me" he said running off towards his first battle. On the battlefield, Ash calls out the Pokémon he registered for the tournament. "Infernape, I choose you" he released the fire type.

On the opposite side of the field, Barry released his Pokémon. "Come on out Empoleon" the impatient trainer called out his Pokémon. With the two ready to battle, all that was left was for the announcer to begin the battle. "Hey will you hurry it up. You said so yourself, you are under a time constraint" Barry impatiently shouted to the announcer. "Unless that was a lie in which case I'm going to have to find you. You have ten seconds to pay up. Ten, nine, eight" he rapidly began his countdown.

In the crowd, Lana's face palmed herself. Even in a friendly tournament, Barry still had the indecency to rush the tournament organizers.

With everyone ready, especially Barry, the tournament could start. "Let the battles begin" the announcer signaled the start of the battles.

"Let's get this over with Empoleon. Use Hydro Pump on Infernape" Barry was the first to call out his attack.

Ash predicted that Barry would try to make quick work of Infernape due to his type disadvantage. Still though, he wasn't one to run from a super effective attack and neither was Infernape. "Use Flamethrower to cancel out that Hydro Pump" he ordered the Flame Pokémon. The two attacks collided in the air producing a thick fog. "Now get in close with Mach Punch" Ash ordered. He too planned to use type advantage to the fullest.

"Empoleon quick, intercept it with Steel Wing" Barry quickly let out. The Emperor Pokémon repelled each punch with his own wing. "Give it up Ash, I'm going to win this tournament and you know it" Barry taunted his opponent. Ash however decided to remain quiet and use the fog to his advantage. He motioned for Infernape to use Dig without Barry noticing. "Now Empoleon, end this by using Hydro Pump" Barry shouted knowing a point blank Hydro Pump would knock out Infernape.

The water type did as he was told. He let out a massive stream of water right in front of him clearing away most of the fog. "Empoleon?" the Emperor Pokémon asked rather baffled.

Even Barry couldn't believe that Infernape was gone. "Sorry Barry, but I have so much at stake in this tournament and I can't afford to lose" he responded to his rival. "Now Infernape" Ash gave his Pokémon the signal to come out of the ground. Infernape launched Empoleon into the air. "Now use Mach Punch" Ash ordered.

In the air, Empoleon had no control over his movements, mainly because he was caught off guard. "Inferna Nappe" the fire type let out as he used Mach Punch on Empoleon. He sent Empoleon crashing down into the ground below.

The announcer saw Empoleon down and with swirls in his eyes. "Empoleon is unable to battle. Looks like Ash is the first person to advance to the next round" he said. The crowd cheered over such a great battle.

"Thanks Infernape, you were great out there," Ash praised his Pokémon. "Are you okay to battle again?" he asked out of concern for his Pokémon. If they didn't want to continue battling, he wasn't going to force them to.

Knowing what was at stake, Infernape did not dare let Ash down one bit. Ash was always there for him when he needed him the most so now it was his turn to return the favor. "Infernape" he nodded while giving Ash a thumbs up.

Barry walked over to Ash after the battle was done. "You may have beaten me this time but next time I'll be sure to show you which one of us is the better one" he pointed at Ash. There was still one thing running in his mind. "And what exactly do you mean you have so much at stake in this tournament?" Barry asked, wondering if it was that important.

Ash looked over to the crowd and saw Lana standing there. He turned back to Barry to answer his question. "Brock, Lana, and I agreed to exchange gifts this year. I'm here so I can get Lana her gift" he briefly explained. "But you're more than welcome to come and spend Christmas with all of us at the Pokémon Center" he invited Barry.

Barry had a mischievous smile after hearing that Ash was in the tournament for lana. "It seems you must be motivated by that special someone huh Ash" Barry nudged the trainer. Giving Ash something to think about, Barry walked off the stage and left the tournament.

With his battle with Barry over, Ash waited on the stage until it was his turn to battle again. Much to his surprise, he had to remain on the stage or he would be disqualified from the tournament. This was due to their limited time. The last thing the organizers needed was to search for a trainer when it was their turn to battle.

While he waited for his next battle, Ash thought about what Barry told him. Whenever he thought of someone special, his first thought would return to Lana for some strange reason. If special someone meant best friend, then he already had one. But for some reason, he couldn't stop the feeling that this tournament meant more than just a Christmas gift. Whether he realized it or not, lana was his main source of motivation for this tournament. "Will Ash and Ricky please head over to the battle field? I repeat, will Ash and Ricky please head over to the battle field" the announcer said the names of the next two who were going to battle.

Infernape stepped onto the battlefield ready to begin. "Let's go Staraptor" Ricky let out his Pokémon. Ricky had a smirk on his face. Clearly he had a type advantage in this battle. "I will win this tournament and obtain that Masterball in the Pokéball Emporium" he told Ash rather arrogantly.

"Let's see how bad you want it," Ash simply replied. The last thing he wanted to do was provoke the guy into talking some more.

"Battle began" the announcer signaled the start of the battle.

Ricky laughed as he called out his first move. "This is too easy. Staraptor, use Aerial Ace and end this already" he said in a condescending tone. The Predator Pokémon gained some altitude before pulling in his wings and feet. He dove straight for Infernape with his beak first.

Ash knew an Aerial Ace could spell disaster if it hit. Fortunately however, he also knew Staraptor were a lot like glass cannons. "Infernape, use Mach Punch" Ash ordered his fire type. The Flame Pokémon timed his attack. When Staraptor was in close range, he unleashed his attack.

"Infernape" the firestarter let out, sending Staraptor crashing into the ground with a good amount of force.

Ricky immediately saw the condition of his Pokémon. "Staraptor no" he cried out. Staraptor had been knocked out.

"Wow, ladies and gentlemen, never in the history of this tournament have we ever had a one hit knock-out" the announcer was quick to say.

Everyone in the crowd gasped. Either Ash was a really good trainer or he must have some pretty good motivation or both. Even lana found her friend's quick victories quite strange. Ash isn't really known for making quick work of his opponents so why now.

With the battle over, both Ash and Ricky shook hands. "So tell me Ash, why are you really in the tournament?" Ricky was genuinely curious as to what was it that pushed Ash to perform great accomplishments.

Ash shrugged his shoulders. At this point, even he wasn't too sure anymore. After talking to the bicycle shop owner and Barry, he honestly didn't know what to think anymore. One thing however remained the same. "I'm doing this for a friend of mine" was all he said.

Satisfied by his answer, Ricky walked off and Ash returned to wait for his next battle. "Looks like Ash has a chance of winning this tournament" Lana told both Piplup and Pikachu. The two Pokémon agreed, although Pikachu would rather be up there battling. "Hey Pikachu," Lana said, getting the electric type's attention. "Is there any reason why Ash signed up for this tournament other than to battle?" she asked curious as to why he even entered. Sadly though, she missed the registration deadline by a longshot.

Pikachu thought what would be the best way to explain to Lana in a way she could understand him. "Pika Pika Pi Pikachu" he pointed to Ash while letting out small electrical charges from his cheeks.

"I'm guessing that means that Ash is battling" she did her best to interpret Pikachu's gestures.

Pikachu nodded before he continued. "Pi Pika Pikachu" he pointed to lana. Hopefully she would understand that last part.

"Ash is battling for me?" she asked, wondering if that was what Ash's Pokémon was trying to say. Pikachu nodded his head. In that moment, she realized that even Ash was having the same trouble finding a gift just like she did. While that did explain why he was in the tournament, she still wondered how exactly is he winning the battles with minimal effort.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now in the semi-final stages of the tournament and so far these are our contestants'' the announcer pointed to the remaining four trainers. "First up are Clemont and his Luxray. Then we have Hank with his Rhyperior. Next up are Tony and his Gabite. And last but not least is Ash with his Infernape. Each of these trainers have been quite impressive in their own way" the announcer said. Drawing two names from a hat, the announcer read the names of who would battle who. "In the semi-finals we have Clemont vs. Hank and Ash vs. Tony '' he said the names of the trainers who would battle each other.

Knowing who was battling who, the remaining four semi-finalists prepared to battle their opponent. "Hang in there Infernape. We made it this far so I'm sure we can go all the way" Ash told the Flame Pokémon. Clearly their opponent had the type advantage, again.

"Let's show them our training thanks to the power of science" Clemont began. Despite being at a great disadvantage, he was used to dealing with ground types on a regular basis.

"Let's go Clemont. Serena and I are here cheering for you" a small young blonde shouted from the crowd.

"Thank you Bonnie" Clemont replied to his little sister.

"Battle begins" The announcer started the battle.

"Infernape, get in close with Mach Punch" Ash issued his first command. Infernape sped towards the opposing Gabite at a fast pace hoping to strike first.

"Block it using Dual Chop" Tony ordered. The Cave Pokémon did as he was told and defended himself from Infernape's Mach Punch. With both Pokémon sustaining no damage, the two were within arm's length reach from one another. "Gabite, use Dragon Pulse" Tony ordered.

Ash also had the same idea in mind. "Infernape uses a Flamethrower," Ash ordered. The two attacks collided canceling each other out. Once again, Ash had Infernape use Dig without letting the opponent know.

"What the?" Tony seemed to have lost Infernape. "Look around for any sign of Infernape" Tony warned his Pokémon. There was one place however where they forgot to look.

"Infernape, come on out using the Flame Wheel," Ash said. In that instant, Tony began looking around even faster. Infernape was nowhere to be seen.

Feeling the ground below him shake, Gabite knew where the attack would come from. "Fly into the air" Tony instructed his Gabite in order to avoid the attack.

Too late. Infernape came out of the ground covered in flames. He struck the dragon sending him soaring into the air. "Gabite no" cried out Tony. Fortunately for him, the dragon type could still battle. Realizing the close proximity to his opponent, Tony took advantage of the moment. "Gabite, use Dual Chop again" he ordered. The dragon type slashed away at Infernape sending him crashing onto the ground below.

"Infernape, are you alright?" Ash asked hoping his Pokémon could continue to fight. The fire type stood back up and nodded. Again, there was no way he would let his trainer down, especially now of all times. Seeing as how Gabite was descending towards them at a rapid pace, Ash has Infernape use Dig. He has a plan to take down Gabite.

Sure enough, Tony had a way of attacking Infernape. "Gabite, use Earthquake as soon as you land." Landing on the ground, Gabite began stomping on the ground to cause an earthquake.

Little did he know, he fell into Ash's trap. "Infernape, come on out of the hole and use Mach Punch" Ash ordered. Since he didn't dig too deep, Infernape came out instantly with both his hands glowing. With incredible speed, he sped towards Gabite punching the dragon type once to make him lose balance and again to send him soaring into the air. "Now use Flamethrower" Ash ordered. The fire type let out a Flamethrower and hit Gabite.

The dragon type came crashing down onto the field below. "Gabite, are you alright?" Tony asked his Pokémon unsure if he could continue battling.

The dragon type managed to struggle onto his feet. "Gabbi Iii Ttte" the Cave Pokémon shrieked in pain. He had been burned by Infernape's Flamethrower. Unable to withstand the damage, Gabite falls over and faints.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, looks like the first to advance to the final round of the tournament is Ash" the announcer told the crowd. "And now all that's left is to see who will make it between Clemont and Hank" he continued.

"Alright Luxray, let's finish off Rhyperior with Ice Fang '' Clemont ordered his Pokémon. The electric type's mouth became a light blue as his jaws took hold of Rhyperior's arm. "And now Iron Tail'' Clemont and Luxray follow up with his attack.

"Luxray" the electric type cried out attacking Rhyperior with everything he had. The Drill Pokémon was unable to withstand two super-effective attacks in a row and falls over.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, looks like Clemont will also be moving onto the final round of the tournament" the announcer told the crowd as soon as Rhyperior was declared unable to battle. "Folks this will be a memorable final round. Both Ash and Clemont were at a severe disadvantage and still managed to win. The final battle will certainly be a treat for us all" he pointed out. "For now, the two competitors will be given a 10 minute break to heal their Pokémon and do whatever else they need."

With the ten minute break, Ash decides to meet his final opponent. He walks over to Clemont, "Hey there, my name is Ash" he extends his hand.

The blonde accepts Ash's hand and replies, "I'm Clemont." With the two acquainted with one another, Clemont is the first to start the conversation. "Let's make the final battle one to remember," he said to Ash.

Unlike his other opponents, Ash could easily tell Clemont didn't seem interested in winning the prize for himself. It was pretty obvious since he didn't say anything about it from the very beginning. "Yes, let's make this a battle to remember" Ash replied agreeing with his final opponent. Not too long after, Ash saw two females approach Clemont.

While Ash was watching Clemont and his 'friends' tend to Luxray, he failed to notice that Lana was next to him. "Hello, are you there?" she waved her hand in front of the trainer breaking him free from his trance.

"Huh" Ash regaining his composure.

"Here you might want to give this to Infernape" Lana handed Ash a water bottle. "Hopefully it'll help Infernape with his next battle" she said. It was pretty clear that Lana wanted Ash to win.

"So Ash" Clemont returned his attention to his next opponent. "I read that Chimchar is one of the starters of the Sinnoh Region. Was Infernape your first Pokémon?" Clemont asked. Even though there were rivals, he would still like to get to know new people.

"No, it was Pikachu," Ash replied. On cue, the electric type jumped onto his trainer's shoulders. "We're from the Kanto Region. I'm just here in the Sinnoh Region because I'm going to compete in the Sinnoh League" he began explaining. Seeing lana next to him, he thought it would be best to introduce her too. "And this is my friend lana and Piplup. We are traveling around the Sinnoh Region together" he explained.

"Oh I almost forgot, this is my little sister Bonnie" he motioned to the small young blonde. "And this is Serena" he motioned to her introducing the other two people around him.

Serena however found Clemont's introduction quite annoying. She walks over to him and arms both her arms around one of his. "Oh come on Clemont, are you still embarrassed to say that I'm your girlfriend?" Serena teases the blonde causing him to blush.

Even Bonnie shook her head sideways in disappointment. "I've told you this many times already Clemont, it's not enough to have a girlfriend. You have to make her feel like you care" Bonnie scolded her older brother.

While Ash and Lana were busy watching the three interact with one another, Lana comes to realize something. Seeing how happy Serena was around Clemont, she realized now that she too wished for the same but with Ash. No wonder she had such a hard time deciding what to find Ash. Even though she didn't see it then, she wanted to impress Ash all along. And here she was giving up all because she wasn't able to register for the tournament. Lana decided after it ended, she would find something else just as meaningful in the short amount of time left.

"Will the two finalists please return to the battlefield?" the announcer said. Both Ash and Clemont returned ready to win and take first place in this year's The Battle of Christmas Eve. With both of their Pokémon ready to battle, they nodded to the announcer. "Battle begin" he said.

"Flamethrower"

"Thunder"

The two trainers issued their first command simultaneously. The attacks collided in mid-air canceling each other out.

"Mach Punch let's go"

"Get in there with Wild Charge"

The two Pokémon met in the center of the battle field, both struggling for the upper hand against the other.

"Come on Luxray, you can win this" both Bonnie and Serena shout from the sidelines.

"Let's go Infernape, you can't let this beat you" Lana also shouted from the sidelines.

The two Pokémon ended their attacks unable to gain any momentum against their opponent. "Infernape, use Dig" Ash commanded, deciding to change his strategy.

Clemont on the other hand was prepared to deal with the attack. "Alright Luxray, use Double Team." The electric type created clones of himself all over the battlefield. Trusting his trainer, Luxray knew Clemont had a plan as soon as Infernape reemerged.

Ash also realized that Clemont was prepared to take the offensive as soon as Infernape came up. However thanks to Lana's help in their special training sessions, Ash had a perfect way to counter any incoming attack that Clemont had planned. "Infernape, come on out using a Flame Wheel" Ash ordered. The Flame Pokémon came up making one of the clones disappear.

"Now Luxray, use Iron Tail on Infernape" Clemont said the moment he saw Infernape come out of the ground. Luxray and all his clones dove straight for the fire type with his tail glowing white.

"Now use Flamethrower while you're spinning" Ash called out. Infernape had flames going in all directions. One of them managed to hit Luxray.

"It's been a while since we've seen Ash use a counter-shield," Lana pointed out to both Piplup and Pikachu.

"Luxray, are you alright?" Clemont asked his Pokémon. The electric type nodded although he panted heavily. It seems the strain of four consecutive battles was beginning to show. Looking over to the other side, Infernape was in the same position. Out of nowhere, Luxray was surrounded by a red aura. "Luxray no," Clemont cried out. His Pokémon is suffering from a burn.

"Luuuxxxx" the Gleam Eyes Pokémon growled. Surrounded by a white light, his special ability, guts, had been activated. This was a bitter-sweet moment for Clemont. He was on the verge of losing the battle but on the other hand, his Pokémon gained a noticeable boost in power. "Use Thunder" Clemont called out. Luxray unleashed the electric type attack onto his opponent.

"Push it back with Flamethrower" Ash responded. Infernape intercepted the attack in mid-air. Unfortunately for him, the Thunder attack overwhelmed him and struck. "Infernape" Ash cried out seeing his Pokémon take the attack. With the attack over, Infernape could barely manage to stand. Seeing that Luxray was just about to faint as well, he decides it's all or nothing.

"Infernape, use Flame Wheel"

"Luxray, use Wild Charge"

Luxray covered himself in electricity and charged straight at his opponent. Infernape on the other hand was surrounded by a blue flame before charging forward. "Huh, is that a new attack?" Ash noticed the difference in his Pokémon's attack.

The two Pokémon charged straight at each other knowing this time, one of them would fall.

"Luxray"

"Inferrrrrrnape"

A cloud of smoke covered the area. Everyone held their breaths while they waited to see who would emerge victorious. "Folks, this is a very tense moment" the announcer added to the already tense mood.

Slowly but surely the smoke began to clear. Both Bonnie and Serena had their fingers crossed for Clemont and Lana, Piplup, and Pikachu paid close attention to the field. They hoped that Infernape would remain standing.

With the smoke nearly gone, everyone could see a figure stand on two legs. It was obvious by now who had won. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to present you the winner of this year's The Battle of Christmas Eve, Ash Ketchum" the announcer spoke. The crowd erupted into cheers.

"Alright Infernape" Ash ran towards his Pokémon. Lana also made her way towards the stage to congratulate her friend.

Although the fire type was worn out, he was more than satisfied by the results. "Infernape" the Flame Pokémon let's out while holding a thumbs up.

"Well that's the end of that" Clemont said as he recalled his Pokémon. "Thank you so much Luxray. You were amazing out there" he praised his Pokémon. Both Bonnie and Serena ran onto the stage to cheer Clemont up. "I'm sorry you two, I thought I could win the tournament and get you two something nice for Christmas" Clemont seemed a bit down.

Both Bonnie and Serena hug Clemont tightly. "Oh come on big brother. Do you honestly think we would be mad if you didn't win?" Bonnie asked the older blonde.

"Bonnie's right you know. We would rather see you try your best and spend time with you than have some present" Serena added.

Instantly Clemont's mood changed for the better. Showing a smile, he couldn't deny that he would rather spend time with two of the most important people in his life. "Nene nene" a Pokémon cried out from Bonnie's bag. It climbed onto Clemont's shoulder and nuzzled the trainer's cheek.

"Fenn Fennekin" another Pokémon came out but this time from Serena's Pokéball. The fox looking Pokémon also nuzzled her cheek against Clemont's leg. Serena picked up her Pokémon so it could also enjoy the moment.

It was at this moment, that Lana realized what she would get Ash. Rather than a gift she knew she couldn't obtain, she planned on her gift being personal. She planned on confessing her feelings to the trainer once and for all. Just seeing how happy the three were with each other, Lana couldn't help but feel jealous of the trio.

While Lana was busy with her thoughts, Ash noticed some strange looking Pokémon. Pulling out his Pokédex, he was shocked to find out it didn't contain any information about the strange Pokémon. "Where are you guys from if you don't mind me asking?" Ash asked Clemont.

Clemont wasted no time answering. "We're from Lumiose City in the Kalos Region. I am the Lumiose City Gym Leader" he told Ash.

In that instant, Ash took immediate interest in Clemont. "After I'm done with the Sinnoh League, I'm going to the Kalos Region next" he replied to the gym leader. "And I want my first gym battle to be with you," he added.

"Then I'll wait for your challenge as soon as I return to the Kalos Region '' Clemont replied, accepting Ash's challenge. With that, the three left the battlefield.

"Will Ash Ketchum please present himself" the announcer called for Ash. The trainer heard his announcement and headed towards the announcer. "For winning The Battle of Christmas Eve, we present you with this" he held out a plastic card. "This gift card is good for any item at any participating store" he told Ash.

With his prize in his hand, the only thing left was for them to take a picture of the winner of the tournament. "Wait, can lana be in the picture with me?" Ash asked, getting a curious look from lana. Why would he want her in the picture to begin with? "She was the main reason and inspiration for winning this tournament" he admitted.

Listening to Ash's reason, Lana couldn't believe the trainer would go to such lengths just for her. Even though Pikachu told her himself, it was much different hearing it from Ash. The camera man nodded. Being Christmas, this was supposed to be the time of the year when people spend time with those important to them.

Both Ash and Lana posed for the picture along with Pikachu, Piplup, and Infernape. "Now please wait a few minutes for the pictures to print" the camera man told the two.

With a few minutes to spare, Lana decided to ask Ash a few questions she had on her mind. "Did you really enter the tournament just for me?" she asked. Although there was more than enough proof to suggest yes, she wanted to hear it from Ash.

"Well we needed to find each other a Christmas gift and this was the only way I could get you one" Ash explained.

It all made sense. The salesperson at the Pokéball Emporium said the gift card was needed to get any item from a participating store. Since Ash already has a gift for Brock that meant the gift card was going to be used for her. Seeing the gift card in front of her, she wonders why Ash was showing it to her. "Wait, don't you need this?" she asked confused, wondering why Ash left it next to her.

The trainer stood up and recalled Infernape back into its Pokéball. "I honestly didn't even know anything about the prize for winning the tournament" Ash admitted much to Lana's annoyance. "But I want you to have it. Besides, all I needed to do was win the tournament" Ash explained as Pikachu climbed onto his shoulder. "Well I have to hurry, I'll see you around later" Ash sped off almost like Barry leaving Lana with more questions than answers.

Amazed by the change of events, Lana now had high hopes about her Christmas gift for Ash. Not only had he given her the confidence boost she would certainly need for Christmas, she could now obtain the Masterball she sought out from the very beginning. Collecting the printed pictures, she quickly puts them away without looking at them. "Let's go Piplup, we have a lot of things we need to do for tomorrow" she said cheerfully. The two headed towards the Pokéball shop from before.

Right after emerging victorious from the tournament, Ash returned to the bicycle shop from before. He walked in only to notice the lights were out. "Um hello" he almost shouted hoping the shop hadn't closed. Suddenly, the lights turn on startling the teen and Pikachu.

"Well well well what do we have here?" the shop owner sarcastically said. "It seems you managed to keep your end of the promise" he pointed out.

"When you have a friend as awesome as Lana, it's hard not to keep your promises" Ash admitted while smiling.

The shopkeeper noticed a subtle change in Ash. When he walked in the store earlier, he just talked about her as any regular friend. Now he actually smiled whenever he mentioned her name. But before he gave away one of his bikes, he had a few questions of his own. "The Battle of Christmas Eve is by no means an easy tournament to win. And yet you managed to make quick work out of most of you opponents. Do you think it had something to do with your training or was it something else?" he asked.

Ash thought about the question the shopkeeper asked him. While it was true that his training with his Pokémon played a vital role, he felt his wins were decided by a completely different reason. The whole time up there, the only thing he ever thought about was winning the tournament to get lana a gift. But why. "I honestly think it had something to do with me getting Lana a gift" he replied as truthfully as he could.

The shop owner gave Ash a blank stare. Of course that was why he was here. "But why did you want to get lana this gift?" he asked once more. Hopefully this time Ash wouldn't be as dense when answering his questions.

Ash thought about it once again. The real reason was to repay a bicycle that Pikachu destroyed. Just thinking about the smile it would bring to her was more than enough made him wish Christmas day would arrive sooner. It was at that moment that Ash realized what the shop owner meant with his questions. "I think I know what you mean now," he admitted. Ash just wanted to make Lana happy no matter what he had to go through.

The shop owner smiled knowing he was able to help out Ash in more ways than one. "Now tell which bike is it that Lana would like," he told Ash, asking him to point at the bike.

With Pikachu's help, they were able to pick a bike that closely resembled the one that Pikachu destroyed. "And now all that's left is to wrap it in this gift wrap" Ash pulled out a decorative wrap with Stantler and Sudowoodo designs on it. Ash and Pikachu began covering the bike in the wrapping paper.

"Hahahaha nice joke there kid" the shop owner laughed. It was obvious what the present would be due to the shape. Seeing Ash and Pikachu continue wrapping the bike, the owner could see that they weren't joking. "Oh you're serious about this."

Lana arrived at the Pokéball Emporium right before it closed. "Hey there, I said I would be back after the end of the tournament" Lana greeted the salesperson from before.

The salesperson remembered their conversation from earlier in the day. "Indeed you are back" she said. "And I must say that Ash is quite the battler" she praised her friend on his batting skills. Lana let out a small smile, if only she knew why he did as great as he did. "But I'm guessing you didn't have enough time to register" she guessed the reason why lana wasn't participating in the tournament.

Confused, Lana asked "How did you know I wasn't in the tournament?"

"Well I'm not sure if you have been paying attention to anything I was saying but I was watching the tournament" the sales person told the confused coordinator. Lana must've really been paying attention to Ash if she didn't notice her in the crowd.

"Oh right" lana gave a cheeky smile. Not wanting to waste anymore time, she pulls out the gift card that Ash had given her after he won the tournament. "I'd like to have that Masterball if it isn't a problem" she said pointing to the purple Pokéball.

The salesperson picked up the gift card and inspected it. She wanted to be sure it wasn't fake. "How did you get this without even participating?" She was surprised to see the card with lana.

"Well Ash said he had no idea there was even a prize for winning The Battle of Christmas Eve so he gave it to me" she eagerly told the salesperson. Although in the back of her mind, she feared there might be some problem redeeming the Masterball.

"Well this is the real deal" she put the gift card away. In exchange, the salesperson grabbed the Masterball from its place and placed it inside a small glass box. "Here, let me wrap it for you" she kindly offered. While she was busy preparing the gift, there was one thing she wanted to ask. "You said Ash gave you the gift card at the very end of the tournament. I'm assuming you were going to give him something else before this happened." Lana confirmed her suspicions by nodding. "If you don't mind me asking, what were you going to get him?" she asks.

Lana turned her head away smiling while a light blush appeared on her cheeks. "I was going to confess to him" she nervously let out. Remembering the picture they took, she took them out of her bag to take a look at them. She hadn't noticed before, but the two were awfully close to each other.

"Hmm, that's pretty bold of you" the salesperson responded. "Well looks like you won't have to anymore" she said as she finished wrapping Lana's gift for Ash.

Lana heard what she said and immediately replied. "Well I'm still going to go through with it" she said nervously about the whole ordeal.

The salesperson smiled knowing Lana was going to confess either way. "So what made you realize your feelings for Ash?" she asked knowing that at this point, lana was more than willing to talk.

Lana did not hesitate with her response. "Once I found Ash within the tournament for me, I realized that I couldn't give up on finding him a gift. But then I saw how one of Ash's opponents was happy just being with his sister and his girlfriend that I decided to confess my feelings to him." While talking to the clerk, Lana's mood and confidence skyrocketed. She just wanted Christmas to come already so they could exchange gifts.

"Well lana, I wish you the best of luck because I'll be rooting for you" the salesperson showed her support for lana. "I hope you have a wonderful Christmas," she said.

Lana made sure the Masterball was secure before leaving the store. "You have helped me so much. I don't know how I'm ever going to return the favor" lana admitted to the salesperson.

"Do you believe in guardian angels?" she asked lana. Lana shrugged her shoulders. She heard of Christmas stories involving angels. It was an angel's goal to help out the person they were guarding in order to earn their wings. "Well I like to think of myself as one. I help out others whenever I can simply out of good will" she smiled.

If lana had to guess, it was probably the holiday spirit that brought out the kindness in everyone. However one thing bothered her. Before she left, she wanted to remember the person who helped her. "What's your name by the way?" she asked.

The salesperson continued to smile. She knew she was about to form an everlasting bond with lana. "I'm Lucy," she replied.

Lucy. That was a name that Lana will remember forever. She turned to say goodbye to Lucy. "I hope you have a…" she stopped mid-sentence. Lucy had disappeared. Another smile appeared on lana's face. "Lucy, wherever you are, thank you for all your help. And I hope I helped you earn your wings as well." With that, Lana left the Pokéball Emporium and headed back to the Pokémon Center.

"It seems that you learned a lot in that tournament" Brock responded to Ash. The trainer told his friend about his day hoping Brock could offer some help. "I can honestly say that I'm not surprised that things turned out this way. I mean you two are so close that one or the other was bound to fall for the other" he explained to Ash. Even if he failed in almost all attempts with Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny, he knew a lot about the subject of romance. "The best thing you can do is tell…" he stopped talking when he heard the door knob turn.

It was Lana and Piplup. "Hey guys, how has your day been Brock?" Lana politely asks as she puts away Brock's gift. There was no use hiding it however since she knew Brock wasn't anywhere near as dense as Ash.

"Well other than searching for the perfect gift for you and Ash, I'd say it went quite well" he said conveniently leaving out plenty of details.

Lana was smart enough to know what else Brock's day included. "How many times did Croagunk use Poison Jab on you?" she asked knowing that Brock couldn't resist the urge to flirt with anyone he found attractive.

"Three times" Brock whispered back with his head down.

Lana let out a laugh. After a stressful day of Christmas shopping, she can say she is genuinely tired. "Well good night guys" she said falling fast asleep. Piplup was no different than his trainer.

Both Ash and Pikachu yawned, seeing Lana fast asleep. "Well Brock, thanks for the talk but Pikachu and I are going to hit the hay." With that, Ash and Pikachu knocked out.

With both his traveling companions asleep, Brock stands up. "I wonder if there is any way I can talk to Nurse Joy right now" Brock said with hearts in his eyes. Clearly by talk, he meant chase after Nurse Joy.

"Crooaagunk" the Toxic Mouth Pokémon screeched as he Poison Jabbed his trainer.

"Or maybe…I could talk to you in my dreams" he let out in pain. Much to Croagunk's satisfaction, Brock promptly fell asleep as well.

On Christmas Morning, the Pokémon Center was alive with the Christmas Spirit. People were exchanging gifts here and there while others were drinking Eggnog with jello. "I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas" Nurse Joy asked everyone in the Pokémon Center. Everyone cheered in joy. The holiday spirit was alive and well.

"Well I think it's time that we exchanged gifts" Ash told his two friends. They both agree and split up to retrieve their gifts. With the bike wrapped up, Ash walked outside leaving the bike there. He wanted some privacy when it was his turn to give lana her gift. Right before he went back inside, he heard some familiar voices.

"Hey Ash," someone called the trainer from far away.

"Clemont?!" Ash was pleasantly surprised by his appearance. With him was Bonnie, Serena, and "Barry?!" Not that he had a problem with Barry or anything, but he found it strange the impatient trainer would be with them off all people.

"Hey *huff* Ash *huff* Merry Christmas" Clemont struggled to let out. He fell over out of exhaustion.

Ash wondered what was wrong with the gym leader. "Get up Clemont. It's not like we ran far" Bonnie shouted at her brother annoyed by his lack of endurance.

"We were wondering if we could spend Christmas here with you and your friends" Serena spoke for Clemont. "It was just the three of us back in the hotel room and we remembered that we made friends" she explained.

"And they were lucky enough to run into me. Otherwise they would've been bored in their hotel room" Barry proudly stated.

Ash did not wait even one second to respond. "Of course you can spend Christmas with us. After all, it's the holiday where you spend time with everyone you care about" he said putting an arm around Clemont and Barry.

The three Kalos natives were delighted to know they had made a true friend during their vacation. "Hey Ash, is this the gift that you got Lana?" Barry asked as soon as he noticed the wrapping paper. Ash nodded. Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena gave Ash a weird look. It was pretty obvious what it was just by the shape of the gift. "What is it?" Barry continued asking.

The Kalos Trio couldn't believe just how dense Barry could be. "You'll just have to wait until Lana opens it to find out," Ash responded. By now, the trio fell over from Ash's reply. Two dense trainers and yet they somehow are about to qualify for the Sinnoh League.

"Darn it Ash, if you don't tell me this instant, I'm going to find you 1 million dollars" Barry began with his usual habits. "Oh you have ten seconds to pay up. Ten, nine, eight, seven…ahhhh" he screeched as Clemont pushed him inside the Pokémon Center.

Back inside, Ash found both Lana and Brock ready with their gifts. He also found Buneary cuddled up next to Pikachu. "Brock, I'd like you to meet Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena. I met them yesterday at The Battle of Christmas Eve" Ash introduced his new friend to Brock. The breeder introduced himself to the trio. With that out of the way, it was now time to exchange presents.

Ash was the first to give Brock his gift. "Brock, you have been traveling with me since the very beginning of my journey. I remember winning my first Pokémon that I caught and released. I remember our journeys through the Johto and Hoenn Region as well. What I want to say is you have been there for me since the very beginning and I made a photo album, with lana's help, about our journeys together."

Brock looked through every page. They all carried a significant moment in their travels together. Brock couldn't help but shed a tear. "Thank you so much Ash" he reached out for his friend. The two gave each other a hug.

"And I also got you this" Ash pulled out another small box. Brock immediately opened the box and pulled out an apron and chef's hat. "I know how much you look to cook so I also got you an apron with a matching hat."

Putting on the apron, Brock could clearly see the message written on it. "Kiss the cook" he read what the apron said. He also took a look at the chef's hat. "Cook" he read out loud. "Alright, now Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny won't be able to resist me" Brock shouted. "But thank you for the presents Ash. I will treasure them both" he told the trainer he saw as his little brother.

Watching how Brock reacted around Nurse Joy, Bonnie lightly shoved her brother getting his attention. "You see, that is how it's done" she scolded the older blonde. "Girls can't resist a man with confidence. Isn't that right Serena?" Bonnie asked her 'sister-in-law' for confirmation.

"I don't know about that" she replied while resting her head on Clemont's shoulder and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I like your brother the way he is," she added.

Just looking at Serena and Clemont, Lana wondered if there was any possibility of being in Serena's position but with Ash. Shaking those thoughts aside, she decided to give Brock his gift next. "Well Brock, if you want to be even more irresistible, you should try this on" she handed him his gift.

Brock grabbed the coat hanger and unzipped the plastic cover. "Wow lana, you sure went all out with this tuxedo" Brock commented. The breeder unhooked the tux to check and see if it fit. "I'm impressed you were able to guess my size perfectly" he praised his friend. "I love it lana" he added.

The coordinator on the other hand had other plans. "Well?" she began asking.

"Well what?" Brock asked confused.

"Aren't you going to try it on?" she asked him. No sooner had she said that the breeder ran off to try on his new gift. "It seems someone really wants to wow Nurse Joy" Lana said with a mischievous smile.

While they waited for Brock to return, Bonnie and Serena were exchanging gifts. "Hey Serena, how do you unwrap this?" Bonnie struggled to unwrap her gift.

On cue, Clemont was the first to respond to Bonnie's problem. "The future is now thanks to science" he exclaimed while pushing up his glasses.

"Huh?" Ash, Barry, and Lana sat motionless.

"Here we go again" Bonnie and Serena sighed out of annoyance.

Appearing from thin air, Clemont stands next to a small robot holding a pair of scissors in one hand and tweezers on the other. "Say hello to my Christmas unwrapping struggling machine" he presented his invention.

"At least the name is relevant to the holiday" Bonnie did her best to remain positive. Meanwhile, Ash, Lana, and Barry sat still confused by the strange machine.

"Are you tired of those pesky gifts that just don't seem to unwrap? Well say goodbye to those days since this machine is made to unwrap gifts perfectly" Clemont gave a quick description of his invention's capabilities.

"Wow, the power of science is amazing" Ash commented enthusiastically.

"Well I'm glad someone appreciates my inventions" Clemont pointed out. "Now allow me to demonstrate" he puts a wrapped present in front of the machine. "Using this sample gift, I will now show you how it works." Clemont pushed a button on the remote controller.

The robot begins by zooming in on the object. Confirming that it has wrapping paper around it, it shoves the scissors into the empty box to pick it up. "Oh, that's not how it's supposed to work" Clemont commented. By the way it picked up the gift, it would've easily destroyed the contents inside. "I forgot to include a spare arm" Clemont comes to a sudden realization. Attempting to stop the machine, Clemont pushes the stop button on the remote control. Instead it has the opposite effect. It continues to poke holes at an accelerated rate.

"Is that normal?" Barry asks.

Once again, Bonnie and Serena sigh. They knew what was about to happen. "Look out everyone" Clemont shouts. "The machine is about to…" he gets interrupted. The machine explodes leaving the group of friends covered in soot.

"Sadly, I can't say that I'm surprised" Serena pointed out. It would be great if one of his inventions would at least break down without exploding.

"Exploding invention 300, Clemont 0" Bonnie stated. Clemont on the other hand was busy crying over the loss of his machine.

"Ash, lana?!" a voice calls out to them from across the Pokémon Center.

"Holly?!" the two teens reply.

The brunette and her Wingull approach the pair. "It's been quite a while since I've seen you all" she exclaimed. "I noticed a ruckus in this direction and saw you two" she said. "So where's Bro…" she stopped mid-sentence.

"So how do I look?" Brock asked with his tuxedo on.

"I'll tell you Brock, if I was a bit older, I wouldn't be able to resist you" Lana compliments her friend.

Before Ash had a chance to say anything, Holly made her presence known to Brock. "Why would need someone else when I'm right here." Brock stood where he was motionless. "Well aren't you going to say something silly?" she playfully pushed him.

"Holly, you're back" the breeder was surprised to see her again.

"That's right. I said I would come back when I grew stronger and here I am" she jumped forward hugging the breeder. Brock returned the hug silently thanking lana. "Come on Brock, let me show you how much I have improved" she dragged him by the hand.

"Good luck" Lana yelled at her friend while winking. She knew what was about to happen with the two. Returning her attention to the group, she saw that Buneary and Fennekin were interacting with each other. Buneary was probably talking about Pikachu most likely. Speaking of the electric type, she saw that Pikachu and Dedenne were exchanging electrical charges. Piplup meanwhile tried to do the same with the electric types only to end up paralyzed. She laughed at her Pokémon's clumsiness. While she was busy watching the Pokémon, she failed to notice a hand reaching out to her.

"I'm sure that Brock won't be able to give us our gift so I decided to give you yours instead" Ash explained. It was pretty obvious what Ash said was true. Accepting his hand, Ash pulls up lana and leads her outside, with his hand still holding hers.

Noticing that he had yet to let go of her, she wonders what exactly Ash was up to. Once outside, she was about to ask what was really going on until she saw three figures that made life difficult. "Team Rocket" the two left simultaneously.

"Listen, is that Jingle Bells I hear"

"It's speaking to me loud and near"

"On the wind"

"Past the stars"

"Santa's hear"

"Bringing Christmas Spirit at a breakneck pace"

"Dashing through the snow, putting joy in its place"

"A gift by any other name is just as sweet"

"When everything's jolly, our work is complete"

"Jessie"

"And it's James"

"And Meowth, now that's a name"

"Putting the holiday spirit in its place"

"We're Team Rocket"

"In your face"

"Wobbuffet"

"Great, so you're here to ruin today of all days" Lana practically growled at them. Even Ash could use a day without them.

"What are you joking?" James replied in an offended manner. "We come here to offer you a Christmas Truce" James admitted.

"We want to spend this joyous holiday with other people and you are the ones we choose" Jessie added.

"We simply offer peace on this special day and the truth," Meowth said.

"Wobbuffet"

Both Ash and Lana took a few moments to think about what they said. From the way they spoke, every word seemed sincere. Besides, they couldn't imagine the feeling of being alone on Christmas. Even if they may regret this later, Ash and Lana couldn't turn them down on this day. "Well come on in," Lana said in a cheerful voice.

"The feast is about to begin so make yourself at home" Ash added.

The rocket trio were more than glad to accept their offer. "Thank you thank you thank you" they chanted as they made their way inside.

The duo felt great knowing they could make friends with their enemies even if it was just for one day. "Well lana, I have your present right here" Ash pointed to Lana's gift that was wrapped up.

"Oh my it's a new bike" she cheered in excitement. Even if she grew accustomed to traveling without one, it would be nice having it just in case she ever needed it.

"How did you know what it was?" Ash asked, dumbfounded by Lana's answer. He wrapped it in gift wrap. Surely it should've been a surprise.

"Umm lucky guess" she responded not wanting to crush his spirit. Clearly he put a lot of effort into the gift, considering he was in a tournament to win the bike. She tore open the gift wrap and saw that it was indeed a bike. "I love this gift Ash, thank you so much" she ran up to her friend and hugged him.

Ash also returned the gesture. While the two were close to each other, Ash took in a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Lana," he said, getting her attention. "You probably know this already, but I entered that tournament just so I could get you this bike" he began in a serious tone. Lana stood quietly listening to everything he had to say. "I first thought this would make an excellent gift since I destroyed your old bike and I felt like I needed to repay you for it" he continued.

"Ash it wasn't your fault really. If you want to put the blame on someone, it's me for trying to catch Pikachu" lana admitted to her friend. Honestly she couldn't believe that Ash would think she was mad at him over a bike.

"But the more I thought about it, I came to realize I just wanted to see you smile" Ash said much to Lana's surprise.

Lana assumed Ash was only in it to get her a present. "Well to be honest, I was disappointed when I couldn't participate in the tournament" Lana admitted. "I figured if I won, I could find you the perfect gift too" she sadly admitted.

Seeing Lana crying, Ash couldn't help but feel guilty that he was the cause for Lana's misery. "lana, I'm sorry. I had no idea this would happen" Ash apologized for making her go through a lot of stress.

Wiping away the tears, Lana playfully pushed the trainer. "No need to worry Ash" she replied while confusing the trainer. "After seeing how happy Serena and Clemont were, I knew what I wanted to get you." By now, Lana was beginning to lose her confidence. She decided to tell Ash what was on her mind before she would no longer be able to. "What I want to say is…" she stopped herself mid-sentence. Hoping to find some sort of morale boost, she looked to the sky for anything that could help.

Ash also looked up wondering if what Lana wanted to say had something to do with the sky. "Umm lana" Ash got his friend's attention. He pointed to a small green plant with red berries above them. "I think that's mistletoe" he nearly whispered.

Indeed it was mistletoe. The traditional Christmas ornament held a tradition. Anyone caught underneath it would have to kiss. Both Ash and Lana locked eyes. In their eyes, they both saw neither one was willing to break the tradition. The two slowly closed the distance between each other. Closing their eyes, the two gently kissed one another.

It was at this moment that Ash realized why he wanted to make Lana happy. He wished to share moments like this with her and no one else.

Lana shed a tear of joy. Despite all the upsets she suffered the day before, they all seemed insignificant now. It's as if they all led up to this moment that they would remember forever.

The two separated after quite some time. Remaining silent, the two cuddled next to each other to enjoy the moment. Remembering that she still had to give Ash his gift, she pulls the glass box that was gift wrapped from her backpack. "Here you go Ash, I got you something" she handed him his gift. Ash gave her a blank stare. "Remember you did give me that gift card. I used it to get you something special" she quickly explained.

Not putting up any arguments, he gladly accepts his gift. He quickly opens it only to find a strange colored Pokéball. He takes it out of its protective case to inspect it. "It's a Masterball" he says as soon as he realizes what he is holding. He had the urge to tell Lana he didn't need some expensive gift because he remembered it didn't cost her a cent. "Thank you so much lana" he gave Lana a warm embrace. The coordinator happily returned Ash's gesture. "You know, how about we spend more Christmas' together" Ash suggested.

"You mean" lana began to speak before Ash interrupted her.

"That's right. I want to travel with just you next" he admitted. Lana liked the idea of just the two of them going on a journey together. "Let's go to the Kalos Region next," Ash added.

Before Lana had the chance to respond, the doors to the Pokémon Center opened. "Oh there you two are," Barry said, finding the two people he was looking for. "We're about to begin the feast" he urged them inside.

Standing up first, Ash extends his hand to pick up lana. She accepts and is picked up by Ash. The two walk inside both smiling and holding hands. Nothing could ruin such a perfect day. "Looks like you two did more than just exchange gifts" Serena pointed out noticing the difference in the two.

Both of them gave a shy smile. This was something they were going to have to get used to. "It's about time you two stopped playing the best friend game" Brock sarcastically told the two. Either way, he couldn't help but feel happy for the two. "But I have to say that Holly and I are in the same position as you two as well" Brock admitted while holding up Holly's hand. In that moment, Ash and Lana congratulated the two on their new found happiness.

"Now let's stop wasting time. Let's eat, drink, and be merry" James gave off the Christmas spirit.

"Look everyone, we prepared da Cranberries" Meowth held up a bowl full of cranberry sauce.

"Tis the season to be neither sad nor wary" Jessie added to the holiday spirit.

"Wobbuffet"

With that, everyone in the Pokémon Center began eating.

"Well this certainly was a nice way to end things" Lucy said observing things from far away.

"You know I have to say. It was genius how you had us pose as a bicycle shop owner and a Pokéball sales clerk Lucy" the bike shop owner admitted. "Thanks to you, we both now have our wings" he said while freely flying around.

"Well now that our work here is done, let's go look after Ash and Lana with the other guardian angels," Lucy told her fellow angel. The two flew off into the distance happy to know they made a difference in someone's life.

After the Christmas feast, everyone was relaxing after stuffing themselves full. One person however wanted to see some action. "Ash, Clemont, how about you two have a rematch battle?" Bonnie suggested. The two trainers liked the idea. "But this time Serena and Lana will join you two," she added.

Lana walked over to Ash and placed her hands on his shoulders. "I wanted to participate in yesterday's tournament," Lana pointed out. "I like the idea that is if Serena wants to," she added.

Serena immediately responded. "Of course I'm in. This is like a couple double battle if you ask me" Serena exclaimed.

Again, both Ash and Lana gave another shy smile. Hopefully they can get used to being called a couple soon enough. Agreeing to a rematch battle, they go outside to the field nearby. Everyone in the Pokémon Center goes along with them hoping to watch what will be a great battle. "This is going to be great. We have the gym leader Clemont with future Kalos Queen Serena on one side" Bonnie announced to the crowd. "On the other side, we have Ash, future Sinnoh League Champion and…" she had no idea what lana's goals were.

"She is going to be a Top Coordinator" Ash answered. Holding hands, the four trainers prepare to battle.

"Pikachu, I choose you" Ash calls out his starter Pokémon.

"Piplup, spotlight" Lana calls out her starter Pokémon as well.

"Let's go Heliolisk" Clemont releases his Pokémon.

"Come on out Fennekin" Serena released her Pokémon as well.

"Lot's of love to everyone" Bonnie shouted beginning the battle

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Capítulo 16: chapter 16

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