Disclaimer: Pokemon and co. doesn't belong to me . . . . blah blah blah . .
.
Author's Notes: Well, what can I say? There isn't much to tell. At first I
wrote Guardian Angel as a one shot, but after a few days of thinking
about it I decided to take the next step and write this as a series. This is
the Last Chapter for this part of the series. Don't worry! The Journey
will continue!
*You'd better make it continue!*
"Eep! Sure! Whatever you say Inferno . . . Sir!" Salutes.
My fic Forever is currently on hold, suggestions for that one would be
Greatly appreciated!
*Start writing before I use my Fire Claw!*
"Yes Sir!"
Enjoy!
Ketchum: The Journey Continues
'Cause Santa Claus Is Coming To Town . . .
Chapter 30
~~~~~~Inferno's POV~~~~~~
*Santa?*
Who was this guy? I'd heard people everywhere talking about him, even
Satoshi! So I went to the best source of information at the moment.
Misty.
"Yes, Santa Claus. He comes around once a year in his Ponyta drawn
sleigh and delivers gifts to good children all over the world. The children
who were bad get lumps of coal in their stocking."
*How does he know if a kid's been good or bad?*
"He's magic, every year he double checks his list of the children of the
world who have been naughty or nice."
I nodded. Now I understood why the kids were so excited. But I had
one more question though.
*How in the name of the Fire God does he deliver gifts to the kids of the
world in one night?*
"He has many Jynxs that help him."
*Oh, okay.*
Now I knew what the big deal was. Apparently to little kids this was a
big deal.
I couldn't wait!
But I wanted to give Satoshi a present too . . . from all of us . . .
*I'm going out!* I yelled as I ran out and took wing, wearing an old
winter coat. I missed my jacket, but Embrana had apologized for it.
Now, who needed some help . . .?
I heard some tires squealing and turned, there was a man trying to get his
car out of the ice. I ambled over and pointed to the snow, silently asking
if he wanted some help. He nodded. I motioned for him to stop trying to
move the car and moved in front of it. Then I let loose a Flamethrower,
melting the snow as close to the car as I dared too. I moved to the back
and gave the car a hard push. He wasn't stuck anymore!
"Thank you Charizard! Here, I own a store on Oak St called Play
Things. It's the widest building on the block. That's a gift certificate for
ten dollars, you can use it toward any toy in the store! Bye!" He drove
off and I stuffed the certificate in the pocket of the coat. It was a start.
And I was starting to get cold. I ran in a glass making shop to warm up,
being careful of where I put my tail.
*To cold for a Charizard outside, so why are you outside anyway?* I
looked at the Jynx in front of me.
*I'm trying to earn money so I can buy my trainer a gift from me and his
pokemon.*
"Who's this Jynx?" Asked an elderly man with a friendly face and a long,
white beard.
*He's trying to earn money to buy a Christmas gift for his trainer.*
"That's very nice of you Charizard, I'll help you out. My glass kiln is
broken so perhaps you could help me with a few projects."
I smiled.
*I'd be glad to.*
What I had to do was blow a light Flamethrower while he worked his
magic with the glass. All of the creations he made were amazing!
Right now he was working on a complicated piece with several pokemon
in it. So far I all that I could make out was two Charizards. Apparently
he could only do two pokemon at a time and later meld the whole piece
together.
While he was working on the details I looked around the room. A
glimmer caught my eye.
I gasped.
15 pokemon, an Onyx at the back with the other 14 in front of it. From
left to right there was a Marowak, Persian, Alakazam, Golduck, Pidgeot,
Electabuzz, Lapras, Charizard, Scyther, Banshee,
Arbok, Primeape, Dragonite and Venusaur.
*Wow . . .*
"You like that one huh?" I nodded and looked at the inscription.
*The 15 Warriors . . .* I swear the little figurines would come alive any
moment.
"Yup."
I turned back to him and began stoking up for the next set.
*Nooo . . .* I whined mournfully.
It was 8:30 pm, all the stores were closed for Christmas.
"I'm so sorry Charizard. I didn't realize it would take so long."
*It's okay.* I said as I shrugged into the jacket. *I guess I'll figure out
something.*
"Let me make it up to you Charizard." He handed me the project we'd
just finished.
*No . . . I couldn't . . . that must be so valuable . . .*
"I insist! Beside's it's yours just as must as mine. Without you I would
never have been able to finish it. You keep it."
He has a point . . . it was mine as well to some extent . . . my honour
would let me keep it because I earned it and he was giving it to me.
*Thank you.* I smiled. I fumbled in my pocket. *It's not much . . . but
here.* I gave him the gift certificate for the toy store. *Merry Christmas.*
He laughed merrily with a twinkle in his eye.
"Would you like it inscribed?"
*Yeah. Could you put 'Merry Christmas Satoshi. From all of us.'.*
It took a half hour for him to do the inscription and wrap it up for me.
*Thank you! For everything!* I said as I walked out of the store.
"You're welcome!" I began walking down the street. What a nice old
man. "And Merry Christmas to you Inferno!" I whirled.
*How . . .* I trailed off. The little shop was gone. Replaced with an old
lot. I heard a Ponyta neigh.
*No way . . . it couldn't be. Could it?* I smiled. *Probably was.*
I ran the rest of the way back to Satoshi's place.
~~~~~~Satoshi's POV~~~~~~
This wasn't like him.
I'd heard him say he was going out for awhile but he was way beyond
late.
"Mom! I'm going out to look for Inferno!"
"He's fine Satoshi! He just came in the back door!"
I ran through the house and tackled him as he was hanging up the coat.
"Infernowherewereyou?Iwassoworriedaboutyou!" I rushed out as I
hugged him.
(Easy! I just had to do some stuff!)
"Oh, okay. Come on! Let's get to bed! Santa'll be here soon!"
He laughed as I pulled him to my room.
"Good night everyone!"
*Night Satoshi!* Came the assorted sleepy voices. Including Embrana's
from the door way. I had let all of my pokemon out for tonight and my
room was pretty crowded. So Embrana had opted to sleep in the living
room.
The Dodrio on top of Professor Oak's house crowed a loud raucous
noise. Funnily enough I didn't realize it was the Dodrio until my alarm
clock went flying out the window courtesy of me.
Snow . . .?
Christmas morning!
"WAKE UP! IT'S CHRISTMAS MORNING!" I shouted as I jumped
off my bed.
And landed on Pikachu's tail.
Sufficed to say, everyone in my room got a shocking wake up call.
Once it sunk in there was a stampede down the stairs with me leading.
Musashi and mom were already up. Mom had probably already warned
her about my usual Christmas morning behaviour, minus the stampede.
Embrana however, was still asleep and was rudely awakened to the small
earthquake me and everyone else created. I shot her a quick apology as I
plopped down in front of the tree.
"It's present time everyone!" Mom said as she came in the room,
followed by Musashi.
"(YEAH!)" We all shouted.
I looked at the huge pile of presents. Santa even got a present for all of
our pokemon!
I handed Inferno mom, Musashi and Embrana their gifts from me and
Santa. Then I gave all my pokemon their gifts from Santa. The ones
from me would come later. Mom and Musashi gave me theirs. Then
Musashi gave her pokemon their gifts from Santa.
I'd given mom a picture of me and Musashi at Cerulean that a passerby
had taken in a blue frame with Lapras engraved on it.
It was hard shopping for Musashi, but I'd gotten her a Cubone doll.
Seeing as how she wanted one so badly. They both gave me a hug. Mom
had gotten me a candid picture I didn't know about of dad after one of
Pikachu's wake up calls. I laughed. Musashi had given me the newest
book by my favourite author in the Charmeleon in the world of magic
saga. I shouted for joy and gave them both a huge hug.
Now it was time for the main event! The pokemons gifts!
(My jacket!) Inferno hugged his new jacket and put it on before giving
me a bone crushing hug. Embrana opened hers tentatively. I waited in
anticipation of her reaction. I'd gotten her a matching jacket with her
name on the back.
She was shocked speechless. So all she did was smile, put it on and give
me a light hug.
The pokemon all opened their gifts from Santa. Each box had candy
inside, including Embrana's and Musashi's pokemon.
"Don't eat that until you're all outside! Besides, you haven't gotten my
present to all of you yet."
Let me tell you now that there's nothing scarier than 32 pokemon on a
sugar rush.
"Okay everyone!" All my pokemon tore their drooling mouths away
from the box of candy toward me. "I wanted your gifts to be really
special so I've decided that you can all have your own names. Of your
choosing of course. Take as long as you want with your decisions."
They all pinned me to the floor and gave me a hug or a lick. You
probably know what Weepinbell did. Yup, you guessed it, my head.
"And Gyarados, I want to talk to you privately outside. NO
eavesdropping! All of you!"
(Wait a minute Satoshi! You haven't gotten our gift yet!) We all looked
at Inferno. (On behalf of all of us, this is for you.) He handed me a heavy
box. Judging by all my pokemons looks he did this without them
knowing.
I opened the box and removed the bubble wrap.
I almost dropped it in shock.
It was totally made of glass, it was all of my pokemon, including
Embrana.
And in front of them was me and Musashi as Charmeleon and Machop.
We were standing back to back but our heads were at a slight angles and
our eyes were slid back to look at the other. I was wearing dad's hat, and
Musashi had a miniature paper fan in one of her hands, both of our arms
were crossed.
There was an inscription on the bottom.
"'To Satoshi. From all of us with love.' Inferno . . . everyone . . ."
But here's the kicker, both Inferno and Embrana were wearing their
jackets.
"Inferno, how did you know about the jackets?"
He blinked and looked closer. He was genuinely surprised when he saw
them.
(It was him . . . I was right . . .) Was all he said.
It was who?
Gyarados and I were standing in the back yard, I gave her a pat on the
neck and motioned for her to get in a comfortable position. I sighed.
"Gyarados, I know this is no excuse but as you know the past few weeks
were pretty hectic. I never got the chance to thank you."
(Thank me for what?)
"For everything, but mostly for saving my life. I got the whole story from
Taiki, if you hadn't spotted that island I wouldn't have made it. It was
your speed and power over the waves that got me to the shore. And it
was you that brought everyone running when I was out. I owe you a lot
Gyarados. You're one of the best pokemon a person could have. Thank
you."
(But you still got sick.)
"Look at your reflection and tell me what you see."
She looked at her reflection in the window of the pool house.
(I see a pokemon who failed to keep her trainer from harm. A pokemon
that's feared all over the world for her power. A pokemon that isn't
worth the pokeball she was caught in.)
"Wanna know what I see?" I asked, she nodded. "I see a loyal fighter
and friend, one who has a deadly beauty about her. One who tried to
fight for her trainer as a Magikarp and evolved into something more. Her
grace in her element is unequalled. Her friendship to me is priceless."
(Really?)
"Yup. And I've decided to give you a name that may do you no justice,
but is the closest thing one can get in the human language."
She looked at me.
"Look at your reflection and say 'I am Rare Beauty.'."
(I am Rare Beauty.) She paused. (I love it!)
"Good, 'cause that's your new name."
(Thank you Satoshi!) She coiled around me and gave me a light squeeze.
The moment was ruined when 31 pokemon burst out the door and began
bouncing around.
Great, it'll take hours for them to calm down.
About two hours later we were all back in the living room. Mom pulled
out the ornament box.
"We have a tradition here, every Christmas morning after the presents
have been opened we take an ornament from this box and hang it on the
tree. It signifies our family bond. This year, several new members will be
added." She took out one ornament and passed the box around.
"Everyone take one and add it to the tree."
Everyone, including Musashi, her pokemon and mine were touched as
they took one from the box and hung it up.
"I just wish Ash was here." She sighed.
The star on top of the tree glowed more brightly then it has in years.
Fin
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