Char's Christmas Bash
(A.K.A Let’s make everything as awkward as possible and call it a Christmas Party!)
Cast and Crew:
Spoiler:
Bianca stood back, a contemplative frown on her face as she gave the Christmas tree a critical eye. Everything had to be perfect for tonight—especially the tree. It wasn’t every day that everyone was able to get together like this, but more importantly… This would be the first time in years since they’ve seen one of her best friends. Thus, Bianca was determined to make it a reunion to remember.
“Scylla, hun? I think that green orb needs to go a little higher,” she finally determined.
The towering blue-finned dragon she addressed scowled at the order. Scylla glared at the offending green ornament, wondering if smashing it to pieces would be the better solution. The annoying ditsy human girl with the big hat had made her make stupid minor adjustments for the past hour, even after the others had finished decorating it forever ago. Just as she contemplated dropping it, a cough from a long-haired blonde sitting on the couch nearby reminded her of her place. Grudgingly, the Garchomp extracted the ball with her single claw and placed it higher in the tree.
“That perfect!” the girl with the big hat squeaked, waving her hands about giddily. Scylla resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she finally stepped away from the tree… Only to be stopped by a pair of pig-tails.
“Shly-la, Shly-la!” Meredith jumped up and down in place. Her stubby little fists clutched what appeared to be ribbons and mistletoe, and she was waving them around excitedly. “It’s dress-up time!”
The mighty dragon gave a great cry of dismay, and dashed as quickly as she could from the room, with a fearsome six-year old in hot pursuit.
Cynthia chuckled as she watched them go, taking a quick sip from her hot chocolate after. “Bianca, the tree looks gorgeous.”
The younger blonde cocked her head, giving it another look. “You think so?” she asked nervously.
The ex-Champion nodded. “All it needs is the topper, I think. But it looks like you’re one dragon short for that job.”
Allow me.
The two turned as a black and white mass of fur suddenly stirred from its resting place in the corner. How the greater dragon managed to fit in the room still baffled everyone in the building. It stood quite a bit taller than Scylla. Yet the dragon managed to navigate the room, pick up the Jirachi-shaped tree-topper delicately with its snout, and placed it on the tree.
The two women applauded, although the room’s last occupant, a young man with platinum blonde hair, remained as stoic as ever. This, however, was hardly the strangest thing about him. Even though he claimed to be in “casual” attire, the man (along with his brother) wore clothing that could have only come out of the 16th century. A long white cloak was draped over his shoulders, and beneath it was a royal red doublet covered with gold embroidery. He had had a sword with him, but everyone insisted that he leave it at the door.
“I still do not understand how you get the tree to shine like that,” the man shook his head from head to head. “Every instinct tells me it is on fire, but… There is no flame or smoke…”
Bianca offered a weak chuckle. “Well, I’m sure one day you’ll understand, Remish. Thanks, Shakor!”
T’was my pleasure, little one. The dragon grinned. Then, slowly and cautiously, it took its place back in the corner of the room.
“Well,” Bianca clapped her hands together. “That just leaves the…”
She was interrupted by a loud overdramatic sigh as a black-haired youth came into the room. “Puh-lease tell me there’s more excitement in this room. I’m so sick of Tristan and Ella making googly eyes at each other.”
“Lee, you just missed a full-grown, Hall of Fame-entered Garchomp being chased off by a six-year old,” Cynthia replied, amused.
The young man gave a full-hearted laugh at that. “For real? Ah, man, I missed out! All the cool stuff happens when I’m not around.” Striding over to the couch, he flopped onto it unceremoniously. “So what else is new? Did we teach cave man over there how electricity works yet?”
To Lee, the prince’s reaction was funnier than the actual jab. The prince puffed out his chest, his eyes flashing with offense.
“I beg your pardon?” Remish demanded, looking ready to defend his honor.
Bianca laughed uncomfortably, making an obvious attempt to diffuse the situation. Rather awkwardly, she said, “Ah, well… we just finished the tree…”
Lee glanced over at the tree, noticing it for the first time. “Oh, hey, look at that. Nice job, Bee.”
“Were you not supposed to aid in the food preparation?” Remish narrowed his eyes at Lee.
The psychic stared at the prince a moment before turning to Bianca and whispered, “Seriously, where did you get this guy?”
Her response was a mere shrug. To be honest, Bianca wasn’t sure where everyone came from. They just… came.
“Well,” Lee replied with a clipped accent as he straightened, “I was cutteth offeth shorteth from preparing the feast. Zayna’s mom kicked me out of the kitchen for whatever reason.”
“Probably because you were eating all the food,” Cynthia remarked.
“Was not!” Lee retorted with an offended frown. “She’s got plenty of help, anyway. I mean, she’s got those two Ranger kids helping her. What were their names?”
“Summer and Ben,” the ex-Champion reminded him.
“Right. Savanah and Dan. Anyway, when’s this party supposed to start?”
Bianca took in a deep breath, trying to retain her composure. “Whenever Zayna gets here.”
“And that will be… soon, I hope?” the psychic asked hopefully.
“She’ll get here when she gets here, Lee,” Cynthia spoke up for the younger blonde.
Lee heaved yet another exasperated sigh. “Fiiiiine. I’ll just sit here. And be bored.”
Remish, apparently fed up with his presence already, suddenly stood. “I am going to check on my brother, and make sure he is not overtaxing himself.”
“Good idea—Lee, why don’t you go with him?” Bianca suggested innocently enough. Yet by the reaction she got from the two, she might as well have suggested treason.
“Surely you jest?” Remish gave her a hardened look.
“Why?” Lee moaned. “I just sat down…”
Bianca glanced between them, looking helpless. Once again, Cynthia came to her defense. “You can stay,” the blonde ex-champion remarked, “if you really want to. I was just about to ask Shakor for some more history lessons.”
That got the black-haired psychic up on his feet in an instant. “All right, Robin Hood, let’s go find that other knight in shining armor.”
“I did not agree to this,” Remish complained, giving the women a hard look.
“I could ask you some questions as well, if you’d like,” smiled Cynthia slyly.
“…I will take my leave, then,” the white prince of truth gave a short bow. Turning to Lee with hardly disguised disdain, he barked, “Come, psychic.”
Lee wasn’t oblivious to his annoyance; just the opposite. Giving the prince a mock salute, he returned in a deepened voice, “At once, Your Highness.”
Bianca let out a great gust of wind after the two left the room, rubbing her temples furiously. If the night unfolded without a hitch (or without Remish impaling Lee with his sword), it would be a miracle.
*****
Meanwhile, outside the cabin, three figures could be seen emerging from the woods. The first ran before the others, kicking up snow as it dashed to and fro, barking excitedly at every little thing. The other two—a young man in a black cloak and a frail-looking boy with white hair—laughed at the black-and-grey dog’s antics. Behind them, they pulled a sled laden with fresh logs towards the cabin.
“I d-d-don’t think she’s ever seen s-snow before,” the younger boy commented between breaths. Even though the journey had not been a long one, it seemed to have taxed him a little. But the same could be said for his older companion, who tried his best to hide his own handicap: a trick leg that bugged him now and again. The bright smile he wore on his face could have fooled anyone.
“No?” he glanced down at his short companion. “I thought you said you were from the same land as I, Aidan. Is there no snow in the Kingdoms of the future?”
“No, th-there is,” the white-haired boy quickly shook his head from side to side. “B-but, um… Shasta’s from a place called Hoenn, and it never usually s-s-snows there. Its stays warm year-r-round.”
“Truly?” the dark-haired prince mused. “I have always wondered about the lands beyond our own. This Hoenn place sounds lovely.”
“It is…” Aidan bit his lip and nodded, seeming to get distracted with his own thoughts. As the boy grew silent, Zekarus gave him a long side glance. The boy had such a timid nature, and since arriving he had been uncertain around the others. Yet for some reason, he had taken quite a shine to Zekarus. The black-haired twin noticed, of course, and made no objection. All the prince of ideals wanted was to make everyone feel welcomed at this strange place.
Clearing his throat, Zekarus tried to re-spark the conversation. “You know, your Beast reminds me a lot of Zayna’s. It was a lot fluffier, though—and even though it was a girl, it looked like it had this great big mustache that trailed down past its feet.”
A small grin returned to the boy’s face. “That sounds like a Stoutland.”
“I fancy your Shasta will not grow so fine a mustache as that, no?”
Aidan laughed as he couldn’t help but imagine it—a Mightyena with a thick bushel of hair on the tip of its snout. They wouldn’t be so intimidating after that. “No, no… Shasta’s a different species. They’re called Mightyena.”
Hearing her name, the wolf paused in her games and turned back to them, ears erect and tongue lolling from her mouth. Aidan moaned as he noticed all the snow matting her coat.
“Shasta… You’re going to be soaking wet after this… There’s no way Bianca’s going to let you in the house.”
Zekarus peered up as they passed beneath a spruce branch laden with snow. “She might not be the only one you should worry about,” he said casually, glancing forward as if nothing was there.
Just as Aidan was looking up at him in confusion, the prince reached up and tugged on the end of the branch. Instantly, a miniature avalanche of snow rained on the unsuspecting boy.
“H-h-hey!” objected the boy, shaking off excess snow.
Zekarus tried to contain his laughter as he started walking faster in an attempt to get away. Aidan narrowed his eyes at the prince, but he couldn’t hide the grin on his face. Retaliating, the boy scooped up a ball of snow in his hands and chucked it at his friend. His aim was surprising—he hadn’t really expected to hit Zekarus square in the shoulders.
The sled of wood was forgotten in an instant as a snowball fight erupted between the two. Shasta’s excited barking only increased as she raced between the two combatants, chasing stray snowballs or intercepting them altogether. Her outbursts were rivaled by the duo’s own laughter and shouting. In a short while they were all thoroughly pounded with snow, but neither side wanted to back down. Their sport only stopped when a harsh shout sounded out.
“What is the meaning of this?”
Zekarus and Aidan lowered their snowballs and turned to see Zekarus’ older brother glaring at them. To say he looked less than pleased would be a gross understatement. Although Zekarus was hardly bothered, Aidan quickly dropped his snowball in shame, visibly shrinking away from the other prince in shame.
“Ah, brother!” Zekarus slowly turned around with a smile, being careful with his leg. “How goes the preparations?”
Remish ignored the inquiry, his sharp eyes darting from his brother’s snow-powdered cloak to the sled laden with wood. “I thought I told you to take it easy. What were you thinking? You are going to end up injuring yourself.” The pale-haired prince opened his mouth to continue his rant, but he was abruptly cut off short as a snowball exploded on the back of his head.
The only possible culprit smiled impishly, his yellow eyes flashing. Shrugging innocently, Lee remarked, “Whoops. My hand slipped.”
A look of complete fury ignited in Remish’s expression, but just as the prince whirled around on the psychic, another snowball collided with the back of his head. This time, it seemed to have come from a certain white-haired boy’s direction.
Aidan’s eyes grew wide with terror. “I-I-it wasn’t me! I-I swear!”
Lee chuckled as the blue light faded from his eyes. “Yeah, right. You should take responsibility for your actions, kid. Didn’t they teach you that in school?”
“That is enough!” Remish roared. He looked ready to seize the psychic and throttle him with every inch of his life. Luckily for Lee, the prince didn’t have his weapons on him, but he settled for the next best thing. Taking up as much snow as he could in his arms, the prince chucked it at the upstart psychic. The snowball fight started anew as the three older teenagers chased each other around—Remish out for murder while Lee and Zekarus laughed, chucking snowballs indiscriminately. All the while Aidan watched on in complete befuddlement, trying to figure out what had just happened.
******
While their battle waged on, another visitor made their way through the wintry snow towards the cabin. His hands were burden with brown grocery sacks, carrying all the things his absent-minded friend had forgotten for the Christmas party. It was just like her, Cheren sighed, his breath forming a white cloud. Nothing stayed in that girl’s mind for very long; if she wasn’t running late, she was usually forgetting something. Still, something about this felt calculated. Cheren had to wonder if this was all just a ploy to get him to come.
The fledging gym leader paused just before the porch of the cabin. He had no idea what to expect from this unusual party, and he doubly wasn’t sure if he wanted to get caught up in it. He could think of a thousand excuses not to go; running the school and gym in Aspertia carried a lot of responsibility, and currently he had a stack of papers from the League waiting for him back in his office. Surely, they would understand if he made an early exit. Somehow, Cheren knew he wouldn’t be able to leave that easily once he crossed over that welcome mat.
Besides helping his friend Bianca, there was one other reason keeping him here. But it was also the reason why he didn’t want to come. This party was meant to be a joyful occasion, but for Cheren… it would be complicated.
Did he really want to do this?
“The door is unlocked.”
Cheren jumped as someone spoke quickly behind him; even after he recognized the voice, he remained tense. Warily, he turned to see the last person he expected—or wanted—to see.
“Hello, Cheren. It has been a while,” N nodded at him, neither smiling nor frowning. Instead, a look of wariness dominated his expression. As always, Cheren had a hard time understanding him due to how quickly the words spilled out of his mouth. Even after he had a moment to process, the gym leader wasn’t sure what to say. Prior to two years ago, they had been enemies. Now Cheren knew things about N that not many others knew. He would have felt more sympathetic to the gauche outcast, if it weren’t for… Well, it was complicated. Suffice it to say that Cheren was less than excited to see him again.
“What are you doing here?” asked Cheren shortly. He wasn’t trying to sound rude, but he wasn’t going out of his way to be nice, either.
Dressed only in his white jacket, the enigma shrugged, looking hardly bothered by the cold. “I was invited by Bianca to come to a Christmas party. I didn’t really… I never had one before. I was curious.”
Cheren growled inwardly, making a mental reminder to thank Bianca later for her thoughtfulness. “That’s nice,” returned Cheren before turning back to the door. The trainer struggled a moment, juggling the grocery sacks between his hands as reached for the knob.
N watched on, fidgeting uncomfortably. He could sense that something was off about Cheren, but he was as socially inept as ever. It had been easy watching everyone from afar, but now that he was trying to be more… personable… everything was getting more difficult. Should he offer to help, or…?
After Cheren nearly dropped a bag, the green-haired trainer finally spoke up. “Perhaps I can—”
“No,” Cheren growled, leaning up against the door. “I got it. Why don’t you—”
The door suddenly swung in, promptly causing the black-haired gym leader to fall into the entryway.
“Omigosh!” Bianca gasped, hands flying to her mouth as groceries flew everywhere. She started apologizing profusely as she dodged yams and dinner rolls. “Cheren, I am so sorry! I thought I heard someone at the door so I… Oh, N! I was wondering where you got off to.”
Cheren bit his tongue in an attempt to control his temper. As much as he would have liked to give a tongue lashing, this was not the time or place. With forced calm, he picked himself up off the ground and started cleaning up his mess.
“I am so sorry, Cheren,” Bianca repeated, kneeling down to help him. “I’m glad you made it, though! We have a really good turn-out this year! Cynthia showed up with her Garchomp and her little friend. We also had some Rangers show up from Almia and—”
“Is Zayna here yet?” he had to interrupt, knowing she would go on endlessly if he didn’t stop her.
Her face fell for a second. “No… She said the boat leaving Celestia was running a little late… But she’ll be here, doncha worry!”
Straightening up, Cheren frowned. “Why isn’t she flying?”
N entered the cabin, brushing past Cheren and earning a glare. “Isn’t Zekrom still with her?”
Bianca pressed her lips in, fidgeting uncomfortably before jumping back on her feet. “That’s… It’s a little complicated. She’ll explain when she gets here. Anyway, did you remember to buy some egg nog?”
“Egg nog?” Cheren gave her a confused look. “You didn’t mention anything about egg nog.”
Dismay dampened her bright complexion. “Did I forget to tell you? Oh, no!”
“What is egg nog?” inquired N, who was still squeezed between the entry hall’s walls and Cheren. Annoyed, Cheren took his turn to shoulder past him, forcing his way into the kitchen as Bianca struggled with a description of the holiday drink. There, he greeted by Zayna’s mother, Charlotte (better known by her nickname, Char), and the Rangers. He hardly had time to take off his scarf before Summer thrust a mixing bowl into his hands.
*****
The afternoon waned on into the darker hours of the evening. With the preparations coming to a close, the characters gathered together in the family room. The halls were filled with laughter and warm conversation as people who ordinarily wouldn’t have had the chance interacted with each other. Scylla had finally surrendered to Meredith’s mercy, and now sported a wreath of holly over her shark-like head, with green ball ornaments hanging from her horns. But she smiled contently as the child played at her feet with some dolls Cynthia had given her.
Even some of the quieter characters were warming up to the others. Aidan grinned bashfully as he related one of his adventures from Hoenn to Zekarus, Ben, and Summer. Remish himself seemed uncharacteristically mirthful, erupting in laughter as Charlotte shared a joke. Although N tried to socialize, the recluse ended up in the back of the room with Shakor and his own Pokémon. But even there, he seemed comfortable.
Cheren also found himself at ease, catching the contagious mood of the season. Sitting here, gathered around the fire with friends old and new… It was nice. For the moment, he could forget all his worries and live in the now.
Until the doorbell rang.
All conversation stopped as all eyes turned to Bianca. The blonde giddily hopped to her feet, waving her hands excitedly.
“Oh, that must be her!” she said. “Everybody! Places, please! I’ll go get the door!”
The living room was filled with a different kind of sound as everyone got on their feet. Bianca mentally crossed her as she rushed to the front door, hoping that everything would happen as she had planned it. She paused with her hand on the handle, taking a breath before she opened the door. Even though she tried to keep collected, she couldn’t help but squeal with joy as her best friend appeared before her.
Meanwhile, the living room lights had been turned off, waiting for Bianca’s return.
“Are they coming yet?” Lee whispered impatiently, only to be hushed by someone.
“You’re stepping on my foot,” Ella hissed soon after, earning a quick apology from Zekarus.
Meredith whimpered, complaining, “I don’t like the dark…”
“Just hold on for a second, sweetie. They’ll—”
“Lee! Stop fidgeting!”
“Hey, people! We’re supposed to be quiet, here!”
Just as another hush hissed through the darkness, two shapes appeared in the entry way. In an instant, Bianca switched on the lights. After a few seconds of delay, the group shouted “Merry Christmas!” as they held up their signs, which spelt…
WELCOWE HOME!
“Lee!” Bianca snapped at the psychic incredulously.
“Whaaat?” The spiky-haired young man called back. Glancing down at his sign, he realized his mistake. “Whoops,” he sheepishly grinned as he flipped his M right-side up.
Even as Bianca slapped herself in the forehead, the room erupted in laughter. Regardless of the mistake, the young woman she had escorted into the room held her hands up to her mouth, her eyes glinting with emotion.
“Did you guys do all this for me?” Zayna blinked. “Wow, I… I don’t know what to say!”
Her mother broke from the formation, tears filling her eyes as she moved forward to embrace her. “Welcome home, sweetie,” she repeated as she threw her arms around her daughter.
Zayna had tears of her own as she returned the hug. “Thanks, Mom…”
Other characters started throwing aside their signs and made to move forward—first of most, Lee noted, three very anxious looking young men—but Bianca quickly held up her hands.
“Wait! Wait… Um… there’s something everyone needs to know before we, uh… get too far…”
“What is it?” Zekarus frowned, freezing in his steps.
Zayna parted from her mother, slowly moving her gaze across the group before her. Cheren watched her warily, sensing that something was off. When her eyes reached his, they held for a moment. He wasn’t sure what he expected to see in it. Pain? Guilt? But no, there was nothing. In fact, she looked confused.
Taking a breath, Zayna announced, “I… I kinda had an accident, and… Well, I’ve lost my memory.”
*****
Memory loss. Two years of silence, and that’s the excuse she uses. Cheren sat on the couch, staring holes into the carpet as he sorted through his thoughts. Bianca had explained everything. Sometime after her departure, Zayna crossed the seas and encountered a fierce battle between a band of treasure hunters and a powerful legendary Pokémon. She and Zekrom tried to stop the hunters, but the legendary had created a storm that wiped out everything. Zayna ended up separated from all her Pokémon and Zekrom.
She woke up on the shores of a region called Celestia with a bad case of amnesia. Cliché, but it had happened. In hopes of restoring her memory, she embarked on a new journey, raising an entirely new team from scratch. Bits of her past came back to her in small episodes along the way, until her adventure escalated in an explosive conflict with the treasure hunters. While there are still patches in her memory, she remembers where she grew up, who her friends were.
She just struggles to remember everything about her first journey. And all that came after it.
Cheren rubbed his temples, heaving a sigh. Was this a blessing, or a curse?
“Hey,” a voice interrupted his inner turmoil. The black-haired youth glanced up to see the young woman in question looking down at him with a small, uncertain smile. Cheren didn’t return the smile. He looked at her, expression impassive.
“My turn, is it?” he said. Bianca had told everyone not to crowd Zayna all at once, but that she would visit them one-on-one at her own leisure.
The former champion frowned at his response, but took the seat next to him without asking. That was just how she was, though—not bothering with formalities and preferring to get to the point. Something about her motion seemed hesitant, however. Almost awkward, which was hardly her style.
“So, Bianca told me you’re a gym leader now,” she started, crossing her legs. Cheren noticed she started bouncing her foot, a habit she had whenever she got nervous.
“Yes. In Aspertia. I also teach there,” he answered, but offered no further words.
“Wow. A teach too, huh?” She gave a short, uncomfortable laugh. “I pictured you doing something like that. You always were the smartest one out of all of us.”
“So you remember that much?” His tone was bitter, and he knew it. He should have done better to hide it, but he was tired. Tired of being at this stupid party. Tired of listening to everyone’s happy chatter. Tired of all the worry. All the anger.
Zayna’s frown deepened. A few moments of silence passed between them, making Cheren regret everything. He felt that he should apologize, but for some reason he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the floor. Finally, Zayna broke the suspense and spoke in a low tone.
“Look… There’s a lot I still don’t remember, but…” She paused, her brows furrowing as she struggled to find the right words. “But I get the feeling that I did something to upset you.”
Cheren stared at her warily. Did she remember after all?
She continued, choosing her words with obvious care. “I don’t know what it was, but I just want to say right now that whatever it was, I’m sorry.”
No, she didn’t remember. Cheren held back another sigh, one that would have been a mix of relief and grief. He glanced across the room, past all the happy guest to the few lingering in the shadows. Remish and Zekarus sat with their dragon, the younger brother looking oddly crestfallen. Beside them, talking to the legendary Beast, was N.
Two years, and Cheren had accepted what had happened. Two years, and now everything was upside down again. Old feelings he had locked away were stirring again as he sat beside his old friend, but all they brought was pain. He had to push away all the stupid thoughts that plagued him. This was not a second chance. Zayna’s memory was fickle, and could return at any time. And when it did, he would be right back where he started.
A movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned to see Bianca shooing Lee from the kitchen, who had a suspicious amount of chocolate smeared across his face. The psychic was laughing, and Cheren could tell Bianca likewise was having a hard time trying not to laugh. She had a hard time staying mad at anyone for too long, and was always eager to forgive and forget.
You are as happy as you allow yourself to be, she once said.
What was he doing? He had been so caught up with his own feelings that he had forgotten what this time of season was all about. Being with friends and family, celebrating life and counting their blessings. This was a time for thankfulness, for new beginnings. Bianca had gone through all this trouble to remind all of them of that. Who was he to drag it all down?
He should be grateful. After two years, Zayna had finally returned to them. Her memory might have been damaged, but she remembered what mattered. And now, she could make new memories to replace those she lost. This was a new beginning, Cheren realized. Not for him, but for her. If he truly was her friend, then he should be trying his best to make this Christmas memorable.
It was time to forgive, and forget.
Cheren allowed a small smile, silently thanking Bianca for yet another life lesson. Then, turning back to Zayna, he responded, “There’s nothing to forgive, Zayna. I’m glad that you’re back home safe.”
Her smile glowed. “I’m glad to be back. Thanks for being here.”
He held his grin, reaching over and lifting his mug up from the floor. “Merry Christmas, Zayna.”
Visibly relaxing, Zayna reached for her own mug and clicked it against his. “Merry Christmas, Cheren.”
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12-23-2014, 03:54 AM #14Lizard Librarian
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