Episode 3: Sounds of the Season


Once Fennekin's show ends, Ash retrieves the top hat and puts it on as Fennekin gives Pikachu the TV remote. "Scrooge was jolted awake when the clock struck two." he begins as Serena closes her eyes to imagine what her friend is telling her. "He looked around, thinking the second Spirit would also light up the room, as the Spirit of Christmas Past had done..."

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Lysandre wakes up with a gasp as the clock strikes two. He looks around the room and finds no light, no sound, no anything out of place. Figuring that his encounter from earlier was his imagination, he goes back to sleep.

"Five minutes became ten, then ten became fifteen." Ash tells Serena from inside a closet as Lysandre drums his fingers on the covers. "Suddenly, he heard an ethereal voice singing a song of Christmas, but not in any language he knew."

A soft gold light fills the room as an ethereal choir is heard, lighting the fire and all the candles in the room. Serena then hears a male voice singing a familiar song in Gaelic Oíche chiúin, oíche Mhic Dé...

Serena instantly recognizes the voice. "Brock! That's Brock singing!"

Cách na suan, dís araon, Brock--wearing a green and blue plaid shirt, black pants with silver trim, and tan Stantler skin moccasins--continues singing as he hangs greenery, tidies the room a little, and sets a table for a Christmas dinner. Dís is dílse ag faire le spéis,
Naí beag gnaoi-gheal ceanán tais caomh,
Críost ina chodladh go séimh,
Críost ina chodladh go séimh...

As Brock starts the verse again, Serena joins in, echoing Brock's Gaelic in English. Oíche chiúin...

Silent night...

Oíche Mhic Dé...

Holy night...

Cách 'na suan...

All is calm...

Dís araon....

All is bright...

This is far as she gets before Ash shushes her, leaving Brock to sing the rest alone: Dís is dílse ag faire le spéis,
Naí beag gnaoi-gheal ceanán tais caomh,
Críost ina chodladh go séimh,
Críost ina chodladh go séimh...

His song complete, Brock admires his handiwork for a moment, then starts towards the bed. When Lysandre doesn't stir, he opens the bedcurtains, startling Lysandre. "Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty!" he smiles as Lysandre yawns. He balks, however, when he sees his room has transformed into a festive party room--greenery hangs from the walls, a fire roars in the fireplace, and there is food of all kinds scattered about the floor.

"Wha--what happened here?" Lysandre asks. "And are you..."

"Spirit of Christmas Present, at your service!" Brock replies. "Come on in, don't be shy!" he coaxes as Lysandre climbs from the bed. "This is the night before the dawn of Christmas Day...just look at all the stuff there is to enjoy!" He gestures to the immense pile of food.

Lysandre gasps in amazement at the food. "There's...mince pies....roast Combusken and roast Spoink..."

"And let's not forget my personal favorite--chocolate mint pie with whipped cream!" Brock smiles as he sets a plate of the aforementioned dessert before Lysandre.

"But...where did all this come from?" Lysandre asks as he gingerly takes a bite of the pie.

"From the heart, Mr. Scrooge." Brock replies. "It's called generosity...ever heard of it?" Some Grepa Berries come falling off the bunch Lysandre is attempting to eat and roll on the floor.

"But no one has ever shown me generosity!" Lysandre protests as he scrambles after the loose Berries.

"Here, I'll get those!" Serena rushes to find the loose Berries.

"That's because you've never given them any reason to, my boy." Brock replies as Serena gives him the loose Berries, which he reforms into a bunch. "Ever notice how wonderful everything seems at Christmas?"

"No...I've never understood it." Lysandre confesses.

"Before this night is over, I hope you do understand." Brock smiles before opening the window, making Lysandre shiver. "Furthermore, there are still those that care even for icy hearts like yours."

"No friend of mine, I assure you!" Lysandre thunders.

"Don't believe me? Let's take a little walk--so you can see for yourself." Brock replies before leading Lysandre down the stairs, before he spots Ash and Serena. "You guys are welcome to come too." he offers.

"Okay!" Serena follows Brock into the cold night as music begins, Ash not far behind her.

It's the most wonderful time of the year... Brock sings, making a grand gesture to the city, which is filled with lights, activity, and happiness, never mind it is two in the morning.

With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you "Be of good cheer!'
It's the most wonderful time of the year....

It's the hap-happiest season of all....
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call.... He waves at a family welcoming guests.
It's the hap- happiest season of all...

There'll be parties for hosting,
Marshmallows for toasting,
And caroling out in the snow... Brock sings as he swipes a marshmallow and gives it to Serena as the procession passes by a small group of children singing.
There'll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories
Of Christmases long, long ago
It's the most wonderful time of the year

There'll be much mistltoeing
And hearts will be glowing
When loved ones are near....
It's the most wonderful time of the year!

As the music moves into an interlude, Lysandre looks on, dumbfounded, as Ash tosses a snowball at Serena. Brock just smiles at the snowball fight for a moment, then whistles and motions for Ash and Serena to follow him.

There'll be parties for hosting... Serena joins in.
Marshmallows for toasting.... Ash chimes in as he too buys a marshmallow.
And caroling out in the snow. Brock resumes singing.
There'll be scary ghost stories,
And tales of the glories
Of Christmases long, long ago...

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

There'll be much mistltoeing,
And hearts will be glowing
When loved ones are near

It's the most wonderful time,
It's the most wonderful time,
It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Lysandre just shivers as he tries to keep up with Brock's strong and confident strides--at least he didn't go flying again.

After wandering through the festive streets of the city for a while, Brock stops at one particular house. "Here we are!"

"What are we doing here?" Lysandre asks as he finally catches up to Brock, Ash, and Serena, still shivering from the cold.

"Why, this is Mr. Cratchit's house, of course." Brock replies. Lysandre peeks in and sees several brown haired children running after Froagie, while Callum helps some others decorate a small Christmas tree. Shauna is nearby, tending to the stove and trying not to laugh at how cute the children chasing Froagie look.

Lysandre notices Shauna cooking a tiny piece of meat. "Is she cooking a Pidgey?" he asks. "They have to have more than that! Look at the fire for me, will you?"

Brock looks in at a boiling pot hanging over the fireplace. "Actually, that's your laundry." he reports.

Inside the house, Shauna brings the meager meal to the table. "Time to eat, everyone!" she calls.

The children abandon what they are doing and charge to the table, but before they can dig in, Callum motions for them to wait. "Wait on Tiny Tim, everybody..." he cautions as he feeds Froagie.

"Coming, Daddy..." a young black haired boy replies as he limps to the table, a Mienfoo carefully guiding him to his place.

Callum smiles at the Mienfoo. "I'll take him the rest of the way, Shidao." The Mienfoo nods and allows Callum to pick the boy up and carry him to his place at the table.

"Wow..." Tim gasps at the meal. "Mama must've been busy today with all this food!" He smiles. "We ought to thank Mr. Scrooge." he adds, making Shidao chuckle as he receives his Pokechow, but Shauna's smile turns somber at the mention of Scrooge's name.

"What's the matter with that poor lad?" Lysandre wonders as he watches Tiny Tim dig into his share of the food.

"Too many things to list..." Brock's expression turns somber as well. "But if the shadows remain unchanged, that chair will be empty; and that little Mienfoo will have his master no more."

"Then that means..." Lysandre gasps before he suddenly wakes up in the bedroom again, terrified. After seeing the room is back to normal again and Brock is gone, he returns to an uneasy sleep as the scene begins to swirl back to the present.

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"Scrooge was now growing more and more uneasy--if the Spirit of Christmas Present's warning wasn't enough, the clock was closing in on three o'clock, and he feared what the third Spirit would bring." Ash concludes before noticing a familiar Christmas movie is beginning.. "And I'll stop there for now--I wouldn't miss Rudolph the Red Nosed Sawsbuck for the world!"

TO BE CONTINUED...