Pokémon Type: Electric
Shipping: AppTechShipping

One-Shot 12: Holiday Core-ols

Snow fell around the small town of Pallet. At the Ketchum household, Ash, Delia and Mimey were making final preparations for a holiday get together. All sorts of food, including desserts, spread throughout the table and counter. After throwing the dishes, silverware and other tools in the sink, Ash and Mimey sorted the foods to carry over, the Pantomime Pokémon using Psychic to move some to trays and carts to transport. "Got everything ready?" asked Delia. Mimey acknowledged his master with the food stored.

"I got the pies, Mom!" offered Ash.

"Okay, but be careful! It took me awhile to make those apple, peach and pumpkin pies, and they're heavy together!"

"I carried Larvitar and Phanpy no problem! How bad could this be?" Effortlessly, he lifted the container with the pies, but nearly lost his footing. He regained control and trust to his mother. "I see what you mean." Even Pikachu carried a bag of food on him. Bundled for the snow and the drop of the wind chill, Delia led with her son and the Pokémon following.

"Hopefully, Professor Oak's Christmas party will still be alright without Misty, Brock or their Pokémon joining. They would've been nice to have around." Ash didn't mind Misty not being around him anymore after her bike was fixed by a Nurse Joy. It's Brock who could have joined but Ash knew the reason.

"Could you blame the two not seeing family for a long time? Brock's brothers and sisters miss him, and Misty's sisters at the Cerulean Gym want to know about the youngest."

"Well, I suppose so." As they headed to the professor's lab, a series of squeaks irked heads to turn.

"Now what?" Racing to the mother, son and Pokémon were a litter of Pichu. The litter of Tiny Mouse Pokémon dashed to Ash holding the pies high.

"Ash, be careful!" Watching from Delia's shoulder, Pikachu grew worried at what the Pichu would do. Luckily, someone came to help out.

"Pichu, return!" shouted a young woman. The Pichu heard the shout and ran back to a familiar young lady with a Pikachu. To Ash, he knew the woman.

"Charmaine?" he guessed. After the Pichu retreated to the purple-haired woman did she see the trainer.

"Ash? What are you doing around here?" Even her Pikachu wanted to know.

"Ash, you know who this is?" questioned Delia.

"Yeah, she runs an apple orchard in Johto," Ash clarified.

"I see." Delia offered a smile to Charmaine. "Welcome to Pallet Town. It's our home." Charmaine, Pikachu and the Pichu gawked at the connection.

"So we did make it!" she realized with a smile. "And you two must be on your way to Professor Oak's house?" Ash came forward to confirm for Charmaine.

"We are," he replied as he noticed the new Pikachu. "Did one of the Pichu evolve?"

"Yeah, it was the tiniest Pichu who helped me after you and your friends left the orchard." Her Pikachu greeted with a cute squeak. That's when Ash's Pikachu saw something odd about this one: the heart-shaped tail. Even Delia picked up on finding the tail's odd shape.

"Charmaine, did you have Pikachu checked out?" she asked.

"Yeah, almost immediately. After asking, Nurse Joy said that Pikachu's great and told me that my Pikachu's a girl. She showed me the differences between the two." Ash and Delia awed the discovery.

"That's pretty cool," Ash complimented. Charmaine's Pikachu squeaked for the praise.

"Well, since we're all heading to the same place, let's get there so that the Pichu can warm up." Ash, Delia and the Pokémon agreed and headed out to the professor's house, packed with Pallet Town's neighbors. Ash ran into a neighbor he knew too well: Gary.

"Hey, Ash!" he welcomed. "Glad you and Pikachu could make it." Ash snickered to the trainer he beat at the Silver Conference.

"Gary, how's it been?" he asked.

"Alright, to say the least. After all, I wanted to talk to you about Pokémon Training." Ash listened, a topic he wanted to get involved in.

"Is something up?" Gary took a deep breath before facing him.

"Ash, my defeat against you was my last Pokémon Battle as a trainer." Ash hiccuped to the news.

"You're calling it quits?"

"Not like that. I consider it a career. I'm retiring and moving on. I thought I'd tell you after I had some thought after you beat me." To Ash, he's losing a rival. He began to feel sad about Gary's option to stop Pokémon training. He heard about Gary wanting to quit.

"So it's official?"

"Yep. It's confirmed. Besides, you and Pikachu still have the drive. It's been your dream to be a Pokémon Master. I don't see you stopping anytime soon. Just thought I'd tell you first since you're always passionate about this." Ash nodded to that piece of truth.

"No question about it. So what plans do you have now that you're done with Pokémon Training?" Gary looked to his grandfather talking to Charmaine and her showing the professor her Pikachu.

"I'm gonna follow in Grandpa's footsteps and become a Pokémon Professor myself. I like Pokémon as much as you do but I wanna study them rather than battle." Ash nodded to Gary's choice of career.

"Hey, go for it. If there's anything you need..." Both clapped each hand as a shake.

"Sure. By the way, what happened to your traveling crew?"

"Brock's back in Pewter City to see his family and Misty… she's done traveling with me after her sisters wanted her back at the Cerulean Gym to watch over the Water Pokémon." Overhearing this was Charmaine.

"Is that what happened?" she wondered, one of her Pichu on her shoulder.

"Yeah, after her bike got fixed, she and Togepi headed back home." Charmaine seemed sad to learn of Misty and Brock's departures. "At least one of them should have stayed." Gary turned to find Ash's and Charmaine's Pikachu sharing some Pokémon food.

"I think your Pikachu want to stay with each other," Gary pointed out. Both Pikachu owners turned to see Charmaine's kiss Ash's on the electric sac. Ash's Pikachu blushed to the kiss and the owners and Pichu laughed. The adults had some strong drinks. The bridge of Delia's nose turned redder with each cup. Seeing her face and her staggering stance, Ash knew her mother's intoxication.

"I hope that's not me when I get older," he gulped. The three figured her time at the professor's house needed to end.

"Ash, you and your mom might need to go back home, if for her sake." Ash agreed as he and Charmaine came to help Delia. She thrashed a little at her son trying to hold her steady.

"Ash, what are you doing?" she slurred. It felt unnatural for Ash to pick fights with his mother.

"You've had a little too much, Mom!" he warned. "Let's get going!"

"But my food! And dishes! I need-"

"I'll pick them up after getting you to safety!" Losing to her son, Delia nearly fell on him but Charmaine caught her before crushing Ash. "Sorry about this! Charmaine and I will get her back home."

"We'll be back for the dishes and the Pokémon," Charmaine promised. Being helped out by Ash and Charmaine, Delia turned to the orchard owner, her vision of Charmaine doubled.

"Which Charmaine stopped by again?" she slurred. "Whatever… you and your Pichu can stay over tonight. At least you'll all stay warm." Despite the intoxication, Delia's words found sense.

"Sure thing!" Helped by the two youths, Delia reached home with her Pokémon in tow. Stepping inside, Charmaine removed Delia's shoes before Ash guided her upstairs. Once settled in her bed, Ash asked Mimey to make sure she stayed put. Ash and Charmaine returned to retrieve the dishes and Pokémon. Once everything returned, Ash and Charmaine settled in for the night. Ash checked with Mimey about his mother who fell fast asleep. The two returned to the Charmaine and the rest. "Your mom out?" Ash nodded.

"First time I've seen her like that." Mimey would agree, rather frightened to Delia's drunken behavior. "Thanks for watching over Mom, Mimey. It does feel better knowing that someone's here if anything did happen." Mimey accepted the compliment. The two worked on the dishes while the Pichu nibbled on whatever was left of Delia's foods. Traveling with Misty and Brock helped Ash in properly cleaning the dishes. Charmaine offered to help, much to Ash's and Mimey's gratitude. With the dishes cleaned and stored, Ash and Charmaine settled down in the living room. The Pikachu gathered the Pichu which Ash's favorite Pokémon started telling stories. The Pichu began to enjoy, sticking around while Charmaine's Pikachu stood with Ash's.

"When did your Pikachu become a storyteller?"

"I believe since Pikachu doesn't like going in his Pokéball, he's found ways to entertain." Mimey heard Ash's Pikachu's story, offering to help correct spots it would miss.

("There were four ghosts that visit, not three,") he explained.

("But the first ghost warns Ebeneezer about the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future,") he squeaked in adding information. Charmaine's Pikachu giggled to the debate.

("I had no idea you knew the Christmas Carol!") she awed.

("I've been told by Misty while we were at the North Pole returning a Jynx.") Ash and Charmaine shared laughs to seeing Ash's Pikachu recite the story.

"You know, your Pikachu is certainly wise for a young Pokémon," Charmaine praised. "It's no wonder you two reached the Top Eight in the Silver Conference." Ash glared to his Pikachu, believing Charmaine's words.

"I wouldn't trade Pikachu for the world of Pokémon," he vowed. "Even though our beginning had some rough spots, I'm actually proud he's been there for me throughout Kanto, Johto and the Orange Islands."

"With the way you two work together, I believe it. Perhaps that's why you trusted your Pikachu's honesty when I trapped it after you entered the orchard." That's when she stared at Ash, not the Pokémon. "To be honest, I wanted to see you again, not Brock. It was you who and Pikachu that helped teach the Pichu what to do in working together with me." Ash wondered about the words Charmaine spoke.

"It wasn't a big deal."

"Maybe not. Still, the Flying Pokémon haven't been able to come close to my apples… and seeing how close our Pikachu are, the apple practically fell from the lowest branch of the tree." Ash blinked to her meaning.

"What are you talking about?" Rather than reply with words, Charmaine kissed Ash on the lips while holding his head. She lulled him to the mattress of the sofa, their lips connected. Both humans lying on the couch, the Pichu and Pikachu came together and joined Ash and Charmaine.

"You wanted to join us?" The Pokémon squeaked in joy. Charmaine laughed. "Okay, welcome aboard!" All snuggled together on the sofa and fell asleep before long. The next morning, Delia awoke but had a throbbing headache. She groaned to the pain.

"Is this… a hangover?" she groaned. She tried to stand up, hoping to work the hangover through. "Probably lay off the strong eggnog. My head's a mess." After getting to the steps, she clasped the handrail to keep balance and eventually reached the bottom stair. Delia looked back to the staircase, uneasy nerves bothering her. "Never felt so scared walking down stairs that I've done hundreds of times." Suddenly, she looked to the couch as Mimey joined her with some tea.

("Here, Master!") he greeted. ("Something for that headache you have.")

"Thanks, Mimey." She shot a look to the couch, finding Ash, Charmaine and the Pokémon snuggled tightly together. "They look so cute together." Looking up, Delia found mistletoe hanging from the ceiling, directly over the group on the couch. "I guess Charmaine saw the mistletoe. No wonder she and Ash look adorable sleeping like they are."

("Them or those Pichu and Pikachu?") As if Delia understood her Pokémon, she laughed to Mimey's question. To the Pichu, Ash and Charmaine were the core of their happiness. They could be children to the humans. How about them apples?

END of ELECTRIC, END of Volume 6
(Thanks for another year of writing and a lot of faves to follows. It took me a little over ten years to write 100 stories but with your support, my writing has never been so inspired. With this, I end my writing in 2016. Starting next month, I'll be doing Teen Titans and a prologue to a multi-anime crossover with chapters featuring different animes. Also, stay tuned for a new poll next week for what cartoons/anime I'll be having Ash and Pikachu join. That's all I got to say. So for all the writers, including myself, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.)