Nubushi
しぶい
- Pronouns
- she/her
- Partners
-
Summary: There may not be any snow in subtropical Hoenn, but love is in the air this Christmas, and so is mistletoe. May and Brendan are invited to the party of the decade. Steven is wearing Stantler antlers. Champagne abounds. Everything will definitely go according to May's plan, right? May, Brendan, Steven. Written for The Artist’s Zone 2021 December one-shot challenge.
Author's Notes: Coming back to TR right around the holiday season, I was debating with myself whether or not to post this story here at all. What made the difference was it occurred to me that although I've published stories for every main Pokemon region in generations 1-5 (Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova), I didn't have any Hoenn stories posted on TR and thought that was sort of a shame. And that's why for the second year running, I am posting a Christmas-themed story a few days too late for Christmas. Like last year, I plead the excuse that we are still within the 12 days of Christmas. Celebrating starting on the 25th instead of ending on the 25th is the traditional way! ;)
Genre: Romance, friendship, holiday
Rating: T
Content warnings: Alcohol is present, and May drinks some. It is not very central to the story.
Status: complete one shot
A knock roused May from drowsing under her comforter. Throwing the covers off, she ran downstairs and threw open the door, letting in the chilly December air.
"Oh, Steven! What brings you here?” she said, running her fingers hastily through her chin-length hair. “Sorry I'm kind of a mess.”
"It's fine," he said, waving off her apology with an elegant hand. "I'm just playing delivery boy for my father," he said with a wink. "Devon Corp is having a big Christmas party this year, there'll be a lot of business people there, but also important researchers and trainers from the region. You and Brendan are both invited, of course."
Her curiosity stirred. She’d heard of Devon’s famous galas but had never been invited before. "Oh? Who all is going?"
"Well, I'll be there, and all the gym leaders and elite four, and Professor Birch, and probably several of his research assistants. So there should be plenty of people you know.”
"Sounds awesome," she said. "Hey, want to stick around and have a battle while you're here? Err, after I change?" she added, glancing self-consciously down at her pajamas.
Just then his phone rang, and he glanced at the screen. "I'd love to, but I've got to go," he said. “Urgent business. Say, do you think you could deliver Brendan's for me too?" Steven asked, handing her two sheets of creamy card paper.
"All right," she said, trying not to let her disappointment creep into her voice. After all, she would have another opportunity to see him soon, at the party. She smiled and waved goodbye as Steven hopped back onto his skarmory and took off with a clatter of steel wings.
She looked down at the date on the invitations. December 24. Just two weeks to wait. She started humming a jazzy Christmas tune and wondered, hopefully, if there would be mistletoe.
Maybe, she thought as she dressed, this party could be the chance for her to finally confess. She had still been a teenager when she first met Steven, and he probably hadn't liked her that way back then...but he had been so nice to her, giving her a copy of his favorite TM, going out of his way to help her get past the invisible kecleon blocking her path, even leaving a note and a gift of his favorite pokemon species for her when he left the region, that she couldn't help wonder a little bit. At least, she didn't think she was totally crazy to hope maybe he would at least give her a chance. But…
Abruptly, she stopped humming as her worst fear surfaced in her mind. What if he was already engaged to Cynthia, the Champion of Sinnoh? In Hoenn, just like Johto, people liked to keep their relationships under wraps until they were engaged, or even married. Gossip about Steven, the wealthy heir of Devon Corporation and the most appealing bachelor in the region, was ceaseless, though between his lengthy travels, frequent business trips, and habit of disappearing into caves, it was hard for anyone to get a handle on his personal life. Among the rumors flying about him like moths around a light, Cynthia had a prominent place as the most likely choice despite the enormous distance between Sinnoh and Hoenn. After all, Cynthia had a lucario, which had half-steel typing; that counted for something, right? More importantly, everyone agreed they would look fantastic together.
May frowned as she considered the image of the two tall and elegant champions together, silver-haired Steven and golden-blonde Cynthia, then shrugged. Sure, they would look great together...but this was the same Steven who kept getting his fancy suits muddy tramping around in caves looking for rocks, and who worried she thought he was just a rock maniac. He couldn't possibly care about things like appearance or status that much, could he?
A tendril of doubt settled in her stomach. Putting it differently, this was the Steven who wore fancy suits even when tramping around in caves. She looked down at her sweats and sneakers and grimaced.
Whether or not Steven cared about fancy dresses, this definitely wouldn’t cut it someplace as ritzy as Devon Corp, and it never hurt to put her best foot forward. She wasn't so experienced with strategizing about these relationship things as she was pokemon, but she was pretty sure that principle applied to love as well as battle, and that meant one thing: it was time to go shopping.
In the end, she decided on a knee-length dress in red silk. It stood out, it was her color, and it was festive. It was a little weird seeing herself in a dress, she thought as she headed out, but she quickly squelched that thought. It was sure to turn heads, and she just hoped one of them was Steven’s.
Promptly at 7 P.M., she was ushered inside the doors to Devon Corp.
Inside, she took in the scene with enjoyment. Many of the Devon people were wearing stantler antlers, even salarymen and researchers--and Steven, she noted with a grin. He was standing with his father, the CEO of Devon Corporation, and surrounded, as usual, by a tight circle of businessmen who all made in a month what she did in a year. She started to step towards them, then checked herself. Now wasn’t the time to break in on their conversation. She could catch him later, when he took some time to mingle with the guests. Meanwhile, she surveyed her battlefield. Against the wall to her right, the buffet: check. Hanging from the ceiling, mistletoe: check. To her left, Brendan. Oops.
“Oh, May, glad you could make it.”
Just her luck that Brendan would happen to turn and see her right at that moment.
“So you braved the sea of businessmen,” she countered. “Nice to see you, but there’s someone I really need to talk to, catch you later!”
As much as Brendan had exasperated her when she first started her journey as a trainer, she didn't really mind him now that he seemed to have gotten over thinking he should be a better trainer just because he had been training pokemon longer than she had. But she didn't really want to talk to Brendan just now, so she turned her back to him and headed towards the buffet. No sense in doing battle on an empty stomach.
But before she could make it there, she was intercepted by a willowy youth with a shock of green hair, making his way towards her like a skiff through the waves.
"Hi Wally." She smiled as he reached her. "You're looking well." It was true--the color of his face had improved so much since she first met him that he was almost like a different person. There was a flush of health to his cheeks, a vivid contrast to the pale child whom she had helped to catch his first pokemon.
"You too," he said, and the ruddiness of his cheeks deepened a little. "You look really beautiful tonight."
Poor kid. She had explained to him before, but it seemed like she might have to again. She held in a sigh. Out of the frying pan, into the fire.
"Did you get something to eat yet?" she asked. Steering him towards the buffet, she kept him busy with chatter about the mouth-watering spread in front of them: sushi, salad, mandarin oranges, and of course, fried chicken. “Make sure you get some Christmas cake, too,” she advised, pointing to the white cake with strawberries. “It’s only once a year, you know!” While Wally helped himself to the cake, she snagged a flute of champagne. She had a feeling she would need it.
They found a spot to stand and eat. Having secured her pre-battle meal, May listened to Wally tell her how wonderful, caring, and heroic she was with half her attention while she surveyed the field with the other half. It always felt to her like Wally’s impression of her was a little inflated, and that was only one of her worries.
She could just make out Steven’s stantler-antler-adorned silver hair above the black hair of the others. Between the business suits, she caught a flash of white, and frowned. It seemed out of place, somehow, in that gaggle of businessmen.
“. . . So, I hope you can give me a chance,” Wally concluded.
"Sorry, Wally,” she said. “It's just, you're like a little brother to me.”
He looked down for a moment, crestfallen. "I see . . ."
"Is Brendan like a brother to you, too?" he asked innocently.
"Huh?" First Steven, now Wally—she just didn't get it. Why did everyone always connect her and Brendan? "We’re just neighbors.”
"Oh. It just always seems like you two get along really well.”
She frowned. Was Brendan like a brother to her? She wasn't sure; it had never occurred to her to think about it. They had known each other a really long time, true, but barely longer than she’d known Wally.
She looked away, scanning the gathering again as she collected her thoughts. There was that huddle of businessmen, still—and again that strangely incongruous flash of white. Her shoulders dropped and she reigned in a sigh of exasperation. Why weren't they mingling like they were supposed to?
Then the white May had glimpsed emerged in the form of a young woman in a dress, and a jolt ran through her as she saw the woman standing by Steven's side.
The simple but elegant dress, white and seafoam green, set off the woman's slim figure. Silver bells graced her soft brown hair, crowned, like Steven's, with stantler antlers. There was something about her shy but graceful movements that transformed something that looked silly on anyone else into something beautiful and magical.
She had never met her in person, but she recognized her from before her family moved to Hoenn, when she used to pore eagerly over trainer magazines, stuffing her head with facts about the gyms and gym leaders in her home region of Johto and dreaming training her own pokemon one day.
Steven placed a hand on the small of the woman’s back to guide her through the crowd, and she looked up at him, moving with the shyness and grace of a doe under his guidance.
There was a tinkling of silverware on glass, and the crowd hushed.
"I'm pleased to announce my marriage to Jasmine, former gym leader of Olivine City . . ."
No way, no way, no way. They were going to get married? When?
". . . Last month in Lilycove."
Light sparkled off of the rings on Steven's other hand as he pointed above, and she looked up, following the gesture.
May’s stomach lurched at the sight of the mistletoe above them. Jasmine leaned trustingly into Steven's arms—but that was all May could take. She looked away, remembered the glass of champagne in her hand, and downed the remainder in one gulp, her eyes tearing as it burned all the way down her throat.
She brought her mind back out of its state of shock as she realized that someone was proposing a toast to the newlyweds. Her glass was empty--it seemed her timing in everything was wrong tonight--but she raised it anyways. When the toast was over, she set the glass down firmly and pushed through the crowd towards the exit. She'd had enough of champagne, mistletoe, and parties.
As she strode outside, her vision of the lamp-lit plaza in front of Devon Corp misted. She scrubbed impatiently at her eyes with the back of a hand, gulped a big breath of air. She slowed to a halt at the cast-iron railing. The ocean, dark under the night sky, only glimmered faintly in the light of the streetlamps. It was only a crush, she told herself. She could get over this. It might have been a really long crush, but still just a crush. She was still the strongest trainer in the region, right? Surely there must be someone out there who admired her for that...besides Wally?
Then it hit home to her. Could it be that Steven thought of her as a little sister? He hadn't helped her catch her first pokemon, but he had encouraged her, fought alongside her, had given her a pokemon, which she had raised thinking of him all the time. But was there any reason he should think of her as anything other than the talented up-and-coming trainer he helped along her way?
"I'm so stupid."
A breeze picked up, and she shivered. She had forgotten her coat inside. Rubbing her fingers against the sleeves of her dress, the callouses of her fingers caught against the silk. She had gotten dressed up for nothing. For the first time, she wondered to herself whether in her pursuit of battling she had missed out on some feminine charms. Maybe she shouldn't have dismissed that silly Pokemon Contest as a frivolous pet show; maybe it would have given her the sort of polish she needed to capture the heart of someone like Steven.
Someone's throat cleared behind her, and she turned to see Brendan, his shoulders hunched up by his ears.
"Oh, it's you." Her voice was a little rough, but she congratulated herself that it didn't sound obviously, I've-been-crying hoarse.
"Merry Christmas to you, too," he bantered back.
May was silent.
"Hey, uh, I agree that party sucked, but isn't it a little cold out here?" Brendan asked, shoving his hands in his pockets with a shiver.
May scoffed, despite the chill. "You Hoenn natives think this is chilly? You don't know what winter is."
Her first winter in Hoenn, she had laughed at seeing all the coats and scarves in weather that was mild to her. Since then, her perception of cold had gradually crept upwards, but she wasn't about to admit that to Brendan.
"Whatever, didn’t you bring a coat?" Brendan said. "I bet you're just as acclimated as we are."
"Did you come out here just to be a mother hen?" she accused, changing the subject.
"Nah, I, um . . ." He scratched the back of his head, looked up at the sky. "Hey, did you know mistletoe comes from bird poop?"
"No way! I bet you're just making that up."
"Not a bit. They eat the berries, and poop on tree branches, and mistletoe grows from the seeds in their poop."
"Gross!" She exclaimed, but she laughed, and something inside her loosened up a little. "And here I thought it was romantic . . ."
"Actually, I guess I just had my fill of the party," he said, coming to rest his elbows on the rail beside her.
"Yeah, me too." She turned around again, too, so they were both looking out on the waves of the western sea, and they stood like that in companionable silence for a few moments.
"So did you get snow where you lived?"
"Every now and then.”
"Ever miss it?"
She paused to think. "I guess sometimes. It is pretty."
"Well...if you've had enough of the party, and I've had enough of the party...want to fly to Fallarbor and watch the ash fall? I know a nice coffee shop where we could go get some hot drinks."
"Eh, a coffee shop? Really?" she exclaimed. "In Fallarbor? That's the first I've heard of it."
"You bet!" He said with a grin.
"And it's open now?"
"Yep! And the tab's on me."
Fallarbor was quiet and rustic. Instead of the noise and light of the city. Here was only the earthy smell of vegetable farms and the dark shapes of a few modest, wood-paneled houses. At night, the volcanic ash falling from the sky really did look like snow. On the other hand...
"Brendan...this is your coffee shop?" May eyed skeptically the lone vending machine standing between the houses and the fields. Its buttons glowed blue and red in the dark, for cold and hot drinks.
"Yep! Just installed recently! Let's see, looks like the choices for hot drinks are coffee, cocoa, or corn soup. What would you like?"
"Coffee...no wait, let's make that cocoa. It is Christmas, after all," she said.
She watched the way the lights from the machine cast a glow on his face as he inserted the coins for her drink. He finished paying for the two hot cans, hers and his, and handed her cocoa to her.
"Hey, I've got a great idea!" she said.
"What's that?"
She tossed a pokeball in the air, and the blaze of light from the opening pokeball coalesced into the flaming feathers of her long-limbed blaziken, Asher.
"You know that little crater over there?" She gestured to the hollow a stone’s throw from the last cottage.
Picking up her idea, Brendan grinned in return. "What are we waiting for?"
A few minutes later, they were comfortably situated. May and Asher had foraged for wood and kindling, and Brendan had brought out his magcargo to do the honors of starting the fire with a single expertly-aimed ember. Then they sat in a circle around the fire, May and Brendan side by side, magcargo snoozing by Asher's feathery limbs. Sipping her cocoa and watching the flames, May relaxed, warm and snug in her coat and warmed on all sides.
"You know, this is so much better than that stuffy party. I'm glad you suggested it."
"Yeah, it's so much better being out here with our pokemon."
"Mmm." May agreed. The Devon party had been a humans-only affair, too crowded for people to bring their pokemon. Things felt more natural, out here under the night sky, their partners by their sides. Almost like old times. "You know, Brendan...you're not as much of a jerk as you used to be."
Brendan coughed, choking on his coffee. "Was I really that bad?"
She shrugged. "Sort of...but you changed.” Or maybe her interpretation of him had. "You always seemed so doubtful, like you didn't believe I could make it as a trainer, or like I needed to stay behind you and be protected.”
"I was just worried."
"Yeah, I get it now." She sighed, poking at the fire with a stick, but another old grievance flashed to the surface of her mind. "You also seemed pretty upset that I was a girl," she said with unexpected vehemence. "Like, obviously having a boy for a neighbor is better than having a girl."
"Sorry about that," he muttered. This time, it was Brendan's turn to heave a sigh. "Having a little sister, I didn't have any boys to play with, let alone my age. So I was really hoping, back then, my new neighbor would be a boy." He shrugged. "But now . . ." He looked intently into the fire.
There was a pause in which May almost opened her mouth to speak, hovering on the brink of impulse. The silence stretched out, was broken by the popping of the fire and a shower of sparks.
Finally, he looked up at her, a smile softening his expression. "I'm not disappointed that you're a girl anymore."
She laughed and rolled her eyes. Was that supposed to be romantic?
Brendan scratched his head. "Er... woman? Young lady?" He looked for her reaction nervously.
May gave a pfft of laughter. "I'm not some refined lady you have to tiptoe around, not any more than Steven is a stantler," she commented wryly. "You know that by now."
"Well, you're you, and that's nothing to apologize for."
"Thanks, Brendan.” She gestured vaguely to the fire, the falling ash, the hazed-over night sky. "I feel a lot better now."
"Well, we should do this again," he said. "I mean, not necessarily this." He repeated her gesture at the surroundings. "But we should spend Christmas Eve together next year, too," he said, and added with a joke, "maybe skip the party."
"Woah, woah, one year from now?" She laughed nervously. "That's way too far ahead, are you crazy?"
He shrugged, gave a small smile. "I'm crazy about you." May felt heat rush to her face. Was it the champagne? Since when was Brendan's smile so cute?
"No way . . ." she said. "Since when?"
“From the beginning? Well, maybe not quite the beginning.” He gave a self-deprecatory laugh. “I was all pumped to get to be a big brother to somebody and teach them the ropes, so it was pretty humiliating to be blown out of the water by the newcomer . . .”
She had never thought of it from that perspective. “I guess anyone’s pride would take a blow.”
“Well, once I got over that, it didn’t take long to realize how amazing you are. I always looked forward to running into you so we could have a battle, even when I realized I didn’t have a chance.”
"Of course not," she joked. "I'm the strongest woman in the region!"
"You're not the strongest woman I know, though," he said.
"What?” she cried in mock-indignation.
"You're the strongest person I know."
"Dead right I am!" May glanced at him again, sideways, as she drained the last of her cocoa. Brendan might be a little crazy. He might be a mother hen. But if he already knew he wanted to spend next Christmas together...maybe she could give him a chance.
"Hey, Brendan."
"Yeah?"
"It's not over yet. This year's Christmas...why don't we spend this one together?"
He grinned at her, eyes warm in the light of the fire. For a moment, she worried he would try to kiss her, or grab her hand. For now, it still felt weird to her to think about doing that kind of thing with Brendan. But he merely held out his fist for her to pump. Smiling, she returned the gesture.
"Let's make it the best Christmas yet!"
Author's Notes: Coming back to TR right around the holiday season, I was debating with myself whether or not to post this story here at all. What made the difference was it occurred to me that although I've published stories for every main Pokemon region in generations 1-5 (Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova), I didn't have any Hoenn stories posted on TR and thought that was sort of a shame. And that's why for the second year running, I am posting a Christmas-themed story a few days too late for Christmas. Like last year, I plead the excuse that we are still within the 12 days of Christmas. Celebrating starting on the 25th instead of ending on the 25th is the traditional way! ;)
Also, like Yellow from my Christmas-themed story last year, I waited until Dec. 24 before putting up Christmas decorations, and as of posting they are still up.
Genre: Romance, friendship, holiday
Rating: T
Content warnings: Alcohol is present, and May drinks some. It is not very central to the story.
Status: complete one shot
I do best with a gentle approach. While I am interested in improving my writing and do appreciate constructive criticism, it helps to have a good balance between positive feedback and c/c.
A Homemade Hoenn Christmas
A knock roused May from drowsing under her comforter. Throwing the covers off, she ran downstairs and threw open the door, letting in the chilly December air.
"Oh, Steven! What brings you here?” she said, running her fingers hastily through her chin-length hair. “Sorry I'm kind of a mess.”
"It's fine," he said, waving off her apology with an elegant hand. "I'm just playing delivery boy for my father," he said with a wink. "Devon Corp is having a big Christmas party this year, there'll be a lot of business people there, but also important researchers and trainers from the region. You and Brendan are both invited, of course."
Her curiosity stirred. She’d heard of Devon’s famous galas but had never been invited before. "Oh? Who all is going?"
"Well, I'll be there, and all the gym leaders and elite four, and Professor Birch, and probably several of his research assistants. So there should be plenty of people you know.”
"Sounds awesome," she said. "Hey, want to stick around and have a battle while you're here? Err, after I change?" she added, glancing self-consciously down at her pajamas.
Just then his phone rang, and he glanced at the screen. "I'd love to, but I've got to go," he said. “Urgent business. Say, do you think you could deliver Brendan's for me too?" Steven asked, handing her two sheets of creamy card paper.
"All right," she said, trying not to let her disappointment creep into her voice. After all, she would have another opportunity to see him soon, at the party. She smiled and waved goodbye as Steven hopped back onto his skarmory and took off with a clatter of steel wings.
She looked down at the date on the invitations. December 24. Just two weeks to wait. She started humming a jazzy Christmas tune and wondered, hopefully, if there would be mistletoe.
Maybe, she thought as she dressed, this party could be the chance for her to finally confess. She had still been a teenager when she first met Steven, and he probably hadn't liked her that way back then...but he had been so nice to her, giving her a copy of his favorite TM, going out of his way to help her get past the invisible kecleon blocking her path, even leaving a note and a gift of his favorite pokemon species for her when he left the region, that she couldn't help wonder a little bit. At least, she didn't think she was totally crazy to hope maybe he would at least give her a chance. But…
Abruptly, she stopped humming as her worst fear surfaced in her mind. What if he was already engaged to Cynthia, the Champion of Sinnoh? In Hoenn, just like Johto, people liked to keep their relationships under wraps until they were engaged, or even married. Gossip about Steven, the wealthy heir of Devon Corporation and the most appealing bachelor in the region, was ceaseless, though between his lengthy travels, frequent business trips, and habit of disappearing into caves, it was hard for anyone to get a handle on his personal life. Among the rumors flying about him like moths around a light, Cynthia had a prominent place as the most likely choice despite the enormous distance between Sinnoh and Hoenn. After all, Cynthia had a lucario, which had half-steel typing; that counted for something, right? More importantly, everyone agreed they would look fantastic together.
May frowned as she considered the image of the two tall and elegant champions together, silver-haired Steven and golden-blonde Cynthia, then shrugged. Sure, they would look great together...but this was the same Steven who kept getting his fancy suits muddy tramping around in caves looking for rocks, and who worried she thought he was just a rock maniac. He couldn't possibly care about things like appearance or status that much, could he?
A tendril of doubt settled in her stomach. Putting it differently, this was the Steven who wore fancy suits even when tramping around in caves. She looked down at her sweats and sneakers and grimaced.
Whether or not Steven cared about fancy dresses, this definitely wouldn’t cut it someplace as ritzy as Devon Corp, and it never hurt to put her best foot forward. She wasn't so experienced with strategizing about these relationship things as she was pokemon, but she was pretty sure that principle applied to love as well as battle, and that meant one thing: it was time to go shopping.
In the end, she decided on a knee-length dress in red silk. It stood out, it was her color, and it was festive. It was a little weird seeing herself in a dress, she thought as she headed out, but she quickly squelched that thought. It was sure to turn heads, and she just hoped one of them was Steven’s.
Promptly at 7 P.M., she was ushered inside the doors to Devon Corp.
Inside, she took in the scene with enjoyment. Many of the Devon people were wearing stantler antlers, even salarymen and researchers--and Steven, she noted with a grin. He was standing with his father, the CEO of Devon Corporation, and surrounded, as usual, by a tight circle of businessmen who all made in a month what she did in a year. She started to step towards them, then checked herself. Now wasn’t the time to break in on their conversation. She could catch him later, when he took some time to mingle with the guests. Meanwhile, she surveyed her battlefield. Against the wall to her right, the buffet: check. Hanging from the ceiling, mistletoe: check. To her left, Brendan. Oops.
“Oh, May, glad you could make it.”
Just her luck that Brendan would happen to turn and see her right at that moment.
“So you braved the sea of businessmen,” she countered. “Nice to see you, but there’s someone I really need to talk to, catch you later!”
As much as Brendan had exasperated her when she first started her journey as a trainer, she didn't really mind him now that he seemed to have gotten over thinking he should be a better trainer just because he had been training pokemon longer than she had. But she didn't really want to talk to Brendan just now, so she turned her back to him and headed towards the buffet. No sense in doing battle on an empty stomach.
But before she could make it there, she was intercepted by a willowy youth with a shock of green hair, making his way towards her like a skiff through the waves.
"Hi Wally." She smiled as he reached her. "You're looking well." It was true--the color of his face had improved so much since she first met him that he was almost like a different person. There was a flush of health to his cheeks, a vivid contrast to the pale child whom she had helped to catch his first pokemon.
"You too," he said, and the ruddiness of his cheeks deepened a little. "You look really beautiful tonight."
Poor kid. She had explained to him before, but it seemed like she might have to again. She held in a sigh. Out of the frying pan, into the fire.
"Did you get something to eat yet?" she asked. Steering him towards the buffet, she kept him busy with chatter about the mouth-watering spread in front of them: sushi, salad, mandarin oranges, and of course, fried chicken. “Make sure you get some Christmas cake, too,” she advised, pointing to the white cake with strawberries. “It’s only once a year, you know!” While Wally helped himself to the cake, she snagged a flute of champagne. She had a feeling she would need it.
They found a spot to stand and eat. Having secured her pre-battle meal, May listened to Wally tell her how wonderful, caring, and heroic she was with half her attention while she surveyed the field with the other half. It always felt to her like Wally’s impression of her was a little inflated, and that was only one of her worries.
She could just make out Steven’s stantler-antler-adorned silver hair above the black hair of the others. Between the business suits, she caught a flash of white, and frowned. It seemed out of place, somehow, in that gaggle of businessmen.
“. . . So, I hope you can give me a chance,” Wally concluded.
"Sorry, Wally,” she said. “It's just, you're like a little brother to me.”
He looked down for a moment, crestfallen. "I see . . ."
"Is Brendan like a brother to you, too?" he asked innocently.
"Huh?" First Steven, now Wally—she just didn't get it. Why did everyone always connect her and Brendan? "We’re just neighbors.”
"Oh. It just always seems like you two get along really well.”
She frowned. Was Brendan like a brother to her? She wasn't sure; it had never occurred to her to think about it. They had known each other a really long time, true, but barely longer than she’d known Wally.
She looked away, scanning the gathering again as she collected her thoughts. There was that huddle of businessmen, still—and again that strangely incongruous flash of white. Her shoulders dropped and she reigned in a sigh of exasperation. Why weren't they mingling like they were supposed to?
Then the white May had glimpsed emerged in the form of a young woman in a dress, and a jolt ran through her as she saw the woman standing by Steven's side.
The simple but elegant dress, white and seafoam green, set off the woman's slim figure. Silver bells graced her soft brown hair, crowned, like Steven's, with stantler antlers. There was something about her shy but graceful movements that transformed something that looked silly on anyone else into something beautiful and magical.
She had never met her in person, but she recognized her from before her family moved to Hoenn, when she used to pore eagerly over trainer magazines, stuffing her head with facts about the gyms and gym leaders in her home region of Johto and dreaming training her own pokemon one day.
Steven placed a hand on the small of the woman’s back to guide her through the crowd, and she looked up at him, moving with the shyness and grace of a doe under his guidance.
There was a tinkling of silverware on glass, and the crowd hushed.
"I'm pleased to announce my marriage to Jasmine, former gym leader of Olivine City . . ."
No way, no way, no way. They were going to get married? When?
". . . Last month in Lilycove."
Light sparkled off of the rings on Steven's other hand as he pointed above, and she looked up, following the gesture.
May’s stomach lurched at the sight of the mistletoe above them. Jasmine leaned trustingly into Steven's arms—but that was all May could take. She looked away, remembered the glass of champagne in her hand, and downed the remainder in one gulp, her eyes tearing as it burned all the way down her throat.
She brought her mind back out of its state of shock as she realized that someone was proposing a toast to the newlyweds. Her glass was empty--it seemed her timing in everything was wrong tonight--but she raised it anyways. When the toast was over, she set the glass down firmly and pushed through the crowd towards the exit. She'd had enough of champagne, mistletoe, and parties.
As she strode outside, her vision of the lamp-lit plaza in front of Devon Corp misted. She scrubbed impatiently at her eyes with the back of a hand, gulped a big breath of air. She slowed to a halt at the cast-iron railing. The ocean, dark under the night sky, only glimmered faintly in the light of the streetlamps. It was only a crush, she told herself. She could get over this. It might have been a really long crush, but still just a crush. She was still the strongest trainer in the region, right? Surely there must be someone out there who admired her for that...besides Wally?
Then it hit home to her. Could it be that Steven thought of her as a little sister? He hadn't helped her catch her first pokemon, but he had encouraged her, fought alongside her, had given her a pokemon, which she had raised thinking of him all the time. But was there any reason he should think of her as anything other than the talented up-and-coming trainer he helped along her way?
"I'm so stupid."
A breeze picked up, and she shivered. She had forgotten her coat inside. Rubbing her fingers against the sleeves of her dress, the callouses of her fingers caught against the silk. She had gotten dressed up for nothing. For the first time, she wondered to herself whether in her pursuit of battling she had missed out on some feminine charms. Maybe she shouldn't have dismissed that silly Pokemon Contest as a frivolous pet show; maybe it would have given her the sort of polish she needed to capture the heart of someone like Steven.
Someone's throat cleared behind her, and she turned to see Brendan, his shoulders hunched up by his ears.
"Oh, it's you." Her voice was a little rough, but she congratulated herself that it didn't sound obviously, I've-been-crying hoarse.
"Merry Christmas to you, too," he bantered back.
May was silent.
"Hey, uh, I agree that party sucked, but isn't it a little cold out here?" Brendan asked, shoving his hands in his pockets with a shiver.
May scoffed, despite the chill. "You Hoenn natives think this is chilly? You don't know what winter is."
Her first winter in Hoenn, she had laughed at seeing all the coats and scarves in weather that was mild to her. Since then, her perception of cold had gradually crept upwards, but she wasn't about to admit that to Brendan.
"Whatever, didn’t you bring a coat?" Brendan said. "I bet you're just as acclimated as we are."
"Did you come out here just to be a mother hen?" she accused, changing the subject.
"Nah, I, um . . ." He scratched the back of his head, looked up at the sky. "Hey, did you know mistletoe comes from bird poop?"
"No way! I bet you're just making that up."
"Not a bit. They eat the berries, and poop on tree branches, and mistletoe grows from the seeds in their poop."
"Gross!" She exclaimed, but she laughed, and something inside her loosened up a little. "And here I thought it was romantic . . ."
"Actually, I guess I just had my fill of the party," he said, coming to rest his elbows on the rail beside her.
"Yeah, me too." She turned around again, too, so they were both looking out on the waves of the western sea, and they stood like that in companionable silence for a few moments.
"So did you get snow where you lived?"
"Every now and then.”
"Ever miss it?"
She paused to think. "I guess sometimes. It is pretty."
"Well...if you've had enough of the party, and I've had enough of the party...want to fly to Fallarbor and watch the ash fall? I know a nice coffee shop where we could go get some hot drinks."
"Eh, a coffee shop? Really?" she exclaimed. "In Fallarbor? That's the first I've heard of it."
"You bet!" He said with a grin.
"And it's open now?"
"Yep! And the tab's on me."
Fallarbor was quiet and rustic. Instead of the noise and light of the city. Here was only the earthy smell of vegetable farms and the dark shapes of a few modest, wood-paneled houses. At night, the volcanic ash falling from the sky really did look like snow. On the other hand...
"Brendan...this is your coffee shop?" May eyed skeptically the lone vending machine standing between the houses and the fields. Its buttons glowed blue and red in the dark, for cold and hot drinks.
"Yep! Just installed recently! Let's see, looks like the choices for hot drinks are coffee, cocoa, or corn soup. What would you like?"
"Coffee...no wait, let's make that cocoa. It is Christmas, after all," she said.
She watched the way the lights from the machine cast a glow on his face as he inserted the coins for her drink. He finished paying for the two hot cans, hers and his, and handed her cocoa to her.
"Hey, I've got a great idea!" she said.
"What's that?"
She tossed a pokeball in the air, and the blaze of light from the opening pokeball coalesced into the flaming feathers of her long-limbed blaziken, Asher.
"You know that little crater over there?" She gestured to the hollow a stone’s throw from the last cottage.
Picking up her idea, Brendan grinned in return. "What are we waiting for?"
A few minutes later, they were comfortably situated. May and Asher had foraged for wood and kindling, and Brendan had brought out his magcargo to do the honors of starting the fire with a single expertly-aimed ember. Then they sat in a circle around the fire, May and Brendan side by side, magcargo snoozing by Asher's feathery limbs. Sipping her cocoa and watching the flames, May relaxed, warm and snug in her coat and warmed on all sides.
"You know, this is so much better than that stuffy party. I'm glad you suggested it."
"Yeah, it's so much better being out here with our pokemon."
"Mmm." May agreed. The Devon party had been a humans-only affair, too crowded for people to bring their pokemon. Things felt more natural, out here under the night sky, their partners by their sides. Almost like old times. "You know, Brendan...you're not as much of a jerk as you used to be."
Brendan coughed, choking on his coffee. "Was I really that bad?"
She shrugged. "Sort of...but you changed.” Or maybe her interpretation of him had. "You always seemed so doubtful, like you didn't believe I could make it as a trainer, or like I needed to stay behind you and be protected.”
"I was just worried."
"Yeah, I get it now." She sighed, poking at the fire with a stick, but another old grievance flashed to the surface of her mind. "You also seemed pretty upset that I was a girl," she said with unexpected vehemence. "Like, obviously having a boy for a neighbor is better than having a girl."
"Sorry about that," he muttered. This time, it was Brendan's turn to heave a sigh. "Having a little sister, I didn't have any boys to play with, let alone my age. So I was really hoping, back then, my new neighbor would be a boy." He shrugged. "But now . . ." He looked intently into the fire.
There was a pause in which May almost opened her mouth to speak, hovering on the brink of impulse. The silence stretched out, was broken by the popping of the fire and a shower of sparks.
Finally, he looked up at her, a smile softening his expression. "I'm not disappointed that you're a girl anymore."
She laughed and rolled her eyes. Was that supposed to be romantic?
Brendan scratched his head. "Er... woman? Young lady?" He looked for her reaction nervously.
May gave a pfft of laughter. "I'm not some refined lady you have to tiptoe around, not any more than Steven is a stantler," she commented wryly. "You know that by now."
"Well, you're you, and that's nothing to apologize for."
"Thanks, Brendan.” She gestured vaguely to the fire, the falling ash, the hazed-over night sky. "I feel a lot better now."
"Well, we should do this again," he said. "I mean, not necessarily this." He repeated her gesture at the surroundings. "But we should spend Christmas Eve together next year, too," he said, and added with a joke, "maybe skip the party."
"Woah, woah, one year from now?" She laughed nervously. "That's way too far ahead, are you crazy?"
He shrugged, gave a small smile. "I'm crazy about you." May felt heat rush to her face. Was it the champagne? Since when was Brendan's smile so cute?
"No way . . ." she said. "Since when?"
“From the beginning? Well, maybe not quite the beginning.” He gave a self-deprecatory laugh. “I was all pumped to get to be a big brother to somebody and teach them the ropes, so it was pretty humiliating to be blown out of the water by the newcomer . . .”
She had never thought of it from that perspective. “I guess anyone’s pride would take a blow.”
“Well, once I got over that, it didn’t take long to realize how amazing you are. I always looked forward to running into you so we could have a battle, even when I realized I didn’t have a chance.”
"Of course not," she joked. "I'm the strongest woman in the region!"
"You're not the strongest woman I know, though," he said.
"What?” she cried in mock-indignation.
"You're the strongest person I know."
"Dead right I am!" May glanced at him again, sideways, as she drained the last of her cocoa. Brendan might be a little crazy. He might be a mother hen. But if he already knew he wanted to spend next Christmas together...maybe she could give him a chance.
"Hey, Brendan."
"Yeah?"
"It's not over yet. This year's Christmas...why don't we spend this one together?"
He grinned at her, eyes warm in the light of the fire. For a moment, she worried he would try to kiss her, or grab her hand. For now, it still felt weird to her to think about doing that kind of thing with Brendan. But he merely held out his fist for her to pump. Smiling, she returned the gesture.
"Let's make it the best Christmas yet!"
-Fried chicken: Due to some ingenious marketing, KFC chicken is synonymous with Christmas in Japan.
-Christmas cake: White cake with white icing, topped with strawberries. Another common Christmas food in Japan, sold ready-made because Japanese homes do not come equipped with ovens.
-Mistletoe: This would NOT normally be a part of Christmas in Japan. I recently was able to confirm this with a Japanese friend who had no idea about mistletoe or the tradition of kissing under it, and would guess that other Japanese people are similarly clueless. Encouraging people to kiss publicly in front of a large gathering at a party would very much go against the grain of Japanese culture, as they like to keep private relationships private.
-Secret relationships: It is 100% true that Japanese people often keep their relationships under wraps, sometimes keeping it secret until after they are actually married.
-Vending machines: In Japan, they sell hot drinks (especially in winter), not just cold ones.
-Christmas cake: White cake with white icing, topped with strawberries. Another common Christmas food in Japan, sold ready-made because Japanese homes do not come equipped with ovens.
-Mistletoe: This would NOT normally be a part of Christmas in Japan. I recently was able to confirm this with a Japanese friend who had no idea about mistletoe or the tradition of kissing under it, and would guess that other Japanese people are similarly clueless. Encouraging people to kiss publicly in front of a large gathering at a party would very much go against the grain of Japanese culture, as they like to keep private relationships private.
-Secret relationships: It is 100% true that Japanese people often keep their relationships under wraps, sometimes keeping it secret until after they are actually married.
-Vending machines: In Japan, they sell hot drinks (especially in winter), not just cold ones.
TAZland Christmas challenge—in 2020 I wasn't able to come up with anything, but I said maybe in 2021 I could come up with something silly based on a Japanese version of Christmas (Christmas cake, people wearing reindeer antlers, and the like.) This is it.
Calling the vending machine a "café" is lifted straight from the Makoto Shinkai anime Your Name. (Great movie!)<br />
“On A Night Like This” by IlikeShorts (FFN) was the story that sold me on Steven/Jasmine as a pairing.
Various manga I have read, especially 太陽の家、where the female lead ends up with a guy who's several years older, despite there being a boy her age who likes her, and with whom she has a great friendship and gets along with well. This is maybe the biggest reason why, oddly, I wrote this story about a couple that I don’t particularly ship.
Calling the vending machine a "café" is lifted straight from the Makoto Shinkai anime Your Name. (Great movie!)<br />
“On A Night Like This” by IlikeShorts (FFN) was the story that sold me on Steven/Jasmine as a pairing.
Various manga I have read, especially 太陽の家、where the female lead ends up with a guy who's several years older, despite there being a boy her age who likes her, and with whom she has a great friendship and gets along with well. This is maybe the biggest reason why, oddly, I wrote this story about a couple that I don’t particularly ship.
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