Twas the night before Christmas…
By M. Forandret
PLEASE NOTE: THIS TAKES PLACE IN THE POKEMON WORLD.

Twas two nights before Christmas, and all thru the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a Rattata. The stockings weren’t hung from the chimney with care; I’d be a while for St. Nicholas was there. When up on the roof there arose such a clatter, Cody got up to see what was the matter…

“Hmm?” Cody woke up. He had been asleep, having a really weird dream to, when he heard a thunk. Curious to say the least, he pulled on a robe and crawled out his window to the roof. In most circumstances this would be unwise, but Cody was experienced. He’d come up all the time to gaze at the stars in the we hours.

Even so, as soon as he did he began to question his decision. It was December; the whole roof was covered with snow, and he didn’t put his slippers. He was about to go back in when he noticed something. What caused that thunk; it was some sort of pokemon. One he had never seen before. “What is it? Some sort of…fighter jet pokemon?” Whatever it was, it seemed to be…sleeping. Not like it hit its head, like it had chosen to sleep there. It had cleared a spot and everything. “Aww, it’s cute.” Cody got an idea, and quietly crawled back into his room.

“Come on, where the heck did I put that thing! Got it!” He pushed the junk back into his closet and held up the fruit of his labors. His old pokedex. It had been years since he’d used it. Though technically a registered trainer, he just signed up so he could legally catch pokemon. He flicked the switch, and went back out, determined to see who his mysterious visitor was…

“Ok, here we go.”

[PING!] Latias, the Eon dragon pokemon. Latias is highly sensitive to the emotions of people. It is a female only species, with its male counter part Latios. It is a legendary native to the Hoenn region.

“Hoenn!” He thought “Whats one doing all the way in Sinnoh?!”

Suddenly, the Latias started stiring.

“Oh snap. Stupid pokedex, volume, volume!” To late, she’d already seen him. Cody had heard about legendarys, you either got clobered, or they ran away.

“Tias, La-tias!”

“Hey, I’m not gonna hurt you.”

“Tiiias?” She seemed a little suspisoius.

“Honestly.” He took a step forward.

“Tias la!”

“Ok sorry!” He took a few steps back. Right onto a piece of ice. “Oh dang.”

(SLIP) “AHHHHHHHHhhhhh. Huh?” Something had kept him from falling. He looked up, Latias had caught him. She set Cody down on the sidewalk and hovered infront of him. “Wow, uh, thanks.”

“Tias, Tias la.”

Sensing that she’d calmed down, Cody slowly reached out his hand, and pet her. Her feathers were really soft. “So, does this mean were friends?

She nodded up and down. Then she motioned with her head towards the house and made a pillow with her hands. “Hold on, you want to sleep on my house?”

“La.”

“I don’t see a problem with it, if you want to. Won’t you be cold up...Ooo! Hold on a sec, I’ll be right back.” Cody ran back, creeped into his room, and opened the window. “Now were’d she…”

“Tias!”

“OH, there you are. You can have this for tonite.” He handed her an old quilt his grandma had knited for him last Christmas. Cody figured that she needed it more than he did.  She took it, looked at him, and ruffled up his hair in thanks. “Heh heh, cut it out!”

“Tias!” She flew up and Cody heard another thunk on the roof. He closed the window, and got back into bed. Before he could think about wether this was a dream or not, he was asleep.  
….

(BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-THAWAK!)

“Shut up, shut up you infernal alarm clock! Jeez, why did I even set that thing!” Cody reluctantly climbed out of bed, turned off his alarm, and put his sliper back on. “Why is it so cold, is the heat broken?” He looked over, his window was open, and his grandama’s old Christmas quilt was on it, neatly folded. He picked it up. “So it did happen…”

(Creaeeeck-shwump!) “Hey everyone!”

“Oh, now I remember why I set that infernal thing! JEB!” As soon as he could pull on his pants he ran down to great his older brother. He was the trainer in the family, always off on his adventures, but he always came back for the holidays. If it wasen’t for the fact that it was already Christmas Eve, Cody would have said it was like Christmas. He always brought new pokemon, stories, and trinkets that he had picked up on his journeys.

“Jebs home Jebs home! Hi Jeb!”

Heh, sneaky little sister, beat him to the punch.

“Leona! Got me before I could shake off ma boots. Happy late birthday. Sorry I couldn’t make it, I rushed from Snowpoint City but I got snowed in halfway out, and on your tenth to. But I promise I’ll make it up to you, deal?”

“Deal!”

“Good. Hey, Cody!”

“Hey Jeb! Whats happened since your last visit?”

“Well, I brought a new friend over for the holiday…”

“Ooooo, it’s a pokemon isn’t it? Show me, show me!”

“Calm down Leona, I’ve got er right here.” Jeb pulled out a pokeball that Cody had never seen in real life, but he knew what it was from those cataloges that would come in the mail. A dusk ball. Jeb clicked the button and let out the pokemon inside.

“Misdreavus.”

“Ooooo!”

“Ooooo!”

“Yup, oooo.”

“So, what her name?”

“Uhhh, well, it’s….”

“Well, spit it out.”

“Sprinkles.”

Cody was unable to comment to this. He was to preocupied rolling on the floor laughing.

“Oh get off it! I stayed up all night to get her, I was a little tired when I came up with it.”

“Ok ok, fair enough.”

“Oooooo, I like her, shes all, flowy! Can I play with her, please, pleeeease?”

“Go ahead.”

“Oh snap that reminds me, I’ve still got some shoping to do, see you!”

“Cody, hold up a sec. I’ve got something for you. Now Mom says no gifts untill tomarow, but what she don’t know wont hurt her.” Jeb handed Cody an un-used poke-ball. Like the dusk ball, he had only seen it in a catalog. Unlike the dusk ball, he was amazed that his brother had maneged to get one.

“A luxury ball? Wow, these things are rare, how did you…”
“No need to ask questions, besides, you’ve got last minute save your butt shoping to do, right?”

“Ya, right! Ok, see ya latter, thanks!”
….

Cody was truding through the snow, trying to get to Veilstone City as quickly as he could. It was a long enough walk as it was from Solaceon Town, but with all the fresh powder, near imposible. But still, he had to get gifts, and there was nothing as far as buying back in town, so he continued on. When he was about half way there, Cody started getting a weird feeling that he was being watched.

(Crunch, crunch) “Hello? Eh.” (Crunch, crunch) “Who’s there?” He did a quick scan of the area, nothing. “Great Cody, now your going crazy.”
He turned around to keep going, but as soon as he did he got knocked down, like he had walked into something. Flat on his back, Cody was staring at the sun when something, or someone, materialized over him.

“Tias!”

“Hey, it’s you!” Cody was glad to see her, he’d figured that she’d flown half way back to Hoenn by now. He got up, and put his hands in his pockets to warm up. “Wait a second.” He emptyed out his pockets, keys, phone, wallet…oh no, oh no. “Where’d it go!” Cody got down on all fours and started diging around in the snow.

“La?” Latias was looking extreamly confused, but that could wait, were was…yes!

“Oh thank goodness.” Cody had found it, the Luxury ball his brother had given him. Must have fallen out when he fell over. He wiped the snow off it and held it in the air. “Latias look, I got…Latias?” Cody looked over, Latias didn’t look happy like she normaly did, or confused like she just was. She just had her eyes locked onto that pokeball. “Latias, are you alright?”

“Laaatiiaaas.” Her voice was low and shaky. She looked terified of that pokeball. Not wanting to frighten her, he stuffed it back into his pocket. “I guess you don’t like pokeballs. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna try to use it.” She relaxed when she heard this, and sat down in the snow. Cody, still curious as to how she poofed out of nowhere, booted up the pokedex he still had with him.

[PING!] Latias have the ability to refract light with there feathers, allowing them to make holograms, and render themselves invisible.

“I take it back what I said last night, your more like a ninja then a fighter jet.”

“ La, tias la!” She got up, and quickly flew behind him.

“Say wha-gaaa!” Latias picked him up, fliped him onto her back, and took off. Cody had never gone so fast in his life, he wasen’t at race car speed, he was at mach 2! All he could do was hold on and wait to see where he was going. After a few seconds, but what felt like a few hours, Latias slowed down, and let Cody off.

(Thud!) “Ha ha, hello ground, I missed you, wheeeee.” In a few seconds the world stoped spining, and he could get to his feet without puking. “So, where are we? The forest, Lake Valor, the moon?” He looked around, there were cars, a Pokemon Center, and a parkinglot. “Hey, this is Veilstone City! Wow, thanks Latias, you really saved me some time.” He looked over to the malls enterance, then looked back. “Well, I gotta go. I hope I get to see you again. Bye.” Cody started walking towards the store, but when he looked back, Latias was right behind him. “Sorry, you can’t come into the store. They don’t let wild pokemon inside.”

“Tias?” The Legendary pokemon started scratching its head, then the perverbial light bulb poofed over it. She started ruffling her feathers, and instead of a Latias, there was a red headed girl.

“Wow!” He put his fingers together to make a rectangle like a movie director. “The illusion is flawless. I guess you can come in then.”

Cody went about with his Christmas shoping, even with company it was mundane, but for Latias, it was like another planet. The shops filled with so many things, the festive décor, people, and thier pokemon, oh the pokemon! Some were walking, some were showing off, some were carrying bags, and some were sitting in them. With all of this at once, her already boundless reserves of energy tripled. “ Wait, come back here, Gaaa don’t touch that! Please try to calm down a little ok?” A complete calm down would be impossible, with everything around, it was invigorating! But a little, sure. Cody continued to shop, while Latias zipped about in a slightly more controled manner. “Alright, so that’s a Pokemart gift card for Jeb, Contest book for Leona, Racecar jacket for Dad, Ok, last one. This one…no, how about…nope, maybe, oh I give up. Maybe you can help, come on out Macy!” Cody took out a pokeball, and opened it up.

“Medicham.”

“Macy, help me out, should I get Mom the blue or the maroon?”

“Medicham!”

“Blue it is!”

(Ca-ching!) “That’ll be $8.95 sir.”

“Here you go.”

“Have a merry Christmas!”

“Aaaaallllright! I have finished my Christmas shoping! It was nice of them to wrap it to. Let’s see, I’ve still got about $20.00, let’s get some food before we go, hows that sound? Hmm, Macy, what is it?” Cody’s Medicham was yanking on his shirt. She was trying to signal to a perticular red hed.

“Cham cham, medicham!”

“It’s alright Macy, I know. Latias, I’d like you to meet Macy. Macy, this is my friend Latias.” Without a wasted second, the two got caught up in a conversation in poke-speak. It was easy to tell that those two were fast becoming friends. As they continued walking, they continued talking, and Cody couldn’t help but wonder what it was that they were saying…
….

The group finaly emerged from the store, Cody laden with shoping bags, and the other two still chatting. Latias was about to undo her hologram, when they suddenly had company. A Staraptor just landed, with someone on it’s back.

“Chris? Hey Chris, over here, what are you doin here?”

He dismounted. “Cody! Oh, what a day. While you were shoping, a section of fence at the day-care broke. I’ve been rounding up pokemon for Grandpa all day.”

“Dang, and on Christmas Eve no less.”

“Oh well. Hey, you need a ride? I know you don’t have any flying type, I’ll give you a lift home.”

“Oh, uhh, sure. Just let me say goodbye to my friend.” He walked back over to the pokemon, who finaly seemed to finished with their conversation. “Macy, we gotta go, time to say bye.”
“Cham medicham.”

“Lati.” They said there goodbyes, and then they, winked? What was that about?

“Well, goodbye. Thanks for the company.” She just stood there, smiling, when she just reached over and kissed him on the cheak. The she ran off, waving behind her, looking like a ’mon on a mission. Still in a state of surprise, Cody walked bact to his friend. Macy was right next to him, with the biggest grin she could muster. She was up to something, but he’d have to play Sherlock latter.

“Hey hey Casanova. Is it just me or are you blushing?”

“It’s the cold air. I deny everything.”

“Ya whatever. Anyway not bad, she’s a cutey.”

“Hard to belive shes a pokemon.”

“What’s that?”

“I said how hard was it to round up the pokemon…”
….

See you latter Chris. And thanks for the lift Staraptor.”

“Staraptor.”

By the time Cody got back, the sun was almost fully set. As Chris flew back into the Day-care grounds, a light snow started to fall.

“Well isn’t this in the Christmassy mood. Duh duh duh duh, walkin in a winter wonder land.” (Creeeack)

“But Moooom!”

“No Leona, I’m not driving you to get trainer registered in the snow. It’s a hard enough getting to Sandgem town anyway, and they haven’t even plowed. I’m sorry but you’ll just have to wait.”

“Daaaad?!”

“Your mothers right Leona. Besides, patience is a virtue.”

“Oh ya, I forgot. I have a little sister.”
….

The night went on, as most Christmas Eves do. Christmas songs playing, looking at the tree (Jeb wanted to dress up his Snover with lights, but mom refused.) Eventually, Mom sent everyone up to bed. But as is with most on Christmas night, Cody couldn’t sleep. He got bored with just lying in bed, so, he got dressed and went out on the roof. It wasn’t biting cold, but it was windy. The clouds moving around, clearing a patch here and there so as to let the stars through. Wind whipping through the trees, like an orchestra of strings. All was right with the world. Except…

“La!”

His head spun around so fast he might have gotten whip lash.

“Latias! What’s up, do you wana crash here again?” She shook her head, and went to grab Cody to flip him on her back again. “Wait! If I’m gonna fly on your back, go a little slower please.”
….

They flew for a few minutes over the forest. Now that he wasn’t holding on for dear life, it was kinda fun. They soon landed in between a few evergreens, partially covered in snow. “So what’s up Latias, what’s going on?” She turned around and dug up something out of the snow, and gave it to him. It was some sort of object, wrapped in a cloth. “For me?” He unwrapped it; it looked like…a rock. A slightly transparent rock, with what appeared to be a triangle chiseled into it. Then, as if from his touch, it started glowing. It grew really bright, like a mini sun was trying to escape, and it crumbled into dust. “What the heck? Uh, I’m dizzy as hell all of a sudden. Late flight sickness?” Before he could stop himself Cody fell face first into the snow. “Uhhh, did someone get the number on that freight train?” He started feeling a little better, but then someone was pulling off his robe. “Oi, who’s doing that?” He tried to pull it back, but it  wouldn’t come on. In fact, it kinda hurt when he tried. He looked back to see what was up. He had two wings, just like Latias’s, but blue. “What the frick are those doing there?! What’s going on?”

“Calm down Cody, Your alright.”

“Who said that?!” He looked around for someone as the transformation continued. There was no one around but him and Latias.

“Uh, me.”

“Gaaaaaaa you’re talking!”

“It’s alright Cody, just calm down, you’ll be fine.” She hugged him, which he gladly returned. She made him feel a little less scared.

But not much. Pretty soon his whole torso was like Latias’s with a color inversion, and his legs started shrinking. His pants fell off once his legs were all shrunk, and his concern was that he would lose his Luxury ball again, which seemed odd to him with everything going on.

By now Cody was floating on his own, and his arms had shifted to a more lati form. It hit his neck and head at the same time, his face pushed out, his ears went up, and he became acquainted with a few more vertebra. Then it stopped. She let go of him, and he sat down as best he could on the ground.

“I, I don’t understand. You gave me drugs for Christmas?”

“No no! Drugs are bad. This is real Cody.”

“… Oh snap.”

“Well, what are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking that this is the most incredible Christmas gift I’ve ever gotten. How is this even possible Lati-”

“Rose.”

“Wha?”

“My names Rose.”

“Oh. Sorry, It must have gotten annoying calling you Latias all the time. So how’ed you do this”

“ That rock, It was a moon stone. I brought it into the Solaceon Ruins, and asked the Unown to help me. There weird, but nice.”

“Still how did you figure all this out?”

“Well, I had a little help. Macy, you can come out now!”

“Macy...”

“Hey Rose, did it wor-It did! Oh wow!”

“Macy, your talking. I can understand you!”

The Medicham quickly hugged it’s trainer. “This is awesome, it’s great that I can actually talk to you.”

“So your in on this?”

“Ya, if I wasn’t, she’d have never herd about the local legend about them.”

“I’ve never herd any legend.”

“Sure ya have, you just haven’t been listening properly!”

“Wow, this is all incredible, but I still have one question. Why Rose? Why turn me into a Latios?”

“Well, um, ah…”

“Oh for Arceus’s sake, isn’t it obvious? She LIKES you Cody!”

“Wha, really?” Rose just nodded, she was blushing all the way through her feathers. “Wow, that’s really sweet. I like you to Rose.” If it was possible for Rose to look any happier, she did.

“Wow, that’s great!”

“Well, I’ll give you two some privacy.” Macy walked over to Cody’s pants, found her pokeball, and pushed the button.

“Oh hey, that reminds me. When I had that Luxury ball out yesterday you froze up. What was wrong?” Her smile dropped a little when he said this.

“Well, I’m afraid of being captured. Ever since I was a little one, wherever I went, people tried to catch me, force me to come with them and fight for them. People with pokeball’s, people in big white coats, and people with R’s on their clothes. And other pokemon I meet think it’s stupid, and make fun of me for it. I’ve been flying around for a while, and everywhere it’s been the same. But listen to me, gabbing on about something as stupid as-”

She stopped right here. She stopped because Cody suddenly took her hand. “It’s not stupid. Don’t let anyone tell you it is. I promise that I will never let anyone catch you. I promise.”

This time it was Roses turn to be caught off guard. “Thank you.”
….

At some point Cody had fallen asleep, right in the snow. And as is to be expected, he was really cold. But it was odd, only his right side was cold. “What was-oh.” Rose had snuggled up next to him during the night. “She’s so cute.” He started petting her lightly. While he did, he turned an ear to all the pokemon calls that were in that Early morn. They were somehow different form a normal call. Then, he herd Rose starting to get up.

“You’re a light sleeper aren’t you.”

She only smiled. “Merry Christmas.”

“Rose, the pokemon, what is it?”

She took a listen. “Carols. There all singing. It sounds like silent night.”

“It’s beautiful. Oh man, that reminds me, my family. It’s Christmas morning, what am I going to do?”

“Just change back.”

“WHA?! You mean I can do that?”

“Ya. Oops, guess I forgot to mention. Just concentrate on something from your human life to change back, the same goes for Lati. But before you go.” Rose picked up his pants, and pulled out his luxury ball. “I’ve found someone that I want to come with.” She tapped the button on her head. Cody changed back, and had her come out.

“It means a lot. Thank you. Now if you wouldn’t mind, could I bum a ride? ”
….

“Alright Leona, open it up!” The little girl immediately tore into the paper, and lifted up the boxes lid. Inside there was nothing but a piece of paper. She took it out.

“Look behind you?” She turned around, and saw Jeb, holding a brand new pokedex, an ID card with her picture, and a Dusk ball.

“It’s all set up, Sprinkles will be your starter. Told you I’d make it up.”

“I LOVE ALL OF YOU! Mom, can I go outside to try it out, pleeeeease?”

“Sure.” Leona ran out the door like a bolt of thundershock.

“Hey mom, can I go out for some fresh air to?” She nodded.
….

“Ooooo, what do you think that one is Sprinkles?”

[PING!] Latios, the Eon dragon pokemon…