A Heartwarming Christmas

A/N: I'm really glad that I finished this chapter before the week ended, because it would've been putting this behind schedule. I think this story is just about halfway done! Well, my co-author and I now have a time frame of when we need to get it finished, so we better hurry! Roll it!

Chapter 7

Ursula's Manipulation

Soon, everyone was at the edge of the castle grounds, looking at the last tree on the lot. Ash then sighed.

"MJ, this is the last one." He said, gesturing to the little tree that was growing all crooked, like a wobbly tower.

"That's not it." MJ said. "That's just a weed that wishes it was a tree."

Ash sighed again. "MJ, we've looked at every tree on the grounds."

"But Ash," MJ whined, "It's more this way than that." She explained, shifting her head side to side as she spoke.

Even if he couldn't quite understand it, he could easily guess that she wanted a perfect Christmas tree. But they had looked at all of the trees on the castle grounds and none of them fitted the image that she had in her head. However, they were left with little choice.

"It will have to do." Ash said to the enchanted Bellossom, sounding gentle but firm. He then turned over to Mikaela. "Do you mind, Mikaela?"

"Not a bit, boss." The enchanted Combusken said, and then began to slice through the trunk of the tree to cut it down.

MJ slightly pouted, but then sighed. Ash did have a point, even if she didn't particularly like it.

Just then, they heard something slow and melodic coming from above them, inside the castle. It sounded like an organ. Ash listened attentively.

"Wow." He whispered. "That sounds amazing."

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From inside the castle, Ursula was being careful with her claws as she played the old organ that was left abandoned in one of the darkest rooms in the west wing. Who would've thought that learning how to play would come in handy?

She then smirked as she turned over to a nervous Allegra. "And now for a little whistle." She said.

Allegra looked down at the little silver whistle that she was holding. She then raised it to her mouth and blew it. No sound came out of it, at least for human ears. But the high-pitched frequency could be heard by certain types of Pokémon.

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Both Pikachu and Pachirisu heard it from outside and while the Kantonian Electric type was confused by that whistle sound, the Sinnoh Electric type recognized it. It was the same whistle that would blow whenever there were Poffins ready to eat. She chirped happily and excitedly as she immediately headed towards the whistling sound.

"Pachirisu!" Ash called after her. "Wait!"

He and the others immediately followed after her, heading back inside the castle. The Kanto native Trainer threw off his snow gear once he was inside, his only focus on making sure that Pachirisu didn't get into more trouble.

He had made friends with lots of the wild Pokémon that lived within the castle, but there were a few of them that he was the most familiar with, and they were the ones that were Pikachu's closest friends: a male Piplup, a female Buneary (who had an enormous crush on the Kanto Electric type), and Pachirisu. So he felt obligated to watch out for those three the most, since they were his partner's best friends.

***********************

Ursula smirked when she heard Allegra's report that the Trainer and his friends were back inside the castle.

"That's it. This time, you're coming to me, boy." She said.

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Soon, it seemed that the hallways were getting darker and more ominous as everyone continued to search for Pachirisu. "Come here, girl." Ash called out to Pachirisu.

He was starting to feel little chills go down his spine as he and the others slowly walked down the darkening hallway. And call him crazy, but it also seemed that the organ music was starting to get louder the further he walked.

Just then, everyone heard Pachirisu's excited chirps from one of the rooms. "Easy there!" Someone exclaimed from inside said. "Listen, I don't have any Poffins for you!"

"Pachirisu?" Ash called out, heading over inside the room with Pikachu, MJ, and Mikaela following him.

The stone cold decor of the room only increased everyone's uneasiness. Pikachu even jumped onto Ash's shoulder, not really liking the chills that he was feeling. But he had a feeling that there was something, or rather, someone, that they didn't want to meet.

"Hello?" Ash called out, and the organ music slowly grew softer and softer until there was no sound left at all. "Hello?"

"W-Well, guess there's no one here." MJ said, stammering slightly, and she moved closer to Ash's leg to try and hug it. "M-Maybe we should go now."

Just then, they found Pachirisu circling around an Infernape that had the flames on its head shaped into a slightly more feminine design. That little oddity meant that this Pokémon had to be a servant who had been enchanted.

"Please stop!" The enchanted female Infernape begged as the excitable EleSquirrel Pokémon continued to pester her for Poffins.

"Come here, you little nut case." Ash chided Pachirisu teasingly as he carefully picked her up and away from the Infernape.

Pachirisu wasn't really happy about it, and her cheeks were beginning to spark. But Pikachu gave her his own warning, narrowing his eyes firmly at her and his own cheeks sparking. With an annoyed pout, the Sinnoh Electric type stopped the sparks.

Ash shook his head fondly at the stubbornness of the Electric type in his arms. She may be cute, but she did pack a punch, which he'd experienced firsthand before. He had been zapped one too many times due to her hyperactive personality that sometimes caused her to accidentally shock everyone within the area, and at times, even herself.

He then turned his attention over to the enchanted Infernape. "Sorry about that." He apologized, and then freed a hand for her to shake. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Ash, and the Pikachu on my shoulder is my best friend." He gestured carefully over to his number one partner, who greeted the Infernape cheerfully.

"And you are?" Ash asked the Infernape.

"Allegra." She replied.

"Nice to meet you." Ash smiled at her. "Earlier, I thought I heard music playing. Was that you?"

Allegra was a little flattered that Ash would ask that, but she knew that it wasn't the truth. He played right into her hands. Or rather, claws.

"Well, no." She answered truthfully. "But I really think that you should-"

"Please. Allow me to introduce myself, good sir." Ash immediately whirled around as Ursula the Gabite approached him, cutting off Allegra. "I'm Ursula, one of the stewardesses of the castle, and your most humble servant." She bowed at the last part, putting on a performance of an honest servant.

Ash didn't quite get that impression, but he still remained polite. "Nice to meet you, Ursula." He said, letting Pachirisu out of his arms to claim the free spot on his other shoulder. "I'm Ash."

Ursula straightened herself up. "Yes, I know." She said, and she slowly began to circle around him, making him feel even more uneasy. "The entire castle has been talking about you ever since you arrived and saved our mistress. They've been saying that you're planning a Christmas gala. What a marvelous idea! It could be the very thing that will shatter the mistress's gloomy past."

She then finally stopped when she was back in front of him. "But you must make this the grandest celebration ever!" She added. "Do you have gifts?"

Ash wasn't sure if he should answer her, but MJ spoke up for him. "Yep!" She answered, not feeling frightened anymore as she started to feel excited for Christmas again.

"Food?" Ursula asked.

"Yep." MJ answered.

"Garlands, wreaths, ribbons?"

"Check."

"Spangles? The trimmings, the trinkets, the trappings?" Ash wasn't really sure about some of the things that she had mentioned, but he was pretty sure that those were all just decorations.

"Yep, we've got them all!" MJ said proudly.

But then, Ursula had an odd little smirk on her face. "A tree?" She asked.

MJ's smile disappeared as she turned to face Ash. "You see, Ash? I told you."

Ash knelt down and patted her head gently, then looked over at Ursula. "Well, we found one." He said.

"But it was a little bit on the puny side." Mikaela said. "That much was obvious." Ash just gave her a glare from out of the corner of his eye, silently saying that she wasn't helping.

Ursula's weird little smirk only grew wider. "Did you try looking in the forest near the lake?" She asked, looking out towards the nearby window. "I bet that there, you will find the perfect tree!"

MJ's eyes lit up with childlike wonder. "That sounds great!" She exclaimed, before turning back to Ash. "We gotta go there, Ash!"

But Ash wasn't so sure. "Umm..." He trailed off, not sure of what to say.

"Please, Ash?" MJ begged him with wide puppy eyes.

But the Kanto native slowly shook his head. "MJ, we can't." He said as Pikachu and Pachirisu jumped off his shoulders. "I promised your mistress that I wouldn't leave the castle grounds...I gave her my word."

MJ just gave him a childish pout, making Ash briefly narrow his eyes firmly at her, almost daring her to try and argue with him. Most of the time, he kind of wished that he wasn't an only child. But it was times like this that made him grateful that he was.

"Oh, don't worry, sweetie." Ursula said to the enchanted Bellossom. "This is a profound lesson you're learning here. Keeping your word is much more important than bringing joy."

Ash's narrowed gaze turned suspicious as he looked back over at the enchanted Gabite. He knew that there was something off about her.

"That's not what I meant." He said.

"Oh, of course not." Ursula said, talking as if she was innocent. "I agree with you. Look after yourself. And let the mistress do the same. Never mind that the tree...was one of her favorite parts of Christmas."

"Please, Ash?" MJ tried again to persuade him. "Pretty please?" It wasn't helping that her puppy eyes seemed much harder to resist.

Ash glanced out towards the window, into the direction of the forest. It was getting darker, and he knew that the temperature does drop when the sun goes down.

"It looks dangerous." He said.

"Oh, my good sir." Ursula chuckled. "You are in more danger...in this very room than out there. Besides, you're a Pokémon Trainer. I'm sure that you can handle yourself."

Ash glanced at her, still suspicious about her, and then turned to MJ, taking a deep breath. It was obvious that this Gabite was trying to get on his nerves, but he wasn't going to show that to her. It would only satisfy her.

"Alright." He said to MJ, just so that she could stop looking at him with those pleading puppy dog eyes.

"Yes!" MJ said, jumping up into the air.

"We can take Charizard and Staraptor." Ash said. "If we all hurry, we can make it back before it gets too dark."

"Yay!" MJ cheered as everyone started to head out of the room.

Ash then turned around to face Ursula and Allegra again. "I'll see you later, Ursula." He said politely. "You'll keep this a secret, right?"

"Of course, Ash." Ursula said to reassure him. "The mistress will remain completely in the dark."

There was something about her somewhat friendly smile that set off warning bells in his brain, but he pushed them aside for the time being as he looked over at Allegra. He then smiled kindly at her. He got the sense that she was genuinely being nice.

"Bye, Allegra." He said to her with a friendly little wave before he followed everyone else out of the room.

"Bye, Ash!" Allegra waved back to him.

Once they were all out of earshot, Ursula abruptly whipped around to face the enchanted Infernape. "Allegra! Follow them. Make sure that they don't. Come. Back."

Even though Allegra was transformed to be a Fire and Fighting type, she felt her blood nearly freeze. "But, but, he's so nice." She said. "And he certainly hasn't done anything to deserve to catch his death out there."

"I am in charge here!" Ursula snapped at her. "I'm not going to let that so-called 'charming' Trainer ruin everything. Now follow him!"

Allegra flinched at her harsh yelling. "Y-Yes, Ursula." She said, and she hurried out of the room to follow Ash.

The enchanted Gabite growled as she left. Everyone was slipping from her control, snapping out of their acceptance of reality and daring to hope. That seriously dated castle decorator, the mistress, and now the only other servant who worked under her. And it was all his fault! Well, not if she had anything to say about that!

She already figured out that the Kanto native was like a bleeding heart. He would do anything just to make others happy. He also cared too much. And little did he know that that sickeningly sweet kindness of his would lead to his own downfall! Once he was out of the way, everything would finally go back to the way it was, and everyone would fall back under her control as they lived out their final days with their precious memories of their lives.

Until...they start over with blank slates as real Pokémon. Forever.

A/N: To once again quote my co-author, "Ash has unknowingly been sent to his death by Ursula! Dun dun DUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNN!" Why am I imaging Belt from "The Croods" because of that? 

And I can say that the next couple of chapters are going to be pretty hard to write because I'm definitely not going to like what happens next. A lot more angst and drama. Like there's not enough in the world right now.

Anyway, I hoped that y'all enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a comment about what you think. They are highly appreciated. And remember to stay healthy!

Got to fly! ;)