Cherry and Atticus's Enchanted Christmas

chapter 5

"1,0001, 1,002, 1,003..." Chip counted. "Are we there yet?"

Belle sighed since they weren't at the top yet. "Not yet."

"Boy, there sure are a lot of stairs here..." Chip groaned as he continued to count.

"I never knew there would be so many stairs to just get to an attic." Ash complained.

"Yeah, couldn't they have installed an elevator in this thing?" Cherry groaned.

"What's an elevator?" Belle asked, confused.

"Uh... Never mind..." Cherry said to herself, she had forgotten about that.

"So many stairs." Estelle wheezed.

"Come on, guys, exercise is good for ya!" Akito encouraged as he seemed to like taking the stairs.

"At least he isn't using his super-speed to get to the top." Vincent whispered to Jenny.

"Maybe he knows that'd be cheating." Jenny whispered back.

Cherry groaned and flopped on the floor once they finally made it to the top.

"Hello?" Belle called as they came int othe dark and dusty attic. "Hello!"

"Do not be afraid, mesames!" Lumiere greeted. "It is I, Lumiere, and we've come to pay you a visit!"

"Is anybody up here?!" Pikachu called out.

Someone came out from a chest not too far off from where they were. Chip looked nervous and hid behind Belle's leg, a little scared of whoever just came out.

"Angelique..." Lumiere greeted the castle decorator who was now a tree topper.

"The one we were looking for is a tree topper?" Brock asked.

"That is Mademoiselle Angelique." Felicity whispered to him.

"Oh, Lumiere, finally..." the tree topper flew out with her ornaments as she came to the candelabra. "I thought we were going to be locked up in zhis dusty attic forever!"

"Oh, Angelique, your eyes are still lovely after all zhese years." Lumiere started to swoon the angel.

"Ooh, someone seems to have the eye for the tree topper." Misty whispered.

Emi and Estelle giggled to that.

"Lumiere, stop, you'll tarnish zhe halo!" Angelique warned the candelabra.

"Ahem." Atticus cleared his throat.

"Oh, uh, zhis is Belle and zhe ozhers," Lumiere introduced, a little angry that Atticus had ruined his moment. "Our guests."

"Hello, Belle!" one ornament seemed to greet.

"Pleased to meet you," Belle smiled politely. "These are Cherry, Atticus, Mo, and Patch."

"And these are our new friends." Patch said, introducing the rest of the kids, animals, and Pokemon.

"And zhis is Angelique, she is zhe castle decorator." Lumiere introduced.

"You mean was zhe castle decorator," Angelique corrected with a sigh. "I'm not responsible for this baroque atrocity. When I was in charge, zhe castle was full of light and beauty."

"But you see that's why we've come up here." Estelle said.

"Yes, yes, we are planning zhe greatest Christmas celebration ever!" Lumiere added in.

This made Angelique's ornaments cheer with the Pokemon and pets in hoeps of having another Christmas as it was the season.

"Looks like everyone is on board." Patch said.