Stand by You Part 4 of 4

Chapter 75: Christmas Eve

The next day was spent doing all the traditional Christmas activities. Ash and friends rose earlier to make snow Pokémon and have snowball fights. James, Delia, Professor Oak, Serena, Dawn, Bianca, Autumn, Cilan, Clement, and Brock spent almost the entire day in the kitchen baking and decorating various different kinds of Christmas cookies. Delia even convinced Giovanni to help, much to Jessie, James, and Meowth's delight. Jessie, Rumika, and Lucy did some last-minute shopping while nanny and pop-pop babysat Annastasia. At the end of the day and a brutal snowball match they all gathered for Christmas Eve dinner.

"I haven't had a snow battle that intense in years!" Cilan told his friends.

"I am freezing, but it was worth it", said Iris.

"Let's do this again tomorrow", said Max.

"Totally", said Ash, Ritchie, and Gary in unison.

Jessie walked into the living room where everyone stood taking off their boots and coats.

"And for Christmas Eve dinner we are proud to present...drum roll please!" Jessie announced.

Everyone banged on the floor a few times.

"Pizza! Enjoy", she said as Remy came up behind her with a stack of pizza boxes.

"Seriously?" Ash asked incredulously. "No seafood?"

"Or mashed potatoes?" asked Bonnie.

"Or roast beef?" asked Max.

"Nope! Nada. It's our house and we make the rules. We were craving pizza", said Jessie.

"Well it is mostly because we spent the whole day making Christmas cookies", James added as he helped Remy place the pizza boxes on the kitchen table. "We didn't want to create a whole other mess and have to clean it up".

"Pizza is fine with me," said Brock. "I think we have done enough cooking for one day".

"Besides, I'd rather have a feast tomorrow night", said Jessie.

"This is really good!" Bonnie exclaimed as she took a bite a double cheese pizza. She shared some with Dedenne.

"De ne ne!" the rodent agreed.

"Wobba Wobbufet!" Wobbufet exclaimed as he piled four slices of pepperoni onto his plate.

"Hey no cutting!" Max scolded Wobbufet.

"We call the anchovy pizza!" Meowth and Lucy exclaimed as they pushed ahead of the line that had formed around the table.

Soon another battle erupted as everyone tried to get their favorite type.

"Chill out", Dawn announced as her friends tried to grab the pizza from one another. "They have ten more boxes in the other room".

"Yes!" was the collective response as everyone headed to the other room to grab more pizza.

"Why didn't you tell them there was more?" Lucy asked Jessie and James.

"Because it was a lot of fun watching them argue over food like that", they said together.

"After everyone gets a few pieces, come into the living room so we can exchange our secret Santa gifts", said James.

"Ok!" everyone answered together.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

A little while later everyone rejoined to exchange gifts. James left the room and then came back with a large sack of wrapped presents.