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Professor Juniper’s lab was louder than Ash expected.
Not battle loud.
Not the crash-and-bang chaos of a Pokémon fight.
But the warm, bustling kind of noise that came from too many people packed into one space, all laughing, talking, and celebrating at once.
Colorful lights had been strung across
the ceiling beams of the lab’s main hall, casting soft red and green reflections across the polished floor. Garlands and ribbons hung from railings, and a large table near the back overflowed with food, drinks, and sweets prepared by Juniper’s assistants.
It was a Christmas party.
Ash stood near the refreshments table with Pikachu perched comfortably on his shoulder, holding a cup of hot cocoa and watching the room.
“This is nice,” he said.
“Pika.”
Across the room, Professor Juniper laughed at something Cheren had said while Bianca animatedly explained something with wide arm gestures.
Actually, Bianca wasn’t explaining something.
She was panicking about something.
Ash blinked.
“…Is she running?”
Pikachu tilted his head.
“Pika?”
Sure enough, Bianca was moving quickly through the crowd, clutching a stack of papers to her chest while trying not to bump into anyone.
Which was impressive considering she had already bumped into three people.
“Oh! Sorry!” she called.
“Sorry!”
“Sorry again!”
Ash laughed.
“Still the same Bianca.”
Bianca hurried past Juniper’s desk, turning sharply toward the hallway that led deeper into the lab.
And directly into Ash.
The papers went everywhere.
“AH!”
Ash instinctively grabbed Bianca before she could fall over completely.
“Whoa!”
Bianca froze.
Her brain clearly taking a moment to process what had just happened.
“…Ash?”
Ash smiled sheepishly.
“Hey Bianca.”
Her eyes widened.
“Ash!”
She scrambled upright, immediately
crouching to gather the scattered papers from the floor.
“I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking where I was going and I was trying to finish organizing the research notes and Professor Juniper asked me to grab the storage reports and I thought I had them but then I realized I didn’t and-”
Ash knelt to help her.
“It’s okay,” he said, handing her a sheet.
“Thanks!”
She took it quickly.
Then froze again.
Because she realized something.
Ash was kneeling directly in front of her.
Pikachu was watching.
The hallway was quiet.
And Bianca slowly looked up.
“…Oh.”
Ash followed her gaze upward.
A small sprig of mistletoe hung from the doorway above them.
Tied neatly with a red ribbon.
They both stared at it.
“…Oh,” Ash said.
Silence.
Bianca’s brain immediately kicked into overdrive.
“Oh wow okay that’s mistletoe which means there’s a tradition and the tradition is if two people stand under it they’re supposed to kiss but that’s not necessarily a rule it’s more like a cultural thing and it’s mostly symbolic but also kind of expected but also maybe optional depending on the situation and-”
Ash blinked.
“…Yeah.”
Bianca kept talking.
“So technically we don’t have to but also everyone else probably expects it and if we just stand here awkwardly it might make things weird but if we move then it might look like we’re avoiding it and if we avoid it that might make things even more awkward-”
“Bianca.”
“Yes?”
Ash pointed gently behind her.
“You’re still sitting under it.”
She froze.
“Oh.”
Very slowly, Bianca stood up.
Now they were both standing directly beneath the mistletoe.
She stared at the floor.
Then the wall.
Then Ash.
Then the mistletoe again.
“Oh wow okay.”
Ash scratched the back of his neck.
“We could just go back to the party.”
“Yes!”
Bianca said immediately.
Then paused.
“…But.”
Ash blinked.
“But?”
“Well,” Bianca continued nervously,
“technically the tradition says if you’re already standing under it then you’re supposed to-”
She stopped mid-sentence.
Her face turned bright red.
Ash’s did too.
Pikachu looked between them curiously.
“Pika?”
Bianca’s brain restarted at full speed.
“Okay this is weird this is very weird but also maybe not that weird because we’re friends and friends can do traditions like this and it doesn’t have to mean anything and also it might actually be less weird if we just-”
Ash laughed softly.
“You think too much.”
Bianca covered her face with her hands.
“I know!”
Ash glanced up at the mistletoe again.
Then back at her.
“…What do you want to do?”
Bianca slowly lowered her hands.
Her brain was still racing.
But one thought kept pushing to the front.
If you keep overthinking this you’ll stand here forever.
And that would definitely be worse.
She took a breath.
“…Okay.”
Ash blinked.
“Okay?”
Bianca nodded quickly.
“Okay.”
Her face was still red.
Her heart was racing.
But she had made a decision.
Now she just had to actually do it.
And that part was suddenly much harder than the thinking part.
Ash waited.
Curious.
Patient.
Completely unaware that Bianca was currently having a full internal debate with herself.
She took one small step closer.
Then immediately started overthinking again.
“Oh wow okay this is happening and maybe this is a terrible idea and maybe this is a good idea and maybe I should just-”
Ash smiled.
“You’re doing it again.”
Bianca groaned.
“I KNOW.”
Pikachu giggled quietly.
“Pika pika.”
Bianca inhaled.
Steady.
Focus.
One decision.
Then action.
She looked at Ash.
“…Okay.”
Ash tilted his head.
“…Okay?”
Bianca nodded again.
“Okay.”
And this time, she didn’t give herself time to think about it again.
Bianca had made a decision.
That was the important part.
Because if she didn’t act quickly, her brain would start spiraling again, and once that happened she might stand there explaining the social history of mistletoe traditions for the next ten minutes.
Ash was still standing there patiently.
Calm.
Relaxed.
Completely unaware of the internal storm happening in Bianca’s head.
Pikachu tilted his head curiously.
“Pika?”
Bianca inhaled.
Okay.
One quick kiss.
Then done.
Totally normal.
Friends can do that.
It’s literally a tradition.
Her brain tried to interrupt.
But what if, she immediately cut that thought off.
“Nope,” she muttered under her breath.
Ash blinked.
“Huh?”
Bianca’s face flushed again.
“Nothing!”
Ash smiled slightly.
“You’re doing the thinking thing again.”
“I KNOW!”
She clapped her hands over her face for a moment, trying to reset her brain.
Then she lowered them again.
Ash was still watching her patiently.
Waiting.
Not pushing.
Not teasing.
Just… being Ash.
And somehow that made it easier.
Bianca took one small step closer.
Ash instinctively leaned down slightly so they were more level.
The gesture was simple.
Natural.
Which somehow made Bianca’s heart beat even faster.
Okay.
Now.
Before she could think about it again, Bianca leaned forward.
And kissed him.
It was quick.
Barely more than a light brush of lips.
But it definitely happened.
And the moment it did, Bianca’s brain completely rebooted.
She jerked backward.
Eyes wide.
Hands flying up to her mouth.
“OhmygoshIdidit!”
Ash blinked.
“…Yeah.”
Her face turned bright red.
“I DID IT.”
“You did.”
“I ACTUALLY DID IT.”
Pikachu giggled.
“Pika!”
Bianca started pacing in a small circle like a malfunctioning robot.
“Oh wow okay wow that actually happened and now I don’t know what the next step is because usually traditions end there but also maybe there’s a social expectation to acknowledge it and-”
Ash laughed.
“It’s okay, Bianca.”
She froze again.
“…It is?”
“Yeah.”
Ash shrugged casually.
“That’s kind of how mistletoe works.”
Bianca stared at him.
“…You’re not weirded out?”
“Nope.”
“…Not even a little?”
Ash smiled.
“Not really.”
Bianca’s shoulders slowly relaxed.
“Oh.”
Then her brain caught up again.
“Oh.”
Her eyes widened again.
“OH.”
Ash blinked.
“What?”
“I JUST KISSED YOU.”
“Yes.”
“IN A HALLWAY.”
“Yes.”
“UNDER MISTLETOE.”
“Yes.”
“IN PROFESSOR JUNIPER’S LAB.”
“Yes.”
Bianca turned bright red again.
“Oh no.”
Ash tilted his head.
“…Why oh no?”
“Because now if anyone saw us they’re going to think things and then I’ll have to explain it and explaining it will probably make it sound worse and-”
“Bianca.”
She stopped mid-spiral.
“Yes?”
Ash gestured toward the party room behind them.
“No one’s even looking.”
She turned.
The party was still going strong.
Music.
Laughter.
Juniper talking to Cheren.
No one paying attention to the hallway
at all.
Bianca blinked.
“…Oh.”
Ash chuckled.
“We’re safe.”
Pikachu nodded.
“Pika.”
Bianca exhaled slowly.
“Okay.”
Then she looked back at Ash.
And suddenly realized something else.
He still looked completely normal.
Relaxed.
Smiling.
Like this hadn’t shaken him at all.
That somehow made her laugh.
“You’re really calm about this.”
Ash scratched the back of his neck.
“Well… it was nice.”
Bianca froze again.
“…Nice?”
“Yeah.”
Simple.
Honest.
The kind of answer only Ash would give.
Bianca’s face warmed again, but this time she didn’t panic.
Instead she smiled a little.
“…Yeah.”
Then her brain caught up again.
And panic immediately returned.
“OKAY I’M LEAVING.”
Ash blinked.
“What?”
Bianca pointed toward the party room.
“I’M GOING BACK BEFORE I START OVERTHINKING AGAIN.”
She spun around.
Then paused.
Then turned back.
“…Merry Christmas, Ash!”
Ash laughed.
“Merry Christmas, Bianca.”
She hurried back toward the party.
Ash watched her go, shaking his head slightly.
Pikachu looked up at him.
“Pika?”
Ash smiled.
“…That was unexpected.”
Pikachu giggled again.
And above the hallway doorway, the mistletoe swayed gently.
As if it had been waiting for exactly that moment.
Bianca walked back into the party like nothing had happened.
Which would have worked a lot better if her brain hadn’t still been replaying the last thirty seconds on a loop.
You kissed him.
You actually kissed him.
Under mistletoe.
In the hallway.
With Pikachu watching.
Her face immediately turned red again.
“Oh no,” she whispered to herself.
Across the room, Professor Juniper was still talking animatedly with Cheren while a few assistants moved trays of food across the long table near the windows.
No one seemed to be paying attention to Bianca.
Which should have been reassuring.
Instead it just made her feel like she was definitely acting suspicious.
She walked over to the refreshment table and grabbed the nearest cup of cider just so she had something to do with her hands.
“Okay,” she muttered under her breath.
“Normal.”
“Totally normal.”
She took a sip.
You kissed Ash.
The cup nearly slipped out of her hand.
“Oh wow.”
She leaned against the edge of the table, trying to steady herself.
‘Why did I do that?’
Her brain immediately answered.
‘Because of the tradition.’
‘Because you didn’t want to make it awkward.’
‘Because you panicked.’
She exhaled slowly.
“Right.”
That made sense.
Probably.
Maybe.
…Hopefully.
Across the room, the hallway door slid open again.
Ash walked back into the party.
Pikachu was still perched on his shoulder, looking perfectly pleased with everything that had just happened.
Ash paused near the doorway for a moment, scanning the room.
Then he spotted Bianca.
Their eyes met.
Bianca’s brain immediately shut down.
Her entire body froze.
Ash raised a hand casually.
“Hey.”
Bianca squeaked.
“Hi!”
Several people nearby turned their heads slightly.
Bianca covered her mouth instantly.
“Sorry!”
Ash walked over, smiling the same easy smile he always had.
“You okay?”
Bianca nodded too fast.
“Yes!”
“…You’re talking really loud.”
“Oh.”
She lowered her voice immediately.
“Yes.”
Ash chuckled.
“You’re still thinking about it, aren’t you?”
Bianca’s face turned red again.
“…Maybe.”
Ash leaned against the table beside her.
“I told you it’s not a big deal.”
“I know!”
Bianca whispered urgently.
“I just- my brain won’t stop replaying it.”
Ash blinked.
“…Really?”
“Yes!”
She gestured helplessly with both hands.
“I keep analyzing every part of it.”
“What parts?”
“Well first there was the mistletoe and
then the tradition and then the social expectations and then I decided to act before my brain could stop me and then I-”
She stopped suddenly.
Because she realized she was doing it again.
Ash laughed softly.
“You really do think about everything.”
“I know.”
Bianca sighed dramatically.
“It’s a problem.”
Ash took a sip of his drink.
“Well…”
He glanced around the party.
Then back at her.
“…If it helps, I’m not overthinking it.”
Bianca blinked.
“You’re not?”
“Nope.”
“…At all?”
“Not really.”
She stared at him.
“How?”
Ash shrugged.
“It was just a kiss.”
Bianca’s brain stalled again.
“…Just a kiss.”
“Yeah.”
“Under mistletoe.”
“Yep.”
“On Christmas.”
“Yep.”
“With Pikachu watching.”
Pikachu raised a paw proudly.
“Pika!”
Ash laughed.
“Okay that part was a little weird.”
Bianca couldn’t help laughing too.
The tension in her shoulders finally started to loosen.
“…You’re really calm about this.”
Ash tilted his head.
“Should I not be?”
“No! I mean- no that’s good.”
She paused.
Then admitted quietly,
“…It was nice.”
Ash blinked.
Then smiled.
“Yeah.”
For a moment neither of them spoke.
The party noise filled the space around them, music, laughter, someone arguing about Pokémon types near the far table.
But the moment between them felt oddly quiet.
Then Bianca cleared her throat.
“…So.”
“So?”
“…Do we just pretend that didn’t happen?”
Ash shrugged.
“If you want.”
Bianca thought about it.
Then shook her head.
“…I don’t think my brain is capable of pretending that.”
Ash laughed again.
“Fair.”
Pikachu looked between them curiously.
“Pika?”
Bianca smiled down at him.
“…At least Pikachu seems happy about it.”
Pikachu nodded enthusiastically.
“Pika pika!”
Ash scratched the back of his neck.
“Well… it is Christmas.”
Bianca looked at him again.
The panic from earlier had faded.
Now it was just a warm, slightly awkward feeling sitting somewhere between them.
“…Yeah,” she said softly.
“It is.”
And somewhere in the lab hallway behind them, the mistletoe still hung above the doorway.
Waiting to see if anyone else would be brave enough to stand beneath it.
The party continued like nothing unusual had happened.
Which, in Bianca’s opinion, was both reassuring and mildly suspicious.
Because something had happened.
She just didn’t know how to categorize it.
Ash stood beside her at the
refreshments table, casually sipping cider like the evening had unfolded exactly as expected.
Bianca, meanwhile, had reached the stage where her brain had circled past panic and settled into a quieter kind of confusion.
“…So,” she said.
Ash glanced at her.
“Yeah?”
“…We’re not weird now, right?”
Ash blinked.
“Weird?”
“You know.”
She gestured vaguely between them.
“The hallway.”
“The mistletoe.”
“The kiss.”
Ash thought about it for a moment.
Then shrugged.
“I don’t think so.”
Bianca studied him carefully.
“You’re being very normal about this.”
Ash smiled.
“That’s because it’s normal.”
Bianca laughed softly.
“I wish my brain worked like that.”
Pikachu hopped down from Ash’s shoulder and landed lightly on the table, grabbing a small cookie from one of the plates.
“Pika.”
Bianca smiled at him.
“At least someone here is relaxed.”
Pikachu nodded proudly.
Across the room, Professor Juniper’s voice suddenly carried through the lab.
“Ash!”
Both of them turned.
Juniper waved them over from the far side of the room.
“We’re about to take a group photo before everyone starts leaving!”
Bianca immediately straightened.
“Oh!”
Ash nodded.
“Coming!”
They crossed the room together, joining the others gathering near the large Christmas tree Juniper’s assistants had set up near the windows.
Cheren stood near the front, adjusting his glasses.
“Finally,” he said dryly when Ash approached.
“You disappeared earlier.”
Bianca froze.
Ash blinked.
“…Did we?”
“Yes,” Cheren said calmly.
“For about ten minutes.”
Bianca felt the heat creeping back into her face.
“Oh wow okay this is it this is the moment he figured it out-”
Ash interrupted smoothly.
“We got lost in the hallway.”
Cheren raised an eyebrow.
“…You got lost.”
Bianca nodded too quickly.
“Yes!”
Cheren looked between them.
Then sighed.
“…Of course you did.”
Juniper clapped her hands together.
“Alright everyone! Gather in!”
People shuffled closer around the tree.
Ash and Bianca ended up standing next to each other again without really meaning to.
Bianca glanced sideways.
Ash smiled back casually.
Pikachu hopped onto Ash’s shoulder again just as Juniper lifted her camera.
“Okay!” she called.
“Everyone ready?”
The group leaned closer together.
“Three…”
Bianca’s heart suddenly beat a little faster.
She wasn’t panicking anymore.
But she was aware.
Aware of the moment earlier.
Aware of Ash standing beside her.
Aware of the strange, warm feeling that hadn’t completely gone away.
“…Two…”
Ash leaned slightly closer so they both fit in the frame.
Bianca smiled.
“…One!”
The camera flashed.
Laughter filled the room immediately afterward as everyone relaxed again.
Juniper lowered the camera.
“Perfect!”
The crowd started to break apart again, people drifting back toward the food and decorations.
Bianca turned toward Ash.
“…Well.”
“Well?”
“…That was a weird Christmas.”
Ash laughed.
“Yeah.”
She hesitated for a moment.
Then smiled.
“…A good weird though.”
Ash nodded.
“Yeah.”
For a moment they stood there again, the party moving around them.
Then Bianca looked toward the hallway.
“…You know that mistletoe is still hanging there.”
Ash followed her gaze.
“…Yeah.”
“Someone else might end up under it.”
“Probably.”
Bianca folded her hands behind her back.
“…Good thing we already handled that situation.”
Ash grinned.
“Efficient.”
Bianca laughed softly.
“Very.”
Then she glanced at him again.
“…Merry Christmas, Ash.”
Ash smiled back.
“Merry Christmas, Bianca.”
Pikachu lifted his paw happily.
“Pika!”
And somewhere down the hallway, the mistletoe swayed gently.
Satisfied with the one moment it had already caused that night.