Work Text:
Team Rocket had been many things over the years.
Persistent.
Annoying.
Dramatic.
But tonight, for once, they were actually being helpful.
The Pokémon Center lobby was warm against the winter cold outside. Snow clung to the windows, and strings of festive lights had been hung along the walls by the staff earlier that day. A small decorated tree stood near the front desk.
Jessie leaned back in her chair with a satisfied smirk.
“Well,” she said, folding her arms, “this is the easiest job we’ve had in years.”
James nodded thoughtfully beside her.
“Volunteering at a Pokémon Center during the holidays does seem… unusually wholesome for us.”
Meowth lounged on the table, polishing one of his claws.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don’t get used to it.”
Ash sat on the couch across the room
with Pikachu curled comfortably beside him.
“Still,” Ash said brightly, “thanks for helping out.”
Jessie rolled her eyes dramatically.
“Don’t get sentimental, twerp.”
James coughed politely.
“We’re simply… contributing to the spirit of the season.”
Meowth muttered,
“An’ the free food.”
Outside, snow continued falling gently over the quiet town.
Inside the Pokémon Center, things had settled into a peaceful rhythm.
For once Team Rocket wasn’t trying to steal Pikachu.
Ash wasn’t chasing them across rooftops.
And everyone was actually getting along.
Jessie stood up suddenly.
“Speaking of holiday spirit…”
She grabbed a small bundle of decorations from the counter.
James raised an eyebrow.
“Oh dear.”
Jessie ignored him.
“If we’re going to be here all night, we might as well decorate properly.”
Ash perked up immediately.
“Oh! I can help!”
Jessie tossed him a roll of ribbon.
“Fine. Try not to ruin it.”
Pikachu saluted enthusiastically.
“Pika!”
Soon the room filled with mild chaos.
Jessie hung garlands across the shelves.
James carefully arranged ornaments on the small tree.
Ash climbed onto a chair trying to hang lights across the ceiling.
Meowth supervised from the counter.
“You’re puttin’ that one crooked, twerp.”
Ash adjusted the string.
“Better?”
“…Eh.”
After a few minutes Jessie stepped back to admire the room.
“…Not bad.”
James nodded approvingly.
“Festive.”
Ash hopped down from the chair.
“Nice!”
Pikachu clapped.
“Pika pika!”
Jessie grabbed one last decoration from the box.
A small sprig of mistletoe tied with a red ribbon.
She held it up thoughtfully.
“…Perfect.”
James froze immediately.
“…Jessie.”
“What?”
“…Do you really think that’s necessary?”
Jessie smirked.
“Oh absolutely.”
Meowth’s eyes lit up instantly.
“Oh ho ho.”
Jessie walked over to the hallway archway and tied the mistletoe neatly to the center beam.
Ash tilted his head.
“…What’s that?”
Jessie turned slowly.
Her grin was dangerous.
“Oh, twerp…”
She leaned closer.
“It’s a holiday tradition.”
James rubbed his temple.
“Oh no.”
Ash blinked.
“…Tradition?”
Meowth jumped onto the counter eagerly.
“If two people stand under it…”
Jessie finished smugly.
“…They gotta kiss.”
Ash’s brain rebooted.
“…What.”
Pikachu blinked.
“…Pika?”
James sighed quietly.
Jessie folded her arms, satisfied.
“Let the festivities begin.”
And somehow Ash had a very bad feeling about this.
Ash stared at the mistletoe.
“…People kiss under that?”
Jessie leaned casually against the wall beneath it, clearly enjoying herself.
“That’s the rule.”
Ash scratched his head.
“…Huh.”
Pikachu looked up at the little sprig hanging from the ribbon.
“…Pika?”
Meowth grinned.
“Holiday traditions are weird like dat.”
James coughed politely.
“…Yes. Very strange customs indeed.”
Jessie’s eyes flicked toward him.
James immediately looked away.
Ash shrugged.
“Well… okay.”
Jessie blinked.
“…Okay?”
Ash grinned.
“Yeah. Sounds fun.”
Jessie frowned slightly.
“…You’re supposed to be embarrassed.”
Ash tilted his head.
“Why?”
Meowth whispered to Jessie,
“Dis kid ain’t got no shame.”
Jessie huffed.
“Well we’ll fix that.”
James slowly turned toward her.
“…Jessie.”
Her grin returned immediately.
“…Yes, James?”
“…Don’t.”
Jessie ignored him completely.
She turned toward Ash again.
“So hypothetically…”
Ash nodded.
“Yeah?”
“If someone were standing under that mistletoe…”
Ash looked up again.
“…Yeah?”
Jessie gestured toward it.
“And someone else joined them…”
Ash blinked.
“…They kiss?”
Jessie nodded.
“Exactly.”
Ash shrugged.
“Okay.”
Jessie blinked again.
“…That’s it?”
Ash smiled.
“Yeah.”
Meowth frowned.
“Dis ain’t workin’ the way it’s supposed ta.”
Jessie crossed her arms.
“…Fine.”
She leaned toward Meowth.
“We’ll do it the old-fashioned way.”
Meowth’s grin returned immediately.
“Oh ho ho.”
James sighed deeply.
“…I would like to officially state that I want no part in whatever this is.”
Jessie patted his shoulder.
“Too late.”
James groaned.
Ash had already wandered back toward the couch.
“So what are we doing now?”
Jessie clapped her hands suddenly.
“Oh! James!”
James froze.
“…Yes?”
Jessie pointed dramatically across the room.
“Go grab the decorations box from the hallway closet.”
James blinked.
“…Why?”
“Because I said so.”
James narrowed his eyes slightly.
“…You’re plotting something.”
Jessie smiled sweetly.
“I’m offended you’d think that.”
Meowth snorted.
“Ya absolutely are.”
James sighed.
“…Fine.”
He walked toward the hallway.
Directly toward the mistletoe.
Jessie’s grin widened.
“Perfect.”
Ash stood up suddenly.
“Oh! I can help!”
Jessie turned sharply.
“…No.”
Too late.
Ash was already walking toward the hallway too.
Pikachu rode happily on his shoulder.
“Pika!”
Jessie whispered excitedly,
“THIS IS IT.”
Meowth leaned forward eagerly.
“Oh dis is gonna be good.”
James reached the doorway first.
Ash caught up beside him.
“Need help?”
James blinked.
“…Oh. Uh.”
They both stepped under the archway.
Directly beneath the mistletoe.
Jessie slapped the counter dramatically.
“YES.”
Meowth pointed.
“LOOK UP.”
Ash and James both looked up at the same time.
They froze.
Ash blinked.
“…Oh.”
James slowly turned red.
“…Oh no.”
Jessie leaned forward eagerly.
“Well?”
Meowth clapped.
“DO THE THING.”
Ash looked at James.
James looked at Ash.
Neither of them moved.
Pikachu looked up at the mistletoe.
Then at them.
“…Pika?”
Jessie slammed both hands on the counter.
“YOU’RE UNDER IT.”
James covered his face.
“…Jessie.”
Ash tilted his head.
“…So.”
James groaned.
“This is a nightmare.”
Ash grinned.
“…Is it though?”
And suddenly. The mistletoe trap had worked exactly the way Jessie planned.
Ash and James stood under the mistletoe.
Both looking up at it.
Both looking very aware of what it meant.
Behind them Jessie leaned across the counter like someone watching the best show of her life.
Meowth had climbed onto the table for a better view.
“C’mon!” he shouted. “Dat’s the rule!”
James buried his face in his hands.
“…Jessie.”
Jessie cupped her hands around her mouth.
“KISS! KISS! KISS!”
Ash laughed.
“You’re really enjoying this.”
Jessie pointed dramatically.
“YOU’RE STANDING UNDER THE MISTLETOE.”
Ash nodded.
“Yeah.”
Jessie blinked.
“…Yeah?”
Ash shrugged.
“That’s the rule, right?”
Jessie froze.
“…Wait.”
Meowth looked confused.
“Hold on.”
Jessie pointed at Ash.
“You’re supposed to be embarrassed.”
Ash scratched the back of his head.
“Why?”
James groaned quietly.
“This is somehow worse.”
Jessie stared between them.
“…You’re both being weird.”
Meowth nodded.
“Yeah dis ain’t how dis usually goes.”
Ash looked at James.
“So… should we?”
James choked on air.
“…Should we what.”
Ash pointed upward.
“The thing.”
Jessie’s eyes widened.
“…OH THIS JUST GOT BETTER.”
James looked like he wanted to vanish
into another dimension.
“This is the worst day of my life.”
Ash laughed.
“It’s just a kiss.”
Jessie leaned forward dramatically.
“YES IT IS.”
James rubbed his face.
“…I blame you for this.”
Jessie smirked.
“I accept no responsibility.”
Ash stepped a little closer.
James froze.
“…Twerp.”
“Yeah?”
“…You don’t have to actually follow the rule.”
Ash tilted his head.
“But that’s the tradition.”
James gestured wildly behind him.
“THEY ARE MANIPULATING THE SITUATION.”
Jessie gasped.
“Manipulating is such an ugly word.”
Meowth added proudly,
“We prefer encouragin’ events.”
Ash laughed again.
“You two are terrible.”
Jessie grinned.
“Thank you.”
Ash looked back at James.
James still looked like his brain had crashed.
“…So?”
James sighed deeply.
“…If this stops them shouting.”
Jessie’s eyes sparkled.
“OH IT WILL.”
James looked up at the mistletoe one more time.
Then back at Ash.
“…This never happened.”
Ash grinned.
“Okay.”
James leaned down slightly. And kissed him.
Quick.
Just long enough to satisfy the ridiculous tradition.
Then immediately stepped back.
Jessie screamed.
“IT HAPPENED.”
Meowth jumped into the air.
“OH MY ARCEUS.”
Pikachu clapped excitedly.
“PIKA PIKA!”
James covered his face again.
“I hate all of you.”
Ash laughed.
“That wasn’t so bad.”
Jessie was still celebrating.
“BEST DECORATION EVER.”
Meowth wiped a tear from his eye.
“Worth it.”
James turned bright red.
“…I am leaving.”
Ash followed him.
“Hey wait!”
Jessie called after them smugly.
“MERRY CHRISTMAS!”
And hanging above the doorway. The mistletoe swayed proudly.
Its mission accomplished.
James walked very quickly down the hallway.
Ash jogged after him.
“Hey, wait!”
James did not slow down.
“This conversation is over.”
Ash laughed.
“We didn’t even have one yet!”
Behind them, Jessie’s voice echoed from the lobby.
“OH I AM TELLING EVERYONE.”
James stopped immediately.
“…She wouldn’t.”
Ash raised an eyebrow.
“…You’ve known Jessie for how long?”
James closed his eyes.
“…She absolutely would.”
Pikachu snickered.
“Pika.”
Ash leaned against the wall beside him.
“It wasn’t that big of a deal.”
James stared at him.
“…It absolutely was.”
Ash shrugged.
“It was just the mistletoe rule.”
James groaned.
“That ridiculous plant has ruined my evening.”
Ash laughed.
“You agreed to it.”
“I was under extreme psychological pressure.”
Ash grinned.
“From Jessie?”
“And Meowth.”
Pikachu raised a paw proudly.
“Pika!”
James pointed at him.
“And that one.”
Ash chuckled.
“Well… tradition fulfilled.”
James sighed.
“…I can’t believe I just kissed you because of a decoration.”
Ash tilted his head.
“…You’re still thinking about it.”
James froze.
“…No I’m not.”
“You totally are.”
James turned red again.
“I most certainly am not.”
Ash leaned closer slightly.
“…You didn’t hate it.”
James opened his mouth.
Stopped.
“…That is not the point.”
Ash laughed.
“So you didn’t hate it.”
James pointed dramatically toward the lobby.
“I am surrounded by chaos.”
Ash shrugged.
“Yeah.”
They walked back toward the Pokémon Center lobby together.
Jessie and Meowth were still celebrating like they had just won a championship battle.
“There they are!” Jessie announced loudly.
Meowth pointed.
“THE MISTLETOE VICTIMS.”
James buried his face in his hands again.
“…Please stop.”
Ash laughed.
Jessie leaned forward smugly.
“So?”
James glared at her.
“So what.”
Jessie grinned.
“How was it?”
James turned bright red again.
“NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.”
Meowth snorted.
“Look at him!”
Jessie clapped her hands together.
“Oh this is the best Christmas ever.”
Ash dropped back onto the couch.
“Relax, James.”
Jessie pointed at the mistletoe proudly.
“That thing stays up all night.”
James immediately turned toward it.
“…Absolutely not.”
Before anyone could stop himcJames walked over and pulled the ribbon down.
The mistletoe dropped into his hand.
Jessie gasped dramatically.
“You monster.”
James tossed it onto the counter.
“Problem solved.”
Meowth leaned over the counter.
“Coward.”
James crossed his arms.
“I refuse to participate in further mistletoe incidents.”
Ash laughed.
“Fair enough.”
Pikachu jumped onto Ash’s shoulder again.
“Pika pika!”
Jessie sighed dramatically.
“…Fine.”
But she leaned toward Meowth and
whispered,
“Round two tomorrow.”
Meowth grinned.
“Oh ho ho.”
Across the room, James felt a sudden chill.
Ash stretched out on the couch again.
Outside, snow continued falling softly over the quiet town.
Inside the Pokémon Center. For once.
Team Rocket, Ash, and Pikachu simply enjoyed the warmth of the holiday evening.
Even if one of them was still pretending that absolutely nothing had happened.
The Pokémon Center was quiet in the early morning.
Soft winter sunlight filtered through the frosted windows, glinting off the snow outside. Most of the decorations Jessie had hung the night before were still up, garlands along the walls, lights draped across the ceiling, the little tree by the counter.
And on the couch Ash was asleep.
Pikachu was curled on his chest, snoring softly.
“Pika… chu…”
Near the front desk, Jessie sipped a cup of coffee while Meowth leaned over the counter beside her.
Both of them were staring toward the couch.
Jessie whispered,
“…Watch this.”
Meowth grinned.
“Oh dis is gonna be good.”
Across the room, James stepped out of the hallway carrying a small tray of breakfast pastries Nurse Joy had left for them.
He paused when he saw the two of them whispering.
“…Why do I feel concerned.”
Jessie pointed upward.
James followed her finger.
And froze.
Directly above the couch. Hanging neatly from a red ribbon tied to one of the light fixtures. Was a brand new sprig of mistletoe.
James closed his eyes slowly.
“…Jessie.”
Jessie smiled sweetly.
“Good morning.”
Meowth waved.
“Merry Christmas.”
James set the tray down.
“…You put it back.”
Jessie shrugged.
“It’s festive.”
James sighed deeply.
“…Of course you did.”
On the couch, Ash stirred slightly.
“…Mmm…”
Pikachu yawned.
“Pika…”
Jessie leaned toward Meowth again.
“Five dollars says he notices first.”
Meowth rubbed his paws together.
“You’re on.”
James pinched the bridge of his nose.
“…I am surrounded by idiots.”
Behind him Ash blinked awake.
“…Morning.”
Pikachu stretched.
“Pika!”
Ash sat up slowly.
Then looked up.
“…Oh.”
Jessie gasped dramatically.
“HE SAW IT.”
Meowth groaned.
“Ah c’mon!”
James turned slowly toward the couch.
Ash grinned.
“…You guys really like that thing, huh?”
Jessie leaned forward eagerly.
“Tradition.”
Ash looked at James.
James looked like he was reconsidering all of his life choices.
Ash laughed.
“…Relax.”
He stood up, Pikachu hopping back onto his shoulder.
“…We’re not under it.”
James exhaled in relief.
“…Thank goodness.”
Ash walked past him toward the kitchen.
“…Yet.”
James froze.
Jessie burst into laughter.
Meowth slammed the counter.
“ROUND TWO!”
And above the quiet Pokémon Center. The mistletoe swayed happily.
Still causing trouble.