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The Pokémon Center’s main hall buzzed with the warm, relaxed energy that came with the holidays.
Lights twinkled across the ceiling, ribbons hung from the walls, and a tall Christmas tree stood in the corner surrounded by trainers and Pokémon resting after long journeys.
Serena stood near one of the windows, watching the snowfall outside.
Hoenn snow felt different from Kalos somehow.
Maybe it was just the change of scenery.
Or maybe it was the company.
Behind her, laughter drifted from the main group.
Ash was animatedly explaining something, probably a battle.
Dawn was chiming in with enthusiastic commentary.
May’s voice joined them a moment later.
Serena smiled slightly at the sound.
May always laughed easily.
Serena had admired that from the moment they met.
Their friendship had formed quickly.
Almost naturally.
When two performers spent time together, certain things didn’t need to be explained.
They understood stage nerves.
They understood practice routines that lasted hours.
They understood the strange mix of excitement and fear that came with stepping into a spotlight.
May walked up beside her quietly.
“You’re thinking again.”
Serena glanced at her.
“…Is it that obvious?”
May smiled.
“A little.”
Serena laughed softly.
“Sorry.”
May leaned against the window beside her, looking out at the snow.
“Don’t be.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The quiet wasn’t awkward.
Just comfortable.
May broke the silence first.
“You’ve gotten really confident.”
Serena blinked.
“Me?”
May nodded.
“Yeah.”
She tilted her head slightly.
“When I first met you, you were a lot more nervous.”
Serena rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.
“…I still get nervous.”
“Everyone does.”
May smiled warmly.
“But you keep going anyway.”
Serena felt her cheeks warm slightly.
“Coming from you, that means a lot.”
May laughed.
“Well, I know how hard it is.”
Her gaze drifted briefly toward the others across the room.
“Performing in front of people never really gets easy.”
Serena nodded.
“Yeah.”
She glanced at May.
“…But it gets worth it.”
May smiled again.
And for a moment, Serena noticed something she hadn’t before.
The way May’s expression softened when she talked about performing.
The quiet determination behind her cheerful personality.
Serena looked away quickly.
“…You’re really inspiring, you know.”
May blinked.
“Me?”
Serena nodded.
“Yeah.”
She smiled a little shyly.
“Watching you compete when I was younger helped me decide I wanted to become a Performer.”
May looked genuinely surprised.
“…I didn’t know that.”
Serena laughed softly.
“I didn’t think I’d ever tell you.”
May leaned her shoulder lightly against Serena’s.
“Well I’m glad you did.”
Serena felt that small contact more than she expected.
Not uncomfortable.
Just… noticeable.
Outside, snow continued falling gently.
Inside, the Pokémon Center glowed with warm light.
And neither of them noticed the mistletoe hanging quietly above the nearby doorway.
Not yet.
The night in the Pokémon Center grew quieter as the evening went on.
Ash’s battle story had eventually turned into a discussion about travel plans, which somehow turned into a friendly argument between him and Dawn about which region had the toughest Gym Leaders.
Pikachu and Piplup were involved now.
It was loud.
Very loud.
Serena and May exchanged the same amused look.
May laughed softly.
“They’re going to be like this all night, aren’t they?”
Serena smiled.
“Probably.”
May glanced toward the hallway leading deeper into the Pokémon Center.
“Want to escape for a bit?”
Serena nodded immediately.
“Yes, please.”
They slipped away quietly while the
others were distracted.
The hallway was peaceful compared to the busy lobby.
Warm lights glowed softly against the walls, and the distant sounds of Ash and the others arguing faded into a gentle background murmur.
Serena exhaled.
“That’s better.”
May stretched her arms slightly.
“Much.”
They walked slowly down the hallway
together.
For a while they didn’t say anything.
Not because there was nothing to say.
But because the quiet felt nice.
Eventually May spoke again.
“You really meant what you said earlier?”
Serena glanced at her.
“About what?”
“About me inspiring you.”
Serena nodded.
“Of course I did.”
She smiled a little.
“When I watched your contests when I
was younger, you always looked like you were having so much fun.”
May laughed softly.
“Well… sometimes I was terrified.”
Serena blinked.
“Really?”
“Oh yeah.”
May rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.
“Half the time I was just hoping I didn’t
mess up.”
Serena giggled.
“That’s exactly how I feel before performances.”
“See?”
May smiled.
“Same world.”
Serena looked at her again.
And for a moment something about that thought settled quietly in her chest.
Same world.
Same stage.
Same dreams.
They understood each other in ways that most people probably didn’t.
Serena slowed slightly.
“…I’m really glad we met.”
May looked surprised.
Then her expression softened.
“Me too.”
They stopped walking near one of the Pokémon Center doorways.
May leaned lightly against the wall.
Serena stood beside her.
And that was when Serena noticed something above them.
“…Oh.”
May blinked.
“What?”
Serena pointed upward.
May followed her gaze.
Hanging just above the doorway was a small sprig of mistletoe tied neatly with a red ribbon.
For a second neither of them said anything.
Then May laughed quietly.
“…Of course.”
Serena smiled.
“Holiday traditions.”
May looked at the mistletoe again.
Then back at Serena.
“…Guess we walked right into that.”
Serena felt her cheeks warm slightly.
But strangely, she didn’t step away.
Neither of them did.
The hallway was quiet.
Snow continued falling outside the nearby window.
May tilted her head slightly.
“…Do you believe in stuff like this?”
Serena thought about it.
“…Maybe.”
May raised an eyebrow.
“Maybe?”
Serena laughed softly.
“I think some traditions just give people an excuse to do things they were already thinking about.”
May blinked.
Then smiled slowly.
“…That’s actually a pretty good theory.”
Serena’s heart fluttered slightly.
And for the first time that evening, neither of them seemed in a hurry to move out from under the mistletoe.
The mistletoe swayed slightly above them.
Serena and May both looked up at it again.
Then back at each other.
Neither of them moved.
Serena felt that familiar nervous flutter she usually only experienced right before stepping onto a stage.
But this wasn’t a performance.
There was no audience.
Just the quiet hallway, the warm glow of the Pokémon Center lights, and May standing only a step away.
May leaned back against the wall lightly, arms loosely folded, studying the small sprig of mistletoe above them.
“…You know,” she said thoughtfully,
“when I was younger, Drew once tried to trap me under mistletoe during a Christmas contest.”
Serena blinked.
“Really?”
May nodded.
“Oh yeah.”
She laughed quietly at the memory.
“I ran away immediately.”
Serena giggled.
“That sounds about right.”
May smiled.
“Yeah.”
Then her smile softened slightly as she looked back at Serena.
“…Funny thing though.”
Serena tilted her head.
“What?”
May gestured lightly around them.
“I’m not running away this time.”
Serena’s heart skipped.
The words weren’t dramatic.
May hadn’t even said them in a particularly serious tone.
But they settled in the quiet space between them all the same.
Serena looked up once more at the mistletoe.
Then down again.
“…Me neither.”
The realization didn’t hit all at once.
It had probably been building for a while.
In shared conversations.
In quiet walks.
In the way they naturally ended up beside each other without really thinking about it.
Serena stepped a little closer.
Not much.
Just enough that she could see the faint pink in May’s cheeks.
May noticed.
But she didn’t move back.
Instead she smiled slightly.
“…Your theory might be right.”
Serena blinked.
“My theory?”
“About mistletoe giving people an excuse.”
Serena laughed softly.
“…Oh.”
For a moment they just stood there.
Two performers who understood stage fright, timing, and the importance of small moments.
Except this moment wasn’t planned.
And neither of them wanted to overthink it.
Serena’s voice came out quieter than she expected.
“…Do you want the excuse?”
May tilted her head slightly.
Then shrugged.
“…Maybe.”
That was enough.
Serena leaned forward.
The kiss was gentle.
Unhurried.
More like the beginning of a question
than the answer to one.
For a second May froze in surprise.
Then she relaxed into it just as softly.
When they pulled back, neither of them spoke immediately.
Serena felt warm.
Not embarrassed.
Just… thoughtful.
May looked at her with a quiet smile.
“…Okay.”
Serena laughed softly.
“…Okay.”
The mistletoe swayed above them.
And for the first time, the tradition had done exactly what Serena suspected it was meant to do.
It opened the door.
Now they just had to decide what came next.
For a moment after the kiss, neither Serena nor May moved.
Not because it had been shocking.
But because it hadn’t been.
It had felt… natural.
Serena looked at May carefully, half expecting some kind of awkward laugh or nervous apology.
Instead May was smiling.
Softly.
Like she was thinking through something important.
Serena laughed a little under her breath.
“…Well.”
May glanced at her.
“…Well.”
They both looked up briefly at the mistletoe still hanging above the doorway.
May shook her head with a quiet laugh.
“Funny how something that small can cause so much trouble.”
Serena smiled.
“Or open doors.”
May looked back at her.
“…Yeah.”
The words settled between them again, but this time they didn’t feel uncertain.
Just new.
May pushed herself gently away from the wall.
“We should probably go back before Ash sends out a search party.”
Serena giggled.
“Or Bonnie.”
May’s eyes widened slightly.
“Oh no.”
Serena laughed again.
“She’d never let us hear the end of it.”
They started walking back toward the lobby together.
This time the silence between them felt different.
Still comfortable.
But now there was a quiet awareness beneath it.
Their shoulders brushed once.
Neither of them pulled away.
The Pokémon Center lobby was still lively.
Ash was now enthusiastically reenacting part of his earlier battle.
“And then Pikachu jumped and-”
“Pika!”
Dawn clapped.
“That was amazing!”
Brock laughed.
“You’ve told that story three times.”
Ash grinned.
“Yeah but this time I added the part where-”
Bonnie suddenly spotted Serena and May returning.
Her eyes narrowed immediately.
“…Hmm.”
Serena sat down beside the group.
May took the seat next to her.
Ash barely paused his storytelling.
“Hey! Where’d you guys go?”
Serena smiled casually.
“Just went for a walk.”
Ash nodded.
“Cool.”
Then continued talking without another thought.
Typical.
Bonnie, however, was watching them very closely.
Her gaze flicked between Serena and May.
Then she leaned toward Clemont and whispered loudly,
“…Something happened.”
Clemont blinked.
“What?”
Bonnie pointed subtly.
“Look.”
Clemont followed her gaze.
Serena and May were listening to Ash’s story.
But they were sitting slightly closer than
before.
Their shoulders touched lightly.
Neither seemed to notice.
Clemont adjusted his glasses thoughtfully.
“…Ah.”
Bonnie grinned.
“I knew it.”
Across the table, Serena glanced at May.
May caught the look.
They shared a small, quiet smile.
Nothing dramatic.
Nothing anyone else would immediately question.
But it was enough.
Because neither of them felt the need to explain it yet.
The mistletoe had only opened the door.
The rest…
They would figure out together.
The Pokémon Center had grown quiet.
Most of the lights in the lobby had dimmed, leaving only the soft glow of the Christmas tree and the gentle hum of the heating system. Outside, snow continued to fall steadily, covering the town in a peaceful white blanket.
Serena stepped out onto the small balcony just outside the Pokémon Center’s side door.
Cold air brushed against her cheeks, but she didn’t mind.
She rested her hands on the railing and watched the snow drift down under the streetlights.
A few seconds later, the door behind her opened again.
Serena didn’t need to turn around.
“…Hey,” May said softly.
Serena smiled.
“Hey.”
May stepped out beside her, closing the door quietly behind them.
For a moment they just stood there together, looking out over the snowy street.
The quiet felt familiar now.
Comfortable.
May spoke first.
“So…”
Serena laughed softly.
“…So.”
May rubbed the back of her neck, a little sheepishly.
“I’ve been thinking.”
Serena glanced at her.
“That sounds serious.”
May smiled.
“Not serious-serious.”
She paused.
“Just… thinking about earlier.”
Serena felt her cheeks warm slightly again.
“…Yeah.”
May looked down at the snow-covered
street.
“I didn’t expect that to happen tonight.”
Serena nodded.
“Me neither.”
Another small pause settled between them.
Not awkward.
Just thoughtful.
May leaned her elbows on the railing beside Serena.
“…But I don’t regret it.”
Serena turned toward her slightly.
“Neither do I.”
The words came easily.
May smiled at that.
Then she looked back out at the snow again.
“The only problem is…”
Serena tilted her head.
“What?”
May laughed quietly.
“We’re both always traveling.”
Serena nodded slowly.
Contests.
Showcases.
Different regions.
Different paths.
They both knew that part of the journey well.
“But,” Serena said after a moment, “we still meet people along the way.”
May glanced at her.
“Yeah.”
Serena smiled.
“And sometimes we meet people who… matter.”
May’s expression softened.
“…Yeah.”
Serena looked back out over the snowy street.
“I don’t think we have to figure everything out tonight.”
May nodded.
“That’s kind of what I was thinking too.”
Serena laughed quietly.
“Good.”
They stood there a little longer.
Snowflakes drifted past the balcony railing.
The world felt calm.
Peaceful.
Then May nudged Serena lightly with her shoulder.
“So what happens next?”
Serena smiled thoughtfully.
“…We keep traveling.”
May nodded.
“And?”
Serena looked at her.
“And we see where the road takes us.”
May considered that for a moment.
Then smiled.
“…I like that plan.”
Serena laughed softly.
“Good.”
For a second they simply stood there together again.
Then May leaned forward slightly and pressed a quick kiss to Serena’s cheek.
Serena blinked in surprise.
May grinned.
“Just in case the mistletoe isn’t around next time.”
Serena laughed.
“…I’ll remember that.”
Inside the Pokémon Center, the Christmas tree lights twinkled quietly.
Outside, the snow kept falling.
And somewhere ahead on the road, whatever came next would be something they discovered together.