December 21st

1996

7:31 A.M. 

The families were preparing for a wonderful day at the beach, right after consuming a delicious and nutrional breakfast served to them by Room Service. Angelina was in the bathroom located within her bedroom, making sure her little brother was ready for the day. The grass snake already had her pink swimsuit on. 

“Alright little brother, now I’m going to put your swim-trunks on to cover your light-blue cloth swim diaper.” said the grass snake.

“Okay, sissy!” said Nick as he laid on the bathroom floor. 

The snivy gently put both of his legs through the holes in the bathing suit, making sure they were in the correction section for the purpose of wearing it correctly. She then pulled it up to his waist, and tightened the little sash on the front of it. It felt a bit unusual to the pup. 

“I know its feels tight, but that’s to make sure it doesn’t fall off.” said Angelina.

“Ooh, okay.” said Nick.

After getting her little brother prepared, she picked him up and brought him to the living room where their parents were waiting for them. Ranae had gotten the diaper bag ready ahead of time, Lonstan was wearing the same shirt he had yesterday, along with those shorts. His wife was wearing a pink and green topical-themed dress. 

“Ready for the trip, kiddos?” asked Ranae.

“Yes mom!” said the grass snake.

“Ahuh!” exclaimed the pup.

“Very good, let’s meet the Morrisons down on the first floor! But first… sunscreen!” said the serperior. 

Ranae got some sunscreen from her purse, and used her vines to squeeze some out of the tube. Making sure to apply some to her little boy and her daughter, not wanting them to get sunburn. While the pup may not easily get burned due to his fur, it’s still a possibility. She didn’t want to take any chances.

Once finished, the Marbettes headed down to the first floor and saw the Morrisons standing by a man in a tuxedo who waited for them to arrive. There was a black Limo Truck waiting for them outside, which was decorated with Christmas lights. 

“Hello, it’s good to see you are prepared for a wonderful day at the beach. Kukui told me to prepare transport for you folks!” said the man. 

“We have our own personal transport to the beach, rather nice isn’t it?” asked Adrian.

“Yeah… that is nice! I was personally thinking of slithering there myself, but I do appreciate not having to walk everywhere.” Ranae. 

“How convenient.” said Lonstan. 

“Follow me please, and I’ll get you to the beach in a jiffy!” said the man. 

The chauffeur escorted them to the vehicle and opened the passenger doors in the back, waiting for them to buckle their seatbelts. Once they finished, the man went over to the driver side and got inside. He started the engine and drove them off to the beach.
This wasn’t a very long trip, for it only took ten minutes to arrive at the destination. The beach itself was a bit busy since there were a lot of tourists on vacation. The most wonderful aspect about this beach was how clean it was, since Alolan Grimers are hired to help keep it free from litter. 

After the transport vehicle was parked, the doors were opened by the chauffeur after he exited the vehicle. Watching as they stepped out of the back, making sure they made a safe exit. 

While that happened, a female maid in a business suit approached them and said to them “Welcome to Hau’oli City Beach, please follow me to your personal beach spot. You’ll love what you see!” 

“Nice… I like the sound of that!” said the serperior.

“Let’s go kiddos!” said the gallade.

“Follow behind us, Ritha.” said the honchkrow. 

Both of the families followed the female maid to the personal spot on the beach, they were going quite far up the beach. It had gotten a little quieter since they weren’t near the most populated area. 

Upon reaching the personal spot, they were lead inside by the maid that was escorting them. It was a medium-sized gated area with a metal fence that surrounded it. This peaceful part of the beach had these amenities: personal bar and kitchen, private bathroom, wooden chest with beach toys, beach chairs with umbrellas, and a wooden table with chairs to sit at when having food. 

“Oh my… I didn’t really expect all this from a private area for the beach. It’s so fancy…” said Ranae.

“It’s all yours to utilize while you’re on vacation here, please enjoy it!” said the maid as she headed off. 

“Angelina, would you please take your little brother to the beach?” asked Lonstan.
“Sure daddy, I’m sure he’d love to. He’s already excited to play on the beach!” said Angelina as she looked at her little brother. “Right Nickster?”

“Beach! Beach! Yay!” exclaimed Nick as he wagged his tail. 

His big sister brought him over to the wooden chest and got out some sand-castle toys for helping make sand castles on the sand. They were in a small little bag, which was a perfect carrying case. The vullaby reached into the wooden storage chest and pulled out a bucket to collect sea shells with. 

“I’m going to collect sea-shells, and no… you can’t collect them with me.” Ritha said to the pup. 

“That’s fine then, he’s already going to be building sand castles either way.” said Angelina as she glanced at her little brother. “Come on, let’s go have some fun!”

While Angelina headed off with her little brother to have some fun at the beach, Ranae and Lonstan sat at the personal bar and ordered some tropical cocktails. Adrian followed behind his daughter, to make sure there was no trouble

Once they found the perfect spot, the two started digging up some sand and putting into the sand-castle molds in order to make the sandy buildings they desired to build. The grass snake worked on making a little river while her young brother focused on the main building aspect. 

While all that happened, off in the short distance was a Delibird who was speaking with Tapu Koko. He was wearing a red and green postman cap, while holding a large and red magical sack that stored many gifts. 

“So… how are you enjoying this short break of yours?” asked the guardian deity. 

“It’s actually great! The Grand Gumshoes Hotel is a wonderful place to stay at, and the food at its four-star restaurant is definitely worth trying!” said the Delibird. 
“That’s good to hear, I’ve heard alot about you and the hardwork you do, Mister Delibird: The Gift Giver. You bring joy to everyone around the world, which itself is an enduring task.” said Tapu Koko.

“It may not be easy, but I tell you… its worth every moment during the holiday season. To see the smile on a child’s face, when they wake up on Christmas day, to see piles of presents waiting for them. But it’s not just about the presents, but about spending time with those you love. Spreading kindness to those who are feeling down.” said Mister Delibird.

“Here in Alola, we celebrate the holidays in a similar way that other regions do. The only difference is, it goes on for an additional two weeks after Christmas is over. We call it: The Weeks of Kindness. During this, the people of Alola focus on acts of kindness, such as feeding the hungry and supporting those who don’t have homes.” said the guardian deity. 

“Wow, that’s a wonderful thing. No doubt about it!” said the gift giver. 

While Nick was working on his sand-castle, he glanced off into the distance and saw the red Delibird talking with a rooster-like pokemon. He was rather curious and stopped for a moment. His eyes were drawn to their appearance, especially that big red sack. 

“Hey Nickster, is there someth- oh!” said Angelina as she looked onwards. “Is that… it must be! Tapu Koko and Mister Delibird!”

“I want to meet them, pwease!” said the pup.

“Alright, let’s go and introduce ourselves to them.” said the grass snake as she took her little brother over there.

Ritha was passing by the two, planning to gloat about her bucket of collected sea-shells, only to see that they were walking over to Mister Delibird and the guardian deity of Melemele Island. She noticed that big red sack and was immediately surprised. 

“Oh my goodness… its Mister Delibird, and that… must be Tapu Koko! The perfect opportunity to get an early gift! Here I come!” exclaimed Ritha as she ran to catch up with them.

“Ritha, slow down! You might trip and drop your shells!” exclaimed Adrian as he chased after her. 

Mister Delibird and Tapu Koko heard the noise, looking off to the right of themselves. It appeared they had some visitors that wanted to see them. They weren’t expecting to have anyone come up to them in person, but it was bound to happen somehow.

“Hello there kiddos, I am Mister Delibird: The Gift Giver. It’s a pleasure to meet you!” said the Delibird. 

“Greetings young ones, I am Tapu Koko. The guardian deity of this island. I’ve never seen such unique pokemon like you two. This shiny one here… is different somehow.” said Tapu Koko after introducing themselves.

“Oooh, I know who they are! That’s Nicholas Marbette, the orphan adopted from Blisswood Orphanage! It’s good to see him in good health!” said the gift giver. 

“I’m Angelina, his big sister.” said the grass snake. “We’ve been caring for him ever since we adopted him last year. His former mother abandoned him before birth.”

“I’m sorry to hear about that, little one…” said the guardian deity who felt great empathy for him. “Do you like your family?”

“Ahuh, I do! I rweally do!” said the pup.

“Excellent, when it comes to family… its always of the utmost important to cherish them and take care of each other in times of need. I sense something in you, little one. A gentle heart that wants to show friendliness, someone with the potential for great compassion.” explained Tapu Koko.

“That’s why both of them are on the Nice List for this year!” said Mister Delibird who grabbed his long list from the sack he was carrying. “This also includes the rest of his family as well! I’ve heard all about him. My magical tracker in my mail truck keeps an eye on all the children of the world.”

“Mister Delibird… Tapu Koko!” exclaimed Ritha as she came running in, gently dropping her bucket of sea-shells while her father followed in behind her. 

“Who is this? A friend of yours?” The guardian deity asked. 

“I know who that is… Ritha Morrison. She’s a mean neighborhood bully that always picks on the kids in her hometown. She’s on the Naughty List for this year! No presents for her!” said the delibird as he put the list away. 

“I believe that she has a lot of growing to do, she is like clay that has yet to be molded into something beautiful.” said Tapu Koko. 

“I keep trying to correct her behavior, but my wife always encourages it and makes it worse.” said the Honchkrow. 

“Come on Mister Delibird, can’t I have an early present?! Who cares about who I bully?! It’s who I am!” Ritha angrily shouts.

“Have you ever thought about the consequences of your actions? How about those kids you bullied? How do they feel about it?” asked Mister Delibird.

“I…. uh….” said the vullaby while staring at the flying-type in anger. “Confound it!”

“Thought so, unless you turn your behavior around… you’ll be getting nothing for Christmas!” said the gift giver in a stern tone. 

“I appreciate the congregation of visitors, but I must get going. Farewell young ones, and may your journey in life be plentiful and filled with kindness. To the little bird who is mean to others, your actions will mold you into who you are, so be wise in your next commitment of actions.” said Tapu Koko as they flew away into the sky. 

The Delibird watched with amazement as they flew away, along with the others who were standing near him. The pup was happy that he was able to meet such a unique pokemon, it was such a wonderful experience

“What will you do now, Mister Delibird?” Angelina asked.

“I’m going to head back to my hotel room, maybe I’ll ask for room service.” said Mister Delibird as he smiled at the pup, patting him on the head. “You’ve been such a good boy this year, have a wonderful holiday!”

The gang watched as the Delibird walked away from them, and made his way back to hotel room he was staying in. The vullaby and her father walked back to the private spot on the beach, while Nick and her sister returned to making sandcastles. 

Ten minutes later…

The two kids finished making their sandcastle town, watching as their father walked over to them while holding a camera in his hands. They were proud of what they had made, it was a beautiful piece of art to them. 

“Dada! Dada! Look what I mwade with sissy!” said Nick.

“That’s great sport, let me get a picture you and your sister!” said Lonstan as he got close enough and knelt down onto the ground. Making sure not to step on their creation. “Alright now… say Alola!”

“Alola!” they exclaimed.

Lonstan would snap a picture of them, and made sure that it looked good. He was pleased with the results that were shown on the screen. His daughter and son came over to see how it turned out, and they liked it! 

“It looks wonderful, thank you dad!” said Angelina.

“You’re welcome my daughter, now… how about we pack it up and head back to the site? We’re going shopping at the Pink Palm store, it was recommended by the man who worked at the personal drink bar.” said the gallade.

“Yes daddy!” said Nick.

The two kids began to clean up and place the toys back into the bag they carried them in, following their father back to the private site they were assigned. Those who were still at the personal spot were making sure to clean up after themselves, before leaving to go shopping.

Angelina and Nick told their mother about how they encountered Tapu Koko and Mister Delibird, including how great of an experience it was to see them in person. Ranae smiled towards them and said “That’s great to hear, I’m glad you two got to meet the special visitors. It’ll make a wonderful memory, I’m sure of it!”

Once everything was cleaned up, both of the families headed off to the Pink Palm store by taking the vehicle that brought them to the beach. It didn’t take them long to get to their destination since everything in the city was close-by. They exited the vehicle and went inside the store once they had arrived, Ranae told the chauffeur that they wanted to enjoy taking a stroll in the city. The man understood and drove back to the hotel. 

The interior of the store had cream-colored walls with white marble floors, it was a fancy clothing store with many selections for people of all ages. A female alolan raichu in a suit greeted them upon entering the facility, hovering on her tail like a surfboard. 

“Alola, and welcome to the Pink Palm! I’ve heard about you from Kukui. Are you here to get some new trendy tropical clothing? You may call me Alexa.” asked the hovering raichu. 

“Yes ma’am, we got recommended this place by the man who was running the personal bar at our private site on the beach.” said Ranae. 

“We’ve got plenty of wonderful clothes for you to choose from, and the best part… it’s all free since you’ve all been selected as winners of the tropical sweepstakes. Don’t worry about taking out your credit card, just enjoy your time.” said the raichu.

“Thank you so much, we appreciate it!” said Angelina.

“No problem at all, go ahead and enjoy yourselves. Please call for me if you need any assistance. Bathrooms are located near the left side of the changing room.” said Alexa. 

They went their separate ways and began looking around at all the clothing they could choose from, it seemed so vast because of all clothing options. Nick curiously stared at the hovering raichu as he followed along with his sister.

Angelina went to the girl’s section while her mother decided to peruse the children’s section. It didn’t take her long to find a variety of clothes that might look cute on her son. She’d pick out a green tropical palm-tree button-up shirt, two pairs of shorts, light-blue cloth diaper that came with a diaper cover, and a sunhat with a light-blue stripe.

“Come on Nick, let’s go into the changing room and try these clothes on.” said Ranae as she slithered to the changing room while having her son follow closely behind her. She had the diaper bag around her neck for the moment, just in case her little puppy needed a change.

The two entered the changing room, and found an unoccupied stall to change clothes in. The serperior slowly took off Nick’s bathing suit, and carefully started putting the shirt on him, making sure to put his arms through the sleeves and buttoning it afterwards.

Ranae liked how the shirt looked on him and said “That looks perfect, I’ll let you keep it on son!” as she pulled out the first pair of shorts that she wanted to have her boy try on.

Just as she was about to do that, the pup felt his stomach emit a quiet gurgling sound as his tail flagged upwards. The little pup bent his knees as he started quietly grunting to himself. The mother sighed and chuckled to herself, using her vines to give her son a gentle pat on the back. 

“Go ahead and relieve yourself hun. Let it all out.” said the serperior. 

“Hnnngh! Mmmmpgh!”

FRRRRT! BLORT! BLRT! SMURSH!  

The little fighting type let out a sigh of relief as he felt the back of his cloth swim diaper sag downwards from the several mid-sized loads he was depositing. His mother was surprised by how saggy it was, it was almost to his knees! She said to her son, “I guess that stack of pancakes you had for breakfast made its way out.”

“Mushy!” exclaimed Nick as he looked at his saggy diaper in the mirror, giggling as he watched it sway back and forth like a pendulum. His mother giggled in response to her little boy acting so silly while in the changing room. 

“Now its time for a diaper change, can’t try on clothes while your in a saggy diaper!” said Ranae as she used her vines to pick up the boy, slithering over to the bathroom to get him changed. 

Twenty minutes later…

Both families had finished their shopping trip and exited the store with the bag of items that were bought. Angelina decided to get a sunhat with a pink pinstripe going across it, while her mother had bought one pair of black shorts, the green tropical button-up shirt, the cloth diaper that came with a diaper cover, and the sunhat with the blue stripe. Nick was wearing the shirt that was gotten for him, along with the black shorts.

Ritha had picked out a pink and black swimsuit with a tropical flower pattern, along with pink-rimmed sunglasses and a black fedora with pink stripes to look stylish. Randa and Adrian didn’t buy anything because they didn’t find anything they desired.

“Find everything you wanted, folks?” asked Alexa.

“We certainly did, and had a wonderful time.” said Angelina.

“That’s great! Have a good day folks!” said the alolan raichu.

With their clothing shopping finished, the families had exited the store and began their trip back to the hotel room at the Grand Gumshoos Hotel. Nick looked around at all the Christmas lights that decorated the various stores that they passed, they were so bright and colorful. 

The traffic was pretty busy today due to everyone getting ready for the holidays, especially with gifts to buy, food to be made, and even decorations to be set up. While they walked along the sidewalk, the pup noticed a truck with circular brooms driving by.

“Momma, what’s that?” the pup asked as he stared at the truck.

“That’s a sweeper truck, sweetie. They help collect trash and deposit into a storage for being brought elsewhere. It helps keeps the road clean.” said Ranae. 

“Oooh, it looks cwool!” said Nick.

“That explains how clean the city is, which makes it very appealing to tourists.” said Adrian.

“Can’t argue with that.” said Lonstan.

On the way back, the parents of both families had decided to purchase some malasadas from a local food stand. They wanted to give their children a small treat to snack on while they walked. While Ritha was munching on hers, a mischievous wingfull flew in from above and snatched it from her wings.

“Mine!” said the wingull as it flew away.

“Hey, that was mine to have! I was enjoying that!” shouted Ritha. “Now I can’t eat it….”

The gang stopped in place after hearing about what happened, Nick stopped eating his own malasada when he heard the commotion. Adrian was quite shocked, and saddened. The vullaby looked up at the sky angrily and began pouting. What she didn’t notice was the pup approaching from behind, tapping her on the shoulder.

The baby bird turned around and was surprised to see Nick holding out his half-eaten chocolate Malasada right in front of her. She was shocked to see him offering it to her. “Wait… your giving that to me?! I don’t want it… you already put your paws and mouth on it!”

“I want to shware!” said Nick.

“Sharing?! I don’t want it!” said Ritha as she looked at it. 

The vullaby was surprised to see that the pup was being nice to her, even after all the times she had bullied him and made him cry! It put her into a state of disbelief for a second before she changed her mind, gently taking the treat from him as she said “Thank you…” and proceeded to eat the whole thing. 

“That was very nice, thank you.” the Honchrow said.

“You’re welcwome!” said the pup.

“Good job, little brother!” said Angelina.

“Proud of you, son!” said the gallade. 

“So sweet of you, my little boy!” said the serperior. 

The families returned to their respective hotel suites, in order to rest up for the day since they had so much fun at the beach. Ritha was sitting on the couch with her father, watching some television while being deep in thought about everything she had experienced so far.

“Why… why is he being so nice to me? After all the bullying I’ve done to him, and yet… he showed kindness anyways. Do I even deserve such a thing?” Ritha thought to herself as her mood changed to sadness. 

Her father noticed the sudden change in mood, and decided to speak with her in order to investigate the reason why. It was quite a curiosity to him. 

“What’s wrong my daughter?” asked Adrian.

“Daddy… I just don’t understand… why is that kid being so nice to me?” asked Ritha. 

“I believe its because he wants to be friends with you.” said the Honchkrow. 

“But I have plenty of friends, even if they are bully friends.” said the baby bird.

“Yes, but one more doesn’t hurt, does it?” Adrian inquired.
“No… it doesn’t hurt to have one more friend. In fact… there is no limit to how many friends you can have.” said Ritha as her father gave her a gentle pat on the back. 

“That’s right my daughter, and your mean actions may cause more consequences down the road if they don’t cease.” said the honchkrow. “You have the chance of being shown kindness, just like everyone else.”

The little vullaby stopped and did some thinking for twenty-five seconds, thinking about all the actions she had committed and the consequences that came along with it. She then decided to make an important decision that would change her life. 

“Daddy… after some thinking. I’m no longer going to be the neigherhood bully!” said the vullaby happily.

The mother would hear this decision from the kitchen and walked over to her daughter, she was slightly terrified of this change in heart. Adrian looked at his wife, seeing that she was trying to possibly interfere in this. He shook his head and whispered to her “Let it happen, this needs to happen. For our daughter and her future.”

“So daddy? Can I go apologize to Nick?” asked Ritha.

The Honchkrow smiled and looked towards her daughter, giving an approving nod and got up from the couch in order to take her to the room they were staying in. He was proud of his little girl making such a change to her behavior. It seems that it required a touch of kindness. 

“Yes, let’s get going.” said Adrian. 

The two headed out of their hotel suite and approached the door to the Sitrus Berry Suite, knocking on it four times. The serperior opened the door and said “Hey Adrian and Ritha, what I can do for you?”

“Ritha would like to see your son.” said Adrian. 

“Come on in, he’s in the living room with Angelina.” said Ranae as she invited them in. 

Nick and his big sister were watching a Christmas Special on television when they heard footsteps approaching the living room. Angelina looked over and tapped her little brother on the shoulder to get his attention. 

“Hmm?” asked the pup.

“We’ve got visitors.” said Angelina. 

“Oh?” asked Nick as he turned around and saw the vullaby who was standing next to her father. 

The little fighting-type approached the dark flying type, curious about what they wanted. Ritha took a deep breath in and said “Nicholas… I am sorry for all the bullying I’ve done to you! I appreciate the kindness you have shown me, something that I didn’t expect of you. I’d like to become… friends with you!”

“Okway!” exclaimed Nick happily as the little pup gently gave her a hug. 

Angelina and her father were watching the whole scene take place, smiling towards them. They were happy that the two had started to form a friendship between each other. It was certainly a change in heart from the one who used to be the neighborhood bully. 

After that was finished, Adrian and Ritha headed back to their hotel suite in order to relax for the rest of the day. The serperior smiled as she headed back over to the couch to watch some television with her family. Nick was very happy that the bully who always troubled him had changed to a friend. 

For evening’s dinner, the Marbettes decided to order a three-course sea food meal through Room Service. This was to celebrate the formation of a new friendship. Kukui came to check up on them, just to make sure everything was going well. He knocked on the door, waiting to be let into the room. Lonstan decided to answer the door. 

“Hey Lonstan, how is everything?” asked Kukui.

“It’s going great, we are celebrating a new friendship. Ritha decided to have a change of heart and become friends with our son.” said the gallade.

“That’s wonderful! See? I knew that they’d become friends!” said the owner.

“All it took was a small amount of kindness.” said Lonstan.

“Just like in the slogan.” said Kukui. 

“Come in and join us!” said the gallade as he invited him in. 

“I appreciate it, but I have to get back to work. But… I have one recommendation for both of your families.” said the man.

“Go ahead and say it.” said Lonstan.

“Melemelee Meadows is a wonderful place to visit, its a beautiful place filled with a plentiful bounty of yellow flowers. You’ll even see plenty of Oricorios there as well!” said the man. 

“I think we’ll take that opportunity… I shall see you around. Thank you!” said the gallade as he gently closed the door and headed back to the dining room table to join them for dinner.

The Morrisons were actually having a similar celebrating in their hotel suite as well, it was certainly something joyous to celebrate. While the mother didn’t quite approve of her daughter changing behaviors, she accepted it and let it happen since there was nothing she could do. Adrian was happy that he was able to correct his daughter’s behavior at last.

******
December 22nd

1996

7:31 A.M. 

Main Floor

After feasting on a wonderful breakfast in their hotel suites, both families met downstairs after getting ready since they agreed to head over to Melemele Meadows for part of today’s routine. Nicholas was in his new tropical clothing, while Ritha was in her usual dress. 

“Are we all ready to go?” asked Adrian.

“I’ve got the diaper bag prepared, in case anyone needs any diaper changes.”  said Angelina.

“Got my purse with me.” said Ranae.

“I’m prepared with my wallet and carry-on bag.” replied Lonstan.

“Good, let’s get going!” said the Honchrow. 

The gang headed out to the Limo Truck and instructed the chauffeur to bring them to Melemele Meadow. He nodded and responded with “Excellent choice, I’ve been there before. It’s a wonderful place to go in case you need to get away from the crowds” 

They piled into the Limo Truck and buckled their seatbelts, the vullaby would be sitting next to her new friend since she didn’t need to hate him anymore. The two even shared toys between each other as they were being driven to the destination. It was a harmonious start to a wonderful friendship.
The families arrived at Melemele Meadow after twenty five minutes, and waited for the driver to park the car outside the entrance. There wasn’t anything to indicate that there was a price to get in, so it was free to enter. The chauffeur went to the back of the vehicle and opened the doors, watching as both families gently made their exit. 

“Have a wonderful time, I shall be waiting for you here!” said the chauffeur. 

“Thank you for your service!” said Lonstan.

The driver nodded and got back into the driver side of the truck, watching as they went through the entrance that lead to the meadow itself.

Upon entering the area, they encountered a group of Pom Pom Oricorios giving them a warm welcome by doing a special dance, similar to how cheerleaders performed at sports games. 

After it was finished, one of the Oricorios, a female, approached them and said “Welcome to Melemele Meadow, my name is Mella. We’ve got wonderful yellow flowers, and a little cafe at the end of the path. Before you go, we have a few rules: don’t climb over the fencing, and don’t bother the other Oricorios. We’ve had to replant the flowers multiple times due to troublesome kids climbing the fence. However… its not against the rules to ask important questions to the other Oricorios.”

“Understandable, thank you for the information.” said Angelina.

“Don’t worry, we’ll keep an eye on our kids.” said Ranae.

“Very good, please enjoy yourself while you’re here!” said Mella.

The group of Oriocoro flew off to find some nectar to drink from the yellow flowers, allowing the families to go and look around at the beautiful nature of this meadow. It was quite peaceful here, and barely any noise to account for. It’s no wonder why the chauffeur said it was a great place to visit. One can find peace of mind in this beautiful meadow. 

At one moment of the trip, they all stopped in order to get a group picture since they hadn’t gotten a photo of everyone together. But they were wondering how they could get a photo of everyone, nobody had a camera stand with them. So it would prove a bit difficult to find a way.

“Oh dear, how will we find a way to do this?” asked Ranae.

“We could put it on the fence.” said Lonstan.

“That would be a problem, the camera would just fall into the flowers.” said Adrian. 

“I can help with that!” said a teenage employee who was walking by. “I’ll hold the camera for you.”

“Thank you, dear.” said the serperior. 

The whole family got together in order to face the camera, the children were placed in front since they were smaller and needed to be seen. The employee got the camera positioned, and adjusted the zoom-level. Once it was ready, he pointed it towards them and said “Alright, say Alola!”

“Alola!” they exclaimed.

After the photo was taken, the camera was handed back to Lonstan who looked at the photo. It looked like a fantastic picture. He look towards the employee and said “Thank you.” Happy that he was able to get a good group photo for the scrap book. 

“No problem sir, please don’t hesitate to ask for further assistance if you need it. Farewell for now.” said the teenager as he headed off to water some of the yellow flowers. 

“I can’t wait to see the photo!” said Ritha.

“You’ll see it after we get it printed.” said Ranae.

They looked around the beautiful meadow, making sure to take in the view of the yellow flowers. Watching all the Pom Pom Oricorios drinking nectar was pretty intriguing to observe, especially for the little fighting type. He hadn’t seen pokemon that satisfy their hunger and thirst by drinking sweet nectar from flowers. 

Once the group had its fill of peaceful serenity amongst the flowers, they decided to head over to the little cafe that was at the end of the path. They sat down at a table and were served some sweet Nectar Milk that was served by a few Pom Pom Oricorios. It was a great treat that was enjoyed by tourists and natives alike. 

After an hour had passed, the gang left Melemele Meadow and headed out to the parking lot to see that some rain clouds were forming in the sky, accompanied by loud claps of thunder. It seems the weather had changed drastically. Especially since it had been sunny and blue skies for the past few days. 

“Awww… rain!?” exclaimed Ritha in an annoyed tone.

“I’m sorry sweetie, but this kind of thing can happen.” said Adrian.

“Let’s start piling into the truck before we get soaked.” said Ranae. 

The driver exited his vehicle and opened the back doors quickly, watching as they piled into the back and buckled their seatbelts. Just in time before the rain started pouring down upon the vehicle. Their driver got back in the vehicle and started driving back to the hotel.

“What now, sissy?” asked Nick.

“I don’t know… but it looks like any opportunity to hit the beach has been dashed by bad weather.” said Angelina. 

“It’s quite a shame, really.” said Randa.
“I’m sure we’ll get another day to hit the beach, but for now… let’s head back to our suites and chill out.” said the serperior. 

The gang returned to the hotel and walked right into the lobby, it seems that the owner was waiting for them. He appeared to be disappointed. Kukui walked over to them, taking a deep breath in before announcing some bad news. 

“I’ve got some bad news, the weather report from the Alolan Weather Station reports that we’ll be having small rainstorms for the rest of the week. Which will put a damper on outdoor activities.” said Kukui.

“Oh… I see.” said Ranae.

“Well, it was bound to happen right?” asked Adrian.

“We do occasionally get rainstorms, so yes.” said the owner. “To make up for it, how about I book the private lounge for both of your families? You’ll be able to use it for opening Christmas day presents.”

“That’s a fair deal, thank you.” said the serperior.

“Yipeee!” said Nick.

“All right!” said Ritha. 

“I’m glad that will work out for you, don’t forget to take advantage of the other ammenties that come with your hotel suite.” said Kukui. “While the beach is unavailible, the hotel has plenty for you to do as well. Especially on the other floors.”

“We’ll certainly do so, thank you for your service.” said Adrian. 

Both families headed back to their suites since they couldn’t actually do anything else today due to the bad weather conditions. While any outdoor activities were out of the question, this gave them the opportunity to try other things to entertain themselves.

One of these ideas was a board-game night, in which they all gathered into one room to play board games. This proved to be quite entertaining, especially for the kids. Ritha and Nick were slowly becoming good friends over the last couple of days. They even spent time together in the sauna room, relaxing while getting comfortable massages. 

The parents made sure to get plenty of photos of the two spending time with each other, since they planned on putting a memory book together that contained all of the photos from moments during their tropical vacation in the Alola region.

While the vacation had slightly changed a bit, it was still going well nonetheless. They weren’t going to let a rainstorm ruin the potential for having fun.

One other thing they did was they visited the movie theater and watched some old fashioned action movies from the seventies, including some fun and interesting documentaries on the Alola region itself. Nick’s favorite documentary was about Melemele Island and its guardian: Tapu Koko. It gave great detail on the birth of the region and the history of the island diety that protected it. 

****

December 25th

1996

8:00 a.m. 

A loud clap of thunder woke up the pup, but he wasn’t frightened at all. In fact… he was excited since it was finally Christmas Day. Nick shook the crib bars excitedly, wanting to get out and check to see where the presents were. The one thing he didn’t notice was how bulky the back of his pajamas were.  It seems the pup had filled his diaper overnight. 

“Dada! Momma! It’s Christmwas!” shouted Nick.

Ranae and Lonstan woke up, getting out of bed slowly as they approached the pup. The gallade unlocked the crib doors and slid them down, carefully picking up his son as he felt the back of his mushy diaper. 

“Merry Christmas, sport! Are you ready to open presents?” asked Lonstan.

“Yes dada!” said the pup.

“Great! But first… you need a diaper change since you left a present for me!” said the gallade as he chuckled while taking him to the bathroom. 

Ranae chuckled and exited the room, slithering to the living room to see that her daughter had woken up before all of them. Which was quite a surprise to her. She looked at the pile of presents behind the couch and smiled towards her daughter. The grass snake was wearing green pajamas with a snow-flake pattern.

“Merry Christmas Angie!” said the serperior.

“Merry Christmas!” exclaimed Angelina.
Lonstan exited the first bedroom, watching as Nick ran over to her big sister to give them a great big hug. He was filled with so much joy that he couldn’t quite contain it!

“Merrwy Chwistmas!” exclaimed the pup.

“Merry Christmas to you as well, little brother!” said the grass snake as she hugged her brother for a moment. “Look at this pile of gifts, they appeared her like it was magic!”

“Let’s go meet up with the Morrisons, they are likely waiting for us in the private lounge!” said Ranae.

“Alright, let’s do it!” said Lonstan.

They exited the room and headed right to the private lounge that was reserved for them, with a big pile of presents being carried there. Upon entering the area, they discovered that the Morrisons got there first. Ritha waved to her new friend and ran right over to him. They were all in their pajamas. There was also a spare dining room table, just in case food was going to be served.

“Merry Christmas, my new friend!” the vullaby said. 

“Merry Christmas, Ritha!” said the little fighting type. 

They both hugged each other for twenty-second and let go afterwards. She then lead the little fighting type over to a spot on the floor that she reserved for him, when it came to opening presents. The kids watched as the adults organized the presents, making sure that everyone had gifts to open.

It took only thirteen minutes since the adults didn’t really get many gifts, which was fine since if their kids were happy, they were happy. 

“Okay, how shall we do this? Youngest to oldest?” asked Randa.

“Sounds fine to me, I’m all for it.” said Ranae.

“Go ahead and do it.” said Adrian. 

The serperior look towards Nick and said “Go ahead Nicky, you’re going first since your the youngest!” as she watched her son wag his tail with excitement. 

“Yay!” exclaimed Nicky as he eagerly grabbed the first gift, which has yellow and blue wrapping paper. The pup started ripping the wrapping paper right off the box, lifting the top of it afterwards. He reached inside with his left paw and pulled out two metallic bracelets with golden hearts carved into the center. It came with a note attached from Mister Delibird. The pup showed everyone what he got.

“A note? Let me read that.” said Angelina as she used her vines to gently grab the it. “It says, in the darkest of times, especially when you are feeling down, the best thing to have is a friend by your side. A friendship kindled by the fire of kindness is a friendship that lasts for a lifetime. Give the second bracelet to someone you’ve recently become friends with. From Mister Delibird.” 

Nick looked over at the second bracelet and handed it over to Ritha, who had indeed become his new friend while on vacation. 

“For me…?” asked Ritha with a smile.

“Ahuh!” said Nick.

“Thank you so much, I’m happy to have you as a friend!” exclaimed Ritha as she gently took the bracelet from him and put it around her right talon. 

“Okay Ritha, it’s your turn now sweetie!” said Randa.

“Yes mommy!” said the vullaby as she grabbed a small gift box with pink and black wrapping paper. The little dark-type began quickly unwrapping it. When it was fully unwrapped, she lifted off the top of the box and reached inside with her right wing. The little bird pulled out a pink and black with sparkling glitter, which came with a note from Mister Delibird. She looked it over and read it aloud: “I’ve seen and heard about your change of heart, and its a wonderful thing! It moved me so much that I switched you to the Nice List! Continue spreading kindness in your life, wherever you can!”

“That’s wonderful dear, and its a nice gift too!” said Adrian. 

Angelina was up next for opening a present, and pulled over a small box using her vines. It was a giftbox wrapped with green plant-themed wrapping paper. She removed the wrapping paper using her vines and opened it up, pulling out the item that was inside the box. The young lady had gotten a silver necklace with a dark-green leaf made of silver attached to it. There was a small note attached it.

“Oh? What’s this?” asked the grass snake as she looked at the note. “For the one who always protected and cared for her little brother, even before adopting him into her family, this gift is for you! This necklace will give your grass-type moves a small boost, from Mister D.”

“That is a great and useful gift, make sure not to lose it!” said the serperior.

“Don’t worry, I won’t.” said the grass snake. 

The rest of the presents were eventually opened, and all the ripped up wrapping paper was thrown into the trash. Just so it wasn’t all over the floor. The kids received a lof of fun toys to play with, while the adults got small kitchen appliances that can be used at home.

Kukui entered the room, accompanied by butlers and maids who brought in dining carts that contained plates of delicious breakfast foods and drinks, setting it up on the dining room table in the room. This also included a few high chairs for the smaller children

“Alola everyone! Merry Christmas! I decided to have the kitchen whip up some breakfast to enjoy after opening some gifts! So go ahead and dig in!” said Kukui as the scent of waffles, scrambled eggs, french toast, pancakes, coffee, and orange juice pervaded the room.

“Thank you, Kukui! You’re hospitality is above and beyond! Merry Christmas!” said Lonstan. 

“You’re welcome, it’s an honor to have you all as my guests!” said the owner.

Both of the families made their way over to the table, and sat down in their appropriate seats. Ranae used her vines to lift Ritha and Nick into their high-chairs before sitting down. They decided to serve the children before serving themselves, since it was important for the kids to have plenty of eat. Angelina assisted in feeding the smaller children, because they couldn’t quite use proper utensils yet. 

During this holiday season, its important to spend time with your family and those who are close to you. While getting presents is the greatest thing that comes to mind when they think of Christmas, its only the second layer of icing on the cake that really makes up this important holiday.

Friendships can blossom during this important time of the year, even from the unlikeliest of people that you wouldn’t expect to become friends. If you show any gesture of kindness, there’s still a possibility of forming a friendship. Even if it’s for someone you hate.