Chapter Text
Serena is the luckiest woman in the world, and she doesn’t take any disagreements on that front. She already felt like she qualified for that spot when she found out Ash Ketchum returned her feelings. Becoming his wife and then the mother of his child only cemented that as her title in her mind.
They became parents on Christmas Eve, almost ten years ago. There's another reason why she feels so lucky, she's able to count their child among her favorite Christmas presents.
But, well, their kid doesn't really feel the same way. Pax quickly learned that there are some good birthdays a person can have, and December 24th isn't one of them. It’s very close to Christmas, and almost any time they get a present, it’s for their birthday and Christmas combined. When December comes their parents don’t usually talk about their birthday. Instead, they just dive into Christmas decorations and preparations. It stings, feeling like their parents are just waiting until the day after their birthday.
The thing is, Pax isn’t super open about their feelings. They inherited a weird mix of their parent’s expressions, Serena’s bashfulness and inability to hide her feelings clashing with Ash’s accidental aloofness and obliviousness. They meddled out into a kid with really big feelings like their mom, but no idea how to express any of it like their dad. So, they never said anything about their birthday.
But now they’re almost ten, and this birthday is important! It’s the last birthday before they’re able to set out on their adventure! It’s what all the other kids make a big deal about, and Pax wants a good tenth birthday.
So, on December first, Pax’s mom calls them downstairs to help with decorating. After a quick round of mentally reassuring themself, they go downstairs. “Mom, we’ve gotta talk.”
“Yeah?” Serena asks, smiling at her kid. She’s got red and green decorations in her hands, colors that Pax has come to hate. And Pax sighs.
“Could we do something big for my birthday? That has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas.”
Serena smiles, looking over at them. “When you say it like that, it sounds like it has a lot to do with Christmas.” She puts down the decorations and gestures towards the couch. “Sit, and tell me what’s going on.”
Pax flops onto the couch, “I just… I don’t like that it’s the day after my birthday, especially since you and dad go all out on it. It just… feels like my birthday is something that needs to be put out of the way so the real celebration can happen.”
“Oh, honey.” Serena pulls Pax in for a hug. “I’ve never meant it that way, but I see how you could see it like that. I’m so sorry. Is there something you want?”
“No red or green,” Pax says immediately, “I don’t want any red or green.”
“Hm,” Serena considers for a moment. “How about a compromise? Can we still have a tree up? It’s just… Well, trees with gifts under them are kinda important to me and your dad. We can get rid of all the other decor, as long as the tree says.”
Pax thinks for a moment, remembering this sappy story their parents tell about their dad falling in love without realizing it when he gave their mom a ribbon under some tree. Huh, maybe that’s why they like Christmas so much? They’d never thought of that…
“Is the tree from you and Dad’s story why you guys like Christmas so much?”
“Well, it is for me, but I like you so much more. You’re my kid, and the most important thing in the world to me.” Serena pulls Pax into a hug, kissing the top of their head. “You mean so much to me, and from now on, I want you to be the happiest kid ever. Just tell me what you need. I don’t want the tree to go, but if you need it to, then it’ll go.”
Pax shakes their head, “No, the tree can stay. Just… Nothing but that. And no green that’s not from the tree’s needles.”
Serena smiles and nods, “Is there any way you do want us to decorate?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you’re about to turn ten! It’s a very big birthday, worthy of a lot of decorations. Especially since we aren’t filling the house with Christmas stuff. We could put up streamers or something, if you’d like.”
Pax thinks on it. They want a big birthday, even though they don’t want to overwhelm their mom or dad. “... maybe something blue?” they say, and Serena beams.
“Something blue it’ll be. Anything else, honey?”
“I dunno.”
“Well, think about it. Now,” she stands up, “I have to go get your father off the roof.”
Pax blinks at her.
“You know how he is. He woke up at around six a.m. to start putting lights up.”
Pax bursts out laughing. “Have him replace them with blue ones,” they joke, but as Serena leaves to go fetch Ash, it’s obvious she’s actually considering it.
Later they bundle up and head outside into the Kalos snow, planning on trying to spot some ice-types, only to find the roof lit up blue.
They’ll never admit it, but they’ve never felt happier.