>>49065854“They’re visiting Santa.” You answered, nodding toward the center of the town square.
>Santa sat in the middle on an exquisite, and comfortable, chair.>He was surrounded by presents, snow, and a long line of children waiting with their parents for their turn to sit on his lap.“You know who Santa is, right?” You asked, but not before double-checking to make sure nobody was near enough to hear.
>”I know of him.”>A smiling employee in an elf costume waved at you, and you waved back.>The jynx dressed as an elf saw her trainer wave, and repeated the gesture.>You waved back again.>”He’s everywhere in winter.”>You pulled Zoroark to the Christmas tree forest, deciding to leave a detailed explanation for the Christmas specials.>She did try to tug you back when you mentioned the presents he handed out, but you held fast.>A felt walkway marked a curvy path past hundreds of trees on display.>”These aren’t real, are they?” Zoroark asked, sniffing at a tree before running its bristles through her fingers.“Nope.”
“All artificial.”
>”Well, they’re pretty.”“Mmm hmm.”
>The moment you loosened your handhold, you felt the pokémon leave your side.>Not the illusion; but her physical presence.>One of the few things she couldn’t replicate. >Rustling trees and shaking ornaments off the pathway told you she was getting a close look at some of these trees.>Dim lights above the artificial forest accentuated each tree’s exciting decorations.>Light flickered off the silver and gold trees.>You passed by a few covered with fake snow.>A pink tree caught your attention for a moment.>But you weren’t looking for anything fancy.>A classic tree would suffice.>At the end of the path, the boxed trees available for purchase sat stacked in neat, orderly columns.>With plenty to pick from, you reached for a large, heavy box.>You made to pull it off the shelf, then stopped and cursed under your breath.>”Hmm?”>”What’s wrong?” The dark-type asked. 