20 years later...

Serena moans as she slowly opens her eyes. The first thing she sees is large snowflakes heavily falling down on the other side of her bedroom window. She smiles as she realizes it's Christmas morning. She rolls over on her bed and stretches out her arm toward the other side of her queen-size bed only to find nothing. Serena sits up and looks at the empty side of the bed with a look of confusion and disappointment on her face. She looks around the bedroom, wondering why there is no one lying next to her on the bed.

Just then, she hears humming coming from downstairs and smiles. She gets out of bed, puts on her bed robe and slippers and exits the bedroom. She walks down the stairs of the two-story house and walks over to the other side of the living room that connects to the toy shop. Inside the shop, Serena sees a raven-haired man sitting with his back facing her, wearing craftsman clothes and carefully making final touches on a wooden mechanical doll while humming. Serena smiles sweetly as she tiptoes over to the man and hugs him from behind.

"Merry Christmas, Ash," she says softly in a singing voice.

The man named Ash smiles without looking at Serena and kisses one of her hands.

"Merry Christmas, My Queen," he says smiling without looking at her. "Did I wake you?"

"No, I woke up by myself," Serena says. "But I was disappointed to find my husband was not in bed so I could give him a Christmas morning hug."

Ash chuckles lightly with his mouth closed and says, "My apologies."

He turns his head to look at Serena and gives her a kiss on the cheek, much to her satisfaction.

"You're cutting it a little close with finishing the presents, aren't you?" She asks.

"What can I say? I want to make sure I give nothing less than the best for our prince and princess," Ash replies with a toothy grin.

Serena chuckles with her mouth closed, agreeing with her husband.

In the two decades since Powuru was killed and Ash's curse was broken, things could not have been happier between him and Serena. Serena's family was shocked to learn that she had fallen in love with a boy so suddenly, but her parents slowly grew to accept their relationship as Ash proved to be a very loving and devoted suitor to their daughter. As Ash and Serena became adults, Serena began to dance in local ballet performances while Ash eventually completed school and his apprenticeship with Uncle Timothy. Once Ash gained enough money working at his uncle's store, he and Serena got married and started living together in Uncle Timothy's house with Delia.

Not long after that, Serena began to grow popular in the ballet world and with Uncle Timothy's permission; Ash followed his wife as she performed all over the world. Serena was joyous that her dream came true, but was even happier that her beloved husband was there to watch every single performance.

On the eighth year since the death of the Rat King, Serena discovered that she was with child after a performance in Hoenn. As such, she felt it was time to retire as a ballet performer and thus she and Ash returned to Kalos to stay. She was sad to see her days of ballet end, but she was also thankful that she became as beloved of a ballet dancer as she wanted to be and happy learning that she and Ash were going to be parents. Thus, their son, John was born and their daughter, Maria was born two years after.

Serena's family now live in various parts of Kalos. While Mr. Sycamore and Grace still live in their home on the outskirts of Vaniville Town, Aria and Pierre got married and now live in Lumiose City with Pierre's wealthy family. When Mairin grew into a young woman, she found out that Alain had developed feelings for her in return and so they eventually married, moved to Anistar City and had two sons and a daughter. Calem moved to Coumarine City and became a lieutenant in the Kalos navy.

Mr. Coovers eventually decided to continue traveling and thus went to the Alola region where he met a beautiful and kind woman and decided to stay and marry her. Together, the couple has triplet sons and a daughter. Uncle Timothy, unfortunately, never married despite deciding to look for a wife after Ash and Serena were wed. One night, he passed away peacefully in his sleep, much to the despair of Ash, Serena, Delia, John, and Maria. He left everything he had to Ash and Serena in his will, and so they became the sole owners of his house and shop.

Despite Uncle Timothy's passing and Serena no longer performing ballet, Ash and Serena have become happier to be together by the day. John and Maria have grown to be very loving and obedient children and each day of raising them have been a blessing in the eyes of their parents and grandmother.

Suddenly, the couple hears a knock on the back door behind them and they turn around to see Delia opening it with a small smile.

"I have two little munchkins wondering if they can come downstairs to open presents," she says.

Ash and Serena turn to each other and smile fondly before Ash says, "Just give us about five minutes, Mom. We'll be right there to tell them to come down."

Delia nods and closes the door. Ash then makes the last touches on the doll before putting it on a box and wrapping it up. He then walks over to a cabinet that is secured by a lock and unlocks it to reveal several other present boxes. Though John and Maria never try to find out what their gifts are before Christmas, Ash and Serena still use the secret cabinet and the lock to make sure their children can't ever see the presents while Ash is working on them throughout the holiday season. The married couple then start taking the gifts out or the cabinet, quietly bring them to the living room where the Christmas tree is and lay them under it. After a couple of trips, Ash and Serena look at the display of presents and then turn to each other with Serena grinning excitedly.

"I can't wait to give them our final gifts," she says.

"Me neither, Serena," Ash says as he puts his arms around his wife's waist. "I think we are ready to start Christmas."

Serena's smile grows and she pecks her husband on the lips before grabbing his hand and leading him to the staircase where they see Delia and an eleven-year-old boy with raven-hair and a nine-year-old girl with a lighter shade of honey blonde hair all waiting at the top of the stairs excitedly.

"Alright, kids, come on downstairs," Serena calls out.

"Yay!" The two kids exclaim as they run downstairs to the living room with Delia following behind at a slower pace. When the children turn to see all the presents underneath the Christmas tree, their eyes widen and their mouths drop in excitement. The adults chuckle at their excitement before Serena steps in.

"Now don't forget what we have to do before opening presents," she says in a singing voice.

"Oh, that's right. Reading the Bible," Maria says.

"That's right," Serena says before turning to Ash. "Papa, would you be so kind?"

"Sure thing, Mama," Ash replies before walking over to a living room desk and taking out a Bible. The two kids and Delia sit down on a sofa next to the tree while Ash and Serena sit down on the sofa opposite from the other sofa Ash then takes out his reading glasses, clears his throat and begins to read.

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world," he begins. "So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they have been told."

Everyone nods and quietly say, "Amen," before Ash flips several pages further into his Bible.

"I would like to finish with a couple verses from 1st Corinthians chapter 13 starting at verse 8," he says. "Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

"Amen," everyone says simultaneously as Ash puts away his Bible.

"Alright, time for presents," Serena says.

"Yay!" The kids cheer again as they rush over to the Christmas tree as start unwrapping presents while Ash, Serena, and Delia watch them fondly.

"Wow! Looks at these new toys," John says excitedly.

"Oh my, these dolls are pretty," Maria comments as she takes out two familiar dolls.

"Those two actually used to be my dolls, Maria," Serena says as she walks over and kneels beside her daughter. "This is Helga and this is her daughter, Hillary."

"Helga and Hillary, nice to meet you both," Maria says as she hugs both of the dolls.

"Hey, here's a toy of an old soldier," John says as he takes out another familiar toy.

"That is Entalmorfious," Ash says with a toothy grin as he sits beside his son. "He's a weary but noble commander of the cavalry and he's Helga's husband and Hillary's father. He used to belong to your Uncle Calem before he joined the navy."

"Yay, now I have a leader for all of my other soldiers. Thanks, Papa!" John says cheerfully.

Serena and Ash look at each other and smile, happy to see their children pleased with their gifts. Serena kept the toys in her possession even when she married Ash and moved in with him and Delia and Uncle Timothy. Her parents were skeptical of her keeping the toys even though she is a married woman now, but they understood when she said that she would give him to her children one day. Though part of her wishes she could have kept Dawn and Kenny as well despite the fact that they were not hers, she is happy knowing from Mairin's letters that she gave them to her daughter on her birthday and the two of them play with Dawn and Kenny together regularly.

Serena then turns her head to watch Maria continue to play with Helga and Hillary. Ash smirks at his wife looking away from him and decides to sneak up behind her and take out a necklace from his back pocket. He gently puts it around Serena's neck, surprising her and she and Maria look in awe at the sapphire shaped like ballet slippers hanging at the center of the necklace.

"Wow, Papa, that's really pretty," Maria says. "Where did you get that?"

"Oh, I might have come across the owner of a well-known jewelry shop on my last trip to Lumiose City who happens to be a fan of Mama from when she was a ballerina," Ash says with a toothy grin. "So I got a good deal out of him making a special necklace for my queen."

Serena looks at Ash with a loving look and leans in to kiss him. John acts disgusted while Maria lets out an "awww," and Delia nods, proud of her son. When they part Serena caresses her husband's cheek.

"Your queen is most pleased, my love," she says.

Ash smiles and wraps his arms around his wife while they sit down and watch their children continue to unwrap their presents. After about five minutes, all the gifts are unwrapped and both John and Maria are happy with every single gift they are given.

"This has been the best Christmas ever," John says as he plays with Entalmorfious and his other toys.

"Every year has been the best Christmas ever, John," Delia says.

Serena and Ash look at each other and nod before they stand up and turn to their children.

"And it's not over yet, kids," Ash says. "Mama and I have a little something for each of you."

At this, John and Maria's eyes light up as they turn to their parents and simultaneously ask, "What is it? What is it?"

Ash chuckles in amusement before he exits the living room for a moment before he comes back holding a blue present box with one hand and a red present box with the other. He gives the blue one to John and the red on to Maria and says, "Go ahead and open them."

The children excitedly do as they are told and their enthusiastic smiles turn into looks of confusion as John takes out a nutcracker doll designed like a prince and Maria takes out another nutcracker doll designed like a ballerina. Serena, Ash, and Delia smirk as the children look at their parents confounded.

"What are these?" Maria asks.

"They're called nutcracker dolls, Maria," Serena answers as she takes a bowl of nuts from a table stand and kneels in front of her children. "Here, let me show you."

The little girl complies, giving her gift to her mother. The children watch intently as Serena puts the nut in the nutcracker's mouth, pulls the lever and the nutshell breaks revealing the nut inside.

"Wow," John and Maria say simultaneously as Serena gives the nutcracker back to Maria and the two kids begin chanting nuts with their nutcrackers. Ash sits down beside Serena while they and Delia happily watch John and Maria play with their toys.

"You know, kids, nutcracker dolls like these are very common in the Kanto region where your Mama and I used to live when we were little," he says.

"Really?" John asks.

"Yes," Serena says with a cheerful smile. "In fact, it was your great-uncle Timothy who taught me that many nutcracker dolls are each given their own stories by the creators of The Nutcrackers that are handed down to their owners. And these two Nutcracker dolls have a very special story that we'd like to tell you that also involves Entalmorfious, Helga, and Hillary. Would you like to hear it?"

"Yes!" The children say excitedly.

Serena smiles with her eyes closed before she gestures her children to sit next to Delia while she and Ash sit on the opposite sofa. With their children hugging their new nutcrackers while sitting next to their grandmother, Serena takes Ash's hand and the couple look at each other lovingly before she clears her throat.

"Once upon a time, there was a young girl who lived in a big house with her family and dreamed to become a ballerina. Then one Christmas night, her dear godfather gave her a beautiful nutcracker doll designed as a handsome prince."

The End.

Merry Christmas everyone and The Lord be with us all.