Managed to complete my gift for Secret Santa 2023 that  Maddie hosted. This one is a story for  Heart of his tropius Tyson and the struggles of getting Christmas decorations set up.

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Putting Up The Tree
Secret Santa 2023 gift for  Heart

“Just a few more pieces and we'll be done!” A wide-rumped Tropius spoke between a mouthful of tinsel.

The holiday season was something everyone could get into, and for a jolly type like Tyson much of the mood came from the decorations. He'd been busy all morning setting up the house with lights and figurines, making sure to set everything with a care and precision not usually found with a round-shaped Pokémon such as himself. While a four-legged, long-necked, and broad-butt stature usually meant calamity to any unsecured shelf or thin doorway, he at the very least made sure his Christmas displays were of the highest quality. That's not to say he didn't have his clumsy spells though, swearing he had placed that one Pikachu snowman plush on a coffee table already, only for it to go tumbling back to the floor with a swing of his hips.

For now, all that remained of his focus was the tree. He'd gotten surprisingly skilled at this over the years. Felt like just yesterday he was poking his tongue on the ornament hooks. Though if you asked a certain Hariyama friend of his, it was yesterday. Regardless, his little home was made all the more festive by the final display, the centerpiece of the season. With just a few more motions here and there, and a jolly swing of his rear, he placed the final touches and backed up with a smile; the whole place, head-to-toe, now decorated for the season. Each little shelf with some garland or lights, a little figurine or plush in the corners of walls and windows, and the tree with its ornaments and no star and a-

“No star?” Tyson did a double-take, realizing he had missed the most important tree topper. As reality set in, his eyes started to dart around the room, thinking perhaps it had fallen away in a passing moment. As his front end trailed ahead to look around upon the floor and through some empty ornament boxes, his rear end narrowly dodged both shelf and table alike, nearly knocking over that same snowman Pikachu in the process. But as the rustle and poke of the tree behind him made him jolt slightly forward, shaking the floor in the process, his embarrassed eyes managed to lock with a sight of shiny gold.

“Oh!” Tyson leaned down, peering into the Christmas tree box. “There you are!” All the way at the back sat a vibrant gold star with little rhinestone studs. Tyson backed up and simply tilted the box upright, letting the star slide out. But to his confusion, seconds passed without anything coming out. Looking back inside revealed that the star had somehow gotten stuck to the other side. “Did it get stuck to the tape?” Tyson thought, deciding to instead reach his head inside to maybe grab it that way.

He got in fairly well, but was just half a foot away when he felt the edge of the box entrance behind him, now squishing at his belly. He paused a second, and tried to reach for the star further, though it was too far out of his reach. Thus, determined to finally get this final puzzle piece, he pushed his front legs down and pulled himself in further. The box lightly brushed against his belly and back, beginning to peak as it sloped on his rising rump, and he reeeeaaaached for the star with his mouth.

“Gotcha!” He mumbled past his teeth, holding the star firmly. With a little bit of effort, he pulled it free from the tape’s adhesive grip, sighing with contentment as he rested the gold topper next to him. “Now then,” he pushed his hindlegs back, “let’s get you on the tree.”

And yet, he could not come out of the box. Tyson tried passively at first, but after confusion set into frustration he pushed and pulled all he could, only to end up left where he started. “Uh oh.” He spoke lightly, realizing his fate.

He started to think of ways he could free himself. He first tried rolling over, thinking maybe he had to get a different angle. But when it was clear he was only doing barrel rolls across his house, he put that idea on hold. He then tried to shake his upper half, to which maybe he could loosen that way. But after the box made a direct strike with some unseen shelf, the clatter of unknown objects around him dissuaded his continuation. It was by then he started calling out. “Midori!” He cried out for his friend, who had come over earlier that day. “I think I’m stuck!”

When there was no response, Tyson tried one more method as he stood up on his back legs. But the unstable weight made him topple backwards onto the floor again, shaking the whole house; the recognizable jingle of those bells on the snowman Pikachu tumbled along the ground with it.

Just then, his cries for help we answered as a pair of footsteps came walking down the hall. However they were quickly overshadowed by the familiar, hearty laughter of one teasy Hariyama. “Well well, still busy putting up the tree Tyson?”

“It’s uh…” He rolled to his side, back legs flailing a bit. “...a work in progress.”

“I can see that.” Footsteps got closer toward the back of the box. “I think you’re gonna need a few more ornaments to cover the tree this year.” Tyson yipped as he felt a finger firmly poke at the side of his butt, squishing in deep. “Or maybe just add a couple more presents, hahah!”

“Th-this isn’t funny!” Tyson shouted back. “I was just trying to find the star.”

“What do you mean? I see one right here!” SMACK! Tyson felt his buns jiggling from the impact, blushing deep red from embarrassment. “And it’s glowing pretty bright, I’ll say.”

“You’re not helping!” Tyson wiggled in frustration.

“Alright, alright.” Midori chuckled, moving to the other side of the box. “Enough fun then, let’s get you out of this thing.” Tyson could hear the Hariyama’s massive hands latch to both sides of the box, grabbing it firmly. The Tropius quickly, or as quickly as he could in his position, adjusted his back legs in preparation to pull himself out.

“On the count of 3… 2… 1…”

Tyson pulled back hard, and he could hear the grunts of Midori above him. Slowly, they moved back from each other, as Tyson could feel his belly begin to slide against the box again. And just as he was about to see a little bit of light behind him-

POP!

Tyson flew backwards, a clattering of ornaments scattering around him. Midori had raised his hand up in reaction, though when he put it down he saw where Tyson had gone. Swirly-eyed, he landed standing upright against the tree. The ornaments and garland had shifted around in the second of chaos that passed, but the teasing Hariyama could only stifle a chuckle. “Hold on, you’re forgetting the star.”

As Tyson’s world stopped spinning, he felt the sparkly star being placed atop his head. He half blushed, half laughed over his predicament. Midori stepped back and marveled at the sight. “Now that’s what I call decorating the tree!”