Written in a somewhat sloppier hand during a Rocket Christmas party, no doubt, care has been taken to avoid misspellings and there are blots of pen ink from long pauses on the page.

I'm afraid you'll have to excuse any obliquity on my part; I'm very drunk and this was a dare. Doubtless I'll end up confused if this ever receives a response — not that I'm under the illusion it will — but that's part of what makes it so amusing.

So, what do I wish for? What are my dreams?

Power, of course. It's always power. Control.

But that's not a thing that can be delivered, now is it?

Enjoy your holidays, whoever you are.

Cillian Quinn

---

notes:
had a thought about rockets getting drunk and being dumb together and couldn't resist
feel free to join in on the shenanigans, fellow rockets

Dear Father Winter,

I pray this letter finds you well.

In my hometown of Freezington, children are raised on stories of one such as you. Children need dreams and wonder when faced the otherwise dreary circumstances of our home- though I myself was never allowed a chance to wallow in this wonderful delusion.

I allowed myself the joy of spoiling my daughters with such tales, however, and it is my hope that even to this day, they still believe, no matter how fantastical it may seem.

Unfortunately, I've never been a great father; my job often keeps me away. I've missed more than a few important moments in their lives, and I've always regretted it.

But I'm sure you've grown tired of reading by now, so allow me cease this obliquity and be simply direct:

My wish is for my children to have a wonderful christmas this season. I cannot be with them this year- something that has happened in the past.

It is my hope that these holidays are so wonderful, they do not even notice I'm not there. Yes, that would perhaps be for the best.

I do not expect to hear back from you, nor for my wishes to come true. As I said before, I was never allowed the chance to indulge such wonderful delusions.

Still, I thank you for the chance to spill my heart on the paper. It was somewhat cathartic, if saddening.

Merry Christmas,
Gwyar Wledig

---

SPOILER: Click to show

EBC does want this to get a reply if possible though, lol.

HELLO, FATHER OF WINTER

I am not under the delusion that my wishes will come true because I write you.

Wishes are not something we throw down a well, never to see the light again.

They are something we wear on our sleeve, or roll them up to make happen.



We have dreams at night to remind us that we do not live in, or for the dark.

That there is something waiting for us. Or waiting on us, when we wake.



But if I were to convey a wish to you, it would be to do away with the depravity.

To make right the wrongs of those who commit to their moral turpitude.

Not by your own hands, but by those who've been willing all this time.



By my hands, the very same I write you with.

Sincerely,

Derek Hoffman
P.O. BOX 14387
RANGER HQ

Dear Father Winter,

This is probably silly. Father Winter is a children's story. A lie parents tell their kids so they'll behave. But maybe it's not fair to assume you were born out of obliquity. I believed, anyway. Probably still do somewhere deep down. Why else would I be writing this letter?

Maybe writing this down will make Father Winter—make you—more than an illusion. How many people need to speak their dreams out loud before they become realities? Or maybe it's all real from the very beginning, who knows.

This was silly.

Well, since you're fake anyway, no sense in holding back on the wishes, right? I hope for the complete and utter destruction of Team Rocket. They cause nothing but harm and bring nothing but pain. They're a force of evil in the world and my life—and the lives of my friends—would be completely different were it not for them.

Oh, also, a Fire-type would be nice. Lighting campfires the old fashioned way sucks.

Happy Holidays,
Dominic Grey

SPOILER: Click to show

smudges of ink, crayon, and paw prints decorate the letter. the writing is sloppy, unpracticed, but legible enough. envision temp, hunched over his apartment's counter, with puppies helping him by painting and yipping and dictating what he writes. they have dreams of treats and bones, and when his pokemon had picked up the paper, temp found obliquity to reply. not to shatter their delusions, they would have treats aplenty, even if this 'father winter' didn't reply. the illusions needed to be kept up.

Dear Father Winter,

Hi! I'm not really all that good at letter writing and don't know what to put down here! I'm writing this for my pups! They're hoping for some really tasty kibble and new chew toys!

I think I'm supposed to put what I want here, too, but I can't think of anything I want for myself! Am I allowed to put down for other people?

I want @piper to have the best holiday ever this year. Kid deserves it after all she's been through.

Cillian Quinn needs to get a good night's sleep. He just works too hard all the time. I'm always worried he'll end up passing out somewhere.

Melody Miro I met recently and she was nice! I hope she has a good holiday, too, and that her concerts go great! I heard people tell showbiz folks to break their legs all the time and that seems mean. I don't want her leg to break!

I've met kyle lopez a few times, too! He's been a nice guy when we've talked. He even let me pet his dogs! He's a famous Champion and all, but I have to wonder if he needs a break. Make sure he's able to rest, too! (You should also try and pet his dogs. They're really good at being pet!)

I hope my whole town is safe and happy! Wish for no surprise storms for us, please!

And lastly I hope the Corsola have a smooth migration this year!

- Temp

Dear Father Winter,

After a certain age, when apathy seemed very cool and mature to my teenage self, I’d set you aside as a collective illusion, to be discarded with other childish things like dreams and passions and Dragonite lunchboxes.

I’ve since grown up a little, and decided that, contrary to the obliquity of youth, believing in things is cool actually, and that I’d like to do it more if I can. I don’t want to ask for anything big after not writing for so long, so I’ll just ask for enough to get by, at least for the winter.

And maybe this Dragonite ornament. I don’t have anywhere to put it; I just think it’s neat.

From,
Locke Jamison

A nondistinctive postcard is received by Father Winter, and on it is a photograph of Hoenn as observed from a satellite in perigee. Even reduced to a flat, two-dimensional representation Hoenn is more than a tholus amidst a sea of undae. On the reverse side is a letter meant for the big man himself, sent by an anonymous citizen.

Father Winter,
<sup>My hope is that this letter finds you well. I would not ask much of you, but I will express one of my only dreams for Hoenn. While many seek out what illusions or distractions offer them comforts, I simply wish for a return to normalcy. For a semblance of peace in our time.

Hoenn has endured more than can be said on one postcard; has suffered losses and an overarching obliquity. Many have been driven into desperation by these events, resorting to unscrupulous means. The Hoenn of today is not the Hoenn of yesteryear; we are lost.

We are living in a nightmare; who am I to judge how others cope with that?

Would that we could go back... If only it were that simple.</sup>

The letter arrives in a rather colourful envelope, one decorated with doodles of legendary pokemon and Skitties amongst many other Christmas symbols. Containing the wishes of a child that has almost forgotten what it means to believe in an urban legend, the writing is somewhat scrawled but kept as legible as possible. Even the return address is written in some kind of glitter ink...

And perhaps, the smell of cinnamon cookies that had lingered on their hands has been imprinted onto the letter itself.

---

Dear Father Winter,

I'm really sorry I haven't written to you in a while! Life got really messy and stuff but I think you probably know about it, don't you? I hope this doesn't make you sad! I didn't mean to bring up sad stuff, I just wanted to write to tell you I'm doing much better now! I think?

Do you like crossword puzzles? Is this the special edition you only find on Sundays at the North Pole that you got stuck on? Is that why you gave one out and told us to solve it? That's kinda cheating! But I solved it anyways so... I checked the dictionary for the most of it! Obliquity is a big word, is that why you couldn't solve it either? Me neither! I had to ask the adults what it meant!

Anyways, I think you can solve them rest with that big word out of the way, right? If you can deliver presents to everyone in the world in the span of a night, you can big brain this for sure!

I know it's a bit selfish for me to want to ask for something this year, especially when I haven't shared cookies with you the last few years. But I'll make sure all the cookies are ready and waiting for when you visit, so please hear me out! This year, I wanna be able to spend the winter holidays with everyone I like! And for no one to be lonely during this special time! It can't be an illusion! We have to be there, in person! Or it won't work!

It's kinda dumb to wish that everyone can be happy, but I'm gonna do that anyways! I hope that people have good dreams and that they'll be able to find happiness with the people they spend time with. I hope that people who are looking for love will find it! I hope that all the pokemon in the world will stay healthy and comfy through the cold winter! And if they're cold, could you give them scarves and mittens? So they can keep extra warm!

And my last wish is more for myself, if you're still reading. Over the last few years, I've learnt that I'm really weak! Like super, super weak! I couldn't help a lot of people, I couldn't save a lot of pokemon and I've also hurt others too. I don't think you'd be able to make me super strong, or fast, or able to magically save people so I'll start small. I hope that you can help me be a little more braver. Brave enough to stop people from doing bad things, brave enough to fight danger even when I'm scared, brave enough to save those I care about. Cos even if I'm strong, it won't matter if I'm scared, right?

Also, I really hope you can visit! It's okay if you're busy though! If you do visit, I'll have lots of cookies waiting for you. I'll even pack them so you can bring them back for all your helpers too! Even though you're always asking people what they want for Yule, I also wanna ask what do you want? Then we can exchange gifts!! I'll be your not-so-secret secret santa!! That sounds fun, right?

Hoping for your happiness with lots of wishes and love,
Eris Rosmontis Halla

Dear Father Winter,

I'm writing to you because I'm in desparate need of a GF. Despite my best efforts I still haven't found one. I don't care who she is as long as shes hot, rich and knows how to use an air fryer.  Also can you please give Greyson Connors a promotion so he stops annoying me about rent?

Only do the Greyson thing if your feeling extra ge je jenerus getting a GF is my #1 wish. Thanks bro!

From,
aaron faust

PS Im 6'3 if that helps