DELIA
Her fingers moved swiftly as she keyed in her son's number, but she was still in a daze - the many calls she'd already had to make were beginning to take their toll. She hoped that he'd moved on from that Pokémon Centre, and then hated herself for it. At least she could take some comfort in knowing that his reaction could not possibly be any worse than the last person she had called, but that did not guarantee that this would be easy.
"Hey, Mom!" Ash's energetic greeting boomed through the speakers, not quite in sync with his picture. However, it was not long before he had time to register Delia's expression. "What's wrong?" Everything, she thought.
"I..." she sniffed, and inhaled deeply before continuing. She just didn't seem to be able to catch her breath since this morning. "It's...Samuel, I mean...Professor Oak. He's...he's in the hospital, Ash." Saying it should have made it feel more real, but it didn't. It didn't matter that she'd told six people, having to repeat herself to more than one of them. That last phone call had been the worst, all disbelief and hysterics. Of course, it was entirely understandable, but the fact remained that she'd had no idea how to deal with it.
"Heh, did he trip over Muk again?" She wouldn't tell him. It seemed only yesterday that he'd charged over to Samuel's laboratory in his pyjamas to receive his first Pokémon, but the reality was that it had been nine years since that day. Nine years in which to build ties, affection... She would tell him.
"He had a heart attack, Ash." They were both quiet for a while. This wasn't real. "Where's Gary?" "He's on his way from Mt. Moon. Driving, I think." She tried not to think of the previous phone call, or about how to deal with Samuel's grandson when he arrived. This still wasn't real. "Tracey's still at the hospital." Of course he was. The Professor was no longer the distant idol Tracey had seen him as in his early teens – he was the closest thing the young man had to a father. Ash simply nodded, and muttered something about how he and Misty would get to Pallet Town as soon as they could. Delia made a mental note to find out where Brock might be, too. She would ask Tracey if he had a number for him. She couldn't face talking to Gary again, not just yet.
"I'll see you soon, Mom...and I...well, y'know."
"Love you too, Ashy." As the screen went dark again, she reached for the bottle of wine and refilled her glass. It was quiet, much too quiet. This was real.