Chapter One: The start of something new!
Author's Note: This is a revamp of my fanfiction - Our Family. Same story line however, written differently. I will be doing my best to ensure this fanfiction will keep you entertained, typo and spelling mistake free. I do have several OC's which play a role in this fiction. This fanfiction starts off before Delia and Samuel have Ash, and their life after he comes to the world - a massive thank you to my amazing Beta reader who has helped me with this fanfiction from chapters 1 - 4!
Walking in her classroom with a pile of books in her arms, Delia breathed a sigh of relief when she reached her desk. She smiled as she put the books on her desk and sat down. She had just finished reading all of the books over the weekend and meant to give them back to Professor Oak. Other students (Delia's fellow classmates, to be exact) began to make their way in. Delia was always the first one in and the last one out, but that was mainly because she loved to be on top of the class and ensure that her homework got done at school so she could have free time when she got home. One of her classmates must've closed the door, as she heard it open. She turned to it and smiled to see Professor Oak walk in with a young man who she presumed was a new student.
"Good morning, everyone. We have a new student joining our class this semester. I'd like you to greet your new classmate: Daniel Allistair," Professor Oak announced with a smile. He then nodded to Daniel, who looked at all of his new classmates. Daniel wore a long-sleeved orange shirt with a brown vest, black pants and a pair of tennis shoes. He had azure hair and brown eyes, and wore a pair of glasses.
While some of the other students had been asking where he was from (a question he didn't feel like answering quite yet), Delia took it upon herself to welcome the new addition. "Welcome, Daniel and I hope you enjoy your semester here. My name is Delia Ketchum, it's wonderful to meet you." Their classmates had taken note of it and introduced themselves one by one in their own way. After the introductions, Daniel noticed an empty desk next to Delia.
"It's nice to meet all of you and I can't wait to make friends. At least I hope we can all be friends," he said nervously. He remembered what he was going to say and cleared his throat. "Uh, Professor Oak, is that where I'm going to be sitting?" Daniel asked, skillfully shifting his books to one hand and using the other to point to the empty desk.
Daniel let his eyes dart around the room, attempting to see if there had been an empty desk he might've missed. He then realized that that was the only desk and began to make his way to it. "Yes it is. We had a student who used to sit there, but he had to move to the Kalos region," Professor Oak explained as he watched Daniel go to his new seat. The professor hadn't been trying to seem rude about the seating arrangement, it's just that sometimes, things happen when a student moves away.
"He was actually Delia's boyfriend," a girl named Madison announced with a smirk. Madison wore a red, short skirt with an off-white blouse and a pair of thong sandals; she also had red hair, blue eyes and had braces that were pink and light green. "But he broke up with her because his dreams were more important and he was dating another girl, too!" At this, Delia was embarrassed and slowly concealed her face. There were those in the class who knew that this wasn't true and was merely a rumor, most likely started by Madison. Then there were those who believed said rumor (and were snickering about it) and finally, there was the group that chose not to say anything about it. Out of the corner of her eye, Delia saw some of her friends sending stares that told them to knock it off and also, Daniel taking off his bag and settling in his seat. The group had quieted down and Professor Oak smiled, grateful he didn't have to interfere.
"Really? That's awful. I'm sorry to hear that, Delia," Daniel said, looking at her sympathetically. The two of them began to talk for a while until Professor Oak interrupted them.
"Thanks, Daniel, but not all of that is true," Delia reassured him with a smile. What wasn't true was that he was dating another girl. Truth be told, she had been a friend from his childhood and when Delia had heard other students talking about it, she politely confronted her classmate. He asked her if she really believed the rumors, which she didn't. She was however curious and he decided to put her mind at ease by explaining that he had just gotten contact from her after 3 years and he was ready to reply back. Delia had then changed the subject and the two chatted idly, as did some of their fellow classmates while Professor Oak took that time to erase the board (which had read 'Have a good weekend' in black marker) and pull out a folder to collect the homework. He then interrupted the students.
"Did everyone finish their homework that I gave them over the weekend?" Professor Oak asked as he looked around at his students. He made a mental note to tell Daniel that he wouldn't have to worry about this assignment.
"My dad's Growlithe ate my homework!" Madison lied. It was clear that Madison didn't even bother to do her homework. She wasn't interested in Pokémon (however, her father DID have a Growlithe) and her parents made her go to university, anyway. Some students laughed at Madison's response, whereas Delia just rolled her eyes. She hated how Madison didn't have respect for Professor Oak and the other teachers. She knew Madison could be well liked by everyone in their class if she changed her personality and attitude.
"Honestly, I don't know why you're in this class sometimes, Madison," Spenser said with a sigh. He got his homework out of his bag and gave it to the professor while looking at Madison. "You always make up excuses about your homework. I did mine as soon as I got home." Spenser wore a a blue tank top with a light gray shirt over it , a pair of black shorts and sandals. He had blond hair and onyx eyes; he too had braces, but unlike Madison's, his were dark blue and red.
"I did mine at school so I wouldn't have any distractions from my brothers," Delia announced and then gave hers to the Professor. "You know what they're like," she said with a smile.
"They can be quite a handful, can't they?" Professor Oak said with a smile as he took her homework.
"Mmhm. That's especially true for my youngest brother, but I love them," Delia said. She then returned to her desk and hummed a tune to herself. Delia had known Professor Oak all of her life for her father happens to be best friends with the man. However, it wasn't until she turned 16 when she started to develop a crush on him.
After his students handed their homework, except for Madison who instead started drawing on some paper, Professor Oak was finally able to announce what the next project will be. While he was busy telling his students what was going to happen next, Madison's mobile phone rang.
"Hello? Yes, really? Oh wow! That's awesome. Right now I'm in Professor Slowpoke's class... yeah, the know-it-all is here... you would? That's great! Okay, buh-bye!" Madison then hung up before placing her phone down and looked proud of herself with her insults. She always thought Delia was a know-it-all because of her high grades.
"Madison, you should know the rules about mobile phones being in class. It's just like the cinemas they should be silent or turned off," Professor Oak firmly warned her.
Madison would've rolled her eyes, but even THAT would've pushed it. "Whatever," she replied, completely ignoring what he said. She picked her phone back up and began to message someone.
Deciding that he would talk to Madison later, Professor Oak continued on with class as per usual, taking into consideration that said girl had either started playing games on her phone or continued sending messages. Soon, it was time for the students to have a break for morning tea and everyone had left the class.
Delia made her way to her locker with Spenser, Daniel and a few other friends by her side. Madison watched her with annoyance. "So Delia, did you end up hearing anything from Augustine?" Spenser asked her as she unlocked her locker to get her morning tea out.
"No, not a thing since he broke up with me to go follow his dreams," Delia replied with a sigh. "I expected you to say that because you know what he's like," she added with a hint of sadness in her voice. At this, Spenser's demeanor had changed. He hadn't meant to hurt Delia's feelings.
"I'm sorry Delia," Spenser murmured.
Delia sighed again as she put the lock back on the locker. "It's alright, I admit that I really do miss him. After all, it's been two months since he left." Spenser wanted to apologize again, but he put his hand on her shoulder instead.
"Don't forget, he was my friend," Spenser began, before remembering that some of the former couple's mutual friends were there. "Er, our friend, too, Delia." He then took a breath. "We miss him, too." That wasn't a lie. Delia hadn't been the only friend that Augustine had left behind.
It was Spenser's turn to sigh. "You two seemed close, but I suppose things happen for a reason," he said, remembering where his hand was. He removed it and that was partially due to him having noticed that they weren't all being watched. The other portion of the reason was that he couldn't just leave his hand on her shoulder all day!
Delia walked with Spenser, Daniel and her other friends to their favourite spot in the university yard which was located under a big shady tree. Madison followed after them in the shadows. "So what do you guys plan to do when you finish university?" Daniel asked, as he looked at Delia first. "I'm not sure what I want to do."
"I want to be a model and a Pokemon trainer." Delia replied with a smile. "I love making clothes in my spare time."
"I would love to get married and have a family, I've always wanted a daughter." Spenser replied with a smile. "Of course, I'll still study to eventually become Professor Spenser Hale!"
"I plan to run the Petalburg City gym which is in the Hoenn Region, and marry Caroline!" Norman answered, putting his arm around his girlfriend. Norman wore a black T-shirt under a red jacket with blue jeans and tennis shoes and the jacket is zipped three quarters of the way up, he had oxford hair and navy eyes. "Maybe we'll have a family too!" Caroline smiled as she looked at Norman and hugged him. "I'd love for us to get married, Norman and have two children, I've always wanted a boy and a girl." Caroline wore a short orange skirt , a light pink midriff tank-top with a yellow sweater and a black sash over it so she wouldn't have to worry about being caught for wearing something that revealing. She had brown hair which was tied up in two side pony tails and blue eyes.
Delia smiled at Caroline and Norman. "You two are sweet together. I'm sure all of you will have wonderful futures. Let's make a promise to stay in touch!" she exclaimed. Her gaze shifted from the young couple to Spenser and Daniel.
"You bet!" everyone cried out with excitement.
The friends sat underneath the shady tree and started eating their morning tea, talking and laughing together. "So, Dee, did you end up telling you-know-who about your crush?" Caroline asked in whisper after she had sat down next to her. Delia blushed and shook her head. "I couldn't, I mean... I wanted to but... I didn't feel that the timing was right, you know?" Delia answered, feeling somewhat ashamed of herself.
"When you do, let us know and we'll celebrate! We know how much you adore Sam," Caroline offered, placing an arm around Delia. "You can do it, I know you can"
Madison hid near the bush and listened in on Delia and her friends conversation. "Sam? Who's he?" she asked herself in confusion. "Whoever he is, he'd be stupid to date Delia!" she muttered.
"So, who is this Sam guy? Someone I know?" Daniel asked, adding a playful joke. "Of course, I'm new here and I don't know any Sam's," he hinted. Delia blushed, she hadn't meant for anyone to know about her crush on a certain professor and had no idea how to respond, she looked at Caroline for advice.
It was as if Caroline read her mind. "Sam... let's see... Do you know a Sam, Norman?" she looked at Norman in confusion, pretending to have no idea who this Sam person is. The group didn't want many people finding out about Delia's crush after all.
"Nope, never heard of this Sam. If you find out who this Sam guy is, then you must be a pretty smart guy!" Norman replied, winking to Spenser who looked confused for a moment and then caught on what was going on.
Daniel shrugged. "Ah well, anyway I'm going to head up and go to class, see you later," he got up and waved to the group and left. Madison shrugged and decided to follow after Daniel, without him noticing - she was at least hoping to get some information about Delia from Daniel.
Once morning tea was over, Delia and the others returned to their class, and began to work on a few assignments that Professor Oak had handed out to them. Most of the students worked hard on them, except for Madison who decided to put her feet on her desk and her hands behind her head, she got out her mobile phone and put her earphones in her ears and the phone itself, smiling she began to listen to music and hum to herself. Professor Oak noticed her behavior and sighed, Madison was one of his troublesome students who seemed to have a mind of her own. Soon university was over for the weekend, Delia put her homework away in her bag and made her way to the car park.
"Delia, wait!"
Delia turned around and watched as Daniel ran up to her with a smile. "Whew! I'm glad you waited. Would you like a lift home?" Delia gave him a smile but shook her head 'no'.
"Thank you for offering Daniel, but I've already got a lift home, I'm just waiting for him to come." Daniel looked glum when she said that.
"I didn't know you had a new boyfriend!" he said before realizing what he had just said. Delia blushed at this. 'Oh, I shouldn't have said that! Just because a guy is coming to pick him up doesn't make him her boyfriend. For all I know, she could be talking about her dad,' Daniel thought to himself.
"I don't have a new boyfriend," Delia quietly murmured.
"Really? I'm surprised that someone as beautiful as you doesn't have one!" Daniel commented, smiling to her. "By the way, what are you doing tonight?" Delia looked at him as she glanced to see if Professor Oak was coming. She had only just met Daniel and wasn't sure how she felt about him and she was still getting over her breakup with Augustine.
"I'm working tonight," she replied waving to Caroline and Norman who had started walking up to the parking lot, waiting for their parents to pick them up. The couple waved back.
"Really? Where do you work?" Daniel asked eagerly, maybe he could get a job with Delia and get to know her more.
"I'm sorry Daniel, but I can't tell you," Delia apologized. She didn't want to tell him that she worked as an assistant at Professor Oak's lab; that would spark untrue rumors about her and Professor Oak. They already had enough troubles with a lady in her early forties thinking that the professor and Delia were together; the woman even started spreading a rumor about their relationship, but Delia was sixteen back then. People didn't believe the old lady and told her off. That was a year ago, as Delia is now seventeen.
"Would you like me to wait with you until your lift comes?" Daniel asked, still smiling. Delia shook her head.
"Thank you for the offer, but my lift is here now," she said, having spotted Professor Oak walking up to the car park with a suitcase in his left hand. The suitcase contained important paperwork.
"Well, maybe tomorrow, then?" Daniel asked, sounding hopeful. Delia politely declined his offer and she said goodbye to him when she saw Professor Oak unlocking his car. She always had a lift with the professor, as they lived near each other. Daniel sighed as he walked to his car. He figured that Delia was one of those women who liked to play hard to get, which made him want to win her heart even more. 'I've got to go out with her, even if it's just once! She's the most beautiful girl in the whole school! Surely she'd be interested in dating someone!' he thought.
"Spenser said he's got a date tonight, so he won't be coming to the lab. He just told me after class," Professor Oak announced as he looked at Delia, who slightly blushed at the thought of her and the professor being alone. Spenser and Delia would often help Professor Oak at the lab as often as they could ever since his wife passed away several years ago. Delia would bring some delicious meals for the three to eat.
"Really? That's great news! I'm happy for Spenser, though funny he didn't mention that to me earlier today. Daniel asked me out, but I declined. Besides, I want to focus on my dreams in becoming a model and a Pokémon Trainer after university," Delia told him. "I made a lasagna and a cheesecake for tonight."
"You would defiantly make a great model and Pokemon Trainer, lasagna and cheese cake? They sound great, thank you, Delia" Professor Oak complimented. "I had a phone call around lunch time from one of my assistants, you know, Richard? Well he mentioned that a trainer had found a badly injured Bellossum in Route 1 - near Pallet Town and had a note attached to it. " Professor Oak added with concern in his voice. "He said this Bellossum wasn't doing too well and that the trainer couldn't make it to the Pokemon Center, as they were more concerned for the life of this Bellossum."
"What did the note say?" Delia asked, thinking perhaps that maybe Richard let Professor Oak know what was written in it.
"That's the thing, Richard didn't tell me. I asked but he said it's best for me not to know however, he planned to leave the note on my desk. He says that he believes all that Bellossum requires is a Revive, Full Restore, several Leppa Berries and a good night's rest, let's hope he's right" Professor Oak answered, as he continued driving. He stopped at a set of red traffic lights and was annoyed about the stop - there were several cars that had to pass through the green lights and it felt like forever.
Remembering what Delia mentioned earlier about Spenser not telling her about the date, Professor Oak looked at her. "About Spenser's date? He simply forgot to announce as he was in a state of excitement" he informed her, causing Delia to laugh. That was typical of Spenser.
After a while of waiting, the lights turned green, and Professor Oak was able to continue driving - which didn't take them long to reach Professor Oak's Lab. An anxious Richard greeted the Professor and Delia with the Bellossum in his arms. "Sir, this is the Bellossum I was talking about," Richard blurted out.
The Bellossum itself had cuts and bruises all over it's body, the second thing that Delia had noticed, was that the Pokemon was a female. "She looks like she's in poor shape, however, Richard is right what she needed. I'll go fetch the Revive and Full Restore, then find some Leppa berries to give her to eat. Richard could you please lay her down in the room where we keep injured Pokemon?"
Richard nodded and carried the Bellossum to the Pokemon Sick Bay - as he calls it anyway. He knew it had a name however, he had forgotten what it was. He Bellossum on the bed and made the Pokemon as comfortable and waited for Delia to return for the items required.
Delia immediately got the Revive and the Full Restore (since she knew where they were), she ran to the Pokemon Sick Bay -where the professor and Richard were, keeping an eye on the Bellossum to ensure that her condition doesn't deteriorate. Delia joined Professor Oak's side and gave him the items. Professor Oak gently took the Revive from Delia and used it on the grass Pokemon, who flinched as the spray was cold on her. "Richard, could you please get me the note you were talking about that was attached to this Pokemon?" Professor Oak requested, as he sprayed the Full Restore on Bellossum.
"Yes, I'll go and find it," Richard left the room to look for the note. He remembered leaving it on a desk but which one he wasn't too sure.
Bellossom shook in response to the Full Restore that Professor Oak had sprayed on her, and shivered for a moment. She looked up at Delia and Professor Oak - and leapt off the bed excitedly, obviously gaining her health back. "Bellossum! You should be resting not jumping about," Delia exclaimed in surprise. Bellossom however, didn't listen, she instead ran around the room excitedly and noticed the door was left open - Richard clearly had forgotten to close it behind him and the grass type Pokemon ran out as fast as it could.
Professor Oak ran after the Pokemon, with Delia chasing after it hoping to catch it - however, Bellossum appeared to be full of energy and curiosity just like a child who found something new. The grass type would stop for a moment once Delia or the professor neared her then would take off when something caught her eye. "I wish she'd slow down, while I'm glad she's healed, she really should take it easy and rest, she still is physically injured. Dee, I think you and I should try and catch her while she's in a corner, or at least try to get her into one. I'd ask Richard for help, however, he seems to be taking his time finding that note. Oh, I spoke to Madison this afternoon, once we caught Bellossum and she's resting, I'll let you know what Madison said," Professor Oak said, stopping for a moment to talk to Delia.
"How would we lure Bellossum into the corner?" Delia asked, watching as the Pokemon decided to sit up on a couch. She nodded to the professor, who grinned, the two friends walked quietly and close to the grass type. "Never mind about the corner, this may be our chance on catching her," Professor Oak suggested as he and Delia spread their arms open to catch the Pokemon. "Ready?" Professor Oak looked at Delia, who nodded. "On the count of three," he continued, as the two crept closer. Bellossum glanced around the room from where she was, then noticed the two creeping up on her, with their arms open. The Pokemon watched on.
"ONE," Professor Oak began his count, as he and Delia inched closer to the Bellossom who seemed amused watching them. The small Pokemon looked around the room she was in, while keeping an eye on the two friends at once.
"Two," Delia joined in, hoping to successfully catch the Pokemon.
"THREE!" Professor Oak and Delia exclaimed, and jumped at the Bellossom, with their arms wide open, the two wrapped their arms around the grass type Pokemon. "Now, Delia," Professor Oak informed her, as he held the Pokemon firmly in his arms. However, the grass type wriggled a lot and tried her hardest to get out of his arms, Delia wouldn't allow it though. She put her arms around the Bellossom, gently taking her out of Professor Oak's arms. Giggling, Delia smiled to the professor "You know, Sam, this is almost like looking after a child," she commented as she watched the Pokemon wriggling to get out of her arms, however, Delia held Bellosom close to her and firmly, refusing to let go of her.
"And we're kind of like parents of a mischievous child!" Delia playfully added on - earning a chuckle from the professor. The two friends quietly walked together with Bellossom back to the Pokemon Sick Bay. "To come and think of it, it is kind of like that, huh, Dee?!" Professor Oak agreed, returning a smile. She blushed after realizing what she had said.
Together, the two managed to finally get Bellossom to lay down on the bed, and watched her to ensure she wouldn't run off again, however, she didn't as she fell asleep. "That's a relief, I'm glad she's resting! We'll give her some Leppa Berries in the morning, right now she has to stay the night. Tomorrow I shall contact Officer Jenny to inform her about the situation," Professor Oak said half whispering to Delia, to ensure that he doesn't wake the sleeping Pokemon up by accident. "In the mean time, let's grab something to eat, I'm starved!" The two left closing the door after them, and locked behind them and made their way to the kitchen to have something to eat.
"I wonder if Richard is okay, he has been a while," Delia said, remembering that he left to find a note. "It shouldn't take that long to find one, surely!" she added, sounding slightly frustrated. "Maybe he had to go home for some reason? He sometimes heads home without telling us!" Professor Oak suggested.
When they got to the kitchen, Delia put the lasagna in the microwave for a few minutes and then took it out. She served it on two plates: one for her and one for Professor Oak. Delia smiled as she gave Professor Oak his lasagna. He had set the table for the two of them. When Delia placed the plates on the table, she noticed a note in Richard's hand writing. Curious, she picked it up and read what it said:
"Professor Oak, Delia, I had a phone call from my wife and she needs me back at home, the note you requested is on the table on your desk.
I tried looking for you to tell you however, you both appeared busy with Bellossom, so I decided not to interrupt. Will see you guys later, good night! - Richard"
The writing was messy, but readable. "Did you read this, Sam?" Delia asked as she passed the note to him. "Yes, I had a quick glance at it while you put the lasagna in the microwave. Hopefully things are okay at home, his wife is about to have a baby!" Professor Oak answered, smiling to her.
"Aww, that sounds sweet! They'd make great parents!" Delia exclaimed happily. "I must congratulate him when I next see him," she added. 'Now that Richard has left, it almost feels like Sam and I are on a date,' Delia thought as she sat down to eat her meal. 'No, no! Delia, you can't think that, he's your teacher and your boss, not to mention family friend. He is 39 and you are currently 17 turning 18 in a few months... Well, age doesn't really matter when it comes to love..." Delia snapped out of her thoughts, when she heard the Professor's voice.
"How did you, Caroline and Norman enjoy your weekend at the carnival?" Professor Oak asked before putting a forkful of lasagna in his mouth. That past weekend, Delia went to the carnival with Norman and Caroline - her best friends. She had known both of them since she was a child.
"It was great. Until I got my fortune told," Delia replied as she began to eat her meal.
"Really? I hope your future is bright; you certainly deserve it. I remember when I was ten years old, I met a Celebi who appeared to be in danger. It was trying to escape from this guy who wanted to sell Pokemon so I tried saving it. Somehow, the Celebi managed to send us forty years into the future, where I met a young boy named Ash Ketchum. He was traveling with his friends: Misty and Brock. Ash had a Pikachu on his shoulder and he was a nice boy," Professor Oak said before proceeding to tell her all about his adventures with Celebi.
"I'm glad Ash was able to help you out. He sounds like a lovely boy. His mother would be proud of him," Delia smiled, trying to imagine what Ash and his friends would look like. "Honestly, I think the fortune teller is wrong from what she told me."
"Really? What did she tell you?" Professor Oak asked. 'You were proud of him. Delia, we both were' he added in his thoughts, wishing he could say it aloud.
"She said I wouldn't become a Pokemon trainer or a model," Delia started saying, taking another mouthful of food. She paused for a moment to remember exactly what she said. "She said my future will change in the way I don't expect it to be and wouldn't change it for the world. She informed me that I will be a mother and will be married to the child's father. She never said who my husband or child will be though I am curious to meet them. She mentioned that Caroline and Norman will leave for the Hoenn Region and have children of their own, who will eventually meet my son and that's all I can remember," Delia finished.
"Your son and husband sound like they would be lovely people, and lucky to have you in their lives," Professor Oak commented.
Delia slightly blushed, as. "To be honest, I wish she told me who they were; if I knew then I would be happy, but in a way, its best for me not to know and let nature decide on the future for me. It would be boring if I knew who they were going to be, but, it will be worth the wait! I'd most likely endlessly looking for my future husband if I knew his name!" Delia finished as she looked at him.
"Mhm, for sure! Oh,that reminds me; I was hoping to tell you earlier but we were busy with Bellossom. Madison mentioned the reason why she behaves the way she does is because she is jealous of a student, she said she won't change the way she acts though and hates me for some reason - I am not bothered about that part I just want to try and at least teach her things, but, I really doubt she would be interested in listening." Professor Oak informed Delia, recalling the short meeting with Madison after class.
"Who could possibly hate you, Sam?! You are one of my best friends and I've known you for as long as I remember - thanks to my dad being best friends with you. Have you asked her why she is studying in the class?" Delia asked in surprise.
Professor Oak shrugged. "I tried asking her what one of her dreams are for the future and she just said it's simply none of my business rudely and stormed off. I am determined to turn her attitude around, perhaps the way I teach sounds boring to her so maybe I will see if any of her friends know what she likes so I can make the class more fun for everyone. You and Spenser are my best students, you being my favourite one of course! Madison makes things challenging!" He told her, Delia blushed knowing that she is one of her favourite students.
After eating their meal, Delia volunteered to wash the dishes while Professor Oak went to find the note that came from Bellossom's previous owner. He found it where Richard had put it and went to the kitchen again where Delia was just drying a plate. "Found it, Dee. This is what it says: To whoever finds me, I am a useless Pokemon who couldn't win a single battle, leave me alone the way I am and don't bother caring about me. My trainer found me useless and abandoned me, they don't want to put me through the same drama again!" Professor Oak finished reading it and shook his head.
"That trainer sounds like they don't really care for Pokemon, well sadly they didn't sign a name so we can't find out who Bellossom once belonged to. If Bellossom can speak the same language as we can, I am sure she would tell us," Professor Oak continued and sighed.
"Sam," Delia looked at him in concern and placed the now dry plate on the counter to be put away. She placed her eight hand gently on his left shoulder and blushed. "I am sure things will work out well, we had this happen once before, remember? Anyway, its getting late," she glanced at the clock which showed 9:50pm.
"Mhm, you're right. I'd better get you home - and I'll call you in the morning to let you know how she's doing," Professor Oak smiled. Delia nodded.
After taking Delia home; the professor checked upon Bellossom, who was fast asleep resting comfortably. The next morning, he fed the Bellossom Leppa Berries and the Pokemon appeared to be in full spirits once more. He gave Officer Jenny a call to inform her of what happened to the grass type Pokemon - the police officer told him that she'd collect the Bellossom to see if anyone recognized her - he also told Jenny about the note that came with the Pokemon. Officer Jenny had planned to pick the Pokemon up that afternoon when she was free from her current duties.
When he finished his conversation to Officer Jenny, he gave Delia a ring to let her know the situation - however, Delia was out with Caroline and Norman so he told Delia's father instead. After Officer Jenny took Bellossom and the note for evidence, the professor was finally able to contact Delia and let her know what happened and informed her that the Pokemon was now in safe hands, much to her relief.
About a week later, Daniel had been bumped up to the Intermediate Pokémon Studies II class and a new guy showed up; almost as if taking Daniel's place. "I'm sorry I'm late Professor Oak, but I'm Liam; Liam Taylor. I was supposed to show up earlier this semester, but my family and I went on a holiday of a lifetime in Johto and I didn't want to miss that for the world," the teen now known as Liam introduced himself. He had short, messy black hair and sapphire eyes. Under each eye was a sideways 'z' under it. He wore a pair of baggy jeans, a white shirt, a pair of sneakers and a pair of gray finger-less gloves. At once, almost every girl in the class turned their attention to Liam and sighed dreamily. Even Delia was interested in him, despite the fact she preferred studying and helping Professor Oak in the lab.
"Welcome, Liam! I hope you feel right at home; I'll introduce you to everyone," Professor Oak said with a smile and began telling Liam all the names of the other students.
Liam was a transfer student from the Orange Islands and had been taking the class with one of Professor Oak's coworkers who moved out there. "I heard that you have top students in your class, too, Professor Oak," Liam said, looking at him."Yes, I do. Spenser, Delia and a few others are my top students. They've worked hard and never complained. I'm sure they'll be very successful in their futures," Professor Oak said proudly as he looked at his top two. At the compliment, Spenser's cheeks got tinted pink. He liked compliments, but something about the way Professor Oak said them would make him feel that way. Delia turned slightly (briefly meeting the Professor's gaze) to give Spenser a warm smile.
"Delia? Wow you really do have a cute name!" Liam left Professor Oak's side when his eyes met Delia's. He smiled and sat on her desk and produced a rose from nowhere. "Are you single?"
"Thank you and yes I am. Why?" Delia figured he'd be interested in asking her out, just like Daniel had done however, the young woman felt like she wasn't ready for that. She watched as Liam gave her the rose. Delia accepted it - to be polite, she wasn't sure about Liam as she just met him.
"I'll ask you later, Professor Oak's watching and I think he may be jealous," Liam whispered and left to go to his desk. Delia giggled and placed the rose inside her desk, hoping to remember to take that home later.
When lunchtime came, everyone left the classroom, except for Professor Oak and Delia of course. Delia was meaning to give the professor some of her lunch, as she enjoyed making meals for him. She knew that if she didn't, he'd most likely eat take-away food since he wasn't a great cook. She remembered the time he made a birthday cake and he left it in the oven for too long, nearly setting it on fire. He was too caught up in his research that he had forgotten about it. Lucky for him, Delia was with him at the lab and checked on the cake after smelling something burning.
"Thank you for your lunch, Delia. Honestly, I'm lucky to have you as one of my students and longtime friend. You always seem to look out for me," Professor Oak said with a smile, making Delia blush.
"You're welcome, Samuel. Enjoy your lunch! I'm going to find Caroline and Norman," Delia said with her smile turning into a grin. She then left the classroom to find her friends. On her way, she ran into Liam; literally. Neither teen fell over, so it was okay there. "Oh, Liam. I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," Delia apologized, noticing his phone had fallen out of his hand and onto the floor. Liam quickly picked it up and inspected it to see if it was broken.
Liam had been surprised that Delia was apologizing. "That's fine. I've dropped this things heaps of times and it still works," he said, adding a chuckle, referring to him dropping his mobile. Delia was relieved to hear that it didn't break. "Do you have one?" Liam asked, deciding to clean the phone's screen with the bottom part of his shirt as it was covered in his finger prints. He was hoping to get her number so he can text her and call her whenever he wanted to.
"No, I don't. I don't see the need for one," Delia replied as she watched him put the phone in his trouser pocket. "That reminds me, earlier I mentioned I wanted to ask you something, Delia. Will you go out with me?" Liam asked, smiling as he looked at her, hoping she'd accept.
Delia sweat dropped. "We only met about an hour ago, Liam," she said. She wasn't exaggerating, it hadn't been a full hour, hinting that she didn't want to accept him as a boyfriend just yet.
"I know, but I want to get to know you better. When I met you I felt like you and I have known each other for eternity!" Liam told her, smiling. "So, will you?"
"No, sorry Liam, I'm not ready for dating yet;" Delia answered, rejecting him as polite as she could. "I recently broke up with my ex and I'm still trying to get over him," she added.
"Oh, okay... well, er... I'll see you later then, gotta go!" Liam stammered then ran off. He was obviously not used to being rejected - being a popular guy in his previous school and loved by many girls he thought he could catch Delia's attention. Delia sighed in a relief once he was out of her sight, and noticed Caroline walking with Norman hand in hand towards her.
"Hi guys!" Delia exclaimed as she ran up to her two friends, hugging Caroline and smiling at Norman.
"Hey, Delia, were you just talking to our cute classmate?" Caroline asked, returning the hug. Norman looked annoyed at the thought of Caroline calling Liam cute. Norman let that slide; he had to admit, Liam looked rather sharp and it was in these times that you weren't seeing much of that.
Delia nodded. "Yes and he asked me out but I declined."
"Really? Why?" Norman asked, curious. He put his arm around Caroline. Delia bit her lip.
"I don't feel ready to date another guy yet. It's only been about a month since Augustine left," Delia replied with a sigh. Now Norman knew why his friend was upset. "Besides, I want to focus on my studies."
"I didn't mean to upset you, Delia," Norman said. "To be quite honest, I was gonna call Augustine up and see if he'd go to the Petalburg Silver Conference with Spenser and I later this year, as Caroline isn't interested in that sort of thing, she's more into contests."
"Fair enough. You really did love Augustine, didn't you? The two of you seemed really close. It's a pity that he left," Caroline said as she put her arm around Norman.
"Gus and I were really close and we dated for a few years. I miss him so much, but I know he's probably moved on with the girl he was friends with," Delia explained. "We were even planning a future together before he got that job offer."
"I have a few single friends if you're interested in dating them," Norman offered. "I know nobody can replace Gus at the moment, but I'm sure you'll find your new man." Gus wasn't only the pet name Delia gave her ex, it was also a nickname of his.
Delia thanked him as she walked next to Caroline. Caroline smiled to her. "Norman stayed over at my place for dinner last night, and when we were alone we decided to come up with names for our future children, though we both agreed not to have any until we're married."
"Really? What do you plan to name your children?" Delia wondered, sounding excited. "I bet they'll be cute."
"We've decided that we'll name our daughter May, and our son Max. They sound so nice together." Norman answered.
"Aw, May and Max sound like sweet names. I've only recently started liking the name Ash. If I ever had a son, I'd call him that." Delia smiled, remembering what Professor Oak had told her.
A month flew by and Delia stayed at the top of the class (with Spenser for a tie) and had her close friendship with Professor Oak. Liam got to know Delia a lot better since they were paired up in a few different classes. Liam would often flirt with her whenever they were alone, which made her warm up to him and eventually made her get over Augustine. "You know Delia, I've never met anyone as beautiful as you," Liam said to her one day as the two made their way to the classroom. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and figured it was a message.
Liam read the text message which said: 'Are you ready to go ahead with the plan?' Liam then wrote 'Yes, I'm talking to her now, Phase 1 will be complete shortly, if she accepts'. He sent the message put the phone in his pocket and turned his attention back to Delia.
Delia was used to watching him 'mess' around with his phone. She wasn't a big fan of phones, like a lot of people were in her class. "You're sweet Liam." The only thing she found annoying about Liam now was his habit of fiddling with his phone, whatever he did with it, she hated when he was messing about with it while she spoke to him, however, she was too polite to say that.
"Ah, but you're even sweeter, Delia. Are you doing anything tonight?" Liam asked as he ran his fingers through his hair, nervously.
"No, I haven't got work tonight, why do you ask?" Delia answered. That was true, Professor Oak was planning to have dinner with her family and for that reason she didn't need to go to the lab. 'Surely Liam's not going to ask me out again, is he?' Delia thought - though she had to admit, she started to have feelings for Liam.
"I was wondering if you'd like to go to the movies with me tonight and maybe the restaurant?" Liam asked, gazing at Delia lovingly.
Delia gasped as she looked at him, somewhat surprised. It was as if he had read her mind! "Yes, I would love to, now that I know you a lot better. You would have to meet my parents first, however, as they are protective over me," she answered, clasping her hands together. She couldn't wait to tell Caroline and Norman.
"I don't blame your parents for being protective. You deserve the best boyfriend and that's why I hope I can be the best," Liam said in a determined tone and with a toothy grin. He received another message on his phone which read:
'Excellent, how did Phase 1 go?' Liam smiled seeing the writing and messaged back: 'Great, she said yes, now we can move onto Phase 2,'
"I'll introduce you to my parents after school because my mom is picking me up today," Delia said, assuring him. She noticed Professor Oak walking to their classroom and opening the door, for some reason, Delia had an uncomfortable feeling after saying yes to Liam. She shook it off to being nervous about the date tonight with him. 'Do I feel uncomfortable because I still have a crush on Sam and said yes to Liam?' she thought to herself.
"Cool, I can't wait to meet them. I bet your mother is as beautiful as you are!" Liam commented as he looked at Delia, snapping her out of her thoughts about Professor Oak. "We'd better get to class, he just walked in" Liam stood with Delia and walked by her side into the classroom. Professor Oak was at his desk sorting out paperwork, while other students soon filled the room.
"That's what Gus said about my mother too," Delia beamed, as she sat down at her desk. Liam stayed with her for a moment before class started again to talk to her. "He said that? Well, it must be true then. What are your siblings like?" Liam wondered before adding, "I have two younger sisters."
"My brothers are great boys once you get to know them. Their names are Ben, Rick and Jason. I'm close to all of them. My parents are Sally and Robert. Personality wise, Ben loves reading; you'd never see him without a book and he tries to be protective of me. Rick is a flirt and Jason is the adventurous type; he can't wait to get his own Pokemon," Delia answered with a smile.
"How old are they?" Liam asked as he tried to imagine what Delia's brothers looked like. "Ben is fifteen, Rick is thirteen and Jason is eight. I'm seventeen. What are your sisters like?" Delia told him.
"I'm seventeen as well. My sisters are twins named Holly and Lilly. They're so alike, despite them being sororal. They love eating and are so full of energy. They're nine and can't wait to become trainers. Who knows? Maybe they'll travel with Jason someday," Liam began before taking a breath to continue. "My parents are Michael and Lisa. My father works with a power plant company while my mother works at a flower shop."
'That would explain the roses,' Delia thought to herself.
The day ended as quickly as it started and Delia couldn't wait to introduce her parents to Liam. The two spent their spare time talking and sharing their interests. Liam seemed perfect to Delia. Though she couldn't help but still feel unsure about him.
"You know, I imagine you'd make a wonderful model. I bet you'd make the other girls jealous," Liam commented, smiling to Delia as they walked to the car park to wait for Delia's mother to pick them up as Professor Oak in a meeting. At this, Delia blushed.
"Thank you, Liam. I'm going to start applying for modeling contracts and hopefully I can get one," Delia told him happily.
"I'm sure you'll easily get one. What Pokemon would you choose for a starter?" Liam asked, feeling his phone vibrate. He took it out of his pocket and read the message: 'Good luck, and stick with the plan!' he read. Liam replied 'Thanks, will do, I'll let you know when stage 3 is a go out of 10.' He put it back in his pocket once more.
"I'd go with Squirtle, though, if Eevee was a starter Pokemon, I'd definitely pick an Eevee," Delia said, noticing his phone habit hasn't left him. "I've already decided that I'm going to go for the gym challenges and hopefully become an Elite Four member."
"I'll be with you for every step of the way Delia, cheering you on," Liam began as his face turned serious. "I'll say to my friends: 'My girlfriend defeated the Pokemon League Champion!'" he then laughed a little. "I can already see the looks on their faces. You can definitely do that though, Delia. I want to be in a band. I love music and rock is my favorite," he said with a grin as he put his hand on her shoulder.
It wasn't long before Delia's mother came and picked her up. She was surprised to see a boy with Delia, instead of her daughter being alone. "Mum, this is my new boyfriend Liam. Liam, this is my mother, Sally," Delia said to her mother who was still sitting in the driver's seat of the family's car.
"It's nice to meet you, Liam," Sally said with a smile. Sally was the splitting image of Delia, however, she wore her hair down and looked paler in the skin. She was adorned in a blue v neck dress and black boots.
"I can see where Delia gets her looks from," Liam commented. "It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Ketchum. You have a lovely daughter and I'm lucky to be with her"
"Oh, Liam. You are so sweet. I take it you're coming over?" Sally asked. It was then that she realized that she hadn't unlocked the car! She pressed the button on the side, unlocking it and nodded to Delia, signifying that the car was now unlocked.
Delia opened the back door to her mother's car and got in with Liam climbing in behind her. "Yes, we're also going on a date. But first, she said she wanted me to introduce me to her family," Liam explained. He and Delia plopped their bags down on the floor in front of them; Liam closed the door. He felt his phone vibrate and he knew it was a message, but he chose to ignore it as he didn't want Sally to become suspicious. Liam sat next to Delia.
"Really? Where do you two plan to go?" Sally asked. Delia had put her seat belt on and smiled as she listened to her mother and boyfriend talk. Delia put on her seatbelt, Liam did the same.
"We're going to the movies, but I'm unsure of Delia's genre preference. I'll let her pick," Liam answered as he looked at Delia.
"I love romance, comedy, action and adventure. Romance is my favourite, though," Delia told him as she held her hand out to Liam. Liam knew what this meant and smiled as he put her hand in his.
"You two remind me of Robert and I when we went on our first date," Sally said, reminiscing. She talked to Liam and Delia as she drove home. She started liking Liam more than Gus. To her, Liam sounded perfect.
"Well, here we are," Sally announced as she pulled up a driveway which led to a large, red bricked two story home. It had a beautiful flower garden growing out the front.
"Home sweet home!" Delia sung out, after Sally parked the car and turned it off.
To be continued...