Chapter 10: Family Reunion?

From Seafoam, Andy and Marie headed on to Johto to their homes. The rest went on to Pallet Town.

"Well." Ash said to his group. "I guess this is Goodbye."

"For now." Brock said.

"We WILL meet up again. How else will Ashley and Bailey exist?" Misty told her boyfriend.

"Oh yeah. I forgot about those guys." Aaron mentioned.

"How can you forget your own SON?" Ash teased.

"Hey. He hasn't been born yet." Aaron defended himself. "How can I forget him, if he doesn't exist?"

"You've met him." Misty told him as if it was a simple explanation.

"We have to head on out now." Brock reminded.

Ash and Misty looked at each other.

"Hold on to Togepi." Misty said to Brock.

Before anyone knew it, they were in a PASSIONATE kiss.

"How can Misty's sisters DO this to her?" Aaron asked as Brock covered Togepi's eyes. "To take her away from her true love?"

Brock just gave him a look.

"Sorry Brock." Aaron said realizing what he had just said.

"I'm just kidding." Brock said. "One day, I will find a girl. Hopefully."

"You will." Aaron said. "Okay you two. Break it up. You will have plenty of time to do that sort of thing on your wedding night."

"AARON!" they yelled at him.

"Well. Goodbye Ash." Misty said sneaking a handkerchief into his hand. "This is to remember me by." She added in a whisper.

"Thanks. Bye Misty."

"Okay Brock." Misty said. "Give me my Pokemon."

"PPPPRRRRIIIIII!!!" (WHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!)

0000

"Ash? Why didn't we stop by the house?" Aaron said

"Didn't want Mom to get caught up in the goodbye. She loves Misty like a daughter. And Brock like another son. If you think OUR goodbyes were bad, that would be worse."

"Uh Ash." Aaron realized as he paled.

"What?"

"I just remembered what today is."

Ash thought and paled as he remembered.

"Should we make a break for it?" he asked

"Yeah."

With that, the boys ran to their home.

0000

"How are my birthday girls?" Dan said as he came into the kitchen.

"Messy." Delia answered.

It was true. Emily and Elizabeth were covered in their breakfasts. Delia was also wearing their food for they had already started practicing throwing pokeballs by throwing handfuls of food.

DING DONG

"Who can that be?" Dan asked. "I told Professor Oak I was taking the day off."

Dan went to go to the door and opened it to see two people he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Delia! I think it's for you." Dan yelled for his wife as he let the guests in and closed the door.

"We came to see you too Daniel." Arthur Knight told his son-in-law as they went into the living room.

"How are you?" Rose asked.

"Fine." Dan said trying to think of how to inform his in-laws of what had been going on.

"Mom? Dad? What are you two doing here?" Delia asked as she noticed her parents.

"We haven't seen or heard from you in so long, we decided to stop by and visit." Rose said as she hugged her daughter.

"Sorry about that." Delia told her. "When I last called, you two had moved, and I never got your phone number."

"I understand Dear." Rose said. "Now, where are my granddaughters?"

Delia and Dan looked at each other in confusion as Rose went into the kitchen..

"We ran into your sons." Arthur informed them. "They told us the whole story."

"Really?" Delia asked. "How are they?"

"They were fine." Arthur said. "Doing quite well in their training."

DING DONG

"Now who can it be?" Dan asked going to the door.

"Delia? Did you plan a party for the girls and forgot to tell me?" Dan asked after he answered the door.

"No. Why?" Delia asked.

"That's how you greet your parents after all these years of only communicating by vid-phone?" Sarah Ketchem asked her son.

"Sorry Mom." Dan said. "It's just, we weren't expecting you, and Delia's parents showed up."

"Arthur. How great it is to see you again." Matthew said acknowledging the other two parents.

"Sarah. Matthew." Arthur greeting them. "It has been so long."

"Where's Rose?" Sarah asked.

"In the kitchen." Delia said.

0000

After the women got the girls cleaned up, they moved the reunion to the living room. Rose was holding Emily as Sarah held Elizabeth.

"How is Lance doing?" Dan asked.

"He's well." Rose answered. "Still top of the Elite Four and is also a Pokemon G-man."

"Really? That's really something." Delia said.

"Yes." Arthur said. "He's constantly fighting Team Rocket."

This caught Dan's attention. Team Rocket was really starting to make a name for themselves.

When he was training, Giovanni had been Dan's rival. However, their rivalry grew worse than Greg's and Aaron's. Giovanni had not cared for his pokemon and it made Dan sick. When Giovanni had started stealing Pokemon, that was the last straw for Dan. He spent a great deal of his training days fighting against Giovanni and his crew. A few years later, Dan got caught up in family life. He still fought Giovanni part-time as well as try to keep his job. He had never informed Delia about it so she wouldn't worry. That was where he made his mistake. Because he was caught between his job and stopping Team Rocket, Delia became so stressed from trying to raise two boys, keep the house going, AND worrying about him, she left.

DING DONG

Dan was still deep in thought over Team Rocket when the doorbell rang.

"Dan?" Delia asked worried about her husband.

When he didn't answer, she called to the Mr. Mime.

"Mimey? Could you get the door?"

"Mime" (Sure)

"Dan? What's the matter?" she asked.

"Dada?" Elizabeth asked.

"Don't get used to it." A familiar voice from the doorway. "When we get to Hoenn, we are ALL going to work HARD."

"Pikachu pika chu pika" (We're just resting for it.)

"I'm not too sure how I like the tone you used for ALL." Another voice said.

"Do you, or do you not want to do well in the Hoenn League, Aaron?"

"I do. But Ash," Aaron said. "We're on VACATION!"

"Not for long." Ash reminded him.

"Ash! Aaron!" Delia exclaimed as she ran to her boys who had just entered the room. "You're home!"

"Hi Mom." They managed to say as they were squeezed.

"If only Lance and Julie was here." Matt said. "Then this would be a REAL family reunion."

"Hi Grandpa." The boys greeted

They looked around to see it wasn't just Matt.

"Hi Everybody." Aaron laughed.

"Was there a family reunion that nobody mentioned?" Ash joked.

"We were wondering the same thing?" Delia said.

"Dad?" Aaron asked. "What's wrong with him?"

"We aren't sure." Delia said. "We were talking about Lance, and he just spaced out on us."

"We mentioned how he was a G-man." Arthur said. "And is fighting Team…"

"You mentioned THEM?" Aaron interrupted. "Dad hates them with more than a passion. He never explained why though."

"I think perhaps a light thunder shock ought to do the trick." Ash said.

"No." Aaron said. "I think we should save that for when we TELL him about that. I have a better idea."

Aaron whispered something into his brother's ear.

"Good idea. Croconaw. Come on out."

The pokemon came out dancing like it had done as a Totodile.

"Croconaw." Ash said. "I need a light water gun on Dad."

Dan was now thinking of ways to keep Giovanni from his daughters when something cold and wet hit him on the face. When he snapped out of it, he saw his parents, in-laws, and wife looking at him worriedly, a Croconaw, Aaron who looked like a cross between worried and amazed, Ash who was sending a glare at the Croconaw, two Pikachus who were worried, and his daughters who enjoyed every second of the Pokemon drenching their father.

"I said a LIGHT water gun." Ash said to the pokemon.

"Croconaw" (That was light)

"THAT was light?" Ash repeated. "I'm using you in my next battle. Aaron, remind me."

"Unless it's against me." Aaron said.

"Ash? Aaron? When did you two get back?"

"A few minutes ago." Aaron said. "Are you okay Dad?"

"Yeah. Just remembering all the trouble Giovanni had given me during my life. How did you do in the Orange League?"

Aaron reached into his backpack and pulled out a trophy with a grin.

"That's great, Sweety!" Delia exclaimed as she took the trophy and put it up right next to Ash's Orange League trophy. "There. Perfect."

"Whoa." Aaron said looking at his little sisters. "They grew up."

Emily reached for Ash as Elizabeth did the same for Aaron.

The brothers took their sisters and smiled as Delia looked around.

"Where are the others?" Delia asked.

The boys frowned.

"They had to leave." Aaron told her. "Family reasons."

There was a brief silence with the exception of the twin girls babbling.

"Where are you boys off to next?" Matt said trying to change the subject.

"Hoenn." The boys answered. "We're leaving in a week."

"A week?" Delia complained.

"I know the feeling." Sarah told her as she looked at Dan.

"What?" he asked.

"You used to come home for days to weeks at a time. At least Julie was considerate enough to stay home at least a month when she came home from her travels."

"Julie?" Ash whispered to Aaron.

"Aunt Julie." Aaron whispered back. "I don't know too much about her except she's Dad's younger sister."

"Okay." Ash whispered back.

"So." Aaron said changing the subject because the tension had grown again with the mention of Julie. "What are we doing for the girls' birthdays?"

The older adults looked at Dan and Delia.

"You forgot to mention it was their birthday." Arthur said.

0000

A week later everyone was still recovering from the birthday party. Professor Oak, Gary, and Tracy had shown up. Matt and the Professor got into a long conversation about Pokemon; Gary, Ash, Aaron, and Tracey got into a conversation about traveling; the women had gotten into a conversation about cooking; and the rest of the men were talking about past travels. Emily and Elizabeth were having a food fight.

It was now 5 o'clock in the morning. The boat to Hoenn left at 9 o'clock, but they wanted an early start. The sooner they left, the sooner they can see Misty and Marie again.

And Brock and Andy as well.

"Well. We leave in four hours." Ash said packing another shirt while he was still in his pajamas.

Aaron looked deep in thought as he starred at his brother.

"What?" Ash asked.

"I just got a great idea." Aaron said. "We're going to a new area. Why don't we get a new look?"

"What are you talking about?" Ash said.

"Give me your clothes." Aaron instructed.

"We're switching?" Ash asked.

"No." Aaron said. "We ALWAYS wear the same outfit. We're just changing our looks."

"Fine." Ash said. "But if Marie kisses me when she returns, don't go getting all jealous on me."

0000

When they came downstairs for breakfast, Delia was already up making them pancakes.

"Hi Mom." They greeted her.

"Hi Boys." She responded. "Are you two ready for another journey?"

"Of course." They answered.

"Good morning." Dan yawned as he came into the kitchen.

"Morning Dad." The boys answered.

"Now remember." Delia told the boys. "Be careful out there, brush your teeth, change you…"

"MOM!" the boys exclaimed as they blushed.

"Del. I think they can remember to do that kind of stuff." Dan said.

0000

Dan had given the boys a lift to the port.

"Try to stay away from Team Rocket." Dan instructed as he pulled the car up to the port and parked. "I don't know if Giovanni knows who you two are, but just to be safe…"

"We will." They said.

"It's usually them who bother us." Aaron added under his breath.

"What was that Ash?" Dan asked.

"Nothing." Aaron quickly said. "And I'm Aaron."

Dan turned and looked at the two boys.

"We didn't switch." Ash told him.

"We just decided to wear something different." Aaron finished

"Thanks for the ride Dad." Ash said.

The boys and their Pikachus left the car.

TBC