Everything Changes

Chapter 12

I'm Always in this Twilight

The digital clock on Mark's nightstand read one-fifteen. He had not been in bed long due to cleaning himself after Annie's little act and was even threatened by a couple of the gentlemen at the party. He had made himself look like an utter fool. He messed things up with Delia, not the other way around. And now all of Pallet was going to hear the low-down about what happened at the reunion. Word would get out fast and Greta would probably be up early in the morning announcing the news from her inner-com at the store.

He was tossing and turning continuously throughout the night, reliving his latest mistake over in his head. He had not intended for the night to turn so sour. The man seriously thought Delia would fall for him the second he confessed his feelings for her. Little did he know that she was still allured by the same man who gave her a son. Mark cursed underneath his breath. Now he wished Jay to be damned to Hell. Damned, for screwing any chance he had with the inn keeper's daughter.

Before he humiliated himself, Mark dreamed about all the possibilities he could have shared with his new bride. Though the idea of being a step-father was not exactly what he hoped for. How could he ever come to an agreement with that boy? Ash never liked him from the start and to be perfectly honest, Mark felt the same. Looking at the child only reminded him of Jay; the same ruffled hair, the same birth marks, the same ambition...

Even if Delia had said yes, even if she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him a dozen times, Mark knew it would never work out. If Ash didn't accept him, then Delia would let him go. She was his mother and by watching them from afar, Mark realized how much the young woman adored her child. It seemed whether he was there or not, Jay would always win. Badges or the hearts of those who still loved him.

Drifting on and off to sleep, Mark groggily stepped out of bed in shorts and a t-shirt for a glass of water, hoping it'd calm his nerves. Strolling into the kitchen, he lazily reached for a glass in one of the upper cabinets, turning on the water. His dreary eyes fixated on the water pouring from the sink, watching the rushing liquid rise through the cup and it wasn't till the water overflowed from its container touching his hand, that Mark fully woke up. Shaking himself awake he shut off the the sink, drying his soaked hand with a nearby towel.

As he went on drying his hand, the phone rang across the room having him abandon his beverage. Dragging himself across the floor he made it over to the ringing contraption in time before it woke up Prof. Oak. The possibility of it being Delia consumed his thoughts, though after a short moment he realized it was an unrealistic presumption.

Rubbing his eyes sleepily, the man picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello Mark, remember me?"

Mark's eyes immediately flew open as his body became stiff. The voice had an eery familiar ring to it, a ring that made him shudder throughout his body. He gulped as his heart lurched intensely within his chest, sweat forming on the creases of his forehead. He didn't like the vibe the caller was giving off, feeling almost threatened by the mysterious character. It was clear that the caller was male, the rumbling powerful voice erupting from the man's vocal cords practically made Mark jump out of his skin.

Still standing there shaking like a cornered Growlithe, Mark gave another gulp. "Who-who are you?"

The man sneered. "The wanna be Pokémon Master that's who." He spat wittily. "I've got a score to settle with you, so if you don't want to ruin your precious reputation as the infamous researcher from Hoenn, then listen up. Before the sun touches the hills, you must leave Pallet. And I would suggest you start packing now."


Delia didn't get a good night's rest either. She had laid there awake most of the night and by the time she felt her mind slip, her sticky eyelashes were forced to become unglued due to the blaring rays of sun shining through her window.

Going to work was something she didn't want to do and she even felt crummy enough to not take Ash to school. Luckily, Leah swung by on a surprise visit, though Delia knew the main reason her mom came by was because she already heard the rumors of the outbreak at Prof. Oak's. It was only seven o'clock and all of Pallet was up in arms about the latest gossip.

Delia did however, briefly describe the happenings of the party to Ash. As she explained the situation to him in the best choice of words she could find, it seemed he got the gist of it, though he would probably have some questions later on that Delia wouldn't want to answer. Everything was just too complicated. Even at that, she'd rather jump through hoops and stumble through her words awkwardly describing Mark's intentions, rather than have the town folk tell her son the shocking news. Shocking news that would send him into a panic attack, thinking he was getting a new daddy if the story was twisted and contorted by then. That was the last thing Delia wanted.

And because of that, Delia wanted to stay away from everyone for as long as she could. However, she did feel ridiculous hiding in the house. She not only felt unnerved about leaving her house for work but was petrified about watering her own garden! Delia was paranoid that as she watered along, listening to the sweet melodies of the Pidgey as they chirped, Mark would pop up unexpectedly declaring his undying love and devotion for her.

The remembrance of his fingertips gliding over her skin caused her to have goose bumps, not to mention, the inclination of Mark wanting to get in her pants that night. Stumbling into bed with a man she hardly knew was something Delia wasn't known for. If Mark thought he was going to receive a thrill that night he was most certainly confused. And sweet talking her wouldn't work either. She didn't know why he'd even think it'd work in the first place. She couldn't understand how their casual conversation gave him the single to be authorized to flirt.

Delia was also not flattered by his insistence on running away with him, starting a 'better life' somewhere else like she was a maiden in distress, a charity case perhaps. She could sense Mark's love was not fully genuine and felt he was using the madness she had encountered lately to manipulate her. The constant blabbering about how he was 'such a better match' made her nauseous.

'A better match' that could 'support her fully' and 'make her happy' and 'give her everything she ever dreamed of'. Like she couldn't do those things on her own. Delia understood what it meant to be an independent woman, an independent mother to be more exact, and she didn't need some bachelor to tell her how to live her life. The woman interpreted his words to be more bossy and demeaning than warm and comforting. She could provide a roof over their heads all by herself and do yard work, and pay the bills and groceries, and work a full day, and pick up Ash from school and have enough time to kick of her shoes and shut her eyes for a moment before starting dinner.

There was however, something Delia was overlooking. Too vexed and hurt by the whole thing, she didn't recognize there was a double-meaning gracing her presence. Isn't a husband what she had wanted those lonely five years? A supporter, a lover, a friend? If that was the case, then why not take Mark? Why not deem him as the new love she found among the darkness of the world if he was so willing to announce his feelings for her in front of everyone? Was he not right? Was he not... Jay?

She was incapable of pondering over these thoughts at the time, for she was wrapped up in double checking that Ash had everything he needed for school and that his tummy was full.

After bidding Ash and Leah goodbye Delia attended to her own needs, waddling up the stair case with a basket full of folded washed clothes, engaged in a phone call with Michelle.

Her ear and cheek were pressed firmly on the cordless phone to keep it steady. "I'm really sorry about bailing on you like this, but I just don't think I can handle coming to work. I know Azurine and Charlotte want to say goodbye, but I just can't... Th- that night was so humiliating-"

Michelle understood. How could she not? She was one of the first people to hear after all. Making her way over to the inn to make breakfast for the rising guests, she was stopped by Greta who dramatically declared the startling news. She was in such a shocked state she didn't even bother asking how Greta already knew till the old woman scampered off to go gossip with another resident.

"I know sweetheart and it's fine. I'll tell them bye for you, and I've got Jennifer to help me. Just take your time honey. Your mom and I understand."

"Thanks Michelle," Delia said gratefully, settling some shirts in her second dresser drawer, "I promise I'll make it up to you."

"You just get yourself in the right mind set again. That's all I want. And don't worry!" Michelle continued reassuringly. "Soon this will all blow over and be yesterday's news!"

She sighed, slamming the drawer shut. "Thanks, I'll talk to you later."

Ending the call, Delia strolled into her son's bedroom ready to put his clothes away as well, though her entrance wasn't a smooth one. Stepping on a plastic toy with her house slipper, Delia felt a sharp pain jab into her foot.

Growling underneath breath, the peeved woman scooted the item aside. "Ash...," her eyebrows furrowed together as her eyes skimmed about Ash's tattered room. "Oh, what a mess..."

Delia couldn't count how many times she reminded him the importance of being tidy, though waking up every morning and finding a mix of dirty and clean laundry strung out across the hallway, made her realize neatness was a lost cause.

Collecting an armful of toys and clothes here and there, Delia tossed them back into their designated places. She was so engrossed with cleaning up the disheveled room, the woman took liberty of tucking his clean clothes away and going to the trouble of putting books and videos back in their proper places.

However, she was no longer preoccupied with redoing Ash's bedroom by the ringing on the phone, causing the frazzled woman to dart about the room, trying to locate where she placed the damn thing.

After a few rings she discovered it placed on Ash's desk, answering it with a heavy breath. "Hello?"

"Good morning Delia! How are you?"

How are you? Really? How do you think she was feeling? Delia knew Prof. Oak meant well, putting his widest grin on and using a chipper tone to make the situation not as bad as it seemed. It still wasn't enough to ease her nerves though. The impending fear that Mark was standing next to the professor listening to their conversation, begging to speak with her made her want to hang up. If that was the case, Prof. Oak was there and he would put a stop to it, Delia was certain of that. She didn't need to be so dramatic.

Sitting down on her son's unmade bed, Delia felt something with marble eyes and a nose prod right into her behind, having her rise back up glaring down at the discovered Mankey toy Ash left out.

She sighed as she picked it up. "Hi Professor. I've been better."

"I thought so. I was really worried about you after you left the lab. I'm terribly sorry it had to turn out that way. Truly I am."

She could tell her former instructor meant every word and was touched deeply, though the uncomfortable encounter with the toy left her sounding a little exasperated.

"Yes well, it was... something." The woman responded, settling the Mankey toy on her lap as she sat back down on the bed.

He too could sense the aggravation in her tone, now uncertain if it was a good time. Though the matter was quite crucial.

"Listen Delia, I don't mean to bombard you with bad news, however, there is a serious matter I need to discuss with you."

More bad news? How could anything be worse than that previous night? Was it about Mark, had he done something after the party? Had he done something to himself?

It couldn't be that. No way, she was being dramatic again. It had to be something like, a Pokémon was let loose out of the Lab's quarters and stampeded across her garden and all those crops she planted would go to waste. Yeah, it had to be something like that.

Delia took a deep breath. "What is it?"

"I believe Ash cheated on his exam."

Delia was speechless. Cheated? Did she just hear the professor say, cheated? Ash, cheating? No way! He must have gotten his test confused with another kid. Not Ash. Not her sweet, innocent, honest little boy... No. How could this be?

Her accumulating anxiety was now taking full effect. Every positive ounce she had left in her life was being sucked out, the negative energy squeezing the life out of all happiness, making it slowly crumble away into bits of dust. Now instead of it gradually deteriorating away, she felt an entire avalanche of destruction crash right on her, suffocating her to no end.

Delia was devastated.

Her mouth remained agape with no words flowing from it, till she realized Prof. Oak was still on the other line waiting. "What?!" Delia managed to sputter out. "But how?! Are you sure?"

Prof. Oak nodded. "Positive. I'm assuming after I left the room, Ash changed his answers after finding the answer key on my desk." He then gave a heavy sigh. "I knew I should have put that thing away..."

This wasn't Prof. Oak's fault. He should have been able to trust Ash not to go scrounging on top of his desk. Now she couldn't help but question her qualifications as a parent.

Delia shook her head. "It's not your fault professor. Ash shouldn't have tempted himself... What did he specifically change?" She questioned, though she was dreading to know the answer.

"Answers that even I wouldn't have known when I was their age unless I had notes, which are not allowed!" He exclaimed. "Those harder questions are just for formality anyway. I don't actually expect a bunch of children to get them right! And some of the questions were opinionated and he wrote the same words down as the ones in the answer key!" He sighed again, shaking his head some more. "I'm sorry Delia, but that's enough proof for me to suspect foul play."

She didn't want to hear any of this. She wanted to throw the damn phone against the wall and convulse into a mental breakdown. How much more disappointment was going to crawl underneath her front door and devour the last remaining bits of sanity and delectation she had? Delia didn't want to find out. She wanted to run. Run away from all her troubles and if they caught up with her, she'd bury them beneath the soil of the earth and walk away as if they never existed. It was impossible to do so however.

"What does this mean?"

"I'm going to wait and see if he comes clean." Prof. Oak stated. "I will announce that the test results are in and the kids can come pick them up. If Ash goes to get his results and doesn't tell me the truth then, I hate to say this but-"

"I understand Professor. So if Ash tells you the truth-"

"Then I'll give him another chance." He clarified. "Usually I wouldn't allow him to get his license or even try for next year but... I couldn't do that. I know I shouldn't and my reasons for feeling otherwise are that I see a spark in Ash. While he is a little off track at times, I can tell how he wants this more than anything. More than any of the other children, I think. I just couldn't take it away from him... It sounds biased, but he is his yours and Jayce's son... I... I just couldn't."

Delia's voice softened. "Oh, Professor..."

Pleased she was by the professor's comments, she couldn't bare the thought of her son committing such a vial act as cheating and facing no repercussions. She had given her all at being a single parent, filling in the other half constantly and was beyond disappointed to discover her efforts were still not enough. Everything seemed hopeless and Delia was starting to believe it.

"I'm just so disappointed in him." She added with another sigh, perplexed. "I've never taught him to cheat!"

"I'm as surprised as you are, but he is a kid," he reasoned casually, "and kids make mistakes."

Delia arched her eyebrows. "Yes well, this is much bigger than a silly little mistake."

"Don't fret over it Delia. If Ash is meant to go a journey then he'll do the right thing. I have a strong feeling he will."

For some reason, his reassurance wasn't enough to stop the woman from worrying.

"But Professor," she continued seriously, "I can't just stand by and not saying anything-"

"You have a point, but on the other hand this teaches Ash a very valuable lesson." Now it was time to listen to the professor's helpful insight for the day. "We cannot correct Ash's mistakes by force. If we reported him for every wrong thing he did, he'd never own up to anything. He needs to take ownership. And you know as well as I do that is a very important characteristic in a Pokémon trainer, let alone any upstanding person."

He made a point. But was it good enough to excuse Ash's behavior entirely and not let him receive a punishment for his actions? She supposed him confessing the truth was enough in itself, yet she wanted him to be held accountable. Was this really the best option? Delia did need some help with wrangling Ash, and Prof. Oak would be the most appropriate candidate. Too relaxed he might have been with his own son, Ash was different. The old man's methods would most likely work on the boy. After all, Delia knew Ash had too big of a conscious to let this little act carry on undetected. Or so she thought.

It's kind of hard for me not to be tempted to make Ash tell the truth. Delia thought, biting her lip. Then again, this is Prof. Oak...

Delia just hoped his words of wisdom would pull through or she'd end up giving Ash few words of wisdom herself.


Flipping through his thick textbook, Ash was trying to be diligent with studying. Glancing over his Pokémon textbook again, the boy was preparing for a retake and this time he wasn't going to cheat. It had taken him awhile, but Ash was starting to realize this little act couldn't carry on for much longer. He was certain Prof. Oak knew, after all the man wasn't an easy one to fool and Dani's horrifying story still haunted his mind. Maybe he thought, if he tried showing the professor how much he worked to fix his mistake, the cheating incident would vanish into thin air. And he also tried his hardest to forget about the late night chat he had with Jay. At least for the time being.

If I show the professor I've studied... Oh, who am I kidding! He's not gonna let me test again...

Contemplating wasn't the only thing keeping Ash from focusing. Besides pondering on about the heartbreaking phone call, he was also distracted on and off by a group of students huddled in the upper corner of the class room, all crowding around a single desk. Ash watched them from the corner of his eye, seeing their mouths open wide with amazement, their ooos and awes intriguing him.

"Whoa Gary, no way! Hey guys," Peter said, lifting his head as he called to some students,"ya gotta take a look at what Gary got on his Pokémon exam!"

Ash figured. The students who rushed over were mostly girls, praising his cousin for his achievements, their measly first crushes showing through. And Gary accepted it all happily.

"You got your score back Gary?" One exclaimed, leaning over the desk. "Awesome!"

"Wow, that's amazing!"

"Great job Gary!"

The constant praise Gary received made Ash hurl. It was like Gary was stuffing his face full of delicious food, indulging himself to no end; though before too long, it'd come spewing back up his throat, spouting across the table as a horrendous mess.

Gary stuck his nose up in the air, his hands intertwined as he rested his head back on them. "Humph! It takes true knowledge, ambition, and talent to get a ninety-five percent on their very first Pokémon exam! I suppose this shows I am cut out for being a trainer. A top trainer no doubt!"

"Jeez, you really showed me up Gary." Peter sweat-dropped. "I got a seventy-eight on mine. I was just lucky enough I got that much!"

"And I got an eighty-two percent!" Stevie stated. "I guess that shows who's ahead of the game, but don't think we won't catch up Gary!"

Gary chuckled, closing his eyes. "Maybe..."

Stevie picked up on Gary's sly comment quickly, shooting a glare in his direction. At least Ash wasn't the only one having troubles with the arrogant trainer to be.

The girl was about to say something witty in return, till Peter called her attention.

"Stevie, what about Ash?"

Her eyes brightened. Peter was right. Ash was the last one to announce his score and they were all curious to know if he was able to outdo Gary's outstanding percent.

"Oh, that's right!" Stevie then saw Ash by himself, shouting from her spot, "Hey Ash, what did you get on your exam?"

Ash raised his head quickly, tucking away the textbook in his desk before anyone noticed. He wasn't ready to answer this question.

"Oh! I um- I haven't gotten mine back yet." He explained nervously with a weak grin.

It wasn't much of a shock to have Gary chime in, speaking before Peter and Stevie even got a chance to reply.

Ash grimaced as he heard his rival snort, catching glimpse of him sneering in his direction. "Probably has zero percent!"

Ash could see Gary hidden behind a couple of students who were still glued to his desk. He thought it cowardly for Gary to camouflage himself behind fellow students. If he had something to say, Ash wanted him to say it directly to his face. Not to snicker behind some students, thinking his comment was unheard.

The dark-haired boy narrowed his eyebrows. "I just said I haven't gotten it back, okay Gary?!"

It didn't seem to bother the brunette that Ash heard. "Sure are sensitive about it aren't ya Ashy Boy?" Gary carried on, cocking a sly grin. "Think ya didn't do well?"

Ash's face reddened, his cheeks puffing. "I never said that! I just said I haven't gotten it back, that's all."

His rival then rose from his seat, walking over to Ash's desk. The boy gave a small gulp as Gary slammed his palms against the surface, looming down at him. All the other students watched from afar, silent.

Ash and Gary's bickering was always the main ascertainment in the classroom so it wasn't surprising an uproar was occurring. Still, as much as some admired Gary for his talents they still became crossed at times when he taunted Ash, which was very often. However, no one dared to step in. It was better to be on Gary Oak's good side than his bad. And poor Ash was the only kid facing that dilemma.

"Well when you do get your results back, you should share it with the rest of us. I'm curious to know how many points you lost! Ahha!" Chuckling loudly, the bully pranced back over to his seat, marinating in his peer's applause again.

Shockingly however, Ash didn't get mad. He simply snickered to himself quietly as Gary went back to gabbing. Considering he cheated, he didn't miss a single point. At least there was one good outcome from this little charade, even if he was the only one who enjoyed and understood the joke.

Not that many, actually...


Delia looked both ways before exiting her front yard. She was in the midst of a brief catnap before Leah called, asking her to fetch the spare key to the storage room at the inn because the original one was missing. Delia dreaded leaving the house but felt obligated to return the favor to her mother after she dropped off Ash for her. Part of her wished however, that Ernest would find the item; though it would take him an eternity to do so and by the time he'd find it, the inn would most likely be closing for the night. It was just best she filled in the gaps for her mom.

She was being cautious on her way to her parent's house, alarmed of being ambushed by gossiping neighbors. And boy if they caught her, she'd have to fight her way out of their grasp. Thankfully, it appeared everyone was either at work, at a sewing class, or gossiping about another poor soul, helping Delia relax. She had made it to the house safely without one encounter and once she got to the top of the front porch, she dug out the key she had to the house from her jean pocket, inserting it in the lock.

It wasn't too long however, till Delia heard the sound of panting and yipping. Rex and Fly where nearby and as she turned the knob she picked up Ernest's voice in the distance. They were coming back up to the house. Panicked, she hurriedly pushed the door open, scrambling about to retrieve what her mother needed.

Delia didn't care to speak with Ernest not after their latest fight and certainly not after the reunion. Ernest was right. He was right and Delia was wrong. Mark was a façade and he tried to warn her, but she refused to listen. And now she was furious. Furious and certain that her father knew about Mark's proposal and going to make sure he'd get a chance at talking about it. Delia wasn't going to give him that chance.

Taking the key from a drawer Leah had stashed away upstairs, Delia rushed down the steps hastily praying she'd make it out of the house before Ernest's wrinkled hand touched the doorknob. To the frantic woman's dismay however, she was confronted with the man she adored as a child, but now gave anything to be far away from. Trouble was on the horizon.

Ernest was surprised to find her inside the house, though his face expression became unreadable. Delia didn't bother deciphering it. As they stood there awkwardly, she avoided eye contact, trying to ignore him as if they were just passing by with nothing to say and that the chest pain she was feeling was nothing more than congestion. That lie she told herself would have worked if she actually ate breakfast.

It was impossible however to think Ernest would cave in so easily by the sight and sense of his child trying to avoid him. It only made him want to persist all the more.

"Your mom and I heard about what went down at the party." Ernest stated, his gaze hardening.

Delia didn't respond. She didn't want to. She didn't want to bicker and listen to Ernest badger on about how she should have listened to him and rub in how he was right all along. His repugnant habits always agitated Delia, but this took the cake. He was going to do it. Any second now and he'd start in just like always and she wasn't going to take it anymore. This time, the ticking bomb was finally going to set off.

"What of it?" She questioned evenly, trying to escape from her prying father.

Ernest crinkled his forehead as he blocked her from exiting the house. "I warned ya Delia, and ya just wouldn't listen-"

She knew it. She knew he'd pull a stunt like this. Scolding her like she was a child again, like she had gone berry picking in the mountains without asking or slipping over the Tauros fence without supervision. This wasn't the farm anymore, she wasn't a little girl anymore, and Delia wished Ernest would accept that and treat her like an adult.

Delia tried to not meet his eyes. "Not now Dad-"

He wouldn't to let her budge. Instead, Ernest stepped in the house with the Jolteon, forcing Delia to back up. "You young lady found yourself in deep trouble just cause ya refused to listen to your old man!" He hollered, letting the door slam behind him. "And now look at ya? Look at what you've allowed to happen to ya?!"

She didn't need this now. She didn't need Ernest's long and droning speech. Not after that previous night nor that morning. Everything with Mark and Ash's trickery made it unbearable for her to stand a brutalizing conversation with the one person she was angry with the most. She just couldn't take it!

"You're right Dad!" She spat sarcastically, cursing at him through her glaring eyes. "From this point on, I will always consult you on every little thing I do because apparently you're full of so much knowledge and wisdom, that you can read a person just by looking at them!"

Rex and Fly slipped away from the scene speedily, hanging their heads low as they raced up the stairs startled. They couldn't stand Ernest's yelling and now they couldn't stand Delia's.

Glancing up at the frightened Pokémon, Ernest looked back at his daughter sternly. "Hey, watch your tone-"

"You watch your tone!" Delia retorted loudly. "You have no right to talk to me this way! All you do is nag about my parenting styles and moan about how I should meet someone, yet when a man crosses my path you scare him off! And at the end of the day it doesn't matter, because all of them end up being creeps anyway! All except one. One." She stated seriously, her index finger held up in the air. "And that man has stabbed me in the back for no reason, and is forever gone out of my life for only God knows why!"

Then, Ernest did something nontraditional.

"Who Delia?" He asked, folding his arms. "Who in the name of Mew are you referring to?"

Delia scoffed. This wasn't funny. Not one bit. He knew who she was referring to and she knew how much he wanted to hear her utter his name. It had been a good long while since she said the name Jay in front of him, and Ernest wanted her to finally call him by his name. Not Ash's dad or my husband, no. Jay. Just Jay.

"You know who I'm talking about." She replied coldly.

"Just say it!" He hollered, his booming voice now driving the Pokémon into one of the bedrooms.

Delia couldn't restrain herself any longer. She felt her blood boil uncontrollably, her hands sweating profusely. If he wanted to hear it then fine. She was going to say it. And if she needed to unleash her raw emotions with screaming and cursing then she would do it there with him. Not in front of Ash or Leah. She was going to let Ernest see the affliction that was constantly polluting her broken soul.

Within a split second, Delia exploded. "Jay! Jay! Jay! You hate Jay! Mom hates Jay! The whole world hates Jay!"

Ernest expression relaxed as he watched Delia pant heavily. "But you." He muttered, catching his hysterical daughter's attention.

"What?"

"You don't hate him." He said seriously. "Even after everything he's done, you're still in love with him."

Ernest was getting to the core of the problem that no one dared to touch. Delia didn't intend for her feelings to be so obviously, she didn't think her naked emotions were exposed for everyone to see. Was he right though? Was she still in love with Jay? He wouldn't be the first to throw out such an accusation. Zelda thought the same and silently, so did Leah and Prof. Oak. Everyone she loved and trusted thought so, so why didn't she? Why was she refusing to accept her deepest desire?

"Damn it Dad!" The cornered woman screeched, her eyes tightening shut as tears ran from her cheeks.

"You won't let one eligible man sweep ya off your feet because you're still waiting for that good for nothing to come crawling back to you!" Ernest roared, waving his arms back and forth.

She hadn't received such an earful since she was a teen. The rehash of her dad insisting for her to join him on a last minute hike to go Pokémon bird watching, instead of going on some measly date with Jay (that they been planning for weeks) was the only other real fight she got into with the old man. Delia thought it was nonsense for him not to let her go over the fear of them parking somewhere up in the mountains just to make-out or possibly do the unthinkable. In the middle of the day that is. And because of that, Delia was grumpy the entire walk and ended up erupting at the top of of the peak of a mountain, scarring away dozens of rare peach breasted Pidgey's. If anyone dared to mess with his stupid birds, it wasn't going to be pretty and Delia hated it when he turned psychotic over such a fruitless hobby.

"That's not true Dad!"

Ernest snorted. "Is it? Then why won't you go on a date?"

"Because I'm still married, Dad!" She answered, as if it was supposed to be obvious to him.

"Then divorce him."

"I don't know where he is!" Delia insisted, gritting her teeth.

Ernest arched his eyebrows, waving his finger at her. "See if you really wanted to, you'd find him!"

This squabble was going nowhere. It was an agonizing merry-go-round where both wanted off, but were too stubborn to make the first move of ending it. Delia had somewhere to be. She didn't need to make matters worse, storming in the inn drenched in tears trying to explain what happened to Leah and to have townsfolk attack her from left and right.

"Well maybe I don't want to find him!" She declared, throwing her arms up in the air. "Maybe I- maybe I like the way things are!"

That was a total lie.

Ernest didn't buy it for a second. "Oh come off it Delia, it's no secret that you aren't happy! I can't remember a day when you weren't semi-happy until he walked out on you."

Delia groaned, brushing lose strands of hair away from her face. "You don't understand and you never will!"

"You're right!" He responded, baffled. "I'll never understand how anyone could love Jayce Ketchum after all the shit he's done to this family!"

"You don't know him!" Delia protested, practically screaming. "You never took the time to get to know him!"

"Like Hell I do! He's always been a good for nothing-"

"No he's not Dad!" She fought back, standing her ground. "Jay is an eligible and wonderful man! He's kind and loving and charming, and-"

"Selfish." The old man spat.

It was true. Ernest Parker never cared to get to know Jay and most of his opinions were formed by his feelings. He could never see the polite and caring boy Leah saw. All Ernest could see was trouble based on his stereotypes: the motorcycle, the leather jacket, the rich family, the talent, the good grades, the aloof disposition, all of that jumbled together was what Ernest saw in Jay. Nothing but a reckless, testosterone filled boy who was just waiting to take a look at what was underneath Ernest's daughter's skirt. And none of that was true.

If he even cared to know the details, it was Jay who was apprehensive about making any sort of move beyond kissing and cared very much about making a good impression on her folks, after awhile however, he found Ernest to be a lost cause. Besides, Delia would not have dated and married a sex crazed teenage boy. If Ernest really knew Delia for who she was, he should have automatically expected her taste in men to be a bit more refined.

"We all have faults. One of yours being that you never know when to mind your own business!"

Ernest's eyebrows rose. "You're telling me about my faults?" He said stunned. Delia had never been so disrespectful to him before and this sheer anger she was displaying was nothing more than an overgrown temper-tantrum in his eyes. "Ya need to show some more respect to your father Delia! I'm just looking out for you-"

Delia's body was tingling madly, her voice starting to crack as she went on crying and shouting all at the same time.

"Don't you get it?!" She bawled, trying to stay strong. "I don't want you looking out for me! I can take care of myself!"

She was trying to get her point across. It was necessary for Ernest to let her go. Delia understood to a degree that he cared and would always be invasive in his little girl's life, but the constant bantering and no understanding of privacy was making him lose perspective. Ernest was having a hard time knowing when to draw the line. He was crossing boundaries once again.

"You expect me to believe that?" He asked incredulously.

"I expect you to respect that I can make my own decisions and do as I please!" She explained sternly, her voice rising up and down. "I don't need you, my Father, shoving your unwanted opinions down my throat constantly, telling me how to live my life!"

Ernest scoffed. "Now you're talking like I'm a nuisance! I guess I can't saying anything to ya Delia without stepping on egg shells! "I hate to tell ya this, but this old man knows more than ya think! I've been through a lot Delia, and I am very capable of understanding the complexity of a petty high school relationship!"

That comment was like being stabbed in the heart till there was no blood left to drain from the organ.

"Take that back!" Delia growled furiously between surging tears.

The wrinkle's on Ernest's forehead deepened. "Why should I?" He hissed.

'Why should I?' God, that was cruel! The cruelest thing he had ever said to her. Ernest was well aware his daughters romantic relationship was much more than some date to a school dance. Jay and Delia understood and respected each other from the beginning as friends. And because they started as friends, their feelings for each other changed, blossoming into true love. A love that Delia thought, that could never be broken.

Delia's hands pulled on the locks of her hair, spilling out in front of her, moving about again. Her groaning increasingly grew louder as well. "Aggh! See?!" She shouted in frustration. "This is why you'll never understand! Jay was more than some high school crush! He was my life! And you will never understand what it's like to be hurt by the one person you gave everything to, who you loved with all your heart! And you will never know," she went on passionately, encroaching slowly in his space, "what it feels like to be alone and forgotten! That's why I don't want to date or marry anyone, Dad! It's not all about what Jay did or said! It's because I don't want to get hurt again! I don't want Ash to get hurt again! Not if I can stop it!"

Ernest stood stiff and silently. He was clammed up by his daughter's outburst, though as he watched her compose herself once more, he developed his own comeback.

"Don't you tell me what it's like to feel pain." He said solemnly, his eyes narrowing. "I'll never understand what you experienced, but your mother was in the same boat. And I caused her that pain," the old man admitted without flinching. "You know I left when you were young, I tried being a Pokémon trainer too and it didn't work out. But I came back and I made it up to her everyday for the past thirty-four years of our marriage. It took her awhile, but she eventually forgave me. And I never deserved it but I am grateful to wake up and see her face everyday. Now, can Jayce say the same?"

Delia sighed, trying to shrug off her father's powerful speech. Her father made a very strong point, though he was still avoiding to comprehend what she was saying. How she was feeling.

"Can't you at least try to comprehend what I am saying?" She continued desperately, "I can't trust anyone-"

"Can't or won't?" huffed Ernest.

Her brown eyes quivered as they gazed up at her dad's weakly. She couldn't. Delia couldn't find love again, it just wasn't possible. It was dangerous and risky and she knew she wasn't equipped and strong enough to handle another blow. Jay was her other half and apart of her died after he left. She was recovering from a broken heart, rising her dampened spirits again; and to continue mending the pieces back together, Delia, was not going to make a foolish decision and let another calamity unravel before her and Ash's eyes. Come hell or high water, Delia wasn't going to change her mind.

Delia swallowed hard, not breaking her gaze. "Opening myself up to anyone will always ended in disaster."


The ride over to Dr. Strayer's office was silent. Ash wasn't the least surprised to find his mother silently waiting in the car, but found it strange that the smile she bared seemed forced. Something happened. His first reaction was Mark, though the look on her face indicated something much more. She seemed deeply hurt, like someone she cared about ripped her from the inside and out. He asked her a couple times if she was feeling all right, but Delia brushed it off as merely having a headache. It was in the norm for Delia to not be such a cheery state as she once was from all the recent chaos. So not wanting to pry too much, Ash just left it at that, quietly sitting by as they drove along to their destination.

He acted about the same in the office. Waiting patiently for Mr. Strayer to call him back, the bored child counted the tiles on the ceiling for the billionth time. Anything to keep his mind off his father. Ash had debated long and hard about sharing the phone with Jay to the psychologist, however he did not feel compelled to do so. He wanted to figure this out for himself with the knowledge Strayer had previously given him and nothing more. He wanted to seek consul with someone who knew the man quite well and hope to find some peace of mind from the turmoil. Peace of mind that his dad wasn't all bad.

"Ash, you realize this is our last session before you go on your journey?"

He threw a sadden glance up at the man. "I don't think so Mr. Strayer."

Strayer arched his eyebrows. "How so?"

He supposed he could talk about the exam. It was less painful than discussing the sudden and indescribable phone call and maybe, the doctor could offer exceptional advice.

"I didn't pass the exam."

Mr. Strayer's eyes widened, pushing his glasses closer to his face. "Oh, I'm so sorry." He said, taken aback. "Were the questions too difficult-"

"I cheated and I'm sure Prof. Oak knows it." Ash explained bluntly, staring off at the Goldeen that inhabited the outside of the office. "How couldn't he?"

This was all new. Ash never mentioned in the previous week of his cheating. Then again, Strayer supposed Ash's conscious was finally getting the better of him and he was now trying to seek help from educated the man. Still, Strayer couldn't wrap is mind around Ash committing such an act. The label cheater wasn't exactly befitting for Ash, nor was the boy thrilled to earn that title, but he needed to seek counsel with someone he could trust. Someone who kept their conversation confidential.

"Cheated?" He exclaimed, trying to process the confession calmly. "I mean Ash, why- why would you cheat?"

Ash shook his head. "I don't know. I mean, I didn't study that often but- but it's not like I didn't try! Arrgh, it's just so boring! Gary's right," he sighed in defeat, "I don't know anything. I'm no good at studying and I don't have a chance at becoming a Pokémon trainer. How could I not have known Majikcarp is the weakest Pokémon of them all..."

"Ash," he started gently, leaning forward, "have you told anyone about this?"

"No. Mom would kill me if she found out." Placing his cheek in his hand he groaned, his eyes beaming down at his feet. "Uggh, I'm such an idiot-"

"No you're not. You made a careless mistake, that's all. You're human and it's better you make these mistakes early on in life and fix them now then later."

"But I can't fix it Mr. Strayer! I can't!" Ash cried, his head falling in his head. "Even if I did tell Prof. Oak," he carried on, his words muffled, "I wouldn't get a second shot cause Dani told me this kid in her class cheated and he was stripped of his chance and-"

"Ash, calm down!" He ordered, placing his hand gently on the boy's shoulder. "Take a deep breath... Now," he went on removing his hand, "there is a proper way to approach the situation."

"How?" Ash implored, suddenly tugging on the man's shirt pathetically. "Tell me!"

"Well for starters," Strayer began, adjusting his ruffled sweater as Ash released his grip, "I think you should tell your mother-"

Ash leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. "No way! I'd be so grounded-"

"And maybe not."

Not in the least did Ash consider bringing his mom into this. He was too afraid to say much to her after every other stunt he recently pulled. Excluding the preparation for the reunion, Delia had been rather snippy with him and honestly, Ash couldn't blame her. He felt like he was becoming a walking disaster and if he told her what really happened on the day of the exam, she'd flip. If he couldn't bring up his father, how could he talk about something like this?

"Ash, don't you think your mom would rather hear the truth come from you than Prof. Oak?" The psychologist questioned, hoping it'd tempt the boy to confess.

Ash raised his head up, shrugging casually. "I dunno, you've known her longer. Would she?"

"Ash..."

"Okay, so maybe she would." He acknowledged with a sigh, not wanting to push the man's limits. "But that still doesn't change anything-"

"And even if it didn't, even if you don't get your license, don't you think your mother would like to know she's raised you well enough for you to be honest and confront your mistakes?"

The doctor made a commendable argument. Delia always taught Ash to be truthful no matter what the situation may be. Difficult or not, she expected him to have the strength to clean up the lie and by doing that, he would actually relieve some of his pent-up stress.

Ash gave a small gulp, his brown eyes started to shake. "I know the answer's yes, but I'm scared."

Mr. Strayer produced a soft sigh, "Ash," he began warmly, "sometimes we have to do the things that scare us the most to get further in our lives."

"I guess you're right..." There was a small pause, till Ash suddenly blurted out, "I'm still scared though!"

"And you will be! But just remember, you're being the mature one in that you are confronting your problem and you are trying to change it for the better."

For the better... Didn't their life need a smoother course? Ash felt that the chaos that had crept into their home actually caused him to grow, especially mentally. He was starting to change. And by changing, his perspective on things became a little clearer. His world wasn't all black and white anymore. Ash was beginning to see the grey.

"All right... I'll do it." Ash agreed, his voice steady.

A relieved smile stretched across the man's face. "I'm very proud of you Ash."

A pause followed after the doctor's comment.

Ash mindlessly stared off into space again thinking, as Mr. Strayer took quick notes on his pad. There was another subject that was eating at his core. The possibility of him retaking the exam was slim, however, if his wish came true then who was he going to ask about Pokémon training? Prof. Oak already gave him some useful advice, but there was still something missing for the boy. He wanted to know more about his dad. What it was like for Jay when he started out, how long it took him to get the swing of things, how he caught his Pokémon and so on. Ash wanted to know desperately, though the only catch being he'd have to seek out the truth from someone who he had not seen in forever.

Beaming up at Strayer again, Ash adjusted his throat. "Hey uh, Mr. Strayer?"

Strayer stopped writing. "Hmm?"

"Let's say if I do get to go on my journey," Ash said hypothetically, "who do I ask about Pokémon?"

The psychologist chewed on the tip of his pen, thinking for a moment. "Well, there's always Prof. Oak-"

"Yeah, but like training and battling. Like personal experiences!" Ash exclaimed enthusiastically.

Mr. Strayer could tell that they were diving into another untouched topic.

"Well your mother was a trainer, but um, if it's a sensitive subject for her I'd suggest one of your grandparents. Were any of them trainers?"

Ash nodded. "Mom's dad was a trainer, but he doesn't like to talk about either. There is someone else though..."

This was intriguing. The man almost thought he was referring to Leah, but his memory soon jolted recalling that she never perused the art of Pokémon training.

"Oh, who?"

"My Dad's dad."

Richard Ketchum? The Richard Ketchum, whose wealth was well-known throughout Pallet? The man was an extremely reserved and quiet fellow, not interacting much with any but his Insurance Company, never looking the type of being a trainer. Then again, anything was possible.

"You haven't seen him recently have you?" He assumed, watching Ash closely.

That was a problem in itself. His father's side of the family hardly kept in touch with Ash. They weren't like Leah and Ernest, and certainly did not fit into the realm of the simple life like they had. They were constantly busy and everything had to be on their terms. Besides Delia, Strayer understood why Jay wanted out of that situation.

"No."

"If you feel okay about it, then you should visit him. He might even tell you some things about your father. What it was like for him."

Ash's eyes brightened. "You think so?"

Strayer gave a small shrug. "It's better to try than to not try at all."

Mr. Strayer was right. What did Ash have to lose? Sure he might be hurt if his grandpa turned him down, but otherwise it seemed like a swell idea. He was becoming awfully resistant to disappointment anyway and since they weren't that close in the first place, Ash's hopes weren't too high.

Ash finally smiled. "Thanks Mr. Strayer."

Then out of the blue, the boy rose from his seat journeying over to the door. Strayer cocked his head to the side, wondering why Ash wanted to make his grand exit so soon.

"Ash, where are you going?" the man asked, rising from his chair as well. He then checked his watch saying, "we still have forty minutes-"

"I know Mr. Strayer." Ash said, holding onto the doorknob. "But I gotta set some things straight first."

Proceeding, Ash opened the door slightly only for Strayer to call out, "Hold on! I know you're anxious to fix this problem, but it might be best if you study some more in case the professor let's you try again."

Good thing he was there to think ahead, for Ash tended to be a bit impulsive.

Ash followed the command and closed the door. "Can you help me study?" He asked with a weak smile.

Mr. Strayer's grin broadened. "It would be my pleasure."

The claim that two heads are better than one really worked in this situation. Strayer read several questions from the book off to Ash, having him answer them, then they went back, marking off the ones he got right and the ones he missed. Ash could tell after practicing a few times his memory was starting to improve and that the notes that Dani gave him were helpful once he broke them down.

He also expressed his thankfulness to Mr. Strayer as they wrapped up the session, the time he spent helping him would always stay in Ash's memories. For it was an important memory that helped change his mindset.

Once their time drew to a close, Ash burst through the door wildly, scurrying past his mother exclaiming, "Mom we've gotta go to Prof. Oak's!"

Delia immediately lifted her head from the magazine she was reading, leaning forward in her seat wondering what he was talking about and why in the world he was so anxious to head on home.

"What for?!" She questioned, rising from her seat as she swung her purse over her shoulder.

Swinging the front door open, Ash shouted excitedly, "I've gotta redeem myself as the next Pokémon Master!"

Now she understood.

Delia smiled happily as she watched her son through the front glass window, scamper outside to the truck seeing him impatiently tug on the door handle of the truck, wanting her to come and open it. Shaking her head gently as she left, Delia was stopped by Strayer's voice, spinning around to find him standing in the doorway of his office.

"Tell him I said good luck, and I wish him all the best on his journey."


Ash's mouth was still moving as they hurriedly drove back to Pallet. He confessed the truth to his mom as they retried from Strayer's office and Delia could hardly get a word in to display some kind of a reaction to her son's affirmation. Regardless, she was appeased Ash had the courage and strength to admit the truth and fall through with the consequences. Delia usually wouldn't tackle an issue quite like this, but knowing that Ash recognized his wrong doing, a punishment was far from her mind.

Not like she could declare one anyway. Ash was so anxious he even pulled out his text book again, studying madly in case Prof. Oak did give him another shot, though from being responsible he suffered from minor car sickness. He was never one who could stand reading in the car though it wasn't too bad for he usually would have puked in less than fifteen minutes.

In less than hour and a half they were back in Pallet, and Ash scurried out of the car before Delia had a chance to properly park. With the motor still going, she watched her son dash up the steps recklessly. Then, she smiled. He was really trying. Really working hard to set things straight and she was mollified to see that Ash was willing to accept the fact that he may not get another chance. He was finally starting to learn on his own and set things right for himself. That's a trait a trainer should have. A real trainer.

Ash was drenched in sweat as his feet collided with the last step on the staircase. He then swung the front door open wide enough to expose Prof. Oak peacefully enjoying a hot brewed cup of tea.

Panting heavily with his back hunched, Ash exclaimed, "Prof. Oak I cheated!"

The professor's cool expression did not change as he watched Ash catch his breath.

He should have expected as much.

"I- I cheated on the exam..." He carried on, panting wildly. "Just please don't take away my chance at getting my license... I know what I did was wrong- I'm so sorry, I'll never do it again I swear!"

Prof. Oak remained stoic as he picked up a thick wad of paper from his coffee table, tucking it behind his back as he approached

"Well then," he started, removing the test from his back, "here's your chance to redeem yourself."

Ash bared a silly grin. "Phew!" Then his smile faded. "Wait, huh?"

Ecstatic he was about getting another chance, he was dumbfounded that Prof. Oak was so blunt and forward about handing it over to him. Was it that easy of a fix?

"Ash, do you know why I am giving you a second chance?" The man asked plainly.

Was that a trick question?

Ash thought for a moment, scratching his head and soon gave up when no logical thought popped into his head. "Actually… I don't Professor." He admitted

"I am giving you a second chance because you had the courage to tell me the truth." Prof. Oak explained, holding onto the document tightly. "Most kids would not be brave enough to do that. And because you are different than most, it is for certain that you do have potential as a trainer. However, you would have done much better if you would have been tactful with your studies." He went on, his tone becoming slight stern. "You have your father's blood and if you would have applied yourself, you might have done as well as he did. I do not want to see your chance at earning your license tossed away by an illogical mistake. Your parents were excellent students, do not disprove that their child is not the same. You are so much more than you think."

Prof. Oak was right. After studying with Mr. Strayer, Ash was able to recognize that he could understand the information and apply it. He was just so caught up in finding a short cut, it actually caused him to start from square one again. At any rate, Ash was grateful to get one more chance.

"Yes sir." The boy replied, his head hanging low.

"Good. Now, here is your make-up." Ash meekly raised his head, taking the text from the professor's firm grip. "It's version B so it'll be a little different than the first test you took. This one is a little harder. I am doing this for your own good you know."

"I know, Sir."

Strolling into the classroom, Prof. Oak saddled himself in his chair taking another sip of his now lukewarm tea. Ash stared at the silent man, unsure if he could start.

Prof. Oak flashed his gaze up at Ash who stood there awkwardly. "Well then, you may start. You have two hours."

The boy nodded in return, taking a pencil from a container planted on the professor's desk. He then settled himself in a seat that was located in the front row, starting on his test. Though as Ash signed the document, he paused, looking back up at his instructor.

"Uh, Professor?"

Prof. Oak did not meet his gaze. "Hmm?" He replied, reading a book he left in the classroom earlier.

"Thank you." Ash said calmly.

Prof. Oak only gave a slight nod. However, as Ash went on writing his eyes peered up at the collected man one more time, and saw a tiny smile emerge from his lips. Ash had already proved to the wisest man in Pallet that he could pass the exam all on his own.


Ash didn't know what came over to him after he finished the test. Exiting from the lab, he didn't head on home where a hearty meal was waiting for him. Instead, the boy gave a quick glance behind his shoulder before taking off down the other side of the road. The other side that he had not walked in a long time. He was quite positive he was going to pass the test and felt an unexplainable urge to have some questions answered; answers he had been dying to know.

No one Ash was with daily could answer these troublesome questions or if they could, they didn't want too. His mom, like he told Mr. Strayer, was one of those people. Ash couldn't fathom the idea of asking Delia anything about her training days since it involved Jay and he couldn't blame Ernest for feeling so shameful about his experiences.

There was however, his other grandfather.

As he continued walking the road became steeper, the elevation rising and the trees and the bushes on the sides of the path thickened. Ash was now on the outskirts of town and had adventured quite far from home, his knees and legs starting to ache. But every ache was worth it.

Finding scattered houses in the upper part of Pallet, Ash noticed that these homes were laborious, their immense size and detailed architecture appealing to the eye. He gawked at the settlements with amazement and hoped his memory would have a relapse when he spotted the correct house. That or, the house had a welcome sign with the residence's name plastered somewhere noticeable.

Thankfully it did.

After reading the sign, Ash tangled his fingers on the tall black front gate that protected the marvelous house through its steel bars. Then, he gave a small gulp. The house seemed too reclusive, so distant from the rest of Pallet. It's lack of vibrant colors and silence described its atmosphere altogether. Forgotten.

Collecting his nerves, Ash bravely pushed the gate open gradually, the sound of it squeaking pierced the boy's ears. The presence of the establishment itself sent a shiver down his spine, making Ash question if this was a smart idea after all.

Nevertheless he adventured on, traveling up the long perfectly paved driveway. Finally reaching the house, he admired it in all its solitude. Actually, it was more like a mansion to be exact. The neatly trimmed bushes along the house, the evenly cut blades of grass in the back lawn, the Luxray statues in front, and the slightly pornographic fountain mounted in the middle of the driveway irked Ash.

His eyes wandered about, examining the architect as well as thinking of the past; thinking of what it was like to be raised in such a household. He himself couldn't fathom such a reality as that and wondered if the life of luxury was really that spectacular. Ash couldn't imagine so. The atmosphere of the building was dark and dreary, nothing joyful could ever be produced from such a dull home.

As he continued to skim his surroundings, Ash caught sight of the door bell. Approaching the large door he rung the bell once, though after waiting patiently and receiving no response Ash absentmindedly turned the door knob, creaking the door open. It was unlocked, so someone had to be home.

The boy then stepped in carefully shutting the door behind him. He could only hear the sound of a clock ticking as he started to walk around, finding the source of the noise originating from the foyer. He felt out of place in the house. The carpeting seemed too polished for his taste, not like the rustic carpet he was used too. The decor was something his mother could never afford and the skillful work that was put into designing the house was just breathtaking. Still, he could never live in house that resembled a museum.

Furthermore, the house was very old and had been passed down in the family for generations. Ash's grandfather inherited the home after his parents moved to Johto, raising his own children there and it was Jay who was supposed to acquire the house. Now it was unclear who'd get the piece of land.

Producing small gasps of amazement from his mouth, Ash soaked it all in through both looking and touching, having his hand skim across the surface of the rich colored sofa that was in the foyer, discovering it had a soft exterior. Looking back up from the sofa, he noticed a few black and white pictures scattered on the mantel of the fire place, recognizing his father and aunts instantly. His gaze then drifted up to the most extravagant photo of them all.

A painting to be exact. A painted portrait of the broken Ketchum family, Ash's grandfather mounted on the right side with three ten-year-old children throughout the painting. Annie below Richard, Ash's grandmother settled on the left with Zelda underneath and there was Jay, smack-dab in the middle bearing a prominent frown. All of them were not smiling, and Ash supposed that was the way the portrait was instructed for most paintings he ran across contained no grins.

Even if it produced a depressed feeling, the painting was a breathtaking masterpiece. Most importantly however, this was his dad's family, the family he knew so little about, yet yearned to know.

Meanwhile as Ash went on quietly gaping at his father's old home, a shadow swept down the dining room undetected by the boy.

Though the shadow's owner carefully watching him from afar.

"Ash?"

Ash's daze was broken by the sudden voice, spooked as he spun around discovering a brunette-haired woman wearing a skirt and a matching jacket accompanied by tights and high heels.

He recognized her.

With his chest tightening, Ash subconsciously bared a weak smile. "Hi, Grandma."

There she was. Mrs. Emily Ketchum. The Mrs. Ketchum before Ash's mother. His other grandmother. The grandmother who knew very little about him compared to Leah. The grandmother who had been shut out of his life for nearly five years and for some odd reason, Ash wanted those closed doors to reopen.

And she had the same exhilarating response. There he was. Her grandson. Her eyes widened immensely when she first saw Ash. Adventuring out of the dining room and spotting the figure of a boy who resembled her own son about made the woman's heart lurch from her chest. It was as if the presence of Jay's child spirit morphed in front of her, a chill rushing down her spine. It was indescribable.

But goodness gracious, Ash had grown! He wasn't the small tike she remembered who waddled his way in the house as if his shoes were too big for him with an armful of toys. He had grown up. He was starting to mature, starting to gain height as well as showing definite family features. He still had the same smile though. Jay's smile.

Emily's eyebrows rose, a shudder rippling through her body by the sound of his voice."Wh- what a pleasant surprise!" She managed to conjure, stepping into the entrance which separated the foyer and dinning room. "Did your mother send you?"

"No. I uh- came on my own."

The glimmer in Emily's eyes dimmed and the warmth in her tone did the same. "I see. Well then, what do you want?"

Emily was never a warm and fuzzy grandma like Leah had been to him. Never with her grandchildren and especially with her children. That much Ash remembered about her.

Ash's nervous eyes diverted from his grandmother's. "Well I was just um- wondering if Grandpa was here?" He asked sheepishly, peering up at her slowly.

She could tell he was nervous. He could see even she, the unmovable Emily Ketchum was slightly nervous. Who could blame them? They hadn't seen nor spoken to each other in years and neither one of them were too pleased with Jay's actions.

Emily's stance and face stiffened. "Your Grandfather is at work, but I can leave a message for him."

"Uh, okay. Just tell him I wanted to to talk to him about some stuff."

As Ash anxiously reached for the doorknob Emily's voice sharpened, beckoning him to stay. The conversation wasn't finished.

"Like what? Your grandfather is a very busy man, Ash." She explained tediously. "Please be specific so he can attend to your needs properly."

Now he understood why his dad left his parents as soon as he could.

Ash drew his hand away from the door knob, looking back at Emily. "Um, all right. I don't know if you've already heard," he started shyly, "but I'm gonna be a Pokémon trainer and I was just wondering if I could talk to him about some things... You know, cause he used to be a trainer."

Trainer? Ash, a Pokémon trainer? Emily was unaware of this news entirely, and found it strange no one bothered to mention it. Not even Annie, who did her best to keep in contact with her parents. She was well aware Gary was going on a journey, but Ash? Why didn't anyone tell her?

Emily fell silent from the sudden news, trying to process the arrival and the conversation all at once. Ash genuinely seemed like he wanted to see Richard, Emily could tell, for what child would willingly go out of his way to visit his estrange grandparents? He didn't come for confrontation he just wanted some questions answered. At least that's what she understood. There was however a slight delight emerging from Emily's thoughts. Her grandson came. Came to see she and her husband. He wanted to see them. Not by force or negotiation; he came because he wanted to and that made Emily feel secure about deciding.

Finally after thoroughly thinking, she answered. "Very well I will tell him of your request."

That was a relief. He was extremely glad his grandma accepted his request after how nervous she had made him from her silence.

A small smile sprouted from the corner's of Ash's lips. "Thanks. I guess I'll go now."

Attempting to leave again, Ash was forced to stop.

"Wait."

The word stung him as glanced back, hoping she hadn't changed her mind.

"I'll call you once your grandfather gives me his answer." Emily clarified, then made a signal for him to go ahead and leave.

"Thanks Grandma."

Emily's eyes followed her grandson as he departed out of the house, the sound of the ticking clock taking over once more. Her mind was hazy and her thoughts were jumbled. Seeing Ash again was something both she and Richard hoped to accomplish, though there was an agonizing sensation that took over her body. She was weak and addled as she felt unfamiliar emotions. What was this rush of bleakness? Was it something she had bottled up for quite some time? And then there was the feeling of anger. Who was she angry at, what was she angry with?

Was it Delia? Was Emily enraged that her daughter-in-law took away her grandson? No. She could have visited him if she wanted to, she knew that. She just chose not to. So if Emily chose not to visit but was angry about not doing so, then what was the driving cause for her not to come and see Ash? Something about Ash bothered her, reminded her of someone, and Ash was following in the footsteps of that someone. It was all becoming too much for the aging woman to handle.

Then she started to slip. Emily wanted to repress her emotions terribly, though the surge of tears leaking from her eyes seemed to think otherwise. They leaked so profusely that her bawling could be heard faintly, just faintly, from the outside of the dreary home.


Author's Note:

Wow, this chapter was a long one to write! I'm certain chapter 13 won't be nearly as long, but I am not going to hold my breath. Hope the suspense is still holding on strong! Everyone's recent reviews have really pushed me to work harder so I can give you all a satisfying ending! At least I hope...

And again, please excuse any grammatical errors you find. I get terrible headaches when I sit in front of the computer screen for too long so bear with me. I will definitely fix them after the last chapter's posted.

By the way, I'm thinking about making a poll based on the upcoming prequel for Everything Changes. Originally I planned on having Jay narrate the story, though I'm wondering if it would be best to keep it in third person instead of first. Any input would be helpful!