Hello, everyone! I apologize for the late update. For those who don't regularly check my profile, I've constantly been postponing the episode due to my hectic schedule. But today I finally have it. Thank you for your patience. Enjoy!


Oak takes another chug of coffee before typing a line of code into his computer. After confirming the code into the system, the "eyes" of the marionette standing at the podium in front of him flash.

"What just happened?" Delia asks, turning to him with wide eyes.

"Again, Mrs. Ketchum, you have nothing to worry about," Oak assures to the mother sitting on the couch behind him. "I'll tell you about the modifications once I'm finished."

Delia takes a deep breath, lays back, and tries to relax. This is the umpteenth time she has interrupted the professor in his work yet cannot find the will to stop asking. It has been two days since her son's consciousness has been transferred into a robot, and she is barely hanging on to the belief that the light-up moving piece of metal is now her baby boy. She almost believes that maybe the professor has deceived her, and that she is talking to a machine that is programmed to tell her what she wants to hear. She was stood corrected yesterday when she asked him questions the professor couldn't have known, and was surprised when the robot answered with precise accurateness. His favorite dish, the weird-smelling liquid she uses to clean the kitchen counter—he remembered everything. Everything, Delia bitterly thinks, like his father.

"Alright."

Delia looks up to see Oak approaching him with his coffee and papers.

"I've upgraded both the software and hardware of the android to make it more lifelike," Oak reads the first page. "For example, now when your son moves, he will move more like a human and less like a stiff robot. Once the materials I've ordered arrive, he will look and feel like a human too. The human, of course, that looks like your son."

Delia nods attentively as Oak continues to explain his progress. She asks questions from time to time, he answers, and Flint stops by once every hour to update Oak about his own task on the project.

"I've started modifying your son's memories as you requested," Flint tells Delia in one of his visits. "Would you like to discuss it now?"

Delia briefly turns to Oak. "How about after our conversation?" she gestures to herself and the professor for emphasis.

"Alright," Flint nods before leaving the room.

"You've had your son's memories modified?" Oak asks when his assistant departs.

Delia shifts in her seat. "Let's just say there are certain things I would like him to forget."

Oak eyes the door of his office, wondering what has occurred between the adults to allow such intimacy, and then looks back at the mother.

"As I was saying, we have made a lot of progress these past few days but we have a long way to go," Oak continues. "For example, in regards to memory, it might take a while for your son to properly store new ones. How will he process information, how will he store it, will he have to forget a few things to accommodate new memories, etcetera, etcetera. And that's just one of the many things to think about. If we truly want him to be human-like, we first have to consider what it means to be a human. How he can feel emotions, how he can withstand environmental stressors, how he is going to be treated if he is to be injured—energy too! Even if we do manage to make him as human as possible, what will be his source of power? His current activities are very draining. He has to be plugged in here to keep him on."

Delia, who is barely comprehending the information being thrown at her, freezes when she absorbs the last bit of information.

"You mean," she leans forward, "Ash still has to remain indoors?"

"Yes."

"Oh my baby," Delia puts a hand on her chest. "He would be devastated."

"Technically, he won't," Oak states slowly. "He doesn't have the capacity to feel emotions. At least, not yet."

Delia doesn't feel better. She drums her knees with her fingers and wonders how she will tell her son. Then someone knocks on the door of Oak's office, and this time, the receptionist, Minerva, enters the room.

"Professor, a crowd of journalists in the lobby would like to speak with you," she informs.

"Great!" Oak cheers. "Tell them I'll be there soon."

Minerva nods affirmatively before closing the door.

"Journalists?" Delia sits at the edge of her seat. "Why are there journalists here?"

"The media is how we get our funding, Mrs. Ketchum," Oak tells her. "This is how we get investors to pay for our expenses. This is also how we can spread hope to other parents like you who are struggling to keep their children with them. If our project succeeds, we might start a new generation in which no one loses their loved one again!"

Delia bites her lip. Though she understands what the professor is saying, she can't help but bow her head in hesitation.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Ketchum. If the reporters ask, I'll tell them you're currently unavailable," Oak assures as he stands from his seat. "In the meantime, why don't I guide you to Flint's office? I believe you two have a discussion regarding Ash's memories."

"Oh!" Delia cocks her head up and stands. "Yes, please."

~.~

Giovanni scowls when his call is denied for the umpteenth time. Why isn't his wife answering his calls? It's been two days since their son's tenth birthday. Even though their last encounter didn't end pleasantly, he at least deserves to know what has happened to his son.

"Oh, Gio!"

Giovanni grunts as Ariana sits beside him on the couch.

"Silver is finally awake," Ariana presents him their child. "Want to say hi to your daddy, Silver?"

The red-haired infant blinks curiously before staring up at Giovanni. His face immediately brightens, revealing toothless gums, and he stretches out to touch him. Giovanni cringes and gives no other response. Ariana frowns.

"Silver wants you to hold him, Gio," she tells him. "Don't you want to hold your son?"

"No," Giovanni remarks. "That's not my son; that's a mistake."

Ariana gasps. "Gio!"

"What happened between us was a mistake; you know that," Giovanni continued. "Why did you decide to keep it anyway? Do you think it will have a future in what is happening here?"

"We can make a future for him," Ariana remarks. "What happened months ago might not have been intentional, but what resulted from it was a gift! Don't you want a child to love, as well as someone to pass down your legacy?"

"I stated my thoughts firmly at the beginning," Giovanni reminds. "Did you think I would change my mind if the child was born?"

"Maybe," Ariana admits. "After all, you've been unhappy for so long. I thought what you needed was a bundle of joy."

Giovanni looks at Silver, who is watching his parents' exchange until his eyes meet his. The child squeaks and reaches out to his father once more but is once again denied.

"Well you thought wrong," Giovanni states. "My problems can't be solved by an accident."

Ariana gapes. "How can you be so cruel?" she demands. "Why can't you give Silver a chance? He has done nothing wrong to you!"

"He'll have a chance if he proves himself of use to me," Giovanni stands up. "Until that day comes, he's your problem."

Ariana scowls as Giovanni abandons her in his office. She then looks down when Silver starts crying.

"Oh, honey, shhh. Shhh," she hushes as she rocks the child from side to side. "Your father loves you, I promise. You just have to give him time to show it."

She rubs the baby tenderly on the arm before looking at the door Giovanni exited through. He will love you, she repeats to herself. You just have to have faith.

~.~

Giovanni looks left and right before entering a passage hidden behind a grove of trees. The hideout guarantees him privacy from his associates, who are occupying their humble headquarters just a few meters away.

Giovanni makes sure to shut the automatic door before entering a small room filled with screens and gadgets. At the center of the room is an office desk holding an advanced desktop computer. He sits on the leather chair in front of it and turns on the system. He waits a while until his home screen appears and looks up the latest news regarding Pallet Town, Kanto. At the center of his browser's homepage, however, is something that piques his interest. There is a broad picture of a machine that looks to be an android. The headline of the peculiar picture reads "Ten Year Old Boy Evades Death with Technology."

Giovanni sits at the edge of his chair and clicks on the article.

Ten year old, Ash Ketchum, mother of Delia Ketchum, survived a terminal disease by having his consciousness transported into a robot. The project is lead by robotics engineer and professor, Dr. Samuel Oak. Though only tested on a selected number of subjects during a short time period, Dr. Oak is determined to make Ash's mechanical retreat his permanent home.

Giovanni's hands tremble as he watches the attached video depicting the professor and the robot that is supposed to be his son. The robot, which has gray metal skin and blinking glass eyes, makes Giovanni angry. Where is his consent in all of this? Did Delia bother to mention this to him before turning Ash into this...this monstrosity?

Giovanni stands, his chair wheeling backward, and takes his car keys out from his pocket.

~.~

When a knock is heard from the front door at 11 p.m., the last person Delia expects to see when she answers is her husband. Yet there he is, tall, brooding, and angry.

"Delia," he only says.

Delia is upset herself but is too shocked to see the man for the first time in ten years that she only stands with her eyes and mouth agape.

"We," Giovanni takes a breath, "need to talk."

The statement snaps Delia out of her daze. She puts on an indifferent expression before allowing him inside. Giovanni is blown away by the changes that have occurred in his old home. Windows are tightly shut, and furniture is covered in plastic. Many things, such as potted plants and decorative ornaments, are missing. What else is missing, he notes, are family portraits.

He sits on a covered couch as Delia sits on the one across him. The coffee table in the middle is small but casts a considerable distance between them.

"You turned our son into a robot," Giovanni states.

"You don't have a right to call him your son anymore," Delia growls. "You've made it perfectly clear that you don't want anything to do with him or me."

Giovanni's face falls. "I did no such thing."

"You abandoned us on the day Ash was supposed to die!" Delia snaps. "You pushed us away on the day we needed you the most!"

"Something happened that day!" Giovanni justifies. "It was out of my control!"

"What happened?"

"I...can't say."

"Wow," Delia nods, her voice laced in bitterness. "I just...I have no words for you."

"Then just listen," Giovanni leans forward. "I know you don't understand why I do what I do, but you have to understand that I do it for our family."

"Oh, shut up, Giovanni!" Delia snaps. "All you ever did was send money from the distance. You won't even tell me how you're getting that money in the first place! Are you even getting it legally?"

"Delia!" Giovanni's jaws tighten as he looks her in the eye, "I've told you I've changed!"

"Then prove it!" Delia matches his glare. "Stay here. With your wife, your son—your family!"

Giovanni steps back, his breathing becoming haggard. Delia narrows her eyes as she waits for his answer. When he doesn't give her one—at least, not the one she needs—she marches to the front door and yanks it open.

"Get out."

Giovanni turns and widens his eyes.

"Don't come back here again," Delia commands, "not until you decide to never leave us again."

It breaks her heart, but Giovanni leaves without a word. Delia hisses when she locks the door, tears welling up in her eyes, and storms back to her bedroom.

Outside the house, Giovanni marches back to his car with a scowl on his face. He doesn't see his wife for ten years, and when they finally reunite, she kicks him out. He didn't even get to discuss with her what he came to talk about. They only fight, just like they always have, and he leaves with nothing accomplished. She doesn't understand, he tells himself, and she probably never will. At least, not until he accomplishes what he had set out to achieve.

"I will find a way to save Ash," Giovanni states, "and when I do, you will see that everything I do, I do for you and our son."

He drives away.

~.~

Much progress is made on Ash's development. Before anybody realizes it, five years pass. Many things change over these years. One of these changes includes Flint's employment. He catches everyone off guard, especially Delia, when he announces his resignation.

"There are many things I want to pursue," Flint tells Delia on his last day at Pallet. He visits her house before he leaves, his luggage already packed in his car. "I'm sorry I can't be here to stay. I hope you understand."

Delia does understand, but it doesn't keep her from getting upset. Flint has not only been assisting Oak in developing her son's robotic body, but also giving her the support and companionship her husband failed to provide. Then again, she can't say that she didn't see this coming. Flint has been expressing his dissatisfaction for years. He thinks that giving his wife extra "attention" will relieve this growing unhappiness; but it only bears more children than he desires, and the added responsibility not only strains his misery but his marriage as well. That is when he decided he needs to get away, to regain his purpose to live. Delia loses sympathy for him when he makes this decision final. It doesn't matter how he justifies his actions. He is abandoning his family, Oak, her—everything, just like Giovanni did.

Oak encounters changes as well. His daughter and son-in-law perish in a plane crash, leaving their son, Gary, orphaned and alone. Not wanting the boy to live without a guardian, Oak takes in Gary to raise him as his own. He doesn't spend much time with the child, however, but he does allow him to accompany him to his lab.

Gary visits Ash regularly in his chamber to keep himself company, and the two engage in either video games or action figure role-playing. Gary cannot be more delighted to have such a friend for two reasons. One, he is "cool" enough to hang out with an older kid like Ash. Two, Ash is a robot. Who else can say that they're friends with a robot?

"I beat you again!" Gary hops into the air in triumph one day.

Ash, who is still sitting on the couch, says, "Congratulations." His body is covered in silicon skin, making his smile look human. The kids are facing one-on-one in a fighting video game, and the fighter Gary has chosen emerges victorious once again.

"C'mon, aren't you mad that I beat you?"

"Why would I be mad?"

"Because you stink!" Gary lets out a big laugh before pointing, "Ashy-boy sti-inks! Ashy-boy sti-inks!"

"What's going on here?"

Ash and Gary turn around to see Oak walking into the room.

"I beat Ash again, Grandpa!" Gary runs up to him. "I told you I'm good!"

"That's great, Gary, but can you please be a little quieter?" Oak requests. "I can't focus on Ash's developments if I can hear you screaming from the office."

Gary scowls and turns to Ash, who is only watching curiously at their exchange. Oak blinks. He heard the insults Gary was flinging to Ash, but Ash doesn't seem offended. Rather, he looks unaffected. Oak stares intently at the boy as he, like many times before, tries to figure out why. Then an answer finally comes to his head, and he immediately wants to go back to his office.

"Wait!"

Oak turns around when his grandson calls out to him.

"Are we still playing together after you work?" Gary tugs on his lab coat. "You promised we would."

"I'm sorry, Gary, but I just discovered a solution to a problem we've been trying to solve for years," Oak answers apologetically. "I actually need to work overtime in the lab and then talk to Ash's mother. I hope you understand."

Gary gasps. "But you promised!" he hits Oak's thigh with a fist.

"Gary, stop!" Oak holds Gary's wrists when the child continues to punch him. "I have to work, okay?"

"You stink, Grandpa!" Gary screeches. He waves a finger to both Oak and Ash before exclaiming, "You all stink!"

"Gary!" Oak scolds, but the boy suddenly runs out of the room. He sighs and turns to Ash, who still just looks curious, and apologizes. "I'm sorry about that, Ash. My grandson has a bit of a temper."

Ash doesn't respond, mainly because he has yet to be programmed how to. It reminds Oak of his latest epiphany, and Oak bids the boy farewell before exiting the room.

~.~

Add two more years, which is seven years since Ash began his life as a robot, and Ash is living less like a machine and more like a human like his mother and father. His silicon skin is not only partnered with synthetic hair that matches his old body, but his light up cameras for eyes are also replaced by irises and pupils that look like the granite eyes he was born with. He can smile and frown, laugh and cry, and feel happiness and sadness. Those that look at him for the first time mistake him as another ten-year-old boy.

Media exposure upon the project has granted both Oak and Delia great financial support. Oak is now a well-renowned scientist awarded a more advanced lab, more exceptional staff, and funds to support bigger, more revolutionary projects. Delia doesn't have to worry about having a job anymore due to Oak's donations, and she thanks the professor by preparing food he doesn't have time to make for himself and his grandson.

Delia is ever glad that her son's developments allow him to live with her in their house again. What's better is that he isn't confined to his room like he used to be. He can roam around the house whenever he pleases, even when visitors like Oak and Gary come to visit. There is still a limitation, however. His power levels drain quickly, so he cannot travel far or do much without needing to recharge. Ash is still a prisoner in his own home, and because of the emotions he is now able to feel, sadness is reflected in the glass of the window he sees the world through.

"If Ash is to feel any emotion whatsoever," Delia remembers Oak telling her once, "he first has to know what pain feels like. Yes, we want him to live a happy life, but how will he know what happiness feels like if he doesn't get hurt once in while?"

Delia approaches her son in his room one day. "Ash," she calls out, "are you alright?"

"Do you think I'll ever be able to go outside, Mom?" Ash asks, his eyes still glued to the window.

Delia's frown deepens. She knows that it is Ash's dream to travel the world. Even so, she has hoped that being a robot will somehow change his mind. But that is silly, she realizes. She grills Oak to make sure that her son doesn't lose who he is, and part of who Ash is is the yearning to explore. A part of herself hopes that her son will always be with her; but a bigger part, the part that wants him to be happy, pushes away her selfish desires and places a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"Anything is possible, Ash," Delia gives him a smile. "Just look at you now."

"I know," Ash sighs, "it's just...it took me seven years just to get out of Professor Oak's lab. How long will it take until I can go outside?"

Delia frowns again and pulls her son close. "I'm sorry, Ash. I promise I'm doing everything I can to make you happy."

Ash doesn't respond for a while, worrying Delia that he may be disappointed in her. Then he raises a hand to cup her own and leans against her, and she knows that his "brain" just retrieved information as to how to respond to situations such as this. Delia then realizes with a weighted heart what Ash is lacking, the one thing a human has that a robot never can.

The ability to love.

~.~

Ash's mouth hangs open as his eyes gape at the yellow pokémon in front of him. The pokémon tilts his head and gives him a curious look. The boy looks human, he thinks, but there is something about him that doesn't seem...natural.

"Ash, this is a pikachu," Oak introduces. The pikachu stands on Oak's office table for Oak, Ash, and Delia to see. Delia has seen a pokémon before so her attention is focused on her son, who looks like he can barely contain himself. For the first time in the eighteen years Ash has existed so far, this is the first time Ash has seen a pokémon in person.

"Wow," Ash gasps as he steps closer. "A real pokémon! It looks so much cooler in person!"

"And it will also solve your energy problem."

Ash and Delia blink and turn to the professor, who nods back confidently.

"I made some changes to Ash's hardware to be able to accept power from an electric type pokémon, as I have told you about Ash's little 'surgery' last week," Oak elaborated. He then picks up patches threading to a thick wire and shows it to the family. "Just attach these patches to Pikachu and this wire on the bottom of Ash's back. There is a plug that acts as a lightning rod and absorbs electricity. Ash can either recharge by using this wire or letting Pikachu shock him directly."

Delia gasps. "Is it safe?"

"Yes," Oak assures. "I may try to make him as human as possible, but that doesn't mean I'm not taking advantage of his robotic side."

Delia turns to Ash, who is staring with even wider eyes at what will be his power source. Pikachu isn't just going to be his new companion, she actualizes; he's going to allow him to travel outside his home.

"Does that mean I don't have to stay inside anymore?" Ash asks.

"Yes," Oak nods.

Ash beams and turns to his mother, who is frozen in place.

"Mom, do you hear that?" he asks. "I can go outside! I can finally see the world!"

Delia cringes. It may have gone unnoticed by her son but not by Oak, who does notice and adds, "Not far, however."

Ash blinks and turns to him. "Huh?"

"We have gone far in regards to your developments, Ash, but we have still yet to figure out how you can survive in the outside world," Oak informs. "Will you be safe under lengthened exposure to the sun? Will you be able to touch and swim through ocean water? Much more work needs to be done before you can travel the world as you like. But don't worry. After many years of research and upgrades, we have ensured stability for your life indoors. It may not take long to do the same for your life outdoors."

Ash blinks and looks down. He isn't disheartened but isn't pleased either. Confused, he turns to his mother, who tries to hide her own discomfort. Delia is relieved by the professor's kind words but gains new worries for her son. Sure Ash is technically living for almost two decades, but mentally, and physically, he is still a ten-year-old boy. Then, again, her desire to give her son the happiness he never had outweighs her own grief, and she gives Ash a warm but pained simper.

"Don't worry, Ash," she assures, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Professor Oak is giving you a pokémon that can let you go outside the house. Sure, it's not the same as traveling the world, but it is a start."

Ash's shoulders relaxes under her touch. "Yeah," he concedes, "I guess you're right." He turns to Pikachu, who is confused now more than ever.

"Pika-pi..."

"Let's go outside!" Ash exclaims.

The outside world, Ash realizes later when he exits his home for the first time, is better than he imagined it could be. The crisp air emanating from the trees smells fresher than the air conditioning in Oak's lab. The bright glow of the sunlight feels warmer than his mother's heater. The blades of the grass feel more authentic than the ones on his posters. Paradise is finally within Ash's reach, and all he needs to do is go to his backyard.

Pikachu is ever so confused as he watches the boy frolic through the space. Ash's energy levels drain quickly, as expected, but after a quick Thundershock from Pikachu, he is back in his jubilee.

"I've never seen him this happy," Delia speaks out, more to herself, as she and Oak watch Ash chase Pikachu through the grass.

"Neither have I," Oak nods with a big smile on his face. "Just watching him makes me want to run around myself."

Delia says nothing as her son has the time of his life. It brings her to tears for two reasons. She is happy that her son is happy, but sad because she knows what's going to happen next. She hopes again, just to comfort herself, that she will be wrong. But twelve energy surges later, Ash approaches her and says the words that breaks her heart.

"The world is amazing!" Ash exclaims. "I want to see more of it! All of it!"

"You will soon, Ash," Oak assures, too delighted by his joy to notice Delia's growing dread. "With the progress we're making, you might be outside in two or three years."

"Two or three years?" Ash whines. "That's too long!"

"The time will pass, Ash," Oaks tells him. "The time will pass."

And it passes quickly, Delia sees with despair, for when ten years officially pass and Ash is technically twenty-years-old, Oak announces that Ash is ready to leave his home. The whole world, not just Delia and Oak, has been watching Ash "grow up", and the resulting support that comes in either donations or information help expedite Ash's development. Ash can now think, speak, eat, and feel like a human, and just as many other humans with goals and dreams, Ash aspires to see the world with his own eyes.

"He won't travel alone, of course," Oak says as he explains Ash's trip to Delia. "A technician is going to accompany him to perform maintenance and send me updates. This journey is going to benefit both your son and my research, but of course, it won't happen unless you allow it to happen."

Delia clenches her fists. This is it, she tells herself. This is the day she has been fearing would happen. She can stop everything right here, right now, so her son can stay with her. But she can't do it, she realizes with grief. This is the opportunity Ash has been waiting for his whole life. He has been hoping, dreaming—yearning for a chance like this. Now that he finally has the chance to take it, can she really deny him that chance?

"L-Let him go," Delia staggers, taking a deep breath before adding, "Just…m-make sure he's in...safe hands."

"Don't worry, Delia," Oak assures, abandoning the formal name through years of increased propinquity, "I may not care about him like you do, but I do care about him a lot. Nothing bad will happen to him; I promise."

~.~

Brock, Delia decides, is the spitting image of his father. He has the same narrow eyes, dark chocolate skin, and spiky black hair. But there is a distinct difference between the relatives. Despite being only fifteen years old, Brock acts more like an actual dad than his father does.

Before accepting Oak's job offer as Ash's "babysitter," Brock spent much of his life raising his siblings when both his mother and father left their family. When his father returned one day to visit them, Brock demanded that he stayed so he could fulfill his own dreams for a change. His bravery gained him Flint's respect, and he was permitted to leave. Brock was interested in both biology and robotics, so when Oak offered him a job to travel with Ash, he thought he landed the job of a lifetime. He accepted the position in a heartbeat, and now he is in Delia's kitchen, serving Ash his homemade fettuccine alfredo.

"This is really good, Brock," Ash muffles as he devours more of the pasta.

"Thanks, Ash," Brock nods. He is aware that Ash is a robot, but Ash's constant adaptation to humanity is making him a very convincing boy. Brock is more than happy to feed him, play games with him and Pikachu, and just generally be there for him when he needs a friend. And he is ever grateful for Ash's company as well. Being with Ash makes him feel like the kid he never got to be. Now that they are going to travel together, he is going to go on an adventure like one.

Delia tries with great difficulty not to frown as Ash and Brock make the final preparations for their trip. The days progressing to this day were stressful. Oak had to give her a lot of information to assure her that there can only be more good than bad that can come out of the journey. Not only will Ash accomplish his dream of traveling the world, his trek through different terrains for prolonged periods of time can supply useful information for Oak's research. Ash can only advance himself being out there, and his journey can give birth to other aspiring adventurers that escaped death like he did.

When Ash and Brock are standing at the front door, Pikachu sitting on Ash's shoulder, Delia and Oak are there with them bidding them goodbye. Delia is breaking from the inside but stays strong for her son. Brock notices her discomfort, however, and gives her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Ketchum," he assures. "I have nine siblings. If I can take care of nine kids on my own, I can definitely take care of Ash."

Despite Delia's apprehension, her worries start to deplete. The boy looks and acts just like his father, but there is one distinct difference between the two that Delia takes comfort in. Brock wants to take care of others; Flint does not.

"Okay," Delia nods, finally letting go of her son's hand.

Ash's face brightens, and before Delia can prepare for it, he engulfs her into a tight hug.

"Thanks, Mom," Ash says. "This is the best day of my life!"

Delia takes a deep breath and squeezes him back. It's ironic, really. The day that her son has been waiting for all his life is the day she has been dreading. Has raising him been easy, of course not. But will it make his departure from their home any easier? Absolutely not. She has yet to spend a day without him. How will she cope?

"I'll make sure he calls you every day," Brock assures, detecting her growing despair, "so it will be like he never left."

Delia tries hard not to cry, but after such a reassuring note, she can't hold back the tear that falls down one eye. She quickly wipes it away before Ash looks at her. After everything he has been through, Ash should not see his mother cry.

Oak puts a hand on Delia's shoulder as Ash and Brock open the door. Pikachu waves at the mother from Ash's shoulder. "Pika, pika!" he bids. Delia waves back weakly before watching her son and his companions leave the house.

Oak gasps when Delia collapses to the ground. He can only hold her as she lets out a muffled shriek.

~.~

By the time Brock and Ash depart on their journey across the Kanto region, ten years have passed. No one has heard from Ash's father, so everyone, especially Delia, thought that he had actually moved on without them. But they were wrong. They were very wrong.

In a laboratory deep underground Giovanni's headquarters, a six-foot entity floats in a glass cylinder packed with green fluid. The creature's skin is white except for its lower half and tail, which is a light shade of violet. It is an entity no one has seen before, and it is still developing.

"Subject Ninety-Six's blood pressure is becoming stable, sir," a scientist announces. The screen in front of him has numbers and bar charts that are gradually fluctuating to a stop.

"His brain activity is stabilizing as well," another scientist with a screen adds.

"Excellent," Giovanni nods satisfactorily. "Make sure it continues to stabilize. I want it walking by the end of this month."

The scientists, as well as the others working with them, look skeptical but nod submissively. Delia isn't the only one who can use science to save their son. Giovanni's prisoner may have escaped, but it provided enough of its DNA to begin another opportunity Giovanni quickly seized. The man may no longer have a legend, but he does have a developing better version of it.

If the entity turns out to be the one Giovanni and his men were looking for, it will be called "Ash." For now, however, it will be called Mewtwo.