Pallet Town

The unfamiliar weight of my stomach bore down on me and I shifted uncomfortably on the couch in a living room perhaps a fraction of the size of what I'd since found myself accustomed to. The pregnancy had not been easy. I'd spent my first three months with my head in a toilet and then once the morning sickness began to subside I'd noticed other changes. I was growing, and not only in my belly but in other parts of my body too. I felt bloated all of the time. My fingers were always swollen and my ankles constantly sore from the extra weight I carried.

Five months into the pregnancy, Giovanni had ordered me to cease work and sent me to live at his large estate. As his new wife, he'd ensured I had everything I needed to assist me in the coming months of the pregnancy. I would not be left in want. But there was only so much a girl so accustomed to travel can do before she starts to go stir-crazy. Giovanni was never around. But I had to expect that, he was a business man after all. And while he attempted to be home as much as he could, I often found myself in my own company which made me feel immensely lonely.

As my due date drew ever closer, I only became more and more uncomfortable... and more alone. I couldn't sleep, so I spent most of my time walking about the estate, just waiting. Then the worrying started. Was the child healthy? What if something went wrong with the birth? Would I be a good mother?'

I was having a boy, I knew that already. Of course, Giovanni was ecstatic at the news. He already had a daughter and now he would have a son. And while I found Giovanni charming to a fault and he never failed to treat me like a queen, I began to wonder on things about him that concerned me deeply. Things that I never dared broach to him in fear of his reaction. What sort of world would I be bringing this child into? What sort of expectations did Giovanni have of his son? I was married to a thief and a tyrant - a man of such great influence and power that governments and other crime organizations bowed to him in fear. Was this the life my baby was destined to grow up in… to learn how to rule over, steal and mistreat Pokémon?

It was these things I found myself worrying on constantly, and I had to truly wonder, were these the same things his first wife had dwelt on too? Granted, I wasn't the sort of person who would go out and kill herself over it, but these thoughts did tend to leave strong feelings of uncertainty in my decisions of these past several months.

Giovanni and I fought on this only once. I'd expressed my feelings on how the child ought to go on his own Pokémon journey once he became of age – to let him chose his own future. However, Giovanni's views in the matter differed greatly. The child would live with us at the estate until he was old enough to attend a boarding school where there he would receive the best education money could buy. He would learn things such as business and economics. And then Giovanni himself would teach the boy to become a trainer like himself, perhaps even eventually taking over the Viridian Gym as its leader. On these things, Giovanni's mind was made up and there would be no stopping him from following through on his decision, even at the expense of my own wishes.

Not wanting this to cause a rift between us, I chose to give into his ideals. It would be years before I had to worry about Giovanni's plans taking to effect. That was years that I could spend working on him.

At some point when I realised Giovanni was spending excessive amounts of time at his lab on New Island, I decided I needed to get off the estate for a while and journeyed south toward Pallet Town where my sister lived. Since Giovanni and I had married in private, none of my family had any idea of my situation. So needless to say, May was shocked beyond all belief to see me in this state. Holding her new bundle of joy, she invited me into her lovely family home that resided on a large property.

"Take a seat Delia." Gently placing her baby into a bassinet, she helped me into the couch. Her stomach, while not as big as mine, was still somewhat rounded after having given birth only weeks before.

She already had a visitor who sat in the living room with me. He watched me with curiosity over his cup before deciding to place it down on the coffee table and clear his throat. "Delia, it's been a while."

"Hello Professor." I extended him a hand to shake in greeting. "It has. How is Pallet treating you?"

My sister's father-in-law gave me a gentle smile and accepted my hand. "It's treating me well, thank you. You should see my lab. It's doubled in size since your last visit."

When I was a teenager, I'd travelled here with my sister who at the time was studying Pokémon before she moved on into the medical field. She did an internship with Professor Oak and had brought me along to stay with her at his lab. It was a small class of perhaps four or so students and while I wasn't officially a 'student' I was able to study along side May to see if this sort field was something I would be interested in pursuing. I was young and optimistic at the time, and the thought brought back an involuntary smile to my face. I'd wanted to be a trainer, a cook, a model, a Pokémon researcher – my preferences changed with the seasons.

"I'm sure it has. How are your students going?" I asked.

"The classes are coming along well, though I was disappointed to find you dropped out of your studies." His eyes fell on my undeniably pregnant belly. "But I see you've been otherwise engaged. I guess a late congratulations is in store. I had no idea you were married."

"On that, none of us had any idea of." May stepped into the room carrying a fresh pot of tea and a cup. "That is assuming you are in fact-"

"Yes," quickly cutting her off I spoke in a tone that ended the conversation.

An awkward silence seemed to prevail before the Professor gave a cough and pulled himself to his feet. "I suppose I better be getting back to the lab. It was nice to see you May and your beautiful little boy." He placed a gentle, family kiss on my sister's cheek. "And do tell that son of mine not to work back so late so often."

May smiled. "I will, Samuel."

He headed for the front door. "It was good to see you again, Delia."

And with that he left May and I to stare at each other in silence.

"So… you did marry… him?"

I nodded. "I'm sorry, I should have told you sooner."

She looked angry as she made an attempt at distracting herself wither her tea. But I couldn't blame her for being mad… I would have been mad at me.

"Are you at least going to tell mum and dad?"

My head fell. "I want to… but how? I mean… they hate Giovanni."

She snorted. "They're not the only ones."

More silence. More awkwardness. I watched the infant who slept soundly in his bassinet. He was bigger than what I had expected of a baby so young. He had no hair yet but I could already tell he would look like his father when he grew up – a typical Oak. I wondered what my son would look like? Would he have the strong, square features of Giovanni? Would he possess his father's spirit of determination or would he be more passive like me?

"His name is Gary," noting my gaze, May filled in for me and brought me from my thoughts.

"He is beautiful," I said.

And she nodded with a smile. "He has two very proud parents."

I glanced back at my sister, the angry front she'd put on only moments before now melted away to pride for her lovely little family.

"Where is Daisy?" I asked her.

"Play date. Every Wednesday she goes to visit her friend across the street."

I nodded. "It must be nice living in such a close nit -community."

"A hell of a lot different from what you've become accustomed to, I'm sure." There it was again, that bite in her voice.

Things were so much simpler for her. Her children would grow up happy and free to decide what they wanted to do with their lives just as May and her husband had lived. It was a life so different to what I would be bringing my child into- a life of high society aristocrats and organised crime. Granted, he would have the best of everything, but what is everything when you can't come to an appreciation of where it all came from? I found myself suddenly envious of May and the quaint little life she had.

"You need to tell mum and dad," she said.

"I know. I will."