Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu made it back to Pallet by dusk. Brock was relieved. Ash and Misty had been holding hands the entire way, and had been making eyes at each other as well. Pikachu had grown tired of it too, and hurried ahead with Brock. They let the lovebirds lag behind. Delia had been expecting them, and was waiting on the porch. She greeted them with a smile and hurried them inside to eat dinner. After dinner, she made Ash and Misty promise they wouldn't try anything in the house, to which they agreed. That night Ash went to sleep with thoughts of Misty in his mind. She's my girlfriend now, he thought. Wow, it seemed like it would never happen. It's also kind of weird. Back when we met, I never thought we'd be like this. But it's so great! He sighed happily, rolled over and fell asleep.
The next afternoon, after Delia had showed Misty around her garden, Misty and Ash sat on the porch swing eating strawberries that they'd picked from the garden. Brock, of course, was with Professor Oak at the lab. A fresh breeze blew the sweet scent of Delia's prize yellow roses around the yard, and tousled Misty's hair. Pikachu carefully fed Togepi a berry, not sure of how he'd like it. Togepi raved about it, and ate more. Misty and Ash chuckled. "Hey, Mom," Ash called to his mother. "Looks like Togepi likes them more than we do!"
Delia smiled and stood up in the strawberry patch. She turned to see Professor Oak and his grandson Gary heading their way, followed by Brock. "Oh, look, here comes the Professor," she said.
"And Gary!" Ash moaned and put his head in his hands. "When did he get back?"
"Delia," Oak called, waving. Gary looked annoyed.
"Hello, Professor," she replied. "Hello, Gary." He scowled. "Why don't you come in?" They filed into the house, Ash trying to keep a safe distance from Gary.
"Brock told me what happened here between Ash and Misty, and about the whole mix-up," Oak said, cutting right to the chase. "Delia, while Ash and Misty are not related, I'm afraid that Ash and Gary are."
Ash nearly fell out of his seat. Misty and Brock wore matching expressions of shock. Delia grasped the back of a chair to help her stand. Gary sat stone still, the same look of sheer irritation on his face. "What," Ash finally squeaked.
"Alan and Gary's mother, my daughter, were something of an item," Oak explained. "While she was married to her husband, Gary's stepfather. I heard my late wife talking to her about it one day, shortly after Gary was born. Then, Alan died, and Daniel, Gary's stepfather, found out what had happened between Alan and his wife. Rather than react the way I hear Misty's mother did when she suspected Alan's paternity, Daniel wanted to be a father to Gary, and stayed with Candace, Gary's mother. I didn't say anything about it until now, for, I felt there was no way to put it gently." He paused to gauge their reactions. They all stayed the same, except for Delia's.
"I guess that's why Candace suddenly didn't want to talk to me anymore," she said slowly. "Gary, Professor, I'm sorry for Alan's actions…"
"Gary," Oak questioned. "Are you all right?"
"Yea, I'm fine," he answered. "I knew, Grandpa."
Everyone gasped. "You knew," Ash asked, aghast.
"Of course I knew," he retorted. "Why do you think I hate you so much? Your stupid father made my parents' lives miserable, and they made my life miserable. Mom and Dad fight about it all the time, and I overhear them. I thought you knew."
Ash shook his head, still in shock. "No, I didn't."
"Well, now you do," he said, rising. "I have to go now. I don't want anyone knowing that my brother is such a loser like you are Ash. And don't you tell anyone we're brothers!" He strode out of the kitchen and slammed the front door.
"Oh, heavens," Oak said. "I'm afraid I may have just made things worse rather than better."
"No, Professor," Delia said, touching his arm. "The truth is never an easy pill to swallow. It's good that we know, isn't it, Ash?"
"I guess so," he said. He was still reeling from it all.
"Thank you, Professor," Delia said. "It's getting late now. See you tomorrow." Oak bid them farewell.
"Misty, Brock, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to Ash for a little bit," Delia said to her son's friends. They obliged, and Delia sat at the table facing Ash. "Ash, I know that you and Gary don't get along, and you have never gotten along, and I know that finding out that he's your half-brother is a shock. But someday you'll realize that you're family, and one of you is going to need the other, because that's what families do; they depend on one another and help one another. I want you to be open-minded and remember that you're brothers if that day comes. I hope he does the same. Ash, you're growing up so fast," she said, suddenly getting teary. "You've got a girlfriend now, you're progressing with your Pokemon so much, and soon, you're going to be a man, and leave me forever." She patted the corners of her eyes with a tissue. "I know that you'll grow up to be the best. Show the world that I'm right, Ash." She held his hands tightly in hers.
"Mom, this is dumb," he said huskily. "I'll never forget about you, or leave you forever. And I'll try hard to be a good brother to Gary, even if he is a jerk."
Delia smiled. "That's my Ash. Go on to bed now. It's late."
"Goodnight, Mom," he said, kissing her on the cheek. On the way up to his room, he met Misty at the top of the stairwell. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "What did your mom say," she asked.
Ash shook his head. "Nothing," he sighed. "Things are changing, but I think I'm okay with it." They kissed, and headed into their respective rooms to sleep.
The next afternoon, after Delia had showed Misty around her garden, Misty and Ash sat on the porch swing eating strawberries that they'd picked from the garden. Brock, of course, was with Professor Oak at the lab. A fresh breeze blew the sweet scent of Delia's prize yellow roses around the yard, and tousled Misty's hair. Pikachu carefully fed Togepi a berry, not sure of how he'd like it. Togepi raved about it, and ate more. Misty and Ash chuckled. "Hey, Mom," Ash called to his mother. "Looks like Togepi likes them more than we do!"
Delia smiled and stood up in the strawberry patch. She turned to see Professor Oak and his grandson Gary heading their way, followed by Brock. "Oh, look, here comes the Professor," she said.
"And Gary!" Ash moaned and put his head in his hands. "When did he get back?"
"Delia," Oak called, waving. Gary looked annoyed.
"Hello, Professor," she replied. "Hello, Gary." He scowled. "Why don't you come in?" They filed into the house, Ash trying to keep a safe distance from Gary.
"Brock told me what happened here between Ash and Misty, and about the whole mix-up," Oak said, cutting right to the chase. "Delia, while Ash and Misty are not related, I'm afraid that Ash and Gary are."
Ash nearly fell out of his seat. Misty and Brock wore matching expressions of shock. Delia grasped the back of a chair to help her stand. Gary sat stone still, the same look of sheer irritation on his face. "What," Ash finally squeaked.
"Alan and Gary's mother, my daughter, were something of an item," Oak explained. "While she was married to her husband, Gary's stepfather. I heard my late wife talking to her about it one day, shortly after Gary was born. Then, Alan died, and Daniel, Gary's stepfather, found out what had happened between Alan and his wife. Rather than react the way I hear Misty's mother did when she suspected Alan's paternity, Daniel wanted to be a father to Gary, and stayed with Candace, Gary's mother. I didn't say anything about it until now, for, I felt there was no way to put it gently." He paused to gauge their reactions. They all stayed the same, except for Delia's.
"I guess that's why Candace suddenly didn't want to talk to me anymore," she said slowly. "Gary, Professor, I'm sorry for Alan's actions…"
"Gary," Oak questioned. "Are you all right?"
"Yea, I'm fine," he answered. "I knew, Grandpa."
Everyone gasped. "You knew," Ash asked, aghast.
"Of course I knew," he retorted. "Why do you think I hate you so much? Your stupid father made my parents' lives miserable, and they made my life miserable. Mom and Dad fight about it all the time, and I overhear them. I thought you knew."
Ash shook his head, still in shock. "No, I didn't."
"Well, now you do," he said, rising. "I have to go now. I don't want anyone knowing that my brother is such a loser like you are Ash. And don't you tell anyone we're brothers!" He strode out of the kitchen and slammed the front door.
"Oh, heavens," Oak said. "I'm afraid I may have just made things worse rather than better."
"No, Professor," Delia said, touching his arm. "The truth is never an easy pill to swallow. It's good that we know, isn't it, Ash?"
"I guess so," he said. He was still reeling from it all.
"Thank you, Professor," Delia said. "It's getting late now. See you tomorrow." Oak bid them farewell.
"Misty, Brock, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk to Ash for a little bit," Delia said to her son's friends. They obliged, and Delia sat at the table facing Ash. "Ash, I know that you and Gary don't get along, and you have never gotten along, and I know that finding out that he's your half-brother is a shock. But someday you'll realize that you're family, and one of you is going to need the other, because that's what families do; they depend on one another and help one another. I want you to be open-minded and remember that you're brothers if that day comes. I hope he does the same. Ash, you're growing up so fast," she said, suddenly getting teary. "You've got a girlfriend now, you're progressing with your Pokemon so much, and soon, you're going to be a man, and leave me forever." She patted the corners of her eyes with a tissue. "I know that you'll grow up to be the best. Show the world that I'm right, Ash." She held his hands tightly in hers.
"Mom, this is dumb," he said huskily. "I'll never forget about you, or leave you forever. And I'll try hard to be a good brother to Gary, even if he is a jerk."
Delia smiled. "That's my Ash. Go on to bed now. It's late."
"Goodnight, Mom," he said, kissing her on the cheek. On the way up to his room, he met Misty at the top of the stairwell. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "What did your mom say," she asked.
Ash shook his head. "Nothing," he sighed. "Things are changing, but I think I'm okay with it." They kissed, and headed into their respective rooms to sleep.