"That was an awesome battle!" Tracey exclaimed, recalling Scyther into its Poké ball. He, Delia, and Professor Oak had just finished thwarting Butch and Cassidy's attempt to steal all the Poké balls from the Oak lab.
"It certainly was," agreed Professor Oak as the three made their way back inside the Oak house. "But I'm just happy to get those Poké ball thieves off of my property."
"I think this calls for a celebration," Delia smiled, reaching for the picnic basket that was sitting next to the couch in the living room. "Why don't we all have something to eat?"
"Yeah, I'm starved!" agreed Tracey, whose stomach growled in agreement. "Pokémon battles always make me hungry. What about you, Professor?"
The older man rubbed his chin. "Well, I do need to get back to my work on the computer. I've already lost most of the morning having to deal with those thieves from Team Rocket."
"You work too hard already," Delia admonished. "You barely spoke two words to me earlier when I was sitting here with you."
Professor Oak cringed inwardly. He hadn't meant to ignore Delia earlier. Far from it -- he felt so comfortable in her presence that he didn't feel the need to entertain her by carrying on a conversation.
"Well, maybe I could have a little something before going back to work." Professor Oak seated himself in the chair next to Delia's and peered inside the basket. He never could resist her delicious cooking.
"You can't work on an empty stomach," Delia said, handing him a sandwich.
"Work? Oh man…with everything going on, I forgot to feed the rest of the Pokémon this morning!" Tracey jumped up from his spot on the couch.
"Wait, Tracey! You didn't even touch your lunch!" Concerned that the boy might faint from hunger during his morning chores, Delia grabbed four sandwiches out of her picnic basket and handed them to Tracey. "There. Now you eat every one of those. You're still a growing boy."
"Thanks, Mrs. Ketchum," Tracey smiled gratefully at her as he proceeded to stuff half a chicken salad sandwich into his mouth. "See you later."
"I'd better give Tracey a hand," said Professor Oak, getting up from his chair. "Not to mention that I need to start putting all the Poké balls back where they belong. It's going to take me a long time to get them back in order after those two made such a mess of things around here."
"But what about our picnic?" Delia said, looking down at the half-eaten sandwich Professor Oak had just tossed down on the table in front of her. "I thought we were going to celebrate our victory over Team Rocket. And I spent all morning making a pie for all of us to share," she said, bringing it forth from the basket. "I know how much you and Tracey like apple."
"Delia, I…" At the sight of her crestfallen face, Professor Oak suddenly realized that there were more important things at the lab than work.
"And it's such a nice day today, too," Delia said sadly, glancing out the window. "Oh well…I suppose we can have our picnic another day. Like you said, you need to get back to work."
As she began re-packing her picnic basket, Professor Oak kicked himself inwardly. As much as he needed to get started on putting his lab back in order, the last thing in the world he wanted was to see Delia leave.
"Delia, wait." He reached for her arm. "You're right. I can't work on an empty stomach. And it would be rather insensitive of me to not have some of that apple pie that you worked so hard making for us. I have an idea -- why don't we have our picnic outside instead?" He picked up his half-eaten sandwich and stuffed it into the pocket of his lab coat. "Like you said, it's a nice day, despite the mess that Team Rocket made of the preserve. Maybe you can help me get the Poké balls cleaned up and re-organized after we eat, if you want."
The smile returned to Delia's face. "Well, of course I will! You know I'm always willing to help you and Tracey whenever I can."
"I know you are, Delia," Professor Oak smiled, picking up her picnic basket. "And you certainly helped me and Tracey out today. I don't know what we would've done if you and Mimie hadn't shown up this morning."
"Oh, I think you and Tracey would've done just fine battling Team Rocket without me and Mimie," Delia smiled as the pair headed out to the backyard. "Especially from what I saw earlier. You really are wonderful with Pokémon, Sam."
"Well, thank you, Delia," Professor Oak replied, slightly embarrassed at Delia's compliment. "But I certainly don't deserve all the credit. Ash has done a commendable job raising his Pokémon. Bulbasaur and Cyndaquil are two of the best-trained Pokémon I've ever encountered in all my years as a researcher and trainer. Your son is a fine trainer, Delia. You should be very proud of him."
Now it was Delia's turn to blush. "I'm always proud of my little boy."
"And don't sell yourself short either, Delia," Professor Oak continued. "You and Mimie make a wonderful team. The bond you two share is certainly exceptional. Perhaps you two should consider entering the Indigo League."
"Oh, stop, Sam!" Delia giggled. "You're embarrassing me! I'm way too old to be a Pokémon trainer!"
"You're hardly old, Delia," Professor Oak replied as the two came to a large Pokéberry tree next to the grass Pokémon section of the preserve. "And there's no upper age limit for beginning Pokémon training."
"Thanks, but I think I'll leave the training to Ash and his friends," Delia smiled, placing her basket on the ground underneath the shade of the tree.
"Are you sure, Delia? If you'd like, I could give you some pointers. I think you'd make a terrific Pokémon trainer." Professor Oak took the blanket that Delia had handed him, and the two spread it out underneath the tree.
"I'm sure, Sam," Delia replied, straightening out the blanket and seating herself on it. "Besides, I don't want to spend all my time traveling from city to city getting badges. I'm perfectly happy staying here in Pallet Town."
"And I'm perfectly happy that you want to stay here in Pallet Town," Professor Oak smiled at his pretty companion.
"Sit down and let's eat," Delia said, patting the spot on the blanket next to her. Professor Oak eagerly sat down next to her.
"You know, it really was incredible how you battled those two Poké ball thieves," Delia said admiringly, handing her friend an apple from her picnic basket. "I don't think I've ever seen you battle before."
"It's been a while," Professor Oak said, leaning back against the trunk of the tree that shaded them both. "I trained and battled Pokémon during my younger days, but I gave it up when I decided to focus entirely on research."
"Well, take it from me -- you're still a great trainer," Delia smiled, handing her friend a can of soda. "You know, I was actually getting goose bumps watching you."
Professor Oak looked at Delia with surprise. "You…you were?"
"Oh yes," Delia nodded. "It was so exciting, watching you battle. And when you and I were battling side by side, I could feel that excitement too. It was so amazing! The connection that you and I had then was just incredible -- it was like you and I were working as one to defeat Team Rocket."
Professor Oak was stunned by Delia's words. She had perfectly described what he had felt when he was battling alongside her.
"And I'm proud to say that I battled alongside the great Professor Samuel Oak," Delia smiled at her surprised-looking companion. "We made a great team, didn't we?"
"Yes…yes, we certainly did," Professor Oak said, once he had recovered his voice. "We do make a good team. And I felt that connection between us, too."
"Does that always happen when two trainers battle side by side like that?" Delia asked curiously.
"Not always. Only when the trainers have a strong bond with their Pokémon…" His eyes met hers. "…and with each other."
"Did you feel the same way when you and Tracey were battling together?"
"Tracey? Oh…well, maybe to a lesser extent, but not the same intensity that I felt when you were by my side."
"That's interesting. I wonder why that is?"
"I think it's because I've known you longer than I've known Tracey," Professor Oak surmised. "And I feel a stronger bond towards you because of that."
"We have been friends for a long time, haven't we, Sam?" Delia said, moving closer to him until their shoulders were touching.
"Yes, we certainly have. You're my best friend, Delia, whether you realize it or not."
"Oh, Sam," Delia began blushing again. "That's so sweet of you to say."
"Why not? It's the truth."
"You're my best friend too, Sam." Delia leaned over and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.
Professor Oak felt his face going red as soon as he had recovered from the shock of Delia's kissing him. "What was that for?"
"For being my best friend," Delia smiled, amused by his reaction. "It's okay for friends to kiss each other once in a while, you know."
There was no way Professor Oak was going to pass up that invitation.
"Well, in that case…" He turned Delia's face toward him and kissed her softly on the lips.
"What was that for?" Delia said, once she had recovered from the shock of his kissing her in a way that was obviously more than just a friendly gesture.
"For being my best friend," he smiled.
"Um…that kiss was a…rather friendly one," a wide-eyed Delia stammered.
"What's wrong, Delia? Don't you want me to kiss you? I thought you said it was okay for friends to kiss once in a while."
"I…no, it's not that…"
"My breath's not that bad, is it? There might have been some onions on the sandwich I had earlier." He reached inside the pocket of his lab coat and started searching for some gum or breath mints.
"No…no, it's not that. It's just that…that…"
"What?"
"I didn't think you felt that way about me."
"What do you mean, Delia?"
"You know what I'm talking about, Sam. The way you just kissed me, it was, well…more than a kiss between two people that are just friends, if you know what I mean."
"Oh." A sinking sensation began forming in the pit of his stomach. He had hoped that Delia felt the same way about him that he did about her, but judging from the confused expression on her face, she obviously didn't.
"I'm sorry, Delia," he apologized. "I shouldn't have. I just thought that perhaps…"
Delia gently laid her hand on his shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. "No, Sam…don't apologize. I did say that it was okay for friends to kiss each other. It's just that I'm a little surprised by how you did it, that's all."
Delia's attempt to make him feel better was instead making him feel worse. "Do you not want me to kiss you anymore?"
"Sam, I never said that! It's just that…what I'm trying to say is…"
"Never mind, Delia. You don't have to say anything." He slowly stood up. "I think I'd better get back to work now. Tracey is probably completely overwhelmed by now." He handed her back his untouched can of soda and forced a smile. "Thank you again for the picnic, Delia. It was very thoughtful of you."
Delia scrambled to her feet. "Sam, wait a minute. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. It's just that…"
Professor Oak held up a hand. "It's all right, Delia. Let's not talk about it anymore. Let's just pretend that the whole thing never happened and go back to being friends as usual again, all right?"
"But Sam, that's just it. I'm not sure that we can go back to being just friends after what just happened."
Professor Oak felt his world crashing down around him. Less than an hour ago he had been on top of the world – exhilarated from battling and defeating Team Rocket with Delia at his side. And now, as the result of one impulsive mistake, he was on the verge of losing his best friend forever.
"Sam, please wait." Delia reached for his hand. "That connection that we shared earlier when we were battling Team Rocket together…you said that you felt it, too."
"Adrenaline surge, brought on by the excitement of the battle. It's a normal physiological response to stress in both Pokémon and humans – racing heart, Butterfrees in the stomach. What we felt was the exhilaration produced by the adrenaline. Nothing more." By scientifically rationalizing what he felt for her away, it didn't hurt so much.
Delia shook her head. "No. That's not it. I felt all those things you described, but I felt something else. Something more." Delia moved closer to him. "Sam, you're my best friend. You've been here for me all these years. I don't know what I would do if we ever stopped being friends. I don't want us to stop being friends. We do share a special bond."
And much to his amazement, she then proceeded to return his kiss on the lips fully.
"Oh…my, that was a rather friendly kiss, wasn't it?" a stunned Professor Oak said after his and Delia's lips parted.
"Oh, Sam…" Delia drew her friend to her in a loving embrace. "I love you so much. I don't know what I'd do if we ever stopped being friends. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings earlier – it was just that I was so surprised at how you felt about me that I couldn't think straight for a moment."
Professor Oak, savoring the moment, wrapped his arms around her. "So how do you feel about me, Delia?" he whispered in her ear.
Delia gave him a mischievous look. "Didn't that kiss tell you what you needed to know?"
Professor Oak ran his tongue over his lips. "It helped, but I'd like to hear it from you."
"What do you mean, Sam?"
"Delia, you and I have been friends for years. But I'm not going to deny that I've often thought about us being more than just good friends." And holding her close was intensifying those desires. "And I'd like for us to be more than that. But do you want that, Delia?"
"Well, I'll admit that I do enjoy being around you. And you are always looking out for me." Delia snuggled closer and nuzzled his neck. "I think I'd like to find out what happens next between us."
---
"Sure took them long enough to figure it out, didn't it, Marill?"
Tracey and his Pokémon sat perched on a rock on a hill overlooking the grass Pokémon preserve where his boss and Delia now stood kissing. Tracey had noticed the pair having a picnic under the Pokéberry tree and had decided to take a break from his work to make a quick sketch of the couple.
"So what do you think, Marill?" Tracey handed the nearly completed drawing of Professor Oak and Delia sitting under the tree to his Pokémon.
The little blue Pokémon studied the sketch curiously. "Marill?" ["So does this mean that Mrs. Ketchum is Professor Oak's mate now?"]
Tracey chuckled. "Well, I guess you could say that, Marill."
The Pokémon glanced down at the kissing couple. "Marill. Marill-marill-mari…" ["Humans mate differently from Pokémon. When Pokémon mate, the male straddles the female and then inserts his…"]
"Marill!" Tracey's face turned bright red. "Um, Marill, humans do mate the same way that Pokémon do. It's just that they go about it a little differently."
"Marill?" asked the puzzled Pokémon. ["How?"]
"Um…well, you see, Marill…it's like…you know…" Tracey's face was growing redder and redder by the second. "Uh…wait, I have an idea! Why don't you ask Professor Oak about the differences in the mating rituals of humans and Pokémon? With all his knowledge, I'm sure he could do a much better job of explaining it than I could."
Satisfied, the Pokémon turned its attention back to watching the couple below while Tracey breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't planned on discussing the facts of life with his Pokémon this morning.
"Marill?" ["If Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum are mates now, does that mean that they'll have offspring someday?"]
"Well, I don't know about that, Marill," Tracey replied as he turned his attention back to his drawing. "That's up to them to decide."
"Marill? Marill-marill?" ["Tracey, where do human babies come from? Are they hatched from eggs like Pokémon?"]
Tracey suddenly looked uncomfortable again. "Uh…well, you see, Marill…human babies aren't hatched from eggs…they're, uh…uh…"
Marill looked at its red-faced trainer expectantly.
"Hey, I have a great idea, Marill! Why don't you ask Professor Oak that question, too? I'm sure he'd love explaining it all to you." Tracey quickly gathered up his sketchbook. "Meanwhile, why don't we leave Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum alone now? I have to get back to work, and I'm sure they'd like their privacy." Not to mention that he didn't want to be asked any more embarrassing questions about the mating habits of humans by his curious Pokémon.
The little Pokémon scampered after its retreating trainer. "Marill! Marill?" ["Wait, Tracey! Aren't you going to finish sketching Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum mating?"]
To be continued…