Chapter 1

Ash Ketchum has just finished his journey in the Sinnoh region and he is now back in Kanto about to visit his hometown, Pallet.

"There it is, Pikachu, we're home!" Ash exclaimed to his Pokemon as they overlooked their home from a hill. "Mom has no idea I'm coming, wow, I'm starved I hope she is cooking something good! Man, I've missed this place so much and Mom especially!" Ash shouted as he raced down the hill on the way home to his house. Meanwhile, Delia, Ash's mother was straightening up a few things around the house as Mimey tended to the garden. As she was dusting she came across an old picture. It was a family photo, the most recent one taken their last one. They all had looked so happy, and they were, Red had his arm around Delia and they each had one hand on Ash's shoulder. Delia stared at the picture for a few minutes reminiscing the best years of her life and how much she missed her husband and son as tears began welling up in her eyes.

"Surprise, I'm home!" Ash exclaimed as he gleefully bursted through the door.

"Ash! Oh, Ash, sweetheart, I've missed you so much!" she cried as she squeezed her son so tightly he could hardly breathe.

"I missed you too, Mom! Did you see me on TV during the Pokemon League ? I was in the top 4 almost won it too!" Ash explained

"Of course I saw you, dear and you too, Pikachu." said Delia as she knelt down to pet the little electric mouse. " You were very, very good out there, Ash, I mean on the battlefield." she stated profoundly. Delia had had the family picture in her hands the entire time she noticed Ash looking at a few times, deliberately ignoring it' then she realized it was in her hands & she contingently hid it behind her back.

"Really you mean it, mom?" Ash exclaimed at the compliment.

"Of course I do! Now, it's almost lunchtime do you have any special requests?" Delia asked.

"Grilled cheese, please!" Ash suggested.

"Grilled cheese it is!" she confirmed as she walked back into the kitchen, still holding the framed photograph, she discretely placed it on the small table as she walked by, hoping it went unnoticed. But, as Ash and Pikachu followed Mrs. Ketchum into the kitchen the picture caught Ash's eye. Ash stopped and studied the picture remembering the cold, heartaching day when his father abandoned him. Ash tried to clear his mind of his father and just sit down and enjoy his mother's homecooked meal but the pain of his father's betrayal haunted his mind, he felt so hurt and unloved, uncared for. Delia set the table for Ash and herself and a bowl of Pokemon food for Pikachu as they sat down to eat.

"Mom...can I ask you something...it's something I'm afraid to touch on...I-I don't want to hurt you..." Ash began but, Delia could read Ash like a book she could see in his eyes what the question was, it obviously haunted his mind relentlessly, probably leaving him up some nights, wondering.

"Sure, sweetheart, ask whatever you like." she replied, although she was totally aware of the question.

"It's about dad...why did he go away,why did he leave us. I can only remember being really little and seeing him pack up his things and leave out into a storm, I followed him a little then I gave up and yelled at him. Then all i can remember is finding a note on my bed stand. "Ash muttered the awkward question that he practiced out saying for years.

"...I-I don't know exactly, I'm sorry,dear I wish I had a definite answer for you but...I don't even know myself. He told me I wouldn't understand and then I never saw him again. I loved him so much, so did you, everyone did and we all thought he felt the same, especially you Ash. He looked at you like you were all the stars in the sky he was so very proud of every little thing you did. He's the one who had you enrolled in that PokemonTrainer kindergarten academy it was his idea he wanted you to love Pokemon the way he did I knew you would, I happily agreed. Since, he left I've felt so empty and lonely... Ash you're all I have in this world if anything ever happened to you I just wouldn't have a purpose for living anymore. Ash, I'm begging you be careful on your journeys please ,Ash, there is nothing in in this world I love more than you, Ash... nothing..." Delia explained the story to Ash leaving him angered at his father and with more questions then answers. He knew how deeply his father's departure hurt his mother he felt sorry for her, and swore to himself to be more careful for her sake. A long silence brushed across the usually cheerful upbeat Ketchum family kitchen.

"Mom, grandpa was a Pokemon Master just like Dad, right?" Ash said breaking the long, awkward silence as he fought back tears,not wanting to worry his mother, but they were going to heavily spill eventually.

"That's right, sometimes I wonder if that had something to do with it, redeeming himself for his father he could've told me, I would've understood. Instead of having to lie in bed at night wondering what happened to him or where he is, like the way I worry about you only I worry about you nearly every second. That stupid title always came before you or me it always meant more to him, to be the best then his family or even his Pokemon. I'm so glad you're not like that, dear, I always see you putting friends and Pokemon first, hold on to that, it's a wonderful quality of yours." Delia continued.

"So he cared more about being a Pokemon Master than us or even his Pokemon. How could he be like that! I can't stand it!" Ash yelled in frustration. "I barely know him just because he had to go off an be selfish. He was all ready a Pokemon Master what else was he aiming for!" Ash said continuing his tirade. "Sorry, Mom, I'm not hungry anymore." Ash stated as he threw his plate down on to the table and dashed up the stairs into his room.

Pika-pi!" Pikachu called as it followed Ash up the stairs. Delia sighed in distress she always knew Ash would take it harshly, even she was still hurt by the event.

"Should I leave him alone or talk to him about it... Oh, Ash I should've told you sooner I'm sorry, honey. Red...are you happy now you devastated our son, good job." Delia thought to herself deciding to leave him be to think on his own, her soothing motherly words of comfort probably wouldn't of done much in this situation anyway.

"How could he do that! Just leave us like that. He hurt mom so much, left her all alone and me too I was just a little kid!" Ash said venting his feelings to Pikachu. Pikachu just frowned at its trainers sadness. "He was already a stupid Pokemon Master why'd he have to go out again? What, did he just not care about us anymore, we all cared for him. Look what he did to all of us to my mom! No one's even heard from the guy since!" Ash ranted some more. "It's not fair...it just isn't fair." Ash muttered as he softly began to weep muffling his face into a pillow as Pikachu licked the tears off his face. Hours passed and Ash just lied in bed pondering on the possible whereabouts of his missing traitor-of-a-father. Delia walked upstairs to check on her son since it was getting late and he still hadn't come down then she peeked through the crack of the door and looked upon him sympathetically and lovingly.

"Ash, are you okay, sweetie?" she asked

"Yeah, I'm okay ...I guess." he murmured tears still wet on his young face.

"I know it hurts... ...I still wonder too." Delia confessed. "Goodnight, Ash, I love you." she said as she flicked the light switch off.

"You too,Mom, g'night" Ash said quietly. "Goodnight, Pikachu see you in the morning." Ash whispered before quietly crying himself to sleep.

Delia then said to herself as she closed the door behind her"Maybe if I could locate him maybe, just maybe Ash could beat him."