Being Second
An Egoshipping Fanfiction
by: i need sleep

A/N: Quickest update in a while. Haha. Now, excuse me while I go have a dip at the Zelda fandom. ;D I'll be back, I promise. And to prove it, I might leave a little snippet of chapter 11 for reviewers.

Speaking of reviewers, thanks guys! Also to everyone who added the story on favourites/alert. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Seriously. Quit it, you're ruining my self esteem.

Warning: A few choice words in here, but I suppose you expected that when you saw Rating: T.

Chapter 10: The Wisdom of Delia Ketchum

At the moment, he hated redheads. He hated them with a passion, all of them.

As he zoomed past the trees of the ever serene Veridian forest, he wondered what he did to anger the gods.

Or the Cerulean gym leader.

I was just sharing my opinion, he scoffed at the road. Sheesh, what a short fused woman. He snickered. She's not even a woman yet! Stupid bitch is still a little girl! A mental image popped in his head and with a sly grin, he thought, she's yet to go through puberty, judging by the size of her boobs…

-o-

Gary Oak was a strange boy. He was an academic genius, but was a socially awkward penguin.

Ash Ketchum was another strange boy. What he lacked in brains, he made up for with his personality.

Delia Ketchum knew her son wasn't the brightest bulb in the pile; she knew that since he asked her, when he was five, if all kids are different. He had believed that all children were born genderless (a cruelly stupid concept planted in his head by a couple of rascals in Pallet town) and poor Delia had to give the five year old a very watered down 'the birds and the bees' lesson.

She's not surprised he preferred the company of Pokémon to women after that.

"Gary?" she called out. The car was empty, save for the two of them. They were driving back to Pallet town, her to make a guest list and invitations and him to go back to his research. She noted the constant changing of his facial expression, and she couldn't help but worry. He got in the car looking mopey and gutted, drove off with an expressionless visage, then she noticed the frown that had adorned his face was replaced with a sly Cheshire grin. She wondered if he was drunk or fit to drive at all. "Are you alright?"

He nodded profusely and she noted that he had slowed down the car's speed. She sighed inwardly, feeling relieved, before asking again. "Are you sure you're alright?"

He paused and didn't nod his head again, and Delia immediately patted his arm. "You're coming home with me."

-o-

She kicked the nearby wall, pretending it's Gary.

More importantly, his crotch.

"What. An. Idiot," she grumbled to herself as she marched back inside after taking the garbage out. "I hope he trips or something."

She continued to wish him ill things as she cleaned up the guest room, which wasn't that messy at all. Delia, as she had predicted, made her bed and made sure every little thing was straightened and neat. Gary had attempted to make his bed, but he also didn't seem to have touched anything.

She ran straight out of said guest room because the thought of sharing the same room with him (albeit the fact he wasn't there) was utterly disgusting to her. Glancing at the giant clock in the Waterflower kitchen, she hummed a happy tune as she went off to feed the Pokémon.

It took her a grand total of an hour, only because she paused and talked to most of them.

"Gary Oak is a douche, isn't he?" She asked a clueless Gyarados.

"'Oh, I'm straight, I don't care about Ash! He's below me!'" She mimicked him, poorly, in front of the school of Remoraid she was feeding.

"You should headbutt him the next time you see him, especially where it hurts the most!" She crooned to Corsola, who, thinking her owner was saying a positive thing, responded with a bright, "La! La! Corsola!"

"Misty!" Tracey called out, and the redhead looked up to watch her sister's boyfriend wave at her from the door across the pool. "Dinner's ready!"

She nodded and replied, "Coming!" before getting up and slapping her hands together. "Well, it was nice talking to you, Corsola."

"La! La!"

Tracey still stood by the door, and Daisy soon joined him. "Professor Oak called," Daisy whispered to him. "He was wondering what happened and why Gary was depressed and contemplative."

Piecing two and two together, they looked towards Misty and sighed.

"Oh, no."

-o-

Mrs Ketchum fed him, and she fed him good.

Well, her and Mr Mimey.

She seemed so ecstatic to cook for Gary, flitting around the kitchen like a fairy on drugs, never quite staying still in one corner. She cooked her specialty for him, and to be honest, he was extremely flattered that she bothered to make him feel so much like a guest.

However, Misty's voice rang true in his head and he immediately felt guilt. He never treated Ash that well. Mrs Ketchum shouldn't be treating him this well.

To make matters worse, she tried to talk to him while eating.

"So, Gary, dear," she started, taking a quick sip of her water. "Is there anything wrong?"

He almost choked, "What do you mean, Mrs K?"

"Girl problem?" she asked, truly concerned. "Is it about Misty?"

Wow, he thought as he took a swig of his soda, She's good. "Umm.. No?"

Mrs Ketchum tutted, and Mr Mime mimicked her action. "It's fine, deary! You don't have to lie."

"Well…"

She tapped his hand again, "You know you can tell me, right?" She asked, looking over his plate. "Ooooh! Have some more!" She offered, and Mr Mime scrambled over to fill his plate up once more.

He wanted to cry.

He cleared his throat. "Mrs Ketchum, were you aware that… that Ash and I weren't the best of friends while I was a trainer?"

She giggled. "Of course!"

He was shocked. "Why did you invite me then?"

She smiled sadly. "I know for a fact that certain things get to people at times. And I know, for a fact, that some people do things they probably didn't want to for something." She looked out the window as Mr Mime cleared the table cheerfully. "Ash isn't the type to hold grudges. You were his bestest friend, Gary. You probably still are. Nothing you did or nothing you do will ever change that."

He smiled, "thank you, Mrs K." Swallowing the lump down his throat, he held back the tears. Must not cry. Must not cry…

"If it's about Misty," she continued, grabbing some dessert from the fridge, "well, I know she's quite short tempered and proud. But she's also very loyal and determined," she placed a slice of ice cream cake on his plate. "And she didn't know you before you were a trainer." She placed some on her plate as well. "Don't worry though," she smiled. "Things will work out, I'm sure."

AN: I love Delia. I just wish she had more screentime.