Midsummer Nights

by Trish

The third instalment to the Midsummer Series. Chapter Thirty Nine now up.

40. Chapter 39: Pocketful of Sunshine

Midsummer Nights

By Trish

Disclaimer: Pokémon has never belonged to me. I just borrow them for entertainment purposes. The Chapter title comes from 'Pocketful of Sunshine' by Natasha Bedingfield.

Author's Note: Yes, I know it's been over a year since I last updated this, but things have been difficult in real life. And it has just got more difficult. My dad has been diagnosed with cancer and so I will be upfront in saying that there may be more longer gaps between posting, depending on how his treatment goes. I apologise, but he will be coming first before anything else.

And to all those spelling police out there, check where your author comes from first before typing your mouth off, hiding behind an anonymous review. I am an Australian and therefore do not use the American way of spelling, but the British. So I am not wrong when it comes to 'harbour' and 'neurone'.

Dedicated to Rin, for reminding me!

ooo

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Pocketful of Sunshine

Puck was at a bit of a loose end as to what to do with himself. Mia had gone for a cut, colour and blow dry at a hair salon before meeting Jaime for lunch and shopping for art supplies.

Callie was not around to bother either, having gone out for a picnic lunch with Chris. The chestnut-haired Fae sighed deeply. He had always found it really hard not to be worried about potential male suitors for his sister. Callie, Puck knew, was the type of girl that every hormonal male dreamed about. Lusted about, but didn't really love.

He was secretly afraid that this might be the situation with Chris. Sure, he seemed like a nice enough guy, but if the stories the girls told about him were even half-true….Then again those stories were mostly about Chris being unlucky in love.

Puck found himself out on the wide sandstone veranda at the back of Drake's villa, and there he spied Trish sitting on the wide stone railing and looking out over the manicured lawns.

"Hey, Trish!" the Fae greeted cheerfully. "Heard from your whacky friend yet?"

"If by whacky you mean, Jenn, then yes I have," the Australian shook her head good-naturedly. "I spoke to her last night."

"And how is the Chosen One coping? Barely?"

"They're doing just fine," Trish retorted. "And Jenn said she's getting on really well with his parents."

"That's good then!"

"Yeah it is, but…."

"But what?" Puck blinked.

"I guess it's nothing, but I can't help but have a feeling that something's gonna happen while Jenn's there," Trish admitted.

"You worry too much," Puck grinned. "Jenn is with the Chosen One. What could possibly go wrong?"

"Don't say that!" Trish grimaced, "With anyone else around, I wouldn't worry, but with Jenn, saying those words could have an unfortunate result."

"But she's with the Chosen One," Puck shook his head, "That should negate anything you worry about."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Trish jiggled her shoulders as if chilled. "That girl's had a disastrous streak even before she was an Absol."

"Really?"

"Really," the Australian confirmed. "Jenn would be the first to say that strange things happen to her all the time. So you really don't want to say things like 'what could possibly go wrong'. When Jenn is involved, anything can and usually does, happen."

"So Jenn is a natural walking disaster?" Puck quipped.

"Some might say that," Trish said, not wanting to be so unkind to her best friend. "So it would be great if you or Callie could sort of keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn't get into trouble."

"Like what? A baby sitter?" Puck suddenly looked mischievous, "Pumba, let me redefine baby sitter!"

Trish glared at the Fae, "If you think you're being cute with quoting from the Lion King, you're not. Or at least try looking at me and talking about a different character."

"Dearest Kiara!" Puck bowed sweepingly, then stood and smiled charmingly, "I would only speak to you with the highest regards."

"Hmm, that's better," Trish looked back over the lawns, "And you certainly had taken my mind off of Jenn. But would you keep an eye on her?" She looked back at Puck. "Or Callie?"

"Actually, my sister and I can keep an ear out for her," Puck said, "It wouldn't be a stretch of any magickal muscle to listen out for her call. If she would be in trouble, all she would have to do would be to call for us. If you really are so suddenly worried about her, that should be adequate to settle your worries."

"It's just a feeling I have," Trish shrugged. "It's a bit hard to explain, but Jenn and I are so close as friends that we sometimes share things. Like migraines for instance. And sometimes we seem to know when the other needs us or is in trouble. Drake sometimes thinks I'm a little paranoid when it comes to Jenn, but with her past track record I think it is deserved!"

"Right, right, the whole disaster thing," Puck nodded almost dismissively, "I'll talk to Callie about that in a second. Ah, so you go ahead and get back to watching the meadow and I'll go talk to my sister. Then we'll keep an ear or two out for Jenn, who probably won't even need us."

"Puck, tell me you're going to take this seriously!"

"Trish, of course I am!"

"You are going to go to see Callie after this, right?" Trish fixed him with a steely glare, "You swear you're not just going to go back to wherever you were at and forget about this."

Puck raised a hand, "I swear to go directly to Callie and talk to her about your fears about Jenn and to see about spying on said blonde."

"It's not exactly spying," Trish mumbled.

"Not exactly," Puck shrugged, "but it's close enough. We have to keep an ear out."

Trish sighed, "I know, and it's for her own good. Ash can't keep an eye out for her when he's at his League meetings. It would look odd if he just vanished in the midst of them. Right?"

Puck nodded, "It would seem so, I'd imagine."

Trish took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh.

"Then again," Puck shrugged, "I've never been to a single League meeting. I'm a Fae. What would I know about League meetings and what would and wouldn't look normal?"

"You are so not a help."

"Not yet," Puck tilted his head to the side, "but I'm sure I will be." At Trish's confused look, he smiled, "You've got your gut feelings, I've got mine."

"I'm going to hold you to your gut feelings on this," the Australian warned. "And if Jenn gets into trouble and you don't help her, then I'm going to have your little Fae butt mounted on the wall."

The chestnut-haired Fae gulped a little. He wouldn't put it past Trish to make good on her threat, especially where Jenn was involved. He never quite understood how those two girls were so close. Perhaps they had been twins in a past life. Puck made a note to perhaps check that out one day.

"I promise by all I hold dear that nothing will happen to Jenn," he said solemnly.

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear."

ooo

Pallet

Jenn pushed away her empty plate and sighed happily. Once again, Delia had whipped up the most delicious breakfast. Ash was totally correct when he said that his mom was the best cook in the world. Therefore it was no surprise to learn that Delia did the catering for small League functions from time to time.

The blonde discreetly looked down at her lap. With the generous meals she was getting from Delia every day, maybe she should see about going for a brisk walk or jog around the neighbourhood. If she wasn't careful, she'd end up getting a tummy that would take ages to work off.

She jiggled her shoulders and looked over at Ash, "So, what are you doing today?"

"Unfortunately, today is the first round of League meetings that I have to attend," the Grand Master grimaced slightly. "The League Board has to go through the end of year financial reports for each League, starting with Kanto."

Jenn felt a slight stab of disappointment. "So you'll be gone for the whole day and night?"

"Not quite," Ash reassured her. "Pewter is first up this morning, then Cerulean in the afternoon. We'll go out for dinner tonight and we can walk along the waterfront afterwards."

The blonde grinned. "Sounds good to me!"

"You know," Delia sat down with a cup of coffee. "If you want, I could show Jenn around Pallet this morning. Maybe we could have a girl's day out while you're shut in doing the League thing."

Ash frowned, "I..suppose so."

Jenn perked up, not that she'd been looking down, "Oh that's a great idea!"

"You should be careful though," Ash said, "Maybe you should take Espeon or someone."

"No, no, Ash, we'll be alright," Delia waved him off.

"Hah, I so know that look," Jenn shook her head smugly, "That's the look of someone doomed to be bored for a very long time with no hope of redemption."

Ash blinked, "That's really not fair."

"No," the blonde grinned. "But then again, a certain someone has always insisted on being the Pokémon Grand Master ever since he was a kid, and now you are. That part's wicked cool, Ash! The part that's not is the business side, and that is the part you have to deal with today."

Ash rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I know."

"Don't you sass me, boy!" Jenn snorted, then put on one of his old blue League hats, which had been sitting on her lap. "It's a boring, totally makes you wanna scoop your eyes out with a dull spoon on the scale of boring kind of thing, but those meetings are important for you. They're just part of the stuff you gotta do as the Grand Know It All."

"Yeah I know," Ash sighed and chucked the rim of her hat playfully. "But that doesn't mean that I have to like it."

"No one said you had to like it. You just gotta do it! And anyway, we'll be fine, Ash," Jenn reassured her boyfriend with a pat on his hand. "We're just going out to see some of Pallet. What could possibly go wrong?"

"Oh yeah," Ash shook his head, "Famous last words from you!"

Jenn's eyes widened, "Huh? Come on! It's not like I'm stuck in some horror movie opening!"

"And with that hat you think you're in disguise?"

"Ash!" Jenn's eyes narrowed in a mock sinister look, "I'm nothing but disguised! I'm so hidden, you'll need to send out a tracking pokémon to find me!"

Ash reached out and poked her in the arm, "Bip. Found ya."

She shook her head and removed the cap. "You've got no sense of humour. I'm gonna work on that."

Delia smiled at the two, "Ash, you'd better go get ready or you'll be late."

"Mooom!" But he stood up with a sigh.

"And remember to change your you know what's…"

"MOM!"

Jenn snickered but then remembered that her mom could say things just as embarrassing. It must be a universal mom thing. Just as she was enjoying the sight of a red-faced Ash, her cell phone rang in her shorts pocket with the signature tune for her best friend.

Flipping open the sleek device, Jenn answered with a cheery, "Whassup?"

"Someone sounds chirpy for so early in the morning," Trish greeted. "Is it a result of a Pepsi high or did someone get mastered by the Grand Master last night?"

"TRISH!" Jenn flushed beetroot red even though she knew her friend couldn't see it.

"What?" Trish asked, "It's not a bad question, is it?"

"No, you're not wrong, it's just…"

"JENN!"

Jenn chuckled, "Oh, I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. No, you're right, I was just kidding."

"So nothing's happened yet between you two?"

Jenn looked over at the curious looks from Ash and Delia and sighed. The blonde walked out quietly through the back door into the backyard area. "Sorry for the little delay there. I was, for some reason, getting the strangest looks from Ash and Delia."

"Gee, I can't imagine why," the amusement that came from Trish seemed to know no bounds.

Jenn stared out over the lush green lawn and rolled her eyes, "You're truly evil. You've been hanging around me far too much."

"So Drake says," Trish said, "Now about you and Ash…"

"Yeah, you know, talking about certain things around someone who's possibly psychic isn't a good thing."

"I'll just take that chance," Trish said dryly, "Honestly, Jenn, what's taking so long? You're taking bloody long enough!"

"Trish!" Jenn was aghast, "These things take time!"

"Well what do you want? An engraved invitation?" Trish laughed. "You're too much, Jenn."

"I don't know what's more disturbing," Jenn shook her head. "That you would think that I would jump a guy that fast, or the fact that you're actively encouraging me to do so."

Her friend chuckled. "I can't help it if you've been actively cultivating an image of a man hungry gal all these years. You tell people something often enough, they start to believe it."

"So if I started to say that Drake is an old fogey and you really need to dump him and get yourself a new man, you'd believe it?"

"Not a chance," Trish said dryly.

"But you just said…."

"I'm not going to believe everything you tell me," Trish snorted. "And once again, how many times do I have to tell you that he's only a year older than me."

"Exactly, he's older," Jenn smirked. "And I don't have to believe everything you tell me."

"You never listen to me anyway."

"I do so!" the blonde protested. "Mostly."

"Anyway I was ringing you to give the update as promised on Lil Kigali."

"Oh, please, update away," Jenn leaned back against the side of the house, "How's the little bugger doing?"

"She's eating well and all," Trish said, "Chance is a little strange."

"When isn't he?" Jenn sighed, "I really need to get a talk session with him and Meowth."

"Yeah you really need to do that!"

"Is he getting along with the other Pokémon?"

"He's still keeping mostly to himself, but he does hang around with Kigali sometimes," Trish said.

"Same as usual then."

"You still haven't officially caught him have you?"

"Uh, no," Jenn crossed an arm over her stomach and studied a nail, "He's not mine. I just found him. It's not my damage that he happens to want to hang out with me."

Trish laughed, "Yeah, sure, whatever you say there, Ash."

Jenn stepped away from the house, "What!"

"Oh, come on, Jenn," Trish laughed, "You can't deny that you've got a little talent with finding those special case Pokémon, same as Ash does."

"Yeah, I know, but," Jenn sighed, "What am I supposed to do? Should I catch him?"

"When you get back, we'll set up something with Meowth," Trish said, "Okay?"

"Okay," Jenn smiled, "Together we can get to the bottom of this mystery pokémon."

"Of course we will!" The Australian chuckled. "We're a team."

"Now who's sounding a lot like Ash?" Jenn grinned.

"So what's the plans for today? Anything romantic?"

"Not until later tonight," the blonde sighed. "Ashy is stuck in League meetings all morning, so Delia's going to take me out and see some of the sights of Pallet."

"That'll be nice," Trish said, before her voice became sly. "Do you think that she's checking out your suitability as a prospective daughter-in-law?"

"TRISH!'

"Yes, that is my name."

"Well, I…I don't know," Jenn said, full of uncertainty, "I hadn't thought of it like that."

Trish chuckled, "Jenn, it should've flitted through your mind at least once!"

"Uh," Jenn looked back into the house and saw that Ash had come back down and was dressed in a black business suit, "Yeah, um, Trish, I gotta go. I'll call you tonight, okay?"

"Okay, but I want a full report of this day out with Delia," Trish was still laughing, "Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah," Jenn said in a mixture of mock annoyance and amusement, "Of course."

The two hung up and Jenn slipped back into the house. She hoped that Ash wouldn't say anything if he had heard something. To her, there was nothing more embarrassing than being put on the spot about something you didn't want anyone else knowing about.

She found Ash chatting with his mother in the kitchen, a black leather folder embossed with the insignia of the Pokémon League on the cover, lying on the bench top.

The blonde ran an appreciative eye over the lithe figure of her boyfriend. Did Ash wear a business suit well or what? The tailored suit hugged his body like she wanted to, and he looked like a million dollars. His normally dark, totally unruly hair was combed and slicked back. He looked more than hot, he looked like he could take on the world and not break a sweat. And that was hot.

"See something you like?" Ash sounded amused.

Jenn looked up, "Oh, yeah, but since I don't have a camera I can't take a picture, so I figured I'd just stare a little longer."

Delia and Ash both gave a little gasp, but the older woman was the first to recover and she chuckled. "You really have a quick one on your hands, Ash."

Ash shook his head, but grinned, "So I keep hearing."

"Yeah, but," Jenn shrugged a shoulder and smiled, "You know you love me."

ooo

Pummelo

Trish snapped her cell phone shut with a satisfied smile. She slipped the slender device into her jeans pocket before picking up a small Absol puppy by her feet.

"Your mommy sounds very happy, little one," she told Kigali as she cuddled her. "She's going out today with the Chosen One's mommy. That's a good sign that things are serious!"

Kigali cocked her head to one side and wagged her tail.

"Yes it is. If things go well, you could have the Chosen One as your Daddy!"

The little Absol puppy barked happily. There was nothing in the world that she wanted more than to have the Chosen One as her human daddy. That would be the best!

"Since your mommy's okay, how's about being a good little Absol for Auntie Trish and eating all your food from now on?"

Kigali wagged her tail.

Just then, Drake walked in with Shannon and Jaime. "You look like the cat who got the best cream," the Orange Crew Leader remarked as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "What's up?"

"I just spoke to Jenn," Trish said as she gave Kigali one last cuddle before putting her down on the floor.

"And?" Jaime quipped as she sat down opposite the Australian. "Don't leave us in suspense! You know I can't stand suspense!"

"She's going out for the day with Ash's mom," Trish grinned. "Isn't that great?"

"That's the sort of thing you do before you get married, isn't it?" Jaime squealed out, "I mean, you meet the parents and then you go out with them on a kind of lunch date?"

Drake sighed and looked relieved, "Oh thank Lugia!"

"What's that for?" Trish asked, "Drake?"

"Well she can stop trying to dig in on my credit cards," Drake shrugged, "And start in on Ash. The poor guy's in for a handful with her. I think he may try to go back with Misty."

Trish's jaw gaped for a moment and she smacked Drake on the arm, "You moron! That's an incredibly insensitive thing to say!"

"What? I?" He rubbed his arm, which was bare due to the fact that he was wearing his Vest. "And Jenn likes buying her shoes and purses, neither of which run cheap. You know her, Trish, she likes her brand names."

"I'm well aware of that," Trish made a face at the thought and shrugged, "Okay, so you're right. I take that back, all but the Misty thing you said."

"Aww, that's so sweet and…" Jaime turned away when the two shared a sweet and lingering kiss, "Bleah, but I so gotta get me a mister romantic."

ooo

Pallet

"Ready for today's round of meetings, Ash?"

The Grand Master swivelled in his black leather executive chair, from where he was looking out of the window, to face his personal assistant James. The lavender haired man was sitting on the other side of the large mahogany desk, and was going over Ash's itinerary for the day.

The two were in Ash's office in the new, swank Pokémon League offices that were built in Pallet a few years ago at his suggestion. Not that it had been hard to persuade the Board of his idea. After Ash had become Pokémon Grand Master, the resulting publicity for his hometown had resulted in many large Pokémon related companies setting up offices in the growing metropolis. Silph Co had set up headquarters there as had many others.

The resulting influx of corporations had allowed Ash to spend more time in Pallet, which he liked, rather than living in comparative isolation up on the Indigo Plateau. Living in Pallet allowed him to see what was really going on in the world of Pokémon rather than just hearing it second-hand from reports.

"The sooner we get started, the sooner it will be over," Ash sighed. "I can't begin to tell you how much I hate this part of the job."

"You're not telling me anything I don't already know," James shook his head and nibbled at the end of his pen, "You have lunch penned in here at two," He made a face, "I don't know why you don't just get a PDA. It's easier than using pen and paper."

Ash refrained from rolling his eyes, "Because I think they have a tendency to freeze too often. The last five I had did that and I got tired of losing important information under mysterious circumstances."

James gave him a wide eyed look, "Okay, that was a weird little speech from you."

"Weird?"

"Yeah, it was all peppered with big words I didn't know you knew."

Ash did roll his eyes this time, "Can we get on with looking over today's stuff?"

James beamed, "There's the Ash I know!"

The Grand Master sighed. "So what's today's torture session look like?"

"First up is Pewter City Gym's Finance Report," his personal assistant advised as he tapped the page with his pen.

"Is Brock's dad Flint still the Gym Leader or is it one of his numerous siblings?" Ash asked. "Brock has so many I can never remember all of their names."

"It's one of his brothers, Steel," James informed him.

"Ah…"

"Ooooh! And you'll just loooove this afternoon's session," James said with false brightness.

"Why?" Ash was instantly wary. When James spoke with that tone of voice, he just knew he was absolutely going to hate whatever it was.

"Why it's your favourite Gym in Kanto!" James grinned impishly. "Cerulean."

"Oh great…." Ash groaned and sunk down into his seat. "Is there any way I can say I'm sick and let somebody else take my place?"

"Not a chance," James shook his head. "Misty's sisters will use your non-appearance to crucify you."

"They'll crucify me anyway! So who is it?"

"Daisy."

"Well, she used to be the nicest out of the three of them," Ash mused, rubbing his chin. "I doubt she'll be nice to me anymore."

"You'd better watch yourself in that meeting," James warned his boss. "Anything you say or do, can and will be used against you."

"You make it sound like I've committed some crime and I'm about to be arrested!" Ash joked weakly.

"In Daisy's eyes you have," James said. "You chose another woman over their baby sister."

"Hey, Misty chose to leave me for another man," the Grand Master protested. "But you don't see my mom accusing Misty of anything."

"Yes, but of course they wouldn't see it that way. Misty is family, and you know how the old saying goes about how blood is thicker than water."

"They never used to care that much about her before."

James grinned smugly, "That was before she married the Grand Master."

Ash sighed, "I'm almost getting tired of that title."

"Almost," James raised an eyebrow, "Does not a Chosen One make."

Ash groaned, "Don't bring that up, too. It's bad enough that I've got one title."

"At any rate," James said in a sympathetic tone, "Once you get these meetings done today, you can go out with your sweetie tonight. And the faster you get these done with, the faster tonight can come around."

Ash looked thoughtful, "Alright, alright," he sighed deeply, "Tell Julie to go ahead and get the rest of the financial reports ready to be set out for the different gym meetings. And have her make sure I get the main copies first. I want to make sure I'm definitely more prepared than Daisy is."

James pouted, "But I gave you the reports for Pewter and Cerulean yesterday!"

Ash winced, "You did? Eh, uh, wow. Um, okay," he gave a weak laugh, "See, James…"

"Ash, what did you do with those reports?"

"Actually, I didn't get them," Ash shrugged weakly, "Sorry?"

James went from looking as if he had fire in his eyes to looking dismayed, "But, Ash! I had them sent to your mom's house specifically! That Mr. Mime of hers must have swept them right out the door!"

"Oh, I'm sure he didn't do that," Ash said quickly, "I'm sure my mom just put them someplace and forgot to give them to me. She probably had no idea what they were about."

"And I had them all neatly prepared and marked out with little coloured flags for key issues," the former Team Rocket member sighed.

"If it'll make you feel better, I can give my mom a ring and find out," Ash offered, hoping to soothe the man's ruffled feathers.

"It would," James sniffled.

The Grand Master pulled out his cell phone from his blazer pocket and flipped it open. He hit the speed dial number for his mom and waited for her to answer. He only hoped that she had it turned on.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mom, it's me."

"Hi, Sweetie!" Delia's cheerful voice came over the line. "Have you started your meetings yet?"

"Not yet, so where are you and Jenn at the moment?"

"We're at the local museum. Jenn really loves her history and museums."

"So I've heard from Trish," Ash smiled. "Listen, Mom, I need to ask you something."

"What is it, Sweetie?"

"James said that he sent two envelopes marked for my attention to your house yesterday. I was just wondering if you received them."

"Of course I did, honey!" Delia said, "Didn't you see them?"

Ash shook his head, then remembered that he wasn't on a vid-phone, "No, mom, I hadn't."

"Well I put them," Delia's voice dropped a fraction, "Right on top of your clean underwear!"

Ash's eyes widened, "Mom!"

"But I did, and at least they were clean," Delia chuckled, "At least they weren't the dirty pair."

"Okay, I'm gonna hang up now," Ash groaned. "You have fun with Jenn."

"You don't want to talk? She's right here."

"And she heard everything?"

"Oh yes, she's laughing up a storm."

Ash's face flamed as he could visualize the blonde doing just that, "I just bet she is. Thanks, Mom."

"Anytime, Sweetie!"

The Grand Master flipped his phone shut only to see his personal assistant looking at him expectantly.

"Well, what did your mom say?" James asked. "Did she get them? I couldn't hear a thing of what she said."

Thank Lugia for that, Ash gave a silent sigh of relief.

"Ash? What did she say?" James gave him a look, "Your face is all red. She must've said something."

"Uh, yeah, she said that she left them in my room."

"Where in your room?"

Ash shook his head and stood up, "So not important, James. I'll just scan a copy that Julie's gonna bring for me."

James stood up with Ash, "I bet she left them on your dresser again…"

"I'm really not at liberty to say."

"…just like the last time you stayed at your mom's place."

Ash sighed and brushed at invisible lint on his jacket sleeve.

"You really should probably have a room here or something," James got an evil glint in his emerald eyes, "Then she wouldn't be able to leave important documents on your clean underwear."

Ash's shoulders sagged under extreme exasperation, "James!"

The lilac haired man just laughed, "Out, Grand Master, and face your peers! You've got a long day ahead of you."

"And you just needed that little bit of humour to start me off," Ash raised an eyebrow, "Right?"

"Oh for sure," James said innocently, "After all, you never know what the day will bring you."

ooo

Jenn really enjoyed the time spent at the local museum. Not only was it free, but it was well-maintained, entertaining, and informative. It wasn't something that many of her friends knew, but there was nothing much more (other than shopping) that the blonde loved as much as getting lost in a good museum, and so far the Pallet Museum was hitting the spot.

Naturally, they had a section devoted to Pallet's favourite son (Jenn rolled her eyes at the brass plaque over the entry way, but grinned all the same – after all, she was dating him!), and his epic journey from rookie Pokémon trainer to Grand Master. Jenn wondered how Ash felt about that part of the museum. Did he feel like it was a just necessary tribute or was he totally embarrassed about it? Maybe he kinda wished it wasn't part of the museum at all.

The blonde quirked a grin at the thought of a line from her favourite Indiana Jones movie, especially at the thought of applying it to Ash. She stared Indy like at a portrait of Ash, with Pikachu clinging to his shoulder, which was hanging near the entrance to the exhibit, "He belongs in a museum!"

"Who does, dear?" Delia's amused voice came over her shoulder.

Jenn gasped and whirled around, and she felt her cheeks flame, "Um, ah, well, the pose Ash is in kind of looks like Sir Aaron, with Lucario. I figured the dude was totally old."

"Oh, yes," Delia peered around Jenn and pointed out a golden staff that was in a display case, "That's actually the staff that helped out Ash and Lucario. I'm not really certain who owned it and all. You'll have to ask Ash later."

The blonde stared up at the portrait, and noticed that the pose her boyfriend was in was a little different from your average posing for a painting pose. She frowned and cocked her head to the side. The clothes weren't modern looking either. "Okay, I think I will."

Delia led her away towards the centre of the exhibit.

ooo

"Thanks for coming in today, Steel," Ash shook hands with the Pewter City Gym Leader. "You're doing a fantastic job with the Gym. Just keep on doing what you're doing."

"Thanks, Ash!" Brock's younger brother smiled. "Say hi to Brock for me when you go back to Pummelo."

"Oh I will. I think he's having a fine time over there, what with all the sun, sand and beach babes."

"He's not….scaring them all off with marriage proposals is he?" Steel grimaced.

"What do you think?" Ash remarked dryly.

"Uh, yeah right, stupid question," Steel laughed weakly. "So, Cerulean is up next?"

"Unfortunately, yes," the Grand Master grimaced.

"You'd better watch out, Daisy really has it in for you," the Pewter City Gym Leader warned. "She's been trying to spread some pretty nasty rumours about you amongst the other gyms."

"What sort of rumours?" Ash raised an eyebrow.

"Oh the usual bitter marriage break up ones," Steel shrugged. "How you were cheating on Misty with Jenn earlier. And also about your ability as Pokémon Grand Master."

"Oh?" Both eyebrows were raised.

"Daisy's said that you've been cheating your entire training life, and that you're only in the job because you've secretly paid rivals to lose. She's been pretty much shouted down by Leaders such as Sabrina, Prima, Lance, Claire, Danny and Drake. Everyone knows that neither she nor her sisters used to care that much about Misty."

Ash sighed, "I've got to cut this down before it gets too far out of hand."

"And how much farther out of hand do you think it's going to get?" Steel asked, "I mean, Daisy's pretty much nuts as far as I can tell."

"That's not really very fair."

"I know, but she's not playing fair, either," Steel said, "And I'm just looking out for you."

"I appreciate it," Ash said, and clapped the other man on the back in a quick man hug, "Thanks, Steel."

"No problem, Ash," Steel said and stepped back, "You're always looking out for us. It's the least I could do."

"I really appreciate it," the Grand Master smiled. "It's true as they say that it's times like these that you find out who your real friends are."

"You've always been there for Brock and us, now it's our turn."

"I just can't believe that Daisy could be so vindictive and stoop so low," Ash shook his head.

"She's just jealous," Steel grinned. "She's just jealous that in picking a blonde to fall in love with, that you didn't pick her. She's also mad that Misty stuffed things up with you when she had it all made with this marriage."

"Ah, well, as long as it's not all the blondes that feel the same," Ash grinned weakly, "I'll be safe."

Steel grinned back, "I think it's safe to say that Daisy's the only insane one."

Julie knocked on the door then and popped her head in, "Ash, they're ready for you."

"Good luck, Ash," Steel said with a nod, "When it comes to Daisy, you're gonna need it."

"Thanks, Steel," Ash grimaced, "I think."

"Just think," Steel winked evilly, "When you get back home, you'll be able to snuggle up to a warm, loving blonde who wants to see you. Daisy's got…no one."

Ash shook his head, "You really are the exact opposite of your brother."

Steel shrugged, "Someone's got to be the level headed one."

"Well, you're not wrong when it comes to Jenn," Ash said as he stood and pulled on his blazer, "She's a lot warmer and more gracious than more people think she is."

"Then go on and get these ridiculous meetings out of your way," Steel said suggestively, "And get back to your lady love."

Ash grinned, "Thanks, Steel. It's been really…interesting to talk with you."

"Any time, Ash," the Pewter Gym Leader grinned back.

ooo

"What would you like to have, Jenn?"

Delia had taken Jenn to lunch at one of Pallet's best kept secrets – the best little seafood restaurant this side of Kanto.

The older woman knew from her son that his girlfriend loved seafood and so she had chosen a small, family run business that Ash, Steven and herself often went to.

Jenn studied the menu, trying to make up her mind. There were so many dishes to choose from! "I think..." she said finally. "I think I'll have the grilled salmon steak."

"Good choice." Delia nodded her approval.

The waitress came and took their orders before returning with their cutlery and two glasses of ice cold water. Jenn took a grateful sip from hers, the pair had been on the go since early that morning seeing the sights.

"So, are you enjoying yourself here?" Delia smiled as she sipped her water.

Jenn grinned, "Oh I really love it! Steven and yourself have been so kind, and it's really peaceful here. I love how Pallet's still managed to maintain its village atmosphere even if it's grown to a big city."

"That's what Ash loves about coming home," his mother said. "It still reminds him of his childhood days, when Pallet was still very small. Everyone knew everybody and community spirit was strong."

"So everyone looked out for each other?"

"They did."

"I wish more people would be like that," the blonde sighed as she discreetly looked at her watch underneath the table. Not that she was bored and hated her present company, it was just that Jenn couldn't relax until she got back to the sanctuary of her room.

This was the mother of her boyfriend after all, who could make and break her future happiness. If Jenn did or said something stupid, Delia may think that she wasn't good enough for her only son. That would totally suck as Jenn was finally starting to think she had found real happiness. But it would take only one blunder on her part to bring that all crashing down around her.

Delia broke into her train of thought. "I'm so glad that you were able to come with Ash to Pallet. Ash has told me so much about you that I couldn't wait to meet you. His description made you sound like a really sweet girl."

Jenn felt herself blushing under the fulsome praise. "Well Ash didn't have to say much to convince me to come. His tales of his childhood in Pallet made it sound so inviting."

"He's happiest when he's here," Delia continued, smiling inwardly at the girl's obvious nerves. Jenn reminded her of the time when she first started dating Ash's father. The brunette had been so nervous!

Jenn had no reason to worry. Both Steven and Delia liked the girl a lot already and they could see that she made Ash really happy. That was what was really important to Delia. As long as her beloved son was happy, so was she. The fact that Ash was finally smiling again after the divorce from Misty was a tick in Jenn's favour.

Also in Jenn's favour was that she was probably the only one weird enough to match Ash's weirdness. There was no way that Delia could deny that her son was a little different, not with her knowledge of his status as the Chosen One and the powers that came with it.

After Misty left, Delia had been a little worried that Ash may not be able to find a girl who would be able to overlook his oddity. Sure, he'd have no problem finding a girl (courtesy of his Grand Master status), but would they stay at the first sign of his powers?

More than likely, the girl would freak out and flee at the first occurrence, and then things would have the potential to get very bad for Ash. Especially if the girl called the police and accused Ash of being insane or violent against her.

From what she had heard from Brock, Jenn was even stranger than Ash. So, the blonde was less likely to bat an eyelid at any show of supernatural power. Which meant that Ash's secret would stay safe with the small amount of people in the know.

Delia didn't think that Jenn was an evil type of weirdness, since Trish was best friends with the girl. The Australian didn't strike her as the type of person who preferred the company of murderous psychos.

Ash's mother also trusted her son's pokémon on their judgement of the people who hung around him. If Pikachu, Meganium, Charizard and Bulbasaur didn't like them, then there was no way in the seven levels of hell that the person would get near their beloved Master.

Pikachu really liked Jenn. Pikapichu, the little electric mouse said, was a perfect mate for Pikapi. If Pikachu didn't like Jenn then she'd have shocked the living daylights out of her. Most of all, Pikachu had never seen Pikapi so happy before. Not even before the whole mess with Pikachupi.

Delia trusted Pikachu's judgement most of all. The tiny electric rodent had been her son's closest and constant companion since he was ten and was his confidante. Pikachu knew more of Ash's secrets than anyone else.

Delia smiled and sipped her water. She was prepared to give Ash's relationship with Jenn her full approval.

ooo

Across town, Ash was definitely not enjoying himself. The meeting to discuss the Cerulean City Gym was the most painful experience he had ever gone through, with Daisy glaring daggers at him from the opposite end of the boardroom table.

If looks could kill, Ash would have been dead a hundred times over. Luckily for the Grand Master, the meeting included the full executive board of the Pokémon League. This meant that Daisy had to be on her best professional behaviour and not bring any personal grievances into the meeting.

The Grand Master called for a half an hour break to allow the board members to stretch their legs and to relax from staring at all the numbers.

He slipped out of the boardroom through the nearest exit before Daisy could catch him and walked quickly down the hallway towards his office.

Ash entered the reception area and smiled at the receptionist. "If Daisy Waterflower tries to come in here, do not let her enter under any circumstances."

"Understood, sir."

He walked into the office, and collapsed in the executive chair with an exhaled sigh of relief. Fishing out his cell phone, he pushed the speed dial and held it up to his ear.

A few rings later, he heard a familiar voice, "Hey Ashy, what's up?"

"Hey, Jenn. How's the day out with my mom going?"

"Great!" His girlfriend sounded enthusiastic. "Delia's just so sweet and nice and she's been totally spoiling me!"

"I can imagine," Ash smiled into his cell phone. He was glad that the two got on well together, as it made things easier for him. He would be stuck in the middle if they didn't get along, and each would be trying to get him on their side. Ash had no doubt that it would be far worse than when he played peacekeeper between Mew and Mewtwo. He had died and been brought back to life that time, but in a fight between Jenn and his mom, he would die several times over and no amount of Pokémon tears would bring him back to life. "So what have you seen so far?"

"We went to the museum which was awesome," Jenn enthused. "And I saw the special section that they made to Pallet's favourite son."

The Grand Master sighed and tried to suppress the squirm of embarrassment he felt whenever the museum section was mentioned. He tried to protest against it when the city council had first presented the idea to him, as there was nothing special about him. Nothing that separated him from any of the previous Grand Masters, at least, not in Ash's own opinion.

But the city council wouldn't hear it, especially as it was due to Ash's fame that Pallet grew from a sleepy country village into a major city. They could think of no better way to honour Ash than a section in the Museum.

Faced with such enthusiasm, Ash couldn't say no. So he bore all the adulation with grace and only concerned himself with ensuring that nothing too embarrassing ever went in there.

Misty had loved the idea, as nothing said that a person was important than a section of a museum dedicated to them. The redhead had crowed about the fact to her three sisters.

Ash just didn't know how Jenn would react to the museum. Would she feel embarrassed? Would she think it was all his idea and think he had a Gary sized ego? Or would it just serve as a reminder of his status and scare her away? "So, what did you think?"

"I was thinking some of the exhibits would make for good blackmail material," Jenn said, teasingly.

"You would say something like that," he groaned good-naturedly.

"Yeah, but I made you smile, didn't I?"

"You did."

"So how are your meetings going?"

"This one's absolutely horrible," Ash groaned, once again reminded of the fact that he still had a meeting to finish. "It's Cerulean."

"It's not Misty is it?"

"Oh no, no. It's Daisy."

"She eating you alive?"

"Not quite. More like killing me slowly with the Glare of Death."

"Poor Ashy," Jenn made sympathetic noises over the phone. "It won't be too much longer before it's over."

"You want to go out for dinner tonight?" Ash smiled over the phone. "Followed by a walk along Pallet's harbour front?"

"I'd love to!"

"Good," the Grand Master said before sighing. "I guess I better get back to the meeting."

"Love you Ashy!"

"Love you too, Jenn."

ooo

After lunch, Delia and Jenn walked around the local shops for a bit and Jenn bought a new outfit she could wear out on a dinner date with Ash. Passing by the local Starmiebucks, Delia stopped.

"How about we stop off for a coffee and a hot chocolate and cake?"

"That would be great," Jenn smiled at the older woman.

After they found a table on the veranda, Delia offered to go and get their beverages from the counter. "You just stay here and look after our seats."

Jenn nodded and sat back in her chair and watched as Pallet life passed by. She really enjoyed being here in Ash's old hometown and loved how it had still retained its small village atmosphere despite growing into a small city.

The locals were all very nice and friendly and Jenn didn't detect any pro-Misty sentiment from amongst the populace. In fact, Delia and Steven had told her that they had all taken Ash's side in the divorce, which had pissed Gary off no end.

The blonde's eyes widened as she stifled a giggle at a group of people that passed close by. Some of them were dressed like Misty at various stages and ages. There was one large woman there who had somehow squeezed herself into the crop top and shorts and suspenders outfit Misty had worn when she was younger.

Some people should not be allowed to wear certain clothes, Jenn thought.

"Well, well, who do we have here?" A horribly familiar nasally voice pierced her thoughts. "A gold-digging blonde trying to worm her way into the Grand Master's family."

Jenn's head shot up to see Gary Oak standing in front of her. "Gary!" She gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to talk Gramps into reversing his disinheritance of me," the spiky haired former Gym Leader sneered. "Stupid old man refuses to."

"I don't blame him," Jenn snorted. "Professor Oak believes in treating Pokémon with respect and as friends. You abused your Umbreon because it couldn't win a stupid little battle! Of course he wouldn't want to reinherit you."

"If it wasn't for you and that stupid loser Ashy Boy, my life wouldn't have been ruined," Gary glared venomously at the blonde. "I wouldn't have lost my position as Gym Leader or my inheritance or my Pokémon. You are going to pay."

"Go away, Gary," Jenn groaned as she sank into her chair. "I'm trying to stay low key here."

"Oh we can't have that," Gary sneered. "Look there's a bunch of Misty fans on a tour of Pallet. I'm going over there to let them know that the blonde home wrecker who caused Ash and Misty to divorce is over here." He sauntered off with a wicked cackle.

Jenn found herself breathing hard. She was utterly defenceless against any mob attacks, she didn't think to bring any of her Pokémon along with her. Heck, she never thought she would need them on a girls' outing with Delia.

Twisting around in her chair, the blonde could see the older woman patiently waiting in long queue to collect their beverages. She could also see Gary over with the Misty fans and gesturing in her direction.

Puck, Callie, Somebody! Jenn thought wildly. Help!

No sooner had she thought the words than Puck came walking up to her from the street. "Puck!" Jenn breathed. "Am I glad to see you! I didn't think you'd come and help me."

"I'm not here as a favour to you, to save you," Puck says. "I'm here as a favour to Ash."

"There's no time to argue now," Jenn said a trifle irritably. "Gary threatened to tell that group of Misty fans that I'm here, and now he's over there talking to them!"

"No problem," the chestnut-haired Fae grinned. "I'll cast a simple glamour spell to make them see someone else." He waved his hand and Jenn felt a slight tingling all over.

Frowning, she looked down to see she was wearing different clothes. "Okay, so who am I supposed to be?"

"Mia," Puck grinned. "Misty fans won't know her nor will Gary. You'll be perfectly safe."

Jenn glared at the Fae. "Yes, but what is Delia gonna think, genius?"

"Don't worry," Puck grinned. "I'll just stay until she comes back and I'll tell her. Relax, Delia knows all about me."

"She does?" The temporarily non-blonde blinked. "Since when?"

"Ash's mom's house in Pallet was the first place in the mortal world I ever visited four years ago," Puck reminisced. "Boy did I ever have fun with all of them back then."

"What did you do, you Naughty Fae?" Jenn smirked.

"Oh nothing much," Puck grinned. "Just made Ash quote Shakespeare all the time and have all the girls running after him. I made Misty too nice and Brock fall in love with Delia. Oh and turned Professor Oak into a four year old."

"Nothing much, huh?" Jenn laughed. "I'd hate to see what you think is 'a lot.' So who fixed up the results of all your fun that time?"

"Callie, who else?" Puck glanced over at where Gary was talking to the Misty fans. "Now when Gary comes back, you've got to act like you're Mia got it? Otherwise I suggest you start writing your last will and testament."

"Got it," Jenn gulped. She really didn't want to die, not when she'd only just started dating the man of her dreams.

"Sorry about taking so long!" Delia's voice broke in and the two looked up to see the brunette making her way back with a tray containing the beverages and cakes. She stopped short when she saw Puck standing there with Mia. "Oh hi, Puck, nice to see you and Mia again. But where's Jenn?"

Puck grinned and pointed to 'Mia'. "This is Jenn, Delia. She asked me to put a glamour on her to help hide her. Gary Oak is at this very moment inciting those Misty fans over there to attack Jenn."

"Oh my!" Delia looked horrified. "Why would he do such a thing?"

"Because he hates me and Ash for getting him kicked out of the League," Jenn informed the older woman.

"Professor Oak told me all about the abuse incident," Delia pursed her lips. "It's all his own fault. Ash was just doing his duty as the Head of the League."

"Here they come!" Puck sang out as Gary came running over with the Misty fans not far behind.

"There she is!" The spiky haired former gym leader jabbed at finger at the table. "There's the blonde responsible for wrecking Pokeworld's most famous couple!"

"Where?" One girl asked. "I don't see no blonde sitting there. Just some brunette chick."

Gary blinked and took another look. There was Delia and Puck and some girl he didn't know. He sauntered over to Ash's mother. "Hey Mrs K."

Delia looked up from her coffee and smiled. "Oh hi, Gary."

"Wasn't Jenn sitting here with you before?"

The older woman shook her head, "No, you must be mistaken, Gary. Puck and Mia have come to visit me and we thought we'd have coffee and cake together."

"That's right," Mia grinned up and clasped Puck's free hand. "Puck wanted to show me around Pallet and drop in to say hi to Delia."

"But I thought..." Gary stammered. He was positive that the stupid blonde had been there a few minutes ago and had argued with him.

"You must be seeing things, Gary," Puck smiled at the man. "I think I would know my Mia-kins and she looks nothing like or sounds nothing like Jenn."

Gary stared long and hard at Puck and his girlfriend. The guy knew magick and could transform things couldn't he? Might Mia really be a transformed Jenn? So he decided to test them a little. "Prove it."

"What?"

"If Mia is really who you say she is," Gary smirked. "Then she wouldn't mind giving you a nice big wet one on the lips."

Jenn felt slightly panicked. What to do now? She didn't want to kiss Puck and she bet that he didn't want to kiss her either. The only one Jenn wanted to kiss at all was Ash.

:Relax, blondie and just play along,: Puck's voice came into her head. : I don't like this either, so just get it done with.:

:I can't kiss you!:

:Why not?:

:Because you're Puck. Duh.:

The Fae sighed and fought the urge to roll his eyes. :Would it be better if I looked like Ash? But for your eyes only. The rest will still see me as normal:

Suddenly 'Ash' was standing there before her and the blonde relaxed just a little. But then panicked again. With Puck now looking like her boyfriend, there was every chance she might get carried away with the kiss.

While the Ash before her looked slightly pained at her internal dialogue, Jenn suddenly found herself hearing Ash's voice and almost catching a whiff of his cologne.

:Jenn, just listen to Puck, okay? You're only kissing Puck to fool Gary, and that's fine by me.:

:Yeah, and how do I know you're Ash and not Puck trying to fool me?:

Puck rolled his eyes, but it was barely visible. :It's not hard to do that, and actually it would be too easy to be of any worth as a prank.:

:Besides,: Ash's voice was warm, and Jenn felt like he was standing behind her and whispering in her ear. :You can make it up to me tonight.:

Jenn grinned, making sure to direct it up at Puck so that she wouldn't feel stupid grinning at the mug of hot chocolate. :Well I'll try not to be too bad here, so I can be as bad as I can be later on...:

"Oh get a room," Puck muttered.

"What?" Gary stared at Puck suspiciously.

"I said that I'd rather get a room," Puck said breezily. "Making out in public is so déclassé."

Gary rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, you two done staring at each other? Get with the making out, or I think I'm going to decide that you're just making Jenn look like Mia to get her out of trouble with Misty's supporters over there."

There was still a small herd of people, seemingly held back by uncertainty over if the girl in question that they were looking at was the breakup behind Ash and Misty's marriage or not.

Jenn stood up and Puck gathered her in his arms and ducked his head down. Though the face leaning towards her looked like Ash, the blonde knew instinctively that it wasn't him. A second before Puck kissed her, Jenn could suddenly feel Ash in her mind, and even quicker than that came the feeling that she was with Ash and not Puck.

"I'm right here with you," Ash said, and it truly was him somehow. The sensation of his hands on her bare arms was right, and she could smell his cologne, and she was amazed.

"How is this...possible?" It was as if they weren't even at Starmiebucks, but someplace else. It didn't feel scary, but felt a little weird nonetheless.

"I created a mental link between us," Ash's eyes twinkled merrily. "It's not something where I'll always be there with you mentally when I'm not there physically, but more like it'll be easier for me to help you if you should need it."

"Well I think this qualifies," Jenn sighed. "Gary is such a douche."

"Enough of Gary," Ash held her like Puck had done. "I'll help Puck deal with him later. For now..."

The two kissed then, deeply and passionately. Long enough that only a derisive snort from Gary and a slight, "oh my" from Delia's direction broke the two apart. When Jenn stepped back, she saw that Ash was no longer in his business suit, but in more casual attire and...

Jenn stepped back a little more, almost fell over her chair, and blushed when Puck caught her and kept her on her feet.

"Now, now, let's not be too klutzy," Puck murmured. "Although I do have that affect on you, my dear Mia-kins."

"Yes, well, I'm gonna release some Puerto Rican rage on Gary if he doesn't get away from us in about ten seconds." Jenn glared at her ex, who blanched.

"Yeah, fine, whatever." Gary waved dismissively, then sauntered towards the Misty herd. "But ladies, I do know where the little slut is staying at. Right at Ash's mom's house."

There were collective gasps of disbelief.

Jenn herself almost went after Gary, but Puck held her back.

"No, no, Mia, this is something that Jenn and Ash have to handle." Puck watched as Gary led the herd of Misty supporters out of sight, then let go of the blonde and sighed. "Damn, that was way too close. I didn't expect him to request that."

The reality of what just happened seemed to suddenly hit Jenn. "Oh, dear Lugia..." She sat down with a thump on the chair. "I can't believe I just..."

Puck looked over to see Jenn put her arms on the table and then rest her forehead on her arms. "It wasn't that bad."

"Nice to see you're still oblivious," Jenn's retort was slightly muffled.

Puck sighed quietly. Now is when blondie freaks out, not earlier? But he felt bad for her and put up a shield around them in an idea taken from Lu. Anyone looking at the table and its occupants would see non-descript people who were not Jenn or Delia. They wouldn't see Puck at all.

"Thank you, Puck," Delia smiled over at the Fae. "Ah, Ash has been keeping me up to date, including what you just did."

Puck nodded. "I should get going. As soon as you two are done and leave, the shielding will follow you until you get home. You'll look like anyone but yourselves."

A muffled sigh came from Jenn's direction, and Puck ignored the somewhat runny nose quality it had. Leave it to Jenn to be reduced to tears from a simple kiss from Puck.

:I'm sure you have that affect on all the girls,: Ash's amused voice was suddenly chiming in Puck's thoughts.

:Nope, just the weird ones, and that's just Jenn.: Puck hesitated. :She's going to be okay, right? I mean, I'd hate to think I broke her.:

:She'll be fine. She's better now than what could've happened if you hadn't been there.: A pause. :I appreciate it, Puck.:

:Normally I'd say any time, but I'm not kissing your girl ever again, Ash.: Puck shuddered. :Mia would kill me.:

Ash chuckled. :I'd have to kill you too.:

:...er, you're kidding, right?: Puck sighed when there was no response. :Good thing I'm immortal.:

Ash chuckled again, letting Puck know that the Chosen One hadn't been ignoring the Fae. :Yeah, I was just kidding. See you later, Puck.:

:Later, Ash.: Puck nodded to Delia, saw that Jenn had her head still encased in the safety of her arms, and shrugged. Then he vanished.

ooo

Pokémon League Offices, Pallet

"Thank GOD that's all over," the Grand Master groaned as he walked into his office and shrugged out of his suit jacket.

"I see you survived Deathstalker Daisy," James grinned as he looked up from his desk.

"Don't ever let me do that again, okay?" Ash told his personal assistant. "Next time Cerulean comes up for review, say I'm sick or otherwise occupied."

"And who would take your place?" James raised an elegant eyebrow.

"Lance," Ash said without hesitation. "As Leader of the Elite Four, he often stands in for me when I can't make a public engagement."

"But you know what he thinks about Cerulean," James shook his head. Lance never hid his disdain for who he called the 'three bubble airheads'. Plus he had been disgusted at the circumstances of Misty's cheating, saying the woman had no morals.

"Better him than me," the Grand Master grinned as he threw his keys, phone, wallet and laptop in his briefcase.

"You want me to page a driver for you?" James called out to his boss.

"Yes, please." Ash came out of his office with his briefcase and jacket and locked the door, "I'm off home."

"Any plans for tonight?"

"I'm going to take Jenn out to a nice little restaurant and then we're going to walk along the waterfront."

"Sounds very nice."

"I thought so," Ash smiled. "First though, I want to stop off at the florists to buy her a dozen roses."

"Very romantic," James grinned. "Off with you, Sir Ash. Your fair maiden awaits."

ooo

Jenn was curled up with a good book in one of the comfy armchairs in the living room when she heard a key turn in the door, followed by Ash's voice.

"I'm home!"

Abandoning her book, the blonde leapt up and rushed to the hallway. Despite being cooped up all day in meetings, Ash still managed to look just as hott as he did in the morning.

"Ashy!"

"Jenn," the Grand Master smiled and held out the bouquet of roses. "For you."

"Aww," Jenn took the flowers carefully and inhaled the sweet scent of their perfume. "I love roses."

"I know," Ash smiled. "I booked us a table for two tonight at a local seafood restaurant."

"I love seafood!"

"I know. Plus after that we can walk along the harbour front in the moonlight."

"I love walking by the water!"

"I know."

Jenn rolled her eyes. "Is there anything you don't know, Mr Smart Arse?"

A twinkle appeared in Ash's dark eyes. "Well, I don't know how much you love me. Maybe you could show me."

"As if you had to even ask," Jenn smirked before putting the roses down and flinging her arms around her boyfriend and kissed him soundly on the mouth.

"Mmm," Ash smiled as they broke apart for breath. "I'd say you love me very much."

"Maybe on this vacation, I'll show you how much I love you in another way," Jenn winked.

"I like the sound of that!" The Grand Master grinned. "The table is booked for seven-thirty so that gives you plenty of time to get ready and become even more gorgeous."

"Smart Ashy for phrasing the last part correctly," the blonde smirked. "Because I am a Goddess after all."

"You're my Goddess."

ooo

The restaurant Ash took her to, was a quiet, family run restaurant situated on the pier down by the harbour. The proprietor, who knew Ash very well, seated the couple at a private table at the back behind a large ornate folding screen.

Jenn was glad that the screen shielded them from any other restaurant patrons, as this meant she could ogle her boyfriend all she wanted.

Ash was wearing the casual short sleeved shirt that she had bought him that morning and she had to admit it looked better on him than she ever imagined. In her imagination he looked hot, but in reality he looked super sexy hawt.

The cologne he wore was one of her favourites too, and the combination of Ash, shirt and cologne was driving her romantic impulses wild.

Jenn toyed with the idea of throwing all caution to the wind and having it on with Ash right then and there in the restaurant. No one would see them and if the couple were careful, no one would hear them either.

Then again, the blonde did want her first time to be special. Especially with Ash. It would have to be super special. And a quick bonk in a quiet corner of a restaurant didn't cut it as super special.

It would just have to wait for another time.

"How was your outing with my Mom?" Ash's voice interrupted her internal monologue.

"It was fun!" Jenn grinned. "I loved the museum, especially the section dedicated to you."

"I still don't know why they built that," the Grand Master sighed. "It's so embarrassing."

"Aww, you shouldn't be embarrassed," Jenn patted his hand across the table. "They're just showing how proud they are about you."

"I suppose."

"That part of the day was cool. The part where Gary set the Misty fans on me was totally not cool."

"Good thing that Puck responded so quickly," Ash smiled.

"Yeah, " Jenn agreed. "But I feel bad that he told the Misty fans that I was staying at your parents' house. I don't want to cause any trouble for them."

"Gary and any Misty fans won't be able to get near the house," Ash reassured the blonde. "Puck and Callie have placed a shield around the house so that only people who I approve can get near it. If Gary or any Misty fans have a grievance, they take it up with me and not my parents."

"Exactly."

"Did Gary say anything to you apart from the threat to set the Misty fans on you?"

"He totally blames us for losing him his Gym leadership, his pokémon and his inheritance from his Grandfather," Jenn recalled. "He's so full of hate."

"That's Gary for you," Ash sighed wearily. "He's never wanted to take responsibility for his actions, especially when it causes him to lose something."

"I told him it was all his own fault, which he didn't like of course," the blonde wrinkled her nose. "He said he was going to make us pay and that he'd get me back."

"If that happens, there'll be hell to pay."

"Yeah from you and Trish," Jenn grinned. "That's if Trish leaves you anything to rip into. She's really got it in for Gary ever since he dumped me."

"She's a great best friend," Ash smiled,

"The best!" Jenn laughed. "But enough about my day, what about yours?"

"The less said about mine, the better," the Grand Master grumbled. "Imagine a two hour meeting with Daisy glaring daggers at you."

"No thanks," Jenn shook her head. "That's your turf, Mr Grand Know It All."

"Aww, but you're always saying that you wonder what it's like to be Grand Master," Ash said with an evil glint in his eyes. "Here's a chance for you to experience it."

"Again, no thank you," the blonde shook her head. "That's the boring part. I'd rather do the fun things like battles."

"You need more badges for that," Ash reminded his girlfriend.

"I know..." Jenn sighed. "It was a thought."

"Next time Cerulean comes up for review, I think I'll be busy elsewhere so that Lance has to step in for me," Ash sat back in his chair.

"Chicken," the blonde teased.

"Maybe, but at least I save on the aspirin."

"How many more of these meetings you have to go through?"

"Tomorrow is Vermillion and Celadon, then the next day, Fuchsia and Saffron. Finally with Cinnabar and Viridian."

"Good, because as much as I love hanging with your mom, I'd rather be with you, Ash," Jenn squeezed his hand again.

"I'd rather be with you too, than being stuck in meetings all day," the Grand Master sighed.

"Why do you attend all the meetings anyway? I bet that lots of head honchos from the huge multinational companies only ever attend one annual general meeting a year if that. They send their flunkies to attend in their place."

"Yeah and those are the corporations that end up bankrupt," Ash snorted. "A good CEO should try to be across all areas of his or her company so they know what's going on."

"But you can't be everywhere at once with the League," Jenn pointed out.

"No, that's why I've made sure I have a good team of subordinates under me. People I can depend on to run the League properly in my absence and give me proper and concise reports of the issues."

"Like Drake?"

"Yeah, like Drake," the Grand Master grinned. "I rarely have to worry about the Orange League. Drake runs a tight and smooth operation."

"I bet," the blonde murmured. "I bet he's a real slave driver."

"Actually no, he isn't. Drake's one of the most popular Gym Leaders to work for out of all the Leagues. Pummelo Gym has the lowest staff turnover rate of all the Gyms. Drake's known as a hardworking, fair and honest boss. If you're a good worker and dedicated to your job, he'll look after you."

"Let me guess who has the highest staff turnover. Rudy?" Jenn smirked.

"You got it."

"Why doesn't Drake just get rid of him from the Trovita Gym?" The blonde sighed. "That guy has serious issues and sounds like a lousy boss."

"There are rules and laws we have to follow, Jenn," Ash rebuked gently. "We'd need a good reason to get rid of Rudy or else get sued for unfair dismissal and have it appear on the front pages of the tabloids."

"How about for stalking Trish? There's a good reason!" Jenn beamed. "The guy just won't take a hint that she doesn't like him two years later, even if she rented out a two page spread in a major newspaper or hired a billboard."

"Nope," Ash agreed but was interrupted by the arrival of the waiter.

"Are you ready to order?"

"Definitely!"

ooo

Back on Pummelo

"I wonder how Pikapi and Pikapichu are doing?" Pikachu said as the Pokémon gathered around for their Brock catered dinner.

"I wonder if Ash's still sane after all this time with the blonde on his own," Charizard snickered as he popped a morsel of meat into his mouth.

"Charizard, that's mean!" Pikachu berated the Fire Pokémon gently. "I know you have a grudge against Jenn for using her dark powers to fling you against a wall when she was an Absol but what's past is past. You're going to have to get used to Jenn being around from now on."

"I know, I know," Charizard muttered. "Ho-Oh and Mew have said that the blonde is the Chosen of the Chosen One and the Mother of the Future Chosen One as set by the Fates. But that doesn't mean I have to like her."

"No, but you could give Jenn a chance," Meganium said reasonably."She'd have to be someone special and super nice for Ash to fall for her."

"All he needs are his hormones to be raging to fall for someone, Meg," Charizard snorted. "I mean, hello, he married Misty despite the fact that she treated him mean and bashed him over the head with her mallet. It could only be due to hormones."

"While you're right about Misty," Apollo, Ash's Espeon said. "Jenn will be different. I get a good feeling from her. She really does love Ash for who he is not his status in life. Misty only thought she was in love because everyone said she and Ash were meant to be together."

"I sure hope you're right about Jenn," Pikachu said softly. "Pikapi deserves to be truly happy after all he's been through in the past month or so."

"I agree with the rat," Charizard rumbled. "Ash has been through a lot and he'd done so much for the world that he deserves to be happy. I only hope that he's not setting himself up for more heartache by hooking up with the blonde. She's so flighty when it comes to guys, yet she doesn't have any wings!"

"While Jenn does act like a female version of Brock," Bulbasaur said. "In reality her heart belonged to one man only all along, and that was Ash. While she thought she was being ultra secretive about it, it was obvious to everyone."

"Do you think they'll try to mate on this vacation?" Squirtle smirked. "After all Ash didn't take any of us with him, and Jenn didn't take any of hers, so it's obvious they want to be alone."

"I think so," Pikachu nodded. "They need to take their relationship to the next level, and you can plainly see that Ash and Jenn want to mate with each other rather badly."

"Who's Momma mating with?" A very young voice came from behind them. They turned to see Jenn's young Absol puppy standing there with a puzzled look on her face.

"Your momma's spending time with the Chosen One," Meganium told the youngster.

"Whatcha mean by they're gonna mate?" Kigali cocked her head to the side.

"Nothing to worry your little furry head over yet," Pikachu said firmly. "It's something you can find out when you're older."

"But I already am older!" The puppy protested. "I'm a whole day older than I was yesterday."

"You're still a puppy, too young for adult things," Typhlosion rumbled gently. "Beth can explain when you're old enough."

"Awww," Kigali drooped.

"However if all goes well between your Momma and Chosen One, he might become your new human daddy," Pikachu said hastily, not wanting to upset the young puppy.

"Really?" The young Absol perked up. "Really for real?"

"Really," the electric mouse confirmed. "Your Momma really loves the Chosen One and he really loves her."

"Yay!" Kigali bounced up and down like a toy spring. "The Chosen One is gonna be my daddy! The Chosen One is gonna be my daddy!

"Someone's happy," Meganium grinned.

"I'm gonna go tell Chance, Beth and Ophelia!" Kigali cheered before rushing off.

"Kids," Squirtle shook his head.

ooo

Back in Pallet, Ash and Jenn had finished their delicious meal and had left the restaurant out the back entrance so they wouldn't be waylaid by fans. Especially any of the touring Misty fan club if they were still in town.

Jenn was fine with that. Another encounter with rabid fans of her boyfriend's very ex would totally ruin the romantic and relaxing evening.

Now the couple were walking along, arm in arm along the sleepy waterfront, waves lapping gently at the boats moored alongside the docks.

"I never thought this would be possible," Jenn murmured as she leant her head against Ash's broad shoulder.

"What wouldn't be possible?"

"Taking a moonlit walk along the waterfront with you," the blonde grinned up at him. "In my dreams maybe, but never in real life."

The Grand Master drew her closer, "So...how does this reality match up with your fantasy?"

"It's much better," Jenn smirked. "You look way hotter in real life than you do in my dreams. And I get to do this for real..."

With that she stopped and kissed Ash soundly on the mouth. Ash merely wrapped his arms around Jenn's waist and pulled her closer into the kiss.

Little did the couple know they were being watched.

Invisible to the human eye, a little pink cat like Pokémon was sitting on top of one of the lampposts. Mew giggled to herself as she watched the Chosen One and his Chosen One kiss. Things were proceeding as they should. The fate of the Future Chosen One depended on this relationship succeeding.

All Mew had to do was to watch over the blonde to make sure that no one got between the girl and Ash.

ooo

Gary Oak was fuming as he stomped through his apartment, cursing Jenn as he swigged constantly from a wine bottle. Damn that American blonde for ruining his perfect life. If it wasn't for Jenn battling as an Absol and beating his Umbreon, Gary would never have lost his temper and kicked the creature. Then he wouldn't have been caught or convicted of Pokémon abuse, removed from the Viridian City Gym, had his trainer's licence revoked and the lifetime ban placed on him.

Pokémon was his whole life! His entire base to his claim to fame! After all he had been claiming all his life that because he was the grandson of the World's Greatest Authority On Pokémon, naturally he'd be the World's Greatest Pokémon Master.

Then that Ketchum Loser went and stole Gary's rightful title of Pokémon Grand Master at sixteen. No matter that Gary had been defeated in the early stages of the round robin, it was still his God given title from birth!

Gary wasn't qualified to do anything else. Unlike Ash, he had not bothered to carry on with his studies, believing his good looks and God given talent would be enough to carry him through. Plus his guaranteed inheritance from his gramp's massive fortune would help Gary to maintain his extravagant lifestyle without ever having to work really hard for it.

But then Gramps did the unthinkable. The old geezer had the hide to write Gary right out of his will, declaring he was disinherited because of the Pokémon abuse charges. His gramps had said something stupid like "No grandson of mine would ever abuse Pokémon."

So without his gramps to support him and without a job, Gary was in a funk.

And it was all Ash and Jenn's fault! Damn them for being happy! Damn them for ruining his life. He needed to get his revenge, something that would hurt both of them.

Gary snapped his fingers as he thought of one of the worst things he could possibly do to a budding relationship.

ooo

The next day Jenn came down to breakfast to find Ash eating breakfast all alone in the kitchen. As always, the Grand Master was looking damn fine in another tailored business suit, this time in charcoal grey.

"Morning, Ashy," the blonde grinned as she greeted him a kiss. "Where is everyone? Did you accidentally teleport your parents somewhere?"

"No," Ash grinned. "Dad's already left for work and Mom left to get some plants and gardening supplies from the Xanadu nursery."

"Steven must really love his work," Jenn snorted as she poured herself a glass of orange juice and sat down next to her boyfriend. Mimey appeared with a plate full of freshly fried bacon and eggs and set it down in front of her. "To leave that early."

"Dad does love what he does," Ash nodded. "He's the best there is at Silph Co."

"And you're the best there is too," the blonde beamed.

"I suppose so."

"Suppose so? You know so! No one's even come close to taking your title off you for years!"

"True," Ash said. "I just don't want to ever become too cocky and complacent. Once I start thinking like that, I won't give it my all and then someone will beat me."

"Like Gay...I mean Gary," Jenn nodded. "He thought he could beat us in that Pokémon battle."

"But he couldn't."

"So when is your mom going to get back from the nursery?"

"Don't know," Ash shrugged. "It depends on what she wants to get, or if she starts talking with Florinda and Potter who are old family friends of ours. Sometimes they have classes or lectures at the nursery as well and she likes to attend those."

Jenn slid her arms around her boyfriend's waist. "Do you have to go and sit in those boring meetings all day today? Why don't you stay here with me instead? I promise you won't be bored."

"Trust me, I'd love to be able to," Ash kissed her tenderly. "But I can't. This is the not so fun part of being the Grand Master. But as soon as the meetings are all over and done within three days, I'm all yours."

"Mhmm, I like the sound of that!" Jenn smiled. She couldn't wait for the three days to be over, then she had her man all to herself. But she would still insist that Ash wear one of his business suits, if only so she could have the fun of taking it off him.

"So what are you going to do on your lonesome today?"

"I might go for a walk around the city, or maybe go for a walk in the woods out the back," Jenn mused. She did love the peace and quiet of being in the forest.

"Maybe you should take a Pokémon with you," Ash frowned. "I'll get Gengar to follow you."

"Don't worry about me, Ashy," Jenn grinned. "Unlike a certain dark-haired man, who shall remain totally nameless, I don't have a reputation for getting lost."

"That was when I was younger," the Grand Master retorted. "I haven't got lost for years. Besides, Brock also got us lost."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Seriously, Jenn. Take Gengar with you," Ash said soberly. "I'm worried that Gary may try something after what you told me."

"I can take care of myself with Gary," Jenn reassured her boyfriend.

"I know...it's just that I couldn't stand it if something happened to you. Not after we've just started dating," Ash admitted.

"Aww that's so sweet," the blonde was touched. "But there's no need to worry about me. I'm the original bad penny, so I'll be sticking around whether you like it or not. Just ask Drake."

"He really doesn't mind you hanging around," the Grand Master chuckled. "He just likes to tease you occasionally."

"And I tease him right back," Jenn grinned. "Trish did warn him when they first started dating that I came as part of the package."

"Mhmm," Ash agreed as he stood up from the table. "I'd better get going. Give me a call when you get back, okay?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Gengar?" Ash called out.

"Geeeeng?" The squat purple Ghost Pokémon materialised out of thin air.

"Gengar, I'd like you to keep an eye on Jenn for me while I'm in meetings today, please."

"Gengar gen geng gar?" The Pokémon grinned mischievously.

"No that does not mean that you get to stick one of Haunter's eyeballs on her," the Grand Master shook his head

"Ewww, gross," Jenn made a face at Gengar. "Did anyone ever tell you that your idea of fun is twisted and sick?"

The Pokémon grinned.

"I didn't mean it as a compliment."

"Geenng."

"You can follow me on one condition, which is No Funny Stuff. Capice?"

Gengar sighed and nodded. He might as well agree to the blonde's request, because he'd have to follow her whether she liked it or not. The Chosen One said so, and no Pokémon could disobey the Chosen One. Even if Gengar lived for doing funny stuff, a stand up comedy act was his dream.

"Okay then," Jenn grinned.

"Don't let her talk you into doing anything illegal, like spiriting goods out of designer boutiques like Louis Vuitton," Ash warned the ghost.

"Ashy!" Jenn was shocked. "Why would I get Gengar to do anything like that?"

"Because you like getting things for free?"

"I do, but now I've got you to possibly buy me a present from there in the future," the blonde beamed.

"Only if you're very good," Ash smirked.

"I'm always good," Jenn smirked right back. "A total angel."

"You're lucky the others aren't here," the Grand Master laughed. "They'd have something to say about that."

"Geh, what do they know," the blonde snorted. "The Goddess doesn't get the respect she should from her friends."

"Of course not," Ash grinned as he left the room. "I'll be back in a few secs."

Jenn continued eating her breakfast until footsteps alerted her to her boyfriend's return. The Grand Master had his business suit jacket on and the black leather League folder under his arm which he dropped onto the table next to Jenn.

"I'd better get going," Ash sighed. "The sooner I get there, the sooner I can get back home."

Jenn stood up and gave him a kiss. "That incentive enough for you to finish work early?"

The Grand Master smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist before he pulled her close for a passionate kiss that left Jenn feeling a little dazed when they finally broke apart.

"And is that incentive enough for you to behave yourself?" Ash smiled at his girlfriend.

"Mhmmm," Jenn smiled back dreamily. "I think I might just be able to behave myself until a certain man gets back from work."

"Then what?"

"Then I get to be as naughty with him as I want," Jenn said with a saucy wink.

"I like the sound of that," the Grand Master grinned. "Now I'd better remove myself from your tempting presence or else I'll never make it to the meetings."

One final kiss and then Ash was on his way.

Jenn cleared away her breakfast plate and glass and put it in the dishwasher. Smoothing down her top she grinned at the Ghost Pokémon hovering upside down.

"Just give me a few more minutes then we're ready to go, Gengy!"

The Pokémon's grin dropped. Gengy? What type of nickname was that?

ooo

Gengar was floating through the woods behind Jenn at a reasonable distance. Close enough for the Pokémon to keep an eye on her but not so close that he was invading her personal space.

A few minutes later, Gengar became aware of another presence near him. He turned to see a small pink cat like Pokémon floating a few feet away and his eyes widened.

Mew giggled and raised one tiny paw to her mouth to indicate Gengar remain silent.

: Mew! What are you doing here?: Gengar asked via telepathy.

:Keeping an eye on the Chosen of the Chosen One of course,: Mew giggled. :Ho-Oh and I want to make sure that everything goes as it should.:

:What do you mean?:

:Jenn is very special and important to the Chosen One, and she is very important to us Pokémon too.:

:How so?:

:She will bear the next Chosen One.: the Legendary grinned.

:WHATT?: Gengar's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. :THAT blonde?:

:Yes, that blonde.: Mew grinned even more. :Isn't the workings of Fate grand?:

The Ghost Pokémon scratched his head with one paw. :I dunno about grand, but Fate sure is kooky. Are you and Ho-Oh sure about this?:

:Absolutively, positively sure,: Mew did a twirl in mid air. :Both Ho-Oh and myself were told personally by Destiny.:

:I sure hope they know what they're doing..:

:Of course they do,: the little Legendary was confident. :We were all a little unsure at first when we first learnt that Ash was the Chosen One. But he's done alright. In fact he's done more than alright. He's the best Chosen One I've ever known. Ho-Oh agrees too.:

And Mew would know what she was talking about, Gengar thought to himself. Both she and Ho-Oh had been around for a very long time.

"Hey Gengy!" They heard Jenn call out. "Are you still following me? Cuz Ashy might get mad at you if you're not."

Gengar sighed. :See what I have to put up with?:

:It's for the good of the Pokémon World,: Mew soothed. :Don't tell her I'm here okay?:

:Okay.: Gengar sighed as he floated back into view of the human blonde he was ordered to guard.

"There you are!" Jenn grinned. "I was hoping you wouldn't stay too far behind since I don't know my way around here. I'm sure you could guide me back easily, unlike a certain dark-haired man we all know."

"He was pretty hopeless with directions." Gengar remembered how Ash was as a young boy.

"Don't tell Ashy this, but I have been known to be bad with directions too," the blonde confided. "I once got lost in the woods near my own home."

Gengar's jaw dropped in amazement. He pitied the future Chosen One and any kids that Ash and Jenn may have. With such direction challenged parents, the next Chosen One was doomed to spend the rest of his or her life wandering the roads, not knowing how to get from here to there.

"Don't look so shocked," Jenn scowled at the Pokémon. "It was just the one time."

"Suure."

ooo

"And that's the current situation as it stands with Vermillion City Gym," Lieutenant Surge finished.

"Thank you, Surge," Ash smiled as he sat at the head of the conference table. "I know I've said this before, but I'll say it again. I wish a lot of the other Gyms could write and present their reports like you do."

As a former military man, the Lieutenant's reports were short and concise, containing all the facts and statistics that Ash needed to know and none of the stuff he didn't.

"Thanks Ash," the burly man grinned. "You're a great boss to work for."

The Grand Master leaned back in his chair and smiled. Amazing what difference a different Gym Leader made. Ash was more relaxed and happy in this meeting than he was yesterday.

He only hoped that Jenn was having as good a day as he was.

ooo

Jenn was happily walking along a small trail in the woods, when a brilliant twinkle somewhere off to the left caught her eye.

Curious, the blonde decided to go and investigate, even if it was off the trail. It could be something interesting, like dropped jewellery, coins or even an evolution stone! They were very expensive to buy and Jenn had always hoped to find one. Jenn looked behind her but there was no sign of Gengar. He had been a fair way behind her before, not wanting to intrude on her and making her feel like she was under surveillance.

Reasoning that she could be there and back before Gengar caught up with her, the blonde dashed off into the bushes to her left where she had seen the glimmer. Five minutes later and not too many scratches and leaves later, Jenn reached the spot.

Bending down to pick up the object, which was a glittering Fire Stone, Jenn never heard or saw her assailant come up and grab her from behind, clamping a sweet and sickly smelling cloth over her mouth.

Jenn struggled with all her might but her attacker was just too strong. The fumes from the soaked cloth soon overwhelmed her and she blacked out.

ooo

"Hey, where did Jenn go?" Gengar muttered as he floated up the path. "I saw her a few minutes ago. I swear that girl is nothing but trouble."

:Jenn IS in trouble,: Mew interrupted, suddenly appearing in front of him. "Gary Oak has kidnapped her."

"WHAT?" Gengar's grin dropped. "How did THAT happen?"

:He lured her off the path with something shiny.: Mew sighed.

"She's worse than a Meowth."

:Go get the Chosen One,: Mew ordered. :I'll keep an eye on Jenn to make sure that Gary doesn't try anything.:

"Why don't you just teleport her to safety?" Gengar blinked.

:Because, that would be too easy: Mew giggled. :Plus the Chosen One rescuing his lady love might just be the push those two need to strengthen their relationship.:

"Hope you know what you're doing," Gengar muttered before shrinking back at Mew's glare. "Okay I'll go get Ash to save the day."

To be continued...

ooo

Author's Note: As stated at the beginning of the chapter, right now my family is going through a difficult time with my dad being diagnosed with liver cancer. He about to receive the first round of treatment and hopefully all goes well. So writing may be even more sporadic than before. And any idiotic or insensitive flamers will get their heads bitten off.

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