Chapter 3
Delia Ketchum stood in front of the sink washing dishes as she looked out the window. Mr Mime was helpfully sweeping the floors. Rinsing the last plate and putting it aside to dry on the rack she thought about going outside to tend her garden. She dried her hands with a clean towel and tossed it neatly by the sink and sighed as her mind wandered.
Professor Oak had talked to her a few weeks back about the possibility that he thought Gary, his grandson, might be gay. He'd asked her out to dinner and they'd talked for several hours about all kinds of things, but he seemed especially concerned about that. He wasn't upset by it at all, just concerned that Gary wasn't happy. He also confided to her after some prodding that he thought the boy might have feelings for her own Ash.
Delia had never really thought about Ash's sexuality. Of course he hadn't been home much in the last few years, but he had always traveled with several girls. So to had Gary she reminded herself. But in the back of her mind she'd always though Ash would come home with a girl one day. So the new concept of Gary Oak being gay and furthermore interested in Ash set her to thinking. The two boys had always been very close when they were younger. And then shortly after Gary's parents passed away in that accident he and Ash had become more rivals than anything. Ash always felt the need to one up the taller, older boy. And Gary for his part had instigated and goaded the younger boy anyway he could.
But the more she thought about it the more it started to make sense. The two boys had never truly fought. Of course they'd battled their pokemon, but they'd never physically had an altercation. Their behavior reminded her of boys in school picking on her when she was a little girl. Gary did all the picking and Ash seemed like he had to do everything better than Gary. But it wasn't just for the sake of being better, it was like he needed Gary's attention. Or his approval maybe.
As the realization had struck her that night she voiced her own opinion that perhaps Ash was as well. She certainly wasn't going to ask him. When he was ready he would let her know. But she did let the professor in on her mother's insight and declared over dinner that she'd certainly support the two boys if they declared their affections for one another.
The matter hashed out between the two friends was completely finished by dessert. Anytime the two saw each other or noticed the two boys they exchanged knowing smiles and continued with their day.
Looking up through the window she saw Ash walking down the road with Pikachu perched on his shoulder, one tiny paw bracing himself as her son came up the path to the house. He came in the front door looking slightly flushed and a little nervous.
"Hey Mom!" he cried out, shutting the door behind him.
"Well that was quick. Were you able to help Professor Oak?"
"Yes", Ash said and briefly explained why the man had asked him to come out.
"I see", she nodded with a smile. "So, was Gary around the lab?"
Ash rubbed the back of his neck and looked sheepishly around the room. "Uh, yeah. He answered the door..." he trailed off.
Delia looked at him raising her eyebrows. "Is that all?"
"Well, umm, he asked me when I was leaving if I might want to hang out with him later, but I told him I'd have to ask you first, and honestly mom it's kind of weird, I mean he's not been very nice to me in the past, and it's just kind of weird when we hang out, and I'm not sure if I want to go and I though maybe if I decided I didn't want to I could say that you needed me to do something else so I wouldn't hurt his feelings or anything." Breathless Ash paused and looked to his mother.
"No. I am absolutely not going to find an excuse for you to not go see Gary Oak, Ash Ketchum and you should know better. You can decide to go see him or not. The decision is entirely up to you", she said glaring slightly down at her son. "But would you like me to tell you what I'd do", she said her expression softening.
Ash nodded his head.
"If I were you, I'd go see him." She saw Ash beginning to protest and continued before he could interject. "Maybe he just wants to say he's sorry for the way he's treated you. It isn't like your completely innocent either", she said with another piercing look. "Give him a chance Ash. You're both growing up. Maybe it's time for a new beginning with Gary. And who knows, maybe you'll have more in common than you thought", she finished with a smile.
Ash stood in silence for a minute looking at his dirty sneakers before looking up at his mother. "Alright. I'll call him and tell him we can hang out. Maybe you're right. We used to be so close. It would be nice if we could be like that again."
"Alright dear. Well I'm going to go out and work in the garden. Make sure you look nice when you go out at least. I need to wash those sneakers", she said looking disapprovingly at her son's shoes.
"Mom", Ash whined.
"And you might want to clean your room up if Gary decides he'd like to come over for dinner or something. It'd be a shame to start being friends again just to have him trip and break his neck in your room."
"Okay, okay", he said turning towards the stairs.
"Don't think I won't send Mr. Mime up there to do it for you", Delia retorted.
Ash looked back down at his mother in abject fear. The last time Mr. Mime had gone in his room it had looked spotless. Cleaner than he could ever remember it. And it had taken him weeks to find everything that pokemon had squirreled away.
"No thank you! I've got it", he turned and rushed up the stairs.
Delia smiled knowingly and turned back to to the door to weed and water the garden.
