Yesterday's Tomorrow

Two – Seasons Change

Pokeshipping Day 2 Theme: Stages of Their Relationship

Universe: 'The Road You Choose'

...

Learning In Summer

"She's driving me crazy, mom!" Ash whined, his dark eyes flickering left and right as if making sure that the object of his ire wasn't in earshot. "She just keeps yelling and going on about her bike!"

Delia Ketchum smiled a little bit and shook her head as she stared at her son through the screen. Though he was off in another city in Kanto, she could still tell that he must have been tapping his foot or jiggling his leg a bit. He never could sit still when he was agitated. She wiped some of her sweat-soaked hair out of her face – the summer air that night was far too humid and hot for her liking, but Ash seemed fine on his end.

"Well, you did take and destroy her bike," Delia pointed out almost airily, ignoring the way her son grumbled about her not taking his side. She understood his actions and why he had done it, knowing that he never meant to destroy the bike, but bless his soul, trouble followed him wherever he went. She frowned suddenly, realizing that something was out of place with his irritation. "I must admit, I thought she'd calm down a little bit about it after you gave her the money for the bike." She herself had sent her son half of the money for it, but only after he collected the first half through winning different battles. Ash shifted, his eyes looking down towards his hands to avoid looking at her. "Ash Ketchum! Please tell me you didn't spend that money yourself!" She had raised him better than that.

"No, no, no!" Ash waved the hand that wasn't holding the receiver in front of him, shaking his head wildly. "I still have it. I promise. I wouldn't spend it on something else. I just..." He shrugged helplessly. "She said that she'd leave when I gave it back. Her bike. Or the money for it."

Delia's anger almost immediately evaporated. She was a little bit confused, but that swiftly changed to understanding, and she couldn't help but smile. "You don't want her to leave, do you?" Ash shrugged bashfully. "That's sweet, honey."

"It's not sweet." He said the word as if it was made out of poison. At times like this, Delia wondered how it was that her son was deemed matured enough to leave on his journey. "It's just..." His irritation vanished, shyness rearing its head again. "I don't know. I mean, she drives me insane and she's a total brat, but she's also really nice when she wants to be, and I like having her around." He looked down a bit. "I met her on the first day and I know Brock's here now but..." He shrugged helplessly, eyes darting up and staring at her, almost begging for help in understanding what he himself couldn't.

"So, you like Misty even when she drives you crazy?" He nodded his head, but it was a strange motion, like he was about to shake it at first. "That's good though. It means you can deal with the bad and the good. If you couldn't, you wouldn't really be friends."

Delia watched as he contemplated that for a moment before his shoulders slumped and he looked dejected, of all things. She thought her words would brighten him up a bit, but if anything, he looked sad. She was about to ask, but he beat her to the punch. "Like Gary, right? And Leaf. And almost everyone else."

"Oh sweetie," Delia didn't quite know what to say to that. She knew that her son didn't have the best of luck with making friends in Pallet Town, but it hadn't bothered him while he had Gary and Leaf as his friends. Then Gary's parents died, and everything changed. Sometimes, Delia wanted to scold the little boy, but he was hurting over losing his parents and his Aunt Daisy. It still wasn't something that he should have taken out on Ash. Leaf tried to stay friends, and as far as Delia knew, there was no ill-blood there, but they drifted away from one another. Ash had been alone, and bullied frequently, though he would never admit that to her or any sort of teacher. She still knew.

That's when it occurred to her why he didn't want Misty to leave when he was finally starting to see her as a friend and not an annoying tag-along. "She's the first friend you had in a long time." He ducked his head slightly, nodding and trying to hide his embarrassment. "Don't let what the kids here did stop you from making friends out there. I'm sure you don't have to...hold her hostage to keep her there."

"I'm not!" Ash burst out, brow furrowing with annoyance.

"Okay, that's unfair, but you need to trust her a little more." The eleven-year-old shrugged, and Delia's heart went out to him because she could see it now. He was scared of not just losing a friend, but he was scared of making one to begin with. "Well, just don't spend that money on anything else, you hear me? Unless it's an emergency."

"I won't, Ma. I promise." That made Delia smile, because she knew that her son tried hard to keep his promises.

"Why are you still awake?" A young, female voice cut in, and Ash turned around, frowning at someone Delia couldn't see through the screen.

"Talking to my mom." His voice was so dry and annoyed that Delia was half tempted to scold him for it.

"Yeah right," came the curt reply. "She of all people would know that keeping you up late makes you catty in the morning." Delia's eyes darted over to the clock, and she did a double take when she saw what time it was.

"It does not!" Ash argued, whining a bit as Misty shoved him aside, leaning down to look at the phone.

Her cheeks turned bright pink when her eyes met Delia's, and she stood up straight again, still in sight of the video-phone. "Oh, um. Mrs. Ketchum! Sorry, I just...umm..."

Delia laughed and waved her hand. "It's no problem." She didn't like the smug look on her son's face, she raised him better than to take enjoyment out of someone else's discomfort, especially when that person was a friend. "I didn't realize how late it was, and you're right, you both should get to bed."

Misty's lips ticked up into a smile, eyes flashing gratefully until she heard as grumble. Then she set a stern expression on her face, putting her hands on her hips and saying, "Told you."

"She never said I got catty!" Ash turned around to face her, eyes narrowed in a glare.

"She implied it," Misty said in a sing-song voice.

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not!"

"Did too!'

"Children!" Delia called out in a sugar-sweet voice that made Ash cringe and Misty look at him curiously. Delia tended to use that tone of voice when she was about to scold someone, and her son had been on the receiving end of it many, many times. "You must be tired, Misty. You run along and I'll send him up in a minute. Have a good night."

Misty blinked with surprise before shifting uncomfortably. She nodded her head and quickly scurried away. Ash watched her go, and Delia knew that she was out of sight when he turned his attention back to the screen, a scowl on his face. "See! She can be horrible!"

"You weren't exactly welcoming either," Delia said lightly, causing him to sink down and blush. "I have something important to ask you, and it's really serious, okay?"

"Okay?" He sat back up, agitation and embarrassment gone.

"You saw what she did when I said goodnight, right?"

"You mean how rude she was?" He replied dryly, and held up a hand in defeat when she glared. "Sorry."

Delia just shook her head and said, "I don't think anyone's said that to her for a long time. Just something simple, like goodnight. That says a lot. She probably acts a little more harshly because that's all she knows. I've only spoken to her a few times, but she's definitely hiding more behind her anger." She smiled at her son. "Give her time, sweetie. I think she needs to find herself too."

Ash was confused, that much she could see. He tried to say something a few times, but cut himself off until he finally asked, "Do you think there's something I could do to help?"

"Say goodnight. Be a friend. It'll make everything better for both of you."

Ash once again looked contemplative before he smiled and nodded his head. "I'll try my best!"

"That's my boy." Delia felt a wave of pride rush through her. "Now, you get to bed and get some sleep. Call me again when you get the chance. I love you."

"Love you too, Ma." Ash hung up the phone, and the screen went blank.

Delia leaned back in her chair, looking at the fan spinning on the ceiling, trying to ward off the summer heat. She didn't know much about Misty, but she did know her son, and knew that he would try to be a better friend, even if it didn't always seem like it. From the brief interactions she had with the girl though, Delia knew that she was just as lost as her son was in certain ways. They both needed someone, a friend to fix all of the damage done in the past. There was no coincidence in fate, and Delia was a strong believer in that. She couldn't wait to see where their paths took them.

...

Growing In Spring

The scream was so loud that it actually made Delia jump in shock, looking up from the kitchen sink where she viciously attempted to scrub the rest of their early lunch off of the plates. Before she could even focus on what she was looking for out the window, laughter erupted and her son shot by, the very long garden hose in his hand.

"I'm going to murder you!" That should have worried Delia, but her shock turned into a smile as she watched Misty race after him, soaked from head to toe. The girl jumped over the patio, tackling the boy to the ground where they wrestled over the hose.

It was a warm spring day, and since they were there, she had set the kids to work outside. Brock was still kneeling by her garden where he had been dutifully weeding, but was now watching his two friends with a bemused expression. He caught sight of her in the kitchen window and shook his head a bit. Delia just laughed.

"Give it here you – ah!" Misty screamed as he managed to spray her again with the cold water, his laughter ringing throughout the yard. "Ash! You uber goober!" She tried to yank the hose out of his hands, but he managed to roll over so that it was underneath him. That didn't deter her any, and she jumped onto his back, trying to reach under him to grab it. Seeing that he wasn't about to be moved, Misty pursed her lips and then smirked.

Delia watched curiously as the young girl shifted slightly, moved her fingers, and then attacked. Ash laughed hard, jerking and flailing to get away from her as she tickled him viciously. Mrs. Ketchum couldn't help but laugh at her son's plight. Was it horrible of her to think that he deserved it for spraying Misty, because she definitely did.

"Stop, stop!" Ash laughed loudly as he tried to roll away from her, tears streaking down his cheeks. "I'm sor—." The rest of his sentence died as he gasped to catch his breath.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you?" She was smiling broadly, much too amused and proud of herself.

"I'm sorry! Okay! Stop it!" He was hiccuping now, and that only made Misty grin victoriously.

She stopped her tickle attack and got off of him. Ash almost immediately got off the ground, probably paranoid that she was going to jump on him again, but in doing so, he left the garden hose on the ground for the taking.

Delia tried to hide her smile when she saw Misty look at the hose and then at Ash. His face contorted into horror, and he tried to beat her to it, but the girl was too fast this time. She grabbed the hose and sprayed him as he ran away from her.

Insults were thrown at one another, along with the occasional grass and mud, but Delia didn't bother scolding them. It was clear that neither one was taking any of the ridiculous insults to heart, that they were just having fun and playing like normal kids their age would, and she didn't have it in her to stop them. Though they all had smiles on their faces when she talked to them, Delia knew that there were many struggles of being a traveling trainer. She herself had been one once. These moments where they could be carefree and just act like kids were precious.

Delia couldn't remember the last time she saw her son actually just playing like this, without the pretense of training or trying to compete with someone. She was glad that he had finally found some real friends that he could trust.

...

Understanding In Autumn

"You should have seen them, Mom! Dawn and May were both amazing!" Delia smiled warmly at her son's enthusiasm as he retold her the story of his friends triumphs so far in the contest. The Alamos Town contests were actually widely known, and she herself planned on watching it that night, but she had been too busy raking the yard. From the window that was behind Ash, she could clearly see that the leaves were still green in Sinnoh, but the cold had settled into Pallet early that year. It was okay though, Delia enjoyed autumn.

Delia could only admire the sheer pride in her son's voice, regarding his friends' success. He acted so much like an older brother and even a mentor to them that it made her proud. She raised a good boy, and though he tried her patience at times, nearly giving her a heart attack at others, she was still very proud of him. Every time he called her, he looked a little older, the roundness to his face melting away. Delia doubted her son would turn out big and burly like Brock or some of the other gym leaders out there, he looked too much like his father who had been talk and slender, with an angular face and hidden strength. What she did know about was that her boy would turn into a very handsome young man, and she was sure that wasn't just her own bias talking.

"What are you – Delia!" Taking her by complete surprised, Misty appeared behind Ash. The red-haired girl beamed brightly before shoving Ash aside slightly and sitting beside him.

"Um, what if this was a private conversation?" Ash raised an eyebrow as he stared at her, clearly more amused than anything else.

Misty just nudged him and grinned cheekily. "But it's not." She turned her attention to the screen. "How are you, Delia?"

"Oh, good." She smiled politely and raised an eyebrow. "A bit surprised to see you there." It was silly, but Delia had to remind herself that they were only fourteen and they were still new to the whole relationship thing, so they wouldn't be doing anything that she'd disapprove of. They had earned her trust and the benefit of the doubt, and she would give it to them until proven wrong. Hopefully that would never change.

"I came with May. It was a surprise." Misty smiled sheepishly. "I'm still coming to visit before I go home though! I did promise!"

"You visit my mom?" Ash interrupted, his eyes going wide at the revelation.

"Every other weekend thanks to the train finally going to Pallet," Misty admitted with a small shrug.

Delia quite enjoyed their visits and was glad that the girl came around so often. She would have thought that Ash would see the benefits of it and didn't understand why he looked frightened, especially since he and Misty had been friends for years now.

Misty's lips turned up into a mischievous grin and she said, "She shows me your baby pictures."

"Mom!" Ash's face went a brilliant shade of red, though it was hard to tell since he buried his face into his hands.

Delia tried to cover up her amused giggles as the situation suddenly made sense to her. Every time that they were home, he would always scramble around the house and hide the photo albums, but with Misty visiting before he could do damage control, things were different. "It's just Misty," she said with a shrug. It wasn't really just Misty though, she knew that the teenage girl was a very important part of her son's life, and becoming even more important as the seasons cycled by.

"That's the point!" He slumped and pouted, a strange combination of a slightly angst-filled teenager and a child who didn't get what they wanted.

Clearly amused, Misty shifted a bit and poked his puffed out cheek. "Aww, are you embarrassed?" He glared at her, and she just grinned. Delia watched as they stared at one another, Ash's gaze becoming softer before he just sighed and shook his head, leaning back a little and looking at the ceiling of the Pokemon Center.

Misty moved a little closer to him, their sides pressed against one another, and Delia could only watch her son smile, lulling his head to look at the redhead beside him.

In just that brief moment, she could a look of understanding pass between them, and it left such a bittersweet feeling inside of her. On one hand, her boy was growing up and slowly (very slowly) but surely falling in love, and that was such a good thing because she highly approved of the person it was with. On the other, she knew that he was growing up and that was always so hard to deal with, knowing that she'd have to let another part of him go.

It was heart-wrenching, but on a warm autumn day, all Delia could do was genuinely smile.

...

Warming In Winter

Delia sighed as she watched the snowstorm out of the kitchen window. She had been looking forward to Professor Oak's Christmas Party, but they were snowed in. So much for an exciting Christmas Eve.

The loud and boisterous laughter that belonged to her teenage son erupted from the living room, the sound so genuine and happy that it made her lips turn up into a smile. She crept out of the kitchen quietly, her green, holiday dress swishing around her calves as she walked across the hardwood floor. Putting her hand on the edge of the door frame that led to the living room, Delia peered in and her smile instantly grew larger.

Ash had so many genuine friends from so many places now, that Delia went out of her way to make sure there were plenty of places to sit in the living room. She had a couch, a love seat and a few different chairs, not to mention other chairs that could be brought up from the basement.

Despite all the places to sit, Ash had made himself comfortable on the large plush chair that used to dwarf him, but at sixteen, he had become so much taller and a little bit broader, and it didn't seem so awkward anymore. There really wasn't anything too odd about where he chose to sit, but the fact that Misty chose to sit on his lap rather than anywhere else was definitely amusing.

It was a sweet sight, her son bundled in a new ugly Christmas sweater that she had been so proud of finding, and Misty wearing an equally ugly sweater was sitting sideways across his lap, one hand reaching up and playing with his hair absentmindedly while the other clutched a steaming mug of hot chocolate that Delia distinctly remembered Ash making for himself, the girl insisting that she didn't want any. He muttered something quietly to her, and she laughed, shaking her head and nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck. Ash just smiled broadly, the hand that was on her back drawing patterns as he stole the mug back from her and taking a drink.

Delia shook her head, smiling as she watched Misty whine with protest and tried to take it back. They probably could have made it through the snow, they were both stubborn, but neither one expressed a desire to go to Professor Oak's Annual Christmas Bash even when it was nice out. Now she could see why. The year before, Ash hadn't been able to come home for Christmas, something that she knew made him a little bit miserable, but even though he was farther away in Kalos, he saved the money for the round trip this time. They really only had a little over a week together before it would be several months apart, and it was obvious that they just wanted to spend it together.

Choosing to leave them alone, Delia caught sight of Misty pulling his head down to kiss him, and shook her head with amusement. If someone had told her years ago that the spunky redhead and her son would end up together, she might have laughed, but she wouldn't have been overtly surprised. She got to see them through all the different stages, the good, the bad, the awkward and the hilarious, and she knew that there was no reason for her to worry. Seasons would come and go, and bad things would always accompany the good, but they were both stubborn, both fighters and would trudge their way through whatever they had to.

Not everyone found someone in the world who genuinely love them, Delia herself was one of them, but she took comfort in the fact that both her son and the young woman who she saw as a daughter found each other.

...

Note

Yes I know the seasons aren't in order, that was just the way it ended up working out. Oh well. I don't really have much else to say for this, except a small reminder that this does take place in my own continuity before, during and after the rewrites I have now!

Written: Skylight Sparkle
Edited by: CLAVUS