Initially, Ash, Mallow, and their friends tried to keep the news from getting out for as long as they could, but if you know one thing about information, it's that information wants to be free. Soon enough by unknown means, word got out, and Mallow suddenly found herself thrust into a limelight she never thought she'd be in. She quickly found herself having to endure interviews from various news channels, invasive paparazzi flashing their cameras at her day in and night out, dozens of creepy men who wanted to hit on her, and even one or two isolated death threats for… Arceus knows why.
Around three or so days after Mallow's pregnancy was revealed, the couple and their friends met in Mallow's living room to determine how best to help Mallow with her pregnancy. There was quite a bit of bickering and many conflicting suggestions, but ultimately, it was Ash that came up with the winning suggestion - he conceded it was his fault that Mallow wound up in this situation and so he would stay but Mallow's side, whilst two of their mutual friends (rotating on a regular basis) would join them.
And so, with this arrangement in place, life went on. With each passing day, Mallow grew bigger and bigger and bigger, like a balloon swelling with air. And that soon began to pose all sorts of problems. Case in point - showering.
One day, when Mallow was four months along, she decided she needed a shower, so she opened the shower door and attempted to step inside. Key word: attempted. It didn't take long before she realized her belly was so bloated with babies that attempting to get into the shower was like a Frenchman attempting to stuff a baguette into a bottle of sauvignon blanc - she just wouldn't fit, no matter what positions she tried, so her friends spent a few minutes pondering over a solution before agreeing on one Lana suggested - they had Mallow don a swimsuit and sat her down in an inflatable kiddie pool with soap and shampoo before spraying her down with a garden hose set to the shower setting. It wasn't the most desirable solution, but it made do.
Another problem quickly presented itself soon after - Mallow found that her belly's increasing weight meant that she had an equally increasing amount of difficulty getting around - just getting out of her bed in the morning proved an enormous chore. And so, Mallow found herself restricted to a wheelchair (that the local hospital thankfully provided). She hated the fact that she was quite a bit less independent than she was prior to this pregnancy, but she also thanked Arceus she was blessed with her amazing friends.
When the babies began kicking five months in, Mallow was excited to feel them moving, but she soon discovered this came with even more problems. Namely, she found it difficult to get some sleep with her belly basically being prodded and kicked 24/7, and she couldn't rest objects on her swollen stomach anymore lest one of the babies knock it off.
It was also around this time that Ash and Mallow began to find themselves growing closer romantically. Sure, they always had some feelings for each other, but the events that had transpired recently had only deepened them. Ash had found himself developing a deep sense of duty with regard to Mallow. After all, it bears repeating - he was the reason she was in this predicament in the first place, and he hadn't even considered the possibility she could be pregnant with more than twins or triplets. Also, Ash knew that if he were to bail on her, it would essentially be a repeat of the situation with his own father - and Ash did not want that.
Six months into the pregnancy, Ash decided to take Mallow out on a nice date to a notable restaurant in Hau'oli City. He had to battle quite a few notable trainers to scrounge up the funds, but it paid its keep in the end. Although quite a few people stared at Mallow's bloated midsection when he wheeled her in, the date itself went quite well, although Mallow's appetite seemed to be quite a bit bigger than usual. After all, Mallow was eating for ten now.
Now you may be wondering if they had considered an abortion. And the answer to that question is - yes, a few times. That would be for them to decide as a question panged in the back of their mind:
"Would nine children be too many to handle, even with our friends' help?"