The fields around the Indigo Plateau sounded with the clash of sparring practices and improvised training regiments.
For Delia Ketchum, it was hard to believe that she was back here again, preparing to witness her precious kit take to the stadium once again. It was hard to believe that Ash was now on his second attempt to win a Championship title; in the next few days, he and his team would be duking it out against other would-be competitors.
Idly, Delia wondered what things had been like had she been in her child's position, young and traveling with friends to pursue innocent dreams. Her father and his twisted ambitions did away with any chance of that happening, but it was something to think about. Though in her case, would she have been wanted to have been a trainer as a Zorua? That might have actually been funny, though she was far too old to have tried now.
Besides, being a trainer was more her son's thing and she wasn't human; she just pretended to be one.
"Hey, Miss Ketchum!" Misty called out as she approached. She was one of her son's friends, though she was not in the know about what Delia truly was.
Delia's disguise made a smile, befitting a boy's mother. "Hello, Misty. Have you seen my son?" she asked, though the Zoroark already knew. As much as Delia Ketchum wanted to claim that she vigilantly watched over her precious kit, the fact of the matter was that she often had to do things that took her away from her beloved son, so earlier, she snuck away and performed a variety of essential "grown up" tasks.
"Just over there," Misty raised her right hand and pointed behind.
"Right there!" her togepi cried in agreement.
Delia's illusion smiled brightly. "Thank you for telling me." Her eyes then focused onto the object on the girl's wrist.
Misty's attire had largely stayed the same, except now, there was a cobalt bracelet wrapped around her wrist. It bore three teardrop shaped gemstones. Normally, Delia would have assumed that the girl simply bought some new jewelry, but there was something… off about those precious stones.
"Oh, Miss Ketchum, I have to get going. Brock wants me for something," the girl said.
"That's fine. I wouldn't mind spending some alone time with my son," Delia replied.
"Thanks for understanding!" Misty spoke as she walked away, raising a hand to gesture a goodbye.
Delia mirrored the action and strode forth to where she knew her son to be.
Ash stood in a clearing surrounded by several of his pokémon. He gave them orders and drilled them as a group.
Bayleaf and Quilava practiced tackling one another, whilst Noctowl soared overhead to avoid Totodile's rampant water guns. Pikachu ran through an obstacle course, with the human boy cheering him on.
However, in addition to Ash's Pokémon, there was a tyranitar watching over them.
Delia recognized her; Tyranatar was the mother of a Larvitar that had been stolen as an egg not too long ago. She and Ash had reunited them not too long ago. What was the large reptile doing here, so far away from Mount Silver?
"Hello, Delia," Tyranitar raised a hand. "It's good to see you."
"Thank you," Delia spoke back, surprised that she was here. Tyranitar was among a small number of Pokémon who knew about her true identity, simply because the two of them were both mothers who had to raise a boy. "Has Ash been giving you any trouble?"
"Nope."
"Mom! Mom!" Larvitar came running to her mother. "I know iron head now!"
"That's great sweetie!" said the mother Tyranitar. "I knew this was a great idea."
Delia smiled warmly at the mother and son bonded together. She wanted to take part as well. "Oh, Ash!" she called her son.
Ash, in the middle of supervising a short race between his Pokémon, abruptly turned his head and ran over to her. He flashed his mother a grin as he approached. "Mom!"
"Looks like you're excited to see me!" the mother smirked. Ash wasn't actually her biological child, yet she loved him all of the same.
"I am!" Ash nodded his head. "I don't get to see you often."
"I'm glad you feel that way." Delia smirked. To be fair, she was with Ash constantly, but she never brought out her human disguise unless it was absolutely necessary.
"Hey, Miss Ketchum!" His Pikachu scampered over and ran up to Ash's leg.
"So, Mom, I've been training and I've been getting better at fighting!" the boy made a big grin, pride emanating from his voice. "Can we spar? I want to show you how far I've come!"
"...With Pikachu?" Delia blinked several times, trying to her son was even saying. Was Ash talking about how he was training himself to fight?
"Maybe if I was the trainer instead?" Pikachu made a giggle.
"No…" her son drew out his infliction. "I want to fight you mom! I got better, honest!"
"You want to fight me?" Delia questioned again.
"Yup!" Her son nodded his head vigorously. Ash raised his left hand and presented a copper bracelet with three gemstones. It resembled Misty's save for metal and the coloration of the gemstones.
He raised it high into the air and then clasped his hands together. Blinding light engulfed the boy, bright enough that Delia had to shield her eyes.
Then when the light died, her son disappeared, replaced by a Shinx.
Her illusion's jaw slacked, Delia stared at her kit… or would cub be more accurate. "Ash?"
"See, I'm better at it now!" The Shinx's tail wagged back and forth.
"Ash, you do remember she can't understand us, right?" Pikachu told his… was trainer even applicable anymore?
"Oops?" Ash shook his head. "Well, mom can turn into a Pokémon or I can go back to being human!"
Regaining some mental footing, Delia tried to piece together exactly what was happening. Her son had been a Pokémon before, back when they had met that witch and he had become a Zorua. But that was temporary and her kit lacked the ability to so much as speak like a Zorua should and retained human speech.
Instead, Ash not only turned into a different Pokémon entirely, it sounded like he could do this whenever he wanted. He even sounded like a Shinx cub should, using the appropriate syllables and sounds.
Further, Ash should have known that she was always a Pokémon. She could always understand other Pokémon, yet for some reason Ash and Pikachu expected her to not understand her.
…This wasn't her son. This was someone who was incredibly like her son, to the point that she couldn't distinguish him until he turned into a Pokémon, but he didn't know the things he should.
…She had to play it cool, until she understood what she was doing.
"Mom?" the Shinx voiced. "Are you okay?"
"Ash, can you turn…human again?" Delia couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. "I'm not feeling well."
"Okay!" her son's lookalike did not question her. He raised his paws up and his bracelet glowed faintly. Just like that, he was back to being a human boy.
The Zoroark-in-disguise could only fathom just what she was witnessing. She had gotten used to the idea of strange things happening to her and her boy ever since he started adventuring, especially the odd lookalike. This was beyond even that. This was a boy who not only looked like Ash down to the Pikachu, but had all of the same Pokémon Ash had.
Was this her father's doing? No, this was too ridiculous even for him. And having Pokémon changing to human form out in the open like that basically screamed Zorua or Ditto; it was not feasible to deceive someone this way, not without being incredibly bold. Further, if this was an illusion, it would have required someone who was far better at the craft than her, since she couldn't see through it.
Then, as she went to open her mouth, Pikachu grabbed onto one of Ash's pant legs and drew his trainer's attention. "Ash…." The mouse pointed.
"What is it…Pikachu?" Ash stammered as he turned to look where Pikachu had been pointed.
Delia, also drawn, turned her head.
The disguised Zoroark had seen many things ever since she had taken that fateful offer from Professor Oak and later down the line, Spencer Hale.
None of that prepared her to look at the group assembled before her because it was like looking at a mirror.
She saw a boy that looked exactly like the Ash that stood beside her, wearing the same clothes, bearing the same haircut, with the same Pikachu. All that was different was that the Ash beside her had a bracelet, whereas the one directly in front of her did not.
Next came the Pokémon, who all stopped to look at their duplicates. Quivala met Quilava, Bayleaf stared at Bayleaf, Totodiles danced together, the Pikachus looked at each other and mirrored the other's actions exactly down to the way their whiskers moved. They looked the same, they moved the same, they even smelled the same. The only difference was that one side had a Tyranitar and a Larivar, while the other had a Dragonair.
But by far the strangest thing she had ever seen was the woman who looked exactly like her disguise. Immediately, she could tell that this was no illusion and that the woman in front of her was simply that. Delia had never based her disguise on anyone that was real and instead conjured it up using bits and pieces she liked, adjusting it as she got older, so seeing a human woman who looked just like that disguise, down to the clothing, was a surreal experience.
"Uh…. mom?" Both Ash's voiced at the exact same, turning to look at both Delia's in a synchronized manner.
Delia looked at the… Other Delia and primed her legs to move if things went south. She had no idea what this woman was capable of. Even if this was not the result of her father's machinations, that did not make the other woman safe; human or not.
Other Delia stared hard at her, likely also running through a similar calculation in her head.
Delia, both of them, opened her mouth to speak. "Hello-" they said at the same time, their voices reverberating in tandem.
"I'm-" they repeated once again, but promptly stopped the moment where their voices overlapped once again.
A silence fell as the pairs of everyone just stared at their counterpart, not sure what to do.
Finally, one of the Ashes spoke up, addressing his apparent twin. "So, you can turn into a Pokémon? I saw you do it when were walking over!"
"Yup!" the Ash that could turn into a Shinx said as he raised his bracelet. "It's really weird the first few times, but it's fun! I learned how to shock people and talk to Pokémon!"
"Wow, I turned into a Zorua once!" said the other Ash, who was likely Delia's son. "But I never got to use moves or understand Pokémon!"
The two Ashes met each other, their Pikachus following them.
"You're really missing out!" said the Shinx turning Ash. He then took off his bracelet and handed it to Delia's son.
"Ash!" Both Delia's snapped.
The Delia who was a Zoroark shook her head. "This is frustrating. Ash, you don't know who he is!"
"And you can't really be sure if you can trust him!" Other Delia replied. "And your Looplet won't work on anyone but you!"
"But he's me!" said both Ashes at the same time. They laughed. "And I'm him!"
Delia saw her son take the bracelet and put it on his wrist. "So how do you use this?"
She was tempted to leap in, to take her son to safety, yet she did not want to reveal her hand against the other… her. So far, the two boys were getting along with each other and she did not want to ruin that unless a clear and present danger revealed itself.
"You just do!" said Other Ash. He made a few gestures, ending with raising his hands. "You just have to… want it?"
"Like this?" Delia's Ash raised his hand and then was engulfed in light.
Delia's heart leapt for a moment and she took several steps towards her son in reflex.
When the light dissipated, her boy had been replaced by a Zorua.
"Wow, this is weird!" the Zorua spoke, his tail wagging in excitement. He leapt onto the grass to test his bearings. "Is that my voice? I sound so different now. And everything feels way lighter than the last time when I was Zorua."
All of the Pokémon on Other Delia's side of the training ground, just stared at the sight. "Ash?" Zorua-Ash's Pikachu spoke.
"Hey, Pikachu! Wow, I can understand what you're saying now!"
"It's great!" said Shinx-Ash's Pikachuto his more subdued counterpart. "Sadly, humans can't understand us, but it's good enough for them to be Pokémon!"
"Hey, mind if I have my Looplet back?" Other Ash knelt down. "I want to join you."
Other Delia looked at the scene, mirroring the confusion Delia herself experienced. Her son was actually a Zorua, a kit, right down to the essence. He was practically a Pokémon now!
"Looplets are not supposed to be usable by anyone other than the people they were made for," Other Delia spoke. "They're very personal like that, made from personal experiences and connections."
"And yet, my son was able to use your son's…. Looplet?" Delia questioned. Neither of them were stuck mirroring the other now.
"Which means that as far as the Looplet is concerned, they're the same person," Other Delia agreed. She relaxed her body. "Though with some differences."
"I imagine so," Delia looked to Tyranitar and Larvitar as they spoke with her son's Dragonair.
The Zoroark felt herself relaxing, realizing that in essence, she was face to face with another… her.
A Zorua and Shinx pair walked up to her and nipped at her feet.
"Mom! Mom!" Zorua-Ash yipped. "This is great!"
"Indeed it is my little kit!" Delia bent down and ruffled her son's hair. And then because he was also technically her son, she patted the Shinx on the head.
Both young Pokémon giggled and rolled into the grass.
It was such an innocent sight to see.
"Why don't you go along then?" Other Delia suggested. "Play among friends. Maybe train while you're at it!"
"Yup!" Shinx-Ash agreed. "Come on, me! Come on, Pikachus!"
Zorua Ash made a low growl and followed the Shinx as they lead them down the training ground.
That also prompted the other Pokémon to get to know their duplicates.
"Stay where we can see you!" Both Delias shouted.
Delia let out a chuckle. "We're… so alike, aren't we?"
"It seems so," Other Delia sighed. "I'm just glad our sons are getting along."
"Likewise," Delia agreed. She gestured towards some stones they could use to sit themselves.
Other Delia agreed to sit down.
The two mothers wanted their sons and their Pokémon romping through the grass in excited play. It was obvious that Shinx-Ash was more comfortable in his body, with Zorua-Ash still trying to learn his limits, but he was quickly improving. But that was fine for everyone involved; having fun was more important.
"So," Delia began first. "I don't know what questions to ask, but I noticed that you have the same type of bracelet that your son has. Do you also turn into a Pokémon?"
"That's correct," Other Delia volunteered as she raised her wrist. "An old friend gave me this thing to help me out when I learned Ash was in danger. Then afterwards, she gave Looplets to Ash and his friends."
Delia squinted an eye, imagining what kind of friend could give out… devices that allowed humans to turn into Pokémon so flippantly. "Come to think of it, I did notice Misty wearing a bracelet as well. You mean to say she also turns into a Pokémon?"
"It's just what's become popular among Ash's friends," Other Delia shrugged. "How about you? I don't want to make this about me… or rather me specifically. What separates me from you?"
"I don't turn into a Pokémon for one," Dela stated, though leaving the part about her actually being one. Deciding that it was not sufficient, she added something fairly simplistic, nondescript. "I was born and raised in Unova, but Professor Oak helped me immigrate to Kanto. I've lived near him since I had Ash."
"I was born and raised in Pallet Town. I inherited my father's dinner after he passed away," Other Delia responded, giving away plenty of information that Delia had only guessed before. "After that… a close friend and I had Ash together."
The woman was mostly that; she was born human and sometime down the line gained the power to become a Pokémon. Not only that, but she had a family, a father that she inherited from…. Ash was even actually her son. If she had been more vain, Delia might have even been jealous.
"And how is it that you became a Pokémon? Delia questioned. "In fact, I need to double check, is your name also Delia?"
Other Delia nodded her head. "So, not only do our sons have the same name, but we do as well."
"In many ways we're the same person, but with substantial differences as well." Delia nodded. Idly, she wondered if the woman before her could turn into a Zoroark, but decided against it. Her Ash had become a Zorua, while the other leaned towards being a Shinx. "So, again l. How did you become a Pokémon in the first place?"
"So, the way I became a Pokémon was fairly simple. Years ago, when I was still very young and just about to be old enough to go on an adventure, my family and I went boating to celebrate getting the highest test score Pokémon Educational Studies in Kanto."
"I… had something similar," Delia muttered. The story sounded eerily familiar. Though she had no intention of being a trainer, she remembered taking a similar test and celebrating by going out to sea, against her will. Vaguely, she recalled something about… an accident, but she couldn't place her claw on it. "... You were going to the Orange Islands, weren't you?"
"We are really similar, aren't we?" Other Delia smirked. "So, before we landed, we hit a storm. And at the time, I was on the top of the deck and I couldn't find my way below deck. Once it started raining, I couldn't even see where I was going, either. "
"I was lost as well," Delia spoke solemnly. She had a vague idea of what was going to happen next. "The waves rapidly grew, didn't they?"
Other Delia nodded. "It all came so suddenly. And then just like that, I was swept over the deck. I remember seeing my family's faces as I fell into the sea."
A cold shiver went over Delia's back. She had nearly been swept away by the tide as well. And she knew she had only avoided being taken by the sea just because she ran fast enough to get into shelter. "...And yet you survived?"
"I don't remember what happened exactly, but yes. When I woke up… I was so confused. See, I forgot my name. And while I knew I was human, I looked at my reflection in a puddle, I saw a Shinx. And on top of that, my body ached so much that I could barely walk. So, I was struggling to understand what had happened to me, while having no idea of who I was or what I was supposed to do!" Delia breathed a sigh of relief. "If it wasn't for Sheldon and his team running into me, I don't think I would have survived that encounter."
"Sheldon?" Delia paused, not knowing anyone who went by that name. Then again, she likely would have met him if she had gone overboard like her counterpart did. "I don't think I would have liked forgetting everything like that. I like my memories the way they are, even the bad ones."
"Well, I didn't have any choice. Sheldon took me in when I told him I was human. He was a Squirtle who suffered from similar memory problems, but he believed he was human," Delia said. "See, I ended up in this place called the Air Continent, which is part of a series of similar landmasses where no human can go to. They're nowhere on the map, and well, any human who ends up there…"
"...becomes a Pokemon,," Delia completed.
"To make a very long story short, some years passed and I had gotten used to my condition. Because I didn't have a name, one of Sheldon's friends, a Chikorita, gave me the name Hanako to replace the one I lost." Delia spoke softly. "I slowly began to recover my memories, overtime. I came to miss my family and friends, but I had given up on returning home."
"And yet you're here."
Other Delia shed a tear. "A close friend from my human life didn't give up. He figured out a way to find me and then…. walked into the world to meet me. He gave me my name back, but I… was conflicted on returning home with him. I had so many friends there, but also, I really did want to see my old friends and family again."
"Ultimately, he…. Convinced me that he would stay by my side no matter where I was," Other Delia shook her head. "... My friends on the other side and I, we did one last adventure together. Then when that was done, he and I walked past the gateway. We returned to being human… and we settled down back home in Pallet Town. I never told anyone else what had happened, because it was so ridiculous. It took a while to adjust back to being human, but unlike last time, I wasn't forgetting anything important."
The Delia that was a Zoroark eyed her counterpart. "That still doesn't explain the bracelets."
"It's a tool from my adventuring days and it has magical powers. A year ago, a friend, someone who was from the Air Continent, visited and gave me an Emera, a spell, which let me transform back and forth." Other Delia smirked. "Ash got his shortly after, because he really wanted to be like me."
Delia looked out to the young ones as they played with each other. The two boys who became Pokémon scampered about, tackling each other into the grass. No one would imagine they were human. "... As parents, we do have that kind of influence."
"So, how about you?" Other Delia laughed. "I know that I may have gotten a little long there, but I want to know more about you."
Delia frowned. She didn't like bringing up her past to… just about anyone. Only a few people in her life even knew the truth and they were sworn to secrecy. On the other hand, her counterpart trusted her. And in a way, this was as much about trusting herself.
"I am afraid to say that my father was a horrible person," Delia offered. "I haven't told Ash yet, so please don't tell him."
Her counterpart nodded. "I understand. There are just some things that it would be better if he had no idea about for the time being."
Delia breathed a sigh of relief. "When I was very young, I ran away from home. My father was not a particularly nice man." She hid the part about him being a Zoroark.
Other Delia nodded her head. "I follow so far."
A bitter tone escaped Delia's lips. "I grew up being a lab assistant for Professor Oak, learning new things about Pokémon." Though in her case, that was as much about learning how to imitate them.
Other Delia frowned. "That's not all, wasn't it?"
"I… wasn't content with leaving my family behind entirely. I wanted to understand why my life was the way it was." Delia nodded. "I went back home and…tried to learn what I could about my father. Because I was so young when I last saw him, I barely knew what to look for, but eventually, I found out what his true goals were. He wanted to seize command of the Dragon of Unova, Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem. He planned to subject the world to some sort of genocidal conquest."
"That… sounds awful."
"It's a good thing he didn't succeed. The dragons abandoned him because they wouldn't follow his command. Ever since then, I… hated him. I wasn't strong enough to face him then and there, so I did the best thing I could and sabotaged his efforts before running away." Delia breathed a sigh. "I… went back home, my real home. Ash came into my life sometime afterwards, but…"
"Your father is still out there," Other Delia quickly surmised.
The disguised Zoroark nodded her head. "I'm afraid of him showing up and taking Ash away to force me back into his plans. I don't even know if I could stand up to him now."
"If you ever need help, I'll give it to you," Other Delia replied.
"I appreciate the offer, but no thank you." Delia started. Though she felt reassured to know that her counterpart would side with her if need be, she did not want to go seek out her father. That was only asking for tragedy.
"Mom! Mom!" a Zorua's voice called out.
"Ash?" Delia turned to the source but did not see a vulpine kit, nor a human boy. Instead, she saw a semitransparent mass that resembled a marshmallow in the shape of a man. It didn't even so much as walk, but rather it hobbled over.
"Mom! Look at me!" the see through marshmallow man voiced in Ash's voice. "It's an illusion!"
Delia stared. This was a kit's first attempt at harnessing their innate illusion powers. Such attempts were always crude and unrealistic, but they were the seeds of promise, a stepping stone to mastery. Where humans learned how to walk, Zorua learned how to shape light and shadow.
Ash had never done this before, not even when that witch temporarily turned him into a Zorua just a month ago. Simply put, he wasn't really a Pokémon then. He lacked the ability to speak like a Zorua and use moves like one. Now, Ash truly was a mischievous little fox.
Delia walked up to her son, grabbing hold of his disguise.
And it broke apart at the slightest touch, returning the little kit to his… current form. "Aw," he voiced his disappointment.
"You'll get better, especially if I can teach you the basics!" Delia promised.
"You'll really teach me?" Ash sounded delighted. "Because other me said that his mom teaches him all kinds of moves!"
"I would do the same if I could!" Delia said as she knelt down to meet her son. "Come on, all you have to do is… think of it like sand, back on the beach. Think about shaping your disguise like that for a while. It'll get you in the habit of making shapes correctly!" It was a crude metaphor, but it got the point across.
"Okay!" Ash yipped. He leapt up and nippered his mother in the chin.
Delia giggled, so proud to see her son be like this. She wasn't afraid of her illusion bursting either from his touch alone. "Try and disguise yourself as a rock for a while. It's a simple and easy thing to try."
"But that's boring!" Ash complained.
"And it's something you'll have to do before you can go ahead and make people. Now, get, little mister!" Delia barked, half laughing, half serious. "Why don't you go ahead and use it while playing hide and seek?"
Ash feigned a pout and then bounced away to go back into the grass. No doubt to play with his friends.
Delia could hear her counterpart's laugh…. Did she really sound like that?
"So, you're a Zoroark?" Other Delia spoke.
Delia froze, like an animal caught in the headlights. She considered making an attack, but quickly regained her grip. "You figured it out?"
"How else were you so knowledgeable about illusions and were able to understand Pokémon. Plus, with your son being a Zorua, I kind of wondered," Other Delia laughed. "I'll admit, I wouldn't have figured it out if it wasn't for you getting so excited that you let your cover slip."
"... my name really is Delia and Ash is my son… even if he is human. I found him in the woods, abandoned." Delia answered back, her voice suddenly harsh. "I…. this is the first time I could ever have taught him how to use illusions."
"He is your son," Other Delia confirmed. "You love him, that's what matters."
"I admit, I am jealous that your Ash bears your flesh and blood, but my love for him is real."
The Other Delia raised her bracelet and in a flash was replaced by a powerful Luxray.
Delia felt a shiver go down her body, seeing the woman transform. While she was not a weakling, she knew that this was not her element.
"Why have you done that?"
"Because this way, we can bond with our sons directly. I can't understand them unless I am a Pokémon myself," the Luxray spoke, her voice thundering like a storm. "Also, you may refer to me as Hanako in the meanwhile."
"Hanako? I know that that's the name you had when you lost your memories, but why do you want to use it now?" the disguised Zoroark spoke. Though, she had to admit, it made things easier for herself by clearly providing a separation between herself and her doppelganger. Hanako was a Luxray, Delia was a Zoroark.
"In my case, I've come to associate those names with the two parts of my being: Pokémon and human are separate," Hanako spoke. "It keeps my mind at ease."
"I suppose, I shall accept your terms." The Zoroark let go of her illusion, letting it fall off her body before disappearing into the wind.
Zoroark stepped forward and let her legs carry her towards the fields where her son and his double played.
The Pokémon, both of Ash's teams, were engaged in a game of hide and seek as Delia had instructed.
The mother Tyranitar was the only one present who didn't partake; she simply oversaw the young play. "Ah, there you are. I was wondering when you two were willing to join us."
"I have determined that… my other self is no threat. Also, she and I are uncannily similar, save for some details," Hanako spoke.
"I didn't expect a woman looked just like a disguise I made up. I almost wondered if you were another Zoroark," Delia exclaimed. "Still, I am glad I met you."
Their two sons leapt out of the grass in a tumble, biting and nipping at each other as playful young did. Their laughter and joy filled the fields, whilst their Pikachus were trying to untangle them.
"Ash!" the rodents intoned in stereo.
"But this is so fun!" the Zorua replied.
"Yeah, other me is great!" said the Shinx.
The two untangled themselves and rose.
"Hey, did you know food tastes better like this?" the Shinx's tail wagged.
"It does?" said the Zorua.
"Come on! I got lots of PokéChow we can try!" said Shinx-Ash as he led the Zorua towards a discarded backpack and dug into it head first
Delia eyed the scene, wondering why he didn't turn back to being human. Then again, her son wasn't prone to thinking in that way.
The Zorua dug into the bag as well and in a sudden jolt… a Pokéball was thrown into the air.
It then slammed itself onto the Zorua's head.
Ash recoiled slightly, but was sucked into the Pokéball before he could react.
Delia dashed over, a slight twinge of panic in her heart, but she was too far away to stop the inevitable.
The ball shook three times before making a final audible click.
The Zoroark reached down and opened the ball, sending the Zorua into his mother's arms. "Ash!" Delia snapped.
"That was weird…." the Zorua muttered.
"You captured yourself, Ash!" said one of the Pikachus.
"If it makes you feel any better, my Ash did the same thing, too," said the other Pikachu.
"Yeah, it was strangely comfy," the Zorua muttered..
The Shinx made a laugh. "Yeah, they're pretty nice!"
Delia looked down at her son, an exasperated look on her face. "Ash, you haven't even spent an hour as a Pokémon and you've gone and gotten yourself captured."
"If it helps, the good news is that now while he's a Pokemon, no one can capture him now," Hanako provided.
Delia was considering shattering her son's Pokéball, but deemed it was unnecessary. Besides, her counterpart had a point. An ordinary Pokéball wouldn't be able to capture him now.
"Noted," Delia sighed. "Oh, what am I going to do with you, Ash?"
"I don't know!"
"You could always train him." Hanako walked beside Delia
"Train him?" Delia shivered, as she imagined her son going into dangerous situations. "You mean, to fight?"
"You can't keep him innocent forever," Hanako sounded resigned. "And if he's exactly like my Ash, he's going to run into trouble."
Delia thought about the two most recent incidents that could have resulted in the world being destroyed. Mewtwo nearly created an endless storm, whilst Lugia battled to keep the Beast of the Seat contained. In both cases, Ash went into danger because he was simply nearby. "... You might be right about that."
"I don't like it either, but it's a reality we might have to put up with." Hanako made a groan.
Delia set her son down onto the ground. The young Zorua made a pout. "Well, if you think it might be best, I wouldn't mind getting some training myself." Maybe if she was lucky, she could ask her double for help when danger inevitably came..
But Hanako didn't reply.
Concerned, Delia turned her gaze towards where Hanako had stood. However, the Luxray had disappeared. So had the Shinx and the Tyranaitar.
Panicking, Delia searched the immediate area. All of her Ash's Pokémon were present, but nothing remained of her counterpart or her son.
All of Ash's Pokémon went on a search to try to find where their doubles had gone, but there was no trace of them even being here.
"What- what happened?" Ash spoke, a tremble in the Zorua's voice. He hugged close towards Delia's leg.
"I think they went home," the Zoroark hoped. She well and truly hoped that her counterpart was still out there somewhere, but she had no evidence that they were even real… except for the fact her son was now a Zorua in practically every way.
"That was… weird," agreed Pikachu.
"I was hoping I could ask myself how he was allowed to be his own Pokémon in the League, but maybe I'm not ready for that just yet," Ash muttered. He then suddenly leapt into the air. "Wait, I'm still a Zorua! How do I be human? Does being a Pokémon wear off?"
Delia laughed softly and patted him on the head. "Looks like I'll have to train you a bit."
This was the result of a weekly writing prompt from the Fritik Discord where alternate versions of Ash met up. This ended up involve the moms being the point of veiw characters.
The alternate Zoroark Delia and Zorua Ash are from RichardSullivan's Illusion of Family Series and used with his permission. Luxray Delia and Shinx Ash are a possible future versions of the ones featured in A Mother's Roar, which I wrote.