Happy "Brock and Misty Are Back in the Anime Day" everyone! I've been waiting for this day since this episodes were announced (and honestly way before then, too) and I can't wait to finally watch the first installment! I've looked at lots of pictures though and I am seriously excited.

So, I figured why not give another shot of nostalgia today, as if the new episode wasn't enough? If the anime is really gonna celebrate 20 years today, then so are we! Here's to nostalgia!


All Hail Molly Hale

It had been pretty surprising for a number of people when a certain honey blonde teenager showed up at Professor Oak's door one summer afternoon.

Molly Hale, the daughter of renowned researchers Diana and Spencer Hale, had left on a Pokémon journey at 10 years old, just as she had desired as a child. She'd actually been pretty successful; she was frequently mentioned in trainer magazines and seen on TV shows. The girl seemed to really enjoy what she was doing, too.

That's why it was so shocking when she showed up at Professor Oak's lab.

As it turned out, Molly really was enjoying being a Pokémon trainer, but she was beginning to become more interested in Pokémon research like her parents. She decided she wanted to study with Professor Oak, like her father had done (he and her mother were the ones who had given her the idea in the first place), and decide what she might be most interested in researching.

For what it was worth, Professor Oak was more than happy to become Molly's teacher. He had her help out all around the lab and out in the fields. He'd give her textbooks to read and videos to watch. He even enlisted the help of Tracey, who Molly had become quite taken by. She was fascinated by his artwork and all of the unique things he noticed about all different Pokémon.

The citizens of Pallet Town, who remembered Spencer Hale both as a former student of the professor's and from the infamous Greenfield incident, immediately recognized Molly. She had been a bit worried about the reception at first, but was pleasantly surprised by how warmly they'd all welcomed her. People would come directly to the lab once they'd heard she was there, bringing over freshly baked goods for her to enjoy.

The fact that Delia Ketchum lived right down the road didn't hurt either. Molly adored the woman, and Delia felt the same way about the girl. She always made sure to check up on Molly, and would frequently invite the teen to her home for dinner. Very often, whenever she had some time to herself, Molly would go to Delia's house to help her out with her garden or some chores. Delia insisted it wasn't necessary, but Molly asserted that she enjoyed it and loved helping out. Even Mimey enjoyed having her around and didn't fuss about having to share his responsibilities.

One sunny morning, Molly was busy browsing Professor Oak's bookshelves. She had watched Tracey clean the water type Pokémon the day before, and was now interested in reading and learning more about them. She had a few water types herself, but all the facts that Tracey had been telling her were things that Molly never knew. So, she thought it'd be interesting to read more about them.

As her blue eyes scanned the spines, Molly found one on a relatively high shelf that featured the title "The Nature of Water Types." Beaming, Molly reached for the book, but the sudden sound of a bell ringing alarmed her and caused her hand to slip. Instead, Molly ended up knocking several books off the shelf, sending them to the floor with a series of loud thuds. The girl doubly jumped at that, groaning as soon as she'd settled down and realized the mess she made.

"Professor?" Molly called, walking out of the room and peering down the stairs towards the foyer. Professor Oak normally answered the door, but she didn't see him anywhere. "Tracey?"

Still no response. Shrugging her shoulders, Molly scurried down the stairs towards the front door. She didn't want to keep whoever was out there waiting, and figured she could always have them wait around until Professor Oak or Tracey showed up. Grabbing the knob, Molly pulled the door back and put on her best and brightest smile. That smile quickly disappeared, however, when she locked eyes with the newly arrived visitor.

"…M-Molly?!"

The girl recoiled ever so slightly and managed a much more timid smile. "Yeah, it's me. Hi…uh…Pokémon Master?"

The raven haired man on the other side of the door chuckled. It was a bit of a nervous one, but he was beginning to loosen up to some extent already. "You can still call me Ash. I think I'd prefer it if you did, actually."

Confusion crossed Molly's face. "Why? You don't like being the Pokémon Master?"

"No, I do," Ash refuted. "I just still want to be a normal person, ya know? I don't really think I'm any different than before I was the Pokémon Master."

Molly cleared her throat a bit. She couldn't really respond to that comment, because she hadn't seen Ash in person in 11 years. And the last time she had…she'd stolen his mother away from him.

"So, did you come here for the professor?" Molly asked, eager to change the subject.

"Yep," Ash confirmed. "I wanted to show him some of the stuff I've been working on with my Pokémon."

"Oh," Molly breathed. "Well…I'm not sure where he is right now, to be honest. But you can wait inside for him if you want."

"Thanks," Ash sighed happily, Pikachu making a very similar sound of relief from the man's shoulder. "It's getting pretty hot out here!"

He walked in past Molly, who kept her eyes on him the whole time. He certainly wasn't the same 10 year old boy she'd seen last…in the looks department, at least. She had seen his picture splashed all over magazines and on TV, but in the flesh, it was so different. He was tall, and muscular, and actually quite handsome. She could see why girls fawned over him so much, although she certainly wouldn't consider herself one of them.

Molly closed the door and turned back around, surprised to see Ash still standing there. She thought he would've started heading upstairs already. But instead, he was just staring at her, now looking confused himself.

"What're you doing at the lab, Molly?" Ash asked.

Molly gently shrugged her shoulders. "I decided I wanted to learn more about Pokémon research, so my parents suggested I come study with Professor Oak."

"But you're a trainer, right?" Ash prodded. "I've seen you on TV a few times before."

Molly blushed at the mention, though she was smiling rather slyly. "Yeah, I am. And I'm pretty good at it. But…I don't know. I felt like doing something different. I love being a trainer, but I started to feel like all of my battles just felt the same. I didn't feel like I was really being challenged. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Pokémon research is something I'd like to get involved with."

Ash nodded his head. "That makes sense! But still…if you don't train for too long, you might get rusty. We should battle!"

Molly's eyes widened in disbelief. "You would battle me? Just like that?"

"Well, yeah," Ash chuckled as though it were obvious. "Why wouldn't I?"

"You're the Pokémon Master," Molly stated plainly. "Why would you want to waste your time battling random trainers?"

"Because I don't think it's a waste of time," Ash replied. "I think you can learn a lot from any battle! I don't see much of a difference between a battle with a young trainer or a battle with a member of the Elite Four."

Molly blinked as Ash turned around and began heading up the stairs. She quickly shook her head and followed after the young man, intrigued by the fact that his personality seemed nearly identical to the way she remembered it. How was it possible that fame hadn't changed him at all?

"Whoa, that's some mess."

Molly was about to ask what he was talking about, but stopped and grimaced as soon as she realized he was staring at the pile of books on the floor. "Oh, yeah. I was looking for a specific book, but then you rang the doorbell, and I got startled, so…that happened."

Ash chuckled at the explanation. "Sorry I spooked ya!"

He knelt down and began gathering the books. Quickly feeling guilty that the Pokémon Master had suddenly decided to clean up her mess, Molly joined him and began picking up some of the books herself. Ash glanced up at the teen and smiled, amused by how much her personality had changed.

"What kind of book were you looking for?" Ash asked.

"Something about water types," Molly sighed. "I want to learn more about them."

"Water types?" Ash repeated, his face lighting up. "I know someone who could teach you all about water types!"

Molly raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah!" Ash confirmed. "She knows more about water types than anyone else I know! I bet she knows way more than a book, too."

"That'd be so cool!" Molly gushed, causing Ash to grin. There was that personality he remembered! "I love all Pokémon. I have so many different types, including water Pokémon. But I always want to learn more about them, and right now I'm super interested in water types!"

"Ash, are you in here?"

Pikachu's ears shot up and he jumped off of Ash's shoulder, scurrying straight out of the room. Molly looked around the man, ready to run after Pikachu, but stilled as soon as he started laughing.

"It's like she knew I was talking about her!" Ash laughed. "Yeah, Mist, I'm up the stairs!"

Molly sucked in a breath as the woman Ash had just called out appeared in the doorway. She knew who it was from the moment she heard Ash say her name, but Molly was still surprised to see the redhead again. It had been just as long since the last time she'd seen Ash, but the fact that they were actually together, married in fact, still kind of threw Molly for a loop. She would've never guessed that in a million years. They hadn't seemed to like each other like that.

The again, it could've just been because she was 5 years old the last time she saw them.

Misty was carrying Pikachu in her arms, who seemed quite content to be there. Once she saw Molly, however, she nearly dropped the mouse, who squeaked in surprise and quickly grabbed onto her shirt with his little paws.

"Look who's here!" Ash crowed.

"Molly?" Misty murmured, squinting her eyes at the girl. Once the teenager nodded, Misty smiled and straightened up. "Wow! It's been forever! And look how grown up you are!"

Molly blushed at the comment and managed to mumble a timid, "thank you."

"Shy all of a sudden?" Misty asked playfully. "I don't believe that for a second!"

The teenager scrunched up her nose at the suggestion. "Shy? I wouldn't call myself that. I'm just not as rowdy as I used to be."

"But she still really loves Pokémon," Ash blurted, obviously excited by the fact. "She's a really great trainer! And right now she's studying with Professor Oak."

"Oh, that's cool," Misty breathed. "Are you interested in becoming a Pokémon researcher?"

"I've been thinking about it," Molly confirmed. "I wanted to take a bit of a break from battling, and I'm always interested in learning more about Pokémon. So when my dad suggested I come here and study, I thought it was a good idea."

"Well there's no arguing that," Misty agreed. "I think Professor Oak is the smartest Pokémon researcher around!"

"Molly was telling me she wants to learn more about water type Pokémon," Ash continued. "She was looking for a book about them before I…um…dropped by. But I told her I knew someone who could teach her lots about water types! Someone who knows way more than any book!"

Misty giggled and tossed her hair behind her shoulder with a flick of her head. "That's very sweet of you, Ash. I'd be happy to teach you anything you'd like about water types, Molly!"

The girl's bright blue eyes widened. "Really?"

"Sure," Misty replied. "I love water type Pokémon, so anything I can do to get other people as interested in them as I am, I'm all for!"

Molly's smile widened as she leaned back on her heels. "Wow, thanks, Misty! That's so nice!"

Misty opened her mouth to assure Molly it was no big deal, but Ash spoke up before she could. "Yeah, she's a special one!"

The gym leader playfully rolled her eyes and glanced over at her husband. "You're too much."

"Really?" Ash teased with a chuckle, gently taking Pikachu out of his wife's arms. "Sometimes I think I'm not enough!"

Misty smirked and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before turning back towards Molly. "Come on, let's head outside! It'll be much easier to observe water types in a more natural habitat."

Molly nodded, and as her head bobbed down, she realized that something seemed different about Misty. Personality-wise, she had already taken notice of that, but now she was seeing it physically as well. Molly might've been young, but if she didn't know any better…

"You two have fun," Ash's deep voice snapped Molly out of her trance. "I'll wait here for the professor."

"Pi!" Pikachu chimed in, waving his little paw at the two women.

Misty led Molly down the stairs and out the back door of the lab, which was a bit strange for the teenager. She knew the place like the back of her hand at this point, so she wasn't used to being led around. Molly had a lot of respect for Misty as a gym leader, however, and wouldn't dare try and upstage her.

She was, however, extremely curious, and wasn't above asking a blunt question to get the answers she was looking for. Even to a renowned gym leader…and the Pokémon Master's wife.

"Misty, can I ask you something?" Molly began, staring at the back of her head.

"Sure," Misty chirped, figuring it would be something about water type Pokémon.

"Are you pregnant?"

Misty almost tripped over her own feet. Spinning around, she revealed a bright red face, which practically rivaled the color of her hair. "What?!"

"Are you pregnant?" Molly repeated, tilting her head.

Misty blinked hard, seemingly struggling to come up with an answer. "Um…wow. And to think I called you shy before."

Molly gave the older female a sideways smile. "I may be less unruly, but I'm still pretty nosy."

Misty sighed and pulled her shoulders back. "Guess I might as well get used to answering that question. Yes, I am."

The teenager's entire face lit up, taking Misty even more off guard than before. "Aw, that's so cute! When's the baby coming? Do you know if it's a boy or a girl? Is Ash excited? Are you excited?"

"Oh, more questions," Misty laughed nervously. "Uh…late December, we don't know yet, and yes. We're both very excited."

Molly giggled and clasped her hands together. "So exciting! You know, I always wanted a little brother or sister. I used to ask my parents for one all the time once we were back together! But they always said they wanted me to have all of their attention, which was really sweet of them. I just always wonder what it would have been like…"

"Sometimes I don't think it's such a bad thing to be an only child," Misty replied. "I have three older sisters, and growing up they were a total handful! It didn't help that we were nothing alike."

"Oh, that's too bad," Molly sighed. "Does that mean you and Ash only want one baby?"

Misty's blush returned, though not quite as red as before. "I'm…not sure. That's not really something we've talked about. I mean, I have my three older sisters, but Ash is an only child, just like you, and he did say it could be pretty lonely. I think we'll just start with this one and see how it goes."

The gym leader subconsciously laid a hand against her growing midsection. Molly spotted the action out of the corner of her eye and allowed her lips to bend up into a small smile.

"I may not have had a little brother or sister, but I'd like to think I'm a pretty good babysitter," Molly informed Misty, throwing in a wink for good measure.

"Babysitter?" Misty repeated with a little giggle. "Molly, I'm not even close to having this kid yet."

"I know, but just think it about it, okay?" Molly prodded. "I think I'm going to be staying with Professor Oak for a while, so I'll be nearby!"

Misty smirked at the teen. "Fair enough. I'll keep it in mind."

"Yay!" Molly cheered. "I can't wait to tell Mrs. Ketchum! Oh…uh…Ash's mom, I mean. I guess you're Mrs. Ketchum now too!"

Misty raised an eyebrow. Not for the second half of the sentence, but the first. "Ash's mom?"

"Oh yeah, I visit her all the time," Molly admitted, suddenly shrinking a bit. "I didn't tell Ash that. I was worried he might get upset."

"Nah, Ash is way too easygoing," Misty refuted. "I'm more surprised that she didn't already tell you about the baby. I absolutely love her, but she's not the best at keeping secrets, and this one she's been telling to just about anyone who'll listen."

"She didn't say anything," Molly quickly assured Misty.

"Huh, I'm impressed!" Misty crowed. "Well, that's enough talk about me. I think it's about time we head over to the pond so I can give you an awesome water Pokémon lesson!"

Now it was Molly's turn to blush. "Oh yeah, guess I got us a bit off track. Sorry about that!"

"Hey, you can't help it that you're nosy," Misty teased, winking at the girl. "Truthfully, I'm that way too, so I can relate."

Molly laughed and eagerly followed after the older girl, feeling even more attached to her than she had before.

Inside of the lab, Ash had been watching the two from a window, and admittedly, listening in on their conversation. As they walked away, he slunk back inside, turning so his back faced the window.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu questioned, tilting his head.

"Mom's known that Molly's been here the whole time?" Ash wondered aloud. "And she didn't tell me?"


Ash and Misty are 21 here, so Molly is 16. I imagine her being 5 years younger than them (so in the 3rd movie Ash and Misty were 10 and Molly was 5.)

And, as you can tell from the ending, we're not exactly done with this storyline ;)