Getting in right under the wire for Father's Day! Like Misty's Mother's Day one shot this year, this one doesn't specifically focus on Father's Day as a holiday, but more on Ash's role as a dad.

Some fun cameos in this one as well!


Girl Dad

"Ash, your children are just precious!"

"Thanks!" Ash boasted, turning the picture frame around to look at it himself. "They really are the best."

He had been surprised when Lyra of all people appeared at his office at Indigo Plateau that afternoon. She had been in the area conducting a Johto cultural fair and decided to drop by for a surprise visit. It was definitely nice, although Ash was just glad he had actually been in his office when she showed up, considering he spent most of his day out training. He would've felt bad making her wait around for him, especially if he had never shown up. Even though Lyra rarely used her phone to communicate, which made it nearly impossible to get in contact with her, it still could've been perceived as rude on Ash's part, which he definitely didn't want.

"So…are you and Misty going to try for another boy?"

Clearly, Lyra had no such qualms…even though Ash himself didn't understand the connotation behind such a question.

Ash blinked. "What?"

"Well, you've already got two girls," Lyra pointed out. "I thought you guys might want to even it out."

"How come?" Ash asked, genuinely curious.

"Oh, I just thought you men liked to have as much testosterone in the house as possible!" Lyra guffawed.

Ash inclined his head. "No…I've never really liked taking tests."

Lyra furrowed her brow. "That's not what I…never mind. What I meant was, it must be hard to be outnumbered by girls! Especially for a guy like you."

"Not really," Ash calmly refuted. "I think it's fun to have daughters. Michelle and Elizabeth are the cutest, sweetest little things!"

"They sure seem like it!" Lyra giggled. "But what about Aiden? I'm sure he'd love to have a brother to play with!"

"I don't know," Ash murmured, sinking in his chair a bit. "I mean, he wanted Elizabeth to be a boy, but once she was born, he fell in love with her! It's only been a couple of months, but he hasn't said anything about wishing he had a brother instead since."

Suddenly he was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. He was sure Lyra didn't mean it, but she was coming across as pretty pushy on something Ash had no control over…and had no desire to change, either.

Shaking the thoughts out of his head, Ash smiled at her. "Hey, I have an idea! Why don't you come to our house for dinner tonight? It's been a while since you've seen Aiden and Michelle, and you haven't even gotten to meet Elizabeth yet!"

"That'd be so nice!" Lyra squealed. Ash sighed inwardly, relieved that she had finally stopped pestering him about having another kid. "Oh, would it be alright if Khoury came too?"

"Yeah, of course!" Ash agreed. "I didn't think he was with you, since you came here alone."

"He is, I just told him I was going to pick up some coffee," Lyra coolly replied.

Ash's eyes widened. "But you came all the way here instead?!"

"Don't worry, it wasn't that far of a walk!" Lyra scoffed. "Besides, I'll just pick some up on the way back. Khoury won't know any better!"

"Even if you've been gone for over an hour…?" Ash asked uncertainly.

"Nah, Khoury never questions that kind of stuff," Lyra assured him. "He's used to it by now; trust me!"

XXX

Misty was no longer phased when Ash brought guests home for dinner.

He had done it enough times unannounced in the past that Misty had pleaded with him to at least call or text her in advance to let her know if he had invited people over. So long as she got that, then she was totally fine with some last-minute additions at the table.

The moment Ash walked into the house with their guests in tow, Lyra immediately ran forward to greet Misty with a giant hug. She was taken off guard, which was obvious just by the look on her face.

"Misty!" Lyra squealed. "It's been too long!"

"Lyra, let her go!" Khoury groaned. "I'm pretty sure you're hurting her."

"I-it's fine," Misty unconvincingly choked out, trying to wrap her own arms around Lyra to no avail; the Johto native had her totally locked down.

Lyra finally pulled away, reaching up to grab Misty's shoulders instead. "I'm sorry! Sometimes I let my excitement get the better of me."

"Don't worry, I already know that," Misty assured her with a giggle.

Looking around the room with her hands still clamped onto Misty, Lyra asked, "where are Aiden and Michelle? Oh, and the baby! I have to meet the baby!"

"Lyra…" Khoury warned.

"Aiden and Michelle are playing in the basement," Misty replied, shooting Khoury a quick, reassuring look. "And Elizabeth is upstairs taking a nap. But she should be awake soon!"

"I'm so excited!" Lyra shrieked, giving Misty a little shake. "It was so sweet of you to let us come over for dinner! Khoury and I really appreciate it!"

"Don't mention it," Misty politely rebuffed. "It's always nice to have friends over!"

She waited, but still, Lyra didn't let go of her. Khoury, who had also been staring at his girlfriend's hands, let out yet another tired sigh. "Okay, I think it's time to release Misty. Her own husband hasn't even gotten to say hello to her yet."

Ash chuckled nervously as Lyra pouted. "Come on, he gets to see her every day!" Still, the brunette finally let go of Misty, giving the gym leader an instant sense of relief.

"Thanks, Lyra," Ash laughed, stepping forward to give Misty a quick kiss. "How was your day?"

"Fine," Misty replied airily. "And how was yours?"

"Great!" Ash chirped. "I'm gonna go upstairs and check on the baby."

"Thank you," Misty breathed, looking over her shoulder as Ash walked up the stairs. Once he was out of sight, she turned back towards Lyra and Khoury. "Stay right here. I'll call Aiden and Michelle up!"

"Oh, I don't want to disturb them if they're busy!" Khoury cried. Lyra just smirked and rolled her eyes.

"It's okay," Misty soothed. "They've been playing for a while; a little break won't hurt them! Besides, the longer those two are alone, the more mischief they manage to create."

"Mischief, huh?" Lyra repeated amusedly. "Do you think they have that 'twin synergy' everyone talks about?"

"I don't think, I know," Misty stressed. "They can practically read each other's minds. It's pretty crazy."

She spun around and headed for the door that must've led to the basement, opening it up and calling down to the twins. Aiden and Michelle were up in a flash, although they seemed confused when they saw the other two adults standing there.

"You guys remember Mommy and Daddy's friends Lyra and Khoury, don't you?" Misty asked sweetly.

Michelle just stood there, but Aiden didn't hesitate to chirp, "nope!"

Misty sighed, but Lyra was hardly deterred by the response. "Oh, don't worry! The last time we saw these two, they were awfully little! Not really a surprise that they don't remember us."

"Yeah, you've both gotten so big!" Khoury marveled. "How old are you now?"

"Five!" Aiden cried, holding up a hand and fanning all his fingers out.

"But we're almost six," Michelle added softly.

"Yes, their birthday is two months away," Misty confirmed. "They've been asking about it quite a bit lately!"

"I wish our birthday came faster," Aiden sighed, crossing his arms.

"Aw, don't worry, it'll be here before you know it!" Lyra assured him as she bent down to be at eye level with the boy. "You are just so cute, Aiden! You look so much like your daddy!"

"Cute?" Aiden repeated, scrunching his nose up in disdain. He didn't enjoy being called that.

"He does, doesn't he?" Misty asked whimsically, knowing even from standing behind her son that he was discontented from the compliment. "Like a little clone!"

Michelle had shifted her eyes over towards her brother, but quickly moved them back ahead when she felt Lyra move her attention over. "And you, Michelle, with those adorable little freckles! I can't even take it!"

The girl furrowed her brow, unsure of what to say. She thought that was a good thing, but she wasn't entirely sure. With her brow still bent, Michelle looked over her shoulder at her mother, who offered a reassuring smile. Turning back around, the young girl squeaked out a simple, "thank you."

"Look who's up!"

Aiden and Michelle both let out sighs of relief as their father came back downstairs with their baby sister in his arms. Neither one said anything out loud, but they were both thinking the same thing: good, let this weird lady fuss over her for a while.

"Oh, oh, let me see!" Lyra cried, standing up straight and rushing to meet Ash at the foot of the stairs so she could get a good look at the infant. As soon as he got close enough, Lyra leaned in to hover over the tiny thing, who stared right back at the woman with wide open eyes.

"Lyra, this is Elizabeth," Ash introduced the baby, who mumbled and pressed one of her tiny fists against her cheek.

"Oh…my…gosh!" Lyra squealed, reaching down to tickle the infant's stomach. "You are just precious!"

"Aw, she sure is a cutie!" Khoury cooed, peering over Lyra's shoulder. "How old is she?"

"Two months," Ash answered with obvious pride. "She's starting to smile all the time now, and she makes the cutest little sounds!"

Misty giggled. "Ash will brag about our daughter to anyone who will listen."

"Well, I don't blame him," Lyra replied. "She's absolutely perfect!"

Mumbling unhappily, Elizabeth began to squirm in her father's arms, piquing both Lyra and Khoury's interest. Ash glanced down at his daughter, cooing, "what is it, sweetie?"

"Something tells me she needs a diaper change," Misty mused, moving towards Ash and taking the baby from him. "Is that the problem, sprinkle?"

Lyra watched as Misty held the baby against her, gently squeezing the girl's bottom. "Yep, definitely the problem!"

"Wow, Misty, that's amazing!" Lyra gasped, obviously impressed with the woman's skill.

"Thanks, I've had a lot of practice," Misty giggled, nodding towards the confounded twins. "I'll just take her upstairs for a change and then we can eat!"

"Mommy, can I help?" Michelle pleaded, spinning around and holding her hand out towards her mother.

"Of course, you can," Misty replied with a smile, reaching down and taking her older daughter's hand as she informed the others, "We'll be right back!"

They went up the stairs, Aiden looking longingly after them. He was about to follow behind but was stopped in his tracks when Lyra knelt to be at eye level with him. "Do you like having a little sister, Aiden?"

"Uh huh," Aiden absentmindedly confirmed, trying to look around the woman. His mother and sisters were no longer in sight, filling him with a sense of dread. Great…now he was stuck here.

Lyra, who was completely unaware of Aiden's disgruntlement, grinned and placed a hand against her cheek. "I bet you'd like to have a little brother too, huh?"

"Uh huh," Aiden repeated, having not heard a word she said.

Khoury raised an eyebrow at Lyra's question, but Ash quickly became flustered. "Hey, Aiden! How about you help me set the table?"

Realizing his father was now speaking to him, Aiden snapped out of his stupor and shot the man a grateful look. "Kay!"

Not having to be asked twice, Aiden ran right out of the living room and into the kitchen, leaving behind a giggling Lyra.

"So cute!" She trilled, standing back to her full height. "You sure are a lucky guy, Ash!"

"Thanks," Ash chuckled nervously, just as eager to escape the room as his son had been. "Anyway, I'm gonna go get things ready for dinner. You guys stay right here and make yourselves at home!"

"Are you sure?" Khoury asked. "Lyra and I would be more than happy to help!"

"No, no, I insist!" Ash pressed. "You're our guests! And besides, it's not every day I can actually get Aiden to agree to help out, so I'd like to take advantage!"

He had continued talking as he slowly left the room, leaving Khoury no room to argue any further. Lyra, for what it was worth, was more than happy to buzz around the living room, taking a look at the various photos that were scattered around.

"I can't get over how adorable of a family they are," Lyra sighed dreamily. "Ash and Misty really made the cutest kids!"

Khoury twisted his mouth. "Speaking of, why were you asking Aiden about wanting a little brother before?"

Lyra turned towards her boyfriend and shrugged. "Just making small talk!"

"With a five-year-old?"

"Yeah!"

The man raised an eyebrow. "Really? You're sure that's all?"

"Yes!" Lyra huffed. "Just because Aiden is young doesn't mean I can't have a conversation with him. Sheesh, Khoury, not everything is some big ulterior motive!"

"I wouldn't say an ulterior motive," Khoury sighed. "It just seemed…odd. That's all."

She waved him off. "Nothing odd about it! Don't overthink things, babe."

Khoury sighed. "Trust me, I'm trying not to…"

XXX

"So, Lyra, what did you and Ash talk about in his office today?" Misty asked casually.

Lyra's face lit up at the opportunity. "Actually, I was asking him – "

"We were just catching up!" Ash interrupted, showing off a toothy grin to try and hide the anxiety that was bubbling in the pit of his stomach. "It's been so long, after all!"

Misty, however, was less than impressed with his behavior. "Don't be rude, Ash!" Turning back towards Lyra, Misty smiled and prompted, "sorry, you were saying?"

"Oh, yeah!" Lyra laughed. "I wanted to know if you and Ash were going to try for another baby. You know, even it up with another boy!"

Misty froze, her smile now appearing far more awkward. Aiden and Michelle were both eyeing each other confusedly, while Khoury just stared at his girlfriend with his mouth hanging open. Ash, on the other hand, had simply groaned softly and buried his face in his hands.

"Lyra!" Khoury finally managed to hiss, his face red as a tamato berry.

"What?!" Lyra exclaimed.

"That is so inappropriate!" Khoury exclaimed, alarmed that she wasn't seeing it. "You don't just ask people that!"

"I was curious!" Lyra huffed. "They already have two girls, so I just thought – "

"No, please, stop thinking," Khoury desperately pleaded.

Misty had finally managed to regain her composure, and calmly cleared her throat. Fortunately, being married to Ash had made her an expert at diffusing uncomfortable situations. "Probably not. I think we're going to stop at three."

Aiden and Michelle both looked relieved by this comment, although no one else at the table noticed it. Ash, meanwhile, had finally lowered his hands from his face, and now appeared white as a ghost.

"Aw, how come?" Lyra crooned. "Your kids are so cute!"

"They are," Misty agreed, her smile widening as she glanced over at Aiden and Michelle. "But I think three is a good number! I was the youngest of four, and to be honest, I hated it. Even when my parents were around, it always felt like they never had enough attention for all of us. I ended up feeling left out most of the time, and I don't want my kids to feel that way."

"Even if it would mean getting another boy?" Lyra questioned.

"Lyra!" Khoury shrieked.

Misty giggled. "Yeah, because that's not a guarantee. Besides, I don't think Ash or I feel like we need to make things even. We've already got one of each, so we already get to experience everything."

"I just figured Ash would want to have his own duo of little boys," Lyra continued. "Just like you have with the girls!"

Khoury looked like he was about to interject again, but Misty winked at him to cool things down. "We're all a team together! Ash is especially great at it. One minute he'll be playing with Michelle and her baby dolls, and the next he's in the backyard with Aiden practicing baseball together. Honestly, I don't think he prefers one activity over the other!"

Feeling it looked bad if he remained quiet, Ash blurted out, "nope! They're both super fun!" Reigning himself in, Ash more calmly continued, "I already told you, Lyra. I love having two little girls. And I love having my little guy, too! I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything."

Lyra smiled at Ash. "Aw, that's so sweet! I'd love to see you playing dolls!"

Ash chuckled uncomfortably. "Maybe after dinner!"

XXX

"Don't be rude, Ash," he muttered sarcastically in Misty's ear as he breezed past her.

"Oh, shush!" Misty scolded, lightly whipping him with the dishcloth. "How was I supposed to know that's what you were talking about today?!"

Ash didn't answer right away, looking rather thoughtful. "Lyra means well. She's just…a little nosy. And she doesn't have much in the way of a filter. But I really don't think she was trying to be offensive."

Misty couldn't help but smirk. "I agree with you."

Ash raised an eyebrow, obviously surprised. "You do?"

"Mmhmm," Misty intoned, nodding her head. "Besides, I've heard enough strangers talk about my uterus that this was almost a cake walk."

Ash blushed; not so much because of the terminology (he was an adult who understood how reproduction worked, after all) but because of how casually his wife had mentioned other people's interest in it. Hers, specifically.

"I'm starting to feel like I might need to go defend you," Ash slowly commented. "Do you…need me to do that?"

"No," Misty quickly refuted. "I'm a big girl, I can handle a little petty gossip."

Ash nodded, but he was still frowning. Misty, of course, noticed this right away, and instantly dropped her joking tone. "It's not bothering you that much, is it?"

"No," Ash sighed. "It's just…the whole girl thing. Do you think other people feel bad for me that I have daughters? I know that's not what Lyra meant, but…it got me thinking. And the more I think about it, the sicker it makes me feel."

Now Misty was frowning. She had never really thought of that. "I know what you're saying. I've seen comments like that about other male celebrities who only have daughters. You probably get less grief than other guys, since we also have a son. But that doesn't make any of it right."

"I love them all equally," Ash croaked, looking desperately at Misty. "I don't want people to think that I wish Michelle and Elizabeth were boys, or that I want another boy because I don't like there being more girls in the family. They're my kids. I love them no matter what."

At this point, Misty's heart had shot up into her throat. This was really bothering Ash. She knew just how much he loved their children and had never once thought for a second that he wanted them to be anything other than what they were. She had to remind him of that. Smiling softly, she reached out and grabbed Ash's hand, gaining his attention.

"Do you remember how excited you were when we found out Elizabeth was a girl?" Misty asked softly. "I'll never forget how bright your eyes were, or how big your smile was. And then when you looked at me, and you said she'd be just as perfect as Michelle."

Ash nodded. "-cause I knew she would be. And I was right!"

Misty smiled. "They thought she was a boy at first, too. But in that moment, when they realized their mistake, you weren't disappointed. Not even for a second. I was a little worried about that, but as soon as I saw your reaction, I knew I shouldn't have been. You were going to be happy and excited no matter what."

"It never bothered me," Ash replied with a shrug. "I was only scared about having a girl the first time around because I was afraid I'd mess her up! I wasn't exactly a genius when it came to them, after all. But Michelle made it pretty easy! I just had to take one look at her, and suddenly, everything felt okay. Still, there was never any part of me that didn't want to have a daughter. Or two."

Beaming, Misty leaned up to press a kiss against Ash's cheek. "You're the very best dad; to our girls and our boy."

Ash smiled, but it melted away as soon as he heard a piercing cry from the next room. Rushing out of the kitchen, he stepped into the living room and found Elizabeth in full blown tears. Aiden, Michelle, and Pikachu were all hovering over her, trying to get the baby to laugh instead. Khoury was standing back, looking alarmed, while Lyra was in the corner gathering an armful of stuffed toys.

"Uh…what's going on in here?" Ash hesitantly asked.

"Lizzie just started crying for no reason!" Aiden exclaimed.

"We're trying to make her happy but nothing's working!" Michelle groaned. "We made faces and sang songs and acted crazy, but it was no good!"

"I figured I could help by finding as many toys as possible," Lyra called over her shoulder before glancing down at her full arms. "Although, I don't know which ones are actually the baby's…"

Despite the chaos unfolding before him, Ash chuckled. "You guys don't have to do all of that to make Lizzie stop crying! Watch."

He approached the bouncer and knelt down, locking eyes with the frustrated baby. Reaching out, Ash gently tapped her nose, accentuating the poke with a playful, "boop!"

And like he had pressed some kind of switch, Elizabeth instantly stopped crying. Everyone else in the room gawked at Ash, but he was completely unfazed. To him, it made perfect sense.

"…why did that work?" Khoury asked after no one else dared to.

"Because Elizabeth loves to have her nose booped!" Ash laughed.

Khoury scratched his cheek. "That…still doesn't make sense."

"Come on, Khoury, it doesn't have to!" Lyra exclaimed, dropping all of the toys she'd grabbed and whacking her boyfriend on the back. "Ash is like a baby whisperer! It's incredible!"

"I don't know if I'm that good…" Ash chuckled nervously.

"You are!" Lyra argued. "Seriously, if you and Misty ever decide to have another baby, you should just because you're so good with them!"

Ash blinked. "So…not to have another boy?"

"Nah, that wouldn't matter," Lyra refuted with a wave of her hand, causing Khoury to let out a visible sigh of relief. "Because you'd be great no matter what!"

With a smile, the Pokémon Master nodded his head. "Thanks, Lyra. That means a whole lot!"


This story was very much inspired by the episode of DP where Lyra is repeatedly grilling Dawn about hooking up with Ash, lol. In no way do I think Lyra is malicious, she just very clearly doesn't have a filter and will say whatever is on her mind and doesn't really see anything wrong with it.

Also, I don't care how old he gets, there is no way Ash knows what testosterone is.