Chapter 4

 Serena pats her belly, having just had lunch. As much as part of her conversation with Delia during breakfast dampened her spirits earlier, she can't deny that her crush's mom is a remarkable cook. Delia smiles brightly, pleased to see the honey-blonde girl looking slightly better. Then Serena stands up and turns to the woman with a kind smile.

  "Thank you so much for lunch, Mrs. Ketchum," she says politely.

  "My pleasure, dear," Delia replies. "So, what are you going to do now?"

  "Well, I figure now is a good time as any to visit my old house," Serena answers.

  "Your old house?" Delia asks, confused.

  "Yes, my mom and I used to live in Pallet Town briefly before we moved to Kalos," Serena explains. 

  'Aw, how nice," Delia says with a smile. "Have fun."

  "Thanks, Mrs. Ketchum," Serena replies. "See you later."

  The honey-blonde girl leaves the house, and Delia starts putting away the dishes. Just as she begins filling the sink with soapy water, she hears two sets of footsteps walking down the staircases, and she smiles. She turns her head to see Ash and Pikachu groggily entering the kitchen, with the former letting out a low yawn.

  "Good afternoon, sweetie," Delia greets sweetly. 

  "Hey, Mom," Ash replies in a tired voice. "Man, did I sleep."

  "You sure did," Delia says as she fills a plate with Ash's lunch and places it on the table. "Serena left to go look at the house she used to live in."

  Ash turns to his mom and looks at her in confusion before he puts the pieces together.

  "That's right, she used to live in Pallet Town," he says with a smile. "How could I forget? She was the girl with the straw hat."

  Delia looks at her son curiously as she puts down a bowl of Pokemon food for Pikachu. 

  "You mean she was the girl you helped back in summer camp when you were little?" She asks. 

  "Yeah, and when she found out I was in Kalos, she came to see me again, and that's when I eventually invited her to join me, Clemont, and Bonnie on our journey," Ash explains.

  Delia looks down at the floor and scratches her chin in thought as she puts some of the pieces together. She then looks up at Ash, who is happily eating his lunch, and sighs before deciding to sit in the chair next to him.

  "Ash, what do you think of Serena?" She asks. 

  Ash stops eating and turns to his mother, confused as if he heard her ask a question that is supposed to be hard but isn't.

  "I think she's a great friend," he says with a smile. "She's kind, strong, encouraging, a wonderful performer, a great pastry chef -"

  "That's all great, honey, but let me rephrase my question," Delia interrupts. "How much do you care about her?"

  Ash tilts his head, even more confused.

  "What do you mean? I already said she'd a great friend," he says.

  "Yes, but you ever think of her as more than that?" 

  But instead of answering, Ash keeps staring at his mother. Delia sighs, accepting that her son still doesn't understand what she's getting at. She clasps her hands together and stares at Ash, ready for a serious talk.

  "Ash, I think it's time I talk to you about something that boys your age sometimes think about that you aren't aware of," she announces. "I guess it's partly my fault. You were growing up becoming so passionate about Pokemon, just like your father and your grandfather, and I love that about you so much that I encouraged you all the way. But I guess in the process of doing that, I never lectured you about other important things that can happen in your life. But now that you are 14 years old, now is good a time as any that I try to fix that."

  Ash still stares blankly at his mother, failing to understand what she's talking about, but he silently nods, willing to hear her out.

  "Ash, there are times when a boy and a girl care for each other in a deeper way than they do if they're friends," Delia starts.

  "A deeper way than they do if they're friends?" Ash asks. 

  "Yes," Delia replies. "This is the kind of feeling you have where you care about a person so much that you want to be by their side all the time."

  "Oh, like me with Pikachu," Ash says, thinking he understands.

  "Pika, pika," Pikachu says happily.

  "No, sweetie, not like that," Delia says, chuckling. "I'm talking about wanting to be with someone in a romantic way."

  "In a romantic way?" Ash asks before he scratches his chin in thought. "I think I recall some of my friends like Brock, May, Dawn, and Iris talking about something being romantic before. Usually, it was when Brock was chasing some girl or when we were helping two shy Pokemon become really good friends."

  Delia chuckles nervously.

  "Well, I guess you are sort of on point with both examples," she says. "You see when Brock is talking about romance to pretty girls, he was talking about staying together with someone of the opposite gender for the rest of their lives because they love each other just like those pairs of Pokemon you came across with your friends."

  Ash looks at his mother even more confused. 

  "But that still sounds like when I want to be with all of my friends," he says. "I love all of them, and I want to stay with them always."

  Delia freezes in place for a moment. She feels discouraged hearing her explanation be interpreted that way by her son. 

  "Uh, yes, it's like that, but I'm talking about a more special kind of love, Ash," she says patiently. "What I'm talking about is the kind of love where you want to be with them more than anything. More than any of your friends or your Pokemon."

  Ash looks at his mother, shocked.

  "More than even my Pokemon? Than Pikachu?" He shouts as if Delia said a foul word. "Do people really feel that way?"

  "Of course," Delia says with a small smile. "It's a normal and wonderful thing that people and Pokemon go through. It's why people like your father and me get married. Feeling this way about someone more than any of your friends or Pokemon isn't a horrible thing. If you find the right person, they could be what makes you feel the happiest in your life."

  Ash blinks for a moment again and scratches his chin in thought. 

  "One person that can make you feel the happiest in your life," he says thinking out loud. "But what does this have to do with Serena?"

  Delia chuckles nervously again, realizing they have gone a full circle.

  "Well, Ash, I'm wondering if you ever feel like Serena is more than just a great friend," she answers.

  "Huh? Why?" Ash asks.

  "Because, Ash, I don't think you have thought so highly of your friends who are girls the way you do with Serena," Delia answers honestly. "I know you care for Dawn, Iris, May, and of course Misty, but whenever you called me about what's been happening when you were in Kalos, I haven't heard you speak so highly about Serena the why you do about your other friends. Sometimes you have talked about how you might fight with them or how they invited themselves to join you on your journey. But you invited Serena to join you on your journey because she was so kind and helpful with winning your first Kalos badge. Ever since that day, you would bring her up again at times whenever you were stopping at a Pokemon Center. You told me how she was so strong over her losing her first showcase or when she helped you with your other badges or tried to teach you how to dance or ride a Rhyhorn."

  "Okay, I guess that makes sense," Ash says while scratching his chin. "But do you think that means I care for Serena that any of my other friends?"

  "I don't know for sure if it means anything, Ash. That's something you have to find out yourself," Delia replies. "I'm merely offering my opinion of what could be happening between a girl and my 14-year-old boy. You may not understand now, but I hope you will later."

  Ash looks at his mother blankly, still confused. Finally, he gives her a small smile and nods before going back to his breakfast. Delia lets out a sigh, feeling like she didn't go anywhere trying to explain the subject to Ash. Her worry about Serena's dilemma grows as she realized how much her son has become oblivious. She secretly prays that one day Ash will understand it and maybe find it in himself to sincerely return Serena's feelings. 

  Just then, the doorbell rings and Delia, Ash, and Pikachu look at each other curiously before they all silently decide to see who it is. They walk to the entrance hallway, and Delia opens the door to reveal a wide-chested man with brown hair and a pair of sunglasses, looking at the three of them with a smirk.

  "Heya, Ash, Pikachu, Mrs. Ketchum. Long time no see," he says. 

  "Scott!" Ash and Delia exclaims before the former happily shakes the man's hand. 

  "How've you been?" Ash asks. "Is everything going alright with the Battle Frontier?"

  "Everything is going great," Scott says with a nod. "But it hasn't been the same without a challenger like you. In fact, not many potential trainers have made it all the way to Brandon like you have."

  "That sounds like my Ash, one of a kind," Delia says proudly. 

  "Indeed," Scott says in agreement. "Though, I'm hoping to fix that, which is why I'm here. Can you help me find a possible contender who just defeated Lance, the Johto champion, and lives here in Pallet Town."

  "Really? I haven't heard anything about that," Delia says, puzzled.

  "Yeah, neither have I," Ash says, equally puzzled. "Wouldn't the news be going crazy that Johto has a new champion?"

  "You would think, Ash, but this man told Lance he's uninterested in taking his position," Scott answers. "But I'm hoping that he will say yes to becoming a Frontier Brain if he beats all seven brains."

  "Really? That sounds great. So how can we help?" Ash asks.

  "I'm glad you asked," Scott replies. "I'm hoping you can help me find out where in Pallet Town is Timothy Durbin."