"Wow! Pallet Town looks as pretty as I remembered it to be!" Serena breathed, amazed by the view of the small peaceful town of the Kanto region. The view of the town reminded her of Vaniville Town in a way, more rural, yet it was peaceful and people obviously had great pride in the town. Not to mention that Pallet Town has one of the most influential and famous Pokémon researchers of all time.
"Amazing isn't it?" Ash said, standing right beside her. He had one of his arms around the honey-blonde's waist, while Pikachu was on his left shoulder. Serena had her own Pikachu on top of her head.
"Pikachu!" Ash's Pikachu squeaked in agreement with Ash.
"Pika pika!" Serena's Pikachu squeaked, admiring the view of the town like her trainer.
"You can say that again." another voice added.
Ash and Serena looked to their left to see their good friend, Brock. Brock parked his off-road vehicle near a parking lot located in the outskirts of the town. The three of them were currently standing on a hilltop, admiring the view of Ash's hometown.
"I never get tired of this view." Ash breathed out with a happy sigh. "It's so satisfying to stand up on this hill and gaze down at Pallet Town after a long journey."
Brock chuckled. "I know what you mean. It's the same with me and Pewter City."
Ash turned to Brock. "I still can't believe we journeyed together for four whole regions."
"We sure had a lot of great adventures," Brock responded. "I don't regret any of it. The culture, the Pokémon, the people, the Nurse Joys, the Officer Jennys-"
"Okay, you can stop right there Brock." Serena interrupted with a nervous giggle. "Though, I would love to hear more about what you and Ash went through in each journey. Ash told me a lot about his adventures, but getting another perspective would be awesome."
"For sure. But I think I'll tell you some stories another time. I better get going back to Pewter. My siblings and folks are planning a surprise birthday party for my younger brother, Salvadore." Brock said as he started jiggling his keys around.
"We understand. Send him our best wishes, buddy." Ash said, while offering a fist bump to Brock.
"Be sure to stop by Pewter City and Cerulean City, sometime," Brock responded as he ruffled Ash's raven-black hair instead of returning the fist bump.
"We will Brock. Misty still needs to meet Serena too." Ash pointed out. "And I'm planning to take her to meet a couple of my other friends in Vermilion city."
Brock gave Ash a small smile and nodded. He then turned to Serena. "I expect you to keep him out of trouble. He still has a long way to go when maturing."
"I will." Serena said with a giggle. She then proceeded to give Brock a tight hug. "Thank you for everything."
"It's a pleasure. It's not every day where you can be the driver for the girlfriend of Ash Ketchum." Brock replied, while returning the hug quickly before departing from it. "Oh yeah, there's just one more thing."
The couple watched as Brock opened up his large backpack and pulled out a container. It appeared to have some sort of pastry in it.
"What is that, Brock?" Serena asked with curiosity.
"Ta-da! These are my famous, jelly-filled doughnuts!" Brock declared with pride. He handed over the container to Serena before putting on his backpack again. "Think of it as a welcoming gift for the both of you and to celebrate your union as a couple."
"That's very nice of you, Brock. Thanks." Serena replied with her signature smile.
"Brock's food is always good. We can have some when we get back home." Ash said with praise.
"So I'm assuming you tried them before Ash?" Serena questioned her boyfriend. Ash sighed and nodded.
"Yeah... I had a very fond memory of Brock's jelly-filled doughnuts. It is associated with my capture of Primeape back in the day." Ash said with a sweatdrop.
"Pi..." Pikachu squeaked, also remembering the time a wild Mankey came and infiltrated their campsite eight years ago.
Serena stifled a giggle with her hand. "You can tell me all about it when we settle in."
"So what are we waiting for? Let's get a move on!" Ash said eagerly. Ash moved his hand away from Serena's waist and took her hand, intertwining their fingers together.
"Ash wait! Not so faaAAAAHHH-" Serena squealed the moment Ash started running with his girlfriend holding his hand tightly.
"See ya later Brock!" Ash yelled out, not showing the intention of stopping anytime soon. Poor Serena will have to get used to getting dragged around by Ash again.
Brock looked on with amusement as he watched Ash and Serena run towards Pallet Town. Despite him being eighteen years old (Closer to nineteen years now), Ash is still a kid at heart. Brock shook his head with a chuckle and walked towards his vehicle to go back to Pewter City.
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Eventually, the couple, along with the two Pikachu, made their way to the front entrance of the Ketchum residence. Ash took a deep breath and gazed at the exterior of the home, as it has been about a week since he last visited. Although not as long as his absence during his journeys, there's just something special about coming home.
Serena shifted slightly and seemed hesitant. Ash noticed this and slightly frowned. He gave his girlfriend's hand a comforting squeeze for comfort. He knew she was nervous because he felt the same way.
"Serena..." Ash started. "We will face this together, so you don't need to feel like you are alone in this."
The honey-blonde took a deep breath in response and closed her eyes, before reopening them and forcing a determined look on her face.
"No need to worry. I am just fine." Serena responded with a confident look. Ash looked at her with shock before transforming his expression to a grin.
"Okay, I'm pretty sure you just used one of Dawn's catchphrases," Ash said with a raised eyebrow.
"That's because I did." Serena replied while giggling. Her face then darkened. "Remind me that I still need to give a call to the girls tonight."
Ash shook his head, but kept a smile. Ash then knocked on the front door a couple of times. Ash was lying if he claimed he wasn't nervous. His girlfriend is going to meet his mother in person for crying out loud! Not to mention that they will have to tell her about their... ahem* "nightly activities".
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door creaking open. A familiar barrier Pokémon wearing an apron was on the other side.
"Mr. Mime!" The Pokémon greeted happily when he noticed Ash and Pikachu.
"Hi, Mimey! Is mom home?" Ash asked.
"Mime, mime!" Mr. Mime said in response. He then noticed Serena and pointed at her with a confused look.
"Mr... Mime?"
"Oh, this is my girlfriend, Serena. That's her Pikachu." Ash introduced to Mr. Mime. He then turned to Serena. "Serena, this is my mother's Pokémon, Mr. Mime. Also known as Mimey."
"It's great to meet you Mimey." Serena said cheerfully.
"Pika!" Serena's Pikachu waved.
"Mime! Mime!" Mr. Mime waved at the guests. He then stood to the side and gestured for the couple to come inside the house. When the couple made their way inside, Mr. Mime used his psychic powers to gently close the front door before grabbing a broom and a dustpan.
Serena looked at the Pokémon in awe. Ash noticed this and gestured for her to come closer to his face with his finger.
"Mimey here likes to do chores and clean for my mom. A lot..." Ash whispered quietly. "Personally, I think he might be secretly a Minccino in disguise."
Serena giggled in response before showing a look of interest. "A Minccino? What Pokémon is that?"
"It's a Pokémon native to the Unova region and it likes to be very neat and tidy." Ash answered. He then shuddered as he remembered the time that Bianca's Minccino stole his badge case back in the Unova region. Ash pulled out his Rotom phone to show his girlfriend more information about the Pokémon.
Rotom Phone: Minccino, the Chinchilla Pokémon and the pre-evolved form of Cincinno. A normal-type. The way these graceful Pokémon brushes away grime with its tail can be helpful when cleaning. But its focus on spotlessness can make cleaning more of a hassle.
"Wow..." Serena breathed. She then squealed in excitement. "I bet that Pokémon would work well in showcases. It's so cute and graceful."
Ash laughed and playfully nipped her cheek with his lips. "Like you."
Serena blushed in response, but couldn't help but smile. She then noticed movement by the couch and looked over. "Ash, what Pokémon is that?"
Ash looked at where Serena was staring and noticed another Pokémon that was peacefully sleeping on the couch. It was a Pokémon that Ash knew quite well.
"Hey Rowlet, what are you doing here? I thought you would be at the lab with the others." Ash chuckled amusingly at the sleeping Grass Quill Pokémon. It sure does enjoy its nap times.
"Rowlet followed me home after I visited the professor two days ago. It's been here ever since." A feminine voice answered. Ash and Serena both turned to see an older woman with brunette hair standing by the wall frame connecting the living room with the kitchen and dining room.
"Hi mom." Ash greeted.
"Hello Ash. It's great to see you back home after all this time." Delia greeted excitedly. She then pulled Ash into a tight, motherly hug. It wasn't very tight, but it conveyed all the love and affection the single mother has for her only son.
"Mom, relax. I was only in the Kalos region for about ten days..." Ash said with a sweatdrop, departing from the hug. Ash then went to Serena's side and pulled her to his side.
Delia was staring at the girl, analyzing her appearance and body language. The silence caused Serena to squirm and fidget slightly. Ash squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile, in which she returned.
"You must be Serena." Delia finally said as she acknowledged the honey-blonde girl. "Ash talked very highly about you ever since he came home from Kalos."
"Hello, Mrs. Ketchum. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person again." Serena said as she bowed elegantly out of respect for the older woman. Her Pikachu noticed this act and tried to mimic her trainer.
"Please, just call me Delia." Delia said with a smile. "I remember when you two were younger, you both were inseparable. I found it cute when you both shared that ice cream sundae and Serena fed Ash that chocolate-covered Cheri berry."
Ash and Serena both blushed red at Delia recalling something from their past. This caused the two Pikachu on their shoulders to giggle.
"I didn't know you have a Pikachu too, Serena." Delia said, noticing the female electric mouse Pokémon on her shoulder.
"Yes, I do. I caught her during my time in the Hoenn region. She is a fantastic performer and loves attention. Though, she can be pretty shy at times..." Serena said, expressing it with a sigh.
"I knew you looked familiar in that phone call three years ago. And then I remembered you were that sweet little girl who played with my little boy back at the Professor's summer camp. It-" Delia was saying, before a beeping sound could be heard coming from the kitchen.
"Oh! That must be the pie in the oven!" Delia realized when she heard the timer. "Now come on you two, lunch is almost done in the kitchen."
Ash and Serena nodded and followed Delia to the kitchen. Serena was amazed at how organized and neat it looked. It reminded her of the kitchen at her home back in Vaniville Town. She could smell a hint of cinnamon and sweetness in the air.
"Is there anything I can do to help Mrs. Ketchum?" Serena asked politely. She was at her boyfriend's house, so she wanted to help out her future mother-in-law to the best of her abilities.
Delia was surprised by the question and then became deep in thought. Not many of Ash's friends have asked if they could help around the house. She recalled Brock and Misty helping from time to time whenever they came over, but that was about it.
"Well Serena, can you and Ash set the table please?" Delia asked. "Normally Mimey would do it, but he is currently fixing up Ash's room after he left it as a mess before he left for the airport." Delia explained.
"Of course," Serena replied. She walked over to the nearby cupboard and drawers to pull out some plates and dining utensils. Ash, on the other hand, got the Pokémon food for the Pokémon.
Ash was setting the napkins on the table, but then stopped as his eyes trailed towards Serena's chest area. He was captivated by the way her breasts were slightly moving up and down as she moved her body. Ash started to salivate, but it wasn't for his mother's home cooking.
"Ash! Stop looking at Serena's rack and help her set up the table." Delia scolded, while stirring the vegetable soup.
Ash quickly darted his eyes away from Serena and continued to place kitchen utensils onto the dining table. Darn! He got caught by his own mother. How embarrassing...
Serena was giggling nonstop, which soon turned into cute laughter.
"Pika pi..." Pikachu squeaked, a sweatdrop on his head.
During their lunch, Ash, Serena, and Delia were having a conversation. Ash and Serena were sitting next to each other, while Delia and Mr. Mime sat on a seat across from them. Serena seemed to be getting along with Delia very well.
"So Ash, I'm assuming you will be taking Serena to meet your Pokémon at the laboratory today?" Delia asked her son.
"Well, Serena and I are planning to head to the laboratory tomorrow. For the rest of the day, we will just rest and we might sleep early. Serena is experiencing jet lag right now since the differences in time zones." Ash explained their plan to his mother.
Delia nodded in understanding as she sipped her hot cup of tea. She turned to Serena and watched her talk with her son and hug his arm playfully. Ash had a slight blush of embarrassment on his face that Delia found cute.
"Ash and Serena clearly love each other very much," Delia observed in her thoughts. The way the couple interacted with one another reminded her of the way her husband used to interact with her.
"Red... where have you disappeared to in all these years..." Delia thought sadly. Despite her husband being gone for nineteen years, she didn't divorce him. People say she's in denial, but Delia knows that moving on would be the biggest mistake of her life. Her heart tells her he will return one day.
She remembered the last letter she received from Red. That was a few years ago while Ash was in the Unova region. It was a letter where he reassured her that he still loves her and to tell her to wait for him. He would disclose and explain everything to both her and Ash when he returns. He even mentioned that he saw Ash in the Unova region along with his traveling companions, but chose not to interact with him. The rest of the letter would talk about the Pokémon World Tournament held near Driftveil City at the old cold storage facility.
Nobody knows where Red Ketchum disappeared to except Professor Oak, Blue Oak, and Daisy Oak. Professor Oak told her that he decided to embark on a journey to explore every region in the world and that he still contacts him to transfer his team around. Though the contact would be minimal at best as Red would always just use the PC feature.
She unknowingly let out a deep sigh. It caught the attention of everyone in the room.
"Mrs. Ketchum, is there anything wrong?" Serena asked with uncertainty in her voice.
Delia suddenly looked up from her meal to see Ash and Serena look at her with worry and uncertainty. Even Mimey and the two Pikachu were staring at her.
"Mime?" Mimey tilted his head with confusion on his face.
"Don't worry, everyone. I was just thinking about what to cook for dinner." Delia lied nervously.
Both Ash and Serena looked at each other with a frown. Both were certain that something was not right. However, Ash knew that his mother could be secretive at times, but will open up to them when she needs to eventually.
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For the rest of lunch, Ash and Delia were telling Serena about the time they met Mimey. Ash was flushed red the entire time as Delia and Serena started laughing over Ash being forced to wear a Mr. Mime costume and being "kidnapped" by none other than Team Rocket.
Ash then talked about how he had to rescue Serena from Team Rocket when they built their Mega Meowth robot in an attempt to get his mother to shut up about the embarrassing story. However, that backfired on him when Delia started saying how cute it was that Ash was rescuing his "princess".
This caused Ash and Serena both to blush. Parents can be so embarrassing at times, right?
After lunch, Ash and Serena were helping Delia with the dishes and cleaning up the dining table. They had light conversations until Delia brought up sleeping arrangements.
"Serena, would you like to sleep in the guestroom or Ash's room?" Delia asked suddenly. Ash and Serena froze as if they were hit by an ice beam attack. Serena nearly dropped a soapy plate when her ears heard the question. Serena looked at Ash's mother and could see she had a look in her eyes. As if... she knows something is up.
"S-serena would like to sleep w-with me in my room." Ash answered for her, once he composed himself.
Delia's eyes glimmered. She then put on a teasing smirk. "Okay you two, but Ash I need to make sure you wear protection and don't forget to change your under-"
"MOM!!!"
Delia began to laugh uncontrollably. What the couple didn't know is that Delia was already informed about their bed incident at the Hotel Richissime in Kalos.
"Just teasing, you two. Grace already called me ahead of time and informed me." Delia explained.
"S-she did?!" Serena stuttered with surprise.
"Mhm." Delia nodded, before giving a wink. "Don't worry, your secrets are safe with me."
Both Ash and Serena both sighed. At least telling Delia wasn't as awkward as it could have.
"It's such a shame though. I was looking forward to having some grandchildren to pamper. Maybe a boy. Maybe a girl. Maybe multiple grandchildren-"
"MOM!!!" Ash shouted, his face steaming red.
Serena was also steaming red and was madly blushing.
The couple took everything back. It was still extremely awkward.
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Sometime during the night...
During dinner, Delia told Ash and Serena her plans to visit a friend at the Sevii Island for two days, meaning that the couple would be in the house alone for a bit. She was bringing Mimey with her, so she expected Serena to keep Ash in check and make sure he doesn't turn the house upside down with his mischief.
An hour later, Ash was downstairs helping his mother pack for her trip to the Sevii Islands, Serena was currently in a video call with May and Dawn.
"Hi, Serena. It looks like you had a safe trip to Kanto." May greeted with a cheerful smile. Loud banging sounds could be heard from another room at May's house.
"MAX! I SWEAR TO ARCEUS IF YOU DON'T KEEP IT DOWN, I'LL TELL MOM YOU ARE PRACTICING POKEMON MOVES INSIDE AGAIN!" May could be heard screeching. Dawn and Serena literally had to cover their ears.
When the sounds ceased, May sighed and looked back at her friends in the video call with an apologetic smile.
"Sorry about that you guys. Ever since Max became a trainer, he has been causing more noise than usual at home." May explained with a sigh. "Good thing I don't stay at home much nowadays."
"No need to worry," Dawn said, waving her hands around quickly. "My older brother, Lucas, can cause quite the commotion at home too. He's too immature despite his age." Dawn then put a hand on her chin as if she was thinking. "But then again, he's only a year older than me."
"Same with Calem when we were younger," Serena added with a giggle.
May smiled brightly and thanked her two best friends. "So what do you want to talk about with us Serena?" May asked with genuine curiosity.
Dawn nodded, indicating that she shared the same amount of curiosity as their Hoenn companion did. She was brushing her hair and had Piplup on her lap.
"Well..." Serena started. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
May and Dawn both leaned into their screens, wondering what Serena was going to say to them.
"WHICH ONE OF YOU HAD THE IDEA TO TELL BROCK ABOUT ME AND ASH?" Serena suddenly lashed out. Her eyes were icy-cold and her expression was one of rage and fury. "TELL ME NOW!!!"
May and Dawn chuckled nervously and sweatdropped. They knew that they were in trouble the moment Serena invited both of them for a video call. But hey, good thing they were in different regions.
Meanwhile, Ash and Pikachu both heard Serena's sudden outburst while they were downstairs. They were now huddling and hugging each other in a corner out of fear. The raven-haired teenager mentally reminded himself to try not to provoke his girlfriend or get on her bad side.
To be continued...