"Knock, knock, knock."
Ash gently knocked on his front door, and when it opened, to his surprise, it wasn't Delia who appeared, but a pink, clown-like Pokemon!
Ash was momentarily stunned and then looked up at the house.
"That's right, this is my house, isn't it? Since when did we have a Mr. Mime?"
"Mime?"
Mr. Mime tilted its head, seemingly confused about who Ash was.
"Mr. Mime, who's at the door?"
As Ash and the Pokemon stood at a standstill at the entrance, a bright voice came from inside the house. Ash immediately recognized it as his mother's voice.
"Mom, it's me, Ash!"
"Hmm? Ash!!"
After Delia responded, there was a flurry of noise from inside the house. Before long, Ash saw Delia's figure, and soon he found himself wrapped in a warm hug.
"You child, you finally know to come home! Do you know how long it's been since your mom last saw you?!" Delia's voice had a slight choke to it, showing how much she missed Ash.
This was quite normal; since childhood, Ash had never left home for such a long time. This time it had been several months, and apart from a brief meeting at the beach, they hadn't met in person.
Mostly, their interactions were through video calls.
But Ash didn't feel much about it because every day of his journey was fulfilling. Even when there was free time, he could see his mother on video, or hear her voice on calls, so he didn't miss her as intensely as Delia did.
If it were in the past, Ash would definitely think his mom was overreacting. How long had he been away, really?
But the experts in his group not only taught Ash about battles but also about everyday manners and personal qualities.
Ash understood that his mom being alone at home for so long would naturally have such a reaction.
Still, he couldn't help but say, "I call you often, don't I? Even though I don't make video calls that much, I do call once a week or so."
"You still have the nerve to say that! I told you to call me with a video once you reached the next city, but you forget all the time. What kind of memory is that!" Delia was a bit irritated as she said this. If she hadn't said anything, it would have been fine.
But she had called Ash's phone to remind him to call her on video in the next city, yet Ash let it go in one ear and out the other, calling only after more than a week, and then it took him a long time before he called again.
Had Delia not been able to check on Ash through his phone to see that he was fine, she might have worried herself sick.
"Well, I just forgot. It's busy traveling out there!"
"No matter how busy you are, you should call! Look at Gary, he even visits Professor Oak every so often, and look at you, you haven't been home once in over three months!"
Hearing Delia's scolding, Ash rolled his eyes this time. He could beat Gary in anything except for coming home frequently…
"That guy drives a car everywhere every day, while I rely on my own two legs. How can I come home so often?"
"Can't you take a cab?"
"That would take away the meaning of the journey!"
"Oh, you kid!" Delia was momentarily speechless with anger at Ash, but this kind of everyday banter filled her heart with warmth. This was what having a kid at home felt like; although they bickered, it was full of life.
"This is Misty and Brock. Mom, you should have met them before. They've been staying at our house recently, training together with me for the upcoming Quartz Conference." After the banter with his mom, Ash slightly moved aside, giving Misty and Brock some space, and introduced them.
Delia had seen them before in Blue Pallet, so they weren't exactly strangers.
Seeing the two, a bright smile spread across Delia's face as she invited them inside.
Ash's home was quite simple, with none of the grandeur of a wealthy family, which was surprising to Misty and Brock, given that such an ordinary household produced an extraordinary Trainer like Ash.
Although they knew Ash wasn't some rich kid, they hadn't expected it to be this normal.
"Have a seat~ Mr. Mime, go buy some groceries, pork, beef, river shrimp…" Delia said to the Mr. Mime, wearing an apron and mopping the floor nearby.
Upon hearing this, Mr. Mime obediently put down the broom, took some money, and went out to buy groceries.
Delia then made tea and poured it for Misty and Brock at the tea table.
"Here, have some tea."
"Thank you so much, Auntie!"
"Yes, thank you, but how can we let you do such things?"
Both of them quickly took the tea from Delia's hands while expressing their gratitude.
Meanwhile, Ash sprawled casually on the sofa, grabbed a glass of water, and gulped it down. Pikachu mimicked him and ended up sticking out its tongue, burnt from the hot tea.
Togepi also mimicked them by sticking out its tongue for a lick, and its little face immediately turned into a bitter gourd. The bitter tea was a bit too much for her.
"Slow down, Pikachu, and you too, Ash. Why are you drinking so fast? Aren't you worried about burning yourself?" Delia frowned slightly, looking at Ash with a mix of dissatisfaction and concern.