Author's Note: Sorry for the prolonged absence. College is crazy at the moment. But as soon as the exams are over I'll be spending a lot more time writing! Anyway, Ash is sixteen in this story and his relationship with Misty has just begun. Enjoy.

A Mother's Point of View

Delia brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes as she bent over her vibrant bed of roses beside the house. They shone with a healthy glow in the fierce light of the summer sun. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that there were several grey hairs mixed among the brown ones. She sighed and straightened up as Mr Mime busily pulled up weeds. A tinkling laugh floated over to her on the faint breeze. She turned around and raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun. With a smile, she spotted her son and his new girlfriend running through the hilly meadows a few hundred yards away. He was holding her hand, and was laughing fit to burst as they raced each other over the crest of the hill.

Delia picked up her straw hat and put it on as she sorted through her basket of seeds and fruits, which lay on the white wooden doorstep of the house. To think that she used to be worried about how Ash would behave once he started to develop an interest in girls. Her worst fear was that he would become like his father – the most bombastic flirt she had ever encountered, and not the most loyal partner a girl could hope for. Fortunately, however, Ash proved to be adorably shy when it came to chasing girls he liked. His obsession with Pokémon certainly delayed the normal teenage hormonal cycle by a couple of years or so. Delia scooped up a handful of seeds and scattered them in the freshly turned earth behind the white picket fence.

Serena had been a charming first girlfriend for Ash, but Delia suspected early on that it would not last. Apart from anything else, they lived very far away from each other. That was bound to cause problems. Ash had fallen hard and fast for that girl, and was understandably crushed when they eventually broke up, but it was for the best. Delia had been worried then that Ash would lose his enthusiasm for training in the weeks of moping around the house that followed. She need not have concerned herself with that, however. Something she should have learned by now was that nothing – nothing could dampen Ash's love of Pokémon and battling.

She raked the lush brown earth and reached for the watering can, but it was not where she had left it. Mr Mime hurried over and handed it to her with a smile.

'Oh, thanks, Mimey – I'm all wrapped up in my thoughts at the moment,' she said apologetically.

She sprinkled the newly planted seeds generously and stood up to stretch. Glancing over at the meadow, she could see the pair of them sitting cross-legged among the colourful wildflowers, talking with smiles on their faces. Delia had been absolutely thrilled to come home from shopping one day to find Ash and Misty kissing on the sofa – an odd reaction that many mothers would surely find baffling. But Delia had known about Misty's feelings for Ash for years, almost from when they first began their journey together. Over the ensuing years Misty had become a regular visitor to the Ketchum household – more regular, in fact, than her own son – and Delia had begun to see her as a member of the family. Ash had sheepishly informed his mother several days later that Misty was his new girlfriend, and to his complete bewilderment had received a delighted hug before she rushed into the kitchen to make his favourite dinner.

A flock of Pidgey flew over the garden, chirping loudly. Delia found herself smiling again and leaned on the fence, gazing out absent-mindedly at the road that ran past the house. All things considered, life was very good for her and her family at the moment. It really was a beautiful day. The sound of footsteps pulled her from her reflections. She turned around to see Ash and Misty walking lightly up the garden path. Pikachu bobbed happily on Ash's shoulder.

'Hi, Mom,' said Ash brightly. 'Misty and I are gonna grab the fishing rods from the shed and go to the beach.'

'Sounds like a lovely idea,' beamed Delia. 'Make sure you both put on lots of sunscreen.'

'We will, Mrs Ketchum,' said Misty as Ash rolled his eyes.

'I don't get sunburn,' said Ash assuredly.

'Yes, you do. You burned that time we went to Porta Vista,' said Misty in exasperation.

'I did not!' said Ash indignantly.

'Did too,' said Misty with a smirk, leading him into the shade of the house.

Delia smiled and looked up into the vast blue sky. If her world could just freeze in this moment she would be perfectly content. No worries and no complications disturbed her peace. Mr Mime resumed his careful care of the bed of azaleas. Not a single cloud darkened the immense cerulean sky above.