Like a Mom to Me, a pokémon fanfic

Like a Mom to Me

By Fox McCloude.

Kanto region, Pallet Town…

As much as the Cerulean Gym was her home sweet home, there were days Misty felt confined in that building and needed to get out, if only to stretch her legs. She was lucky to have other places where she was always welcome with open arms.

The Ketchum household was one of such places, and being one of the closest in distance (along with the Pewter Gym), she would also visit it the most regularly. The reasons varied: whether she had to run an errand for Professor Oak or Tracey, a social visit for Ms. Ketchum, or simply wait for Ash's return after one of his adventures across the world, she'd always be happy to go.

That particular day, though, she had another reason to be there, and she filed for a permit to stay at Pallet Town a couple weeks. Normally her sisters would be nagging her for skipping her duties and leaving them in charge, but that time they didn't protest.

After all, they knew very well how, during those days, Misty preferred to be away from the Gym, as it brought her some slightly painful memories.

Delia was happy to see her as usual, and since she arrived when the woman was trying a new menu for her restaurant, she invited her to help her at the kitchen. Many would still believe that letting Misty there was like a nuclear bomb, but the truth was, she was a very good cook assistant.

"Well?" Delia asked, as Misty stirred the spoon around the boiling pot.

The redhead tried the stew, and smiled with satisfaction before she handed the spoon to the woman. Delia tasted it as well, and smiled too with excitement.

"Hmm, this is going to be a huge hit for the restaurant!" she shouted before hugging her. "Thanks a lot for your help, Misty."

"Hey, I just did what you asked me to." The redhead giggled, modestly and nervously.

Every time she came along, Misty liked to help in whatever she could, and if she learned one or two things to cook better, that was a plus. That's why she never skipped a chance to help Delia, even sometimes without her asking for it.

…

After a successful trial at the kitchen, the two ladies were now at the living room. Since Ash wasn't at home at the time, Delia pulled out a few photo albums to show to Misty. More specifically containing photos that Ash would probably find too embarrassing for his friends to see, so naturally she was dying to see them.

"This is him learning to walk," Delia said, pointing at a photo showing an Ash that probably wasn't even one year.

"How adorable," Misty giggled. She had to admit he looked really cute at that tender age.

"Oh, and here's when I took him to his first school day. Or tried to, at least."

The photo in question showed a four-to-five-year-old Ash, holding on to a lamp post and throwing a tantrum, while Delia tried (gently) to force him to let go. Misty let out another chuckle; she could imagine him shouting "I don't wanna go, don't wanna go!"

"And check this out; here's when he won his first baseball tournament in the elementary school team," Delia continued after turning another page.

The aforementioned photo showed an Ash probably at age eight or nine and a bit taller, with a full baseball uniform complete with the pitcher glove. The other hand held a small trophy, but his expression clearly made it clear he was desperately trying to break free of the embarrassing hug his mother was submitting him to.

"Fond memories," Delia said with nostalgia. "Reliving them always helps me spend my time when Ash isn't around."

Misty glanced at Delia. Evidently the woman had to deal frequently with an empty nest, since Ash was her only child and he spent more time outdoors and traveling than at home. It probably wasn't easy for her.

"You always miss him, don't you?" Misty said, although it wasn't really a question.

"Always. But that's fine with me. As long as he can come closer to fulfill his dreams, I don't care where he goes. His heart is always here with me. Besides, he never forgets the days that are important to me."

After those words, the two directed their looks at the calendar. Indeed, they were already in the second week of May, which meant Mother's Day was coming soon.

Misty knew very well how close were Ash and Delia to each other. Even far from home, the boy would go to great lengths to avoid missing out Mother's Day and Delia's birthdays. One time they were traveling together, she caught him trying to sneak out at night to send her a postcard, and he made her promise to never tell anybody about it.

She hadn't done so, although she didn't think it was embarrassing for him to be such a momma's boy. After all, the two only had each other as close family.

"Something wrong?" Delia asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"No, of course not… well, yes," Misty admitted. "It's just… I'm a little envious of how close you and Ash are, you know?"

"Oh?" Delia raised an eyebrow. "And why would you be envious?"

Misty looked into the woman's eyes. It was clear Ash had inherited them from her, although Delia's were a bit lighter from up close. It wasn't an accusing glare; rather, it was more of a worried look. Delia had a motherly personality by nature, and not only with Ash, but practically with every one of his friends, including her.

That thought made her feel confident enough to tell her why she felt that way.

"My mother died when I was too little," she finally said. "I couldn't even remember her, and if it wasn't for the photos at home I think I'd never know what she looked like. And my father spends too much time traveling abroad, so my sisters practically raised me in his absence. They do remember Mom… but I don't."

It wasn't easy for her to talk about her parents, which was why she preferred to avoid the topic even when asked. Not that she didn't appreciate that her sisters had cared for her (even with how irritating they could be at times), but no one of them could be their mother. And she knew that very well.

"Every time Mother's Day approaches I remember… I could never give Mom a gift when she was alive," she continued. "And for some reason, when I'm at the Gym on that day I remember her, and that makes me feel a bit sad, you know?"

"I get it now." Delia replied. "I hadn't realized; is that why you came to visit me now? Because remembering your mom was making you feel sad?"

"Mm-hm." Misty nodded. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to annoy you with my troubles, but…"

"Honey, do you really think I'd be annoyed?" Delia's tone made it clear she felt offended at such thought. "Look, as far as I'm concerned, you and all of Ash's friends are part of our family. If you ever feel that way again, don't hesitate to come to me. You'll always be welcome here."

"Are you serious?"

"Of course," Delia assured her before hugging her.

Misty didn't know what to do, so she felt content with whispering a "Thank you" as she returned Delia's hug. She tried very hard not to cry, but a small tear still escaped her eye in the end.

Even so, the redhead felt that a word or a gesture was not enough to express her gratitude. Thus, she resolved to give her a gift, and she had in mind what she could give.

It was the least Delia deserved for being always so nice to her.

Sunday…

Another of the advantages of Cerulean and Pallet being relatively close was that sending a package in express mail wouldn't take too long.

In her last trip to Alola, she went on a little diving tour with Lana, and a woman whom she called "master". The woman's husband would explore the sea in search for lost treasures, and while Misty was with them she found herself a few sea gems she found very beautiful, so she took them as a souvenir after making some accessories out of them.

Maybe Delia would like them, so she called home to ask Daisy to find them and send them to Pallet Town in a package.

'Here's hoping she didn't check the other drawers,' she thought. She didn't mind her to see the jewels, but she had a few other, more private, things stored in those drawers.

Anyway, she now had them, but wondered which one she could give to Delia. Being the nice woman she was, any of them would probably do fine. She had a necklace, a pair of earrings, some bracelets… maybe she could even give her the full set.

"Nah, that would probably be too much," she said. Delia was a pretty woman as she was, and she didn't need to show off jewelry to look good.

"What would be too much?"

Delia's voice caused her to almost jump, and out of reflex she hid the box containing the jewels. Upon turning around, she saw Delia holding a gift-wrapped package in her hands.

"Nothing, it was nothing," Misty replied trying to cover appearances.

"Nothing?" the woman inquired. "Don't fool me, Misty, what are you hiding?"

Misty just let out a nervous chuckle, but still decided to change the topic, looking at Delia's package. Maybe that would buy her some time.

"Is that Ash's gift for you?" she asked.

"Ah yeah, it is. My little boy is always so considerate," Delia replied before removing the cover. "Now let's see what he sent me this year… Oh, this is great, just what I needed!"

Misty approached curiously, and saw it was a cookware set: knives, spatulas, graters and every other tool any chef worth their salt needed at hand.

Without any doubt the perfect gift for someone like Delia.

"How about we try them right away?" the woman suggested. "There's another dish I'd like to try for the menu, and we could work twice as fast with these."

"What, you want me to help you again?" Misty asked.

"Why not? You've done rather well, and a couple extra hands are always welcome," Delia said. "Besides, that way you learn some cooking yourself, to boot."

Putting it that way, Misty simply couldn't refuse. Then again, would someone ever refuse a request from a woman as nice as Delia, anyway?

"But you didn't my question," Delia reminded her. "What are you hiding there?"

The redhead smiled again, this time in resignation. There was really no point in hiding it if she was going to give it to her anyway. So, she pulled the box out for her to see, although she didn't open it.

"The truth is… this was a gift for you," she said. "I know you're not my mother, but… whenever I come you treat me so well, you might as well be. Just look at us, you're teaching me how to cook and all. Like a mom with her daughter, isn't that right?"

Misty opened the box, showing Delia the accessories she'd made. For a moment she didn't dare look her in the face, as she wasn't sure of her reaction to that confession. After some silence, she turned to see the woman.

Delia's smile hadn't vanished, but now it looked different. The woman's eyes were half-closed and her cheeks had turned slightly pink. She seemed quite moved.

Without a single word, she reached to take one of the accessories.

"Did you make these?" she asked.

"With a little help," Misty replied modestly.

"They're really beautiful. You sure you want to give them to me?"

"If you want them. They might not be as useful as those cooking utensils Ash sent you, but…"

Delia didn't let her finish, instead catching her un a hug. It wasn't the first time; she'd always been a really affectionate woman, but this time… there was something else.

A warmth radiated from the woman, and she couldn't explain it. But it wasn't unpleasant at all; it was wonderful.

Was that what a mother's love felt?

"Thank you, thank you so much, Misty," Delia said when she finally let go. "This is really sweet of you. Truth be told, I should confess something to you too."

"Oh really?"

"I won't deny Ash is the light of my life, and I adore him. But if I ever had a daughter… I would have liked her to turn out like you."

"Hey, please don't joke with that," Misty said.

"It's not a joke," Delia assured. "Look, you and Ash have a lot in common. Adventurous, loyal, and always determined to reach your goals no matter what. My son's always been good in choosing his friends. Why do you think we consider all of you part of the family?"

Misty couldn't reply. There she was a gain, treating her like a daughter even if they weren't blood-related. She was just her son's best friend.

But come to think about it, did that really matter? So many years of knowing each other had forged a strong bond between them. For Misty, whenever she thought about her mother, she'd inevitably end up thinking about Delia too.

Maybe not intentionally, but Delia had at least filled part of that void, left by the untimely death of her biological mom.

"Of course, if you want to make it official, you have my complete approval," Delia continued.

"Official? What do you mean…?"

Misty suddenly froze. She wasn't suggesting… that, was she?

"You know how slow can be Ash at times, so he might need a little push," Delia said nonchalantly. "Can I leave that in your hands?"

"H-hey, wait, I never said…"

"You didn't have to say it, sweetie. It's the duty of a mother to know their children, even better than themselves." Delia placed a hand on Misty's shoulder and whispered to her ear. "That includes non-biological ones, if you get my drift."

It was just for a second, but Misty could swear she saw Delia wink. She only stood there, and the only sensation she was aware of was the sudden burn in her cheeks once Delia's words finally sank in.

Mimey even had to pass by sweeping over her feet to snap her out of it.

In the end, she couldn't help but laugh. Not that she was adverse at the idea of being "officially" part of the Ketchum family, but for that she'd have to take the step with Ash first.

At any rate, knowing that she had Delia's approval was encouraging in that regard. But, that would be another story, for another time.

FIN

Author's notes:

How's it going, people? I decided to bring out something for Mother's Day. Had this idea for quite a while, though I didn't have enough free time to get it out (now I have plenty, but then again, who doesn't?). Maybe the obvious choice would have been a shot between Delia and Ash, but I decided to try something different. I must say, in many ways Delia reminds me of my own mom, so I enjoyed a lot writing her. Which is also the reason why this shot is dedicated to her, it's my way to give her a gift in the middle of all this.

Also, I'd like to say, there's a lot of people who enjoy my stories with Ash and Misty, and I appreciate that, but there are times I'd like to venture into having them interact with other people, and not just between themselves (I mean, it's not like they're alone in the universe). And while I did add some PokéShipping at the end, it's not the main focus of the story. I'll tell you something: there's a self-help book that I read long ago, and it said something about how relationships are the basis of life for any human, and I think we can also agree that, at least to an extent, that's also true for storytelling. But that doesn't apply only to romantic relationships; familial and friendship bonds are also very important, and it kinda depresses me how fanfiction often overlooks the latter two in favor of the former. Not saying that I don't enjoy (good) romance, but really I wish more people would appreciate what I write outside of that, since I'm hard-pressed to find good readings about familiy and friendship.

Anyway, I guess that's it. Hope you enjoyed this little mini-shot, and happy day to all mothers out there, but very specially to mine. See ya later!