Before he came to this world, Ash often wondered about his father, who is only mentioned at the beginning of the anime.
According to Delia, he seemed to be an excellent trainer, but after over ten years of the anime, he never appeared, and his importance gradually faded.
In the early games, nearly all NPCs were children, women, or old people, with almost no young men. This was because when Pokémon became popular, it coincided with a time of war, and many men were drafted into the army in the island country, leaving only the elderly, children, and women behind. This context, however, became less important over time.
Ash recalled asking about his father when he was young, but Delia never responded, and eventually, he stopped asking.
"Really! Haven't you been looking forward to this summer camp? If you don't hurry up, you'll be late!"
The food, reminiscent of an anime gourmet show, was laid out on the table. Delia, busy at the pot, chattered away, touching Ash, who had been alone in his previous life.
"Understood," he replied simply, putting his backpack aside and sitting down for breakfast.
Delia turned to place a freshly fried omelet on Ash's plate.
"Start eating!" Looking at the food on the table, especially the fried eggs, Ash couldn't help but wonder if they were from a Pokémon. He thought of Chansey first.
Pokémon are considered animals in this world, and much of the food in the animation does come from Pokémon. Initially, Farfetch'd was said to be delicious with its onions, and then there were eggs from Chansey. Later, to avoid casting a psychological shadow on children watching the anime, they shifted to using products like Miltank milk.
The anime rarely mentions meat; food scenes typically lack any sign of it.
"Have you got everything ready? Ash, you're always so careless. Remember to check carefully and don't trouble the Professor!"
"Got it, don't worry!"
"Huh? Do you have a fever?" Delia asked, noticing Ash's unusually compliant response. She reached out with a serious look and put her hand on Ash's forehead, making him feel a bit lost.
"What are you doing, Mom?" Unaccustomed to this parent-child atmosphere, Ash felt disoriented. Even though he had the same body, he was no longer the same person.
As a mother, Delia could be stubborn, but he was still her child, and she worried she might notice something off.
"It's nothing! I just felt a little surprised. If it were the usual Ash, he would definitely say, 'Oops! Got it! Don't nag so much!'"
After confirming that Ash didn't have a fever, Delia let out a sigh of relief and then imitated Ash's teasing tone.
Ash felt a bit speechless. This really was the original Ash's tone. As expected of a mother, her intuition was sharp. However, there was no way around it; his personality was indeed different from the original Ash.
"I... I'm just looking forward to the Professor's summer camp." Worried about being found out, he quickly thought of a reasonable excuse.
"That's right, you've been looking forward to it for a long time. Have fun this time!" Delia responded gently. Ash was relieved to see her accepting his explanation.
"Ok!"
Worried that talking too much would reveal flaws, Ash didn't say much. He quickly finished his breakfast, cleaned his mouth, and then got up to put on his backpack.
"I'm full! Mom! I'm heading out now. Take care of yourself at home."
Ash didn't linger and left right after speaking. He didn't notice that Delia's hands, which were packing the tableware, slightly paused. Two crystal-clear tears fell on the plate, and a loving smile appeared on her gentle face.
"This kid seems to have grown up unknowingly. It seems I don't have to worry about him messing up at the Professor's."
It's not that Delia understood Ash's situation. Even in a world full of fantasy, it was impossible for her to guess Ash's circumstances.
It's just that in the past, Ash was still a child who hadn't traveled before. He would go out to play without thinking about taking care of himself.
Ash didn't know that his mother, Delia, had travelled before, even though the summer camp was with a group of children.
Being able to get close to Pokémon in the wild was something Ash was very much looking forward to.
This is the real Pokémon world. Although Pallet Town is just a small town, you can still see Pokémon everywhere.
He saw quite a few on the road, including small Pokémon like Rattata raised in some people's homes, and Flying types like Pidgey and Butterfree along the way.
"Here I am, Professor Oak!" Ash announced as he arrived at the Laboratory.
Many children of the same age had already gathered outside the Laboratory. This summer camp was so popular that many children participated, even from other regions.
Several Laboratory staff members were taking roll calls and maintaining order. In Ash's impression, the Laboratory had always been run by Professor Oak alone. Later, Ash's companion Tracey stayed because of his interest, turning it into a two-person operation. But realistically, how could one person handle such a big Laboratory? With so many foster Pokémon, feeding and taking care of them alone would be impossible.
"Oh! you came really early today. Let's wait for a while! There are still a few more who haven't arrived yet. Once everyone is here, we'll set off right away!"
Just as in his memory, Professor Oak was a kind-looking old man who was very good with children.
"Okay!" Ash was anxious to meet the wild Pokémon. Though he still looked forward to it, he had an adult's mindset now.
"Yo! How rare! You are not late."