Chasing After A Legend

Lasses and Beauties

"Human talking"

'Human thinking'

"Talking in a Flashback/Memory"

"Pokémon talking"

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"Thank you so much for making it! Please come in!"

Delia Ketchum welcomed a beautiful 16-year-old brunette into her home, as she and Mr. Mime took her bags despite the young woman's insistence that they didn't have to trouble themselves. The guest wore a red-and-white bandanna tied around her side-fringed hair, a scarlet tank with a black under-shirt underneath, white short shorts complimented by slightly longer black leggings, yellow sneakers, and a green-yellow fanny pack.

"Sorry I got here so late," May apologized. "You know me, having to stop by every restaurant she sees." She playfully stuck out her tongue.

"Oh, heavens no, it's no trouble at all!" Delia reassured her. "We're all still up, and Ash won't be coming home for another day!" She looked around May. "Oh, Max isn't with you?"

May shook her head. "It's too bad, but he's busy being a Trainer, too." May sighed. "Poor guy, it was so obvious that he wanted to come along, but he spun up a whole thing about how he's 'maturing' and needs to work hard to follow his dreams."

"My, my, he's as spirited as ever, isn't he?" Delia said with a giggle. "Reminds me of a certain someone..."

May softly laughed. "Yeah, I was thinkin' the same thing."

"Is that who I think it is?" A familiar voice called from the kitchen.

"Oh, it just might be!" May called back warmly. She followed Delia into the kitchen and enthusiastically waved at a tan-skinned young man with brown, spiky hair and small but intense eyes, wearing an orange shirt under a light-green vest, dark-brown khakis, and black sneakers.

"Long time," Brock greeted.

"Without you and your cooking, any time is too long," May replied with a smile. Brock rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Ah, c'mon, you're giving me too much credit..."

"Don't be so modest," Delia joined in. "You give some of the chefs at Pallet House a run for their money."

"Is that a job offer, Ms. Ketchum?" Brock asked jokingly.

"Could a Pokémon Doctor take time out of his busy schedule to work for me?"

"He isn't a doctor yet..." May pointed out.

"And at 25, he isn't married yet, either!" Delia added.

"Don't remind me..." Brock sulked. May and Delia laughed and patted Brock reassuringly.

"So, who else is joining us?" May asked. "Are Misty or Dawn around?"

"Misty couldn't make it," Brock answered. "The Pokémon League's got some big meeting going on, and she has to attend for the weekend. Dawn's here, though. She's at Professor Oak's lab."

"Really? I thought she'd be with you." Come to think of it, she's never been there before, has she?"

"Well, she's never been to Pallet Town before, so naturally she was so excited that she had to visit the famous Oak laboratory. I think she's more interested in getting a poem out of the Professor than the actual facility, though..."

"We invited Ash's friends from his travels past Sinnoh," Delia chimed in. "But not everyone could make it. Iris has responsibilities as Unova Champion, and Cilan is at a, er, Connoisseur's Convention, or something of the sort?" She looked at Brock for confirmation.