The Power of Two

chapter 12

A familiar woman from before coughed and saw the adults in relief. "Oh, good... You're here..."

Cherry noticed the brown-haired woman. "Delia... Is that you?"

Delia blinked in surprise. "Cherry... Y-You're alive..."

"Well of course I'm alive!" Cherry glanced back at her.

"Well, I haven't seen you in 20 years..." Delia smiled to her.

The two shared a quick forced hug.

"What're you doing here?" Cherry asked.

"I was looking for my kids," Delia said to her. "H-Have you seen them?"

"Yes, we have seen them." Atticus said.

"I've been looking for them..." Delia bowed her head. 

"Don't worry, they couldn't have gone too far." Cherry said, then heard the screech of Lugia.

"They're riding on Lugia." Atticus said.

"Come on, we can catch up with them!" Cherry told the others, going that way.

"Eloise!!" Darla shrieked then, coming to the temple, she had running mascara down her cheeks, she then saw her daughter and happily gasped. "ELOISE!"

"Mommy!!!" Eloise yelled back, running to her and hugging her, more than she would on around Christmas time. 

"Oh, Ellie... Mommy was so worried..." Darla sniffled as she nearly squeezed Eloise in the hug.

"Mommy, you're squeezing too tight!" Eloise squeaked.

"Oh, sorry, dear..." Darla chuckled, setting her daughter gently down on the ground and she wiped her eyes. 

"Ash, Emi!" Delia's voice was heard as she was running over as Lugia landed.

Ash looked back with a gasp. "That's our mom!" 

Delia came to her children, putting her hands on her hips and looked firm to them. "All right, start talking! You two are in big trouble!"

"But, Mrs. Ketchum, Ash just helped save the whole world..." Misty informed.

"As did Akito." Emi added.

"Oh, they did, did they?" Delia still sounded scolding. "Well... I could've lost my whole world..." she said with a frown, she was very worried about her kids, chosen one or not. "Every day I worry about you two and wonder if you're alright. I know I can't stop you from doing the things you need to do, I just can't help missing you all the time... You're a Pokemon trainer and took your sister with you, and that's just how it is... But next time, could you try to save the world just a little closer to home?"

Ash looked with Emi and they both shrugged, but looked back to their mother as Professor Oak and a woman named Professor Ivy also walked over. "I guess we could give it a try." 

Delia smiled. "Every day, you're my heroes."

Ash smiled with Emi and Pikachu. "Thanks, Mom."

"Maman, are you feeling that way when you go without me or Papa?" Felicity asked.

"Of course I do, Flick..." Cherry said softly. "I had no choice but to leave you with your father for seven years... I've kept trying to rebel against my natural father and get myself home to you... He didn't want anything to do with you since you weren't the grandchild he wanted from an arranged courtship... I missed you every day..." she gently hugged her daughter.