"Mom, today Professor Oak gave every summer camp student a Pokémon. I received Froakie, the Water-type starter from the Kalos region!"
"Froakie's really strong! This afternoon, right after the opening ceremony, Professor Oak had us all participate in Pokémon battles to simulate being real Trainers."
"I won five matches in a row with Froakie! Right now, I'm ranked number one on the camp's Trainer Performance Leaderboard!"
On the other end of the phone, Delia listened to her son's excited chatter, a wide smile blooming on her face.
Every parent dreams of their child's success. Delia's heart swelled with pride upon hearing about Ash's accomplishments on his very first day of camp.
"That's my boy—brilliant as always!"
"Of course I am!" Ash chuckled, then added, "Oh, right—Mom, after the camp ends, if I get special approval from the League to own a Pokémon early, I'll catch one just for you."
Ash wasn't what you'd call a clingy mama's boy, but having lived an orphan's life in his previous one, he now valued family more than ever.
His good-for-nothing father—whose name he didn't even know—had died while out on some journey. With no other relatives, Delia had raised him completely on her own.
'Relying on each other'—that phrase had a heavy weight behind it. After the epiphany he had the night before, Ash had become more attentive to home… and more considerate toward his mother.
"You little rascal," Delia said with a loving laugh. "I'm really happy you're thinking of me. But I know you, Ash. You wouldn't just call out of the blue—there must be something you need help with."
Heh.
"Can't I just call home for no reason? But yeah… I do need your help with something." Ash's voice turned more serious.
"I knew it!" Delia giggled from the other end of the line, clearly enjoying being right.
Ash scratched his head, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Alright then, tell me—what do you need Mom to do?"
Since she was asking directly, Ash didn't hold back. He went ahead and explained the real reason for his call.
"Mom, when I was training Froakie today, I realized my psychic power can help Pokémon learn new moves. So… I want you to register an online store for me on the official League trading site."
"I want to use this ability of mine to earn some money—so I can train and raise my Pokémon in the future."
For a moment, Delia went silent. Her cheerful tone faded.
"Ash… I'm really sorry. We don't have enough money to support your dream of becoming a Pokémon Trainer. You're only six years old, and yet you're already thinking about earning money just to raise your Pokémon…"
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" Her voice trembled.
Even over the phone, Ash could feel the sorrow radiating from her.
"Mom… you've already done so much. There's no need to apologize."
"We're just an ordinary family in Pallet Town. Dad's… 'not around.' You raised me all by yourself—and you've worked so hard."
"You toiled day and night on that farm, not just to raise me, but to save enough to cover the starter tax for my first Pokémon."
"Being a Pokémon Trainer is expensive. Since I want to walk this path, then the cost of raising Pokémon and traveling the world… those are things I should find a way to cover—not you."
"And Mom, the fact that I'm already thinking about these things and making plans for the future—that should make you proud."
"Most kids from ordinary families don't realize how tough the Trainer life is until they hit financial walls after becoming official Trainers. But I already know. And I'm taking action early."
"That just proves your son is awesome! Compared to the others… I've already won at the starting line."
Delia took a deep breath. After Ash's long string of thoughtful words, her sorrow melted away—replaced by pride.
"You're right. My son is the best. Ash, one day you'll become the greatest Trainer in the world—I just know it."
"Of course!" Ash grinned. "But Mom, once you finish registering my shop on the League site, I also need you to find a studio to design and decorate the storefront. Something professional-looking."
"Oh, and one more thing—I'll need a portable Poké Ball Transfer Machine. Gotta be ready to fulfill orders after camp ends."
"Those things aren't cheap, so… I'll need you to cover the cost upfront." Ash scratched his cheek sheepishly.
"Hmph. Don't worry about that," Delia said firmly. "As your mom, I might not be able to fund your whole journey… but I can handle your dream's launch costs."
"I'll take care of registering the store, hiring the design team, and ordering the transfer machine. Leave it to me."
"But Ash… won't opening this kind of store expose your secret? I mean, people will find out you have psychic powers, right? Won't that attract unwanted attention?" Delia asked, her concern justified.
Ash, however, was calm.
"Actually, no. To most people, it'll just look like I'm a Pokémon researcher or breeder who specializes in move-learning support."
"Even if my secret does come out—it's no big deal. My healing ability's already public. Compared to that, helping Pokémon learn moves isn't a game-changer."
"Besides, it's not like I can keep my psychic power a secret forever. Instead of hiding it, why not use it openly to make money and help my Pokémon grow stronger faster?"
"If I become powerful enough, even if people know I have psychic powers, they'll just respect me—not try to harm me."
"Mm-hmm…" Delia nodded in agreement.
Ever since Ash's powers awakened after that near-drowning incident, she had noticed a change in him.
He wasn't the same mischievous boy anymore—he was thoughtful, driven, and caring.
She felt a little pang seeing her son grow up so suddenly, but more than that, she felt proud.
After wrapping up the conversation about the shop, Ash chatted with his mom a bit longer about his daily camp life, his victories, his friends…
And in that moment, even through just a telephone line, their bond felt closer than ever.
…
…
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T/N:
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