In the footage—
After returning to Pallet Town, Ash stood at the front door of his house with some hesitation. This was one of the rare times when he genuinely lacked the courage to step inside.
During their recent phone call, Delia had shown an incredibly angry, sad, and worried expression.
As a mother, she naturally never wanted her child to encounter life-threatening dangers out in the world—not to mention a catastrophic crisis that had nearly brought about the end of the world!
"Picapi~"
"Hmm… I know, buddy. Sooner or later, I'm going to have to face my mom." Ash took a deep breath and reached out to open the door. But before his hand could even touch the doorknob, the door swung open from the inside!
"Ash!"
It was his mother, Delia. Before Ash could even utter a word of greeting, she threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. Her body trembled slightly, making it entirely clear that she had not yet recovered from the sheer panic of the crisis her son had just faced.
"Mom… Mom, I'm okay! Look at me, I'm perfectly fine!"
"... What are you supposed to say when you come home?"
"I… I'm home!"
"Welcome home."
The exchange between mother and son was brief. Rather than pressing him with endless questions about the dangers he had faced, Delia gently pulled him into the house, where a dining table stacked high with hearty, delicious dishes was already waiting for him.
When a traveler finally returns home, the unspoken worries overflowing from a mother's heart are immense. Yet, she didn't demand explanations right away, nor did she scold him; she simply insisted that Ash eat his fill first.
At the dinner table, Ash shoveled food into his mouth while recounting his experiences in the Galar region.
Naturally, he glossed over the most terrifying details, but Delia still knew exactly how close to disaster he had truly been. The live television broadcasts from before had made that painfully obvious.
"... In the future, whenever you go on an adventure, you must absolutely prioritize your safety, understand?"
"... I understand."
After enduring a scare of that magnitude, an ordinary mother would likely forbid her child from ever traveling again, or at least lock them inside the house for a few weeks. But Delia viewed things differently.
She was not only an open-minded mother, but someone who understood her son's heart completely.
She knew that no matter how much she pleaded, Ash would never abandon his journey or give up on his dream. Therefore, the thousands of cautionary words in her heart ultimately converged into a single, loving sentence—be careful on the road!
That night, Ash and Delia stayed up talking for hours. It felt as though mother and son hadn't shared such quality time together in ages.
From his early days starting out in Kanto to his current high-stakes journey, there were far too many stories to share. Delia laughed softly at his antics and sometimes sighed helplessly at his recklessness. The night slipped away quickly.
By the next morning, Ash had to prepare to leave Pallet Town once again. He planned to check in briefly with Professor Oak before heading straight back to the Cerise Laboratory.
After all, his backpack was currently stuffed with Galar's regional delicacies! He had explicitly promised Chloe that he would bring back enough local treats for her to eat her fill, and he had absolutely no intention of breaking that promise.
Following a brief conversation with Professor Oak, Ash commenced his journey back to Vermilion City.
Immediately after the crisis in Galar had concluded, Ash's very first phone calls had been to Professor Oak and Delia, meaning the Professor had been aware of Ash taking custody of Eternatus for a while.
As for actually researching Eternatus… realistically, that was completely out of the question. Right now, Eternatus's exact mental state remains entirely a mystery.
Ash had attempted to utilize the power of Aura to communicate with it on several occasions, but every effort had ended in failure. Eternatus seemed to have completely sealed off its consciousness, rendering any form of dialogue impossible.
Professor Oak certainly couldn't afford to keep such a volatile ticking time bomb stationed at the Pallet Town laboratory; if an accidental energy breach occurred, the entirety of Pallet Town would be obliterated in an instant.
Leaving it in Ash's active inventory was temporarily the safest alternative. After all, Ash possessed Champion-level strength, and he was currently carrying a Rusted Sword on his person!
That's right—both Ash and Gary were actively carrying the Rusted Sword and Rusted Shield with them.
They had originally intended to return the artifacts to the Slumbering Weald, but the lingering spiritual will within the weapons instructed them to keep the items on their person. If a major crisis ever arose, they could use them to call upon the legendary heroes once more!
In this manner, Ash was essentially walking around with the immediate backing of two top-tier Legendary Pokémon.
Even if Eternatus were to break containment and go on a rampage, Ash possessed more than enough defensive utility to hold the line until Gary could arrive to assist. This unique setup made Ash the absolute ideal candidate for custody.
Before long, Ash arrived back in Vermilion City. He called out cheerfully as he stepped through the front doors of the Cerise Laboratory, "I'm home!"
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter…
The sound of hurried, racing footsteps echoed down the corridor, and within a matter of seconds, a girl stood right in front of him.
"Hey, Chloe! How have you been? Look, I brought you some local special—"
Ash froze mid-sentence. The reason was simple… Chloe, who had just rushed out to meet him, didn't even wait for him to finish his greeting before throwing her arms directly around him in a tight hug. This left him standing there completely bewildered. What was going on?
[Professor Cerise: Fantastic, absolutely brilliant! Go for it!! That is exactly how you make a decisive move!! I refuse to believe Ash can remain completely dense after this!]
[Norman: Good grief! Girls need to maintain their modesty and reserve!]
[Caitlin: Remaining reserved in front of Ash is a guaranteed way to ensure you never stand by his side for the rest of your life! Chloe's proactive approach is entirely correct. Have you all learned nothing?]
[Blaine: Not suitable for children, completely unsuitable for children~]
[Flint: I'm honestly far more curious about how the actual guy feels right now watching this footage play out.]
[Ash: Emmmm… Chloe is clearly just incredibly worried about my safety, which is why she's hugging me! Look, she's actually crying! What an amazing, caring companion! I'm so glad I didn't drag her along to face Eternatus in the first place! It was way too dangerous!]
[Professor Cerise: ...]
[Norman: ...]
[Caitlin: ...]
Whether humans or watching spirits, the entire chat section fell completely silent. How could this person utter words that sounded so incredibly dense, yet wrap them in such a warm, well-meaning sentiment? Chloe's feelings are written across her entire face! And you still just categorize her as a regular companion? Classic Ash!!
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