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Chapter Text

Cynthia and Diantha were beaming as they sat on either side of their wife's bed. Staring awestruck down at that precious little bundle cradled in their thirds arms. Their beautiful amazing strong wonderful absolutely breathtaking and patient third who was cradling the most beautiful thing, person, either of them had ever seen.

Their baby. Their beautiful baby boy...

"He's perfect..." He looked nothing like Cynthia and only had dark hair in common with Diantha but that was okay and expected. After all they had used a sperm donor for the treatment and Delia had been the one to carry him. So of course the baby wouldn't look like either Cynthia nor Diantha, it was just because apparently the sperm donor had dark hair that he had black hair in common with Diantha, his Maman as they had decided she would be called.

He had a tuft of dark hair on his head, some strange almost z shaped birthmarks on his tiny chubby cheeks and he was just...he was absolutely beautiful.

"He is. Hi Ashy. Hi baby boy. Welcome to the world. The world where you have three mommies who'd always love and care about and protect you." Delia cooed to the bundle, she was sweaty and exhausted and sore but she was smiling softly at the baby. Cynthia had three fingers in a splint and Diantha had two in a splint because the pain meds hadn't worked on their wife but they didn't even care about that.

Their baby was here. Their third and son were right here in their arms as both of them had an arm around Delia's head as they held them both, kissing Delia's sweaty forehead with giddy grins on their faces and tears in their eyes.

"He'll have to go into the incubator soon. You can call your family and coworkers when he is while they check me over." Delia said softly after a moment and Cynthia hummed as Diantha made a noise in her throat. Neither wanted to leave their third and their baby boy.

Cynthia, being the only one of the three who had living family, hadn't thought to call her grandma and baby sister, not when her amazing wife started having contractions at about eleven o'clock. But now it was about five in the morning. She could and probably should call them soon. And her league. Diantha would have to call her league and her manager as well.

The Elite Four had been very excited when Cynthia had come practically dancing into the League building talking about her amazing third and how the treatment had worked and they were going to have a baby...

Diantha had been far more selective, only Wikstrom and Drasna of her Elite Four knew, and Kathi Lee had been made to sign an astounding number of NDAs before she was told why Diantha was going to be taking at least a year off of acting, starting as soon as her wife hit the sixth month marker.

Their Elite Fours also made sure that no challenger got past them, to give the two champions as much time as possible with their expecting wife. Bertha and Drasna in particular had been insurmountable walls for any challengers. No one had gotten past the two older women in months.

There was a commotion at the door and Delia looked up confused and alarmed while Cynthia immediately put herself between her family and the intruder when the door burst open, Diantha already throwing out a pokeball she had grabbed.

In came an adult Absol with a small pup in its mouth as Gardevoir stood there ready to defend the family.

"An Absol..." Cynthia didn't untense at all. Absols were known as the disaster pokemon, they sensed oncoming disasters and warned people of them. Cynthia and Diantha traded glances as they looked worried.

A disaster was going to happen. And soon. Right here near their third who wasn't a trainer and their legit newborn baby.

Both champions watched the wild Absol warily as it padded over to the bed and then placed its pup, a few months old probably only just weaned off of its mamas milk Cynthia noted distantly, onto the bed. The pup yipped and padded over to sniff Ash before yipping and bunking down on Delia, curling up against Ash and deciding to nap there.

Absols eyes glowed as it looked at Cynthia, Diantha and Delia and Cynthia fingered one of her pokeballs, one she had grabbed on the way out the door just in case they were attacked en route to or at the hospital. The indentations on the ball told her it was Lucario. Probably not the best match up against the dark type pokemon, but her Lucario was more than able to overcome a type disadvantage. Especially with Diantha's Gardevoir here as well and Diantha always wore her key stone necklace. Shit was Gardevoir effective against Absols? Cynthia wasn't able to remember right off hand.

"Be at peace. There is no disaster that will strike here." The Absol was able to use telepathy to talk... well she had heard of them learning some Psychic type moves...and honestly she had seen a surfing Pikachu so this wasn't that surprising. Diantha only quirked an eyebrow and Gardevoirs eyes glowed as it communed with the Absol psychically before hesitating and then turning and nodding at her human who relaxed. So the Absol wasn't a threat...Cynthia relaxed a bit when Diantha nodded at her.

"I can foretell however that your pup will often be around danger and disaster. He will need the help. So I have brought my daughter here, to be raised with your pup and help him through the disasters. Perhaps by the will of Arceus herself is why I can foretell so far...", The Absols voice was male and his words sounded sincere and solemn, even the master Actress herself couldn't detect any deceit in his words.

"Take care of my pup as you would your own. I may come and visit her some times but for now I must return to the rest of my litter and my mate." The Absol didn't give them a chance to say anything. He just turned and bounced away nimbly back out the door and causing more cries of alarm.

The new moms stared for a moment and then looked at the napping Absol pup curled up with Ash. Then back at each other. Gardevoir looked just as worried as she hovered beside her human and her humans mates and pup.

"He's not leaving our sight for a moment." Delia said and Cynthia nodded slowly in agreement, Diantha gave a hollow laugh of agreement.

"Right....right...I..." Cynthia felt like her brain was racing but made of sludge. Her son was going to be around danger and disaster?! So much so that an Absol, which did they even live in Kanto?!?!, had come sprinting in to tell them soon after his birth and left his own pup here to guard and warn them?

Seriously how was she supposed to react to that?

"Absol's don't even live in Kanto region. Whatever disaster he foresaw near Ash was so bad he traveled at least a region and a half just to get here. With his pup." Diantha pointed out and her voice was tense and almost an octave higher than normal.

"Definitely not leaving our sights." Cynthia wondered if she could get her Garchomp to be a bodyguard for her son. He probably wouldn't mind actually, he had been very protective of Delia. Especially when the pokemon realized she was carrying a new life within her that would be their humans pup as well.

"I'll get the doctors to come and give you a check up while Ash is in the incubator. I'll take the pup with me while I call Gran and the others." Because she was absolutely calling the her family and then the League and then probably sending a picture to the Champion group chat of her adorable baby boy to let them know. Diantha nodded slowly in agreement, she had to call Drasna and let her know about Ash being born heathy and safely and then about the apparent prophecy of doom and disaster over his head...she made an idle note that that could be a decent movie or series script later.

They had been excited and eager for a baby champion to be born and join the strange makeshift family the champions had made for themselves. And because she was absolutely going to ask all of them to babysit eventually, they had offered even!, and wanted to warn them about the Absol pup. Cynthia idly realized that she might have to restrain Lance from giving her newborn something like a Dragonite egg...or a Dratini. Diantha was already making a mental note to remind Steven that Ash was too little to play with rocks or go digging in tunnels.

"Right. Sounds good." Delia agreed a bit numbly while Cynthia scooped the pup into her arms and hid her underneath the jacket Cynthia had managed to grab on her way out the door. Then awkwardly cradling the pup against her body and trying to hide it Cynthia poked her head out of the door and saw a frazzled nurse coming their way.

"Can someone please check over my wife and son?" Cynthia asked and the nurse nodded, entering the room and taking Ash to the incubator and then calling for a doctor while Cynthia and Diantha stepped out and placed their calls, Cynthia to her grandmother first and then to Bertha while Diantha called Drasna first.

"Hey so my son is here and healthy it looks like but he's also a trouble magnet. So much so an Absol appeared and left one of its pups with him as a guide and guard....so..."
Yeah she really should have worded that better but in her defense she was mostly still in shock.

"Drasna. The baby is here, he is absolutely adorable and his name is Ash and he is a chaos and trouble magnet already. Wait wait no, Drasna he's too little for an Axew! Well...apparently an Absol sensed so much danger around him that he traveled across a region to just give Ash one of his pups...no...no Drasna no! He's not even three hours old! He does not need a bunch of baby dragons to go with the Absol!"

Diantha almost forgot that as the closest thing to a mother figure she's had in years that meant her son would be Drasna's grandson. And that Drasna could be as protective as any mama Dragon.

Diantha staunchly ignored how that could also apply to her and Cynthia as well.

Chapter Text

Diantha briefly felt a bit bad for the hospital staff, especially the ones assigned to this floor which was exclusive for Champions and their families to keep paparazzi out.

They were used to seeing one maybe two champions or Elite Four at time, not so used to the majority of champions and at least half the Elite Four of each region being there at one time. Not even counting Cynthias history professor grandmother and Ranger sister.

They were all very eager and excited to meet the baby.

"Did you all coordinate your arrivals or was this an honest coincidence?" Cynthia asked but she was smiling and she nearly melted into the hugs her grandmother and Bertha gave her. Thankfully the Lily of the Valley conference ended last week with the winner not even making it past their new Elite Four Flint.

The Lumoise Conference wasn't set to start for another month, but Wikstrom and Drasna had silently planned to do their best to make sure no one made it past them and disturbed Dianthas time with her wives and newborn.

"Honest accident believe it or not. Didn't even know those four were coming, much less Alder." Lance said nodding towards their Elites and then at the Unova Champion who huffed slightly but was smiling.

"There's a new baby champion. Course I came. Bought you three a whole lot of diapers, trust me you're going to need them." Alder said and for all the old wandering flirt was an irresponsible acting man they all knew he was a father and grandfather first and foremost. And he genuinely did care for the other champions and his region.

"Thank you Alder." Diantha said gratefully as Drasna released her from the tight hug and Caroline immediately pulled her into a hug as well, Bertha not far behind.

"How are Delia and the little prince doing?" Wikstrom asked and his voice was surprisingly low and soft but it made sense. He knew to be quiet and respectful in a hospital.

"The doctors say they're both in perfect health. Both mommy and baby will be discharged tomorrow." Cynthia answered and she was smiling so softly and so lovingly and Diantha took one of her hands in her own and kissed her knuckles with an equally soft smile. They couldn't wait to take their baby home. The two of them, with some help from Lance and Bruno and Lorelei had made the nursery as best as could be about two months ago during the Indigo League off season. Agatha had kept Delia distracted and had kept an eye out for any paperwork or calls Lance needed to answer.

They were sure Ash would love the nursery, it had a soft blue sky over a grassy field theme on the walls with stickers and paintings of all kinds of pokemon done on the walls and ceiling.

Thanks to the more than ready to spoil the baby leagues though, there were plenty of plushies of all kinds of pokemon for him to cuddle with as he grew older.

(And if each of the Champions and Elite and League memebers that knew of the baby had made sure he had a plushie of their Aces as baby Pokemon to try and see which pokemon he'd prefer...well Delia had banished Diantha and Cynthia to the couch because the two had started arguing over if their son would prefer a Gible over a Ralts while she had a headache and was trying to sleep.)

It was only the most trusted members of the League who knew exactly who's baby the gifts were for. Most of the gym leaders just knew one of the Champions were having a baby, they didn't even know which champion, but they had sent gifts and gift cards for the baby anyways. After all before this the only champion to have a family and kids was Alder who had two grown children of his own and four grandkids, three from his son and one from his daughter.

Most of the Leagues probably thought he had gotten another grandchild...

"Can we see them?" Lorelei asked eagerly to check on her best friend and the baby that she was already calling her nephew. Lorelei was the reason Diantha and Cynthia had even met Delia in the first place and their relationship had gone from just 'friends with benefits' to full blown girlfriends and later wives...if they had never met Delia they weren't sure they would have ever fully gotten together...

"Of course. It's only three at a time though in Delia's room though. And Ash is in the incubator right now. So you'll have to decide which two go to see Delia first." Diantha said and a glance at Cynthia meant they already knew how they'd split this. Diantha would take the first two to visit with Delia and then switch off with Cynthia to stay by the window to see Ash when the next two were going to go.

"I call dibs. She's my best friend." Lorelei immediately staked her spot and Caroline suddenly looked every bit as tall and intimidating as her granddaughters could as she stared down everyone else.

"That's my granddaughter-in-law. And great grandson. I think I should go first don't you?" Her voice was polite but there was a cutting sharp look in her eyes and a slight tone of danger in her voice.

"Fair enough. I get dibs on going next and I believe the new Aunt should go next as well." Drasna said and her voice and smile were her normal polite ones but the danger in her voice was felt loud and clear as she rested a hand on Cyllenes shoulder. Cynthias slightly younger twin sister nodding along although she sweated a bit at the dangerous aura Drasna emitted.

"Bah me and Bertha will go third. Now let's stop talking and go see that baby." Agatha waved it all off and Diantha chuckled a bit as she turned to lead Caroline and Lorelei towards Delia's recovery room.

Cynthia caught her wife's hand and pulled her into a quick but love filled kiss that Diantha happily returned.

"Our family is a bit nuts aren't they?" Cynthia asked grinning at her wife who let out a surprised snort before she covered her nose to muffle it.

Cynthia, Delia, and Drasna had been the only ones who had ever heard her snort before and she blushed a bit under the looks she was getting from the rest of them now.

"Maybe so. But I wouldn't change them for the world." Diantha said and Cynthia grinned wider at making her snort and then sighed heavily.

"Our son is going to be so spoiled."

Diantha shot her wife a flat look.

"Darling. Our son is already a chaos magnet and a danger magnet. As proven by the Absol pup hidden in Delia's room. I think if anything he's going to be smothered by this protective family." Diantha said and Drasna hummed in thought.

"I can still bring an Axew or Skrelp here for him..." She offered and Bertha was now giving her a glacial smile.

"Oh? Aren't dragons dangerous and temperamental? Doesn't sound like a good idea to have around a fragile newborn. Especially given how they'd stand out so much in Kanto. Perhaps something...tamer? Like a Bonsly or Wooper." Bertha said and Drasna dangerous aura was very very prominent now as she gave Bertha a tense smile.

"Bah! If anything the boy should have a ghost type to go with that Absol of his. I can bring a Gastly here in no time. Maybe a Litwick or Duskull if you want something less mischievous." Agatha said and suddenly all three older trainers were glaring at each other.

"Maybe he should have a Machop!" Bruno said loudly and all three women turned on him immediately.

"Shut it meat head!"

Cynthia and Diantha couldn't help but laugh as Diantha led Lorelei and Caroline to Delia's room while Cynthia and the not arguing members of the group left to go look through the window at the baby.

They had a feeling that there would be lots of arguments and fights over which pokemon he should have and who would give the baby a pokemon first.

Chapter Text

It had been almost a year now. A year since Ash was born and Diantha and Cynthia were ready to introduce him to the rest of their usual teams. He had already met Gardevoir and Lucario as the more humanoid looking Pokemon, and their adorable little boy hadn't even batted an eye at the pokemon. Just continued to coo and it sounded like he was giggling a lot.

Gardevoir was absolutely enthralled with her partners child. And Lucario seemed to be very protective as well. And they all saw how Ash was so attached to the Absol pup that slept in his room every night.l and followed behind him when he first started trying to crawl everywhere.

"So how do we do this? Start with the smaller Pokemon or try to get the bigger ones out of the way first?" Cynthia asked glancing at her wives for their opinion as the trio stood in the backyard of Professor Caroline's house. The three had managed to all get a few days off together and had agreed to spend them visiting Cynthias grandmother, and congratulating Cynthia's sister since she was due to have a little girl soon.

And yes Cynthia had put the fear of Garchomp into her sister's boyfriend as a warning to what would happen if he tried to ditch her sister and unborn niece.

"Mmmm how about we start small. For my own peace of mind if nothing else." Delia requested and her wives immediately smothered her face in kisses.

"As you wish." Diantha murmured against her wife's lips with a small smile, Delia blushing and giggling at the affection.

"That means your Hawlucha is first. Then my Spiritomb and Roserade. Your Gourgeist since he already knows Gardevoir and Lucario. Then it goes Gastrodon, Milotic, Goodra, Aurorus, Garchomp and Tyrantrum as the last one." Cynthia said and Diantha nodded. It was only sheer luck and the way they were built that meant the two technically scariest ones to little kids were the last ones.

"Hawlucha take the stage!" Diantha called out her Hawlucha and her wives shot her amused and exasperated looks as the fighting bird appeared with a cry of her name.

"This isn't a battle or a movie babe." Cynthia grinned at Diantha who blushed and rubbed the back of her neck.

"It's a habit." She offered sheepishly and both Delia and Cynthia laughed, Cynthia pulling her in by her t-shirt to claim a quick kiss.

"You're lucky you're cute." Cynthia teased and Ash made a cooing noise as Hawlucha came racing over to her human now that she saw there was no fighting.

Diantha caught her Hawlucha on reflex, honestly used to her aggressive attempts at affection, and held her close and firmly. Not so she couldn't move but so that she couldn't launch herself at Delia and Ash.

"Hawlucha. Behave. Don't you want to meet Ash?" Diantha scolded her Hawlucha but there wasn't much heat to it as her little fighting girl perked up happily and chirped. Ash let out a loud happy noise as he reached for Hawlucha from Delia's arms. Hawlucha was immediately far less aggressively affectionate and staring at Ash with wide sparkly eyes.

"I think she likes him." Cynthia said amused and Ash reached out and pet Hawluchas beak a bit with his chubby little arms and hands and Hawlucha cooed and leaned forward, gently grooming his tuft of messy black hair.

"Oh please. She and the rest of the pokemon have been eager to meet him since the in vitro fertilization took hold and they sensed him growing in Delia. Of course she likes him." Diantha said but she was smiling softly as she saw her usually so loud and aggressive bird be so gentle and coo so softly to her son.

"And he adores her back." Delia said as Ash let out a peal of giggles at Hawlucha chirping at him and grooming him.

"We have to introduce him to everyone else too Hawlucha. Do you want to be put down?" Diantha asked her smallest pokemon who nodded and was set down, taking up a protective position in front of Delia and Ash.

"My turn. Spiritomb rise!" Cynthia called out her ghost type and then sighed when Diantha shot her a smirk.

"It's not a battle Cynthia." Diantha teased and Cynthia shot her a playful scowl as the haunted ghost popped out with a cackle.

"If you two start I'm making you both sleep on the couch." Delia warned them and they both shut up. Sure they'd have each other to keep warm and cuddle with on the couch...but the couch was small and got too cold most of the time even with each other to stay warm. Besides. They loved cuddling their third and holding her in their arms. They didn't get to do it often enough for their tastes given their busy schedules.

"Hey girl. Look who you get to meet..." Cynthia turned to her pokemon who craned its gaseous head up to meet Ash. Diantha face palmed and sighed at her Hawlucha lunging at the ghost with a kick to try and get it away from the baby. Her Hawlucha went right through the cackling ghost and would have hit a tree if it wasn't for Gardevoir catching her with psychic.

Cynthia snorted and tried to not laugh at her wife while Delia was a bit wary of the ghost. Ash though was laughing happily and trying to touch the specter that laughed back at him.

Diantha was scolding her Hawlucha for picking a fight with her ghost, her pokemon were used to Cynthia's and honestly why would Hawlucha try to kick a ghost?! She knew better than that.

"Well at least he's not scared of Spiritomb." Cynthia said grinning as she released Roserade next, who was immediately prancing over to greet the baby, easily jumping up and into Lucarios arms to get a closer look.

Ash let out a happy squeak and reached out for the Roserade who sniffed him a bit and then offered one of her flowers that smelled very sweet.

Cynthia immediately grabbed Ash and held him out of reach.

"Roserade no! No poison! He's too little to build up an immunity!" Cynthia scolded her pokemon who pouted and sulked as Diantha released her Gourgeist.

Instantly Gourgeist shot her arm vines out and grabbed Ash from Cynthia, pulling him in and cooing at him happily.

"Gourgeist no singing! He's already a chaos magnet he doesn't need to be cursed." Diantha yelped in alarm and Delia sighed as she watched her wives try to corral their pokemon a bit even though all the Pokemon were eager to meet the baby. Absol absolutely was trying to bite the ghost/grass types who floated away from the growly disaster pup.

"Why don't you two just have the rest of them out and let them meet him one at a time, that way you don't have to keep throwing out the pokeballs?" Delia asked and both her wives paused and stared at each other.

"...well we already knew she was the braincells of our family." Diantha said dryly and Cynthia nodded in agreement. The two then threw out the rest of their pokemon to be introduced to the baby.

Diantha realized her mistake when Tyrantrum appeared with a roar that shook some trees. Which prompted Cynthia's Garchomp to roar right back at him.

The two growled as they stared down each other while the three mothers whirled to look worriedly at Ash.

He was giggling loudly and roared at the two dragons who snorted and whipped around to look at him in surprise.

"You two. Take the noise level down. We don't want to hurt or scare the baby." Diantha scolded them both and the two large ferocious dragons lowered their heads and made whimpering noises, looking towards the baby that was being cuddled by Goodra now as Aurorus sent feelers out to play with the baby.

"I don't think he's scared at all." Cynthia noted and it was true. Ash looked thrilled as could be as he was being cuddled and nuzzled by the pokemon.

Garchomp stepped over and lowered her head, looking at her partners small fragile pup. The fierce dragoness looked worried as she gently nosed the small human who giggled and pet her large snout with one chubby hand.

"Oh he definitely gets that from you two. No offense to Garchomp, she's a sweetheart I know, but most kids and babies would be scared of her. Even I was wary of her at first." Delia said and she fully blamed her wives for their son giving absolutely zero signs of fear towards the large dangerous beasts.

Tyrantrum slowly and hesitantly stepped over and lowered his massive head to look at the baby. Ash squealed happily and threw his chubby arms around the prehistoric Pokemon's snout.

Diantha smirked as her large ferocious dinosaur completely froze and looked wide eyed around for help as the baby hugged his snout. He looked absolutely terrified and that was not an expression she had ever seen on her Tyrantrums face before.

Garchomp was pouting at not getting a hug and nudged the baby who titled over onto her head. Much to her panic.

Delia sighed as she watched the pokemon try to play keep away with her giggling and happy son.

Diantha and Cynthia however were constantly calling after their Pokemon and panicking as they chased the baby, and by extension the baby Absol, around to keep him from getting hurt by accident.

Delia looked at Gardevoir who didn't look impressed and the amused looking Lucario.

"You two are keeping him safe and covered with psychic or aura aren't you?" Delia asked and they both nodded at her so she just nodded as well and walked over towards the house.

"Then let them wear themselves out. It means Ash might go down for his nap on time. I'm going to get started on lunch and see if Professor Caroline needs any help."

Chapter Text

The three moms of Ash Ketchum (Carnat-Ketchum-Shirona actually but since that was a secret and a mouthful everyone knew his last name as Ketchum) had noticed something a bit strange about their son.

Not his affinity for Pokemon, even though they did notice that Delia had said it was natural he'd have an affinity for Pokemon when two of his moms were some of the strongest trainers in the world, or his boundless energy.

No they noticed that he seemed faster and stronger than other kids his age and he often seemed able to withstand things most kids shouldn't. Like when Roserade accidentally poisoned him and he didn't even notice at three years old despite his frantic mamas.

Cynthia also noticed that her Lucario spent any and all free time with Ash. Not that it was much of a surprise. All of the pokemon liked spending time with him. Even when he gave them silly childish nicknames that had the other pokemon snickering at them.

It has been hilarious watching Diantha have to think up a quick excuse as to why her Tyrantrum was now named Growly when she accidentally used her son's name for Tyrantrum in a match.

The other champions still loved to tease her about that, at least until Lance accidentally called out his Gyarados by calling it Squirmy. Which was also thanks to Ash honestly. Agatha had cackled for damn near an hour as Lance floundered, much less how the others reacted.

And yes okay Diantha and Cynthia were a little bit overprotective of their son, could you blame them? There were plenty of people who'd attack or hurt their wife and son just to get to them! So yes they were protective of both of them. But Ash was a happy boy and their family was safe and happy. Which was what they wanted most even if they both wished they could spend more time with their wife and son.

And did their protectiveness mean that when they saw Ash playing with a fucking Gyrados Lance the most ferocious pokemon in the world what the fuck were you thinking?!?! Diantha threw hands with with Kanto/Johto leader?

Yes yes it did.

Did the ensuing pokemon battle where she and her team swept his dragons mean people stopped whispering about her being a figure head or weak champion? Well that was a bonus.

Right now though Ash was playing in the yard with Lucario and Absol as the adults talked, aka Diantha and Cynthia read Lance the riot act again for something involving his dragons and their son. At least until Gardevoir who was acting as supervision in the yard slammed open the door.

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Ash was a very happy boy as he grew up. And safe. His mama and mommy and maman loved him lots and so did his aunties and uncles and Granny and Gran and Gramma!

He grew up surrounded by mostly top class trainers and their Ace level pokemon and loving the pokemon. He was used to big and strong and scary pokemon, he grew up getting piggy back rides from his mamas Garchomp or Mamans Tyrantrum and he often ran around with his Absol sister and followed by Mamas Lucario and Mamans Hawlucha and sometimes the others pokemon too!

He loved riding on the backs of Uncle Lances Dragonites, Charizard or Gyarados (although mama, Maman, and mommy all got really scared when they saw him on Squirmy but she was nice and never hurt him and often let him sleep on her scales, Uncle Lance wasn't allowed to baby sit for two months and he thinks Maman and Mama were still yelling at him) or his grandpa Alders Buffalo! Sometimes even on Granny Berthas Hippowdon! As long as he didn't tell his mamas.

He loved pokemon, especially his Absol sister who had been with him when he was born. Maman loved to tease Mama about how she was so frazzled when Absol came in that she forgot her Lucario was super effective against dark types.

He spent the most time with his Mamas Lucario, Mamans Gardevoir and his Absol Sister though. After all Lucario and Gardevoir could go in the house unlike Nibbles and Growly!

And he learned he had cool tricks he could do! Right now he was playing catch with Lucario in the yard while Mama and Maman were talking with Uncle Lance and Grandma Agatha and mommy was with them but mostly not in it. She wasn't a trainer like Mama, Maman and his uncles and aunts were.

"What the distortion!?!" That was Mama and Ash looked up at her smiling brightly, Lucario looked silly, like he had been caught with his law in the cookie jar, as he held the blue ball in one paw. Gardevoir didn't look amused as she stood at the door, having gotten her humans.

"Mama! Maman! Do you wanna play?" Ash asked hopefully and Mama was staring at Lucario really hard and Maman was half a second behind her. Ohhhh that's the look Ash got when Mama or Maman heard he was being bad for mommy. Lucario was in trouble.

"Lucario. Aura Sphere. Five year old. Explain." Mama said and Uncle Lance and Grandma Agatha were looking out past her while Mommy was wiggling her way out the door past the other adults and Maman was striding towards Ash.

Lucario looked at Mama then at the ball then at Ash and just shrugged before tossing the ball at Ash who caught it and beamed as he threw it back. Maman had tripped slightly and stumbled as she lunged towards him when Lucario threw the ball...did Maman wanna play?

His mama didn't look happy but Lucarios eyes glowed and Ash knew he was talking to Mama and maybe Mommy too without actually talking. It was some big word that started with a tel noise at the start. Gardevoir was glowing purple as was Maman which meant those two were talking too.

Mama stared for a moment as Ash threw the ball up and down and he only noticed that Lucarios eyes weren't glowy anymore when Lucario turned back to him and called for the ball.

"He has aura. He has aura and is going to be around enough disasters he summoned an Absol to a whole different region when he was born. Delia I blame this on you." Mama said and she turned to look at Mommy who looked just as confused and worried. Maman also looked extremely worried as she looked between Ash and Mama and Mommy.

"...so I'm hearing that the boy needs training and to be ready to take out anything and everything by the time he's ten." Grandma Agatha said that casually and Ash smiled as he threw the ball at Lucario again who kept playing catch with him, Gardevoir sighing and coming to join the game too much to Ash's joy.

"He literally summoned an Aura Sphere. He absolutely will need training." Mama said and she sounded tired and Ash was barely listening as he happily played with Lucario. Maybe he should give Lucario a name too? He seemed to always perk up when he heard Nibbles name. Or Squirmys. Or Growly...maybe he should name all of mama and Mamans pokemon! They'd all like names right? His sister too! She needed a name!

"Bleh!!!" A Haunter popped up beside Ash scaring the five year old just after he threw the ball to Lucario. A five year old raised by some of the strongest people and pokemon in the world and who often hung out with fighting types.

"Did he just sucker punch that Haunter?" Uncle Lance asked and Grandma Agatha was laughing loudly now in that way that scared people. Mama said a bad word that had mommy and Maman scolding her.

Ash was busy running to the Haunter and saying sorry over and over as his sister grabbed an oran berry from the garden and brought it over. This was Grandma Agathas new Haunter after all. And he didn't mean to hurt it!

"Oh these next few years will be fun!" Agatha cackled and Cynthia whimpered as she grabbed Delia and held her close, burying her face in her wife's shoulder. Diantha coming over to hold both of them.

"Our son is a chaos magnet love." Cynthia whimpered to her wife who turned and kissed her cheek with a smile.

"And a walking disaster zone." Diantha added with a small whine to her voice, Delia kissed her cheek too as the two champions held their civilian wife close and whimpered. Envisioning the amount of chaos and danger their son will be involved in when he goes on his journey.

Maybe one of them should join him on his journey? They'd bring that thought up later.

"He is. But we love him anyways. And at least we know he'll be safe if he can fight against pokemon." Delia said amused and she turned to look past Dianthas shoulder and watch as Ash playfully wrestled with Haunter, before Hawlucha came running to join the fray and the five year old began to wrestle with the bird.

"If he can fist fight ghost types somehow I think he's safer than roughly seventy percent of the world." Lance said dryly to the moms.

Cynthia flipped him off. That didn't help as much as he thought it did.

Chapter Text

It was on a family vacation, or a partial one at least. Diantha got called back to Kalos before they left Shamouti island by one of her gym leaders.

Cynthia happily used their wife's absence as a reason to skip the festival, it had nothing at all to do with her reading a stone tablet prophecy and it had her son's name on it. Absolutely nothing.

"So why the Ruins of Alph mom?" Ash asked curiously as he looked at Cynthia who was in her disguise. Her hair pulled into a ponytail with a simple sunhat on her head, a blue blouse and pair of jeans and sneakers replacing her iconic look and sunglasses on her eyes. Mostly to keep anyone from recognizing her.

His Maman had been dressed similar when they were on Shamouti before she got a call from one of her gym leaders. Ash was surprised at how effective the disguises were.

"They're letting people play with the stone puzzles now and I thought it might be interesting, especially since this is a place said to contain unknown pokemon and I figured my little champion would like to see them if he was able to find one." Cynthia teased as she ruffled her son's hair, messing with that limited edition league cap he had won by sending in a million and one tickets.

And no one could claim favoritism or she, Diantha or Lance pulled strings because one, no one but trusted friends and family knew of Cynthia and Diantha having a wife and son. And two, the league chairman of Kanto who didn't even know Ash existed had been the one to draw the winning name.

"Watch! I'll find all sorts of new pokemon!" Ash eagerly ran forward with his sister, Shade, running alongside him. He had decided on a name for her when he was six and she loved it apparently.

"Stay where we can see you!" Cynthia called after him worriedly as she adjusted her backpack of supplies.

"You worry too much darling." Delia chuckled and Cynthia sighed slightly but glanced at her wife.

"I can't help but worry. Soon he'll be going on his journey and be in danger and get caught up in disasters..." Cynthia trailed off worriedly as she glanced after her son, thankfully her Lucario was running after the two just in case. Knuckles, as her son nicknamed Lucario shortly after they learned about his Aura, was the one to train Ash in his Aura, which had made Knuckles stronger in the long run and he was protective of her boy.

Then again all of her and Dianthas pokemon were protective of her son, they had been since he was born. She smiled fondly, remembering her Garchomp being so eager to meet the baby but then so scared to be near him... Where did the years go? It seemed like just yesterday her Garchomp was scared to touch him and now he happily rode on her Garchomps back or rough housed with the dragon.

"You can't go with him on his journey love. The three of us already talked about that." Delia scolded gently and Cynthia pouted a bit. She knew she couldn't. It was his journey and she knew that if her parents or sister or grandma had tried to go with her for her first journey she would have been embarrassed and upset and a bit angry that they didn't think she could do it.

She knew that he'd feel the same if she or Diantha went with him. Because yeah he knew that two of his moms were champions now and were very strong, but first and foremost they were his moms.

"I know but still. He's our boy. Our baby..." And they both adored him, he was their entire world. If anything happened to him... If they ever lost him...

It was a fear that Diantha and Cynthia shared more potently than their third did. After all the two of them were famous and strong and had a lot of enemies. If any of them ever found out about their wife and son... especially if their son was in the road and not calling them often...

"And we have to let him grow up sometime. He can still call us for help and he knows we'll always do what we can to help him. All of us. Both of us, our wife, and his entire extended family, and you know how much they adore him." Delia smiled slightly and Cynthia snorted. They tried to spoil him is what they did. Diantha gave him a Mega stone for Shade and a Key Stone for himself for Christmas.

And because the three moms had firmly told everyone they weren't allowed to give him pokemon or Eggs they got creative.

So instead they had given him a bunch of things for his journey in a few months. The key and mega stone, that they both were wearing now actually, the xtransiever and some of the cards for extra functions, a lot of gift cards for the pokemart and some books on foraging and making poke food, a dragon fang necklace that would let him have access to Dragon villages.

Their large goofy family was bound and determined to make sure the youngest was as prepared as possible. Cynthia almost dreaded what they'd give him for his journey on his actual birthday. She knew she was planning on giving him a sturdy easy to set up tent for when he'd be traveling in the road with top of the line security features. Diantha already called dibs on getting him a brand new top of the line bag with extended space in it to carry his things in.

"He'll be more prepared than most starting trainers. And he'll have Shade by his side the whole time. And if needs help or advice he has an army of aunts and uncles and grandparents who'd happily help him. Not even counting how you or Diantha would teleport to him directly and help. And he can always come home." Delia softly spoke and Cynthia forced her worry and paranoia down, her wife's words reassuring her and forcing the ball in her chest to lighten up. Her anxiety lessening a bit thank to her wife. They were both always so good at calming down her usually racing mind.

"You always know just what to say. One of the main reasons I love you." Cynthia murmured softly as she rested her forehead against her wife's, staring into those hazel eyes she adored.

"Well for two adventurous as and wandering spirits like you two, I suppose a more down to earth and settled person is a big relief. And for as busy as Diantha is and how she always has dozens of things on her mind I suppose the settled calmness helps as well." Delia looked fond though and the two shared a soft smile and quick kiss. They were both missing their third and wished she was here too. But they were all used to this.

It wasn't often despite their best efforts that the two champions had their days off align. Especially with Dianthas actress job. Thankfully Cynthias research was mostly independent so she could make he down schedule with that.

It still smarted sometimes, how they rarely got to spend time all together as a family especially for more than a day or two...but they had worked it out long before now.

"Hey mom! Mama! Stop making out and come check out this cool door I found in one of the ruins!" Their son called and the two broke their soft kiss and Cynthia sighed as Delia chuckled fondly and the two traded smiles.

"At least when he's on his journey we won't be interrupted." Cynthia snarked slightly and Delia blushed and swatted her arm but giggled, truly that would be a godsend. Because the three of them rarely got any alone time together, usually it was all one on one between two of the triad. Rarely ever the full trio. Especially since when all three of his moms were home Ash rarely left their sides.

He was such a mamas boy but they weren't complaining.

"I used one of the escape ropes Uncle Bruno gave me and a door opened!" Ash was barreling towards them and Cynthia perked up at hearing that something interesting had happened, and also braced herself with all the experience of someone used to this and used to large pokemon being affectionate, to catch her son before he bowled them over as he raced back towards them.

"You made a discovery at one of the ruins?! That's my boy!!! Let's go check it out!" Cynthia said and suddenly they were both racing back to the ruin leaving Delia standing there with Shade who looked done with them all.

Delia chuckled and followed her adventurous wife and son towards the ruin and the secret backroom her son had found. Diantha would be pouting for hours over Ash apparently taking after Cynthia and messing around ruins.

She wouldn't change them for anything in the world. These two and Diantha were her whole world... Trouble and chaos magnet tendencies and all because damnit she still argued that Ash somehow inherited it from the trouble magnet from Ms. Unstable Cave No Biggie Ruin Explorer. And the chaos she swore up and down came from Diantha "chaotic schedule and life" Carnat.

Delia was not impressed to find them both going down a hole in the floor on a rope held by Nibbles who shot her a sheepish smile. Knuckles was already at the bottom of the hole waiting to catch them just in case.

Cynthia shot her wife a sheepish guilty smile, Ash already in the secret cavern.

"Her mama! Mom! There's a pokemon down here!" Ash called and Cynthia looked alarmed and jumped down while Delia made her way to the rope to climb down as well.

By the time Delia, Nibbles and Shade all got down there Ash was begging Cynthia if he could keep the tiny dragon on his head.

"...why the distortion is there even a Dreepy down here?" Cynthia asked in disbelief as she looked at her wife not knowing how to react.

"You're the champion and historian darling. You tell me." Delia said dryly and she sighed at Ash's sad begging Growlithe eyes. Eyes that the Dreepy copied.

"Ash you can't own a pokemon until you're ten. You've still got a few months to go." Delia reminded her son who looked down sad as did the Dreepy.

"...But if it wants to it can come home with us. But he'll be your responsibility! And you can't catch him officially until you have an official starter!" Delia said sternly. It was how they got around having Shade after all.

While she was owned she wasn't owned by Ash. Technically her ball was registered to Diantha. It would just be traded to Ash when he got his starter in exchange for a promise to call her once a week, which he was going to do anyways.

"Yes! Thanks mama!" Ash collided into Delia with a hug nearly knocking her over. Absol yipped happily and greeted the Dreepy.

"Oi!!!! I hear you!!! Can someone tell me where I am?" A voice called and Cynthia promptly face palmed. She knew that voice.

"Leon! Where are you supposed to be?!" Cynthia called and she turned on a flashlight to signal him where they were, even as she took a photo of Ash with his new friend.

"Cynthia is that you? What are you doing in Galar?!" Leon called and he was jogging over now and Cynthia gave him a flat look as Delia and Ash looked at the new arrival, a teenager s few years older than Ash with purple hair and a cape.

"Leon. You're in Johto. This is the Ruins of Alph... How the absolute fuck did you manage to cross an ocean and several regions to get here?!"

--------with Diantha-----

"Olympia. I respect you and consider you a friend and a wonderful gym leader and woman. But I am not happy with you calling me away from my vacation for what you said was an emergency. And then proceeded to spend the last forty five minutes staring at me and twenty five asking me mundane questions that could be a text message." Diantha was not happy with the older woman as she stared her down. She got pulled away for her hard fought time off with her family for this?

Olympia for her part actually looked a bit awkward and hesitant.

"Do you have a son?" Olympia finally asked after another few minutes and Diantha froze in place. Gardevoir beside her narrowed her eyes.

"How the fuck do you know about him?!" Diantha nearly snarled as she all but lunged across the small table to grab Olympia by her shirt. She was belatedly glad that Olympia's office was empty aside from them, because if this was a public place or there were others around this would absolutely cause a scene. One she didn't want to deal with.

"Peace my champion. I mean your family no harm." Olympias hands were raised open palmed Ina traditional surrender pose.

"Olympia I respect you a good deal but you were not one of the very few who knew about my son. So speak. And fast." Diantha damn near growled at her gym leader who did gulp a bit. This was a side to the actress champion she'd never seen nor dealt with before.

"For the past few years I've been getting premonitions of disasters and chaos. All centered around a strange boy I had never met nor seen before. My last vision before I called you however...it showed him in the midst of a disaster and you desperately trying to reach him while yelling for your son." Olympia said and the grip Diantha had on her shirt relaxed a bit.

"Your visions..." Diantha realized and Olympia nodded and Diantha sighed as she glanced at Gardevoir who nodded at her. Diantha released the older woman and settled back into her seat.

"I want you to write down or tell me every single vision you've had regarding my son. I've known he was a chaos magnet since he was born but if you've had visions of him..." Diantha trailed off and Olympia nodded as she moved towards a filing cabinet.

"Yes well...I don't usually record my visions but since these came through so strongly and contained concerning things...I started writing them down after the third vision. Here is the folder." Olympia said and she placed a thick stack down in front of Diantha. It was at least a solid inch thick, maybe more.

Diantha paled at the sight of how thick the folder was.

"...this explains the Absol at the hospital and Shade..." Diantha muttered and Gardevoir let out a noise of agreement.

"Can I ask which champion wing you were at for his birth? It surely wasn't Kalos or else everyone would have known of your pregnancy." Olympia said and she was actually just curious about it, if Diantha didn't answer her it was fine. But she was curious which regions hospital she went to that did t spread rumors of the famous actress being pregnant or having a child. Surely it wasn't somewhere like Galar or Unova...maybe Paldea? They were relatively private...

"I wasn't the one pregnant my wife was. And she was in the champion wing of the Kanto hospital. I'm not as well known there." Diantha idly answered and Olympia hummed in understanding at that. That had also contributed to why no one had known or spread whispers. Olympia hadn't even known her champion was married before today and she doubted very many people did know.

"This...this is the prophecy of Shamouti...shit!!" Diantha fumbled for her phone and immediately called Delia.

"Delia please tell me you all aren't at the Shamouti festival?! I can...oh...oh you're in Johto? Oh thank Arceus...I...yes I'll explain when I get back home...I...is that Champion Leon? Why is he in...he got lost again? I swear his sense of direction gets worse every month. But yes. Yes I'll be wrapping up most of this soon and be back home before dinner. I...wha...oh Drasna will be thrilled. Alright. I love you too. And give them both kisses for me." Diantha relaxed after she was assured her family wasn't in Shamouti.

"Drasna knew. That explains why she went so hard on any challengers in the last decade." Olympia noted in interest.

"Mhm. You'll have to sign an NDA about knowing about my family now." Diantha said and Olympia raised an eyebrow but nodded. Diantha texted Kathi to bring her an NDA packet for Olympia.

"Now that you know next time you need to get a hold of me while I'm on vacation, run it through Drasna first unless it's a life or death emergency." Diantha said and yes she was still annoyed even though she admitted her gym leader had a good reason.

Olympia merely nodded in understanding and sympathy...then she paused in thought.

"Does your son have a psychic type pokemon yet?" Olympia wondered about that with a small smile, wondering if Diantha gave her son a Ralts or other psychics type.

"Don't you start. Drasna is still trying to talk me into letting her give my baby an Axew. And I'll tell you what my son said when his army of uncles and aunts decided to offer him pokemon to start his journey with." Diantha rolled her eyes but smiled fondly as she thought of her sons words when he had been offered powerful pokemon to start his journey with.

"He wants to catch his own pokemon for his own journey. He wants to have a journey like other kids his age and not rely on getting powerful pokemon from his family. He wants to make his own way and be a Pokemon Master." Diantha repeated her sons words and she was so so proud of him for that, for turning down a full team of strong pokemon that could probably sweep a few gyms no problem.

"Admirable. What is a Pokemon Master however?" Olympia questioned that term and Diantha shrugged her shoulders.

"No idea. He coined the term himself. I can only guess it's a standard or goal he set for himself to live up to." Diantha shook her head.

She had worried how he'd feel about trying to be his own trainer when his family was fully of powerful and well known trainers. She and Cynthia both worried that he'd feel as if he had to live up to their titles of Champions. But he was going to be doing his journey on his own, not using her or Cynthias names. And she didn't know what a Pokemon Master was, or how he would achieve that goal, but she knew that was his goal.

And she knew her stubborn stubborn son would achieve it. Because he got Cynthia and Delias stubbornness and he'd never give up on his dream.

And he'd have his whole family there ready and willing to support him and offer advice if he wanted or needed it.

Yeah...her son would be just fine...

As long as she kept her eyes open for any of the disasters Olympia had seen in her visions.

Chapter Text

It was the day before Ash turned ten and started his journey. And all three of his moms were home, Diantha and Cynthia fighting tooth and nail to get today and tomorrow off from any and all work.

"Ash." Diantha called for their son to come in out of the yard where he was playing with Absol and Dreepy. She had been right Drasna had been thrilled to hear Ash had gotten himself a Dreepy all on his own, and had immediately come to check the little dragon pokemon.

It was a small thing, she frowned slightly as she mentioned it was smaller than normal and it seemed so fearful. It was scared of everything and everyone until it got used to them. They had gotten the story from Leon. And Drasna had booked a plane ticket to Galar. Poachers had it kills parents and siblings and now the poor thing was scared of everything.

"Yes maman?" Ash asked poking his head in through the window, Dreepy apparently being found and riding on his head like usual. It was Dreepys favorite spot, being in either Ash's head or his shoulders. Shade poked her head in through the window beside her brother. That small Absol pup had grown much in the last decade. She didn't battle much, she knew a few attacks, she mostly just tried to guide and shepherd her brother.

"Come on inside. It's almost time for dinner and your mom and I want to have a quick talk with you." Diantha said and Ash...climbed in through the window. Of course he did. Delia and Diantha both fully blamed that on their third. Their wild little boy was so much like Cynthia and her sister...he and his cousin Verity got along great since they both were wild rambunctious little things.

"What's up Maman? You and mom aren't going to offer to travel with me again are you?" Ash asked warily as Shade jumped through the window behind him. At least Knuckles the Lucario and Princess the Gardevoir used the door like normal people would.

Diantha smiled slightly sadly. She wished she could travel with him. But that would be far too much attention on him, almost guaranteed way to get any of her enemies to notice him and definitely would get thin taken for ransom at least.

No. They wouldn't be traveling with him. No matter how much they wished they could.

"No darling, although if you ever need us we're just a call away." Diantha reassured him and Ash looked up at her curiously as he plopped on the floor at her feet.

"It's a bit of an important talk we need to have before you go out on your journey but you probably won't really understand why until you're older." Cynthia said as she stepped out of the kitchen holding three drinks, bottles of water for her and Ash and a cup of tea for Diantha.

"Thank you, my heart." Diantha smiled and kissed Cynthia's cheek when she handed her the glass, Cynthia sitting beside her on the couch. Delia was working on something that had happened at the restaurant while Diantha did some paperwork and Cynthia looked at some photos of those secret tunnels Ash had found at the ruins a few months ago.

Delia said she'd be home in an hour or so, Diantha would start on lunch in a few minutes and make sure Ash watched and helped so he could feed himself on the road.

"So what's up?" Ash asked tilting his head slightly curious now.

"Ash...when you're out there you'll see a lot of new things and meet a lot of new people. And...you're too young to really use this now yourself but we want to go ahead and make sure you understand this." Cynthia said seriously and Ash looked confused and a bit worried on how serious she was being at home.

"Everyone has the right to say no. Okay? Boy or girl young or old, everyone has the right to say no." Diantha said and she was dead serious, a few close calls during her traveling years floating through her mind. Cynthia squeezed her hand. They had both had close calls when they were younger...

Hell people still propositioned them now, and a few got real pissy when told no.

"If someone ever says no or that what you're doing is making them feel uncomfortable or unsafe then you stop okay? Granted there are some exceptions like if there's danger and you're trying to save them, that's when it can be excused for you to grab someone and run. But if you ever touch someone and they say no or stop you let them go. Okay?" Cynthia asked seriously and Ash blinked but nodded his heads slowly in understanding.

"Like when Gary was trying to hold Leafs hand but she told him no. He didn't let go and Leaf slapped him." Ash supplied and his moms smiled at him.

"That's exactly right. He should have let go of her when she told him no. But Ash this goes both ways okay? If someone ever grabs or touches you or tries to do something to you and you don't like them trying or doing whatever they're doing you tell them no. You tell them no and stop and you don't like that and if they keep going you have both of our permissions to punch them." Diantha said and wow Ash realized it was really serious if his Maman was giving him permission to punch people. Usually it was mom who was telling him to punch someone and Maman and Mama telling him not to.

"Punch them or scream. Get to an Officer Jenny or a nurse Joy and then call us." Cynthia said and Diantha subtly pinched her side but didn't disagree. They both knew they were protective, overprotective honestly. And sure it calmed down a lot from when he was a baby but...Dianthas mind flashed to the folder of predictions upstairs. They had good reason to be protective.

"And you have to be respectful okay? You know how you don't like it or you get angry if someone gets mad at your mama or us? You got real mad when that lady was yelling at your mamas restaurant a few weeks ago." Diantha began and Cynthia grumbled a bit. That damn Karen...she had been so very tempted to send out Nibbles to deal with the woman.

"Yeah! Cause the lady got really mad at everyone and was yelling and screaming and acting like a baby all cause mama wouldn't fire Lisa over something stupid." And Ash had been ready to punch that dumb old woman. Surprisingly his Mama, by far the most peaceful and least likely to get into a fight of his three moms, had been the one to grab the woman and flat out throw her out the door.

Cynthia and Diantha had both been drooling slightly as they saw their wife annoyed and angry and the dark look she had shot the Karen when she tried banging on the glass... Damn was their wife gorgeous. Especially when angry. More so when she wasn't angry at them.

"Right. Well you don't want to act like that lady. So be respectful okay? Even if something goes wrong or if you're at a store and they mess up, be nice about it." Diantha quickly regained her composure and Ash nodded seriously, he did not want to be like that miserable lady.

"But don't be a pushover okay? If they do something wrong or if they hurt you, absolutely stand up for yourself...honestly just trust Shade to know if it's at the point where you can yell at them or hit them." Cynthia sweat dropped a bit as she thought about giving the Absol authorization to signal her son when to punch people. Then again the Absols did grow and mature faster than humans. And Shade had spent most of her life around the rather grown and mature pokemon of the two champions.

She had her playful and mischievous moments, mainly with her brother, but when it came down to it Shade was a rather serious girl.

"Okay!" Ash could agree with that no problem. Shade was very smart after all, and she had been learning some things from Maman and moms pokemon.

"And there's one thing we want you to always remember no matter what okay?" Diantha asked and she stood now, pulling Ash up with her and Cynthia beside her.

"Huh?" Ash asked and suddenly he was pulled into a tight hug by his moms.

"Remember that no matter what. We, all three of us, love you. We love you and we'll always be so proud of you. You...you mean so very much to us. And no matter where you go or what you do we will never stop loving you or being proud of you." Diantha whispered to his ear as if it were just a secret between them.

"And we'll always be cheering for you. Whether you want to be a trainer, co-ordinator, Ranger or something else. We'll always be cheering for you. We love you so much Ash." Cynthia murmured softly as she held them both, pulling her wife and son in close and just holding them.

Shade jumped up on her hind legs to join the hug and licked their cheeks, making the family laugh.

"We love you too Shade. And we'll be just as proud of you too." Diantha assured the Absol with a kiss to her forehead and a scratch behind the ears.

"I love you too Maman, mom!" Ash said beaming up at them and then laughing when Shade began to jump on him and lick his cheek, nearly dislodging Dreepy.

"Yeah yeah I love you too Shade." Ash said and he was smiling widely as he started to play with his sister. Diantha and Cynthia just stood watching as the two played.

"He'll be alright." Diantha didn't know if Cynthias whisper was meant for herself or for Diantha.

"Yeah he will." But she agreed with a soft smile that she shared with her wife.

Then-

"Ash stop trying to lick your sister!"

"Mom you lick rocks you can't talk!"

"...He has a point my heart. But Ash if you're going to kiss your sister don't lick her. Despite being half wild you're not a pokemon."

"I wonder where he gets that wild side from hm?"

"Babe I love you but you forget to brush your own hair half the time. Don't start with me."

"You were the one who wrestled with that Rockruff when we took a vacation to Alola when he was seven."

"She's got a point Maman. But Mom didn't you try to fist fight a Jangmo-o when it stole your ice cream?"

"He has you there darling. At least I didn't catch the Rockruff."

"Oh you both can shush! After I beat it the little thing wouldn't stop following me around! I couldn't just leave it!"

"...You are a total softie babe."

"Mamans got a point. You are a softie mom."

"Do you want me to be meaner? I can be."

"..."

"...."

"Cynthia. Babe, darling, my heart, owner of one third of my soul and heart. You are incapable of being the mean one when it comes to Ash or Pokemon. Most of the time you're only stern if he's in active danger, and even then you're more likely to be right there in danger with him and trying to fist fight everyone."

"I am n-"

"Yeah Mamans not wrong. Remember when I got grabbed by poachers when trying to protect your Eevee before she became Crystal? And you decided to go into the poachers den fists swinging and forgot to bring along Knuckles? Or Nibbles? Granted Cackles was a good one to bring but you legit were ready to go swinging in a poachers nest without a single pokemon."

"Absol. Ab."

"And that is why our son is always ready to throw hands and is half feral."

"Diantha I love you but you have no room to talk. Weren't you ready to just completely go absolute mama Bewear on one of your gym leaders not that long ago? Cause according to Princess you lunged across a desk and grabbed the woman by her collar looking ready to send her straight to Giratina."

"Garde-voir. Voir Gar."

"Princess you snitch!"

By the time Delia got home Cynthia and Diantha were calling each other out for thousands of things as Ash and Shade watched and egged them on like it was their favorite show. Mimey, Princess and Knuckles were eating popcorn as they watched.

"What's going on here?" Delias voice cut through one of Cynthia's remarks and everyone froze.

Diantha and Cynthia looked like children found with their hands in the cookie jar and Ash was giving her his sheepish smile he had gotten from Diantha.

"Mom and Maman were debating who I take after more." Ash offered her sheepishly and Delia deadpanned at her wives.

"Right. Let me solve this right now." Delia said as she stepped further into the room and pointed at Cynthia.

"He gets his adventuring and recklessness from you as well as his willingness to just throw a punch." Then she pointed at Diantha.

"He gets his lack of self care and chaotic tendencies from you, as well as his protectiveness."

Then she pointed at both of them.

"And he has both of your stubbornness and love for pokemon."

Ash watched for a moment as his two champion level moms flounder before sighing and agreeing with mama.

"And I have two champion leveled trainers wrapped around my little finger like mama."

"Hey!"

"We are not!"

"Darlings, my wives. My beautiful strong chaotic dumbasses. He's not wrong. He has you both wrapped around his pinkie finger and you have been since before he was born." Delia gave her wives a flat look and they pouted. Okay so they weren't wrong. But could you blame them?

They loved their son so much and, with how stressful the pregnancy was on Delia and the reasons Diantha and Cynthia weren't able to carry a baby..., he was the only child the three of them would have. Well only human child.

And of course they were wrapped around Delia's finger. They had been ever since they had met the beautiful shy woman who had quite the sassy side to her.

"At least call the others out too. Alder acts like a doting grandpa, Lance and Steven fight for the title of favorite uncle and I think my grandma tried to fist fight Agatha and Bertha last month for the title of favorite grandma."

"Didn't she win that fight? I think Drasna was laughing about it."

"I would call them all out except they aren't here are they? And I can't blame them for our son inheriting certain traits."

"...well if you want to be technical you can't blame us either."

"Cynthia shhh." Diantha hurriedly tried to cover Cynthia's mouth.

"Keep talking loves. Go on. Keep talking." Delia dared them and both of her wives were pointedly very silent as they exchanged wary looks. They knew that tone. If they kept this up they'd be banished to the couch.

Ash made a whip cracking noise that had Knuckles and Princess laughing.

Their son was such a little shit at times.

They fully blamed that on Delia.

Chapter Text

It was Ash's birthday, his tenth birthday and also the day he got his starter and went on his journey.

And he was still passed out asleep in the living room with his Mom and Maman. The three had fallen asleep watching some old battles and talking about which kind of pokemon Ash would want to start with, Squirtle, Bulbasaur or Charmander.

Ash was very invested as his moms spoke at length about each pokemon and what they evolve into and their strengths and weaknesses.

And his alarm had broken when he had thrown the PokeBall shaped object at the wall last week in the midst of a dream.

"Gardevoir. Garde Gar."

"Cario! Luc lu Lucario!"

"Absol abs! Sol sol!"

"Wait for it...three...two...one..." Delia hummed as Ash shot awake suddenly and looked around wildly.

"Hm? Go back to sleep son."

"Hwa? Quio? Oú est le type de feu?"

"Babe you speaking Kalosian is hot but it's too early..."

"Shit fuck motherfucker I'm late!" Ash yelped as he darted up and raced off, still in his pajamas and he was out the door.

"Language." Diantha grumbled as she burrowed her face more into Cynthia.

"Common." Cynthia snarked tiredly even as she pulled Diantha closer and buried her face in her wife's hair.

"Wha's he late for? He does online school." Mainly because he often wanted to visit his moms and couldn't really switch schools every other month. And given what his teacher had tried to do putting him against his old friend turned egotistical bully Gary? Even though Ash had ADHD and was confirmed autistic whereas Gary was neruotypical? And the teacher openly favored the rich or influential and neruotypical students?

The fact that as far as the rest of town knew Ash was the weird boy with three moms and no claim to any kind of fame unlike Gary who had a more traditional family and was the regional professor and former champions grandson...yeah they had pulled him out of public school and put him in online when he was seven. It worked a lot better.

"Oh you know. Just him getting his starter." Delia said humming as she sipped her coffee and watched her wives amused. She counted down from five and by the time she hit zero both of them sprung awake wide eyed and messy haired.

"Shit fuck motherfucker that's today!?!" Cynthia was up all of a sudden and she was scrambling to chase after her son, barely remembering to put on a pair of sunglasses. Knuckles chasing after her while Crystal and Shade stole the nice warm spot on the blanket on the ground now.

"Language!" Diantha scolded her wife, and yes Ash absolutely learned most of his swears from Cynthia (And maybe a few from Diantha in Kalosian when she had a tough day but she firmly blamed those on him witnessing Drasna lose her temper with a trainer that dared insult dragon types around her and had even kicked an Axew) and a few others from Lance or the elite four and gym leaders who knew of him.

Cynthia barely paid attention as she chased her son all the way through town and towards the labs where Professor Oak was just now leading him inside.

"Are you going to chase them as well?" Delia asked raising an eyebrow at Diantha who looked torn. Delia knew both of her wives wanted to be there when their son got his first pokemon.

"...I'll let Cynthia be with him. It wouldn't be fair to leave you to set up for the party or get his presents together by yourself." Diantha said finally and she moved over and kissed the side of Delia's head.

"You don't have to feel guilty." Because Delia didn't need aura or psychic abilities to tell her wife felt guilty for having missed so much. She was the busiest of the three honestly. Mostly because of her job as an actress and as the Grand Duchess of the Battle Chateau. Which meant she was home the least of the three.

"I know." But she still did. Felt guilty for leaving most of the responsibilities on Delia and Cynthia, Delia more than Cynthia. For not being able to make it to every birthday or anniversary or milestone despite how she tried. Keeping her family was a secret of the highest caliber was a priority. If anyone found out about her family...everyone from disgruntled challengers and colleagues to opportunist wanting to make a quick buck or statement would be after them. She had to keep her family safe, even if that meant she couldn't be there for every anniversary and milestone.

"We both understand you know." Delia turned to look up at Diantha who gave her a soft grateful smile. She knew they understood and she was glad they did. She had known they understood years ago, after all Ash never once slipped and told other kids that two of his three mamas were champions. Even if it would have made bullies back off.

"I love you." Diantha said softly and Delia kissed her, long and slow and soft for a moment.

"I love you too, my angel." Delia said gently and then she smirked and glanced to the side.

"We should get his things ready." Delia said and Diantha went bright red when she saw Drasna and Bertha both sitting at the table drinking tea.

"Never a boring day with this family." Bertha said smirking and Diantha buried her face in her wife's auburn hair.

"Quite. We should get things prepared however and let everyone know the birthday boy is getting his starter." Drasna said and Diantha had the feeling her dragon elite was trying not to laugh. Her mother figure was such a troll.

"I'll text the group chat." Lorelei said and Diantha jumped startled, whirling to look at the ice type specialist sitting on one of the chairs in the living room.

"When the fuck did you get here?!" Diantha asked startled and Lorelei snickered as Delia chuckled. Bertha and Drasna didn't outright laugh but it was a near thing.

"I've been here since about six. You didn't think I'd miss my nephews big day did you?" And her godsons, because she was Delia's best friend so of course she was named the godmother. Alongside Bruno being the godfather cause Lance and Steven were too busy fighting and Wikstrom was trying to corral them.

"...and you let me lower my guard and be so sappy and all around guests?" Diantha asked her wife betrayed and Delia gave her a quick chaste kiss.

"They're family love. There's no need to try and keep pretenses up around them anyways. Besides weren't you and Cynthia blaming me for our son being a little shit last night?" Delia asked and Diantha paled, shit she heard that?! Diantha thought she had shut Cynthia up.

She should have known her wife would get revenge.

----------with Ash and Cynthia-----

Cynthia got there just as Pikachu was let out of the ball and looking around.

Which meant she had just seen that fucking rat electrocute her son.

"Knuckles!" Simply saying her Lucarios name had her already in the room and giving the Pikachu a good reprimanding wallop on the head to get it to stop the electricity.

The Pikachu growled and sparked dangerously at them but Lucario flared her aura and cracked her knuckles and the little rat calmed down. Cynthia was at her son's side and checking and fussing him over.

Oak blinked the spots from his eyes and focused on the blond woman that he knew to be one of Ash's moms. He and the rest of Pallet Town had simply known her as Thia. But now looking at her fussing over Ash with her sunglasses off he blinked at the grey orbs.

"Champion Cynthia?" Oak asked in disbelief and Cynthia glared at him.

"You tried to give him a feral human hating rat?! Oh I'm not at all sorry for the NDAs you'll be buried under." Cynthia growled at him and Ash hugged his mom to calm her down.

"Don't worry mom! I think I can get through to Pikachu and we'll be best friends! Watch I'll earn his respect and then Pikachu and I'll be winning leagues and becoming a Pokemon Master." Ash said excitedly and Cynthia was not at all happy that her son wanted to keep that violent rat but...Ash was so determined and his eyes were sparkling and he looked ready to fight for that yellow mouse if it came down to it.

Fuck why did her baby boy have to have her stubbornness.? Or maybe Dianthas. She would blame this on Diantha.

Cynthia pointedly ignored how she had never given up on her starter even when Gible had evolved and gotten violent even towards her until she earned the then Gabites respect.

"You are absolutely calling me and your other moms as soon as you get to Viridian or if the Pikachu attacks or abandons you." Cynthia said sternly and Ash nodded with a smile.

"That won't happen right buddy?" Ash asked moving over to the rat but not picking him up. He knew to ask first, his moms had long since taught him about trying to touch pokemon without asking first, especially strong ones or violent ones.

Pikachu growled and sparked at him but Cynthias piercing glare and the dark look in Knuckles eyes kept him from blasting the kid.

Oak was still standing there in shock and disbelief as he realized that the kid his grandson liked picking on was the son of a champion.

"Come on buddy. Let's go introduce you to my other moms! They'll love you! And mama is probably making breakfast and you'll love her food!" Ash said offering Pikachu his hand and Pikachu glared but reluctantly followed along, not taking Ash's hand and instead walking by his legs, occasionally tripping him up but Ash was used to Wrestles and Shade trying to trip him.

"Come on Oak. You're coming too. I'm sure my wives would love to have a talk with you about giving a semi feral violent pokemon to our ten year old new trainer son." Cynthias hand on the old man's arms were like a clamp as she damn near dragged him.

There was a Dragonites roar that could have come from one of the ones on the ranch but it didn't. Looking up as soon as they got outside Cynthia smirked at the sight of a Dragonite flying over towards the house.

Oak was about to get a very very good scare. After all he had encouraged the kids rivalries which was more his grandson bullying her kid than any kind of healthy rivalry. And tried to pass off that violent rat as a suitable starter. When Cynthia knew damn well that there should be several other alternatives that weren't feral and freshly caught violent ones.

Let's see him explain himself to four champions, five if Alder could make it and six if Leon got lost and ended up nearby, and several Elites and Gym Leaders. As well as another professor and a ranger since Cynthia knew damn well her grandmother and baby twin would be here.

She wondered if Ash would let them pull strings to get an official starter, but sighed. He probably wouldn't.

He didn't want to rely on his family's connections or have them help with everything. Especially at the start. Even if Lance would happily give him a baby Charmander.

Her stubborn little boy...

Oak paled starkly when he saw the group of champions and Elite and gym leaders all at the Ketchum residence waiting for Ash, Ash going barreling into Delia Ketchum and if..if Oak wasn't wrong that was Diantha. The movie star and champion.

"Hello my heart. Brought along a guest have you?" Diantha asked approaching and her smile was polite and cold as she stared down Oak who gulped as everyone noticed the very much not happy Pikachu and the lack of standard starter.

"Thought it only right he could come and join us after giving Ash that unique Pikachu." And yes Cynthias voice dripped with poison sweetly as she said that.

"Oh? Granted not everyone could have a standard starter but I know Liza at Charizard Valley has several Charmanders that were approved for beginners. And the Blastoise preserve has a couple of Squirtles. Not sure about Venusaur Garden but I can call and ask." Lance said coldly as he stared at Oak while Ash was swarming his grandma's with hugs.

"Wha..." Oak trailed off pale and confused while Delia approached with her normal polite smile.

"Hello professor. Thank you for joining us. Thia, Dia you two haven't wished Ash a happy birthday yet." Delia said and Oak choked a bit. Dia. That was the name of Delias other wife. The triad marriage was uncommon in Kanto, rare to be among three women, and yet somehow this simple restaurant owner had gotten married to two champions and no one knew?

"Good point my soul. Ash! Come give your maman a birthday hug!" Diantha called moving towards her son who came barreling into her with the force of a body slam attack.

"Too true mi corazon! Ash you owe me hugs!" Cynthia barreled into Diantha and Ash who laughed as the whole extended family began to laugh.

Oak paled when he saw the other champions in the party, all calling for hugs from the birthday boy and giving him hair ruffles or affectionate nicknames.

Maybe he should have tried harder to get more standard starters and not try and give Ash a half feral electric rat he had found chewing on power cables. In his defense Ash was the one who came in late!

And if he tried to get Ash to not be a big threat to Gary and his chances at the League by giving him a pokemon that wouldn't listen to him...

Well he certainly wasn't telling this family that!

Chapter Text

"So." Dianthas voice was ice cold as she, Cynthia and the other champions, which yes Alder did show up but Leon got lost on the way here and somehow ended up in Alola, cornered Oak while Drasna and Bertha were distracting Ash.

"You want to explain to us why you gave a new trainer a half feral Pikachu instead of requesting a starter from one of the preserves?" Lance asked coldly and Oak shuddered a bit at the dark looks he was getting.

In his defence he hadn't known Ash was the son of two champions and considered like a nephew or grandson to the others.

If he made the mistake of saying that however he had a feeling he'd be ripped apart. Whether that was verbally or physically remained to be determined.

"I met a time traveler when I was younger and his name was Ash and he mentioned some disasters and stuff that he had helped with to reassure me and he said that although Pikachu wasn't his first pokemon technically he was Ash's starter. He claimed that an Absol had been with him since he was a baby and he had a Dreepy too and he said that he had three moms when I asked about his family and so when I met you three and baby Ash with the same name and who had an Absol pup with him I knew it was the same boy, especially when he won that hat." Oak rambled all that at once in one breath and it took the champions a few seconds to decipher all of that.

Then Cynthia made a noise in her throat and Diantha sighed heavily, she left for a moment before returning with a folder and flipping through it.

"Let's see. Time travel time travel. Ah. Does this look at all familiar?" Diantha asked showing him a page that had a well done drawing of a Celebi on it as well as a familiar hat.

"Yes that's the pokemon that brought him back in time." Oak confirmed, he would know he had sketched that pokemon sleeping with Pikachu before and had looked at those pages every year.

"Celebi. Yeah that tracks. Fuck." Cynthia sighed heavily and scowled as she glanced at the sparking Pikachu that had relaxed a bit being around so many other Pokemon that weren't in their balls and were relaxed among the humans.

Ash was currently rough housing with Wrestle, Dianthas Hawlucha, as Bertha and Bruno called out advice. Drasna was looking amused and telling him to not be afraid to bite.

You know what maybe Diantha and Cynthia could blame their sons feral nature on those three. Oh nevermind. Verity had joined in and was rolling around with Wrestle and Ash.

"So when you found that Pikachu gnawing on electric cables soon before Ash was supposed to start his journey..." Steven trailed off watching idly as Princess had to separate the two humans and Wrestle who was pouting as Cackle laughed at him.

"I knew he was meant to be Ashs Pikachu." Oak said and he was surprised they had believed him so easily, then again Diantha had a folder that had a picture of Celebi in it.

"I suppose...we can't be too mad at that." Cynthia looked like it painted her to admit that. It probably did.

"If it helps at all I can attest that they had a strong bond and were close friends when I met them as a young man." Oak offered hopefully and the champions all glanced at Ash who was offering the glaring Pikachu a poffin.

"That makes me feel a bit better but now I'm worried how that came to be." Diantha flatly said that and there was an agreeing nod from the others.

"My angel. My demon." Delia approached them and Diantha and Cynthia immediately gave her their entire attention. Delia tapped the folder in Dianthas hands.

"You both promised no work and no worries today." Delia said and Oak watched slightly amused as the two champions melted and smiled softly at her. He had seen Delia with Thia and Dia many times but now it was more jarring to see the two champions utterly besotted while knowing who they were.

"I'm sorry ma déesse. I'll go put this away." Diantha assured with a soft smile and a quick kiss. Cynthia wrapped her arms around Delia and kissed her neck.

"We'll be good love. No more work and no more worrying. Just celebrating our son's birthday and first day as a trainer." Cynthia promised and Diantha quickly vanished back into the house to hide the folder again.

"It's almost time for cake and presents before he heads out!" Delia called to the group at large and they all let out calls of confirmation and understanding.

Oak could only watch as the happy group celebrated and talked and laughed. It was so different from his grandson or granddaughters birthday parties...

"Hey Maman." Ash approached Diantha who smiled and pulled him into a hug and kissed his head.

"My little Pokemon Master." Diantha said and Ash grinned and blushed a bit but leaned into the hug.

"If it's okay with you can we wait until I get to Viridian before you transfer Shade to me? I want to spend some time with Pikachu and try and bond with him without him getting jealous or upset with Shade." Ash asked quietly and Diantha hummed.

"I can understand that. I didn't want to make Princess jealous or think I was replacing her when I started catching other pokemon. Alright baby boy. Call me when you get to Viridian and I'll send Shade over." Diantha assured him and Ash beamed up at her and kissed her cheek.

"Merci Maman!" Ash said and then he darted off to go and meet the newly arrived Olympia who had a wrapped package in her hands.

She had teleported right to the address and Diantha seemed exasperated while Drasna chuckled. Ash was very excited to see someone new among his extended family and promptly slammed into Olympia with a hug and questions.

Diantha was amused to see her normally calm and inflappable gym leader so surprised and befuddled on how to react to her son.

Maybe she should introduce the rest of her gym leaders and elite four to her son? Probably not until he came to Kalos however.

"So are we going to have to hold you two back or pin you down?" Adler asked looking at Cynthia and Diantha with a raised eyebrow.

"No. We aren't going to follow him. We've already promised we wouldn't." Cynthia sighed a bit however and Diantha hummed her agreement.

"Besides the only ones who can pin them down are me and each other."

Diantha and Cynthia blushed brightly at Delia's words and the champions snickered like kids but they didn't disagree.

"So....uh...is your marriage just...filled in Kanto then? Cause I'm surprised Kalos didn't make a big deal of this?" Oak asked coughing to change the subject.

"Oh our marriage certificate is filed in all the regions, and yes it's filed as a triad marriage in all regions. And before you ask Ash has citizenship in Kalos, Sinnoh and Kanto/Johto. Which is why he has a national Pokedex." Delia said humming slightly.

Oak just nodded slightly looking lost and confused and baffled as Delia called that it was time for cake, conscripting Bruno and Alder to help her carry the large cake out to the picnic table outside.

Oak just silently ate his slice as some of the strongest trainers in the world jostled each other playfully on who got to give Ash his present first.

Ash didn't get a car and cheerleaders like Gary did. But his presents were far more useful. A secure bag with extended space in the bags. A secure tent. Dozens of items like potions and pokeballs and antidotes and even a first aid kit. A Poffin making set, a cookbook with simple recipes for over a campfire.

Forging books, books on pokemon care, some basics for pokemon care, and gift cards. A lot of gift cards, some drawing sets, a laptop for school work with a solar charger, portable Wi-Fi router...

And then from Olympia was a camera, and a voucher. He couldn't tell what for from here.

"Trust me. These will come in handy. The camera for taking the pictures of the rainbow myth. The voucher, I can't see it clearly but you'll need it." Olympia said and she was promptly given a tight hug from Ash like everyone else.

"Let's finish eating and then we'll walk you to the edge of town." Diantha said and she kissed Ash's head, Cynthia ruffling his hat covered hair.

"You two aren't going to follow me are you?" Ash asked warily eyeing his moms and the two pouted.

"They won't sweetie. I've already made sure of it." Delia assured him and gave her wives stern looks.

And then thirty minutes later as Ash gave final hugs and set out with a wave and a smile with Pikachu grumbling beside him...Oak watched as the three mothers waved goodbye until he was out of sight and were near tears.

"Damn it seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital." Cynthias voice was thick but no one said anything about it.

"It does. Time passed way too fast." Diantha murmured and the three moms were holding each other close.

"Aw cheer up! Just think it'll only be what a week before we see him making news as the strongest rookie!" Alder tried to cheer the three up sympathetically.

"Or because he got mixed up in something dangerous and crazy." Lance said dryly, Clair smacked him upside the head as Cynthia and Diantha tensed.

"Don't set them off! Do you know how hard it was to get them to agree not to follow him?" Delia asked giving Lance a side eye.

"We promised my soul. And we are women of our words. We won't follow him." Diantha reassured with a quick kiss.

"If we happen to be traveling ourselves and run into him though that's fair game." Cynthia said grinning at Bertha who smirked slightly. Agatha cackled.

Verity and Cyllene sighed at Cynthia's words and how all the trainers perked up.

Delia shot them all stern looks.

Chapter Text

"Hey Pikachu?" Ash caught his Pokemon's attention as they walked down the path, Pikachu at his feet walking beside him.

"Pi?" Pikachu tilted an ear towards him. Ash didn't even look at the small pokemon as he rested his hands behind his head.

"You do know the real reason Oak gave you to me instead of a normal starter right? Well aside from the time travel story he told Mom and Maman." Ash asked and Pikachu made a curious churp noise.

"Yeah Mamans Gardevoir, Princess, she was scanning his mind for his reasons. It's not just cause I reminded him of a trainer he met when he was young." Ash noted and Pikachu looked surprised as he looked up at Ash.

"Pika-pi-chu?" Pikachu asked and Ash hummed slightly.

"Yeah I can talk to and understand pokemon. I have aura and have been training with Knuckles and some of mom and Maman and my aunt's and uncles and grandparents pokemon since I was little. It's also how I can wrestle with maman and Moms pokemon like Wrestle and Nibbles and Growly, although Growly and Nibbles go easy on me like a parent pokemon planning with a baby." Ash said and Pikachu made several excited noises and happy noises at this. After all aura using humans we're very rare to the point of being almost extinct. And it turned out this respectful human with the family that reminded him of his momma could use Aura and talk to and understand him??

Oh did Pikachu get lucky. Now if had issues with the boy they could speak as equals! The fact that Ash didn't try to stick him in that damned ball helped.

"But yeah. Princess was scanning Oaks mind for the reasons he thought giving an obviously violent electric pokemon to a newbie was a good idea. Wanna know one of the biggest reasons?" Ash asked and Pikachu chirped curiously, a lot happier with his trainer now.

"He figured we'd never get along. That you'd either refuse to listen to me or just outright attack me and ditch me. Since he thought I was the kid from 'nobodies' and yet passed the trainers exam with a higher score than his grandson...he figured I might be a risk at Gary's chances at the League. So he wanted to use you to sabotage me. You could see his life flashing before his lies when he met my family." Ash snickered hard as he recalled the look in the old man's eyes when he had met or seen each member of Ash's family that was able to make it, which was most of them. Ash swore you could see the old man die inside when Agatha arrived and Ash had greeted her happily with a cry of Granny!

They had all wanted to try and get there to see him off after all. Leon hadn't made it because he apparently took a left turn instead of a right to get to the airport and that somehow landed him on Akala island. Ash wondered if a psychic type pokemon was just fucking with the Galar Champion by teleporting him randomly.

"Pika?! Pika pik! Chu pi Pika!" Pikachu was not happy to hear that someone had been trying to use him as a way to sabotage someone else.

"Oh yeah and he doesn't know the rest of us know. He couldn't even tell Princess was scanning his mind." Ash said and then he smirked down at Pikachu who still looked annoyed.

"Want to help me prove him wrong?" Ash asked smirking and yes he could be an absolutely petty little shit. He couldn't tell if that came from his mamas or his grandmas though. Definitely a mix of them.

"Pika." Was the quick and immediate growl.

"Pika. Pi-chu pi-ka-pi chu." Were the next words and Ash shrugged.

"You don't have to go into the ball if you don't want to. Maman keeps Princess out all the time. Usually mom had either Nibbles or Knuckles out with her depending on where she is. She almost always has Crystal out. And you met my sister Shade, she never goes in her ball." Ash shrugged at that. If Pikachu didn't want to go into his ball he wouldn't make him.

"Do you have a human name though? Pokemon ones are hard to say even for aura using humans."

"Pi."

"Okay. Do you want one?" Just cause his Mom and Mamans pokemon had all accepted his names when he was little didn't mean all pokemon wanted names.

"...Chu."

"Alright well if you find a human name you want to be called let me know."

"Pi- pi chu pika? Pi pi chu?"

"Huh? No. I'd never use you as a slave. My family always told me to be respectful and treat my pokemon like partners and family. I mean my sister is an Absol. Knuckles and Princess have been my best and favorite babysitters and kind of like older siblings." Ash looked confused as to why anyone would treat a pokemon like a slave. After all his family all respected their pokemon. Crystal was like a spoiled lap Delcatty, and Wrestle loved to climb Maman and Moms shoulders to be tall. Hell Knuckles and Hawlucha and Princess ate at the table with them!

That wasn't even counting the rest of the family's pokemon.

"...Pika... Pi Pika pik."

"Okay. And if you ever want to leave let me know. I won't force you to stay."

"Pika."

"Dree...Dreepy..."

"Oh hey Dreepy! You woke up finally huh? We're on our way to Viridian now." Ash smiled as he glanced up at the Dreepy that had been sleeping on his head.

"Dree..." Dreepy yawned and moved to Ashs shoulder now.

"Let's get to Viridian before nightfall yeah? And let's become Pokemon Masters!" Ash cheered kicking a rock as Pikachu gave a a small agreeing Cha and Dreepy gave a scared Dre...

There was a squawk though and they all froze. They looked at the rock Ash had kicked. It had bounced off of a tree and hit something.

"Pikachu?"

"Pi?"

"That's a Spearow isn't it?"

"Pi."

The Spearow glared at them and cawed angrily. Calling for reinforcements.

"Dreepy." Ashs voice was steady even as there were lots of responding cries from around them.

"Dree..."

"Get in the PokeBall. I'll let you back out once we escape these guys. Pikachu do you want to go in your ball until we get to safety?"

"Chu." Pikachu denied even as Dreepy immediately tapped its snoot against an empty Pokeballs, catching itself without hesitation.

"Well...get ready cause..." A storm was beginning to brew overhead as a flock of Spearow started to gather.

"We gotta run!!!" Ash and Pikachu hurriedly took off towards Viridian and away from the Spearow flock as they chased them.

Ash had a brief moment of thinking that he definitely wasn't telling his mamas about this later as he picked up Pikachu and ran for it, shielding the mouse pokemon as much as he could.

Then he fell off of a cliff trying to escape them.

Definitely not telling his moms about this.

Chapter Text

As soon as Pikachu was being seen to by Nurse Joy Ash stumbled over to the phones and sat in the seat. Well...there was no way to avoid telling his moms now. Not when he got banged up so much from falling off the cliff and into the river and then still being attacked by those Spearow...not to mention the lightning frying the bike.

If he didn't have aura that passively shielded him or enhanced his body at all times...he'd probably be dead...he was not telling them that part. At least his mom would like the picture he had taken with the camera Aunt Olympia gave him. And the feathers he was gonna put on necklaces for them for mother's day. There were four so he was gonna make matching family necklaces.

"Hello?" Of course his first call was to his house. And Grandpa Alder had apparently been closest to the phone cause he answered it and he was facing backwards away from the screen as he looked at something.

"Tell him to not forget the voucher!" A woman's voice called from Alders end and Ash looked confused before digging through his bag, which was just as waterproof as it claimed thank goodness. He had barely had time to put Dreepy and Pikachus balls in there to keep them from getting damaged, or his Xtransiever.

He pulled the voucher out of a side pocket just as the center doors banged open.

"YOU!" And in came one pissed red head seething and looking ready to breath fire. Yep nope. As his mom would say, Fuck that Noosage. He had grown up with Aunt Lorelei. He knew how nasty a red heads temper could get.

"I'm really sorry about your bike, it was an emergency to try and get Pikachu to a center and outrun that Spearow flock and storm." Ash immediately apologized to the girl who was storming over to him and then he held out the voucher to her.

"Wha-how did you get a bike voucher?!" The girl demanded and Ash looked at her sheepishly.

"One of my aunts can see glimpses of the future. She gave me the voucher for my birthday and said she couldn't see why clearly but she knew I would need it." Ash said and the girl stared at him and seemed to just now realize he was hurt.

"Ash! Ash what happened? Did you just say Spearow flock?" Alder was calling through the phone and looking at the screen Ash saw most of his family had gathered around, especially his moms.

"Ah. Yeah. I was walking with Pikachu and kicked a rock and it bounced off a tree and hit a Spearow. The Spearow called for backup." Ash said with a wince and his moms looked worried as they catalogued each of the injuries they could see on him.

"Ugh fine if it was an emergency it can't be helped. Here. Stay still." The red head seemed to have deflated, especially after being given the voucher, and had grabbed a first aid kit from the nurses station.

"Thanks." Ash smiled at her gratefully as she began to disinfect and then wrap or put a bandaid on all his scratches.

"Are you okay?! Did you and Pikachu get hurt?" Maman was asking and Ash could see the worried look in her eyes as she stared at his injuries.

"We're okay. Pikachu powered up by absorbing some lightning from the storm and then blasted them all out cold. He was pretty weak and banged up after that so I ran to Viridian. He's getting locked over by Nurse Joy now. I've just got some scratches and bruises." Ash assured his family who all looked relieved at that.

"Are you sure you don't want one of us to travel with you? I can be at Viridian in seconds." And the fact that Maman and Princess would teleport here with mom was already accepted and well known amongst the family.

"No no it's okay mom. Just a rough start, we'll be okay." Ash assured his moms and then winced a bit at the disinfectant being applied to a cut on his forehead.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Maman asked worriedly and mama sighed at them.

"Dears, we've already talked about this. Ash will ask for help if he needs or wants it. Until then you have to let him journey for himself." Mama scolded and his other two moms simmered down but still looked worried.

"Oh by the way you won't believe what I saw after the storm!" Ash said perking up as he thought of a way to distract his family, Uncle Lance looked like he was plotting a Spearow hunt in the background.

"A bunch of fried birds?" Grandma Bertha asked dryly with a smirk and there were some snickers. Ash took out the camera and attached it to the PC to show his family his latest pictures.

"Remember how Aunt Olympia gave me the camera to take a picture of the rainbow legend under the rainbow?" Ash asked grinning and he pulled up the half a dozen pictures he had snapped in the time it had taken for his Pokedex to scan the legendary.

It was dead silent aside from Granny Agathas cackles and Aunt Olympias snickers for a moment.

"Brat! Call Oak over at his lab and show him these! That old coot will flip!" Agatha yelled and Ash snickered.

"Will do! I'll do that while you process this and then call back!" Ash said and he quickly hung up when his family started to react to the pictures of Ho-oh.

He dialed Oak next as the girl finished tending to his scratches.

"Ash my boy!" And that fake grandfatherly tone made Ash want to punch the old man.

"I see you made it to Viridian! And you even caught a pokemon not native to Kanto! Thanks to that Gary owes me a million dollars!" Oak said chuckling and Ash's eyebrow twitched at hearing Oak and Gary had bet on him. And really Gary? Did he forget about Shade? Or the Dreepy that liked to ride on Ash's hat?

"Yeah just letting you know I'm safe professor. And to show you the pictures I took of a neat pokemon I saw." Ash said and he sent over the pictures, noting with a small smirk had each of them had a small water mark. Which meant Oak couldn't claim those as his own pictures. Ash would bet Aunt Olympia did that on purpose too.

Ash watched with glee as Oak looked at the pictures almost boredly and then did a visible double take and his jaw dropped.

"YOU SAW H-" Ash hung up, cutting off the professor and snickering.

"Uh..." The red head gave him a confused look.

"The old man gave a feral and violent towards humans Pikachu he caught gnawing on his electric cables to a beginning trainer. If maman and mom didn't know and teach me how to handle feral or violent pokemon from a young age..." Ash trailed off and the red head winced in understanding.

"Anyways. I should call mom, mama, and Maman back. Maman is supposed to transfer over Shade now that Pikachu and I bonded a bit." Ash said and he was dialing the number as he spoke.

Before he could hit enter and connect the call though the top of the Centers Roof shattered.

Chapter Text

"Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!"

Ash hurriedly hit the call start button and prayed his family would answer before things got violent.

"Satoshi-" Thankfully his mom answered quickly and Ash hurriedly cut her off. The two Rockets were doing a motto and thankfully didn't seem to realize Ash had called someone.

"Mom! Rockets are attacking the Viridian Pokemon Center!" Ash hurriedly called to her and he heard a few curses and questions and he left the phone off of the hook so they could see everything that happened.

"Get to the back and help Nurse Joy send the pokemon elsewhere. I'll buy you time!" The red head said pushing Ash towards the back and Ash nodded.

"Right. Someone should be here soon just hold them off!" Ash said and the girl nodded and Ash darted to the back, finding Nurse Joy coming back with Pikachu who seemed a bit sick but otherwise okay.

Ash spent a quick minute explaining to her what was going on and that help should be here soon, but glancing out he saw the girl starting to get overwhelmed by an Ekans, Koffing and the Meowth.

"Pikachu we gotta give her a hand!" Ash said and Pikachu gave a form Pika and the two shot back into the room.

Then as Pikachu tackled the Ekans away and sparked in warning...one of the sparks hit Koffings gas. And Ash only had a half second of warning to grab the red head and throw her at Nurse Joy, knocking them both to the ground behind the counter as he grabbed Pikachu and covered him with his body.

Then the center exploded.

Ash felt a searing pain across his back and his arm that he was using to protect his head and he whited out a bit.

He just hoped Nurse Joy, the red head and the pokemon were all okay.

--------line break-------------

Olympia had been laughing at everyone else freaking out or reacting to Ash having taken pictures of Ho-oh over Kanto.

Then suddenly her eyes glazed over and she was looking out in the distance.

"Hey is she-" Alder began to ask but Diantha put a hand out to stop him.

"She's having a vision." Diantha was familiar enough with her gym leaders behavior to realize what was happening.

Olympia snapped back to herself swearing violently just as the phone rang.

Cynthia got to it first and she saw it was Ash but he was looking away at something when Cynthia called his full name.

"Lance! Send G-men or something to-"

"Mom! Rockets are attacking Viridian pokemon center!" Ash cut Olympia off by accident and the entire family's heads whipped around although most of them looked confused.

"Rockets? What are-"

"Satoshi! Satoshi!" Cynthia was trying to call for her son to get back to the phone damnit so she could see him while Alder looked confused at hearing there were Rockets nearby.

"Shit!" Lance was already dialing the Officer Jenny of Viridian and trying to dispatch G-men to the sight.

"What are Rockets?" Caroline demanded glaring around the room at the Kanto natives.

"Gang of pokemon thieves." Lorelei quickly explained as she contacted the nearest G-Men. Agatha and Olympia were getting ready to teleport as was Diantha and Princess.

Then there was crackle and boom and the phone connection went dead. The entire room went silent and Delia and Cynthia were staring stunned silent at the phone.

Everyone was staring at the disconnected screen for a long silent moment before Diantha reacted first.

"Princess! Teleport to Ash!" Diantha grabbed Princess's hand as the Gardevoir immediately teleported.

When Diantha arrived she took barely a fraction of a second to orient herself before she and her trusted partner were rushing through the rubble and towards where they saw a Chansey standing beside a figure.

A figure with a familiar cap on its head and Diantha knew that cap, and that brown bag beside the figure and the Pikachu sitting there trying to shake the figures shoulder.

"Princess! Heal pulse now!" Diantha ordered snapping back to herself and she rushed to the figures side, hurting her knees as she nearly tore the skin off of them sliding down to be by the figures side.

"Satoshi. Satoshi come on baby. Don't scare me like this." Diantha was begging her son to wake up and she heard a teleport, Olympia soon came to her side and put a hand on her shoulder in support. Agatha was calling for an ambulance as Officer Jenny arrived.

Diantha didn't care if everyone saw her without a disguise, she was too focused on her son, but Olympia had apparently grabbed a hat and put it on her head to try and hide her identity.

She could faintly hear Olympia talking to someone and she noted in the back of her mind as the rest of the family began to arrive just as the paramedics got there. Even with the Heal Pulse from Gardevoir and Chansey the skin still looked red and burnt and Diantha nearly swallowed her tongue at the sight of it.

"Ma'am we need to get him to the hospital for further treatment." A paramedic said and suddenly Drasna was there hauling Diantha back as Princess went with the paramedics to continue usj g heal pulse and then Diantha saw Cynthia and Delia there...without a second thought she wrapped her arms around her wives, Cynthia burying her face in Dianthas shoulder as Delia sobbed into Cynthias shoulder.

"He should be okay. He got quick treatment from Chansey and then Princess. And he's got Aura passively healing him. Watch I bet this wouldn't even leave a scar." Drasna was trying to reassure them and Olympia nodded her head in agreement. Bertha was holding Caroline close to offer her assurance.

"All that will remain will be a small scar on his hand....he kept the Rockets from getting the pokemon at the center. And he used the few seconds he had before the explosion to save the lives of others." Olympia said and she nodded towards a section nearby, where Officer Jenny was looking over a Nurse Joy and a red haired girl for injuries.

"That's Misty Waterflower. One of the gym leaders for Cerulean. I'll go get her statement." Lance said softly and he offered the three moms a hug for a second before moving over towards the two shaken women.

"Are you sure we can't travel with him?" Diantha found herself asking Delia without thought and suddenly Delia was laughing and sobbing at the same time as Alder tried to help guide them towards the hospital Ash would be at.

"I am so so tempted. So tempted for us to join him." Delia managed to choke out and Diantha wrapped her arms tighter around the two. Cynthia was unresponsive, not reacting to anything around her as she sobbed into Dianthas shoulder, Delia was responsive and a bit hysterical as Diantha tried to offer comfort. Diantha would break down later. For now she had to be the strong one.

"We need to get to the hospital. We should be there when they're done checking on him." Diantha said and she hoped having a goal and being near their son would get the two to react. To calm down a bit. Olympia said he'd be okay.

Olympia said he would be fine and only have a small scar left. Diantha clung to that as a lifeline right now.

Delia managed to nod and calm enough to walk on her own, not that she had to when Lorelei was immediately there with an arm around her shoulders guiding her towards where the hospital was.

Cynthia was still unresponsive however and her legs had gone out from under her. It was only Diantha still holding her that kept her standing.

"She will be fine when Ash awakens." Olympias voice was steady but sympathetic as she appeared at Dianthas shoulder and Diantha nodded.

"Need me to carry her?" Bruno offered quietly with dark eyes. He would go on a hunt for Rockets soon. More than he had before. Because now it was personal.

"No I've got her." Diantha assured and then bent her legs and easily scooped Cynthia up into her arms princess style.

"Where's our son?" Diantha asked quietly and Alder silently led her away towards the hospital, most of the family not far behind.

Not many if any of them were leaving until they saw Ash awake and okay.

Chapter Text

When Ash came back around it was at first slow and he forgot what had happened at first. Then he remembered and shot straight up alarmed.

"Ash!" His moms were there and they all looked relieved to see him awake, mom and Mama looked like they had been crying Mom more than mama, and Maman was relieved and a bit paler than normal.

"That red head! Nurse Joy! The center! Wha-" Ash was cut off by his mom grabbing him and holding him tight.

"Thank Almighty Sinnoh you're alright." Mom breathed out and she was burying her face in his hair and Ash hugged her back immediately. Mama and Maman joined the hug in seconds and all three of his moms repeatedly kissed his head and face.

"Do you know how worried we were? One second you're calling us telling us Team Rocket is attacking the Pokemon center and then when we get there the center is destroyed and you're badly hurt...for a while there we thought..." Maman trailed off, remembering the sight of her son laying there badly hurt and with a Chansey trying to heal him before Princess began to run Heal Pulses on him.

"How long was I out? Is everyone else okay?" Ash asked and he felt the was his mom trembled and then saw her lift her head to give Maman a look.

"I blame his self sacrificing nature on you." Mom said and mama agreed and Maman looked surprised and baffled and then for a moment everything was okay. It was another day at home and his parents were debating who he had inherited what from this time.

Then there was a shout and hollers and the door burst open. Knuckles and Wrestle were out of their balls in an instant moving to attack before a white and grey blur sped by them. Suddenly there was an Absol on the bed.

"...talk about deja vu..." Mom muttered and Ash couldn't help but laugh as Shade licked his face and sniffed him and nudged him gently.

"I'm okay Shade. I promise." Ash assured his sister and then wished he hadn't when Shade gave him a glare she got from Mama and bit his ear gently in reprimand.

"Huff huff..." There was someone panting at the doorway and Ash looked up wincing. He beamed when he saw the red head there not looking injured at all and instead looking tired and alarmed.

"Hey! You're okay! What about Nurse Joy and Pikachu? Are they okay too?" Ash asked and Mama punched his other ear making him wince.

"You need to stop taking after Dia! You're important too!" Mama scolded him and Maman gave a small protesting noise in her throat but couldn't and didn't deny it.

"Yeah we're okay. Thanks to you." The red head said huffing slightly and staring at Ash who looked relieved.

"Didn't get a chance to introduce myself. My name's Misty. Thanks for chucking me at Nurse Joy when you did." Misty said and she entered the room and shut the door.

"My name's Satoshi but everyone calls me Ash. This is my mama, mom and Maman. And this is my sister Shade." Ash said and winced when his sister growled at him a bit. Oh was she not happy.

"I know. I met them during the two or three hours you were unconscious. I'm your new travel buddy." Misty said matter of factly to Ash who blinked at her and then gave his moms a questioning look.

"She's a bit older than you, more experienced at battles and all, and owes you for saving her. When she asked if there was anything she could do to help we asked her to travel with you at least until Cerulean which is her hometown." Maman said and honestly it had been Berthas idea to have a slightly older trainer traveling with him. Sure they had prepared him for life on the road and all but...none of them had expected him to run into a gang of pokemon thieves.

Lance and the Kanto Elite were scouring every inch of Viridian with the aid of the gym leader Giovanni in case of any more criminals lying in wait.

The rest of the family were either in the waiting room for Ash to be discharged or were called back to their regions for emergencies. And if some of them were planning to triple check that their region had no team Rocket in it? Well that was their business alone.

"Those three Rockets that attacked the center are still at large. The explosion blasted Koffing and Ekans back into the two humans, Jessie and James, and the Meowth. And the momentum of the blast and the pokemon hitting them sent them flying away. Don't know how hurt they are or anything or if they'll try and get revenge on you stopping their attempts at stealing the pokemon." Misty said repeating the information on the Rockets by rote, as if she had described them and what happened at least half a dozen times. Given how Ash knew his family, he'd be willing to bet she had.

"And it was either she travel with you and you two watch out for each other or me or Dia travel with you." Mom said seriously in case Ash was thinking of protesting having the red head along.

"I mean...I don't mind her traveling with me? It'd be nice to have a friend along, and someone I can ask for help or advice with training if need be! It's nice to have you along Misty!" Ash assured the red head and then gave his two champion moms a worried look.

"You know there was nothing you could have done right? There was no way we could have known this was coming unless Aunt Olympia had a vision. And if she had had one she definitely would have warned us." Ash said softly, he could tell that they were blaming themselves for him being hurt. It's happened before.

When he was little and almost drowned saving an Eevee...mom and Maman blamed themselves for him almost drowning because they had looked away for one second. And when he got hurt saving Crystal from a poacher, Mom blamed herself for weeks because she hadn't gotten there fast enough to protect him.

Anytime he got hurt his moms blamed themselves. Mom and Maman more than Mama since Mama wasn't a battler and knew there wasn't much she could realistically do if caught by a poacher as well.

"She did but by the time she saw it, it was already happening. She had it literally less than ten seconds before you called us." Maman said softly and she and Mom pulled him in and kissed his head again and again.

He knew they were scared of losing him. They had admitted to him once when he asked why he couldn't have a baby brother or sister that Mom had suffered from a bad injury during a cave exploration and couldn't have babies. And Maman had...she said her parents had slipped something into her food when she was little and it ruined any chance she had of having babies too. And when Mama was going to have him it had been really rough on her. She couldn't have another baby.

He was their only child, the only one they could have together since most adoption agencies, especially in traditional regions like Kanto, didn't let triads adopt. Especially not same sex triads.

Ash didn't understand why. If his moms wanted to adopt a kid why tell them no just cause all three were women? It made no sense to him. He just knew that they wouldn't be able to. And that was before he realized how famous Mom and Maman were and that them adopting would be a media circus. Which was why he went by Mamas last name.

And the fact that apparently he was predestined to be around disasters so much so he called an Absol to Kanto at his birth, and the Absol decided to leave it's pup with them to guide him through the disasters...

It had taken a lot of arguments, debates, pleading and begging and asking help from his extended family to talk his moms out of going on a journey with him, or hiring an official bodyguard for him.

And now for this to happen. On his first day?

He was lucky they weren't putting a GPS tracker on him, much less joining his travels.

"You need to call us every night or at least once a day. It doesn't matter what time or what's happening. Just...call or message us once a day." Mom said and Ash nodded.

It was the very least he could do to reassure them.

Chapter Text

Giovanni stared out of an upper floor window down below. To where Delia Ketchum and her two wives were fretting over their only child.

His son.

Not his son Silver who was being raised in Johto in secret. No this son was one who was drastically different.

He wasn't at all in Giovanni or Team Rockets sights for the majority of his life. And wasn't brought about as Silver was. Silver had been born between him and Arianna in a drunken night.

Ash however had been brought about because Delia Ketchum had wanted a child for her and her wives who couldn't get pregnant. And he wasn't born because Delia wished for a strong or rich man to be the father as was why Arianna had wanted to have Giovanni's child.

No Giovanni had donated sperm under a fake name, and while he had kept all of his other information the same and true his profile for that fake name wasn't a trainer much less a gym leader. He had been surprised when it had suddenly been used almost eleven years ago.

By a small town restaurant owner who wanted a child for her and her two wives who's information was highly redacted to the point even he couldn't access it. Which meant they were either high ranking trainers from other regions (elite four at the least), part of the government for one of the regions, maybe the international police, or perhaps Rangers. He wasn't able to say for sure which, and for the most part he had left them alone and not paid much attention to his sperm donor son. After all their only requirement when deciding a donor was someone healthy. No health issues to give their baby the best chance possible

But then he got the report that his younger son was starting as a trainer and he was a bit curious as to how his younger child raised away from the Rockets and his influence would do.

"You three. Explain to me how that happened." Giovanni continued to stare out the window at the boy who was being fussed over by his three moms and his apparent godparents. And grandmother. Lorelei and Bruno were his godparents. Agatha was apparently his sons grandmother. And he hadn't been aware that Agatha even had a child.

"We were going to steal or attempt to steal the pokemon at the center. And use it to introduce him to us as enemies so he'd battle us. Koffing released Smog, an attempt to gas them out and get them out of the center, but the kids Pikachu sparked. He hadn't given it an order or anything, it just sparked and the sparks hit the gas. Next thing we know we're knocked away and I'm waking up to James fretting about a concussion." Jessie reported with calm eyes, a bandage wrapped around her head and a few bandaids on some cuts and scraps and a few small burns. She was lucky she wasn't hurt worse.

"You were unconscious for three hours and were closer to the explosion than I was." James said and he was nursing bruised ribs and a few of his own scrapes and burns.

"Hm. You three will have to lay low but you're not being reassigned." Giovanni said and the two humans nodded, Meowth was on Jessie's shoulders curled up asleep like a scarf, nudging her gently with his head.

"We noticed the elite four and champion scouring the town for us." Jessie said and she wasn't afraid of him, just stared at him calmly. Then again she was his predecessors daughter and had been around Rockets ever since she was a baby. And with how badly her father and step mother treated her after her mother's death at the hands of a Ranger....

She was loyal to Team Rocket, she was a Rocket Princess after all, and she had adapted to Team Rocket and was far more favorable to them than his own son was.. she was a good Rocket. In a few years if her battling abilities got up to snuff and neither of his sons were suitable she'd make a decent Boss.

"Hm. The boy is Agathas grandson, Lorelei and Brunos godson. It seems they've known him since birth and are protective. You attacking and him being injured merely resulted in them cracking down." Giovanni said and Jessie nodded in understanding.

"We'll have to make it clear that we don't mean him harm. We didn't mean for him to get hurt..." James said grimacing in sympathy and a bit of pain.

"Hm quite. Wait a day or two for him to get into the forest and then follow. Don't cause him further harm. Remember your mission."

"Protect him and give him a challenge to face to grow stronger without outright endangering him." The two repeated immediately and Giovanni nodded once.

"Good, rest up for a day or two. Dismissed." The two nodded sharply and left the room. Giovanni stared back out at his son while petting his Persian. He'd have to go and officially meet his son soon to apologize for him being hurt by Team Rocket in his city. Hmmm...what would make a decent apology?

A TM perhaps...

His son suddenly glanced his way and Giovanni saw a piercing blue eye peering up at him. The two held eye contact for a long moment before Ash turned back to one of his moms who glanced up. Another just as blue eye peered up at Giovanni who hummed curiously. So perhaps the blue eyed one had carried his son? But he could have sworn it said Delia Ketchum was the one to carry the child.

It didn't matter he supposed.

But soon he'd go down there and officially meet his son. Persian purred softly up at him.

He wondered what kind of boy his youngest son was.

Chapter Text

"Hello young man." Giovanni said greeting the boy and his three moms as he and his apparent traveling companion (wasn't that the youngest of the Waterflower sisters? Huh he heard that things were hard for the girls since their parents death but what was she doing out here???), got ready to leave Viridian. Lance and the Elite Four had apparently decided to scour the route to Pallet Town for any signs of Rockets.

They had found one or two grunts in Viridian but not the blue and red heads they were looking for. And they believed Giovanni's suggestion that they might be hiding out on Route one or perhaps hiding in Pallet Town given there's no Officer Jenny there.

"Hello sir." The boy with the Pikachu said and he took Giovanni's hand for a handshake not flinching at all at the strength Giovanni put in it. Giovanni approved. A nice firm handshake was a good sign. As was the eye contact.

"Mr. Giovanni." The youngest Waterflower said smiling up at him and he nodded to her.

"Ms. Waterflower." He greeted in return and then focused on the boy, Ash. His son.

"I must apologize for what happened to you while in my city. As Viridian is under my protection it is my fault that the Rockets had harmed you." Giovanni said and Ash was already shaking his head.

"Not at all sir. You aren't psychic so it's impossible for you to have known. Aunt Olympia is able to see glimpses of the future and even she didn't know it would happen until they were already coming through the roof. There's no fault on you for this at all." Ash denied and was hearing that one of the boys relatives able to see glimpses of the future something he noted for later? Absolutely.

He wondered which of the three women was the one related to the psychic.

"Still I must feel like I should apologize. To you and your mothers." Giovanni said and he turned his attention to the boys moms. Delia Ketchum standing there with auburn hair and warm brown eyes. And the other two, one with blond hair in a ponytail and grey eyes behind a pair of wire frame glasses, the second wearing a hat on her head but had brilliant blue eyes.

Giovanni paused for half a second.

"Madams. I must apologize that this happened under my watch." Giovanni said bowing his head to them and they all three nodded in understanding or gave him a smile.

"It's like Ash said. It's not your fault, there's no way you could have known." Agathas daughter, and Giovanni wondered who the father was...Oak perhaps? The two had been close when younger before their falling out..., said giving him an understanding and forgiving smile.

"As protective and irrational as I can get over our son even I know you couldn't be everywhere and know everything happening in a town, especially one as big as Viridian." The blond woman said with a tentative smile, and she looked vaguely familiar...perhaps she was on TV before or he had been eyeing her to recruit her?

"Indeed. It's not as if you told those Rockets to attack the Pokemon center or Ash." The one with the hat and blue eyes said but her smile was a tad tight. Seeing the way her hand was on Ash's shoulder and she was ever so slightly closer to him than the others he figured she was still a bit...protective. He saw the way her eyes wandered to alleyways nearby as if keeping an eye out for any Rockets to rush out and attack them.

"Good points and I see where he gets his forgiveness and understanding from. However please know that if there is any way possible I can make this up to you then please just let me know. I've already settled his hospital bill but that doesn't feel like enough to properly apologize." Giovanni said and he figured he should settle the hospital bill. He didn't know if they'd have been able to afford it and he supposed it could be a few Christmas presents settled.

"Thank you for doing that." The blond woman said and Giovanni merely smiled at her with a nod, then he noticed the strange pokemon beside the blue eyed woman.

Hm he'd have to look up that pokemon later and see if he could have someone steal it if it was rare or strong enough.

"And for you young man...I usually give this to the few who best my gym. But I think it would do as a suitable apology." Giovanni said handing the boy a TM and the machine to go with it.

"Are you sure sir? You don't have to give me anything?" Ash asked looking from the TM to Giovanni curiously and worried. Hm. The boys eyes were brown like Delias. He could have sworn the boys eyes had been blue though.

"I insist. Earthquake is a powerful and dangerous move...but as long as you're careful it will be a lot less dangerous than your Pikachus electrical attacks." Giovanni said and Ash slowly accepted the gift.

"Thank you sir. I'll use it well but won't use it often." Ash promised and Giovanni noticed a spark in the boys eyes. He wanted to prove that Giovanni made the right choice. Hm that ambition could be useful.

"Do you want a ride through the forest? I can arrange one for you straight to Pewter City." Giovanni found himself offering without meaning to and Ash immediately shook his head.

"No thank you! I'd rather go through on foot! That way I can train and catch pokemon and do my journey my way!" Ash denied immediately and Giovanni raised an eyebrow but smirked.

"Independent lad aren't you? Want to earn everything with your own two hands." Giovanni asked and Ash nodded determined while his moms chuckled or snickered.

"You have no idea. We've raised Ash to be very independent, sometimes I think we made him a bit too independent. But we wouldn't change him for anything." The blond said and she bent down to kiss Ashs cheek. And the boy instead of getting embarrassed leaned into it.

Independent indeed but a mamas boy. Which made sense given he had three moms who all obviously loved him.

Interesting combination and one he could approve of. He remembered being much the same as a young boy.

"Knowing how to do things on your own is a good trait but knowing when to ask for help is better. I have a feeling you'll go far lad." Giovanni said and Ash beamed up at him, and oh it was like looking directly in the sun. How did a serious man like him and the child of the crazy but dark Agatha produced a sunshine child?

"Come back through here once you have seven badges. I'll be looking forward to a battle with you." Giovanni nodded to the boy again and then to his moms and the youngest Waterflower before turning and striding back to his gym.

As soon as he was gone Diantha turned to Ash and Misty.

"Do not trust him. He's a good liar but there is something he is hiding." Diantha said seriously and Misty looked at her surprised.

"But... he's one of the strongest and best gym leaders in Kanto?" Misty protested slightly and Diantha chuckled lowly.

"Little one I am one of the best actresses in the world. And it is incredibly hard to successfully fool or lie to an actor or actress. Especially one who's paying complete attention to you. Trust me. He is hiding something. His jaw twitched ever so slightly when I said he didn't tell the rockets to go after Ash. And it twitched a bit anytime we said it wasn't his fault and he couldn't have known. He knows more than he's saying and I don't trust him." Diantha was very stern and serious and Ash grimaced in agreement.

"His Aura is weird. It's dark and cold and all but there is some hints of fondness or warmth to it. Just not a lot." Ash agreed and Cynthia whimpered and pulled Ash in close.

"Fuck I hate corrupt gym leaders. Please be safe Ash. And remember to call us every night. Misty you have our number too, don't be afraid to call us." Cynthia said kissing Ashs head and then grabbing Misty and pulling her in for a hug to the red heads surprise.

"I'll text Lorelei to warn the others and keep a close eye on Giovanni. Just remember, if nothing else you can always come home. And Misty you'll always be welcome there anytime as well." Delia said joining the hug and Diantha stared at Giovanni's gym for a moment longer before joining the hug.

"Trust your aura. And always call us. Even if it's for something as quick or simple as a Hey I'm almost to this town or hey I saw a neat pokemon today. Just please...call us for anything and everything." Diantha said and she was kissing Ash's head as well and then dropped a kiss on Mistys, who looked startled but not adverse to the motherly affection.

"I won't call for everything Maman. But I promise. I'll call every day at least once and give you each updates. I love you. All three of you." Ash said and Pikachu let out a small Pi that earned him a few pets and Dreepy got a few scratches as well before all three moms kissed his head one more time, Diantha gently pulling Cynthia off of their son to let him and Misty go towards the woods.

"Shade you take care of yourself and your brother. Try to stay out of trouble." Diantha said and the three moms gave Shade some scritches and pets as Diantha handed Ash her PokeBall, transferring ownership of it to her son.

Shade merely gave an affirmative noise and a nod as she trotted over to Ash's side.

"We're off. And don't worry. Things will be a lot calmer now!" Ash said waving at his moms and Misty offered them a wave as well as the two moved towards the forest.

"Your moms are awesome." Misty said and she seemed a bit sad now but was smiling.

"Yeah I know. I'm lucky to have them!" Ash agreed easily with a smile and then Misty paused just as they entered the forest.

"Is now a bad time to mention I hate bug type pokemon?"

"Isn't Viridian forest full of bug types?"

"Pika."

"Dree."

"Sol."

"...please tell me you know not to scream and attract Beedrill?"

"Of course I do I'm not an amateur!"

"Just making sure!"

Chapter Text

"So do you have a plan for Pewter Gym and Brock? No offense but Rock types are pretty strong against your Pikachu." Misty said and she shuddered as Ash gently shooed away another bug type.

"Well Pikachu can learn Iron Tail which is super effective. And even if he can't I do still have Dreepy and Shade. Although Dreepys not much of a battler yet and Shade is more to keep me out of trouble..." Ash said and Shade gave a Sol of agreement.

"Good points. But I doubt your Pikachu knows Iron Tail already. And if we go straight from the forest to Pewter then that's not a lot of time to try and learn a new move." Misty said and Ash hummed in thought.

"I wasn't going to go straight through. I was thinking about sticking around here and training for at least a week, and getting a new team member." Ash shrugged and Misty nodded slightly, that made perfect sense it seemed. Spending a week or so training in the forest and catching a new team member.

"What are you thinking of getting? Pidgey?" Misty asked glancing at one of the birds pecking at a tree.

"Pidgey, maybe a Caterpie if I can find one that wants to join me." Ash said and winced at the way Misty shuddered and gave him a dark look.

"Don't glare at me like that! You have to deal with bug types anyways, so it might as well be something harmless like a Caterpie instead of poisonous like a Weedle! Besides what are you going to do if someone with a bug type fights you? Spend the whole time screaming and unable to fight back?" Ash asked and Misty had to admit he had a point.

"Just...keep it from crawling on me and my things." Misty said shuddering and Ash nodded his head immediately agreeing to that.

"That won't be a problem. Shade and I are used to corralling bug types. Mama has a garden and we've been keeping bugs out ever since we were little." Ash grinned at her and Misty snorted, she had no problems picturing the boy beside her chasing after bugs and being covered in mud.

"We've got about three hours of sunlight left. So we'll travel a bit more and set up camp near a river. There's a good spot not too far, and it'll give us time for you to train and catch some pokemon before calling your moms." Misty said glancing up at the sun and judging how much daylight they had left before having to set up camp for the night.

"Sounds good to me." And then they walked in silence for a little while longer before getting to a good campsite and beginning to set up their tents for the night. That's when they separated a bit for Ash to go train and maybe catch a pokemon or two.

"Are you from the town of Pallet?" Someone asked Misty as she was filling up her canteen.

"No I'm from Cerulean." Misty said idly and she heard the boy leave and then she paused and turned to look at the leaving boy. He was wearing armor and was walking in the direction Ash had left in earlier.

She caught a glint of light off of steel in the boys hands before he vanished into the brush and she paled.

Shit! He had a weapon!

"Ash!" Misty took off through the woods to try and get to Ash first, she was supposed to be watching out for him after all.

When she got there she barely had enough time to shout a warning to Ash who was praising a Metapod, the sword was swishing towards his back.

Ash thankfully lunged forward away from the sword and turned back to the attacker.

"Fight m-" the boy swung his sword again and Misty was throwing out her Starmie to knock the boy out...

But Ash and Shade were faster.

Ash's hands caught the flat of the blade and with a quick twist of his wrists it snapped off, Shade tackled the boy away and stayed on top of his chest pinning him down as she growled in his face showing her fangs as the boy gaped pale faced.

"What the actual hell man?!" Ash asked and Misty was staring at the half of blade that had snapped off in his hands as he dropped it. There wasn't even any blood on it.

"I just wanted to challenge you to a battle!" The samurai yelped and his hand dropped the broken sword as he put his hands in front of his face in case Shade tried to rip his throat out.

"With a sword?!" Ash and Misty both gave him disbelieving looks for this. Then Ash paused and turned to Misty.

"Let's not tell our moms he attacked with a sword. I don't think Mama and Maman could hold Mom back from coming and strangling him." Ash said and Misty didn't even notice the Our in that sentence.

"Would she really?"

"Mom is way more protective than Mama and Maman. Mama had to convince Maman and then both of them and my grandmas and uncles had to work together to convince Mom not to travel with me. After the incident in Viridian it's amazing she relented to just you traveling with me...telling her I was attacked with a sword less than a day later ..." Ash trailed off and Shade nodded in agreement as she got off of the terrified boy.

Misty understood.

"She would put a child leash on you and not leave your side. So no telling them about this. Got it."

Chapter Text

"Hi moms!" Ash beamed as he called his moms on the Xtransiever to update them on his new teammates and let them know his plan of training.

"Is everything okay? Are you and Misty okay or do you need one of us to come visit?" Mom asked immediately worried and Misty looked surprised that they asked about her too.

"We're okay. We've set up camp for the night and are getting ready to settle down. Just calling to let you know that we're okay. I've caught a Pidgeotto and Caterpie by the way! But Caterpie evolved into a Metapod when he was battling Pidgeotto!" Ash happily rambled a bit about his pokemon and Misty watched him ramble for a minute. She was smiling slightly as she watched him ramble. She wondered if that's how she had looked when rambling about water type pokemon and which ones she'd catch when she had been younger.

Was this what it was like to be the older sibling? Hm...she'd think on that.

"Well we're glad to hear that you're both okay. And we're proud that you managed to catch two pokemon so close together. I'm sure the Metapod and Pidgeotto are going to be amazing members of your team." His Maman said and Ash nodded, petting the Metapods shell softly and then stroking Pidgeottos feathers.

"Just watch! Uncle Bruno is gonna have nightmares about Pidgeotto when we face him!" Ash beamed and Mom snickered a bit and then Ash looked at Misty and smiled at her brightly.

"I'll turn the Xtransiever over to Misty now though! I bet she's eager to talk about something!" Ash said and then he handed his Xtransiever over to Misty who looked surprised at being included.

"Here! It's your turn to talk to our moms!" Ash said grinning at her and then focusing on cuddling his pokemon, well aside from Shade who was sprawled out beside him and Dreepy who was getting a bath from Shade right now.

Misty was so busy fumbling to not drop the Xtransiever that she didn't even hear the Our part. The three moms sure did though and smiled at each other. Seems Ash was adopting a big sister.

"Hello?" Misty asked and Thia, as Misty knew her as, was the first to answer.

"Hi Misty. How has your trip been? Are you okay? Do you need anything? Have enough pokeballs and repels?" Ash's mom asked and Misty flushed a bit under the motherly concern in her voice.

"My heart give her a moment to answer." Dia chuckled and Delia was giggling a bit. Ash just smirked. He knew his moms were going to adopt his new friend. Which meant he was getting the sister he had asked for once before he knew he wouldn't get one.

Now all he needed was a brother. Preferably older. Ash liked being the youngest of the family thank you. But who knows in a few years he might want to try and surprise adopt a younger sibling? He'll cross that bridge if it comes to it.

"I'm alright Ma'ams. I've got plenty of repels and pokeballs for if I catch a water type while we're here. And Ash has been pretty good about keeping bugs, particularly those poisonous ones, away from me. He says he's got experience running off wild bugs and rolling in the dirt." Misty shot Ash a teasing grin then and he stuck his tongue out at her.

"This coming from the girl out camping on her own when we met and fishing by a stream during a storm! Besides you're camping just like I am!" Ash shot back and Misty stuck her tongue out at him in return.

"Nothing wrong with being a tomboy. Despite how I act I've always been a bit of a tomboy. And Thia is actually the more girly girl between us three...which says something since she goes cave diving for fun." Maman assured Misty with a chuckle and Mom was protesting loudly.

"I go cave diving to look at ancient ruins! And how am I the girly girl when you're a literal actress?" Mom protested and Maman snorted.

"My heart, you prefer wearing dresses all the time and heels everywhere. If I can get away with it I'm in T-shirt and blue jeans wearing sneakers or flip flops with a baseball cap. And between us three you're the one who likes perfume and the more traditionally girly things." Maman retorted and she and Mom began to squabble over which of them was the girliest by traditional standards. Misty stared at the Xtransiever surprised and confused while Ash just held up five fingers and slowly put each one down.

When he put the last one down there was a clearing of the throat and the squabbling fell silent.

"Three things my loves. My angel you are the more girly by society's standards between us." Mama said and Mom whined a bit.

"My demon stop teasing her about it. There's nothing wrong with being girly and there's nothing wrong with being a tomboy." Mama said next and Maman chuckled.

"I know my soul, it's just fun to rile her up."

"I'll show you ri-"

"And third!" Mama cut between the two and mom was almost audibly pouting now.

"The kids are still on the phone." Mama reminded them and Ash snickered.

"See? This is why even though she's not a battler like Mom and Maman, mama is the one in charge. She's the one who keeps those two from ripping each other apart some days." Ash said to Misty and there was a protesting noise from the phone.

"Don't say it like that Ash you'll give her the wrong impression!" Maman scolded slightly.

"Don't worry Misty, despite how we argue at times I love Thia just as much as I do Delia. And I know she feels the same for me. I know triad marriages, especially between three women, is unusual in Kanto and something you probably aren't used to but I assure you we all three love each other equally." Maman said to Misty in a soothing tone.

"She's right. Honestly I don't know how the three of us would work out if we didn't have each other. We all balance each other out." Mom added immediately and Misty smiled slightly.

"Sounds like you three work out better than most traditional married couples I know of. Hey if you three are happy and all? Then I'm happy for you, trust me no judgement here." Misty assured them of that although she knew her sisters probably would be a bit judgy about it if they knew. Well Lily and Violet maybe, Daisy would probably be more open to it. She knew Daisy was interested in girls but Lily had some of their mom and dad's old fashioned views and Violet usually went with whatever Lily did or otherwise stayed out of it.

"Good...so what are you plans? You mentioned you'd be catching water pokemon while you were there...are you two planning to stay in the Viridian Forest long?" Mama asked and Misty glanced at Ash who just shrugged at her. He knew his plans but wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She had a fear of bugs after all so if she wanted to go on ahead then he wouldn't say anything.

"We're planning to be here a week to do some training and battling before heading on towards Pewter to face Brock. Ash wants to get Pikachu to learn Iron Tail since right now none of his pokemon are actually good against rock types." Misty said finally and she nodded to him. She'd stay with him. She was here to guard and guide him after all.

Who knew if there would be other sword swinging idiots around? Although now that she was thinking of that...

Misty and Ash talked with the triad for a little while longer before everyone started saying goodnight, Dia reminding Ash that Pidgeotto could learn Steel Wing if they trained it up, and if Metapod evolved then Butterfrees could learn both status moves, some grass types moves, and psychic type moves.

"They know a lot about battling." Misty noted after the call was over and Ash nodded as he put away his Xtransiever.

"Mom and Maman are amazing battlers and very well known especially in their regions. It's why they aren't often around as much as they wish they were. Maman is in Kalos and is an Actress and works at the Battle Chateau and Mom aside from exploring caves and ruins is a strong battler and a historian. So they're always busy. They do their best to be here as often as they can though." Ash said smiling and he knew Mom and Maman felt guilty whenever they missed a big thing, like when they missed most of the bullying thing and when they came home it was almost completely resolved already. Maman had missed his first steps according to them, and both had missed his first words. They sometimes missed holidays and birthdays and their anniversaries since Ash and Mama were secrets even from most of their leagues...

But he knew they loved him and Mama both. And they did try to call or send presents whenever possible, and they both tried to spoil him and Mama a lot. Especially if they missed an important date.

He knew they'd start doing the same for Misty too.

"Huh...guess that explains part of why they're so protective. Especially if you can snap swords with your bare hands." Misty said glancing at him curiously and he shrugged at her.

"It was a crappy sword, not even made of steel or anything it was more iron and brittle plastic. Mamans dealt with swords a few times for movies or shows and of course what kid isn't interested in them? So she would show me different kinds of swords and a few ways to defend yourself from them. She's real big on self defense. Don't get me wrong Mom and Mama can fight too, Mama owns a restaurant and has had to throw out violent or drunk people before, and Mom is half feral sometimes and always ready to throw a punch...but Maman is the one who has actual self defense training. And she's the physically strongest of the three, which is hilarious cause most think it would be mom." Ash said grinning a bit and Misty could see how it would be jarring or hilarious. The blond woman had seemed to be more okay with violence and all, Misty was pretty sure that the Rocket brought in with a broken nose was the one who ran afoul of the angry mom, while the blue eyed one had seemed...honestly kind of pale and dainty.

Ash was lucky, he had three moms who loved him and each other...Misty could barely even remember her parents. And she couldn't remember a time when at least two of her sisters hadn't resented her...

"Give it to the end of the week and they'll either demand you call them aunties or you call them mom too instead of by their names." Ash said grinning at her and Misty smiled slightly sadly. She wished. But she doubted she was that lucky.

Ash wondered if she knew his mom was already planning to order her an Xtransiever of her own, complete with its own panic button like his had.

His Maman had already ordered her a taser.

Chapter Text

Ash stared blankly at what just happened. Then he looked at Misty who looked just as alarmed, confused, and slightly amused as he felt.

They had been in the forest training for three days now, Misty fishing to try and catch some more water types to add to her team and throwing her pokemon out into the river to enjoy some swimming time and some free battling time.

"So...you want to call it in or..." Ash trailed off pointing at where the Rocket Trio had been at a few seconds ago. Before his very growly and protective sister had apparently used a move he didn't know she knew to blast them off. Literally. They screamed about how they were blasting off.

"I wouldn't know where to start." Misty said after a few seconds and Ash nodded, yeah that was fair.

"I should probably call Granny. She'd be the least likely to respond violently and over the top." Because aunt Lorelei would go running towards where they had blasted off too and have her Lapras flash freeze the trio. Whether she thawed them out or not was up for debate.

Uncle Bruno would wait until they landed and then he'd show up and just start fist fighting them. Which would go very badly for the trio. Uncle Lance would fly after them and have one of his Dragonites hyperbeam them.

At least Granny Agatha would probably just arrest them and have one of her ghosties give them nightmares for a while.

"What about your moms?" Misty asked and Ash shot her a disbelieving look.

"One, Maman had to go back to Kalos yesterday and if she did come back to Kanto and see them she would strangle their necks and smile on her mugshot if she was arrested." That was a very likely possibility. It was also why he wasn't telling Maman that they ran into that Trio again. Especially since it seemed that Trio was interested in Pikachu and Shade. Pikachu for being stronger than normal and Shade since she wasn't from Kanto and was therefore considered rare in these parts.

"Two, Mom would absolutely fly here with Nibbles and follow us around without letting us leave her line of sight for more than two minutes." Another fair point Misty would admit. In the phone calls and the bit of time she's met his moms she noticed the blond one seemed to be much more overprotective than the other two. Don't get her wrong the other two were protective as well...but Thia kept offering to meet up with them or send one of her strongest Pokemon's with them for safety reasons.

"And three, they honestly didn't seem to mean for anyone to get hurt at the Center. Jessie had bandages too, James was being careful of his ribs, and some of Meowths claws were broken off or damaged. They got hurt too...and didn't you see the way they seemed to eye me for injuries before actually sending out their pokemon? They were seeing if I was okay. They didn't even mean for the center to blow up...so...they don't...seem like bad people. Not really." Ash said and Misty would give him that point too. She had noticed how they had been observing Ash during their motto, and how they had seemed a bit banged up too.

Also they hadn't had Koffing use Smog or any kind of gas attack as soon as they noticed Pikachu out and sparking at them.

"They're pokemon thieves." Misty reminded him because they made it very clear that they worked for team Rocket. The white uniform with red Rs on them was also a big hint.

"And we don't know why they joined Team Rocket. Did they strike you as Evil Criminals?" Ash challenged and Misty sighed, no they hadn't. Which was another reason she didn't really have her pokemon attack them. Well that and Shade didn't give her a chance to even call out an order.

"They might not have had anywhere to go...we can't judge them if we don't know them or their reasons." Ash pointed out even as he dialed the number to call Granny. Misty hated that he had a point she couldn't pick out a good reason to refute.

"Granny? Yeah there's been another rocket attack...no nothing dangerous. Shade sent them flying back towards Viridian with a Dark pulse...yeah no. They weren't...Granny they seem broken. Not evil." And Misty hated that. That he said that they seemed broken. Because she could see it. She couldn't read people the way he or Dia could. But she could see how neither of the humans screamed evil. More...misunderstood. Maybe more towards resigned? Or bemused. Exasperated maybe?

She didn't know why they were in team Rocket or why they were focused on Pikachu, even if she could understand why they wanted Shade.

But Ash was right. They didn't seem evil...they weren't heartless thieves and monsters with no emotion or care.

They had observed Ash for wounds before throwing out their pokemon, had glanced her over and not in a creepy way, James breathing was off and Jessie had blood starting to leak throw a bandaid as they were sent flying.

They weren't cold hearted thieves and monsters. Just...regular people. Sure they were doing bad things but...they weren't cruel and they gave no possible way for another explosion to happen. They had been hurt in the explosion too...

That made it harder for her to hate or despise them.

Misty watched silently as Ash finished up his report to his granny, Elite Four Agatha who was the oldest and longest serving elite four world wide and in history... What kind of family did he have????, and then hung up the phone.

"Let's...not tell our moms about this. At least until we know more about that TRio." Ash said awkward and nervously and Misty could guess why. She was supposed to be looking after him and protecting him after all. And here he was asking to not report something dangerous to his, and did he say our as in hers too? Probably a slip of the tongue, moms.

"If they attack us again I'm telling your moms." Misty said but it was an agreement. She wouldn't tell them this time. But if they attacked again she would.

"That's fine. What's the chances we'll run into them again anyways...yeah Shade I realized it as soon as I said it." Ash winced as his sister stood on her hind legs and smacked the back of his head with one paw, shooting him a deadpan look.

"Way to jinx us newbie."

"Hey!"

"No no don't argue. You've been a trainer less than a week and you said something like that."

"...Yeah okay that's fair."

Chapter Text

The two trainers stumbled out of Viridian forest laughing and giggling like kids and were being herded by Shade and a snickering Pikachu.

"That was so mean." Misty said but she was giggling and Ash was grinning widely.

"Look first he attacked us with a fucking sword, and then he tried to battle me Metapod to Metapod. If he forgot Metapod still knew String shot and Tackle that's on him!" Ash rejoined and Pikachu was snickering harder while Shade looked fondly exasperated.

"You tackled his Metapod right into him and sent them both into a river!"

"And he got my Metapod kidnapped by Beedrill so we're even! He is so lucky that both Butterfree and I got back okay."

"...it was kinda cathartic to watch from afar as you air bombed those Beedrill."

"Pikachu and Pidgeotto lit them up!" Ash high fived Pikachu who was a very smug mouse right now.

"Would you like to buy some rocks?" A man asked the two dirty and giggly kids who looked at him surprised.

"No thanks." Misty refuted immediately although she observed the man, something about him was familiar. Ash was looking at the rocks.

"How much for that little one and the medium sized one?" Ash asked pointing at the two he meant. One was a small slightly rough looking grey rock, the other was a little bigger and more squarish shaped.

"500 poke for both." The man said after a moment and Ash nodded and opened his bag to get the money out.

"Fancy bag kid, don't see those kinds around here often." The man said eyeing the bag, it was practical and sturdy to all hell but he could tell it had some expansion capsules for carrying lots of items like potions built into it. Not the kind of bag you usually saw around here, especially not from a starter trainer as this boy seemed to be.

"It's a birthday present from Maman." Ash just shrugged a bit and eyed the man a bit warily now. It wasn't the most expensive bag on the market, hell any competitive battler with at least four badges could probably afford one if they saved up about half their earnings, but it was still obviously well made. He would have to keep an eye out on people targeting him for robbing just cause of the bag.

"Nice mom." The man said and Ash grinned a bit as he forked over the money and took his rocks.

"Yeah our moms are the best. By the way Misty we should probably stop by the pokemon center and then the mart before hitting the gym! Mom said your Xtransiever was ready to be picked up!" Ash said and the man took note of that looking confused while Misty flushed brilliantly.

"Did she really get me an Xtransiever?" Those things were pricey in Kanto!

"Of course she did! Maman got you a taser too just in case. They should be ready now!" Ash said grinning at her and Misty looked pleased and confused and flattered all at once.

"Challenging the gym huh? Better move on to the next town kid. There's no way a rookie like you could beat Brock." The man said snorting and Ash just stared at him for a second before turning back to Misty, content to ignore the guy as they began to walk away.

"Anyways come on. Let's go grab your Xtransiever, it'll already have the numbers of the family put in, and we need to get the pokemon checked over. Shade do you want to go into the ball or have a checkup?" With the way Shade gave him a flat stare and hissed slightly that was an absolute no. Then again she did always hate getting her checkups.

"Alright but you know if you fight you need to have a checkup. Moms orders. Same goes for you Dreepy!" Ash spoke to the little ghost dragon on his head.

"I've been meaning to ask, how come Shade has a nickname and yet your other pokemon don't? I noticed that Thia and Dias Pokemon's have nicknames too." Misty noted curiously as she was reminded of the question she's been meaning to ask but kept forgetting.

"Oh I gave Shade her nickname when I was like six or seven. And Maman and mom let me nickname their pokemon when I was little too. It's why Growly and Nibbles have their nicknames, although Princess and Knuckles were nicknamed when I was a bit older. Wrestle too and Crystal actually...Flutters nickname just fit her though. Especially when she got her wings and kept fluttering everywhere!" Ash said snickering and Shade snorted. They both were remembering Flutter accidentally scaring the hell out of a seven year old Gary by flying over him to land in a tree. He had never seen a pokemon like her before and got scared it would eat him.

He had been lucky Flutter had been the one playing with Ash and Shade instead of Nibbles when Gary decided to act like a dick.

"Fair I suppose. And did you curse earlier? You're like six who taught you the fuck word?" Misty asked snickering and Ash stuck his tongue out at her.

"You've met our moms. And while it's usually in Kalosian or Sinnovian mom and Maman can curse like sailors. And they slip into Kantonese sometimes, especially at home. Plus I've heard Granny cuss out Uncle Lance during PokeKart marathons. That was a fun day." Ash said snickering as he recalled his Granny's reaction to Uncle Lance blue shelling her.

"...so I can curse around you and not get blamed for it?"

"I probably know all the same words you do in different languages."

"...I teach you some new curses and you teach me foreign curses?"

"Bet!"

Chapter Text

"So why'd you buy those two specific stones out of all of them?" Misty asked as they walked to the Pokemart while their pokemon were being checked over, after a quick shower in the locker rooms provided by the center. A helpful Bug Catcher passing through to the forest was kind enough to point them in the right direction of the Mart.

"Because you know how I can just kind of sense things sometimes? Like when I could tell you were going to pull up a Magikarp over a Goldeen?" Ash asked and Misty nodded and he shot her an urchin grin.

"Well after we're done at the Mart I'll show you why I picked those rocks." Ash promised and she scowled a bit playfully at him and he snickered as he darted ahead, Shade following him closely.

"Ah Ms. Waterflower!" The delivery man, one she knew from when Daisy would sometimes send her care packages and mail, beamed at the sight of her entering the Mart. Ash and Shade were already in the beginner section of the store with potions and basic pokefood.

"I have a package here for you, not from your sisters this time." The man said and Misty blinked and stepped forward to accept it and sign for it.

Opening the box curiously she gaped.

"She really got me an Xtransiever?!? And a taser??" Misty demanded and her head whipped around to try and look at Ash who was grinning at her mischievously as he glanced at her blue and green styled Xtransiever, and the blue taser that could also be a flashlight.

"Of course they did. If you look at the contacts you'd see my number, our moms, and the rest of the families already programmed in. I think they even got you the water proof model since you're a water specialist." Ash said peering at the Xtransiever and then he nodded and pointed at the small red button on the side.

"See they even included your panic button. So that if we're ever in a very bad situation like a cave in or something you can hit the button and it'd immediately alert the entire family and transmit your location so one of them can come get us." Ash pointed out to her and Misty felt...she felt tears in her eyes. She knew realistically that at least Daisy and sometimes Violet seemed to care about her but...more often it felt as if her family resented her.

And yet...Ash's family had seemed to take her under their wing as more than just the guide of the youngest. Her sisters would go for weeks or months without caring if she called or leaving a letter for her or even talking to her aside from Daisy. And yet...

Ash's mom had gotten her a specialized Xtransiever and there was a note for her to keep in touch and call once a day just like Ash was supposed to do. And the taser/flashlight combo was one of those ones for underwater rescues like Rangers used.

Both were pricey items, very fancy and expensive and Ash's moms had made sure she had them the same way they had made sure Ash had potions and pokeballs.

Is...this what having a parent was like?

"Come on Misty! Grab some more food for the pokemon and a few potions and let's get back to the Center." Ash's voice was beside her and he sounded so gentle and understanding and sympathetic, Misty hastily wiped her eyes to clear it of any possible tears.

She was silent as they got their supplies and paid, then Ash pulled her over to a bench and grinned mischievously at her.

"I think you'll like these." Ash said holding up the bigger of the two rocks and he quickly got out a pocket knife and started chipping away at the rock. She watched quietly as he chipped off large pieces with ease and then grinned when he hit a harder part.

She saw as he brushed off some of the dirt to show something shining.

"What is that?" Misty squinted to look at it closer and Ash shot her a grin as he broke off more rocks and dirt and slowly revealed the strange blue shining orb.

"This. Is a Mega stone. Usually found in the Kalos region. We'd have to ask Maman what kind it is but it's for a water type pokemon as far as I can tell. I don't know how that old man found these but if I'm right then that means that this-" Ash chipped off smaller pieces of dirt and rock before rubbing the smaller stone to reveal a glowing stone, "-is a keystone."

Ash looked so proud of himself as he grinned at Misty who stared at the objects curiously.

"We'd have to get them smoothed out and fitted into something for you and whichever pokemon this fits to wear...but we can always ask Maman if she knows someone in Kanto who can do that." Ash said as he handed the stones over to her.

"You're giving them to me? But you bought them?!" Misty looked stunned he was just giving these to her and she was treated to a soft smile with a hint of smugness.

"Misty you've met my moms. Honestly Maman and Mom were going to have a big fight about if I should start in Sinnoh or Kalos until Mama put her foot down on Kanto. I can almost guarantee you that the minute I step foot in Kalos as a registered trainer Maman will find a way to get me a keystone. You keep this one." Ash said and he closed her fingers around the keystone before putting the mega stone in her bag.

"Besides I don't have a water type and while I don't know which pokemon specifically that's for I know it's for a water type. So who better to have it than the future Water Type Master?" Ash grinned brightly at her and Misty...she didn't know how to react.

One minute she and Ash were needling each other and messing around with each other, the next he did something sweet and thoughtful for her. Was this what having a brother was like?

It was a lot different than having older sisters... She...how...what was she supposed to say to this?

"Thank you... I'll put it to good use."

"I know you will. I wouldn't give it to you if you wouldn't."

"Absol Ab."

"Now come on! Let's go get our pokemon and you can call or text our moms while I take on the gym leader!"

"Wait...Ash what are these names in my phone? Why does it say Granny Agatha and Grandma Bertha and Gran Gran? Or aunt and uncle...where Thia and Dias contacts?"

"Because they put the families contacts in your phone. That means the whole family duh. And haven't you caught on by now? Mom is what we call Thia, Maman is Dia and Mama is Delia. Although it's weird to call them by their names."

"I...Ash why are they in my phone as mom, mama, and maman?"

"...because that's who they are? Duh."

Misty swallowed thickly. Did they really...was it...he didn't see anything wrong with that? She hovered over the edit contact button but then just left it as it was.

It...couldn't hurt to leave it in like that right? At least until Cerulean when she would have to leave Ash and give the stuff back.

Ash just rolled his eyes at Misty. He was used to Shade and he was used to girls...but apparently human sisters were weird.

Chapter Text

Diantha and Cynthia were in a champion meeting when Dianthas phone rang, her personal phone. Immediately the champions that knew their family were alert and Lance had shut his mouth. He had been talking about the Rockets attack on the Center.

"It's Misty." Diantha said looking worried and Lance quickly pulled up a spare screen on the teleconference call.

"Put her on the screen it might be important." Lance said immediately and a few people were wondering who Misty was and why she was able to derail the meeting.

Misty's face appeared and she looked surprised.

"It does video calls too..." She seemed surprised and then she stared wide eyed at the people she was on call with.

"Misty-"

"I am so so sorry champions I must have somehow dialed the wrong number." Misty was immediately apologizing and Diantha and Cynthia looked at her confused before their eyes widened.

"Oh sweetie no, you didn't dial the wrong number!" Cynthia was immediately reassuring the girl who look a bit freaked out at suddenly being on call with champions from around the world.

"I promise I didn't mean to! My friend Ash, his moms got me an Xtransiever with the numbers preprogrammed into it and I was trying to call and set up a conference call with his moms cause I thought they'd like a play by play of his first gym and I promise I didn't mean to interrupt a meeting! I swear I didn't even know this phone did video calls!" Misty apologized frantically and Diantha and Cynthia perked up visibly.

"Ash is doing his first gym?" Diantha was the one to ask and Misty blinked at her for a moment.

"You...know Ash? I mean...I guess I expected Champion Lance to know him given his aunt is Elite Four Lorelei and he calls Elite Four Agatha Granny but I didn't expect other champions to know him..." Misty looked so confused and surprised by this.

Cynthia chuckled at the poor girl and put her hair up into a ponytail and slipped on the glasses that she either used as a disguise or wore when she was reading.

"Misty it's okay. And yes. We know Ash very well." Cynthia said amused and Misty stared at her for a moment.

"...Thia?" Misty questioned slowly and Cynthia giggled a bit.

"My name is Cyn-thia little mermaid." Cynthia emphasized the last part of her name that made up her alias.

"Wait...if you're Thia...then you're the one he calls Mom...and he said his Maman is Kalosian....her name is Dia..." Misty slowly looked at Diantha who was doing her best not to laugh at the poor girl.

"Guilty as charged." Diantha said and Misty blue screened for a long moment.

"I'm going to smack the shit out of him for not telling me." Misty muttered finally.

"Language." Cynthia chided and everyone gave her unimpressed looks, Misty included.

"You taught Ash most of the swears he knows, in Sinnovian no le-"

"That little shit knows damn well I taught him Celestiac!"

"-you can't say anything bout language." Misty said raising an eyebrow at the blond who was scowling slightly and Diantha tried to hide a laugh, she and Ash always called it Sinnovian to mess with Cynthia.

"You said Ash was facing the first gym leader right? Flint?" Lance asked coughing and were some of them like Geeta wondering who Ash was? Absolutely. Were they surprised that Diantha and Cynthia had a kid? Yes. Were they going to question it right now? Nope Wallace and Geeta were content to sit back and wait.

"...no? Flint left months ago, just up and ditched his kids. His eldest Brock is the gym leader?" Misty looked confused at the question and Lance full screen stopped for a few seconds before he grabbed a tablet and began to scroll.

"I have no paperwork or notification of that! What do you mean he ditched his kids and left the gym to his eldest?!? The mans got ten kids! Who is watching them?!" Lance demanded in disbelief and Misty stared at him.

"...Brock has? Have...you didn't know?"

"No! Everything still says Flint should be the gym leader and Brock only takes over when need be like if Flint is sick or hurt! The boys fifteen! He shouldn't be taking care of his nine siblings!" Lance looked absolutely furious.

Cynthia and Diantha exchanged looks. Well now. They were definitely letting Delia know about this and finding a way to help those kids.

They wondered if their third would try adopting the kids...probably. should they see about having the house expanded?

"...I...oh look Ash just won his battle despite Brocks baby siblings trying to jump him and keep him from giving his pokemon orders, Shade doesn't look happy as she's keeping three of them off of him." Misty said getting distracted and Lance made a noise at that.

"He won? That fast?" Cynthia perked up and Misty was watching something else off screen. There was a bit of yelling heard and a scolding.

"Brock wasn't expecting Pikachu to know Iron Tail, or Pidgeotto to know Steel Wing. Geodude and Onix were impressive and held up a lot better than any other rock type would. But the surprise added to them apparently training speed and evasion all week earned them that badge....ohhhh Ash is not happy. He just stormed out telling Brock to wait a second..." Misty said and Diantha and Cynthia were beaming. Their son had his first gym badge!! The first mark in his journey!

"That's the rock seller guy...kind of want to thank him for selling Ash that hidden keystone and mega stone...still can't believe he gave them to me..." Misty mumbled a bit and Diantha looked surprised. They had found a key and mega stone in Kanto? How?

She nearly laughed at Misty's disbelief that Ash gave her the key and mega stone. Of course he had. He had his own keystone on a necklace hidden under his shirt to match her own. A bit curious though she hadn't noticed Absols mega stone on her collar...

"...If you all will excuse me I think I need to either save Flint from Ash reaming him out. Or help Ash rip him a new one for ditching his kids, then coming back and living in the same time without even saying anything to them, and is now trying to come back as if he hadn't had to be dragged by a boy a third his size." Misty said far too calmly and then she glanced at Diantha.

"I'm probably going to use that taser you got me. Thanks for it by the way. And for the Xtransiever." Misty said and Diantha was amused while Cynthia cackled. Oh dear she had a temper and was half feral...

She'd fit into the family just fine.

"Anytime baby girl!" Diantha chirped before Misty hung up.

"...did you two just adopt one of my gym leaders?" Lance asked tiredly as he looked at Cynthia and Diantha. Cynthia was already texting Delia.

"Bold of you to assume we're not going to adopt a second one." Cynthia said smirking and Diantha agreed as she started texting Ash and Misty and Delia to see what they could do for Brock and his siblings.

"Is anyone going to explain things to those of us out of the loop?" Wallace asked curiously and Geeta looked interested as well.

"Cynthia and I have a third. We're all three married. We have a son named Ash who just started his journey a week ago and made friends with a girl named Misty who is the youngest of a set of sisters operating a gym. We're adopting her. We're also about to adopt that young Brock boy and his siblings." Diantha said waving a hand casually as if it were common information.

"Wait when the fuck did you two get married and how did I not get to be the favorite Uncle to your spawn?!"

"Hey who says you'd be the favorite!"

"I'm the favorite Uncle!"

Cynthia and Diantha smirked as Wallace, Steven and Lance started ripping each other apart on who would be the favorite Uncle. Geeta just watched it all curiously.

"Misty's a water type specialist, she'll probably claim you as a favorite Wallace. Brock is rock type, Steven can be his favorite. And everyone knows Ash is a mamas boy. So all of you are out of luck." Cynthia said heckling them a bit on not being Ash's favorite.

"What do you mean?! I'll be his favorite as soon as I get him a Charmander!" Leon said looking ready to fist fight for his spot as favorite.

"Not if I get him a Dratini first!"

"Hey we all agreed and were told no Pokemon!"

"Who told you that? I never agreed to it."

"Cynthia, Delia and I came up with that. Is that a problem Champion Wallace?" Dianthas voice was a bit of a dangerous poison at the end there.

Wallace immediately shook his head in the negative. Only two people scared him. Diantha and Geeta.

He was not getting on the bad side of a woman who could murder him and then lie on a polygraph test and to a psychic Pokemon without getting caught.

Chapter Text

"When were you going to tell me your moms were champions?" Misty hissed at Ash as Brock was giving his father a list of instructions for each sibling.

"I told you our moms are strong trainers that do a lot of work in their regions." Ash said blinking at her confused.

"There's a difference between a strong trainer and a champion! I was calling them to thank them for the Xtransiever and taser and suddenly I'm in a conference call with the champions!" Misty growled at him and Shade snickered, Dreepy made a little giggling noise from his spot on Ash's head while Pikachu looked curious on his shoulder.

"Did you say hi to Uncle Lance or Steven? Wait was Leon there? He always gets lost." Ash asked curiously and Misty's eye twitched.

"I'm going to taser you."

"Misty I get shocked by Pikachu all the time why do you think that's going to bother me?"

"Because I'm going to do it when you least expect it you little shit."

"Hey. Are we ready to go?" Brock asked hefting his bag and smiling slightly at them as his siblings all waved him off.

"As soon as Mama gets here. I do not trust your dad with your siblings." Ash told him point blank and Brock stared at Ash for a long moment.

"When will your mom-" Brock began slowly but there was a sound of a pop nearby and Ash beamed as he looked up.

"There's mama and Maman now with Princess!" Ash said and he immediately moved to hug his two moms present. They pulled him in and kissed his head, fussing a bit over him and the pokemon as Princess checked on Shade. Then they kneeled down and kissed Shades head and fussed over her as Princess hugged and fussed over Ash.

Next they stood back up and pulled Misty in. Misty looked like a startled but not displeased Furfrou as she was given head kisses and fussed over. Princess gave her a quick look over and smiled with a wave, not yet hugging her.

"You must be Brock." Mama said and she held out a hand that Brock took and suddenly he was yanked into a hug, and given a forehead kiss.

"You've done such a good job looking after your siblings. But it's someone else's turn now. And don't worry. No matter what we'll make sure they're okay." Maman assured him with a forehead kiss and Brock was frozen in shock and didn't know how to react.

"Now. Leave things here to use and I have it on good authority Lance is going to be doing inspections soon." Maman said smirking slightly and Mama shooed them off towards the route as the two women went towards Flint and the kids.

"Let's go. If he upsets Mama or says one thing wrong Maman is going to kill him, and I don't want to have to testify." Ash said quickly grabbing his two companions arms and physically dragging them a good distance away.

"Would she really kill him? I mean those Rockets are one thing, you got really hurt, but Flint..." Misty trailed off glancing back worried. Dianthas smile was full of teeth as she stared down Flint, Delia was fussing over all of the kids and learning their names and hobbies.

"Maman couldn't be around a lot when I was growing up. She had to be away often, sometimes I only saw her on video calls for months at a time. And she hates it. Hated she couldn't be there for me and Mama. I mean...Mom hates it too but she had less work so she could be there more often. I'd see mom in person at least once or twice every month or so, Maman not so much." Ash said and he didn't look back. He didn't want to potentially see his Maman get into a fight. Plausible deniability his mom called it.

It was something he learned was a great thing a long time ago.

"So for her to hear how he ditched his family, and then came back and was living in the same town as his family for presumably weeks or months without saying a thing to you all? She's taking that personally." Ash said and Brock and Misty both grimaced, they could see how she'd take it as a personal insult and react very badly.

"So unless either of you have other plans we're gonna travel the route between here and Cerulean and train for at least a week or so!" Ash said and he was smiling brightly and Misty huffed a small laugh.

"Well at least we won't be in the forest with the bugs." Misty agreed with a scoff, and Brock had no issues with it.

"Plus that gives mom and Maman time to have an Xtransiever and present ready for Brock! It'll probably be waiting at the Mart when we get to Cerulean!" Ash laughed and Brock paused and looked baffled.

"Why would they get me anything?" Misty huffed at the question, she had thought the same but...well she wouldn't complain if they gave her parental attention for at least another week or so.

"You're our friend, you're traveling with us. Why wouldn't our moms get you something? They got Misty a taser!"

"I'm sorry did you just say they got Misty a taser?!"

"Yes they did."

"Holy shinies that's a terrifying thought."

"Oh screw you Stone!"

"Misty! Language there's a child here!"

"Oh don't worry about me I know all the cuss words."

"Absol Abs."

"Dree."

"Pika."

"...I...I will need to process that. I'm just going to focus on how well cared for your pokemon look for now."

"Of course they're cared for! Dreepys a baby! Pikachu is testy and new but he's a good friend! And Shade is my sister!"

"You know most people don't claim a pokemon as their sibling right?"

"Oh hush Brock. You grew up alongside your Onix, and I've been calling Starmie and Staryu my siblings for a long time. Hell I called Daisy's Dewgong my niece at one point cause Daisy doted on it like it was a baby."

"Most of my family is the same. We all treat Pokemon as our family and close friends. You saw Princess back there? She's been one of the best babysitters I've had. And it's funny when Maman and Mom dote on their scarier bigger pokemon like Growly and Nibbles as if they're tiny. Growly tried to get into Moms lap as if she was still a little Gible once, it was hilarious especially when she spent half an hour pouting at Crystal for being small enough for lap time."

"Do I want to know?" Brock asked warily, it seemed Misty had an idea about it and was eyeing Ash in disbelief and amusement.

"Crystal is Moms Glaceon. Nibbles is her Garchomp! I named them when I was little."

"What do you mean when you were little? You're still little!"

"Oi! I'm not that small! I'm normal sized for my age!"

"I'm a head and shoulders taller than you. Misty is a solid two or so inches taller, you are a bit on the small side."

"Don't you start Brock! Not all of us can be giants!"

"Have to remember we're older than him too Brock. After all he's a baby on his first journey!"

"Fuck you too Misty!"

"Absol!"

"Wa-oh come on Shade! We both know I learned how to curse from Mom and Maman. And you've learned how from Princess and Wrestle!"

"Who's Wrestle?"

"Mamans Hawlucha. You'll meet him eventually, he's always ready to wrestle so I called him that."

"You mentioned a Flutter before too..."

"Moms Togekiss! I was little and he fluttered everywhere!"

"Still little."

"Alright you know what Misty I'm gonna-"

Brock sighed but smiled as the two bickered down the route.

He had no clue what he signed up for and he'd probably get a headache soon...but at least it wouldn't be boring! And hey he'd get to learn a lot more about pokemon from other regions since Ash's moms were from other regions...

For now...

"Ash no! No trying to use Misty as target practice for Dreepy! Misty don't taze him!"

Absol sighed as she forced herself between the two and separated them. Sometimes it was hard to be the braincell and mature one.

At least the new older brother seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, and he was used to wild and rambunctious pups like her brother.

Chapter Text

The three journeying trainers tumbled out of Mount Moon laughing and giggling, covered in dirt and dust and they had some rocks in their hair.

"Ohhh we have connection again!" Ash cheered when his Xtransiever started raising hell, Misty's pinging frequently as well.

"I'm glad we told them we were going into the mountain. If we didn't and they suddenly couldn't reach us..." Misty trailed off and Ash and Absol shuddered slightly.

"I can guarantee you our moms would destroy that mountain looking for us, better text them now so that they know we're okay." Ash was already texting his family, including sending Uncle Steven a picture of the giant moon stone they had seen.

Misty was immediately texting the moms at the least and then slowly working her way through the rest of the contact list of people who had texted her.

Brock just watched smiling at them as he got some rocks out of Misty's short hair and dusted off Ash's shoulders.

"Mama says your siblings are okay, she's been going over daily to check on them and gave them the numbers for the whole family just in case. Also Uncle Lance showed up and scared that old dead beat straight with just enough time for him to get things ready for the official inspection done by Nurse Joy. They passed and managed to keep the gym." Ash relayed to Brock who looked surprised and then relieved.

"Thank your mama for me please." Brock said and Misty was on the phone with one of the moms now.

"Yeah we're okay mom. The Rockets didn't hurt us and the only reason we couldn't call was cause there was no signal in the mountain. Oh we're absolutely dirty and all need showers but no one's hurt." Misty was saying and Ash beamed when he heard the title she used. Brock shot a surprised look at Misty for the title as well but Misty didn't notice. And when Brock opened his mouth Shade butted his leg slightly, she was grinning too./p>

"Tell Mom she needs to have a talk with Uncle Steven! He is mentioning that old legend about Vermillion Harbor again!" Ash said brightly and Misty relayed that to the blond champion who growled audibly, sounding much like her Garchomp.

"She says she doesn't care what Steven says you're not allowed to go diving in the harbor for mythical evolution stones. Not even if you got one of those iron lungs rangers use from someone named Cyllene?" Misty looked curious at the end there as she glanced at Ash who snickered.

"Aunt Cyllene is moms younger twin. She's a high ranking Pokemon Ranger in Sinnoh although she gets sent all sorts of places." Ash explained and Misty nodded her head in understanding.

"Yeah the Rockets didn't even really come for us? They were after the Moon Stone...oh...yeah it was the TRio....yes?...no no they didn't seem at all interested in actually hurting us. Honestly they don't seem too smart...oh they got sent flying...I promise we're okay Mom." Misty was reassuring mom while Ash shot his Maman a text about the TRio. She was filming today and probably wouldn't be able to see the message until later but he didn't want her panicking if she suddenly got a call from Mom about the Rockets being near them again.

Brock hummed as the two younger of the group spent a bit longer on their phones as they walked towards the Pokemon Center to freshen up and have everyone checked over before heading to the Mart.

"Oh? Really? Yeah I'll tell him! Brock! Mom says that your Xtransiever if waiting at the Mart and Maman got you a swiss army knife!" Misty relayed to Brock who looked surprised at her. Ash was beaming and texting his moms. Misty didn't even notice what she had called the two champions.

"They got me an Xtransiever?" Brock looked stunned and Ash shot him a grin.

"Of course they did. And the families numbers will already be in it. Don't be surprised if our moms want you to call or text them once a day if we're able." Ash said and had he and Shade been calling the moms, Our moms, as in all three of theirs this whole time? Yes yes he had. Had Brock and Misty noticed but not said anything? Yes they did.

Misty was slowly starting to realize it wasn't a mistake or slip of the tongue. Brock thought he meant it as in his and Misty's moms. He didn't include himself in that yet.

"We love you too mom! We'll call you later! We're almost to the center!" Misty said brightly before the call ended just a bit before they walked in. Ohhh Ash was definitely texting Mama and Maman about that he'd be willing to bet that Mom was bawling at Misty not just calling her mom without realizing it but also saying she loved her.

"Oh Nurse Joy~❤️❤️❤️❤️" Brock immediately began flirting and Ash, Shade and Misty watched stunned for a second.

Then Ash remembered his moms words the day before he set out and he and Shade moved forward.

"Brock she already said no and asked you to stop!" Ash pulled Brock back away from Nurse Joy, Shade growled at him and smacked him with a paw.

"I forgot about his hormones going nuts." Misty sighed looking annoyed and irritated. She might have to use her taser on him if he didn't let up a bit.

"Come on Brock. We need to have a talk my moms had with me! Nurse Joy I'm so sorry about him. Is it still okay for you to check after our pokemon or should we-" Ash looked apologetically at the nurse.

"Oh it's alright. I'd never turn away a Pokemon or trainer in need." Nurse Joy said and Misty was handing over the pokeballs while Pikachu jumped on the counter.

"Shade can you make sure Dreepy will be okay?" Ash asked his sister who nodded and Dreepy was then moved to Shades back and Shade followed Nurse Joy and Chansey to the back for the examinations.

"Come on Brock. We need to have a talk."

Chapter Text

"So you wanna tell me what that was all about or should I just launch into the talk our moms gave me about not being an ass?" Ash asked bluntly and Brock spluttered.

"I will never get used to hearing you and Misty curse. And do not blame that on me if your moms ask." Brock said and he gently brushed Ashs surprisingly strong grip off of his shirt as the two made their way to the Mart.

"No promises. But Brock why didn't you stop? She was visibly uncomfortable and had already told you no." Ash asked and he side eyed Brock who shuffled a bit away. Who the hell let this toddler have such a bombastic side eye?

"Ah...I didn't really...notice she was uncomfortable. Sometimes when I'm in full flirt mode I tend to just...hyper focus on the woman and not really notice body language."

"...Brock I'm ten and suck at ready social cues and even I noticed she was uncomfortable."

"Well it's the hyper focusing and the fact that my parents used to act like that? Like my dad would be all flirty and romantic and my mom would pretend to hate it but she'd love it? So I just...thought it was normal?" Brock shrugged sheepishly at the end. It sounded so bad now that he said it out loud.

"...So does that mean you consider a parent ditching their family and leaving their eldest to raise nine kids normal?"

"Okay that's going a bit too far..."

"But it is what your old man did."

"...point..."

Ash shook his head and glanced at Brock again who was frowning in thought.

"When mom and Maman had the talk with me I was still a bit confused. So I asked Mama about it and she gave me good advice. If I didn't want someone treating me or my family like that then why would I treat someone else like that?" Ash passed that along as he half followed Brock towards the Mart but he did look around curiously at the shops and restaurant.

"That is good advice." Brock admitted and he tilted and tumbled it around in his head a bit.

"So think about Misty or your younger sisters. Do you want some guy to start flirting with them and not noticing they're uncomfortable or not stopping when told no?" Ash drove the point home there and he knew it when Brock froze in place and was as tense as could be.

"I see..." And that put it in an entirely new spin and outlook for him...

"Yeah and you came across as desperate to all distortion there. But it's okay you'll have me and Misty to call you out and pull you off of any poor girl. I just hope you don't flirt with Mom or Maman by accident if you meet them without their disguises." Ash said shuddering at the thought of Brock flirting with one of their moms. Eww...

"Er..." Brock looked torn hoping he wouldn't do that and knowing he probably would if he didn't recognize them. He was attracted mainly to older women after all.

"...yeah me and Misty are definitely going to be calling you out and trying to help you reign it in." Ash sighed at him and Brock gave him a sheepish smile.

"I'd appreciate that. Especially if I'm deep in the lovey dovey zone." Brock said and Ash snorted slightly.

"You think you're bad? You should see Maman. She loves showering mom and Mama in love and affection, one time it looked like she bought out an entire flower shop when she was able to come home for Valentine's day. And Mom can be pretty affectionate too but she's more like a cat. A bit aloof and distant but still loving the affection on her terms. And Mama loves smothering them in love and affection. Think she hugged Maman so tight once Maman passed out...either that or Maman was more tired than she claimed and fell asleep." Ash wondered which one it was as he snickered recalling one incident where Maman had set up everything to be romantic and lovely at the house for Mama and Mom only for Wrestle to try and pick a fight with Ros. ..and then the embarrassment when Aunt Lorelei showed up with Mama and Mom had Grandma Bertha with her.

That had been a funny day for the then six years old and his sister.

"I look forward to talking to them when we get to the Mart. Shouldn't we be close by now?" Brock asked smiling slightly and hoping he could ask them for advice on how to not come across so strongly to women.

Ash paused mid step and looked fully at Brock who stopped a step or two ahead curiously.

"Er...I was following you." Ash said blinking at his big brother.

"Eh? But I was following you."

"....."

"...."

"We're lost aren't we?" Brock could only nod at that and Ash snorted.

"Right new plan. Ask someone for directions and then go grab Misty for the Gym leader." Ash could agree with that.

"If we're lucky we might catch one of their water shows."

"...Brock..."

"Yes I heard what I said about luck as soon as I said it.'

"As long as you know..."

"Oh hey an Officer Jenny! Let's get directions from here?"

Chapter Text

The three wives of the Ketchum(-Shirona) family all were at the house. Bertha had defeated a challenger, giving Cynthia a free day with her family while Wikstrom had done the same for Diantha. And Kathi was busy negotiating another movie contract for a rather interesting sounding film idea.

Right now they were all just sitting on the couch doing their own things as they curled up together. Diantha was writing down some of her son's adventures with a bit of editing and artistic flair. It'd make for a good or at least interesting idea for a book or cartoon perhaps. Princess was next to her on the couch occasionally sending her telepathic ideas to make the script more interesting.

Cynthia was looking over some pictures of an ancient ruin site trying to decipher it the writings. From what she was muttering it seemed a mix of Celestiac and a few other languages which is why she also had a book of runic alphabet from Galar beside her. Crystal was curled up on her lap contently and Knuckles was hovering at the arm of the couch ready to grab her any book she needed next. Nibbles was sprawled out on the floor at their feet getting occasional scritches and scale rubs. She was still pouting over Crystal being able to fit in their humans lap but she couldn't.

Delia was answering texts from the Harrison-Stone family kids who had latched onto the three that were more than happy to be mother figures to them. And texting Lorelei who was stuck in an Elite Four meeting about the Rockets, especially that trio that was following Ash around for some reason. They had all agreed there was something fishy about that. Wrestle was currently in her lap playing on a gameboy.

The rest of the pokemon were either spread out around the house or outside in the yard enjoying the downtime and being home.

But despite it all the house was still so very quiet. There was no Ash and Shade there to cause a ruckus. No Ash to wrestle with the pokemon or chase wild bug types from the garden with Shade by his side. Or lunging to curl up in their laps like a content house Eevee until Shade or later Crystal nudged him off to take his place. Very rarely had there been peace and quiet in the house since they bought Ash and Shade home from the hospital.

Then Dianthas phone rang and she looked up from her laptop to glare at the device as if wishing it to combust.

The sudden feeling of fury from the usual calmest of the three had all the pokemon pausing and her wives looking at her surprised and alarmed.

"This is Diantha." Diantha said and her voice sounded level and calm, professional, the look in her eyes was one of rage and disgust.

"Unless there is a challenger or an exhibition match or something to do with the League you have no reason to call me Mr. Chairman. And if there was something then Drasna or Kathi would have already called and told me. Goodbye." Diantha said coldly and her voice while curt was still professional. Then she hung up.

"Mon Demon?" Delia asked softly and she was leaning into Dianthas side, one hand gently cupping her cheek.

"That was the chairman of the Kalos league." It wasn't a question but Diantha nodded anyways. Cynthia reached over and she had wrapped her long arms around them, pulling both of her wives closer and nearly squishing Delia, Wrestle and Crystal.

The chairman of the Kalos League, Lyam Carnet, was Dianthas father and a large pain in her side. She wasn't able to have him thrown from office because he technically didn't do anything wrong so it'd be seen as a personal grudge or reason. Which would cause people especially tabloids to go digging into her past and her family more than she wanted. But he also could rarely make her do anything. Between her career as an Actress and as the Grand Duchess meant she rarely had to deal with him in person.

He still tried to discreetly control what she did however. But she didn't take any of his shit and if he got too pushy or obvious...well Drasna was a mother dragon. And she was the only mother or mother figure Diantha would claim. And she absolutely would breath fire towards anyone who came after her family.

Not that Diantha wasn't the same but she was far more subtle. She often used word games and manipulation and a few mind games to run circles around him and his wife...but anyone who tried hurting her family and not just her learned very quickly why it was a bad idea.

There was a reason why ninety percent of the time Delia called her the Demon of the three of them when at home. The only time Cynthia was ever called the Demon at home was when she was in her champion mode or get up. Ironically being in her Champion mode or get up was the only time she was ever called Angel when at home...

It was a bit of a role reversal from how the public saw them but the three didn't care. Why would they?

"What does he want this time?" Delia growled, yes growled, as she and Cynthia adjusted themselves so that they were both holding Diantha who leaned into them.

"To control and use me and mooch off of me. Like always." Cause that's what it's always been about for her birth parents. Controlling her. Using her for their own gain. They were a large part of why she was so quick to shed her last name for her wives, at least in private even if she still had to deal with it in public.

"He can't. He won't touch you. He won't ever hurt you again." Cynthia swore and she mumbled an apology to Wrestle and Crystal who had to be displaced. Diantha was gently pulled until she was nearly in their laps as they both held her.

Her phone rang again.

"Diantha." Diantha answered professionally and then she sighed.

"There is no reason for you to be calling me. If this was an emergency Drasna or Olympia would be the ones calling. Kindly stop." And then she hung up again.

"We won't let him ever hurt you. He can't. You're not that little girl anymore Dia. You are so amazing and strong and beautiful and talented and loved. You are so so loved and protected." Delia was murmuring to her dark haired wife who tried to melt into them, Knuckles and Princess putting away and marking their places in the books and papers for their humans. Although Princess seemed angry as well, she was glowing slightly which was slightly scaring Knuckles and Nibbles.

The phone rang again.

"Diantha." Even for as tired and disgusted and angry she felt just with him calling her, her voice was professional and calm as she answered the phone.

"...Mr. Chairman what you are attempting to talk to me about is not related at all to our jobs. You are trying to call me about something regarding the Carnet family. This is my work phone. If you are calling for personal business call my personal number...oh you don't have my personal number? I can't possibly imagine why." Diantha nearly hissed the last sentence and then she hung up with more force than necessary.

"What is he even trying to call you about?" Cynthia wondered, not that there would ever be a good reason for that bastard to call Diantha, aloud.

Her phone rang again, this time she looked at the caller ID and sent it straight to voicemail.

"He thinks he's found a suitable husband for me." Diantha admitted as she curled further into her wives, this time she didn't even look at her phone before sending it to voicemail.

"...babe. darling. You are the example of distinguished lesbian."

"And he doesn't care. He doesn't even know my preferences."

"Or that you've been married for almost twenty years now." Cynthia smirked as she took Dianthas left hand and kissed the rose gold band on her finger. The ring that she could only wear when in private to keep the media from knowing. It wasn't quite twenty years yet. But close to seventeen. After all they had been married for six years before deciding they were ready for a baby.

Diantha felt a gentle pull on her hair and her face turned to look at Delia who pulled her into a hard but loving kiss. A possessive one.

When they separated Dianthas pupils were blown wide.

"They can't have you. No one's allowed to have you but Cynthia and I." Delia growled at her wife who blushed but smiled. She loved when her wives got possessive. Mainly because she was just as possessive of them.

Cynthia was kissing her neck and Delia pulled her back in for another kiss.

Then her fucking phone rang again. She growled against Delia's lips and yanked her phone to her ear to finally give that fucker an ear full that's been a long time coming.

"What?" Diantha growled into her phone even as Cynthia kept kissing and sucking hickeys and nibbling at her pale neck.

"Maman?" Her son's voice asked worriedly and Diantha felt as if she had been hit with a water gun.

"Ash!" Her wives hurriedly stopped their ministrations although Delia gave a low groan. Even when he wasn't here their son managed to interrupt them.

"Are you okay? Did I call at a bad time?" A little yes but she definitely wasn't going to tell him that.

"No baby no. I just thought it was someone else calling me. Are you and your siblings okay?" Diantha hurriedly assured him and Ash hummed at that.

"We're okay. I just got my second badge, the TRio broke into Misty's gym, two of her sisters are mean but her older sister is okay. Doesn't seem to mind that we've claimed her but she wanted yours, moms and mamas numbers to keep in contact so I wondered what numbers you wanted me to give her?" Diantha blinked a bit at her sons words as she processed it all...then she sighed.

"Make sure you report the TRio and their attack on the gym. You said the oldest sister is okay?" Diantha asked to make sure and Ash made a noise.

"Yeah unlike the other two she actually looked happy to Misty and explained the badges they were giving out were fakes to weed out the real trainers and the ones who just wanted to go through quick and easy gyms. And as soon as Rockets broke the wall she lunged forward to grab and shield Misty. And she seemed very happy that Misty now had a taser and a way to call them. She's the best of Misty's older sisters." Ash said happily at the end and Diantha hummed.

"Give her the personal numbers. And be good for your two big sisters that are nice. Give the other two hell." Diantha said and her wives smirked at her. So they were adopting three more.

"Okay! Bye Maman! Love you! Give Mom and Mama hugs for me!" Ash said brightly and Diantha barely managed to get out a "Love you too!" Before Ash hung up.

Cynthias mouth reattached to her neck.

"We're adopting more?" Delia asked even as she started peppering Dianthas face in kisses again, Diantha knew that Delias light pink lipstick was being smeared and smudged all over her face. She didn't care.

"Mm. Misty's big sisters. Two apparently aren't too happy or being good sisters. The oldest is okay though." Diantha managed to say as Cynthia nibbled her neck.

"Hmm. How about we stop talking about the kids?" Cynthia asked with a small pout when Dianthas phone rang again, she glanced to make sure it wasn't one of their kids and promptly turned her work phone off.

If there was an emergency Drasna and Wikstrom and Olympia all had her personal number.

Princess looked unamused as Crystal hit them with a light blast of blizzard, pretty much throwing snow on them.

The three humans quickly vacated the living room for their bedroom as the pokemon either snickered or rolled their eyes.

Their humans were so strange but they were good humans.

Nibbles looked close to traumatized now though and she wished not for the first time she had joined her step brother and step sister on their journey. Princess gave the mighty Garchomp a reassuring pat on the head and Cackles cackled while Wrestle was focusing on her game, Knuckles helping her out.

Crystal just passed onto the recently vacated sofa and curled up for a nap.

It was just another day in Ketchum-Shirona home.

Chapter Text

"Ah! That's why you looked familiar!" Daisy, Misty's oldest sister, said suddenly and she was pointing at Ash who startled and nearly dropped his popcorn.

He, Misty, Brock and Daisy were watching some movies (Diantha movies since apparently Daisy was a fan...all three of the older sisters were which made Misty nearly choke on a laugh she couldn't wait until they met Maman in person) while Lily and Violet cleaned up some of the rubble from the Rocket TRios attack.

It was their punishment for yelling and fighting with Misty so much that she had run away, something they grumbled about but their auras weren't actually upset. If anything they were a bit put out but understanding. Ash wondered at that, of course they had felt guilty as hell when Misty told Daisy exactly what they had said during the fight that led her to run away and then scared when Daisy dragged them away by their ears and reamed them out.

"Huh wha-" Ash blinked at her with wife eyes like a noctowl.

Daisy pointed from him to the screen where the movie had been paused on a young boy about six or seven playing with an Absol in the woods. The boy had messy black hair, brown eyes, and the Zzzz marks on his cheek like Ash did.

"You were a child extra! In a few movies! I thought those birthmarks looked familiar!" Daisy said triumphantly and Ash blinked at her a bit.

"Yeah? I mean...it's not a big deal? Mama, Shade and I were in Kalos to visit Maman and we were playing when the director guy asked Mama if he could record it cause it would fit with the movie?" A movie about Dianthas character trying to avoid a disaster...which given the reputation of Absols meant Shade was absolutely in the movie.

"Does that mean you got to actually meet Diantha?" Misty nearly snorted out her soda at her sisters question and tried not to choke as she tried not to laugh.

"Once or twice I think? I mean I wasn't on set for a long time just like...those few minutes." Ash said and Shade was snickering as well as Pikachu snorted.

"It must be amazing to work in a movie with Diantha. You were a child extra in a few others right? Does that mean your Maman knows her?" Daisy asked curiously, after all Diantha was her favorite actress and her idol.

"My Maman works on movies so yeah I was a kid extra in a few. So was Shade..." Ash trailed off and poor Misty was biting her tongue to not laugh her ass off. Works on movies wasn't really a lie...but it was absolutely an understatement.

"That must have been amazing." Daisy said sighing and slightly jealous.

"Eh." Ash just shrugged, his favorite part had been being able to spend time with his Maman. It just sucked he couldn't call her Maman when on set. Or hug her. Or act like he knew her as anything other than another actress.

"Oh speaking of your Maman...when do I give the taser and Xtransiever back?" Misty asked wincing because she didn't want to do it but she knew she probably had to.

"Never? Why would you give them back?" Ash asked baffled and Misty blinked at him confused. Tilting her head like a Psyduck.

"Because didn't they give em to me to be able to call them and protect you until we got to Cerulean?" Misty asked baffled she had been sure that was the deal.

Ash shot her a flat look.

"Misty I've been calling them our, as in both of our, moms since Viridian Forest. Mom literally calls you little mermaid. Mama and Maman refer to you as their daughter as well. Uncle Lance apparently asked if they were really trying to adopt one of his gym leaders and they just said 'yes we are and we'll probably adopt more'. They want you to call them daily like I have to." Ash pointed all this out slowly as if to make sure she was keeping up.

"You legit called them Mom, Mama, and Maman in Mount Moon and your exact words to mom were Okay love you mom bye. When you hung up." Misty blushed as Ash reminded her of that. She hadn't even noticed at the time...

"You're my sister. And they're our moms. Even if you decide to stay here and not travel with me anymore you'd still get to keep the taser and Xtransiever and you'd still have to do daily calls. Cause you're their daughter." Ash said and Misty was wide eyed and glassy eyed and blushing but smiling.

"...the closest thing I've had to a mom was Daisy..." Misty breathed out slowly and quietly and Ash smiled at her, nudging his head against her shoulder as he curled into her side while Shade purred and nudged her legs affectionately.

"Well now you have three moms. And a whole lot of siblings cause they absolutely adopted Brock and his siblings too." Ash said grinning at her and she didn't look at anyone as she wasn't sure how to react to this aside from overjoyed.

Daisy smiled. She was glad her sister had such a good friend...a little brother, who's moms adopted her.

Then Daisy paused. Wait...Misty had a little brother...

"Never had a brother before. This should be fun." Daisy noted agreeing with adoption and Ash grinned at her while Misty snorted.

"He's a chaos junkie disaster magnet."

"I get it from Maman!"

Chapter Text

Ash growled low in his throat as he and Shade glared at the Pokemon Center, most of the pokemon they had were getting check ups and shots against things like Pokerus. But they had heard someone talking loudly, bragging, as he sat around some buddies of his.

Misty was staring narrow eyed at the boy as well and Brock was already reaching out to hold her back.

"Nurse Joy." Ash's voice was ice cold and it sent a shiver down his older siblings spines. Nurse Joy was scowling with her eyes locked on the arrogant braggart as well and her hands were twitching.

"I'll call Officer Jenny." Nurse Joy said without promoting and she reached for a phone to call her friend while Ash glanced up, ah yes. Security camera.

"Misty no, no taser!" Brock quickly grabbed Misty, wrapping one strong arm around her as she reached for her taser to go after the boy about her age. His other arm was wrapped around Ash holding him back as well. Ash vaguely recognized him from Pallet Town, Damien he thinks. One of Gary's flunkies who had been too much even for Gary, and who had spent time in Juvie for attacking another kid violently.

For all that Gary was an arrogant blowhard with more ego than anything else, he did care about his pokemon and he did have a brain to back up his bragging. Damien had neither brain nor care for pokemon.

"Didn't you have a Charmander?" One guy asked Damien and Ash froze as he looked slowly at his siblings. They had ran into the Charmander sitting on a tree stump earlier, waiting for his trainer... Ash had noted it looked a bit scrawny but he thought it was just because he was used to Uncle Lance and Leons very much jacked Charizards.

Don't tell him...

"That stupid thing? It couldn't win a single battle so I told it to sit on the stump and wait for me. Dumb thing is probably still there waiting in the rain!" Damien laughed and that...

Ash barely felt Brock remove his arms and wipe his hands of the mater, Ash's vision tinted blue like when he was learning aura tricks from Knuckles.

CRUNCH!!!

Ash slammed his fist into Damien's face and the force of it broke his jaw and some teeth with an audible noise, hai fist had a faint blue glow around it.

Damien was knocked clear over the table and into the next one as his friend yelped and scrambled.

"You abandoned your pokemon. You abused it... You left it out in the rain to die. You filthy-"

'Brother!' Shade barked sharply and got his attention.

'Deal with him later! For now Charmander needs us!' Shade barked and Ash stared for a second before nodding sharply. He eyed the disgusted and angry older trainers who had been at the table Damien had landed on.

"Keep him here until we get back and Officer Jenny arrives." Ash said and it wasn't a request. It was an order. Not that they would have said no if it was a request. Not only were they furious and disgusted but also a bit terrified of the ten year old with the glowing blue eyes.

"If Charmander dies. I make no promises on you surviving." Ash told Damien coldly and then he turned on his heel and stormed to the door.

"Misty call our Uncle and let him know. He'll be very interested to find out about someone abusing their starter and leaving him to die. He'll probably investigate how Damien even got a pokemon since him spending a year in juvie should have disqualified him from being approved for a license." Ash said and then he slipped out the door and took off running as fast as he could.

He had to save that Charmander! He didn't know what the hell had gotten into people this year, abandoning their starters, but he wasn't going to let that Charmander die!

Shade bounded ahead of him easily to get back to that tree stump and try and shield Charmander as best as she could.

When Ash got there Shade was using some of her powers to try and create a dome of dark energy to shield Charmander, but it was an experimental technique it seemed or at least one she didn't use a lot with how it was flickering. But it did give some protection from the rain.

"Shade clear the way forward, make sure there's no nasty surprises! Come on Lil buddy. Let's get you safe." Ash murmured softly to the lil Charmander that wiggled weakly against it as Ash scooped him up and covered him with his jacket.

Brock and Misty were waiting outside the Center for him and had the door opened in a flash so that Ash slid in and came to stop beside the counter as he handed Charmander off to Nurse Joy who immediately whisked him away.

"You know...somehow I didn't think your uncle was the fucking champion." Brock hissed to them as the other trainers watched Officer Jenny go through and seize all of Damien's pokemon and pokeballs, which how had he carried nearly forty?! There's no way he had a professors exemptions or permission for that.

"Wait till you meet the rest of the family. Please don't flirt with our aunts or moms." Ash said and his hands were shaking now as the blue faded and he reached for his Xtransiever. Speaking of his moms...

He..he needed to call them and get advice because what was he supposed to do?!?

Chapter Text

"Hello?" Cynthia answered her phone just as she was getting out of a meeting, smiling since it was her personal phone that rang.

"Hey Mom? How do I help an abused and abandoned pokemon?" Ash, her feral little boy, asked and his voice was a bit warm with her but she could hear the hints of anger still in it.

Cynthias spine straightened painfully and she stopped mid step for a second.

"...Sweetie. Where did you find this abused pokemon and do I need to come help you hide the body for the trainer?" Cynthia asked and there was a choked noise behind her. Bertha looked alarmed and now a bit angry, her eyes glinting darkly as soon as she heard the word Abused. Glancing over her shoulder Cynthia saw Fantina staring at her in alarm as well.

"Don't worry about the body, Shade kept me from committing murder. And this complete asshole openly talked about how he abused his Charmander and left it to die in a storm. We got the Charmander out of the storm and to the Pokemon Center and he wants to come with me on my journey. So how do I help him?" Ash asked and Cynthia took several deep breaths. She didn't...have experience with abused pokemon. Her Garchomp had hatched from an egg and the rest of her pokemon had been caught wild aside from her Togekiss who had also been hatched from an egg in her care.

"I'm not sure how to help with the abused part, that's a question for your Maman, but abandoned...don't be surprised if the Charmander wants to prove himself to be strong or useful to you and wants to stay close to you. You know Cackles, he was abandoned when I found him, and it took months to get him to understand that no matter what I'd never abandon him. Sometimes he still has moments where he slips up and does anything he can think of to prove he's worth it. But you have to be patient. Patient and kind and don't spoil him rotten but absolutely give him affection and care. Like you do for Bulbasaur but you can't be as loud as you are around him. And I know you're half feral sweetie but you can't bite him like you do Shade to show affection, he'd think it's an attack or punishment." Cynthia said and as she spoke she was texting the directions to Brock and Misty's Xtransievers so they'd know things to keep an eye out for as well.

"Also make sure he eats enough but doesn't over eat. If he was abused and abandoned he was probably starved too so his stomach would be smaller than average and might not be able to handle heavy or solid foods yet depending on how bad it is. So keep that in mind, and make sure he doesn't overwork at all especially while still healing from the damage done to him." Cynthia added that thinking a bit about it and making Ash give a noise of affirmation, it seemed like he was writing it all down.

"Now...where is this pokemon abuser? And have you told Lance and Leon about them yet because you know how those two get when it involves the Charmander line." Considering multiple times she's had to stop them from getting a Charmander for her son and the two had talked up Charmanders greatly the closer it got time for Ash to pick his starter...

She wondered if it'd make news whatever they did.

"Misty called Uncle Lance and told him. The trainer was Damien, and he's been arrested...and I may have broken his jaw and knocked out some teeth before Shade stopped me." Ash said and she knew her little boy was grinning slightly at that, not the least bit ashamed or sheepish. Cynthia huffed a laugh. She vaguely remembered Damien, Delia told her that he had attacked another kid in Pallet Town and had been sent to Juvie for a year. Of course Ash had knocked his teeth out.

"That's my boy, I'm surprised your sister didn't taze him."

"She was going to but Brock stopped us at first and then I got to him the second Brock let us go." Ash said proudly and there was muffled talking on the other end of the line that sounded like Brock saying something about charges.

"Sounds about right. And if you get into any legal trouble for that let me or your Maman know and we'll send our lawyers over to help you out." Cynthia assured her son who gave a tiny cheer at that and she smiled slightly. Her excitable little boy. Cynthia almost felt bad for her put upon and probably exasperated eldest.

"Make sure he knows not to make sudden fast movements towards the Charmander or make sudden loud noises. Not until Charmander is more comfortable around them." Bertha advised and Cynthia nodded to her and relayed that to her son. She snorted a bit.

"He says thanks and hi. Shade apparently says hi as well." Cynthia said amused and Bertha smiled softly and chuckled.

"Tell the kids I said hi back and if they need any further help that you or Dia can't provide then to call me." Bertha said and Cynthia relayed that to her kids who all clamored to say hi in return. Checking her phone Bertha snorted.

Misty had just texted her a hi and a smiley face.

Fantina made a strangled noise behind them as she stared at Cynthia in confusion and disbelief.

"You have kids?!" Fantina asked in strangled disbelief as she eyed Cynthias figure. Cynthia pulled out her wallet and held up some pictures in it, showing her kids. All of them from Ash, Shade and Misty to Brock and the little ones.

"If you need anything else sweetie then feel free to call me or Bertha. But since Charmander is part dragon type you definitely should call your Maman about that. Growly is a dragon type and was abused too before she found him and took him in." Cynthia advised and she was already texting Diantha to expect the call. Diantha didn't respond and the message showed as not being read. She usually responded immediately if she wasn't busy which meant right now she was busy.

"I'll text her to call me when she gets a break. But imma go hang out with Charmander a while and get to know him better until she calls me or he's discharged." Ash said and she heard tapping, he was texting Diantha as well now and Cynthia smiled slightly. Her son respected their schedules so well...he had probably thought she was at a dig or research site today and it was sheer luck he hadn't called during the meeting.

"Alright sweetie. I'll talk to you later. Give Shade, the little mermaid and little boulder hugs and love from me. Love you!" Cynthia smiled softly, she would have called Rock something like lil groomer or breeder but neither of those sounded good at all. So little boulder it was.

"Will do mom! Love you too! Shade says love you!" Ash said and then he hung up and Cynthia whirled to look at Bertha.

"We're double checking everyone the professors give starters too. And see if Agatha can investigate Oak if Lance isn't already. There is no reason a kid with a Juvie record should have been given a license and pokemon." Cynthia said and her voice was dark and firm, Bertha had already pulled out her phone and dialed Agathas number before Cynthia finished talking.

"What the fuck." Fantina got two surprised looks from them at that. They don't think they've ever heard the ghost type specialist cuss before.

"Since when did you have kids?!" Fantina asked and her accent was thick in disbelief and confusion.

"Ash was born ten years ago, Shade came with him. We adopted the rest a few weeks ago." Cynthia said and she beamed as she realized she got to brag about her babies.

"Good luck." Bertha said amused before turning her attention to her phone as Agatha answered. Cynthia was beside Fantina now and pointing out each of the kids in the pictures.

Fantina would be stuck there for at least two hours as Cynthia happily talked and bragged about each of her kids until Bertha finally dragged her away to do paperwork.

Fantina had absolutely no idea what to think or how to respond to any of this. She was still trying to process the fact that her champion had kids. Fourteen of them apparently.

Chapter Text

Olympia swore as she teleported to the Battle Chateau with Meowstic. It's where the champions were having their yearly meeting to discuss any large scale projects or trainers that were on a watchlist for one reason or another.

It was where Diantha and the other main region champions were currently in a meeting. And there were several alarmed looks at her bursting open the doors and running for the conference room.

"Olympia?" Drasna was there and Olympia whipped around to stare at her wide eyed and panicked.

"Had a vision. The kids!" Olympia got out and Drasna face went stone cold in an instant.

"With me." She snapped sharply and she turned and ran towards the conference room, Olympia hot on her heels.

"Move or I will move you this is an emergency." Drasna called to the guards that were there to keep press, any overexcited fans, and possible challengers or assassins out of the room. Then again everyone in the Chateau today knew that the champions weren't to be bothered unless it was an emergency. So a few of them had stepped up to keep challengers and fans away as well.

"Ms. Drasna you cant-" a new guard, poor boy looked to be barely twenty, began and moved forward to grab her. The older guard had hurriedly opened the door and tried to stop his partner.

Nobody stopped Drasna when she was like this.

All the champions and chairmen looked up surprised when the door opened and then several stood alarmed when one guard came flying through the door and into the table. Having been flung there by Drasna who stormed into the room behind the poor guard, Olympia was half a second behind her.

"Drasna? Olympi-" Diantha began alarmed and confused as she stared at the two but Olympia talked right over her.

"Had a vision! Please for the love of Kalos tell me the kids aren't on a boat called the S.S. Anne." Olympia demanded and Cynthia was standing alarmed as well now at the first mention of the kids.

"Fuck." Diantha swore and Olympia swore louder.

"Get them off that boat! It's going to be attacked and sink!" Olympia said and Cynthia was already calling Ash while Diantha scrambled to grab her personal cell and called Misty. Lance was dialing up Lorelei to get a water rescue ready.

"Mom? What's up?" Ash answered his Xtransiever but Misty wasn't answering hers as the chairmen looked at the two champions confused and alarmed.

"Ash! Ash sweetie listen to me. Grab your siblings and get off that boat. I don't care how. I don't care what you have to say or do but get off that boat!" Cynthia said hurriedly and Ash to his credit wasted no time.

"Alright I'll grab Misty and Brock. Brocks over at the grooming stall and Misty was at the pool on deck. Shade! Go get Misty!" Ash said and he was moving towards Brock.

"Why aren't they answering my calls?" Diantha demanded and she had stepped up beside Cynthia to try and listen to her son as well.

"They put their phones in my bag so no one could steal them. There's a few people on the boat with a Frisk ability." Ash said and he was grunting a bit as he made his way through the crowd.

"Brock! Mom and Maman are calling! We gotta go!" Ash called and Brock turned and came wading through the throng of people towards him just as Misty and Shade came in from outside, Misty's hair still dripping and she barely managed to get a tank top thrown on over her bathing suit.

"Wha-" both of the worried moms heard a loud crash noise and sudden shouts and screams.

"Ash! Ash turn on the GPS function! Hit the emergency button!" Diantha yelled through Cynthia's phone to their son.

"Mom! Maman! Team Rocket is-hey ow stop shoving me!" Ash was barely able to tell you his moms over the phone as he was being pushed and shoved by panicked passengers.

"Shade! Misty! Get over here!" Brock was yelling and waving for them and there was yelling and shouts and fighting heard and...

"Ash! Hit the button! Hit your emergency button!" Cynthia yelled and Ash made a noise and then.

"Shit! Fuck! Holy fucking Arceus's left tit! There's water...the boats sinking!" Ash could be heard yelling and Diantha would absolutely be blaming Cynthia for the curse words later but for now...

"Ash hit the button! Rescue crews will be there soon! Princess and I can teleport to you!" Diantha was saying and Ash was struggling to get away from the crowd.

"Shade! Dreepy! Get in your balls! Pikachu you too!" Ash ordered and there was a struggling sound and then finally a large breath of air.

"Ash! Hit the emergency button!" Cynthia yelled again and Ash made a noise. Then he hit the button and the phones of half the champions began to beep alarmed with a pair of coordinates attached.

"Lorelei! Get them to these coordinates!" Lance then read the coordinates off of Alders phone while Diantha was calling out her Ace.

"Princess! We need to get to the kids! Fast!" Diantha said and her long time partner nodded once sharply and then paused as she stared at the coordinates.

"Shit...Diantha that's the middle of the ocean! You and Princess have never been there, she can't teleport there!" Alder cursed when he saw the coordinates and put them on a map.

The amount of swear words Diantha let out at hearing that earned wide eyes from everyone but Drasna and Cynthia. The chairman of Kalos was looking both horrified and shocked as he gaped at her.

"Mom the waters rising fast!" Ash called through the phone and Cynthia gripped her phone tight.

"Ash Ash baby listen to me. Get to the top of the boat. Get to a life raft. Your aunt Lorelei will be there soon...you all just need to hold out until she gets there." Cynthia tried to stay calm and reassuring but she was on the verge of a panic attack as she stared wide eyed and desperate at everyone else.

"Get me to the closest harbor or town and I can go get them!" Wallace said and Lance was planning how to fly there in his Dragonite to get the kids.

"Closest town is Vermillion and there's a few deserted islands nearby but I don't have a psychic type!" Lance snapped out.

"I've never been to Vermillion! Until recently I've only ever been to Pallet Town when in Kanto!" Diantha snapped back at him and she was ready to pull her hair out as she rounded on Olympia.

"Mom! The water is...it's too high!" Ash called through the phone and Cynthia was panicked.

"No no no don't say that sweetheart. Please don't. Just hang on a little longer. Get as high up as you can!" Cynthia nearly begged and Ash...she heard him swallow thickly.

"I'll...stay on the line as long as i- uck- can mom. I've put the pokeballs in my bag Maman got me so they stay dry and don't glitch. Mom...I love you. I love you and Mama and Maman...and I'm sorry." Ash said quietly, softly, and it sounded solemn.

"No no no no don't say that baby. Please. We love you too. You and your siblings. Lorelei will be there soon. Please. Don't talk like this." Cynthia could feel her breath coming in short gasps and there were tears in her eyes as Geeta approached and tried to calm her down a bit, hoping she didn't pass out.

"Brock and Misty and Shade say they love you too. You and Mama and Maman... we'll try to hold on but...the waters almost...were running out of ai-"

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The dial tone was like gunshots in Cynthia's ears and the emergency beacon stopped transmitting and...her phone slipped from her numb hand as her tears slid free down her cheeks.

"No no no no no no no no no!" Cynthia was hyperventilating now as she sunk to her knees. Please no. Not her kids. Please not her kids.

"Olympia! You've seen his future before! You've seen him do all sorts of things he hasn't done yet! That means they'll be fine right?! Your previous visions mean he'll be fine!" Diantha demanded from her gym leader, her eyes crazed and desperate.

"...I wish I could give you the answer you wish for." Olympia said slowly and quietly. She couldn't lie about this...

"But your previous visions!"

"...The future is ever changing my champion. Always shifting and turning and becoming something new...I did not foresee this until just before I came here." Olympias voice was solemn and her eyes sad.

"But you saw him! You saw him in all those adventures in the future and and and..." Diantha was demanding an answer. Please just tell her her kids would be okay.

"I am sorry. I have been trying to have a vision since you called him...his future is...it is either hidden from me or unable to be seen." Olympia wished she could lie to her champion and tell her what she wanted to hear.

"But you see everyone's future!"

"I cannot see it...if it is not there. I am sorry."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN ITS NOT THERE!!" Diantha grabbed Olympia's collar in her fists and nearly slammed the older woman into a wall.

Drasna and Leon hurriedly grabbed her to haul her off of the psychic.

"YOU CANT...MY KIDS... YOU'RE SAYING THEY..." Diantha was in a rage and hysterical as Drasna and Leon pulled her away while Cynthia was holding her head in her hands and hyperventilating. Their kids. Their kids...

"Diantha...I cannot tell you what I do not know." Olympia looked so sad and understanding and sympathetic and all Diantha wanted to do was break something. How dare she say that?! When her previous visions gave Diantha so much reassurance that her kids would be okay!

"D...Di...Dia..." Cynthia gasped out and Dianthas head snapped to her wife who was staring at her with wide glassy eyes and tears streaming down her cheeks. Diantha broke free of Leon's grip and lunged forward to wrap her arms around Cynthia, feeling her eyes stinging no matter how much she was trying to blink them back.

"Our kids...our kids Dia...Misty, Brock, Shade, Ash..." Cynthia gasped out and Diantha choked on her own grief and fear and Cynthia broke down sobbing into Dianthas shoulder.

Diantha...Diantha blinked rapidly to hold back her own tears even though they still fell. She breathed deeply once, twice...three times before closing her eyes and opening them again. Forcing all of her own emotions down and calling upon her actress training.

She....she could break down later...

She could...

Cynthia was breaking down right now. She needed to be strong right now.

Diantha could break down later. Right now Cynthia needed her to be strong and they had to call Delia and Daisy and Violet and Lily and Flint and the kids.

Diantha...Diantha could break down later. She...right now she had to be the strong one. It's what Cynthia needed. What her family needed.

She didn't have the option to break down right now.

Chapter Text

"...Did they just say they have kids?" Chairman Rose whispered to Chairman Lyam who was staring at Diantha wide eyed before his eyes narrowed.

"Diantha. Get off of the floor and explain yourself." Lyam ordered and the dark glare she shot him would have made even Giratina tremble in fear.

"Fuck. Off." Diantha growled at him, literally growled, as she tightened her grip on the sobbing Cynthia. Geeta and Wallace were kneeling down beside them trying to help comfort the two but largely feeling useless.

Lance had hung up with Lorelei and was calling Will to try and use his powers to find the kids or find where the boat was and get rescue teams out there faster. Alder was standing awkwardly by the table but his eyes were focused on the two mothers. Steven and his dad were staring down Chairman Lyam. Drasna was checking on Olympia who was assuring her she was okay.

"Diantha Carnet! You do not speak to me like that and-"

"FUCK OFF!" Diantha snarled at him and if Cynthia wasn't in her arms she'd have lunged for the older man's throat.

"DIANTHA CAR-"

"MY KIDS MIGHT BE DEAD! MY KIDS MIGHT BE DEAD AND MY WIFE IS BREAKING DOWN AND I STILL HAVE TO CALL MY OTHER WIFE AND OUR OTHER KIDS! I DON'T NEED YOUR BULLSHIT RIGHT NOW!" Diantha screamed at him and he recoiled and everyone could see the glint in her eyes. The almost crazed light that said she was less than a centimeter from snapping.

If she snapped she would likely be arrested for murder.

There was a faint purple blue glow to her eyes now and she was so so close to lunging for his throat with her fucking teeth.

Drasna was immediately beside her pulling her into a hug and trying to whisper soft words to calm her down as Cynthia held her tightly.

"You need to leave." Geeta was glaring him down as she stood, leaving the other two female champions to Wallace and Drasna as she approached Lyam.

"I will not leave until I have answers from my daughter!" Lyam sneered at Geeta who's face was a cold mask of fury and ice. A rather terrifying look from the normally spaced out woman. Even Rose was stepping away from Lyam at the sight of that look.

"I'm not your fucking daughter. I haven't been since I ran away to become a trainer and avoid a forced marriage. If I'm anyone's daughter I'm Drasnas. Now get out." Dianthas voice was cold and tired and filled with grief as she leaned into Drasna, pulling Cynthia closer to her.

"Diantha Carnet you wi-"

"My name is Diantha Ketchum-Shirona there is no Diantha Carnet. Fuck. Off. Fuck off and leave me alone. I need...I need to focus right now. I need to focus on not breaking down and hoping against the odds that four of my kids are alive." Dianthas voice cracked at the end and she had to blink rapidly to hold back tears again.

She had to keep it together. Focus. Focus. Just like when she was filming. Keep the act going. Keep it together.

Her phone was ringing. Her personal one. It was...

"Delia..." Diantha murmured with a choked up voice and she felt how Cynthia stiffened in her arms as Geeta was manhandling Lyam out the door and towards the worried trainers of the chateau who'd see him out.

Cynthias and Drasnas phones were ringing too.

Fuck. Of course the family got the emergency signal. And then noticed it stopped transmitting. Of course they'd call to see what happened and make sure the kids were okay. To see who got the kids...

"Delia..." Diantha answered her phone while Drasna was talking in low voices with Bertha.

"Dia? I saw Ash had pushed his emergency signal. I didn't see anything from Brock or Misty though...do you know what happened? He wouldn't hit it on accident or as a prank." Delia asked and Diantha had to blink and breath deeply and focus.

Focus. Focus. Keep it together. Her family needed her. She couldn't break down right now. She couldn't...

"Delia...he...Ash was on the S.S. Anne...I don't know if the news has..." Diantha was cut off by a gasp from her wife.

"But! The news...the news said the S.S. Anne was attacked and was sinking! Do they know where the lifeboats will be going? I can go get the kids from wherever they land." Delia asked worried and yet optimistic and Diantha was...she...she had to breath for a moment. She couldn't...why was it getting so hard to breath?

"Delia...the kids....they...they were still on the boat...they couldn't. They couldn't get to a lifeboat in time." Diantha wished she could put more emotion into her voice but if she did she might choke. It felt like her head was full of cotton and yet empty of all but fuzz at the same time. There was a static...

Where was the static coming from? Was there a ringing in her ears or was that just Cynthias phone?

"I...what do you...they can't be on the boat! The boat is sinking!" Delia said and she sounded panicked and Diantha wished she could hold her. Wished she had her arms around both of her wives and could be strong for both of them right now...wished she didn't have to be strong for them right now. Why? Why? Why? Why her babies?

"Delia..." By Xerneas she wished her voice had some hint of the emotions she was really feeling in it. But she just...her voice sounded empty even to her own clogged ears. Why was the room getting dark? Where was that static ringing coming from?

Why couldn't she breath? Why?...

"Diantha!" The rest of the room was alarmed when the actress hit the floor hard out cold.

"No no no no please no. I can't...please Dia..." Cynthia begged as she checked on her wife and she nearly sagged in relief when she felt her pulse. Olympia and Princess were there by her sides and both of them glowed a bit.

"She was...how did she have a panic attack and hyperventilate to unconsciousness without us noticing?" Olympia seemed very concerned about that and the room relaxed a bit but no one seemed happy or relieved.

"Diantha! Diantha!" Delia was calling through the phone panicked and Cynthia snatched it up.

"Delia...Diantha had a panic attack and passed out. I need to get her to a hospital to be checked out, rescue teams are going to grab the life boats and scour the oceans. Lance...he called Lorelei. She'll find the kids...they...they're smart and resourceful and Ash is so so stubborn, he gets that from Diantha, and they... they'll be okay. They have to be okay." Cynthia spoke quickly to her other wife, her voice just a tad bit frantic and desperate.

"They will. They will. They have to be..." Delia repeated and she was breathing hard and fast and Cynthia whispered a quick I love you to her before she gathered Diantha in her arms to get her to the hospital.

"Call Agatha, send her to Delia before she passes out too. And where...where's my phone? I need to call Grandma and Cyllene. Cyllene is a ranger, she's got experience with deep sea diving." Cynthia had to get it together and hold herself together for now. One wife was already passed out from a panic attack, her other wife might not be far behind, and the rest of the family still needed to be told what happened.

She...fuck she had to pull herself together and hold it together for a little while...

Princess teleported Cynthia and Diantha to the champion wing of the Kalos hospital, the other champions left standing there feeling either really useless not knowing how to help, or really worried.

Most were a mix of both.

Chapter Text

"Come on Kid. It's alright we've got you." Jessie was saying and she had an arm around Ash and another around Misty. James was helping Brock while Meowth was clinging to his head.

"Look. There's an island not too far away. We're almost there." Jessie said and Misty coughed a bit more before she regained enough of her senses to cling to her Starmie on her own.

"Why....why are you helping us?" Brock asked as he held tightly to James and Staryu. He was not the best swimmer, in fact he usually tended to sink...which was why Misty called him Stone.

"We're in team rocket for the freedom and cause we couldn't find anything else. We only want to steal pokemon or make money to live off of. We aren't in it to hurt anyone, especially not kids." Jessie said and Ash groaned a bit weakly as he came back around. The sudden departure from the underwater done, finding those stones Uncle Steven talked about, being chased by Sharpedos...not to mention any damage from when the ship crashed into the seabed with them inside...

It was all a bit much for the ten year old. He knew traveling and training to become a pokemon trainer much less master would be dangerous...but somehow he didn't think this kind of danger was normal.

He really hoped this wasn't a sign of the rest of his journey, because if so his moms would be grey before he got to Sinnoh...or had heart attacks...or wrapped him in a psychic enforced bubble wrap. His money was on the last one happening first.

"Come on Twerp. Kick your feet a bit." Jessie coached gently and Ash began to kick his feet a bit.

"There we go that's it. We're not too far now." Jessie encouraged and she eyeballed the distance between them and the shore.

"Can we have some help getting to shore?" Ash didn't know what the words he said sounded like but there was a surprised noise from Jessie and then suddenly there was a pokemon there.

"What the distortion?" Jessie yelped and Ash was coherent enough to realize that there were Tentacles around him and Jessie now. Judging by the noises from Brock and James they were wrapped too. From the noise Misty let out she was grabbed too.

"Tentacruel?" James yelped alarmed and suddenly they were moving. Faster but softly towards the shore. As if the pokemon wanted them to get there as fast as possible but also as safe.

"I know some wild pokemon tend to help humans especially children...but...they only did so after..." Jessie trailed off and she was staring at Ash now as his eyes glowed blue and his head was throbbing.

"Thank you." Ash said gratefully to the Tentacruel as they gently deposited the group onto the shore in the tide. A tiny Tentacool nudged him and cooed affectionately before swimming back out into the deeper waters with the others.

"Kid what the fuck?" Jessie asked in disbelief and surprise and Meowth was a lot happier now that he was on dry ground.

"Ash has an ability to understand Pokemon, this is the first time I've heard him speak Pokemon though..." Misty was the best adjusted of the kids, probably because she was a swimmer and sometimes took part in river and ocean rescues with her sisters.

"Geez kid you're full of surprises." James said huffing amused as he and Brock collapsed on the shore after getting out of the tide.

"Should have seen him at the lighthouse trying to talk to the giant Dragonite." Brock huffed out a laugh at that and Misty snorted as she helped Jessie get Ash onto the sand.

"Whatever it was it took a lot out of him. Carrying that bag around didn't help." Jessie noted and Misty gently lowered Ash to the sand and then immediately dug around the bag.

"Thank Arceus Maman got you an air sealed waterproof bag. And that we left our Xtransievers in your bag." Misty said as she dug out first Ash's pokeballs, causing Shade and Pikachu to immediately pop out. Pikachu eyed the Rockets but scampered over to Ash's lap and purred up at him. Shade also eyed the Rockets but she made quick checks on the other two before planting herself at her brothers side and nudging him affectionately.

"Get him to a hospital. He was holding his breath a bit too long for my liking and there's no telling what all this shit did to him. He might have hit his head during the explosion or stampede." Jessie said shaking her head as she ran a hand through Ash's hair and then glanced at the other two, eyeing them for wounds.

"Misty. No offense to you or your family gym...but I really hate water right now." Brock managed to get out and the poor boy looked as if he would collapse and pass out.

"There's a reason I call you Stone." Misty said idly from where she was digging past everything that had gotten knocked loose or around in the bag.

"Emergency button. I want our moms." Ash said and one of his hands had come up to grasp Shades fur and the other was curled around Pikachu.

"Ash...I don't speak Pokemon." Misty gently reminded and Meowth let out a noise.

"He said Emergency button. He wants yer mams." Meowth translated and Misty nodded.

"Thanks Meowth. And I know Ashy. I know. I'm working on finding it. Everything got mixed up." Misty said and she rummaged a bit more before she made a noise. Straightening up she held her Xtransiever and hit the emergency button to broadcast their GPS location. Immediately she heard Brocks phone beeping to show he got the message and in less than a minute she was getting a call.

"Hi Aunt Lorelei...yes...we probably need a checkup but we're mostly okay...okay...yeah we'll wait here. We had help from the TRio. No they weren't part of it...yeah they helped...Brock isn't going swimming anytime soon, I definitely never want to get on a cruise again, and Ash is out of it. He's only spoken in Pokemon and I don't know what kind of injuries or damages he has...yeah...okay ...yeah we'll be here. I need to call our moms... Thanks auntie." Misty said relieved and then she hung up on the Elite Four member. Her phone was immediately ringing again.

Mom.

Brocks phone was ringing too and she tossed it to him.

"We'll wait here until we can see them." Jessie said from where she was checking Ash's head gently.

"Hi mom...yes yes...we need a checkup at the least but we're all alive and mostly okay. Yeah no. No more cruises. Okay...yeah Aunt Lorelei is on the way. Either one of us or her will tell you where we go for the check up. I have no clue where we are now. Yes please. Hugs and cuddles from our moms sound wonderful. Ash's phone? Probably got destroyed in the explosion or stampede...or just fried when we went under....yeah sure. Ash it's mom." Misty said and it sounded like Brock was talking to Mama and some of his baby siblings as she put her phone by Ash.

"Mom?" Ash mumbled and there was a noise over the line.

"Baby. Baby I love and adore you but can you speak human for me? I can't talk pokemon like you can remember?" Mom asked and Ash blinked slowly. Human? He thought he was speaking human?

"You know four and a half human languages baby. One of which is nearly a dead language. Can you speak one of them for me?" Mom asked gently and Ash focused as much as his fuzzy mind would let him.

"Like this?" Ash asked and he switched between two languages there but that was fine.

"Yes just like that baby. Listen we're on our way. And your Aunt Lorelei is coming to get you. Can you do me a favor and stay awake until you go to the doctor?" Mom asked so softly and worriedly and Ash made a noise. He wanted to sleep. His head hurt and felt fuzzy and his eyes felt heavy and burning...

"You have to stay awake baby." Mom said sternly and Ash made another noise but he nodded slightly.

"Stay awake for us. Just a while longer. And then when we get there your mama and Maman and I are going to grab you and your siblings into the tightest hugs and then I'm chaining you to me. Because you are not leaving my side for a month at the least. We were so scared when we lost contact baby. You can't scare us like that." Mom scolded softly and Ash grumbled.

"Not like I asked those Rockets to attack the fucking cruise ship." Ash grumbled and he couldn't seem to stay in one language.

"Oh he absolutely has a head wound of some kind and a possible concussion. Can't focus enough to stick with a language...and who taught him to cuss?" Jessie asked glancing at the other two kids who shot her weakly amused smiles.

"Mom." They both answered immediately.

Jessie just rolled her eyes but smiled while James snorted.

"We're going to get there as fast as possible and Giratina better help anyone who gets in our way because Arceus won't stop us." Cynthia promised solemnly and Ash whined slightly in agreement.

He wanted his moms. He wanted them to hug him and kiss his head and he wanted to curl up with them.

He wanted his moms.