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Time slowly passed, and the sky outside had already darkened, making the Ilex forest—where there hadn't been much light to begin with—even gloomier. The surroundings were silent, with only the occasional hoot from deep within the forest breaking the stillness.
Inside the hollow tree where Liam was now resting, the Light Ball he had given Delia earlier had been taken out by her and placed high up in the tree hollow, its faint yellow glow illuminating the space.
At that moment, after carefully tending to Ash and Greninja all afternoon, both Liam and Delia finally saw that their injuries had stabilized.
They both breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against each other to rest. But just as Delia was about to close her eyes, Greninja—who had been lying on the ground—suddenly opened its eyes. It leapt up, its pink pupils coldly fixed on Liam and Delia, its gaze full of suspicion.
"Ah! You're awake, little one! How are your injuries? Don't push yourself too hard!"
Delia, startled awake by Greninja's cry, quickly opened her eyes. Seeing the wary look in Greninja's eyes, she broke into a warm smile and greeted the Pokémon she had been caring for all afternoon.
"Tch, as expected of a Pokémon. Their physical resilience really is far superior to humans. Even though it was more badly injured, it's the first one to wake up…"
Liam muttered in amazement, watching Greninja, who seemed to be in much better condition than expected.
"Ninja!"
Greninja coldly eyed the two strangers before glancing toward its trainer, Ash, who still lay unconscious on the ground. Its expression shifted to one of worry as it cautiously moved to Ash's side and shook him urgently.
Seeing this, Liam frowned.
"Greninja, Ash's condition hasn't fully recovered yet. You should be gentler…"
The words slipped out in Liam's haste, and the instant they left his mouth, he knew he had revealed too much…
Sure enough, upon hearing him, Greninja grew even more alert. Its eyes sharpened, and a low growl rumbled from its throat.
Beside Liam, Delia also shot him a strange look, one that clearly demanded an explanation.
"Uh… this guy has a device on him that records his identity. I… accidentally saw it."
Liam turned his head, sweating, and tried to explain.
"Hm? Really? When did you see that? How did I not notice?"
Delia's voice carried obvious suspicion. Tilting her head, she pouted and stared at Liam.
Liam: "…"
Just then, when Liam was at his most awkward, the unconscious Ash suddenly opened his eyes, sat bolt upright, and shouted loudly—
"Serena!!"
Liam: "…"
Delia: "…Oh~ a girl's name~"
Greninja: "…Ninja.."
…
Ash had clearly not regained full consciousness. The shout seemed to pull at his unhealed injuries, and he let out a pained groan before collapsing back to the ground.
"Aiya! Your injuries haven't healed yet. Don't get so worked up! If your wounds worsen, we'll have to go through all that trouble again!"
Delia scolded him, seeing his pained expression.
"Uh… Huh?!!"
Only then did Ash notice the two people beside him. He turned his head, and when his gaze fell on Delia, his face instantly froze in shock. His mouth fell open as he blurted out—
"Mom? Mom! Why are you here?!"
The tree hollow went dead silent.
Cold sweat beaded on Liam's forehead as he glanced at Delia, who sat beside him, head lowered, dark lines on her face. He shuffled backward instinctively… and then—
"You idiot! Who are you calling 'Mom'?! To say such a thing to an unmarried young girl! That's way too rude!"
Bang!!
"Ah! Ow ow ow ow!! Moomm! Stop, I'm still injured!!"
"You still dare to call me that?! Go, Wartortle! Use Headbutt!!"
"AAHHH!!"
Having already retreated to the tree hollow entrance, Liam simply smiled at the "harmonious" scene before him. He turned to look through the leaves at the faint moonlight outside and sighed inwardly—
"What a beautiful world…"
Greninja: "Ninja… (So scary…)"
…
"Sorry! I've caused you so much trouble!"
Later, Ash knelt seiza-style beside Greninja, his head swollen with lumps, and bowed apologetically to Liam and the still-fuming Delia.
"Hmph!"
Delia snorted and turned her head away.
Seeing this, Liam awkwardly spoke up.
"No need to be so formal. As long as you're fine, that's what matters."
Ash raised his head, staring at Liam in puzzlement. He then glanced at Delia, his confusion deepening.
"What are you staring at! Want another beating? Hurry up and explain who you are and why you're here, especially in such bad shape!"
Delia spun back toward him, fists raised, glaring fiercely.
"Uh! Ah… My name is Ash, from Pallet Town… As for how I ended up here, I'm not really sure myself. Please forgive me."
Perhaps out of old habit—or maybe because Delia had already scared him straight—Ash obediently gave a rough explanation of his origins.
"Huh? What nonsense are you spouting! Pallet Town? Impossible! I'm from Pallet Town, and I know every family in the village. I've never heard of you! If you don't want to talk, fine, but why bother lying to us?!"
Hearing this only reignited Delia's temper. Her fists tightened, ready to strike again.
"Delia, calm down… You were never this violent before…"
Liam quickly grabbed her, speaking helplessly.
"Uh… You're right. Why am I acting like this? I just keep feeling like I want to punch this guy…"
Delia herself looked confused.
"Hm? Delia… So it really is Mom? Looks like Celebi really did bring me through time, back to when Mom was young… But who's this guy next to her? Why is he so close to her…?"
After hearing Liam call her by name, Ash was now more certain than ever that this young woman was his mother. But the presence of Liam at her side left him utterly baffled.
"Hello, Ash, was it? Can we talk? Just the two of us. Let's step outside."
After calming Delia, Liam turned toward the thoughtful Ash, smiling faintly as he stood and walked to the tree hollow entrance.
"Uh? Oh! Alright…"
Ash hesitated for a moment, then nodded quickly. With Greninja supporting him, he followed Liam outside.
"Hmph! All mysterious like that… They must be hiding something from me! Hmph…"
Delia muttered indignantly, puffing her cheeks as she watched the two leave the tree hollow.