Delia squeezed her eyes shut with ferocity. Clenching her fists into hard balls so that her knuckles gleamed white. She knit her brow in concentration to keep from exploding at the young girl that had told her that her son was her boyfriend. She had missed the conversation that had gone on moments before returning from the bathroom; if she had heard it then maybe her speculation that her son was the unwilling slave of Misty would of changed.

“Would you like some tea, dearie?” Delia asked coolly with the heated kettle held up in front of Misty’s face. For a moment, it seemed that she might throw the scalding drink on Misty, but then she put it down abruptly when Misty shook her head in the negative.

“How long have you and my son been… dating?” Delia didn’t want to call it dating because she could guess a few things that Misty had done to Ash and they were not the things that couples do. She knew they couldn’t have a real relationship because to Misty Ash would always be a possession and never a person. Calling him her boyfriend was like her calling a doll her fiancé.

“Not long, mom,” Ash said with a chuckle, which Misty seconded. Officially, they had only been dating for the last three minutes.

“I see.” Delia narrowed her eyes at Misty and started clenching her hands again tightly. Seeing her laugh made the mothers blood boil, she could only guess what kind of suffering she was thinking about to cause her to laughter. When she saw that pleased face, Delia wanted to wrap her fingers around that skanks throat and teach her what a Ketchum could do when angered. She might have attacked, if not for Ash being in the room. The last thing she wanted was to distance herself from her son by attacking his mock-girlfriend. Even if she was treating her son badly, Delia felt that Ash cared for her and would stick by her until she grew bored and tossed him down her throat. She would just have to play it cool until she reminded Ash of where he belonged.

“So mom, what have you been doing lately?” Ash said with interest. He hated the hostility going on between his mother and his recent-girlfriend. He wanted them to get along, the last thing he wanted to do was pick between his mother and his girl. That was a choice he never wanted to make.

“Oh a little of this, a little of that. I recently started growing tomatoes in my garden and have been looking into getting a new toaster. Things have been a little lonely around her since Mr. Mime left, but I manage, if not for Daisy I think I might of gone stir crazy waiting for Ashley to get back.” Delia added the last bit to try and make Ash guilty, reminding him that she was all alone would be the first step in keeping him here, However, much to her fascination, his eyes instead widened at the mention of Professor Oaks currently only living grandchild.

“Daisy has been around?” Ash asked. Delia noticed another critical thing when the girl was brought up; Misty went stiff. Delia put this information away for later, it could be useful in breaking up this mismatched.

“Yes, that sweet girl comes over everyday to see how I’m doing. We play cards and gossip, she’s just wonderful. The perfect kind of girl that every mother wants her son to bring home.” This time, Ash was hit by guilt. He looked down at his feet and remained silent. He wanted to challenge his mother’s statement, but couldn’t work up the nerve. Misty on the other hand had no problem talking back to Delia.

“I guess she would be a good choice of girlfriends to bring home to your mother, but only if your mothers a self-righteous loon that can’t let go.” The snapping retort made Delia grit her teeth. Her temper rose and she felt the urge to slap the disrespectful girl, but her anger was soothed not by the fact that Ash was here, but that the other Ash had hit her G-spot. While she had been speaking with Misty, the shrinkee that she had called Ash had been trying to submerge himself deep into her snatch. His actions had not gone unnoticed, a twitch of pleasure would go through Delia’s mind every time he made the smallest movement, but it wasn’t until he hit that special spot that Delia felt anything especially spectacular.

“Um, mom. Are you okay?’ Ash asked with concern. His mother had looked like she was about to blow a gasket, but then she had suddenly mellowed down.

“I’m okay.’ Delia said slowly.

DING DONG

“I’ll get it,” Misty said. She looked back at the table to see that Delia was sitting tranquilly in her chair looking off in space. If Misty didn’t know any better, she’d swear that Ash’s mother was in some kind of trance. Ignoring it for now, she answered the door.