“I’m sorry, I just can’t believe that.” Daisy shook her head slowly, Delia remained completely silent.

She didn’t agree with Daisy, she saw shrinkees as subhuman as well, but she felt Daisy was definitely the girl for her Ashley. Daisy would treat him like an equal, she’d never take advantage of him or take out her anger on him, and he’d always be close to home. If only Ash would just realize what a wonderful person Daisy Oak was she just knew he’d be willing to stay here with her…. and his mother.

“Daisy, I’ve come to accept the fact that I’m not who I used to be.”

“Ash, listen to yourself talk! You should know better than anyone that all that ‘shrinkees aren’t human’ propaganda is bogus! How can you even think that?!” Daisy scolded.

Ash lowered his head in defeat. After Daisy’s tongue lashing he felt like a little kid again. Misty looked down at her boyfriend and rubbed his back softly, she looked up at Daisy, “Look, we’ll just have to agree to disagree.”

“What? No! I’m not going to end the conversation now. Not with Ash feeling bad!”

“He only feels bad because you shouted him down like he was some unruly five year old.” Misty growled.

Daisy blushed, “I did didn’t I? Sorry Ash, its just I sometimes forget you’re all grown up.” Daisy’s face suddenly grew more serious, “But honestly, how can you think so little of yourself? The Ash Ketchum I knew wanted to be the best pokemon trainer to ever walk on Kanto soil. What happened?” Daisy demanded.

“He shrunk.”

Daisy sighed and leaned back in her chair, she shook her head, “Oh Ash, I never had you pegged as a quitter.”

Ash felt some of his old temper flare up from her comments, “I didn’t quit! I’d still be out there having pokemon battles if it wasn’t for the fact shrinkees aren’t allowed to compete! Truth is I could beat the snot out of most trainers out there!” Ash’s anger quickly subsided leaving him somewhat surprised, it had been a long time since he’d lost his temper.

Daisy smiled, “Now there’s the Ash I know. He might have shrunk but he’s still the cute hot headed little kid I baby sat for.” Daisy turned to Misty, “Sure shrinkees are weak, so what? They’re still people! If only our society wasn’t so gung ho about competition and fighting and sparring with pokemon. We put to much stock into what people are physically instead of what they are mentally and emotionally.”

Misty didn’t try to counter Daisy’s argument, she just shook her head.
Daisy couldn’t help but start to feel annoyed with the girl, “Tell me how is a shrinkee any different than say……. Someone who’s been paralyzed and has to spend their life in a wheel chair, or someone who’s in a coma. Shrinkees are still the same people, they just aren’t as capable as they used to be. They just need help from others.”

Misty finally spoke up, “No, it’s not just their size that’s reduced, they’re mentally inferior to us as well.”

“How would you know? Have you ever had a conversation with one besides ‘which sauce do you think you’d taste best with’? Come on, you’ve been with Ash ever since he shrunk. Does he seem any dumber to you?”

“Nope, no change……. But then again Ash was never that smart to begin with.” Misty grinned down at her boyfriend who pushed her comforting fingers away ending the back rub, “Mist!”

Delia scowled, her little Ashley was very intelligent! He was just too passionate and sometimes wouldn’t think things through. Who was this girl to insult him?! Delia never worked out that Misty was just being playful, her contempt for the girl who might take her baby away blinded her.

“Ash is an exception.”

“No, he isn’t.”

“All other shrinkees whine and moan. They’re little more than sniveling bugs. They’re practically made to be eaten or…… used for other things…” blood rushed to Misty’s cheeks but Daisy ignored it.

Delia however was quick to note it. What other ‘things’? Things like what Delia did behind closed doors? If so there was no way in hell she’d let Misty come within even a hundred feet of her Ashley ever again.

“Of course they’re going to moan and cry. You would too if you knew some giant was going to pluck you off the ground and torture you or eat you! What if Ash had acted like a ‘sniveling bug’? Would you have eaten him or used him for….. other things.” Daisy put some emphasis in those last two words causing Misty’s cheeks to turn redder.

“Never, even if he had changed completely I would have kept him safe.” Impulsively Misty protectively cupped her hands around Ash as if Daisy were about to take him away. She barely noticed the sauce she got on her hands.

“Hey Mist, what’s the big idea?”

“Misty, lets just pretend the whole shrinking process doesn’t affect its victim’s mind. What right do you have to eat them?”
“The fact that we’re bigger than them and big eats little?” Casey came out of the bathroom.

Misty gave a sigh of relief when she saw the girl had her clothes on. Casey sat back down at the table and the argument continued. Towards the end Misty conceded that perhaps shrinkees weren’t mentally inferior but that didn’t change the fact that they were weaker or less capable than even the most pitiful of pokemon. Casey never argued that their minds were weaker, after spending some time with her former team mates she knew that claim wasn’t true. Still she was far more anti-shrinkee than Misty. Casey was all about sports and physical fitness, she found it hard to accept that something the size of her thumb could somehow compare to her. The most Daisy could get out of her was that maybe Ash was still a ‘man’ in a sense. It wasn’t much but she had to fight tooth and nail to get Casey to say it. Eventually the argument fizzled and the dinner ended. Delia gathered up the plates. She asked Daisy to wash Ash off but he insisted he could do it himself. It became painfully obvious Misty wouldn’t be using her tongue to clean him up. He wound up taking a shower under a faucet.

The rest of the evening passed with Delia going through old photo albums showing baby pictures of Ash to Misty and Daisy. Ash just sat in Misty’s lap glaring at his mother as she smiled fondly at the pictures. Casey had gone outside to train up her new pokemon.

“And this is when Ash tried to get out of taking his bath. I had to chase the naked little joy through half of Pallet Town.” Delia reminisced.

“I’m beginning to notice a theme here.” Misty smiled slightly and gave her boyfriend a little poke in the ribs.

“So I felt constrained by clothes when I was a kid. Sue me!” Ash barked.

Eventually it got dark outside, Daisy left for the day and Casey came back inside, “Well where am I sleeping tonight?”

“I’ve got the guest room all made up for you dear.” Delia smiled.

“…..And me?” Misty asked.

Delia’s smile widened, “You’re planning on sleeping over too Misty? .... I suppose that’s fine. You can stay on the couch.”

“Thanks.” Misty replied icily.

“No problem dear.” Delia responded, ignored her tone, “Ash dear, your room is all ready for you just the way you left it!”

“Let Misty sleep in the bed, It’s so big and I don’t need it. I’ll stay on the couch.”

“Oh no dear, this is your home too you know. You shouldn’t have to sleep out on a couch.”

"No Ash it's fine, its been a long time since you've gotten a chance to sleep in a real bed." It was true, he'd had make do with Misty's tennis shoes for quite a while now, it was a good thing Delia didn't ask Misty what she meant by him not sleeping in a 'real' bed.

Delia carried her tiny son to his room and kissed him good night, "I really missed you Ash. Please don't leave me again any time soon."

"I'm sorry mom, I can't make that promise." Delia nodded sadly, "Well, good night Ash."

She turned off his light and after only a few minutes Ash was sleeping like he hadn't slept in months.When morning came around the sun's light penetrated his curtains but it still wasn't enough to wake him. It would be a friend that would pull Ash out of his dreams.