Ash's shout, raw and bewildered, echoed through the suddenly silent house, startling everyone present.
It made Serena, who had been elegantly pouring tea, jump, and a deep blush immediately flooded her cheeks, rising from her neck.
The delicate porcelain cup rattled slightly in her hand.
"Ash! Don't shout like that!!" she managed, her voice a flustered whisper-hiss as she quickly set the teapot down.
Her embarrassment wasn't just from his volume; his instinctive, possessive phrasing – 'His Serena' – sent a confusing jolt through her, a mix of pleased warmth and public mortification.
'Did he really just say that?' she thought, her heart doing a strange little flip.
'In front of...'
'ahhh Ash you idiot'
Unbeknown to Serena's inner turmoil
Ash looked intently at the stranger
But as Ash was about to open his mouth again,
with confusion still warring with disbelief on his face, ready to demand answers from the unnervingly familiar stranger on the couch, a sharp gasp cut through the air from the doorway behind him.
It was Delia.
She must have heard the shout and come to see what was wrong.
She stopped dead just inside the room, her hand flying to her mouth, her face draining of all color as she saw the man Ash was yelling at.
Shock, deep and profound, widened her eyes.
A name, heavy with unspoken history and years of absence, escaped her lips as barely a whisper.
"R-ed..."
Hearing his mother utter that name, seeing the depth of her reaction... it was like a key turning in Ash's mind, unlocking a painful understanding.
The pieces clicked into place – the striking resemblance, the man's unnerving silence, the legendary reputation whispered about in hushed tones.
This wasn't just a look-alike.
This wasn't a Ditto or a trick.
This was him.
'So...' Ash thought, the realization hitting him with the force of a physical blow.
A confusing mix of emotions churned within him – a flicker of childish curiosity buried under layers of resentment, anger at the long absence, and a strange, detached sense of meeting a myth.
'This is Red. The champion. My... father?'
The man whose shadow had loomed large, yet been utterly absent, for his entire life.
The reason Mom always worked so hard, always put on a brave face...
Delia's shock morphed rapidly into a simmering fury, years of held-back emotions igniting in her eyes.
She bypassed any pretense of polite reunion.
Her expression hardened, and she took several deliberate, tense steps towards the silent figure on the couch.
There was a dangerous energy radiating from her mature frame.
She drew back her foot, aiming a swift, surprisingly vicious kick at his shin.
Red moved, though.
Not a large movement, just a fluid, almost imperceptible shift on the cushions, and Delia's foot met nothing but air, causing her to stumble slightly.
He hadn't even seemed startled, merely... reactive.
"You absolute Bastard!" Delia spat, regaining her footing instantly, her voice low and trembling with barely contained rage.
"After all this time! Now?! Now you finally decide to grace us with your presence?! Do you have any idea...?"
Her voice broke slightly, the anger momentarily cracking to reveal the pain beneath.
Red remained silent, his crimson eyes watching her, his face an unreadable mask.
"..."
Yet, Delia seemed to react to something unspoken, her head tilting slightly as if listening.
"What do you mean, 'it was necessary'?!" she retorted furiously to the silence, her hands clenching into fists.
"Necessary to disappear the day after our wedding?! Necessary to leave me alone to raise our son?! Necessary to offer not one word, not one explanation, for years?!"
Her voice rose with each question.
Red didn't flinch.
A feeling seemed to emanate from him, a silent response Delia intercepted.
[Oak's request... vital research... couldn't involve others...]
Delia let out a bitter laugh.
"Oh, 'business with Professor Oak'? Is that still your go-to excuse, Red? Was your 'vital research' more important than your own family? Than your son growing up without knowing if his father was alive or dead?!"
She gestured sharply towards Ash, who stood frozen by the door, feeling like an unwilling spectator in a drama he barely understood.
Red's gaze flickered briefly towards Ash, then back to Delia.
The telepathic 'voice' felt different this time, perhaps softer, more complex.
[It's... complicated. For Ash's safety... needed time...]
Delia seemed to wrestle with this silent plea.
Her anger visibly warred with a deep-seated weariness, a flicker of understanding perhaps, or maybe just exhaustion from fighting a ghost for so long.
Her shoulders slumped slightly.
"But... Ash..." she murmured, her voice losing its sharp edge, becoming tinged with sadness and conflict.
"He still deserves answers, Red. He deserves to know why."
Red remained silent, his presence filling the room, waiting.
[ Soon. Patience.]
Then he spoke? Something which Shocked Delia
[....]
"But..."
Delia softly whispered in worry.
[....]
Delia sighed, a long, heavy exhalation that seemed to carry the weight of years.
She finally turned away from him, unable or unwilling to continue the silent battle.
"Fine," she said quietly, her voice strained.
"Give me some time to think. We all... we all need some time."
While this intense, near-silent confrontation unfolded, the other occupants of the room were frozen in a state of baffled confusion.
Ash felt numb, grappling with the reality of his father's sudden appearance and parental argument which was silent? Kinda.
Pikachu, perched tensely on his shoulder, let out confused sparks.
Serena hovered near the tea table, looking pale and uncertain.
And the Girls who came just now Dawn, May, Misty, and Green-san exchanged wide-eyed, bewildered glances near the doorway, whispering questions none of them could answer.
'Did he... did he actually say anything?' Misty might have mouthed to Dawn.
'Telepathy? Seriously?' Green might have muttered, already formulating research questions.
Just as the heavy silence threatened to become permanent, a clear, confident voice broke the spell.
"It's Telepathy. It's how Uncle Red usually communicates. He finds words... inefficient."
All eyes turned towards the newcomer Ash hadn't noticed until moments ago.
The red-haired young woman leaned against the doorframe, observing the aftermath with an air of detached amusement mixed with familiarity.
She seemed entirely unfazed by the heavy atmosphere.
Ash, pulled from his internal turmoil, felt a fresh wave of weary exasperation.
"Okay, I give up," he said, his voice flat with emotional exhaustion.
"Who are you now? Is this Bring-a-Long-Lost-Relative-to-Ash's-House Day?"
The woman chuckled, pushing off the doorframe and walking towards him.
"My apologies," she said, her tone lighter now, though her eyes held a keen intelligence as she sized Ash up.
"You looked a little preoccupied. Didn't mean to add to the shock."
She stopped in front of him, offering a casual, friendly smile.
"The name's Jessie. No last name worth mentioning. Uncle Red here found me causing trouble as an orphan years ago and decided I needed... structure. Or maybe just a distraction."
She shrugged, jerking a thumb towards the silent Red.
"So he unofficially adopted me, taught me some things. Guess that makes you my little bro, huh?"
She grinned, reaching out and ruffling Ash's already messy hair playfully.
"Nice to meet you, Ash Ketchum. Heard bits and pieces about you."
.....
Later in his room, Ash lay sprawled face down on his bed, the door shut firmly against the lingering drama downstairs.
He felt like he'd run a marathon (which he actually did), wrestled three Snorlax, and then sat through the world's most confusing philosophy lecture, all at once.
"Ugh..." he groaned into the pillow, the muffled sound barely audible.
"This is getting ridiculous."
He rolled onto his back, staring up at the familiar patterns on his ceiling, trying to make sense of the day.
"First, I somehow got married to half the competent female trainers in several regions."
"Then, my legendary absentee father, Champion Red himself, just casually shows up after a lifetime, argues with Mom using his brain, and dodges kicks like it's nothing."
"And now, apparently, I have a cool, confident, slightly intimidating older sister I never knew existed, who was also raised by said silent telepathic father?"
He sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
"What's next? Is Professor Oak going to reveal he's secretly my actual grandpa? Is Gary going to declare himself king of Pallet Town? My life feels less like a journey and more like a really weird, badly written fanfiction!"
He heard a soft click as his bedroom door opened, followed by light, familiar footsteps.
He didn't bother sitting up, too drained to deal with more interaction just yet.
"Serena, if that's you, can you tell everyone I'll be down for dinner later?" he mumbled towards the ceiling.
"Seriously. Just need a few minutes to let my brain reboot from... all of that."
He expected her usual soft agreement, maybe a quiet word of concern.
Instead, the footsteps stopped right beside his bed.
The mattress dipped as she sat down.
He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.
Ash sighed again and turned his head, ready to repeat his request for solitude.
"Look, Serena, I appreciate it, but right now I just need..."
He trailed off as he was met not with gentle concern, but with a determined, playful glint in her blue eyes that immediately set his internal alarms ringing.
Before he could react further, she pushed him firmly but gently back against the pillows, leaning over him, effectively trapping him.
Her closeness, the sudden shift in her demeanor, startled him more than her strength.
"Uh... Serena-san?" he asked, his voice betraying his nervousness.
This felt... intentional.
"What's... what's going on? Is this about the 'My Serena' comment? Look, I was just confused and..."
She silenced him not with words, but by leaning down, her hair falling around them like a curtain, and pressing a soft, lingering kiss to the side of his neck, right where his pulse was suddenly hammering.
Ash froze, unsure how to react.
"Ash, you dummy," she whispered against his skin, her voice a low murmur that sent shivers down his spine despite his confusion.
"Making me blush like that in front of everyone... Especially in front of... well, your father."
She pulled back slightly, her expression a mixture of lingering embarrassment and newfound boldness.
"You really need to think before you shout things like that."
"S-Sorry," Ash stammered, feeling heat creep up his own neck now.
"Like I said, I was just... surprised. Seeing him... seeing someone who looked like me... I wasn't thinking straight."
Serena smiled, a slow, deliberate smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, which were focused entirely on him.
She trailed a finger lightly across his collarbone.
"Surprised? Or maybe... just a little bit possessive, Ash?" she murmured, her voice soft and teasing.
"Worried someone else might be getting your Serena's attention?"
Ash opened his mouth to deny it, to protest, but the words wouldn't come.
Was he? Maybe, a little? The thought of someone else looking like him, being served tea by her... it had definitely felt wrong.
Seeing his hesitation, Serena pressed her advantage, leaning closer again, her knee brushing against his thigh in a way that was far from accidental.
Her confidence seemed to grow with his discomfort.
"It's okay to admit it, Ash," she whispered playfully.
Ash swallowed hard, feeling cornered.
This conversation, this proximity... it was making him distinctly uncomfortable, yet also... something else he didn't want to analyze too closely right now.
"Alright! Okay! Maybe a tiny bit!" he conceded defeat, mostly just wanting the intense scrutiny to end.
"Good boy," Serena replied softly, though the victorious glint in her eyes intensified.
She didn't move away, however.
Instead, she shifted slightly, her position becoming even more dominant, pinning him more effectively beneath her.
Her knees subtly pressing on his groin.
Ash felt the undeniable physical reaction his body was having to her closeness, despite his mental state being a mess, and groaned internally.
'Not helping! Body, stop betraying me!'
"Uh, Serena-san," he tried again, trying to inject a note of firm boundaries into his slightly breathless voice.
"I appreciate the... enthusiasm? But maybe now isn't the best time? Given the... uh... everything?"
Serena pouted, looking genuinely disappointed for a moment.
"But why not?" she asked, leaning down until her lips hovered just above his.
"You're clearly not entirely opposed to the idea right now," she added, glancing pointedly downwards before meeting his eyes again.
But then she saw the genuine exhaustion and overwhelm still clouding his features, warring with the flush on his cheeks.
She hesitated.
'Okay, maybe pushing him right now isn't the best plan,' she conceded internally, sighing softly with a mix of frustration and reluctant understanding.
'He looks like he's about to short-circuit. And the others downstairs... probably best not to give them more to gossip about.'
She mentally shelved her more adventurous plans for later.
"Tch," she clicked her tongue softly, expressing her mild disappointment.
"Phew," Ash thought, relief making him sag slightly against the pillows.
Bullet dodged.
Or so he thought.
Serena might have decided against a full 'night raid' preview, but she wasn't leaving without some form of recompense for his earlier possessive declaration and her subsequent embarrassment.
"Mfmf!"
Before Ash could fully relax, her lips descended onto his.
It wasn't gentle this time.
It was firm, demanding, a kiss that clearly stated 'You started this, now deal with it'.
She claimed his mouth, pouring her earlier fluster, her possessiveness, and her growing affection into the gesture.
Ash's eyes widened in surprise for a split second.
Okay, not dodging this one.
But years of similar 'ambushes' from others kicked in.
Instinct, memory, and perhaps a genuine response to Serena herself took over.
He met her kiss, surprise shifting into participation.
He brought a hand up to cup the back of her head, deepening the connection, while his other hand rested hesitantly on her waist.
It wasn't a battle for dominance this time, more of a mutual exploration, intense and surprisingly intimate amidst the lingering chaos of the day.
They kissed for what felt like a long moment, lost in the unexpected connection, the world outside the bedroom door fading away...
Knock, knock, knock!
The sharp, insistent rapping on the door shattered the moment instantly.
Both Ash and Serena jumped apart as if electrocuted, cheeks flushed, breathing slightly ragged.
"Ash? Serena? Everything okay?" Dawn's cheerful voice called out, muffled by the wood.
"Dinner's getting cold down here! Professor Oak is starting to tap his foot!"
Reality crashed back in with the force of a Hyper Beam.
Right. Dinner. People. Father. Sister. Awkwardness.
"Uh! Yeah! Fine!" Ash stammered, scrambling off the bed and trying desperately to look nonchalant, though his heart was still pounding.
"Dinner! Good idea! Starving! Coming right down!"
He practically fled the room, not daring to look back at Serena, leaving her sitting alone on his slightly disheveled bed.
"Sigh... And he just said he wasn't hungry," Serena murmured to the empty room, touching her kiss-swollen lips with a thoughtful finger.
A small smile played on her lips, replacing the earlier frustration.
His reaction, the kiss itself... it hadn't been entirely one-sided.
Maybe... maybe things were getting interesting.
A mischievous giggle escaped her as a new plan formed.
'Okay, dinner first. But later... when everyone's asleep... maybe it's time for that real night raid after all.'
She stood up, smoothed down her clothes, and headed for the door, a new determination in her step.