Warning: Family is Coming Over
"Hello." Humans
"Pika-chu." Pokémon addressing Human
"Hello." Pokémon addressing Pokémon
As the cool autumn winds tugged at the yellow leaves of the trees, Oak's laboratory was abuzz with opportunity. Delia and Isaac set up various bits of food at various tables and counters. Ash and Gary were setting up said tables and various decorations. Even their Pokémon rushed about with streamers and other bits that the humans required. Professor Oak came out with his lab coat over some more casual attire underneath, smiling as he looked over the preparations.
"For a second there, I thought this year's Oak Family Reunion would be a disaster. Thank you all for helping." Samuel Oak said with a warm smile.
"We're happy to help, Professor." Isaac replied with a smile of his own.
"Of course, my brothers are late for this occasion. Gary, where is your mother and sister?" Oak asked, trying to prevent himself from grumbling.
"Working on the food, gramps." Gary replied as he worked on hanging the banner.
"Are you all sure we aren't going to have too much food? I did make a lot." Delia asked as Butterfree helped her carry a large platter of sandwiches.
"Trust me, Delia. With how many of us Oaks there are, we'll need plenty." Samuel Oak replied with a smile.
"How many do we even have coming?" Ash asked.
Gary smirked and lifted his hands up to count. "Let's see here. We got Samael from Johto. Samiel from Hoenn, hope he picks a better ferry time. Samara from Orre. Samui and Samai from Sinnoh. Samantha from Unova, she's gonna wolf down those sandwiches. Shumel from Kalos. Samson you met from Alola, and I think he's bringing Lillie's family as guests. Sawyl from Galar. And Samir from Paldea." Gary rattled off, causing Ash, Delia, and Professor Oak to clap. "Thank you, thank you. I've been practicing."
"Squirtle Squirt." Gary's Squirtle said, holding a pile of flashcards.
Isaac looked at Samuel Oak in disbelief. "... How many of you Oaks are there?!" He asked in disbelief.
"Less than there are Joy's and Jenny's, but still a fair amount. Those are the only ones we could get this year with how bad plane tickets are." Professor Oak explained.
"... What. The. Fuck?! Did cloning technology get developed or something and I just missed it?!" Isaac demanded in shock.
"Language, young man!" Delia sternly barked at Isaac.
Isaac flinched at that. "Sorry, Mrs. Ketchum…" He replied nervously.
"Okay! I'm ready!" Lillie cried out from the bathroom.
Stepping out, she had a large, blue furry Ushanka hat over her head, white fur trimmed winter coat with pink tassels, and pink fuzzy mittens. Blue boots stomped out onto the floor as Snowy eagerly followed behind. Despite the young Ice Type not finding the autumn weather bad at all, Lillie furbished a blue scarf and wrapped it around her neck.
"How do I look?" Lillie asked.
"... I think if I'm fully honest, Mrs. Ketchum will slap me. But you look like you're dressing for a Snowpocalypse in fall." Isaac replied in disbelief.
"Well, that's a bit Snoverkill." Gary chipped in.
Delia simply slapped both boys upside the backs of their heads, making them both flinch and smile. "Worth it…" The two boys replied, rubbing the backs of their heads.
"It looks cute on you, Lillie. Though I don't know if you need to go that far yet. It's only late October." Ash replied.
"... Ash. I'm from a region made up of tropical islands. There is only one cold, snowy spot in the entire region and I don't visit it very often." Lillie replied in a deadpan before blushing. "Wait… cute…?!"
"Yeah. You look good in blue." Ash replied with a small smile.
Lillie blushed deeper as Delia smiled while Gary and Isaac face palmed. "Dumbass…" The two boys muttered only to get smacked upside their heads again by Delia. "Ow…!"
"Last warning, you two." Delia sternly huffed.
"What did we do to deserved that pun-ishment…?" Isaac grumbled, rubbing the back of his head.
"Vulgar language. Ash. Tell them what happens when they get a third strike." Delia said.
"Mom pulls out the frying pan." Ash told them in a deadpan.
"... Shuttin' up now, Mrs. K…" Gary replied fearfully.
"... What. The. Hell. Is wrong with this region…?" Isaac asked in disbelief.
"Sinnoh sounds pretty boring, honestly." Ash snidely chuckled.
"I'll have you know that we have duels of honor for lesser insults than that!!" Isaac replied angrily.
"You've seen him lift a server tower one-armed. You want to give him a sword?!" Gary exclaimed.
"... You bring up a faaantastic point…" Isaac replied in fear at the mental image.
Soon the lot of them heard the doorbell ring. Professor Oak walked over and opened the door. He smiled as he saw two other smartly dressed men that looked like him, a woman of around Delia's age with light brown hair and a charming face carrying containers of food. And to her side was a teenage girl about as tall as himself with brown eyes and brown shoulder length hair, wearing a green dress and a green headband covering her forehead who was also carrying containers of food.
"Ah. Samuele. Samuil. My darling little Kamuela. And little Daisy. Come in, come in. The others have yet to arrive. We have everything almost set up." Professor Oak said, ushering them in.
Gary smiled and turned to greet them. "Hey mom, big sis. Nice to see you again, Granduncles." He said with a big smile.
"Gary, dear nephew! How have you been?!" Samuil said with a big smile as he pulled Gary into a hug.
"And it appears you've made many more friends at Ichigo Academy." Samuele said with a smile, patting Gary on the shoulder.
"... That 'cloning technology' theory of mine is starting to look increasingly likely…" Isaac muttered in disbelief.
Ash wheeled his head around with a stern look. "Don't you dare insult Daisy like that!" He snapped.
Isaac smirked. "What's wrong, Little Ash? Does someone have a crush?" He teasingly asked his friend and rival.
Ash blushed as Daisy walked over to him after putting the food on the table. She then swiftly pulled him into a hug. "Ash! Oh, how you've grown! I heard you did an excellent job at the first Gym!" Daisy said sweetly as she pulled him flush against her.
"I-I actually lost the first battle, Daisy…" Ash replied nervously, blushing red.
Daisy smiled down at him. "But you won the second time. You're too hard on yourself, Ash. Failures are there to be learned from." She sweetly replied, rubbing his back gently to comfort him.
Ash smiled, blushing deeper. Meanwhile, Lillie fumed and pouted as Isaac smirked. "Is somebody jealous, Lillie?" He asked playfully.
"No, I'm not." Lillie replied matter of factly, huffing and puffing her cheeks.
"Denial's not just a river in Orre, Lillie." Isaac teasingly replied.
"You are insufferable sometimes!" Lillie snapped at Isaac.
"Oh relax, Lillie. It's not like I blame you for being jealous. Those two are obviously really close. Besides… look at her. Rawr…" Isaac replied, purring a bit at the end.
Lillie turned to look at him in disbelief. "You can't be serious right now." She sternly said.
Isaac just motioned up and down at how Lillie looked, then did the same towards Daisy. "I mean, come on…" Isaac replied, staring at Daisy.
Lillie glared at Isaac before smiling a sickeningly sweet smile at Delia. "Mrs. Ketchum, may I please borrow your frying pan?" She asked the older woman in a tone that could rot teeth from how sweet it sounded.
"It's in the cupboard. I'm a hint busy." Delia said as she kept setting things out.
"... Shutting up…" Isaac replied fearfully.
Ash walked up with Daisy before smiling. "Hey guys. This is Daisy Oak. Daisy. This is Isaac and Lillie. My friends and junior assistants." He said.
"It's an honor to meet you. I'm so glad both Ash and Gary have met such kind people like you to be friends with." Daisy said with a sweet smile.
Isaac smiled and bowed politely. "Believe me, Miss Oak. The honor is all mine. Both to meet you and be Ash and Gary's friend." He told her respectfully.
Lillie composed herself and offered her hand to her. "It's an honor to meet you." She replied.
"The honor is all mine, Lillie. Ash has told me so much about you in phone calls." Daisy replied happily.
Lillie's eyes widened as she looked quickly at Ash before looking back at Daisy. "Like what?" She asked curiously.
"Like about how you're a remarkably intelligent girl. One who, despite being afraid to touch Pokémon for reasons you haven't told him yet, seems to genuinely love them from the bottom of her, as Ash put it, 'heart as big as a Snorlax.'" Daisy replied before looking at Ash with a teasing smile.
Lillie blushed at hearing such kind words while Ash blushed sheepishly at the teasing. "I-I simply j-just do my best…" She nervously replied, looking away a bit.
"Oh Lillie! Before I forget!" Gary yelled. "Your family is coming over with Cousin Samson!"
Lillie felt her heart sink at that. "M… mother and Gladion are coming…?" She asked nervously.
"Who's Gladion?" Ash asked.
"Sounds like a name you'd give a wrestler." Gary chipped in before returning to his work.
"Gladion is my older brother. He's been a Pokémon trainer for a couple of years now." Lillie explained with a sigh.
At hearing that, Ash, Gary, and Isaac surrounded her in a flash with stern gazes. "Tell. Us. Everything." They said in unison.
"H-How did you all do that?" Lillie nervously asked.
"Boys. Calm down." Daisy sternly said.
"Yes, ma'am." The trio replied compliantly, backing off from Lillie meekly.
"Well. I'm sure he will bring some of his Pokémon here…" Lillie replied.
Gary got an unnerving glint in his eyes at that.
Ash then got an unnerving glint of his own in his gaze. "Oh, he will, will he…?" He asked with a smirk.
Isaac smirked with an unnerving glint of his own in his eyes as he licked his lips sadistically. Lillie sighed at her friend's antics as the doorbell rang again. Professor Oak walked over to the door, showing Samson and Lusamine standing at the door in formal attire. With a smile the Professor let them in, as another man like Samuel Oak, and a brown haired, brown eyed woman in a shrine maiden outfit walked in behind them. Yet behind them all came in a young man.
He stood about as tall as Gary or Ash, but with cream white skin contrasted by his black hoodie with a red mark across the chest. Black jeans with jagged cuts in them swayed in the autumn breeze as his red sneakers caused a squeak on the polished floor. His long bangs, covering part of his face, whipped around in the breeze as Oak closed the door behind him, and the boy instinctively put a hand on a large red bag at his hip.
"Good day Samson, Samai, and Samui. Lovely to see you again, Mrs. Lusamine. And…" Professor Samuel Oak said, before being cut off by the young boy.
"Gladion. Lillie's brother." The now identified Gladion replied curtly.
"Gladion. Please be nice. This is a social occasion." Lusamine said with a hint of sternness in her voice.
"I introduced myself, didn't I? That is nice." Gladion replied stoically.
"It's all right, Lusamine. Trust me. I've dealt with worse from new trainers getting their starter." Samuel Oak replied with a small smile.
"Hey! I am not that bad, Gramps!" Gary snapped out.
"I didn't mean you or Ash!" Samuel Oak replied.
"Did that Cross guy get a Pokémon from you, Professor?" Isaac asked.
"Who?" Samuel Oak asked.
"Angsty. Rebellious. Total jerk. Doesn't know what the word 'nice' means." Ash said, describing Cross by his personality.
Gladion glared at Ash for that. "Hey!" He snarled.
"Not you! I'm talking about this total jerk who ran into me in the halls!" Ash replied indignantly.
"I'm pretty sure you ran into him." Gary said.
"Well, he didn't have to be a jerk about it when I apologized…!" Ash replied angrily.
"Sounds like he had a good reason to." Gladion huffed before walking away.
"Gladion! Whose side are you on?!" Lillie asked in disbelief.
"My side. Because nobody's on mine." Gladion replied without looking at his sister.
Lillie sighed as Lusamine came up to her daughter and hugged her. Which caused Lillie to start struggling in the hug and reply quite indignantly to her mother. "Mother! You're smothering me again!" Lillie said, struggling to get loose.
"Oh, you just look so cute in that winter outfit I got you! I knew it was the right thing to send you. Kanto winters can be quite bitter." Lusamine said before breaking the hug.
"It's not even winter yet." Ash and Gary said in a deadpan.
"Oh, deary me." Lusamine said in shock.
"Vulpix." Snowy said, waddling up to Lusamine.
"And who is this little cutie?" Lusamine asked as she picked up Snowy.
"That's Snowy! She hatched from the egg that Principal Oak gave me!" Lillie replied happily.
"That's my girl!" Samson cried out from across the room, before downing a cup of punch. "Oh, this is some good punch! I'm Hitmonchaning for more!!"
"Mother… would you like to see my friends' Pokémon?" Lillie asked, gulping nervously.
Lusamine smiled excitedly. "Oh, I would absolutely love to!" She replied happily.
"Front and center everyone!" Lillie cried out.
In a madcap scramble, Ash's, Gary's, and Isaac's Pokémon scrambled to Lillie's side, catching both Lusamine and Gladion off guard. Lillie smiled before noticing a Growlithe amongst the group, before looking at Gary.
"Just caught him yesterday. Ain't he a beauty?" Gary explained with a proud smile.
"He certainly is! Just look at that marvelous coat!" Lusamine replied happily, looking over Gary's Growlithe.
Gary's Growlithe barked happily at hearing that and wagged its bushy tail. Pikachu scowled at not getting attention and stepped forward triumphantly.
"Pika-chu!" Pikachu said, almost like a human tadah.
"Oh, just look at you, Pikachu! You look like you've lost weight! Have you been exercising more?" Lusamine replied with a smile.
Pikachu proudly smiled and nodded eagerly. Lusamine smiled and petted his head. However, Gary's Squirtle and the rest of Isaac's Pokémon looked at the electric mouse with envy. Those feelings of envy quickly subsided as Lusamine began to pay attention to the others, starting with Squirtle.
She petted his head gently and then tapped his shell. "My word. Supple, moist skin and hard shell. This Squirtle is raised well." Lusamine said with amazement.
"Thank you. I do my best with my partner. And Gramps gives the best starters around." Gary explained.
"Starters are overrated." Gladion replied, rolling his eyes.
Blaze and Squirtle glared at Gladion before Blaze herself stepped forward nervously. Lusamine smiled as she petted her head and back, running her hand down her back. "Smooth skin, a bright, strongly burning colorful tail flame. And well-maintained claws too. What a lovely Charmander." She said as she inspected Blaze closely.
"Thank you, Mrs. Lusamine. I do my best." Isaac replied with a big smile.
Ash turned to look at Gladion. "And what kind of Pokémon do you have?" He asked, raising his eyebrow.
Gladion smirked a bit. "I'll show you." He replied before tossing up a Heal Ball, an Ultra Ball, and a Pokéball.
From the pink Heal Ball came a sleek, black Pokémon with long ears and tail, and glowing yellow rings across its body. From the Ultra Ball came a Lycanroc eerily similar to Cross's. And from the Pokéball came a Kantoian Vulpix, shaking itself off. Snowy instinctively waddled up to them.
"Hi. I'm Snowy." Snowy said cheerily to them.
Gladion's Lycanroc gave his best attempt at a smile. Which, considering how he looked, still looked sinister. "Hello, little one." It replied politely.
Snowy's face went even whiter and squealed before running behind Lillie's leg in terror. As she shivered in fear, Lycanroc was left confused, and the rest of Snowy's friends formed a mob between her and Lycanroc.
"... Was it something I said…?" Lycanroc asked in confusion.
Lillie sighed and walked up between the two groups. "It's all right, Lycanroc. Snowy just… had a bad experience with a more ill-tempered member of your species. She's just a baby, so she's still learning about a lot of things. You didn't do anything wrong." She explained, petting her brothers Pokémon's head.
Gladion's Lycanroc growled in sheer fury at that. "Where is that punk?! I'll rip his throat out!" He snarled at the thought of some Poké-jerk scaring a baby.
This caused the rest of the trainers' Pokémon to stand in shock. Snowy however, nervously walked up again to Gladion's Lycanroc, and he pulled her into a hug. Quickly, Snowy began to calm down, as the other Vulpix also snuggled up to her to help comfort her.
"Huh. So not all of them are violent jerks. Good to know." Pikachu said, crossing his arms.
Gladion turned to look at Lillie. "Did that Cross guy hurt you or anything?" He asked sternly.
Lillie rolled her eyes. "No, brother. But his Lycanroc and Torracat did scare Snowy." She told her brother.
Gladion scowled at hearing that and clenched his fist. This surprised Ash, Gary, and Isaac as Gladion turned to look at them.
"You three better not try anything with my sister." He growled.
"Whoa, relax there! She's just a friend!" Gary told him, holding his hands up.
"Yeah. Heck, Ash saved her from an Aerodactyl at the Pewter City Museum." Isaac replied, also holding his hands up.
"You did?" Gladion asked in slight surprise.
"They're not so tough when you call their bluff." Ash replied with a small smile.
Gladion chuckled a bit before looking at Lillie. "Him? I like." He told her.
"Well, that's a start." Lillie sighed. "Well, now that all that craziness is done with. We should probably finish before the rest of the guests arrive."
"Can we take a punch break first before we Roggenrola through the rest of the work?" Gary asked.
"Sure! Let's get up and Golem!" Isaac replied with a chuckle.
Lillie groaned at the puns as the four boys walked off to get refreshments. Somehow it seemed like them getting along was going to be worse than them fighting…