"Auntie Delia! Auntie Delia!"

"Now what?" Delia stormed out of her house. She slammed the door so hard it hit against the wall. "Don't you kids ever get enough of cookies?"

The kids stood near the gate, frowning.

"Back in my days, we had to deserve a cookie!" She yelled. "Did you even do your homework? You have no ink on your hands!"

"We just saw Uncle Ash's car in front of Paula's bakery and we want to tell you." The bravest of them spoke.

"Oh." Delia blinked. She grabbed the cookies jar from the table near the door. "Have as many as you want."

"Yaay!"

"I wanna! I wanna!"

"Leave some for me!"

"Just take the damn jar and leave my yard." She gave them the jar and rushed back inside. "Ronny?" She was about to walk through the backdoor when Mars, Ash's black adult Labrador, got in her way and started barking. He seemed very happy.

"Awww, look at you." Delia giggled, petting the dog. "You feel your friend, don't you?"

Mars barked harder and rushed inside the house.

"Don't mess his bed!" Delia shouted and walked to the backyard. She found Ronald watering the kitchen garden.

"The kids saw Ash's car in town!" Delia told him.

"And I was wondering why that dog was going crazy!" Ronald exclaimed. Ash got his dog Mars when he was still a puppy. He didn't want to take him to the apartment so his parents took care of him instead. "He was running in circles and jumping all over the place!"

A loud thud was heard inside the house, followed by other noises, and laughter.

"MARS! SO GOOD TO SEE YOU!" Ash's voice could be heard – probably all over their little neighborhood. "I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!"

Delia and Ronald looked at each other and headed back inside the house.

"I love him! He's so handsome!" Misty fangirled over Mars as he sat on the ground, wiggling the tail and touching Ash's leg every time he did so. Ever since Ash got home, Mars wouldn't leave his side.

"He's a charmer." Ash bent over and rubbed his pet's cheeks.

"Why didn't Brock come?" Delia was making the tea behind the kitchen counter. "And Macy or Stacey or whatever that woman's name is."

"They're busy moving." Ash responded. Brock could kill to be at the spring festival but Lucy didn't look interested and Brock couldn't leave her. "And her name is Lucy."

"I'm just going to call her Stacey." Delia shrugged. "I can remember it thanks to the song."

Ash and Misty looked at each other and chuckled.

"I have no cookies because of the kids..." Delia put the tea tray on the table. She turned around when the door opened and Ronald got inside. "Where were you?"

"The guys needed a hand with the tables and the stands. They're setting for the festival."

"Already?" Ash asked.

"We've been setting since last week," Ronald said. "There is food this year so more work for everyone."

"More work for me too."

"Surely more work. Everyone is talking about you. People are going to be waking up very early for that food!"

"I'm not washing any dishes afterwards." Delia poured herself a cup of tea. "Why don't you go check out town center? People are painting the walls. It's nice to see."

"I'm staying here with my friend." Ash reached for his dog's jaw and rubbed it. He chuckled when Mars jumped onto the couch and launched himself at Ash. "Hey! You're getting heavy!"

"I'd like to take a walk." Misty got up. She petted Mars on the head and headed to the front door.

Ronald and Delia turned to look at Ash as the same time right when Misty left.

"I'm saving best for last!" Ash was trying to get away from Mars but the dog was so excited he was licking his owner's face nonstop.

Ronald looked at his wife. "He wants it under the petals."

"Fair enough."

Misty recognized some familiar faces from last time she visited. It was during college years but they also remembered her. The ambiance was great. People were painting the walls of the houses and setting the stands near town hall. Pallet town was very beautiful to the eye. Misty loved this place.

When she got home, Delia told her Ash was playing retrieve with Mars in the backyard. Misty went to find him. She was just about to speak when she noticed Ash had his headphones on and was talking.

"It was a bit rushed, that's why." Ash was sitting on the grass, his dog resting beside him. He was running his hand over Mars's fur gently. "Uhm, yeah. Sorry about that, Angie."

"Yeah... they live alone here."

Misty licked her lips. She knew she shouldn't do what she's doing right now, but ever since Leaf told her about Angie, she's become... curious. Ash never told her anything about Angie. Nothing. Not that Misty talked about Danny before, but... she should know! She should know about Angie.

"Well, I'll make it up to you." Ash was giving her his back, but she was sure he looked happy when he said that. "Do you want me to bring you something? We've got clay powder, honey – some families here harvest propolis. Do you want that?"

Misty pouted. She wanted propolis too!

"I think you can eat it. Yeah."

Misty rolled her eyes. Why would you eat propolis?

Ash laughed suddenly. "Yeah! That's exactly when I think!" Ash's loud laugh made Mars open his eyes, and they landed exactly on Misty. His eyes glimmered and he started barking happily.

Misty cursed and ran away, not wanting Ash to see her. She could hear Ash ask his dog what's wrong.

"That was close." Misty breathed heavily. "I completely forgot about that dog..."

That night, she could hear Ash talk inside his room. It was Angie. It was Angie. The name was stuck in her head. She was losing her mind. She left her room but soon was met with the sight of Mars sitting right in front of Ash's room, happily guarding it.

"Please don't bark." Misty whispered. Mars was just wiggling the tail. "Good boy, good boy..." Misty bent down and started brushing his fur, her ear close to the door.

"That's so cool, Angie! I need to check it out!" Ash's faint voice could be heard behind his door. "Which console is it?"

She couldn't believe she got out of her comfortable bed to hear Ash talk to Angie about video games, yet, for some reason, listening to him get excited about that wasn't boring at all - far away form boring; it made her feel great. He sounded happy and that brought her joy.

She just wished he was being that happy talking to her instead and not to another girl.