Mended
by Ilex the Elder is a fanfic based off of Pokémon: The Series. It is themed around the theory that Professor Oak is Ash's father.
At age seventeen, Ash goes looking for his birth certificate so that he can apply for university. To his surprise his father isn't listed as who he thought it'd be. Ash suddenly uncovers a nearly two decade secret that his mother had kept secret: Samuel Oak is his father.
The story is set in the same continuity as an earlier fanfic, Torn, which is about how Delia and Professor Oak ended up together.
Mended provides examples of:
- Ancestral Name: Ash is named after his father Oak's middle name of "Ashley", which Oak himself had obtained from his grandfather.
- Drowning My Sorrows: After finding out that Oak is his father, Ash runs off and gets drunk with beer he stole from Brock.
- Exact Words: Looking back, Ash notices that his mother never technically told him that Will Ketchum was his father. He simply jumped to the logical conclusion.
- Floral Theme Naming: Samuel Oak's wife was named Rose Oak.
- Gender-Blender Name: Ash is named after Oak's middle name "Ashley" (which was Oak's grandfather's name). In his case, he notes that "Ashley" is traditionally a masculine name. Ash was almost named Ashley but they shortened it because the name is considered feminine nowadays.
- Hold Your Hippogriffs: While pregnant, Delia bemoans with "I feel like a Snorlax ".
- Married Too Young: Delia married her husband Will right out of college after knowing him for barely a month. He dumped her and ran off after his ex-girlfriend asked him to take her back. Delia hasn't heard from Will since.
- May–December Romance: There's a several decade age gap between Oak and Delia. Professor Oak has a grandson that's the same age as his son Ash. This gap is one reason why the two keep their relationship secret.
- Mistaken for Dying: Samuel initially mistakes Delia's Morning Sickness for cancer symptoms. His previous wife had just recently died of cancer, so it was on his mind.
- Office Romance: Subverted with Spencer Hale and Delia. He had a crush on his co-worker Delia, but she didn't like him back.
- Outdated Name: Oak's middle name, Ashley, comes from his grandfather. It may have been boyish during his grandfather's time but it no longer is during Samuel's.
- The Talk: It's mentioned that Oak gave Ash "the Talk" at age eleven.
- Teacher/Student Romance: Delia and Oak start their relationship while Delia is studying botany Pokémon as Oak's assistant. After Delia ends up pregnant, Oak wants to resign and marry her. Delia declines both because of the scandal and because she thinks he only wants to marry her because she's pregnant.
- The Tragic Rose: Oak's wife Rose died of cancer.
- Sleeping with the Boss: Delia was working as Oak's assistant when they started their relationship. Delia quit after she ended up pregnant with Ash.
