#i feel like im putting off actual starters because i know my prose isn't. hm. it's not bad but it's not what i expect from myself ig

[disturbnot]

i know everyone tends to relate ash to his battling fixation. or at least that's how it was when he was a kid — but 25+ years is a long time to grow through and garner some new interests. don't get me wrong, ash still loves to battle! but after all this time, true challenges are indeed few and far between, and he's been eager to explore other ways he can spend time and work with pokémon. one of his newer passions has become cooking! being the only son of pallet town's foremost chef and restauranteur, ms delia ketchum herself, there was no way in hell he was getting through puberty without a few sincere lessons on how to cook for himself. working at pallet house in some form is a typical rite of passage for so many pallet kids anyway — no matter how famous they are, nor how many times they've saved the world — everyone gets a turn on the line. ash may not be the wizard in the kitchen his mother is, but he certainly learned to hold his own. since then he's developed a genuine fondness for it, and as his stamina for battling begins to lag behind, cooking is a great way to still do something fun and challenging with his pokémon, and fill that bottomless stomach of his at the same time. raichu would even fancy himself quite the sous chef, if his big-chested boasting is to be believed — he's often eager to help ash cook, helping him find ingredients when they're out in the wild, and using his great and sharp tail-blade to help him prep. according to raichu, the food won't taste as good if he doesn't get to help. like trainer like pokémon, i guess. damn gluttons. presently, this comforting fondness has lead him back to pallet house to work just like he used to when he was younger. almost like some illusion of normalcy can truly be achieved by him. just like his growing fondness for barbecue evokes wistful memories of life on the road with just a campfire. always yearning for comfort. something simple and uncomplicated. predictable, even. still ... i'm not sure the walls of pallet house will comfort him for long. nor the soothing crackle of a campfire. what he seeks refuge from can never be evaded for long.