Red walked with Ash towards the Ketchum residence talking about the Pokemon they saw earlier. Before Red could leave however, Ash caught his hand and held him back.
Ash, "We're back Mr Mime!"
Mr Mime waved back, "Mime mime!"
Ash, "Red! Wait! I have something I want to give you!"
Red smiled, "Oh? And what is it baby cuz?"
Ash grinned pulling him to the drawing room, "Sit here and wait for a minute! I'll be back!"
Red sat on the couch as he watched his younger cousin run upstairs to get the item, "Don't run on the stairs, you will fall!"
Ash went to his room shouting, "I'll be fine, don't worry."
He came out soon enough holding a box in his hands. Red had in the mean time put on the TV and was going through the channels lazily and Mr Mime was off outside. Red smiled at Ash when he saw him join the couch.
Ash grinned, "I got it! Put your hand out Red."
Red indulged the young child and put his hand out and Ash placed a box the size of Red's palm. Red raised his eyebrow but did not comment, instead he opened the box and looked inside.
Red's eyes widened, "This is a..... "
Ash grinned, "It's for you. I won two pokeballs as a prize in a contest and I wanted you to have one."
Red looked at Ash, "You won two pokeballs? Not bad kiddo."
Red ruffled Ash's hair getting a squawk and a laugh from the younger boy before getting up, "Thank you Ash, I love it. I have to go now, I'll see you tomorrow. Alright!"
Ash smiled, "Yeah okay! I'm glad you like it."
The next day Blue met up with Red at his house and told him about how his adorable little brother gifted him a Heal ball. Red looked at the specialised pokeball and took out his own Cherish ball and told Blue about Ash.
Red, "They worked together to get these pokeballs, didn't they?"
Blue, "No kidding.... Want to get them something as well?"
Red raised an eyebrow, "Like what exactly?"
Blue hummed, "I don't know, something nice, I guess?"
Red, "We can think of something! How's your assignment coming?"
Blue groaned falling on Red's bed, "You had to talk about the assignment. It's going fine, boring but fine."
Red gave a sigh, "Do you want help?"
Blue waved it off, "Nah! I can finish it on my own by tonight."
Red, "I'm surprised Gary did not come with you."
Blue, "Oh! He's with Gramps and Ash. Gramps has taken tutoring them about the laws seriously."
Red got up, "Come on, let's get out of here."
Blue, "Huh? Where to?"
Red, "We promised your Grandpa we would help right? The camp starts next week and we still need to prepare."
Blue, "Yeah you are right! Let's go!"
They walked towards the lab talking about the classes and assignments given for the last week of school. Red noted despite his annoyance towards boring school work, Blue was very excited for the upcoming summer vacation. Red smiled as he listened to Blue talk and soon they were at the lab, where the Professor was guiding the assistants to prepare for the camp.
Blue, "Heya Gramps! Need help?"
Samuel turned, "Ah! Red! Blue! Yes actually we need to move some of the equipment out of the way. I would ask my assistants but they are busy making sure organising the camp won't create trouble for the Pokemon who live here."
Red looked around and pointed at some of the items, "Are these items those equipment?"
Samuel, "Some of them yes, there are other sensory equipment spread around the field that need to be moved higher or at least changed."
Blue, "I'll get those, Red move the ones already here."
Samuel, "To the back please Red! Blue are you sure?"
Blue waved his concern off, "I have watched you, Daisy and even some of the assistants do it before. I'll manage."
They got to work and managed to clean up one field that day, before Red walked Ash back home talking about the different things they had learned and returning to his own home and mother. Rose smiled welcoming Red and asking him how his day was to which Red shrugged and told her how they spent it helping the Professor. Ash was meanwhile telling Delia about all the things he learned from the Professor with Gary while Delia smiled indulgently.
The next day Ash and Gary were happy to meet up with the twins in school during recess and share stories. Leaf and Green told them stories about their cousin Mark and his family who were sculptors that specialized in sculpting figures out of wood. They presented Ash with a wooden sculpting that contained a Dratini, Dragonair and Dragonite while Gary got one that had a Charmender, Charmeleon and Charizard.
Leaf, "We hope you like them!"
Green, "Yeah!"
Ash smiled taking the gift, "I love it."
Gary, "They are pretty cool."
Leaf grinned brightly, "I can't wait for summer vacation to start."
Ash, "You guys are coming to summer camp right?"
Green, "Wouldn't miss it for the world."
Gary, "Just a few more days, a few more days and we will be free."
Leaf turned to Ash, "How is your book coming?"
Ash shrugged, "It's fine I guess? I am pretty sure I'm missing a few parts."
Gary nudged his shoulder, "Remember I want to read it first."
Ash sweatdropped, "Sure Gary! Though I am not sure if it'll make sense.", 'I only remember like, certain parts of the story. The other parts I just wing it.'
The group of four laughed and chatted and time flew by between classes, lessons, assignments and tests. Ash couldn't help but feel how mundane life was for those who are not trainers, he remembers the series had a lot of adventures in it. At one point he and Gary had approached the forest out of curiosity only to be picked up by the Professor's Gengar and be lectured by the Ghost type. They had another lecture from the Professor and then a last one from Delia, while Blue and Red were snickering in the background. Ash shook his head from the memory when the bell rang signaling the end of break time and followed Gary to the next class.