So, About Professor Oak And Ash's Mom In Pokémon...

For years, there has been speculation that Professor Oak and Ash’s mom Delia are totally together. As in like, doing it.

If that wasn’t enough (and really, it’s not), there is even the notion that Professor Oak is Ash’s absent father. That, though, would mean that Ash is Gary’s uncle. Which is nuts.

So, if Delia is 29 years old, she had Ash when she was 19. Meaning? If Professor Oak is Ash’s father, then he impregnated her when she was 18. However, the official word on Ash’s father is that he is also on a quest to become a Trainer. Says Ash, “Because he said he was going to become a Pokémon Trainer, he left on a journey and hasn’t come back home since. Eventually, our paths might cross!”

Okay, so, let’s put that theory aside for a moment and go back to Professor Oak and Delia’s relationship.

Because surely, there must be subtext to this old credit sequence.

Hrm...

And said clip from said banned episode:

It really was never explained. We demand answers!

Then, there was the episode in which Professor Oak wrote a love poem that, according to the anime’s narrator, Delia definitely thought was about her.

Fast forward to 2016. The most recent Pokémon anime episode begins with Ash calling his mom and guess who is lurking about?

Professor Oak.

His mom thanks Ash’s traveling companions. Her son says he will be traveling back to Kanto. It’s kind of like knocking on the door before entering, I guess.

In Alola, it looks like Ash’s mom will be hanging out with Professor Oak’s cousin. Of course!

A TV special to promote the new Pokémon anime featured this explainer of the different characters and their relationship. For example, the relationship between Pikachu and Ash is listed as “partner.”

The text in the arrow between Ash and Delia reads oyako (親子), which means “parent and child.” Here, I believe it actually refers to Delia and Ash, but interestingly, his mom is grouped together with Professor Oak.

Is that official confirmation that the two are in fact a couple? Certainly, it doesn’t mean that Professor Oak is his father, right?

This article was originally published on October 31, 2016. It has since been updated.