In the Pokemon universe, we have seen a plethora of interesting characters, from the women-crazed Brock to the hysterical Team Rocket trio. Ash Ketchum continues to be the anime's main man as we follow him on the journey to Pokemon mastery.
Although, there is one character that is there supporting him every step of the way that we don't see very often, and that is Delia Ketchum, Ash's mother. Delia first appeared in episode one of the anime and has been helping Ash and the gang ever since. However, Delia has been on numerous adventures of her own.
Young Hopes and Dreams
When Delia was younger, she had her heart set on pursuing a modelling career. Not only that, but she wanted to become a Pokemon Trainer, as well. A spanner in the works, however, is when Delia met Ash's father.
The two fell in love, married quickly and soon became with child. When she gave birth to Ash, she made the decision to abandon her modeling and Trainer aspirations for the sake of her son and husband. Delia needed to focus on raising Ash, and Ash's father wanted to complete his journey as a Pokemon Trainer. Consequently, she turned her attention towards Pallet House.
A Successful Restaurateur
In the Ketchums' home of Pallet Town, Delia owns and runs the only restaurant in the area, Pallet House. The eatery is also an inn with bed and breakfast services. Delia inherited Pallet House from her family. Mimey, a Pokemon of the Mr. Mime species, assists her as waitstaff. Delia took up owning her family resteraunt over chasing her dreams as a selfless means of caring for Ash.
Delia and Professor Oak
In Pokemon 3: The Movie: Entei - Spell of the Unown, we gain more insight into Delia. It transpires that Delia was actually an old student of Professor Oak's, along with the movie's antagonist, Spencer Hale. She was one of his ace students, she understood Pokemon and grasped how to deal with them very quickly.
Mirror Images
Similar to Tamako and Sōma Yukihira in Food Wars!, Delia and Ash share uncanny similarities. Just like Delia, Ash loves Pokemon. He shares her old dream of becoming a Pokemon Trainer. They are both optimistic, empathetic and friendly to those around them. Both Ash and Delia attract a lot of allies by being this way. On the other hand, they are also both argumentative and rash at times. To further hammer home how similar the two are, they even share the same voice actresses: Veronica Taylor and Sarah Natochenny (from season nine).
A love for Pokemon seems to run through the veins of the Ketchum family, and Ash is absolutely no exception. With a mother who was an top student of Professor Oak's and a father who is on a Pokemon journey, it is no wonder that Ash turned out to love Pokemon to the extent he does.
A Kind and Doting Mother
Delia is not just a maternal to figure to Ash, but to his friends, as well. She is loved by them, and occasionally cooks for and takes care of them. Delia even looked after Brock before the Adventures on the Orange Islands when he left the group.
Adorably, Delia is also beloved by Ash's Pokemon. She even gives them precious nicknames, such as Rowlie for Rowlet, Rocky for Rockruff, and Littie for Litten. In Pokemon Journeys: The Series, Pikachu grows jealous of Ash's bonding with Riolu. Delia assures him that there is nothing to fret over, to which Pikachu snuggles up to Delia and falls asleep with her that night. She is clearly a loved figure by all, human and Pokemon alike.
Delia's Stints with Team Rocket
Have you heard of Pokemon: Live? This production was a musical stage adaptation of the Pokemon series from the early 2000s. In this iteration, it is revealed that Delia previously dated Giovanni, the head of Team Rocket, before she met Ash's father. It also turns out that Delia used to be part of Team Rocket. There was speculation that Giovanni was Ash's father by fans, but this Vader-Luke-esque storyline is never explored and remains vague and unimportant.
In the spin-off show Pokemon Chronicles, which served as an anthology of sorts that focused on different characters in each episode, Delia featured in a battle against Team Rocket's Butch and Cassidy. Delia is seen fighting them valiantly and appears to be holding her own. It is no wonder that she puts up a good fight, given that she was one of Professor Oak's star pupils, after all.