The 'Ash's Mom and Professor Oak' meme stems from the long-running fan theory suggesting a romantic relationship between Delia Ketchum and Professor Oak. Throughout the Pokémon anime, the two are frequently seen spending time together—at home, on vacations, or at the laboratory—while Ash is away on his journey. Fans began highlighting these coincidences in the early 2000s, leading to a surge of image macros and screencaps depicting Oak's suspiciously frequent visits. The meme is typically used to joke about the 'absent father' trope in Pokémon or to create awkward situational comedy regarding what the Professor is really doing while Ash is busy catching 'em all.