Probably but it would be nice to maybe see more interactions between the Pallet town citizens and Ash. The place seems like a standard sized town but we only ever see Delia and Oak and occasionally background characters in crowd scenes like at the party after the Indigo league.
I kind wish we could get a filler where we see some of the kids from Pallet became fans of him.
I always just assumed that he was impulsive. I've actually always had a problem with that part of him, and especially the fact that he hardly visits his mother or stays in Masara Town for long on-screen in recent sagas. I really wish that his home base in this series had been Masara Town instead of Kuchiba City.
I used to think the same and have this whole situation as the one thing I don't like about him but after reading the novels, my mind really changed.
Ash does care for Delia. He just doesn't want to bother her or feel like a burden. He didn't talk about the shortcomings of his first day out there with Pikachu. She doesn't know about the Spearow fiasco. All that mattered to him was making sure she knew he's on Viridian already.
I particularly like the bit where Ash calls her to tell about the Boulder Badge and Shudos writes a later scene with Delia revealing she "just wanted to be remembered".
Their scenes on SM clearly kind of comunicate quite well with that small scene on Ash's room before his birthday. Ash feeling embarassed about his mom visiting him on the school was one of the few times he felt he was a kid on pre-school again (by the way would have loved to see a bit of how Ash was like on school. Shudo hinted he used to be bullied but was of the kind that rather than fight back, took matters to teachers. In this regard, Delia reminds me of my mom because she taught me the same lol)
Even on the ICY movie, despite being a different continuity, we have such scenes including a bit where Verity clearly seemed to assume Ash was a spoiled brat/momma's big baby (before ultimately being proven wrong hehe)
TL;DR He does care. He just wants her to know he is an independant man but will always remember her and make use of everything she taught.
Delia made Ash Ketchum the character we see today. An altrustic kid, who won't give up no matter the odds and shortcomings. Who will listen to people's problem and try to help them.
Delia is the True Heroine of this show (sorry Serena though you can keep that "Legendary Heroine" title; you are great too)
