《Pokémon: Ash's Sinnoh Reset》


 Chapter 001: Return to Sinnoh

    A flight, tracing its route from Goldenrod City in Kanto to the outskirts of Twinleaf Town in Sinnoh, soared smoothly through the Sinnoh sky.


    Perhaps owing to the weekday, the spacious cabin was only half-occupied. A young boy named Ash, seated by the window, appeared to be dozing, a Pikachu nestled on his shoulder, slumbering alongside him.


    "Ugh... huh?"


    Ash stirred, his brow furrowing as if roused from sleep, or perhaps by a sudden realization. Upon opening his eyes, his first utterance was not a lament or satisfaction with his slumber, but rather ¨C


    "Where... where am I?"


    He frowned, utterly bewildered by his surroundings. His last memory was of the Pok¨¦mon World Coronation Series, yet he found himself not on the battlefield, but in this unfamiliar place.


    Though the environment clearly indicated he was on an airplane, he was deeply perplexed as to how he had arrived there.


    "Pikachu?"


    Sensing a movement on his shoulder, Ash turned gently to find his longtime partner, Pikachu, peacefully asleep, appearing quite exhausted.


    Observing this, Ash tried to remain quiet, but he suddenly began to cough softly.


    This voice?


    He thought, furrowing his brow.


    His voice lacked its familiar depth, possessing instead a youthful quality. Perplexed, he glanced out the window, using a break in the clouds as a mirror, he finally discerned his current appearance.


    This is... me... no, this is me from the past!


    A flicker of alarm crossed Ash''s eyes. The reflection in the glass did not reveal the face of his twenty-something self, as he had grown accustomed to, but rather the visage of his younger days, over a decade prior.


    A dream? Or have I traveled back in time?


    He wondered, pinching his cheek in disbelief. The sharp sting nearly caused him to cry out, but a glance at Pikachu prompted him to regain his composure. It was clearly no dream; the persistent pain in his face confirmed his reality. He had traveled back in time.


    In the world of Pok¨¦mon, time travel, while not commonplace, was not entirely unheard of to Ash. From the beginning of his journey to the Pok¨¦mon World Coronation Series, he had experienced it dozens of times, more frequently than he had boarded an airplane.


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    Unlike his previous temporal excursions, this one came without warning or incident. He was unsure if he bore a specific mission, or whether he would return to his own time to complete his World Coronation Series.


    "Sigh..."


    Ash removed his hat, running a hand through his hair in frustration. The weary sigh seemed incongruous with his youthful appearance.


    "This sucks..."


    He muttered under his breath, gazing at the scenery outside the window, his thoughts in turmoil.


    He was on the verge of becoming a Pok¨¦mon Master, just one victory against Leon away, but why had he been displaced now? What was the significance of this time travel?


    He was at a loss.


    This sudden and unexplained journey baffled him. It seemed logical that there should be a reason for such displacement. Was he meant to aid someone, witness an event, or participate in some crucial moment?


    With a clear purpose, one could rally their spirits, but without it, who could muster enthusiasm? Even for an eternal optimist like himself, the pain of being robbed of his dream at the final moment was unbearable.


    "Rustle..."


    "Huh?"


    Just then, Ash thought he heard a sound emanating from the backpack on the seat beside him. Puzzled, he picked it up.


    It''s a bit heavy.


    He thought.


    With a mixture of curiosity and apprehension, Ash slowly unzipped the backpack. A tail, or rather something like an arm, emerged from within, startling Ash so much that he dropped the bag.


    The backpack thudded to the floor, followed by a pained cry.


    "Aipom?!"


    "Huh?"


    The familiar voice stirred something within him, he was sure he knew the cry.


    Ash initially focused on the sound, but he quickly realized what the peculiar appendage was.


    "A... Aipom?!"


    Incredulous, Ash called out the name of the Pok¨¦mon concealed in the backpack.


    "Aipom!"


    Upon hearing Ash''s voice, Aipom sprang from the bag, its face adorned with its perpetual smile, showing no embarrassment or remorse despite being discovered. It leapt onto Ash''s other shoulder, snatching his hat with its hand-like tail and placing it atop its own head.


    "Pika... Pikachu?"


    The commotion naturally roused Pikachu, who opened his eyes and saw Ash before spotting Aipom, grinning mischievously at him, instantly shaking off the last vestiges of sleep.


    "Pika?!"


    Pikachu yelped in surprise, tumbling off Ash''s shoulder and onto the floor, where he rubbed his backside while glaring at Aipom with the same bewildered expression as Ash, seemingly questioning its presence.


    "Aipom!"


    Aipom then leaped onto Ash''s head, continuing to make faces at Pikachu, appearing triumphant, like a child delighted with a successful prank.


    ...


    Aipom, so that means this is...


    While Aipom and Pikachu were engaging in their "friendly" interaction, Ash''s thoughts drifted to the land below the airplane.


    Sinnoh. He would never forget the events that transpired in this region.


    It was the place where he truly matured as a Pok¨¦mon battler.


    It was the place where he first fully transformed his bonds into power.


    It was the place where he first called upon his veteran team in a formal League competition.


    It was the place where he first reached the semifinals.


    It was the place where he came closest to victory.


    It was...


    The first place where he felt true disappointment after a League tournament.


    And now, armed with future knowledge and memories, though many of his recollections of Sinnoh were somewhat hazy, it didn''t matter... it was the perfect chance to relive those feelings with a fresh perspective.


    But?


    Wait, did I take a plane to Sinnoh? I thought I took a boat?


    Seated in his chair, Ash was struck with a brand new mystery.

 Chapter 002: The Goal, Still a Pokémon Master

    As the aircraft touched down smoothly on the Sinnoh continent, Ash, with Aipom and Pikachu in tow, strode confidently out of the cabin, officially setting foot on familiar soil.


    "Ahhh!"


    Ash inhaled deeply, almost greedily, taking in the air, before spreading his arms wide and exclaiming, "Sinnoh region! I''m here!!"


    "Pika~!"


    "Aipom!"


    Onlookers at the airport gazed at Ash with an expression that conveyed, "Ah, youth." Aipom and Pikachu responded to Ash''s enthusiasm with equal excitement. To venture into a brand new, unknown land was naturally thrilling, and to express such sentiments so openly was something to be envied.


    "Let''s go! Let''s become the strongest together!"


    "Pika~!"


    "Aipom!"


    Pikachu and Aipom didn''t dwell on the deeper implications of Ash''s words. They seemed to take it as a simple declaration of his dream. However, how far away he was from that dream remained to be seen, depending on what he found on this continent.


    Standing on Ash''s shoulder, Pikachu noticed a subtle difference in Ash''s expression compared to his journeys to Johto and Hoenn. His demeanor seemed to have shifted... more mature and composed, perhaps?


    While Ash''s words conveyed confidence, which he always had, his unwavering belief in his dream to become a Pok¨¦mon Master hadn''t changed. Thus, Pikachu didn''t overthink it.


    "But before that..."


    Ash turned to Aipom, and seeing the trepidation in its eyes, he snatched it up, reclaiming his hat from its head and placing it back on his own.


    "I need to deal with you first. When did you sneak into my backpack? And how did you go unnoticed by me and Pikachu? Wait a minute?! Does that mean everything in my backpack..."


    Ash suddenly realized that things weren''t quite as he had imagined, and he immediately put Aipom and Pikachu down, unzipping his backpack.


    Sure enough, due to Aipom''s intrusion, his clothes and some food had been displaced. He wondered when it had done all this ¨C probably before boarding the plane. But why hadn''t Aipom been detected during security? Did the security staff simply find it unremarkable to have a Pok¨¦mon in a backpack?


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    "Thanks to you, now I have to buy all the essentials again... Seriously, if you wanted to come along so badly, why didn''t you just say so? Why all the sneaking around?"


    Ash grumbled, but Aipom''s expression suggested it felt no remorse, embodying an attitude of "Sorry, not sorry, I''ll do it again." Ash was at a loss for words in response to this defiant attitude and decided to let it go.


    "Aipom!"


    Seeing that Ash wasn''t scolding it, Aipom perked up again, and after Ash gathered his things and stood up, it jumped back onto his head, again swiping his signature hat and putting it on.


    Seriously, why does Aipom like this hat so much?


    Ash felt a bit helpless at Aipom''s actions, but given it had been "so long," he wouldn''t hold it against Aipom, so long as it was happy... just like its decision back then...


    Thinking of this, Ash still felt a pang of regret. Not just for Aipom, but for Pidgeot, Primeape, Butterfree, Tyranitar, and Lapras... If he could, Ash would have loved for them to always be by his side, advancing towards the top together.


    But the world was full of such unavoidable situations. Butterfree had found its true love, Lapras had returned to its pod, and Tyranitar had rejoined its mother... Ash was somewhat relieved that they had found their place and returned to their own kind, but he still felt a sense of longing for Aipom and Primeape...


    And Pidgeot''s situation was unique. He hoped that when he returned next time, it and its Pidgey and Pidgeotto had found a new leader.


    "Speaking of which, is there a Pok¨¦mon Center nearby...? I need to get your Pok¨¦ Ball first, you can''t both be on my shoulders all the time."


    "Aipom!"


    Aipom still showed no remorse, seemingly confident that it could stay outside indefinitely. Perhaps he should teach it about the harsh realities of the world once he retrieved its Pok¨¦ Ball.


    Ash sighed softly, then, without lingering any further, walked toward the area with a map of the airport. After this period of adjustment, Ash''s mindset had changed.


    He didn''t know why he had traveled back in time, or if he would suddenly be transported back to the future, but now that he was back in the past, his mission was simple, and still just one thing ¨C


    To become a Pok¨¦mon Master!


    Compared to the potential regrets of the future, Ash was more concerned with the regrets of the past... This time, he didn''t intend to lose to Paul and the others, nor did he plan to end his Sinnoh journey with a loss in the semifinals.


    Having been granted this rare opportunity to start over, he was determined to make the most of it... The most valuable things he had from this second chance were his memories and experiences. Compared to the cultivation plans from when he was fully mature, the current Ash still had many shortcomings in training Pok¨¦mon. If he could just identify and address these areas, he believed he could draw out and defeat all of his opponent''s Pok¨¦mon, not just face Darkrai and Latios.


    Speaking of which, were that guy''s other Pok¨¦mon all Legendary Pok¨¦mon too? Or were only the first two Legendary Pok¨¦mon? That would be disappointing...


    With all sorts of expectations for the future, Ash finally embarked on his new journey.


    Lost in his fantasies, he didn''t notice a Meowth-shaped hot air balloon slowly trailing behind him in the distant sky.


    ...

 Chapter 003: A Starkly Different Mood

    "Meowth! I''ve spotted the twerp! Pikachu''s there too, and what''s that... an Aipom, Meowth?"


    A talking Meowth was perched on the railing of a hot air balloon, observing Ash''s movements with a telescope.


    "Even though that extra Pok¨¦mon is a bit of a hassle, according to our records, the twerp shouldn''t have his Hoenn team with him, right? If we want to grab Pikachu, now''s our best chance, Meowth!" Jessie exclaimed, shaking her signature, questionably long hair, her tone brimming with confidence.


    "Um... but..." James, on the other hand, seemed hesitant, unsure whether to speak his mind. After a moment of contemplation, he voiced his concerns, "We always say that, but we constantly fail and make mistakes, don''t we? I think we really need to plan our capture strategy this time! We can''t have so many unexpected things happen every time!"


    "Wobbuffet!"


    James''s perspective, as the weaker member of the trio, was met with Wobbuffet''s fervent agreement. However, neither James''s caution nor Wobbuffet''s agreement seemed to register with Jessie.


    "What are you meddling for?"


    "Wobbu..."


    Wobbuffet was cut off by Jessie, who pressed a hand over its mouth.


    "I''m just saying, James, what are you so afraid of? The twerp doesn''t have his main team with him right now! As long as we can grab Pikachu first, are we really scared of that weak Aipom?"


    Jessie remained as fearless as ever.


    "But..." James still seemed reluctant. "We''ve been beaten by that Aipom before, you know."


    Jessie: "..."


    A moment of silence fell over the hot air balloon, then,


    "Meowth, get going!"


    "Time for my Fury Swipes, Meowth!"


    James: "Huh?! What are you doing?! Ahh¡ª"


    ...


    A minute later, James, covered in scratches, lay sprawled on the floor of the hot air balloon, while Wobbuffet stood by his side, trembling, as if afraid of being the next target if it dared to utter another word.


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    "Doubt yourself and give your enemies an advantage!" Jessie exclaimed, shaking her hand dismissively.


    "That''s right, Meowth! If we''re not willing to act decisively in this situation, we''ll never have another chance! We''re Team Rocket, Meowth, and Team Rocket has to have its dignity!"


    "B-but..."


    "No buts!" x2


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    James, intimidated by Jessie and Meowth''s fervor, quickly stood up and saluted, responding promptly.


    "Now that the problem is taken care of, let''s get to planning."


    Seeing that James had no further objections, Jessie leaned against the railing behind her, acting as if she had no more to do with the planning. Hearing Jessie''s words, Meowth grinned mysteriously, saying, "Heh heh! Meowth has already prepared everything, and this plan is foolproof, Meowth!"


    "What is it?" James''s eyes still held a hint of skepticism.


    As James suspected, Meowth pulled out a rocket launcher from seemingly nowhere.


    "This is loaded with an electric-proof capture net! As long as we use this to catch Pikachu, and then make a quick getaway in the hot air balloon, Meowth,"


    "The twerp won''t be able to catch us!"


    Jessie, upon hearing this "flawless" plan, immediately stood up and applauded, as if victory was already within their grasp.


    Seeing the two so full of confidence, James and Wobbuffet slipped over to the other side, where they whispered to each other without being noticed. "Do you really think things will go that smoothly?"


    Wobbuffet: "Wobbuffet..."


    Wobbuffet''s tone sounded somewhat somber, as if it, too, thought Meowth''s plan was too simplistic.


    "Right, right! We''ve failed even with more advanced machines and more elaborate plans, but now they want to capture Pikachu with just a net? That''s just wishful thinking!"


    Wobbuffet: "Wobbuffet!"


    Wobbuffet saluted, emphatically agreeing with James.


    "Ah, I guess there''s an eighty or ninety percent chance we''ll still end up with that ''I''m blasting off again'' feeling... I wonder where we''ll blast off to for our first time in the Sinnoh region."


    Wobbuffet: "Wobbu-ffet..."


    Wobbuffet''s tone grew even more despondent. Jessie and Meowth were sipping juice, celebrating their impending success, while James and Wobbuffet huddled in a corner, lamenting their unchanging future.


    Jessie and Meowth: "What a great feeling!"


    James and Wobbuffet: "I''m blasting off again... (Wobbuffet)" (softly)


    ....


    While Team Rocket was plotting to steal Pikachu, Ash, accompanied by Pikachu and Aipom, was in a nearby phone booth, calling Professor Oak.


    "Yes, that''s right... Aipom is with me now. I don''t know when it caught up with me."


    Ash was reporting Aipom''s situation to Professor Oak, and Professor Oak and Tracey, who was eavesdropping, both breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the news.


    "Whew, that''s a relief. I was wondering how Aipom disappeared in the blink of an eye. So it went to Sinnoh with you... What do you think, Ash? Do you want to send Aipom back?"


    "Aipom!"


    Aipom, who had been pressing its ear against the phone, grabbed Ash''s collar and shook him frantically, tears welling up in its eyes, as if to say, "If you send me back, I''ll never leave you alone."


    "Ah! I got it! I got it! Stop shaking me! I understand! You don''t want to go back, that''s it! I won''t send you back! Let go of me!"


    "Aipom!"


    Once Ash made his promise, the tears on Aipom''s face vanished instantly. Seeing Aipom''s quick change of expression, Ash sighed in resignation and straightened his rumpled collar.


    If this Pok¨¦mon encountered a movie, it would definitely be interested in becoming an actor...


    Watching Aipom hopping around happily, Ash couldn''t help but think.


    ....

 Chapter 004: Team Rocket

    "Looks like I''ll have to carry you for a while longer. By the way, is there a Pok¨¦mon Center nearby?"


    Because his current location was relatively remote, and he had only used a public phone to contact Professor Oak, Ash couldn''t get Aipom''s Pok¨¦ Ball right away. Reluctantly, he had to let it stay on his shoulder for now.


    "Aipom!"


    Unlike Ash''s frustration, Aipom was overjoyed to be allowed to stay outside in broad daylight. Seeing Aipom so happy, Ash could only shake his head.


    Well, it''s a rare opportunity. Let it stay out here for a while.


    If there was anything he regretted, it was related to Aipom. Ash remembered how Aipom had become engrossed in Pok¨¦mon Ping Pong in the Sinnoh region, so Ash and Dawn had left it there. But Ash hadn''t gone back to see it since. Meeting Aipom again in this way today made up for a little bit of the regret in his heart.


    "Pika~"


    Seeing Ash and Aipom getting along so well, Pikachu, as the "big brother," was also happy. But Pikachu''s happiness was natural; after all, Aipom wasn''t standing on its shoulder. Without any effort on its part, the more harmonious its companions were, the better.


    Ash hung up the phone and walked out of the booth. As he was about to head towards the city, he suddenly heard a familiar sound of machinery.


    "Get out of the way!"


    Ash instinctively shouted, then jumped forward. Pikachu and Aipom, though not understanding what was happening, were forced to land on the ground on either side due to Ash''s sudden action.


    As Pikachu landed, it saw a mechanical arm, clenched tightly, where it had been standing. Suddenly alarmed, it noticed the familiar Meowth-shaped hot air balloon in the air.


    ...


    "Ugh! What are you trying to grab?! You''re so bad at this! I should have done it myself!"


    "What are you yelling about, Meowth?! Didn''t you see that the arm was positioned perfectly?! Isn''t it because the twerp reacted and dodged it?! How is that my fault, Meowth!"


    "Wobbuffet!"


    "Get back in there!"


    In the hot air balloon, due to Meowth''s misstep, two members of Team Rocket seemed to be having a small argument, and Wobbuffet was caught in the crossfire just for agreeing with Meowth.


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    Looking at the hot air balloon above, Pikachu and Aipom both adopted battle stances, while Ash watched the trio above with nostalgic eyes.


    For a long time in the future, Team Rocket would continue to target Pikachu. Ash would meet them almost every few days, becoming more familiar with them than with his own family. However, during Ash''s participation in the Pok¨¦mon World Coronation Series, Team Rocket had disappeared for a long time. He had heard Brock say that they were doing some kind of business in Viridian City, but Ash hadn''t inquired about the details. He just felt a mixture of pity and relief for the three of them.


    He was relieved that they could finally give up on Pikachu and pursue a proper career.


    He was sad that he would probably have fewer opportunities to meet them in the future. Although they had always been enemies, they had also cooperated many times. It seemed a bit inaccurate to describe them simply as villains. In short, Ash had complex feelings towards Team Rocket.


    "Ugh! Forget it. If you can''t even do something this simple, we should have just used a rocket launcher from the start! If we were fast enough, Pikachu would already be ours!"


    "What, Meowth?! In that situation, you would have caught the twerp too?! It''s meaningless if we don''t catch Pikachu alone, Meowth! If you''re so confident in your idea, why don''t you try it yourself, Meowth! See if you can catch it!"


    "Huh?! I''ll try it! Let me show you how useless you are!"


    "What, Meowth?!"


    "What do you want?!"


    "Th-that... sorry to interrupt you two while you''re arguing." Just as Jessie and Meowth were arguing heatedly, James timidly walked to the middle and raised his hand to stop them.


    "What is it, Meowth?"


    "Are you going to judge who''s right and wrong, too?"


    Jessie and Meowth both turned their attention to James, their combined intensity causing him to tremble. He quickly shook his head in denial.


    "N-no, that''s not what I meant. It''s just that while you were arguing, the twerp... he already ran away..."


    "What (Meowth?!)?!"


    Hearing James''s words, Jessie and Meowth quickly looked down, only to find that Ash''s figure, who had been there a moment ago, had disappeared without a trace. When they looked further into the distance, they saw Ash leading Pikachu and Aipom running away frantically.


    "How underhanded!"


    "How can you run away while people are talking?!"


    Jessie and Meowth seemed completely unaware that they were the underhanded ones who should have launched a surprise attack in the first place. Now that Ash had escaped, Jessie and Meowth began their ranting spree.


    Although Ash had run away at first sight, it didn''t matter. He couldn''t be faster than them, and Ash''s behavior also gave them confidence.


    "The fact that the twerp ran away as soon as he saw us means that he''s afraid of us, right? Looks like even he doesn''t think he can beat us without more help!"


    Jessie puffed out her chest confidently, like a victorious general. Ash''s escape gave her the illusion that they could win, while Meowth, who had been as aggressive as Jessie, was now silent, instead looking at James and saying, "Is the twerp the kind of person who would run away in this situation?"


    Meowth was a bit confused.


    If it were the past, Ash would have shouted as soon as he saw them, "Not you guys again! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"


    That''s what he should have done.


    As the saying goes, "Something strange must be afoot." Meowth, who had initially thought they could win because Ash didn''t have other Pok¨¦mon with him, was now less certain of his opinion. However, after calming down, Meowth''s position in Team Rocket had gradually slipped to second place. Without the added buff of anger, Meowth couldn''t match Jessie''s strength.


    "Hurry, chase him! Don''t let the twerp get away!"


    Watching Jessie giving orders, Meowth, James, and Wobbuffet, though somewhat apprehensive, began to do their respective tasks, with Jessie in command.


    ....

 Chapter 005: Turning the Tables

    "Pika?"


    "Aipom!"


    While running, Aipom and Pikachu looked at Ash quizzically, wondering why he was running away. Their opponents were just Team Rocket, whom they had defeated countless times in the past. Logically, there was no need to run; they could just fight and win, right?


    "Let''s get ahead and hide in the forest." Ash knew what Pikachu and Aipom were thinking, but he didn''t plan to fight Team Rocket directly right now.


    In their countless encounters, Ash had learned that Team Rocket often got the upper hand initially. Although things usually turned out well for him in the end, Ash wasn''t planning to spend too much time on Team Rocket.


    "We don''t know what strange gadgets they have, so let''s hide in the forest first. That way, their hot air balloon can''t advance. If they want to keep chasing us, they''ll have to come on foot, and then the advantage will be on our side. After all, it would be troublesome if they got us without any Flying-type Pok¨¦mon on our side."


    Hearing Ash''s explanation, Pikachu and Aipom finally understood.


    It seemed they had been too eager to defeat their opponents before. Thinking calmly, hiding in the forest was indeed the better option. In a land battle, Pikachu didn''t believe it would lose to Team Rocket, but...


    "Pika?!" (When did you get so smart?!)


    Ash: "[¡ð?£à§¥¡ä?¡ð]"


    What did that mean? He didn''t understand exactly what Pikachu was saying, but it sounded like a challenge to his intelligence.


    Well, I''m back in the past. I shouldn''t worry about it too much. But I''ll have to punish Pikachu for its rudeness later! I''ll skip the ketchup for a few days.


    Although Team Rocket was chasing them relentlessly from behind, Ash was thinking more about how to "punish" Pikachu, completely disregarding Team Rocket.


    That wasn''t surprising. If Team Rocket had ever succeeded even once, Ash wouldn''t ignore them so much. But they had never succeeded in the decade or so of their encounters before his time travel. In this situation, it was impossible to take them seriously unless they came up with some new technology, which would earn them some basic respect and consideration.


    "Jump!"


    As Team Rocket''s hot air balloon caught up behind Ash, Ash shouted at that moment, and then jumped into the bushes with Pikachu and Aipom, causing a missile equipped with an insulated capture net to miss its target.


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    "I told you that you couldn''t do it, Meowth~"


    Seeing Jessie miss, Meowth mocked her without reservation.


    "Argh! Shut up! Who would have thought they would just run away like that! Don''t stand there saying sarcastic things! Get down there and chase them!"


    "Do we really have to chase them...?"


    "Wobbuffet!"


    James and Wobbuffet still couldn''t make up their minds, but when they turned back to see Jessie''s furious face, they knew they were ready to go.


    Under Jessie''s supervision and urging, James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet didn''t dare to complain. They simply landed the hot air balloon and jumped out.


    With simple coordination, Team Rocket pushed Wobbuffet to the front, letting it face Ash''s possible first attack. Wobbuffet was angry but dared not speak, silently concentrating its mind, ready to counterattack at any moment.


    The rustling of leaves came from the forest. Team Rocket and Wobbuffet carefully groped their way forward. Although Jessie had shouted so fiercely earlier, she had been blasted off by Ash countless times. Even an idiot would remember, and Jessie was afraid that a Thunderbolt would suddenly burst out of the grass and blast them all away.


    But, that shouldn''t be possible...


    Jessie thought.


    The twerp shouldn''t be so despicable. Even if it were an opportunity to ambush, he would jump out first, point his finger at them, and then give Pikachu the order to attack.


    Perhaps because Jessie felt she knew Ash''s personality completely, she suddenly puffed out her chest and walked to the front, in front of Wobbuffet.


    "Hey! Hurry up! What if the twerp gets away if we''re too slow? Don''t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"


    Meowth James Wobbuffet:


    "???"


    They didn''t know why Jessie had suddenly become so forceful, but since someone was blocking in front, they had no reason to be afraid.


    "That''s right! Let''s hurry up, Meowth! Maybe the twerp will have already escaped while we''re carefully moving forward!"


    "Yeah, that makes sense."


    "Wobbuffet!"


    Seeing the team''s momentum being lifted so easily by herself, before Jessie could show a satisfied smile, they suddenly heard the sound of colliding electricity from the bushes ahead.


    That sound, it''s so familiar...


    Just as everyone was thinking this, accompanied by a flash of golden light, a strong electric current enveloped them all. Under the stimulation of the current, the voices of Team Rocket became strange.


    "Agh~*(@!"


    No one knew what they were shouting, but by the time the first jolt ended, Team Rocket had undergone a major image transformation. Jessie''s and James''s hair was temporarily ruined, becoming a charred Afro.


    "They really didn''t have any defense. I even thought of other methods, but in the end, I won with the most ordinary move."


    "Pika~"


    After Team Rocket had turned into "black charcoal," Ash slowly emerged from the bushes with Pikachu, looking speechlessly at the charred group, muttering to himself.


    "Cough cough!"


    Hearing Ash''s voice, Jessie and the others quickly stood up, as if the electric shock from the previous second had been an illusion. They stood up and pointed at Ash, scolding him: "Twerp, that''s not honorable!"


    "That''s right!! How can you ambush?!"


    "Meowth! You should be ashamed of this behavior as a Pok¨¦mon Trainer!"


    "Wobbuffet!"


    The group was enraged by Ash''s sudden ambush. It should have been a tense Pok¨¦mon battle, but Team Rocket''s state and tone made it difficult to feel any tension, as if they were children throwing a tantrum.


    Pikachu, with a sour face, rubbed its ears, seemingly speechless at Team Rocket''s shamelessness. But seeing the trio just as they were "before," Ash couldn''t help but smile with nostalgia and relief, though Jessie and the others saw that smile as a provocation.

 Chapter 006: Will They Meet Again?

    "That despicable twerp!"


    "He''s looking down on us!"


    "We''ll show you the power of Team Rocket, Meowth!"


    "Wobbuffet!"


    Team Rocket naturally misunderstood Ash''s smile. Seeing them, who had almost lost their fighting spirit, become invigorated again, Ash scratched his cheek apologetically and said with a smile, "Before we fight, can I ask you a question? Have you seen my Aipom?"


    "?"


    Each member of the group had a large question mark above their heads.


    What does he mean? What does it have to do with us that his Pok¨¦mon is missing? Why is he asking us?


    Just as Team Rocket was pondering this, they suddenly heard a noise above them. As they all looked up, they saw a purple figure leaping from the tree, its tail shimmering with a brilliant white light.


    "Strike~ Strike~ Strike!"


    "It''s a strike, Meowth!"


    "Hey, Wobbuffet!"


    "Wobbuffet!"


    In a flurry of frantic movements, Team Rocket finally managed to move Wobbuffet beneath Aipom before it could strike, letting Wobbuffet face it.


    "Quick, use Mirror Coat!"


    Jessie issued the command without thinking, but even if Jessie hadn''t given the order, it wouldn''t have mattered. After all, Wobbuffet had matured and grown to the point where it could rely on itself after so many battles. A simple Focus Punch was too easy to reflect.


    "Wobbu~~~ffet!!"


    Wobbuffet stood up straight, its body glowing with a white light. Just as Focus Punch was about to hit Wobbuffet and be reflected, Aipom giggled and jumped away, as if its plan had succeeded.


    "Huh?"


    Aipom''s abruptly stopping its attack once again baffled Team Rocket. They hadn''t even reacted to what had happened when they felt that tingling sensation flowing through their bodies again. They looked towards Ash with difficulty and realized that while Aipom had diverted their attention, Pikachu had taken the opportunity to gather its power and use Thunderbolt a second time.


    "So so so....."


    "You despicable twerp!!!"


    "You''re too mean!!!"


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    "Wob wob wob~~buffet!"


    This time, Pikachu''s Thunderbolt was a full-powered attack that had properly gathered its strength, and naturally, it wouldn''t end so easily.


    And Ash, noticing that the white light on Wobbuffet''s body had disappeared, waved his hand and commanded, "Aipom, Focus Punch!"


    Without the threat of Mirror Coat, Aipom''s attack was unstoppable. With Aipom''s heavy punch, combined with the power of Thunderbolt, an explosion suddenly rang out in the forest, and then several figures flew into the sky. The same ending as always, Team Rocket was blasted off again by Ash, turning into shooting stars in the sky.


    "Why does this always happen?!"


    "Meowth, human growth is terrifying. I didn''t expect even the twerp to start using such tricks."


    "I told you that our preparations were too sloppy. If you had listened to me earlier..."


    "Shut up!" ¡Á2


    "Wobbuffet!!"


    "I''m blasting off again!!!!!!" ¡Án


    ...


    Watching Team Rocket, now turned into shooting stars, Ash clapped his hands in satisfaction and said, "Well done, good work. But I didn''t expect to run into Team Rocket in that situation... They really are persistent."


    "Pika..."


    "Aipom!"


    Pikachu seemed a bit tired of Team Rocket. After all, it was their target, being watched day and night, it was impossible not to be tired. Compared to Pikachu, Aipom seemed much more excited. It seemed to be still immersed in the Focus Punch that had sent the group into the sky, constantly waving its clenched tail, still waving it forward. Though a bit small, it really had the air of a boxer.


    Ash saw Pikachu''s exhaustion and Aipom''s quiet after the excitement. Although they had rested for a long time on the plane, somehow, unless they were lying in bed sleeping, sleeping while sitting on a long-distance bus or plane could hardly be called rest, at most making one feel less sleepy.


    The fatigue from the long journey still needed a place to rest and recuperate.


    "Anyway, let''s put Team Rocket aside for now. Let''s head towards the first town... wait, let me see."


    Ash said, then, under the puzzled gaze of Pikachu and Aipom, took out the Sinnoh region map from his backpack, confirmed the marks on the map, and then put it back, saying, "Twinleaf Town doesn''t seem far from our location. We should be there in half an hour. After we get to Twinleaf Town, let''s have a big meal and then rest up."


    "Pika!"


    "Aipom!"


    Hearing that there would be a big meal soon, Pikachu and Aipom were extremely excited. But it wasn''t just them, Ash was feeling the same excitement.


    Of course, the big meal was only one aspect. The other reasons were probably only known to Ash himself.


    Twinleaf Town, I really miss it.


    Walking down the slope towards the bottom of the hill, a breeze crossed from one side of the road, bringing a touch of coolness to the hot summer day. Ash''s thoughts also traveled back with the wind to his meeting with her.


    Will she be in Twinleaf Town? Or has she already left?


    The person Ash was longing for was the girl named Dawn, who was the most taciturn and similar to him in personality during his many travels.


    Speaking of regrets, his journey with Dawn could be said to have ended with a bit of regret... Everyone had initially agreed to travel together for a little longer, but in the end, it was cancelled because Dawn had something to do.


    But after all, it concerned Dawn''s future, so he and Brock naturally wouldn''t say anything. They simply gave their final farewells with the most sincere blessings.


    Memories are pearls, friendship is diamonds.


    Even though there was a bit of regret at the end, they each moved towards their dreams. But unlike him, Dawn had already achieved her dream, winning the final victory at a large festival years later, while his dream was to press the pause and rewind button on that stage.


    Whether this journey can still be with Dawn is still a mystery. The original events have changed because of his participation, and whether his meeting with Dawn and his reunion with Brock will also change.


    Ash knew nothing about this, but even so, the journey had to continue. You never know what will happen in the future unless you walk into tomorrow, and that''s the beauty of the journey.


    .....

 Chapter 007: A Mother Knows Best

    Twinleaf Town, a tranquil town known as the place where new leaves sprout.


    Nestled in the southwestern corner of the Sinnoh region, Twinleaf Town is considered by the people and even the officials of Sinnoh as the starting point for trainers due to its special geographical location.


    Of course, Twinleaf Town can be considered a starting point because it is close to Professor Rowan''s laboratory, which is where official Sinnoh trainers receive their initial Pok¨¦mon. Naturally, Twinleaf Town, located south of Professor Rowan''s laboratory, got its name from this.


    Although Twinleaf Town is called a town, its designated area is quite extensive, and most of the houses in the town are detached villas, making it a very suitable town for resting during life''s journey. The only drawback may be that the residential area is relatively far from Twinleaf Town''s recognized small commercial street, making shopping not particularly convenient. However, this is a common inconvenience shared by many small towns, and compared to other towns like Sandgem Town, Twinleaf Town is considered relatively prosperous.


    In a house with green tiles and ivory-colored walls in Twinleaf Town, a girl with shoulder-length hair opened the second-floor window. She leaned out of the window, taking a deep breath of the fresh air and stretching contentedly.


    "I can finally leave tomorrow."


    A sweet smile appeared on the girl''s face.


    The girl''s name is Dawn, a rookie trainer who is about to make her debut this year. To prepare for her upcoming journey, she hadn''t slept well for days. Even in her dreams, she was thinking about the things she might encounter and the places she might go¡ªforests, grasslands, snowy mountains, deep valleys, seaside beaches...


    These places, which she could only see on TV and in magazines before, she would soon be able to embark on a journey to witness with her own eyes. There was nothing more exciting than traveling alone!


    Thinking of this, Dawn''s heart couldn''t help but flutter. She wondered what the future held for her.


    "Dawn! Come down here!"


    "?"


    Just as Dawn was immersed in her fantasies, her mother''s voice suddenly floated up from downstairs.


    "Is it dinner? No... wait..."


    Although it was almost dinnertime, judging by the voice... it seemed like there was something she needed to do.


    Even though it was the same gentle voice as usual, in the eyes of a child, the unchanging voice of an adult always contained other meanings, just like a child at home can clearly distinguish whether the footsteps at the door belong to their parents.


    "Sigh, it doesn''t seem like it''s going to be anything good."


    Dawn thought, then walked downstairs with a somewhat dejected look.


    There was nothing she could do. Even if she didn''t want to, this was the last day before leaving home, and it seemed she couldn''t complain about being asked to do things.


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    ...


    Walking downstairs, Dawn saw her mother, Johanna, standing in the kitchen with a troubled expression. Seeing this scene, Dawn knew her hunch was right.


    "So fast? I thought you were still packing in your room. Good, good."


    Johanna smiled and praised her, as if she had just grown up now. Although saying Dawn had just grown up could be considered a compliment, Dawn didn''t see it that way.


    "I finished packing a long time ago! I''m just waiting to leave tomorrow."


    "That''s amazing. When I left, I didn''t decide what to take until the morning of my departure. It seems you''re much better than me in this regard."


    "Of course!" Dawn puffed out her chest proudly and said, "Knowing what to bring is common sense. You''re just lacking in common sense, Mom."


    Perhaps because she was leaving tomorrow, Dawn''s tone towards Johanna was a bit cocky, not afraid of dishwashing or floor-mopping revenge after dinner. But Johanna was clearly in a good mood today and didn''t argue with Dawn about it.


    "Yes, yes, I''m the one lacking in common sense. So, Miss Common Sense, could you please go to the nearby commercial street and buy some soy sauce for me? We''re out of soy sauce at home."


    "Ehhhh..."


    "Don''t ''ehhh'' me. Since you came down so quickly, doesn''t that mean you''re ready to help? Although the commercial street is a bit far, it shouldn''t be a problem for a mature young lady like you, right?"


    "I understand..."


    Dawn pouted and replied sullenly.


    If she had known she was going to run errands, she would have stayed in her room a bit longer. It wasn''t that running errands was tiring or bad, but there was nothing new in this town where she could walk to the commercial street with her eyes closed. Plus, Twinleaf Town didn''t hold any special events, and everyone in the commercial street was an old acquaintance. If it were a normal day, Dawn wouldn''t have been so disappointed, but comparing what she had to do today with tomorrow, the feeling of loss immediately surged up.


    "You don''t have to make that face, do you? It''s just buying something. It should be over in half an hour..."


    Johanna looked speechlessly at Dawn with her head hanging down, and then revealed news that immediately revitalized Dawn.


    "Speaking of which~ I seem to remember that the commercial street is holding some kind of event today~" Johanna tapped her lips with her index finger, tilting her head in a troubled manner, but under Dawn''s curious gaze, Johanna quickly had an epiphany, clapping her hands and laughing, "Ah! That''s right! I remember now, it seems to be a raffle."


    "What''s the big deal? I thought it was something special..."


    Dawn''s interest immediately disappeared. Raffles were the most common event held in the commercial street, but the prizes were usually just so-so.


    She remembered that the best reward from the past until now was a three-day, three-night island trip. Although Dawn had wanted that prize back then, she wouldn''t want it now even if she won it. The top priorities were definitely tomorrow''s trip and going to Professor Rowan''s laboratory in Sandgem Town to receive her starter Pok¨¦mon.


    "Hmm... not interested? But I heard that this time the prizes include a full set of stickers for Pok¨¦mon Contests..."


    "Let me go! No! Please, let me go!"


    Dawn immediately changed her mind.


    It turned out that a mother is always a mother, and you can''t outsmart her when it comes to playing mind games.


    "Take care~"


    Johanna leaned against the door, smiling and watching Dawn ride away on her bicycle.


    "But it probably won''t work." After Dawn''s figure completely disappeared from her sight, Johanna murmured, "After all, the Pok¨¦ Ball stickers are the first prize. Given that child''s luck, she''ll probably only get a consolation prize of tissues."


    Although Johanna believed that Dawn wouldn''t win the grand prize, she didn''t have any regrets. After all, she was telling the truth. As for whether Dawn could win the prize she wanted, that was none of Johanna''s business.


    Besides, she could actually go herself to buy soy sauce. It wasn''t that she was lazy in asking Dawn to run errands, but she hoped that Dawn could leave more memories of home before leaving on her journey, and she also hoped to leave more memories of Dawn.


    Time passed quickly, and growing up was just a matter of moments, especially for trainers traveling abroad. How many days a year would they spend at home? A week or two would be good.


    People on the outside live fulfilling lives, while people at home look forward to the return of those on the outside.


    So, communicating with her daughter more in this way was Johanna''s way of being a sly mother.


    ....

 Chapter 008: A Raffle Full of Malice

    After walking a considerable distance, Ash finally arrived at Twinleaf Town, the closest town to the airport. Fortunately, the commercial street was located not far from the entrance.


    "So, there''s no Pok¨¦mon Center here? What a disappointment..."


    At the entrance of Twinleaf Town, there was a map of the town. The map was simple, roughly dividing the areas of Twinleaf Town. After all, this was a simple town, not comparable to Jubilife City, let alone Castelia City in the Unova region.


    Traveling in the latter two cities, you might get lost if you''re not careful, but that''s because there are too many buildings, tall buildings, and complex roads. If you get lost in Twinleaf Town, it''s probably just because you have a tendency to get lost.


    Does Ash have a tendency to get lost? Probably yes. After all, the roads he''s gotten lost on during his travels are comparable to those walked by many veteran trainers. Ash even regards getting lost as a life philosophy, which shows that he really has no way to overcome getting lost. But even so, he won''t admit that he has a tendency to get lost. Getting lost must be fate!


    "Aipom!"


    Compared to Ash''s current troubles, Aipom seemed much happier. After all, if Ash retrieved his Pok¨¦ Balls, it wouldn''t be able to stay outside. Although Aipom wasn''t as resistant to Pok¨¦ Balls as Pikachu, the outside world was definitely more attractive to its active nature.


    "I can''t help it. It seems you''ll have to stay outside a little longer. Anyway, let''s go to the commercial street to buy some necessities and have lunch first, or it''ll be troublesome if we forget later."


    "Pika!"


    "Aipom~"


    Pikachu and Aipom both approved of Ash''s plan with both hands, but what they approved of wasn''t going shopping, but going to eat.


    They spent most of their time sleeping on the plane. Although there was airplane food, it was last night''s business. Aipom hadn''t eaten for a whole day. If it weren''t for its slightly carefree nature and not realizing it was hungry until Ash said they were going to eat, it probably wouldn''t have had so much energy.


    "Let''s go then."


    Seeing Pikachu and Aipom looking hungrier than each other, Ash smiled and led them towards Twinleaf Town''s commercial street without saying anything more.


    ...


    Half an hour later.


    Inside a certain supermarket.


    "So, we already have a lot of ketchup, right? There''s no need to buy more, is there?"


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    "Pika!" (These are daily necessities!)


    "What daily necessities? You can live without ketchup, right?"


    "Pika! Pi!" (It''s different!)


    Just as Ash was checking out and about to pay, Pikachu secretly brought over two bottles of ketchup from who knows where and threw them into the shopping basket without any explanation. Ash was so angry that he could understand what it was saying.


    "How is it different! If you''re going to buy new ones, at least finish what''s in your backpack first, right?"


    "Pika!" (Better safe than sorry!)


    "Aipom..."


    Aipom, who should have been the loudest, fell silent while watching Ash and Pikachu argue. It wasn''t that it didn''t want to chime in or mediate, but the concerned gazes of the people in the mall made it afraid to step forward. What if it was mistaken as part of the group?


    "Um... excuse me..."


    Just as Aipom was about to leave, the cashier suddenly spoke up and said, "We''re currently holding an event here. You can enter a raffle for every certain amount spent. If you include these two newly added bottles of ketchup... you''ll have five chances to enter the raffle. How about it? Would you like to try?"


    "..."


    Okay, after hearing the cashier''s voice, Ash finally realized that he had lost his composure. It wasn''t that he wasn''t excited to return to the past, or that he was so stingy over one or two bottles of ketchup. It''s just that Pikachu hasn''t changed at all since before. Even before he time-traveled, Pikachu always liked to sneak one or two bottles of ketchup when he bought things. If it had finished all the old stock, Ash wouldn''t have said anything, but the problem was that Pikachu wanted to buy more every time it hadn''t finished the old ones, which resulted in ketchup even filling half of his backpack for a period of time.


    "Then, that''s it..."


    Under the cashier''s gaze, Ash waved his hand and said, admitting defeat. Pikachu, standing at Ash''s feet, happily made a peace sign, celebrating its victory.


    Even Aipom didn''t know what was so great about it.


    "You can take your receipt to the entrance to enter the raffle. Thank you for coming."


    The cashier smiled and bid farewell to Ash. Although Ash and Pikachu put on a small farce here, for the local residents who were used to the unchanging life of the town, Ash and Pikachu''s farce added a touch of fun to their peaceful lives. After all, they looked like they had a good relationship, and the argument wasn''t a real argument, just banter.


    Taking the receipt the cashier handed him, Ash patted his head in embarrassment and walked unsteadily to the raffle area.


    Standing at the raffle stall was a portly middle-aged man wearing a white headband. Seeing Ash''s dejected appearance, he patted Ash''s shoulder generously and said, "Don''t mind! Young people should be energetic! Don''t take it to heart, everyone''s just watching the fun. No one will laugh at you!"


    "...Although I don''t know if your words have had a comforting effect, never mind."


    Ash shook his head and handed over the receipt. The man took the receipt, glanced at it, and moved aside, saying, "Received, you have a total of 5 chances to enter the raffle. Please go ahead~ Unlike the previous prizes, our boss has put a lot of effort into thinking about the prizes this time."


    Put a lot of effort?


    Hearing the man say this, Ash curiously looked up at the list of prizes posted on the wall.


    First Prize - Full set of Pok¨¦ Ball stickers (with matching capsule balls)


    Second Prize - One year''s worth of ketchup


    Ash: "???"


    Pikachu: "!!!"


    Although Ash didn''t want to continue looking after seeing the second prize, he continued to browse under the excited gaze of the man.


    Third Prize - One month''s worth of banana fruit


    Ash: "???"


    Aipom: "!!!"


    Why does it feel like there''s so much malice in this world...


    Well, the first few prizes are really good, except that they''re useless to him.


    Ash covered his face and finally finished reading the remaining prizes through the gaps between his fingers.


    Fourth Prize - Twinleaf Restaurant invitation ticket


    Fifth Prize - Exquisite keychain


    Consolation Prize - A pack of tissues


    ....

 Chapter 009: The Commercial Street, Meeting Dawn

    How should I put it? Ash, who was originally a little interested in the raffle, now regretted it. These prizes didn''t seem to be of any use to him...


    Pok¨¦ Ball stickers, he didn''t participate in Pok¨¦mon Contests; ketchup and banana fruit, they would only bring him trouble.


    The rest were still a little useful. Among them, the best for Ash would be the restaurant invitation ticket, right? Although Pok¨¦mon trainers could enjoy discounts at various restaurants, it was still not as affordable as the Pok¨¦mon Center. If he could win an invitation ticket, Ash would definitely feast there.


    But....


    "Aipom! Aipom!"


    "Pika~pi!!"


    Because the prizes included Pikachu and Aipom''s favorite things, they both volunteered to enter the raffle. But was it really that easy...?


    Looking at the hand-cranked raffle machine on the table, Ash stepped forward and weighed it slightly. There were at least 50 or 60 balls inside, right? To draw those few colored balls representing the winning prize from so many small balls...


    Oh well, you always have to try everything.


    "Since you both want to enter the raffle so much, I''ll leave it to you. You two draw twice each, and I''ll draw the last time. Is that okay?"


    "Pika!"


    "Aipom!"


    Pikachu and Aipom replied happily, it seemed they really wanted those two prizes.


    Ash shook his head, first picked up Pikachu, so that its hand could grab the raffle machine''s crank, then Pikachu began to frantically turn the raffle machine in front of it.


    "Click, click, click~~"


    Countless small balls collided in the raffle machine, making a clattering sound. Pikachu confidently stopped, and a small ball fell out of the machine with inertia, landing on the prize plate below.


    "White!"


    The man clapped his hands, and in Pikachu''s surprised gaze, handed them...


    "Congratulations, a pack of tissues."


    "Pika?!"


    Is that it?


    Pikachu couldn''t help but think.


    It had tried so hard to draw, and it had been praying in its heart, even if it didn''t get ketchup, at least it should get some other prize, right?


    "...Um, there''s still one more chance. Don''t give up so early, maybe you''ll get it next time?"


    "Pi!"


    Hearing Ash''s comfort, Pikachu cheered up again. Indeed, just as Ash said, even if it didn''t get it the first time, there was still a next chance! As long as there was still a chance and it hadn''t given up, the goddess of luck would definitely favor it!


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    Pikachu took a deep breath, and in front of everyone''s eyes, shook the raffle machine again.


    ....


    "A pack of tissues! Thank you for your patronage!"


    "Pika..."


    Encountering the same result again, Pikachu had curled up into a ball and collapsed into the shadows. There was nothing more painful than having a year''s worth of ketchup placed in front of you, but you couldn''t get it no matter what.


    Would it have been better not to enter the raffle in the first place...?


    Looking at Pikachu''s dejected appearance, Ash began to regret letting Pikachu enter the raffle. Its mood had originally been boosted a lot because it bought two more bottles of ketchup, but now it seemed... the less said the better.


    "Aipom~pom~!"


    Although Aipom was Pikachu''s companion, it laughed the happiest after seeing Pikachu''s bad luck. The character of not being afraid of watching the fun was really perfect for it.


    After "disregarding" Pikachu''s luck in its heart, Aipom jumped directly onto the raffle platform without Ash''s help. It wanted to rely on its own strength to get what it wanted.


    The goal was the blue bead! One month''s worth of banana fruit!


    "Aipom!" (Charge!)


    ....


    "Thank you for your patronage, two packs of napkins!"


    Ash: "..."


    Looking at the figures curled up in the corner, now there were two, he didn''t know what to say for a moment. It was okay for Pikachu to say it was unlucky, but Aipom''s situation could only be said to be deserved, right? Who told it to be so arrogant before? It was good to learn a lesson through this opportunity.


    "Forget it, let''s see if I can draw something..."


    No matter how strict he was, Pikachu and Aipom were still his companions. Although he couldn''t draw two prizes with one ticket, at least if he could draw something they wanted, it should make the atmosphere a little more lively, right?


    I should have gone to eat first.


    Ash sighed inwardly. After fooling around here with them for a while, his stomach was really hungry. It was better to finish earlier and go home earlier.


    Thinking of this, Ash reached out and began to gently shake the raffle machine. The sound of the pillars colliding rose and fell, echoing in the supermarket.


    The residents who had seen Ash and Pikachu arguing before were still watching Ash silently. They were also curious whether Ash could draw what Pikachu and Aipom wanted, or win other prizes.


    Time passed slowly, roughly about ten seconds, Ash finally took his hand off the crank. As a golden light flashed, a golden bead appeared on the plate under the raffle machine.


    "This, this is!!!"


    "Oh!"


    "It''s actually really..."


    "Congratulations!!!"


    The man took the bell on the table and began to frantically shake it, announcing in this lively way that the grand prize had been drawn.


    "Congratulations, you won the first prize! This is this time''s prize! A full set of Pok¨¦ Ball stickers that are currently on sale! Congratulations!"


    As the man handed the prize to Ash, a round of celebratory applause broke out in the scene.


    How should I put it, I don''t feel happy at all...


    Ash felt the resentful gazes that Pikachu and Aipom cast towards him from the corner, and for a moment, he felt that this first prize he won was a hot potato.


    He understood that Aipom and Pikachu weren''t complaining that he didn''t help them draw what they wanted, but were complaining about why his luck was so good.


    Seeing him win made me even more uncomfortable than if I didn''t win!


    Perhaps this was the mentality that a non-European person inevitably produces when facing a European emperor?


    Just as Ash was about to put away the prize and leave the scene, a familiar voice from his memory suddenly came from behind him.


    "Eh - am I one step late? The prize has already been drawn?"


    Dawn...


    Ash''s pupils flickered, and the person bending over and gasping for breath in front of him, looking regretful, was Dawn, the companion who traveled with him in the Sinnoh region in his memory.


    Ash stared at her, and she was staring at the prize in Ash''s hand.


    Blue hair fell from her ear, and sweat was faintly seeping from her forehead. One of the straps of the yellow backpack she was carrying on her shoulder had slipped to her elbow. Although Dawn''s appearance couldn''t be described as disheveled, it wasn''t very presentable either. It was obvious that she was in a hurry on her way here.


    Could it really be for... this...?


    Now Ash''s gaze also began to fall on the prize in his hand. After roughly guessing the ins and outs of the matter, he suddenly felt a little troubled.


    ...

 Chapter 010: Gifting and Encouragement

    "......"


    "......"


    After Ash won the grand prize, proving his luck, the crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed. Ash originally thought Dawn would also leave, but he stood there for a few more minutes and still found Dawn secretly looking at the Pok¨¦ Ball stickers in his hand, her eyes unblinking and full of envy.


    So it really is a hot potato......


    Ash still complained in his heart.


    He didn''t know Dawn now, and although it wouldn''t matter if he took the initiative to talk to her, he always felt a little strange. But if he took the initiative to leave......


    "(Stare~)"


    Dawn''s eyes were always on the stickers in his hand.


    Ash also knew that these Pok¨¦ Ball stickers were very popular in the Sinnoh region''s Pok¨¦mon Contests. If the effect of the stickers matched the Pok¨¦mon itself, just the Pok¨¦mon''s appearance could earn a lot of points from the judges. But even so......


    "Pikachu, Aipom, let''s go."


    "Pika~ka~"


    "Aipom~"


    The two Pok¨¦mon thought Ash was now preparing to have a good meal at the restaurant, so they both became excited. The decadent look they had just now seemed to have never appeared on them.


    He''s leaving......


    Dawn, who had been secretly casting envious glances at Ash, thought with some regret as she saw Ash preparing to leave.


    If she wasn''t mistaken, there seemed to be some of the most popular limited editions among the Pok¨¦ Ball stickers he was holding. Dawn had originally thought about whether she could ask the other party if she could take a closer look, but now it seemed it was too late.


    I can only go home......


    Dawn regretfully prepared to go home, but just as she took the first step, she found that Ash was actually walking towards her.


    Huh?


    Dawn was a little stunned.


    The place where she was standing was not the entrance of the supermarket, but a small corner, and there was no one else around her. Was he coming to find her? Was it because she had been staring at the Pok¨¦ Ball stickers in his hand for too long and made him angry?


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    After thinking about this possibility, Dawn began to panic. After all, Dawn had never traveled alone, and she lived in Twinleaf Town, where there were few opportunities to communicate with strangers. Therefore, she didn''t know what to do if she offended someone outside because of some small actions.


    As the distance between Ash and her grew closer and closer, Dawn didn''t have time to think too much. Just as Ash reached her and was about to open his mouth, Dawn spoke first.


    "I''m sorry! I didn''t mean anything. I just thought there were a few rare ones among the stickers in your hand! It''s my fault for staring for too long! I''m sorry!"


    Ash: "???"


    Feeling the curious gazes cast from all directions, Ash froze again. However, the experience accumulated from years of traveling allowed him to react the quickest in this moment.


    "I''m not angry. I saw that you seemed to like these stickers very much... so if you need them, I can give them to you."


    "Huh?"


    Now it was Dawn''s turn to be stunned.


    So he wasn''t angry with me? Hmm?! No, no! That''s not the point! Did he just say......


    "You said... you''re going to give this to me? But isn''t this the prize you won?"


    Although Dawn wanted to accept it immediately, as soon as she thought that the other party might be forced to give out this gift that shouldn''t belong to her because he couldn''t stand her gaze, she felt a little awkward.


    What''s more, would anyone really give gifts to others so casually when traveling outside?


    Dawn finally had time to size up Ash. He didn''t seem to be a resident of Twinleaf Town. After all, there were only so many residents in Twinleaf Town. If there was someone around her age, there was no reason why Dawn wouldn''t know them.


    "Yeah, it''s true that I won it, but I don''t need it. My goal is the Pok¨¦mon League, not the Grand Festival."


    "You know about the Grand Festival too?"


    Dawn asked in surprise.


    Because in her understanding, trainers whose goal was the Pok¨¦mon League basically didn''t pay much attention to Pok¨¦mon Contests. Even if they knew what Pok¨¦mon Contests were, they generally didn''t know what the Grand Festival was.


    "Yeah, before coming to the Sinnoh region, I learned a little about it. One of the companions I traveled with in the Hoenn region also participated in the Hoenn region''s Grand Festival."


    "Really! The Hoenn region''s Grand Festival?! What was her ranking?"


    "Unfortunately, only top 8, but after all, it was her first year debuting, so it was amazing that she could achieve this result."


    Ash''s mind conjured up the figure of May. Before he time-traveled, May could be said to be the first person to realize her dream. Compared to her, there were still many things he hadn''t done enough.


    "The first year of debuting and she can get into the top 8... that''s so strong, I don''t know if I can do it."


    Although Dawn was an optimist, she inevitably had the anxiety and worry unique to newcomers when facing a challenge she had never participated in.


    "Hmm~ if you work hard, I think it should be no problem. You know, my companion was a very pure newbie when she debuted. She wasn''t even familiar with how to command battles, and she was even a little afraid of Pok¨¦mon. Compared to her, you''ll definitely be fine~"


    Ash encouraged Dawn with a smile.


    As for May, she wasn''t here anyway, and besides, what he said wasn''t a lie, so it was okay! As long as he and Dawn didn''t say anything, no one would know about today''s conversation!


    "Yeah! No problem, no problem! I also think I''m very talented! Humph!"


    After being encouraged by Ash, Dawn immediately returned to her usual self. When communicating and making eye contact with Ash, she no longer felt like she was talking to a stranger. Perhaps this was the power of having a similar age and common topics.


    "So, do you still want this sticker? If you don''t want it, I''ll give it to..."


    "I want it, I want it! Please give it to me! I promise I won''t tarnish its value!"


    So, communicating with Dawn was really a simple thing.


    Ash''s mood also improved with the smile that appeared on Dawn''s face after she accepted the stickers.


    .......

 Chapter 011: Dawns Invitation

    "So, Ash, you came from Kanto region, which is so far away... It must have been hard."


    After getting to know Dawn briefly, they started walking and chatting along the way. During the conversation, Dawn learned a lot about Ash''s situation, so she said with emotion.


    "It''s okay, it just feels far away. After traveling, you''ll feel that this distance is nothing."


    When communicating with Dawn, Ash basically took the attitude of a senior. Whenever Dawn encountered something she misunderstood or didn''t understand, Ash would carefully explain or introduce it to her. To Dawn, who hadn''t officially started traveling, Ash seemed to know everything.


    "Pika~ka~"


    "Aipom~"


    Just then, Pikachu and Aipom made untimely noises.


    Ash looked down and saw that their bodies had begun to sway. They were obviously hungry. Originally, Pikachu and Aipom could rely on the goal in front of them and use their willpower to suppress the feeling of hunger, but now it seemed they had reached their limit.


    "Are they hungry?" Dawn couldn''t help but ask, looking at the miserable state of Pikachu and Aipom.


    "Yeah, after all, we didn''t eat much on the plane. We were going to find a restaurant nearby to eat after buying things."


    Speaking of this, Ash was already preparing to say goodbye to Dawn, but he didn''t expect Dawn to immediately suggest when she heard Ash say they hadn''t eaten, "In that case, do you want to come to my house to eat? Anyway, my mom is planning to cook, and I have a lot of Pok¨¦mon food at home. There should be some that Pikachu and Aipom like to eat, right?"


    "Pika!"


    "Aipom!"


    As soon as they heard Dawn say that she had Pok¨¦mon food at home, their spirits immediately perked up. Speaking of which, there was also Pok¨¦mon food in his backpack... It was just a little strange to eat it directly on the street. If they really wanted to eat quickly, they should just find a store nearby, right?


    But.....


    "Then we''ll intrude."


    Seeing that Pikachu and Aipom''s minds were no longer here, Ash simply went along with their plan. Anyway, he had only been to Dawn''s house as a guest once before. He was still lucky to get this opportunity again.


    "No problem! My mom will definitely welcome you too! And I also have a lot of things I want to ask you, after all, I''m leaving for a trip tomorrow and I''m a little nervous."


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    "Tomorrow, huh..."


    "Yeah, what''s wrong?"


    "No, nothing, I just thought of something else."


    Ash smiled and changed the subject. In fact, when he heard Dawn say that she was leaving for a trip tomorrow, he had already planned to find out what time it was now. Although many of his past memories had become blurred, Ash would never forget the troubles he encountered when he first arrived in the Sinnoh region.


    Pikachu, who got lost because of Team Rocket.


    The encounter with Dawn.


    And her charred bicycle.


    Speaking of which, Dawn''s bicycle should be saved if he did it again, right? Thinking this, the pressure on him was also reduced a lot. After all, Pikachu ruining bicycles seemed to have become a routine in the previous few regions, but his wallet didn''t want to become depleted because of this strange thing.


    ....


    "Knock knock~ Knock knock~~~"


    "Coming, coming~~"


    In Dawn''s house, Johanna was sitting on the sofa watching TV, waiting for Dawn to come back from buying things. Just as she was wondering if Dawn had been gone for too long, there was a knock on the door.


    "Speaking of which, you didn''t bring your keys again? Really, can''t you be more careful? Isn''t that right, Glameow?"


    "Meow~~"


    Glameow, who was sleeping on the table, only waved its tail lightly after hearing Johanna''s question, indicating that it had heard it. However, it didn''t seem to be answering Johanna''s question. Seeing this, Johanna just shook her head, didn''t say anything else, and walked to the entrance to open the door for Dawn.


    "Click¡ª"


    Johanna turned the doorknob, and the door opened with a crisp sound. However, just as Johanna was about to continue reminding her daughter to be more careful in the future, she discovered that there was a boy standing behind her daughter.


    "Sorry to bother you, I''m Ash from Pallet Town in the Kanto region." Ash smiled awkwardly and greeted Johanna.


    Johanna: "???"


    Wait, what''s going on here? I asked you to go out and buy something, how can you bring someone back?


    "Um... sorry, can I trouble you to wait here for a moment?"


    Johanna said this to Ash with an apologetic expression, and then pulled Dawn into the house and began to question her.


    "Hey, what''s going on here? Didn''t I ask you to help buy soy sauce?"


    "Here, soy sauce."


    "Ah, thank you... no! Now is not the time to talk about this!" Johanna pushed away the soy sauce that Dawn handed her and asked, "Speaking of which, what''s going on with that child named Ash? Is he a friend you knew before? How come I''ve never heard you mention him?"


    Dawn: "Because I just met him today."


    Johanna: "Doesn''t that make it even stranger... Although you''re not exactly socially phobic, you shouldn''t be a social terrorist, right? Why would you suddenly think of bringing a boy you met for the first time home to visit? Could it be that Dawn you..."


    "Don''t guess randomly!" Dawn whispered, grinding her teeth angrily, "Because Ash gave me something, and then I saw that he and his Pok¨¦mon hadn''t had lunch yet. As a reward, I invited him over!"


    After speaking, Dawn took out the Pok¨¦ Ball stickers that Ash had given her and showed them off to Johanna.


    "Eh~ is that so... If that''s the case, I can understand, but that child is too nice, right? Even if he''s not a coordinator, this is a prize he finally won, right? He just gave it to you so easily... Could it be that Dawn you did something..."


    "Ahhhhh! Please don''t ask! Can you let people in? We''ll never finish talking if we keep talking like this!"


    Dawn knew that if her mother continued to talk about this topic, they wouldn''t be able to finish it all day, so she immediately interrupted the topic, and without asking Johanna''s opinion, went to the door and invited Ash in.


    ....

 Chapter 012: His Stories, Her Expectations

    "That''s really something. I didn''t expect you to have traveled through so many regions, Ash, and you can always achieve good results in the League competitions."


    Although Dawn invited Ash, Johanna was the one who spoke to Ash more at the dining table, while Dawn was more like an outsider.


    But thinking about it carefully, there didn''t seem to be any way around it. After all, both Ash and Johanna were experienced travelers, so they naturally had more common topics. Dawn simply had no opportunity to interject in many places. She just ate silently and absorbed some useful information from Johanna and Ash''s conversation.


    "It''s not that good. Most of them ended with regrets. If I could have been more mature at that time, maybe things would have been different."


    As Ash said this, Charizard suddenly came to his mind.


    In the top 16 competition of the Indigo Plateau Conference, his immaturity at the time did not get Charizard''s approval. Therefore, when he sent it to the field, it unsurprisingly lay directly on the ground and refused to fight. As a result, he was judged to have lost his will to fight when facing Hiroshi and directly lost the match.


    His mood at that time? He couldn''t remember it very well now, but it probably wasn''t disappointment or anything else. After all, he was indeed too weak at that time. Whether in the command of battles or in other aspects, he couldn''t be considered a mature Pok¨¦mon trainer.


    The most disappointing thing about the Indigo Plateau Conference for Ash wasn''t his defeat, but that he couldn''t compete with Gary in the first League competition. Gary didn''t expect it, and Ash didn''t expect that he would be defeated so early.


    However, it was precisely because of the failure that he, and Gary, could have more time to reflect on their problems. It was precisely because of that failure that prompted their subsequent growth. He came this way, and Gary also came this way.


    "I think you''re being a little too modest. Not to mention achieving results in the League competition, it''s not easy for a newcomer in their first year to even get the eight badges and qualify to participate in the League competition. And speaking of immaturity~"


    Dawn: "?!"


    Alert.


    Although Johanna didn''t turn her gaze to her immediately, if the topic continued in this direction, the next topic would most likely be...


    "Alas, if Dawn could also be as mature as you, that would be great~ She''s always forgetful and easily immersed in her own world, and doesn''t listen to others at all. She even likes to say ''no problem'' all the time, but whenever she says ''no problem'', it''s often when..."


    "That''s not true! Don''t talk nonsense!!"


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    Dawn indignantly interrupted Johanna. She never thought that she would be used as a negative example even when she didn''t interject.


    "Eh~?" Johanna let out a meaningful long sigh. "But didn''t you forget your keys when you went out today? Although I didn''t remind you today, you should have been unable to go home because you didn''t bring your keys at least ten times, right? If you really grew up, you should at least remember this little thing."


    "Ugh..."


    Dawn couldn''t refute and just lowered her head and continued to eat silently. Seeing Dawn like this, Ash then spoke, "As long as you travel, you''ll grow every day. My situation used to be worse than Dawn''s. On the first day of my debut, I was chased by dozens of Spearow, and I even had to jump into the river to escape. Pikachu wasn''t close to people at that time either. It was really troublesome."


    "Pika!"


    Pikachu, who was also silently eating on the other side, didn''t expect that the topic could be brought up to its past history. It was so shocked that it quickly turned around, not daring to face the gazes of Aipom and Dawn. However, after hearing such an interesting thing, Aipom, as expected, couldn''t stay idle again, and started to put down its food and walk behind Pikachu, poking it with its hand, seemingly wanting to inquire about the past.


    "Really? That''s a bit..." Johanna''s expression was full of sympathy. She thought Ash should be the type who grew steadily, but she never thought that Ash could be so tragic on the first day of his debut. "Although Pok¨¦mon trainers do have to be accompanied by danger, your situation is something that one out of a thousand trainers may encounter."


    "Humph~! I''m very popular with Pok¨¦mon! I will never encounter a situation where I''m chased and attacked by Pok¨¦mon!"


    Dawn didn''t know where her confidence came from, but she actually made such bold claims before the start of her journey. However, Ash didn''t refute it and just continued.


    "It does seem dangerous now, but it''s okay, after all, my relationship with Pikachu got better after surviving that danger, and I also encountered good things. Thinking about it now, I think it''s quite worth it."


    In the sky after the rain, a colorful figure flapped its beautiful wings and slowly passed by from one side of the sky. A rainbow accompanied its figure all the way to the distance.


    Ash didn''t know who that mysterious Pok¨¦mon was at the time, but in future travels, he learned that the Pok¨¦mon he encountered was the legendary Ho-Oh. Since the Bell Tower incident, it had disappeared from people''s sight, and then hid behind the scenes and began to observe the world.


    The story of his encounter with Pikachu must have been seen by Ho-Oh, and the bond and feelings between them should have been recognized by Ho-Oh, otherwise it wouldn''t have appeared in front of him. Although it was just passing by, without any communication or eye contact, Ash now always felt that since the day he saw Ho-Oh, his journey had always been accompanied by various surprises, full of "good luck."


    Well, this good luck refers to always being involved in incidents related to legendary Pok¨¦mon. Although it was indeed very dangerous, he had no complaints. After all, he was a Pok¨¦mon trainer, and being able to encounter various legendary Pok¨¦mon and create memories was originally a happy thing. Every danger he encountered was also truly transformed into experience and the motivation to become stronger, integrated into his body, urging him to continue walking down.


    At the dining table, Johanna and Dawn, as the hosts, basically didn''t speak. They just listened quietly to the various stories Ash told, immersed in them. They would only ask curiously if they had any questions. Most of the time, they were just ordinary viewers.


    Even Johanna, who had also experienced traveling, admired and yearned for Ash''s journey, let alone Dawn, who had not yet embarked on her journey.


    As Ash told many stories in detail, Dawn''s expectations and desires, accompanied by a certain idea, began to take root in her mind and gradually grow.

 Chapter 013: Ordinary and Warm

    Time always flies when you have common topics to discuss. Before they knew it, it was already evening. The orange sunlight slanted in through the windows, adding a gentle atmosphere to Dawn''s house. It was when the evening sun shone on Johanna''s face that she realized it was already so late.


    "Oh my, I got so engrossed for a while. I didn''t expect it to be almost dinner time."


    "Really."


    Not only Johanna, but even Dawn and Ash had just realized how late it was.


    Perhaps it was because he rarely had the opportunity to talk to others about his past stories, so he enjoyed it so much that he didn''t notice the passage of time at all.


    "Pika~"


    "Aipom~~"


    Ash got up and looked for Pikachu and Aipom, and soon found the two little ones curled up on the sofa.


    Pikachu and Aipom also seemed tired from traveling. He didn''t know when it happened, but probably shortly after lunch, they had fallen asleep. Pikachu and Aipom were lying together. Pikachu was curled up in a ball, and Aipom''s tail was drooping on Pikachu''s body, looking like it was covering it with a blanket. Slight snores came from their noses and mouths, looking warm and beautiful.


    "They fell asleep..."


    Ash scratched his head and whispered with some embarrassment.


    He had said to hurry up and prepare to leave, but he didn''t expect Pikachu and Aipom to be sleeping so sweetly. Pikachu was fine, after all, it had slept for a while on the plane, but Aipom hadn''t slept much at all in order to follow him. The active and curious Aipom would naturally be too excited to sleep after arriving on a new continent and seeing new things.


    And the reason why they were able to fall asleep in Dawn''s house was probably because they felt a sense of security.


    During this afternoon, the three of them sat at the dining table and whispered stories. Pikachu and Aipom became sleepy as they listened.


    "Meow~"


    After seeing Johanna also come over, Glameow, who had been lying on the back of the sofa, also got up and called out lazily. Seeing this, Johanna just smiled and stroked its fur, and then seemed to see through Ash''s thoughts and suggested, "It''s very late now, why don''t you stay here overnight? If you don''t have anything urgent."


    "Well... there is indeed nothing urgent. After all, this is my first day in the Sinnoh region. I will slowly challenge the eight Gyms, obtain the badges, and then participate in the League competition."


    "Then it''s okay for you to stay here tonight, right? Just consider it a reward for telling us so many fascinating stories."


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    After Johanna finished speaking, she didn''t give Ash a chance to refute, and went straight to the second floor to start preparing the guest room for Ash to stay.


    "It feels so familiar." Ash said to Dawn, who was still a little distracted, "It feels like Aunt Johanna is a bit like my mom. If you went to my house, I feel like my mom would do something similar."


    Ash thought that his mother Delia Ketchum''s personality had never changed, whether now or in the distant future.


    "But I think my mom is really annoying. She always likes to poke at my past sore spots. I''m about to start traveling, and I''ve already grown up."


    Although an afternoon had passed, Dawn was still brooding over some of the episodes in the afternoon. After all, Ash was here this afternoon. If Ash wasn''t there, Dawn would have actually become immune to Johanna''s behavior. At most, she would only express her dissatisfaction verbally.


    "Although I think just being able to start traveling doesn''t count as growing up."


    "Hey--why do even you say that, Ash!"


    Dawn said with dissatisfaction, hands on her hips and cheeks puffed out. Now Dawn didn''t feel any awkwardness when facing Ash, as if they were old friends who had known each other for many years.


    "Ah, sorry, sorry~" Knowing that Dawn just wanted recognition that she had grown up, Ash went along with her and said, "But isn''t your dream to become a top coordinator who surpasses your mom? If that''s the case, why not start using actions to speak for you from tomorrow? Standing on the awards platform of a large stage, asking ''Have I grown up now?'' in front of the TV, wouldn''t that be more effective?"


    "That......"


    Dawn frowned slightly, tapped her finger against the corner of her mouth, and then smiled happily, seeming to think that Ash''s suggestion was very good.


    "That''s right! I must do that when I receive the award! That way she will have nothing to say, right! Humph~!"


    Dawn raised her chin, her expression completely full of a triumphant smile as if she had already won. With beautiful visions of the future, she had even forgotten that she was just a rookie who had just debuted. How difficult would it be to win the championship in the first year of her debut? It would be impossible to reach the peak immediately after debuting unless she was a rare genius.


    But......


    Runner-up? That would be nice......


    Dawn did indeed have talent in this area. In the first year of her debut, she achieved the runner-up position on the stage of the Grand Festival, only one step away from the champion, Zoey.


    Compared to Dawn, he really couldn''t be considered a genius. His debut was just ordinary, only reaching the top 16 without attracting much attention, and he was stopped in the top 4 at the Lily of the Valley Conference.


    "Of course, I believe you can definitely do it if it''s you!"


    Perhaps, the opportunity to start over was not only for himself, but also for Dawn.


    Ash thought.


    ¡­¡­


    Night arrived as promised after the sun set. Twinleaf Town, which had not undergone large-scale urbanization, retained most of its natural features.


    The cool night breeze blew into Ash''s room from the window. He leaned against the wall by the window and looked up at the bright moon. He heard the calls of Bug-type Pok¨¦mon traveling at night, and...


    "Pika~pi~~"


    "Aipom~~~"


    The sounds of Pikachu and Aipom snoring.


    "Wait, didn''t these two sleep all afternoon? Why can they still sleep so soundly at night!"


    Ash complained about them strangely, but on the other hand, he was actually complaining about how he couldn''t fall asleep.


    He hadn''t slept much, and he had walked quite a bit, but why couldn''t he fall asleep, and he didn''t even feel sleepy? He tossed and turned in bed for a long time without any signs of falling asleep.


    Perhaps it was because he was too excited to be able to return to the past that he couldn''t sleep.


    Ash guessed.


    "Oh well, I''ll go for a walk."


    After speaking, he generously pushed open the door and walked downstairs, planning to go outside to enjoy the night breeze.


    Just as Ash went downstairs, he didn''t notice that Dawn''s door wasn''t closed tightly, but was open a crack. After hearing Ash leave the room, Dawn poked her head out, thought for a moment, and made a decision, also heading out the door.


    .......

 Chapter 014: Nighttime, Dawns Request

    The moon emerged from the cloud cover. A stone path stretched from the backyard of the house, leading to a wide meadow behind the houses arranged side by side. The grass was neither sparse nor dense. Stepping lightly on it, one could faintly hear a crisp sound, and a soft sensation came from underfoot. A few dark clouds obscured part of the moon, but faint moonlight still shone down from the horizon through the clouds, appearing even brighter in the unobstructed environment of the meadow.


    Ash reached the center of the meadow, took a deep breath of the cool night air, and then simply fell straight onto the grass.


    Feeling the sensation of the grass from behind, Ash felt his mood relax a lot. He, who hadn''t felt sleepy at all, started yawning in just a moment.


    "Ugh~~ So comfortable~~"


    He stretched, turned to his side, and closed his eyes, but he didn''t try to fall asleep. After all, this was someone else''s house, and they had invited him to stay, so it would be too awkward if he was found sleeping outside all night the next day.


    But thinking about it, how long had it been since he had experienced this feeling?


    Before traveling back to the present, he had been training day and night in a fixed place every day in order to challenge the position of Pok¨¦mon Master, and he had no time to relax in nature like this.


    Feeling all this beauty, Ash could only exclaim, "It''s so good to be back~!"


    "Back? Back to where?"


    Ash: "?!"


    Just as Ash made this exclamation, Dawn walked out from behind him without him knowing. Whether it was because her footsteps were too light or because she was wearing slippers, she didn''t make any noise on the grass.


    "Cough cough, it''s nothing, just casually sighing."


    Although he was puzzled as to why Dawn was here now, Ash still answered quickly. Seeing this, Dawn just blinked curiously. But thinking that Ash had traveled through so many regions after all, it should be normal for him to sigh suddenly, right?


    It was just that this behavior always gave Dawn a feeling of being old-fashioned.


    "Can''t you sleep either?"


    Seeing Dawn walk to his side and sit down, Ash couldn''t continue lying down, so he had to get up and sit next to her. The moonlight shone on their faces, as if giving the children about to embark on a new journey the most sincere blessings and baptisms, which was intoxicating.


    "Yeah, a little... excited or uneasy, maybe?"


    Dawn hugged her legs and swayed her whole body back and forth gently. This feeling of unease looked a little cute and was rare for Dawn. After all, her personality was actually quite confident, and she wouldn''t hesitate because of a little setback. In Ash''s memory, the number of times Dawn had become decadent because of being hit hard could be counted on one hand, so Ash felt novelty when he saw Dawn in this state.


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    "It would be strange if you didn''t have this feeling. The night before I embarked on my first journey, I was so excited that I overslept. I spent the whole night thinking about which starter Pok¨¦mon to choose as my partner, and as a result, I overslept the next day."


    Ash couldn''t help but feel a little embarrassed about what happened when he first embarked on his journey. It was normal to be unable to sleep because he was too excited, but it wasn''t normal to be so late to the lab. Gary had even waited at the door for so long just to tease him, which was annoying.


    "Overslept... if it wasn''t for my mom calling me at home, I''m afraid I would have overslept too......"


    Although she seemed to be the only rookie trainer at this time, being late would leave a bad impression. After all, there should be many situations where she would have to deal with Professor Rowan in the future... Moreover, it was said that Professor Rowan was a terrible person, and Dawn didn''t want to offend him on the first day.


    "Although I was really flustered when I overslept at that time, and I didn''t even have time to wash up and went out in my pajamas, I was still one step late even if I rushed so much. The three starter Pok¨¦mon of the Kanto region were all taken."


    "Eh?" Dawn covered her mouth in surprise and asked, "So you didn''t have a starter Pok¨¦mon?"


    "Yeah, to be exact, I didn''t have the three starter Pok¨¦mon from the Kanto region that should have been given to rookie trainers. At that time, I felt very sorry and regretted it, but when Professor Oak gave me Pikachu as my starter Pok¨¦mon, I felt like I had made a profit. Although Pikachu at that time hated humans as I said at noon, it would shock me as soon as I touched it, but I liked it at first sight. Looking back now, I should thank myself for oversleeping at that time."


    Dawn listened quietly, as if she was Ash at that time, and her mood changed from the depression of oversleeping and not receiving a Pok¨¦mon to the joy of obtaining Pikachu.


    Seeing that Dawn seemed to be slowly calming down, and the hands that had been hugging her legs had gradually loosened, Ash continued, "There are always a lot of uncertainties in travel, getting lost, meeting bad people... these are unavoidable, but overall, things will always work out in the end. Although my companions and I have encountered many dangers and troubles along the way, we finally managed to solve them, and in the end, there is only the joy of harvest......"


    As expected......


    A smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of Dawn''s mouth. She confirmed the thoughts in her heart.


    His love for Pok¨¦mon and for traveling was from the bottom of his heart.


    Although traveling would definitely be a very happy thing, if I followed him, could I also encounter more interesting things?


    If Dawn''s feelings about traveling alone before were mixed, then after meeting Ash, hearing about his experiences on his journey, and hearing his encouragement and comfort, Dawn''s thoughts about traveling had completely turned to the good side.


    Anyway, things will always work out in the end. It doesn''t matter if you encounter trouble, just treat it as enriching your life experiences, is that right?


    Dawn looked at Ash''s face, finally made up her mind, turned around to face Ash directly, and then, under his questioning gaze, Dawn said, "Although it may be a bit abrupt to say this, can I ask you to grant me a request?"


    "Request?" After noticing Dawn''s movements, Ash also looked at her and asked curiously.


    "Yeah." Dawn nodded lightly, looked at the reflection of herself in Ash''s pupils, took a deep breath, and said, "Please let me travel with you!"


    The few dark clouds on the horizon drifted away in the breeze. The moonlight that had been partially obscured now seemed even more dazzling in the vast night sky.


    .......

 Chapter 015: Shared Anticipation

    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    "You want to... travel with me?"


    To Dawn''s surprise, she had expected that after she told Ash of this decision, he would be surprised or find it difficult to understand. However, Ash didn''t seem too surprised now. If she had to say there was any surprise, it was as if he just didn''t understand why she would say this at this time.


    "Um... do you understand what I''m saying......"


    Dawn reached out and waved her hand in front of Ash, wanting to confirm if he was awake.


    "Of course I understand. Isn''t it just traveling together? Of course, it''s not a problem. Anyway, our destinations should be similar, right? We both start from the initial town and head towards a more distant destination. Since the destinations and the roads we have to travel are similar, traveling together should be reasonable, right?"


    "That... well......"


    Dawn originally wanted to refute, but when she thought about it carefully, it didn''t seem like there was any problem. Since they knew each other and were going the same way, then traveling together was reasonable. But Dawn always felt like something was wrong somewhere.


    "Right? There''s no problem, right?" Ash seemed to think it was fun to see Dawn looking so flustered, so he continued, "Actually, finding companions for traveling is a very simple thing. Back then, I traveled with those companions for all sorts of strange reasons."


    "...So, what are some of the reasons?" Dawn asked blankly. She was about to lose her ability to think now.


    "Um... two had their bicycles destroyed by Pikachu and then said they wanted to travel together... wanted to see a wider world so traveled together... wanted to see Professor Oak in person so traveled together... and one traveled with his sister......"


    What is all this about?


    Hearing Ash''s explanation, Dawn couldn''t help but feel this way.


    If Ash didn''t look so serious, Dawn would have thought he was just making up some reasons to trick her.


    "Compared to them, I think you''re pretty normal, Dawn."


    Because you were supposed to be one of them anyway.


    Ash guiltily looked away, not meeting Dawn''s gaze.


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    "Normal...?" Dawn frowned and thought, but after all, she hadn''t traveled before and didn''t know much about this, so she could only tentatively believe what Ash said was true.


    "Then, please take care of me?"


    Dawn tentatively reached out her hand to Ash.


    She had stayed up all night thinking of so many lines to say to persuade Ash to deal with all kinds of situations, but she didn''t expect Ash to just agree directly. Not only did he agree, but he also said that it was a commonplace thing to travel together right after meeting, which kind of broke Dawn''s understanding of things for so long.


    "Yeah, please take care of me too."


    Compared to Dawn''s restraint, Ash was generous, took Dawn''s hand, and the bond and story between the two officially began at this moment.


    ......


    "Cough... cough cough... If that''s the case, I''ll go back to sleep first, otherwise it''ll be troublesome if I''m too sleepy tomorrow. What about you?"


    With the matter she had been worried about settled, Dawn could finally breathe a sigh of relief. She had thought it was just an ordinary day, and her life would change from tomorrow, but Dawn didn''t expect to have so much luck before the start of her journey.


    "I''ll go back too, otherwise it''ll be awkward if I fall asleep here."


    Ash said with a yawn.


    He was already a little sleepy from lying on the grass, and now he could hardly restrain his urge to sleep well, so after reaching an agreement, the two walked back together.


    Arriving at the door, facing the closed door, Ash looked at Dawn and said, "Then opening the door is... um? Wait? What''s with that expression?"


    After noticing the embarrassment on Dawn''s face, Ash was stunned and hurriedly asked, "That expression, don''t tell me......"


    "Ehehe~ Sorry, I forgot to take the keys out and closed the door."


    Dawn knocked her head with her fist, trying to gloss over it.


    Ash: "......"


    He didn''t expect that before the start of the journey, they would encounter a huge problem. They couldn''t just knock on the door in the middle of the night, right? He could understand if he subconsciously forgot to close the door and had to use the key to open it, after all, it was the first time he had encountered this, but what was Dawn''s situation?


    "Didn''t Aunt Johanna just say that about you at noon? Isn''t the speed at which you forget things a bit too fast!?"


    "There''s no way! I wasn''t thinking about the door and the keys at all at the time. After coming out, I subconsciously closed the door carefully. What can I do!"


    "That''s why you should be more careful! If you''re so careless when you''re out traveling......"


    The two, who were still polite the moment before, started bickering the next second because of a small matter. Even though it was the first time the two had met, Dawn didn''t feel any sense of incongruity with Ash''s bickering, but instead felt that it should be like this.


    Will this kind of thing happen often on future travels?


    Dawn bickered with Ash, and at the same time, a strange expectation arose in her heart.


    And Ash, because it was a redo, naturally had more thoughts. When he was traveling in the past, he felt that his personality was very similar to Dawn''s, and now looking back, he still got this answer.


    They both seemed to be careless idiots, insensitive to things other than their own dreams, but precisely because of this, they were able to become the most tacit partners between each other.


    Future travel will definitely be more interesting.


    Ash also had this expectation in his heart.


    .......

 Chapter 016: Before Setting Of

    The next day, early morning.


    "......"


    "......"


    At the dining table, both Ash and Dawn sported dark circles under their eyes, yawning constantly and looking very sleepy.


    "I can understand why Dawn didn''t sleep well, after all, it''s her first day traveling, so it''s inevitable that she''s excited, but Ash, what''s wrong with you? Do you have something on your mind?"


    "No, no." Ash shook his head and said, "I just slept too long on the plane, which caused me to not be able to sleep well last night. It''s nothing, I''m used to it."


    "Is that so......" Johanna said, and could barely accept Ash''s explanation. "But it''s best not to get used to this kind of thing. Young people shouldn''t overdraw their bodies too much, otherwise it will be too late to regret it later."


    "Yes... thank you for your concern."


    Ash could only barely squeeze a smile on his face in response.


    Ash himself didn''t remember what time he went back to sleep yesterday. He only remembered that he and Dawn had argued at the door for at least half an hour, and in the end, they couldn''t decide who was right. So they simply chatted idly at the door, continuing the topic from noon.


    Later, Pikachu, who woke up in the middle of the night, found that he was gone, and then discovered from the window that he was locked out, so he helped him and Dawn open the door with a speechless expression.


    Pikachu was useful at critical moments.


    Although he and Dawn finally managed to get back to bed, it was already dawn at that time. Ash guessed that he had only slept for about four hours last night at most. It was a very delicate situation. If they had slept any less, he and Dawn wouldn''t have been able to get up today.


    "Aipom!"


    "Pika?!"


    While Ash and the others were eating at the table, Aipom, who was eating Pok¨¦mon food on the ground, couldn''t help but want to play a prank again. It secretly took a lot of Pikachu''s food. Even when it was discovered, it didn''t show any remorse, just quickly finished eating it all, leaving Pikachu with a helpless expression but unable to do anything, sadly remaining in place.


    "Can you not play pranks so early in the morning......"


    Seeing this, Ash could only refill the Pok¨¦mon food that Pikachu had consumed, and also squeezed a large dollop of ketchup on it. Only then did Pikachu''s mood completely turn from cloudy to sunny.


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    "By the way, I haven''t had time to ask before." After seeing Ash and Pikachu''s interaction, Johanna asked, "You did say that Pikachu doesn''t want to stay in a Pok¨¦ Ball, right? What about Aipom? Is it the same?"


    "Aipom~?"


    Hearing that the topic seemed to have shifted to him, Aipom giggled, and then saluted Johanna, as if to tell her that her guess was correct.


    "The hell with that!" Seeing this, Ash gave it a chop on the head and explained, "This guy followed me here on its own. It should be at Professor Oak''s lab right now. Because it followed me secretly, I don''t have its Pok¨¦ Ball yet. I can contact Professor Oak and have its Pok¨¦ Ball transferred over when I get to the next town."


    "I see."


    Johanna suddenly understood.


    Compared to Aipom, the companions she had captured during her many years of traveling were all very well-behaved and didn''t make her worry at all. Thinking about it, she was a bit lucky.


    After finishing this conversation, Johanna began to ask Dawn, who was quickly gobbling up her breakfast and looked like she wanted to finish it quickly, "Dawn, have you thought about which Pok¨¦mon you want to choose? Didn''t you not rest well all night?"


    "Hmm? Me? Um......"


    Dawn held her chopsticks in her mouth and looked very tangled.


    "I haven''t thought about it yet. I feel like all three Pok¨¦mon are cute. I''ll have to see the specific situation at the time, right? Seeing them in person is the best!"


    That was indeed true.


    Johanna nodded in agreement. When she went traveling, although she had decided early on which starter Pok¨¦mon she wanted, she still hesitated for a while before confirming her choice after seeing them in person. For rookie trainers, they would only start to feel cautious when they personally saw the companions who would be fighting alongside them for the rest of their lives.


    "Have you prepared everything? Although you can buy anything you''re missing in the middle of the trip, it''s best to bring some necessities from the beginning, like medicine, otherwise it would be terrible if something went wrong in the middle of the trip."


    "Hehe! No problem, no problem! I''ve prepared everything!" Dawn quickly scraped the last bit of food left on her plate, and then said with her chest held high, "I moved the things I needed to bring outside after I woke up this morning!"


    "Moved to?"


    "Outside?"


    Ash and Johanna exchanged a look. They both read the doubt and a trace of worry from each other''s eyes. Then, under Dawn''s confident gaze, the two came to the door, opened the door and only saw¡ª


    "This is really......"


    "Who in the world would bring luggage that''s taller than themselves when they go out?"


    "Why!? These are all necessities, right? Like this dress, and this skirt... even this hat, these are all very important!"


    Her carefully prepared and confident luggage was criticized so mercilessly, so Dawn naturally voiced her dissatisfaction.


    "Where are they important!? Seriously! Can you really travel with so many things? It''s because you said everything was fine that I felt relieved to leave packing the luggage to you! But didn''t you just mess it all up? Anyway, quickly throw out all the useless things inside!"


    "No way!!"


    Watching Dawn and Johanna pulling back and forth, Ash could only smile awkwardly on the side.


    How should he put it? It was indeed very Dawn-like. She was so careless in so many places, but she was so convinced of her own methods. Dawn''s personality easily influenced the people around her.


    "Oh, this child......" It was only after finally driving Dawn back inside to repack her luggage that Johanna had time to press her forehead helplessly, and then apologized to Ash, "I''m sorry, my child may not be very bright, so I''ll have to trouble you to take care of her along the way."


    "Ah... um......"


    Ash didn''t know how to respond to this, so he could only force himself to hum in acknowledgement.


    After all, in his memory, it seemed like Dawn took care of him more often along the way.


    ......

 Chapter 017: An Unsmooth Start to the Journey?

    Although there was a small accident in the middle, Dawn and Ash still set off from Twinleaf Town together at the agreed time, heading towards the nearest town, which was also the location of a Pok¨¦mon Research Lab¡ªSandgem Town.


    Today should have been a celebratory and joyful departure day, but.......


    "So tired......"


    After walking for more than two hours, Dawn finally let out a sigh of lament.


    It wasn''t that Dawn stayed at home all day long, resulting in insufficient physical strength, but......


    "Why does traveling feel a little different from what I thought? It''s so ordinary."


    Dawn revealed the truth of why she felt tired.


    They stopped and went along the way, and didn''t just walk for more than two hours straight. Logically speaking, even if they were tired, they shouldn''t say it out loud, but for Dawn, the fatigue in her heart was much more fatal than the physical fatigue.


    "Why can''t I encounter anything interesting at all?"


    Ash: "......"


    How should he answer at this time? That was a problem.


    "You''ve only walked for such a short time, how could you encounter anything interesting? If you could encounter interesting things in two hours, then interesting things would also become uninteresting."


    "Why are you so old-fashioned?" Dawn pouted and complained.


    "That''s the way it is......" Ash didn''t think there was anything wrong with his words at all. "By the way, Dawn, have you ever walked from Twinleaf Town to Sandgem Town before?"


    "Before?" Dawn thought for a moment and slowly replied, "I haven''t walked there before... but I''ve ridden my bicycle to Sandgem Town several times, because there are more types of goods in Sandgem Town."


    "So that''s why you don''t feel any novelty, right." Ash said. "If it were places you haven''t been to, you would think the scenery on the road is also very rare, like forests, grasslands, deserts, and snow mountains......"


    Dawn, who was originally tired from traveling, suddenly cheered up again after hearing Ash tell her about the places she had never been to.


    "Of course, even in places that are already familiar, you might encounter fun things by discovering some small paths, but it''s best to walk small paths in towns, otherwise it''s easy to get lost."


    "Small path... is that so.......?"


    Dawn pondered Ash''s words, and then suddenly clapped her hands as if she had remembered something.


    "Ah! That''s right! It seems that there is a shortcut to Sandgem Town at the road sign ahead! But because it''s close to the forest, I''ve never been there. Let''s go there this time! Okay?!"


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    "Aipom!"


    Dawn''s proposal was quickly supported by Aipom. It was already a restless nature, so of course it would agree to have the opportunity to go to a more exciting place. Contrary to Dawn and their performance, Ash and Pikachu were, after all, veterans of getting lost, and they knew how big the risk of walking on small paths was.


    Seeming to understand Ash''s concerns, Dawn immediately added, "It''s okay! Many people have walked that small path. They said that there is nothing special inside except for some wild Pok¨¦mon living there. The road is a one-way street, so there is no risk of getting lost!"


    Ash: "...Okay, I know, don''t look at me with that kind of look... Aipom, you too!"


    Ash finally couldn''t resist Dawn and could only nod and agree to her plan.


    Just treat it as a special treat for the newcomer, after all, as Dawn said, since there is no risk of getting lost, then it is also good to walk on a small path. Although the main road is flat and safe, it still lacks some of the vitality of wild Pok¨¦mon and is not so interesting. It was only Dawn''s first day traveling, so it would be nice to bring her some freshness.


    Of course, it''s best if this freshness isn''t being chased by wild Pok¨¦mon.


    Ash recalled his experience on the first day of his journey and couldn''t help but shiver.


    In this way, after the proposal to change the route was accepted by Ash, Dawn''s spirit returned to the way it was when she first left the house. She walked and ran along the way and quickly arrived at the road sign she mentioned, which was the entrance to the small road.


    "The road ahead has not been repaired, please proceed with caution."


    Ash stood in front of the road sign, reading the warning words next to the road sign, and his expression became strange.


    "How bad is the road condition here that it needs to have such a warning? Is there really no problem?"


    Ash turned his gaze to Dawn, consulting her opinion.


    "No problem, no problem!" Dawn patted her chest and said nonchalantly, "That road sign is already several years old. The road surface here has already been repaired in the middle, so there won''t be any problems!"


    "Is that so......"


    (Usually, when Dawn says there is no problem, it is often the most problematic time.)


    For some reason, Ash''s mind suddenly flashed with the words Johanna said before leaving.


    It shouldn''t be so mystical, right?


    Ash had, after all, traveled with Dawn for so long, and there had been no less than a few hundred times that Dawn had said there was no problem. Although there were often problems, most of the problems were easy to solve. They were just walking on a small path, so there shouldn''t be any problems, right?


    "Okay, okay! Stop thinking! Let''s start quickly!"


    Ash: "???"


    Ash looked at Dawn, who was pushing him forward from behind, with confusion.


    If you want to start, then start, why do I have to walk in front?


    "Um~ If wild Pok¨¦mon suddenly attack, wouldn''t it be troublesome if I walked in front? If it''s you in front, then at least Aipom and Pikachu are by your side, so nothing should happen, right."


    "That makes sense."


    Ash suddenly understood.


    He had indeed been inconsiderate in this regard. If he had thought of this in advance, even if Dawn hadn''t done so, Ash would have taken the initiative to walk in front.


    "Then let''s go."


    Ash shrugged, beckoned to Aipom, who had been eager to jump into the trees, and planned to enter this forest.


    "Although there shouldn''t be any dangerous Pok¨¦mon in the area near the starting town, Pok¨¦mon like Beedrill are more special. If you see them, you should run away as soon as possible. After all, when they appear, they usually appear in large numbers."


    "I know~ Besides, I wouldn''t dare to be arrogant in front of Beedrill without having obtained a Pok¨¦mon yet~"


    Dawn puffed out her cheeks, as if she was very dissatisfied with Ash treating her as a child and urged him to move forward quickly.


    Just as Ash took a step towards the stone step leading to the forest, he suddenly felt a soft texture under his feet, rather than the feeling of stone or mud that he had imagined. Under this difference, Ash''s body also began to shake. Before he could hold on for two seconds, he heard a scream.


    "Ah¡ª¡ª!"


    On the first stop of the journey, Ash fell heavily onto the ground, face first.


    But before Ash could complain about what was underneath, he heard a faint, sad, and resentful whimper behind him.


    ......

 Chapter 018: Reunion with Brock

    "Are you okay? Did you miss a step?"


    Dawn, who had been following nicely behind Ash, couldn''t help but ask worriedly, peeking her head over the ledge when she noticed that Ash seemed to have fallen.


    The stone steps in front were about a meter above the ground of the small path. Although one could see the path below from above, the small patch of ground close to the stone steps was obscured. Under this obscured vision, it didn''t seem strange to fall, but logically speaking, Ash seemed to be careful when he went down, so why did he fall?


    As Dawn poked her head out to ask about Ash''s situation, Pikachu and Aipom had already jumped to Ash''s side. However, when Dawn looked at Ash, Ash''s gaze... no, it should be said that the gazes of Ash, Pikachu, and Aipom didn''t seem to be on themselves, but on......


    "Eh?!"


    Following their line of sight, Dawn discovered that a person was crouching in the corner. His back was facing outward, and he was muttering unintelligible words in a wall-facing posture of repentance. There was also a fresh footprint on this person''s back, probably just put there by Ash? This scene looked a little strange.


    "S-S-Satoshi... are you okay?"


    Dawn jumped down, but she specifically avoided the crouching person when she jumped down. Otherwise, she would have encountered the same thing as Ash if she had jumped down at her original spot.


    "I''m... okay......"


    "?"


    Dawn found it strange that even after she came down, Ash''s gaze still didn''t turn back. He just stared with a speechless expression at the man crouching in the corner who was... a bit dark-skinned?


    "Since you''re okay, let''s go first? He looks a little strange. I wonder if he''s a bad person......."(whispering)


    Dawn said in a low voice next to Ash''s ear. Feeling the warm and slightly itchy sensation from her ear, Ash finally came back to his senses, looking at Dawn as if he wanted to explain something, but in the end, he gave up on the verbal explanation. Then, under Dawn''s astonished gaze, he walked to the crouching man, raised his head, and slammed his shoulder hard.


    "Wake up!!"


    Dawn: "?!"


    Dawn was startled by Ash''s action. She thought Ash was angry that he had been tripped. Although she could understand, after all, who would have thought that there would be someone hiding in this place? Being tripped after jumping down was simply an unexpected disaster, but this person in front of her didn''t look right no matter how she looked at him, right? It felt like he had some mental problems. Wouldn''t he suddenly become violent later?


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    "Why... why is this happening... it shouldn''t be......."


    Ash: "......"


    To the surprise of both Ash and Dawn, this person didn''t even notice the surrounding situation after being hit, and was still immersed in his own world. Seeing this, Ash was really helpless, so he gave Pikachu a look and slowly said, "Pikachu, Thunderbolt."


    Dawn: "Eh? No! Wait! It shouldn''t be necessary to do this......"


    "Pi~ka~chu!!"


    Unexpectedly, Pikachu, who should have been calm, didn''t hesitate at all after hearing Ash''s instructions. The shining electric light instantly swallowed the man. After letting out bursts of screams, he finally came out of his world.


    "Who?! Who is it! Who is attacking... eh? Ash and Pikachu?"


    "Aipom!"


    "And Aipom?"


    Dawn: "???"


    After seeing the strange man greeting Ash and the others, Dawn finally recognized the fact that they knew each other.


    .......


    "Ugh, seriously... even if you want to call me, you don''t need to use Thunderbolt, right? You could have just said something or patted me."


    The man patted the dust off his clothes and complained.


    "There''s no way, I already patted you, and even stepped on you when I came down. Didn''t you notice?"


    "Pi~"


    Ash explained, and Pikachu echoed Ash''s statement. After clarifying what happened, it was now the man''s turn to feel embarrassed.


    "Ha... haha... I''m sorry, it seems like it''s my problem~ Then who is that standing behind you......"


    While chatting with Ash, the man shifted his gaze to Dawn, who was cautiously hiding behind Ash. Seeing the man''s gaze shift to her, Dawn took two steps back in fear.


    Although she had previously guessed that they might know each other when she noticed that Pikachu, Aipom, and Ash''s gazes towards this man seemed a little strange, Dawn thought his mental state didn''t look very good no matter how she looked at him, so she denied her guess, until now......


    "Oh, I forgot to introduce you, her name is Dawn, she''s a rookie trainer who is debuting today and is preparing to receive a Pok¨¦mon." Ash first introduced Dawn to Brock, and then turned around and said to Dawn, "Although I didn''t mention his name before, I also told you his story. He is Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader from Pewter City, who traveled with me before."


    "Former Gym Leader." Brock added.


    "Eh?" Dawn asked in surprise, "Are you the reliable person who cooks well and has a lot of experience in raising Pok¨¦mon that you mentioned? You don''t look like it at all......"


    "......"


    Dawn''s bluntness silenced Brock. He had just suffered a blow, and he didn''t expect to suffer a second blow after finally recovering. If his personality wasn''t so "calm", he would probably have hidden in the corner and cried again.


    "Don''t mind her." Ash patted Brock''s shoulder. "The way you looked just now was very strange to anyone. It''s already good that Dawn didn''t say you looked like a pervert!"


    "Is this your way of comforting people?"


    "Eh? You can say that? I was afraid that this statement would be impolite, so I kept it hidden in my heart and didn''t say it."


    Ash and Brock: "......."


    A deathly silence fell over the scene.


    Although the process of meeting was more or less strange, no matter what, the three had reunited in the Sinnoh region in a brand-new way.


    .......

 Chapter 019: Picnic Time in the Forest

    "By the way, Brock, what were you doing in that place? You looked completely out of it."


    After learning that Ash and Dawn were traveling together, Brock naturally joined them. While walking on the road, Ash finally couldn''t suppress his curiosity and asked.


    "That''s right... crouching in that position was scary."


    Dawn nodded with empathy.


    "About that... sigh......"


    Brock thought for a moment and then sighed deeply.


    "Actually......"


    Under the gaze of Ash and Dawn, Brock finally revealed one by one the reason why he was hiding in that place crying. Saying it was one by one, it was actually just one reason in simple terms.


    ......


    After Brock recounted his experience, Dawn gave him a look that she didn''t know how to describe, while Ash had a sudden realization.


    "So, to put it simply, the girl who gave you a ride received a call from her boyfriend just as you were about to confess, and then she left you here, right?"


    Ash suddenly remembered that there seemed to be such a plot before, but Brock''s emotions at this moment were obviously more lost than in his memory. Was it because he wasn''t by his side in the first place, so he had no one to tell these feelings to?


    "But... isn''t it a little strange to fall in love with someone at first sight?" Although Dawn hadn''t experienced this kind of adult relationship, she still gave a very insightful view. "If you fall in love at first sight, you only like the other person''s appearance, right? Is that also considered love?"


    "Wrong, wrong, wrong!" Brock quickly gave a negative answer to Dawn''s view. "You can only have a follow-up if you fall in love at first sight! If your first impression of someone is that you have no feelings, then it''s unlikely that you will develop a relationship of mutual affection later."


    "Oh......" Dawn replied with a vague understanding, "So does she have feelings for you?"


    Brock: "Cough cough!"


    Brock turned around and started to cry again.


    He didn''t understand why Dawn looked so gentle, but she could say such hurtful words unintentionally. It was clearly the middle of summer, but Brock felt cold all over.


    "Let''s not talk about these things......" Seeing that Brock''s emotions were about to start becoming low again, Ash quickly changed the subject. "It''s almost noon now, right? Should we have lunch first? I''m hungry."


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    "Pika~"


    "Aipom!"


    Hearing that it was time for lunch, Pikachu and Aipom''s spirits also perked up, and they started to raise their hands and agree crazily.


    They hadn''t eaten Brock''s cooking for a while, and they were of course excited that they could taste that deliciousness again soon.


    "That''s right! People shouldn''t always look back at past sad experiences. Instead of thinking about the failure in the morning, let''s think about what to eat for lunch!"


    Brock said excitedly, and then ran to a small clearing in front of him and put down his backpack. Then, under Dawn''s surprised gaze, Brock took out all kinds of things from his backpack at a very fast speed.


    Pots, pans, various seasonings, and even folding tables and chairs.


    Dawn looked at Ash with an incredulous expression, and then stammered as if she wanted to say something, pointing at Brock with her finger.


    "Don''t ask me." Ash shrugged and expressed his helplessness. "I''m also very curious about how Brock managed to stuff so many things into his backpack, although his backpack is indeed very big."


    "No matter how big it is, it shouldn''t be so exaggerated, right! This is a table! A table! And so many benches! There''s even a stew pot!"


    Dawn finally organized her words, but even so, Ash could still feel her confusion. Although he wanted to explain it to her, Ash himself really didn''t understand how Brock did it, so he couldn''t help either.


    ......


    After experiencing this little interlude, Dawn finally forced herself to accept this seemingly flashy and impossible reality. After all, instead of dwelling on how Brock did it, it was better to pay attention to the stew pot that was bubbling with heat.


    "It smells so good~~"


    Dawn, who was sitting on the bench, had already started to drool just by smelling the aroma coming from the pot. Actually, she wasn''t that hungry when Ash suggested having lunch, but after smelling the aroma of Brock''s cooking, she knew that she was actually hungry.


    "Today''s lunch is meat soup, and I''ve also added my special seasoning. In addition to the fresh and fragrant taste of the ingredients themselves, you can also taste a slight spicy and sour taste. Drinking a bowl of meat soup and mixing it with a bowl of rice is the best thing to do on such a hot day."


    Brock, who had returned to the culinary world, showed a different temperament from before. If he was a decadent and lovelorn person before, then he was now like a legendary figure in the culinary world. He just opened his eyes, which seemed to always have only one slit, and showed his snow-white teeth as he said confidently.


    "(Gulp~)"


    Dawn and Ash swallowed a mouthful of saliva at the same time. The smell of the meat soup had completely aroused their appetite. Seeing this, Brock didn''t continue to tempt them, but picked up a bowl and served them each a bowl, and then added a bowl of rice to each of them.


    "Eat, don''t be polite. There''s so much here, there''s more after you finish."


    "We won''t be polite!"


    "Let''s eat!"


    Ash and Dawn completely abandoned their restraint after Brock brought the food up and began to feast. On the other side, Pikachu and Aipom were also enjoying Brock''s special Pok¨¦mon food. For the two who had been accustomed to eating ordinary Pok¨¦mon food sold on the market for the past few days, the Pok¨¦mon food made by Brock was definitely a heavenly delicacy.


    Just as everyone was enjoying the leisurely and wonderful lunch time, on a large tree not far from them, a small figure was standing on the treetop, using the cover of the branches and leaves. Its gaze was firmly locked on the Pok¨¦mon food in front of Pikachu and Aipom, looking ready to go.


    "Munch~"


    Its throat made a low murmur, and its center of gravity also lowered. When it saw Aipom''s gaze shift to Pikachu''s bowl, revealing a momentary gap, its body plunged down.


    .......