Chapter 016: Before Setting Out

The next morning.

"…"

"…"

At the breakfast table, Ash and Dawn each sported dark circles under their eyes, yawning constantly and looking utterly exhausted.

"I can understand why Dawn didn't sleep well. It's her first day of travel, so being excited is natural. But what about you, Ash? Something on your mind?"

"No, no." Ash shook his head and said, "I just slept too much on the plane, so I couldn't fall asleep last night. It's no big deal, I'm used to it."

"Is that so…"

Johanna said, seeming to reluctantly accept Ash's explanation.

"But it's best not to get used to things like that. Young people shouldn't overexert themselves, or you'll regret it later when it's too late."

"Yes… thanks for the concern."

Ash could only muster a strained smile in response.

He couldn't quite recall what time they'd finally gone back inside last night. All he remembered was bickering with Dawn at the doorstep for at least half an hour, with neither of them coming out on top.

After that, they'd ended up just chatting there, picking up the topics from earlier that day.

It wasn't until Pikachu, waking up in the middle of the night and noticing Ash was missing, spotted them locked out from the window. With a look of exasperation, it had opened the door for them.

Pikachu really came through in a pinch.

Though he and Dawn had eventually made it back to bed, the sky was already starting to lighten by then.

Ash guessed he'd gotten maybe four hours of sleep at most—a weirdly precise amount. Any less, and neither he nor Dawn would've been able to get up today.

"OKI!"

"Pika?!"

While Ash and the others ate at the table, Aipom, munching on Pokémon food on the floor, couldn't resist its mischievous urges.

It sneakily swiped a good portion of Pikachu's food. Even when caught, it showed no remorse, wolfing down the stolen food in a few quick bites, leaving Pikachu standing there, helpless and mournful but unable to lash out.

"Can you not pull pranks first thing in the morning…?"

Seeing this, Ash could only refill Pikachu's depleted Pokémon food, adding a generous squirt of ketchup on top. Only then did Pikachu's mood shift from gloom to glee.

"By the way, I haven't had the chance to ask before," Johanna said, observing the interaction between Ash and Pikachu. "You mentioned Pikachu doesn't like staying in a Poké Ball, right? What about Aipom? Is it the same?"

"OKI~?"

Hearing the conversation shift to itself, Aipom grinned cheekily and gave Johanna a mock salute, as if confirming her guess was correct.

"Yeah, right!"

Ash, seeing this, gave Aipom a light tap on the head and explained, "This guy just tagged along on its own. It's supposed to be at Professor Oak's lab right now. Since it snuck after me, I don't have its Poké Ball yet. Once we get to the next town, I'll contact Professor Oak to have its Poké Ball sent over."

"I see."

Johanna nodded in understanding.

Compared to Aipom, the companions she'd caught over her years of travel had all been well-behaved, never giving her much trouble. Thinking about it, she felt a bit lucky.

After wrapping up that conversation, Johanna turned to Dawn, who was hurriedly shoveling down her breakfast as if eager to finish, and asked, "Dawn, have you decided which Pokémon you'll choose? Didn't you stay up all night?"

"Hm? Me? Uh…"

Dawn, chopsticks in her mouth, looked conflicted.

"I haven't decided yet. All three Pokémon seem so cute. I'll probably just see how it feels when I get there. Seeing them in person is the best way to choose!"

That wasn't exactly wrong.

Johanna nodded in approval. When she'd set out on her own journey, she'd decided early on which starter Pokémon she wanted, but even then, seeing them in person made her hesitate for half a day before finalizing her choice.

For rookie Trainers, it's only when they see the companion they'll fight alongside for life that they start to feel the weight of the decision.

"Have you prepared everything? You can buy things you're missing along the way, but it's best to bring essentials from the start, like Potions. If something goes wrong during your journey, you'll be in trouble otherwise."

"Hmph! No problem, no problem! I've got everything ready!" Dawn quickly polished off the last bits of food on her plate, then puffed out her chest and declared, "I woke up this morning and moved all the stuff I'm bringing outside!"

"Moved?"

"Outside?"

Ash and Johanna exchanged a glance, reading confusion and a hint of worry in each other's eyes. Under Dawn's confident gaze, they walked to the door, opened it, and saw—

"This is just…"

"Who in the world brings luggage taller than themselves on a journey?"

"Why not?! These are all essentials, aren't they? Like this outfit, and this skirt… and even this hat—these are all important!"

Having her carefully prepared, confidence-filled luggage criticized so ruthlessly, Dawn naturally let out a voice of discontent.

"Important how?! Honestly! I trusted you to pack because you kept saying 'No problem, no problem!' And this is what you come up with? A total mess! Hurry up and toss out all the useless stuff!"

"No way!!"

Watching Dawn and Johanna tug back and forth, Ash could only stand to the side, smiling awkwardly.

How should he put it? It was so very Dawn.

She was so careless in so many ways, yet so utterly convinced of her choices. Dawn's personality really had a way of rubbing off on those around her.

"Sigh, this kid…"

Finally managing to shoo Dawn inside to repack her luggage, Johanna now had a moment to rub her forehead in exasperation before turning to Ash apologetically.

"Sorry, my daughter's a bit scatterbrained. I'll have to trouble you to look after her on the road."

"Ah… yeah…"

Ash didn't quite know how to respond, so he just gave a hesitant nod.

After all, in his memory, it felt like Dawn was the one looking after him more often during their travels.