Pokémon: Dreams Come True Starting in Sinnoh

Chapter 578 Farewell and Encounter

The old man and Lucario gradually disappeared at the end of the dock. The soft light of dawn shone on the incubator in Ash's arms, illuminating his thoughtful face.

Through this gift, Ash seemed to be able to feel the longing and regret that Lucario felt when giving it to him.

But in the end, all good things must come to an end.

Everyone is striving for their own life, dreams, or the responsibilities and duties on their shoulders.

The difference between their dreams and responsibilities ultimately determined that they could not embark on the same path.

After seeing Lucario and the old man off, almost at the same moment, Ash and Pikachu simultaneously turned their gazes to a clump of bushes swaying gently in the wind not far away.

"Is something the matter?" Xiao Zhi asked the person hiding in the bushes with a hint of doubt in his voice. "You're already here, so why have you been hiding there? And why did you come so early too? It can't be because you got up early for a walk and exercise, can it?"

The bushes rustled and the branches swayed, and a man wearing a familiar gray overcoat emerged from within, looking somewhat disheveled.

He brushed the grass off his clothes, scratched the back of his head, and gave a slightly embarrassed smile.

"Sorry, sorry." The person who came was none other than the handsome Interpol agent who had fought alongside Ash to thwart Team Galactic's plan.

His smile held a hint of embarrassment as he explained, "My identity is a little sensitive, so it's not convenient for me to show myself in front of others. So... I accidentally eavesdropped here for a while. As for why I came to find you so early, there's a reason, but before that—"

The handsome man cleared his throat, turned his gaze to Ash, and said with sincere congratulations in his eyes: "First of all, congratulations to you, Ash! Congratulations on winning the Lily of the Valley Conference. I was right after all! Haha~ After watching that wonderful final battle, even my superior asked me to persuade you to consider joining Interpol."

"I'll accept your congratulations, but forget about Interpol. Even if I'm not Interpol, I'll still take action if I encounter any malicious individuals on the road. That's one of the duties of a trainer."

Xiao Zhi responded politely, but a hint of doubt arose in his heart.

The handsome guy's appearance here at this time is definitely not just for congratulations.

Meeting Xiao Zhi's probing gaze, the handsome man's smile gradually faded, replaced by an unusual seriousness.

He took a deep breath, composed himself, and then said in a low voice, "Actually..."

As Ash listened to the information the handsome man kept giving him, Ash's gaze grew increasingly serious, and his face darkened. Pikachu, standing next to Ash, could clearly feel Ash's body trembling.

.......

Meanwhile, in the kitchen of the Pokémon Center, an atmosphere completely different from that at the dock was permeating the air.

"Oh, you can leave it to me without worry!"

Sakiko, wearing an apron, enthusiastically ushered the eager-to-help Tsuyoshi out of the kitchen. Then, holding Serena's hand, she smiled broadly and said, "Leave breakfast to me. After all, we said we'd make a dish with Carlos flavor, so it's definitely more appropriate for us from the Carlos region to do it. Serena can handle the help work."

Although Serena wasn't used to helping with cooking, she couldn't resist her mother's enthusiasm and was left in the kitchen.

Xiao Gang, who had intended to lend a hand, could only smile and leave after seeing this, leaving the kitchen to them. He then found a seat in the dining room and continued to think about his next steps.

After Xiaogang left, the kitchen gradually became busier.

"Here, Serena, help me wash these vegetables." Sakiko handed over a basket filled with fresh vegetables.

Fortunately, Sakiko had already asked Nurse Joy for permission to use the kitchen yesterday. Nurse Joy generously said that since he was Ash's partner, there was no problem. It was at this moment that Sakiko realized how useful Ash's identity really was.

When Nurse Joy talked about Ash, the admiration in her eyes was palpable. Ash had clearly become a big star in the Sinnoh region... well... maybe even earlier.

Otherwise, under normal circumstances, borrowing ingredients from the kitchen would not be so simple.

Serena absentmindedly took the basket of vegetables, the water gushing as it washed the leaves, but her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Serena had kept the promise she made to Ash to herself, and she still hadn't been able to tell Sakiko about it. In fact, Serena still didn't know how to bring it up.

Serena's subtle emotional changes naturally did not escape Sakiko's notice.

While skillfully preparing the ingredients, Sakiko casually asked, "What's wrong, Serena? You've looked preoccupied since earlier."

When her mother exposed her secret, Serena paused slightly, her eyes darting around with a hint of embarrassment, and her voice lower than usual: "Um... Mom... what are your plans for the future?"

"And then?" Sakiko stopped what she was doing and answered matter-of-factly, "Of course I went home. What else could I do? I've already successfully completed everything you asked me to do, haven't I? I didn't break any promises."

At this point, Sakiko suddenly showed a satisfied expression, her tone tinged with reminiscence: "Speaking of which, although it was your request, this League Tournament was really exciting! It made me feel a long-lost passion. If there are any live broadcasts of the League Tournament in the future, I might watch them on TV."

Sakiko was rambling on when she suddenly seemed to realize something. She turned her head and looked at Serena with a hint of inquiry in her eyes, asking, "So, what is it that you want to say?"

Serena took a deep breath, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

She knew her request sounded a bit unreasonable, and the reasons behind it were too complicated to explain in a few words, but now she had no choice but to bite the bullet and speak up.

“Um… Mom…” she mustered her courage, her voice tinged with barely perceptible trepidation.

"Actually... I... I want to go to Pallet Town again."

After saying that, as if afraid that Sakiko would refuse, Serena hurriedly added, "This is really my last request! Please! This time it's definitely not for any personal matter, but for something very important that I want to go."

Perhaps because she was a little anxious, Serena didn't realize that her words seemed somewhat ambiguous.

However, Sakiko herself did not seem to dwell on those somewhat ambiguous words, and simply looked at Serena silently.

The air in the kitchen seemed to freeze for a few seconds because of Serena's words.

Sakiko did not answer immediately. Her eyes, which were usually filled with a gentle smile, narrowed slightly, flashing with an unfathomable light, and her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Serena's heart was in her throat. Just when she thought Sakiko would press for an explanation or even refuse outright, Sakiko unexpectedly asked a question in a surprisingly calm tone:

"if not?"

"Hey?"

Now it was Serena's turn to look up in confusion, staring blankly at her mother, completely unable to understand the meaning of her words.

if not?

What does this mean?

……

Shortly after, at the dining table in the lobby of the Pokémon Center.

Ash and Brock were engrossed in eating the Kalos region-style breakfast that Sakiko had prepared herself.

The food on the plate was disappearing at a visible rate.

The clinking of knives and forks against the plates was accompanied by the occasional exclamations of praise from the two.

"Mmm...this stew tastes really good!" Ash mumbled, his mouth full.

“Indeed, the combination of spices is unique, and the taste is very rich.” Xiao Gang nodded in agreement, and even took out his notes from time to time to ask Sakiko for advice on some cooking details.

As Serena ate her breakfast, she couldn't help but feel that something was very suspicious.

Why does Sakiko usually cook potatoes at home and then just make a salad with mashed potatoes?

At most, it just adds some ordinary, simple dishes.

Serena hadn't tasted such a meticulously prepared meal in a long time, and at one point she even thought Sakiko's cooking skills had deteriorated considerably.

Was it just that cooking for yourself was too much trouble?

It's a truly sad fact.

......

Just then, Xiao Gang seemed to suddenly remember something. He put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin, turned to Xiao Zhi, and asked, "By the way, Xiao Zhi, what are your plans for the future? Have you decided on your next destination?"

Ash swallowed the food in his mouth and nodded: "Yes, it's decided. My next stop is the Unova region."

"The Unova region?" Brock repeated thoughtfully upon hearing this.

After a moment of contemplation, Xiao Gang's almost invisible eyes suddenly widened as much as he could, and he slapped his thigh, his voice filled with unprecedented determination: "I understand!"

Ash and Pikachu were slightly taken aback by Brock's sudden reaction and looked at him with confusion.

Xiao Gang took a deep breath, a solemn expression on his face, and said to Xiao Zhi:

"Now that you've decided to go to the Unova region, Ash, I can't keep drifting along like this!"

He reflected on the various internal struggles he had gone through these past few days, and finally told Xiaozhi what he had decided in his heart.

"Next, I need to make thorough preparations for heading to the Unova region! This time, I'm determined to become the world's number one Pokémon breeder, and I'll give it my all!"

Seeing Xiao Gang's high spirits, Xiao Zhi was taken aback for a moment, then a bright smile appeared on his face.

Has a decision finally been made?

Not only does he intend to continue pursuing his goal of becoming a Pokémon breeder, but he also plans to continue traveling with himself in the Unova region.

This unexpected joy made it even harder for Xiaozhi to suppress his smile.

"Then I'll have to rely on you for the rest of the journey!"

"Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu seemed to be in a pretty good mood as well.

After all, they had just gone through several separations, and Xiaogang's promise to walk side by side with them naturally swept away the atmosphere from before.

"Leave it to me!" Xiao Gang patted his chest, his face beaming with confidence.

After fully expressing his thoughts, Xiao Gang felt as if a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders. His expression became noticeably lighter, and the faint confusion between his brows vanished, replaced by anticipation and drive for the future.

.......

The atmosphere at the dinner table became even more lively at this moment.

Just then, Serena, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, suddenly raised her hand and asked, "Um... Ash, are you planning to go back to Pallet Town first?"

Serena's question was actually a reminder of the agreement Ash and his friends had made before.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhi nodded and replied matter-of-factly, "Yeah, after all, before starting a new trip, you have to go home to let your family know you're safe, rest for a while, and also pack your luggage."

After receiving a positive reply, Serena breathed a sigh of relief and reported her progress to Ash.

"Really? That's good... I've already talked to my mom, and everything's fine now."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Gang tilted his head and looked at Serena with a questioning tone: "Serena, are you going to Pallet Town too?"

“Yes, I already made an agreement with Ash,” Serena replied.

Xiao Gang's expression stiffened slightly at this moment. He looked at Serena, who was looking at him expectantly, and then at Xiao Zhi, who continued to eat. He sighed inwardly.

That's incredible...

I traveled all the way from the Carlos region to watch the final.

Now we have to travel all the way back to Pallet Town with Ash.

This child is truly remarkable.

Perhaps, contrary to her seemingly weak appearance, she is a huge potential asset.

Thinking this, Xiaogang began to feel sad again.

Ash has experienced spring again and again.

Why hasn't mine arrived yet?

Life is tough.

I wonder if Xiaoguang knows this.

Although he thought this to himself, Xiao Gang didn't press the matter.

Anyway, the number of people wanting to go back to the Kanto region together has increased again.

Why don't we go together?

"Since that's the case, let's all go together. When should we book the ferry tickets?"

.......

P.S.: Thanks to Mr. Wang, who loves Shuangwu tea, for casting me!

There are still some developments in the Sinnoh storyline, and these two chapters serve as a setup.