"Welcome, everyone! Ash, Anabel—just treat this place like your own home, make yourselves comfortable, haha!"
Johanna greeted them with her usual warmth and friendliness.
Hearing that, Dawn's heart immediately started spinning wild thoughts.
Why would Mom say something like that?
Does she already know I like Ash?
Wait—does this mean she approves of me and Ash being together?!
Girls really are like this—believe it or not.
In situations like this, their minds love to run wild with endless scenarios.
But truth be told, Dawn wasn't entirely wrong. Her mother, Johanna, had indeed picked up on Dawn's feelings for Ash.
The way someone looks at someone they like—it's simply different. You can always tell.
What Johanna also noticed, however, was that Ash looked at Dawn... exactly the same way he looked at Anabel.
Now that was something worth pondering.
She decided she'd need to find an opportunity to talk to Dawn, get a better idea of what was really going on.
After all, Dawn was already eighteen—an adult now—so these kinds of conversations were timely and natural.
Johanna returned to the kitchen to continue preparing lunch, while Dawn took Anabel and Ash around to show them her house.
They eventually came out to the backyard, where Dawn proudly released all her Pokémon.
"Come out, Pachirisu, Mamoswine, Buneary, Ambipom!"
And of course, Piplup was already at her side.
"This is our home, everyone. Have fun playing! I'm going to make you some snacks!"
She turned back toward the kitchen. "Ash, Anabel—you two should bring out your Pokémon, too! I'll make snacks for them as well!"
Dawn cheerfully went to work, while Ash and Anabel stretched out on the lawn, enjoying the sunshine and a gentle breeze.
Inside the kitchen...
"Dawn, do you like Ash?"
Dawn froze—completely paralyzed.
"It's nothing to be embarrassed about," Johanna said gently. "You've grown up, and now you can talk to your mother about these things. Liking someone is a wonderful thing. I support you—just like I support your dream of becoming a Top Coordinator."
A daughter is like a little coat over a parent's heart—that old saying held true.
But Johanna knew she had to be clear about one important thing.
"Mm… Ash is really special. When I'm traveling with him, I always feel this calm, grounded sense of security…"
Dawn blushed deeply and nodded.
Since her mom had brought it up, it was probably safe to admit it.
"In all the regional Pokémon Leagues, Ash has quite the resume," Johanna continued. "Starting from the Indigo League, then the Silver Conference in Johto, moving on to the Orange League Winner's Cup, the Hoenn Ever Grande Conference, and eventually conquering the Battle Frontier in Kanto. Now he's here, aiming for the Lily of the Valley Conference in Sinnoh. Quite an extraordinary boy."
As one of Sinnoh's top Coordinators, Johanna had her own standing in the League, and this kind of information was readily accessible.
Dawn beamed with pride at hearing her mother praise Ash so highly.
"But Dawn… I don't know exactly what his relationships are like with his past companions—Misty, May—and frankly, even with Anabel... but earlier, the way he looked at her and the way he looked at you—it was the same. You get what I'm trying to say, don't you?"
"Mom… I know. I'll handle it," Dawn replied, a bit flustered.
What she didn't tell Johanna was that Ash had already told her the truth.
He was in relationships with Misty and May. And yes, Anabel too.
She knew all that—and yet, she still couldn't stop herself.
Traveling with Ash had brought her so much happiness, it was hard to resist the feelings growing in her heart.
Johanna saw her daughter's resolve and didn't press further. Sometimes, a gentle nudge was all it took. She trusted that Dawn would figure it out.
Lunchtime came, and the four of them ate together joyfully.
Afterward, Johanna received a call.
"Ash, Professor Oak and your mother should be arriving any minute now. You can go pick them up—they're at the Pokémon Center," she said as she hung up.
"Alright! Let's go, Pikachu. Time to fetch the guests."
"Pika!"
Anabel stayed behind with Dawn, heading off to her room—who knows what kind of girl talk was about to go down.
Ash, with Pikachu at his side, made his way to the Twinleaf Town Pokémon Center.
"Hey! Ash!"
A young man with spiky brown hair waved energetically.
"Gary?! You again? Don't tell me Grandpa called you out here?"
Sure enough—it was Gary Oak!
"Haha, yeah. I've been researching in an area not far from here, so when Grandpa heard about the celebration, he pulled me in."
Professor Oak strolled over, smiling warmly.
"Ash, are you eating well? Are you sleeping okay? Are you keeping warm at night? I received the money you sent—but I'm saving it all for your future, you know that!"
And then came the familiar voice of Ash's mother.
Delia Ketchum—always the same.
She fussed over Ash non-stop, checking him from head to toe.
Delia worried about everything—his diet, his sleep, even if he had a blanket over him at night. In her eyes, no matter how old he got, Ash would always be her little boy.
That's what being a mother was like.
She barely registered Ash telling her he wasn't short on money these days.
She tugged at his arms, looked at his cheeks, then finally smiled in relief.
"Thank goodness, you look even more handsome than before! Oh right, where are Anabel and Dawn? I want to meet them properly!"
Delia had already met Anabel, but Dawn—she'd only seen her briefly over video calls.
"Mom, Professor Oak, Gary—let's head to Dawn's house. We'll catch up there."
Ash gave a quick cough, trying to move things along.
"Pikapi~!"
Pikachu greeted everyone properly this time.
Once they arrived at Dawn's home, Johanna served them coffee.
After a short break, Ash and Gary went outside to relax on the grass.
Professor Oak began inspecting all of the Pokémon—Ash's, Dawn's, and Anabel's—taking a close academic interest.
Back inside the living room, only Johanna and Delia remained.
The two mothers locked eyes...
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T/N:
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