Despite a minor hiccup, Dawn and Ash set out from Twinleaf Town as planned, heading toward the nearest town, which also housed a Pokémon Laboratory—Sandgem Town.
Today was supposed to be a celebratory and joyful departure day, but…
"So tired…"
After walking for over two hours, Dawn finally let out a sigh of exhaustion.
It wasn't that Dawn was cooped up at home all day, lacking stamina. It was just…
"Why does traveling feel a bit different from what I imagined? It's so… ordinary."
Dawn revealed the true reason for her fatigue.
They'd been walking and stopping along the way, not trudging straight through for two hours. By all accounts, she shouldn't be *this* tired, but for Dawn, the mental exhaustion far outweighed the physical.
"Why haven't we run into anything interesting at all?"
Ash: "…"
What's the right way to respond to that?
That's the question.
"We've only been walking for such a short time. How could we possibly run into something exciting already? If you found something fun within two hours, then fun things would stop being fun."
"Why do you sound so old and wise?" Dawn pouted, grumbling.
"But it's true, isn't it…?"
Ash didn't think there was anything wrong with what he said.
"By the way, Dawn, have you ever walked from Twinleaf Town to Sandgem Town before?"
"Before?"
Dawn thought for a moment before answering slowly:
"Walking? No, never… But I've ridden my bike to Sandgem Town a few times since they have more stuff to buy there."
"So that's why you don't feel any sense of novelty."
Ash pointed out.
"If it's a place you've never been to, even the scenery along the way feels exciting—like forests, grasslands, deserts, or snow-capped mountains…"
Dawn, who had been feeling worn out from the journey, perked up the moment Ash mentioned places she'd never visited.
"Of course, even in familiar places, you might stumble across something fun by taking a side path. But it's better to stick to side paths in towns, or you can easily get lost."
"Side paths… huh…?"
Dawn mulled over Ash's words, then, as if struck by a sudden idea, clapped her hands.
"Oh! Right! There's a shortcut to Sandgem Town just up ahead at the signpost! It's near the forest, so I've never taken it before. Let's go that way this time! Okay?!"
"OKI!"
Dawn's suggestion quickly won Aipom's enthusiastic support. With its restless nature, the chance to explore a more thrilling route was something it was all for.
In contrast to Dawn and Aipom's excitement, Ash and Pikachu, seasoned veterans of getting lost, knew full well the risks of taking side paths.
As if sensing Ash's hesitation, Dawn quickly added:
"No problem! Lots of people have taken that path. They say there's nothing special about it except for some wild Pokémon living there. It's a straight shot, so there's no risk of getting lost!"
Ash: "…Alright, I get it. Stop giving me that look… You too, Aipom!"
In the end, Ash couldn't resist Dawn's persistence and nodded in agreement with her plan.
He'd treat it as a special favor for a rookie. After all, as Dawn said, if there was no risk of getting lost, taking a side path wasn't a bad idea.
Main roads might be smooth and safe, but they lacked the vibrancy of wild Pokémon, which made them less interesting. It was Dawn's first day of travel, so giving her a bit of excitement wasn't a bad thing.
Of course, that excitement better not involve being chased by wild Pokémon.
Recalling his own first day of travel, Ash couldn't help but shudder.
With that, after Ash agreed to the detour, Dawn's spirits instantly returned to how they'd been when they first set out. She half-ran, half-walked, quickly reaching the signpost she'd mentioned—the entrance to the shortcut.
"Road ahead is unmaintained. Please proceed with caution."
Ash stood before the sign, reading the warning posted beside it, his expression turning odd.
"Just how bad is this road that they needed to put up a warning like this? Are you sure it's fine?"
Ash turned to Dawn, seeking her opinion.
"No problem, no problem!" Dawn patted her chest, brushing it off nonchalantly.
"That sign's from years ago. The road's been fixed up since then, so there won't be any issues!"
"Is that so…"
(When Dawn says 'no problem,' that's usually when there's the biggest problem.)
For some reason, Johanna's words from before they left echoed in Ash's mind.
It couldn't be thatnjinxed, could it?
After all, Ash had traveled with Dawn for so long, and she'd said "no problem" hundreds of times.
Sure, problems popped up a lot of those times, but most were easily resolved. Just taking a shortcut shouldn't cause any major issues, right?
"Alright, alright! Stop overthinking! Let's go!"
Ash: "???"
Ash looked puzzled at Dawn, who had slipped behind him and was now pushing him forward.
If you want to go, just go. Why do I have to be in front?
"Ugh~ If a wild Pokémon suddenly attacks, it'd be trouble if I were in front, right? If you're up there, at least Aipom and Pikachu are with you, so nothing should happen, yeah?"
"That… actually makes sense."
Ash nodded in realization.
He hadn't thought of that. If he'd considered it earlier, he would've taken the lead even without Dawn's prompting.
"Let's go, then."
Ash shrugged, calling to Aipom, who was already eagerly swinging from a tree, and prepared to step into the forest.
"Even though areas near starting towns shouldn't have dangerous Pokémon, Beedrill are an exception. If you see them, run immediately. When they show up, it's usually in a whole swarm."
"Got it~ Besides, without a Pokémon of my own, I wouldn't dare act tough in front of Beedrill anyway~"
Dawn puffed out her cheeks, seemingly annoyed that Ash was treating her like a kid, and urged him to hurry up.
Just as Ash took a step onto the stone path leading into the forest, he suddenly felt a soft, squishy sensation underfoot—not the hard stone or dirt he'd expected.
The unexpected texture threw him off balance, and within two seconds, a loud cry rang out.
"Ah—!"
On their very first stop, Ash faceplanted hard onto the ground.
But before he could even complain about what was under him, he heard a faint, sorrowful, resentful whimper from behind him.