Pokémon: Dreams Come True Starting in Sinnoh

In this silence, no one knew how much time had passed.

But for Hikari, this seemingly dull and boring time when no one spoke or made a sound was extremely precious. She remembered every minute and every second, along with Satoshi's breathing and even the frequency of her own heartbeat.

"It feels like a long time has passed since the last time."

Ultimately, they couldn't let the silence linger on the last night, so Hikari started talking to Satoshi.

The "last time" naturally refers to the same scenario as before.

Ash clearly remembered it too, but his answer left Dawn speechless.

"Has it been a long time? Well, not that long, really. It was the night you received your last ribbon medal, wasn't it?"

Xiao Guang: "......"

"Could I have remembered it wrong?!"

Seeing that Xiao Guang did not answer, Xiao Zhi thought he had made a mistake, which greatly shocked him.

"That's not what I meant..." Xiaoguang sighed.

As expected, Ash hasn't changed at all along the way.

However, it was precisely because of Ash's somewhat eccentric answer that the slightly melancholic atmosphere that permeated the Pokémon Center's lobby lessened considerably.

Xiao Guang swayed gently, with a hint of nonchalance or perhaps a longing for the past.

"I think I felt the same way that night as I do now, right?"

Xiao Guang himself couldn't confirm whether his mood had changed at these two different times.

"Back then, I was always afraid of being all alone after leaving Sinnoh, and I didn't even dare to imagine the day of parting coming."

Xiao Guang softly expressed her feelings, while the clock on the wall ticked crisply, blending together with the occasional ticking sound coming from outside the Pokémon Center.

Despite the familiar scene, Xiao Guang felt a sense of new understanding, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Although I can't express my feelings in words, I can still articulate my thoughts and emotions.

"And now it's already the last night before we part ways. The scene I never dared to imagine is now right in front of me." Xiao Guang laughed as he spoke, whether it was to put on a cheerful mask for the unease and sadness that still lingered in his heart, or whether his naturally optimistic and cheerful personality had taken over.

Seeing the familiar figure before him, Ash chuckled in response.

"And now?" Ash asked, "Are you still as afraid of parting as before?"

"I'm scared~"

Xiao Guang made no attempt to hide his inner thoughts, but the smile on his face did not fade because of this answer.

Xiao Guang stood up again, stretched, and turned to face Xiao Zhi.

"Now it's my turn to ask a question—"

Xiao Guang extended his index finger and gently shook it, displaying the demeanor of a reporter on a television program.

Ash, will you stop traveling after this?

"No," Xiao Zhi replied.

"Me too."

After receiving the same answer, Xiao Guang's smile grew even brighter.

"Just like you said before, Ash, since we're both on a journey, we'll definitely meet again someday! Since we'll meet again in the future, this doesn't count as a farewell; it's just a temporary separation as we go about our own business. Besides, I won't have time to be sad anymore tomorrow. Miss Paris mentioned on the phone that I have a lot of tasks to do right away, so I'll definitely be busier than I am now in the coming period."

After Xiao Guang finished speaking, he couldn't help but sigh, sounding like a poor, struggling worker.

However, this feeling only lasted for a moment. Soon after regaining his senses, Xiaoguang returned to the topic at hand.

"So, if you ask me if I'm afraid of separation? Of course I am... but..."

As Xiao Guang continued talking, he sat back down on the sofa, seemingly getting closer to Xiao Zhi.

"Will I be sad when we part ways? I don't think so, right?"

When he said this, Xiao Guang's confidence was clearly not as high as before.

"After all, I've always fantasized about what it would be like to meet you again someday. Maybe I'll come looking for you; maybe you'll come looking for me; or maybe on a sunny afternoon, our schedules will clash and we'll bump into each other in an alley. I might be shooting a fashion magazine photoshoot, and you might be in one of the photos; or maybe it'll be on a rainy day, and we'll be under the same roof seeking shelter from the rain..."

As Hikari imagined their future reunion, she suddenly fell silent, her expression turning serious as she rubbed her cheek. "No...that doesn't seem likely...Ash, will you come looking for me...? Why am I having this dream?"

"Am I really that heartless and ungrateful in your eyes?!"

Ash suffered another blow.

"Would you take the initiative to come find me?"

A triumphant smile suddenly appeared on Dawn's face. Unbeknownst to Ash, Dawn had actually driven him into a corner.

If I say I can't, it seems I'm confirming the "heartless and ungrateful" person I'm describing; if I say I can, then it seems I really can't...

Xiao Zhi recalled his busy schedule in the past.

In most cases, it seems that it was her former companions who took the initiative to find her; this was true for Xia, Yao, and Xiaoguang...

Faced with Hikari's expression, which resembled that of a general, Ash finally raised his hands in surrender.

"Okay, don't worry! If you don't come looking for me, I will definitely come looking for you!" Ash declared firmly to Dawn.

"Hehe~ I'll remember that~~" Hikari's mood instantly brightened. "That's why I said I probably wouldn't be sad~ After all, Ash, you said that to me, so if I were still sad, wouldn't that make me seem very weak?"

"When did you evolve to be so eloquent...?"

"When emotions are there, evolution happens naturally."

"What kind of answer is this...? Hey?"

Before Ash could finish speaking, he felt a weight on his shoulder; Dawn had already put her arm around his shoulder.

"I'm a little sleepy, can I lean on your shoulder for a bit? Let's talk about what we want to say when we meet again."

"If you're sleepy, go back to your room and sleep. It's very heavy."

"..."

"..."

After feeling the force on his shoulder seem to have increased, Ash reluctantly gave up.

Since it's the last night anyway, let's be a little more considerate of her.

Ash suddenly shifted his gaze to the window, and Dawn, sensing Ash's movement, also turned her gaze there.

“Just like that night,” Ash suddenly said.

“Yes…” Xiao Guang immediately understood what Xiao Zhi meant, and replied in this way.

Their gazes were fixed on the same night sky.

The night sky wasn't particularly beautiful tonight. Dark clouds drifted in the wind, always obscuring the moonlight and making the sky outside appear both bright and dark. Although the Pokémon Center's lobby was brightly lit, looking at the night sky, the two of them were reminded of that day.

That night in Twinleaf Town, Dawn boldly invited Ash to travel together for the first time.

That night on Lily of the Valley, Dawn revealed her feelings about parting to Ash for the first time.

That night was no different from this night.

Dark clouds, bright moon, gentle breeze, roadside grass...

In terms of visual experience, these two nights simply cannot compare to the night I watched the meteor shower with Ash.

But no matter which night it is, it is equally important to Xiaoguang.

They all witnessed every moment of their journey with Ash, from beginning to end, from meeting to parting.

Perhaps recalling her terrible performance when she first embarked on the journey, Dawn's face flushed slightly as she leaned on Ash's shoulder.

It was as if to summarize this journey, to witness my growth and transformation along the way, and to express my heartfelt words to Xiaozhi who has accompanied me all the way.

Xiao Guang closed his eyes and whispered, "Thank you...and...you've worked so hard...this journey with you will surely be one of the most cherished memories of my life."

The lights in the hall flickered for a moment, perhaps due to an electrical fault, and the cool moonlight shone through the clouds and windows onto the two of them.

The moonlight was just like the moonlight that night in Twinleaf Town.

The people are still the same people from Futaba Town.

This time, however, the moonlight was not offering blessings to them as they embarked on their journey, but rather marking the end of their trip as they were about to part ways.

Only.

........

P.S.: I couldn't fall asleep, so I got up and wrote this chapter.