Pokémon: Dreams Come True Starting in Sinnoh

The next day.

early morning.

Before dawn.

At that moment, the sound of a cruise ship's horn sounding as it docked could be heard from the port of Lily of the Valley.

The morning sea breeze, carrying a slightly salty dampness, brushed against the faces of Ash and the others who were seeing Hikari off at the pier.

Miss Paris, dressed in a pink dress and wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat, stood by the gangway of the cruise ship with a gentle smile, waving to Xiaoguang to indicate that she could prepare to board.

Ash, Brock, Serena, and Sakiko were standing on the dock, their eyes all fixed on Dawn, who was about to board the ship.

Piplup in Xiao Guang's arms drooped its head listlessly. Although it was no longer as excited as it had been the night before, its round eyes still glanced at Xiao Zhi and Pikachu from time to time, filled with an unyielding reluctance, as if it wanted to imprint this last scene firmly in its mind.

As the time for parting drew near, even the usually composed Xiao Gang sighed with reluctance, then stepped forward and handed a carefully wrapped lunchbox to Xiao Guang.

"This is breakfast I specially prepared for you this morning. Remember to eat it on the cruise! Be careful on the journey and take good care of yourself. Also, did you remember to bring...?"

At this moment, Xiao Gang was like a mother, constantly nagging Xiao Guang about all sorts of things. Xiao Guang understood Xiao Gang's good intentions and kept agreeing.

After answering Xiaogang's questions one by one, Xiaoguang finally took the lunchbox. It was still warm in his hands, and a warm feeling welled up in Xiaoguang's heart. He said gratefully, "Thank you, Xiaogang, for taking such good care of me all this way."

Xiao Gang shook his head, his tone sincere: "Actually, I should be the one saying thank you. During the time I traveled with you, Xiao Guang, watching you work hard and grow step by step towards your dream of becoming a top Pokémon Coordinator, I also thought a lot about my own future. If it weren't for you, I might still be standing here, confused and hesitant about whether to continue pursuing my dream of becoming a top Pokémon breeder."

Upon hearing this, Hikari's cheeks flushed slightly, and he waved his hand somewhat embarrassedly: "I'm not as amazing as Brock says... At first, I was even uneasy about embarking on the journey alone. If I hadn't met Ash and Brock, I..."

At this point, Xiaoguang paused almost imperceptibly, as if trying to calm down all his surging emotions.

She took a deep breath, her eyes becoming incredibly clear and solemn: "In short, thank you so much for taking care of me along the way! The time I spent with you was truly... truly wonderful, a precious memory I will never forget!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Bogaman's eyes began to redden again in Xiaoguang's arms, and he held back his tears with great effort.

Last night, after eating the apple that Pikachu had specially picked for it, Bogarman spent the whole night talking to Pikachu, mostly reminiscing about their past experiences.

The conversation ranged from simple daily life to the feelings of defeat and victory in battle, to self-regulation when feeling down, and the subtle emotions of being angry yet happy when pranked.

The conversation covered a wide range of topics, but whatever the past or memories, they were all inseparable from Pogaman.

Those memories, filled with both joy and sorrow, symbolize the friendships Bogarman gained along the way. Each memory shines like a diamond to him, which is why Bogarman felt so resistant when it came to parting.

It didn't want such a precious friendship to end here.

However, after being persuaded by Pikachu and promised that there would definitely be a chance to meet again in the future, Piplup, even though he was still somewhat unwilling, could only helplessly accept the fact of parting.

Even the Curly-eared creature that Xiao Guang released at the same time had its long ears drooping and its head hanging low. It was clearly feeling quite down, and its eyes were filled with the same reluctance as Piplup's as it looked at Pikachu.

"Waaah—"

The cruise ship's horn sounded again, long and clear.

Miss Paris waved again from the ship, reminding everyone, "Miss Hikari, we need to get ready to depart!"

"I'm coming right away!"

Hikari called out in response, then turned around, meeting Satoshi's gaze firmly. With a smile, he said, "You'd better remember our promise from last night! If you dare forget, I'll have a good scolding when I come back to you after I'm done with work!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhi put his hands on his hips and returned a hearty smile.

"Of course! Since it's a promise I made to you, I will never forget it!"

Xiao Guang nodded vigorously, his smile as bright as the rising sun: "Okay! Then I'm relieved!"

As she spoke, she raised her hand to Ash.

Seeing this, Xiao Zhi understood immediately and raised his hand as well.

"Snapped!"

The crisp sound of clapping echoed through the harbor in the early morning, as if drawing a temporary pause to this journey, and also as making a silent promise for a future reunion.

After seeing this, Piplup struggled to jump down from Dawn's arms and, like Dawn and Ash, stretched out its wings towards Pikachu. Pikachu understood Piplup's meaning and raised its hand to give Piplup a high five.

......

Sakiko, watching this scene from a short distance away, rested her chin on her hand and said to her daughter with a touch of melancholy, "It's so wonderful. This feeling, full of youth and dreams, makes me think of the past..."

Serena didn't speak, but silently watched Ash and Dawn say goodbye, a hint of indescribable sadness seemingly flashing across her clear eyes.

Just then, Xiao Guang, who was about to board the ship, suddenly called out to Serena, saying with a smile, "Serena! I really enjoyed chatting with you these past few days. Let's go shopping together again next time we meet!"

Serena was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting Xiao Guang to say goodbye to her, and even less realizing that she had gained a friendship she had never had before in just a few days together.

Serena's face immediately broke into a genuine smile, and she nodded vigorously: "Yes! Definitely!"

......

After saying goodbye to everyone, Hikari took Pogaman and Curly Ears onto the deck of the cruise ship.

The rising sun cast a soft golden light upon her, bathing her and her Pokémon in a warm glow, as if bidding her farewell.

Goodbye—!!!

Xiao Guang, Bo Jia Man, and Juan Juan Er leaned against the deck railing, waving their arms and shouting loudly.

Ash and the others waved goodbye to Dawn.

"Bon Voyage!"

"See you next time!" "Pikachu!!!"

The cruise ship slowly sailed away from the port, leaving a long white trail on the sea.

The departing cruise ship carried with it the deep memories and friendship between the group, and a promise made but not yet fulfilled, sailing towards a distant place full of unknowns and hopes.

Under the sunlight, the figure waving goodbye grew smaller and smaller in Ash and the others' sight, eventually turning into a tiny point of light between the sea and the sky.

.......

P.S.: Many thanks to Xiuer from Jujingguai!