Although there was a small accident in the middle, Dawn and Ash still set off from Twinleaf Town together at the agreed time, heading towards the nearest town to them, which also has a Pokémon Lab—Sandgem Town.
Today was supposed to be a congratulatory and joyful departure day, but....
"So tired..."
After walking for more than two hours, Dawn finally let out such a sigh.
It's not that Dawn stays at home all day long, leading to insufficient physical strength, but...
"Why does traveling feel a little different from what I thought? It's so ordinary."
Dawn revealed the truth of why she felt tired.
They stopped and started along the way, and didn't walk for two hours straight.
Logically speaking, even if she was tired, she shouldn't have said it, but for Dawn, the mental fatigue was far more deadly than the physical fatigue.
"Why don't I encounter anything interesting at all?"
Ash: "..."
How should I answer at this time? That's a problem.
"We've only been walking for such a short time, how could we encounter anything interesting? If you could encounter interesting things in two hours, then interesting things would become uninteresting."
"Why are you so old-fashioned?" Dawn muttered with a pout.
"That's just the way it is..." Ash didn't think there was anything wrong with his words.
"Speaking of which, Dawn, have you ever walked from Twinleaf Town to Sandgem Town before?"
"Before?" Dawn thought for a moment, and slowly replied, "I haven't walked there before... but I've ridden my Bicycle to Sandgem Town several times, because there are more kinds of goods in Sandgem Town."
"So that's why you don't find it novel," Ash said.
"If it's a place you've never been, you'll find the scenery along the way to be very interesting, like forests, grasslands, deserts, and snow mountains..."
Dawn, who was originally tired from traveling, perked up when Ash told her about places she had never been before.
"Of course, even in places you're familiar with, you might encounter fun things by discovering small paths.
But if you're going to take small paths, it's best to stay within the town, otherwise it's easy to get lost."
"Small paths... is it....?"
Dawn pondered.
Ash's words, and then he clapped his hands as if he had remembered something.
"Ah! That's right! There seems to be a shortcut to Sandgem Town at the road sign ahead! But because it's close to the forest, I've never been there.
Let's take that route this time! Okay?!"
"Oki!"
Dawn's suggestion was quickly supported by Aipom, who was naturally restless and of course agreed to the opportunity to go to a more exciting place.
Contrary to Dawn and the others, Ash and Pikachu were veterans of getting lost, and they knew the risks of taking small paths.
Seeming to understand Ash's concerns, Dawn immediately added, "No problem! Many people have taken that small path.
They say there's nothing special inside except for some wild Pokémon living there.
The road is one-way, so there's no risk of getting lost!"
Ash: "...Okay, I get it, don't look at me like that... Aipom, you too!"
Ash couldn't resist Dawn in the end, and could only nod in agreement to her plan.
Just treat it as a special consideration for a newcomer, of course, as Dawn said, since there's no risk of getting lost, taking a detour isn't a bad idea.
Although the main road is flat and safe, it lacks the vitality of wild Pokémon and isn't as interesting.
Today is Dawn's first day on her journey, and it would be nice to bring her some freshness.
Of course, this freshness better not be being chased by wild Pokémon.
Ash recalled his experience on his first day of traveling and couldn't help but shiver.
With Ash accepting the proposal to change routes, Dawn's spirits immediately returned to how she was when she first set out.
She quickly ran and walked along the way, soon arriving at the landmark she mentioned, which was the entrance to the small path.
"The road ahead is unpaved, please proceed with caution."
Ash stood in front of the landmark, reading the warning next to it, his expression turning strange.
"Just how bad is the road condition here that they need to put up such a warning? Is it really okay?"
Ash turned his gaze to Dawn, seeking her opinion.
"No problem, just like that!" Dawn patted her chest and said nonchalantly, "That signpost is from several years ago, the road surface here has been repaired in the middle a long time ago, so there won't be
any problems!"
"Is that so..."
For some reason, what Erika said before leaving suddenly appeared in Ash's mind.
It shouldn't be that metaphysical, right?
I mean, Ash has traveled with Dawn for so long, and Dawn has said that there is just like that hundreds of times during this period.
Although there have been problems many times, most of them are easy to solve.
It's just taking a small road, so there shouldn't be any problems, right?
"Okay, okay! Stop thinking about it! Let's get going!"
Ash: "???"
Ash looked at Dawn, who was hiding behind him and pushing him forward, with suspicion.
If you want to go, then go, why do I have to walk in front?
"Um~ Wouldn't it be troublesome if a wild Pokémon suddenly attacked and I was in front? If Ash is in front, at least Aipom and Pikachu are by your side, so nothing should happen, right?"
"That makes sense."
Ash suddenly understood.
He hadn't considered this point, and even if Dawn hadn't done this, Ash would have taken the lead if he had thought of it beforehand.
"Let's go then."
Ash shrugged and, beckoning to Aipom who had already jumped impatiently into the tree, was about to step into the forest.
"Although there shouldn't be any dangerous Pokémon near the starting town, Pokémon like Beedrill are special.
If you see them, run away immediately, because when they appear, they usually appear in large numbers."
"I know~ Besides, I wouldn't dare to be arrogant in front of Beedrill without having obtained a Pokémon yet~"
Dawn puffed out her cheeks, seemingly dissatisfied with Ash treating her like a child, and urged him to move forward quickly.
Just as Ash took a step towards the stone steleading to the forest, he suddenly felt a Limber texture beneath his feet, rather than the stone or mud he had imagined.
With this sudden drop, Ash's body began to sway, and before he could even hold on for two seconds, a Growl was heard.
"Ah--!"
At the first stop of his journey, Ash fell Sturdy to the ground, face first.
But before Ash could complain about what was underneath, he only heard a faint, mournful, and resentful whimper coming from behind him.