Pokémon: Ash's Sinnoh Reset

Twinleaf Town, a tranquil town known as the place where new leaves sprout.

Nestled in the southwestern corner of the Sinnoh region, Twinleaf Town is considered by the people and even the officials of Sinnoh as the starting point for trainers due to its special geographical location.

Of course, Twinleaf Town can be considered a starting point because it is close to Professor Rowan's laboratory, which is where official Sinnoh trainers receive their initial Pokémon. Naturally, Twinleaf Town, located south of Professor Rowan's laboratory, got its name from this.

Although Twinleaf Town is called a town, its designated area is quite extensive, and most of the houses in the town are detached villas, making it a very suitable town for resting during life's journey. The only drawback may be that the residential area is relatively far from Twinleaf Town's recognized small commercial street, making shopping not particularly convenient. However, this is a common inconvenience shared by many small towns, and compared to other towns like Sandgem Town, Twinleaf Town is considered relatively prosperous.

In a house with green tiles and ivory-colored walls in Twinleaf Town, a girl with shoulder-length hair opened the second-floor window. She leaned out of the window, taking a deep breath of the fresh air and stretching contentedly.

"I can finally leave tomorrow."

A sweet smile appeared on the girl's face.

The girl's name is Dawn, a rookie trainer who is about to make her debut this year. To prepare for her upcoming journey, she hadn't slept well for days. Even in her dreams, she was thinking about the things she might encounter and the places she might go—forests, grasslands, snowy mountains, deep valleys, seaside beaches...

These places, which she could only see on TV and in magazines before, she would soon be able to embark on a journey to witness with her own eyes. There was nothing more exciting than traveling alone!

Thinking of this, Dawn's heart couldn't help but flutter. She wondered what the future held for her.

"Dawn! Come down here!"

"?"

Just as Dawn was immersed in her fantasies, her mother's voice suddenly floated up from downstairs.

"Is it dinner? No... wait..."

Although it was almost dinnertime, judging by the voice... it seemed like there was something she needed to do.

Even though it was the same gentle voice as usual, in the eyes of a child, the unchanging voice of an adult always contained other meanings, just like a child at home can clearly distinguish whether the footsteps at the door belong to their parents.

"Sigh, it doesn't seem like it's going to be anything good."

Dawn thought, then walked downstairs with a somewhat dejected look.

There was nothing she could do. Even if she didn't want to, this was the last day before leaving home, and it seemed she couldn't complain about being asked to do things.

...

Walking downstairs, Dawn saw her mother, Johanna, standing in the kitchen with a troubled expression. Seeing this scene, Dawn knew her hunch was right.

"So fast? I thought you were still packing in your room. Good, good."

Johanna smiled and praised her, as if she had just grown up now. Although saying Dawn had just grown up could be considered a compliment, Dawn didn't see it that way.

"I finished packing a long time ago! I'm just waiting to leave tomorrow."

"That's amazing. When I left, I didn't decide what to take until the morning of my departure. It seems you're much better than me in this regard."

"Of course!" Dawn puffed out her chest proudly and said, "Knowing what to bring is common sense. You're just lacking in common sense, Mom."

Perhaps because she was leaving tomorrow, Dawn's tone towards Johanna was a bit cocky, not afraid of dishwashing or floor-mopping revenge after dinner. But Johanna was clearly in a good mood today and didn't argue with Dawn about it.

"Yes, yes, I'm the one lacking in common sense. So, Miss Common Sense, could you please go to the nearby commercial street and buy some soy sauce for me? We're out of soy sauce at home."

"Ehhhh..."

"Don't 'ehhh' me. Since you came down so quickly, doesn't that mean you're ready to help? Although the commercial street is a bit far, it shouldn't be a problem for a mature young lady like you, right?"

"I understand..."

Dawn pouted and replied sullenly.

If she had known she was going to run errands, she would have stayed in her room a bit longer. It wasn't that running errands was tiring or bad, but there was nothing new in this town where she could walk to the commercial street with her eyes closed. Plus, Twinleaf Town didn't hold any special events, and everyone in the commercial street was an old acquaintance. If it were a normal day, Dawn wouldn't have been so disappointed, but comparing what she had to do today with tomorrow, the feeling of loss immediately surged up.

"You don't have to make that face, do you? It's just buying something. It should be over in half an hour..."

Johanna looked speechlessly at Dawn with her head hanging down, and then revealed news that immediately revitalized Dawn.

"Speaking of which~ I seem to remember that the commercial street is holding some kind of event today~" Johanna tapped her lips with her index finger, tilting her head in a troubled manner, but under Dawn's curious gaze, Johanna quickly had an epiphany, clapping her hands and laughing, "Ah! That's right! I remember now, it seems to be a raffle."

"What's the big deal? I thought it was something special..."

Dawn's interest immediately disappeared. Raffles were the most common event held in the commercial street, but the prizes were usually just so-so.

She remembered that the best reward from the past until now was a three-day, three-night island trip. Although Dawn had wanted that prize back then, she wouldn't want it now even if she won it. The top priorities were definitely tomorrow's trip and going to Professor Rowan's laboratory in Sandgem Town to receive her starter Pokémon.

"Hmm... not interested? But I heard that this time the prizes include a full set of stickers for Pokémon Contests..."

"Let me go! No! Please, let me go!"

Dawn immediately changed her mind.

It turned out that a mother is always a mother, and you can't outsmart her when it comes to playing mind games.

"Take care~"

Johanna leaned against the door, smiling and watching Dawn ride away on her bicycle.

"But it probably won't work." After Dawn's figure completely disappeared from her sight, Johanna murmured, "After all, the Poké Ball stickers are the first prize. Given that child's luck, she'll probably only get a consolation prize of tissues."

Although Johanna believed that Dawn wouldn't win the grand prize, she didn't have any regrets. After all, she was telling the truth. As for whether Dawn could win the prize she wanted, that was none of Johanna's business.

Besides, she could actually go herself to buy soy sauce. It wasn't that she was lazy in asking Dawn to run errands, but she hoped that Dawn could leave more memories of home before leaving on her journey, and she also hoped to leave more memories of Dawn.

Time passed quickly, and growing up was just a matter of moments, especially for trainers traveling abroad. How many days a year would they spend at home? A week or two would be good.

People on the outside live fulfilling lives, while people at home look forward to the return of those on the outside.

So, communicating with her daughter more in this way was Johanna's way of being a sly mother.

....