After dinner, Ash voluntarily cleared the dishes.
Although Hanako always said she would do it herself, ever since Ash had grown tall enough to reach the stove, he had never allowed his mother to handle everything alone.
In fact, whenever he wasn’t training in the back mountain, Ash would often prepare dinner for her.
From a young age, he had understood how much Hanako had given up for him.
An unmarried young woman suddenly raising a child on her own was bound to attract gossip, even in a simple and honest place like Pallet Town.
But Hanako had never complained.
She had never told Ash about the difficulties she had faced.
Instead, she had simply continued moving forward.
Whenever he came home, her eyes were filled with warmth.
No matter how late he stayed outside, there was always a light waiting for him at home and something warm to eat.
Ash knew that he was the most important person in her life.
And to him, she was the same.
“Creak…”
The door slowly opened.
Hanako returned from the yard carrying a large basket of berries and firewood.
However, her usually gentle expression was clouded with worry.
Ash immediately sensed that something was wrong.
He was about to quietly retreat when Hanako caught him by the arm.
“Ash!”
She looked at him sternly.
“How many times have I told you not to go into the back mountain alone? Why won’t you listen to Mom?”
“Uh… I just…”
Ash tried to explain.
But Hanako interrupted him.
“You’ve already forgotten about the Iron Armor Rhinoceros and the Beedrill?”
Ash fell silent.
Those were the two most dangerous incidents he had experienced during his childhood.
The first happened when he encountered an Iron Armor Rhinoceros in the wild.
After accidentally eating a particularly spicy berry, Ash had been startled by the Pokémon and sent flying by its horn.
He spent three months recovering in bed.
Yet even that misfortune had brought an unexpected benefit.
During the incident, Ash had unconsciously learned his first Pokémon move:
Tackle.
After all, he had been born from a Pokémon Egg.
As the successor of Arceus, possessing unusual abilities wasn’t entirely unexpected.
Unfortunately, after years of training, Tackle remained the only move he had successfully mastered.
The second incident had been far more dangerous.
Ash had secretly entered the back mountain while searching for Pikachu.
According to the original story, Ash’s Pikachu had once been a Pichu living alongside a Kangaskhan mother and child.
Eventually, the Pichu left after believing that it was causing trouble for the family.
Later, under the moonlight, it evolved into Pikachu.
In the original story, Professor Oak eventually became involved with the Pokémon.
Ash didn’t know whether the same chain of events would happen in this world.
But he wanted to find his own destiny.
So he had gone searching.
He did eventually find Pichu.
Unfortunately, its playful movements startled a swarm of Beedrill.
During the chaos, one of their nests was accidentally disturbed.
Ash immediately tried to get Pichu to safety.
When the little Pokémon fell behind, he turned back for it.
He ended up taking the brunt of the Beedrill attack himself.
When Ash finally woke up, he was already lying in a hospital bed.
According to Nurse Joy, the venom had spread throughout his body.
Hanako had been terrified.
She had cried until her eyes became swollen and had even fainted from exhaustion several times.
Fortunately, Ash’s extraordinary constitution allowed him to survive.
After that incident, Hanako became extremely protective of him.
She refused to let Ash take unnecessary risks.
But Ash still secretly continued training.
He knew his own body better than anyone.
As long as he remained careful and didn’t venture too far into dangerous territory, he believed he could handle it.
Back in the present.
Hanako gently held Ash’s face between her hands.
Her eyes were filled with tears.
“Mom knows you want to become stronger.”
Ash’s expression softened.
He reached up and wiped away one of her tears.
“Tomorrow, I’ll be an adult.”
He smiled.
“And then it’ll be my turn to protect you.”
“Ash…”
Hanako’s expression trembled.
Ash pulled her into a warm embrace.
“Mom, you’ve taken care of me for eighteen years.”
“I know you gave up a lot because of me.”
“I don’t want you to keep worrying about me forever.”
“I’ll become stronger.”
“I’ll make sure you can live peacefully.”
Hanako’s eyes became misty.
For eighteen years, she had watched this child grow from a mysterious Pokémon Egg into the young man standing before her.
She remembered his first steps.
His first words.
His first attempt at cooking.
His first injury.
His countless little acts of kindness.
And now he was about to become an adult.
She hugged him tightly.
“My little Ash…”
Her voice trembled slightly.
“You really have grown up.”
Ash smiled.
“Don’t worry, Mom.”
“No matter where I go, I’ll always come home.”
Hanako wiped her tears and smiled.
“That’s a promise?”
“A promise.”
The two remained quietly embraced for a while.
There was no need for more words.
For them, that simple embrace was enough.
Later that night, Hanako returned to her room.
She sat on the edge of her bed and looked at an old photograph of Ash as a child.
A warm smile appeared on her face.
“My little boy is finally becoming an adult…”
She sighed softly.
There was a little sadness in her eyes, but even more pride.
She hoped that wherever his journey took him, he would remain safe.
And above all else, she hoped he would remember that he always had a home to return to.
The next morning.
By the time Ash woke up, Hanako had already prepared a warm breakfast before leaving for work.
Without a reliable source of income, mother and son had spent years relying mostly on Hanako’s modest earnings from the sewing shop in town.
Ash also helped by selling berries and other materials he gathered.
Life was difficult, but they had managed to make it work.
Ash slowly ate his sweet corn porridge.
His expression gradually became more determined.
Today was his eighteenth birthday.
Today, he was finally an adult.
He reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a faded Poké Ball.
A certain green-haired boy immediately came to mind.
Ash smiled.
“A strange journey is about to begin.”
“Ash!”
A familiar voice suddenly came from outside.
“Are you home?”
Ash raised an eyebrow.
Speak of the devil.
The door opened, and Gary walked inside.
He immediately noticed the Poké Ball in Ash’s hand.
“Huh?”
“Isn’t that the Poké Ball we both fished out?”
Not long ago, the two boys had found the old Poké Ball while fishing near the river.
Unlike the original story, Gary hadn’t fought Ash for it.
Instead, he had given it to him.
The gesture carried a special meaning.
They had grown up together.
Gary knew how much Ash loved Pokémon.
He also knew how difficult Ash and Hanako’s life had been.
A single Poké Ball could cost the equivalent of months of their living expenses.
So Gary had simply given it to his friend.
Ash looked at the faded Poké Ball in his hand.
His eyes gradually brightened.
This wasn’t merely a Poké Ball.
It was the first gift from one of his oldest friends.
And perhaps it would become the first step toward his own journey as a Trainer.