Leaving the Battle Arena
Ash and his friends set off toward the Battle Dome. However, they decided to take a detour rather than passing through Lavender Town again, as the Battle Dome lies in a city south of Lavender Town, and they had already visited it once. Taking another route, they figured they could explore some new places along the way.
"Wow, look ahead! There's a farm! Should we go check it out?" May said excitedly, spotting a large farm in the distance. It was around noon, and after lunch and a short rest, everyone was ready to continue their journey.
"Sure, let's go take a look," Ash agreed.
After speaking to some people, they learned that the farm owner, named Christopher, ran the place with his wife, Jeannie. They were Pokémon caretakers, and their farm was dedicated to raising Pokémon. Christopher and Jeannie had a daughter named Nicolette, who dreamed of becoming a Pokémon Coordinator. However, the couple was troubled because, no matter how much they encouraged her, Nicolette refused to go on a journey.
"If you wouldn't mind, could you please share some fun stories about traveling with my daughter, Nicolette?" Christopher asked sincerely. Misty, May, and Brock all looked to Ash, as they were used to letting him take the lead.
"Of course, we'd be happy to help. And, if possible, could we also take a look at the Pokémon eggs you're raising?" Ash replied.
Pokémon eggs are left with caretakers to hatch, who then take care of the young Pokémon until their trainers come to collect them. Christopher readily agreed and told them they were lucky, as one of the eggs was expected to hatch that evening. They might even witness a Pokémon breaking out of its egg for the first time.
Christopher asked his wife, Jeannie, to prepare dinner, wanting to properly host Ash and his friends.
"I really hope we get to see a Pokémon hatch right before our eyes!" Misty said excitedly.
"Me too! Let's go find Nicolette and tell her about the fun of traveling!" May said, pulling Misty along.
Brock, always eager to help, volunteered to assist with dinner preparations. "I'll help with the cooking!" he said.
Ash, meanwhile, offered to take care of everyone's Pokémon and brought them out of their Poké Balls to enjoy a meal. Even Mewtwo, who had become well-acquainted with everyone over time, joined in. Feeding them the food Brock had prepared, Ash headed over to where May and Misty were with Nicolette.
As he arrived, he could see that May's Munchlax had just soundly defeated Nicolette's Vileplume in a practice battle. Nicolette seemed disheartened by the outcome.
May was worried. "Ash, you're just in time. I hope I didn't go overboard—I didn't mean to upset Nicolette," she said, feeling guilty.
Misty gently pulled May aside, hinting that Ash could handle the situation.
"So, did you feel the excitement of battling with Pokémon once the match started?" Ash asked Nicolette. She thought for a moment, realizing that she did feel that thrill during the match.
"May has only been on her journey for less than a year. When she first started, she didn't even know what to do with her Pokémon. But by traveling, she has seen and learned so much, enriching herself along the way. So, if you truly love Pokémon, Nicolette, take your Vileplume and go on a journey. You'll make friends, participate in the Contests you love, and experience a life far beyond what you could at home."
With that, Ash walked away, knowing his words, along with the recent battle experience, would likely motivate Nicolette if she truly loved Pokémon.
After Ash left, Nicolette turned to Misty and May. "Ash really is charming, isn't he? Enough to make two beautiful girls fall for him! Don't worry; I won't tell anyone. This will be our little secret," she whispered, a sly smile on her face.
Apparently, while talking about the joys of travel, Misty and May had inadvertently revealed their feelings for Ash. As a fellow girl, Nicolette immediately picked up on it—both of them liked him!
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