After settling Pikachu with Nurse Joy, Dawn breathed a long sigh of relief, then pulled on Shinji's sleeve as she walked toward the telephone area on one side of the Pokémon Center.
"I need to call my mom to let her know I'm safe; she must be worried after I've been out for so long. I also need to check in with Professor Rowan."
Shinji didn't object, leaning silently against the nearby wall to wait.
Dawn inserted her pokédex into the card slot of the video phone and dialed her home number.
The call was quickly connected, and Ayako's gentle face appeared on the screen.
"Dawn? Have you reached a Pokémon Center already? Is everything going smoothly?"
"Mom!" A bright smile blossomed on Dawn's face as she held the Piplup in her arms up to the screen. "Look, this is the partner I chose, Piplup! Isn't it cute?"
"Piplup, Piplup!" Piplup cooperated perfectly, waving its little wings and letting out a cute Growl.
"Oh my, what a spirited and adorable Pokémon," Ayako praised with a smile. "It seems you two are getting along very well. You didn't run into any trouble on the way, did you?"
"No, it was very smooth. Well, there were a few minor accidents on the road, but they've all been resolved!" Dawn smiled as she gave a brief account of the Ariados attack and seeing Mesprit at Lake Verity.
She then turned slightly and pointed to Shinji not far away, her tone carrying a hint of pride. "And I've also met a very reliable companion! His name is Shinji, and he's super strong. He was the one who saved me and Piplup earlier!"
Shinji hadn't expected Dawn to suddenly introduce him. Facing Ayako, who was watching him warmly from the other end of the screen, he waved his hand somewhat uncomfortably as a greeting.
Ayako looked Shinji over carefully. Seeing that although his expression was cold, his eyes were clear and steady, she couldn't help but nod and say warmly, "Shinji, is it? Thank you for taking care of Dawn."
"This is the first time this child has traveled away from home, and she has a bit of a reckless personality. She's still immature in many ways, so I might have to trouble you to look out for her in the future."
Shinji looked into Ayako's sincere eyes, then glanced at Dawn, who was looking at him with an expectant gaze. After a moment of silence, he finally nodded solemnly and responded succinctly, "Mm, I will."
"What do you mean, Mom!" Hearing her mother's words, Dawn immediately pouted and leaned toward the screen in dissatisfied protest.
"I'm already working very hard, so why do you make it sound like I'm such a handful? I'm fine, no problem!"
Seeing her daughter like this, Ayako laughed instead and said to Shinji, "Shinji, do you see?"
"With this child Dawn, whenever she says 'No problem, no problem,' that's usually when things are most likely to go wrong. You'll have to help me keep an eye on her."
Hearing this, Shinji glanced at the huffy Dawn, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly in an almost imperceptible way, and nodded again. "Mm, I'll keep an eye out."
"Mom!" Dawn stomped her foot in anger, her cheeks puffed out like a little bun, which made her mother laugh again.
After chatting with her mother for a few more minutes about her travel experiences and future plans, Dawn reluctantly hung up the phone.
Next, Dawn dialed Rowans Laboratory to report to Professor Rowan that she had arrived safely at the Pokémon Center, and mentioned the rescue of Pikachu in passing.
"Pikachu?" Professor Rowan paused for a moment, then said, "Oh, I see! This Pikachu's trainer is at the laboratory right now; he's been looking everywhere for Pikachu! I'll tell him the news right away."
"That's great!" Dawn's eyes lit up, and she quickly gave the address of the Pokémon Center. "Then Professor, just have him come directly here; we'll wait for him."
After finishing all this and hanging up the phone, Dawn finally breathed a sigh of relief and went to the cafeteria with Shinji for dinner.
Meanwhile, inside Rowans Laboratory.
Ash was pacing back and forth in the yard anxiously, his brow furrowed, constantly muttering, "Pikachu... where on earth are you..."
The Aipom beside him was also jumping around restlessly, letting out worried cries from time to time.
Just then, Professor Rowan walked out quickly and shouted to Ash, "Ash! We've found Pikachu's whereabouts!"
"Really? Professor!" Ash stopped in his tracks instantly, his eyes widening as he rushed to Professor Rowan and asked urgently, "Where is Pikachu? Is it okay?"
"It's fine, it's fine," Professor Rowan reassured him. "A new trainer who just started out saved it. Right now, Pikachu is receiving treatment at the Pokémon Center across the forest. You should head over there quickly."
"That's great! Thank you, Professor!" Ash thanked him quickly, and before his voice had even faded, he had already turned and dashed toward the door, with Aipom following close behind.
"I'm going there right now. Pikachu, wait for me."
He ran all the way out of Sandgem Town, heading toward the Pokémon Center on the edge of the forest without stopping, with only one thought in his mind: to see Pikachu as soon as possible.
Night gradually fell, the sky stained with a faint ink-like color. As the darkness quietly descended, the Pokémon Center was brightly lit, appearing exceptionally peaceful.
The doors of the Pokémon Center were suddenly pushed open, and a figure wearing a blue jacket and a hat with the League logo rushed in out of breath, running straight to the front desk and shouting anxiously to Nurse Joy, "Nurse Joy! Where is my Pikachu? Where is it?"
Nurse Joy looked up, and seeing the boy's anxious state, she smiled gently. "You must be the trainer of the Pikachu brought in earlier today, right? Don't worry, Pikachu is resting in the ward now. After treatment, its condition has stabilized, and it will be fully recovered by tomorrow."
"Thank you so much, Nurse Joy!" The boy quickly bowed in thanks, then impatiently ran toward the ward area.
Pushing open the ward door, he saw Pikachu lying quietly on the hospital bed at a glance, and his previously tense nerves instantly relaxed.
The boy walked quickly to the bedside, sat gently on the edge of the bed, and looked at Pikachu with a gentle gaze, his tone carrying heavy self-reproach. "Pikachu, I've made you suffer... it's all my fault for not being able to protect you."
At this time, Dawn, who had just finished dinner at the cafeteria, was bringing Shinji over to check on Pikachu's condition. Upon pushing open the door, she saw the boy by the bed.
Dawn stepped forward and asked softly, "Hello, are you Pikachu's trainer?"
Hearing the voice, the boy immediately stood up, turned around to see Dawn and Shinji, and nodded quickly. "Yes, I'm Ash, and this Pikachu is my partner. We got separated earlier because of an accident. Were you the ones who saved Pikachu?"
"That's right!" Dawn nodded and said in a light tone, "When we found it in the forest, it was covered in injuries and being chased by a group of strange people. After we drove those people away, we quickly brought it here."
Shinji sized Ash up silently from the side, his dark purple eyes showing no ripples. He looked no different from his appearance in the animation of his memories, still possessing that impulsive and reckless look.
He couldn't help but interject, "To even lose your own Pokémon, what an idiot."
Hearing this, Ash didn't get angry but instead lowered his head, his face full of self-reproach. "You're right... I was too stupid to let Pikachu get hurt and separated from me."
Seeing this, Dawn quickly reached out to pull Shinji behind her and gave Ash an embarrassed smile. "Haha, Ash, don't mind him. He's just like that, a bit blunt, but he doesn't mean any harm!"
She then waved her hand at Ash and introduced herself, "I'm Dawn, from Twinleaf Town. This is Shinji, from Veilstone City."
Ash looked up, a sincere smile appearing on his face, and bowed deeply to the two of them. "Dawn, Shinji, thank you both so much for saving Pikachu."
Dawn was a bit embarrassed by his solemn manner and waved her hands quickly. "No need, no need, it's only right. It's just good that Pikachu is okay now."
The three exchanged a few more pleasantries. Seeing that Pikachu now had someone to care for it, Dawn pulled Shinji to leave. "Then we won't disturb you taking care of Pikachu; we'll come to see it again tomorrow."
Ash thanked them again and watched the two walk out of the ward.
Walking down the corridor back to their rooms, Dawn couldn't help but start scolding Shinji. "Shinji, how could you say that to Ash just now?"
"He was already feeling guilty enough. In the future, if you don't know how to speak properly, just say less. Don't always be so cold and biting with your words."
Shinji kept his hands in his pockets and looked straight ahead. To Dawn's nagging, he only curled his lip dismissively, but he didn't speak up to retort as he usually would.
For Shinji, some things seemed to be quietly changing after today's events, especially after the call with Dawn's mother.
As the night deepened, the lights in the corridor cast a soft glow on the two of them, stretching their shadows very long, and a subtle yet peaceful atmosphere permeated the air.