"Mom, how was my battle?!"
Dawn ran over to Ayako.
Seeing her radiant, confident expression, I realized once again that the gloomy, dejected Dawn of the past was gone.
I heard she had suffered one setback during her travels-no, two. But even if she had borrowed strength from others, she had overcome them through her own efforts.
That must have made her stronger inside, and more emotionally mature than she had been before setting out.
Ayako herself probably felt that change more keenly than anyone.
After all, Dawn was her one and only beloved daughter.
"Mom, I've changed, haven't I?! Have I grown?!"
Honestly, though, the way she acted now reminded me of a child who had done something good and begged, "Mom, wasn't I amazing? Praise me, praise me, praise me!" She seemed to be asking her mother to pat her head.
"Yes, Hikari."
Ayako stood before Dawn with a gentle expression that embraced everything.
"You were truly wonderful. It wasn't just your Pokémon's strength. You've become stronger than before, and you've grown so much. You seem to have learned plenty of things even I don't know. Though I suppose you're not such a crybaby anymore, either."
"Honestly, Mom!"
At Ayako's teasing, Dawn blushed slightly and gave her a bashful little pat.
"But..."
Unbothered, Ayako hugged Dawn tightly.
"All I want is for you to be safe and healthy. That's your mother's only wish."
After a brief breath, Dawn and Ayako looked into each other's eyes.
"If something happens and it all gets too hard, come home. But until you're satisfied, keep traveling."
-You'll surely receive help from all sorts of people on your journey, meet all sorts of people, and get to know them.
-Your mother thinks those connections and encounters are important when you're growing up.
-So