9. The Sevestar Prince

Chapter 82

In the Sinnoh Region, May, Serena, and Dawn gather in Hearthome City to witness Ash's seventh victory in the Grand Festival. They are in awe of Ash's incredible moves and his ability to come up with innovative strategies.

May, impressed by Ash's performance, comments, "I can't believe Ash managed to pull off that move..."

Serena nods in agreement, saying, "It looked amazing, especially with a Pokémon like Rapidash. Do you think he might teach us how to do it?"

May, however, remains skeptical. "Ash's techniques are quite challenging to master. I'm not sure if we'll be able to learn them easily."

Dawn, on the other hand, wears a troubled expression. She knows that even May managed to earn Ash's forgiveness by tying with him in one of their contests. She feels a pang of guilt for not knowing what she had said to Ash or how to make amends. The news didn't capture the specifics of her conversation with Ash, leaving her with no way to address the issue.

Concerned for their friend, Serena asks, "Dawn, are you alright? You've been looking upset..."

Dawn tries to hide her feelings but ultimately opens up. "Oh, don't worry about it. It's not a big deal."

May suddenly realizes something and apologizes, saying, "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize that you haven't earned Ash's forgiveness yet..."

Serena also expresses her regret, but their apologies only seem to intensify Dawn's sadness. She shakes her head and attempts to reassure them, saying, "It's okay, really. I heard that even Misty, Brock, Goh, and Chloe haven't received his forgiveness yet..."

Feeling sympathetic toward Dawn's predicament, May and Serena decide to avoid discussing Ash in her presence to spare her any further distress.

As Dawn returns to her house, she lets out a sigh, grateful to be in a place where she can drop the facade she maintained in front of her friends. She contemplates the emotional toll of the day, feeling a deep sadness related to her unresolved issues with Ash.

However, before she can retreat to her room to let her tears flow, she hears Piplup's distress coming from Tox's room. Rushing to the scene, she finds Piplup trapped under a pile of books. With a gentle scolding, she frees Piplup from the precarious situation.

Dawn reminds Piplup to be more careful in the future, and the little Pokémon nods in remorse. But as she starts putting the books away, she notices an unusual book about Aura. Curiosity piqued, she decides to explore its contents.

However, what she discovers within the pages leaves her stunned. The book mentions "Red Satoshi Ketchum" and references a recent publication date, only ten days ago. Dawn rushes to the relevant page and reads about a person named Red Satoshi Ketchum who, after being discovered by his parents, was forced to leave his first love and live in the Rota Kingdom with his sister. He eventually moved on and married Delia, the Kanto Champion, with whom he had two children, one of whom was killed by Team Rocket, while the other is known as Ash Ketchum.

Dawn's eyes widen in realization as she connects the dots. "Does this mean that Red Satoshi is Ash's father?" The shocking revelation leaves her breathless.

Continuing to read, she finds the devastating news that Red Satoshi was murdered by Team Rocket. The pieces fall into place, and Dawn comprehends the reason for Ash's deep anger and resentment toward Team Rocket—they were responsible for the murder of his father. The weight of this revelation sinks in, leaving Dawn with a heavy heart and a newfound understanding of her friend's pain.

As Tox enters his room and discovers Dawn inside, he's taken aback by her presence. He inquires, "Dawn? What are you doing in my room?"

Dawn, startled by his sudden arrival, quickly turns to face him. "Tox? When did you get back?"