All parents in the world are like this.
Besides the bento, there were also some clothes, toiletries, a new sleeping set, a tent, pots and pans...
Ash and Pikachu, eating their meal, were dumbfounded watching Delia pull out a mountain of stuff from who knows where and shove it all into his backpack, whether it was needed or not, all thrown in with the mindset of better safe than sorry.
Compared to when they first started their journey, Delia seemed to pack even more things.
"This... this is a bit over the top, don't you think, mom?"
"What's over the top? Did you think I bought you such a big backpack for nothing? It's for you to pack more stuff!" Delia said while her hands continued to move without stopping.
In the end, Ash's large space backpack was packed to the brim by Delia. Fortunately, the backpack's space could be organized into categories, which Delia had already sorted for Ash.
"Put the bento in the upper left space, and the right side has the tent and your sleeping bag, along with pajamas, pillows, and blankets. If possible, use the tent and pillow, okay? Sleeping bags aren't good for your neck if used for too long."
"And below, there's cooking spices and the pots and pans. Remember to eat well, have meat and veggies every meal to ensure proper growth, and moreover..."
Listening to his mother's nagging, when he first started his journey, Ash would have responded with, 'Alright, I know.' before heading upstairs to his room for some peace and quiet.
But now, Ash sat nicely on the sofa, showing no sign of impatience at Delia's nagging. Instead, he responded earnestly to her instructions, line by line.
This made Delia feel a bit surprised amidst her nagging. Since when had her Ash become so obedient? It seems that traveling really does help kids grow!
Before, Ash wouldn't have sat there obediently listening to her nagging.
"... Everything that needs to be brought has been packed, and lastly, the most important thing, be careful out there, don't do anything dangerous, got it?" Nothing was more important than this last piece of advice.
In Delia's view, the biggest issue with traveling is personal safety. While traveling through mountains and rivers, no one knows what might happen. Fortunately, her Ash is strong and healthy, so there shouldn't be much to worry about in terms of safety. But she still had to carefully instruct him once more.
"Got it, mom. Are you done? If so, I'm off to bed. Tomorrow morning, we head out."
"Go, go. Misty, Brock, you two should also go to bed. I'll take care of the rest."
"Mime~" Mr. Mime patted his chest, indicating that he would assist Delia with cleaning up, letting Ash and the others go to bed without worry.
"Alright then, we'll head to bed first, Auntie. Thank you for your hard work." Brock initially wanted to help clean up, but seeing Delia's determination, he sensed there wasn't room for him to step in, so he apologized to Delia before returning to his room.
Misty did the same, but Misty's room was also Ash's room; they slept in bunk beds.
Previously, sleeping in bunk beds wasn't a big deal since they were accustomed to it while traveling. Sharing a room was pretty common for them. But now, given the shift in their relationship, despite still using bunk beds, there was a peculiar feeling between them.
As they entered the room and looked at the familiar space, it suddenly felt somewhat foreign.
"Um... I'll just go to sleep now if there's nothing else~" Misty said awkwardly to Ash while placing Togepi at her bedside.
Ash stared at Misty, causing her face to flush, "...Why are you staring at me like that? Never seen me before? Time to sleep!"
"I never noticed before, but Misty, you're quite pretty! Once you grow up, you definitely won't lose to your sisters in beauty!"
"Huh? What's this about? When did you learn to sweet-talk like that?" Misty was puzzled first, rather than getting happy from Ash's compliment. Was this really something Ash could say?
Given Misty's understanding of Ash's emotional intelligence, it was hard to imagine him saying something like that. It was akin to the sun rising from the west.
So instead of being happy, Misty felt more confused. Was this really the same Ash who needed her help to confess?
"What do you mean! I've always been verbally skilled! Good night!" Ash said with a hint of irritation, then headed to his bed. Passing by Misty, he suddenly gave her a peck on the cheek and swiftly climbed into his bed, covering himself with the blanket.
Misty was left stunned by the unexpected kiss from Ash. What just happened... Ash initiated a kiss? Kissed her on the cheek? Was she imagining things? No, no, that sensation was unmistakable.
It was like electricity ran through her entire body. Although not as overwhelmingly soft as when she first kissed Ash, it wasn't far off.
For Ash to kiss her first, what on earth was happening! Could it be that even a blockhead can blossom one day?
While Misty was in disbelief, Ash huddled under his blanket, his cheeks a bit flushed, his heartbeat faster than usual.
'Is the advice from Harem King Ash really reliable? Why does something feel a bit off...' Ash thought silently, questioning for the first time the teachings from the illustrious guru in his group.
To advance his relationship with Misty and sustain his first love, Ash sought advice from the most experienced guru in the group, Harem King Ash.
Both the words he used earlier and the move to kiss Misty goodnight were taught by Harem King. As Misty suspected, how could Ash possibly think of such intricate romantic gestures on his own?
There was clearly a mastermind behind the scenes, though now Ash had started to question the advice of this guru.
Misty stood still for a while before quietly saying, "Good night," and then climbed into her own bed with Togepi.
Though Togepi was Ash's Pokemon, Misty was the one who held it the most. Ash was often busy with his hands, so he didn't hold Togepi as often, leading Togepi to sleep more often with Misty.
However... Togepi's condition recently seemed a bit unstable, as if it was on the verge of evolving.
As Misty got into bed, Ash nudged Pikachu with his lips. Pikachu reluctantly got up from his cozy spot, hopped to the door to turn off the light, then hurriedly jumped back into his warm bedding.
It was already January, with temperatures at their coldest. Unless necessary, no one wanted to leave their bed.
Ash lay on his back in bed, his eyes gently closed, appearing asleep, when in reality, he entered his mental chat group.
...
[Advanced Ash: @Harem King Ash, are you sure the methods you taught me are effective? Will doing that really enhance our relationship?]
Since winning the Quartz Conference, Ash changed his name from newbie to advanced. No one stays a newbie forever; everyone levels up eventually.Jpg.
[Harem King Ash: What's this, my pickup techniques not working? That's impossible. With these steps followed, Misty would definitely be stunned by your actions, right?]
[Advanced Ash: Um, she did seem like she was shocked on the spot. But why?]
[Harem King Ash: Haha, because it's nothing like something your emotional intelligence would typically express or do. Don't worry, follow my lead and you'll have a harem as vast as the sky!]