Chapter 269: Don’t Underestimate Me Just Because I’m a Duck!

The video continued playing.

After trimming down her luggage, Hina’s half-her-height giant suitcase had been reduced to a normal-sized backpack.

Johanna folded the final jacket, placed it inside, zipped the bag shut, and patted the front.

"There. That’s just right."

Hina accepted the backpack with both hands.

"Thank you, Grandma..."

"No need to thank me."

Johanna reached out and tidied the loose strands of hair across Hina’s forehead.

"When you’re traveling, you only need to bring enough to get by. The most important thing is taking care of yourself."

Just then, Piplup jumped out of Dawn’s arms.

It pattered over to Hina, wrapped both wings tightly around her leg, and refused to let go.

"Piplup, Piplup!!!"

Tears were already streaming from Piplup’s eyes.

Hina swayed from how tightly it clung to her and nearly lost her balance.

"All right, all right, Piplup."

Dawn gently patted its head.

"Hina’s going on a journey. It’s not like she’s never coming home."

"And she’ll contact us every time she reaches a new town. Right, Hina?"

Hina nodded firmly.

Her voice was soft, but her answer was resolute.

"Mm. I will."

Quaxwell, standing nearby, patted its chest with one wing and gave a confident thumbs-up.

"Quax, quax!" (I’ll protect Hina. Don’t worry.)

Piplup sniffled hard.

Only then did it finally release Hina’s leg.

Then it turned toward Quaxwell and gave it a solemn salute.

"Piplup!" (I’m counting on you to take care of Hina!)

When they reached the entrance of Dawsher House, Hina turned back to look at her parents and grandmother.

Then she tightened her grip around the straps of her backpack.

"I-I’m setting off!"

Dawn leaned against her hubby’s shoulder, watching her daughter’s back disappear around the corner of the street.

Finally, she couldn’t hold it in anymore.

She buried her face against Asher’s shoulder and let out a muffled sob.

"W-Wah... Hina..."

"Why did she walk away so quickly...?"

"Mommy wanted to look at her for just a little longer..."

Asher wrapped an arm around Dawn’s shoulders.

"All right, all right. Don’t cry."

"She’s already gone."

"I’m not crying."

Dawn sniffed hard.

"It’s just..."

"It’s just Piplup’s fault. It was contagious."

Johanna patted Dawn on the shoulder.

"Dawn, Hina has already decided to enter Pokémon Contests too."

"You’d better keep working hard, or you might lose at the next Grand Festival."

"Hmph! There’s no way I’ll lose to Hina that easily!"

Dawn immediately turned toward Asher.

"Right, hubby?!"

Asher slowly raised his head toward the sky and nodded with an extremely serious expression.

"Ahem."

"Those clouds sure are white today."

"HUBBY!!!"

[VIP Chat Group]

[Jasmine]: Hina is going to start entering Pokémon Contests too. I wonder if she’ll end up facing Dawn in a Contest before long.

[Dawn]: Parallel-world me definitely won’t lose! How could a mom lose to her daughter right after she starts traveling?!

[Skyla]: So far, every mother-daughter battle across all four episodes has ended with the daughter winning. I wonder if Dawn can finally break the tradition.

[Lorelei]: The others had suspicious cases of voluntarily stepping aside or dumping their responsibilities onto someone else. Dawn doesn’t have that excuse. This time, they’re genuinely competing on the same stage for a Grand Festival championship, so I think betting on Dawn is reasonable.

The video continued playing.

After leaving Twinleaf Town, Hina stepped onto Route 201 toward Sandgem Town.

Quaxwell walked ahead with the backpack strapped to its back.

Every few steps, it would stop and carefully inspect the road ahead for wild Pokémon.

Only after confirming that everything was safe would it turn around and give Hina a "continue forward" gesture.

The entire sequence was seamless.

It looked even more professional than one of Officer Jenny’s patrol Growlithe.

Hina followed behind, nervously pinching the edge of her clothes between her fingers.

"Ducky..."

"The backpack is heavy. You should let me carry it..."

"You already have to scout ahead and check the map too."

"That’s too much work..."

Without even turning around, Quaxwell made an effortless "absolutely no problem" gesture with one wing.

It looked every bit like a lone wandering swordsman from a martial-arts novel, traveling the world with a sword strapped across his back—

If one ignored the fact that it was a duck.

Just then—

A sharp whistling sound suddenly came from the sky.

Hina instinctively looked up.

A fluffy green object was plummeting straight toward her at terrifying speed.

Quaxwell moved even faster than Hina could cry out.

Its right leg slammed against the ground.

Its entire body shot into the air.

It spun a full 360 degrees—

Then whipped its right leg through the air like a perfectly executed volley.

BAM——!!

The kick connected squarely with the green object.

The fluffy green ball was sent flying straight into the roadside bushes, where it crashed headfirst into the undergrowth.

Only a pair of tiny hind legs remained sticking out, twitching faintly.

Hina covered her mouth with both hands.

She looked at the pair of trembling little legs in the bushes.

Then at Quaxwell’s foot, which had practically produced a sonic boom just now.

"D-Ducky..."

"Is... is it okay?"

A very faint sound came from inside the bushes.

"...Mii..."

Hina hurried over and parted the branches.

The little green bundle was lying flat on its back.

Its limbs were spread apart.

Its tongue hung from the corner of its mouth.

Its eyes had already turned into spirals.

Hina gently lifted it into her hands.

Then she closed her eyes.

The Power of Viridian slowly flowed from her palms into its body.

A moment later—

Shaymin opened its eyes.

It stared at Hina for a second.

Then suddenly sprang upright in her palms.

"Mii, mii!"

Hina flinched at the sudden movement.

Quaxwell remained perfectly calm and gently patted the back of her hand with one wing, telling her not to panic.

Shaymin spun through the air twice before landing in front of Quaxwell.

"Mii, mii!" (Were you the one who kicked Shaymin just now?!)

Quaxwell pointed one wing toward the sky.

"Quax, quax!" (You fell out of the sky. If I hadn’t kicked you away, you would’ve landed directly on my Trainer.)

Shaymin turned toward Hina.

Then its voice sounded directly inside her mind.

"You are this violent duck’s Trainer?"

"What did you do to Shaymin just now?"

"All of Shaymin’s injuries suddenly feel better."

Hina answered softly.

"I-I’m Hina..."

"Ducky didn’t mean to hurt you. He only kicked you because he was afraid you’d fall on me."

"What I used just now was the Power of Viridian..."

"If you’re still hurting anywhere, I can heal you some more..."

Shaymin’s eyes immediately lit up.

It had already become completely fascinated by Hina’s Power of Viridian.

It leaped directly onto Hina’s shoulder and rubbed its head against her cheek.

"Hehe~ Hina feels so warm!"

"Shaymin likes Hina!"

Hina reached up and gently touched Shaymin with one finger.

"Shaymin..."

"Why did you fall out of the sky?"

At that question, Shaymin immediately drooped.

"Shaymin was trying to follow the others to Gracidea Garden!"

"But when Shaymin tried to take a shortcut, a strange gust of wind suddenly appeared..."

"And Shaymin got separated from everyone!"

Hina looked at the pitiful Shaymin.

Then, after a moment of hesitation, she quietly asked,

"Um..."

"Shaymin, if you can’t find your group for now..."

"Would you like to travel with me first?"

"Really?! Yay!"

Shaymin’s eyes lit up.

It immediately hopped onto the top of Hina’s head.

"Then Shaymin won’t have to travel all alone anymore!"

Hina smiled softly.

"Then..."

"Shaymin, let’s take care of each other from now on."

...