PURPOSE

"Ash?" It was Oak

"Yeah?" He replied in a low voice.

"Why exactly did you begin your journey?"

"Because I-" Ash stopped midway. The answer should've been there, ready at his lips. All his life he had awaited this very journey, looking forward to it, even deciding and making plans about all the different kinds of pokémon he would catch, the places he would go, the-
What was the point behind it again? Why am I..doing this?

It did not matter. Not now anyway. Ever since he had... had that accident with team Rocket in Mount Moon, things had, changed, or perhaps that should be shifted, in priority. Sure, he was comatose for three days or so, but something had... permanently shifted in him, and he didn't know what it was. It was like... an emptiness inside him, one that he was obsessively trying to fill in.

His lack of proper sleep, the disturbing dreams, all of that had had an effect on him, and Ash had tackled that in the only way that had appealed to him.
Train harder. Catch pokémon. Win badges. Get stronger. Repeat.
A vicious circle, and he was getting obsessed with it. But did he want to leave that? Where would that leave him?
At least with this, I have a purpose.
A purpose... is that what this is about? Is that what I'm looking for? Would my existence be worth it without a purpose? Was that why.....?

"A... purpose." Ash's lips spoke up, almost on their own. The lack of emotion in his own voice surprised him.
He wasn't sure what it was about his answer that had seemingly stumped his mother. Even the old professor seemed to be looking at him... strangely, almost as if he were seeing him for the first time.

"The reason for this journey is to find my purpose."