At that moment, there was a commotion. Upon hearing the sound, several Squirtle were startled for a moment. When confronted with Pikachu, the lead Squirtle's expression changed, looking a bit unwilling, but after glancing at its companions, it decided not to continue the confrontation.
Signaling to the others, the lead Squirtle's companions picked up the fallen Squirtle knocked down by Pikachu and quickly fled the scene.
"Squirtle!!"
The lead Squirtle turned to face Ash and his group, letting out a sharp cry. Pikachu responded with determination, and then the Squirtle squad left together.
"Seriously, what's up with these Squirtle? They act like a bunch of hooligans!"
Misty frowned at the group of unruly Squirtle. She usually loved Water-type Pokémon, but seeing how troublesome these Squirtle were, she suddenly lost interest.
"Really? I think they're kind of cool! They're super loyal!" Ash grinned, clearly fascinated.
"What! You're praising them? Setting up traps like this is really dangerous!" Misty pouted, clearly annoyed.
"Hehe! This is the difference between boys and girls. Sure, the traps were a problem, but it's admirable how they never abandoned their friends, even in tough spots!"
Brock nodded, understanding Ash's perspective. Ash glanced at Brock, giving him a knowing look, as if to say, "You get me!"
"Hmph! I just don't get you boys." Misty was still grumpy but decided not to dwell on it. After all, she was the type to get angry quickly and cool off just as fast, especially when it came to Pokémon.
At that moment, the sound of an engine roared closer. The trio heard a police siren, and soon a figure on a motorcycle appeared.
"Are you all right?"
After arriving, the rider inspected the hole in the road, frowning slightly, then stepped off the bike and approached Ash and the others.
"Officer Jenny?"
"Huh? You know me?" Officer Jenny blinked in surprise, curious about how they recognized her.
"Hehe! It's kinda hard not to!" Ash and Misty both looked a little embarrassed. It seemed like no matter where they went, they always had some encounter with an Officer Jenny, and they all looked identical.
"Huh?" Officer Jenny looked confused.
"We've met your sisters in other cities!" Misty explained honestly.
"Oh, I see!"
"Officer Jenny, even though there's an Officer Jenny in every town, you are the most beautiful flower among them all! Please accept my sincere love!" At that moment, Brock poured out his affection toward Officer Jenny once again.
"Uh... I appreciate the compliment, but I'm afraid I can't accept your confession!"
"Seriously, he's at it again!" Ash and Misty groaned, holding their heads in exasperation.
"They all look the same! How did you figure out she's the most beautiful one? Ugh, give it a rest." Misty whispered sharply into Brock's ear.
Ash couldn't help but notice how Brock's ears seemed to be growing bigger each time this happened. Was it just his imagination?
After some time, Brock finally settled down, and Misty turned back to Officer Jenny. "By the way, those Squirtle earlier..."
"You should come back to town with me first!" Officer Jenny sighed, clearly frustrated by the mess left behind by the Squirtle. She called for backup to deal with the traps, then motioned for Ash and his friends to follow her back to town.
The group didn't say much and took the opportunity to catch a ride in the Tailwind car with Officer Jenny. All three of them put on the helmets Officer Jenny gave them and left together.
Brock, of course, wanted to sit behind Officer Jenny, but Misty swiftly pushed him aside and took the seat herself, leaving Brock no choice but to sit next to Ash. Ash was a little baffled. *Why are you guarding against me?* he thought.[T/N: Ash is thinking so *(asterisk) is used]
But Ash didn't mind too much. Soon, Officer Jenny brought them to a small town near the White Strait. It wasn't well-known and wasn't even marked on their map, but the surroundings were nice, and the place felt peaceful. Officer Jenny led them to the local police station.
"Those Squirtle from earlier belong to the Squirtle Squad!" Officer Jenny explained while operating the computer.
"The Squirtle Squad? Aren't they wild Pokémon?" Misty asked, confused. It didn't seem like they were wild Pokémon based on what she had seen.
"They weren't before, but they are now!" Officer Jenny replied with a sigh. Misty and Brock were still puzzled. What did she mean by *weren't before*?
"What does that mean?"
"They used to have Trainers," Officer Jenny explained. "But they were all abandoned by them." She sounded frustrated, and it was clear that this situation was causing her a lot of stress. Although those Squirtle frequently caused trouble, she understood their backstory and didn't want to harm them. It was a difficult situation for her.
"Ah? Again? Why do we always run into things like this?" Misty groaned, feeling exasperated. It seemed like they encountered abandoned Pokémon everywhere they went.
"You've dealt with something similar before?" Officer Jenny asked, intrigued.
"Yeah..." The group briefly recounted their past encounters, and Officer Jenny listened with growing frustration. As a police officer, her personality was a bit more fiery than Nurse Joy's, who tended to be more gentle.
"These Trainers are so irresponsible! No wonder those Squirtle started causing trouble all over town, acting out because they don't trust humans anymore."
"Over time, even visitors to the town get affected. The locals know what happened to the Squirtle and don't want to harm them, but I really don't know how to handle it!" Officer Jenny admitted with embarrassment. She didn't know how or when this situation would finally be resolved.