"26, 27, 28... In addition to Ash, one person is missing!" After counting the number of people, it was soon discovered that something was wrong. Not only Ash, but someone else was missing.
"What??" Professor Oak couldn't help frowning when he heard this. Losing one person was troublesome enough, but losing two people was even worse. It wouldn't be easy for them to spread out and search for both missing individuals.
And it would be bad if they were attacked again by Spearow or other ferocious Pokémon.
"Ah!! It's Serena! Serena is gone," a girl said.
These children came from various places, and not all of them knew each other well. Though many were meeting for the first time, they had at least communicated enough to know each other's names.
It wasn't like the relationship between Gary and Ash, who could be found as soon as he disappeared. Serena's friend only reacted when Serena was mentioned.
"Serena, I remember. She's from the Kalos region! Professor, what should we do now?" After hearing her name, the staff recalled her.
"How about this! I'll look after the children here. You two help take care of them, and the others will search separately. I'll contact Officer Jenny and ask for her help!"
Professor Oak did not expect such a thing to happen on the first day, but now the priority was to find the missing people.
"Okay!" Listening to Professor Oak's instructions, the staff did not argue. The best course of action now was to call the police.
"Grandpa! I'm going to help too!" Gary said, stepping forward.
"No, I know you're worried about Ash. There may be dangers in the forest. If you go, you'll be in danger too. Stay here with everyone, and I'll find a way to get Ash and the others back."
Professor Oak had raised the two children—his grandson Gary, and although Ash wasn't his grandson, he had always regarded Ash as one. He had witnessed the friendship between the two since childhood.
But no matter what, these children needed to stay here now, so they could focus on finding the missing without distraction.
"Understood!" Gary clenched his fists. Although he was a little unwilling, he could only follow Professor Oak's wishes.
"Ash, you idiot... You're going to be a real problem!"
. . . . .
"Everyone!! Where are you guys!!!"
In the depths of the jungle, a panicked voice shouted. It wasn't Ash's voice; it was Serena's voice, full of fear. She was the other lost child from the group.
Swish Swish Swish! ! !
Suddenly, the grass next to her trembled, and there was a rustling sound. She had been tense after being attacked by Spearow earlier, and when she heard the noise, Serena was even more startled.
"Ah!! Woo!!"
Subconsciously, she turned around to run away, but in her anxiety, she tripped and fell to the ground, letting out a cry of pain. There was no time to focus on the pain now as she looked at the tall bushes in horror.
"This is why I didn't want to come camping! Waaaaa!! Mom! I want to go home..." she cried, tears streaming down her face. The rustling bushes only heightened her fear.
"Stop shouting! If you call those Spearows again, you won't be able to escape."
In her panic, she heard a human voice. She was crying, but she instinctively stopped. Hearing someone's voice brought her a sense of security.
Swish! ! !
She looked forward and saw that it wasn't a Pokémon emerging from the bushes, but a boy. She recognized him immediately as Ash.
When Professor Oak had been teaching them about Pokémon, Gary and Ash had performed excellently, drawing more attention from the children. Like the others, she had admired Ash for his knowledge and clapped along with everyone else, so she remembered him well. Hearing Ash's voice now, she stopped shouting and sobbed softly instead.
"Are you okay?" Ash asked, walking up to her
He hadn't gotten lost because of the Spearow attack. Instead, he had noticed her falling behind the group during the attack and had followed her into the jungle to make sure she was safe.
"I... Ugh! It hurts!!" She was about to answer when she realized she was hurt.
"Are you injured?" Ash took a look. There was a scrape on her knee. It wasn't serious; it was just broken skin. Seeing this, Ash took out a handkerchief and helped bandage the wound. Serena looked up at Ash, her thoughts drifting.
"I'm sorry, I scared you." He had heard the noise and realized he might have frightened her.
"Ah!! No... It's okay! Thank you." Lost in thought, she snapped out of it when she heard Ash's voice, her cheeks flushing slightly as she responded, embarrassed.
"It's nothing, it's fine. Get up!" After bandaging her wound with a handkerchief, Ash got up and stretched out his hand.
"I... I... No, it hurts, I... I can't get up!!" She tried to stand, but couldn't, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Oh... What a crybaby. Forget it, I'll carry you on my back!"
Ash was a little exasperated. He had expected children in this world to be more self-reliant, but it seemed there were exceptions! Though he didn't often lift girls in his previous life, he had seen on TV that this was what a boy should do. He turned around, squatted down, and looked back at her.
"Ah..." she was dazed, staring at Ash's back and profile, unsure of what to do.
"Hurry up, or we won't be able to leave if Spearow comes over." Seeing her hesitate, Ash reminded her again.
"Yes!!" her expression changed at the mention of Spearow. She quickly supported herself, hooked her hands around Ash's neck, and Ash carried her on his back.