As her body hasn't fully grown yet, she is considered very light. Carrying a small girl is still very easy.
While Ash complained to himself, Serena felt an unprecedented sense of security and warmth on Ash's back, and her cheeks blushed involuntarily.
"Um... my name is Serena! Thank you for saving me."
"My name is Ash, you're welcome," Ash responded when he heard her.
"I know, Professor Oak called your name just now. You're amazing, you know so much even though you're about the same age as me, and... you're not afraid at all!" After feeling a sense of security, Serena also became cheerful.
In fact, she is a cheerful girl herself, but she has never encountered such a situation, and now she is a little afraid of Pokémon.
"Scared? Do you mean by Pokémon? They're not scary at all! Some are fierce, but there are also many cute ones."
"I know, but I still don't dare to touch wild Pokémon like this." Of course, Serena knows she will like some cute Pokémon very much, but she only dares to touch them if someone has tamed them. She doesn't dare to approach wild ones like this.
"It's enough to make friends with them. Even Pokémon that haven't been subdued can still get along well," Ash said while carrying Serena toward the campsite.
"Can I do it?" Serena responded uncertainly, leaning on Ash's shoulder.
"Sure!"
. . . . .
The two chatted, and slowly Ash walked out of the jungle with Serena on his back, returning to the path in the forest. Ash remembered the location of the camping spot, which was near Pallet Town, although children rarely come to these places.
But he still had a good understanding of the surrounding terrain, so just following the path would get them there.
"Everyone is gone!"
Walking along the path, Serena became a little worried. Although Ash was there, she also knew that Ash was the same as her, not a Trainer, and she became a little anxious.
"It's okay, I know where the campsite is. Just follow this road. They must be there and are probably looking for us everywhere now!" Ash comforted Serena, and after listening to Ash's words, she felt relieved.
For some reason, she always had a feeling that this boy, who was about her age, was surprisingly reliable.
Plop flop!
Quack!
"Huh?" At this moment, a familiar growl suddenly came from behind them. Serena also trembled when she heard the growl, and Ash turned his head subconsciously.
Turning his head, he saw black shadows constantly appearing in the sky. It was a group of Spearow, and at that moment, a larger shadow fell from the sky.
Its body was much larger than the Spearow, its feathers were orange, and the part between the two wings on its back and the end of its wings were white. The head had a red crest, and its beak was long and sharp.
"Fearow, looks like they called the boss here," Ash recognized immediately. No wonder there's such a large group of Spearows, it turned out Fearow was leading them.
"What now, Ash?" Serena asked, her voice trembling. Spearow was already scary enough, but Fearow was even fiercer. She could only rely on Ash now.
"Run! We need to get out of here!" Fortunately, Ash couldn't read minds. What could he do in this situation? Run, of course!
"Okay!" Serena hugged Ash's neck tightly. Ash didn't waste any time, quickly turning around and running forward with Serena on his back.
Ga!
Fearow let out a hoarse growl, and all the Spearows swooped down as if commanded. Fearow also rushed over.
Hum!
With Serena on his back, Ash couldn't run fast, but he had no other choice. Suddenly, he heard the sound of air stirring. Sensing something was wrong, Ash turned his head and saw Fearow in the air, looking down. The sharp, long beak opened, and a burst of purple energy quickly gathered.
"Tsk! This is troublesome. Hold on to me!"
"Ah!"
Boom!
As soon as Ash spoke, a roar was heard.
Without having time to think, Ash glanced back and ran toward the side of the road. He quickly let go of Serena, hugged her tightly, and fell to the ground by the roadside.
Boom!
A thick purple light fell from the sky, hitting the ground and causing an astonishing explosion. The area it hit was left scorched, emitting smoke.
"Huh? There's movement! Over there..."
The explosion's sound spread far. The staff searching for Ash and Serena noticed it as they were leaving the campsite.
"There must be an accident over there, maybe Ash and the other girl are there. Hurry over!" The staff members looked at each other and said hastily.
At this time, Ash and Serena had avoided the attack. The grass was leveled, and the ground was lit with fire along the entire path.
"It's all right! Get up, we're leaving," Ash said quickly while holding Serena.
"I...I can't, Ash. Go by yourself! Leave me alone." Serena's voice trembled, but she was much better than before. She was afraid she would slow Ash down.
"Don't be silly, we're going together." Ash smiled, rubbing her messy hair to comfort her. Her straw hat had fallen off somewhere, but there was no time to worry about that now.