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"26, 27, 28... Professor, besides Ash, one more person is missing!" After counting the numbers, they quickly realized something was wrong. Not just Ash, but one more person was missing besides Ash.
"What??" Professor Oak couldn't help but frown upon hearing this. It was already troublesome for one person to get lost, let alone two. Their manpower would be stretched trying to find two people. And if they encountered Spearows again, or other fierce Pokémon, it would be terrible.
"Ah!! It's Serena! Serena is gone," a girl spoke up at this moment. These children came from various places and didn't all know each other. However, even if many were meeting for the first time, they had exchanged greetings and at least knew each other's names. It wasn't like Gary and Ash's relationship, where one would immediately notice if the other was missing. Also, since she was a girl, she was more easily startled, and only reacted when she was mentioned now.
"Serena, I remember, she's a girl from the Kalos region! Professor, what do we do now?" After hearing the name, the staff members also remembered.
"Alright! I'll stay here and watch the children. You two stay and help look after them. The rest of you split up and search. I'll contact Officer Jenny and have them come help!" Professor Oak hadn't expected something like this to happen on the first day, but there was nothing to be done now. Finding them was the most important thing.
"Okay!" Listening to Professor Oak's instructions, the staff members didn't object. Reporting to the police was indeed the best method now.
"Grandpa! I'll go help too!" Gary also spoke up at the same time.
"No, I know you're worried about Ash. There might still be danger in the forest. If you go, you'll also be in danger. You stay here with everyone. I'll find a way to get Ash and the others back." The two children were watched by Professor Oak as they grew up. One was his grandson, and although Ash wasn't his grandson, he always treated Ash as his grandson. He saw their childhood friendship. But no matter what, these children could only stay here. They couldn't be distracted by searching for others while also taking care of them.
"Understood!" Gary clenched his fists. Although he was a bit unwilling, he could only follow Professor Oak's instructions. "Ash, you really know how to cause trouble! You'd better be alright."
...
"Everyone!! Where is everyone!!!" At this moment, from the depths of the forest, a panicked voice shouted. But it wasn't Ash's voice; it was clearly a girl's voice, filled with terror. It was the other child who had gone missing from the group.
Swish swish swish!!! Suddenly, the nearby bushes rustled, and a series of rustling sounds came out. The girl, whose nerves were already taut from the previous Spearow attack, was even more startled by the sound.
"Ah!! Ooh!!" She instinctively turned to flee but tripped and fell to the ground in her haste, letting out a cry of pain. But there was no time to pay attention to the pain. She looked in horror at the bushes beside her, which were even taller than she was.
"That's why I said I didn't want to go camping! Boohoohoo!! Mommy! I want to go home..." After all, she was a girl. After being startled twice in a row, tears couldn't help but fall. She trembled all over as she looked at the shaking bushes.
"Don't shout anymore. If you call those Spearows back, you won't be able to escape." As the girl panicked, she suddenly heard a human voice. She had been crying but instinctively stopped. Hearing a human voice, she immediately felt a sense of security.
Swish!!! The girl looked forward and saw that it wasn't a Pokémon that emerged from the bushes, but a boy. She also knew this boy. His name was Ash. When Professor Oak was explaining Pokémon knowledge, Ash and Gary's excellent performance attracted considerable attention among the children.
At that time, she, like the other children, thought Ash knew so much and even clapped along, so her impression was quite deep. Hearing Ash's words just now, she didn't dare to shout anymore but quietly sobbed.
"Are you alright?" Ash walked up to the girl and asked. He hadn't gotten lost from fleeing in panic from the Spearow attack. Instead, because he was running at the back, he saw this girl being attacked and not keeping up with the group. In a hurry, he ran into the forest and then followed her in.
"I... Ugh! It hurts!!" The girl was about to answer when she noticed her injury. "Are you hurt?" Ash glanced at her. She had a scrape on her knee; it wasn't very serious, just a scraped skin. Seeing this, Ash took out a handkerchief and helped her bandage the wound. The girl looked up at Ash, gradually getting lost in thought.
"I'm sorry, I scared you." When he came over, he heard the commotion and knew it was probably him startling her that caused her injury.
"Ah!! No... No problem! Thank you." She had been staring blankly, but hearing Ash's voice, she came to her senses, her cheeks slightly flushed, responding a little shyly.
"It's nothing. This is fine. Get up!" After bandaging the girl's wound with the handkerchief, Ash stood up and extended his hand.
"I... I... I can't. It hurts too much. I... I can't get up, ugh!!" The girl tried to get up but couldn't. Tears welled up in her eyes again as she spoke.
"Sigh... What a crybaby. Forget it, I'll carry you!" Ash was a little helpless. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. He had thought that children in this world would be more independent. It seemed there were exceptions!
Ash hadn't interacted much with girls in his previous life, but from what he saw on TV, at this moment, as a boy, he probably should do this. He turned and squatted down, turning his head slightly to look at the girl.
"Ah..." The girl looked at Ash's back and profile, a little dazed and unsure what to do.
"Quick, or the Spearows will come, and we won't be able to leave," Ash reminded her again when the girl didn't react.
"Yes!!" The girl's face immediately changed color at the mention of Spearows. She then quickly braced herself, wrapped her arms around Ash's neck, and Ash carried her on his back.