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"Although it's a shame, we should retreat for now!" Jessie said with a frown as she assessed the situation.
"What? We'd be failing if we retreat now," Meowth protested, turning to look at Jessie with disbelief.
"We don't have a choice. Have you forgotten what happened before? This twerp causes too much trouble. Don't forget we have a backup plan. Let's withdraw for now!"
This time, Jessie was showing unusual restraint. After so many impulsive decisions in the past, she was trying a more calculated approach, being more cautious to avoid being blasted off again.
"That's right!" After listening to Jessie's reasoning, James and Meowth agreed it made sense and nodded slightly. James then pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it forward.
WHOOSH!
Thick smoke spread instantly, obscuring everyone's vision. Seeing this, Ash didn't pursue them. Brock and Misty waved the smoke away from their faces and looked ahead, but Team Rocket had vanished.
"Darn it! Those guys got away," Misty said resentfully.
"Forget about them!" Ash replied. With Pikachu's condition and the trapped Kangaskhan to worry about, he didn't want to waste time on Team Rocket.
"How's Pikachu doing?" Misty and Brock remembered what had happened to Pikachu and hurried to Ash's side.
By now, Pikachu had fallen unconscious. With the immediate danger gone, Ash had relaxed his guard, allowing the tranquilizer to take full effect. Brock and Misty looked concerned.
"He'll be fine, just passed out. Let's free the Kangaskhan first!"
Being knocked unconscious by a tranquilizer wasn't life-threatening. Looking at the trapped Kangaskhan, Ash gestured and stepped forward, preparing to help them escape their restraints.
WHOOSH!
Suddenly, another sound cut through the air. Ash heard it and instinctively stopped, turning his head slightly to see a brown boomerang passing behind him. After Ash dodged it, the boomerang continued forward.
With perfect timing, it sliced open the large net holding the Kangaskhan, allowing them to escape. The boomerang then curved back, flying toward Misty, who instinctively ducked and covered her head.
"What was that?" Misty asked, startled by the near miss.
Everyone turned to look behind them. Standing not far away was a small figure—a boy who appeared to be six or seven years old with messy blue hair, dressed in animal skins, and holding the boomerang that had just freed the Kangaskhan. He was barefoot and wild-looking.
"Who's that child?" Misty asked in confusion.
"Tommy?" Officer Jenny clearly recognized the boy. Before she could say more, the child darted forward.
Despite his young age, he moved with remarkable speed and agility. As he rushed toward them, Misty and Brock tensed, unsure of what to do. Just when it seemed he would collide with them, the boy suddenly leaped into the air.
His jump was not like that of a normal human child—it was more like a Pokémon's. He flipped gracefully and landed directly in the pouch of one of the larger Kangaskhan. Unlike most Kangaskhan pouches that contained a baby, this one was empty before Tommy jumped in.
The Kangaskhan didn't reject him; instead, it seemed delighted by his presence.
"Hoo!!!" the boy shouted. At his call, the entire herd of Kangaskhan turned in unison and quickly departed the scene.
Brock and Misty watched in amazement.
"That's incredible. He can direct the entire Kangaskhan herd with just a shout. Who is this kid?" Misty couldn't believe a small boy had such influence over these powerful Pokémon.
"It's a long story... But Pikachu doesn't look well!" Officer Jenny glanced at the departing Kangaskhan herd and the boy with sympathy, but didn't explain further, choosing instead to check on Pikachu's condition.
"It's definitely the tranquilizer. I can help Pikachu, but I need a proper place to treat him," Brock said after a quick examination.
"Let's go to my station first," Officer Jenny suggested. The wilderness was unpredictable, and she wanted to get them to safety.
"Thank you, we appreciate it."
The three trainers got back into Officer Jenny's vehicle and drove to the police station within the reserve. Ash carefully placed Pikachu on an examination bed in the small medical facility. The station was well-equipped for treating rescued wild Pokémon.
Brock immediately began treating Pikachu, quickly counteracting the tranquilizer. However, because the dose had been so strong, Pikachu would need time to rest before regaining consciousness.
Ash sat beside the bed to keep his partner company while Officer Jenny brought glasses of water for the three trainers. She was clearly grateful for their help today—without their intervention, many Kangaskhan would have been captured.
"Thank you all so much for what you did today."
"You don't need to thank us, Officer Jenny! We would never allow anyone to treat Pokémon like that," Misty responded passionately.
"By the way, who was that boy we saw earlier?" Brock asked curiously.
"You mean Tommy?" Officer Jenny's eyes filled with concern and sympathy at the mention of the child.
"Tommy? Is that his name?"
"We gave him that name. He appeared here about five years ago. He was all alone when we found him, already living with the Kangaskhan herd," Officer Jenny explained.
"What? Was he abandoned?" Hearing this, Misty couldn't help covering her mouth in shock, her sympathy immediately apparent.
"We don't know, but when we found him, he was being cared for by the Kangaskhan, and they treated him as their own child."
"At first, we wanted to bring him back to human society, but the Kangaskhan were extremely protective and even became aggressive. We were worried about Tommy getting hurt in any conflict, and we didn't want to harm the Kangaskhan, so..."
"So the child has been living with the Kangaskhan ever since?" Brock finished her thought before she could.
"Yes," Officer Jenny confirmed. "That child has been living as a Pokémon all this time."