Note: If you want the continuity of this story consider to join Pãtreon/Flokixy to access advance Chapters and To Support The Daily Update
"I am very sorry, I made you worry!" Ash bowed slightly to Professor Oak. Although it wasn't his fault. The staff members also came over, explaining the situation earlier. Professor Oak was also surprised to hear about Ash's exploits. Especially when the other children heard that Ash had defeated the Fearow, they were all shocked, their eyes showing adoration as they exclaimed. Gary was even more surprised. In the past, he always used his knowledge of Pokémon to tease Ash, but he wasn't really a true trainer; everything was just theory. However, today's Ash, without his knowledge, had already had a real battle and even defeated Fearow with Growlithe, a weaker Pokémon. It truly shocked Gary.
"Hmph! If it were me, I could do it too!" His competitive spirit was also ignited. Coming from a superior family background and being the grandson of a Pokémon professor, he naturally wasn't willing to admit defeat just like that.
"I'm sorry, Ash, it's all because of me…" Serena, seeing Ash apologize, also stepped forward to speak. Ash had gone to save her, so if anyone was to be punished, it would definitely be her.
"Don't worry about it. It's good that everyone is fine. If you all become trainers in the future, encountering such situations in the wild is common."
"When you encounter such situations, you must calmly analyze your trainer level. If you can't handle it, don't force yourself!"
"And if you encounter a trainer in difficulty in the wild, you should help them as much as you can!" Professor Oak wasn't angry that Ash and Serena had caused trouble. To be precise, it was because they weren't prepared that such a situation occurred. The best outcome was that the two children were fine. If something had happened to them, they wouldn't know how to explain it. He also took this opportunity to give the children in front of him a lesson. Ash secretly thought, As expected of Professor Oak. He can still give lessons even in this situation. However, he wasn't worried that Professor Oak would be angry either. He didn't seem to remember ever seeing Professor Oak angry.
"Understood!!" Regardless, the children listened and responded in unison.
"Alright, everyone is tired today. Rest here now. We're about to prepare lunch. You can rest here and play in the nearby open space, but you cannot enter the jungle!" Professor Oak instructed everyone. The children responded seriously. The recent incident also served as a warning to them, making them afraid to run around.
The staff members released their Pokémon to guard the surroundings. Because Growlithe's sense of smell was very keen, it could give good early warnings of approaching danger. The children were all especially fond of Growlithe when they saw them, but the two Growlithe ran to Ash and barked at him—naturally, the two who had just fought alongside Ash. Other Growlithe also seemed to be attracted. Several Growlithe seemed to test each other, then realized what had just happened, and naturally began to grow close to Ash.
They directly surrounded Ash. Ash was a bit helpless but also very happy. The other children, seeing Ash so popular, were filled with envy in their eyes. They gathered around, chattering and asking Ash how to get along with Pokémon. It took a while to finally deal with them. He knelt down and gently stroked the head of one of the Growlithe. The Growlithe also licked Ash's hand in response.
"Want to try?" Serena had been standing to the side, watching. She thought these Growlithe were very cute and wanted to go closer, but was also a little scared. Ash seemed to notice and asked.
"Ah?? Can… can I?" Serena was slightly startled when Ash asked, then asked with a bit of anticipation.
"Of course you can. They are very obedient!"
Serena, listening to Ash's words, seemed encouraged. She swallowed and carefully reached out her hand. The Growlithe Ash was holding, seeing this, actively moved its head closer. Serena jumped in fright, her small hand recoiling slightly.
"It's okay!" Ash said with a smile upon seeing this. Serena bravely extended her hand again. She finally touched Growlithe's head. Growlithe seemed to enjoy it, rubbing its head against Serena's hand, then looking up and licking Serena's palm.
"Haha! That tickles!!"
"I want to too!" Other children, seeing this, were also moved. They all gathered around to try interacting with Growlithe. Fortunately, these Growlithe were all raised at the research institute and were very familiar with humans, so they were quite gentle.
"What a bunch of kids!" Gary stood not far away, watching this scene. He was also a bit tempted, but still being stubborn. However, he soon realized what it truly meant to be "smacked with truth."
...
"Professor, is this alright? There are Fearow around, I wonder if they'll appear again!" The staff members were happy to see the children forget their fear and get along well, but they were still a little worried.
"It's fine, it's fine. The Spearow flock is led by Fearow. Once Fearow is defeated, they won't dare to easily appear in this vicinity again." Professor Oak was the most knowledgeable about Pokémon ecology and was quite clear about Fearow's habits. Fearow are Pokémon with strong territorial instincts and are also very domineering. They also have a characteristic of bullying the weak and fearing the strong. Once defeated, they no longer dare to provoke stronger enemies. The Spearow, seeing Fearow defeated, naturally dared not come any closer.
"Understood!"
"However, to be safe, we still need to be prepared." Although it was a certainty, it involved so many children, so Professor Oak was still quite cautious.
"Okay!"
The staff members responded, then each went to handle their own affairs, and also prepared lunch. Meanwhile, Professor Oak looked at Ash, who was with the other children. "Your child is as excellent as you are!" After watching Ash for a long time, he finally revealed a kind smile.