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"Big Brother?..." Misty and Brock exchanged confused glances.
"Working hard for Pokémon, that's the passion we truly pursue! We'll stay here in the future, trying our best to help others who need it. Please accept us as your followers! Big brother!" Tyra spoke with earnest determination, leaving Ash and Misty bewildered. Seeing their commitment to helping others, Ash reluctantly agreed, knowing they probably wouldn't give up easily otherwise.
It wasn't a bad thing, just a formality. After all, he needed to continue his journey and couldn't stay here.
In the end, he had unexpectedly gained a group of devoted followers.
From then on, there were fewer troublemakers on the bridge, and Mars's gang had been caught in one operation.
There was nothing major happening for the time being.
No more causing trouble on the bridge.
Ash and his companions spent the night at the Pokémon Center in Sunnytown. The next day, they said their goodbyes, receiving Nurse Joy's gratitude and Tyra's group's heartfelt farewell.
"Boss, you must work hard for the League competition! We'll be watching the tournament!!" Martha's group shouted and waved as the three trainers walked away.
"Haha! They're actually quite endearing!" Misty remarked. Despite their fancy clothing and serious appearance, seeing them like this made her think these youngsters were rather sweet.
"Indeed! At least they're true to their hearts," Ash nodded slightly. Though they occasionally caused mischief, compared to Mars and his gang, Martha's group actually had principles they lived by.
After leaving Sunnytown, the trio continued their journey, soon entering another forest. During travels, forests typically presented the greatest challenges for trainers and travelers.
Some forests were vast and sprawling, making it easy to get lost, and some weren't even marked on maps. The three of them, however, had long grown accustomed to this lifestyle.
At noon, they found a spot in the forest to have lunch. Brock took out the lunchboxes he had prepared earlier. The three found a tree and sat beneath its shade to enjoy their meal.
"Pika?"
Pikachu, who was eating a rice ball, twitched his ears slightly. He stood up and gazed to the side, as if searching for something, quickly focusing on some rustling grass nearby.
"Pi!"
Upon spotting movement in the grass, Pikachu's expression turned to surprise.
"Huh? What's wrong, Pikachu?"
The three trainers paused momentarily, looking at Pikachu before following his gaze. Soon, they discovered a small yellow figure in the grass staring back at them.
"Ah? That's... a Pikachu?" The creature in the grass was indeed a Pikachu, but much smaller than Ash's partner.
"Yeah! Looking at its size, it must still be developing," Brock nodded thoughtfully. Ash's Pikachu had been through countless battles, making it larger than the average Pikachu.
The wild Pikachu appeared to have recently evolved and hadn't yet reached its full size.
When everyone noticed it, the little Pikachu adopted a wary stance, though its eyes held confusion.
On one hand, it feared Ash and his friends, but on the other, it seemed curious about how the Pikachu before it could be traveling with humans. Most importantly, the rice ball in Pikachu's paws looked incredibly tempting.
"Pika~ Pikapi!"
Seeing this, Pikachu slowly took a few steps forward, extending his paw while maintaining distance. Perhaps sensing the little one's wariness, he didn't approach too closely.
Ash and his friends remained silent. The little Pikachu sniffed from afar, clearly drawn by the aroma of the food. It had only realized people were present after following the scent, and now hesitated to come closer.
"Pi~"
Noticing the wild Pikachu's reluctance, Pikachu tilted his head slightly and called softly, as if reassuring the smaller Pokémon not to be afraid.
The little Pikachu, sensing Pikachu's friendliness, approached cautiously. It clearly hadn't completely lowered its guard yet. Coming within a meter of Pikachu, it sniffed again.
Pikachu moved gently, pushing his partially-eaten rice ball forward as delicately as possible. The wild Pikachu paused, then closed the distance further, leaning in to smell the rice ball in Pikachu's paw.
It took a tentative bite, tasting carefully. After a moment, its face lit up with delight.
"Pika~"
With a soft sound of appreciation, it took the rice ball from Pikachu's paw and began eating, its cheeks stuffed. Pikachu watched happily, like an older brother observing his younger sibling enjoy a meal.
"I never expected to see a wild Pikachu here! It's so adorable, I really want to catch it!" Misty gazed at the little Pikachu, which was half a head shorter than Ash's partner, feeling her heart melt at the sight.
She had admired Ash's Pikachu for a long time and longed for one herself. Misty spoke as she stood up, but at that moment...
"Pop!"
"Psy!"
A flash of light emerged from her backpack, and Psyduck appeared before everyone. Misty jumped slightly in surprise.
"Why did you come out now?" Misty glared at Psyduck, her frustration rising. This Pokémon had once again emerged on its own without reason.
"Psy?"
Psyduck looked around with a vacant expression, then spotted Pikachu and the wild Pikachu nearby. Upon seeing the little one eating a rice ball, Psyduck immediately began drooling and rushed toward them.
"Pika?!"
The wild Pikachu, peacefully enjoying its rice ball, instantly sensed danger. Looking up, it was terrified to see Psyduck charging towards it with a crazed look. Being naturally shy, the little Pikachu was so frightened that it dropped its half-eaten rice ball and fled.
"Pika?!"
Concerned, Pikachu quickly chased after the wild Pikachu, while Psyduck lunged for the abandoned rice ball. Though it had fallen to the ground, Psyduck picked it up and devoured it without hesitation.
"What are you doing? You scared the Pikachu away!" Misty scolded angrily. She had been considering catching the wild Pikachu, but now Psyduck had frightened it off.
"Pikachu!" Ash called, rising quickly to follow. Brock hastily packed up their things and joined the pursuit. Seeing no alternative, Misty followed as well.