“Bang…” After dodging another attack, Ash suddenly stopped.
“Whew… Wh-what’s wrong?” Ayumi nearly bumped into his back, panting.
“I think we ran in the wrong direction…” Ash narrowed his eyes.
Another group of Team Rocket grunts was searching ahead!
“Ah?! We can’t be that unlucky, can we…?”
“This won’t do…” Ash looked around, quickly coming up with an idea.
He pulled Ayumi to the side.
“Follow me!”
“Mew?” Mew tilted its head, watching the two disappear in another direction before vanishing from its spot as well.
“Quick, keep up! They went that way!”
The Team Rocket grunts soon caught up.
Having lost sight of Mew, they instinctively followed Ash and Ayumi instead.
Without Mew’s interference, Ash’s speed gradually increased.
He moved swiftly through the forest, covering more than ten meters in just a few strides.
Ayumi struggled to keep pace.
She wasn’t nearly as athletic as Ash, and the long chase quickly left her exhausted.
Before long, her vest was soaked with sweat, and her ponytail had come loose.
Her breathing grew heavier as she forced herself to keep running.
Just as Ayumi was about to run out of strength, Ash suddenly stopped.
“We’re here. This is it.”
“Hoo… hoo…” Ayumi panted heavily as she looked around.
The forest floor was filled with insect eggs, and several large nests could be seen among the trees.
“This is…?”
“Pika?” Pikachu tilted its head.
The place looked strangely familiar.
“It’s the Beedrill nest.” Ash smiled as he remembered the past.
This was where he had once protected a mischievous Pichu.
“So you’re not…”
“That’s right. Let’s let these Beedrill deal with Team Rocket.”
Ash motioned for Ayumi to stay quiet.
The two carefully crept toward the largest hive.
“Don’t let them escape! Mew was with those two just now!”
The grunts soon arrived.
Ash and Ayumi, already hidden beneath the bushes, exchanged a quick smile.
Each picked up a small stone and tossed it toward the hive above.
“Pikachu, it’s time to wake up the Beedrill!”
“Pika!”
The little Pokémon eagerly raised its cheeks.
The next moment, a deafening buzzing filled the forest.
“It’s Beedrill! Run!”
“What are you afraid of? There are so many of us—”
He suddenly froze when he saw the enormous swarm surrounding them.
“Let’s run anyway…”
“Ah! Help!”
“Get them off me!”
The Beedrill swarmed after the fleeing grunts, driving them farther and farther into the forest.
Under the bushes, Ash and Ayumi exchanged amused smiles.
But after the excitement settled, they turned toward each other and realized how close they were standing.
Both immediately looked away, slightly embarrassed.
“Grrr…”
Ayumi’s stomach suddenly growled.
Her expression froze.
“I-I’m hungry…”
“Pfft…” Ash couldn’t help laughing.
He stood up and offered her a hand.
“Come on. We should head back before it gets any later.”
“Rumble…”
Before he could finish, thunder echoed through the mountains.
The weather changed almost instantly.
Within moments, heavy rain began pouring through the forest.
With nowhere else to go, the two hurried to find shelter and eventually discovered a spacious hollow inside a large tree.
“Achoo!”
Ayumi sneezed and shivered.
Although it was midsummer, the mountains became surprisingly cold after the rain.
Their clothes were soaked through, and they had already spent too long running through the storm.
Ash glanced at her.
“We need to get you out of those wet clothes before you get sick. Use these leaves as a screen. I’ll turn around.”
“Huh?”
Ash immediately turned his back and handed her several large leaves.
“Change into something dry if you can. I’ll stay over here.”
“Oh…”
Ayumi quickly understood what he meant and moved behind the makeshift screen.
Ash took out a Spicy Pepper Berry from his system backpack.
“Eat this. It should help warm you up.”
“Oh…” Ayumi accepted the Berry.
Ash stood up.
“Where are you going?” Visit g.com for the full chapter.
“I’m going to find some dry firewood. It won’t be so cold once we have a fire.”
After saying that, Ash and Pikachu disappeared into the rain.
Ayumi looked down at the Spicy Pepper Berry in her hand and smiled faintly.
After a while, Ash returned with dry firewood, several Oran Berries, and some Moomoo Milk.
The food and milk had actually been stored inside his system backpack.
He had only gone outside so Ayumi wouldn’t wonder where everything had come from.
But the moment he entered the tree hollow, his expression changed.
Ayumi was curled up on a bed of dry leaves, shivering badly.
“Are you alright?”
Ash immediately put down the supplies and checked her forehead.
She was burning with fever.
Clearly, her condition had become more serious.
Thinking about it, it wasn’t surprising.
She had spent a long time running, hadn’t eaten anything, and had then been soaked by the sudden downpour.
“Ash… you’re back… I feel really cold…”
Ayumi’s voice was weak.
“Don’t talk. I’ll get the fire started first. You need to warm up.”
“Pikachu, use Thunder Shock on the wood.”
“Pika!”
A small spark jumped from Pikachu’s cheeks.
Soon, the fire caught, and the tree hollow gradually became warmer.
Ash then gathered several broad leaves and branches from outside, using them to cover part of the entrance and keep the warmth inside.
Even so, Ayumi continued trembling.
“Here.”
Ash handed her a dry covering made from broad leaves and spare cloth.
“Wrap yourself up. Stay close to the fire, but don’t get too close.”
Ayumi nodded weakly and pulled the covering around herself.
Her face was flushed from the fever.
Ash prepared some Moomoo Milk and a few Oran Berries.
“Drink this slowly.”
“Thank you…”
Ayumi accepted the milk with both hands.
She took a few small sips, then leaned back against the tree wall.
The warmth from the fire slowly began to spread through the hollow.
Ash remained nearby, keeping watch while Pikachu sat beside the fire.
Outside, the rain continued to pound against the forest.
Inside the tree hollow, however, the atmosphere gradually became calm.
For the moment, at least, they were safe from Team Rocket.