Everyone held their breath, lying on the ground, staring intently ahead.
A Camouflage Man slowly walked over.
A scene suddenly flashed in Ash's mind, "You're here to pull…"
It wasn't some fierce Pokémon, so it was fine. And judging by the man's clothes, he should be a forest ranger.
"You guys, how did you get in here?"
The Camouflage Man instantly Detected Ash and the others' disguise. Having lived here for so long, no rustling of leaves or blades of grass could escape his eyes.
Ash scratched his head, "We also came in here by accident. If we've offended you, we'll leave immediately!"
The Camouflage Man shook his head, "It's nothing serious, but going deeper will be dangerous."
"Are you the ranger of Qingshan Forest?" Although Ash already had some answers in his heart, he still asked.
"Yes, I am responsible for Protecting the environment here, as well as those little guys, and guarding against poachers!"
The Camouflage Man sized up Ash and the others, his eyes a little strange.
"Poachers?" Ash pondered for a moment. Indeed, such situations occurred. Besides Team Rockets, there were also some amateur individuals.
The Pokémon that could be traded on the market now were all recognized by the state and would not harm these Pokémon.
These poachers, however, would often resort to any means to capture Pokémon and then trade them in black markets to obtain high rewards.
"If there's nothing else, hurry home." The Camouflage Man naturally didn't trust them; they were just a few young kids.
Gary scoffed, "With This Young Master's strength, I can totally walk sideways like a crab, alright!"
He seemed to have completely forgotten his earlier pathetic state and entered his showing-off mode.
"Let's go, Xiao Mu, Gary, it's time to go home." Ash remained rational and would not venture deep into the forest.
Legend has it that a Mythical Pokémon once appeared deep within this forest.
But what kind of Mythical Pokémon it was, no one knew to this day, because it was just a legend.
It was a huge, flying Mythical Pokémon, passed down from the intelligence organizations in Pallet Town—that group of all-knowing Old Woman!
Ash looked at Gary, "Gary, do you know if a Mythical Pokémon appeared in Qingshan Forest?"
As Professor Oak's grandson, he surely knew a little.
Gary was stunned for a moment, "Mythical Pokémon? Of course! Is there anything This Young Master doesn't know?"
"Really, Gary? What kind of Mythical Pokémon is it?" At this moment, Ash's curiosity was completely piqued.
Humans are always curious about the unknown, such as mysterious caves, and countless people want to go in and explore them.
Gary's expression was a bit awkward, "Uh, this… let me think, right, that's it, exactly!"
Ash forced a smile, staring blankly at Gary, "Do you want to check what you're saying?"
"Actually, This Young Master was just joking. I really do know, I just wanted you guys to guess."
This was Gary, who was too proud to admit he didn't know.
"Heh heh, could it be the legendary Ho-Oh?" If following the previous setting, it could only be this.
However, this world had changed and was not exactly the same; everything was full of unknowns.
Gary said seriously, "Although Grandpa didn't tell me, This Young Master guesses it's Groudon!"
Hearing Gary's words, the Camouflage Man even laughed out loud, "As expected, silent for a while, then an astonishing remark."
Ash clutched his stomach, laughing, "Hahaha, a flying Groudon, hahahaha."
Could it be a warning from the Cliff of the Broken Sword, with Groudon saying, "Are you being polite?"
This is what makes ignorance so terrifying. Now it seems, one must study diligently, otherwise, such awkward situations will arise.
Gary's face was flushed, and he pretended to be nonchalant, saying, "This Young Master is just trying to lighten the mood, don't take it seriously!"
"Ah, yes, yes, you're right." Ash no longer expected him to provide answers; he was completely unreliable.
Ash looked at the Camouflage Man beside him, "Then do you know what this legendary Mythical Pokémon actually is?"
The Camouflage Man nodded slightly, "I once saw it with my own eyes; it was so dazzling."
Hearing this, Ash and the others all stopped, their inner gossips emerging, listening attentively.
The Camouflage Man looked into the distance, "Actually, you guessed right. This legendary Mythical Pokémon is Ho-Oh."
Everyone listened with bated breath, utterly curious about this topic.
"Groudon is absolutely impossible. Firstly, the living environment is unsuitable, and secondly, Groudon cannot fly…"
The Camouflage Man paused, "Ho-Oh is different; its living environment is very wide, and its survival ability is strong."
At this moment, in the dense jungle, Pokémon kept appearing, indicating that there were many Pokémon here.
Ash nodded slightly, "So, this Ho-Oh might have just passed through here?"
The Camouflage Man looked at Ash with some surprise. He didn't know why, but he always felt this child was a little mature and steady.
"You're right. Ho-Oh has always been like a dragon that shows its head but not its tail, with no fixed dwelling place."
At this time, the Camouflage Man didn't think too much; he felt that perhaps Ash was just exceptionally intelligent.
The group nodded thoughtfully; after the Camouflage Man's explanation, they generally understood.
Gary ran his hand through his hair, "Ho-Oh, This Young Master has reserved it!"
Heh heh heh… The others chuckled, naturally not taking his words to heart. This was a legendary Mythical Pokémon; how could it be so easy to catch?
Along the way, a gentle breeze blew, and the air was quite fresh. This place was like a paradise, untouched by the world's impurities, spotless.
The Camouflage Man followed Ash and the others, escorting them out, "The depths of this forest are too dangerous; don't venture in recklessly again."
Generally speaking, anyone with a bit of common sense knows that the depths of Qingshan Forest are more or less dangerous.
No matter what, their families would have warned them.
But these few kids now dared to enter the depths of this forest, which was quite curious.
Ash scratched his head, "I was just being chased by a group of Pidgeotto; it was a matter of life and death, and I didn't think too much."
"A group of Pidgeotto?" The Camouflage Man nodded slightly, saying nothing more.
Because Pidgeotto have a very strong sense of territory. If there are intruders, they will drive them away without hesitation.
And usually, Pidgeotto are a communal Pokémon; they live together in one area.
Two Butterfree were fluttering gracefully, facing each other intimately, a strong sense of love rising between them.
"In this day and age, even Pokémon are showing off their affection." Ash shook his head and continued walking forward.
Xiao Mu looked at the two Butterfree and couldn't help but sigh, "Alas, I'm so old and have never received flowers. It doesn't matter, they'll grow on my grave."
Ash smiled, "We're still young. Maybe we'll receive flowers and meet our dream lover someday?"
No matter what, romantic feelings are not something to worry about now. When the time comes, you will naturally meet them.
Xiao Mu nodded, taking it as Ash comforting him.
"Tsk tsk tsk, a bunch of single dogs." Gary walked with an arrogant expression, arms crossed.
Xiao Mu chuckled, "If you can talk, then say more."
Although Gary was also a single dog now, he was not lacking in female admirers.
Not only because Gary was Professor Oak's grandson, but his show-off image also attracted a large group of fangirls.
As the group walked forward, a small, exquisite Pokémon was calling out in a childish voice.
"Look, a Nidoran♀ cub!" Xiao Mu quickly ran over, curiously examining it.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a small Nidoran♀ on the grass, looking like it had just been born.
Nidoran♀ are mainly light blue, with slightly darker blue patches, large ears, small sharp teeth in their mouths, and poisonous spines on their backs.
"Little Nidoran♀, do you want to come home with big brother, hehehe…"
Xiao Mu had a lewd smile on his face and reached out to touch Nidoran♀.
"Don't move, come back!" The Camouflage Man looked anxious, shouting loudly.
Hearing the stern tone, Xiao Mu was a little stunned, not yet understanding the situation, but he still obediently walked back.
Boom! And at this moment, a huge Pokémon burst out of a nearby bush, "Nido!!"
A Pokémon that was predominantly purple all over, with a fearsome horn on its head and sharp teeth that seemed capable of tearing through anything.
"Oh no, it's Nidoking!" Ash instantly understood why Xiao Mu had been reprimanded.
Because that young Nidoran♀ had obviously just been born, so its parents certainly wouldn't be too far away!
It must be said that the older, the wiser. Fortunately, the Camouflage Man called Xiao Mu back immediately, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Nidoking have a volatile temper and often get angry for no reason.
Moreover, if intruders appeared in its territory, Nidoking would become incredibly furious in such a situation.
"Wooo Roar!" Nidoking let out a roar, directly knocking down a large tree, and charged towards Xiao Mu and the others.
"Everyone, quickly retreat! This Nidoking is going berserk; its emotions are very unstable!" The Camouflage Man realized the seriousness of the situation and quickly shouted to Xiao Mu and the others.
Ash and the others all retreated behind the Camouflage Man, not daring to act on their own.
The Camouflage Man took out a Poké Ball, "Come out, Onix!"
A snake-shaped Pokémon made entirely of stone, with extremely sharp eyes, looking magnificent and powerful.
"It's Onix, but this level, unexpectedly…" Ash was slightly stunned for a moment, feeling a bit surprised.
But thinking about it carefully, it was actually reasonable. If one didn't have some strength, it would be very difficult to hold this position.