Pallet Town mornings always carried the fresh scent of grass and dew.
Ash stood at his doorstep, took a deep breath, and adjusted his backpack on his shoulder.
"Ralts! (Ash, wait for me!)" Ralts floated out from inside the house, landing lightly on Ash's shoulder.
"Good morning, Ralts," Ash said with a smile, stroking its head. "Today's the first day of Professor Oak's summer camp, we need to hurry to the meeting point."
"Riolu! (Ash is too slow!)" Riolu darted out from the yard, its blue fur shimmering in the morning light.
"Hey! You two are the ones dragging your feet!" Ash puffed out his cheeks in mock anger, but quickly smiled again. "Let's go, Xiao You should be waiting for us already."
Turning a few street corners, they indeed saw Xiao You impatiently kicking small pebbles by the roadside. She was wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt and denim shorts today, her hair tied in a high ponytail.
"You're too slow!" Xiao You complained as soon as she saw them. "Professor Oak will start roll call if you're any later!"
"Sorry, sorry," Ash scratched his head. "Ralts insisted on a second breakfast."
"Ralts! (No, I didn't!)" Ralts immediately protested.
Xiao You rolled her eyes: "Never mind, let's go. I heard there will be many Trainers from other regions participating in the summer camp this year."
The two jogged along, passing through Pallet Town's main street, heading towards the edge of the forest outside town. Quite a few children had already gathered there, and Professor Oak was standing on a large rock, counting heads.
"Ah, Ash, Xiao You, you're finally here," Professor Oak pushed up his glasses. "Just in time for grouping."
"Grouping?" Ash asked curiously.
"That's right, this year's summer camp will be in pairs, working together to complete Pokémon observation tasks," Professor Oak explained, then suddenly lowered his voice. "However… there's a special situation."
Before Professor Oak could finish, a clear voice came from the crowd: "Ash! Over here!"
Ash turned his head and saw Lucia waving at them. She was wearing a light purple dress today, her silver-white long hair sparkling in the sunlight, and a shiny Swablu with striking golden body was perched on her shoulder.
"Lucia! You're here too!" Ash ran over in surprise.
Xiao You's expression immediately darkened: "Hmph, it's this young lady again."
"What did you say?" Lucia narrowed her eyes.
"I said, some people aren't from Pallet Town, so why do they always come to join the fun?" Xiao You retorted unceremoniously, crossing her arms.
"Xiao You!" Ash quickly stepped between the two. "Don't be like that, Lucia is my friend."
"Friend?" Xiao You sneered. "I think she has ulterior motives."
Lucia's face immediately turned red: "You, you're talking nonsense! I just… I just…"
"Alright, alright," Professor Oak quickly interjected. "Since you three are so 'close,' why don't you form a group?"
"What?!" Xiao You and Lucia exclaimed simultaneously.
"Professor!" Ash also opened his mouth in surprise. "Didn't you say it would be two people per group?"
Professor Oak wiped the sweat from his forehead: "It's a special situation… And you three… uh…" He shrunk his neck under the threatening gazes of Xiao You and Lucia. "In short, it's decided!"
Ash looked at the pouting Xiao You on his left, then at the equally displeased Lucia on his right, and sighed: "Alright… then we'll have to get along well."
"Hmph!" Both of them turned their faces away simultaneously.
"Riolu… (Women are so troublesome…)" Riolu mumbled softly.
"Ralts! (Agreed!)" Ralts nodded in agreement.
Professor Oak clapped his hands, attracting everyone's attention: "Today's task is to observe wild Pokémon in the forest, recording their behavior and habits. Tomorrow will be free observation time. Remember, do not disturb the Pokémon, and absolutely do not capture them without permission!"
At Professor Oak's command, the groups of children dispersed and entered the forest to begin their observations. Ash, Xiao You, and Lucia's trio slowly walked at the very end.
"We should make a plan," Ash tried to lighten the mood. "Like, which Pokémon to observe first…"
"You don't need to direct me," Xiao You interrupted him. "I know what to do."
"Exactly," Lucia echoed. "We're not children."
Ash shrugged helplessly: "Alright… then let's observe separately first, and meet back here in an hour?"
"Agreed." Xiao You immediately turned and walked east.
"I have no objections either." Lucia walked west.
Ash stood still, watching their retreating figures, and sighed again: "Riolu, Ralts, let's go north."
The forest was full of life. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows, and various Pokémon moved through the bushes. Ash diligently recorded every Pokémon he encountered: a family of Sentret gathering berries, Poliwag drinking by the stream, and Hoothoot dozing on a branch.
"Riolu! (Ash, look over there!)" Riolu suddenly pointed to a large tree.
Ash looked up and saw a small brown bear Pokémon—a Teddiursa—clumsily climbing the tree, seemingly trying to reach the honey at the top.
"That's a Teddiursa," Ash whispered. "Let's observe it quietly."
However, just then, a panicked voice came from the tree: "Ah! Help!"
Ash then noticed that on a branch above the Teddiursa, there was a brown-haired girl! She seemed to have been backing away to avoid the Teddiursa and had now retreated to the very end of the branch.
"Danger!" Ash shouted. "Don't move!"
But it was too late. With a crisp "snap," the branch broke. The girl screamed as she fell from the three-meter-high tree.
"Ralts! Confusion!" Ash shouted without hesitation.
"Ralts! (Understood!)" Ralts's eyes instantly glowed blue, and an invisible force held up the falling girl, slowing her descent.
Ash rushed forward, extending his arms: "Jump! I'll catch you!"
The girl adjusted her posture in mid-air and, trusting him, fell towards Ash. Ash caught her steadily, but due to the impact, they both fell to the ground.
"Are you alright?" Ash asked with concern, finally getting a clear look at the girl—she had soft, long brown hair, her amber eyes were full of panic, and there was a bit of dirt on her cheek.
"I… I'm fine…" the girl said, still shaken. "Thank you for saving me."
"Ralts and Riolu helped a lot," Ash said with a smile, helping her stand up. "I'm Ash, and these are Ralts and Riolu."
"I'm Serena," the girl said, blushing. "I'm from the Kalos region… I just wanted to observe that Teddiursa…"
"Kalos? That's so far away!" Ash's eyes lit up. "Where are your Pokémon?"
Serena lowered her head: "I… I don't have my own Pokémon yet. This is my first time participating in an activity like this…"
"I see." Ash nodded. "Then why don't you join us? Our group needs another person."
"Really?" Serena asked in surprise.
"Of course!" Ash readily agreed. "Our group has Xiao You and Lucia; even though they can be a bit fierce sometimes, they're both good people."
Just then, Xiao You and Lucia's voices came from different directions simultaneously: "Ash! Who are you talking to?"
They arrived almost at the same time, and both showed wary expressions when they saw Serena.
"This is Serena," Ash introduced. "She fell from a tree, and I saved her. I want her to join our group."
"What?" Xiao You frowned. "Our group already has three people."
"Exactly," Lucia also grumbled unhappily. "And who knows if she really needs help…"
Serena awkwardly lowered her head: "If I'm bothering you, I can…"
"Don't listen to them," Ash said firmly. "We agreed, right?"
"Ralts! (Ash says so!)" Ralts floated in front of Serena, curiously examining her.
"Riolu… (Another one…)" Riolu shook its head helplessly.
Xiao You and Lucia exchanged a look, seemingly reaching some silent consensus.
"Alright," Xiao You said reluctantly. "But you have to record your observation notes yourself."
"That's right," Lucia added. "And don't hold us back."
Serena nodded gratefully: "Thank you! I'll do my best!"
And so, the four-person group continued to observe Pokémon in the forest. Although Serena lacked experience, she learned quickly and showed great interest in Ash's Pokémon.
"Ralts is so amazing," she whispered. "Its Confusion saved me just now."
"Ralts! (Thanks for the compliment!)" Ralts happily spun in a circle in the air.
"Riolu is also very strong," Ash said proudly. "I met him in Petalburg Woods when I was six."
"Riolu! (That was an intense battle!)" Riolu recalled the scene where it was defeated by Ralts.
Serena asked curiously: "You can understand what they're saying?"
Ash nodded: "Yes, since I was little. But other people can only hear Pokémon's Growl."
"That's amazing…" Serena's eyes sparkled.
Xiao You and Lucia saw this scene, and both frowned simultaneously.
"Hey, Serena," Xiao You suddenly interjected. "Do you know why Swablu's feathers are white?"
"Huh?" Serena shook her head blankly. "No… I don't know…"
"Because it ate special berries," Lucia said proudly, stroking her Swablu's feathers. "This is very rare."
"Oh…" Serena looked a bit dejected. "I don't know much about Pokémon yet…"
"It's okay," Ash comforted her. "Everyone starts from zero. I didn't know anything when I first saw Pikachu."
"You also have a Pikachu?" Serena asked in surprise.
"Uh… no," Ash chuckled awkwardly. "It was just an analogy."
"Ralts! (Ash is saying strange things again!)" Ralts covered its mouth, giggling.
"Riolu! (Exactly, exactly!)" Riolu also chimed in.
Serena was amused. She watched Ash interact with his Pokémon, and her eyes revealed increasing admiration and… some softer emotion.
This scene did not escape Xiao You and Lucia's eyes. When Serena accidentally stepped on a branch and almost fell, and Ash immediately steadied her, Ralts suddenly floated between the two.
"Ralts! (Keep your distance!)" it said, pouting.
"Riolu thinks so too," Riolu stood on Ash's other side. "Riolu! (Ash is ours!)"
Serena was flustered by this sudden "hostility": "I… I'm sorry…"
Ash didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "You two, don't be like that. Serena is our friend."
"Hmph!" Xiao You and Lucia both turned their faces away simultaneously, but this time, they seemed to be on the same side.
As the sun set, the first day's observation activity drew to a close. Professor Oak gathered everyone at the edge of the forest to check their observation notes.
"Ash's group," Professor Oak said, pushing up his glasses, looking at their strange atmosphere. "Uh… your records are very detailed."
"Thank you, Professor," Ash said with a smile. "Serena helped a lot."
Serena blushed: "Ash taught me…"
"Hmph!" Xiao You and Lucia again expressed their displeasure in unison.
On the way back to town, Serena walked in front, while Xiao You and Lucia deliberately slowed down, sandwiching Ash between them.
"Tomorrow is free activity," Xiao You whispered. "Don't bring that Serena again."
"Exactly," Lucia echoed. "She looks at you strangely."
Ash blinked in Confusion: "Does she? I think she's quite normal."
"Ralts! (Ash is too dense!)" Ralts did a somersault in the air.
"Riolu! (Completely oblivious!)" Riolu also shook its head with a sigh.
Serena looked back, saw the strange sight of the four (or rather, three people and two Pokémon), and couldn't help but smile: "You all get along so well."
For some reason, this remark made Xiao You and Lucia even angrier.
"See you tomorrow!" At the fork in the road, Serena waved at Ash, a sweet smile on her face.
"See you tomorrow!" Ash responded enthusiastically.
After Serena had walked away, Xiao You and Lucia both turned to Ash.
"You!" Xiao You poked his chest. "Don't be so enthusiastic with her again!"
"Exactly!" Lucia also joined the denunciation. "You haven't smiled at me that many times!"
Ash was bewildered by this sudden accusation: "Huh? I just…"
"Ralts, let's go!" Xiao You pulled Ralts away.
"Swablu, ignore him!" Lucia also summoned her Pokémon.
The two Pokémon were pulled away, leaving Ash and Riolu standing there.
"Riolu… (Ash is such a blockhead…)" Riolu said helplessly.
Ash scratched his head: "What did I do wrong?"
The setting sun cast his shadow long and far. Tomorrow, the second day of summer camp, awaited him with an even more complex "Pokémon observation" task—not only observing wild Pokémon, but also dealing with the subtle relationships between three girls.