The morning sun filtered through the dense leaves, casting dappled shadows on the mountain path.
Ash looked up at the towering peaks, his fists clenched in excitement.
"Pikachu, today we'll definitely help Ache get some great photos!" Ash turned and said to the yellow electric mouse on his shoulder.
"Pika Pika! (Of course!)" Pikachu perked up its ears, its cheek pouches flickering with faint electricity.
Ache, walking at the front of the group, adjusted the professional camera hanging around his neck and turned back with a grateful smile: "Thank you all so much.
The wild Pokémon on this mountain are said to be very diverse, but usually hard to approach."
Brock, carrying a huge hiking backpack, wiped sweat from his forehead: "According to the map, the area ahead is where wild Pokémon are most active.
My Onix can help us clear a path."
"My Sylveon can also help soothe the wild Pokémon's emotions." Xiao You gently stroked the pink Pokémon in her arms, and Sylveon let out a pleasant cry.
Ash closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When he opened them again, a blue light flashed in his pupils—he was using his Aura to sense his surroundings.
"There's a group of Paras three hundred meters to the northeast, and a few Poliwag playing by the stream to the west." Ash pointed in two directions, "Ache, which side do you want to photograph first?"
Ache blinked in surprise: "Ash, your ability is so convenient!
Let's go to the stream first; Water-type Pokémon photos will look great in the morning light."
The group turned west, and Brock released Onix to clear the way.
Its massive rock body easily flattened the bushes, opening a path for everyone.
Xiao You's Sylveon walked at the very front, emitting a soft glow that kept the wild Pokémon along the way from being startled by their sudden visit.
"This is it." Ash stopped, pointing to the shimmering stream ahead.
Five Poliwag were playing in the water, their spiral patterns on their bellies particularly striking in the sunlight.
Ache immediately set up his camera, but before he could press the shutter, the sensitive Poliwag sensed the human presence and quickly hid behind the rocks.
"Ah, too bad…" Ache put down his camera in frustration.
"Don't worry." Ash walked forward with a smile, "Let me communicate with them."
Ash squatted by the stream, closing his eyes and concentrating.
Pikachu jumped from his shoulder and stood by, on guard.
A moment later, Ash emitted a gentle Aura energy, which spread into the water like ripples.
"Poliwag, we mean no harm.
We just want to take some pictures of you, is that okay?" Ash conveyed a friendly message telepathically.
Several round heads popped out from behind the rocks in the stream, the Poliwag curiously examining the human who could communicate with them.
Finally, the largest Poliwag swam out first, followed by its companions.
"Amazing!" Ache whispered in awe, carefully raising his camera.
This time, the Poliwag didn't hide; instead, they posed cutely in front of the lens.
"Pika Pika~ (They're so photogenic!)" Pikachu wagged its tail happily.
Xiao You squatted beside Ash and asked softly: "Did they say anything?"
"They said they'd never seen such a beautiful machine and wanted to know what a photo was." Ash explained with a smile, "I told them photos could preserve their cute appearance forever."
After taking a set of photos, Ache took out instant prints from his backpack and showed them to the Poliwag.
The little ones excitedly jumped around the photos, making joyful chirping sounds.
"They said thank you, Ache." Ash translated, "And they asked if you could take more pictures."
Ache nodded, flattered: "Of course! These are the most cooperative Pokémon I've ever photographed."
The subsequent shooting went exceptionally smoothly.
The Poliwag even actively performed Water Gun moves, drawing graceful arcs in the air.
Ache seized the opportunity to capture a series of exciting moments.
"Alright, we should go find the Paras now." After taking the last set of photos, Ash waved goodbye to the Poliwag, "We'll come see you again next time."
After leaving the stream, the group headed northeast.
Brock recalled Onix and sent out two Geodude—one in its normal Kanto form, and the other a black variant from the Alola region.
"Paras are Bug and Grass-type, so Rock-type Pokémon might make them nervous." Brock explained, "Xiao You, how about your Venusaur leads the way?"
"No problem." Xiao You released her Venusaur.
This large Pokémon had a huge flower blooming on its back, emitting a reassuring Aura.
Ash used his Aura again to scout: "The Paras group is in that mushroom circle ahead, about seven or eight of them… Wait, there are also two Parasect!"
"Parasect? Those are rare evolved forms!" Ache excitedly adjusted his camera settings, "If I can get photos of them, this magazine cover is guaranteed!"
The group approached the mushroom circle quietly.
Indeed, a group of Paras were gathered around a fallen log, gnawing on fungi.
Two larger Parasect stood guard on the periphery, the huge mushroom caps on their backs trembling slightly.
Ash motioned for everyone to stop: "Parasect are very wary, let me first…"
Before he could finish, one of the Parasect suddenly turned towards them and let out a warning Growl.
The Paras immediately stopped eating and hid behind the Parasect.
"We've been spotted." Brock whispered.
Ash immediately raised both hands to show he meant no harm: "Don't be nervous, we just…"
The Parasect ignored him and directly launched a volley of poisonous powder.
The purplish-pink smoke quickly spread towards the group.
"Danger!" Xiao You shouted, "Venusaur, use Sweet Scent to disperse the poison powder!"
Venusaur's back flower trembled violently, emitting a rich Sweet Scent.
The two Auras collided in the air, neutralizing and dissipating the poison powder.
At the same time, Brock's two Geodude quickly formed a rock barrier, protecting everyone from the residual poison powder.
"Pikachu, use Thunder Wave to trap them, but don't hurt them!" Ash quickly ordered.
"Pika—chu!" Pikachu leaped into the air, releasing a faint current.
The current formed a net, temporarily trapping the Paras in place, but causing no actual harm.
Ash took the opportunity to unleash his Aura at full power, a strong message of friendship surging towards the Paras group like a tide: "Please calm down!
We truly mean no harm!
We just want to take some pictures!"
The two Parasect stopped their attack, tilting their heads as they received Ash's message.
A moment later, one of them let out a low cry, and the Paras gradually relaxed.
"They're willing to cooperate." Ash sighed in relief, wiping sweat from his forehead, "But there's a condition—they hope we can help them find more edible fungi in exchange."
Ache immediately nodded: "Of course! Brock, aren't you good at finding edible plants?"
"Leave it to me." Brock smiled and released Zubat, "Zubat can use ultrasonic waves to detect mycelial distribution underground."
Guided by Zubat, the group quickly found several rich fungal Growth spots nearby.
The Paras happily enjoyed their newly discovered food, completely letting down their guard.
Ache seized the opportunity to capture a series of precious shots of the Paras eating and interacting, especially the moving scenes of the two Parasect guarding their colony.
"Perfect!" Ache checked the photos in his camera, full of excitement, "These photos will definitely help people better understand the social structure of Paras colonies."
Ash gently stroked a curious Paras that came closer: "They're actually very smart; they know how to cultivate fungi.
That Parasect just told me that this mushroom circle took them three years to cultivate."
Xiao You's eyes widened in surprise: "So they don't just forage for wild fungi, they cultivate their own?
This is a new discovery for the Pokémon academic world!"
Ache quickly jotted down the information: "This will be an important part of the photo captions.
Thank you, Paras."
At noon, the group rested by a clear stream.
Ash released all his Pokémon to let them relax.
Charizard stretched its wings and flew into the sky to patrol, Venusaur and Wartortle drank water by the stream, Metagross floated quietly nearby, and Pidgeot stood on a branch, on guard.
Ache looked at the well-trained Pokémon team and exclaimed: "Ash, the synergy between you and your Pokémon is truly enviable."
Ash scratched his head, smiling shyly: "We've just been through a lot together, that's all.
By the way, what type of Pokémon do you want to photograph this afternoon?"
Ache flipped through his notes: "If possible, I'd like to photograph some Flying-type Pokémon soaring in the sky.
Pidgeotto and Fearow are said to frequent the cliffs of this mountain."
"That's easy." Ash whistled, and Pidgeot immediately flew to his side, "My Pidgeot can help guide wild Flying-type Pokémon."
Xiao You suggested: "My Sylveon can use Psychic to create some light points to attract the attention of Flying Pokémon."
After lunch, the group headed towards the mountain peak.
As the elevation increased, the vegetation gradually thinned, replaced by bare rocks and steep cliffs.
The biting mountain wind made it almost impossible to keep one's eyes open.
"This is it." Brock pointed to an open cliff platform ahead, "This location offers a wide view and is ideal for photographing Flying Pokémon."
Ache set up his tripod and adjusted his telephoto lens.
Ash released Pidgeot: "Go, find some friends for a photo shoot."
Pidgeot let out a long cry and soared into the clouds, quickly disappearing.
Xiao You's Sylveon then released dozens of shimmering light points, floating in the air like stars.
"They're coming!" Ash keenly sensed movement in the distance.
A moment later, Pidgeot reappeared, followed by three Pidgeotto and a majestic Fearow.
They circled around the light points, forming a spectacular scene.
Ache excitedly pressed the shutter repeatedly: "Fantastic! The composition is perfect!"
Just then, an unexpected event occurred.
The Fearow suddenly broke away from the group and dive-bombed directly towards them.
Its sharp gaze was fixed on the light points created by Sylveon, clearly mistaking them for prey.
"Look out!" Brock shouted.
Fearow's speed was incredibly fast, and in an instant, it swooped above the platform.
Sylveon, startled, stopped its Psychic, and the light points instantly vanished.
But this only enraged Fearow, which let out a piercing cry, its wings flashing with white light—a prelude to using Wing Attack.
"Pikachu, Quick Attack to intercept it!" Ash reacted quickly.
A yellow lightning bolt streaked across the sky, and Pikachu accurately collided with Fearow's flight path, forcing it to change direction.
Pidgeot also immediately flew back, blocking in front of everyone.
Ash once again released his Aura: "Please stop!
We mean no harm!
Those light points were just for taking pictures!"
The enraged Fearow ignored him and dive-bombed again.
This time its target was Ash, who was standing at the very front!
In the nick of time, a scorching flame erupted from the side, precisely forming a wall of fire in front of Fearow.
It was Charizard!
It had flown to the battleground at some point, using Flamethrower to stop Fearow's attack.
Fearow was startled by the sudden flames and hastily pulled up.
At this moment, Ash's Metagross also took action, creating an invisible barrier with Psychic, trapping Fearow in mid-air and rendering it immobile.
"Don't hurt it!" Ash shouted, "It just misunderstood!"
Ash concentrated all his energy, boosting his Aura to its strongest.
A powerful will for peace surged like a tide towards the trapped Fearow.
Finally, Fearow stopped struggling, and the hostility in its eyes gradually faded.
"It understands." Ash sighed in relief, "Release it, Metagross."
After the Psychic barrier was lifted, Fearow slowly descended to the edge of the platform, wary but no longer attacking.
Ash slowly approached, taking a few Pokémon treats from his backpack and placing them on the ground.
"I'm sorry, I startled you." Ash said sincerely, "We really just wanted to take some pictures."
Fearow tilted its head, looked at Ash, then at the food on the ground, and finally lowered its head to peck at it.
Seeing this, the other Pidgeotto also landed, and the scene returned to peace.
Ache recorded this thrilling yet heartwarming scene: "From conflict to reconciliation… this is true Pokémon ecology."
As the sun set, Ache had filled all his memory cards.
Everyone stood on the mountaintop, admiring the magnificent scenery under the afterglow of the sunset.
"Thank you all so much today." Ache said sincerely, "Without your help, I wouldn't have been able to take so many precious photos."
Brock patted his shoulder: "This is the result of teamwork.
Your photos will allow more people to understand the real lives of wild Pokémon; this is very meaningful work."
Xiao You nodded in agreement: "Especially those moments of natural Pokémon interaction you captured; they are much more valuable than staged photos."
"Pika Pika! (We had a lot of fun too!)" Pikachu jumped onto Ache's camera bag, curiously sniffing the equipment.
Ash looked into the distance: "Ache, where are you going to shoot next?"
"I plan to go to the Orange Islands," Ache replied, "There's a unique tropical Pokémon ecosystem there.
But before that, I need to organize these photos."
At the crossroads of the small town at the foot of the mountain, Ache bid farewell to the group.
He solemnly shook hands with everyone, and finally said to Ash: "Your ability is very special, Ash.
Not everyone can understand the hearts of Pokémon like you can.
I hope that one day, humans and Pokémon will be able to understand each other without needing a translator."
Ash nodded firmly: "It will happen.
Have a safe journey, Ache!"
Watching Ache's retreating figure, Xiao You sighed: "He's a true Pokémon enthusiast."
"Yes," Brock agreed, "Through his lens, more people will fall in love with these magical creatures."
"Pika~ (Let's go on another adventure together next time!)" Pikachu waved its little paw.
The setting sun cast long shadows of the four people, with their Pokémon surrounding them, forming a scene more moving than any photograph.