"Ahem, Professor Laventon, please calm down first."
Ash finally managed to escape from Professor Laventon's "clutches" and rubbed his dizzy head.
"Getting along with Pokemon isn't that difficult; the most important thing is sincerity."
"If you treat Pokemon as your partners rather than creatures to be tamed, they will naturally be willing to get close to you."
In modern ears, these words are nothing more than simple common sense.
But for Professor Laventon, it was nothing short of a thunderclap.
He stared blankly at Ash, muttering under his breath.
"Treat Pokemon... as partners... not beasts..."
A near-fanatical glow gradually ignited in his eyes.
"Well, Professor Laventon, how about we start by finding the three missing Pokemon of yours?"
Ash looked at the entranced Professor Laventon and reminded him.
He was all too familiar with this state of Professor Laventon, as Professor Oak was like this all the time.
Once something captivated him, he would focus all his attention on it.
Thus ignoring everything around him.
Upon hearing this, Professor Laventon snapped back to reality and nodded repeatedly, "Alright, then, I'll leave it to you, but be careful. Although those three little ones aren't aggressive, they are still Pokemon after all."
"But... since you can get along peacefully with Pikachu, getting along with those three little ones shouldn't be too difficult either."
Ash nodded and smiled, "Don't worry, Professor Laventon, I'm quite popular with Pokemon."
This wasn't just boasting; he possessed the Power of Viridian, which naturally attracted the goodwill of Pokemon.
As long as the Pokemon weren't too aggressive, even upon their first meeting, they would be willing to listen to him and be very friendly.
"That would be excellent," Professor Laventon replied with a smile.
He still wasn't entirely convinced of Ash's words, so this was a perfect opportunity to test Ash.
If Ash could really get along effortlessly with Pokemon as he claimed,
then he would be an indispensable presence for Jubilife Village.
Even if Ash and his companions were unwilling to come to Jubilife Village, he would have to beg Ash to visit.
Given Professor Laventon's approval, Ash wasted no more time.
He closed his eyes, and the Aura Power within him spread out like ripples in all directions.
The Pokemon presence along this coast was far more abundant than he had imagined.
The various Pokemon auras rose and fell in his perception, like countless stars in the night sky.
However, only three Pokemon auras were nearby.
Since Professor Laventon had only just lost those three Pokemon, they couldn't have gone far.
These three auras were undoubtedly the three Pokemon that Professor Laventon had lost.
Ash opened his eyes and looked at the two people beside him.
"Professor Laventon, please wait here for me. I'll be right back."
"Cynthia, Little—"
He had only spoken halfway when Cynthia cleared her throat.
The light cough, neither too harsh nor too soft, interrupted Ash's next words perfectly.
Ash suddenly remembered that they were pretending to be siblings now.
How could he address Cynthia by her name in front of others?
"Ahem, sis, you wait here for me too."
Ash quickly corrected himself.
Hearing Ash call her "sis," Cynthia nodded in satisfaction.
But for Ash, this term felt quite odd.
In all his life, he had never called anyone "sis" alone.
Not to mention, it was Cynthia, whom he knew well in daily life.
When those two words came out, even his tongue felt unresponsive.
However, he quickly suppressed this odd feeling.
The immediate priority was to find the Pokemon quickly.
Ash, with Pikachu, dashed away. Once he was out of Professor Laventon's sight, he activated the Aura Power within him.
In an instant, his speed increased by dozens of times over.
In the blink of an eye, he was already beside the first Pokemon.
It was a mouse-like Pokemon, covered in blue and cream-colored fur, with a faint hint of flames on its back.
Cyndaquil!
Ash was slightly stunned.
He never expected to see one of the Three Starters from the Johto Region, Cyndaquil, in ancient Sinnoh.
Could it be that, in ancient times, Cyndaquil actually inhabited the Sinnoh Region?
Without thinking too much, he stepped forward.
The Cyndaquil was initially a bit wary, curling up slightly, but the innate affinity Ash had immediately took effect as he approached.
The cautious eyes of the Cyndaquil quickly softened, allowing Ash to gently pick it up without resistance.
"There, there, don't be afraid."
Ash gently patted Cyndaquil's head, and the little fellow closed its eyes comfortably.
Meanwhile, back where Professor Laventon was waiting, he suddenly slapped his forehead with a startled exclamation.
"Oh no!"
Cynthia raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong, Professor Laventon?"
"I was so focused on sending Ash to find the Pokemon, I forgot to give him the Pokeballs!" Professor Laventon said, frustrated, "Without Pokeballs, how will he bring them back even if he finds the Pokemon?"
A thought subtly stirred within Cynthia.
In this era, have they already developed Pokeballs?