5. Missing

"Ok!!"

The staff responded quickly upon hearing the sound and began to escort the children to safety, several of them taking out Poké Balls.

"Everyone, leave this to us. Follow Professor Oak to the camp," one of the staff shouted to the children, holding their Poké Balls.

Two staff members protected the children while Professor Oak ran down the road ahead. Spearow in the air swooped down immediately upon seeing this.

Bang bang! ! ! !

Two flames shot out from behind, forcing the Spearow to scatter and dodge.

Standing in front of the two staff members were Pokémon with orange fur, milky yellow snouts and abdomens, black vertical stripes on their bodies, and tufts of hair on their heads.

These dog-shaped Pokémon, Growlithe, are good partners of humans and Trainers. They are not only trained by common people but are also cultivated by the police in this world.

Just in case, the staff had brought Pokémon that were trained in Professor Oak's Laboratory.

"Now, everyone, follow me closely!" Professor Oak looked at the road ahead and shouted to the children.

He took the lead, signaling the children to follow, while two staff members covered them on both sides. Despite this, some children couldn't help crying as they fled in a hurry.

Ash followed at the end, looking at the Spearow around them. He couldn't help complaining in his heart—sure enough, wherever the protagonist went, something had to happen.

He couldn't remember how many times he had provoked Spearow, Beedrill, and the like in the anime.

But now, he couldn't do much. After all, he was not a trainer. In his opinion, a trainer doesn't have to be 10 years old; being 10 is just a qualification, like a coming-of-age ceremony.

But in Ash's current situation, the soul of an adult could fight if he had Pokémon. However, since he didn't have any Pokémon, he could only run along.

After the Spearow were scattered by Growlithe's attack, they did not give up.

They are a species that never lets go of intruders in their territory. Unless defeated, they will pursue their targets relentlessly.

Some of the Spearow turned around and chased the fleeing group, while others surrounded the staff who had attacked them, preventing them from providing support.

Spearow are herd creatures skilled at team fighting and using tactics.

"The situation is not good, we have to solve this problem quickly!" one of the staff said urgently upon seeing this. If something happened to the children, things would be troublesome.

"Yes!"

On the other side, Ash fled with Professor Oak and the children, but the Spearow were still chasing them. How could people run faster than Spearow? Before long, the Spearow caught up and hovered over the group.

Quack!!!

The Spearow immediately launched an attack. Many children covered their heads and cried, while the two staff members released Growlithe to start the attack.

"Children, come to us!"

As soon as they heard the sound, the children immediately gathered around the two staff members and Professor Oak, directly surrounding them and making it difficult for Professor Oak and the staff to move.

One staff member could only protect the children with his hands while issuing a attack order to Growlithe. Taking advantage of Growlithe's attack, he created space to lead the children to retreat continuously.

After much effort and entering a dense forest, the Spearow finally stopped chasing them. Although Spearow live in the jungle, flying in the dense forest is not advantageous for them.

Coupled with Growlithe's threat, the Spearow didn't pursue them rashly. Once they were safe, Professor Oak quickly motioned for the children to head to the camping point.

Twenty minutes later

Finally, they brought the children to the campsite. Professor Oak and the others breathed a sigh of relief. The children were exhausted, although some were still crying.

However, the children in this world are indeed more resilient in such situations compared to the children in Ash's previous life. With the staff's comfort, their moods gradually calmed down.

"Professor!" At this time, a few figures ran over from the forest. They were the staff responsible for intercepting most of the Spearow. They looked a bit disheveled, but were otherwise fine.

"Everyone, are you all right?"

"We're fine. How are the children?" the staff asked worriedly. They felt responsible, as the earlier investigation had not been thorough enough.

Spearow are territorial and domineering Pokémon. They have no fixed domain and often compete for others' territories. They migrate once resources are exhausted, something that should have been anticipated.

"Everyone is fine, don't worry!"

"Grandpa!!! Ash... Ash is gone!!" At this moment, there was an exclamation.

The one calling Professor Oak "Grandpa" was naturally Gary. Unlike the other children, Gary wasn't crying. After recovering, he noticed the children around him crying and instinctively wanted to check on Ash.

But after looking carefully, he realized Ash wasn't in the group, prompting his worried shout.

So, the one who truly cares about you is the one who really worries when you're missing. Although he often teases and quarrels with Ash, when Ash is really not around, Gary is more concerned than anyone else.

"What?? Everyone, check to see if any other children are missing." Professor Oak was shocked when he heard this and quickly shouted to the staff.

He remained calm and didn't panic because Ash wasn't there. First, he had to ensure if any other children were missing besides Ash. The situation had been too chaotic during the Spearow attack to be certain.

"Yes!" After hearing this, the staff began to call out names to confirm if anyone else was lost. Soon, their expressions changed.