Chapter 22: Reunion with Ash

He pushed open the glass doors of the Viridian City Pokémon Center, and the warm, cozy air instantly enveloped Huo La.

Unlike the slightly cool air outside, the indoor temperature was perfectly regulated, and the air was scented with a faint mix of disinfectant and Pokemon food.

The lobby was especially bustling, with many Trainers gathered around the service desk handling business, or sitting in the lounge feeding and grooming their Pokemon.

Huo La's gaze swept quickly over the Pokemon present, and his interest waned almost immediately—most were Caterpie, Lada‑type common entry‑level Pokemon, with Su Xing generally at C‑Grade, and even a few at D‑Grade, clearly serving more as companion pets than battle partners.

Just as he was about to head toward the service desk, intending to send his Bulbasaur and Beedrill to recover stamina, a familiar figure suddenly entered his view.

In front of the video phone, Ash was holding the microphone, answering something dejectedly, while on the other side of the video call was a woman with long brownish‑black hair.

Before he could speak, a familiar voice of Aunt Hanako came from the video, with obvious surprise: "Huo La? You're also in Viridian City!"

Ash turned his head in confusion, and when he saw Huo La behind him, his eyes lit up instantly: "Huo La! You've also come to Viridian City?"

"It's been several days, Ash." Huo La smiled at him, then turned to the video screen and waved at the Hanako inside, his tone polite and friendly, "Hello, Aunt, I didn't expect to meet Ash here."

"Huo La, that kid really is polite." Hanako smiled at Huo La on the screen, then turned her words toward the Ash beside her, with a hint of helplessness, "Unlike our Ash, who only thought of calling back today, making me worry for several days."

Ash scratched his head and smiled awkwardly.

"Alright, alright, I won't nag you." Hanako shook her head helplessly, her gaze returning to Huo La, her tone becoming a bit serious, "Huo La, you two are about the same age and both just set out as traveling Trainers; if you encounter difficulties in the future, remember to support each other. Ash can be too impatient at times; give him a few more reminders so he doesn't act recklessly."

"Mom! I'm not reckless!" Ash protested, but Hanako silenced him with a look.

Huo La smiled and nodded, "Don't worry, Aunt, I will. We've been friends since childhood, looking out for each other is only natural."

"Good then." Hanako nodded satisfied, glanced at the time below the screen, and reminded, "When you're out there, stay safe, remember to eat and rest on schedule, don't just rush ahead. I have something else to attend to, so I'll hang up now; you two continue chatting."

After speaking, Hanako waved at the two, then pressed the hang‑up button. The video screen dimmed, and the lobby fell a little quieter.

Ash put away the microphone, turned to Huo La, and the excitement in his eyes had already faded, leaving only unmistakable fatigue—his once sparkling eyes drooped, and even his usually upturned mouth formed a straight line.

His voice carried a hint of weariness, "Huo La, you just came out of Viridian Forest too? Did you encounter any danger?"

Huo La sat naturally beside him, his gaze sweeping over the Pikachu curled in Ash's arms— the little creature's eyes were closed, its ears limp on its head, even the usually lively tip of its tail was still, and the red electric sacs on its cheeks had lost their usual sheen, clearly indicating a poor condition.

He lowered his gaze and replied calmly, "No real danger, just the heavy downpours these past two days made it a hassle to find shelter in the woods. How about you? You don't look well."

When the topic turned to his own situation, Ash's expression darkened instantly; he gently patted Pikachu's head, moving cautiously as if afraid to hurt it, "I… I'm fine. It's just Pikachu… suffered a serious injury, has had a persistent high fever since yesterday, and Nurse Joy just said there's lingering inflammation from a Fletchinder beak wound inside, so it needs several days of proper rest to recover."

Huo La was not surprised by this.

He clearly remembered that Ash's first crushing defeat after setting out was at the hands of a Fletchinder Flock.

At that time Ash and Pikachu had not yet built trust; faced with a swarm of Fletchinder attacks, they endured several beak strikes and Wing Attacks, and finally exhausted themselves using Thunderbolt to drive the foes away, leaving Ash severely wounded.

"Did you encounter a Fletchinder Flock?" Huo La asked softly.

Ash jerked his head up, eyes full of surprise, "How did you know?"

"Just guessed." Huo La didn't elaborate, merely pointing to the faint small wound on Pikachu, "Fletchinder beaks are sharp; a beak wound easily causes inflammation, and the dampness from the rain makes healing slower."

He paused, then added, "Actually Pikachu isn't weak; it's just that you and it have only just teamed up and haven't formed a rhythm— yesterday, when facing the Fletchinder, your attacks and defenses didn't sync, causing Pikachu to bear too much damage alone."

The remark struck a chord with Ash; he lowered his head, his fingers lightly brushing Pikachu's ear, his voice tinged with guilt, "I understand…"

Pikachu seemed to sense Ash's mood, slightly opening its eyes, nudging his palm with its little head, emitting a faint "Pika" sound, as if comforting him.

Huo La watched the scene, feeling a slight stir in his heart; although Ash can be reckless at times, his devotion to his Pokemon is genuinely sincere.

He patted Ash's shoulder, his tone softened, "Don't be too hard on yourself; since Nurse Joy said Pikachu will recover after a few days of proper rest, there's no problem. Moreover, this ordeal might actually strengthen the trust between you two— true partners are those who, after facing hardships, understand each other even more, right?"

Ash lifted his head, looked at Huo La, then glanced down at Pikachu in his arms, his eyes gradually brightening.

At that moment, Nurse Joy pushed a treatment cart over, smiling at the two, "Ash, Pikachu's anti‑inflammatory injection is ready."

Ash immediately stood, carefully cradling Pikachu and handing it to Nurse Joy, his eyes full of anticipation, "Please, Nurse Joy! Make sure Pikachu gets better quickly!"

"Don't worry." Nurse Joy smiled gently, carrying Pikachu toward the treatment room.

Watching Nurse Joy's back, Ash took a deep breath, turned to Huo La and said, "Huo La, you're right! Once Pikachu recovers, I'll make sure to communicate properly with it, to understand him."