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The sound of whirring blades cut through the air just as Ash finished learning about Pikachu's past.
"Whop whop whop!!!"
Hearing the distinctive noise of rotor blades, Ash stood up with Pikachu in his arms and walked outside. Misty and the others were no longer in the building, so Ash carried Pikachu outside to join them. Misty, Brock, and Officer Jenny stood in the yard, all looking skyward.
Following their gaze, Ash spotted a helicopter slowly descending. As it landed, two people quickly disembarked.
One was a short man, barely five feet tall, dressed in a formal suit with polished leather shoes—the perfect image of a stereotypical businessman. Beside him stood a woman with elegant clothing and a gentle demeanor.
The pair made an odd couple. Ash couldn't help but think they looked mismatched, though he immediately sensed these must be Tommy's parents. The boy certainly didn't resemble his father much!
But this was the world of Pokemon, after all, where such unusual character designs were normal.
"Tomo! Is our Tomo here?" The woman rushed forward, addressing Officer Jenny with urgency in her voice.
"Tomo?" Everyone found the name both strange and somehow familiar.
"Yes, our son Tomo. We were traveling here five years ago when an accident occurred and we became separated from our son!" The man explained as he approached.
"This is my son," the woman insisted, producing a photograph showing a toddler about two or three years old. Though the child in the picture looked somewhat different from the wild boy they'd met, there was still a recognizable resemblance.
"Ah! You must be Tommy's parents!" Officer Jenny exclaimed after examining the photo. She hurried back inside and quickly returned with a file containing documentation.
"Here's Tommy's current photo," she explained, showing them a recent image. Because Tommy lived within the nature reserve and couldn't be removed, they had only been able to register him as a resident of the protected area.
"Yes... that's Tomo. Thank goodness my dear Tomo is still alive!" The woman was so overcome with emotion that she began to sob softly.
It seemed like destiny that the name "Tommy" given by the reserve staff was only one syllable different from his birth name.
"Please, where is our child now?" the father asked anxiously.
"He's with the Kangaskhan herd somewhere in the reserve," Officer Jenny explained. The exact location was unknown—the reserve was simply too vast.
"He must be so frightened! Darling, we need to find him quickly!" The woman tugged at her husband's sleeve with concern.
"Let's go right away!" Without even stopping to rest, the couple turned and rushed toward the reserve entrance. Officer Jenny called after them with alarm.
"Wait! It's dangerous to enter the protected area like that!" She was genuinely worried seeing them dash in so carelessly. The reserve contained many aggressive wild Pokemon!
But the couple had already disappeared into the forest. Officer Jenny felt helpless and turned toward her vehicle. Misty, who had watched the entire scene, made a suggestion.
"They look so desperate! Why don't we help search for Tommy too?"
"Pika-pi!" Pikachu agreed enthusiastically, looking in the direction where Tommy—or rather, Tomo—had gone. The situation reminded him of his own past, and he wanted to help.
"Of course, let's go," Ash responded, sensing Pikachu's feelings. He nodded to Misty and Brock.
The three trainers entered the jungle. By this time, Tomo's parents had vanished from sight, so they could only search as they traveled deeper into the wilderness.
The reserve was enormous. Once inside the dense vegetation, it became more like a maze. After half an hour of searching, they still hadn't found any trace of the family.
"Pika?" Pikachu's ears suddenly twitched on Ash's shoulder, and Ash noticed immediately.
"What is it?" He turned to look at his partner.
Pikachu didn't respond verbally. Instead, he glanced around, raising his ears and listening carefully. After a moment, he turned his head toward some tall grass and pointed urgently.
"Pika-pi!"
"Is something over there?" Ash asked, moving forward. Misty and Brock exchanged glances and quickly followed. Ash pushed aside the grass in front of them.
Inside the small clearing sat a Pokemon covered in scratches and looking extremely weak. When it spotted Ash and his friends, it cowered back in fear.
Pikachu leaped from Ash's arms in concern. The injured Pokemon was a baby Kangaskhan, but there was no mother Kangaskhan in sight.
"Oh no! It's a baby Kangaskhan, and it's badly hurt!" Misty covered her mouth in distress when she saw the extent of the young Pokemon's injuries.
Pikachu approached the baby Kangaskhan and offered gentle reassurance. He sniffed the air—there was a familiar scent he couldn't quite place. Moving forward, he carefully cradled the frightened baby.
"We need to treat it quickly!" Ash and Brock stepped forward together, with Brock removing his backpack.
"Pikachu, let Brock treat it first," Ash instructed.
"Pi-ka-pi!" Pikachu nodded, whispering comforting sounds to the baby Kangaskhan, as if telling it not to worry. Brock retrieved a Potion from his backpack.
"This might sting a little, but you'll need to be brave for a moment," Brock said gently as he approached with the medicine.
The baby Kangaskhan was initially frightened, but for some reason, it felt unusually calm in Pikachu's presence, despite having never met him before.
"Pssshhh!"
"Kanga!"
Brock sprayed the medicine onto the baby's wounds. The Kangaskhan winced in pain, but soon the cooling effect of the Potion provided relief, making it much more comfortable than before.
"This is special medicine I bought in Celadon City. You'll feel better soon," Brock said softly. He instinctively reached out to pet the young Pokemon.
Suddenly, a loud cry cut through the forest!