Ash's physical constitution was already extraordinary, and after gaining S-rank Bo-do Power, even some Trainers who focused on physical training were far behind Ash.
Take Bruno, who is currently recognized as the strongest in physical constitution in the world, as an example; Ash might not lose to him in a pure physical confrontation… and this was when Ash hadn't even trained much.
So, carrying Xiao Xia's weight of less than ninety pounds was no different from carrying a backpack normally.
Because Ash had to carry Xiao Xia, Ash's spatial backpack was carried by Pikachu. The tiny Pikachu carrying a backpack comparable to his height looked a bit comical.
But never underestimate a Pokémon's strength because of its size. Even a small-looking Pokémon, with one punch, one tail whip, could even break a tree that two people could embrace.
Pikachu was no exception. At this time, his level had already reached advanced-junior. Not to mention carrying a small backpack, he could even lift Xiao Xia, but that scene would be too beautiful, and Pikachu couldn't exert force like that for long, so the idea of Pikachu carrying Xiao Xia was out of the question…
Xiao Xia lay quietly behind Ash, her jade-like arms wrapped around Ash's arm, and Ash's warm palm covered her exposed thigh. If Ash were to turn his head at this moment, he would see a face as red as a tomato.
Her parents passed away when she was young, and Xiao Xia didn't have a deep impression of her father. So, from childhood to now, in Xiao Xia's memory, this was the first time she had been so intimate with a male.
Just now, Ash had used a 'provoking method' to make her jump onto his back without thinking. After getting on, her mind completely crashed. Was this what it felt like to be carried by a boy? To be honest… it felt pretty good.
Along the way, Ash carried Xiao Xia and walked until late afternoon before choosing to rest. Midway, Xiao Xia often asked Ash if he felt tired. Ash said that carrying Xiao Xia was no different from carrying a ball of cotton.
He wasn't exaggerating; it was just a bit troublesome that he couldn't free his hands while carrying Xiao Xia. Other than that, Ash felt no fatigue at all. He could even command Pikachu and Caterpie to battle while carrying Xiao Xia.
Caterpie also finally evolved into Metapod in the morning, only one step away from Butterfree. Its strength also progressed from novice to normal. Before leaving Chang Pan Forest, it would likely evolve into Butterfree.
And Ash's remark that Xiao Xia was like cotton made Xiao Xia overjoyed. Girls over ten years old generally care a lot about their weight. Being told they are light is almost the same as being praised for being beautiful.
At the same time, because Caterpie evolved into Metapod and was no longer in its caterpillar form, Xiao Xia was not as repulsed by Metapod. She could even accept Metapod standing by her side, after all, she only disliked bug-like Pokémon, not bug-type Pokémon.
"Look, Xiao Xia, we walked so much in one go today. At this rate, we should be able to walk out of Chang Pan Forest in three days… How are your feet?"
Xiao Xia rubbed her toes, then shook her head, a smile appearing on her face as she said, "They're much better. I can walk by myself this afternoon."
"Are you sure? It's very troublesome if your feet get injured," Ash said, frowning slightly with suspicion.
His main concern was that if Xiao Xia's feet were injured, it would greatly affect their journey. At this moment, he was actually a bit impatient to challenge the Ni Bi Gym.
These past few days, Xiao Xia went to bed early every night, while Ash studied the knowledge taught by various experts in the group.
Whether it was battling, breeding, catching, or Pokémon knowledge, there were specialists at the top of their fields to teach.
Although Professor Oak was also a top-tier professor, Ash would always feel sleepy whenever he taught. He was very interested in Pokémon, so he should have paid close attention when hearing about Pokémon-related topics. But Professor Oak would want to sleep as soon as class started and be energetic as soon as class ended. This was a physical instinct.
However, this reaction did not happen in the group, so Ash learned more in these three days than in the past ten years.
It was precisely because of this that Ash was impatient to try out the battle methods taught by the experts in the group. Those Bug Catchers and Youngsters were too weak and uninteresting. He had to practice with a Gym Leader!
This was also the main reason Ash didn't want Xiao Xia to get injured.
"Thank you for your concern, I'm fine. It's almost one o'clock now. If we rest for a while and leave at two o'clock, we'll only walk for a few hours until evening. I can handle this much distance," Xiao Xia replied with a radiant smile.
She thought Ash was very concerned about her body, which was why he asked such a question. If she knew the real reason for Ash's thoughts, she would probably hit Ash with a hammer.
"Alright, let's eat first. Come out, Metapod." Ash released Metapod, then took out some universal Pokémon food from his backpack.
Regarding Pokémon food, Breeder Xiao Zhi had carefully taught Ash in the group that it was best for Pokémon to eat specially formulated food.
Although common rations outside could fill a Pokémon's stomach and provide some nutrition, they were no match for specially formulated Pokémon food.
Good Pokémon food, accumulated over time, can significantly increase a Pokémon's growth rate. Moreover, if the Trainer prepares the food themselves, it can also deepen the bond between the Pokémon and the Trainer, which is also a way to quickly improve a Pokémon's strength.
Ash was a bit skeptical at first, wondering if Breeder Xiao Zhi was trying to pull him into the breeding profession and was just making things up.
But this statement was affirmed by the other Ashes.
The other Ashes stated that if they hadn't already been at the peak of their respective fields when they joined the group, they might have also studied with Breeder Xiao Zhi. Breeding is a very profound discipline, and Breeder Xiao Zhi has mastered almost all breeding knowledge in the world, making him a top expert in breeding Pokémon.
When it comes to breeding Pokémon, learning from Breeder Xiao Zhi is definitely the right choice.
However, the other Ashes in the group had already bred Pokémon in their own ways, and they had grown to their peak. They also had their own persistence and pride, so naturally, it was impossible and unnecessary for them to learn from Breeder Xiao Zhi.
But the new Ash was different. He was still a blank slate, and any color could be applied to this paper, and more than one color could be added!
The Ashes in the group had already discussed something: the possibility of cultivating the new Ash into an unprecedented Super All-Rounder!