After a leisurely day in Oreburgh City and a night of rest, they continued on their journey to the next city, Eterna City. However, a Pokémon Contest was being held in Floaroma Town, a small town on the way. The trio decided to go there first so that Dawn could participate.
"You know, Gym Leader Roark is such a nice person. Even though you beat him so badly, he didn't hold a grudge and even gave you that Aerodactyl!" As they walked down the path, Dawn remembered the museum. When Ash returned the Poké Ball to Mr. Roark, he told Ash to keep it. This truly surprised all three of them; after all, an Aerodactyl is worth a lot.
"And when you compare him to a certain ungrateful person, he's so much better!" Dawn suddenly walked ahead of Ash, her hands behind her back, walking backward. Her blue eyes fixed on Ash as she spoke with a pointed tone.
Ash: "..." Ash couldn't deny her words about a certain person. From his early behavior, Paul was indeed cold and unsociable, so it made sense for Dawn, who loved Pokémon, to dislike him. This also showed him just how good Dawn was at holding a grudge. It had been about half a month since the incident with Chimchar, and Dawn was still holding onto it. It's true; you should never upset a woman, regardless of her age.
"Ahem, by the way, was that Aerodactyl sent to the lab?" Seeing Ash's expression grow awkward, Brock, as a good friend, quickly changed the subject and diverted Dawn's attention.
"Of course. The newly revived Aerodactyl was still a bit wild, so I had to send it to Professor Oak's lab first so he and the Pokémon in the backyard could train it." Besides, the Pokémon on his current team didn't need Aerodactyl for now. It had also just been revived, so its body needed to be conditioned through diet. It was simply more convenient to send it to a researcher like Professor Oak.
"Professor Oak? You mean the one who does Pokémon Senryu?" The moment she heard the familiar name, Dawn perked up, and her attention shifted from Paul to Professor Oak. Due to some indescribable reasons, Dawn had never met Professor Oak before.
"Yes, Professor Oak..." Grateful, Ash secretly gave Brock a thumbs-up, then began to introduce his neighbor, Professor Oak, to Dawn.
...
Professor Oak's Laboratory
At this moment, Professor Oak was not in his lab cooking instant noodles with an alcohol lamp. Not long ago, he was happily looking at the Pokémon Ash had sent over and couldn't wait to release it. To his surprise, the friendly Pokémon that Ash usually catches was replaced by a ferocious-looking Aerodactyl, which caused chaos throughout the lab.
"Old friend, give it another Thunder Punch!" Looking at the Aerodactyl subdued by his Dragonite, Professor Oak wasn't angry at all. He just smiled slightly and had his big, chubby Pokémon knock out Aerodactyl with a powerful Thunder Punch. As a Champion-level Pokémon, Aerodactyl was immediately knocked out by the heavy Thunder Punch. The arrogant Aerodactyl was down for the count.
"Hehehe!" Professor Oak couldn't help but reveal his true self as he looked at the Aerodactyl lying on the ground. "Let me have a good look at your body!" Since Aerodactyl had wrecked his lab, its body would serve as compensation.
"Roo~" As Professor Oak's old partner, Dragonite was used to this scene. After all, in the beginning, it was an accomplice. It sat on the ground, bored, watching Professor Oak examine Aerodactyl's body.
Meanwhile, Ash, who was still traveling, had no idea what his Aerodactyl was going through. They had now arrived at a wide, open plain. The area offered a clear view and pleasant scenery, and a large number of wild Pokémon lived there. It was a perfect spot for Ash and his friends to stay and "grind"… no, to stop and rest.
Since it was noon, Ash's suggestion was unanimously approved by the group. Taking the opportunity, Ash released all six of his Pokémon and had them go out and find Pokémon to battle. With so many Pokémon in the area, it would be a waste not to seize the opportunity to fill his pockets. After quickly setting up the tent, he took out the breeder's guide that Brock had given him and began to practice making Pokémon food.
As a qualified trainer, it was necessary to learn some breeding skills. In the next region, when he and Brock separated, making Pokémon food would become extremely important. It was better to rely on himself than to bother others.
Brock watched Ash's actions as he was cooking. To be honest, when he first heard Ash's request, Brock's squinted eyes almost popped open in shock. Ash, a Pokémon trainer, wanted to become a breeder? He thought he was hearing things. Ash, a breeder? What kind of joke was that? But in the last few days, Ash's serious expression made him realize that he had underestimated him. Ash really did want to learn to be a breeder.
"Things have changed!" Looking at Ash, who was preparing Pokémon food according to the manual he'd organized, Brock shook his head in disbelief. But then he nodded in satisfaction. It was a good thing that Ash wanted to learn some breeding skills, as they would eventually have to part ways. At that time, Ash would have to rely on himself to make Pokémon food. By teaching him the skills beforehand, he wouldn't have to worry about Ash in the future. This was probably his last use as Ash's companion.
"What are you thinking about? Hurry up and cook!" Feeling a sudden wave of sadness, Brock quickly shook his head, throwing the strange thoughts out of his mind. He focused on his task, picking up his knife to prepare a luxurious lunch for the day.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Ash was focused on making the Pokémon food. The girl in the short skirt sat by his side, watching.
"Now, sprinkle in some of Pikachu's favorite tomatoes!" Ash carefully did the last step, adding the seasoning. He quickly stirred the paste-like food in the bowl, making it harden into chunks. After a little while, a decent-looking batch of Pokémon food was complete.
"Let me taste it first!" Just as Ash said this, Dawn came up beside him, grabbed a piece of the Pokémon food, and put it in her mouth.
"Ugh, it's so sour!" Dawn's face scrunched up in a grimace.
"You idiot! Pokémon's tastes are different from humans'! Why would you eat that?" Ash scolded her with a serious expression.
"Bleh, I'm sorry!" The impulsive girl stuck out her small, pink tongue in embarrassment.
"You... sigh, never mind!" That move worked on Ash, and he no longer had the heart to scold her.
"Hehe!"