Chapter 122: The Field Course of Celadon University (Part 1)

Bianca walked over to the girl, offered a smile, and reached out her hand. "You're safe now. Don't be afraid!"

The girl looked up, trembling. Seeing Bianca's beautiful face, her eyes quickly welled up with tears. She threw herself into Bianca's arms and buried her face in her shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.

Honestly, it was fortunate that she was a girl. Had it been a boy, Chen Ou would have already slapped him into next week. Bianca was only sixteen! Such a beast!

Bianca smiled and gently patted the girl's back, offering comfort in a soft voice. "It's all right, it's all right. The Pinsir has been defeated. You’re safe."

The girl continued to cry for a long while before finally calming down. She pulled away, looking embarrassed, wiped her eyes, and thanked her. "Thank you! My name is Chiharu, and I'm a student at Celadon University. I was participating in a field study and got lost, and then I ended up waking that Pinsir..."

Just as Bianca was about to offer more words of comfort, Chen Ou spoke up first.

"So, why didn't you stay close to your teacher?"

There was a heavy note of reproach in Chen Ou's voice. He was genuinely frustrated with this girl, who looked a year or two younger than him but older than Bianca.

"In the wild, calling for help when in danger is normal. But if I hadn't been here today, both of you would have been dealt with—or even killed." Chen Ou didn't go so far as to say they would have become a Pinsir's meal. While Pinsir were indeed Pokémon with nasty temperaments, they were undeniably herbivores that preferred tree sap. Despite their ferocious appearance, they weren't inherently a major threat to other Pokémon.

"Bianca didn't consider her own strength when she rushed in to rescue you, but you... your scream for help was fine, but shouldn't you have told the other person the basic situation, or retreated together under their cover? Does cowering in fear here solve anything? A student from Celadon University? Has the university become so lax in teaching basic field survival skills? When you lack the ability to defend yourself, isn't staying put in a safe place the most appropriate course of action?"

Bianca could tell that Chen Ou was truly angry. Even Rotom remained silent. This anger was not only directed at her own impulsiveness but even more so at the girl named Chiharu.

Bianca felt wronged, however. The only reason she dared to face the Pinsir head-on was her belief that Chen Ou would arrive in time. Chen Ou didn't know the sense of despair she felt while waiting for him, heart burning with anxiety, only for him to not show up.

Thinking of this, the guilt she had felt in her heart for impulsively rushing in dissipated quite a bit.

On the other side, although Chiharu didn't know who this boy, who looked about her age, was, every word he uttered felt like a stab to her heart. Everything Chen Ou asked was part of the basic knowledge that Professor Erika had taught them before they entered the forest.

When she actually got lost for some inexplicable reason, her mind had gone completely blank with panic.

The young girl had just been through a fright, and being confronted by Chen Ou's tone—half-suspicion, half-interrogation—made her eyes turn red again.

She began to sob softly once more. Bianca shot Chen Ou a fierce glare before turning back to comfort Chiharu.

Chen Ou crossed his arms, showing no intention of apologizing. Honestly, every one of his interrogations was correct and justified. The wild is inherently a dangerous place. To forget the lessons paid for by the lives of those who came before is simply being irresponsible toward one's own life and the lives of others.

Chen Ou only thought the girl was lucky; he didn't pity her.

Still, Chen Ou released Growlithe. As soon as the Pokémon landed, it looked at the sobbing Chiharu, tilted its head in confusion, and then shot Chen Ou a look of pure judgment, as if he were a scumbag. A vein throbbed on Chen Ou's temple as he crouched down and gave Growlithe a sharp flick to the forehead.

"Ouch!"

Growlithe covered its head with its front paws, staring at Chen Ou with a wronged expression.

"Get up, use Odor Sleuth, and find the ghost that's been pulling the strings behind the scenes."

"Woof!" Growlithe jumped up, closed its eyes to sniff the air, then suddenly snapped its head up and bolted in a specific direction.

"Will it be okay? Growlithe is alone... I mean, just one dog?" Bianca asked, looking worried.

[Actually, you didn't have to correct yourself on the 'one dog' part...] Chen Ou twitched his lip and replied, "It'll be fine. Growlithe is smarter than you think. If it can't win, it'll know how to come back."

Bianca thought of Growlithe's performance at the Saffron Gym and nodded, feeling slightly less worried.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before Growlithe returned.

To be precise, it was dragged back by someone. Or rather, it was biting onto something someone else was carrying, and was being dragged along for the ride.

It was clamped onto a Haunter, which was being held by a woman in a green kimono. A massive Vileplume followed beside her.

Chen Ou was stunned for a moment. On the other side, Chiharu greeted them awkwardly. "Professor Erika... I..."

"Oh, thank goodness, Chiharu. You're alright. You gave me such a scare!" Erika let go of her hand, and both Haunter and Growlithe tumbled to the ground. The previously unconscious Haunter tried to bolt immediately, but Growlithe, still latched onto it, gave it no such chance and knocked it out cold with a Flamethrower.

Erika rushed toward Chiharu, and Bianca gently stood up, making room for her before retreating to Chen Ou's side.

The Vileplume trailing behind Erika watched Growlithe finish off the Haunter with a Flamethrower, sensing the temperature that was highly uncomfortable for Grass-type Pokémon, and cast a wary gaze toward them. Growlithe, however, paid no mind to the Vileplume, which wasn't particularly powerful, and instead casually poked at the Haunter lying on the ground, now charred like a piece of coal.

After comforting Chiharu for a while and learning the basic situation, Erika turned toward Chen Ou and bowed. "Thank you both for your assistance. I am truly grateful."

Chen Ou didn't speak; instead, he tilted his head and looked at Bianca. It was the first time Bianca had received a formal expression of gratitude; she blushed and waved her hands hurriedly. "No, no, it was just a small effort."

Erika looked up, about to say something else, but caught sight of Chen Ou. She asked curiously, "Are you... Dr. Chen Ou? The expert recommended by Professor Oak to come and give the lectures?"

A polite smile appeared on Chen Ou's face. "Yes, that's me. Hello, Gym Leader Erika. I've heard much about you."

[You didn't talk like that just a moment ago,] Bianca and Chiharu thought in unison.