"It's because we're in the forest! There are so many Bug-type Pokémon around, I... I just can't sleep alone! What if a Bug-type Pokémon crawls into my tent?!" Misty exclaimed, frustration and embarrassment mingling in her voice. She genuinely feared the idea of sleeping alone in a tent amidst the forest.

"Oh... okay!" Ash quickly nodded, understanding her concerns. Misty's irate demeanor didn't scare him; in fact, he found her quite endearing when she was this candid.

Once the tent was set up and their sleeping bags arranged inside, Ash and Misty began preparing lunch. It was already past lunchtime, and their stomachs were rumbling loudly.

Neither Ash nor Misty were particularly skilled cooks, with Misty being slightly worse than Ash, so Ash took charge of cooking while Misty assisted. Lunch was simple; they had bought several pre-cooked items in Viridian City that just needed some seasoning and heating. The main dish was rice—it wasn't gourmet, but Misty was pleasantly surprised by Ash's culinary efforts.

While they ate, they of course didn't forget about Pikachu. His meal consisted of typical Pokémon food, freshly prepared by Ash, seasoned with the spicy Tamato Berries that Pikachu loved.

"Oh, I almost forgot about Pidgey!" Ash suddenly remembered the Pidgey he had captured earlier. He quickly retrieved the Poké Ball and released Pidgey.

"Pidgey—!" After the flash of white light faded, the small bird appeared in front of them, looking around with a bewildered expression. It finally settled its gaze on Ash.

Pidgey had actually woken up inside the Poké Ball a while ago but was confused about how it ended up in such a strange space, unable to leave despite wanting to.

Just as it felt its stomach rumbling, it found itself suddenly in this new environment, in the presence of two humans and a Pikachu, which was not a common sight in Viridian Forest.

Pidgey eyed Ash warily. It saw the Poké Ball in his hand and realized that it had been inside that small device. From its instincts and genetic memory, it knew that the device was called a Poké Ball, used for capturing Pokémon.

With that realization... Pidgey understood that it had been captured by this human and under such unclear circumstances at that...

"Hello, nice to meet you, I'm Ash. I'm glad to meet you," Ash said, noticing Pidgey's slightly wary and bewildered expression. He extended his hand in a gesture of friendship.

"Pika, Pika—!" Pikachu also waved its little paws at Pidgey, welcoming the new member.

"Pidgey..." The bird looked at Ash's extended hand, hesitating momentarily before meeting his eyes. Eventually, it seemed to find reassurance in Ash's sincere gaze.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Pidgey—!" While Pidgey was a bit down about being captured, it realized that following a kind trainer like Ash might not be so bad. At least it wouldn't have to worry about finding food every day as before.

Just then, its stomach rumbled loudly, and its eyes shifted to the campfire where a pot was simmering with food.

"You could eat that, but it wouldn't be very beneficial for you..." Ash noticed Pidgey's glance and understood its thoughts. The food being cooked was more suited for humans and wouldn't offer much nutrition to a Pokémon.

"How about this? Have some of these Pokémon food pellets to tide you over for now, and I'll prepare something special just for you!" Ash went back to his backpack and pulled out some basic Pokémon food that he had packed for emergencies. Now, it was the perfect time to use it.

"Pidgey—!" Delighted at the sight of food, Pidgey chirped happily and began pecking at the food in the bowl, while Ash moved aside to start working on a specific recipe for Pidgey.

"Do you need any help?" Misty, who had already eaten her fill, saw that there was plenty left for Ash, and seeing him getting busy, she offered to assist.

"Yeah, could you help me prepare some..." Ash did not decline Misty's offer, and she was pleased to be of use.

Ash had planned to use Lansat Berries in Pidgey's diet. These berries, resembling the sun with their vibrant red color, were once rare and precious but had become widely cultivated and were no longer expensive. Lansat Berries have a spicy yet sweet flavor, similar to lychee without the spiciness, which made them quite tasty.

Knowing that Pidgey liked the flavor of such berries, Ash decided to incorporate Lansat Berries into the meal plan, tailoring the recipe to suit Pidgey's preferences. This thoughtful preparation would help Pidgey feel more at home and appreciated in its new surroundings with Ash and his team.

Long-term consumption of Lansat Berries can also improve a Pokémon's eyesight, making it particularly suitable for a Pokémon like Pidgey that relies on good vision for flying and spotting predators or prey from a distance.

With Misty's help, the Pokémon food was quickly prepared. Pidgey, having already finished the earlier provided Pokémon food, appeared eager and a bit anxious as it caught the scent of the dish Ash brought over. Its eyes seemed to light up, and it flapped its wings in anticipation.

"Take it easy, this is all for you." Ash set the plate down in front of Pidgey, who wasted no time diving into its meal, clearly enjoying every bite.

Seeing Pidgey happy with the meal, Ash and Misty both smiled. Ash continued eating his lunch, and by the time he was done, Pidgey had also finished eating and was comfortably nestling on the grass, resting contentedly. Pikachu was nearby, playfully interacting with the new member of their team.

"After washing up, it's time to prepare for the afternoon's training plan!" Ash said as he started cleaning up. Misty didn't stay idle either; she joined Ash by the small pond to wash the dishes and cooking utensils.

As they washed up, Ash pondered the upcoming training sessions. Without a doubt, a priority was to have Pikachu learn one of the iconic Electric-type moves, Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt was significantly more powerful than Thunder Shock, which would essentially be retired once Thunderbolt was mastered.

Initially, Ash had planned to teach Pikachu Quick Attack while in Viridian Forest, but Pikachu had unexpectedly mastered it ahead of schedule, prompting a change in plans.

As for Pidgey, Ash was not yet sure what moves it knew. He planned to assess Pidgey's abilities later and then make further training decisions based on what moves it already had in its repertoire.