Pokémon, Ash is going to become a perfect man from now on.

"I think this tastes really good," Xiao Zhi praised, without stopping himself from enjoying the food.

Togodemar's electric shocks were like eating popping candy to him; they caused him virtually no harm, and were actually quite stimulating...

“Sigh, this really won’t work…” Even after receiving praise, Mao shook her head in frustration. “I researched this stew to make it the signature dish of the Aina Restaurant. If humans can’t eat it, then it’s pointless.”

Hmm... Mallow actually cheated using the Togoldema ability, so Ash was promptly categorized as inhuman by Mallow~

"It seems we still need to find golden nectar; we can't take shortcuts."

The recipe that Mao received listed honey as an ingredient, but because it was not the right season, she thought of using an electric-type move instead.

“Golden nectar, that’s what can change the style of the Flower Bird.” The knowledgeable Lillie immediately realized.

“Yeah… without that, the stew can’t be considered truly finished,” Mao said helplessly.

"Why don't we take a look? The climate here in Alola is very pleasant, and the seasons aren't so distinct. If we search carefully, we might find something," Ash suggested with a smile.

"That makes sense... Everyone, the tasting event is over, I'll go look for it now!" Mao's eyes lit up, she left her classmates in the restaurant and rushed out with Sweet Bamboo.

She didn't even hear Ash's attempts to stop her.

"I didn't tell you to go look for it now..."

Chapter 436 Encounter in the Forest, Social Bird Flock

Mao left in a hurry, and the tasting event at Aina Restaurant had to end abruptly, with everyone having to go home.

However, after leaving Mallow's house, Ash always felt a little uneasy.

He went to the market and found that Firefly had already returned the lunchbox, but it was still at Grandma Moyani's place and no one had picked it up.

Mao, she should still be in the forest...

"No, I have to go check it out." Ash finally decided to go and find Mallow.

The forests of Melemele Island are not peaceful, especially in the evening when all the bird Pokémon are at their peak foraging!

Mao herself might be fine, but she still had a fruit with her!

"Hmm... is that the smell of sweet bamboo?" After entering the nearby forest, Ash quickly smelled a familiar sweet scent.

At the same time, the girl was calling out energetically in the woods not far away.

"Is there a Flower Bird here? If so, please come out quickly!"

Mao is indeed very clever. She knows that the golden nectar is the key to causing the Flower Bird to change its form, so if she can find the Flower Bird, she may be able to find the nectar!

So she commanded the sweet bamboo to release a large amount of sweetness, hoping to lure out the birds and flowers in the forest.

Unfortunately, the only thing she could likely attract in this forest was…

Thumping!

A series of flapping wings echoed through the forest. When Mao came to her senses, she found herself surrounded by several little tufts.

The leader among them was a trumpet-beaked bird, its sharp beak gleaming coldly, its gaze fixed intently on the sweet bamboo.

These are bird Pokémon foraging for food, probably just a small group... They're so hungry they won't let even the smallest piece of food go to waste!

"No...you can't do this!" Mallow realized something was wrong and quickly hugged Sweetie. "Sweetie is my Pokémon, it's not food..."

"Clap!" The trumpet-pecker didn't care about any of that. After giving the command, the entire flock flapped their wings!

"Thunderbolt!" "Pikachu!"

Click! !

Just as the flock of birds was about to launch their attack, a thunderclap suddenly rang out, and scattered arcs of electricity emitted a blinding light, even brighter than the setting sun!

After the attack, the flock of birds, which had been poised to strike, froze in place, each one looking as if facing a formidable enemy.

"Ash?" Mallow turned around in surprise and found Ash standing next to her, while Pikachu stared seriously at the group of woodpeckers opposite them.

"I guessed you might still be in the woods, that's why I came looking for you," Ash explained casually, then turned to the flock of birds, "They've already said that sweet bamboo isn't food, so stop being so persistent!"

"Pikachu!" To cooperate with Ash's demonstration, Pikachu unleashed an even larger bolt of lightning, which immediately frightened the little ones into retreating.

This demonstration was definitely effective. The lead trumpeter glared angrily at Ash and Pikachu, but after weighing the situation for a while, it had no choice but to retreat helplessly.

The difference in strength is too great; they wouldn't risk being wiped out here just for a mangosteen.

"Ash, thank you so much! I'm so glad you came!" With the crisis averted, Mallow immediately thanked Ash.

"Huh?" Just then, Sweetie, who hadn't recovered from her fright, suddenly opened her eyes wide. Ash and Mallow also saw a round owl flapping its wings and rushing towards Sweetie!

However, perhaps it was starving, because when it flew, it seemed to wobble and showed no urgency to hunt.

"Ah Mai..." Even Sweet Bamboo couldn't stand this bullying leisure anymore, so she launched a high-speed spin at the owl flying towards her!

"Is he defeated already...?" Ash's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

Even though it's from the original work, when Ash saw this scene in person, he still couldn't help but want to complain.

It's one of the three starter Pokémon in Alola, and it's a Grass/Flying type, yet it was outmaneuvered by a pure Grass Pokémon?

"Huh, isn't that Rowlet?" Mallow finally realized. "The Grass-type starter Pokémon we couldn't find during our observation course was actually in the forest!"

"Yes, it's quite a coincidence!"

"Ah Mai~"

Ash casually agreed, but Rowlet got up again and charged at Sedum, only to be repelled by the latter's Razor Leaf.

"But what do we do after we find it?" "Ah, ma!"

Mao asked, somewhat conflicted, while Sweet Bamboo used Magic Leaf this time.

"We could tame it... but let's not do that today. Let's just return it to the woodpeckers." "Ah!"

Sweet Bamboo was saying, "Can you guys chat faster? I'm really annoyed by all this harassment..." So, to vent its frustration, it unleashed another flurry of leaf-throwing blades!

At this moment, Ash's expression also turned serious.

"Mao, be careful... Rowlet's family is here, let's take it back first!"

"If we send it back... use high-speed rotation?" Mao tentatively gave the command. Sweet Bamboo quickly spun its body, knocking the dazed Woody Owl far away.

Just then, an even larger flock of birds surrounded them!

The little birds are making a ruckus, their long beaks are sharp and pointed, and the leader among them is a fully evolved gun-beaked bird!

However, this seemingly dignified fellow hadn't even had a chance to display his own and the flock's imposing presence before his formation was disrupted by a Woody Owl with a swollen cheek.

"Hey, you greedy little guys, here you go." As Ash returned the Rowlet, he didn't forget to threaten the flock, "From now on, when you're foraging, you'd better pay attention to the time and scale... and you're not allowed to attack human Pokémon!"

Upon hearing Ash's cold rebuke, the flock of birds immediately stirred, as the terrifying thunder from just moments before was still fresh in their minds.

However, the big-beaked bird clearly didn't believe in evil. It roared angrily at its surroundings a few times, and then its big beak suddenly turned red, as if it had entered the charging state of its beak cannon!

Under its pressure, a type of trumpet-pecker and a small plover around it also reluctantly adopted an attack posture!

The next second, a barrage of exploding rocks and seed machine gun fire erupted from all directions!

"Pikachu, use your electric attack to stop them!" "Pikachu!"

Ash coldly gave the command, and a dazzling arc of electricity erupted around Pikachu, like light arrows shooting in all directions, easily shattering all the incoming attacks!

At this moment, the Goblin's special move was unleashed. Facing the scorching energy beam that flew towards it, Pikachu once again unleashed a swift lightning bolt, which not only dispersed the energy but also charred the Goblin's entire body!

"That's enough... If you keep pestering me, I really won't be polite!" After a brief exchange, Ash threatened coldly.

After hesitating for a while, the Goblin suddenly pecked out a blue Z-Crystal from the feathers on its wing and coldly tossed it to Ash.

After doing all this, it personally brought up the rear, protecting the flock of birds and the bewildered Woody Owl as they slowly retreated.

"Is this the Flying Z?" Mao asked, puzzled. "Why would they give it to you?"

"It's all for appearances, the birds in this forest are pretty savvy~" Xiao Zhi explained with a smile.

The big-billed bird came to stand up for the flock, but its efforts backfired and it was humiliated. Perhaps not wanting to lose face, it voluntarily offered up a trophy.

In short, Ash definitely got a Z-Crystal, so it wasn't a bad deal for him.

As for Rowlet, that's a story for another time.

Chapter 437 Whereabouts of Woody Owl

After the flock of birds left, it was completely dark, and Mao was unable to continue the search.

However, she clearly hadn't given up yet. When Ash took her home, she invited him to search together again after school the next day.

Ash naturally agreed. Mallow's method of searching was a bit wasteful, so it was better for him to follow along.

The forests of Melo Melo Island are home to all sorts of birds, so who knows if you might encounter another foodie as persistent as Woody Rowlet?

And if the bear in the armor is accidentally attracted, it won't just be Sweet Bamboo that's in danger!

...

Time flew by and it was already afternoon of the next day. As soon as school was over, the enthusiastic little cook grabbed Xiaozhi's hand and led him to run into the forest without even saying goodbye to anyone else.

This interaction surprised everyone in the class.

"Ash is awesome!" Mamane grinned mischievously, giving two thumbs up. "It's only been a few days, and he's already got his second one!"