Because the calf had been stuck inside Miltank for such a long time, the newborn calf had also fallen unconscious after being delivered.
Fortunately, after receiving treatment from Blissey's Soft-Boiled and Healing Pulse, as well as Bellossom's Aromatherapy, the calf gradually recovered its lost strength. Finally, with one more Wake-Up Slap from Blissey, the newborn calf successfully regained consciousness.
Both Miltank and her calf were now safe and sound. With their injuries properly treated, the remaining cleanup and aftercare no longer required Ash and Clarissa's attention. The ranch staff could handle everything from here.
"Ash, Clarissa, we really have to thank you two this time. If you hadn't come, Miltank and the baby inside her would have been in serious danger."
When Ash and Clarissa had first arrived ahead of everyone else, Gibson honestly hadn't placed much faith in them. Ash possessed healing psychic powers, while Clarissa came from the prestigious Joy family of Kanto, but their ages were still a major concern.
After learning that his beloved daughter had returned from Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp in Kanto with a boyfriend named Ash, Gibson and his wife Grace had continued keeping a close eye on this young man who had captured their daughter's heart.
He had to admit that his daughter certainly had excellent taste.
Her boyfriend Ash was outstanding in every respect—his character, appearance, abilities, and accomplishments were all exceptional.
The fact that Ash came from an ordinary civilian family was also a point in his favor in Gibson's eyes. And half a year ago, after Ash had finished participating in a competition in Cerulean City, he had even thoughtfully bought a gift for his future father-in-law.
Because of all this, Gibson was extremely satisfied with Ash as his daughter's boyfriend.
Furthermore, after following Ash's activities for such a long time, Gibson knew that Ash possessed healing psychic abilities. He had also opened an online clinic where he personally treated two to three hundred patients every afternoon.
Gibson therefore had great confidence in his future son-in-law's medical abilities.
However, today's situation was different.
This was a Miltank suffering from a difficult delivery and severe hemorrhaging.
Ash was actually helping a Miltank give birth.
Gibson had watched countless of Ash's medical livestreams, yet he had never once seen Ash assist a cow-like Pokémon through childbirth. That was precisely why he had initially felt somewhat worried when Ash and Clarissa arrived.
What he never expected was that his future son-in-law even possessed such an obscure and specialized skill as assisting a Miltank through a difficult delivery.
What a treasure of a young man!
What a treasure of a son-in-law!
"Uncle Gibson, you don't need to thank us. As doctors, Clarissa and I are simply happy that we were able to help."
Ash politely waved off the praise.
"…"
"…"
Gibson still had to take care of the Miltank that had just given birth, so after exchanging a few more words with Ash, he turned and left.
He asked Serena to show Ash and Clarissa around the ranch.
Once he had finished dealing with everything at the ranch, the four of them would return to their home in Vaniville Town together and celebrate Serena's birthday.
"What's wrong, Serena? You look a little unhappy."
As Ash and Clarissa followed Serena around the Miltank ranch, leisurely taking in the scenery, Ash suddenly noticed that Serena seemed somewhat gloomy.
He couldn't help asking.
"…Hmm…"
Serena shook her head.
"I'm not unhappy. It's just… I…"
She looked up at Ash, then glanced at the gentle and adorable Clarissa beside him.
For a moment, Serena didn't know how she should put her feelings into words.
"What's wrong? Why are you being so hesitant?"
Ash gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from the girl's ear.
"…It's really nothing. It's just that when I saw you and Clarissa helping Miltank with the delivery just now, the two of you worked together so smoothly and naturally. I suddenly… felt a little envious."
Pressed by Ash, Serena, whose personality was already far less shy than it had been when they first met, finally lowered her head and admitted what was really bothering her.
She had met Ash first.
She had been the first to establish a relationship with him.
But she lived in the Kalos Region, while Ash lived far away in Kanto.
The moment they began dating, they were forced into a long-distance relationship.
Although they had made a promise when they parted—that once Serena turned ten and officially began her own journey, she would travel to Kanto and journey together with Ash—she had underestimated just how quickly Ash would grow.
He had only obtained his first Pokémon half a year ago, yet Ash had already become a household-name celebrity Trainer throughout Kanto.
He had founded a Skill Online Shop, opened an online clinic, established his own entertainment company, published books, licensed patents…
In just half a year, Ash had already become a multimillionaire.
Originally, Serena had thought that she wouldn't see him again until four years later.
She had never imagined that they would reunite after only half a year.
And now, Ash had become so outstanding that Serena couldn't help feeling a faint sense of inferiority.
At the same time, she had discovered that Ash now had two other close female companions besides herself.
The girl who had been the first to establish a relationship with him had now become the youngest among Ash's three girlfriends.
And because she had spent so long separated from him in a long-distance relationship, Serena discovered something that made her heart ache.
Although Clarissa and Misty had gotten together with Ash later than she had, the two of them actually seemed much closer and more naturally in sync with him.
Even though Ash had traveled all the way from Kanto specifically to celebrate her birthday this time, seeing how perfectly Ash and Clarissa had cooperated while treating Miltank had nevertheless left Serena with a sour feeling in her heart.
"Such a silly girl~"
Hearing Serena's confession, Ash couldn't help gently tapping her on the forehead with his finger.
"So what you're saying is that you wanted to help me deliver Miltank's baby too?"
Ash teased her with a smile.
"Ah! Ash, you know that's not what I meant!"
Serena's cheeks immediately turned bright red.
She looked both embarrassed and annoyed, with a hint of coquettishness in her expression, making her look especially adorable.
"Alright, alright. I'm not teasing you anymore. I understand how you feel, Serena."
Ash's expression softened.
"But some things really can't be helped. You live here in Vaniville Town in Kalos, while my home is all the way over in Pallet Town in Kanto. The distance between us means we simply don't have as many opportunities to spend time together."
"But I don't think our hearts have become separated just because we're separated by all that distance and space, right? Even though we're far apart, your heart and mine have always been together."
Looking at the girl who had still been incredibly shy only half a year ago, but had now grown into such a graceful and beautiful young lady, Ash's heart filled with affection and happiness.
"Mhm."
Hearing Ash's words, Serena's eyes curved into two adorable crescents.
"Clarissa and I really are very well coordinated when treating Pokémon. That's because when I was studying medical knowledge and receiving training at the Pokémon Center in Viridian City, Clarissa was there with me."
"Afterward, we both entered the Pokémon Center's emergency department for practical training. I was the attending physician performing the procedures, while Clarissa was my exclusive nursing assistant."
Ash's explanation finally revealed the reason behind the effortless coordination Serena had witnessed.
Their teamwork wasn't something that had appeared overnight.
It had been forged through countless hours of medical training, emergency treatments, and life-and-death situations they had faced side by side.
For Serena, however, hearing this explanation only made her realize that there was a deeper bond between the two of them—one built from spending so much time together.
And although the jealousy in her heart had eased somewhat after understanding the reason, a tiny trace of sourness still remained.