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Strong winds are indeed an excellent training aid for Flying-type Pokémon.
Ash's Noctowl, with its unique coloration and sharp mind, had thrived in its former dark forest habitat. However, after being caught by Ash, as his Pokémon steadily grew stronger, so too did his opponents. Noctowl needed to become even more powerful. This was the duty of a Pokémon Trainer.
Of course, Pokémon also have their own ideas; some don't enjoy battling and thus won't cooperate with special training. This is why Ash took the elite path, striving to catch Pokémon with high compatibility. This Noctowl's compatibility with Ash was high from the very beginning. Not only did it successfully complete Ash's training tasks, but it also learned Brave Bird, a powerful Flying-type move.
Furthermore, while constantly expending stamina and sustaining minor injuries in the strong winds, it also learned the move Roost. However, this move requires special care when used in battle. Noctowl needs to land on the ground, temporarily losing its Flying-type attribute and becoming a pure Normal-type, which makes it very vulnerable to Fighting-type attacks.
Naturally, the biggest gain was Noctowl's continuously increasing bond value, which directly reached 170/205! Noctowl had already evolved to its final stage. From this perspective, its compatibility wasn't exceptionally high, suggesting that achieving a bond evolution would still require considerable effort.
Ash and his companions trained for three days in this strong, windy valley before leaving, descending the mountain to find a Pokémon Center.
"Is anyone here?"
Nurse Joy isn't always waiting at the Pokémon Center; she's not a robot, and in fact, she has many things to keep her busy.
"Lucky!"
This was the sound of Nurse Joy's partner, Chansey.
Subsequently, a "Nurse Joy" appeared before the group, saying, "Nurse Joy just went out for a house call!"
Misty looked at the figure, who clearly resembled Nurse Joy, and asked, puzzled, "Isn't that Nurse Joy?"
However, Ash replied, "The Aura is different; this isn't the real Nurse Joy!"
Throughout their journey, Ash had interacted most frequently with Nurse Joys at Pokémon Centers. These identical-looking Nurse Joys all shared similar Auras, but the one before them was entirely different! Moreover, one glance at Brock's reaction was enough to know something was off. Normally, he would have instantly Teleported (metaphorically) to Nurse Joy's side, even conjuring a bouquet of flowers from who-knows-where. If he didn't genuinely possess talent and a heartfelt dedication to caring for Pokémon, earning the approval of the Nurse Joys, the Joy family would have surely blacklisted him from all Pokémon Centers by now!
"Haha, Ash, how did you know? My transformation was perfect!" As the voice faded, the "Nurse Joy" revealed her true form. It was a cheerful girl with green twin-tails! It was Imite, whom Ash and his companions had met during their travels in Kanto. She aspired to become a Ditto Master. Consequently, the Chansey also transformed into a gelatinous, slime-like Ditto.
Ditto is a Pokémon with the ability to transform into other Pokémon. Without a certain level of knowledge and experience, it's impossible to master such a Pokémon! Imite was not only an expert on Ditto, but her own disguise skills were also exceptional.
"Ash, long time no see! How have you been?"
"Oh, it's Ditto! This is Mei's first time seeing a Ditto!" Mei stepped forward, knelt down, and gently squeezed Ditto. Its texture was indeed remarkably squishy and bouncy. Not just Mei, but Pikachu also enjoyed squeezing Ditto's face, bringing Togepi along.
The others paid them no mind. "Imite, why have you come to this place?"
"That's because I was invited to the festival being held here!" Imite handed them a poster. It was for the Pokémon Performance Festival. All Pokémon performers from across the country would gather here for an entire week, showcasing their Pokémon's various skills and signature acts. This was a very famous event, and receiving an invitation to it indicated that Imite had already achieved a certain level of recognition. Truly impressive.
"Ash, Imite, your Pokémon's treatments are finished!" The real Nurse Joy had returned earlier, and Ash had entrusted his Pokémon, especially Noctowl, to her care. Imite's Pokémon was, of course, still a Ditto. To distinguish it, she had named this Ditto, "Ditto Pot."
"Ditto Pot came for treatment? Is there something wrong with its health?" Brock asked, concerned, looking at the energetic Ditto Pot. But Nurse Joy confirmed that Ditto Pot was perfectly healthy.
The two Dittos played with Mei in the garden. It turned out that Ditto Pot's transformations had a unique characteristic. Its weight wouldn't change during transformation. This meant that even if it transformed into an Onix, it would still be a dainty, miniature version. This kind of transformation was quite suitable for a playmate for Mei, saving the need for any other stuffed animals. Mei, naturally, couldn't put it down. From this perspective, it wasn't a flaw in transformation at all.
"Ash, Professor Oak left a message for you!"
Evidently, due to Slowking's evolution method and the capture of Unown, among a series of other accomplishments, the rewards Professor Oak had secured for Ash from the Pokémon League had arrived!
"Ash, it seems you're doing very well lately! I heard from Gary that he ran into you a few days ago?" Professor Oak sounded very pleased on the phone. Ash and Gary were the only two out of the four rookie trainers who started from Pallet Town at the same time who were still pursuing their dreams of becoming Pokémon Masters.
"Yeah, Gary's Eevee evolved into an Umbreon. That kid ran off as soon as he saw me; he must be scared of losing to me!" Ash said with a laugh.
"Haha, you rascal!" Professor Oak was very satisfied with Ash's current growth. "Your reward has come through; it should have already been delivered to the Pokémon Center you're at!"
"What reward?" No matter what it was, it was sure to be something good!
Professor Oak kept them in suspense, saying nothing before hanging up the phone. Next, Nurse Joy carried a Pokémon Egg, while Chansey held a tray with six black Ultra Balls. They approached Ash.
"These are six Ultra Balls, and this was delivered to me two days ago. I've already checked it, and it's very healthy!"
It was an ice-blue Pokémon Egg. Since it came from Professor Oak, it was bound to be a good Pokémon!
Guess what Pokémon's egg this is?