While the two girls were still confused, Ash had already released the Caterpie he had just captured.
He threw away the leftovers and made a new meal just for it.
At the same time, he explained,
"We sprayed Repel all around the area."
"This Caterpie was able to crawl through it without any fear and wasn't even scared of Pikachu standing in front of it."
"It's clear his talent must be extraordinary."
Ash smiled and gently placed his hand on Caterpie's head.
"Don't underestimate him just because he's a Caterpie. He'll definitely become the king of Bug-types in the future."
Serena and Misty exchanged glances.
It did make sense.
If this Caterpie could ignore Repel, it was certainly different from the rest.
Still, the fact that such a rare bug Pokémon had been won over by a single meal felt unbelievable.
However, Misty couldn't help but shrink back slightly when she saw the little Caterpie.
She had been afraid of bug Pokémon since childhood — and Caterpie was exactly the kind of Pokémon that terrified her.
Ash could only comfort her.
"Don't worry, Pokémon like Caterpie evolve really fast. It won't be long before he becomes a Metapod. Then he won't look scary anymore."
Just as Caterpie happily ate the food Ash made for it, a Pidgeotto soared across the sky above them.
At first, Ash didn't pay any attention.
But just as the bird flew past overhead, it suddenly turned back.
And dived straight down at them!
Ash's Aura flared instantly. He'd been keeping it active the whole time, so he sensed the attack before it landed.
"Pikachu!"
"Pika!!"
That was all Pikachu needed. Their years of teamwork spoke louder than words.
Electricity crackled around Pikachu's lightning-shaped tail as it flashed white.
He leaped into the air and intercepted the descending Pidgeotto mid-dive!
With a sharp swing, Pikachu brought his glowing tail crashing down.
"Iron Tail!"
Bang!!
Boom!!
The impact sent Pidgeotto crashing into the ground, eyes spinning as it fainted instantly.
Ash rubbed his head helplessly.
"Seriously? Why is everyone after food today?"
First Caterpie had gone for his meal, and now this Pidgeotto had gone for Caterpie.
What was going on?
Ash activated his system and scanned the fallen bird.
When the results appeared, his eyes almost popped out.
[Name]: Pidgeotto
[Gender]: Male
[Trainer]: None
[Type]: Normal, Flying
[Level]: Normal – Advanced
[Ability]: Keen Eye
[Moves]: Quick Attack, Agility, Tackle, Gust, Sand Attack, Twister
[Talent]: Elite
[Entries]:
[Working Bird] (Gold)
[King's Aura] (Red)
[Extraordinary Intelligence] (Purple)
[Hunter's Instinct] (Purple)
Ash froze.
No way.
He'd just knocked down a random bird, and now it turned out to be a golden legend?!
Golden entries were incredibly rare.
Since he'd obtained his Entry System, he'd only seen three before this Pikachu, Froakie, and now this Pidgeotto.
"What's going on today?" Ash muttered. "Did someone turn up the rarity drop rate?"
Within a single meal, two high-level Pokémon had appeared.
Although Pidgeotto's raw talent was only at the Elite tier, that golden entry gave it endless possibilities.
This was also the first time Ash had ever seen an entry called [Working Bird].
He read the description carefully.
[Working Bird (Gold)]:
A tireless worker among birds, useful in all kinds of situations. Can learn any move or skill, though mythical and legendary-exclusive techniques require double the effort to master.
[King's Aura (Red)]:
Born to lead. When commanding a flock or group, the overall power of allied Pokémon increases by 20%. When teaching others, your training efficiency increases by 200%.
[Extraordinary Intelligence (Purple)]:
(Omitted.)
[Hunter's Instinct (Purple)]:
Increases damage dealt to naturally weaker Pokémon types by 30%, and boosts accuracy by 100%.
Ash stared at the entry list in disbelief.
"When I type this question mark," he muttered, "it's not because I'm confused — it's because you are insane!"
Was the system serious about that "Model Worker" title?
A golden entry that lets you learn any move even those of legendary Pokémon — just with extra effort?!
That wasn't a worker bird. That was a monster bird!
And with King's Aura added to it...
Ash's expression brightened.
He might have just found himself the perfect Pokémon to help train the others a true mentor bird.
Without hesitation, he pulled out a Poké Ball and threw it.
Pidgeotto was captured instantly.
Two powerful new partners in one day — that was already a record-breaking haul.
Until now, he'd never actually caught a Pokémon before.
One reason was that he hadn't been old enough.
The other was simple he hadn't met one he liked.
He didn't mind imperfect stats, but weak attributes, low talent, and an ugly design? That was a no-go.
Ash loved Pokémon deeply, but he wasn't running a charity.
He couldn't just take them all home.
"Ash, you…"
Serena looked stunned as she watched him catch yet another Pokémon.
If Caterpie had made sense, since it was unique… then why Pidgeotto?
Ash smiled awkwardly.
He couldn't exactly tell her that he could see their hidden potential.
So he scratched his head and laughed it off, hoping the topic would pass.
(End of the chapter)