280. Psyduck

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"That's great. All the children are back in the city. Thank you so much this time!" After Officer Jenny confirmed the situation, she breathed a sigh of relief and spoke to the three of them sincerely.

"It's nothing; you're welcome." Ash shook his head slightly after hearing this.

"Then it's almost time for us to head back to the Pokémon Center!"

Having just arrived in the city, they hadn't had a proper rest yet. Devileon looked a little tired. After all, it had just learned Hypnosis and released a magnetic field over the entire city.

"I'm leaving too, so I'll just send you there! We will follow up on the matter here and try to get Drowzee back. Could you please visit the police station to provide a record?"

Officer Jenny also added after hearing them and then turned to the group.

Although the disappearance case had been solved, another Pokémon theft case had arisen, causing a headache, especially with the two culprits on the run and no clue where to find them.

"OK!" 

In truth, no one here was too concerned about the loss of Drowzee since they were not its Trainers, but everyone nodded in agreement with Jenny's request.

The group then left the building and came downstairs. They had been in a rush earlier, and as they reached the ground floor, Officer Jenny suddenly recalled that they had arrived without any motorcycles, meaning she couldn't give the three of them a ride.

Hearing this, everyone felt a little awkward. They quickly assured Officer Jenny to continue with her work while they made their way back to the Pokémon Center on their own.

Officer Jenny thanked Ash and the others apologetically once more before departing, leaving the three to head back to the Pokémon Center.

"Pika, pika?"

On the way back, Pikachu's ears twitched, and it looked behind them.

"What's wrong?" Ash asked, noticing this and turning his head. Misty and Brock also stopped, looking in the same direction.

"Huh? That's..." Brock was slightly startled as he noticed a figure appearing behind them.

"Psyduck? Is it the one from the Pokémon Center earlier?" Misty asked in surprise, recalling the Psyduck who had seemed out of place there.

"Has this Psyduck been following us the whole time?" Brock wondered aloud, realizing the likelihood.

"It seems so!"

"psy!!!"

Psyduck, with its usual dull expression, tilted its head slightly and walked toward them. The trio found the behavior strange as Psyduck approached Misty's side directly.

"psy!!"

Psyduck rubbed against Misty's leg with a look of contentment. Misty, however, shuddered, her hairs standing on end.

"What... what's going on!!"

Though Psyduck wasn't a scary Pokémon and even looked a bit cute, Misty couldn't help but feel uneasy at its sudden affection.

"It seems like this Psyduck likes Misty very much!" Brock said with a smile, watching the scene unfold.

"Yeah, just like Brock!" Ash teased, making a rare complaint.

"Uh...hahaha!" Brock scratched the back of his head, laughing awkwardly. Usually, Misty was the one complaining about him, and Ash rarely joined in. This time, Ash's remark caught him off guard.

"But... but this... this is too strange!" Misty stammered, still uneasy about Psyduck's sudden affection.

"Isn't it normal for Pokémon to like humans? By the way, this Psyduck looks like a wild Pokémon! Why don't you try taming it, Misty?" Ash suggested with a smile.

"Ah???" Misty looked startled, clearly unprepared for the idea.

"Psyduck is a Water-type Pokémon! And it clearly likes you, so why not just catch it?" Ash encouraged, waving his hand dismissively as if it were the most obvious solution.

"J-Jz..." Misty hesitated, unsure of what to do. While she did love Water-type Pokémon, this Psyduck seemed so dull, and she found its sudden attachment a little unsettling, much like her feelings toward Brock's crushes.

Ash shook his head in slight exasperation. "You're hesitating to accept a Pokémon that's practically offering itself to you? If you don't want to train it, fine, but I wouldn't pass up the chance."

"Wait... wait a minute!" Misty protested, trying to avoid Psyduck's persistent rubbing. In her flustered state, she stepped back, lost her balance, and fell to the ground.

Snap! 

As Misty landed, a Poké Ball fell from her bag, rolling forward until it stopped near Psyduck's feet. Curious, Psyduck tilted its head before lowering it to examine the ball. It poked the button with its beak.

Boom!

The Poké Ball opened, releasing a beam of red light that enveloped Psyduck. In an instant, Psyduck was pulled inside. The ball landed on the ground, shaking slightly as its button glowed red.

After a few moments, the ball stopped moving, and the button's glow faded. The capture was complete.

"You caught it! You actually caught it!" Brock exclaimed in surprise.

"Really! Congrats, Misty!" Ash added with excitement.

"Wait... I... I'm not happy about this at all!" Misty protested, staring in disbelief at the Poké Ball. She hadn't expected to catch a Pokémon like this—was she picking up habits from Ash?

"What's there to complain about? Isn't Psyduck adorable?" Ash asked, spreading his hands as if to say the problem was solved.

"But... it is kind of cute," Misty admitted reluctantly. She sighed and tried to convince herself. "At least it's kind of cute..."

"Alright, cheer up! You've added a new Pokémon to your team. Let's keep moving!" Ash said cheerfully, already walking ahead.

As Misty bent down to pick up the Poké Ball, she sighed again. She wasn't thrilled, but now that she had caught Psyduck, there was no way she could abandon it. With a resigned smile, she tucked the ball away and followed the others.