Chapter 182: Dasha Valley

Psyduck's Hidden Power

"What?!"

Misty stood frozen in shock. She couldn't believe what she had just witnessed.

Her Psyduck—who always seemed clumsy and clueless—had just unleashed a terrifying wave of psychic energy.

The powerful Confusion attack had completely overpowered Staryu, leaving it unable to battle.

"Psyduck, stop!" Misty shouted, realizing the attack hadn't ended.

Staryu was still suspended in mid-air, struggling against the lingering effects of the psychic force.

At Misty's voice, Psyduck snapped out of its trance. The blue glow around its eyes faded instantly.

With the attack gone, Staryu dropped to the ground.

Misty hurried over to check on her Pokémon.

Although Staryu was exhausted and had taken quite a hit from the psychic assault, it was still okay—just too weak to continue battling.

She sighed in relief but couldn't shake the overwhelming surprise.

"How is this even possible…?"

Misty turned toward Psyduck.

It stood a few steps away, looking timid and unsure, almost as if it didn't understand what had happened either.

"This Psyduck… has an incredible amount of psychic power," Misty whispered to herself.

---

A Difficult Decision

Back at the camp, Misty tended to Staryu's injuries, carefully applying a potion to speed up its recovery.

But as she worked, she couldn't stop thinking about Psyduck.

Should I really take it with me?

On one hand, Psyduck was clearly powerful, but on the other hand—

It couldn't even use Water-type moves properly.

Misty groaned, feeling torn.

As she sat deep in thought, Psyduck stood quietly a few feet away.

Its eyes glanced nervously between Misty and Staryu.

It looked… guilty.

A moment later, Psyduck slowly turned around and began walking away—

Quietly.

Without a sound.

It didn't want to be a burden.

---

A Trainer's Choice

Misty felt a gentle tap on her shoulder.

She looked up to see Starmie pointing in the direction of Psyduck.

Turning her head, she caught a glimpse of Psyduck's small, lonely figure disappearing into the distance.

For some reason—her chest tightened.

After a brief struggle, she let out a deep sigh.

"Wait, Psyduck!"

Psyduck froze in place.

Slowly, it turned back toward her, eyes wide with hope.

"Come back here," Misty said, waving it over with a soft smile.

Psyduck blinked.

Then—

"Psyyyy!!!"

It rushed toward Misty at full speed, tripping over its own feet but quickly picking itself up again.

Misty chuckled.

As Psyduck finally reached her, she gently patted its head.

"Alright. You can come with me."

Psyduck stared blankly, as if it wasn't sure it had heard correctly.

"I don't know if you understood that," Misty laughed, "but you're mine now."

Psyduck tilted its head.

"Psy?"

Misty sighed but smiled.

"I swear, one day, you'll learn how to use Water-type moves properly. Until then, we've got a lot of training to do."

Psyduck simply grinned goofily.

---

Ash's Reaction

That evening, Ash returned from training his Pokémon.

The moment he saw Psyduck happily following Misty around, he grinned.

"You caught it, huh?"

Misty shrugged. "It just felt right."

Ash nodded.

"You made a good choice. That Psyduck has serious potential."

Misty blinked.

"You think so?"

Ash smirked. "With the right training, it could be one of your strongest Pokémon."

Misty looked down at Psyduck, who was now chasing its own tail.

She wasn't so sure.

---

The Journey Continues

Over the next few days, Ash and his team continued their journey.

While traveling, they made sure to train regularly—not just for battles, but also to teach their Pokémon new moves and survival skills.

Some techniques weren't necessarily useful for battles, but they could come in handy in unexpected situations.

Ash made sure each of his Pokémon was growing steadily, increasing their strength bit by bit.

Misty, meanwhile, worked extra hard with Psyduck—

Trying (and failing) to get it to properly use Water-type moves.

"Come on, Psyduck! Use Water Gun!"

Psyduck opened its mouth—

And… nothing happened.

Misty groaned. "This is going to take forever…"

---

A Strange Sight

As the group neared their next destination, they began noticing something unusual.

There were more and more people traveling along the road.

What was strange, however, was that—

Most of them weren't Trainers.

Ash exchanged a glance with Misty and Brock.

"Why are there so many people walking this way?"

Curious, he approached a nearby traveler.

The man was dressed normally, carrying a light travel bag.

It didn't seem like he was coming from Celadon City.

"Excuse me," Ash asked politely. "Is there something special around here?"

The traveler paused, then smiled.

"You must not be from around here. We're heading to Dasha Valley. There's a big event happening soon!"

Ash blinked.

"Dasha Valley?"

Brock quickly pulled out a map, unfolding it to check their location.

As he scanned the area, his expression suddenly changed.

Misty noticed.

"What's wrong?" she asked, frowning.

Brock hesitated.

Then, with an embarrassed chuckle, he admitted—

"I think we… might have taken a wrong turn."

Ash, Misty, and Pikachu: "…What?!"

---

To Be Continued…