"Rumble—"
A bolt of lightning ripped across the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder. Large raindrops began to fall, quickly turning into a downpour.
"Oh no! This rain came too suddenly!" Ash looked up at the rapidly darkening sky, rainwater streaming down his cheeks.
"Pika Pika! (Such heavy rain!)" Pikachu clung tightly to Ash's shoulder, its tail soaked from the rain.
Xiao You quickly took off her jacket and put it over her head: "We need to find shelter from the rain quickly!"
"There should be an abandoned Pokémon Center nearby…" Brock squinted, searching through the rain, then suddenly pointed into the distance, "Look over there! There's a big house!"
Without a second thought, the three ran towards the dimly visible building. The sound of rain hitting the leaves was like drumming, and their shoes made a "splish-splash" sound as they stepped on the muddy ground.
By the time they reached the eaves, panting, they were completely drenched. It was an old-looking two-story wooden house, and the wind chimes on the porch jingled in the wind.
"Is anyone home?" Ash knocked on the door, his voice barely audible over the rain.
Unexpectedly, the door opened quickly. A girl with a purple ponytail appeared at the doorway. She was wearing a Trainer's outfit, with several Poké Balls hanging from her waist.
"Who are you…?" The girl looked at them warily.
"We are Trainers passing by, and it suddenly started raining heavily, so we wanted to borrow a place to shelter," Xiao You explained, water dripping from her hair.
The girl hesitated, her gaze sweeping over their soaked clothes and tired expressions, then finally nodded: "Come in, the rain is too heavy outside."
Inside, it was warm and dry, with the fire in the fireplace crackling softly. Ash looked around and saw the walls adorned with photos and badges of various Pokémon.
"Thank you for taking us in," Brock said politely, "I'm Brock, and this is Ash and Xiao You."
"My name is Imeti," the girl smiled slightly, "and this is my partner—"
Before she finished speaking, a pink, gelatinous blob slid down the stairs, making a "plop-plop" sound.
"Ditto!" Ash exclaimed in surprise.
"Pika!" Pikachu jumped down from his shoulder and curiously approached the Ditto.
Seeing strangers, Ditto seemed a bit shy, its body trembling slightly as it transformed into Pikachu—but strangely, its face remained that of a Ditto.
"This is…" Xiao You looked at the half-transformed Ditto in surprise.
Imeti sighed: "As you can see, my Ditto can never fully change its facial features when it transforms. We've been training, but the results aren't ideal."
"Pika Pika? (Is it unhappy?)" Pikachu tilted its head and asked.
Ash crouched down and softly replied to Pikachu: "It says it's tried very hard, but it just can't achieve a perfect transformation, and it feels very frustrated."
Imeti looked at Ash in surprise: "You can understand Pokémon speech?"
"Yes, since I was little," Ash nodded, then turned to Ditto, "Don't be discouraged, transformation requires practice. Pikachu couldn't control Thunder Shock very well at first either."
"Pika! (That's right!)" Pikachu nodded in agreement.
"Would you be willing to help us?" Imeti's eyes sparkled with hope, "We're participating in a Pokémon transformation contest nearby tomorrow…"
Brock stroked his chin: "Imperfect transformation…it might be due to a lack of concentration, or problems with energy control."
"We can try!" Ash said enthusiastically, "Pikachu, can you give a demonstration?"
"Pika!" Pikachu stood up straight, the electric sacs on its cheeks flickering with faint electric light.
Just then, Ivysaur jumped out of its Poké Ball on its own: "Dah-nah! (I want to help too!)"
"Ivysaur!" Xiao You said in surprise, "That's great, you can show us different forms of transformation."
Imeti looked at them gratefully: "Thank you all so much!"
The rain continued to fall, beating against the roof and windows. Inside, training was in full swing.
"First, Ditto needs to clearly visualize the form it wants to become," Brock instructed, "Onix, can you come out for a moment?"
A red light flashed, and the giant Onix appeared in the living room, having to coil its body to avoid hitting the ceiling.
"Ditto, try to transform into Onix," Imeti encouraged.
Ditto made a "plop" sound, its body began to stretch, gradually taking on the outline of Onix—but its head still remained that of Ditto, looking quite comical.
"Hehe…" Ash couldn't help but laugh, but was immediately glared at by Xiao You.
"Don't laugh!" Xiao You scolded, "Ditto is trying very hard."
"Pika Pika. (It says it can see Onix's form, but it just doesn't come out the same when it transforms.)" Pikachu translated.
Brock thought for a moment: "Perhaps the problem lies in the method of observation. Ditto, you rely on visual memory when you transform, right?"
Ditto nodded.
"Try closing your eyes," Brock suggested, "and feel Onix's energy fluctuations and form with your heart."
Ditto looked at Imeti in confusion, and after receiving a confirming look, it closed its eyes. What was amazing was that this time its body transformation was much smoother. Although its face was still not completely changed, it was much better than before.
"Progress!" Imeti clapped excitedly.
"Dah-nah! (That's great!)" Ivysaur also happily swayed the flower bud on its back.
Ash suddenly had an idea: "Pikachu, can you stimulate Ditto with a little Thunder Shock? Sometimes pressure can unleash potential."
"Pika? (Are you sure?)" Pikachu looked at Ditto worriedly.
"Just a very slight one, like a massage," Ash explained.
Pikachu nodded, the electric sacs on its cheeks flickering with faint electric light. Ditto watched the electric light nervously, its body trembling slightly.
"Don't be afraid," Imeti gently comforted, "Try to transform into Pikachu when the Thunder Shock comes."
When the weak current touched Ditto, it made a "plop" sound and transformed into Pikachu—this time, even the facial features were almost perfectly replicated!
"It succeeded!" Xiao You exclaimed in surprise.
However, the joy lasted only a few seconds before Ditto reverted to its original form due to nervousness.
"Pika… (I'm sorry…)" Pikachu lowered its head guiltily.
"No, this is a major breakthrough!" Imeti said excitedly, "At least it proves that Ditto can achieve perfect transformation; it's just a matter of duration."
Brock nodded in agreement: "It seems the key is relaxation and confidence. Ditto, you're too focused on the outcome, which is affecting your performance."
Just then, the window suddenly burst open, and wind and rain poured into the room. A familiar voice rang out:
"Since you asked so sincerely!"
"We will tell you with great compassion!"
"To prevent the world from being destroyed!"
"To protect the peace of the world!"
"To uphold love and truth, the evil!"
"The adorable and charming villains!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"We are Team Rockets, soaring through the galaxy!"
"A white hole, a white tomorrow awaits us!"
"That's right! Meowth!"
Team Rockets trio made their signature entrance, posing on the windowsill.
"Team Rockets!" Ash gritted his teeth, "What are you doing here?"
"Of course we followed you, you brats!" Jessie said triumphantly, "With such heavy rain, you were bound to find somewhere to hide, so all we had to do was follow."
James pointed at Ditto: "That Ditto looks very special, the boss will definitely love it!"
"Meowth! And I heard it can transform into any Pokémon, it's the perfect tool, meow!" Meowth rubbed its paws.
"No way!" Imeti stood in front of Ditto, "I won't let you take it!"
"Pikachu, prepare for battle!" Ash shouted.
"Pika—chu!" Pikachu jumped forward, the electric sacs on its cheeks flashing with dangerous electric light.
Team Rockets laughed and threw out their Poké Balls: "Go, Seviper!" "Go, Cacnea!"
Two Pokémon appeared in the room, making the already cramped space even more crowded.
"Ivysaur, use Vine Whip!" Xiao You reacted quickly.
"Onix, Rock Tomb!" Brock also commanded.
The battle was about to begin. Ivysaur's Vine Whip wrapped around Seviper, while the rocks summoned by Onix blocked Cacnea's path.
Ditto hid fearfully behind Imeti, its body constantly changing shape, showing its inner unease.
"Ditto, don't be afraid!" Imeti encouraged, "Think about our training just now, you can help everyone!"
Ditto trembled, looking at the chaotic battle scene. Pikachu was sparring with Meowth, electric light flashing in the room.
"Pika! (Transform into me!)" Pikachu shouted as it dodged Meowth's claw attack.
Ditto closed its eyes and took a deep breath. When it opened its eyes again, it had perfectly transformed into Pikachu—even the electric sacs on its cheeks were identical!
"That's amazing!" Imeti was overjoyed, "Now, use Thunder Shock!"
Both "Pikachu" simultaneously unleashed Thunder Shock, golden currents intertwining and hitting all of Team Rockets' Pokémon.
"Impossible!" Jessie watched the scene in shock.
"Ditto can perfectly transform now!" James was also dumbfounded.
The powerful electric currents blasted Team Rockets and their Pokémon out the window, disappearing into the rain.
"What a nasty feeling!" Their screams gradually faded away.
The room suddenly fell silent, leaving only the sound of rain and everyone's heavy breathing.
"We…succeeded?" Xiao You asked uncertainly.
"Pika! (We won!)" Pikachu jumped up happily.
Ditto reverted to its original form, but this time, its face bore a confident smile it had never shown before.
"Plop-plop!" It excitedly circled Imeti.
"It says it finally did it!" Ash translated with a smile, "And it feels much easier to transform now!"
Imeti crouched down and hugged Ditto tightly: "I knew you could do it! You're amazing!"
Brock smiled as he watched the scene: "Sometimes, breakthroughs happen in an instant. When Ditto stopped being afraid of failure, it succeeded instead."
"That's the power of trust," Xiao You said softly, stroking Ivysaur's head.
The rain finally stopped in the dead of night. The next morning, sunlight streamed through the clouds onto the wet grass, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of earth and green grass.
Ash and his companions packed their bags, ready to continue their journey. Imeti and Ditto stood at the door to see them off.
"Thank you all so much for your help," Imeti said sincerely, "Without you, Ditto wouldn't have been able to overcome its obstacles."
"Plop!" Ditto nodded, then transformed into Pikachu—this time a perfect transformation, so much so that even Ash almost didn't recognize it.
"Pika? (Is that me?)" Pikachu circled Ditto in surprise.
Ash laughed: "It's exactly the same! Ditto, you're a transformation master now!"
"You'll definitely win today's contest," Xiao You said confidently, "Right, Ivysaur?"
"Dah-nah! (Of course!)" Ivysaur waved its Vine Whip.
Brock looked at the sky: "The weather has cleared up, it's time for us to depart. Imeti, I wish you good luck in the contest."
"I hope we meet again!" Imeti waved goodbye, "If you pass through Saffron City, be sure to look for me!"
"Definitely!" Ash promised, "Let's go, everyone!"
The three turned and set off down the muddy path. Pikachu sat on Ash's shoulder, looking back and giving Ditto a victory sign.
"Pika Pika! (Go for it!)"
Ditto reverted to its original form, waving vigorously goodbye, its eyes sparkling with grateful tears.
The sunlight shone on them, bringing a warm conclusion to this brief encounter. The road ahead was still long, but at this moment, everyone's hearts were filled with the courage and strength to keep moving forward.