After the free-clinic routes at Stone Bridge and Dashiwan Valley were fully established, news of Ash providing free medical treatment to wild Pokémon spread wider and wider.
Every single day, large numbers of wild Pokémon came seeking help.
Ash's Viridian Blessing cultivation surged at a frightening pace.
Even though the higher the level, the more experience was required to advance, his Viridian Blessing still rose steadily from LV.24 → LV.28.
At this stage, Ash continued to maintain a two-level advantage over Frogadier in terms of Viridian Blessing cultivation.
Compared to this explosive growth, however, the progress of Aura Power appeared somewhat underwhelming.
Even with the enhancement brought by the Mew's Dream Law Imprint, its growth rate was still limited to roughly one level every two days.
Over the course of a week, Aura Power had only increased from LV.7 → LV.11.
Although Pichu, Frogadier, and Ash's Viridian Blessing had each only risen by four to six levels over the same period, the difference lay in their base level ranges.
If Aura Power could continue to grow at a rate of one level every two days even in the later stages, that wouldn't be slow at all—but… was that really possible?
…
"Everyone, don't crowd—line up one by one."
At nine in the morning, after spending some time on real combat training with Pichu and Frogadier, Ash noticed a large number of Pokémon gathering in Dashiwan Valley for treatment. He stepped into the mountain hollow and began his work.
These days, Ash came to Dashiwan Valley several times a day.
With Ash acting as a barefoot doctor, minor injuries among wild Pokémon rarely had the chance to worsen into severe wounds or serious illnesses.
The last critically injured patient Ash had seen was the same special Pidgey—the one capable of resisting his Natural Affinity.
For the first two days, every time Ash came to Dashiwan Valley to treat Pokémon, he would see that Pidgey standing at a distance, silently observing.
Even when Ash wanted to help treat it, the Pidgey remained unmoved.
Later, driven by curiosity and a growing sense of interest, Ash realized that the Pidgey had actually been following and observing him all along.
After tailing Ash for two full days, on the third day, the Pidgey finally approached—
only after Ash had finished treating the other wild Pokémon and they had all left.
That was when it finally allowed Ash to examine its injuries.
…
When Ash treated the Pidgey, he discovered that beneath its feathers, its skin was covered in dense scars left by old wounds.
Across its chest ran a deep, long gash, clearly torn open by claws.
If that wound had been just a little deeper, the Pidgey would have been disemboweled, its fragile internal organs damaged beyond saving.
Even so, because the wound hadn't received timely treatment, the flesh had rotted and festered, oozing pus. The inflammation was extremely severe.
Had it been delayed a few more days, the Pidgey would have been beyond saving.
Yet despite suffering such a grievous injury, the little Pokémon hadn't sought help immediately.
Instead, it maintained extreme vigilance, secretly observing Ash for two days before finally lowering its guard.
By the time Ash began treatment, the injury had deteriorated so badly that even Viridian Blessing · Healing Grace couldn't cure it outright.
In fact, with Ash's cultivation level at the time, he couldn't even stabilize the injury.
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Ash immediately sent the Pidgey to Professor Oak's Laboratory, where a professional Pokémon doctor performed a surgical operation lasting over an hour.
While cleaning the wound—stretching from the chest down to the abdomen—the necrotic tissue and pus were removed, leaving behind a three-finger-wide cavity.
Through the open wound, one could clearly see the Pidgey's lungs and intestinal organs.
Only a paper-thin, semi-transparent membrane separated the wound cavity from its vital organs.
The doctor performing the surgery was drenched in sweat, terrified that even a slight tremor might rupture that fragile membrane.
Given the Pidgey's condition at the time, any further injury or infection to the organs would have meant certain death.
Fortunately, the doctor at Oak's Laboratory possessed outstanding professional skill.
After over half an hour, the wound was finally cleaned—but even then, the Pidgey hovered on the brink between life and death.
…
By that point, Ash's Viridian Blessing cultivation was already quite advanced.
Remaining inside the operating room, he fully activated Healing Grace, assisting the doctor in stabilizing and closing the wounds across the Pidgey's chest and abdomen.
The surgery lasted a full hour.
Both Ash and the doctor were utterly exhausted, but through their coordination, they managed to pull the Pidgey back from the edge of death multiple times.
After the successful operation, Ash arranged for the Pidgey to recuperate at Oak's Laboratory.
However, the little Pokémon was incredibly stubborn.
It stayed for three days, and on the fourth—before its body had fully recovered—it quietly left the laboratory on its own.
…
Even after that life-saving rescue, the Pidgey's attitude toward Ash remained cold.
Unlike other Pokémon who became affectionate and openly grateful after receiving treatment, this one showed little outward emotion.
But Ash, who could sense emotions and even fragments of inner thoughts, knew the truth:
The Pidgey simply wasn't good at expressing emotions.
In reality, after that brush with death, the Pidgey had grown much closer to Ash, its heart filled with gratitude.
From then on, whenever Ash went to Dashiwan Valley to treat Pokémon, the Pidgey would fly over from the forest and leave behind berries for him.
Sometimes it brought Oran Berries.
Sometimes a cluster of Cheri Berries or Pecha Berries.
Other times, Persim Berries or Rawst Berries…
Not only Ash—
even the Pokémon doctor who had assisted in the surgery at Oak's Laboratory told Ash that he, too, received small berry gifts from the Pidgey every day.
It was clear now.
Though the Pidgey appeared aloof and spoke not a single word of thanks,
its heart was warm—and filled with gratitude.
And Ash, in turn, grew ever fonder of this cold-faced, warm-hearted Pidgey with an unyielding will.
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