That day, Ash and his friends arrived at a breathtaking mountain valley.
The air was fresh, the scenery was beautiful, and it was the perfect place to relax and enjoy nature.
For Ash, however, it was an ideal place for special training.
He knew their next destination would be the Valley of Winds, so he had already asked Professor Oak to send over Noctowl in advance.
According to Professor Oak, Noctowl had been undergoing Pidgeot's brutal training regimen at the laboratory.
One part of the training focused on speed. Pidgeot would fly ahead while Noctowl desperately chased after it, though more often than not, it ended up far behind, eating dust.
The other part focused on mastering Flying type moves. The two frequently battled each other to test Noctowl's progress.
As for the results...
Noctowl had been completely outclassed every single time.
Even so, those one sided beatings had paid off. It had learned several powerful Flying type techniques, including Air Slash, Wing Attack, Hurricane, and Aerial Ace.
Just as Ash was about to send out Noctowl, the group noticed an impressive Ledian skillfully weaving through the dense forest.
It darted effortlessly between the trees, avoiding every obstacle with astonishing precision.
"What an amazing Ledian!" Misty couldn't help exclaiming.
Although Misty was afraid of Bug type Pokémon, that fear depended on the species. She wasn't bothered by beetle or ladybug Pokémon like Ash's Heracross or the Ledian in front of them.
Curious, the group followed the Ledian deeper into the valley.
Without warning, a powerful gust of wind blasted out from the valley, sending Ledian tumbling backward.
The moment Ash saw it happen, he acted immediately.
Using his Aura, he stabilized Ledian before it could crash.
His Aura abilities had long surpassed simple communication with Pokémon.
If he had to describe it, his Aura was like a technology tree, constantly unlocking new abilities as he grew stronger.
So far, he had awakened three major Aura states: Strength, Heal, and Compassion.
The newest ability he had unlocked...
Was telekinesis.
"Pidgeotto, stop!"
The shout echoed through the valley.
Almost instantly, the fierce wind died down.
A young boy soon appeared, accompanied by his Pidgeotto.
After making sure Ledian was safe, the boy turned to Ash with a curious expression.
"Thank you for saving Ledian. Was that... telekinesis just now?"
"That's right," Misty replied proudly. "Ash is a Psychic."
"I'm really sorry. You weren't hurt, were you?"
At that moment, an older man approached with a larger Pidgeotto and another Ledian.
Seeing the scene, Ash immediately understood.
The powerful gust from earlier had been created by the Pidgeotto.
Its purpose was to train Ledian to fly steadily even against strong winds.
This type of training was something every Flying type Pokémon should undergo. After all, if they spent their lives soaring through the skies, they were bound to encounter powerful winds. Many Flying type moves were also closely tied to controlling or harnessing the wind.
"You must be visiting here for the first time," the man said with a smile. "That boy is my son, Benji. This is the Valley of Winds, and we're the Forest Rangers who protect the mountain."
"My name's Ash," Ash replied. "These are my friends, Brock and Misty. We're on our way to Ecruteak City and happened to pass through here."
After introducing themselves, the group followed Benji and his father back to their home.
Suddenly, Ash sensed something.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Pikachu and leaped aside.
"Watch out!"
Unfortunately, Togepi slipped out of Ash's arms, and Benji's Ledian was also caught as a giant net suddenly descended from above.
"Ledian! What's going on?!" Benji cried.
"Since you asked so sincerely..."
"We'll kindly answer!"
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation..."
"Alright, Team Rocket," Ash interrupted with a helpless sigh. "Your introduction is way too long. Can't you come up with something new for once?"
"..."
"Even though we didn't catch Pikachu," Jessie said, "getting the brat's Togepi and this Ledian isn't bad either!"
"Ahem!"
Ash had no interest in wasting any more time.
"Noctowl, Air Slash!"
With a single slash of compressed air, Noctowl sliced straight through Team Rocket's hot air balloon.
As Togepi and Ledian fell from the sky, Ash used his telekinesis to gently catch both of them before they hit the ground.
As for Team Rocket...
"We're blasting off again!"
Needless to say, they disappeared into the distance.
After that brief interruption, Ash decided to have Noctowl undergo some special training in the Valley of Winds.
Given Noctowl's intelligence, he believed it had a good chance of mastering some new moves.
"Noctowl, this time I want you to learn how to use the wind here to keep yourself stable while flying. And if possible, try to master some new moves too, alright?"
Noctowl gave a confident nod before beginning its training alongside Ash.
After repeatedly exhausting itself and enduring countless injuries, Noctowl finally learned Roost, a valuable recovery move that would greatly improve its endurance in battle.
What delighted Ash even more was that Noctowl didn't stop there.
It also mastered the powerful Flying type move Sky Attack, and, to Ash's surprise, learned Brave Bird as well.
Although Brave Bird inflicted recoil damage on its user, unlike Sky Attack, it required no charging time and struck much faster.
Even though Brave Bird was a move originally introduced in a later generation, Noctowl's ability to learn it came as an unexpected but welcome surprise.
At the same time, Noctowl's aptitude improved once again. After recalling Noctowl, Ash and his friends said goodbye to Benji and his father before continuing their journey toward Ecruteak City.
...
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