"Pidgeotto, use Wing Attack!" With only one Beedrill left, Ash took the opportunity to test Pidgeotto's newfound strength, commanding it to attack.

"Pidgeo——!" With a cry as majestic as an eagle's, Pidgeotto spread its wings, gathering swift flying energy more efficiently than ever before. It surged forward towards the Beedrill in a powerful blitz.

"Beedri——!" The Beedrill, intimidated by Pidgeotto, did not flee but instead conjured up normal-type energy to perform Fury Attack, its large twin stingers striking furiously in an attempt to repel Pidgeotto.

However, Pidgeotto had not grown arrogant with its evolution; it still remembered Ash's earlier teachings. With calm precision, it fixed its gaze on the Beedrill, its eyes shimmering brightly. When less than a meter away, Pidgeotto cleverly dodged to the side, avoiding the Beedrill's assault.

The Beedrill's attack missed, leaving it shocked. It whirled around only to see Pidgeotto's form swiftly closing in from behind!

"Bang——!" Pidgeotto's wings struck the unprotected back of the Beedrill, the force momentarily displacing the air around them, creating a small, invisible shockwave.

The Beedrill was sent flying nearly ten meters before crashing to the ground, exhausted and overwhelmed by the attack that exploited its vulnerability. It fainted, losing its ability to fight.

"Well done, Pidgeotto!" Ash raised his fist in celebration, a jubilant smile on his face, while Pikachu slowly walked up beside him, sharing in the joy for Pidgeotto.

"Pidgeo——!" Pidgeotto cried out joyously, descending from the air to land on Ash's outstretched right arm, slightly raising its head to accept Ash's praise.

"I'm sorry... Ash..." At this moment, Misty emerged from the bushes, approaching Ash with an apologetic tone. She felt guilty for not having been able to assist during the battle.

"No... I should be the one apologizing!" Ash had Pidgeotto take flight, then turned to Misty seriously. "If I hadn't tried to catch that Weedle, we wouldn't have angered the Beedrill, and you wouldn't have been dragged into being chased by them."

"No..." Misty shook her head repeatedly. They were teammates, and facing such danger, she felt guilty for not being able to help at all—it was her fault.

Ash tried to convince Misty, but she persisted in blaming herself, leaving him unsure of how to comfort her. Eventually, he just reached out and gently patted her head.

"If you feel this guilty, then work on overcoming this weakness. Next time we face a situation like this, I'll be counting on you to protect us!" Ash believed that the emotion of 'protection' could motivate someone to grow stronger and more capable.

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However, Misty seemed to misunderstand his intent somewhat. She stared blankly at Ash, feeling the warmth of his palm on her head, and her cheeks flushed slightly. She didn't speak, but she nodded.

...

In the afternoon, Ash and Misty found a quiet spot to set up their tent. Due to the morning's battle with the Beedrill swarm, Ash decided against training Pidgeotto and Pikachu, choosing instead to review the morning's fight.

"Pidgeotto, do you feel something is not quite right?" After analyzing the morning's fight, Ash noticed Pidgeotto seemed a bit uncomfortable, shifting restlessly, which prompted him to ask.

"Pidgeo——!" Pidgeotto responded with a chirp, flapping its wings, and expressing its feelings.

Misty looked somewhat confused; she didn't understand what Pidgeotto was trying to say. Ash, however, nodded slightly and smiled, telling Pidgeotto, "Since that's the case, try it out, but don't overexert yourself since you haven't fully recovered yet."

"Pidgeo——!" With Ash's permission, Pidgeotto happily flew out into the woods, zipping around and using Quick Attack, accelerating while dodging trees as it practiced mastering the move.

"You understand what Pidgeotto is saying?!" Misty looked at Ash in astonishment. She had been somewhat suspicious before because Ash seemed to understand what the Pokémon were expressing, but this time, she finally voiced her question.

"Um... how to put it..." Ash pondered for a moment and replied, "It's not exactly understanding per se, but I can generally grasp their feelings..."

"That's amazing..." Misty was not only surprised but also showed a look of admiration. Being able to understand what Pokémon are saying was an enviable ability, possessed only by a select few top breeders, and Ash, it seemed, also had this ability...

If a trainer is very familiar with their Pokémon, they can often understand their Pokémon's intentions through subtle behaviors, but this typically only applies to their own Pokémon.

However, having the ability to understand even unfamiliar Pokémon is a rare talent that top breeders utilize to train Pokémon more effectively.

"You can do it too!" Ash didn't see his ability as anything extraordinary; he wasn't aware of what such a skill represented among breeders and hadn't thought deeply about it.

In Ash's view, this ability was simply a means to better communicate with Pokémon and to prepare food that suits their tastes, nothing more.

Seeing Ash unaware of his own fortunate capability, Misty could only sigh softly before deciding to face her fear of Bug-type Pokémon alone. After the morning's events, she resolved to overcome her fear by seeking out and battling Bug-types alone.

Ash suggested accompanying her, but Misty declined, feeling that having someone with her would make her reliant on them, which wouldn't help her overcome her weakness.

Thus, Ash stayed back at the camp to organize and rest while Pidgeotto practiced Quick Attack in the forest. Pikachu, having exhausted much of its energy, had fallen asleep after eating.

"Next up... is Weedle... you really went through a lot today for your sake..." After a brief rest, Ash took out the Poké Ball containing the Weedle he had caught earlier.

Releasing Weedle, it appeared to have regained some strength and was somewhat bewildered as it looked up at Ash.

"Let's get along from now on, Weedle..." Ash took out an Oran Berry, a fruit that effectively restores a Pokémon's energy, which was particularly useful for Weedle at the moment.

"Weed..." After a hesitant glance at Ash, the temptation of the Oran Berry and the rumbling of its stomach proved too much. Excitedly, Weedle began to nibble on the berry, nearly as large as its own head.