Chapter 164: Ideal Partner

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Why did Sato suddenly decide to have Ditto master the Pelipper transformation? The reason was simple: in a battle last night, he observed an impressive tactic used by a female trainer.

This trainer seemed to specialize in Grass-type Pokémon, as she was accompanied by an Ivysaur, Weepinbell, Jumpluff, and Lotad, along with a non-Grass-type, an Azurill.

In the battle, the female trainer was exceptionally brave, facing a ferocious Gyarados without fear and even achieving a remarkable victory by single-handedly defeating a Level 37 Gyarados.

During the battle between this female trainer, the other trainers, and Gyarados, Sato was positioned in the background, observing closely.

He was thoroughly impressed by the female trainer's bold performance.

Her strategy was quite simple, but the key to her success wasn't her four capable Grass-type Pokémon; it was actually the small Azurill she held in her arms.

Sato used his system's detection ability to examine Azurill's information, quickly realizing why the female trainer had such confidence in defeating Gyarados alone.

Here's what he found about Azurill:

Pokémon: Azurill

Level: 16

Type: Normal/Fairy

Ability: Huge Power

Gender: Female

Known Moves: Splash, Water Gun, Tail Whip, Water Sport, Bubble Beam, Soak (Egg Move)

Indeed, the key to her victory over Gyarados lay in Azurill's unique move, Soak.

(Note: Soak is a Water-type move that transforms the target's type into Water, even overriding dual-typing temporarily. It doesn't work on Pokemon with the ability Multitype, (lol))

Though the female trainer used Azurill's move subtly, Sato, with his keen eyesight, clearly saw Azurill fire a quick but weak water ball at Gyarados.

This seemingly insignificant blue water ball was, in fact, the decisive factor.

It was Azurill's Soak move, and it temporarily turned Gyarados' Flying-type advantage against Grass-types into a single Water-type attribute.

With Gyarados now a single-type Water Pokémon, the female trainer's Grass-types had the upper hand, bombarding him with Grass moves until he was overwhelmed, defeated without a single chance to retaliate.

Sato was deeply impressed by Azurill's use of Soak, though he didn't think much about it during the battle.

But this morning, a trainer with an injured Pelipper approached Sato, asking for medical help.

When Sato used his detection ability on Pelipper, it brought Soak back to mind.

Here's what he found about Pelipper:

Pokémon: Pelipper

Level: 26

Type: Water/Flying

Ability: Keen Eye

Gender: Male

Learned Moves: Protect, Hurricane, Hydro Pump, Tailwind, Soak, Growl, Water Gun, Water Sport, Wing Attack, Supersonic, Mist, Water Pulse, Payback, Brine, Agility (Egg Move), Double Team (TM)

From the data, it's clear that Pelipper is a highly accessible Pokémon with excellent value for trainers.

Skills like Protect, Hurricane, Hydro Pump, Tailwind, and Soak are very useful moves that Pelipper learns automatically upon evolving from Wingull.

Among Sato's current team, Bellossom, his Grass-type Pokémon, is his strongest.

Seeing Soak again reminded him of her, and he quickly realized that Soak would greatly enhance his team's strength.

Any Pokémon, regardless of its original type - apart from Arceus - hit by Soak would temporarily become a pure Water-type, making them vulnerable to Bellossom's powerful Grass-type moves.

In truth, Pokémon with the Soak move are ideal partners for Grass-types.

With this in mind, Sato began considering catching a Pelipper. Since they're abundant in the ocean, it wouldn't be hard for him to use his system's detection ability to find a well-qualified Pelipper or Wingull.

Had Mudkip not shown up, Sato would probably already be on the deck, scanning the skies among the many flying Wingull and fewer Pelipper to pick an ideal Pokémon.

Since both Wingull and Pelipper are Water- and Flying-types, their flying ability gives them an edge as excellent choices for his team.

Even with Mudkip as a Water-type and Ditto mastering the Pelipper transformation to participate in battles, Sato still felt drawn to the idea of catching a Wingull or Pelipper himself.

Moreover, after some reflection on Mudkip's potential, this desire had firmly taken root in Sato's mind, growing stronger.

Sato knew that Pelipper had significant value, not just for its automatic acquisition of the Soak move upon evolution, but also due to its incredible ability options.

(Note: When Ditto transforms into Pelipper, it also temporarily gains access to Protect, Hurricane, Hydro Pump, Tailwind, and Soak through Pelipper's inherent moves, although it has a long way to mastery.)

As a key to Rain teams, the Drizzle ability is highly sought after.

Besides Politoed with its hidden ability and the legendary Kyogre, only Pelipper had this ability.

For many trainers, Pelipper often becomes the core of a Rain team since its Drizzle ability isn't hidden. Any Wingull with Hydration will evolve into a Pelipper with Drizzle.

Pelipper with the Drizzle ability is already a strong Pokémon.

Upon evolving, it gains access to Hurricane and Hydro Pump, which become more effective in rainy weather. One becomes a guaranteed hit, and the other has boosted power.

Both moves are also STAB-boosted, amplifying their impact further.

Sato's reasons for wanting Pelipper were threefold:

First, while Mudkip was a Water-type, it would take some time before it was a fully capable battler. Until then, he needed a reliable early-stage Water-type, and a Pelipper with Drizzle was an ideal candidate.

Second, for Ditto to master Pelipper's transformation, self-practice alone won't suffice. It needed close, frequent contact with Pelipper, even living together daily, to understand its habits fully and mimic them flawlessly.

Third, Sato envisioned great potential for Mudkip's evolution. Its final form, Swampert, had the possibility of Mega Evolution.

With a Key Stone and a Swampertite, Sato could enable this transformation.

Upon Mega Evolving, Swampert's ability would change from Damp to Swift Swim, making Pelipper with Drizzle a perfect future partner for Mega Swampert.

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