Pokémon, Ash is going to become a perfect man from now on.

This question is so tricky that it might even leave someone with incurable psychological trauma!

For example, the first black shadow that appeared on the big screen, with its cylindrical shape and three hairs on its head, looked exactly like a hairy groundhog.

Of course, there are also many self-proclaimed knowledgeable people who confidently wrote down 'Alolan gopher' as their answer.

Xiaoxia was also writing about groundhogs, but as soon as she put pen to paper, Xiaolan's voice came through her earphones.

"Don't write anything wrong, the answer is Psyduck."

What the hell?

Xia carefully examined the dark shape, but couldn't make out what it was...

Okay, it really is Psyduck~

Next came the second question. Faced with a silhouette that looked almost identical to a certain ghost, Xiaoxia learned her lesson.

That might not be Gengar; it could be Clefairy. After all, there's an urban legend that says Gastly evolves into Gengar after eating Clefairy…

“That’s Lada.”

Xiao Lan's reminder left Xiao Xia completely bewildered, and then she actually saw a large rat running around.

And so we arrived at the third question. Even though the silhouette looked exactly like Ironshell Kun, Xiaoxia dared not guess randomly.

What if it's Metapod? Or, to be even bolder, what if it's Rayquaza...?

"That's still Psyduck~"

WTF?

Xiaoxia said that if this were a Psyduck, she would go and be Ash's successor... Pfft!

When the image appeared on the screen, she almost spat out a mouthful of blood...

By the time the fourth question came up, Xiaoxia looked at the silhouette of the lively mouse and her face turned ashen.

"Let's rule out Rattata first, and blindly guess Psyduck..."

"What are you thinking? Whose Psyduck looks like that..." Xiao Lan's teasing voice came through the headphones. "That's clearly a Meowth~"

Xiaoxia: ...

Tired, let's destroy it~

Honestly, if someone hadn't kept reminding her of the answer, Xiaoxia would have given up long ago.

Rather than being tormented by this inhuman puzzle, she would rather try to conquer the Scarlet Gym again!

Wait a minute!

At this moment, Xiaoxia finally realized what was happening.

Someone had hinted that her answer was always correct!

But how exactly did she do it?!

Even after the nightmarish written exam ended, Xiaoxia was still struggling with this issue, which even affected her performance in the third round.

Fortunately, after so much experience, her strength is now vastly different from before, and she finally managed to defeat the examiner in a three-on-three match.

When the results were announced, Xiaoxia was shocked to find that she not only passed, but also ranked second in total!

As for Xiao Lan, she scored a blinding 59 points, completely disqualifying her from qualifying for the main tournament.

It is also worth noting that the person who ranked first in this exam was actually Miss Joey from Golden City.

After discovering Ash and the others, she came up to greet them... mainly for Sabrina, of course.

"Gym Leader Sabrina, after I finish attending the League Conference, I will apply for the Inspector's review... Once approved, I will definitely conduct the most standard evaluation of the Goldenrod Gym!"

"No problem, I know I have many shortcomings..." Naza didn't intend to run away. The other party was just doing business; the problem mainly lay with her past self...

“You can rest assured about that, Miss Nurse Joy,” Blue suddenly interjected. “This Mr. Ash is now a full-fledged Gym Inspector… During their journey together, he will definitely teach Sabrina how to be a qualified Gym Leader!”

"You... are already an inspector?" Nurse Joy was taken aback and immediately turned her attention to Ash.

"I suppose so, she's also newly appointed." Xiao Zhi nodded slightly. "If we have the opportunity to work together in the future, I hope Miss Joy will give me your guidance."

"I understand... Please take care of me in the future." Nurse Joy glanced at Ash and the others a few more times, then left without saying anything more.

"Thank you." Sabrina looked at Blue gratefully, knowing that Blue had brought up Ash's identity to help her out of a predicament.

"I'm just stating the facts," Xiao Lan said with a nonchalant smile. "Our Xiao Zhi really is an inspector, isn't he?"

To be honest, having witnessed the whole scene, Xiaoxia's mind was inevitably in turmoil.

She discovered that in these incidents, Xiao Lan, whom she regarded as a formidable rival, always managed to fully demonstrate her importance to someone!

For that person, Xiao Lan could use her intelligence to the fullest extent, and even extend that love to help others around him!

It wasn't just about Natsume, it also included Xia herself...

"Alright, we can finally set off now," Brock suggested. "Let's head straight to Cinnabar Town so Ash can get the final badge."

"Sister, do you want to join us?" Little Blue suddenly extended an invitation. "The Crimson Lotus's master, Xia Bo, is quite powerful. Watching him fight will inspire you."

"this…"

"It would be good to go together." Before Xiaoxia could hesitate, Xiaozhi agreed, "Perfect timing, I wanted to talk to you about the Psyduck issue."

"Psyduck...what's wrong with it?" Xiaoxia suddenly became nervous.

"Its superpowers are so strong that they seem to be putting pressure on its brain nerves, which is why it's been acting so dazed and confused," Naz explained.

"How could this happen? Psyduck..." Xiaoxia couldn't help but feel worried and distressed.

She recalled what happened after she captured Psyduck; it could only display its extremely powerful psychic abilities when it had a severe headache…

Xiaoxia originally thought that it would be her trump card, and even developed a tactic to make the opponent attack Psyduck's head... But now it seems that Psyduck has been enduring risks and pain all along!

"You don't need to worry too much. Its condition should be relieved with medication, but we'll need to do a check-up to know for sure," Xiao Zhi reassured him.

According to the game and special episodes, Psyduck's headache can be treated with a secret medicine.

This medicine is also featured in the anime. In the Johto arc, when Ampharos at the Asahi Gym was sick, Ash and his friends obtained the secret medicine from Cyan City.

Coincidentally, because she often took Shigeru to Azure City in her early years, Nanami also knows how to make this medicine.

If it proves effective, it's possible to prepare some for Psyduck to take regularly.

If Ash and Sabrina's psychic abilities are used to guide her during this time, Misty might have an even more stable and powerful duck in the future!

Chapter 154 Crimson Lotus Dojo, The Night Before

On the ship bound for Cinnamon Island, Sabrina was explaining Psyduck's situation to Misty with a blank expression.

"The secret medicine is finished. It will be mailed to the Pokémon Center in Cinnabar Town. Go to Nurse Joy there to pick it up. She will tell you how to take it."

"Also, from now on, give Psyduck a massage every day."

"Uh, is it a head massage..." Xiaoxia asked cautiously.

"It's the soles of your feet."

"Ah..." Xiaoxia was confused. She wanted to ask for more details, but she was also a little hesitant.

She wasn't very good at dealing with cold people like Naz, especially since the latter had a reputation for turning people into dolls.

Moreover, Xiaoxia also felt a little resentful.

She was invited to come along by someone, but he only told her that the secret medicine was effective, and then left her with Naz.

Stealing a glance towards the corner of the deck, she saw someone intently watching their Charizard train, completely ignoring her...

“You have to be understanding of him.” Xiaolan seemed to see through Xiaoxia’s thoughts. “The final gym battle is of extraordinary significance to Ash and Charmeleon… It’s not that he doesn’t care about you, it’s just that he really can’t spare the energy right now.”

"Well... okay." Xiaoxia nodded silently, a hint of embarrassment on her face.

They took time out of their busy schedules to help her; she should be grateful.

Xiaoxia couldn't quite explain why she was becoming increasingly concerned about someone's attention...

"Also, the main reason I had you massage Psyduck's feet was to help it relax," Blue took over Sabrina's explanation. "The secret medicine is only a temporary solution; it needs to relieve stress regularly."

"Ash and Sabrina can indeed use psychic powers to heal later, but your Psyduck is not a Psychic-type and is too weak right now. There would be risks in accepting psychic powers rashly."

"I understand." Xiaoxia nodded gratefully, but couldn't help but worry about someone's situation. "Is Xia Bo, the gym leader he's going to challenge, really that powerful?"

"Yes, it's said that his strength is second only to the Elite Four." Blue said seriously, "This time, Ash is planning to face Blaine at full power!"

"Second only to... the Heavenly King?!" Xiaoxia's eyes widened in surprise.

There are no champions in the Kanto region; the Elite Four are the strongest. If Ash could really defeat Blaine, what level of strength would he reach?

She turned in the direction of someone again, only to find that the Charizard, which was throwing a punch, was getting faster and faster, and in the end, it only left a blurry claw shadow!

...

Hongren Town, located in southern Kanto, is a renowned hot spring resort town that attracts tourists year-round.

If you're planning a trip here on a whim, you might have to be prepared to sleep on the streets, as you may not be able to find a single hotel to stay in.

However, Ash always plans ahead, and he had already booked a hot spring inn before boarding the ship...

"Question: What is that thing that makes your head feel cold and your body feel warm?"