Forests... nothing but forests. The Johto region was incredibly lush, and it felt like they had spent the last three days trekking through endless greenery. Eventually, Ash's group found themselves in a particularly dark and gloomy patch of woodland.
Pikachu, perched on Ash's head, suddenly twitched its ears. "Pika?"
"What is it, Pikachu?" Ash asked, following the Pokémon's pointing paw. Misty noticed a wooden birdhouse box attached to a nearby tree.
"It looks like a nesting box," Brock noted, sizing it up. "But it's too big for a Pidgey and too small for a Pidgeot." Brock was still thinking in Kanto terms, momentarily forgetting that Johto had its own local bird species—the Hoothoot and its evolved form, Noctowl.
Suddenly, a Noctowl landed in front of the box. It tilted its head, clearly finding the entrance a bit too tight. While Noctowl are typically nocturnal, this forest was so dimly lit that they could be seen flying about even during the day.
As the Noctowl struggled with the box, a branch suddenly reached out from the tree trunk and swatted the bird away.
"Did that tree just hit a Pokémon?" Misty blinked, eyes wide.
Ash scanned the tree with his Aura. "It's not a tree. There's a person camouflaged up there." It was a remarkably detailed disguise, and the nesting box was clearly a trap.
"Wait, look at that one!" Brock pointed.
A Noctowl with a strikingly different color palette landed by the box. It was a Shiny Noctowl. Typically, Noctowl are brown to blend into the night, but this one was a brilliant, shimmering hue that stood out like a flame. Shiny Pokémon are often ostracized by their peers, so any shiny that survived in the wild to reach adulthood had to be exceptionally strong and intelligent.
This Shiny Noctowl was smaller than average, fitting the nesting box perfectly. It seemed the trap was set specifically for it.
The man disguised as the tree reached out with some berries to lure the bird, but the clever Noctowl just tilted its head, kicked the berries away, and pecked the trunk hard. The "tree" shook violently, and the man tumbled to the ground.
Ash stepped forward, shaking his head at the man's clumsy methods. "Noctowl, let's have a Capture Battle!"
As a trainer, Ash believed in earning a Pokémon's respect through a fair, one-on-one fight. The Noctowl perched on a branch and tilted its head, accepting the challenge.
"Houndour, I choose you!"
Ash sent out his former alpha. Having trained intensely over the past few days, the veteran canine was on the verge of evolution.
"A Houndour? Who are you?" the man who fell from the tree stammered, finally waking up from his daze. He stared at Ash's Pokémon in shock.
The battle began instantly. The Noctowl dove from the tree, its eyes glowing with a sinister red light.
"It's Hypnosis!" Brock warned. The red light washed over Houndour, but it shattered harmlessly. As a Dark-type, Houndour was completely immune to Psychic-type moves.
"That Noctowl's Hypnosis is legendary around here," the fallen trainer explained to Brock and Misty. "It creates illusions that confuse everyone. I've lost to it a dozen times." He didn't realize that Ash already knew exactly how to handle this rare Pokémon.
"Houndour, Faint Attack!"
Seeing its primary weapon fail, the Noctowl chirped in surprise and tried to flap its wings to retreat. But Ash had already seized the opening. Houndour vanished and reappeared instantly, swiped the bird with a powerful paw, and knocked it toward the ground.
The Noctowl was fast, however. Just before hitting the dirt, it stabilized its wings and lunged back with a sudden Aerial Ace, slamming into Houndour.
"Are you okay, Houndour?"
The alpha was pushed back several meters but kept its balance, its scarlet eyes locked onto its opponent. It shook its head, signaling it was fine.
The Noctowl retreated to a high branch, tilting its head at an extreme angle. It was thinking. This bird had a remarkably high IQ. Seconds later, it beat its wings, sending a flurry of Air Slashes raining down like a storm.
"Air Slash?" Ash grinned. "Use Quick Attack to dodge, then follow up with Flamethrower!"
Houndour barked, turning into a blur of speed. It expertly wove through the blades of air, leaped high to close the distance, and unleashed a massive pillar of fire. Only a Pokémon with a high bond could react to Ash's commands with such instinctual precision.
The fire surged through the Air Slashes and scored a direct hit!
"Now!"
Ash didn't wait for the smoke to clear. he hurled a Fast Ball—a gift from Kurt that was perfect for quick-moving Pokémon. The ball pulled the Noctowl inside and hit the ground.
Shake.Shake.Click.
"I caught the Shiny Noctowl!"
Noctowl Sync: 120 / 190
Houndour Sync: 175 / 210