KANTO — Experts in Pokémon psychology have diagnosed a severe case of Impostor Syndrome in a local Ditto, the amorphous blob Pokémon able to transform into any other object or Pokémon on sight.
“The Ditto basically thinks, ‘Everyone can tell I’m not really a Bulbasaur,’ or whatever they’ve transformed into,” said Professor Oak, pointing to the Ditto, which had transformed itself into a rancid garbage bin with “fraud” written on the side. “It might think, ‘Yeah, I know all the moves of a Charizard, but I don’t feel like I’ve really learned them.’ Ditto may become so focused on the fear of being found out that it loses sight of why it has transformed in the first place. It’s really a struggle.”
After bringing in specialists to conduct talk therapy sessions with Ditto, helping Ditto take its SSRIs each morning, and encouraging Ditto to gain confidence through a series of daily affirmations, Oak noted that, while he had been previously aware that “Impostor” was a hidden ability of Ditto, he now knew that it was also its hidden anxiety.
“To think, this whole time I thought my Ditto was fine, but really it had started to think awful things like, ‘Sure, I can breed with any Pokémon, but why would they ever want to breed with me?’” added Oak. “I worry it will still feel like a fraud no matter how many levels it gains.”
At the moment, few are equipped or trained to help Pokémon suffering from Impostor Syndrome, which experts believe may also affect rare candy eaters.
“Pokémon Centers provide excellent healthcare,” said Nurse, an employee at the local Pokémon Center, “but there’s still a lot of work to be done in the realm of mental health.
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