"Man, it seems I should have just let Zapdos rest in the Poké Ball for a while—I slowed down!" Ash muttered, regretting his impulsive decision.
If he had waited until Zapdos completely lost its ability to battle, then even if it had been saved by lightning, it wouldn't have been able to escape a second time.
However, Zapdos's injuries were, at most, moderate; it likely wasn't even seriously hurt. Throwing the Poké Ball prematurely not only allowed it to escape but also interrupted Pikachu's relentless offensive, giving Zapdos a chance to recover.
In the next instant, Zapdos vanished—reappearing behind Pikachu with Extreme Speed. Its wings flared wide, whipping up a violent storm!
"UGH!"
The explosive gale blasted Pikachu into the air. The move—Hurricane!
Although Flying-type moves have limited effectiveness against Electric-types, attacks are more than just raw damage. The raging storm hurled Pikachu skyward. A Pokémon that couldn't fly… what could he possibly do now?
At least, that was what Zapdos thought.
A golden radiance suddenly engulfed its body, forming a majestic yet terrifying divine bird. The move—Brave Bird!
As Zapdos shot forward like a bolt of lightning, Ash shouted without hesitation,
"Then use Electromagnetism to levitate! Volt Tackle!"
"PIKA!"
Electric arcs, crackling violently from the surrounding thunder, condensed around Pikachu, lifting him into the air! In the very next moment, a deep golden lightning aura enveloped him completely, and he surged forward like a living bolt of thunder!
"PIKACHU—PIKACHU—PIKACHU!! CHUUPIKA!!"
BOOM!!!
Two golden streaks collided midair, erupting into a massive explosion of smoke that filled the sky. The deafening roar echoed across Dead Leaf City, shaking the very ground.
Chloe, on her way to school, stopped abruptly and looked toward the distant skyline with worry.
Ash… he should be fine, right?
That kind of overwhelming noise… who else but Ash and Zapdos could create something like that?
...
Above the abandoned power plant, the smoke slowly dispersed.
From within it, Pikachu fell from the sky, his body covered in visible injuries.
Ash dashed forward and slid across the ground, catching him just in time.
"Are you all right, Pikachu?"
"PIKAPI…" Pikachu shook his head weakly, his eyes still fixed on the sky.
The next second, another figure burst out from the thinning smoke.
Zapdos.
Its body was riddled with scars. Compared to Pikachu, it had clearly suffered even heavier damage. Yet Legendary Pokémon possessed terrifying endurance—that was the fundamental difference between them and ordinary Pokémon. Despite enduring so many attacks, Zapdos still hadn't fallen.
"Can you still fight, Pikachu?" Ash asked.
"PIKA!"
Pikachu leapt from Ash's arms, electricity sparking faintly from his cheeks.
Let's go. That was just the warm-up.
Ash smiled. "Very good! Let's decide the winner, Pikachu!"
As he spoke, the black-and-silver Z-Bracelet on his wrist gleamed.
He was ready.
Ten Million Volt Thunderbolt!!
But just as the tension peaked—
Zapdos, hovering in the sky, suddenly faltered.
Its body stiffened… then dropped straight down.
CRASH!
It slammed onto the rooftop.
Ash and Pikachu froze, staring in confusion.
They hadn't even used the Z-Move yet.
So… why did it collapse?
...
[Lance:] "Ah… Zapdos is down? No way! That's supposed to be the legendary God of Thunder—our Kanto region's God of Thunder! Where's its dignity?!"
[Volkner:] "Didn't Champion Cynthia already explain it? Zapdos was injured, and after taking so many powerful hits from Pikachu, it's only natural it would go down."
[Caitlin:] "Even so… could it be that Zapdos was actually frightened by the idea of the Ten Million Volt Thunderbolt and just… crashed?"
[Wallace:] "Zapdos probably thought: 'I'm already seriously injured, and you still want to hit me with ten million volts? Are you trying to kill me?! I'll just fall down and pretend to faint first!'"
[Professor Kukui:] "Hahaha! Champion Wallace, that's quite the imagination! But honestly, in Zapdos's current condition, if it did take that attack, the outcome would be hard to predict."
[Goodshow:] "Ash is about to capture Zapdos! This is the first time I've ever seen one of the three Legendary birds being subdued—are we about to witness history?!"
[Steven Stone:] "With all due respect, President… we are witnessing the future."
...
Back to the battlefield—
Ash and Pikachu exchanged a glance as they looked at the fallen Zapdos.
Without hesitation, Ash pulled out a Poké Ball. After briefly checking the sky for any sudden thunderclouds, he hurled it forward with full force.
"You have to be mine now!"
BANG!
Zapdos transformed into a beam of red light and was drawn into the Poké Ball.
Shake… shake… shake…
Click!
The God of Thunder—Zapdos—was captured.
Ash sprinted forward, picked up the Poké Ball, and raised it high into the air.
"I caught Zapdos!!"
"PI-PIKACHU!!"
Ash crouched down and gently rubbed Pikachu's head, smiling.
"Thanks to you, Pikachu, I was able to subdue Zapdos. Did you enjoy that battle?"
"PI! PIKAPI!"
Pikachu nodded enthusiastically.
This was, without a doubt, the coolest battle since facing Dandi. That fight had been overwhelming—a one-sided crush—but still thrilling in its own way. As for the others… most of them ended before he could even try.
But today?
Today was different.
Not only had he fought a truly satisfying battle—he had defeated Zapdos, the God of Thunder itself!
At that moment, Pikachu silently declared:
I am the new God of Thunder.
Ash laughed. "As long as you're happy! But right now, we need to get Zapdos to the Pokémon Center quickly."
"PIKA!"
Without delay, Ash and Pikachu rushed to the Pokémon Center and handed Zapdos's Poké Ball to Nurse Joy.
Since Aerodactyl was temporarily staying at Professor Oak's Laboratory, Ash still hadn't reached the six-Pokémon limit on his team—there was no need to send anyone back.
For now, all that mattered…
was that a legend had fallen.
And a new one had begun.
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