Inside the recovery room, Nurse Joy skillfully operated the machinery. When she caught sight of the Pokémon inside the Poké Ball, a look of uncontrollable surprise spread across her face.
"This is… a Zapdos?"
When she finally emerged, holding Zapdos's Poké Ball and a fully restored Pikachu, her expression was a mixture of bewilderment and quiet disbelief.
Had she misread it? Was there really a Zapdos inside that ball?
"Um… Ash, inside this Poké Ball is…" she began hesitantly. Ash had been staying in Vermilion City recently and had become a frequent visitor to the Pokémon Center.
She had even handed him the mysterious Egg that refused to hatch, so they were already quite familiar—more like friends, really.
"Oh, that? It's a Zapdos," Ash replied casually.
Nurse Joy froze. It really was a Zapdos. One of the legendary Three Birds… subdued? And by a teenager? The very idea felt unreal.
"I'll go tell Professor Cerise and Professor Oak the good news first! See you later!" Ash waved as he turned to leave.
"See… you later," she murmured, still dazed. The news was far too overwhelming to process at once. Even among sub-legendaries, Zapdos held immense prestige in Kanto—second only to Ho-Oh in popularity.
No one had ever been known to capture one of the Three Birds.
After all, Moltres's flame was used to light the League's torch—if it had been captured, the bird would have to appear in person. As for Articuno, sightings were nearly nonexistent.
This was monumental.
And yet, Nurse Joy chose silence. A legendary Pokémon in the hands of a young boy would only invite greed and danger. She would help him keep this secret.
…
[Lance: The women of the Joy family are truly beautiful and kind! ]
[Wallace: Even if she says nothing, Ash will be exposed eventually. But by then… everyone will already know his name! ]
[Cynthia: His age is deceptive. No one would guess he's already at the champion level. ]
[Flint: Still, Nurse Joy would protect his secret regardless. ]
[Professor Oak: Of course. That's simply who they are. ]
The Joy and Jenny families shared more than their striking appearances—they possessed an unwavering sense of justice.
There had never been a "bad egg" among them. The Joys were healers by nature, while the Jennys were born officers of the law.
With Nurse Joy safeguarding his secret, Ash had little to fear—aside from the ever-persistent Team Rocket.
…
At the Cerise Laboratory, Ash found Professor Cerise staring intently at a tablet.
"Professor Cerise, what's that?"
"Huh? Ash, you're back!" The professor blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. Tapping the screen, he explained, "This is data collected last night.
A massive storm formed off Vermilion's coast. If it had reached the harbor, casualties would have been severe.
But several bursts of powerful energy blocked it completely. I believe that energy came from a Zapdos. That explains the thunderclouds over the city."
He adjusted his glasses, voice growing serious. "Even for a legendary Pokémon, resisting a natural disaster like that would leave it severely injured."
Ash stopped listening.
His gaze fell to the Poké Ball in his hand as everything clicked into place. The abandoned power plant… the city's power fluctuations… Zapdos absorbing electricity… even Pikachu's unexpectedly easy victory.
It all made sense now.
Zapdos had already exhausted itself fighting the storm.
"What's wrong, Ash?" the professor asked.
"Nothing," Ash replied quietly. "I was just thinking about that Zapdos. Actually… I found it today."
He held out the Poké Ball.
Professor Cerise leaned in—and froze. His expression changed instantly.
"Ash… you didn't… catch it, did you?"
Ash nodded.
The professor nearly collapsed into his chair. "My god… Ash, you actually caught Zapdos?" For most people, even seeing a legendary Pokémon was a once-in-a-lifetime miracle. Yet this boy had captured one.
After a moment, the professor steadied himself. Ash was no ordinary trainer. He had already encountered Lugia—this shouldn't have been shocking.
But it still was.
Knowing a legend and owning one were two entirely different things.
Excitement quickly replaced shock. Professor Cerise bombarded him with questions, eager to study the legendary bird. Zapdos was a treasure trove of research—its energy, physiology, and power were invaluable.
But Ash shook his head.
"Professor Cerise… I want to release Zapdos."
Silence.
Professor Cerise: ???
World Audience: ????
Was he serious?
A legendary Pokémon—something others might never see in their entire lives—and he wanted to let it go?
[Lance: This… Ash, what are you doing? That's a Zapdos! ]
[Red: Is a Zapdos that amazing? ]
[Lance: ... ]
Lance suddenly remembered that, in another world, someone like Red had subdued all three birds. But this wasn't that world. Here, no one had ever captured one. That was what made Ash's achievement so extraordinary.
And now… he was giving it up.
Why?
[Cynthia: Didn't you notice? His expression changed after hearing that Zapdos saved the city. ]
[Caitlin: He must feel guilty. Zapdos was injured while protecting the city when he challenged it. It wasn't a fair fight… so he doesn't think he deserves it. ]
[Cynthia: Exactly. You got it right for once. ]
[Caitlin: ??? ]
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed. Claim early access on Patreon: Patreon.com/kazama677
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter🔷 100 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.