Ever since his sweep of the Pokémon Ninja School, Ash had been meticulously hoarding his exchange points. Even after purchasing the Metal Coat, he still held a sizable reserve, but he had set his sights on a specific super ability and was determined to save every last point to claim it.
Z-Power.
The name might have sounded unfamiliar to some, but described differently, its nature became clear. It was the power of the Z-Move! In Lapras's distant homeland, the Alola region, there existed techniques of such overwhelming force that they far surpassed the standard skills of current Pokémon.
This was a specialized method where a Trainer channeled the natural energy known as "Z-Power" to trigger a devastating super-finisher through their Pokémon. It was a true ultimate move.
According to legend, the Alola region was shrouded in darkness at the time of its formation. It was only through the sudden appearance of Ultra Necrozma, Solgaleo, and Lunala that light began to pour into the land, transforming Alola into a place overflowing with radiance.
The ancient people of Alola held these beings in the highest regard, bestowing upon the most brilliant among them, Ultra Necrozma, the title of "The Radiant One."
However, after The Radiant One illuminated the world and birthed Alola from the light, it exhausted its power, becoming dim and falling into a deep slumber. That lingering radiance transformed into the very energy that blanketed the region, allowing Trainers there to manifest Z-Moves.
The Z-Power Ash could exchange for in the system was that very same force. The only difference was that instead of being drawn from the Alola region, the energy would originate from Ash himself.
Initially, the Z-Power he had saved so long for was only enough for him and a Pokémon to perform a Z-Move once. As his mastery over this power grew, the burden on his body would lessen, eventually making a second use in battle possible.
"System, exchange for Z-Power!" Ash commanded inwardly.
Suddenly, Ash's entire body erupted in a blinding golden light, so intense that he resembled a miniature sun.
"Ash, what's happening to you now?" Misty asked, shielding her eyes. She was already used to Ash glowing at random intervals, though this time was particularly dazzling.
The golden glow quickly receded. Ash looked at his wrist and let out a wry smile. After the exchange, he could feel a warm current flowing through his body, distinct from both Aura and Psychic power, eventually settling within his dantian.
To date, the three abilities Ash had acquired each claimed their own territory: Aura originated from his heart, Psychic power stemmed from his mind, and Z-Power now resided in his lower abdomen.
The system had provided a Z-Ring along with the ability, but the Z-Crystals still had to be exchanged for separatelyand they were outrageously expensive. Standard attribute crystals were manageableroughly the cost of raiding one Ninja Schoolbut the Pokémon-exclusive crystals were priced at astronomical figures. For instance, Snorlax's "Pulverizing Pancake" and Pikachu's "10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt" cost numbers that made his head spin.
I'll save up for an Electrium Z first, Ash thought. Pikachu is my most trusted partner, after all.
"Big Brother Ash is glowing again! Yay!" Molly cheered, clapping her hands while sitting atop Meganium's back.
Misty and Brock simply shook their heads. At this rate, Ash was essentially becoming a human Pokémon.
"Twerp! Hey, Twerp!"
A familiar set of voices called out. Ash and his friends turned to see the Team Rocket trio running toward them in a frantic state. Jessie was in the lead. "Twerpno, Ash! Please, you have to help us!"
"How did you three escape this time?" Ash asked, exasperated. "I handed you over to Officer Jenny. Isn't the free room and board in jail good enough for you?"
"We are men and women with dreams!" James declared, striking a dramatic pose.
"Alright, we've known each other long enough," Ash said, waving them off. "If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, beat it!"
"My Wobbuffet... my precious Wobbuffet is gone!" Jessie cried out, looking genuinely distraught.
Because Ash had caught the "God of Wobbuffet" that Jessie was originally destined to have, she had eventually caught a different one. It had followed her voluntarily and shared a high level of affinity with her,
though it wasn't nearly as clever as the original. When Jessie shouted "Counter," it would simply keep using Counter, meaning it was defenseless against special attacks. To Jessie, it just seemed like its defense was a bit glitchy, but she doted on it regardless.
Now that it was missing, she was desperate enough to ask Ash for help.
"Where did you lose it?" Ash asked.
He didn't need an answer. Wobbuffet appeared almost instantly. It was somehow clinging to the hood of a speeding cargo truck, likely having fallen from a slope and landed there. It looked to be in a very precarious position.
Crucially, several police cars were in hot pursuit of the truck.
"Raikou, I choose you!"
Ash threw an Ultra Ball, and the sabertooth tigerthe legendary beast of thundersprang forth. The Team Rocket trio nearly jumped out of their skins.
"That's..." James frantically flipped through his guidebook. "That's Raikou! A Legendary Pokémon!"
"If we caught that and gave it to the Boss..." Meowth started, but he quickly realized the atmosphere was not in his favor.
Ash didn't have time to lecture them. "Tie yourselves up. I'm going to get Wobbuffet back!"
Mounting Raikou, Ash tore after the truck. Raikou's speed easily eclipsed the police cruisers.
"Officer Jenny, is that you?" Ash called out as he pulled alongside the lead car.
Officer Jenny rolled down her window, her eyes wide with shock. "Is that... Raikou?"
"I'm Ash from Pallet Town. Who is driving that truck?"
"That's Golem the Thief! He's a master at using Golem and a notorious cat burglar!" she replied.
Ash nodded. "Leave it to me!"
The thundercloud on Raikou's back crackled with electricity. Using Quick Attack, the beast lunged forward, cutting off the truck. Ash looked at the middle-aged man behind the wheel and flashed a cold smile.
"Raikou, Pikachu, use a double Thunderbolt on the ground!"
"Thor's Hammer!"
The violent lightning tore into the earth, sending massive chunks of rock flying into the air like a localized Rock Slide, smashing directly into the cargo truck. The driver slammed on the brakes, but the impact was unavoidable. Wobbuffet was thrown from the hood by the momentum, flying straight toward Ash.
"Wobbuffet, keep using Counter!" Ash shouted.
Wobbuffet's Counter deflected the stray rocks hitting it as Ash caught the Pokémon mid-air. Behind them, the truck was reduced to a heap of scrap metal under the barrage of stone.
"Wobbuffet..." the Pokémon muttered, looking a bit shaken but safe.
Golem the Thief had decent reflexes, managing to summon his ace Golem to shield himself from the falling debris, but his luck ended there.
"Golem the Thief, surrender now!" Officer Jenny's team arrived in force, surrounding the criminal.
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