Chapter 255: Freeze Everything, Ninetales! (BONUS)
"Here it comes!" Ren shouted, his voice tense.
BOOM!
The roof of the abandoned power plant exploded as a golden figure shot into the sky.
From the dense storm clouds emerged a bird-like Pokémon, its body adorned with golden feathers, an orange beak like a sharp spear, and spiked plumage radiating electricity.
Zapdos!
The legendary bird Pokémon Zapdos!
"SKREEEEE—!!"
Its sharp cry echoed through the air, lightning crackling within the swirling storm clouds. A suffocating pressure radiated from its form, the unmistakable presence of a legendary Pokémon.
Johan's gaze flickered with a mix of awe and exasperation.
"So… yeah. One thing I've learned in the Pokémon world—never get too close to a power plant."
Surprises like this—running into a wild Zapdos bursting out of the power station—were why.
He glanced around quickly.
Nope.
Suicune was nowhere to be seen.
"Seriously? You're one of the three legendary beasts of Johto. Are you really scared of one Zapdos?" Johan muttered under his breath.
"SKREEEEE!"
Zapdos cried again, electricity bursting from its body. Golden lightning coursed through the clouds like a roaring river, and the air filled with the sharp scent of ozone.
The bird's eyes blazed red with fury. Its feathers crackled, arcing with bolts of electricity as if the air itself was alive.
"Zapdos… looks really angry," Chrysa said softly.
"More than just angry," Johan murmured, eyes narrowing.
The legendary bird seemed completely unhinged. Its movements were erratic, its power unstable.
Suddenly, Zapdos spread its wings, condensing its electric energy into a single dazzling point of light. The charge erupted downward—a bolt of pure, blinding electricity—slamming into the ground nearby with a deafening CRASH.
The earth trembled, the impact leaving a smoking crater in its wake.
Johan's team instinctively surrounded him, standing tense and vigilant. The playful expressions they'd worn moments ago were gone, replaced by hardened determination.
Zapdos's eyes darted to them, its rage intensifying.
"What happened to trigger this?" Professor Cerise murmured.
Chrysa pointed out, "It's not just targeting us—it's lashing out at everything indiscriminately."
"Even so, its gaze keeps coming back to us," Ren muttered nervously.
The three turned their eyes toward Johan, who stood calmly amid the chaos.
"…What?" Johan asked, raising a brow.
"Johan," Professor Cerise said firmly, stepping forward. "We need your help to stop this!"
Chrysa and Ren echoed in unison:
"Please, Johan!"
Johan's eye twitched.
What gave them the idea I can take down a Zapdos?!
This wasn't some TV series where a Pokémon like Zapdos gets knocked out by a single overpowered kick.
Electricity crackled violently in the area, drawn toward Zapdos. Even Cerise's Yamper and Ren's Magnemite couldn't resist; sparks arced from their bodies, feeding into the legendary bird's form.
"That thing's… absorbing electricity?" Chrysa said in disbelief.
Ren scrambled to catch his Magnemite as it fell, its energy drained.
Johan's brow furrowed as he opened his Pokédex.
Pokédex Entry: Zapdos
Type: Electric/Flying
Ability: Pressure
Moves: Peck, Thunder Wave, Thundershock, Light Screen, Drill Peck, Agility, Ancient Power, Charge, Drill Run, ThunderS
tatus: Enraged (It's a trap!)
Condition: Severely Weakened (It needs rest—it's far weaker than it appears.)
Friendship: -50 (Feel the wrath of Zapdos!)
"…It's been caught in some kind of trap," Johan muttered.
That explained the bird's enraged, unstable state.
But before he could delve further, Zapdos screamed again, golden lightning flashing around its form.
"Gengar, Toxic!"
Johan's voice rang out decisively.
"Ka-kah!"
Gengar sprang into action, launching a glob of poisonous energy at Zapdos. The toxic substance clung to the bird's feathers, a faint purple mist rising from its body as the poison began to take effect.
"Vulpix, set the field! Snow Warning!"
"Draaa!"
Vulpix howled, summoning a sudden chill into the air. Snowflakes began to fall, and the oppressive thunderstorm was slowly replaced by a wintry scene.
Zapdos's charge was disrupted as the snow intensified, interrupting the bird's rain-making capabilities.
But it wasn't going to relent. Zapdos redirected its charge into the clouds, trying to wrest control of the weather back.
"Not bad," Johan murmured. "But we're not done."
"Dragonair, Tinkaton—take to the skies! Open the way!"
Dragonair soared upward, carrying Tinkaton on its back.
"Tinkaton, Ice Hammer! Kubfu, focus on support!"
The coordinated assault began.
"Gengar, Dark Pulse! Keep Zapdos distracted!"
"Ka-kah!"
Gengar let loose a volley of shadowy orbs, clashing with the bolts of lightning Zapdos hurled at the approaching pair.
Zapdos roared, unleashing a shockwave of electricity.
The wave struck both Dragonair and Tinkaton, forcing them to retreat. Even Gengar's clones disintegrated in the wake of the electric surge.
"Ka-kah!"
Gengar snarled, its gaze sharp. The bird was far more dangerous than expected.
On the ground, Vulpix trembled, its breath visible in the icy air.
Its eyes burned with resolve.
"I want to protect Johan!"
Images of their journey flashed through its mind—its early fear, its growing confidence, and now, the resolve to stand by its trainer's side.
"Vulpix…" Johan's voice softened as he saw the determination in its eyes.
He reached into his pocket and drew out the Ice Stone.
"You've grown so much… If you're ready, then let's do this together."
"Draaa!"
Vulpix nodded, its gaze unwavering.
Johan tossed the Ice Stone to Vulpix.
"Evolve, and let's end this!"
The stone shattered on contact, bathing Vulpix in a radiant light.
Its small frame began to grow, its tails multiplying and flowing gracefully. The falling snow intensified, blanketing the battlefield in white.
When the light faded, Ninetales stood in Vulpix's place, its regal form exuding icy energy.
"Ninetales, Blizzard!"
With a triumphant cry, Ninetales unleashed a frigid storm. Snow and ice swirled into a raging blizzard, hammering Zapdos and forcing it to falter midair.
"This is it!" Johan called to his team.
"Freeze everything, Ninetales!"
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Powerstones?
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