Chapter 22: The Unmanned Power Station

When the light faded, what appeared before Xia You's eyes was a new form of Eevee with a yellow body covered in lightning-like spikes—Jolteon!

Jolteon had slender limbs and small paws, a ring of white fur around its neck, and spikes all over its body that were as sharp as lightning rods. Just looking at it, one could almost feel the surging vitality and electricity within its body.

Pushing aside the other curious Pokémon watching from the sidelines, Xia You hurriedly pulled out his Pokédex to check Jolteon's information.

Pokédex: "Beep. Jolteon, the Lightning Pokémon, Electric type. It evolves from Eevee using a Thunder Stone. When startled, its fur stands up like needles to intimidate enemies. It is most skilled in Electric-type moves and can absorb negative ions from the air, sometimes discharging high-voltage electricity of about 10,000 volts. It possesses considerable speed; therefore, in some places, it is even employed to guard other Pokémon."

"That's wonderful." Stroking Jolteon's sharp spikes, Xia You nodded with satisfaction and praised, "Jolteon, your new look is great. It really suits you."

...

Early morning.

Xia You left the Sakuragi Research Institute and followed the winding mountain road, slowly walking into the deep mountains adjacent to Dead Leaf City.

After walking for a long time, the terrain gradually rose, and the buildings on both sides became fewer, replaced by increasingly thick and lush trees and rows of wind turbines rotating occasionally on the hillsides.

Amidst the mountains, an old-fashioned power station built of red brick and cement stood there.

Looking at its exterior, although moss had long since crawled into the cracks of the walls and the glass of several windows had cracked, the intermittent flashes of current on the power lines and the humming sound of the equipment running inside suggested it was not completely decommissioned; staff still occasionally came by for minimal equipment maintenance.

Looking around, aside from the rustling sound brought by the breeze, the place was quiet, with no signs of strange movements or wild Pokémon activity.

As he approached the power station, Xia You discovered the gates were closed, held shut by a half-rusted heavy lock.

However, a window to the side was half-open, with broken glass scattered on the ground. After looking left and right to ensure no one else was around, he climbed through the window.

The interior of the power station was built like a labyrinth.

Just like the outside, it was exceptionally quiet, appearing very dim under the glow of the orange emergency lights.

Taking out a flashlight, Xia You tore off some tape. When the light turned on and shone around, he was finally able to see the true internal structure of the power station.

Disordered footsteps echoed softly in the corridors. Xia You searched carefully, but after opening the doors to several rooms, he found nothing unusual.

"Have you guys found anything strange?"

Hearing Xia You's voice, Kirlia and the other Pokémon all shook their heads slightly.

Nothing?

Could it really just be aging equipment!?

Filled with doubt, Xia You rubbed his chin and instructed, "Since we're already here, let's split up and search. We might find something."

However, just as he finished speaking, he suddenly heard what sounded like a cry coming from deep within the power station.

The sound was short and crisp; though it passed in an instant, he captured it with his keen senses.

That sound...

Xia You tilted his head to listen. Seeing that no second sound followed, he looked toward his Pokémon.

The Pokémon all nodded, clearly having heard the sound as well.

"It seems to have come from over there. Let's go!"

Leading his Pokémon, Xia You walked briskly, turning left and right, until he finally arrived outside a slightly ajar door.

Through the gap, he could see sunlight pouring down from the glass roof, illuminating the entire room. The humming of several generators allowed Xia You to identify at a glance that this was the most important part of the power station—the Main Power Room.

But what surprised Xia You even more was that inside the room, a massive, golden bird Pokémon was continuously absorbing electricity from a machine!

Looking at that familiar shape and dashing silhouette, even though Xia You had seen many Pokémon, he couldn't help but feel a jolt in his heart.

It really is the Legendary Pokémon—Zapdos!!

Zapdos is an extremely rare Legendary Pokémon. Its main body is golden yellow, with many spike-like feathers on its wings and tail. Beneath its sharp eyes is a long, orange, pointed beak. Because it can control lightning and change the weather, it is often referred to by people as the God of Thunder!

What should I do now?

Xia You turned back to look at his Pokémon. Seeing them all staring at him, waiting for orders, he couldn't help but clench his fists.

A godsend opportunity! Since I've encountered it, I must capture it no matter what!

However, with his current Pokémon, capturing Zapdos would by no means be easy.

Zapdos has the Electric and Flying types, and Xia You currently had no Pokémon that could exploit its type weaknesses. Conversely, Zapdos could deal double damage to his Squirtle.

But no matter how great the difficulty, Xia You did not want to miss this chance.

"Kirlia, Bulbasaur, Jolteon, Squirtle, and Charmander—it's up to you now. Our opponent this time is an extremely powerful fellow. If you fight one-on-one, none of you are its match. Therefore, don't hold back; attack together and defeat it!"

The Pokémon all cried out in unison. Then, the door to the power room was suddenly burst open. Jolteon was the first to charge out, followed by the others in a line, surrounding Zapdos.

Inside the room, Zapdos, whose meal had been interrupted while it was replenishing its strength, was furious. Seeing that these annoying pests were actually a group of unevolved, low-level Pokémon, it felt even more impatient!

It let out a roar and flapped its wings. Instantly, a wave of scorching electricity swept outward.

It intended to use its own pressure to drive away these Pokémon that had intruded upon its territory!

Xia You stepped into the power room at that moment and shouted loudly to Zapdos, "Zapdos, wager your freedom and let us battle to our heart's content!"

Zapdos looked down at Xia You arrogantly, seemingly not taking him seriously at all.

"In that case, I'll take your silence as consent." Xia You pulled out a Poké Ball and tossed it in his hand. "Kirlia, use Magical Leaf! Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf! Charmander, use Ember! Squirtle, use Water Gun! Everyone, go together!"

Following Xia You's command, various moves instantly rained down upon Zapdos from all directions. And so, the great battle to capture Zapdos began!

(End of Chapter)