The churning thunderclouds rumbled with a violent, intermittent rhythm—a symphony of chaos. A striking golden serpent of electricity weaved freely through the dark expanse, performing a magnificent and terrifying dance.
Carrying two people, Skarmory quickly stabilized itself in the air, its steel wings beating against the gale to maintain its position near the airship.
"Skaaar!" Skarmory let out a long, defiant cry, cheering itself on. It was rare for it to soar in such harsh weather, and a part of it reveled in the challenge.
"Who is that? Is that a Trainer?" A crew member on the airship, who had been nervously monitoring the storm, suddenly spotted the lone Skarmory flying dangerously close to their vessel.
Kai quickly retrieved a pair of windproof goggles from his backpack and slipped them on. "Professor Ivy, the wind is too strong! I only have one pair of these! Hold on tight and hide behind me!" he shouted, but the raging wind tore his words away.
"Mmm!" Ivy barely caught his words but understood the gesture. She wrapped her arms tightly around Kai's waist, pressing herself against his back to shield herself from the onslaught.
The wind howled, whipping their clothes violently. Amidst the dark clouds, a particularly dazzling golden light burst forth, followed by a sharp, piercing cry. Zapdos, no longer content to hide, was now approaching the airship that had trespassed into its storm.
"Watch out for the stray currents between the clouds! Skarmory, increase your altitude!" Kai commanded, patting Skarmory's neck. The airship was a massive target, and he knew it would be Zapdos's primary focus.
With a resolute gaze, Skarmory flapped its wings forcefully, catching a powerful updraft to rapidly ascend. The silver-white Pokémon sliced through the ink-dark clouds, flashes of lightning serving as its stage lights. A faint silhouette of the legendary Pokémon was visible in the distance, and an indescribable sense of the epic washed over Kai. After all his years in this world, this was the first time he had witnessed such magnificent, raw power.
"Skarmory, use Protect, now!"
A verdant shield of light instantly enveloped the two riders and their Pokémon.
BOOM!
A golden bolt of lightning, thick as a tree trunk, shot out from the depths of the clouds. The green shield shattered on impact, but it had served its purpose. Skarmory immediately dodged to the left, narrowly avoiding the blast.
Kai's plan had been to get Ivy away from the airship and use Skarmory's agility to escape the storm's range. However, he had gravely misjudged Zapdos's hostility. While the airship was a large intruder, an Elite-level Skarmory flying through its territory was a far more personal threat to the legendary bird.
Zapdos had made them its priority target.
Cursing his luck, Kai steeled himself. In a storm like this, turning his back would mean a swift death. Besides, judging from that first exchange, this Zapdos hadn't yet reached an unbeatable level of power.
"This is bad, the light is too dim," Kai muttered. His goggles were designed for bright, high-altitude daylight, not the suffocating darkness of a thunderhead.
"Skaaar!" Skarmory, in perfect sync with its trainer, sensed Kai's difficulty. It began gathering energy, intending to use Flash to illuminate their surroundings.
"Don't use Flash! Use Flash Cannon toward the spot where that lightning came from!" Kai commanded instantly.
Skarmory didn't hesitate. Silver light gathered at the sharp horn on its head, and a concentrated blast of Steel-type energy shot into the gloom. But Zapdos had already moved, and the attack dissipated harmlessly into the thick clouds.
Their battle quickly caught the attention of everyone on the airship.
"That really is a Trainer!" someone yelled, having seen the green shield flare into existence and then shatter.
"What is he fighting? That was a massive bolt of lightning!" another Trainer exclaimed, the one who had considered escaping on his own Pokémon just moments before.
"I don't know! But for something to fight so freely in a storm like this… could it be the legendary Zapdos?"
The term 'legendary' meant two things: it was incredibly rare, and it possessed a terrifying power far beyond that of conventional Pokémon.
"How can a Zapdos from Kanto be in the Orange Islands?"
"Look! Look at its wings!"
Following the Trainer's shout, all eyes turned to the sky. A violent fork of lightning illuminated half the heavens, fully revealing the golden bird. Its unique, spiky wings shimmered with dazzling electric light, a sight entirely different from any ordinary bird Pokémon.
"It really is Zapdos!" a Trainer gasped.
"Quick, get a camera! This is a legendary Pokémon! Most people go their whole lives without seeing one!"
"That terrifying lightning… it's not going to hit the airship, is it?!"
While the passengers stared in awe and terror, the battle in the sky intensified. Zapdos unleashed a continuous barrage of powerful Thunder attacks. Skarmory, under Kai's command, twisted and weaved, using Protect to block what it couldn't dodge while occasionally launching its own counterattacks. The entire sky was a canvas of flashing light and crackling energy.
But using Protect repeatedly increases its chance of failure. This Zapdos was at a much higher level than Skarmory, and it was drawing power from the storm itself, firing off Thunder attacks as if they cost nothing.
Skarmory alone wasn't enough. Kai had already sent out Lanturn, which Skarmory now gripped tightly in its claws. When an attack was unavoidable and Protect was no longer reliable, he would have Lanturn take the hit. Its Volt Absorb ability not only nullified Electric-type moves but also restored its own health.
However, even a battery can be overcharged. The light on Lanturn's head was exceptionally bright, its large, round eyes looking as if they were about to pop. Skarmory's stamina was also being steadily drained by the ambient electricity.
"Skaaaar…"
"Lanternnn…"
Both Pokémon let out cries of discomfort. The stray currents arcing across Skarmory's body sent jolts of numbness through Kai as well.
"Skarmory, hold on! Get closer to Zapdos! Create an opening for Poliwrath!"
"SKAR!"
Enduring the pain, Skarmory fixed Zapdos with a sharp, determined gaze.
Zapdos had no intention of dodging. It flew directly toward them, as if curious to get a better look at the stubborn creature that kept evading its power.
"Poliwrath, forward! Use Hyper Beam!"
Seizing the moment, they closed the distance, and Kai hurled the Poké Ball in his hand.
A red light flashed. Poliwrath appeared in midair, unhesitatingly gathering all its strength into a single point of light.
It was a shooting star streaking across the dark sky.
Zapdos watched as the Skarmory that had been rushing it suddenly banked hard to the left. A flicker of red light, and then a dazzling beam of pure white energy smashed violently into its face. The legendary bird let out a shriek of pain.
After using Hyper Beam, a Pokémon is left completely immobilized. It's a move rarely used, even on solid ground. But Poliwrath trusted its Trainer without reservation.
A star of white energy pierced the clouds. The golden legend began to fall.
***
(End of Chapter)
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