After unleashing a powerful discharge, Zapdos became immobilized, caught off-guard in cooldown. It was face-to-face with Gengar at point-blank range and couldn't dodge in time, its wide eyes filled with surprise.
Zapdos never expected that Gengar would have such a trick up its sleeve.
The energy Gengar used with its Thunder Punch had been minimal. Its real goal was to attract the surrounding powerful lightning to strike itself, not to cause major damage.
"Use Ice Punch!" Ash commanded.
"Geng!!" Gengar responded with a chilling cry, as ice formed around its fist. It delivered a bone-chilling blow straight to Zapdos's chest. The sudden, forceful strike sent Zapdos flying backwards like a cannonball, crashing into the corner of an abandoned power plant. Machines around it exploded in a cloud of dust and smoke.
Both Brock and Misty were left in awe.
They had expected Ash to only hold his own for a few rounds against Zapdos, but to knock it out of the air? That was beyond their imagination.
"Don't lose focus! Now's your chance!" Misty yelled.
"Yeah! Have Gengar use Mean Look, then have Bulbasaur spread a combo of Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, and Stun Spore!" Brock advised eagerly, his mind racing.
If Ash managed to catch Zapdos today, he'd be a top news story in Vermilion City by tomorrow—and maybe even listed as one of the most promising new trainers of the year. As a mentor, Brock could even get some credit for it!
But Ash hesitated, holding the Poké Ball in his hand. Should he really try to capture Zapdos?
Just then, a fierce gust of wind blew through the debris as Zapdos rose from the smoke, its eyes fierce but not defeated.
The legendary Pokémon may have taken damage, but its stamina was far from depleted. A single Ice Punch wasn't going to bring it down. Ice clung to its chest, but Zapdos shook it off effortlessly by releasing waves of heat from its body.
"Zapdos is still going strong!" Misty exclaimed.
Gengar gathered cold energy for another Ice Punch, preparing to launch a follow-up attack. But just as it lunged forward, Zapdos let out a sharp, ear-piercing cry. The force of its cry froze Gengar in its tracks, leaving it in an awkward stance mid-strike.
"Chirp!!"
Although it hadn't spoken through telepathy, its meaning was crystal clear to all three trainers:
**No more. The battle is over. I acknowledge you.**
In other words:
**I'm an NPC now. You can't capture me unless I choose to follow you.**
The three trainers stood speechless.
Zapdos's tone was undeniable and dominant.
Ash could only offer a wry smile, putting away his Poké Ball. He glanced down at Pikachu, who was resting at his feet with its arms wrapped around its precious gold Poké Ball.
"It's fine," Ash murmured. "I already have my own Thunder Pokémon."
He turned away from Zapdos, thoughts drifting to future encounters. Perhaps next time, he'd come across Moltres or Articuno. Maybe then he'd capture one of the legendary birds.
Besides, having another electric-type Pokémon like Zapdos on his team wasn't necessary.
"Chirp!!"
Zapdos gave another sharp cry, flapping its wings. A green stone flew from its claws, rocketing toward Ash.
Ash, quick on his feet, snatched the stone from mid-air with surprising agility.
"Whoa, easy!" Ash muttered. If he hadn't caught it, that stone could've seriously hurt someone.
He opened his palm to reveal a translucent green stone with a lightning bolt symbol inside, a faint electrical current humming through it.
"Is this… a Thunder Stone?" Misty asked.
Ash nodded, grinning. "A Thunder Stone! An item that powers up electric-type Pokémon, right?"
Without a second thought, Ash tossed the stone over to Pikachu. "Here, Pikachu! You can play with this!"
Pikachu's eyes widened in horror, backing away quickly with its fur on edge.
"Pika Pika Pi!!" Pikachu protested, clearly panicked.
Ash blinked in confusion. "What's wrong, Pikachu? I thought you liked playing catch?"
Pikachu's sudden panic made sense to Brock and Misty, though. Brock scratched his head and explained, "Actually, Ash, the Thunder Stone will make Pikachu evolve if it touches it."
Ash frowned, puzzled. "But I thought the Thunder Stone was just for boosting electric-type attacks? Like an amplifier or something."
The Pokédex buzzed to life, confirming the truth: "Pikachu evolution item: Thunder Stone."
Ash scratched his head, embarrassed. "Oops. I guess I got that wrong!"
Zapdos screeched once more, signaling the end of their encounter. As a proud Legendary Pokémon, it needed to soar above the skies, even if the battle was over. It wouldn't rest until the humans had left its domain.
Ash pocketed the Thunder Stone while Gengar floated back down, visibly exhausted but still pleased with itself.
"Gengar, you did amazing!" Ash said, his voice full of pride. "You don't have to recognize me right away, but I'll always be there for you. You're my friend."
Gengar's face flushed, and it turned away, clasping its hands together in a bashful manner.
Seeing this, Brock chuckled knowingly and whispered, "I think Gengar's making a hand signal... It might be looking for a partner."
"What kind of partner?" Misty asked innocently.
Brock's face reddened. "Uh, never mind! It's nothing."
Ash, oblivious to their conversation, grinned at Gengar. "You want a new vacuum cleaner for your nest, don't you?"
Gengar blinked, stunned. "Geng…?"
"I promised you a new HW vacuum when we get to the next town. I meant it!" Ash declared proudly.
Gengar could only stare, speechless.
Ash chuckled, pushing aside a strange feeling that this situation seemed oddly familiar. But the memory eluded him, so he shrugged it off and turned to leave.
---
**(End of Chapter)**