Chapter 108. The Center-parted's Little Scheme
The center-parted's face and hands were pitch-black, like it had just crawled out of a coal pile.
Natsume glanced toward the end of the corridor, where there was a small mound of coal.
The bonfire burned fiercely, and the side of the plucked chicken nearest the flames was faintly carbonized.
"Pikachu—"
Seeing Natsume walking toward it, center-parted twisted its two little hands together, lifted its head, and let its gaze drift.
"First of all, this Zapdos has no Divinity." Natsume's voice sounded.
The center-parted froze, and disappointment showed on its face.
"Pika?" How about you take another look?
The center-parted was unwilling to give up.
"Even if you want to complete Divinity, sleeping on top of it won't help." Natsume reached out to rescue Zapdos from fire and water.
"Hiss!"
The instant he touched the plucked chicken, it suddenly sprang up, stepped on spilled coal, and pitched headfirst into the fire.
"Gyaaah!"
Zapdos shot up in a panic, legs flailing, sparks flying everywhere, and bolted up and down the corridor wreathed in flames.
With a bang, it slammed into the wall at the end and toppled onto the coal pile.
"Squirtle, use Water Gun!" Ash sent out Squirtle and doused the two patches of fire.
"Natsume… is this Zapdos?" Honora eyed the fallen plucked chicken suspiciously.
"The Legendary Pokémon, Zapdos?" Ash scratched his head.
If he had run into a Legendary Pokémon, he would definitely have wanted to challenge it.
But this time, Ash had no desire to challenge at all.
Reason being, this plucked chicken looked far too pathetic.
Ash pulled out his Pokédex.
"Zapdos: A Legendary bird Pokémon.
It makes crackling sounds as it flies.
Its population distribution is unknown, but it is said to prefer appearing in places rich in electricity."
Misty leaned in, her gaze drifting between the Pokédex and the plucked chicken.
This Zapdos, which ought to be awe-inspiring, now looked like a turkey with leg hair, its wrinkled, scorched skin gleaming like a roasted sweet potato.
Its soaking-wet bare tail dragged through the coal pile, carving a trail of black mud, and its bare wings looked like two giant chicken racks.
The iconic lightning-shaped crest on its head had only three curled stubs left, like dried instant noodles stuck upright.
"Pfft—hahaha!"
The more Misty looked, the harder she laughed.
"Gyaa—"
Zapdos jolted up from playing dead, and when its slick wings flapped, a shower of coal grit sprayed out, driving everyone back.
"Gyaa! Gyaa! Gyaa!"
Zapdos raged, stretching its neck, its sharp beak jabbing straight at center-parted.
It flew into a fury—well, no, there was no crest left to bristle.
Zapdos strode toward center-parted step by step, leaving comical waddle-plop footprints on the coal, while wet coal dust stuck behind its rump in the shape of an absurd black heart.
"Gyaa!" Zapdos leaned in front of the self-isolating center-parted and roared, hurling frantic accusations.
"Pikachu—"
The center-parted turned its head away.
Without Divinity, right and wrong are no longer mine to judge.
The center-parted sank into bleak melancholy, facing the wall.
It had thought that from now on it would only need to face the jeep once a day and life would be good.
Too shameless.
This Pikachu is too shameless!
Receiving the cold shoulder sent Zapdos trembling with rage.
Natsume watched Zapdos's reaction in silence.
When emotions surge and mental defenses drop, it's a great time to learn the facts.
A ghostly blue light rose in his eyes as he quietly linked to Zapdos's mindscape.
It had heard from elders in the flock that the electricity at this Power Plant was especially delicious, so it came with high hopes.
But it didn't get a single bite—there was a blackout.
Just as it was about to leave, that shameless Pikachu rushed up and hit it with an Iron Tail.
What was it?
A Pikachu.
What was Zapdos?
Zapdos.
Could it swallow this?
No.
It immediately started fighting that Pikachu.
But the longer it fought, the stranger it felt.
First, it found that its Electric-type moves healed the opponent, so fine, it used Flying-type moves.
The Pikachu toppled over and went to sleep, and its attacks did absolutely nothing.
Unconvinced, it tried a few more times, still useless.
If you can't provoke it, you can at least avoid it—Zapdos decided to leave, spread its wings, and then a Thunderbolt hit right after, sending it crashing down.
It looked back and saw that shameless Pikachu had somehow woken up.
Could it swallow this?
It could not.
It lunged with a Drill Peck, and that Pikachu toppled over and went to sleep again, refusing to take even a speck of pain.
If you can't provoke it, you can at least avoid it—Zapdos decided to leave, spread its wings, and then a Thunderbolt hit right after…
After a dozen such cycles, Zapdos never managed to get up again.
After roughly understanding the situation, Natsume rubbed his nose.
"Gyaa—"
Seeing center-parted ignore it, Zapdos turned back and roared at the group.
Which one of you is its Trainer?
"Uh… what does it want?" Brock took half a step back.
"How about you eat something first and calm down?" Ash offered a little cake.
"Pikachu!" The center-parted darted in and swallowed the cake in one bite.
"Gyaa—" Zapdos grew even angrier, lightning bursting all over its body.
"Ah—" Everyone froze for a beat, then sprinted outside.
"Boom!"
Just as they ran out, an explosion thundered behind them.
Looking back, they saw a gale whipping out clouds of dust and crackling electricity.
"Uh?
Did it blow up from anger?" Misty was stunned.
"Mm.
Zapdos's appearance does look like the kind of Pokémon that gets angry easily." Brock nodded.
After a while, out of the smoke walked a gray-smeared plucked chicken.
After the outburst just now, it seemed a little calmer.
Sizing the group up, Zapdos looked to Natsume.
"Gyaa—oh!"
"You're asking me who this Pikachu's Trainer is?" Natsume blinked.
"I don't know.
I think it's wild."
At that moment, center-parted toddled over clutching a little blankie and patted the Poké Ball at Natsume's waist.
Whoosh—center-parted returned to its Poké Ball.
Taking responsibility was impossible; better to make the Trainer take the fall.
Natsume fell silent.
In that instant, he suddenly understood how Professor Oak must feel.
"As you can see, I just now captured it." Natsume looked at Zapdos.
Zapdos nodded blankly, then froze, realizing it had been played.
"Gyaa-ha gyaa-gyaa!"
"You want to challenge me?"
Natsume blinked and sent the napping center-parted back out from its Poké Ball.
At the sight of that yellow figure, Zapdos visibly shuddered.
"Zapdos, Lv. 15."
Natsume raised a brow slightly.
A low-level Zapdos—probably not long since it was born in its flock.
"Gyaa—ha!" Zapdos dug its talons into the ground and glared hard at Natsume.
"Switch it?
All right." Natsume's mouth twitched.
"Go, Dragonite!"
"Wooo—" A massively built Dragonite appeared on the field.
This Dragonite's level was very high.
Taking in Dragonite's exaggerated size and fierce face, the eager light in Zapdos's eyes cleared up a lot.
"Gyaa—ha!"
"Still want a switch?
All right." Natsume was speechless, but could only comply.
After all, it was center-parted that had caused trouble first.
Definitely not because he was worried this little Zapdos's parents might be nearby.
"Go, Great Ball Rotom!"
Zapdos cocked its head, eyeing the odd-colored "Voltorb" in front of it.
"Gyaaah—" That one!
Natsume's mouth twitched.
Out of the three, you picked the sunniest one…
Three minutes later.
"Rotom, use Heal Ball!"
A green beam struck the half-dead Zapdos.
In no time, a lively Zapdos popped back out.
Only this time, it couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Gyaa—ha!" Tears fell in big drops as Zapdos vaulted over the wall and bounded away into the distance, sobbing as it hopped.
"Uh… it feels like a kid who just can't take the frustration." Misty was at a loss.
"Natsume, why not catch it?" Ash asked.
"Because…" Natsume pulled out a Paul mask and wrangled it on with some effort.
From a corner by the wall, a bald head poked out—it was Zapdos, which had left just now.
Getting beaten by a Pikachu was one thing, but these humans hadn't even helped it up—completely unlike what its flock said about humans.
In a flash, a humiliation even greater than losing to a Pikachu flooded in.
Zapdos's legs moved on their own, making it double back halfway.
It would bet anything that since Natsume hadn't taken the chance to catch it just now, he must be regretting it now.
Mask on, Natsume channeled Paul, and a cold voice rang out.
"In my team, I don't need dead weight!"
Zapdos: "?"
Everyone: "…"
"Natsume, who is that?" Ash asked curiously, pointing at Natsume's mask.
"A cool kid who likes to study tactics.
If we get the chance, I'll introduce you."
Natsume took off the Paul mask as he spoke, and his tone returned to normal.
"Oh." Ash nodded, half understanding.
"All right, all right, since it's all over, let's hurry and get going."
Misty yawned.
It was already past midnight.
In the darkness, a pair of eyes blazing with anger stared hard at Natsume's departing back.
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