Chapter 109 The Attacking Zapdos, the Unstoppable Lance
"What happened?"
"A natural disaster?! Is a natural disaster going to happen to Celadon City?! This is terrifying."
"Quick, hide inside! Such a terrifying natural disaster is something no Pokémon can withstand! Run!" "
..."
Celadon City descended into chaos. The police were controlling the crowd, directing people to seek shelter indoors from the thunderclouds. With such terrifying thunderclouds pressing down on the entire city, no one would remain calm.
"Gym Leader Rika, is...is this really a natural disaster?"
Officer Jenny couldn't help but approach Rika, her voice trembling slightly as she asked. She had never seen such terrifying thunderclouds before.
"Legend has it that when legendary bird Pokémon appear, they are accompanied by a powerful natural aura. This aura could very well be the arrival of Zapdos, one of the three legendary birds."
"But..."
Rika's eyebrows furrowed slightly. She felt something was amiss.
The epicenter of this thundercloud was Celadon City, and the lightning strikes within it were concentrated in a single area, yet she hadn't seen Zapdos.
It was as if Zapdos wasn't hidden within the thundercloud at all; she'd witnessed the Zapdos that had appeared above the abandoned power plant earlier, clearly traversing within it.
She'd even seen a boy riding a Charizard, attempting to fight the Zapdos head-on, only for the Zapdos to leave. Rika had even specifically sought out the
boy, hinting that there was a Team Rocket base below Celadon City, and wondering if that kid was currently there.
Rika wasn't sure of his strength, but she was certain he dared to face Zapdos; he was a highly principled trainer, surpassing Lance in this regard.
Ever since Rika witnessed Lance's ruthless and merciless handling of the administrators, she sensed that the Elite Four were more dangerous than anticipated.
Perhaps the Elite Four would instigate another upheaval in the Kanto Region in the future.
Rika hoped it was all just her imagination; at least Lance was only showing strong hostility towards Team Rocket.
...
Below.
"One of the Legendary Birds, Zapdos! The Zapdos from the power plant has indeed been captured. Lt. Surge, you actually have that kind of power."
Lance stared at the Zapdos before him, one of the Legendary Birds revered by both Kanto and Johto.
Legend has it that the Legendary Birds possess terrifying power to destroy everything, and Zapdos is known as the God of Thunder. The
Beedrill used by the Team Rocket leader he encountered earlier wasn't as imposing as this Zapdos, but... Lance didn't think this Zapdos was stronger than that Beedrill.
Team Rocket!
The explosions they caused in Saffron City, the explosions at the power plant—
all of this shattered countless families and turned countless buildings into ruins. It was all Team Rocket's doing, using any means necessary to achieve their goals.
"I will personally send you to prison, and you can await the League's judgment."
Lance stared at Lt. Surge, the former Gym Leader of Vermilion City,
and now a high-ranking member of Team Rocket.
The trouble caused by the unmanned power plant alone was enough for Lance to annihilate him.
Even if Zapdos appeared, so what?
Being hailed as the God of Thunder doesn't mean he's a true 'god'!
Even if the Zapdos before him truly was a god, Lance would personally arrest and imprison this guy today.
"Let me show you the power of the Thunder God!"
"Zapdos, Thunderbolt!"
Countless arcs of electricity converged within Zapdos's body in the corridor. Even a gentle flap of its wings produced a deafening roar of lightning.
A sharp cry echoed through the corridor as countless bolts of lightning struck towards Dragonite.
The area covered was vast, far exceeding what ordinary Electric-type Pokémon could create.
"Dragonite!"
Lance took a step back. The area covered by the lightning was too large; a slight misstep could result in Lance himself being caught in its blast.
Dragonite roared, showing no fear of Zapdos. Outside, you might be called a legendary Pokémon, but in this corridor, without the help of nature, you're nothing.
Dragonite flapped its wings and charged forward at high speed. The lightning didn't strike Dragonite's bulky body; instead, the distance between Zapdos and Dragonite continued to close.
"Ice Punch."
A red light flashed in Dragonite's eyes. Its movements were fluid, and Zapdos unleashed an even denser barrage of Thunderbolts, striking Dragonite head-on. Dragonite was already close to Zapdos.
*Bang!
* Dragonite's fist slammed into Zapdos, the Thunderbolts vanishing instantly. Zapdos let out a painful cry, its body thrown back a short distance by the force.
Lt. Surge frowned. The corridor was too cramped; it couldn't unleash Zapdos's true power. If this continued, even a legendary Pokémon wouldn't withstand more than a few hits from that Ice Punch.
"~"
Zapdos's sharp eyes were fixed on Dragonite. It glanced at the ice crystals on its wings, then gently flapped them, arcs of electricity gathering on its wings, shattering the ice.
"As expected of Zapdos, much more interesting than those nobodies."
Lance's indifferent expression softened with interest. This kind of opponent was much more interesting.
If it were like those weaklings, this battle wouldn't be fun. With a sharp cry, Zapdos couldn't resist any longer. Ignoring Lt. Surge's commands, it launched a decisive attack, lightning once again engulfing the entire corridor.
This time, unlike before, a thundercloud had appeared in the narrow corridor. Thunderclouds are common in Celadon City, but Zapdos, being underground, could only summon one, even with the help of nature. Absorbing the powerful lightning within this thundercloud, Zapdos emitted a joyful sound, arcs of electricity swirling around its surface. The next second, a bolt of lightning erupted from Zapdos's body, a raging torrent even more powerful than the previous Thunderbolt. It was an Electric-type Thunder. Zapdos had a fatal flaw: aside from Electric and Flying-type moves, it only knew a few general-purpose moves. It couldn't master the versatile Ice Beam or the Fire-type Flamethrower. This is also the biggest weakness of the three legendary birds: they cannot master moves of these three different types simultaneously. Their coverage is too limited, which is one of the main reasons they are criticized as the "three silly birds. " Lightning bolts shot straight towards Dragonite, creating an energy barrier in front of it. Boom! The lightning struck the energy barrier, but couldn't penetrate it. A violent explosion resounded, sending up plumes of smoke. As the lightning slowly dissipated, the barrier also vanished. A Normal-type Protect. It can block moves of similar strength. "Zapdos is nothing special after all." Lance, seeing that the energy barrier hadn't been broken, understood the strength of the Zapdos before him.
The previous unmanned power plant made a big show of itself, relying on the terrifying power of nature and the attacks released by thunderclouds. Without the support of thunderclouds,
the Zapdos before them was merely a Champion-level Pokémon; what legendary bird Pokémon was nothing more than that.
"Dragonite, Ice Beam!"
Through the smoke, Dragonite's eyes scanned the thick smoke before it, finding a glimmer of yellow light.
It gathered an icy blue energy in its mouth, compressing it continuously before releasing it towards Zapdos in an instant.
"~"
Zapdos had strong senses; it flapped its wings and slammed its body downwards, the Ice Beam passing over its head.
Zapdos's figure also passed through the smoke, creating gusts of wind that dispersed the smoke in the corridor, and Dragonite reappeared in front of Zapdos.
"That stupid bird has gone mad."
Lt. Surge had only caught Zapdos by surprise, so his constant commanding was normal; after all, as a legendary Pokémon, it naturally possessed the pride befitting one.
In this situation, trying to fight the Dragonite head-on without being controlled is simply wishful thinking. Without the trainer's command, even with the power of the thunderclouds, Zapdos cannot defeat its opponent.
Lt. Surge frowned deeply as he watched Zapdos unleash a storm.
"~"
Zapdos flapped its wings, a strong gust of wind constantly gathering, forming a small storm. Zapdos raised its head and stared at the ceiling, trying to escape this confined space.
Such a space made it impossible for Zapdos to utilize its proud flight ability, nor could it unleash its moves at their highest level.
"Foolish! Disobeying commands is just courting death."
Lance's sharp gaze slowly changed. He had initially thought the Legendary Birds were very strong, but it seemed they could only bring him a little fun at the beginning. The subsequent battles were meaningless.
The Legendary Birds were nothing special.
"Roar~"
With a dragon's roar, pure Dragon-type energy gathered in Dragonite's body.
The next moment, the dense power seemed uncontrollable, raging relentlessly, eventually transforming into a deep blue dragon-shaped phantom. Terrifying energy converged with the phantom.
Dragon-type Dragon Dive!
Compared to Outrage, Dragon Dive is easier to control and can inflict considerable damage, making it arguably the most powerful Dragon-type move Dragonite possesses. Second
only to Outrage!
"Madman," Lt. Surge cursed under his breath, glancing at the Zapdos in the air.
Without hesitation, he threw out another Poké Ball.
A Pokémon emitting poisonous gas suddenly appeared on the field. The next second, countless wisps of poison gas were released, and Dragonite charged down fiercely, the powerful impact sending the gas flying.
Smoke and poisonous gas filled the air, mingling together. Lance concealed his mouth and nose with his cloak, his gaze fixed on the direction where Dragonite had appeared.
"Dragonite flaps its wings to disperse this poison gas."
Dragonite flapped its wings incessantly, and the poison gas and smoke in the arena were dispelled by this force, leaving only Dragonite and Lance standing in the corridor. Zapdos
and Lt. Surge were nowhere to be seen. The
Pokémon that released the poison gas was lying on the ground, unable to battle; it was a Weezing, which had been hit by the Dragon Dive.
At this critical moment, Lt. Surge took out a Poké Ball, recalled Zapdos, and released Weezing, using the poison gas and the smoke created by the Dragon Dive to successfully escape.
"Haha~ Team Rocket's rat! Always thinking of running away."
Lance laughed, his laughter tinged with a chilling undertone.
Having escaped his grasp time and time again, Lance slowly walked forward, looking at the Weezing lying on the ground, a cold glint in his eyes.
More than Weezing, he was concerned about Lt. Surge's Zapdos.
Anyone with eyes could see that this Weezing was Lt. Surge's scapegoat, used to trade for Zapdos. A Weezing with only Gym Leader-level strength had lured Zapdos away.
"A rat, always a rat. Always trying to escape, using all sorts of ways to run away."
"One day, I will crush you rats completely, so you won't be able to escape even if you want to."
Lance spoke these words with an arrogant and overconfident air.
He glanced at the surrounding walls; Lt. Surge couldn't have disappeared instantly. There must be a hidden door.
Boom!
A violent explosion, a cloud of smoke, and a wall shattered by the force.
Lance turned his head towards the passage, a hint of mockery in his eyes, and walked into it, Dragonite following closely behind.
As for the small fry in Team Rocket's base, Lance didn't care.
Bai Yu was nearby, and Lance believed that Bai Yu wouldn't let these Team Rocket members get away with it.
"Damn it… what a madman! If I hadn't reacted quickly, you'd be Lance's prisoner. That guy's ruthless towards Team Rocket."
Inside the tunnel, Lt. Surge and the man in the black uniform ran together.
They had already heard the explosions behind them. If they had been any slower, Lance would have caught up. Fortunately, they had been operating in Celadon City for over a decade.
There were all sorts of tunnels, and Lance had only destroyed one. To find them directly, they would need to destroy many more.
After running for a long time, Lt. Surge stopped and headed in another direction.
"Where are you going? Aren't you coming back with me to see Giovanni?"
"Hey Lt. Surge, you don't actually want to hand over that Zapdos to Giovanni, do you?"
"Or do you want to become a traitor to Team Rocket like Sabrina?"
The person who approached was none other than Lance, one of Team Rocket's four generals. Lance
looked at Lt. Surge with a hint of accusation. Since the Sabrina incident, Lance had lost trust in these officers who had defected from the League to Team Rocket.
The accident at the unmanned power plant led to the destruction of a hidden Rocket Team base by the League, and Lance suspected that Lt. Surge was involved in their rapid arrival.
"You suspect me?" Lt. Surge stopped, his tone displeased.
"Your actions are bound to arouse suspicion. Come back with me, and all these problems will be resolved. Or are you, Lt. Surge, hiding something?"
Lance's eyes flashed with hostility, and a Poké Ball appeared in his hand.
Lt. Surge knew very well that if he didn't go back with Lance this time, he would soon be wanted by Team Rocket, wanted by both the police and the underworld—that wouldn't be a good thing.
"Okay! I'll go back with you."
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(End of Chapter)