After fully raising the individual values of Charizard and his other Pokémon, Robert returned them to their Poké Balls and clipped them securely onto the Poké Belt around his waist. With Pikachu perched steadily on his shoulder, he slowly set off toward his next destination—the unmanned power plant just outside of Black Cloud City.
According to the system map guiding him, the route wasn't exactly straightforward. He had to traverse several winding roads, cut through a thick forest, cross a flowing river, and make his way over a narrow, rusted bridge. It was a journey that took more than an hour, but eventually, Robert arrived at the entrance of the long-abandoned facility.
Before his eyes stood massive structures of steel and concrete, all remnants of a bygone industrial age. Towering factory buildings, many of which looked like they hadn't seen a repair crew in decades, rose ominously in the fading light. Sections of roofs had caved in, walls were cracked and worn by time, and weeds grew wild along the edges of broken pavement.
By the time Robert finally reached the plant, the sun had already dipped below the horizon, casting the entire area into deep shadows. The factory grounds were pitch black, save for the faint glow of the moon overhead. Without hesitation, Robert reached into his backpack and retrieved a head-mounted searchlight. He strapped it on, clicked the switch, and a powerful beam of light cut through the darkness.
"Pika?" Pikachu blinked as the light illuminated the grim surroundings. It turned to Robert, its ears twitching anxiously, and gave him a questioning look as if to say, "Why are we even here? Are we lost or something?"
Robert scratched the back of his neck, unsure of how to respond to his partner's silent question. Should he tell Pikachu that they were here searching for a new 'brother' or 'sister'? That sounded awkward, especially since most Legendary Pokémon didn't even have a defined gender. And truth be told, Robert wasn't entirely certain if Zapdos truly resided in this abandoned power plant at all.
So instead, he offered a half-truth.
"I asked Nurse Joy before we left, and she mentioned that there are quite a few Electric-type Pokémon living around here," Robert explained. "I thought it might be a good idea to check it out. Maybe we can find a companion who could be a good fit for our team."
Pikachu tilted its head, then nodded with understanding. So they were here on a scouting mission—to find someone strong and compatible, possibly to support Tiffany as well. It made sense. With renewed determination in its eyes, Pikachu leapt from Robert's shoulder and scurried ahead into the dark facility, its small body brimming with courage despite the eerie atmosphere.
Robert couldn't help but smile. That was just like Pikachu—brave and loyal to a fault. Turning on the headlamp strapped to his forehead, he followed closely behind his yellow partner, lighting the way as they moved deeper into the ruins of the power plant.
They hadn't walked far when they encountered their first resident—a floating mechanical Pokémon that emitted a soft, magnetic hum as it hovered in place.
[Magnemite]
Category: Magnet Pokémon
Type: Electric
Height: 30.00 cm
Weight: 6.00 kg
Gender: Genderless
Ability: Magnet Pull – Prevents Steel-type Pokémon from escaping or being switched out
Hidden Ability: None
Base Stats:
HP: 25
Attack: 28
Defense: 27
Special Attack: 29
Special Defense: 28
Speed: 30
Moves: Tackle, Thunder Shock, Metal Sound, Supersonic
Held Item: None
Strength Tier: Elite Junior
Robert analyzed the details as they appeared on the system's screen. He frowned slightly. "Only one stat has reached a perfect 30, and it's not a particularly crucial one. Too weak to bother capturing."
He turned to Pikachu. "Take it down. Let's keep moving."
Pikachu responded with a confident "Pika~!" and, without hesitation, unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt attack.
Despite Magnemite's resistance to Electric-type moves, Pikachu's overwhelming strength made the resistance negligible. The Thunderbolt struck cleanly, and Magnemite collapsed to the ground with a metallic thud, unable to continue.
Ding!
Congratulations! You have defeated the Electric-type Pokémon Magnemite and earned 180 points.
With Magnemite out of the way, Robert and Pikachu pressed on, venturing deeper into the dim corridors of the unmanned power plant.
As they moved from room to room, hallway to hallway, they encountered a variety of Electric-type Pokémon living within the facility: Magneton, Electrode, Voltorb, and even the elusive Electabuzz. Unfortunately, while numerous, none of them met Robert's expectations. He was particularly hopeful when they encountered an Electabuzz—one of his favorites—but a quick system scan showed that its individual stats were all below average.
Disappointed, Robert made a decision. "Keep knocking them out, Pikachu. Let's turn this into a training session."
Pikachu nodded, dashing into battle after battle. With swift Thunderbolts and Iron Tails, it mowed down opponent after opponent, gaining experience and sharpening its skills. For every victory, Robert received additional system points, quickly recovering more than 2,000 points he had previously spent on stat enhancements and scans.
Eventually, after almost an hour of navigating the power plant and facing countless battles, Robert pulled up the system map to check their progress.
"Huh… this is it. We've reached the far end of the facility. Just one last room left—the power core chamber. If Zapdos isn't in there… we'll leave."
He sighed, feeling the weight of fatigue pressing down on both him and Pikachu. Two hours had passed since they left Black Cloud City—an hour's journey here and another spent exploring the plant.
And still no sign of Zapdos.
"Maybe Zapdos isn't here after all," Robert muttered. "Maybe it's just a rumor from the games… nothing to do with the real world."
He crouched beside Pikachu, who was panting slightly from the long string of battles. Robert placed a hand gently on Pikachu's small frame and began to channel the Power of Viridian—a rare gift he'd inherited, allowing him to restore and rejuvenate Pokémon.
A gentle green light flowed from his palm into Pikachu's body, and almost instantly, its breathing eased, muscles relaxed, and vitality returned.
"Pikaaaa~…" Pikachu let out a long, contented moan as the soothing energy filled its core.
Robert sweatdropped. "Seriously, every time…"
He had long grown used to this scene. Every time he healed Pikachu with the Power of Viridian, it responded with the same blissful, almost embarrassingly pleased sound. Even though Robert had never personally experienced what the healing felt like, the noises Pikachu made left little to the imagination.
"Can you not make it sound like… that?" he muttered under his breath.
But despite the awkwardness, Robert smiled. Pikachu's health had been restored, and they were ready for one final attempt to uncover the truth behind the rumors.
Rising to his feet, he looked toward the heavy, sealed doors that led to the last chamber—the heart of the power plant. If Zapdos was anywhere, it would be there.
"Alright, partner," he said, tightening his glove. "Let's finish this."