"Oh, right here."
Grey casually tossed three dolls onto the floor.
"Huh?!"
As the dolls hit the ground, Officer Jenny's eyes went wide.
What was this supposed to be?
They weren't here to mess with her, were they?
Filing a false report carried penalties!
If not for all the Team Rocket grunts knocked out around them, she would've thought Grey and Sabrina had come to stir up trouble with a prank call.
"Officer Jenny, please witness a historic moment!"
Grey's tone turned bright; he snapped his fingers and said to Sabrina, "Sabrina, give the officer a little demonstration."
Snap.
At the very next instant, the three executive-shaped dolls swelled—
And solid bodies phased back into being.
In a blink, three living, breathing Rocket executives "returned to daylight" and finally got to gulp down real air.
"Officer Jenny! I'll talk, I'll tell you everything! Just don't do that to us again!"
Petrel was the most pitiful of the bunch. Breloom had punched him to his knees, then he'd been turned into a doll while unconscious.
When he woke up, even breathing felt wrong.
This could go on Kanto's top-ten cruel punishments list.
He wanted no part of it ever again.
Keep this up a few more hours and he'd probably confess to stealing a Life Orb he'd never even seen.
"You…"
Officer Jenny scratched her head, at a loss for words for a long beat.
Best not to make judgments here. Just slap on cuffs and haul them in.
"Grey, Sabrina—thank you for your outstanding contribution to the League's Rocket arrests. We'll distribute the bounty within forty-eight hours. No need to push us."
After her quick explanation, Jenny had her officers send the captured Rockets ahead to Lavender Town to await the League's processing.
When Jenny and the squad departed, Sabrina looked over at Grey and asked, "What now?"
"What else? See Zapdos up there? I want to catch it."
Grey pointed at the thunderheads overhead.
His system sweep lit and returned the details.
[Pokémon: Zapdos (Legendary Pokémon)]
[Type: Electric/Flying]
[Level: 55]
[Ability: Static]
[Moves: Thunder, Rain Dance, Electric Terrain…]
It was a Zapdos just shy of Elite-tier.
If it were Articuno in a straight fight, he'd be fine. That was exactly why Grey wanted it.
Since he was here, and he could win, into the ball it should go.
He'd treat it well—no one would lose out.
KRA-KOOOOOM!!!
A peal of thunder split the sky.
Black clouds rolled like ink pouring toward the earth.
White-silver snakes of lightning slashed the firmament, spearing down in spears of blinding gold-white.
Soil blasted into slag; smoke curled up in twisting ribbons.
Suddenly the cloudbank parted like a crashing wave.
A golden divine bird—with spiky plumage like Blue's… no, like Gary Oak's hair—dropped from the heavens.
Electric light crawled over its body. It fell like a sword of thunder, driving straight into the Abandoned Power Plant's iron anatomy—
Zapdos, descended.
"Articuno, we're going!"
Grey vaulted onto Articuno's back. "After it!"
"Kyrii!" (Leave it to me! It's just a Zapdos. Watch grandpa Articuno run it down!)
Articuno's wings beat hard, and it shot after the lightning-bird.
——
Inside the Abandoned Power Plant.
Zapdos was greedily drinking in charge from the plant's long-stored energy.
A crowd of local Electric-types tried to move in and stop it—Zapdos blasted them all outside with a single Discharge.
"Jiji!" (What, you got a problem with that?!)
Zapdos kept its beak buried in a conduit, slurping up the endless current.
"Jiji~" (Mmm—stored power really is richer. Lovely stuff~)
Every so often it let out a piercing cry, plainly pleased with the plant's stockpiled electricity.
"Rai-rai!" (That's energy our line has preserved for generations—how can you just claim it all for yourself?!)
A wild Raichu couldn't stand it anymore and stepped up.
CRACK!
Zapdos flicked a glance. Murderous current crawled over its ragged feathers, and one move blew a hole in the steel floor at Raichu's feet.
One move. Just one—and that happened.
The spark of resistance Raichu had kindled guttered out.
It tipped its head back and sighed.
Heavens above, please—someone come take this bird away!
Otherwise, all the power they'd hoarded for ages would be stolen by this frazzled thunderball!
Tap, tap, tap…
Footfalls rang sharp on metal grating.
Guided by Aura, Grey had tracked Zapdos here, circling quite a while to reach the spot.
He found a pack of Electric-types ringed around Zapdos, like a party in progress.
"Emmm, hello~?"
Grey put on his best Lt. Surge impression and gave the Pokémon a Unovan-style wave.
"Jiji!" (Insolent human! Do you not see your Bird King is eating?!)
Zapdos threw back its head. Lightning flowed over its golden wings like liquid.
Sparks popped and spidered in the air with an endless crackle.
Grey had only just stepped closer when—
Bzzk!
A bolt snapped from the tip of Zapdos's wing and slammed into the floor.
A dirty yellow glow rippled out like a tide; the world hazed like an old film reel, and even the air trembled.
Electric Terrain!
Pure showboating—Zapdos setting its "domain" to posture.
"Kyrii!" (Don't think you're the only one who can lay down a field, you spiky pigeon! I can too!)
They were both from the trio of Legendary birds—but rank and bearing were very different matters.
The Ultra Ball at Grey's waist jumped, and Articuno burst free.
Even indoors, snow sifted down with each slow beat of its wings.
Snowscape—a gentler "field" to put up.
"Jiji?!" (What—Articuno, you've thrown in with a human?!)
Zapdos was happy at first to see it.
A fellow of the trio—and one that wouldn't fight for the current. A good bird!
But this was different.
Articuno had been captured by a trainer!
And the two looked close.
For a Legendary Pokémon, it was a slap in the face.
"Jiji!" (Being caught by humans… you might as well share a table with the Regis. What a disgrace—for a legend to fall so low!)
Zapdos didn't feel like talking.
A domesticated Articuno earned it no goodwill.
Not blasting a thunderbolt on sight was already doing it a favor.
"Jiji!" (On Articuno's account, leave now—and I'll let bygones be bygones!)
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