Dragging his exhausted body along, Xia You arrived at the Pokémon Center in Vermilion City.
He handed his Pokémon over to Nurse Joy, then returned to the Cerise Laboratory only after their treatment was complete.
Everywhere he looked along the way, there were scenes of chaos.
Just as Professor Cerise had told him over the phone, the explosion at the power plant had caused widespread outages around the Cerise Laboratory. Transportation, restaurants, and workplaces had all been severely affected.
He even saw Officer Jenny standing in the middle of the road with her Growlithe, directing traffic.
Fortunately, essential facilities like the Cerise Laboratory and the Pokémon Center had their own backup power supplies, so they would remain operational for now.
When he met Professor Cerise, Xia You briefly recounted what had happened. Upon hearing that he had encountered Zapdos, Professor Cerise shot to his feet in surprise.
"You actually encountered the Legendary Pokémon Zapdos?!"
Seeing Xia You nod, Professor Cerise soon calmed down and continued, "So Zapdos was behind the laboratory's frequent power outages. Still, now that there's been an explosion, I imagine that Zapdos won't show up again. As for the electrical room, I'll call the power company right away and have them send someone to repair it and replace the generators."
"Actually..." Xia You scratched his head. "I also caught Zapdos while I was there."
"What?!" Professor Cerise nearly choked on his own saliva. He coughed twice, looking utterly stunned. "You caught Zapdos?!"
"Yes." Xia You took out the Poké Ball containing Zapdos and waved it in front of Professor Cerise to prove he was telling the truth. "But to avoid any unnecessary trouble, I'd like you to keep this a secret, Professor."
After taking a deep breath, Professor Cerise composed himself and nodded. He, too, knew this was not something to publicize. "Don't worry. Until you choose to reveal it yourself, I won't breathe a word."
Then Xia You asked tentatively, "Professor, when a Trainer is already carrying six Pokémon, any newly caught Pokémon are sent to the laboratory. Is there any way to change that setting?"
Professor Cerise smiled at his question. "Why? Are six Pokémon not enough for you?"
"Under normal circumstances, they're certainly enough." Xia You gestured toward the Poké Ball in his hand. "But in a situation like this, where I can't conveniently leave a Pokémon somewhere else and have to keep them with me, that extra slot being taken up puts quite a limit on regular battles."
Understanding dawned on Professor Cerise. "You don't want to use Zapdos as one of your regular battling Pokémon, is that it?"
"Exactly," Xia You explained. "For me, Kirlia, Ivysaur, and the others are the cards I show openly. A Legendary Pokémon like Zapdos draws too much attention, so Zapdos is a hidden card-my trump card, in other words. Switching between the cards I show and the ones I keep hidden is how I can really catch opponents off guard and stay ahead."
"I see. I understand what you're thinking. That's a very prudent plan." Professor Cerise held out his hand to Xia You. "Here, give me your Pokédex."
Xia You handed him the Pokédex. Professor Cerise connected it to his computer, made a few adjustments, then returned it to him.
"There. I've updated your permissions and raised your Poké Ball carrying limit from six to twelve. That way, besides your usual six Poké Balls, even if you catch another rare Pokémon in the future, you won't have to worry about them suddenly being transported away."
That afternoon, at Cerise Park.
Xia You opened the Poké Ball and released Zapdos.
Since the park was not yet open to the public, he did not have to worry about anyone spotting Zapdos and causing a commotion.
Zapdos flapped their wings, staring down at Xia You from above.
Xia You smiled. "You were beaten by Pokémon weaker than you, and you were outnumbered, too. I know you're not happy about it, but that's all right. As time goes by, I'm sure you'll accept me soon enough!"
Zapdos lifted their head, seemingly full of disdain.
Xia You did not mind their attitude at all. "It's fine if you don't want to acknowledge me. But as my Pokémon, you'd better be prepared. Since you're so powerful, you can be their sparring partner!"
Without waiting to see whether Zapdos agreed, Xia You called out to his Pokémon, "Now, everyone, go! All-out attack!"
With a furious cry, brilliant bolts of electricity suddenly lit up Cerise Park.
After a day's rest, Xia You left the Cerise Laboratory with his backpack and several Pokémon. He was about to set off for the next Gym's city when he suddenly heard someone calling his name from behind.
He looked back and saw Ash, Misty, and Brock!
Was this really fate at work, bringing the three of them together to travel just like in the anime?
"You made it to Vermilion City already?" Xia You smiled as they approached him. "Are you going to challenge the Vermilion Gym next?"
Ash rubbed his nose, looking rather pleased with himself, then unzipped his jacket to show Xia You the three badges pinned inside.
"The Boulder Badge, the Cascade Badge, and the Orange Badge?" Xia You said in surprise. "You've already earned three badges in just a few days? That's an incredible pace!"
"It's no big deal!" Ash laughed. "My goal is to become a Pokémon Master. Getting three badges isn't hard at all."
"I really can't stand you sometimes." Beside him, Misty frowned. "You only got those badges because we felt sorry for you and went easy on you in battle."
Brock nodded in agreement. "Exactly. A little modesty wouldn't hurt."
His two companions had exposed the truth right after his boast. Ash looked a little embarrassed, but he simply laughed it off without taking it to heart.
Misty clasped her hands behind her back and stepped up to Xia You to greet him.
Perhaps even she had not noticed that her tone held less of its usual willfulness and a little more shyness and delight.
Xia You gave her a radiant smile. "It's only been two days, Misty, but you seem even prettier than before."
Beside her, Brock also extended his right hand to Xia You.
"I haven't properly introduced myself yet. My name's Brock. A few days ago, I quit my job as a Gym Leader and started traveling with Ash and Misty. Now I'm working toward becoming a Pokémon Breeder."
"That's a great ambition, though I think becoming a Pokémon doctor would be a good choice, too." Xia You shook his hand, then changed the subject. "But forgive me for asking, Brock-are you really only fifteen? Why do you look older than me?"
Before you continue