I took Easter off for a break from writing. I hope you all had a great time.

I'm going off a combination of the anime and game layout. Hopefully I've remembered it right.

Chapter 11- Fancy a side quest?

The talk with his mother lasted more than a few hours. Ash knew he wasn't totally in the wrong in the situation, but he had too much respect for his mother to labour that point too much. Delia knew he wasn't totally in the wrong, but his behaviour was out of order. Lorelei's email to her that morning about how she was at fault was nice to receive, but it wasn't how she raised him. She hadn't told him about the email yet, Lorelei had said she wanted to do it in person the next time she saw him. Ash being on his journey had left her with constant anxiety and worry.

"I'm having second thoughts about letting you carry on with your journey Ash." Delia said.

"What? Why? You've just said yourself that I wasn't at fault for it!" Ash said looking at her incredulously. "Why am I being punished?"

"You are not being punished Ash" Delia replied firmly "but it's very evident that being on the road has changed you. You would never have behaved like this if you were home."

"Yes, I would." Ash said "When have I ever been ok with injustice mum? Lorelei changed the rules and had no right doing so. I apologised to the Waterflower sisters, I even apologised to Lorelei even though she was the instigator. It's not fair to punish me for reacting like that when it was clear that she changed the rules to try and deny me a badge. And I'm being punished?"

"Ash, you are not being punished. But this type of attitude is exactly what I'm talking about" Delia said frowning "out of the four of you who left Pallet Town that day everyone knew you was the most mature out of all of them. And not once did I ever believe that I would be having to have this talk with you so soon. This is twice now in as many weeks that I'm having to have this kind of conversation with you. Lorelei may have been in the wrong, but her position still demands a certain amount of respect."

"So, I'm just supposed to accept everything the Elite Four, or any adult in a position of authority do to hold me back simply because of their position?" Ash asked incredulously "whatever happened to respect is earned mum? The very thing you instilled in me from the moment I could understand people. Does all that go out of the window because Lorelei is an Elite Four member? Lorelei lost mine for her the moment she abused her position of power. And I'm the one being threatened with a grounding and my journey halted? How is that fair?"

Sighing Delia sat back. She knew Ash was right, Lorelei had apologised for doing exactly what Ash said she did. But she also knew that someday Ash could do that to the wrong person and his future would go up in smoke. After a few moments of silence, she replied.

"Ash, you need to work on how you react in situations because one day you're going to snap at the wrong person and no amount of apologies will sort it out."

"Mum I wasn't sorry with the way I reacted to her. I was sorrier that I'd disappointed you." Ash said seriously "her actions were out of line. But you are right that I need to work on my anger in situations like that because I know it will happen again at some point. So, for that I'm sorry."

"That's all I'm asking Ash. Now, I won't be pulling you from your journey. I couldn't do that to you" Delia said with a wry smile on her face "you are very much like me you know at times? Your father couldn't stand injustice to Pokémon but on an emotional level he was quite stunted. I on the other hand had a terrible temper growing up. And I can't say I would have reacted any different to you. Which is why I'm being a hypocrite here Ash. I know the consequences of what comes from reacting like you do and I'm trying to save you from them"

"By being the one who consequences me?" Ash asked confused.

"Yes, because at least my actions and reactions will be safe and controlled." Delia said seriously "Out there is not, and the world is a very unforgiving place Ash for the naïve. So as I said you're not being punished, I just want you to think about things more before you act."

"I'll give it a go mum." Ash said nodding "I'll try and be better in future, I can't guarantee I'll be perfect though"

"Ash, no one is perfect sweetheart" Delia said laughing "but I'm glad we've come to a resolution of some sort. Now, changing the subject, where do I find you?"

The conversation was much lighter after that, and they both felt much better for it. Talking to her about his Pokémon and where he was located was a much safer topic. Delia gave him the usual warning of "be careful" before they hung up. As it was mid-afternoon, and Ash didn't really want to be walking around a power plant in the dark they decided to have an evening training session in the Pokémon Centres practice gym. They had all been working with weights on since Ash caught them. He only took them off them around dinner time so they could get used to the feel of them. Ash marvelled at the progress they had all made. Pikachu was incredibly fast, and his attacks hit hard, Bulbasaur had much more mobility than he would have had, was turning lighter and getting bigger, Charmander was beginning to turn a deeper red and becoming more battle hardened due to his spars with Pikachu and even Squirtle had progressed in the four days he had started to train him. He was still far behind the others but his attack power was getting better every day. Another few weeks and he would be where Ash wanted him to be before he moved on to heavier weights.

"You've all done amazing guys" Ash said squatting beside them covered in sweat "it's hard to believe the progress we've made in such a short amount of time but you all continue to impress me every single day. So, I've made a decision. When we go on the cruise we're all going to have a week off from training to just enjoy life. And as soon as we reach a place with a beach, we'll have a few days relaxing there too. Now, that's still a long time away right now but I promise you that will happen. We've spent far too long on training and focusing on our tasks to enjoy being friends and enjoy the journey. I don't want to get to the league and look back and wonder what we've missed out on. So, what do you guys think?"

Getting cheers all around made Ash very happy. He knew it was the right thing to do. They weren't machines after all. They were living breathing beings who deserved to have fun.

The next day however Ash woke up to a massive thunderstorm. Walking down to the centres canteen he was amazed to find an eclectic mix of trainers and people. From hikers, to Pokemaniacs to scientists. Seeing them made Ash realise that the world was a massive place and there was so many vital jobs that pleased so many people just as much as his did. Sitting on the table next to the scientists Pikachu and Ash started on their breakfast until a sentence from one of them made Ash and Pikachu both look at each other.

"The boss isn't going to be happy about this, especially after the Moon Rocket team went AWOL. They've still not returned and that was months ago."

"Well, what can we do? This thunderstorm came from nowhere."

"We don't have a choice. We need to get in there as soon as possible. Our ID will only work for so long before they realise that we've taken the place of the real engineers and aren't supposed to be in there."

"Quiet. Our mission was very clear. Get into the Power Plant, sabotage the main generator and leave. No excuses. Now come on. Eat up and let's go before our timeframe runs out."

Looking at each other Ash and Pikachu finished their breakfast before going back to their room. Calling out everyone Ash explained what was going on.

"Well, why don't you just call the police?" Squirtle asked "isn't that their job?"

"Not in this instance" Pikachu replied "Our task from Arceus was to remove these people as a threat before something world-changing happens. If we remove them whenever we can then there will be less to fight later on."

"Pikachu is right" Charmander said "you said there was six of them? That makes it easier than your Mt Moon fiasco, doesn't it?"

"I'm just saying, hasn't your mum literally just had a conversation with you about thinking things through before acting?" Squirtle said.

"It does" Ash replied to Charmander "but that doesn't mean it's any less dangerous. We don't have the advantage of knowing the layout of the place or darkened tunnels to ambush them, I don't want to put you guys in a situation like that one without informing you. And to answer your question Squirtle, that is exactly why I'm asking you guys first. So, we can all come to a decision."

"So, we vote" Bulbasaur said.

"What's the point?" Squirtle asked perplexed "we all know that Charmander and Pikachu want to go, I'm not thrilled about it which means your vote ties it up. And I've been around you guys long enough now to know Ash will always vote to take out the bad guys whenever possible."

"That's not fair" Bulbasaur said "you've no idea what I was going to say. I was actually going to warn Ash about the dangers but also say this is what we're training for. And the few Rockets we take out now we can treat as a training exercise."

"You're talking about killing people like it's an everyday thing" Squirtle said angrily "it shouldn't be like that Bulbasaur."

"You're right Squirtle" Ash said interrupting "and yet that's our life. It's our task set out by Arceus to deal with everyone who abuses or aids in the abuse of Pokémon. Team Rocket are number one on that list so far. None of us are happy with having to kill anyone. You did not go into this with blinkered eyes. We have all been up front about what we're going to be required to do. So are you going to join us or do you want to stay in your pokeball."

Sighing Squirtle said "I'm in. I'm not overjoyed about it, but I can't let you guys do this alone. So yes, I'm in. But can you at least search for a map of the place? Just so we have an idea of the layout."

"Good" Pikachu said "well I suggest we move out as soon as we can. Chances are the Rockets have already left. That map idea is a good one though."

Recalling them all Ash stood up and made his way over to the computer and tried to find a layout map, unfortunately there wasn't one. "damn" Ash said to Pikachu packing up and leaving "we may have to try and find the managers office in the place to find a layout. Failing that we wing it."

The journey to the power plant was horrendous. And despite how waterproof his clothes were he was still soaked by the time he arrived at the Power Plant front doors. At the front doors were two of the scientists from before looking miserable and wet. Visibility was virtually none existent for most people, as an aura user however Ash knew exactly where they were located. Quietly talking to Pikachu they came up with a plan to take them out. It required speed of action and precision. "On three Pikachu. One, two, three. Go!"

The world exploded into pain for the two Rocket members as they were lit up like a set of lights. The rain amplified Pikachu's Thunderbolt attack and knocked them back into the doors where they immediately fell unconscious.

"These guys are knocked out Ash" Pikachu said "we can hide them and send Jenny a message once we leave."

"I don't particularly want to advertise it was me taking them out Pi." Ash said grimly searching them. Finding a key card and a radio he pocketed them and stood up "If I tell Jenny, then Rocket knows that I'm involved somehow. And any mysterious deaths will be placed on us."

"What if we leave them knocked out. Then when we get back to the Pokémon centre, we leave Joy an anonymous note?" Pikachu asked.

"That might work, until they check CCTV and find it was me that left the note" Ash said sending out Bulbasaur "I don't like having to kill them when they're already unconscious. Let's drag them into the bushes over there. Hopefully the shelter keeps the rain from reviving them, should they wake up though they're likely to believe an electric Pokémon from inside attacked them. Bulbasaur, can you help me lift them with your vines over to those trees?" ten minutes later Ash had stashed them behind several bushes and returned Bulbasaur to his ball.

Walking up to the door he scanned the key card and the door automatically opened, thankfully the howling rain masked any noise the door made when opened, but the silence was absolute when it closed behind them. As was the darkness. Ash knew this wasn't right, the Power Plant was usually lit up with Pokémon and people walking around the place.

While Ash changed out of his sodden clothes, he released his team, and they came up with a tentative plan of action. What it boiled down to was Bulbasaur using sleep powder on anything that moved and the rest getting ready to attack. Using both his aura and Charmanders tail as a light they trekked into the absolute darkness.

It was very eerie Squirtle commented "I feel like there should be more Pokémon than we've come across. I talked to a lot of wild Pokémon when I was free about various places, and some had been in here. This place is usually teeming with Electric Pokémon. So far, we've seen two Magnemite. That's not right."

"I agree Squirtle" Ash said quietly "I have a feeling this place has either been cleaned out by Rocket or they've all been corralled into the generator room like the Rockets did at Mt Moon. Now, keep alert, I can feel a massive spike of aura every now and then somewhere to the East. Whatever it is isn't happy. Squirtle and Charmander, I'm going to return you guys for now. I have a feeling that whatever isn't happy will need us all to face it. Bulbasaur, your objective is still to make anything that moves fall asleep. Let's go guys."

Walking on through the twisted corridors made Ash very highly strung. So much so that when an Electrode fell out of the air Ash used his aura strengthened leg to kick it away where it hit a wall and embedded itself into it. "On edge much?" Pikachu muttered as they carefully made their way past the unconscious Pokémon, knowing how volatile they were. For another hour they made their way carefully through the halls of the plant barely seeing anything of note. They had come across a few Magnetons and an Electabuzz which was rare, but they didn't concern Ash too much.

It wasn't until they saw light at the end of a corridor that the situation came to a head. Hearing voices Ash peered around a corner to see one of the Rockets standing over the body of one of his comrades, terrified and screaming for help over the radio. Ash remembered he had turned his stolen one off when he was chatting to his team. He didn't want any static to be picked up and give their position away in a mission that required stealth. The terrified rocket had clearly dragged this guy from somewhere, evidently it wasn't enough, and the man had died from whatever it was.

"Why isn't anyone picking up?" the rocket sobbed "we're really out of our depth here. We should never have come here."

Before he could react a flash of blue lit up the corridor causing the man to look up as Ash sent an aura spike into the man's head instantly killing him. "Two left Pikachu"

"That's if the six from this morning were all that was sent" Pikachu mumbled back. Nodding Ash searched the two bodies for anything.

"Look at this Pikachu" Ash said moving the first dead guys coat to one side. "That's a hole. Something has punched a hole into this guy at some speed. Whatever killed him isn't messing around, is it?"

"Very few things can do something at that speed Ash" Pikachu said worried "was it a Pokémon?"

"I don't know Pi. And I don't think I want to either. Sadly though, I fear that's what the massive spike was from before. It's settled down a bit in the last half an hour but still, I'm scared Pi."

"Me too Ash. But we either go on or go back" Pikachu said. Standing up Ash nodded, and they carried on into the next room. It was the managers office. A quick scan left Ash feeling a bit uneasy. The CCTV monitors were all giving off very loud static, the cabinets had been smashed to pieces and the room was in a mess. The reason why was pretty evident. The window that made up one side of the office looked down into the generator room had been blown apart inwards by something. The scorch marks that were on the opposite wall told Ash all he needed to know.

"Those scorch marks look very familiar Pikachu. They look like what you leave behind after an attack. Whatever blew that window was not playing around and is clearly very powerful."

Creeping over to the window Ash crouched down and peered over the edge of the blown-out window. Holding in a gasp Ash quickly sat back down and began to shake his head.

"What is it?" Pikachu asked.

Looking at Pikachu he managed to stammer out "Zapdos."

"The Zapdos?" Pikachu asked earning a nod from Ash. Quickly clambering up Ash's shoulder he took a peek over the top and quickly joined Ash in stunned silence.

"Well, now at least we know what that massive spike was you felt." Pikachu said "Ash, is it dead?"

"I don't know Pikachu" Ash said shaking his head "I didn't really get a chance to ask it you know?"

"No need for that. We need to go and check" Pikachu said smacking Ash on his head with his tail.

Standing up Ash shook himself into focusing. There was still two unaccounted Rockets still around after all. Walking through the room to the door opposite to where he came in, he opened it to find one of the Rockets dead leaning against the rail. That's one less he thought as he walked out onto the metal balcony and down the steps. Cautiously he looked around and saw nothing and no one around, so he walked up to Zapdos, getting as close as he dared. The bird was magnificent Ash thought. It was huge, its wingspan must have been twenty feet wide alone. Every now and then little crackles of electricity would cover its body and it would shiver. Looking at its beak he saw it was covered in what looked like blood. It was clear where the wound on the Rocket member from before came from. Reaching out with his Aura he gasped. Zapdos was alive, but barely. His Aura was massively depleted, what the hell had damaged a legendary Pokémon this much?

"It's alive Pi. But barely." Ash said touching Zapdos beak causing it to stir "what the hell did this to you?" Ash asked it. He never expected a reply but the faint "Electric siphon, Rhydon, Rockslide. Very weak" inside his head was very much a surprise.

"An electric siphon? From where?" Ash asked.

"That would be from me" a voice said causing Ash to spin around. It was the engineer from this morning "isn't it magnificent?" he said walking up to Zapdos while Ash circled away keeping him in line of sight "Zapdos, a Legendary Pokémon reduced to nothing because of a lack of electricity. Such is the way of the world. You see I knew my plan would work. I just needed a team to help me install it. The boss wanted us to shut off the generator causing panic in the cities and hospitals across Kanto. I decided to use that plan and improve upon it. So, the siphon I created now stores all the electricity for us to use whenever we want for the right price" he added cruelly smirking as he pointed out a device that was attached to the leads of the generator. "I didn't foresee Zapdos appearing though. That was a bonus. And as soon as I capture it the stronger Team Rocket will be. I'm sure the boss will accept the deaths of some of his team when I give him Zapdos in return. As for you, I'm afraid you won't be leaving here alive. Rhydon, Arbok, come forth" he said as a massive Rhino came out standing on two legs and a giant purple Snake.

In his pocket Dexter beeped to life

"Rhydon, Pokedex number 112, The Drill Pokémon, and the evolved form of Rhyhorn. This Pokémon is male. Its brain developed when it began walking on hind legs. It is protected by an armour-like hide, it is capable of living in molten lava of 3,600 degrees.

Arbok, Pokedex Number 24, the cobra Pokémon, and the evolved form of Ekans. This Pokémon is female. Transfixing prey with the face-like pattern on its belly, it binds and poisons the frightened victim. It is rumoured that the ferocious warning markings on its belly differ from area to area."

"Pikachu, start off with a Thunderbolt on Rhydon and aim for the horn, the rest of you attack the Arbok" Ash said as they all sprang into action. The Arbok was being teamed up on very effectively. Ash was pleased to see all their training being put to good use. Pikachu's Thunderbolt though swerved away and hit a machine on the generators side.

"What an idiot" the Rocket "didn't I just say there is a siphon on the generator that absorbs every bit of electricity used? Rhydon, get in close with Take Down. Arbok, stop messing around and attack those Pokémon." With that Rhydon lowered its horn and charged at Pikachu who led it on a chase around the room

"We may not be able to use electric attacks, but we've trained for this Pikachu. Iron Tail its horn and then head on over to the generator. I have a plan" Pikachu did just that causing Rhydon to slide on to the floor headfirst from the impact as Pikachu raced over to the generator. "Try and get that siphon off if you can, I'll deal with Rhydon" Ash shouted as he leapt into action throwing aura spheres into its face causing it to roar in pain.

"An aura guardian?" the rocket said fearfully. Looking around he saw his Arbok finally go down underneath all the attacks which had come at once. "No!" he cried as he returned it and focused on Ash "Horn Drill him! Kill him!"

Ash leapt out of the way just in time but was grazed on his arm leaving a deep slash but thankfully still alive. His Pokémon saw this and started attacking the Rhydon with everything they had finally making it faint. Cheering stopped as Charmander began to glow, after a minute though he stopped and appeared to be panting with the effort. Deciding to sort it out later Ash made his way over to the Rocket and knocked him out with an aura punch to the face. Calling everyone except Bulbasaur back he walked over to Pikachu and saw he still had issues with getting the siphon off. "If he wakes up knock him out with Sleep Powder. Thanks, Bulbasaur. You did well there"

"Try Iron Tail Pikachu" Ash said as he dug into his bag and began to apply a dressing to his wounded arm. Frustratingly it didn't work. Ash decided to resort to using his aura infused strength to pull it off. Gradually it began to move but not enough to completely tear it off. "we'll just have to turn it off for now" Ash said following the leads that were still attached to the generator. Luckily, there was an emergency stop button which killed the machine and stopped the siphon from working.

"The issue now Ash is that the cities are still without power. We may have stopped the siphon but as soon as its switched back on it'll just reroute the electricity."

Sitting down with his back to the generator he banged his head on it hoping for inspiration. Looking around he saw the devastation that had been caused. The room was a mess, the man was lay over near the stairs with Bulbasaur watching him intently, his Rhydon knocked out not far away from him and Zapdos sprawled out on the floor about five feet away. Ash pulled out Dexter and scanned it.

"Zapdos, Pokedex Number 145, The Legendary Electric Bird Pokémon, This Pokémon is male. One third of the Legendary Kanto Bird Trio. A legendary Pokémon that is said to appear from clouds while dropping enormous lightning bolts. It gains power if it is stricken by lightning bolts."

What, Ash thought? Weren't all Legendaries genderless? Suddenly though it was as if a lightbulb went off in his head.

"Erm Pi" Ash began "I think I have an idea on how we can solve the problem with the siphon. Dexter says Zapdos gains power when it's stuck by lightning right? Well, do you think you'll be able to power it up with your electricity. You're pretty strong and your Thunderbolt is pretty much equal to a low powered Thunder attack now. And its beak did a pretty good job of goring that Rocket guy we passed on the way to here. Maybe it can help us get rid of it?"

"I can give it a go Ash" Pikachu said as they made their way over to Zapdos. "It's as good a plan as any."

Circling around Zapdos Ash had to stop himself from marvelling at it again. Unhooking its legs from the shackles that had been attached he went over to his bag and pulled several items out to aid Zapdos' recovery. Walking back, he knelt by Zapdos' head where it blearily opened an eye and spoke to it.

"We're going to try something that might not work, but it's all we have at the minute. I going to feed you several Sitrus Berries I pulled from trees to aid you as well as spray you with a Full Restore. After a minute or so, once they've started their jobs of helping you Pikachu is going to intermittently send Thunderbolts at you to try and recharge you until you can stand on your own power. So please don't attack me when I spray you. It's going to sting."

Standing up Ash did as he said he was going to. He was lucky he had four near full bottles of Full Restore on him. He had bought them for when they were going to go travelling through Rock Tunnel after visiting here. Applying it took several minutes as Zapdos was bruised and cut up in several places. It had a particularly nasty gash in one of its wings where a sharp rock shard was still wedged in, evidence of the Rock Slide it had taken from the Rhydon. Pulling it out Ash winced as sparks danced all over his arm. He was incredibly lucky that throughout the training with Pikachu he had developed a resistance from electric shocks. The one he felt then was quite strong and he winced as he let the shard drop and shook out his hand to regain feeling in it.

"Ok Pi." he said as he moved over to where Bulbasaur was, roughly twenty feet away. "I want you to send your strongest Thunderbolts at Zapdos. Every minute or so I will tell you to stop so you can rest. We have no idea if this will work, but if it does, we don't want you to be exhausted before it can move under its own power. Pi, use Thunderbolt."

For the next hour Pikachu sent strong bolts of lightning at Zapdos. For the first half an hour it didn't see like it was doing that much but Ash observed it starting to twitch more and more. After an hour Ash walked over to an exhausted Pikachu and sat down with him. "It's not enough is it, Pi?"

"Sorry Ash" Pikachu said lying down panting "I've nearly exhausted myself. I can probably go for another ten minutes but after that I'll be out of electricity."

"Hey, none of that. You did amazingly well. What you did has worked Pikachu. Zapdos is looking much better than it did. We'll have a rest for a while and eat. Hopefully the others can come up with an idea to aid you. Otherwise, we may have to be here all night resting and trying until it can stand up. Come on, let's go have something to eat" Leaving Pikachu where he was, he walked over to the still down Rocket and dragged him over to near Zapdos. Sitting down beside Bulbasaur he called the rest out and set up a mini picnic where they all ate and brainstormed about how to help.

"Hang on" Squirtle said suddenly after a few minutes of silence "how did Zapdos get in here to start with? This place is huge, but Zapdos dwarfs it" as a collective they all looked up to see Zapdos observing them still lying down on its front. The occasional spark coming off it signifying it was better than it was when they first arrived, but still lacking the energy needed to move. Seeing Zapdos raise its beak caused them some concern until they all realised It was looking up. Doing the same another light bulb went off in his head. Turning to Pikachu he said "do you remember the day we met Ho-oH? With the Spearow?" ignoring the surprised gasps from his recent recruits Pikachu nodded.

"Yeah, didn't we use a thunderstorm to power up my Thundershock? I unlocked Thunderbolt by doing it and we took out thirty or so Spearow in one hit."

"That's right." Ash nodded "well when we arrived here there was a thunderstorm happening. If we can get that roof opened, then maybe we can do the same to recharge both you and Zapdos at the same time?"

"It's worth a shot Ash" Charmander said "otherwise Pikachu here is in for a long night."

"Yup" Ash said standing up "the controls are likely in that room up there. Bulbasaur, keep an eye on our friend again please. We'll be back as soon as we can, hopefully with the roof open. A word of warning though, it's going to get really wet where you are if we find the controls."

Leading the way into the room Ash found the control panel just underneath the broken window. Thankfully Zapdos attack had flown straight at the window and struck the back wall missing the panel. Seeing a big red button Ash thought 'what the hell' and punched it. Nothing happened. Ash realised it was likely because there was no power going to it. Looking over the panel he noticed a power bar that was not lit up. "Charmander, can you use Metal Claw to rip this panel open? Hopefully a little spark off Pikachu can get this part running. We only need enough to get the button to work Pikachu so just send a small Thundershock into it" standing back he watched as Charmander ripped it open and Pikachu power up the panel. Amazingly it seemed to work. Ash pressed the button before the power had a chance to deplete too much and an alarm sounded throughout the otherwise cavernous room as the roof began to open. "Keep sending little shocks Pi. We don't want this to suddenly stop opening" several minutes later the alarm stopped, and the roof was fully open.

Walking down towards where Zapdos was he noticed a big puddle had started to form on the ground, remarkably though Ash saw rivets in the floor where the water drained away. Evidently the designers of this place knew what they were doing. "Zapdos, we have another idea. Pikachu's attacks aren't recharging you quickly enough so we're going to use the thunderstorm to help us" turning to Pikachu he said "you know what to do buddy, we're going to stand over there at a safe distance. The air is going to get really heavy here soon. When we're by the stairs I'll give you the go ahead" making sure his Pokémon were safe in their balls and his backpack was stowed away safely out of the way Ash called over to Pikachu "do your thing Buddy"

Pikachu began sending up Thundershocks into the clouds, every now and then he'd receive small bolts which helped recharge him. After ten minutes of this the bolts became progressively bigger and more frequent. His ability of Lightningrod really came into play and soon enough he was redirecting a constant stream of electricity into Zapdos. The air became thick with the smell of burned oxygen and ozone as the electricity turned gradually from yellow to green/blue. Twenty minutes later Zapdos managed to stand up on its own feet and loudly squawked into the open roof. It sent a massive bolt of lightning up into the air which came back down and struck it. Pikachu seeing his job was done moved a short distance away, just far enough so that his ability stopped interfering with Zapdos healing itself and collapsed onto his bum, looking very weary.

Five minutes later it was done. Zapdos was still covered in a few bruises and scratches, but the evidence was clear to see how much better it looked. Cautiously walking over to it a horrible smell wafted throughout the area. Looking for its source caused Ash to throw up his recently eaten meal. He hadn't pulled the Rocket member away from Zapdos when he started the healing process. All that was left was a burned out, blackened husk of a person. Wiping his mouth and doing his best to ignore the smell he pulled out a bottle of water from his bag to get rid of the taste and walked over to Zapdos, Pikachu joining him on his shoulder as he did so.

"Thank you human" Zapdos said surprising them "you have done me a great service this day. Not only did you rescue me from the scum who attacked me, but you healed me also. Usually, I stay away from humans. But I found myself needing to visit this place. I heard a cry from electric Pokémon while I was up in the clouds and found my electricity was being stolen when I came to their aid. Naturally it made me angry, and I attacked. It shames me to admit I was beaten by a simple machine" it finished glaring at the generator and its siphon. "I shall take care of that before I leave."

"You're very welcome Zapdos." Ash said Pikachu nodding along with his words "It's not every day you get to aid a Legendary Pokémon. Luckily, we overheard their plans this morning and set out to stop them. I was given a task by Arceus to train because a 'great disturbance' will soon happen. I believe Team Rocket are the ones behind it. This mission was clearly part of that great scheme of theirs."

"I know of your mission Human" Zapdos said shocking him "we have been instructed not to help you but also not to hinder you by our lady Arceus against the abomination. Many of us are naturally outraged by this and are unhappy with Arceus rules. But it is our lot in life to keep the balance and so we cannot interfere unless it affects us directly. You will find you have allies amongst us Chosen One should you choose to ask. Know this though, should we aid you directly we risk permanent destruction and replacement and not all my kin will risk it."

"I understand" Ash said a little disappointed "I'm thankful for any aid given. I just wish Arceus had given me help other than Aura to deal with whatever is coming."

"You will find young one that Arceus' gifts are not given lightly. Nor are they ever useless. You are still young and have a lot of growing to do, in time you will discover your true power" Zapdos said looking at him "you will find Ash that you have more help than you realise. You have gained me as an ally this day and if it were not for my role in the world, I would have likely joined you for a time."

"I would have declined your offer" Ash said shocking it "I know how important Legendaries are to this world and have some idea of the role they play. Travelling with me would have taken you away from your duties and I would never risk that just so I can say I have a Legendary in my team. It's for that reason that I will never capture one of you."

"You are a remarkable young man Chosen One" Zapdos said after a minute of silence "if I can aid in any way don't hesitate to ask. I need to be going now. It seems I need to warn my siblings of what happened to me."

"Actually" Ash said taking out two Thunderstones from his bag "there is something you may be able to help with. I came here initially to try and find Pikachu a Light Ball to aid his electricity. We can already affect ground and rock types so it's not a great issue if we failed to find one. And we likely would have been able to create one with the power Pikachu is developing but that still wouldn't have been for a while. I heard they are created by overloading a Thunderstone with electricity. So could you help?"

"Certainly, young one" Zapdos said shaking out its wings "Place them next to the generator. I'd advise you to stand a fair distance away though. My attacks are never light" doing just that Ash walked over to where he stood when Pikachu healed Zapdos and watched on in amazement as it sent a bolt of lightning into the sky. Less than thirty seconds later it came back down striking Zapdos who screeched and cast the biggest Thunder attack Ash would ever likely see at the two Thunderstones and literally melted and moulded them into two ball shapes. Not even a minute went by before Zapdos stopped as the two balls rolled off the machine. Before Ash could do anything though Zapdos screeched again and launched another Thunder at the inert siphoning device and blew it up.

"That was amazing" Ash heard Pikachu mutter "I want to be that powerful someday."

"We will make it happen Pi" Ash said making his way over to the balls. Picking them up he held them up marvelling at them. They were perfectly clear, coloured yellow with a faint lightning bolt inside them. They were named wrongly Ash thought chuckling. They weren't balls as much as spherical obloids. Given the shape of a normal Thunderstone this wasn't that surprising. Putting them in his pocket he walked over to a somewhat smug Zapdos.

"That" Ash began "was incredible. The power of that move was amazing. I hope someday we can have a battle where we can test Pikachu out against you."

"I felt his electricity" Zapdos said looking at Pikachu "and given who his grandsire was it's not surprising he has the potential he has. I look forward to the day we can battle Ash. But it's a long way off being fair so far. Keep training young Chosen. I must be going now."

"Wait" Ash said causing Zapdos to pause "who was his Grandsire?"

"Firstly, know this" Zapdos said "We legends do not all breed like normal Pokémon. From time to time, we Legendaries search out Pokémon eggs that have been abandoned and infuse some of our power in them over a great period of time. My sister Articuno found eggs and so far, has had two offspring, Moltres did the same and has had one. As for myself I have sired many offspring in this way, but I cannot create new Zapdos like they can create replicas of themselves. I am different than the others but not unique in this regard. Arceus literally created new Zapdos for me to father and teach their roles in this world. Several other Legendaries throughout the world breed in this way or have them created by Arceus. I knew instantly which Legendary was your Pikachu's sire."

"Wow" Ash said. That was information that was not out to the general public. It would be game changing when Ash wrote a paper about it. "So, who is it?"

Shaking itself Zapdos rose into the air and began to ascend into the clouds. From the clouds came a voice "Me" and the storm began to dissipate leaving Ash and Pikachu looking at each other in disbelief.

"Well at least that answers that question for you Pi. You always knew you were different. Now you know why" Pikachu just nodded numbly. Looking around he noticed that the cages that held the Pokémon were still intact but most of the inhabitants were now awake. Walking over to them he talked to them "I take it you all saw that interaction? Good. Now I'm going to release you all and you'll be free to go about your business. I will warn you though that other humans will be here soon. They will be wearing a blue uniform and are the local law enforcement and are good guys. Everyone that did this to you are dead, either by my hand or Zapdos'. So, stand back guys" with that Ash and Pikachu began to take all the padlocks off the cages through sheer force causing the Pokémon to flee to various places in the Power Plant. Walking around the front of the generator he noticed the wires from the siphon had been blown off by Zapdos' attack.

"Let's turn this back on now there's no siphon. Cities will have been without power for hours now Pi" Ash said flipping the switch back to on. Several loud thunks happened around the room as power began to flow once more and the room that was previously in semi-darkness lit up properly. The machine was very loud Ash thought as he made his way back to the manager's office where the phone was ringing like crazy. Picking it up Ash said

"Hello?"

"Oh, thank Arceus. We've been ringing you for hours now. What the hell is happening at the Power Plant?" came a stressed voice.

"Is that Officer Jenny?" Ash asked.

"It is yeah. Who am I speaking to?" Jenny replied.

"My name is Ash Ketchum" Ash said "I think you need to send a group of officers here Jenny. There are several dead bodies here wearing white overcoats and the whole place has been destroyed."

"Ash?" Jenny asked incredulously "why is it whenever my sisters speak to you there's always an issue. They warned me about you."

"Hey, in my defence I'm always in the right place at the wrong time. This is one of those times. Now, about those officers?" Ash said defensively.

"I'll send a crew there now. Do you have any idea what happened?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah" Ash replied "Zapdos happened. I'm here because I was hoping to find a Light Ball for Pikachu. But as I travelled inside the Power Plant, I came across several bodies along the way. And there was no signal on my Pokegear to ring anyone. I hoped there would be an emergency line in the manager's office. When I got to the office though it had been smashed up and I overheard a guy talking down below me. He was bragging about how useless Zapdos would be without its electricity and that his boss could charge people what they wanted when he captured it. Zapdos evidently didn't like this and killed him using its beak.

It then went on a rampage destroying a little machine attached to the generator. It looked like it was trying to steal electricity from the generator and Zapdos. It flew off when it realised there was no-one left around. So, I made my way down to the room and switched the generator back on. That's when I heard the phone start to ring again."

"Ok Ash. What you did was incredibly stupid and dangerous but very brave. A team should be there within the hour. Just sit tight and keep calm" with that Jenny hung up and Ash went down to the room below and sat by his bag waiting thinking about what story he would give to the officers. Forty minutes later voices could be heard as several officers raced into the generator room finding Ash sitting quietly next to a dead body. The next few hours were tedious Ash reflected when he was back in the Pokémon centre than night. Constantly repeating his story left Ash very irritated. So much so that after the fifth time of asking he shouldered his rucksack and walked out muttering about people not listening the first four times. Thankfully a Jenny took him back to the Centre where he healed everyone up and meditated over what had happened. Knowing that he would need to inform his mother before he went to sleep, he called both Sam and Delia. Picking up they were both confused until they saw the state of him. He had several scratches on his face and his bicep was clearly bandaged.

"Hi guys" he said wearily "first off I'm ok. I'm ringing because something happened today. After our conversation this morning mum I swear that I didn't go looking for trouble. Tomorrow or later on tonight there's likely going to be a special news bulletin about what happened today at the Power Plant. I've already given my statement to Jenny and what I told her was mostly true."

"Mostly true" Delia asked icily "explain young man."

"Like I said I didn't go looking for trouble." Ash said holding up his hands "I swear, I just happened to be in the same place as the incident went down" giving them a more in-depth explanation Ash told them what had happened inside the Power Plant. He left out overhearing them talking in the morning. He made it seem like he happened to stumble on their operation. He told them he came across the two dead bodies in the hallway, and then another one just outside the office. He told them about the conversation and brief battle with the last Rocket and how he saved Zapdos' life but inadvertently killed the Rocket while healing it. He expressed how sad he was at the loss of life for Sam's benefit. He then told of how Zapdos left after he healed it and then rescuing the caged Pokémon before restoring power and then ringing the police "and that's what happened. The Jennies are under the impression that all the bodies were mercenaries who took the place of the actual workers. They are still in the dark about who's been behind several of these attacks and Lance made it clear in an email I received to keep it that way for now" Ash finished an hour later.

"Well," Delia said somewhat mollified but giving him a shrewd look "given how power was out for the whole of Kanto I can't be mad at you not contacting anyone. Plus, you did say you tried to find an emergency phone to ring the police so at least you were using your brain. And I'm glad you were able to help Zapdos. I can't say I'm happy about you facing Team Rocket again after Viridian City but again, you weren't to know what happened and tried to ring for help."

"Indeed Ash" Sam said frowning "we were all worried when the power went down. Luckily, I have emergency sources of electricity on hand at the lab, but it was region-wide by all accounts. So well done my boy."

"Thanks Sam" Ash said "I found out some information from Zapdos that you'll find fascinating. I'll send it to you when I've typed it up. Trust me, its game changing Professor."

"I shall look forward to it Ash" Sam said intrigued "I must go now. Thank you for informing us Ash before we found out from another source and causing us worry" with that Sam hung up leaving just Ash and Delia. After a minute of silence Delia said, "what did you leave out?" Ash then told her the truth of what happened after he entered the Power Plant, how he had to kill one Rocket member before having to battle the last one. "I genuinely didn't know they were going to be in there Mum. I told you I was after a Light Ball and that's all I planned to look for. Saving Zapdos was terrifying. I didn't want to witness the death of a Legendary Pokémon either. I was very scared when Pikachu failed the first time to save it. Pikachu tried his best and I would never have blamed him if he did fail either. But it's getting more and more a reality now. Rocket is clearly very active. I think Viridian wasn't planned. Mt Moon and Power Plant were though, and it was sheer luck I made it through them."

"You were very brave Ash. But also, very lucky" Delia said sitting back "someone is looking out for you. But sooner or later that luck is going to run out Ash."

"I know mum. It's why I promised to be more cautious." Ash replied "I'm worried about Pikachu though. He found out from Zapdos some information about his family, and it's clearly shook him up. He's not talked since then" seeing Delia's questioning look he carried on "the Zapdos we rescued was apparently his grandfather. It's part of the paper I'm going to send to Sam. They can apparently breed but it's different from usual Pokémon. Essentially, they rescue abandoned eggs and infuse them with their own power over many years and create offspring. It's quite a fascinating topic really. Back to Pikachu though, I don't know what to say to him."

"Well talk to him Ash" Delia said "don't forget though that there's likely a reason Pikachu has never mentioned his family before. Not only that but he found out Zapdos was his grandfather, the only true family he likely has now and nearly failed to save his life. That's probably a reason why he's quiet too. I suspect Pikachu was abandoned as a Pichu for not only being shiny but also being more powerful."

"I hadn't thought of that. Thanks mum. I need to go now. I'll keep you updated on my location. I'll likely be out of reach for the next few days, possibly a week. I'm heading to Lavender Town via Rock Tunnel. From there I'll make my way to Saffron to get the badge before getting a bus back to Vermillion where we'll be having our cruise. I've told my Pokémon we'll be taking that time off with you from training. They deserve to relax too. Plus, I'm excited to spend time with you mum. It's been a long four months of not seeing each other."

"I'm excited too" Delia said smiling "let me know when you reach Lavender Town. Love you sweetheart."

"I love you too mum" Ash said before hanging up and going to retrieve his Pokémon. It seemed like a long overdue conversation with his best friend needed to take place.