The continuous rain showed no sign of letting up in the slightest.
Raindrops pattered down endlessly, soaking into clothes and skin alike, leaving everything uncomfortably sticky and damp.
Silas called Kangaskhan over and together they circled the entire ranch, but there was still no trace of Cyclizar or Chatot anywhere.
"Girl, let's check the coast," Silas said in a low voice.
His tone was heavy, his mood clearly downcast, as the two of them headed toward the shoreline.
Silas swept his gaze quickly across the coast, yet still didn't spot a single Pokémon.
Just as he was about to turn back, Kangaskhan suddenly let out an urgent cry and pointed toward the open sea.
"Kang!"
"Huh?"
Silas followed its gaze—and there, in the vast and endless ocean, he saw two dark silhouettes, accompanied by a familiar call.
It was Chatot's voice.
"Is that Chatot?"
Kangaskhan nodded. One of the dark figures over the sea really was Chatot.
Flying low over the ocean, Chatot was gripping Cyclizar, and it had also noticed the two figures standing on the beach.
With a powerful beat of its wings, it rushed over, gliding down parallel to the ground and landing beside Silas.
Up close, there was no mistake—it was Cyclizar and Chatot.
But something was clearly wrong with Cyclizar.
There were scorch marks all over its body, as if it had been struck by lightning, and yellow feathers clung to the corner of its mouth.
Silas reached out and touched it, and in an instant, a panel of information popped up before his eyes.
He had barely read the beginning when shock hit him like a hammer.
[Zapdos Crest Feather: A legendary ingredient. A plume taken from the crown of Zapdos, the most precious feather on its body. It contains an enormous amount of Electric-type energy and may be used to create a dish. The effects of such a dish are unknown.]
Looking at the golden feathers stuck all over Cyclizar's mouth, Silas couldn't help but picture a completely bald Zapdos in his mind.
But he had no energy to dwell on that right now. He simply gathered up the feathers and put them away.
He instructed Kangaskhan to pick Cyclizar up, then placed his hand on Cyclizar's forehead.
It was burning hot.
Cyclizar's entire body was scorching, so hot that the rain falling on it evaporated instantly into mist.
Silas crouched down and gently shook it. "Cyclizar… Cyclizar, can you hear me?"
In its dazed state, Cyclizar seemed to catch Silas's voice.
A final surge of strength welled up from deep within its exhausted body. Cyclizar opened its eyes and licked Silas's palm twice.
As if to say: don't worry, I'm fine—I'm just really tired.
Compared to Cyclizar's condition, the bird Pokémon it had fought was in far worse shape.
Separated from Shalour City by a stretch of ocean, deep within the sea, lay the Sea Spirit's Den.
A world-shaking battle had just come to an end. The thunderstorm overhead gradually dispersed, yet it did nothing to soothe the misery in the heart of the bird Pokémon inside the cavern.
"Zap—Dos!"
Reflected in the enormous crystal within the cave was the silhouette of a bird Pokémon.
It was the Sacred Bird, the legendary Pokémon said to command lightning at will—Zapdos.
At this moment, its condition was utterly miserable. Its body lay limply against the ground, barely clinging to life.
"Damn it! My crest—my one and only crown feathers are gone!!! Aaaahhh!!!"
Zapdos once possessed a sharp, imposing, and handsome crest of feathers.
Now, it was gone.
Its head was completely bald, leaving only bare skin exposed. When the wind blew past, it felt chillingly cold.
Zapdos shrank its neck and buried its head into the ground.
"I… I can't face anyone like this…"
Going out with a bald head—Moltres and Articuno would definitely laugh at her.
How could she possibly present herself before Lord Lugia like this?
Zapdos was overwhelmed with grief, to the point that it felt like it might as well die.
In this state, how could she ever go out and face others again?
If she had known this would happen, she would never have captured Chatot in the first place.
Thinking of this, Zapdos turned to look at the group of bird Pokémon huddled in the corner.
Sensing danger, the bird Pokémon all buried their heads into the ground at once.
"Twit Twit~!"
We're all blind. We didn't see anything at all.
…
"Miss Joy, how is Cyclizar doing?"
Seeing Nurse Joy and Chansey step out of the emergency room, Silas hurried forward and asked anxiously.
The Poké Ball on the trolley opened, and Cyclizar leapt out full of vitality.
Before Silas could even react, he was knocked over, a large wet tongue slapping across his face and covering him in drool.
"Cyclizar, you're okay now?!"
Silas rubbed it vigorously, then pushed it onto its back and scratched its belly.
The weight that had been hanging over his heart finally lifted. Cyclizar being safe was the best possible outcome.
But at that moment, Nurse Joy poured cold water on his relief, warning sternly, "Silas, don't be happy too soon. Take a look at this examination report."
Having Cyclizar sit beside him, Silas picked up the report and began reading.
Everything at the beginning looked normal—no abnormalities in the data.
But when he reached the final section, his expression changed.
Cyclizar was a Dragon- and Normal-type Pokémon.
Yet inside its body was an extremely dense concentration of Electric-type energy. This energy was already suppressing its Normal-type attribute and was beginning to compete with its Dragon-type for dominance.
"This…?"
Silas looked at Nurse Joy in confusion. He didn't quite understand.
Nurse Joy explained carefully, "Cyclizar's innate typing are undergoing a subtle transformation. If this continues unchecked, Cyclizar will permanently lose its Normal-type attribute, and even its Dragon-type will eventually be suppressed by the Electric-type."
"This kind of type shift is something I've never seen before. Whether it will ultimately be good or bad for Cyclizar—I can't say. That decision will have to be made by you, as its Trainer."
Pulling his pant leg free from Cyclizar's mouth, Silas offered his sincere thanks.
"Thank you, Nurse Joy. I'll keep a close eye on it."
After paying for Cyclizar's examination, Silas paused at the entrance before leaving. "Nurse Joy, I'd like to invite you to the ranch to conduct a full checkup on all the Pokémon there. Do you have any free time in the coming days?"
Aside from Cyclizar, Kangaskhan, Noibat and Smoliv, all the other Pokémon on the ranch had been captured in the wild. It would be better to have them all checked.
Since Cyclizar had already been examined, the extra expense didn't bother him.
It would also give him peace of mind.
Besides, there were too many Pokémon at the ranch now—it wasn't realistic to bring them all to the Pokémon Center.
Nurse Joy didn't hesitate and readily agreed. This was also part of her job.
Not everyone was a Trainer who could bring Pokémon to a Pokémon Center—home visits were also available.
Of course…
The price would be a bit higher.
They tentatively scheduled the visit for the 6th, and only then did Silas head back to the ranch with Cyclizar and Kangaskhan.
By the time they returned, the rain had stopped.
The sky had cleared at the horizon.
After being busy for most of the day, once he finally relaxed, Silas felt an overwhelming wave of exhaustion wash over him.
His head felt heavy, he couldn't stop coughing, and his throat burned with pain.
His original plan to question Chatot had no choice but to be put on hold.
Back in the house, he gave Minccino and the others a few casual instructions, took some anti-inflammatory medicine, and collapsed onto the bed.
At first, the Pokémon didn't notice anything unusual.
But after several hours passed and Silas still hadn't woken up, Minccino hopped onto the bed and placed a tiny paw on his forehead—only to recoil immediately from the heat.
"So hot! So hot! Silas is sick!"
Cyclizar and the Noibat gathered around, all lowering their heads in guilt. If it weren't for them, Silas wouldn't have been caught in the rain, and he wouldn't have fallen ill.
Kangaskhan stepped forward, carrying herself like a true adult.
She began directing the Pokémon calmly—those responsible for the ranch continued their duties as usual, while those tasked with caring for Silas immediately sprang into action.
Yet after finishing their daily work, all the Pokémon gathered around Silas's bedside.
Quietly keeping watch.
Hoping with all their hearts that Silas would recover soon.
(End of Chapter)