"Twee!" Just as Sylva didn't know what to do, a sharp cry suddenly echoed through the sky, followed by a bolt of golden lightning striking the ground between Ash, Sabrina, and Sylva.
"Zapdos, you finally came. These two people wanted to steal your crystal." Seeing the golden figure descend from the sky, Sylva immediately revealed a delighted expression. It was Zapdos.
However, unlike the Zapdos that Ash had subdued, this Zapdos was only at the peak of the Champion level, while Ash's Zapdos had already reached the level of a true Legendary Pokémon. Though they shared the same origin, the gap between them was like heaven and earth.
In truth, not every Zapdos could be considered a true Legendary Pokémon. Aside from supreme Legendary Pokémon like Ho-Oh, who naturally possessed authority over laws and domains, most Zapdos were simply extremely rare and powerful Pokémon. The reason Ash's Zapdos was recognized as a genuine Legendary Pokémon was because it had surpassed its species limits.
Ordinary Zapdos could at best be considered pseudo-legendary level Pokémon, beings with the potential to naturally reach the Champion realm.
"Twee!"
After landing, Zapdos lowered its head before Ash under Sylva's shocked gaze, displaying complete submission. Ever since Ash had subdued the king among Zapdos, he naturally carried its aura.
This Zapdos could clearly sense the presence of a king of its own kind. Since even its king had acknowledged Ash, surrendering itself was only natural.
"I didn't expect there to be another Zapdos here." Ash gently reached out and stroked Zapdos' head, somewhat surprised. He already knew there was more than one Zapdos in the world, but encountering another one so soon still caught him off guard.
"What… what is going on here?" Sylva stared blankly at the obedient Zapdos beside Ash. In her mind, Zapdos was a domineering and untouchable Legendary Pokémon, yet now it was willingly bowing before a human.
"What's so strange about it? Ash already has a real Zapdos, of course this one would submit to him." Sabrina crossed her arms and proudly explained from the side.
"There's actually such a thing…" Sylva muttered in disbelief.
At this point, the mountain had nearly turned into a wasteland. Countless Pokémon gathered around Ash and the others, all looking uneasy.
"Twee!"
Zapdos suddenly cried out toward Ash before flapping its wings and flying into the distance. Not long after, it returned while carrying a crystal-like gem in its claws.
"Don't worry, I only scared them a little." Looking at the Infinity Gem placed before him, Ash smiled softly.
This Zapdos actually had a kind heart.
It turned out the Infinity Gem had originally been discovered by Zapdos in an uninhabited region. Later, after being injured while passing through this area, it had been rescued by Sylva, who managed the mountain.
To repay her kindness, Zapdos left the gem here.
Since then, the mountain had transformed from an ordinary place into a paradise for injured Pokémon. Any wounded Pokémon that soaked in the lake infused with the gem's power would gradually recover. The healing effect was astonishing, and Zapdos would occasionally return to check on the area.
Now that he was close enough, Ash could finally retrieve the Infinity Gem.
The gem slowly floated into the air before everyone's astonished eyes, drifting toward Ash before merging directly into his chest.
"It's incredible… this vitality absorption speed is much faster than before."
The moment the Infinity Gem fused with him, Ash immediately sensed the change. His vitality absorption speed had increased several times over, nearly forming a perfect endless cycle.
Clap!
Ash brought his hands together as the vitality previously absorbed by the Infinity Gem spread outward. A soft green glow emerged from his body before sweeping across the surrounding land.
Green symbolized the power of life and nature.
In less than a minute, the barren mountain that had been reduced to wasteland rapidly returned to its former state. Dense forests regrew at visible speed, the dried earth became moist once more, and fresh grass spread across the land.
"Twee!"
Seeing the surroundings restored, Zapdos cried out happily. It glanced at Sylva before walking toward Ash and pecking at the Poké Ball hanging from his waist.
"Hm? You want me to find a Trainer for you?" After understanding Zapdos' meaning, Ash looked surprised.
After all, this Zapdos had already reached the peak of the Champion level. With both immense strength and the status of a Legendary Pokémon, there should have been no need for it to seek out a Trainer.
"Twee~ Twee~"
After hearing Ash's words, Zapdos cried out again, allowing Ash to finally understand its situation.
Like Lugia, this Zapdos had gradually grown stronger little by little over the years. However, because of the title of Legendary Pokémon, its life had never been peaceful.
Ever since it was young, countless people had tried to capture it.
Fortunately, Zapdos had been lucky enough to survive until now and eventually grow into a Champion-level powerhouse. But even with such strength, there were still many people who coveted it.
As the saying went, even a tiger could not withstand a pack of wolves.
Although Zapdos was powerful, it still could not continuously resist large groups of humans, especially evil organizations that used despicable methods to hunt Legendary Pokémon.
Zapdos were not foolish Pokémon. The safest solution was naturally to live together with others of its kind.
Unfortunately, the number of Zapdos in the world was extremely small. Encountering another member of its species was already incredibly rare, let alone forming a group.
Because of that, the idea was practically impossible.
The only remaining option was to seek out the king of its kind, the Zapdos under Ash's command.
However, Ash's Zapdos had always remained within Lugia's territory, protecting the surrounding seas alongside it. Ordinary Zapdos could not casually approach that area, even if they belonged to the same species.