"Whew~ It's finally over."
Seeing the Martial Arts Master Bears leave, Logan finally relaxed. He flopped down on the ground with a sigh of relief.
Physically, he was fine, but now that the mental tension had faded, he realized just how exhausting the whole ordeal had been.
"That was... seriously intense."
Nathan let out a long sigh of agreement.
"Oh~ I swear on the honor of my royal bloodline! This was the most thrilling experience of my entire life!"
McKenna glanced around at the battlefield, where the aftermath of Zapdos and Sarod's clash was still clearly visible.
Today's experience would definitely stick with her forever.
But did she regret it?
Not at all.
Even now, with her hand on her chest, she could still feel her heart pounding — and honestly...
She kind of loved it.
"Qianqian actually bonded with Apprentice Bear…"
While most of the group was still reeling from the danger they'd faced, Lily looked at Bai Qianqian with envy.
She had managed to form a promise with Apprentice Bear — if she succeeded in challenging him again in the future, wouldn't she actually have the chance to capture him?
"It's just an opportunity... I still have to defeat Apprentice Bear first."
Bai Qianqian shook her head, smiling modestly despite her good mood.
As she said, all she had gained was a chance — much like how Edward and Charlotte had tried to challenge Apprentice Bear before.
But whether or not she could win and earn his approval was an entirely different matter.
And...
She'd also have to find Apprentice Bear again in the first place.
"If fate allows, we'll meet again."
Bai Qianqian glanced into the depths of the northern forest where Apprentice Bear had disappeared, her beautiful eyes shining with anticipation.
Yes, if fate truly brought them together, she believed they would cross paths again someday.
"I'm still jealous though," Charlotte muttered, pouting slightly.
No matter how you looked at it, making a challenge pact with a Pokémon like Apprentice Bear was amazing.
"You can forget it. It's not like you'd win anyway."
Bai Qianqian chuckled at her.
It was one thing for others to feel jealous, but Charlotte had already been flattened by Apprentice Bear before. Did she seriously still want a shot at him?
"Ugh~ That little bear is crazy strong."
Charlotte groaned. Her Dragonair had been knocked out in a single hit — what could she even do?
Edward: (o_o)
Why am I catching strays here?
Edward's expression turned awkward. He'd been flattened by Apprentice Bear, too.
The Curious Belt
"By the way, what's this belt for?"
Jason walked over to Ethan, eyeing the black belt he held in his hand.
It looked like something valuable.
"Could it be an evolution item?"
"I think it's probably one of those Attribute items the boss mentioned. Sarod said it's a treasure, so it must be important."
"Not necessarily… honestly, I have no idea what a belt like this would even do."
Everyone tossed around theories, but no one had a solid answer.
"Let's ask the boss when we get back to the store. Since we all contributed, we can decide together how to handle it. If someone really wants it, we can work it out fairly."
Ethan placed the Black Belt carefully in his backpack and smiled.
Since the Martial Arts Master Bears had given it to all of them, it was only fair that they decide as a group who would keep it.
"No problem," Bai Qianqian and the others agreed.
But then...
"Chirp~!!"
A sharp, high-pitched cry echoed from the distance.
"Wait... what the hell? That bird's back?!"
Logan stared in surprise as the familiar golden figure flew toward them — Zapdos!
The very same Zapdos that had bolted earlier!
"After abandoning us mid-fight, now it comes back? This bird's got issues!"
Apparently, after taking on their 'mission,' Zapdos realized it had gone the wrong way. This bird was just... clueless!
Legendary Pokémon pride? Yeah, not here.
"Chirp~"
Zapdos circled overhead, its sharp gaze sweeping the area. Not spotting the black-furred monkey, it tilted its head in confusion.
Still unsure, Zapdos slowly descended and landed in front of Ethan and the others.
And then...
They finally understood why Zapdos had left earlier.
"Mana~ Mana~"
A soft, sweet sound rang out as a small blue Pokémon peeked out from behind Zapdos' feathers, blinking curiously at the group.
Manaphy.
Ethan: "…What?"
White noise:"…"
Charlotte stared at Zapdos and Manaphy in stunned silence.
"Good grief… I underestimated this bird. It actually went back to grab reinforcements!"
Nathan's jaw dropped. It wasn't that Zapdos knew it couldn't win — it literally went back to the Pokémon House to call for backup!
This bird... was ridiculous.
Manaphy slowly floated upward, scanning the area curiously.
"Chirp?"
Zapdos tilted its head and squawked at Ethan and the others, the meaning clear:
"Is everything good now?"
"It's alright, it's just a misunderstanding. Thanks for your help earlier, Zapdos."
Ethan smiled at the proud bird.
Even though Zapdos had made a messy exit earlier, the fact that it brought back Manaphy was still pretty impressive.
Well... even if Manaphy didn't really do anything in the end.
Still, if Zapdos hadn't fought Sarod back then, they might not have lasted long enough for the Martial Arts Master Bears to arrive. Apprentice Bear could have been snatched away before they even had a chance to react.
So in the end...
Zapdos really came through.
Free trail is available 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Advance chapter in PATREON
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