Chapter 135: Returning to the Hoenn Region

Poor Zapdos...
uying in his heart, Huyan pulled out a Poké Ball and tossed it at the legendary bird.
The Poké Ball struck Zapdos, bounced into the air, popped open automatically, and drew Zapdos inside.
The Poké Ball dropped to the ground, wobbled a few times, and then quickly came to a rest, sitting quietly in place.
Huyan stepped forward to pick up the Poké Ball, and then released the fainted Zapdos from within.
Cramorant had controlled its strength perfectly, knocking Zapdos out without rendering it completely unconscious.
Now, standing on the ground, Zapdos was covered in scars and looked rather disheveled.
It looked at Cramorant, the expression on its face clearly one of utter shock.
So... so strong!
When Cramorant had been searching for Zapdos, it hadn't attacked it outright.
Instead, taking advantage of Zapdos's inattentiveness, it had crept up quietly from behind, picked it up in its beak, and made off with it.
Thus, Zapdos hadn't truly known its strength.
Having now experienced it firsthand, Zapdos let go of its lingering pride with a sense of resignation.
It would honor its promise and let this human become its master.
At this thought, Zapdos raised its head and looked at the human youth standing before it.
Huyan had no idea what Zapdos was thinking. He took a spray-on potion from his backpack, applied it to Zapdos's wounds, and then tied an emergency bandage around it into a neat bow.
"There, all done." After finishing, Huyan smiled and said, "Welcome to the team, Zapdos."
Zapdos recovered its wits, let out a soft cry, and then lowered its proud head.
Huyan reached out and patted its head.
Up close, Zapdos didn't seem nearly as unattractive as it was often portrayed in the anime.
Its head and back were covered in sharp yellow feathers, and its gaze was proud and piercing, making it look much like a falcon soaring through the sky, aloof and unapproachable.
However, none of that was the most important thing.
What was most captivating was the layer of fine, soft yellow down on its belly.
Huyan felt his hands itching; he desperately wanted to touch it!
Meanwhile, in the Shadow World.
Marshadow narrowed its eyes as it watched the scene unfold.
Ugh, what an ugly bird!
It doesn't even look a hundredth as good as Lord Ho-Oh!
Down... as if everyone didn't have any. Lord Ho-Oh's belly down is way prettier than this oversized yellow bird's!
"?"
Marshadow suddenly realized something was wrong. Why on earth was it having thoughts like this?
In the past, it would never have dwelled on such trivial things...
Darn it! It must have been influenced by this guy!
I'm not watching anymore. Marshadow silently turned away from the scene.
It decided to slack off for a while; after all, this guy had no intention of participating in the Hero Trials anyway.
Besides, in the Shadow World, no matter how much it lounged around, no one would ever notice.
I'm sorry, Lord Ho-Oh. Marshadow repeated the apology silently in its heart.
...
In the end, Huyan managed to resist sinking his demonic claws into Zapdos's fluffy belly down.
Having captured Zapdos meant that his journey in Kanto had finally come to an end.
As for Articuno over at the Seafoam Islands, trying to go and capture it now was probably out of the question due to lack of time.
Traveling from Lavender Town to the Seafoam Islands required taking a train followed by a ferry transfer, which would take at least half a month in total.
It was already October.
The date for the Ever Grande Conference was fast approaching.
The Ever Grande Conference in this world was held punctually every year on the fifteenth of October, and the winner of the tournament would earn the right to challenge the Elite Four and the Champion.
Succeeding in the challenge meant becoming the new Champion, while failing gave one the choice to try again or set off for another region to begin a new journey.
Huyan looked at the three badges in his palm; he would likely have to miss this year's Ever Grande Conference.
After all, the real world didn't work like a video game where the protagonist could breeze through a region in a single year.
The Hoenn region was immense; unless one constantly traveled by vehicle, exploring the whole place in a year was simply impossible.
Perhaps that was why Steven didn't become Champion until he was sixteen?
Calculating it this way, he could choose not to return to the Hoenn region, remain in Kanto for a while longer, and head to the Seafoam Islands to capture Articuno.
However, Huyan didn't really feel like doing that; he wanted to go home.
By the time he returned to Hoenn, it would probably already be November.
He could spend some time relaxing at home, keeping his Pokémon company, and then head to Slateport City to have a Key Stone bracelet crafted, just in time for the New Year.
As for challenging Gyms, he could leave that for next year!
Before he knew it, he had been in this world for nearly two years.
Leaving Lavender Town behind, Huyan didn't linger in the Kanto region and instead headed straight back to Vermilion City, where he purchased a ticket for a cruise ship bound for Hoenn.
...
On October 13th, the luxury liner officially arrived in Littleroot Town.
Because Huyan had notified Slowking about this in advance, the Pokémon had come down to the port early to welcome him.
Just as he stepped off the gangway, Huyan spotted a familiar figure amidst the crowd.
"Long time no see, Slowking!" He stepped forward to greet the Pokémon.
Slowking replied happily, "Long time no see, Huyan."
The two returned to the ecological park. Having journeyed through wind and dust all the way, Huyan let out a long sigh of relief and then took out all seven of his Poké Balls.
"Everyone, come on out!"
With a series of flashes of white light, Cramorant, Roserade, Gengar, Fraxure, Ralts, Charmander, and Zapdos materialized inside the room.
Roserade and the others had been here before, so Huyan introduced the newcomers, Zapdos and Charmander, to the environment:
"This will be our home from now on."
"Charm!" Charmander looked around curiously at its new surroundings.
At that moment, Huyan heard a chorus of "Squirt, Squirt" cries.
Shortly after, two Squirtles came running over at full speed, clutching a large stack of League Coupons.
With proud expressions on their faces, they pushed the money toward Huyan: "Squirt!"
Huyan asked, amused and bewildered, "Don't you guys have to work today?"
Squirtle: "Squirt, squirt!" (We're on a day off today, no work for us!)
"Do you like your jobs with the fire brigade?" Huyan asked.
The two Squirtles nodded rapidly: "Squirt!"
"That's good then." Huyan patted their heads and said, "Go ahead and do what you love!"
"Squirt~" The two lively and cheerful Squirtles scampered off obediently.
Charmander watched them go.
Huyan asked, "Do you want to go play with them?"
"Charm." Charmander gently shook its head and obediently sat down beside Huyan.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
Slowking used psychic power to swing the door open.
Professor Birch's face appeared in the doorway. He looked at Slowking and asked with a smile,
"Good afternoon, Slowking. About those books I gave you yesterday..."
Mid-sentence, his gaze caught sight of Huyan and the Pokémon in the room, and upon lingering on Zapdos, his eyes suddenly widened in sheer disbelief:
"That Pokémon is?!"