John sat in his room, his Gameboy in hand, staring at the screen as a prompt appeared:
[Copy failed, automatically saved...]
When the image of Zapdos materialized, John knew this attempt was doomed from the start.
A legendary creature at god-tier strength, and at such a terrifying power.
"Yeah....I got one shot" John said with a resigned sigh.
But not all was lost.
John saved his game progress before the inevitable defeat, and to his surprise, a shimmering bead of thunder fell into his inventory. Holding the glowing object, a sly grin crept onto his face.
Before Zapdos obliterated him, John had managed to stash the bead safely in his backpack. Though he lost the battle, the treasure came with him out of the dungeon. He recognized its significance immediately—it was a legendary item.
"The Orb of Thunder..." John murmured, recalling its origin. This treasure had been featured in The Birth of Lugia, a classic story tied to Shamouti Island and the three legendary birds. In that tale, the protagonist needed to gather sacred relics from Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres to restore balance to the world by playing the Song of Lugia.
But how had Zapdos, a guardian of the Orange Islands, ended up in the Hoenn region?
John shook his head. "Doesn't matter," he muttered, flipping open his Gameboy to inspect the item's stats.
Listed as a rare, portable item in his inventory, its description read:
[Orb of Thunder: Doubles the power and range of Electric-type moves. Every minute, the power and range of the next Electric-type move increase exponentially]
"Whoa..." John whispered, feeling a chill run down his spine. The implications were staggering. Legendary Pokémon props were powerful, but this? This was on another level entirely.
A move dealing quadruple damage every minute? For a Pokemon weak to Electric moves—like Gyarados, with its Water/Flying typing—that could mean a sixteen-fold multiplier. Even a low-level Electric Pokémon could obliterate a high-level Gyarados with ease.
"This thing's a game-changer," John muttered.
He couldn't help but imagine the Zapdos he'd stolen it from—no doubt fuming over its missing treasure. The relic's mutiplier-based bonus alone would've significantly boosted Zapdos's power. Without it, its combat abilities were cut in half.
John realized that legendary Pokémon weren't just strong because of their inherent stats; their legendary props amplified their strength to near-unstoppable levels.
Curiosity gnawed at him. Could he re-enter the dungeon?
He approached the power plant's entrance and saw the screen flash:
[Enter special dungeon: "Runaway Power Plant"?]
[Recommended entry level: ?]
[Current charge progress: 0%]
"So, I can go back in," John mused, noticing that the charge progress had reset. If he reached 100% again, would Zapdos reappear? And more importantly, would the Thunder Orb respawn?
The possibility of farming such a powerful item was tempting. Even if it was a long shot, the effort seemed worth it.
Five days—that's how long it would take to recharge the dungeon. Five days to see if this was a bug he could exploit. John decided it was a gamble he'd gladly take.
For now, he needed a worthy Pokémon to wield the Thunder Orb. The power plant occasionally spawned rare Electric-types, making it an ideal place to train and prepare. He also wanted to verify if Zapdos was a permanent fixture of the dungeon. If it was, he could mark this spot and return later with stronger Pokémon to attempt a capture.
Just as he was setting his plan in motion, John's Pokegear buzzed.
It wasn't a regular notification—it was the Pokemon Navigator, a multifunctional device he'd received as a gift from Devon Corporation. The Navigator allowed him to view maps, track contest conditions, and even make calls to NPCs he'd interacted with.
"Who's calling?" John muttered, answering the device out of curiosity.
"Is this John, my savior?" a soft, slightly familiar female voice asked.
"It's me," John replied, frowning as he tried to place the voice.
"I wanted to remind you—my wedding with Zack is next week. Please don't forget to attend!"
"Right," John said, the memory clicking. She was Anna, the woman he'd helped in Rusturf Tunnel. Back then, he'd cleared a massive boulder blocking her and Longji's path. In gratitude, they'd given him the Strength TM and a wedding invitation.
Anna continued, "The ceremony will be on the Wave Breaker."
John's heart skipped a beat. The Wave Breaker? That was the very ship he needed to board to travel to another region.
"But..." he mumbled, remembering the shipyard's notice. The captain had mentioned the vessel was still under repair in Slateport City.
Something didn't add up.
"I need to check this out," John decided, ending the call. If the Wave Breaker was operational, it could mean an opportunity to advance his journey—and maybe even attend the wedding.