Pokemon: A Gym Leader's Rise(SI)

As Gladion turned his attention to find out what Team Rocket was doing and in just a few seconds of observation, he found his answer.

'Holy Shit...Why am I involved with a legendary Pokemon when I am just starting my journey?' Gladion wanted to cry as he realised what Team Rocket was doing here.

The scene before him was apocalyptic. Approximately 100 Pokémon - were attacking on a single point. And at that point stood Zapdos, injured but unbroken.

Gladion had read about legendary Pokémon. He'd studied them, discussed theories, imagined encounters. Heck, he had used them in games and watched them in the anime. But nothing could prepare him for the raw, unbridled majesty of witnessing one in true combat.

Zapdos was a hurricane given form. An electrical storm compressed into avian shape. Despite being wounded, despite being outnumbered, it radiated an aura of pure, indomitable power.

Lightning crackled around its form. Each movement created miniature electrical storms. When it screeched, the very air seemed to vibrate with potential energy.

The attacking Pokémon were relentless. They came in waves. But Zapdos was a legend for a reason.

For every Pokémon that attacked, Zapdos responded with a burst of lightning that sent multiple attackers flying. Its wings, when spread, created electrical tornados that dealt with entire groups. (They were actually just thunder..just very strong ones)

Gladion stood transfixed. His mind raced with a hundred thoughts mixed with pure, primal awe.

'This is why they're called legendary Pokemon,' he realized. 'Even a hundred Pokemon can't deal with it. From what the aura I am feeling from it, I doubt even Mom's team would be able to deal with it. '

Zapdos wasn't just fighting. It was making a statement. A declaration that no human technology, no coordinated assault could truly contain a force of nature.

And nature, in that moment, wore the form of an electric bird that refused to be caged.

'Zapdos looks quite wounded. But her eyes look pretty angry. She still has a lot of fight left in her.' Gladion thought and he was proven right in the next few moments.

Zapdos first counterattack was a disaster..... for team rocket that is.

A single thunderbolt, wider than a city street, erupted from her form. It wasn't just an attack - it was pure, concentrated destruction. Five Pokémon disintegrated instantly, their bodies turning to charred silhouettes that collapsed mid-air. Another dozen were thrown back, electricity arcing through their convulsing bodies.

"MAINTAIN FORMATION!" a Team Rocket commander screamed.

The Pokémon pressed forward. Ground-types like Geodude and Graveler attempted to take brunt of Zapdos attacks. Flying types like Pidgeotto and Fearow created aerial pressure, attacking from multiple angles.

Zapdos's wing sweep created electrical tornados. Each rotation generated winds that could tear steel. Three Rocket operatives were lifted and then violently thrown, their bodies breaking against distant machinery.

But the attacks were taking their toll.

Specialized nets began to entangle her. Electromagnetic pulses disrupted her electrical field. Each attack left a mark - a wound, a burn, a moment of vulnerability.

Gladion watched in horror as Zapdos continued to kill Pokemon and Men alike. He tried his absolute best to control his stomach to not throw away his lunch. And also not run away in fear of his life.

'This isn't even a battle,' he realized. 'This is a massacre.'

A Thunderbolt from Zapdos hit a group of Rocket grunts. Their bodies didn't just fall - they were practically vaporized. Electrical energy so pure, so concentrated, that it left nothing but scorched ground and the faint smell of ozone.

One particularly brave Rocket operative tried charging with a specialized electrical-dampening rod. Zapdos's response was to generate an electric net (electoweb) so intense that the man simply... disappeared. Not died. Disappeared.

'If she is so strong then why is not she dodging the attacks coming her way? Surely, She is fast enough to dodge them.' Gladion thought before coming to a realisation.

'She's protecting something,' Gladion's deducted as he spread his psychic senses. 'Something important.'

Blood now streamed from Zapdos's wounds. Multiple nets had partially immobilized her wings. Electric attacks from multiple Pokémon were wearing her down. But her eyes - those fierce, determined eyes - never lost their intensity.

Rocket Pokémon continued their relentless assault. A pack of Houndooms hit her with a combined flamethrower.

Zapdos was bleeding. Wounded. But unbroken.

'What could she be hiding?' Gladion wondered.

More Pokémon fell. More Team Rocket operatives were consumed by lightning blasts that they didn't even have time to scream.

Zapdos was losing. But she would ensure everyone else lost with her.

Finally Gladion through his Psychic awareness found out what Zapdos was hiding. Hidden behind a piece of collapsed wall. A soft, barely perceptible life force.

A baby Zapdos.

And then everything clicked in place for Gladion.

The mother Zapdos was deliberately positioning herself to shield her offspring. Each attack she took, each attack she released was calculated. Not to defeat her enemies, but to keep her child safe.

Motherhood, Gladion realized, was universal. Whether human or Pokémon, the instinct to protect was the same.

Gladion felt a strange mix of emotions. Admiration. Shock. And a calculating spark of opportunity.

'I could help,' a part of him thought. 'I could actually save them.' Gladion knew at this rate the Zapdos would succumb to it's injuries even if it managed to take out all the Rockets.

But another part - the more rational, self-preserving part - began its internal debate.

'Am I crazy?' Gladion's inner voice reasoned. 'This is a legendary Pokémon. This is Team Rocket. These are circumstances that scream "STAY AWAY".'

He wasn't Ash Ketchum - that perpetual trouble magnet who would rush headlong into danger without a second thought. No, he was Gladion. A reincarnate who understood the value of strategic thinking and survival.

'I'm not here to be a hero,' he told himself. 'I'm here for opportunity. To live the life as I want. And a chance to gain the favour from Legendary Pokemon is a big deal. Not to forget, Team Rocket would be hit big with this.' Gladion reasoned

Legendary Pokémon were not just powerful creatures - they were potential game-changers. A favor from a legendary could alter an entire journey's trajectory.

'If I save Zapdos and her child,' Gladion reasoned, 'I'm not being an idiot. I'm making an investment. Besides I could teleport away at the first sign of danger.'

Legendary Pokémon were known for their honor. Their word was bond. If he saved them, he wouldn't just be rescuing a mother and child. He'd be securing a potential alliance.

'Legendary Pokémon don't go back on their promises,' he reminded himself. 'This isn't a rescue. This is a strategic negotiation.'

'If I time this right,' Gladion had a determined look now on his face 'I can create a scenario where Zapdos owes me a favor. Not just gratitude - a genuine debt.'

------Author Notes------

Thankyou save,0r0b0r0us, dragonslaver and Maybay for supporting me!

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