Two Days Later, at the Crown Tundra, the area south of Freezington, also known as Frostpoint Field.
"According to the villagers' descriptions, the location where they twice spotted the mysterious bird Pokémon is right here."
Stephen glanced around as he spoke.
Will, Bea, and Nessa also looked around, eager to catch a glimpse of the Galarian Moltres.
"Hey, hey~ Doctor, what do you think about the situation with Bewear and Zamazenta?"
Sonia was more interested in another topic, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Stephen.
The Pikachu she was holding tightly in her arms had the sa curious expression.
At the ntion of this topic, Stephen couldn't help but recall Bewear's outrageous statent from the other day.
Good grief. In his past and present lives, whether in certain novels or so special fan works, there had always been so incredibly bold Grass-type Pokémon.
But Stephen wanted to clarify—he genuinely had no such interests!
Even for Pokémon like Gardevoir, owscarada, or Hatterene, which bore an uncanny resemblance to humans and were undeniably attractive, his feelings toward them remained purely those of companionship—never romantic.
However, the fact that Bewear, a bear Pokémon, had those kinds of thoughts about him was completely unexpected.
Though Bewear's statent seed to be made in jest, Stephen felt it would be best to play it safe—perhaps he should find a boyfriend for Bewear.
"I think I'll let them try being together and see how it goes."
As he spoke, Stephen couldn't help but rub his temples.
There weren't many things that gave him a headache, but this was one of them.
"So, Dr. Stephen, does this an you're staying in Galar?!"
Nessa, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation from the side, couldn't hide her excitent and eagerly joined the discussion.
Even Bea, who had been focused on searching for Moltres, flashed a look of joy in her eyes.
"No, I'm just letting Bewear have a quick fling before leaving."
Stephen's response left the three won montarily speechless.
He continued, "I'll let her be with Zamazenta for a few tis and see if anything happens. But I don't think it's her ovulation period right now..."
In the original lore, there was no clear answer as to whether Legendary Pokémon could reproduce.
However, it was certain that many Legendaries had their species or groups.
The most famous example was the Rayquaza species.
Additionally, there were Mustard's Urshifu couple and even a mother-and-child Lugia in the original works.
So, at least so Legendary Pokémon were capable of reproduction.
As for whether Bewear and Zamazenta had reproductive compatibility... well, only experintation could determine that.
Stephen thought it was possible. After all, "bear-dog" had a dog in it, right? Dogs and bears had to be sowhat related.
"D-Doctor, isn't this a bit too cruel? Letting them be together and then separating them..."
Bea couldn't help but ask.
"Bewear's affection for Zamazenta is just slightly higher than her feelings toward Beartic and Drednaw. She just wants a child—the father isn't that important."
Once again, Stephen's answer left the three won speechless.
"B-But a child should have a father, right?"
Sonia scratched her head and asked.
"It's fine. If she does get pregnant, I'll find her a new boyfriend during the pregnancy."
In the original works, Bewear was a single mother and seed to be doing just fine.
But Stephen believed that children should have a father.
He should at least find a stepfather for the future Stufful.
And no, it was not to cut off Bewear's delusions about him.
Stephen was already considering potential candidates to be Stufful's stepfather.
Since species compatibility was important, he should choose another bear Pokémon, right?
Beartic and Drednaw were out of the question.
If Bewear sat on them, they might just get crushed.
He needed soone stronger.
Perhaps Karen's Kubfu could grow into an Urshifu—now that was a candidate.
Though that would feel a bit like a younger brother dating an older sister situation...
But aside from Urshifu, there weren't many Legendary bears.
There were tons of Legendary Dragon types, though.
"Tsk—if nothing else works, I could always extract and freeze so genetic material from Zamazenta."
Stephen muttered to himself.
Nessa and Sonia's faces flushed red. They turned away and secretly pouted at him.
anwhile, the 10-year-old Bea was utterly confused. "Doctor, what are you talking about? What do you an by freezing?"
"Bea, don't listen to this mad scientist!"
With a red face, Sonia pulled Bea aside.
Bea didn't understand, but both she and the more mature Nessa imdiately grasped what Stephen was implying.
Stephen was speechless.
He was only considering Zamazenta's health and safety—how did that make him a mad scientist?
Dada-dada-dada!
At that mont, a rapid sequence of footsteps, like a machine gun firing, rang out.
"Stephen!"
Will called out in warning, tossing a Poké Ball to summon Galarian Articuno.
"Your kin is here."
"Guu~"
Galarian Articuno narrowed its light blue eyes beneath its mask and gazed ahead.
Everyone followed its gaze.
A flash of movent streaked across the snowfield, kicking up a trail of white mist.
So fast! Incredibly fast!
Their eyes couldn't even track its silhouette!
But soon, they all noticed sothing odd.
Even Sonia, who had long since given up being a trainer, found it strange.
"W-Wait, isn't that Moltres flying a little too low?"
Indeed, from its posture, it looked less like it was flying and more like it was... running on the ground.
"Could it be...?"
A certain thought surfaced in Stephen's mind, making his expression grow increasingly peculiar.
"Anyone want to give it a try?"
Instead of acting imdiately, Stephen turned to the others and asked.
Sonia, who had given up the path of a Pokémon Trainer, shook her head. Nessa, the Water-type Gym Leader, reached for her belt but withdrew her hand after just touching a Poké Ball.
She could tell that none of her Pokémon could keep up with that opponent's speed.
"I'll handle this!"
Will twisted his neck, brimming with excitent.
"Although helping that wicked woman capture a Pokémon is a bit frustrating, as the debut battle for and my Galarian Articuno, facing its kind is just too fitting."
The next second, Will raised his hand and pointed toward the swift figure darting across the snowy plains.
"Go!"
Whoosh—!
Galarian Articuno shot out like a purple afterimage, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle.
Though it was slightly slower than the orange streak racing across the snow, at least it could keep up.
"Let's start with a little appetizer—Air Slash!"
Swish! Swish!
Following Will's command, Galarian Articuno swung both its wings in succession.
Two consecutive air blades ford an "X" shape, carving deep, bottomless gashes into the snow as they charged straight at the swift figure, kicking up a mist of white.
The orange blur suddenly halted and leaped backward with a hooked movent.
Sonia and Nessa saw it—a pair of sturdy, raptor-like talons.
Imdiately after, the hooked talons t the incoming air blades head-on.
Low Kick!
Boom—!
It was like two heavy hamrs smashing together, sending a deep, forceful echo reverberating across the snowy plains.
The impact's shockwave rippled outward, dispersing the snow that had been kicked up by the orange blur's sprint, finally revealing its true form.
"That's... Zapdos!?"
Will instinctively blurted out the na of one of Kanto's legendary birds.
A long, sharp beak, piercing eyes, and spiky plumage—
It certainly resembled the most famous of legendary Pokémon, one of the three birds of Kanto.
But its thicker legs, its orange feathers instead of golden-yellow, and—compared to its robust body—its seemingly undersized, almost underdeveloped wings made it look vastly different from the Zapdos in his mory.
Boom!
A second explosion erupted as the impact between them reignited.
Both raptors were pushed back by the recoil.
The first exchange ended in a draw.
"Uh... Stephen, that's not Moltres, is it?"
The excitent on Will's face had turned into confusion. He pointed at the orange bird that looked like a GA Dodrio and asked Stephen.
"Ah... that's a Galarian Zapdos—a Fighting/Flying-type Pokémon known for its powerful legs. They say it can shatter an armored vehicle with a single kick."
Stephen nodded.
Why didn't those villagers ntion whether this bird could fly or not?
"Uh... I can see why you didn't want to keep it now, Stephen."
Will stroked his chin, inspecting the landbound Zapdos again.
When he first heard that Stephen was planning to entrust Galarian Articuno and Moltres to him and Karen for training, he was a bit puzzled as to why Stephen wouldn't complete the trio by keeping Galarian Zapdos for himself.
But looking at it now... well, okay, that makes sense.
"Its role overlaps with Bewear too much," Stephen said, trying to save face.
He didn't care much about a Pokémon's appearance when capturing them.
It's just that Galarian Zapdos was... a bit too much.
"So, uh... what now? Do we still go for it?"
Will wasn't sure what to do anymore.
That bastard Rose also provided unclear intel, leading to this ss.
"Hmm..."
Stephen pondered for a mont, then turned to Bea.
"Bea, want to give it a try?"
"M-?"
Bea looked surprised.
"Yeah."
Stephen nodded, then glanced at Sonia and Nessa.
"No objections, right?"
"I don't mind. I'm not a Trainer anymore."
Sonia shrugged.
Nessa also smiled bitterly and shook her head.
Not only was she a Water-type specialist, but her Pokémon stood no chance against this opponent.
Yet, despite her limitations, Nessa couldn't help but feel curious.
She knew she wasn't strong enough to capture this Zapdos, but Bea wasn't at that level either.
As a secondary Gym Leader, Bea undoubtedly had greater potential than her.
But Bea was four years younger and, at present, only slightly stronger than Nessa.
"No one's competing with you now. Get ready, Bea—this will be your final trial before the Galar Star Tournant."
As Stephen spoke, he tossed a Poké Ball.
"Chirriii~"
With a lively chirp, a Fairy-type Swablu spread its soft pink cotton-like wings and gazed at Galarian Zapdos with bright, curious eyes.
Huh?
Can that big bird... not fly?
"Huh?"
Galarian Zapdos, which had been locked in a stare-down with Galarian Articuno, shifted its gaze slightly.
It had been planning to mock Articuno for choosing to follow humans.
If the Johto legendary beasts were a united trio and the Kanto legendary birds ignored each other, then the Galarian legendary birds were straight-up rivals.
"Hmph!"
Recognizing that the glasses-wearing human was challenging it, Galarian Zapdos leaped forward, launching a powerful kick.
It had a short temper.
Another Low Kick!
Compared to it, Swablu was as small as a soccer ball.
"Cotton Guard."
Stephen casually gave the command.
"Chirriii~"
Swablu crossed its wings in front of itself, ready to take the hit.
At the very mont before Galarian Zapdos' right foot delivered a powerful kick—
Swablu's right wing, with its cotton-like feathers, rapidly swelled, expanding to the size of a basketball.
Poof!
Galarian Zapdos' kick landed, but it felt as if its right foot had sunk into a swamp. The more it pushed, the deeper it got, and when it tried to pull back, it couldn't.
"My Swablu loves dealing with physical attackers the most," Stephen said with a smile.
"Dragon Pulse."
"Jili!"
Suddenly, from the left side of the cotton mass wrapped around Galarian Zapdos' right ankle, the innocent face of the Fairy Swablu erged. Its beak opened slightly.
Galarian Zapdos' expression changed drastically.
It struggled to pull its right leg free, but... it was a mont too late.
Boom!
Dragon Pulse struck the center of Galarian Zapdos' chest.
The intense pain caused Galarian Zapdos to lose balance in midair.
However, since it wasn't a super-effective hit and there was a level difference between Swablu and Zapdos, at the last mont before hitting the ground, Galarian Zapdos flapped its short wings frantically, barely managing to stabilize itself and land safely.
Looking at the Fairy Swablu's harmless little face, Galarian Zapdos inexplicably felt a surge of anger.
"Wasn't Bea supposed to capture it? Why is Doctor stepping in himself?" Sonia asked, hugging Pikachu in confusion.
Nessa analyzed, "Could it be that Dr. Stephen wants to weaken Zapdos first and then let Bea take over?"
If Stephen were doing that, it wouldn't be surprising—after all, he had similarly helped Will on the Isle of Armor.
Sonia nudged her best friend with her shoulder. "See, this is what happens when you're late to the ga. If you had listened to back then and introduced yourself first, he'd be helping you catch a legendary right now."
Nessa rolled her eyes gracefully.
This best friend of hers loved playing the strategist.
However, as she looked at the backs of Stephen and Bea, a fleeting sense of sourness flashed through Nessa's heart.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Galarian Zapdos vanished from its spot, transforming into an orange streak racing across the snowy plains—faster and faster.
Was it using Agility to boost its speed?
Suddenly, the sharp claws on Galarian Zapdos' feet glowed intensely with an orange light.
In the next instant, it blinked behind Fairy Swablu's right rear side midair.
Boom!
This ti, Fairy Swablu was truly sent flying like a soccer ball.
And if one looked closely, they could see a massive claw mark imprinted on its fluffy cotton feathers.
That move just now... was Galarian Zapdos' signature attack—Thunderous Kick!
Whoosh—!
The fallen Fairy Swablu slid across the snow for so distance before stopping.
Yet, Galarian Zapdos did not pursue it, rely looking down at its opponent from above.
Its gaze conveyed: "You're no match for ."
"Chirp~"
Fairy Swablu got up and flew toward Stephen.
Galarian Zapdos assud the little brat was going to run to its dad for comfort.
But unexpectedly, Fairy Swablu opened its beak and handed Stephen a tiny golden fragnt, about the size of a soybean.
What is that?!
Galarian Zapdos furrowed its brows slightly.
Stephen took the fragnt, stroked Fairy Swablu's chin encouragingly, and then turned to look at Galarian Zapdos.
"...That expression... You still haven't realized what happened?"
Stephen arched his brow slightly.
Following his gaze, Galarian Zapdos looked down—
Right in the middle of its right foot's talon, there was a small, bean-sized crack.
And in Stephen's hand, the golden fragnt he was holding...
At that mont, Galarian Zapdos understood everything.
That little bird... did it on purpose—
"Mission accomplished. You can leave now."
Stephen's words left Nessa and Sonia completely baffled.
Wasn't he supposed to be helping Bea capture Zapdos?
Why was he now telling it to leave?
"Yiii—!"
Galarian Zapdos let out a displeased cry.
Its bristling feathers crackled with electricity.
It was very annoyed.
"You still wanna fight?"
Stephen raised a brow slightly, exchanging a glance with Fairy Swablu.
Both instantly understood each other's intentions.
"Alright then, we're just about done anyway."
Done? What does he an by done?
Sonia and Nessa felt like the past few days traveling with Stephen had raised more questions than an entire year combined.
Fairy Swablu flew forward, while Galarian Zapdos took a step—then imdiately entered its orange flash-speed mode.
In an instant, it appeared in front of Fairy Swablu.
Boom—Thud!
A heavy, thunderous kick landed, Galarian Zapdos' powerful leg slamming hard into Fairy Swablu's fluffy feathers.
The previously puffed-up cotton wings deflated like a wilted Pichu.
Whoosh!
Galarian Zapdos vanished again.
And in the blink of an eye, it reappeared on the other side of Fairy Swablu.
Thud—!
Another explosive flying kick.
Thunderous Kick!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A relentless barrage, as if the scene itself was stuck in an endless loop.
The exclusive move Thunderous Kick lowers the opponent's defense with each hit.
In less than ten seconds, the spectators, including Bea, couldn't even count how many tis Galarian Zapdos had kicked.
Even though Fairy Swablu had excellent defense,
it couldn't withstand such relentless attacks.
After all, this wasn't a turn-based ga where you hit once, and I hit you back.
Even if Fairy Swablu's Cotton Guard could greatly boost its defense,
by the ti it activated, Galarian Zapdos had already landed countless kicks,
reducing its physical defense to rock bottom!
Galarian Zapdos landed, its sharp gaze locking onto Fairy Swablu's now-weak eyes in midair.
Whoosh!
Galarian Zapdos suddenly vanished, leaving behind deep three-clawed imprints on the ground as it charged at Fairy Swablu at lightning speed.
This is the final move!
Drill Peck!
"Doctor!?"
Bea, Sonia, and Nessa all turned toward Stephen in concern.
Fairy Swablu couldn't hold on any longer!
However, Will remained calm.
He didn't know what card Stephen was hiding,
but since Stephen wasn't worried, then there was no problem.
At the last mont, Fairy Swablu's body radiated a dazzling rainbow light.
Nessa's eyes widened. "Evolution!?"
Sonia shook her head. "No, this is different!"
Unlike the usual blue-white glow of Pokémon evolution,
this light was a shimring rainbow!
If Zinnia or Aster were here, they would imdiately recognize that this light was identical to the glow of Rayquaza's new evolution form.
"Lii—!"
A more powerful, high-pitched cry echoed across the snowy plains from within the rainbow light.
A Fairy Dragon enveloped in soft, fluffy feathers, descended in a brand-new form.
GA Altaria!?
No—Fairy Altaria!
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