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Bzzzz!!!
"Wooooo!!!"
Ash, who had fallen into an exhausted sleep, suddenly heard a loud buzzing sound echoing in his head. His eyes snapped open instantly, and he jumped out of bed, turning his gaze toward the volcano in the distance.
Thick, billowing smoke continued to pour from the volcano's crater, creating dark clouds against the sky. It was clear that Team Rocket had already begun their operation.
"Didn't I make it in time?" Ash frowned as he watched the ominous scene unfold before him.
"Pid!!!"
At that moment, a familiar cry reached his ears. Ash felt his heart skip a beat as he looked out through the window. There, soaring through the air, was a figure he recognized immediately. Ash quickly pressed his hand against the glass of the window, and the flying figure seemed to sense his presence.
The Pokémon circled swiftly in the air before flying directly toward Ash's location. It landed gracefully in front of the window, and when it saw Ash, Pidegeotto flapped its wings enthusiastically, clearly overjoyed to have found its trainer.
"Pidegeotto! Can you see if there's any way to break through this glass?" Ash gestured desperately as he spoke, his voice filled with hope.
The window was far too small for him to escape through, even if it were broken. However, if Pidegeotto could somehow shatter it, Ash still had his Poké Balls with him. He could use them to recall Pidegeotto inside and then release it again once it was in the cell with him.
Although the metal bars in front of him appeared incredibly strong, they certainly couldn't be as reinforced as the outer hull of Team Rocket's spacecraft. If Pidegeotto could somehow get inside, Ash was confident he could find a way to escape.
"Pid!"
Pidegeotto responded immediately, then soared high into the air, gathering its energy. Its wings spread wide, taking on a brilliant metallic sheen. The most powerful move it could currently use was Steel Wing.
Pidegeotto's eyes narrowed with determination as it dove down toward the glass at incredible speed, its wings gleaming like polished metal as they struck the reinforced window.
CRASH!!!
The impact created a thunderous sound, but to both Ash and Pidegeotto's dismay, the glass remained completely undamaged. Pidegeotto seemed genuinely surprised by this result, and the recoil from its attack sent it flying backward through the air.
Ash's frown deepened. Pidegeotto's strength was certainly formidable, but the spacecraft's glass appeared to be much stronger than either of them had anticipated. After all, this vessel had been specifically designed to capture legendary Pokémon, so its construction would naturally be far beyond ordinary standards.
"Pidegeotto!"
Refusing to accept defeat, Pidegeotto spread its wings once more, the Steel Wing technique activating with even greater intensity than before. It gathered more power this time, swooping down with renewed determination. As it approached the window, both wings struck the glass simultaneously with tremendous force.
BOOM!!!!
Another deafening crash echoed through the air, but still, the stubborn glass refused to break. Pidegeotto was thrown back once again by the recoil, but this time, it didn't pause to recover. Immediately after being repelled, it dove toward the window again, launching a relentless series of attacks.
Ash could feel the vibrations from each impact resonating through the spacecraft's hull, but the window remained frustratingly intact. He pressed his hand against the glass unconsciously, his concern for his Pokémon growing with each failed attempt.
"Stop! Don't force yourself! We need to think of another way!"
Ash called out desperately when he saw Pidegeotto's continued efforts, but he wasn't sure whether the sound insulation was too effective for his voice to carry, or if Pidegeotto was simply too determined to give up. The Flying-type Pokémon continued its assault on the window again and again, making Ash increasingly worried about its condition.
"Pidegeotto!!!"
As if sensing its trainer's concern and worry, Pidegeotto's eyes blazed with even greater determination. It struck the glass once more and was knocked back, but as it flew into the air, something changed in its expression as it stared at the reinforced barrier.
Pidegeotto hovered in the air for a moment, then slowly turned to face the glass once again. Ash's expression shifted dramatically as he observed his Pokémon's movements, recognizing the signs of what was about to happen.
In that crucial moment, Pidegeotto's body suddenly wheeled around in a wide arc, then began diving from an even higher altitude directly toward Ash's position. The wings that had been spread wide during flight suddenly folded tightly against its body.
Its entire form seemed to transform into a living projectile as it plummeted through the air. At the same time, a brilliant light that resembled flickering flames began to emanate from its body.
"That move!" Ash's expression changed instantly when he witnessed this incredible sight.
"Brave Bird!"
Pidegeotto's body was now wreathed in intense, flame-like energy. As it dove with incredible speed, the wings that had been pressed close to its body suddenly spread wide once more. The red light that had been surrounding it like fire was instantly replaced by a brilliant blue energy that enveloped its entire form.
CRASH!!!
The devastatingly powerful attack connected with the glass with tremendous force. Pidegeotto gritted its beak, enduring the strain as the blue energy continued to explode around the point of impact. Suddenly, hairline cracks began to appear across the surface of the previously impenetrable glass.
Crack, crack, crack!
Seeing this development, Ash quickly stepped back from the window, watching as the glass finally began to give way under the incredible assault. The next moment, with a tremendous shattering sound, the reinforced glass exploded inward. Although the window opening was still too small for Ash to climb through, it was certainly large enough for other purposes.
However, Pidegeotto's body could easily fit through the opening if it folded its wings properly. Originally, Ash had only hoped that if even a small section could be broken, he could use his Poké Ball to recall Pidegeotto quickly and then release it inside the cell.
But the power of Brave Bird had been far more devastating than expected. After breaking through the glass completely, Pidegeotto shot directly into the cell without stopping, flying at tremendous speed toward the iron bars that formed the front of Ash's prison.
BANG!!!
It collided directly with the metal barriers, and the incredible momentum instantly bent one of the iron bars completely out of shape. Pidegeotto flew toward the door at the front of the cell before finally managing to stop just short of hitting the far wall. It turned around to look back at Ash, but suddenly, crackling blue electricity began dancing across its body.
The electric current flickered and sparked, causing Pidegeotto to instinctively close one eye as a pained expression crossed its features.
Brave Bird was indeed the ultimate technique available to Flying-type Pokémon. When executed properly, it would increase the user's speed to absolutely incredible levels. The wings would be pressed tightly against the body to reduce air resistance and maximize velocity.
At the same time, when speed reached such extreme levels, the friction with the surrounding air would create temperatures so intense that the Pokémon's body would appear to be wreathed in flames.
Then, at the crucial moment, the wings would spread wide to deliver a devastating full-power blow. The attack's power was truly amazing, but it came with a significant drawback that made it a double-edged technique.
After successfully striking an opponent, the user would also suffer severe recoil damage. The greater the power of the attack, the more intense the backlash would be.
"What's happening in there?" At that exact moment, the iron door at the front of the cell burst open with a loud clang, and two Team Rocket members rushed inside.
Both of them froze in shock when they saw the gaping hole that had been torn in the iron bars, then turned toward Ash with grim expressions on their faces. Neither of them noticed the sharp, determined eyes watching them from above.
"Pidegeotto, use Steel Wing!"
Even though such a large opening had been created, Ash still couldn't escape through it, but the Team Rocket members hadn't spotted Pidegeotto yet. Seizing this perfect opportunity, Ash quickly gave his command.
Only then did the two intruders realize that there was a Pokémon loose inside the cell. They looked around frantically, searching for the source of the voice, but found nothing obvious. They turned around instinctively, just in time to see a determined figure diving toward them at incredible speed.
Pidegeotto's wings spread wide, gleaming with metallic brilliance as it swooped down directly between the two startled Team Rocket members. The position where they stood was exactly parallel to Pidegeotto's wingspan, and they were struck directly by the full force of its diving Steel Wing attack.