Nurse Isabelle and the Kanto Pokédex: the Diary of a Travelling Nurse

#145 Zapdos for Dragon Queen

Zapdos, the Electric Pokémon. When Zapdos flaps its glittering wings, it releases electricity that can potentially cause thunderstorms. It produces massive crackling and snapping sounds when it flies; these are attributed to the lightning bolts it sheds when airborne. When struck by lightning, it gains power. Zapdos reportedly only appears during thunderstorms and is said to live among thunderclouds. However, it is rarely seen. – Nurse Evergreen

In the little town Nurse Isabelle had been residing at, things had become restless. For days, thick thunderclouds had been rolling around above the hamlet. It was so severe that it had become somewhat difficult to differ day from night. Instead of becoming worried or even scared, the villagers were excited. They stood outside their houses, chatting with their neighbours.

After a bit of asking around, Isabelle discovered this particular village worshipped the mythical bird of lightning, Zapdos. According to a very talkative old lady, these storms were the proof that Zapdos was near, so everyone had gathered outside to catch a glimpse of their Lord of Lightning.

One part of Izzy was incredibly worried; standing outside in intense thunderstorms was an incredibly bad idea because it was so dangerous. However, their love for the Pokémon and their faith was admirable, so she kept silent. She was no officer and therefore it was not her task to reprimand them.

Except for locals, tourists had gathered to see the spectacle as well. One person that was particularly noticeable was a small teenager. The girl had blue hair, which looked dyed, and was small of stature. Her hair hung carelessly over one eye, obscuring her view. In her arms, she held a smallish Raichu with a tuft of hair sticking out from the fur on his chest. The size of the electric type suited the girl, but it made Izzy wonder whether it had evolved prematurely. Raichu's electric sacs on his cheeks sparked in excitement.

"You're here for the show?" The nurse asked as she approached the girl.

"Sure am! I'm Rize. I've tracked Zapdos for a long time to predict his arrival today."

"Nurse Isabelle Evergreen. I've stumbled here by chance, though I don't exclude the possibility of following the electric energy in the air. You said you've tracked Zapdos for a long while. Why?"

"Because I want to capture him!"

A statement, normally so applauded, made Isabelle frown deeply. She snapped before she could help herself. There went her resolve to stop chastising people... "What is it with you people and capturing these mythical birds? When I wrote about Articuno, I was asked why I did not capture him. Have you any idea why these birds are so rare? Because their chicks take eighteen years to mature and because they are constantly being captured!"

Rize flinched at the intensity of Izzy's outburst, making her feel slightly guilty. However, she was not sorry for what she preached. Before anything else could be said, someone shouted and pointed to the sky. What Isabelle originally thought to be a bolt of lightning was a glimpse of a wing, crackling with energy. Whether Zapdos was sentient enough to know he was being worshipped was unsure, but he did swoop down to receive calls of admiration and even bows.

Isabelle was in awe; the way Zapdos' body seemed to made of electricity was astonishing. Raichu, for example, was mostly a rodent of flesh and blood with a lightning rod tail and electric-charged cheeks. However, Zapdos seemed to be a being of lightning. The name 'Lord of Thunder' suddenly made a lot of sense. He was one with the thunderclouds, weaving through them effortlessly.

In the corner of her eye, the blond nurse saw Rize rummage through her bag to pull out a blue Great Ball. Just as she was about to throw it, Isabelle grabbed her wrist tightly. "Not on my watch, you don't," she hissed furiously. It wasn't common that the nurse became mad, but this was one of the rare occasions.

It was one thing to form an alliance with these birds, working together to achieve a common goal. But a mere 15-year-old could never control the sheer power that was Zapdos, were he more common. These birds were extremely difficult to catch, but it could be done with these special Pokéballs nowadays. It was then that Isabelle formed a dream to protect these creatures once she was done travelling. She'd help raise their numbers and protect them from opportunistic poachers like this naïve girl.