We continue this series of legends and myths of the Pokemon world! Enjoy the story!

And Now, Our Feature Presentation!

The Johto region was a tumultuous place, in ancient times. The mountains held bandits and vicious wild Pokémon. Valleys and hills dotted the landscape, interspersed with the rice paddies and acres of berry trees that belonged to the common man. The Pokémon here were tame, and they helped the humans with their work and received food in the months of difficulty.

In one of these valleys, Goldenrod City was only a small village. The village at that time was called Amersu, named for the people's word for gold trees. The forest around the walled village was of special trees that almost had a gold tinge to them. It was in this village that the Pokelathon started.

Ryu was in the forest, harvesting the ripe Nanab berries from the trees. His friends, a wily Furret named Jiji, a strong Ursaring called Guan, and a bad-tempered Typhlosion called Tarou were with him. They went with him wherever he went. It didn't matter if he was going to work in the rice paddies, or help strip the ripe chestnuts from the trees of the forest.

Today, Ryu was going to help with the gathering of rice after he finished in the forest. He had his sickle in a basket strapped to his back. Its whetting stone was alongside it. He dumped more Nanab berries in the basket and grabbed one bunch and split it and offered it to his friends.

The Pokémon munched on the berries as Ryu shouldered his basket and headed for the paddies. He stopped along the way at Amersu, selling the Nanab berries while he walked. He stopped by a shop set on the bridge, people bustling to go sell their wares.

The shop was owned by an older man called Uncle Farfetch'd Feathers. He always welcomed Ryu into his store, mostly because he always had good wares to sell and had caught the eye of his daughter, Sansui. Sansui was at an age in which she could marry, and Uncle Farfetch'd Feathers wanted Ryu to be his son-in-law. Both were sweet on the other, but none of them had made to announce a wedding. Ryu hadn't even brought a bride-price envelope yet. No other man had their eye on Sansui because of her circumstances.

She was unlucky. Her birth year and the death of her mother had put a sign of bad luck on the young woman. But Ryu didn't care, for he was a very lucky young man, and perhaps taking Sansui as his wife would wipe away her bad luck.

Ryu's strong Pokémon stayed outside the shop as their friend did his business inside. They eyed a nervous man that was carrying an ash bucket, and the man scooted carefully out of the way. Ryu's eyebrows creased as he realized who it was. It was Uncle Farfetch'd Feather's nephew, Tomin.

"Thinking about Sansui?" Tomin asked Ryu. He felt it was fun to tease the indecisive young man.

Ryu's lips curled into a smirk. "Only trying to make a sale, Ducklett Lips."

Tomin grumbled and went back to his work.

"Sansui keeps wondering." Farfetch'd Feathers said. "She might marry the next man that asks her, if you don't bring an envelope soon."

"I have enough to get one from the matchmaker now. It will be a soon as I come back this afternoon." Ryu replied. "Tell Sansui to wait a little longer."

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Ryu went about his work that afternoon. Furret helped him gather the shoots of rice and plant them while Ursaring helped put rice bundles into the cart. Other farmers were getting their crops of rice in as well, for this was a year of plenty, and waste was a criminal thing. Ryu swung his sickle with practiced ease, Furret catching the falling stalks. They waded through the paddy, keeping up with some of the stronger Pokémon as they worked.

Later, the farmers and Ryu gathered to drink water and ease some of their aching muscles. One worker brought out a gourd full of Bluk berry liquor, and soon everyone was talking.

"Thank Ho-oh we got the luck for this year." One farmer had told his friends.

"Don't forget Lugia, you idiot!" One of the others said, giving the farmer a light and friendly slap to the forehead. "They share the bestowment of luck between them. You would invite it upon us?"

Ryu rolled his eyes as the farmers' voices got louder. Everyone here would soon be squabbling like Ducklett, and he had a bride envelope to go get soon. He finished his work, dusting his hands off. The Pokémon had loaded all the bundles into the carts, and they all were to take this to the rice mill.

Ryu picked up the handles on the cart and soon was walking the road to the mill. Furret curled up on top of the sacks of rice as Ursaring and Typhlosion lumbered along. Typhosion began to blow smoke rings as it sauntered down the road, Ursaring huffing at its friend's antics.

"You bring a good balance to this girl's unluckiness if you marry her."

Ryu nodded. "That was why I came to you, Honorable Mistress."

The matchmaker inhaled from a bong that sat near her and exhaled the smoke from her nose. A languid Jumpluff drifted lazily through the air, cooing. Ryu's Pokémon had stayed outside, but he had the money he had earned earlier that day in his hands. The matchmaker handed him a red envelope, and Ryu took it and carefully placed the money inside.

"Bring honor to your name." The matchmaker said, dipping her head in a polite bow.

"Thank you, Honorable Mistress." Ryu replied. He stood and bowed to her, then left the matchmaker's home.

He was walking down the road back to his home when he encountered a courier. The courier's sandals were dirty, and her face was red and covered in sweat. She ran into him, and he was barely able to keep her from falling to the ground.

"What is going on?" Ryu demanded, hauling the courier back to her feet.

"The next village over has been overcome with sickness." The courier gasped. "I came here to see if there was any medicine we could get here."

Ryu felt his stomach plummet. Sickness was almost as good as a beheading, and the village wouldn't be able to handle sickness if it came through. The courier coughed, and Ryu held her at arm's length.

"We will see what we can do." Ryu said, silently hoping the girl's throat was dry and she wasn't actually sick. "Go to the village and speak to Old Auntie Samna. She will know what to do."

"Thank you." The courier said, heading back in the direction of the village. Ryu waved and hurried home, him and his Pokémon now worried for what may happen.

The village was soon caught in the wave of sickness that was sweeping the countryside. Ryu felt sick at heart when he went by homes and heard the cries of the grieving. His new wife kept herself inside in the house to prevent sickness from getting to her. Ryu kept working out in the fields of rice with his Pokémon, but they too were starting to feel the pressures of the sickness.

Ryu came home one day to find Sansui looking very upset. He took off his sandals and rushed to his wife's side.

"What is wrong?" Ryu asked worriedly.

Sansui's eyes began to leak tears. "My family has started to get sick. They asked me to come help them get better. But if I do, I will get sick. What am I to do?!" At this, Sansui began to wail in distress.

Ryu hugged Sansui. "Ease, my little Grepa flower. You go tend to your family, for you have a duty to them. I will see what I can do."

Sansui sniffed. "What can you do? This sickness will kill all of us."

"Remember the tales of the Sun Bird, Ho-oh?" Ryu said. "The dust from his wings is said to cure any ailment. With it, we would do what we can to stop the sickness."

"We?" Sansui asked.

"My friends and I." Ryu said. "Jiji, Guan, and Tarou are strong, as am I. We would be able to find that dust, I swear it."

Sansui began to smile. "Very well then, my hero, I will give you what you need for the journey. Hurry back, because that sickness doesn't take long to kill those who catch it."

Ryu kowtowed. "I will hurry back with all of my strength and fleetness, little Grepa flower."

He kissed Sansui's hand.

Ryu set out to find the Sacred Ash. He was certain that he had to head for the mountains that reached for the sky far in the east. Sansui had made sure he had what he needed to survive, along with ways to feed himself and his friends somewhat.

The four beings had walked for a couple of days when they came to a bridge across a wide river. The bridge had the standard platform that travelers could get their bearings from, but it was decorated to look like a wrestling ring. A big Rhydon stood there, baring the way.

"Excuse me, Honorable One." Ryu said. "We wish to pass."

The Rhydon snorted. "And why should I let you pass, travelers?"

Ryu lifted his chin. "Our friends and village is sick. We are seeking the Sacred Ash of Ho-oh to cure the illness that threatens their lives."

"I will let you pass, on one condition." The Rhydon rumbled. "One of you must push me in the river. If you accomplish this, then I will let you pass."

Ryu looked at his friends. Sansui could be dying, so he gathered his courage. But Guan held out his massive paws.

Guan growled, then walked to the center of the platform. The Rhydon and Guan got locked arms, and Guan gave an experimental push. The Rhydon began to push back, and soon the two Pokémon were growling and straining to throw one another into the rushing waters below. Ryu began to chant guan's name under his breath to support his friend. Jiji and Tarou began to join Ryu, and the three's chanting soon became a loud rumble.

Guan's muscles heaved, and the Rhydon went flying off the platform and into the river. It reemerged.

"Well done!" The Rhydon roared. "You may pass! Good luck to you as you search for the Sacred Ash!"

With that, the Rhydon clambered back onto the platform and let the group pass. Ryu brought out a gourd filled with fermented Apricorn juice, for his friend had to be thirsty after such a bout.

Guan drank down the juice in one gulp. Soon the group was again on their way.

The group was still on their way to the mountains. The Pokemon were unsettled about having another thing like the river incident get in their way, but Ryu reassured the Pokémon that they would be able to defeat any further challenges along the way.

Later, the group was walking across a rocky plateau. Ryu was glad that he and his friends could find food here, or they may have been dead already.

Suddenly, a Dodrio sped by and stopped in front of them.

"Where are you travelers going, while trespassing on my plateau?" One of the heads squawked.

"We are seeking the Sacred Ash of Ho-oh." Ryu explained. "Our village and families are sick, and will die unless we can bring the Ash to them."

The middle head cackled. "I see. If you wish to cross the plateau safely, then you all have to beat me in a race. All of you must compete to beat me. We will race from the big rock and back."

Ryu nodded, and then got ready to run. He was very fleet of foot, and he hoped that the competing of all of them would be able to slow down the bird.

Dodrio began to run, and Ryu took off. The bird and the man were soon even as they approached the big rock. Ryu puffed as he touched off of the rock and ran back as fast as he could. The three headed bird wasn't very far ahead, but it was gaining steadily. Ryu came back and touched Tarou's shoulder.

Tarou snorted and took off. While Ryu had barely kept up, Tarou could actually keep up with the fast bird, and was a little bit ahead when they came back. Tarou bumped Guan, and the big bear ambled off. Guan was slower, but had endurance that some of the others didn't have. He came back after the Dodrio took off for a third time. He puffed and touched the top of Jiji's head.

Jiji chittered and was gone in a flash. The remaining beings watched with concern, for failing would lead to the Dodrio harming them in some way. Ryu knew that they couldn't save Sansui and the village if they failed. A cloud of dust came over the hill. The group watched in fascination.

Jiji was scurrying, and was ahead of the Dodrio. She had caught up for the rest of them, and she let out a chirp and began to pull even farther ahead of the bird. Ryu, Guan, and Tarou cheered with joy as Jiji came back. The Dodrio halted in its steps and bobbed all of its heads.

"Well done." The third head said. "You may pass. Be careful in the mountains, for you may not be able to outrun what awaits you there."

Ryu waved as he and the Pokémon left. The edge of the plateau came in sight, and soon a merry little brook greeted the weary travelers. Jiji jumped into the stream as soon floated by on her back. Ryu shook his head at the playfulness of his friend. Guan and Tarou only rolled their eyes and quenched their thirst in the stream.

Ryu's thoughts turned unbidden towards what lay ahead. What could be next?

The group had reached the mountains. The slopes were coated with gray snow, and Ryu thought that it gave the mountains a silver color on the horizon. He bound the cloth that kept his feet warm a little tighter, and they began to ascend the slopes of the mountain.

It wasn't long before the four travelers came to a mountain shelf. A Machamp sat across from the spot where they had appeared, and two stacks of stone blocks were on either side of him. Ryu felt his heart fall as he looked at the challenge that was no doubt for them.

"We are travelers from far away." Ryu said wearily. "I assume that we must beat you at something to continue up the path to the mountain?"

The Machamp opened one eye and sighed. "You anticipate that you must beat me? What if this challenge is different?"

"The people of the village get sicker, and I have only done things that seem to only slow us down!" Ryu growled. "How would this help the people of the village?"

The Machamp sighed. "You are tired, young one. Be mindful of what is to come, for these trials are important for you to pass. This one is that one of you must break all of the stone blocks before I do. Decide amongst yourselves who will be competing."

Ryu looked at his friends. They were all tired, but Tarou stepped forward. The fiery collar that appeared around his neck flared brightly. Tarou snorted and stepped up to one of the blocks. The Machamp went to the other set of blocks.

"Give us marks, young human." The Machamp rumbled.

Ryu raised his arms, waiting. The two Pokémon got ready, eyeing each other with competitive glee. Ryu brought his arms down in with a fast SWISH!

The Machamp chopped its arms down, and broke the first block clean within two hits. Tarou snorted again and chopped fast and hard. The blocks began to crumble under Tarou's paws. The Machamp's eyes widened in surprise and hurried to catch up. Soon Tarou had finished all of his blocks with the Machamp having one block to crumble.

The four-armed fighter bellowed with laughter as Ryu and his friends cheered.

"Congratulations!" The Machamp said. "Pass, and go meet the one that will help you save your village. Good luck!"

Ryu felt his body get lighter as he and his Pokémon friends went up the mountainside. They soon encountered a set of stairs carved deep into the mountain, and they followed it up. Rock gave way to snow, and the four travelers were soon on the top of the mountain. The wind whipped at Ryu's clothes, but nothing could be seen. Tarou and Guan sniffed the air, and Jiji curled around Ryu's feet. The little Furret was trembling with cold. Ryu bent down and rubbed the Pokémon's fur, knowing that the cold was no good for the little Furret.

Then the air began to get warmer. Ryu saw the light cast itself across Jiji's fur, and he looked up.

A magnificent bird was descending down to the mountain. It feathers shone with all the colors of the rainbow, and a golden light seemed to shine from within its body. Ryu knelt reverently and the rainbow bird landed, for it was Ho-oh, The Sun Bird of Luck and the Wrath of the Sun.

"Rise, young one." Ho-oh said, bringing its eyes closer to Ryu. He felt small under its gaze. "You wish for help?"

"Yes, Lord Ho-oh." Ryu whispered, still awed and somewhat frightened now that he was actually in Ho-oh's presence. He heard an odd trill, and looked up to see Ho-oh gently laughing.

"I'm not going to curse you or burn you to a crisp." The bird said. "You have passed all of the trials I set forth. You will get the Sacred Ash that you need to cure your village."

"Trials?" Ryu asked. "What trials?"

"The events that you faced to get here. I set those trials forth so only those of the pure of heart and spirit can ever hope to have an audience with me. You needed the Ash so that your wife and those that are sick may survive the sickness, and your friends wished only to help you. I would be glad to give it to you all."

"Thank you, Lord Ho-oh." Ryu said. "We would do anything you wish to repay you for this kindness you have given us."

"There is one thing. The trials you all faced may help Pokémon and people become more true to themselves. I wish for you to start a festival every two years, in my honor. The trials you've faced will be the competition that will be used as part of the festival. Both people and Pokémon will compete together to achieve victory."

"Go now, for the way back to your home is dangerous." Ho-oh said, turning away.

Ryu kowtowed to the Sun Bird and his friends did the same. When they got back to their feet, Ho-oh was gone. But a bag full of silvery ash lay at Ryu's feet. He and his Pokémon friends, glad of their good luck, grabbed the bag and soon were no longer on the mountain.

Sansui sighed. She had just become sick after tending to her family for many days. She felt very tired, and wished for her husband's presence. The village was full of the sick and dying, and bands of bandits were roaming the countryside. She laid down on the mat that she normally shared with her husband. She glanced up to see a stranger's shadow cast itself across the doorway.

"Come back later, I have no more remedies for you." Sansui weakly protested. She couldn't muster up the energy to yell at the stranger as he entered the house. Three Pokémon stood outside the doorway, both them and the stranger ringing a familiar chord in Sansui's mind. The stranger's blurred face came into to her line of focus, and Sansui felt relief wash over her.

"Ryu, you came back…" Sansui weakly whispered.

"Of course, Sansui." Ryu replied. His face had acquired new signs of his hard journey, as did the three Pokémon that accompanied him. He brought out a bag and sprinkled a pinch of the bag's contents into the cup of water Sansui had kept near her. He bade his ill wife to drink, and Sansui felt herself get better almost immediately.

"You actually found the Sacred Ash? I thought it was a myth…"

"It wasn't a myth, but only a trial that tests what people would be afraid to find." Ryu said. He picked up his wife and settled her under the blankets of their bed.

"I will see to it that the village is cured, and the others around it." Ryu explained. "I will return home by dusk."

The man bade his to stay at the house, for they were very tired. But he picked up his heels and trotted to the village. Haggard people watched this odd man pass by, not recognizing that it was Ryu. He waved, but kept going until he came to the well that stood in the center of town.

He told the townspeople of the cure, and he drew bucket after bucket of water. He sprinkled the Sacred Ash in the water, and the townspeople lined up to drink from the bucket. The pale, sickly people soon became hale and hearty. Sansui recovered by the time Ryu came back home.

Over the next few days, the town held the festival that Ho-oh had asked Ryu to hold in Ho-oh's honor. Ryu asked that it become an event held once every two years, and the townspeople agreed. They burned incense in Ho-oh's honor, and the games that mimicked Ryu's trials took place.

Ryu never competed, for he and his Pokémon didn't need to go through the trials they did already. Sansui was just happy they had made it home safely.

The games took place every two years in Johto after that, even after the Hoennese tried to conquer Johto to create their empire. No one forgot the story of the brave man and his Pokémon, even after Amersu grew into a giant city and changed its name to Goldenrod City. People from all over the world flocked to the festival, even after the Johto region became a united nation. Soon that festival became known as the Pokelathon.

Events were added over the years, but every time the festival starts there is a stick of incense burned and prayers of thanks sent to Ho-oh for helping the sick. And the Pokelathon continues to this day.

A/N:So glad I read some Shen Congwen stories, because I drew some inspiration from them. Hope you enjoyed this story, and see you next time!