"Ugh, towers." Entei grumbled, legs spread out slightly to help with balance atop the slowly swaying Bell Tower.
"You look ridiculous." Suicune chuckled slightly. Only Entei seemed bothered by the movement, both Suicune and Raikou moved easily as the electric beast paced back and forth.
"How do we even know Ho-Oh will come?" Entei grumbled in response.
"We don't." Suicune answered with a sigh. "But if it helps whatever mood Raikou is in curre-"
"You have a question for me, beast of lightning?" The voice was both spoken out loud and within their heads as in a brilliant light Ho-Oh appeared. All three of them slipped into a type of bow before any of them dared to speak.
"I do..." Raikou answered quietly.
"Then ask it."
"Did..." The electric type faultered for a second before glancing back at the others for reassurance. Suicune gave a small nod. "Did we truly have a life before this one, as the story the humans tell says? If so, why do we not remember?"
The legend was silent for long enough that all three of the beasts grew nervous.
"You did. I removed those memories for your sakes." Ho-Oh's head lowered ever so slightly to meet Raikou's. "Are you unhappy with my decision?"
"At times, yes." Suicune answered then, stepping forward. "At times, we wish to remember what it is that we lost to gain what we have."
"Hmm." Ho-Oh's gaze moved from Raikou to Suicune. "You make an interesting point, beast of water. But should you begin to long for what it is you lost?"
"Is that not the price one must pay for the memories?" Again there was silence for a few heartbeats before Ho-Oh chuckled.
"A true enough response. Is the return of these memories what all of you wish?" It's gaze moved to Entei then. "This is not a gift I will bestow to some but not all." Ho-Oh blinked. "You look uncomfortable, beast of fire." Even as it spoke, the swaying of the tower stilled, allowing Entei to stand up correctly.
"I think I'd like to remember as well." Entei shrugged.
Ho-Oh blinked once more before accepting the answer as a yes. "Very well." It spread it's wings wide, and the three were blinded by light.
"Sui, Ent, hurry up!" A Jolteon stood outside the Brass Tower, oblivious to the storm clouds gathering above. She was an electric type, what could it do?
"Rai, are you sure about this? We were told to stay near-" A Vaporeon walked up slowly, casting his gaze around warily.
"It'll be fine. You worry too much. Where's Ent?" She asked, staring down the path.
"Coming. He should be..."
"I'm here, I'm here." A Flareon appeared, rolling his eyes. "Are we doing this or not?"
"I still think-"
"Of course we are. Come-" A loud rumble drowned out the rest of her sentence as she lead the way, pushing the door open. Thunder.
"So what is this supposed to be, again?" Ent asked boredly, trailing behind the other two.
"It's for a legend, isn't it?" Rai asked. "Ho-Oh, I think."
"... No, Rai. That's Bell Tower. Brass Tower is for Lugia. Don't you two pay attention?" Sui sighed, though his eyes were still flickering from place to place nervously, and each rumble of the thunder made him jump slightly.
"Why would we? That's why we have you, Sui." Ent snorted.
"Great, what are you two going to do if I stop helping you?"
"You won't." Both Rai and Ent answered at the same time.
"... I hate you bo-." He was drowned out by a deafening crack. "Rai what was that?" He whimpered, pressing closer to her. Ent whirled around, tense, as if expecting an attack.
"I... I have no idea. It sounded like..."
"I smell smoke." Ent said flatly, staring up at the ceiling.
"Lightning." Rai finished, just as a group of Rattata rushed past them, dashing towards the stairs to the floor below them. The first sign something was wrong. The trio became aware of a distant noise, sounding almost like roaring, and a faint red-orange glow from the stairs leading up. A beam crashed down on top of them seconds later, making them scatter.
"Ent! Sui!" Rai exclaimed, standing near the stairs leading down.
"Rai, Rai we have a problem!" Ent sounded on the verge of panic, something that sent the Jolteon rushing away from the exit and leaping over the beam, now laying on a heavily sagging wooden floor. There, trapped under the beam, was Sui.
"Sui!" She managed to choke out.
"You both... Have to... Get... Out..." He muttered, struggling to breath. "Now... Please."
"But..."
"Come on Rai. We have to go." Ent muttered, moving to leap over the beam.
"HOW COULD YOU SAY WE SHOULD LEAVE HIM!?" Rai snarled, leaping at him as he jumped, sending them both tumbling over the beam as a small chunk of flaming wooden plank fell.
"He told us too. Plus, it's too late." He muttered, turning his head away from Rai. "We would never get out of here before the fire..."
"Says the Pokemon with Flash Fire! It won't bother you!"
"Rai I DON'T have Flash Fire!" Ent snapped.
"All these years..." Rai muttered, backing up a few steps just as another fiery board fell where she had been seconds before.
"It was a lie, alright? I would use Fire Spin right before the attack connected. Most of the time it would negate the attack." Ent growled. "You had Volt Absorb, and Sui had Water Absorb, and I didn't want to admit that fire attacks could still harm me." Flaming debris was like rain now, and fire surrounded them.
"Ent." Rai looked up, any fight she had was gone. "We..." She trailed off as the Flareon got to his feet, lunging forward to knock the Jolteon out of the way of a large section of the ceiling. "Ent!" She struggled to her paws with a cough, rushing forward to try and find her friend.
"Sorry..." He could hear the voice, faint and full of pain, but she couldn't reach the Flareon, trapped beneath the planks.
"Ent, no..." Rai managed to choke out, falling to the ground mere seconds before the floor beneath her collapsed and everything went black.
"Is this what you wished to know, beast of lightning?" Raikou started, stumbling to her feet.
"N-no. It was.. I..." Near her, Entei and Suicune started to wake as well. They were atop Bell Tower once more.
"Raikou, calm down." Suicune whispered, pressing his side against hers to still the shivering. "It wasn't your fault." He looked up at Ho-Oh. "Thank you."
"I would hurry, beast of water. Humans come to investigate." With that, Ho-Oh vanished.
"Come on." Suicune muttered. "We should go."