The valley grew larger as the group approached the rocky area. A monolithic stone carving of a Charizard's head overlooked a long, blue stream. The water's ebb and flow lapping at the rocks lining it. Louis couldn't help but feel that he had heard of this place somehow.

"Charicific Valley?" he said.

"Isn't that the place where a hoard of Charizards go to train?"

"So I've heard, yes," answered Taki.

When the group got closer to the valley, Rapidash slid to an abrupt stop, producing a large dust cloud, startling the trio.

"It's time to get off," said Rapidash. "...I won't go any further."

Louis looked at Rapidash in bewilderment.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Some groups of Charizard are hostile here," explained Rapidash.

"Besides, no Rapidash has ever set foot in Charicific Valley. I'm not going to be the first," it finished.

Louis understood why Rapidash didn't want to enter the valley. He also recalled how Chief Tanaka said that it would only take them to the first location of a crystal shard. Taki, Totodile, and Louis dismounted from Rapidash, thanked it for bringing them to the valley and watched as it turned, and went back the way it had come.

Then they realised that without Rapidash, they would have to continue their journey on foot. Louis groaned at the thought of it.

Suddenly, from afar, Taki heard a loud roar. To Louis and Totodile, instead of a roar, they both heard a voice shout...

"Get out of our home!"

This caused Louis to start trembling in fear, thinking that they were invading the area. He began to take small steps backwards.

"We...we should probably move," stuttered Louis.

Taki turned her attention to Louis, unsure of why he was so worried.

"Why?" she asked.

On cue, they saw a large Pokémon fly up into the sky. It was none other than a Charizard. Louis pointed towards it in fear.

"Because of that!" he cried.

Without warning, the Charizard proceeded to dive towards the group. Thinking that it was going to attack them, Louis took large strides backwards as the Charizard got closer. Soon, the boy was running away from the Pokémon. Louis dropped down to the ground as the Charizard swooped him.

"AAHH!" he screamed.

A tremendous gust of wind from the swooping Charizard forced the boy further into the ground. Both Taki and Totodile ran over and helped Louis back onto his feet.

"Get up!" said Taki. "It's coming back!"

Sure enough, it did. The ferocious Pokémon banked in the air and descended with a thunderous beating of wings to the rocky shale ground below. It stood in an intimidating stance.

"Today's the day I finally end Team Rocket!" it bellowed.

Louis was scared out of his wits, and he shivered in his shoes. Flames began to build up in the Charizard's mouth while Taki and Totodile prepared for battle, in case it attacked.

"No, wait! Stop!" pleaded Louis.

"We're not here to cause any trouble!"

For a brief moment, the Charizard appeared to hold off on its attack. Unfortunately, it didn't last long.

"That's something a member of Team Rocket would say!" exclaimed Charizard

Almost immediately, the Pokémon built up the ferocious flames in its mouth again. Louis put both hands in front of him in an attempt to stop the ferocious beast.

"No! I'm serious!" he said. "We're just...explorers. See?"

Unfortunately, the Charizard was still unimpressed. It clearly didn't believe Louis' claims. The boy realised this and sighed in annoyance.

"Alright, I'll prove we're not members of Team Rocket," he said.

Taki looked at Totodile with curiosity.

"Team Rocket?" she whispered.

Totodile nodded. They both looked to Louis as he approached the Charizard.

" ...can any member of Team Rocket talk to Pokémon?" he questioned.

The Charizard, surprisingly, became a little intrigued

"...no?" it said.

"Good," replied Louis.

"That makes things a little easier now," he continued.

At that moment, the Charizard's eyes began to widen in stunned silence.

"You mean you know what I'm saying right now?" it asked.

"I do," answered Louis.

He then pointed to Taki.

"But unfortunately, she's not able to," he continued.

"...not yet, at least."

Then, a wave of familiarity and realisation flowed through the Charizard.

"You're a Ho-Oh-Kai, aren't you?" it questioned.

Louis looked at the Pokémon with a confused expression.

"A what?" he questioned.

"What did it say?" inquired Taki.

Louis turned to Taki with a curious expression.

"It asked me if I was a...Ho-Oh-Kai," he answered.

Almost immediately, Taki's eyes widened in shock.

"...I haven't heard that name in a long time," she recalled.

– "What do you mean?"

"That was the old name of our tribe," replied Taki.

Now it was Louis' turn to widen his eyes at the new information.

"It is?!" he inquired.

Taki nodded in reply. Louis became flabbergasted at the reveal.

"Well...what is it called now?" he questioned.

– "Ho-Ken."

An idea came to the Charizard's mind. It grinned, leaned into the group and said...

"If you are Ho-Oh-Kai..." it started,

"...we need you."

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