A quick note:

This story is set in a continent apart from Kanto, Johto, and the Orange Islands. There are ten different cities. By the way...I made this continent up.

Here's a list:

Choumei Town: The Starter town, like Pallet and New Bark. "Choumei" means "Town", so it's "Town town".

Fushichou Town : Fushichou means "Phoenix", so this is the "Fire" city. I.e., Cinnabar.

Jensi City: The "Water" town.

Lindral City: Ground.

Soyokaze City: Flying, and Soyokaze means "breeze"

Armona City: Psychic

Daemoni City: Dark-these two are like St. Paul and Minneapolis. Right next door to each other, and constantly fighting. Of course, Daemoni always wins. Hee....

Migaru Town: Normal "Free Spirited"

Aisu City: Ice "Ice"

Aete Capital: The Final city, equivalent to Indigo Plateau. "To challenge"

These towns and cities are arranged with Aete Capital in the center, and the others in a circle around it. There are roads connecting each city with its neighbors and Aete. A mountain range runs east of Soyokaze, the easternmost city.

Prologue



All was quiet in the town of Fushichou. It was dark, a few hours past midnight. A Pokémon was flying over the town.

It had mostly red feathers, with a band of green and one of gold. The Legendary Bird Ho-oh. Some still claimed it was a god, but none took these claims seriously.

It was one of three "Guardian Pokémon". Itself, Lugia, and Celebi. They maintained the balance of Sky, Sea, and Land. If one of them was killed, the world would be thrown into chaos. So they had a plan.

Whenever danger threatened, they would call upon the humans born with power. It wasn't political power, or skill with Pokémon, but power not unlike that of Pokémon. The power to tap the elemental energy of the Earth.

Danger was threatening.



Chapter One

Flame Horizon



Phoebe was a girl who lived in Fushichou Town. She had orange tresses, and bright blue eyes. Her tan skin showed that she was not an indoors type.

She was sleeping when a loud cry startled her awake. She looked at her window, and saw a Pokémon hovering there.

It was beautiful, with multicolored feathers and a crest of gold. And strangely familiar. It cocked its head, and words floated into her mind. -Phoebe...-

"Yes?" she whispered, somehow not scared of this Pokémon.

-Come with me. I need your help.-

"You need my help? Why?"

-Just grab your Pokémon, dress, and leave your home! I'll take care of the rest.-

Phoebe nodded, and took her Pokéballs from her bedstead. Starmie, Butterfree, and Bayleef. She hastily donned a red shirt and pair of jeans, and walked out of her room to the front room. She scribbled a note to her husband, Preston, and her two kids, Jaime and Jessica, two identical twins. She smiled fondly at the thought of them, then walked to the front door.

Then she realized what she was doing. Stopping stock still, she said, "Why am I doing this? Because a Pokémon told me to?"

-I am not just a Pokémon.-

She let out a yelp before she knew what was going on. "What are you, then?" she hissed.

-I am Ho-oh. A Legendary Bird, as you say.-

Her eyes widened. That's why it had seemed familiar. She had seen a picture of it, once. A long time ago.

-Hurry!- its 'voice' urged. -There isn't much time!-

She opened the door, walked through, and closed it, thanking her husband for being so fastidious about its oiling.

-Now, climb on my back!- Ho-oh urged, landing in front of her. - Quickly!-

She obeyed without questioning the Pokémon. With a few powerful sweeps of its wings, they were airborne.

When they had reached sufficient altitude, Ho-oh began taking her east.

-For the record, I am female.-

"Oh," Phoebe said. "Sorry."

-It isn't really a problem; I just don't like to be thought of as an 'it'.-

"Are you a Psychic Pokémon?"

-Not really. All of what you term "Legendary" Pokémon can read minds and speak telepathically.-

"Really? Cool."

-You could say that.-

"So, um...why'd you come all this way to...what, fly me somewhere? I think it's safe to say I'm a bit confused."

-Well...that's a delicate subject. You see, I am not a 'normal' Pokémon. Aside from being "Legendary". I am a...well...Guardian would be an accurate term. My existence keeps the sky from being torn apart by the sea and land. My counterparts Lugia and Celebi are the ones who keep the sky in check. We all rely on each other.-

She looked down, and saw that they were flying over a mountain range. The mountains nearest Fushichou were a hundred miles away.

"You're fast." she noted.

-It's an ability we have.-

A singing call echoed through the mountains.

-That's Lugia!- Ho-oh told her. -I can't believe he came all the way out here!-

"Why?"

-He is supposed to stay in the Sea. There must be something terrible afoot if he's coming here.-

He soared through the sky, graceful as Ho-oh. His long, white wings shone in the moonlight, and his elegant neck and head were adorned with stiff, black feathers over each of his eyes, and more decorating his back and tail.

-Ho-oh! You have your human?-

-Yes!-

-The Dark One is near! Help her with her powers!-

"Powers?!" Phoebe demanded. "What powers?"

-Hurry!-

-Listen. You were born with the ability to tap into the planet's elemental power. You in particular can channel Fire strongly, as well as some Wind. You must do that now to throw off the enemy.-

"Enemy?"

-I don't have time for questions!-

"Okay, what do I do?"

-Just close your eyes and think of fire.-

Phoebe did so, picturing a blaze in her mind. She felt heat rising around her.

-More! That isn't enough!-

Phoebe started to open her eyes, but Ho-oh interrupted.

-Don't open your eyes!-

"Right." Phoebe muttered. "More fire." The blaze in her imagination grew until all she could 'see' was flame.

-More!-

"Oh, yeah, like you're putting out so much effort..." she muttered.

-If I use an attack, the enemy will detect it and come after us! You can summon energy without him noticing. Concentrate!-

"Right." She summoned all her mental energy and put it into forming flame.

A roar filled her ears, and a cry escaped her lips.

"FLAME HORIZON!"

Fire raced out from her body as she glowed a brilliant red. Her eyes flew open, and from horizon to horizon, all she saw was leaping, snapping flame. But since they were flying through a valley at the time, the horizon wasn't too big. Lugia arced over the maelstrom, beautiful even in the flickering light.

The flame sucked in on itself, becoming a swirling ball of heat that flew above Lugia. It flashed with red light, and darted across Phoebe's vision and exploded behind a nearby mountain. A lithe figure was thrown into the mountain's neighbor. Phoebe narrowed her eyes, and pointed. Fire leaped from it toward the figure.

A dark cloud billowed from it and hit the fire. They both vanished.

"What's going on?!" she cried.

-He knows where we are. Lugia, it's time to attack!-

-Right, Ho-oh!-

The two birds shot forward. Phoebe barely hung on to Ho-oh as she rocketed past the dark figure, and turned.

-Phoebe, picture yourself with wings of flame! I need to be able to turn quickly, and I can't do that carrying you!-

Phoebe did so, and Ho-oh rolled, throwing her off. She lost concentration, and fully expected to fall, but...something inside her mind shifted, allowing her to focus on something other than her wings while maintaining them.

Ho-oh, while huge, could make surprisingly fast, small turns. Lugia could also make very fast turns. Phoebe couldn't see how they could do it.

Lugia opened his mouth, and a ball of energy formed in it. Lines of energy arced out from it, and converged on the figure. The ball shot out, becoming a beam that blasted the dark one into a mountain.

Ho-oh flew over the mountain, and formed a large fireball, launching it into the mountain, blowing it apart.

"Impressive, birdies," the figure said, coming out of the flame, seemingly untouched. "But you'll have to do better than that." He reached forward.

Dark lightning flickered from his outstretched hand, and paralyzed the huge birds. They fell quickly, large mass becoming a hindrance.

"Ho-oh! Lugia!" Phoebe cried. "NO!" She gripped one of her Pokéballs. "Butterfree, go!" Her flying Pokémon emerged. "Save them! Use your psychic powers!"

The two of them flew to the plummeting Pokémon. Phoebe grabbed Ho-oh, and strained to lift her with her wings of fire. Butterfree tried to lift Lugia, but he was just too heavy. The beautiful birds fell to the rocky peaks below.

Phoebe was despairing, while gathering what remained of her energy to fight the dark figure, when white light began to emanate from the birds. It built slowly, but fast enough to heal them before they hit rock bottom. They turned the fall into a controlled glide. Phoebe gasped as Ho-oh flew past her.

-Forgot we know Recover, didn't you?-

The figure growled. "I underestimated you once. It won't happen again."

Houou shrilled, and shot at the living shadow.

Phoebe shot forward, Butterfree following. "Uhh...what am I doing?" she asked, catching up with the massive birds.

-Just distract him!-

Phoebe sighed, but gave orders to her Pokémon. "Okay, Butterfree, try to get it with a Sleep Powder!"

She circled the shadow as Butterfree went to the right. The Pokémon followed her orders well, attempting to at least slow the person down. Phoebe launched another Flamethrower, scoring a hit along his left arm. He cursed softly, and sent a dark beam at Phoebe. She managed to dodge, but it was draining.

A dark sphere encased Butterfree, and black lightning flickered around it, electrocuting the poor thing. The Pokémon fainted.

"Butterfree! Return!" Phoebe shouted. "Uhhh...I can't keep this up forever!" she called to Ho-oh, summoning a rain of embers.

Ho-oh blazed past her, screeching.

-Fire Blast!-

A large star shaped flame slammed the figure into another mountain. Phoebe heard him screaming as the super hot flame burned him.

Lugia followed with another blast like he had before.

-Hyper Beam!-

"ARGH!" the dark guy cried. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!!" He went out of control, flinging black lightning haphazardly.

Phoebe tried to call a shield of fire to deflect the attacks. But she couldn't. All she could see was swirling red...she blacked out.

Her wings lasted long enough to keep her from slamming into the ground at killing speed.