Chapter 5: Ho-oh's Wrath

Tyler later learned that the Viridian Gym had shut down. This made Tyler's heart sink. He wondered if the madman knew. What would happen if he could only get 15 badges out of the 16. Tyler needed to contact him by now. But it was impossible, Tyler didn't know where he was. Tyler went to the abandon gym site. Maybe there were leftover badges inside. Tyler hoped he would find an extra badge.

"Pidgeotto, Squirtle, Sandshrew! Help me find a badge!" Tyler yelled as he threw three pokeballs.

Tyler crept around the building to see if he could find an unlocked entrance. He saw a window up high on the gym.

"Pidgeotto, fly me up there!" Tyler commanded.

Tyler grabbed Pidgeotto's legs and Pidgeotto flew him into the air. Although Tyler was fairly heavy compared to Pidgeotto, Pidgeotto managed to fly him into the air to the window. Tyler jumped in and was lucky to find he landed on the very ledge near the window, because it was a big drop down.

"Pidgeotto fly me down in there! And get Sandshrew and Squirtle too!"

Pidgeotto flew Tyler down to the bottom and got the other pokemon too. It was dark but there was enough light coming through the windows and a long, skinny crack in the wall. There was nothing on the gym floor, but inside a box on the overhanging balcony, Pidgeotto found a small box near a large chair. Pidgeotto brought it down. It was locked but Sandshrew used his sharp claws to get it open. It was a whole box full of feather-shaped badges.

"Alright we found it!" Tyler cheered.

Tyler grabbed a badge. But then he heard a whole bunch of cheering and yelling. Tyler ran to the crack in the wall and looked through it. There was a large crowd of people staring and pointing at the sky. Tyler couldn't believe what he saw when he looked where they were looking. He even double checked with his binoculars. It was Ho-oh. The legendary Ho-oh. One of the eight he needed. It actually existed!

"We have to get that Ho-oh!" Tyler yelled. "We have no time to fly out. Quickly, help be break open the wall."

Squirtle shot a water gun at it, Sandshrew smashed into it, and Pidgeotto used his gust. The combined forces easily broke the wall. Tyler saw that other trainers tried to catch it. Some ordered their pokemon to attack it while some threw pokeballs at it. Tyler noticed none of the pokemon wished to battle it.

"Pidgeotto, I read that Ho-oh is supposed to speak any language and have great wisdom. maybe you could try to talk it into coming with me instead of fighting it. Hurry!" Tyler said while pointing at the Ho-oh.

Pidgeotto flew up to the Ho-oh. He was just about to reach it when a pokeball hit Pidgeotto. Tyler could here someone yelling at the Pidgeotto that he got in the way. The pokeball fell to the ground but Pidgeotto quickly escaped and flew back up to the Ho-oh. Pidgeotto flew in front of the Ho-oh and started to talk to it in with a couple of squaks.

"Tyler?" a familar voice asked. It was Melody. "Is that your Pidgeotto up there? How'd you get your pokemon to want to fight it."

"I didn't, he's not fighting it. I told Pidgeotto to tell Ho-oh something." Tyler replied.

"What did you tell him?" Melody asked.

"I'm sorry I can't say." Tyler again replied.

"Not that again. Why are you acting so mysterious?" she questioned.

"I..." Tyler couldn't finish what he was about to say because he was interrupted by a thundering sound.

Ho-oh had used his Sacred Fire on the Pidgeotto. The flames were enourmous.

"Pidgeotto!" Tyler yelled.

The bird pokemon fell from the cloud of fire and hurdled towards the ground. Tyler ran towards Pidgeotto to catch it. Tyler leaped as far he could and the Pidgeotto fell safely in his arms.

Pidgeotto could barely move. He was badly burned

"Just hang on Pidgeotto!" Tyler said almost in tears.

Tyler ran as fast he could to the pokemon center. Melody followed behind him. Tyler burst in the doors and rang the bell as many times as he could. Nurse Joy wasn't there, she was outside watching the Ho-oh but she had just come in after seeing Tyler go in with his Pidgeotto.

"I'm sorry for not being here sooner. Chansey, take Pidgeotto to the emergency room." Nurse Joy said.

She told another Chansey to take care with the other pokemon who just needed a rest before Joy ran into the emergency room behind Chansey. Tyler and Melody waited just outside the emergency room. It was almost an hour before Nurse Joy finally came out.

"Is he okay?" Tyler asked almost immediatly.

"I'm afraid he is not going to make it." Nurse Joy said sadly.

Tyler didn't say anything. He just stood there open mouthed. He ran into the emergency room.

"Hey wait!" Nurse Joy called after him.

Melody ran in too. Tyler saw Pidgeotto lying on the operating table. He looked awful. He had some machines hooked up to him. Tyler saw on the screen that Pidgeotto's heart was going very slow.

"Pidgeotto, I'm...I'm sorry. Why'd I have to get you into this. You don't deserve this. I deserve it. I sent you against a monster. How could I be so heartless. I'm sorry, Pidgeotto. I...I...just for my own selfish reasons."

Pidgeotto lifted it's wing and pointed at Tyler's pocket, the pocket with the family picture. Tyler pulled the picture out of his pocket. Pidgeotto pointed his wing at Eve and then Pidgeotto smiled. It was wierd to see a Pidgeotto smile with his beak and all. But it was heart warming, because Pidgeotto had never smiled before. Melody wasn't sure about what was going on with the picture and everything but she forced herself to stay out of it. Pidgeotto started to say something in his own language. Tyler wished he could understand what he was saying. Pidgeotto just kept talking to Tyler, still with a smile on his face. Pidgeotto placed a wing on Tyler's head. Pidgeotto's eyes shut. The machine made a ringing sound indicating Pidgeotto's heart stopping. Nurse Joy ran in and grabbed the electric panels. No matter how many times she tried, Pidgeotto was still dead. Nurse Joy put a hand to her forehead.

"I'm sorry." She said.