Pokemon Heart Soul Adventures
Chapter 59 – Memories, Burned Deep Inside
Ecruteak City was quickly falling into chaos and panic as an ever-growing number of Flying-type Pokemon swarmed around Tin Tower, filling the air with their shrill calling, and even trying to force their way inside of it to attack Ash and his companions. Many people had already shut themselves in their homes and had closed off doors and windows for safety, intimidated by that inexplicable demonstration of blind anger from normally peaceful Pokemon. But now, something even stranger was taking place – despite the absence of rain, a huge, majestic rainbow had appeared in the sky, arcing over the top floor of the town's sacred tower, and the temperature was rising, to the point that those few who had remained outdoors were starting to sweat…
And even Ash and his companions, even though they were repaired from the harsh sunlight, were feeling the effects of the sudden heat. The Pokemon, both their own and those attacking them, had gotten sluggish and awkward, and humidity was getting hard to bear.
However, Ash did not seem to feel the sudden rise in temperature. In fact, the young trainer was still standing in the midst of the room, his eyes spacing from the Rainbow Wing placed on the dais, to the open windows, to the rainbow… and yet, he didn't seem to be really looking at any of those things! Rather, his attention seemed to go to something else, beyond the clouds…
Ursula's Gabite struck an attacking Fearow with a well placed Dragon Claw attack, knocking it out, then placed himself in front of his trainer in order to protect her. The rich young heiress thanked her ace Pokemon with a nod, then turned an inquisitive glance towards Ash. Even Pikachu was trying to shake the boy out of his trance, without much success. "Well? What in the world is that guy doing? Is he just going to stand there gawking? In case he didn't notice, we're in a dangerous situation, and he isn't even reacting!"
"Wait, Ursula… I have a feeling something really strange is happening with Ash!" Brock stated. "It seems to me… that he has felt something that deeply affected him. And… I think I might have a hunch of what it is. Remember how Ash told me that he had seen the Legendary Pokemon Ho-Oh, at the start of his journey?"
After a brief moment of uncertainty, Ursula's eyes widened in an expression of wonder and fear. The others were just as shocked about this reveal, and both Morty and his Gengar were now staring out of the window, expecting to see the responsible for the flock of Flying-type Pokemon showing up very soon…
"What… what do you mean?" an increasingly nervous Ursula stammered. "You mean… that we might find ourselves with an angry Legendary Pokemon looking for trouble on our hands? Any moment now?"
It all came true far too soon. A deafening screech, loud enough to shatter several of the city's closed windows, and a threatening shadow that covered the whole sky announced the coming of Johto's most powerful Legendary Pokemon… the flapping of a pair of mighty wings was heard, and the clouds suddenly parted as Ho-Oh, the Legendary Bird of Rainbow, appeared in the clear sky, surrounded in a nimbus of dazzling rays of color!
A collective scream of both surprise and panic came from most of Ecruteak City's houses, and all those few who still hadn't looked for shelter, did so right away! Ash's companions stepped backwards and attempted to shield their eyes from the searing light, but the boy seemed to not even realize the brightness of the skies, and kept staring at Ho-Oh in a daze. As the gigantic bird of prey descended, majestic and terrible, towards the top of Tin Tower, all the swarming Pokemon ceased their assault and stood by in deference, while the rest of the trainers attempted to call out to Ash before anything happened to him.
"Ash, what are you doing?" Misty yelled as she motioned for the boy to come back. She tried to yell louder, fearing that he was unable to hear her. "Ash, you big fool, can't you hear me? Get outta there, or you'll get sizzled like a sausage!"
"Pika pi! PIKA PI!" Pikachu squeaked, before resorting to his tried and true method of getting his trainer's attention – charging up his cheeks, and unleashing a Thundershock attack on his own trainer! The boy yelped as a comical expression of pain plastered itself on his face, and the electricity went through his body, revealing his skeleton for a moment as if he was getting an X-ray scan done… then, as the discharge ended, Ash shook his head, smoke coming out of his ears, and his face dirty with soot.
"Wow… man, I really needed this one!" he exclaimed, finally stepping away from where he was and back towards his friends. "Sorry, guys, I don't know what came to me… I just found myself stuck there, and I couldn't move… I could only watch as Ho-Oh came down, and I couldn't do anything…"
"It's okay, Ash, don't feel bad about it." Tracey answered, protectively placing himself near his Dunsparce. "But now, we need to think of a way to distract Ho-Oh, and most of all… we need to try and understand what he wants, and why he's come down to earth."
"Pika pikachu..." the electric mouse murmured, pointing out that the Legendary Pokemon did not seem to be willing to chit-chat! There was a loud, terrifying screech of claws scraping onto terra cotta as Ho-Oh landed on top of the pagoda, and the small room was shaken by a loud tremor, as the tremendous heat radiating from his body began to melt down the walls.
"This is getting heated…" Morty stated. "Ho-Oh is trying to retake his Rainbow Wing, and I don't think he's going to allow anything or anyone to stand in his way. We need to find a way to calm him down and talk to him… though I'm afraid it will be easier said than done."
A part of the roof collapsed, tearing open a hole in tbe ceiling through which sunlight plummeted into the room… and the Rainbow Wing began spraying rays of colored light everywhere, immersing the room into a dazzling mess of light!
"Right now, we are the only ones who stand an actual chance of talking to Ho-Oh." Eugene stated, using his cape to shield himself. "But in order to do that, we need to reach the roof and estabilish contact with the Legendary Pokemon somehow."
Just to make things more complicated, the swarm of Flying-type Pokemon chose that moment to renew their assault, raining down en masse upon the room. His mind briefly flashing back to himself facing a huge swarm of Spearows in an effort to protect Pikachu, Ash exchanged a glance with his starter Pokemon… and Pikachu nodded twice and raised his ears in an expression of confidence! He charged himself up for a moment, and then dashed at the swarming Pokemon in a tremendously powerful Volt Tackle attack, which overwhelmed the opposing fliers and scattered them! The closest opponents were thrown against the walls by the sheer power of the attack and slid down to the floor, unconscious, while the enemy swarm was overtaken by chaos and fear, giving the other trainers a chance to counterattack!
"Well done, Ash!" Eugene exclaimed. "Now, Electrode! Use a Swift attack!"
"You too, Gengar! Attack with Psychic!" Morty ordered.
The spherical Pokemon obeyed with amazing speed: Eugene had barely managed to complete his order when Electrode executed a blindingly fast spin upon itself and fired a barrage of star-shaped blasts of energy at its enemies, hitting them without givjng them the chance to dodge. Right after that, Gengar concentrated and blasted several foes with a powerful rush of mental energy that scattered them and allowed the others to reach for the Rainbow Wing unimpeded. Misty's Starmie spun dizzily upon itself and managed to get close to the altar, before hitting the Wing with one of its spinning appendages and sending it towards the rest of the group! Tracey was quick to get to where the Rainbow Wing was falling, and caught it before it could even land… but a split second later, the young artist was blindsided by a menacing Swellow swooping down upon him, determined to retake the precious artifact before Ash and his friends could do anything with it.
"Tracey, be careful!" Brock exclaimed. Tracey widened his eyes in shock and fear as the gigantic swallow's beak flashed before his face, along with several scenes from his own life…
But the Normal/Flying type never got his chance to hit. In an amazing display of courage, Tracey's young Dunsparce lunged forwards and launched himself at the enemy Swellow with a tremendous Headbutt attack. The flier was hit square in the chest, his breath cut off for a moment, and Tracey stepped back in surprise while Dunsparce landed with an elegant twist of his body, like a professional gymnast.
"Spar!" The odd underground Pokemon stated as he turned to his trainer and sympathetically waved the small wings sprouting from his back. Tracey bljnked twice before his newly acquired Pokemon's unexpected skill… then, he laughed briefly and gently stroked Dunsparce on his head and back.
"Really, not bad at all!" he stated, winking to his Pokemon. "You know, Dunsparce, perhaps we should try our hand at Pokemon Contests after all! You sure have the right temperament for it!"
"Dun, spar!" Dunsparce exclaimed, hopping up and down, momentarily oblivious to the danger surrounding them. But it all lasted for just one moment, since numerous Flying-type Pokemon immediately tried to fill the voids left by their knocked-out brethren, and Ho-Oh's claws tightened on the roof, cracking a few more tiles.
"Well, I sure think it would be great to see your Dunsparce perform." Brock stated, taking a new Pokeball out. "Still, we must first get out of here alive… your turn, Rhydon! You too, Graveler! We need your help!"
The bipedal rhinoceros and the living boulder appeared in front of Brock and stood on guard. Graveler was the first to act, launching a Rock Throw attack against a small group of Spearows trying to attack from above, and knocking most of them out. Two of them retaliated with a Fury Attack, hitting Graveler with a quick series of blows which had little effect on the stony Pokemon… then, Rhydon charged in with a Horn Attack, hitting one of the Spearows and sending it away with a surprised screech.
Misty and Ursula were doing their absolute best to cover Ash, Pikachu, Morty and Eugene: Starmie and Flareon were doing a great job, the girls demonstrating impressive teamwork for all their usual bickering.
"Starmie, send them away with Water Pulse!" the redhead exclaimed.
"Let's not fall behind, Flareon! Attack with Flamethrower… but take care not to set the place on fire!" the girl with the spiralling pigtails answered.
Taking advantage of the cover as Starmie and Flareon targetted the enemies, Tracey and Dunsparce were able to get to the Rainbow Wing, and to reach Morty to hand him the precious relic. "Thanks, Tracey… I hope we can use this to solve the situation or at least to communicate with Ho-Oh!" Morty thanked him. "Alright… from here on, we should be able to reach Ho-Oh on our own!"
"Pikachu, you know what to do!" Ash exclaimed as the yellow mouse already charged up a series of Thunderbolt attacks that forced the enemies to fly back. "The coast seems to be clear for now! Let's go, before they continue their attack!"
There was no need to even say that. A split second later, Ash, Morty and Eugene had climbed out of the window and on the heated roof, making their way towards a small ramp of stairs climbing to the roof upon which Ho-Oh had perched, his wings splayed wide in a gesture of indignation. Despite the choking heat, Ash felt a chill run down his spine when the mighty phoenix glanced down and glared at him, flaming wisps dancing on his iridescent feathers. Ash was feeling the same sensation of wonder he had felt four years earlier, but now, it was mixed with an oppressive sense of fear. All of his instincts were screaming at him to run away and save his own skin, but his willpower allowed him to stay firm as he, his companions and their Pokemon climbed the stairs to the rooftop.
Ash got a little closer, noticing that Ho-Oh was standing in place, his burning eyes following the Rainbow Wing that Eugene was holding. He was trying to think of a way to properly address the iridescent raptor… but Ho-Oh acted before he could, speaking telepathically to him!
"YOU." Ho-Oh's soft yet stern voice echoed in Ash's mind, and the boy staggered for a moment. The Legendary Pokemon's sheer might was such that even just mentally communicating with him was causing the young trainer to feel overwhelmed and confused, and even Morty was showing signs of distress.
"Pika pi!" Pikachu rushed to his trainer's side, holding him by the leg of his trousers even as Morty and Eugene took care that he wouldn't fall. Luckily, Ash was soon able to shake himself out of his stupor, and stood his ground, sustaining Ho-Oh's blistering eyes.
"Thanks, Morty… Eugene… don't worry, guys, I am okay now." He told his companions.
Ho-Oh frowned and motioned for the still-flying attackers to stay put... then, he spoke to Ash once again. "I DO RECALL YOU, MORTAL BOY…IT WAS FOUR YEARS AGO, A BEGINNING TRAINER THAT WAS TRYING TO MAKE A NAME FOR HIMSELF…" Ho-oh said telepathically, further surprusing Ash. The boy was convinced that Ho-Oh had not even noticed him back then, let alone remember him.
"W-What?" Ash stammered, holding Pikachu close. "How… how do you know who I am? I… only saw you for a moment, and I didn't think you had even noticed me! And… well… how can you actually talk to me… I mean to us, since my friends can hear you as well…"
The flames licking at Ho-Oh's iridescent feathers burned brighter, as if underscoring the Legendary Pokemon's annoyance. "DO NOT UNDERRATE ME, MORTAL BOY! I AM A POKEMON THAT IS UNIQUE IN HIS KIND. ALMOST AKIN TO A GOD." The phoenix bellowed. "MY SENSES ARE FAR KEENER THAN THOSE OF ANY COMMON POKEMON, AND I KNOW MORE THINGS THAN A HUMAN COULD POSSIBLY LEARN IN HIS WHOLE LIFE! YOU CAN FEEL MY POWER BETTER THAN ANY OTHER HERE PRESENT… SINCE YOU POSSESS THE POWER OF AURA, A RARE GIFT AMONGST MORTALS INDEED!"
Eugene and his Electrode blinked in wonder. Had they heard correctly? Did that Legendary Pokemon just say that Ash possessed the power of Aura?
"Pika..." Pikachu stated, sustaining Ho-Oh's stare in spite of the latter's overwhelming pressure. He remembered what had happened with Sir Aaron and his Lucario… but it had been such a long time since then, that he honestly did not expect that to turn out to be important any longer. "Pika pi pika, pikachu?"
Ho-oh lowered his head and glared at the electric mouse. "I DO REMEMBER. YOU ARE THE VERY SAME PIKACHU I SAW WITH THAT BOY. INDEED, YOUR TRAINER POSSESSES THE RARE GIFT OF AURA, SUCH AN UNCOMMON OCCURRENCE AMONG THIS WORLD'S MORTALS. BUT THAT IS NOT THE REASON WHY I AM HERE NOW!" he thundered, and then stared back at the Rainbow Wing in Morty's hands. "I HAD PERCEIVED… THAT THE RAINBOW WING I HAD GIFTED TO ECRUTEAK CITY IN ANCIENT TIMES… UNDER SHOGUN TOKUGAWA'S RULE… HAS FINALLY REAPPEARED, MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED YEARS AFTER ITS DISAPPEARENCE! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS, HUMANS? IS THAT ANOTHER WAY TO TRY AND MOCK ME?"
"Huh? What is he talking about? Why would we even want to mock him?" a perplexed Ash asked. "And what does Shogun Tokugawa have to do with any of this?"
"I believe I can give an explanation." Eugene answered. A bold Farfetch'd got closer and tried to swipe at him with its leek-sword, but Eugene's Electrode crackled with power for a second, intimidating the Flying-type Pokemon into fluttering away. "Thanks, Electrode… from what I know, more than two hundred years ago, the lands of Kanto and Johto were at war, and a powerful local lord, Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa, tried to conquer both regions in order to unify them under his rule and end what he considered pointless conflicts."
"HOW TYPICAL OF YOU HUMANS, TO HATE AND KILL EACH OTHER OVER SUCH FUTILE MATTERS." Ho-Oh decided to let his low opinion of humanity be known, but Ash, Pikachu and their companions were not about to let him badmouth mankind.
"Hold on a moment, Ho-Oh!" the young Pokemon Master wannabe exclaimed. "Not all people are that way! I mean, sure, there are lots of bad people in the world… and I've seen quite a few myself… but you can't lump everyone in with them! And it's been two centuries since then anyway!"
"Ash does make a good point. I like to think that, in the span of two hundred years, humans have learned something from their mistakes." Eugene went on. "Regrettably, human history is full of mistakes, but there are those who do not want to repeat them. That is why us, the people of Johto, hold our history is such high regard, it allows us to tell our children what happened, and not let the lessons taught by the past be forgotten."
Ho-Oh shook his head. "AND YET, TIME AND AGAIN, SUCH LESSONS ARE FORGOTTEN AND MUST BE LEARNED ALL OVER AGAIN! HOW IS THAT NOT PROOF OF YOUR NATURE AS MORTALS? HMPH! I HAD GIFTED YOUR ANCESTORS WITH ONE OF MY FEATHERS, MANY CENTURIES AGO, SO THAT THEY MIGHT LIVE UNDER MY BLESSINGS, FREE FROM THE THREAT OF WAR. AFTER YEARS OF CONFLICT, JOHTO HAD FINALLY REGAINED A SEMBLANCE OF QUIET, AND INDEED, IT REMAINED THAT WAY FOR A LONG TIME… AT LEAST UNTIL SOMEONE DECIDED THEY COULD DO WITHOUT ME, AND FORGET WHAT I HAD DONE TO PROTECT THIS LAND. THE RAINBOW WING WAS STOLEN AWAY FROM ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE ATOP TIN TOWER… AND I FLED FROM ECRUTEAK CITY, IN DISGUST OVER THE INGRATITUDE OF THOSE I HAD TRIED TO PROTECT. FOR CENTURIES HAVE I BEEN SEARCHING FOR THE WING… AND NOW, IN A DEVELOPMENT WHOSE IRONY IS NOT LOST ON ME AT ALL, YOU PRESENT THE WING RIGHT BEFORE MY VERY EYES! WHAT SORT OF DECEIT IS THAT, MORTALS? ARE YOU ATTEMPTING TO MANIPULATE ME AGAIN? THIS TIME, I WILL NOT BE SWAYED BY HOLLOW WORDS!"
"What are you trying to say? This Rainbow Wing… was stolen away from Tin Tower? Did the inhabitants of Ecruteak City know about it, at the time?" Morty asked in surprise. His Gengar floated down, already not liking the way Ho-Oh was glaring at the multicolored feather… and just as the phoenix-like Pokemon seemed to be about to answer, when something unexpected happened! The only warning Ash, or anyone else, had was a rumbling of engine, a collective surprised screech from the Flying-type Pokemon surrounding the tower… and then, something hit Ho-Oh in the back, causing him to screech in surprise!
"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed in a mix of surprise and anger.
"UGH! WHAT IS... UGH..." the Legendary Pokemon exclaimed, as beams of green light began to course through his body, scaring the other Pokemon! The flabbergasted Ash glanced beyond Ho-Oh… and felt his blood run cold as an all-too-familiar flying machine began to descend from the clouds and towards the ancient tower! "WHAT SORT OF TRICK IS THIS, MORTALS? DID YOU LURE ME HERE WITH THE RAINBOW WING… ONLY TO ATTEMPT AND CAPTURE ME?"
"No... we knew nothing of any of this!" Ash answered urgently, still glaring at the enormous vehicle now floating in place, casting an ominous shadow on the town. "Or should I say, I do know something… that's Team Vicious' flying machine! Hunter J is in there!"
"What? The infamous Hunter J… is working for this Team Vicious?" Eugene exclaimed, knowing about the mercenary's bad reputation already. "I geti t… they send her here to capture Ho-Oh and the Rainbow Wing… and speaking of the Rainbow Wing, I wouldn't be surprised if one of their agents planted it here! Though, I wonder how did they manage to put it here in the first place…"
"Let's wonder about that later… look at that!" Morty shouted, being forced to scream if he wanted to be heard over the rumbling engines. From a sliding panel on the side of the enormous flying machine came a strange device resembling a radar plate, with a small cannon of sorts placed in the middle… and with a piercing sound of electricity being charged up, a sphere of glowing green energy appeared on the tip of the strange weapon, enlarging for just a second before shooting a zigzagging beam of electricity at Ho-Oh, who was still stunned and unable to dodge. Ash was forced to step back when Ho-Oh was engulfed in a crackling green aura, and the phoenix screeched and thrashed about, trying to wriggle free of the invisible force dragging him towards J's flying machine.
"Gengaaaar!" Morty's ace Pokemon exclaimed, right before conjuring a Shadow Ball between his hands and launching it at the strange weapon holding Ho-Oh… but the roiling shadows dissipated harmlessly on the cold iron surface, with Gengar growling in frustration.
"We need to try and save Ho-Oh…" Eugene commented, just as the Legendary Pokemon continued struggling against the invisible pull. The Pokemon who were assaulting the tower until a few moments ago dropped everything and launched themselves at the flying machine in a brave but futile attempt to protect their master. There was no way to assault that gigantic hunk of metal from the outside… "But to do this, we must first get in there, and I'm afraid it won't be easy…"
Ash frowned, trying to think of a quick solution. "Or perhaps we could muck up their plan in another way…" he said, taking out a new Pokeball. "Alright… I choose you, Torkoal! Go!"
Ho-Oh was able to divert enough of his attention from his struggle to look at the young boy, and frowned in doubt when he saw the Pokeball snap open, letting out the giant, charcoal-shelled red-skinned tortoise. The Legendary Pokemon could not help but wonder about the point of that action. The boy certainly couldn't think that such a weak Pokemon could do anything against that flying fortress… unless of course he actually was as stupid as he seemed.
"Torrrr!" Torkoal exclaimed, blowing out a cloud of white steam from his nostrils and the fissures of his shell. He took his place on the damaged roof and got ready to face Team Vicious' massive machine…
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…inside of which, J and her minions were watching with amusement, but also a sense of wariness, as Ash and his Torkoal seemed to be about to mount a desperate stand.
"Ash Ketchum, huh? We seem to be tied together in a way that forces us to meet at every step of the way…" the silver-haired woman stated. With a firm gesture, J adjusted her visor – a more advanced version of the one that had been destroyed at the end of the battle against Team Galactic – and smiledominously. "Fine then. This time, I willnot let you stand in my way. All hands, I believe it's time to send out our latest surprise!"
"Right away, miss J!" a female grunt stated, punching in a few keys from her console, and opening a few more compartments on the airship's right side. Right then, a bunch of Pokemon looking like purple balloons, their mouths shaped like a plus sign, floated out of the hull and surrounded the airship, forming some sort of living protective shield around it as J continued dragging Ho-Oh towards it…
"I hope you like all these Drifloons. We have captured and trained them just so that they could keep anything like a Rotom from floating through the external plating!" J stated. "Still, do not drop your guard, everyone! Anything that approaches, shoot it down!"
oooooooooo
"Hmm... well, they sure brought quite a few Pokemon with them, this time! But we're not going to let this get to us, right, Torkoal?" Ash stated. "Torkoal… I know you can do it! Even if you couldn't do much in our battle with Morty, I know you're a great Pokemon, and I am sure you will show what you're made of! Just believe in yourself… just as Pikachu and I do!"
"Tor... koal?" the placid fire tortoise answered slowly, and then turned his glance to Pikachu, who nodded and gave a thumbs-up. The Drifloon had had already formed a floating barrier around J's airship and near the struggling Ho-Oh, but some of them were advancing towards Ash and Torkoal, probably thinking them easy targets.
Judging from the smirks appearing on the faces of Morty's Gengar and Eugene's Electrode, the two Pokemon did not agree with that assessment.
"Fine, Torkoal! We'll be doing the first move, then! Attack with Smokescreen!" Ash ordered. After taking a good breath, the coal-shelled tortoise blew a dense cloud of grey smoke out of his nostrils, which quickly expanded around the team and engulfed some of the opposing Drifloons, hiding them from J and her crew's sight.
"An interesting idea, but I'm afraid it won't work." Eugene commented. "Thanks to their onboard radars, they will still be able to track Ho-Oh."
"I know, but I wasn't trying to do that… just hide ourselves from J, at least for a few moments." Ash answered calmly. "Though… honestly, I'm kinda making it up as I go! Does anyone else already have an idea on how to free Ho-Oh?"
Eugene seemed to stop and think for a few moments, as the Drifloons floated around in confusion, trying to find a way to blow away Torkoal's Smokescreen attack. "We should interrupt or weaken that beam that's holding Ho-Oh, but I have no idea of how we can do that." He stated. "Unless of course… well, that could actually work! Worth a shot, anyway. Ash, Morty! Have your Pokemon take place beside Ho-Oh, and have them use their best attacks to counter the beam! It might work, if we're lucky!"
"Now, man, what do you mean, it just 'might' work?" Morty asked as his Gengar floated through the Smokescreen in an attempt to reach Ho-Oh.
"I have no idea how that contraption works… I'm just making an educated guess, according to what we can see, and I'm hoping to be right. That's about it." Eugene answered. His Electrode was slowly rolling towards Ho-Oh, who was still resisting the airship's tractor beam, and doing a really good job of it. Still, as powerful as he might be, even a Legendary Pokemon had its limits, and the phoenix knew that, without external aid, he would eventually have to succumb to the beam and get captured. In frustration, he cursed his own hotheadedness. If only he hadn't acted on impulse as soon as he had felt the Rainbow Wing's presence…
He got distracted just for a moment as he saw Pikachu, Gengar, Torkoal and Electrode taking position close to him… and Ash standing near Pikachu, showing the trademark fearless, unrelenting expression he always wore when he was about to face a decusive battle! In confusion, the Legendary Pokemon of the Rainbow flapped his wings, managing to gain several inches on the tractor beam. "WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO, MORTALS? WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO GAIN THROUGH YOUR RECKLESS ATTEMPT TO HELP ME?"
"Us? Nothing. Nothing at all!" Ash answered with disarming simplicity. "We are seeing someone in trouble, and we go lend a hand. After all, we like to think that not all people are selfish and self-interested."
"Pikachu!" Pikachu answered, before charging up and firing a Thunderbokt attack that struck J's airship's tractor beam… and right after that, Gengar and Electrode added to the attack, using respectively a Shadow Ball and a Charge Beam attack, which caused the beam to recede slightly! Even Torkoal set out to do his part, blasting the beam with a powerful Flamethrower attack that merged with the other attacks and started pushing back the enemy weapon's discharge!
ooooooooooo
"Curses… we're losing power! And our Drifloons are being confused by that Smokescreen!" one of the technicians exclaimed, attempting to open as many screen sas possible, so that everyone could see what was going on outside. "Miss J, we're experiencing unpredicted difficulties! We cannot drag Ho-Oh inside the airship!"
J shook her head. "Fine… I get it, you bunch of good-for-nothing, if I want something done right, I must do it myself." The vile huntress commented. "Come out, Salamence! Time to dispose of some annoyances…"
In a flash of light, the fierce winged dragon appeared before J and roared in defiance, then took to the wing and flew out of the airship via a cylindric airway placed on the ceiling. Soon enough, Salamence was out, only a few meters away from the cloud of steam that Torkoal had blown. Salamence shook his head, then bent his wings close to his scaled body, and spread them all of a sudden and kicked up a blast of wind that disperded most of the Smokescreen, revealing Ash and his companion!
The young boy and his friends tried to cover themselves as best as they could, even as their Pokemon continued struggling against the beam which was holding Ho-Oh. The contrast between the two attacks was sending multicolored sparks all over the place, and the hold on Ho-Oh seemed to be weakening. Knowing he had to do something about it, the Dragon/Flying Pokemon roared furiously and slashed forward with his claws wreathed in supernatural colorful flames. It was a Dragon Claw attack, one of the strongest attacks Salamence could count on…
"Pika?" Pikachu exclaimed. Unable to interrupt his attack, the yellow mouse had no choice but to take the hit, which sent him flying back with a shriek, and then continued on and struck both Electrode and Gengar! However, Torkoal was able to interrupt his Flamethrower attack just in time, and retreated inside his charcoal shell, so that the Dragon Claw attack fizzled out upon it.
"Darn, that's a powerful Salamence… and with all those Drifloons on his side, too!" Eugene exclaimed as the three Pokemon stood up and got back in a fight pose. The floating ghosts were in a fighting retreat towards the airship, once again forming a protective barrier of sorts around it, but most of them were still supporting Salamence, using a collective Gust attack that struck the Pokemon of Ash's team and the Flying-type Pokemon Ho-Oh had summoned. However, Ash and his friends' actions had bought the mighty phoenix some time, enough so that he was able to shake himself free!
"YOU ARE STRANGE, THE WHOLE LOT OF YOU… VERY MUCH AT ODDS WITH THE OPINION I HAD ABOUT YOU HUMANS…" Ho-Oh telepathically stated, talking directly to Ash, Morty and Eugene's minds. "STILL… I MUST COMMEND YOU FOR PROVING MANY OF MY PREJUDICES ON HUMANITY WRONG. YOU MAY BE PECULIAR, BUT I AM WILLING TO TRUST YOU!"
As soon as the Drifloons unleashed another Gust against the team, Ho-Oh was able to extend one of his wings… and the wind blew on the fire burning on hisplumage, allowing the mighty bird of prey to recover his strength! The Flying-type Pokemon swarming around Tin Tower renewed their assault on J's airship with furious determination – entire flocks of Pidgeys, Spearows, Hoothoots, Taillows, Starlies and even several Farfetch'ds and Chatots were attacking J's Pokemon, and even the fierce Salamence was given pause by the sheer numbers of the assailants!
Inside the airship, J was quickly coming to understand that the plan was going poorly. She had thought that using all those Drifloons in conjunction with her airship's traction beam to seal off Ho-Oh's power would have been enough, but now that they were proving insufficient, she knew they had to move quickly in order to salvage the operation. "Hmph… this was not part of the plan at all!" the Pokemon hunter growled, annoyed by the constant pecking on the windows. "Helmsman, take us out of this swarm! We won't be able to capture Ho-Oh if we keep getting swarmed!"
"If this goes on, it won't be possible either way!" an alarmed technician exclaimed. "The power of the sealing beam is steadily dropping, and is barely able to contain Ho-Oh as it is. Under these conditions… it would be too risky to try again!"
"Just great. All thanks to those meddling brats. Always throwing a wrench in my plans…" the woman angrily murmured. "Fine then. Salamence, stop wasting time and eliminate those fools! We'll try to contain Ho-Oh one last time, or else our leader won't be pleased."
With a tremendous roar and a flurry of wing slashes, Salamence forced his assailants away, then swept down upon the Legendary Pokemon in an attempt to grab him with his claws. But Ash and his friends weren't about t let him do it, and even though the Drifloons were numerous, they were being targetted by Pikachu's Thunderbolt attack and Electrode's Thunder attack, which forced the floating spectres to scatter in panic or be stunned by the electrical shocks.
After quickly taking down several Flying-type Pokemon harassing him with a powerful Dragonbreath attack, Salamence disengaged from the rest of the swarm, using his claws and tail to knock out anyone who tried to get in his way. Gengar, for his part, slipped back and got back to his trainer's side, while Torkoal opened his mouth and fired an intense Fire Blast attack at Salamence just as the mighty dragon seemed to be off guard. However, Salamence was able to react quickly, and he defended himself by shielding himself with his wings, causing the flaming projectile to explode on his improvised protection! The Dragon/Flying Pokemon was swallowed in a huge cloud of ash and dust, but he soon reappeared, looking none the worse for wear.
Roaring in rage, Salamence took to the air and flew in a circle, then descended at top speed, this time aiming straight for Ash and his friends…
"Be careful! That dragon is trying to get us!" Morty warned. "Gengar, hit him with Sucker Punch!"
The purple ghost smirked and vanished from everyone's sight… then, he turned into a violet shade, launched himself at Salamence and struck him before the dragon could get close. But once again, the dragon proved to be a tough opponent and weathered the blow without many problem, before countering with a tremendous Dragon Claw attack that sent Gengar and Torkoal flying before they landed, battered and whelmed, on the broken rooftiles… only for Pikachu and Electrode to continue the assault even as Salamence attempted to use another Fly attack.
"Alright, Pikachu! Use your Iron Tail attack, now!" Ash exclaimed, knowing that was the only move which had a substantial chance of hurting the dragon.
"Electrode, try to help him out! Use Rollout!" Eugene exclaimed. The spherical Pokemon began rolling towards the dragon, while the electric mouse kept a close eye on both of them, and jumped just as Electrode approached. He landed on the spherical Pokemon and began running upon it like a circus performer on a balloon, just as the surprised and annoyed Salamence tried to swipe at them with another Dragon Claw attack. Pikachu and Electrode jumped away just at the right moment and dodged the tremendous blow at exactly the right moment! Pikachu soared up and did an elegant midair flip, while Electrode went on an struck Salamence in the chest, causing the winged dragon to falter for a moment. Before Salamence could regain his wits, Pikachu did a spectacular midair flip and descended with a top-down tail swipe. His aim was perfect, and Pikachu's lightning-shaped tail, momentarily turning as hard as steel, struck Salamence on his head and sent him hurtling down towards the rooftiles, where he crashed and scattered an hail of fragments of clay and stone!
Pikachu and Electrode landed gracefully on the roof, just as Torkoal and Gengar picked themselves up and got ready for another round – in spite of all the hits he had taken, J's Salamence was still strong and quite irritated, as well as eager for revenge!
"Nice shot, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, the cute yellow rodent turning around and giving him a thumbs-up. "Okay, that's good, but we need to keep this up! That Salamence is still dangerous!"
"Pikachu!" his starter answered, charging up his cheeks in defiance, Salamence flew up and slightly opened his jaws, between which a bright blue flame had lit up…
"Torkoal..." Torkoal murmured, getting ready to receive the next blow. However, just as the ferocious Dragon/Flying type was about to shoot a Dragonbreath attack, an ear-piercing scream and a blinding flash invaded the battlefield, causing both the Drifloons and the Flying-type Pokemon swarming around Tin Tower to back away slightly… and startling Salamence as well! The next instant, Ho-Oh soared up, now almost completely recovered, and created a nimbus of rainbow-colored flames around himself, a splendid and awe-inspiring sight! As Ash and his companions backed away so that Ho-Oh could have enough room to move, J's Salamence backed away and flew back towards the airship, even as it began retreating. J and her minions were not about to fight a Legendary Pokemon on its own terms, it seemed.
"Miss J, we have completely lost control of Ho-Oh!" one of the operators exclaimed in panic, desperately trying to keep all onboard instruments under control even as monitors and colored lights flashed all over the main bridge. "It would be madness to stay here any longer! We have to use all the energy we have spared to beat a hasty retreat!"
The vile huntress was not about to push her luck. At that point, their chance to capture Ho-Oh was gone, and all they could do right now was keep damage to a minimum. "Hmph… fine, we'll retreat." She muttered, her hands fiddling with one of her hi-tech instruments which was hanging at her left arm. "Looks like we weren't prepared enough this time. No matter, we've only lost a battle. For now, sound a retreat and have our Pokemon retreat, before we get incinerated!"
"Roger!" her subordinate exclaimed. "Turn around 150 degrees, all engines go! We need to avoid sacrificing the teleportation engine if we can!"
Salamence and the Drifloons were getting back inside the armored airship, even as Ho-Oh continued hovering in midair, wrapped in a nimbus of multicolored flames, numerous Flying-type Pokemon flying around him and cheering him on. The flames were spreading around the Legendary Pokemon, even though there was nothing that could catch fire… and the trainers, along with their companions, were staring at the scene in absolute wonder, knowing they were dealing with a once-in-a-lifetime moment!
"That's Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire attack…" Eugene murmured, as if entranced by the terrible beauty of the scene. A second later, the cloud of colorful flames expanded, and the remaining Team Vicious Pokemon had just enough time to take shelter inside the airship before a veritable storm of magical flames was unleashed upon it! The flying machine's thick armor was pummeled time and again by Ho-Oh's mystical fire, which punched a series of huge melted holes in the airship, and scattered around a shower of metal debris and electrical sparks!
"Wow!" Morty commented. "I'm glad we were able to come to an understanding with Ho-Oh!"
"Garrrr..." a stupefied Gengar commented, glad that he did not have to contend with such a powerful Legendary Pokemon on hostile terms.
Inside the airship, J and her men were holding tight to the closest support they could find, as the helmsmen tried to somehow keep the machine aloft. The onboard instruments seemed to have gone mad, showing abnormal values and disquieting alarm lights, but the airship was holding together, at least for now.
"Curses… send all the power you can spare to the engines! We're retreating, right now!" J exclaimed. Not that she needed to emphasize the danger they were in. The huntress had barely finished speaking when the airship's engines flared to life once again, and the flying machine retreated under a barrage of mystical multicolored fire! The Pokemon Ho-Oh had summoned broke into a chorus of victorious cheers, to which Ash, Pikachu, Torkoal and their companions soon added their own… and in under a minute, J's airship was nothing more than a dot in the distance, barely visible in the clearing skies of Ecruteak City.
"Pika pika chu! Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed, mocking Team Vicious as they retreated. His attack concluded, Ho-Oh closed his wings and sighed in relief, then turned his glance to Ash and his two Pokemon, who took in a deep breth just to keep calm as the mighty phoenix began talking, in a deep, rumbling voice.
"YOU HAVE MY GRATITUDE. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR YOU AND YOUR BRAVERY, I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN CAUGHT BY THOSE UNSCRUPULOUS PEOPLE." He affirmed, calmly but firmly. "YOU HAVE DEFIED MY PREJUDICES REGARDING HUMANITY… BUT THERE IS STILL SOMETHING I CANNOT UNDERSTAND, ASH KETCHUM… WHERE DOES THE RAINOW WING COME FROM? THAT'S THE TALISMAN I GAVE THE PEOPLE OF ECRUTEAK CITY AS A TOKEN OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN POKEMON AND HUMAN BEINGS. BUT CENTURIES AGO, THE PEOPLE OF THIS TOWN GAVE IT AWAY, AS IF THINKING THEY WOULDN'T NEED IT ANY LONGER."
"That's not how I heard it…" a slightly perplexed Morty affirmed. "What I had heard was… that the Rainbow Wing had been stolen from Tin Tower by unknown thieves, and that it was after that, mighty Ho-Oh, that you left Ecruteak City and began looking for it all over the world…"
Ho-Oh's expression turned sour, probably from the realization that he had been too hasty in his condemnation of humanity. "THAT IS NOT TRUE. AT THAT TIME, THIS REGION'S SHOGUN HAD DECIDED THAT HE WOULD NOT BE FETTERED BY WHAT HE CALLED SILLY FOLK TALES… SO HE DECIDED TO GIVE AWAY THE RAINBOW WING I HAD GIVEN TO THE PEOPLE, THUS SUNDERING THE ALLIANCE BETWEEN PEOPLE AND POKEMON. EVEN I DID NOT KNOW WHERE THE RAINBOW WING HAD ENDED UP… AT LEAST, NOT UNTIL TODAY. WHERE DID IT COME FROM?"
"We honestly have no idea. We just found it here…" Eugene started to say, interrupting himself when the multicolored feather he was holding suddenly ceased to glow and turned back into nothing more than a huge, but otherwise completely featureless, white feather the size of an adult man's forearm!
"What?" a shocked Ash exclaimed. "Did it just… shut down? How is that possible?"
Ho-Oh sighed in slight disappointment. "IT WAS A FAKE. A NORMAL FEATHER, SOMEHOW MODIFIED IN ORDER TO APPEAR MAGICAL." The enormous bird of prey answered telepathically. "CLEARLY, THOSEWHO JUST TRIED TO CAPTURE ME HAVE PLACED THAT FAKE RAINBOW WING IN TIN TOWER PREVIOUSLY, SO THAT I MIGHT BE ATTRACTED BY ITS ENERGY. I BELIEVED THE RAINBOW WING HAD ACTUALLY BEEN RETURNED TO ITS PLACE, AND I FELL FOR THIS PLOY. TRULY, AN EMBARASSING BLUNDER FOR A POKEMON SUCH AS MYSELF."
"Hold on a second!" Morty answered. "How did they manage to create a fake Rainbow Wing And how did they place it there without anyone realizing it? As if it was easy to just get in and out of Tin Tower with such a precious artifact!"
"THAT, I KNOW NOT." Ho-Oh mentally answered. "THOUGH I AM A LEGENDARY POKEMON AND I WIELD A LOT OF POWER, I AM NOT OMNISCIENT. WHAT TRULY COUNTS… IS THAT THOSE PEOPLE PLACED A FAKE RAINBOW WING IN THIS PLACE, IN ORDER TO LURE ME HERE; BLINDED BY MY FIRST IMPULSE AND MY WRATH, I FELL FOR THIS PLOY. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR YOU, I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN CAPTURED. THEREFORE, YOU HAVE MY GRATITUDE. I HAD MISJUDGED YOU."
"Pika pikachu!" Pikachu answered, before turning to his trainer and giving a bright smile.
Torkoal couldn't help but agree, in his own way. "Torrrrkoal!"
Ash looked at Pikachu and Torkoal for a moment, and gave them a sign of understanding. "Yeah, guys, I guess you're right about that!" he stated happily. "There is nothing to apologize for, mighty Ho-Oh… I mean, everyone makes mistakes… I know I make many of them myself! Heheheee…"
"Hey, Ash! Everyone! How are you? Everything okay?" Misty's voice was heard as the redhead, joined by Brock, Tracey and Ursula, climbed on the rooftiles, staring in awe at the huge, majestic figure of the mighty Legendary Pokemon, surrounded by an halo of rainbow colors and standing tall against the clearing sky. "Wow, I think I can safely say that, yeah, everything went well! You managed to clear things up with Ho-Oh!"
"That… that is Ho-Oh, the mightiest Legendary Pokemon in Johto?" Ursula stammered, her mouth wide. Before such an arresting sight, the normally haughty coordinator girl was feeling like a kindergartener. "This… this is just… I… I mean, I had no idea I would get to meet a Legendary Pokemon up close… like this! I… I can't believe I'm seeing him…"
"Well, I guess that's not so exceptional when you're travelling with Ash!" Tracey answered, his Dunsparce happily waving his wings and tails in assent. "Nicely done, Ash! Pikachu and Torkoal were amazing here!"
"Well, let's not sell Eugene, Morty and their pokemon short here!" the young aspirant Pokemon Master affirmed, glancing to the Gym Leader and his friend. "If it weren't for them… things would have taken a serious turn for the worse!"
"ARE THOSE YOUR FRIENDS, MORTAL BOY?" Ho-Oh asked, taking a good look at the boys and girls now joining their companions on the demolished rooftop. Ash and Pikachu nodded in assent and pointed to the new reunited team of trainers.
"Indeed. That's them, o mighty Ho-Oh." Morty answered. "They're quite the rowdy bunch, if I do say so!"
Misty, Ursula, Brock and Tracey slowly approached the mighty phoenix and bowed in respect, which the Legendary Pokemon accepted with a nod. "THAT IS GOOD. I AM PLEASED TO KNOW YOU, YOUNG MORTALS. THIS HAS BEEN QUITE THE SPECIAL OCCASION. AND I SPITE OF IT ALL, I AM PLEASED TO MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE."
"W-well…" Ursula stammered, much to her embarassment. "Er… darn, I don't know what I should say to a Legendary Pokemon when I meet one! Anyway… I'm honored as well, o mighty Ho-Oh! We… were just passing by here but… well, we stopped to do our things, and… Uuuugh, what am I babbling about? I'm making a mess of this!"
As Ursula placed a hand on her forehead, and her eyes comically turned into spirals, Brock patted her on a shoulder to help her calm down, and Ho-Oh blinked twice before allowing himself a telepathic chuckle.
"THAT IS QUITE THE UNUSUAL SITUATION. I GUESS I SHOULD HEAR IT ALL FROM THE BEGINNING."
oooooooooo
Half an hour later, the group of trainers was sitting on the debris-covered, dilapidated rooftop. They had heard Ho-Oh's story, and in exchange, they had told him about the new criminal team, Team Vicious, who seemed to be trying to capture all the Legendary Pokemon of the four Eastern continents. Such news had the majestic rainbow Pokemon worried as he slowly nodded and stared at those who had helped him in absolute seriousness.
"YES, I UNDERSTAND. I'D BETTER NOT STAY HERE MUCH LONGER, IN CASE THESE PEOPLE RETURN." The phoenix-like Pokemon affirmed. "I AM GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME, AND I WILL PAY BACK MY DEBT, AS SOON AS THE TIME COMES. FOR NOW, OUR WAYS HAVE TO PART. BUT THEY WILL SOON JOIN AGAIN, ASH KETCHUM. YOU AND YOUR COMPANIONS WILL NEED TO FIGHT AGAIN, AND YOU WILL NEED TO GET STRONGER IN ORDER TO FACE WHAT AWAITS FOR YOU LATER. STILL MORE OF MY BRETHREN ARE IN THOSE UNSCRUPULOUS PEOPLE'S SIGHTS."
"I believe you are talking about Raikou, Entei and Suicune… as well as Lugia and Celebi. Am I right, o mighty Ho-Oh?" Eugene rhetorically asked, much to Ash and Pikachu's worry as they heard those names. "We'll make sure to protect them too… we won't let those criminals get their hands on them, that's for sure."
Ho-Oh stood in silence as he glanced at the team of Pokemon and trainers… then, he nodded again and took to the air with a single clap of his mighty wings. "THAT IS SATISFACTORY. I CAN SEE YOUR HEARTS ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE, AND YOU CAN BE TRUSTED. MAY YOUR PATHS TAKE YOU TO THE HAPPINESS YOU ALL DESERVE. WE WILL MEET AGAIN SOOn, ASH KETCHUM… MIND MY WORDS! FIND A WAY TO BECOME STRONGER, AND TO FIND WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN EMERGE THE WINNER FROM THE TRIALS AWAITING YOU."
"What? A stupefied Brock exclaimed. "Please, wait a moment, great Ho-Oh! There are still things we need to ask you…"
But the great rainbow bird had already taken off, soaring towards the highest skies and leaving a trail of shimmering colors behind himself. The awe-struck trainers kept looking at the mighty phoenix as he flew away, accompanied by the huge swarm of Flying-type Pokemon that his presence had drawn there. In only a few seconds, the skies of Ecruteak City were clear once again, and Ho-Oh disappeared in the distance, leaving behind numerous questions that still seemed not to have an answer.
"Man… I have the uneasy feeling that the hard part still is to come…" Misty said, getting closer to Ash and Pikachu.
"Pikachu pi… pika." The yellow Electric-type Pokemon answered, his glance meeting that of his trainer.
"And I think i twill start… very soon indeed." The young boy answered, petting Pikachu on the head.
oooooooooo
As Ho-Oh continued to soar above the lands of Johto, his hawkish stare affixed on the cities that were barely visible from his altitude, he was able to hear a small, ethereal voice in his mind…
"Was it truly necessary to tell those mortals about what you have foreseen?" A small creature that had appeared from thin air on the Rainbow Pokemon's back stated telepathically. Barely two feet tall, seemingly composed of evanescent shadows that somehow managed to maintain a humanoid shape, its body sported various shades of grey, with the exception of his orange eyes with yellow pupils that resembled live embers. The area around his face resembled a helmet with three horn-like protrusions on top, and his legs ended in ephemeral trails of smoke.
"I BELIEVE SO, MARSHADOW." Ho-Oh answered simply. "AS MUCH AS THEY MIGHT SEEM YOUR RUN OFTHE MILL TRAINERS, I BELIEVE THEY HAVE THE QUALITIES NEEDED. A PERIOD OF GREAT CHANGE IS ABOUT TO START. AND IT WILL NOT AFFECT JOHTO ONLY, BUT THE WORLD AS A WHOLE. PEOPLE LIKE THOSE YOUNGSTERS WILL BE THE ONES TO SHAPE WHATTHE FUTURE OF THIS WORLD WILL BE."
"It's okay, Ho-Oh. I trust your judgement." The diminutive Pokemon called Marshadow answered with a barely visible nod. "However, we still are nowhere closer to recovering the Rainbow Wing. Do you believe we will be able to solve this mystery as well?"
The Rainbow Pokemon nodded. "IT WOULD NOT BE A SURPRISE. PERHAPS, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, WE WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO PUT THIS STORY BEHIND…"
oooooooooo
TO BE CONTINUED...