(Author's note: This chapter will be breaking from the usual narrative and focus on an old story remembered by Lugia and Ho-Oh.)
Long ago, before the Brass and Tin Towers stood; before mankind discovered fire and the wheel; indeed before Man even walked the land and took his first breath, the Ageless pokemon were the masters of the earth. This is a tale that has been forgotten by the world, erased from the records of history, and the only ones still alive to remember it will never speak of it again…
When the earth was young, the Ageless toiled and labored, shaping the world around them so that one day life may blossom. It was an industrious time, with everyone playing their part. The continents were raised and pulled into place and the canyons in between were filled in by torrential rains to create the first oceans. The skies were expanded to make room for all the stars and a great heartbeat put the spheres into motion.
As time passed, the labors decreased in intensity and the Ageless put their energy into the finer details. The earth was the taught to spin and the seasons were created. Forests and flower beds were born and at the same time, wind and thunderstorms ravaged the land. The first dreams were being crafted, as well as the first nightmares. In the land that will eventually be called Johto, three great birds held the harmony between sea and sky and land.
The first great bird, named Lugia, was a solemn and gentle creature, but he wielded the power to create monstrous gales that roared over the seas. When Lugia spread his silver wings, the sun was blocked out and a shadow was cast on the earth, signaling the coming of a great storm. In these times, the sea storms raged for weeks, even months, without mercy. Eventually, the second great bird, named Ho-Oh, would fly through the storm, calming it with his multi-colored wings. A beautiful rainbow would trail behind him, parting the clouds and bringing back the golden sun.
The third great bird, whose name has been forgotten, lived deep within a majestic mountain. This mountain sprouted from the depths of the ocean floor and reached high into the sky, working as a link between the domains of Lugia and Ho-Oh. It was a work of art, crafted from the finest jewels and precious metals. Every dawn when the sun was rising in the east, the entire mountain shone spectacularly, lighting the day with its brilliance. The great bird that lived on this mountain was equally as beautiful. She was covered in feathers that glimmered like gems and every time she flapped her mighty wings, a cloud of stardust trailed behind her. It was the duty of this great bird to emerge from her home inside the mountain and fly to the summit to alert the great bird of the sky that a storm was taking place. Only then would the storm be pacified.
However, this great bird eventually grew tired of her task. She no longer wished to be bound to her mountain and longed to fly away and see the world. One day, when a terrible storm was taking place, the third great bird came out of her place in the crystal mountain and instead of flying toward the summit, as was her duty, she simply flew off toward the horizon, never once looking back. The storm continued to rage until it reached the mainland, ripping through the countryside and leaving permanent whirlpools in the sea.
The third great bird flew west, chasing the setting sun, but she never reached it. Lugia and Ho-Oh chased after her, hoping to bring her back before any more damage was done, but it was far too late. A hole suddenly ripped open in the sky and the world grew silent. From that tear in the sky, a massive cloud of beings erupted, each one pitch black with a single all-seeing eye. These beings, called the Unown, were infinite in number. They were, and are, the keepers of the Rules and their Rules were broken on that day. The Unown surrounded the third great bird and with their bodies, they spelled out her true name and letter by letter, they erased it. The third great bird vanished screaming and her mountain crumbled and fell to the bottom of the sea. Her screams still echo in the nightmares of Lugia and Ho-Oh to this day…