Songs of Hank Coro

*New Bark Town*

"Haaaank!" Lyra called as she ran up to me with a tackle hug and began to kiss me all over. "You're back! You're back! I missed you!"

"Of course I came back!" I said with a smile. "I said I would didn't i?"

"So…eight badges huh?" Lyra asked as she calmed down and got more serious. "You do know what that means right?" I nodded. "Hank…he is still part of the Elite 4 in the Indigo Plateau…Are you sure you're up for this? I mean…maybe we could send someone else…" I shook my head with a weak smile.

"No. We can't send anyone else. If what Clair said is true…then if I don't act quickly… there is no more hope. I hate to leave so soon, but after I see Professor Elm, I need to be off towards The Indigo Plateau."

Lyra nodded, understanding. "I wish I could go with you this time…" She said. "But I never registered for the pokemon league and I don't have enough badges to be let into the Indigo Plateau to begin with…"

"I'll be fine Lyra." I reassured her. "I'm not going to make the same mistakes I made last time, and we're going to come out of this victorious. Now, why don't you come with me to Professor Elm's lab so I can say goodbye and cash in on some inheritance that Clair sent my way."

"Inheritance?" Lyra asked. "Are you two related? Did she die?"

"No, nothing like that." I said with a bit of a chuckle. "She said to tell Professor Elm that she wants me to have 'it' and reassured me that I would like what it was."

"Okay. Professor Elm seemed really intent on finding you ASAP anyway so let's go kill two birds with one stone."

*Professor Elm's Lab*

"Hank!" Professor Elm said as Lyra and I entered the incredibly messy lab. "At long last, you've finally returned!" Papers were strewn about all over the place, the last pokeball that professor Elm had left was heavily guarded by various layers of protective casing. Computers were eating away at loads of data, and the Professor's clothes looked like they hadn't been taken off in weeks.

"Professor, what happened in here?" I asked as I walked in. "You weren't robbed again were you?"

"No...nothing like that…" Elm stated as he helped himself to a workbench. "I got a note and have spent all day researching for the perfect material so that I could create the item that is meant for you to have."

"What could possibly be so important that you find it necessary to lock yourself in the lab for three weeks and keep everyone awake at night?" Lyra asked.

"This…" Elm said as he grabbed a round object.

"Is that what I think it is?" My eyes lit up.

Elm nodded. "This is a Master Ball. Capable of catching any pokemon, no matter how powerful they might be. It's yours Hank." He said as he handed me the Master Ball. "By the way… I had the most lovely Kimono Girl stop by the lab earlier today and requested that you meet her at the Ecruteak Dance Theater."

"Oh, what could she want?" I wondered. She always seemed to show up at the most random of occasions.

*Ecruteak City*

"Hello?" I asked aloud as I went into the dance theater. "Is anyone there?"

"Shhh!" A voice from behind me said. I turned and looked at the statue near the entrance.

"Looker?" I mouthed out to him. He nodded.

"Go to the center of the stage." He mouthed back. "You're about to take part in a ritual."

I didn't like the idea of being in the center of some unknown ritual, but at this point, nothing really surprised me about Johto.

I sat in the center of the stage and the Kimono Girl came out. "Hank Coro." She said. "Five times now, you have helped me and my sisters. You are ready now to meet Ho-oh. You must climb the Tin Tower where we will summon him with our Clear Bell and the ancient dance, but first we must perform the sending off ritual." The girl said as her four sisters came out onto the stage and the music began to play.

"Where does this music come from?" I wondered aloud to Flint, who was outside of his pokeball and sitting next to me.

"I wouldn't know." He replied as the music got louder. "I've learned to just roll with it."

"Oh the power to be strong…" The Kimono girls sang. "And the wisdom to be wise… All these things will come to you in time…"

"On this journey that you're making…" A kimono girl sang.

"there'll be answers that you'll seek…." Another continued.

"And it's you who'll save our region, it's you who'll reach the league!" They all sang. "Hank Coro look to the sky, lift your spirit, set it free. Soon you shall walk tall with pride! Champion, is what in time you'll be…"

"This is uplifting…" I said to Flint.

"Better than most rituals I've seen." Flint agreed.

"Though there's little there to guide you…" The kimono girls sang. "No one will hold your hand, but with faith and understanding, we know you will save our land! Hank Coro, look to the sky, lift your spirit, set it free. Soon you shall walk tall with pride! Champion, is what in time you'll be…"

"In learning you will teach." A kimono girl sang.

"And in teaching you will learn." Another sang.

"You'll find your place beside the ones you love." They both sang.

"And all the things you dreamed of…" A third sang.

"The visions that you saw…" the fourth sang.

"The time is drawing near now…" The fifth sang.

"It's you who'll free us all!" They all sang. "Hank Coro look to the sky! Lift your spirit, set it free! Soon you shall walk tall with pride! Champion, is what in time you'll be. Champion, you're a champion for all to see!" They sang as the music stopped.

*Tin Tower Rooftop*

"Allow us to perform our dance and summon Ho-oh." A Kimono Girl Said. And soon the Kimono Girls were dancing. The Evening Sun got brighter and brighter, and the Clear Bell started to glow. Suddenly there was a loud 'caw' of sorts, and I could see Ho-oh flying through the air down to meet me.

"Hank Coro!" Ho-oh's voice boomed. "I have been watching you! Allow me to hand you my special item: Sacred Ash! Sprinkle this once Mewtwo has been defeated and all the pokemon that have fallen victim to the Nuzlocke rules of both Kanto and Johto will be revived and free to live a carefree life."

"You mean Braveheart can-!"

"Indeed!" Ho-oh confirmed. "All those once lost to you will come back… however…I must be able to lend my power to it, therefore, Flint, my vessel to the mortal world, must stay alive until that time comes. If Flint dies, all is lost."

"Oh, don't you worry Ho-oh. That won't happen!"

"Very well." Ho-oh said. "Now, I believe the standard procedure is that you catch me with that Master Ball of yours." Ho-oh said referencing my Master Ball. "I am the first pokemon you've seen at this particular location, am I not? There is nothing against these rules."

I looked at the Master Ball for a long time. I then looked at Ho-oh. He was the first pokemon I saw…and I did have a Master Ball…catching him would be a cinch. I walked up to Ho-oh.

"Ho-oh…" I said. Ho-oh bowed and got ready to get in the Master Ball.

"Hank Coro." He said. There was a long pause.

Where

No one

Did

Anything

Until finally Ho-oh got impatient. "Hank Coro, I do not offer my time to those who will waste it. Stop stalling and-"

Ho-oh's voice was cut off by the sound of me stomping on the Master Ball, destroying it.

"Hank!" Flint shouted. "We could've really used Ho-oh!"

"Ho-oh…I'm sorry." I said. "But I just cannot let you join my team."

"Hank…" One of the Kimono Girls said. "Is something wrong?"

"No…nothing is wrong." I said. "Ho-oh, the reason I can't let a legendary pokemon like you on my team is not because I don't need you, and it isn't because I don't want you. The reason I will not attempt to catch you is simply because, you, above all these pokemon, need to live."

"I'm sorry, did you just say that his life was the most important?" Flint asked. I nodded. "Ho-oh has the ability to revive pokemon that die unjust deaths. If he joins me, the very real possibility of death exists for him. That is something that, with making sure no more unjust or untimely death happens being my goal, I cannot afford. Ho-oh," I turned back to Ho-oh. "Thank you for the assistance and encouragement. I will see to it that putting your faith in me is a good idea."

"Very well." Ho-oh stated. "I will take my leave now. Best of luck to you, Hank Coro, for it's all I have left to offer."

*Ruins of Alph*

Lyra walked through the Ruins of Alph looking over the Unown carvings as the music began to play. She ran her hand over the Unown hieroglyphs.

"I don't know if you can hear me…" Lyra sang. "Or if you're really there… I don't you if you would listen, to a trainer's prayer. Yes I know I'm trapped in a Nuzlocke…I know I can't catch you…still I see you there and wonder…did you fight… A Nuzlocke too…"

The Unown faintly started to glow. "Unown help Hank Coro, let him stay strong…show him some mercy, and help him along…please help Hank Coro, he needs guidance still…Unown help Hank Coro…or nobody will."

"I look for wealth." Some archeologists sang as they inspected some Unown. "I look for fame…I look for glory to shine on my name. I look for stuff, I can possess. I want Unown and their powers to bless…me…"

"I look for nothing…" Lyra sang. "I can get by. But I know that Hank is less lucky than I."

"Though he'll deny it, he really can't cope. Unown help Hank Coro, and restore his hope."

The Unown began to glow even more brightly, and a few managed to come to life and escape the ruins.

"Unown help Hank Coro…" Lyra sang semi desperately as she fell to her knees. "Restore… our…hope…." She trailed of as the music ended.

*Unknown Location*

"He passed the test." Mew said. "Ho-oh is still alive and well and with us."

"Good. This gives him more time."

"Are you ever going to introduce yourself to him?" Mew asked. "It was you who came up with this elaborate plan after all…Celebi."

"Maybe I will someday…" Celebi turned around to face Mew. "But I fear that I may blow my cover were I to reveal myself to Hank Coro before this whole mess is resolved, but soon things will be back to the way they were, back when everything was peaceful.