I feel proud of this chapter, so I hope you'll enjoy reading it.
The chapter is in Ashley's point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokémon characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 37: For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll!
We decided to take a flying taxi to Ecruteak City as a fast route. We could have chosen to walk all the way back to the city, but it was now very warm in the middle of July and we weren't exactly thrilled by the idea of hiking under the scorching sun. With the seasons changing, the flying taxi service used flying Pokémon that had a good resistance to heat. Even with good air conditioning inside the wagon, we often fell asleep so we took a few stops and relaxed in Pokémon Centers.
It took a total of three days before we finally arrived to Ecruteak City. Its soothing aura was so relaxing and the air blowing around felt like a refreshing mint breath…or even the north winds.
"It's so nice being back here in Ecruteak City", Misty commented as we walked down a familiar street.
"Togi toge!" Togepi chirped from Misty's arms.
"Yeah, and we're not far away from Mahogany Town where the ice-type Gym is", Ash added, remembering a conversation we had the other day.
"Pika", Pikachu nodded, relaxing on my brother's shoulder.
"I'm almost tempted to call Liza and ask her to send Firered to me for that Gym", I confessed. "But I should rely on my other Pokémon, especially Victor and Cedric."
"Hey, guys! Less talking about Gyms right now!" Brock suddenly exclaimed, making us flinch with his outburst. "The Kimono Sisters' theater opened this month and I want to see their show! And the lovely sisters!" He clasped his hands together and acted like the usual love-struck Growlithe. "I can't wait to meet the lovely gems and watch their performance!"
"Well, we better hurry 'cause I have a feeling the tickets sell out quickly", Misty pointed out.
The calm summer day got rudely interrupted by the sudden sound of mysterious bells ringing across the city. Everyone stopped in their tracks and turned their eyes to the Tin Tower. I actually got goosebumps as I heard the bells. I had never heard a noise like that before. It almost felt like a warning of something that was coming.
The townsfolk started talking amongst each other that I heard loud and clear.
"The bells ringing can only mean one thing…!"
"Yes! The legend is finally returning!"
"Ho-Oh is coming back to Ecruteak City!"
"Ho-Oh?" Ash repeated the name. "Silver mentioned that name before when we saw Entei, Raikou and Suicune."
"Yeah, something about how Ho-Oh revived three Pokémon that perished when the Burned Tower got struck by lightning into the three Legendary hounds", I added, remembering the tale.
A geisha dressed in a light orange kimono with lightning pattern ran past us with a Jolteon following her. I could immediately tell she was one of the Kimono Sisters because they always have an Eeveelution by their side.
"Hey! That must be one of the Kimono Sisters!" Brock exclaimed, also putting two and two together quickly.
"Forget about that! Let's hurry to the Tin Tower!" Ash called out before we started running toward said tower. "I have a bad feeling about this!"
"Me too", I nodded as I ran next to my brother.
It didn't take long before we realized the Kimono Girl was also running toward the Tin Tower. She and her Jolteon were far ahead, so we couldn't talk to her while running. We had to do that when we arrived to our destination.
We entered the premises of the Tin Tower when the bells suddenly stopped ringing. It was actually a good thing because my ears hurt after hearing the same noise for a long time. The bells were still ringing in my ears and it was very uncomfortable.
The Kimono Sister panted softly as she stared at the Tin Tower. "It got silent…"
"Jol!" Jolteon barked.
"Excuse me, miss!" Ash called out as we reached her.
"Oh?" the geisha blinked with a surprised expression. "Who are you four people?"
Brock immediately bounced to her and gently took her hands, switching into flirting mode. "Hi, my name's Brock! And I must confess your beauty lightens up the spark in my heart!"
Misty stomped over to our friend and pulled him away by his ear. "Be careful before a thunder strikes you down, Romeo!" she said with a growl while Brock yelped at the tug on his ear.
The Kimono Sister looked very confused so Ash stepped in to apologize on Brock's behalf. "Sorry about our friend, miss. The truth is we actually met three of your sisters before."
"Ah, yes, I remember my sisters informing me about their encounter with the Trainers with the heart of gold and the soul of silver", the geisha nodded in realization before she placed her hands in front of her and bowed elegantly. "I am the Kimono Sister Sayo. This is my partner Jolteon."
"Jolt!"
"My name's Ash and this is Pikachu", Ash introduced himself and his partner.
"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu waved his paw, still resting on my brother's shoulder.
"I'm Ashley, Ash's twin sister", I nodded lightly.
Misty and Brock returned after the almost adult boy had calmed down. "I'm Misty and this is my little baby Togepi."
"Togiprii!" Togepi chirped happily.
"Do you know what exactly is going on here, Sayo?" Ash wondered.
"I am not certain", Sayo replied with a soft shake of her head. "The bells have never rung before for as long as I can remember. The legend says the bells only ring when Ho-Oh is about to descent from the skies."
"I'm afraid there's more than that, Kimono Sister", a man in his early thirties with brown hair stepped out of the tower with Morty right next to him. He was dressed in a purple suit and a white cape, quite a fancy style.
"Morty!" Ash exclaimed in joy for seeing the Gym Leader.
"Hi, guys", Morty greeted with a soft wave of his hand.
"Gee-eee-eeen!" his Gengar suddenly appeared right in front of us with a huge grin. I shrieked in fear by its appearance and immediately hid behind my brother.
"Gengar!" Morty scolded his Pokémon. "Stop goofing around and find the Crystal Bells!"
"Geen!" Gengar giggled before it vanished into thin air. I sighed in relief now that the ghost Pokémon was gone.
Sayo gasped in horror. "Please do not tell me the Crystal Bells are missing!"
"That's the unfortunate truth", the purple suit man shook his head.
"Crystal Bells?" Misty repeated confusedly.
"Those are four special bells made out of pure crystal", Morty explained. "They say they only ring when Ho-Oh is about to visit the mortal world."
"Wait a second, Morty!" the brown haired man called out. "Do you know these kids?"
"Why, yes, I do, Eusine", Morty replied. "The twins challenged my Gym a while ago. Kids, this is an old friend of mine, Eusine. He's a self-proclaimed expert in Pokémon myths and legends all over the world. He's come here to research our Pokémon literature."
My eyes lit up a little when I heard Pokémon literature. "Does that include the legends of Ecruteak City?"
"Uh-oh…", Ash said sheepishly. "Ashley's student side is about to come out."
"Hush, Ash!" I shushed him. "I want to learn as much as possible about Pokémon. You should do that too!"
"This time, I agree with Ashley", Misty commented. "She is, after all, the smarter twin."
"Hey!" Ash shouted, feeling offended by the accusation. "I can be smart too during battles!"
"Pika pika", Pikachu nodded, taking my brother's side.
"Maybe, but learning some folklore never hurts", Brock nodded.
"Let's talk about the details in the Gym", Morty said. "I've got some scrolls about the legend of the Tin Tower and the Burned Tower."
"I wish you could use their original names, Morty", Sayo sighed disapprovingly.
"Original names?" Ash, our friends and I repeated confusedly.
XXXXXXXXXX
We headed to the Gym where we gathered around a long table on which Morty carefully rolled open a scroll. It contained lots of ancient texts and a delicate painting of four light blue bells. "These are the Crystal Bells that were stolen from the Tin Tower", the Gym Leader explained.
"They're so pretty", I couldn't help but comment in awe.
"I'm sure the real ones are prettier", Misty giggled.
"These bells have been in Ecruteak City for more than three-hundred years", Morty added. "Say, have you heard about this legend before, kids?"
"No, never", Ash answered for us.
"Then allow me to do the tale", Sayo spoke up before she started making small dance movement with her body, pulling out a fan from the sleeve of her kimono. "Centuries ago, the people of Ecruteak City built two towers, nine tiers each, to reach up to the sky to commune with the guardians of the skies and the seas, Ho-Oh and Lugia."
"Lugia?" I mumbled in surprise.
"Lugia used to live in Ecruteak City?" Brock asked, sounding just as surprised as me.
"Ho-Oh roosted at the top of the Bell Tower while Lugia made its nest on the Brass Tower", Sayo continued the tale while Jolteon started dancing next to her.
"Bell Tower? Brass Tower?" Misty repeated confusedly.
"Those were the former names of the Tin Tower and the Burned Tower", Morty explained.
"But on one fateful night, one-hundred and fifty years ago, a lightning bolt struck the Brass Tower and engulfed it in flames", Sayo said while moving gracefully with her fan. "Lugia extinguished the fire by summoning the rain upon Ecruteak City, but it fled to the sea after it lost its nest. Nothing survived, except for thirty-two metal bells and four crystal bells which were moved to the Bell Tower. The legend says those bells began ringing when Ho-Oh left the Bell Tower and flew to the Brass Tower to observe the destruction. It noticed three Pokémon that had perished after they attempted to put out the fire, only to get swallowed by the hungry gap. Saddened by the three Pokémon's lost lives, Ho-Oh used its Sacred Ashes to revive those Pokémon into three beast, each representing the elements that struck the Brass Tower. Raikou, the represent of lightning bolt. Entei, the represent of fire. And Suicune, the represent of rain. And since that night, nobody has seen Ho-Oh ever again." She finished dancing and folded her fan before she settled down on a chair, Jolteon lying down next to her.
"And those bells have never rung ever since, until today to notify us that the Crystal Bells got stolen", Eusine stepped in. "That means Ho-Oh is still watching us with its three loyal servants. The ancient scripts say that Ho-Oh's fierce anger will only melt when the hearts of Pokémon and humans can finally beat as one."
"What do you mean by Ho-Oh's fierce anger?" Ash asked.
"The source of Ho-Oh's anger is actually humans", Morty revealed.
"Really?" I asked in surprise. "But…why?"
"Because Ho-Oh believes the fire that broke out in the Brass Tower was the humans' doing", Eusine explained. "It believes those three Pokémon lost their lives because of human greed of wanting Lugia and its powers, so it revived those Pokémon into the Legendary Beasts and sent them on a mission to watch over us. They are waiting for the day when Pokémon and humans can live together, and only then shall Ho-Oh return."
"We've actually met the Legendary Beasts", Ash confessed.
"What?!" Eusine exclaimed in surprise.
"Yeah, it was back in the Burned Tower couple of months ago", I added. "Ash, Silver a criminal and I were trapped in a cave underneath the tower when the Legendary Beasts appeared out of nowhere and rescued us. When I saw Suicune…" I closed my eyes to remember the feeling I got when I watched the water legend. "It felt like I was one with it."
"It can't be…!" Eusine growled softly.
"I felt the same thing with Entei", Ash revealed. "It was like I understood what Entei felt."
"I think Silver experienced the same thing with Raikou", I opened my eyes, inwardly flinching when I saw Eusine angrily glaring at me.
"That reminds me…", Ash spoke up. "What does Ho-Oh look like?"
"It's a large bird Pokémon with its feathers glowing in the seven colors of a rainbow with a soft aura of gold", Sayo replied.
"Then we've seen Ho-Oh too!" Ash exclaimed. "Ashley, remember our very first day as Pokémon Trainers? When we got attacked by that swarm of Spearows?"
"Yes, I do", I nodded, reminiscing the first day of our journey. "Shortly after that lightning storm disappeared, a golden bird flew above us while summoning a rainbow. Our Pokédex couldn't identify the Pokémon and I didn't recognize it from Professor Oak's books."
"Wow… To see a Legendary Pokémon on your first day…", Misty mumbled in awe. "I was close in that area, but I never saw a golden bird Pokémon."
"It must hold some kind of meaning behind that sighting…", Brock hummed and rubbed his chin.
"This can't be right!" Eusine suddenly exclaimed and hit the table with his fist. Sayo and Jolteon jumped up by the bang on the table, not expecting the outburst. "I am the Suicune expert! And I know Suicune would never appear before somebody unworthy of its presence!"
"B-But…it did", I stuttered, feeling very nervous about Eusine. His glare felt very threatening like he wanted to hurt me.
"We even fought together with Entei and Suicune when we were saving a Celebi from Team Rocket!" Ash insisted.
"You even encountered a Celebi?" Morty gasped in disbelief.
The Celebi part fell deaf to Eusine's ears. "I refuse to believe that Suicune would choose a young Trainer, so prove to me that you're worthy of its presence in a battle, Ashley!" he demanded before he held up a Poké Ball.
"U-Umm…", I cold sweated, feeling uncertain what I should do. Did I really have to battle him to show that I had every right to be chosen by Suicune?
"What's with Eusine's sudden enthusiasm?" Brock asked.
"Eusine is…a little obsessed over Suicune", Morty replied. "He's been hunting for it ever since he started his journey."
"Wow…", Misty sweat dropped. "I may be a water-type Trainer, but I'm not that obsessed."
"You have those moments, Misty", Ash frankly told her.
I was about to give Eusine my answer when Jolteon suddenly started barking like crazy. "Jolt jolt jolteon jolt!"
"What's the matter, Jolteon?" Sayo asked concernedly.
Jolteon rushed toward the exit of the Gym with Pikachu right behind its tail. We followed them outside and got a big shock. The area around the Tin Tower was covered in webs made by bug Pokémon, even the top of the trees. The web around the tower got thicker as the wild Pokémon sprayed more String Shot at it.
"B-B-Bugs!" Misty shrieked in panic and hid behind Ash.
"What is going on over there?!" Brock gasped.
"The tower's being taken over by wild Pokémon!" Ash replied. "Guys, you better have that battle another time!"
"I agree!" Eusine nodded. "Let's go investigate!"
I shrieked when I heard something whipping the ground right next to me. I turned around and saw a horde of wild Tangelas and Parasects had surrounded us. They were growling and glaring aggressively while slowly stepping toward us, forcing us to back to the Gym.
"What's going on?! Why are the wild Pokémon angry at us?" Ash wondered.
"These Tangela live in the forest close to the city and they're normally friendly", Morty said and dodged one of Tangela's vines as it struck the ground next to his foot.
"Hey! Calm down!" Ash told the Pokémon. "We're not gonna hurt you guys!"
"Um, Ash, now's not the best time to convince them!" Misty shrieked while she held onto my brother's jacket.
"Guys!" I yelled out as the horde of Parasects released a white glittering powder from their mushrooms. "They're using Sleep Powder!"
"Quick! Retreat to the Gym!" Morty yelled.
I had my nose and mouth covered as we rushed back into the Gym. Morty made sure to lock the doors so the wild Pokémon couldn't get inside. We scattered around to the windows to check the situation outside from a safe distance. I took the window pointing to the city and felt the air get stuck in my throat.
"Ecruteak City is getting covered in webs!" I called out.
The others gathered by my window and saw the white scenery. Ecruteak City had fallen silent as the citizens had retired into their homes. The wild Pokémon were dominating the streets as they covered every part with white reflecting web.
"Why is this happening?" Ash wondered as a couple of Parasects walked around the Gym and glared at us through the thin glass.
"It's almost like they want us to stay out of their way…", Morty mumbled.
"That could explain why the Tangelas tried to scare us away and force us back inside the Gym", Brock said.
"I'm certain this is related to the Crystal Bells", Eusine pointed out.
"So the legend is true…", Morty mumbled sadly. "They say the Crystal Bells maintain peace and harmony amongst the Pokémon. And now that they are stolen…the delicate balance has been disturbed. That must have made them aggressive towards humans."
"The only way to restore the balance is to find the Crystal Bells and return them to the Tin Tower where they belong", Sayo said. "We must find them soon before time runs out."
"Jolteoon."
"Then we've got to go now!" Ash exclaimed determinedly. "The thieves who stole the bells must still be nearby! The wild Pokémon might have found them, but because they are so angry at them they forgot about returning the Crystal Bells!"
"You're right, Ash", I nodded, feeling the slight fear fading away when hope started rising within my heart. "We must get the bells before the balance is completely broken. I want humans and Pokémon to live together forever!"
"Even if we do get the Crystal Bells back, the situation might not return to normal entirely", Eusine said. "If their anger remains as strong as we witness now, they might want to try creating a new world without humans."
"That's not what Ho-Oh wants!" Ash argued. "It wants humans and Pokémon to live together as one! If humans were the ones causing this ordeal, then it's up to us to fix it and prove to Ho-Oh that humans can change for the better!"
"Pika!" Pikachu nodded, agreeing with my brother.
"Ash's right!" Misty stepped in. "I want to live in peace and harmony with all Pokémon, especially water-types! They've given me so much that I would hate to lose my current life!"
"Toge?" Togepi tilted her head to the side, not really understanding the current circumstances.
"If the world cannot live with Pokémon and humans coexisting, who knows what will happen to the ecosystem and the planet's balance itself!" Brock added.
"We've become friends with so many Pokémon and it's the proof that we can live together!" I joined in to show my determination. "I don't want to lose my family!"
"You four…", Sayo mumbled in awe by our determination to set everything straight.
"It is part of my responsibility as a Gym Leader to maintain peace of the city, so I must go and find the Crystal Bells", Morty said.
"Then let's go!" Ash yelled out.
We rushed out of the Gym and immediately got greeted by angry Parasects. They must have guarded the Gym to make sure we couldn't leave.
"Please, Parasect! Let us go and help you!" Ash shouted to them.
The Parasects hissed aggressively in response and lifted their claws. Before they could do anything, Morty's Gengar appeared in front of us out of nowhere. I nearly shrieked at its appearance, but I quickly calmed myself down. Now was not the time to panic.
"Gengar, have you found the Crystal Bells?" Morty asked.
"Geheen!" Gengar nodded in response.
"Good! Now, use Confuse Ray on the Parasects!"
"Gee-eengaar!" Gengar moved its arms around while its eyes started glowing yellow. One second later, the Parasects were covering their eyes and stood petrified. The Confuse Ray move was a success.
"Great job, Gengar! Show us the way to the Crystal Bells!" Morty called.
"Gee-heen!" Gengar chuckled and floated ahead. We rushed after it while dodging the Parasects while they were still recovering from their confusion.
Gengar led us toward the nearby forest that was covered in web. Ash and I called out Cyndaquil and Victor to burn the cobweb down with Flamethrowers. Strangely enough, no wild Pokémon got in our way to stop us from reaching the Crystal Bells.
We reached a clearing and found the culprits who had stolen the bells. I wasn't exactly surprised to see it was none other than Team Rocket. They were trapped in cobwebs and hanging upside down from the trees like cocoons, clearly trapped by the wild Pokémon.
"Team Rocket?! Were you the ones who stole the Crystal Bells?!" Ash growled at them.
"Of course they would something so foolish!" Misty said angrily.
"Well, they were pretty and we wanted to get Ho-Oh to ourselves!" Jessie spat back at us, moving a little so her cocoon was moving, but not strong enough to rip herself out of the web.
"Look! There's the Crystal Bells!" Eusine pointed at a tree where three Crystal Bells rested on the ground.
"There is only three of them", Sayo said before she turned to the thieves with a glare. "What have you done to the fourth bell?!"
"Jolt jolt!" Jolteon barked angrily, its spiky fur sparkling by electricity.
"W-Well, umm…", James hesitated to answer the question.
"Jessie demolished it", Meowth confessed.
"Wooobbuffeeet!" Wobbuffet cried out.
"I can't believe you Raticated me out, Meowth!" Jessie growled and frowned like a diva. "Besides, the bell was broken anyway."
"You broke a Crystal Bell?!" Sayo gasped in terror. "No wonder the Pokémon are furious!"
"We still need to retrieve and return them to the Tin Tower!" Morty said. He rushed to get the bells, but Tangelas, Parasects and other wild Pokémon appeared out from the webs, bushes and trees and blocked his path. More Pokémon showed up as they surrounded us from every direction. There were a few Gligars flying above us, making sure we couldn't leave by flying.
"They are protecting the bells!" Eusine concluded.
"But we need to return them to their right places to restore the balance!" Morty pointed out.
Ash stepped forward looking calm to try talking sense with the Pokémon. "Please, guys! We don't want to fight you. We want to help you. We only want to return the bells to the tower."
"I hate to break it to you, twerp, but they won't listen to reason", Meowth chimed in. "They are too angry to talk reason."
"It is your fault that the peace and harmony got disturbed!" I shouted at him.
"Hooun!" Victor barked angrily.
The wild Pokémon got even closer and glared at us like they wanted to do more than to just hurt us. "W-What should we do?" Misty stuttered as more bug Pokémon crawled to the clearing.
"We can't attack them or else they'll get even more agitated", Morty explained.
"How can we make the Pokémon understand?" Ash wondered with a hint of sadness in his voice.
"Cynda…", Cyndaquil whimpered.
"Pika! Pikachu pi pika pi!" Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder and tried talking to the wild Pokémon. The only reply he got was a whip from a Tangela, striking the ground in front of his feet. Pikachu shrieked and stepped backward.
"Ho-Oh…", I mumbled sadly and shut my eyes tight to make a small prayer, a tiny tear escaping my eye. "Please… We want to help the world, not ruin it… Please…"
I opened my eyes when I heard the Pokémon shrieking. The bug Pokémon spat String Shots toward us, clearly wanting to trap us in cocoons like with Team Rocket. We cried out at the incoming attack, but one person was fast enough to act.
"Alakazam, use Reflect!" Eusine called out his Pokémon.
"Alakazaaam!" Alakazam growled and used his spoons to create a transparent shield around us, reflecting back the String Shots.
"Good thinking, Eusine!" Morty praised his friend in relief.
"We might be too late…", Eusine said. "Ho-Oh…must have lost its trust on us."
"No! That's not true!" Ash argued with the adult.
Now the Tangelas were getting aggressive and used Vine Whip against Alakazam's Reflect. It didn't do much as their vines only got reflected back and even hit themselves and their wild friends.
"The more we resist…the more the Pokémon will lose their trust in us too", Sayo commented sadly.
"Is it…really over?" Misty spoke softly.
The Tangelas decided to change tactics and summoned a couple of Energy Balls and threw them at Alakazam. The Reflect move couldn't bounce those moves back because it only worked on physical moves. Alakazam got hit by at least three powerful Energy Balls and struck him down to the ground.
"Alaaa!"
"Alakazam!" Eusine yelled worriedly at his partner and snatched his Poké Ball. "Return!" Alakazam returned to his Poké Ball before a Parasect could hit him with its claws.
"Stop it!" Ash demanded and stood in front of us with his arms held out. "We don't want to fight you! Please listen to us!"
"Laaaa!" a Tangela hissed and swung one of its vines toward my brother.
"ASH!" I screamed in fear as the world turned into slow motion. The vine was coming closer to Ash for each nanosecond, ready to strike him. The world came to a stop when two loud howls echoed in the forest.
"Kuuuuuuuuh!"
"Raaaaaaaaah!"
The vine froze right in front of Ash's face and pulled back as the howls continued calling around us. The wild Pokémon lost their aggression and listened intensely at the mysterious yet familiar cries.
"H-Hey, guys… You hear that?" Ash asked, his voice shaking a little by the fact that he almost got his head blown off.
The next thing we knew, a warm breeze filled with ember swept across the forest, burning the web into ashes. Then it was replaced by a chilling breeze that made sure the ember wouldn't set the forest on fire. The wild Pokémon suddenly stepped away from us, retiring into the forest to give way to the forces that had come to put the disturbance to rest.
"Kuuuuuh!"
"Raaaaaah!"
"Suicune!" I gasped out.
"Entei!" Ash exclaimed with the same tone as me.
"Unbelievable…", Morty gaped in pure shock.
"Two of the three deities…are here", Sayo gasped, hiding her mouth with her fan.
"Joolt…"
Team Rocket suddenly cried out which reminded us about their presence. They got wrapped in new String Shots by the wild Pokémon before the group of Tangelas and Parasects carried them away to who knew where.
"Let us go, you idiots!" Jessie yelled at the Pokémon, struggling in her cocoon. "We've got two Legendaries here that we need to catch!"
"I doubt we can get them this time, Jessie…", James sighed in defeat.
"I guess this is karma for us", Meowth commented.
"Wooobbuffet!"
"Looks like Team Rocket's carried off again…", the trio spoke as they disappeared into the forest with the wild Pokémon.
I turned my attention immediately back to the two beast Pokémon and rushed to the small hill with Ash, Pikachu and Victor. I stared at Suicune and felt the same connection like our first encounter. It stared back at me with its deep red eyes while the north wind caressed my cheeks, cooling down the summer air around me.
The connection broke by Eusine's battle cry. "Haunter, Drowzee, let's get Suicune and Entei!"
Ash and I turned swiftly around to see the adult's two Pokémon being called out. They stood ready to battle the Legendary Pokémon. Eusine looked determined to get what he wants. "I've finally come this far to capture Suicune and the time has come! Suicune, I shall become your Trainer!"
"Haaun!"
"Droowzee!"
"No!" Ash and I yelled out and stood in the way for Eusine's Pokémon.
"Get out of the way!" Eusine glared aggressively at us.
"You can't catch these Pokémon!" Ash told the obsessed adult.
"The Legendary Pokémon are special Pokémon! They have the right to choose who they want to be with!" I added. It only felt right that Legendary Pokémon superior to other Pokémon played a much bigger role in the ecosystem, so you shouldn't force them into becoming partners with Trainers without their approval.
"I've searched for Suicune ever since I left on my journey almost twenty years ago after hearing the tale by my grandfather, so I have all right to challenge Suicune and its comrade!" Eusine argued.
"No! I won't let you!" I yelled out, feeling frustrated that I could talk sense with a grown adult.
"Hooun!" Victor stood in front of me, growling at Eusine's Pokémon.
"If you want Suicune and Entei, you'll have to battle us first!" Ash added.
"Pika!" Pikachu called out and stood next to Victor with his cheeks sparkling.
"Fine! If that's the case, I'll crush you two first!" Eusine growled. "Haunter, Drowzee, use Hypnosis on Pikachu and Houndoom!"
"Haaun!"
"Droowzee!"
The two Pokémon began moving their hands around while their eyes glowed in a hypnotic color. It almost made me a little drowsy, but I quickly shook my head to snap out of it.
"Victor, dodge and use Fire Fang on Haunter!" I shouted.
"Pikachu, dodge and use Thunderbolt on Drowzee!" Ash yelled.
Our Pokémon dodged the hypnotic waves and were about to use their attacks when two loud howls echoed around us. I flinched by the noise and covered my ears, the noise being too much for my sense. The next thing I knew, Drowzee and Haunter transformed into red energy and retreated to their Poké Balls, catching Eusine off guard.
"W-What?!" the adult exclaimed.
The howling was over, so I swiftly turned around to see if those Roars were the beasts' doing. Unfortunately, they had already run off and left nothing behind but a cold breeze mixed with the scent of burned grass.
"Entei and Suicune used Roar to cancel the battle", Morty spoke up. "Maybe they didn't want you to fight a meaningless battle. And maybe they appeared to protect us from the Pokémon, especially you two, Ash, Ashley."
"But why?" Ash wondered.
"I believe they have chosen you two for a reason, Trainers with the heart of gold and the soul of silver", Sayo said. "Whatever for, I do not know. Only they carry the answer."
A bird's shriek suddenly echoed from the sky before a rainbow appeared out of nowhere. We all watched in awe at the bright rainbow while the rest of the cobweb dissipated and restored the forest around us. I had a good feeling the web in Ecruteak City had also faded away by the new force that was coming.
And then we saw it.
Ho-Oh flew underneath the rainbow, glowing in a golden aura while its wings reflected the seven colors of the rainbow. I recognized it from our first sighting over a year ago. It was the same Pokémon.
"Ho-Oh…", Ash mumbled in awe as we stood there watching the majestic bird.
Ho-Oh released another shriek as it flew far above us, a trail of golden shiny particles left behind where it was flying. At the first glance, I thought it was flying toward the Tin Tower, but it actually flew past the building and continued its journey to the horizons until it was far gone.
A feather floated down with the wind toward us, but it was like the wind was carrying it specifically toward Ash. He held his hands out with the palms facing the sky before the feather landed on them. It glowed on a soft golden color before it faded and revealed a feather with the same colors as Ho-Oh.
"It's a Rainbow Wing…", Sayo whispered softly. "Only the human Ho-Oh has chosen gets awarded with one of its feathers, as a proof of approval."
"Wow…", Misty mumbled in awe. "It's so pretty."
"A Rainbow Wing, huh…", Ash mumbled and inspected the feather.
It reminded me of my feather. I opened my backpack and pulled out the Silver Wing I got from Lugia and held it next to the Rainbow Wing. "A Rainbow Wing and a Silver Wing… We've got blessed by the two Pokémon once living in Ecruteak City…", I said.
"You met Lugia too?" Morty said in surprise before he let out a chuckle. "I shouldn't be surprised by now. You two attract Pokémon to you like a Magnemite."
"Two Trainers… Twins too…got blessed by Legendary Pokémon…", Eusine mumbled behind us, no longer sounding angry as before.
"I wonder…if Ho-Oh and Lugia can see something in you two that makes you special", Brock pondered.
"Who knows", Ash said as he gently caressed the feather. "But one thing for sure; I won't let them down. Someday, if I ever see Ho-Oh again, I will tell it that Pokémon and humans can live together as one and make the world a better place."
"Me too", I nodded and caressed my silver feather. "A world of peace and harmony…with Pokémon as part of our family."
We returned the Crystal Bells to the Tin Tower with the wild Pokémon watching over us, making sure we weren't going to mess with them like Team Rocket. Speaking of them, I still had no idea how they were getting punished and I didn't want to know. Sayo informed us the theater was fully booked for the rest of the month, but she made sure to save four tickets to one of the Kimono Sisters' performances in August. That gave us another reason to return to Ecruteak City after Ash and I obtain the Mahogany Gym badge.
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Ashley's party:
Cedric the Pupitar (male)
Mystic the Togetic (male)
Victor the Houndoom (male)
Axel the Scyther (male)
Lily the Espeon (female)
Queendra the Seadra (female)
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Ashley's Pokémon at the Lab:
Trica the Furret (female)
Wanda the Gyarados (female)
Aria the Lapras (female)
Hikaru the Ampharos (male)
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Ash's party:
Pikachu (male)
Bayleef (female)
Cyndaquil (male)
Croconaw (male)
Shiny Noctowl (male)
Dunsparce (male)
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Ash's Pokémon at the Lab:
Heracross (male)
Tauros (male)
Ivysaur (male)
Snorlax (male)
Kingler (male)
Poliwrath (male)
Wartortle (male)
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Misty's party:
Staryu (genderless)
Psyduck (male)
Togepi (female)
Poliwhirl (male)
Lanturn (female)
Corsola (female)
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Misty's Pokémon in the Cerulean Gym:
Goldeen (female)
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Brock's party:
Geodude (male)
Onix (male)
Crobat (male)
Pineco (male)