Greetings, Mgunnels3 here, and welcome back to A Promise Kept Ash's Johto Journey. With the Grass Type tournament now done, we are heading into the next part of the story, as we are four chapters from another one much later. With that said, let's get this chapter started, shall we?
Chapter 36: The Eleven Guardians of Ho-oh
"Human Speech"
"Pokemon Speech"
'Telepathy'
We joined our heroes as they arrived on the hill outside Ecruteak City.
"Wow! Look at this city. It has history from the looks of it," Misty said. On the other hand, Ash was slightly impressed, but for different reasons. "Ash, what's wrong? Have you been here before?" Misty asked.
"Huh? Yeah, I have. When I was a kid, this place looked different from my last time there. See that tower over there," Ash explained. Pointing to a big tower over to the right side of the city. "That's Tin Tower. It is supposed to be why this city has a massive history revolving around a centuries-long war," Ash said.
"According to the guidebook, the Ecruteak city gym is nearby, so we should be heading that way," Brock said to the group Ash and Misty nodded at this as they headed down the hill and into town.
The group looked around town as it was very cultural, part of olden times, and Japanese-like. Slowbro was amazed by this, as did Misty, Brock, and Pikachu, as this was what Ecruteak city is known to be nowadays. They even had a theater for music and Kabuki-style dancing, which they passed by.
"Maybe, we can see that while we are here in Ecruteak, given we aren't in any rush to continue our Journey after the gym battle," Brock said, thinking about the ladies in it, only for Misty to smack him in the head.
"You kinda earned that one, Brock, as from what I remember, the girls who are part of it are actually around my age than older ladies," Ash said to Brock, unhappy that he said that. "But I agree with seeing it while we are here in Ecruteak, given when I was here, I never saw it because we were only here for a day."
"Well, how many days will we be here?" Misty said to Ash. Who was thinking about that said question?
"Depending on the gym battle and if it is Morty's day off?" Ash said to Misty and Brock, curious that Ash knew the gym leader's day off. "I met Morty through my Uncle and another gym leader down who was the champion before Lance. I was interested in this town's history and talked with Morty several times. The only thing I never learned about was that said war and the legendary part of this city's history," Ash said.
"Let's say about four days, maybe five, just in case of that being the case, and I know that the league isn't going to be for a while, not until six months after the Kanto League is over," Brock suggested to Ash and Misty who nodded in agreement. The group arrived at what looked to be a run-down tower on the other side of the Tin Tower.
"Brock, are you sure that this is the gym?" Misty asked Brock, who nodded.
"According to the guidebook, this is exactly what the gym is. But I am unsure why it doesn't look like any I've seen?" Brock said to Misty and Ash. The group heads up to where the entrance of the tower. Little did they know it, but a shadowing figure watched them before disappearing. Ash and the others were walking around the building, figuring this wasn't the gym, but they might as well explore it.
"I'm not sure this is a good idea. Guys, this place doesn't look like we should be here?" Ash said to Misty and Brock, who understood why Ash was concerned about this, as a voice called out to Ash and the others.
"You're correct about that one, Ash?" A male voice called out to Ash, coming behind one of the burnt-out columns of the tower, a tall blond-haired male with a Blue shirt and a headband around his head. "But, since it's been a long time since we last saw each other, and I figured you are here anyway, I'll make an exception. It's been a long time Ash," the young man said to Ash, who was taken aback by this.
"Morty? Surely, it has been a while. The guidebook said that this was the gym, but we quickly figured that this wasn't the case," Ash said to Morty, who nodded as a Gengar appeared right next to Morty. "A Gengar? I take that it belongs to you, Morty?" Ash asked Morty, who nodded.
"Yeah, Gengar, here is my main partner on my team," Morty said to Ash as Gengar nodded at this.
"Pleasure to meet you, and I won't hurt you all, and I'm more tame than other Ghost-types," Gengar said to the group, who nodded.
"I know that you want to challenge the gym, but today is my day off so I won't be taking any challengers," Morty said to Ash, who figured that would be the case. "But, since you are here, maybe you can help me find something?" Morty asked Ash and his confused friends, who nodded at helping with whatever it was. Morty and the others head down the stairs to what looks to be an old painting of a bird-like Pokemon that caught Ash and Pikachu off guard.
"Wait, that Pokemon?" Ash ran to it as he recognized the Pokemon he saw when he left his Journey.
"Caught your attention, I see Ash? That's Ho-oh. One of the legendaries here in Johto is part of this city's foundation and lore," Morty said to Ash, who nodded.
"That may be the case, but I saw one the day I started my Journey," Ash said to Morty, who nodded.
"Not surprising, you would, Ash? As of late, many things left behind by Ho-oh are coming up nowadays," Morty said to Ash, who was curious about this.
"Huh? You believe me, and Professor Oak didn't the day I told him about that when I arrived in Viridian City?" Ash questioned Morty, who motioned the group to follow him. Ash and the gang followed Morty to an area of the tower with many paintings of different Pokemon. Many of them were Pokemon that Ash and the others had seen, except two.
"Woah, look at these photos. They seem old," Misty said.
"You were curious about the legend of the war centuries ago, Ash? This is part of it," Morty told Ash, who was listening. "Many years ago, a war caused many Pokemon and humans to be severely injured and worst for most. At the center of the war was the target Ho-oh. A Pokemon that is known to hold tremendous power and can revive Pokemon from the brink of life," Morty said to the group, who was taken aback by this.
"Back then, there were no trainers, only humans and Pokemon who were used as tools for their usage, and the worst of it was the war. Power, glory, and something to prove those were what many wanted from pointless wars that ended with nothing but pain and misery. In the crossfires, eleven different Pokemon were pushed to the point of no return," Morty said to the group.
"So that is why many people are dodging the questions about what happened when I asked, including you? I didn't think that it would get that bad?" Ash said to Morty, who nodded before turning to the paintings.
"Because only a few people are aware of what the war is? I learned this from my studies when I became Ash's gym leader. You were young to the point that you couldn't understand," Morty explained to Ash.
"As for these said Pokemon? They were revived, healed, and gifted with something that only Ho-oh could give via its flames that is now inside them. The following were chosen to be its guardians and willing to protect Ho-oh until the war ended with them no longer able to use Pokemon as they did," Mosty said, pointing to each painting in order of their placement amongst "The following order till this day is the following Pokemon: Sneasel, Lucario, Latios, Murkrow, Machamp, Dragonite, Noctowl, Gryados, Scizor, and Gengar," Morty explained to Ash and the others as Ash was curious about this, especially about Noctowl, Latios, Murkrow, and Scizor in particular. "For centuries, these Pokemon have passed these to their offspring and were given unique features that not normal members of their evolutionary lines have," Morty explained, catching Ash's attention more than ever.
"From changes in their genetics like eye coloring, bigger than usual, size differences, or can be used as protection from something they don't like. For example, being forced to join a trainer, they don't want to even if they were forced to be used," Morty was interrupted by Ash upon hearing this.
"The Noctowl in particular? Would it be shiny and smaller than normal by any chance?" Ash asked Morty, who was taken aback by this. Misty and Brock, upon hearing this, knew where Ash was going with this.
"According to what I was told about them, most of Noctowl's descendants were like that? Why did you ask Ash?" Morty asked Ash, who explained the Noctowl he knew growing up. "I think that he might be that said descendant, given that all but two of the guardian's descendants were accounted for till this day," Morty said to Ash, wondering about that.
"Lucario, who belonged to a well-known human set to end the war with extraordinary power, had gone missing by the war ended. On the other hand, Latios was never reported, but rumor has it he's still out there," Morty said.
"What about if the said Pokemon has siblings? Given that Latias and Latios are normally brother and sister at times?" Misty asked Morty, surprised that she knew about Latios and Latias.
"It's passed through all members of that Ancestor's bloodline, siblings and all. But it's shown amongst the ones chosen as one. You sound like you've seen one before?" Morty asked Ash and the others. Ash, Misty, and Brock nodded.
"We met them when we visited Altermare not long ago during our journey," Ash said to Morty, who was taken aback by this.
"The guardians of Altamar make sense. That might run in their bloodline, but I wouldn't know that given that I've never seen them, only knew of the legend of the DMA," Morty said to Ash.
"Why, bringing this up, Morty? You weren't that open about this to me before, so why now? And what is it you want us to find?" Ash asked Morty, trying to change the subject about Latios, given what happened to him.
"The item I am looking for is something that Ho-oh left. Rumor has it," Morty said as the group was curious about this. "It's supposed to help find the descendants of the said Pokemon," Morty told Ash and the others.
"Wait a minute. I thought that all but two were accounted for, Morty?" Brock asked Morty.
"Maybe it's because their current descendants haven't been?" Ash said to Brock, and Morty nodded.
"On the mark, Ash. I can account for two of those descendants, the Noctowl you mentioned and Gengar here," Morty explained to Ash as Gengar nodded at this, and Ash and the others were amazed. "What I am looking forward to here is either a feather or some sort of bell or orb that can do said thing." Ash and the others nodded at this. The group looked around different areas in the tower, but the problem was it was a needle in a haystack, given that most of this place was either burnt or in rubbles of rocks.
"Anything, guys?" Ash asked the entire party if they found anything. Only to be shaking their heads; even Gengar didn't find anything. "Man, whatever it is, Ho-oh must've not wanted those it doesn't trust to find what it is?" Ash said to himself. Ash noticed his Pokeballs were glowing, namely three specific ones. "Huh? What the?" Ash said as the group ran over to where Ash was and noticed this.
"Huh? That's the same thing when Gengar and I were here last. That glow is different colors similar to what Ho-oh is known for?" Morty said to Ash. "If you don't mind me asking, Ash? Which Pokemon are in those Pokeballs?" Morty Asked Ash, who looked at the Pokeballs in particular.
"Murkrow, Scyther, and Charizard? Okay, Murkrow and Scyther, I can understand, but why Charizard?" Ash questioned as Slowbro figured out what that might be.
'Didn't Charizard say that one of his parents is a Dragonite?' Slowbro said in Telepathy that Morty could hear, which made Ash realize that was true and remembers that Dragonite is one of the said guardians.
"I did say that it is passed amongst the descendants' siblings, but judging by that glow, it's more likely he's the actual one than part one," Morty said to Ash. The said three Pokemon came out of their balls cause of it.
"Huh? What,? We aren't in any battle; why are we out of our Pokeballs," Charizard questioned. Only to see the glow at a particular point on the tower wall. Ash and the others ran to it and moved a few things. It was revealing a feather that was indeed there as it was glowing. The colors of the Pokeballs were earlier.
"This has to be it? The said item that Ho-oh left behind for us to find?" Morty told Ash and the others, removing it from the wall area.
"Wonder why it didn't work when you and Gengar were here, Morty?" Misty questioned this as Morty looked at the Feather, which stopped glowing.
"Maybe, it was waiting for me or more Pokemon that was part of that legend to be revealed? That is all I can think of, Morty?" Ash suggested to Morty.
"I have to agree with you on that one, Ash. Four of the eleven descendants here must be enough to show it," Morty took the Feather and turned to Ash."I'll hold onto this for the time being until tomorrow," Morty said as Ash was surprised.
"Cause of it will be a part of the gym battle tomorrow to see who has the right to own it, me the seeker who's been studying Ho-oh and owner of one of the Descendants, or you, Ash, who has seen Ho-oh and owns three of them," Morty said to Ash. Ash nodded at this and was ready to accept that challenge as they were outside the gym as it was getting late.
"Well, Ash, thank you for helping me find this, you guys. Stop by tomorrow afternoon, and we will have our gym battle. Until then, I bid you a good evening and see you tomorrow," Morty said to Ash, who nodded as Morty and Gengar entered the gym as the doors closed.
"What do you think, Ash? You think that you can win?" Brock said to Ash, who looked down at his three Pokeballs.
"I'm not going to use two of them in tomorrow's battle, but I feel like I was given these Pokemon for a reason, not just cause they wanted to join my team," Ash said to Misty and Brock as the group head back to the Pokemon Center.
With new things being revealed to Ash now, he must prepare for a gym battle against Morty, and it won't be easy for him to win that much he knows as the Journey continues.
Stay Tuned.
Done and done, man. This chapter was hard to write, given that I had a lot of stuff to add to this story. Is this tale a stretch? Yes, but I already mentioned how different Murkrow eyes were when she was captured. I'm not going back. And if you've seen my updates. What Pokemon are going to join Ash? Most of them were mentioned in this chapter. As for Noctowl, this would explain why he's as strong as he is and smaller than usual. As for what reason this is brought up? I mentioned this in the last chapter and an update. I am having trouble with that on my end. You can all think of something or just let it go like this. Before we end this, all the movies in the anime have already happened during this story. Hence why, Latios and Latias were mentioned. The gym battle is next. Catch you guys next time.