Ho-Oh followed the human child into the cave.
Curiosity flickered across its expression.
Were all these human furnishings brought back from outside by Entei and the others?
After a full day of playing, Fuyuki was exhausted, sleepy, and hungry. He rummaged through the storage and pulled out two bottles of Moomoo Milk Raikou had brought back earlier. He kept one for himself and handed the other to Ho-Oh.
After gulping it down, he let out a satisfied burp. Hugging the Clefairy Doll Entei had found for him, he curled up on the sofa and quickly drifted off to sleep.
Ho-Oh stood nearby, quietly watching the scene. It murmured the human child's name under its breath.
"Fuyuki…"
No one knew what it was thinking.
The next morning, Fuyuki woke up early.
Seeing Ho-Oh standing nearby with its eyes closed, he suddenly realized that everything from yesterday had really happened. It hadn't been a dream.
When he stirred, Ho-Oh opened its eyes as well.
"Awake?" it asked softly.
"Yeah!" Fuyuki nodded. He ran to the storage room again, came back with a pile of Berries, handed a few to Ho-Oh, and kept two for himself.
That was his breakfast.
Ho-Oh watched quietly from the side. After Fuyuki finished eating and let out another small burp, it finally spoke.
"You and Entei usually live like this?"
"Mm." He nodded. This was how their days normally went.
After breakfast, sometimes they'd nap at home. Other times, Entei would take him down the mountain to play with the other Pokemon.
No worries. No stress. No pressure from life. Simple, peaceful days.
At least, Fuyuki liked it. Eating, drinking, playing around like a lazy fish every day, getting to pet all the Pokemon he liked.
No more being a burned-out office worker like in his previous life, crushed under mortgages, car payments, and endless obligations.
Just thinking about his past life soured his mood.
Ho-Oh sensed the shift immediately.
Is the little one missing Entei and the others? it wondered.
"There is no need to worry," Ho-Oh said gently. "Once Entei and the others finish their business, they will return to Mount Tensei. Until then, I will stay with you."
"Okay." Fuyuki nodded. Then he thought of Ash, and of the Rainbow Hero.
Curiosity getting the better of him, he lay across the sofa and asked, "Ho-Oh, what does the Rainbow Hero actually do?"
"The Rainbow Hero?" Ho-Oh paused, clearly not expecting the question.
After a moment of thought, it answered, "Like us, the Rainbow Hero bears the responsibility of protecting the weak and preserving peace in the world."
"So Entei and the others went out to meet the Rainbow Hero?" Fuyuki asked.
"Yes, and no," Ho-Oh replied softly. "Only humans who pass my trial can become the Rainbow Hero."
As a reward, they would gain the friendship of the Legendary Pokemon.
And that was not all.
Any human who passed the trial and reached Mount Tensei to meet Ho-Oh would receive its blessing. Their lifespan would be extended by roughly fifty years, and their body would grow far stronger.
The rainbow feather it bestowed also carried its power. If used on a dying Pokemon or human, it could fully restore them and awaken their potential.
However, if a Rainbow Hero later lost their original heart, the rainbow feather would fade, and its power would vanish.
"Humans…" Fuyuki hesitated, then asked, "Ho-Oh, what is the human world like?"
"The human world?" Ho-Oh paused, then realized something.
This child had always lived on Mount Tensei with Entei. He probably knew nothing about the human world.
"Humans," Ho-Oh said gently, "are just like Pokemon. They are another part of this land, living alongside us."
Seeing how curious he looked, Ho-Oh smiled. "If you want to see it for yourself, I can take you."
Fuyuki's eyes lit up instantly.
"Really?"
If Ho-Oh was willing to take him to the human world, that meant he could rack up a huge amount of Shock Points in one go.
Perfect!
"Of course." As Ho-Oh spoke, a soft blue psychic light gleamed in its eyes.
That gentle power wrapped around Fuyuki and lifted him onto its back.
"I have visited many human settlements," Ho-Oh said quietly. "I understand them better than Entei and the others."
Following it would definitely be fine.
Taking the human child to see the human world would also help draw them closer.
Ho-Oh had already made its decision.
It would start from the beginning and raise this child into a Rainbow Hero, a Rainbow Hero raised by Pokemon.
"Hold on tight."
Ho-Oh let out a clear, melodious cry. It spread its wings, rainbow light blooming around its body as it left Mount Tensei and flew toward the distant horizon.
Looking down at the vast land below, and thinking about how this trip might bring him a massive haul of Shock Points, Fuyuki's heart raced with excitement.
Ho-Oh, I love you!
Johto, Ecruteak City.
At the heart of this ancient city stood two towering, magnificent structures.
Inside the towers, monks and shrine maidens who worshipped Ho-Oh prayed as they did every day.
"Grandma, can Ho-Oh really hear our prayers?" a girl in shrine maiden robes named Suzune asked the elderly priestess beside her.
The priestess was seventy-eight years old. She had once been a shrine maiden herself, leading ceremonies to honor Ho-Oh. Time had left deep marks on her face.
Her once glossy black hair had turned completely white, and her formerly smooth, fair skin was now lined with wrinkles.
It was said that she had worshipped Ho-Oh, the god who brought happiness to humanity, since the day she was born.
Hearing Suzune's question, her expression grew solemn and reverent.
"Ho-Oh will hear us. I believe it will hear our voices and return to Ecruteak City, just like it did hundreds of years ago, and rebuild its friendship with humanity!"
Suzune stuck out her tongue slightly.
She had heard these legends countless times. Ever since inheriting the shrine maiden role, she had prayed diligently, yet she had never once seen Ho-Oh.
"Do not show disrespect to Ho-Oh!" the priestess scolded, her face full of devotion. "Back then, it was human greed that made Ho-Oh lose trust in us."
Seven hundred years ago, Ecruteak City built two towers, one to the east and one to the west.
They were raised as symbols of friendship between humans and Pokemon. According to legend, Ho-Oh and Lugia once lived atop those towers.
In that era, the city was protected by the two Legendary Pokemon.
But later, some humans abused Ho-Oh's power to wage war. In the end, the Bell Tower was burned to the ground.
Disappointed in humanity, Ho-Oh and Lugia left Ecruteak City and cut ties with humans.
The people later built a new Bell Tower on the same land, hoping Ho-Oh would return, but it never appeared again.
After being scolded, Suzune pouted.
Propping her chin in her hands, she thought maybe Ho-Oh had simply found a better place to live.
Suddenly feeling stifled, she asked for leave under the excuse of going to the restroom, then ran alone to the top of the Bell Tower. Lost in her thoughts, she gazed out at the grand scenery around her.
Then, in the distant sky, a brilliant rainbow appeared.
Suzune froze, staring at the skies in disbelief.
This had to be fake. The weather was clear, it hadn't rained at all. How could there be a rainbow?
The next moment, at the far end of that rainbow, a sacred figure of gold and crimson emerged.
That was…
Her pupils shrank as the figure slowly overlapped with the murals recorded within the Bell Tower.
That was Ho-Oh.
The Legendary Pokemon worshipped for over seventy years by the priestess and the people of Ecruteak City had finally returned.
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You can read up to chapter 72 and more soon on patreon.com/NiaXD.