The stir caused by Ho-Oh's appearance didn't end with its departure.
That very night, an Ecruteak City host spread the shocking news through the local radio station.
"Welcome, everyone, to Ecruteak Radio. It's now 7:15 p.m.!"
"This afternoon, the Legendary Pokemon Ho-Oh was sighted above Ecruteak City, seemingly responding to the monks' prayers from the Bell Tower!"
"What's even more astonishing is that a human was seen riding on Ho-Oh's back. Who was it? Could that person be Ho-Oh's Trainer? If so, just how powerful must that Trainer be?"
"Of course, Ecruteak City is an ancient place with deep historical ties to Ho-Oh. Its appearance today may carry a meaning far beyond what we can imagine!"
"Hey!"
Outside the broadcast room, the assistant in charge of recording, Sarah, opened her mouth and gestured silently, asking whether it was really okay to say things like that.
Inside, Elsa switched the program to music and spoke smoothly into the mic.
"Alright, it's just after dinnertime. Let's all relax and enjoy a song first."
She took off her headphones and looked outside.
Sarah couldn't help asking, "Elsa, is it really fine for us to say that?"
"According to eyewitness reports, the person riding on that Legendary Pokemon's back was clearly a boy who looked only about two years old…"
"Heh, you don't get it." Elsa's face was full of confidence. "That's exactly how you spark curiosity among Trainers listening in. Maybe we'll even draw a lot of people to Ecruteak City."
After all, whether for ordinary folks like them or for Trainers, anything related to Legendary Pokemon was impossible to ignore.
They were powerful, rare, and incredibly elusive.
If someone truly managed to catch a Legendary Pokemon, it would cause an enormous sensation. That moment could be the start of instant fame.
"Well, alright then." Sarah nodded, only half understanding.
Elsa smiled faintly and resumed recording.
In an era where information didn't travel quickly and journeys took time, most Trainers and civilians alike had the habit of turning on their Pokegear or radio while traveling or resting at night.
At the same time, in a stretch of wilderness far from any city…
A red-haired youth wrapped in a cloak sat by a campfire with a Dragonair, quietly listening to the broadcast. His handsome face was sharp, his expression steady and resolute.
"Ho-Oh…"
Growing up in the Dragon Clan, Lance knew far more about Legendary Pokemon than ordinary Trainers.
They were beings of overwhelming strength and extreme rarity. Some existed as the sole specimen in the entire world.
Ho-Oh was one of them.
"Ho-Oh appeared in Ecruteak City?" he murmured.
The woman's voice on the radio continued.
[What's even more astonishing is that a human was seen riding on Ho-Oh's back. Who was it? Could that person be Ho-Oh's Trainer?]
"What?"
Lance's pupils shrank. A Pokemon on Ho-Oh's level had been subdued by a human?
From what he knew of Legendary Pokemon, beings like that were inherently proud. They would never tolerate a human trampling on their dignity.
Only two possibilities could explain it.
Either that person had earned Ho-Oh's recognition and shared an exceptionally close bond with it.
Or they had defeated it through sheer strength and become its Trainer.
"Someone actually caught Ho-Oh…?"
Would that person compete in this year's Indigo League?
For the first time in a long while, anticipation stirred in Lance's heart.
Meanwhile, in the neighboring Kanto region, in a rural town called Pallet Town.
Inside Professor Oak's lab, Professor Oak sat in a chair, slurping instant noodles.
Suddenly, the radio mentioned phrases like "Ho-Oh appears" and "Ho-Oh caught."
He nearly sprayed the noodles straight out of his mouth.
"What? Ho-Oh was caught? That can't be right."
He was deeply shaken.
As far as he knew, neither Kanto nor Johto had a Trainer powerful enough to pull that off.
"Who could it be…?"
A Trainer from another region, perhaps?
"Professor Oak! Pokemon, I want to see Pokemon!"
A childish voice abruptly broke his train of thought.
Professor Oak turned to see a little boy, barely over two years old, running toward him in excitement.
The child got too carried away, lost his footing, and fell flat on the floor.
"Waaah…"
"Oh, Ash, is that you? You've got to be more careful next time." Professor Oak chuckled as he helped him up.
"I'm really sorry, Professor Oak, for coming so late," Delia said apologetically. "Ash kept crying and insisting on coming to see the Pokemon here."
"It's fine. That just means he really likes Pokemon." Professor Oak picked Ash up with a smile. "Come on, I'll take you outside to see them."
"Yay!" Ash cheered.
Watching him, a look of nostalgia surfaced on Professor Oak's face.
For a moment, his thoughts drifted back to that summer long ago, to the events he had experienced deep in the forest.
Back then, he was still a boy named Samuel Oak. After an accident, he had traveled through time alongside the Mythical Pokemon Celebi, reaching the end of time itself. There, he met a boy named Ash and became his friend.
The boy had introduced himself with a grin.
"I'm Ash from Pallet Town!"
That was why, after graduating from Celadon University, Samuel Oak turned down offers from elsewhere. Ignoring the confusion of his peers, he came to this remote little town and founded Professor Oak's lab.
"Ash…" Professor Oak looked at him, his heart full.
It's good to see you again.
[Lance is extremely shocked that you caught Ho-Oh. Shock Points from Lance +200!]
[Professor Oak is utterly shocked that you caught Ho-Oh. Shock Points from Professor Oak +100!]
On Mount Tensei, Fuyuki had just returned home with Ho-Oh and was in the middle of enthusiastically renovating the place when two notifications suddenly popped up on his panel.
The familiar names made him freeze on the spot.
Lance. Professor Oak.
Were they really the ones he knew?
But how did even they find out?
He tried scrolling through the notification history.
In truth, Shock Points didn't stop flowing in after people left. They continued trickling in, steadily supplied by others.
The rate had slowed down before, but just now, another massive wave surged in, almost flooding the panel.
He hadn't realized it before. Now that he looked, it was downright shocking.
Every single name listed was reacting to one thing.
They were all stunned that he had caught Ho-Oh.
A drop of sweat slid down Fuyuki's forehead.
This rumor… really was getting more and more exaggerated.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
You can read up to chapter 78 and more soon on patreon.com/NiaXD.