May was usually a season of clear skies.
Yet atop the endless mountain range, it felt as though a fresh rain had just passed. The vegetation flourished, and every blade of grass still glistened with crystal-clear dew.
Groups of Pokémon climbed toward the summit, drawn by an invisible calling.
Above them, a magnificent rainbow stretched across the heavens like a celestial bridge.
The Pokémon that had lived in these mountains for generations all knew the ancient legend.
Whenever rain had just fallen and the Rainbow Bridge appeared in the sky...
The great rainbow-colored phoenix would descend from the heavens, blessing those below with its divine power.
The mountain's guardian ranger knew the legend as well.
But unlike ordinary people, the families who had protected this mountain for generations knew far more.
They understood that this extraordinary phenomenon marked the beginning of the legendary Rainbow Trial, a sacred ceremony created to choose the next Rainbow Hero.
For generations, each ranger had faithfully passed this knowledge down to the next.
They had all waited for the day the chosen hero would finally appear.
Some spent their entire lives guarding this mountain...
Never once witnessing the arrival of the legendary challenger.
Yet something about this year's trial felt incredibly strange.
The Rainbow Trial had clearly begun long ago...
But he hadn't seen Marshadow.
He hadn't seen Suicune.
He hadn't seen Entei.
He hadn't seen Raikou.
Most importantly...
He hadn't seen the Rainbow Hero.
Not even a single trace.
Ho-Oh was practically about to descend...
Yet the chosen hero was nowhere to be found.
Was the legend... actually false?
The old ranger couldn't help beginning to doubt everything.
...
Meanwhile...
Marshadow climbed toward the summit with two chocolates clutched tightly in its tiny hands.
Its heart was filled with uncertainty.
Am I really... going to present these chocolates to Lord Ho-Oh?
Will Lord Ho-Oh beat me up?
And those three are useless...
They disappeared without a word.
If they were here, at least we could all share the blame together.
Instead...
It had to face Lord Ho-Oh...
Completely alone.
Silently following the procession of wild Pokémon ascending the mountain, Marshadow soon entered the clouds.
Then...
Rainbow-colored light burst through the mist.
The clouds slowly parted.
Brilliant multicolored radiance spread across the mountain.
Every Pokémon touched by the sacred light wore expressions of peace and comfort.
Moments later...
A magnificent bird over five meters long burst through the clouds.
Its feathers shimmered with every color of the rainbow.
With graceful majesty, it landed atop a towering pillar of stacked stone.
Ho-Oh had arrived.
It slowly surveyed its surroundings.
There were only Pokémon.
Not a single human.
More importantly...
It couldn't sense the aura of its scattered Rainbow Wing anywhere.
Instead...
Only a tiny figure floated before it.
Marshadow.
Ho-Oh lowered its gaze.
"Where is the Rainbow Hero?"
From the feedback carried by the Rainbow Wing, Ho-Oh already knew much about the chosen human.
His heart wasn't perfectly pure.
But...
He was kind.
Honest.
Sincere.
Those alone were admirable virtues among humanity.
Its majestic voice echoed directly within Marshadow's mind.
Marshadow immediately panicked.
It hurriedly raised the chocolates.
"Marsha... Marsha..."
"He said he doesn't want to participate in the Rainbow Trial..."
"And he used the Rainbow Wing you bestowed..."
On the way here...
Marshadow had prepared countless excuses.
Countless explanations.
But the instant it stood before Ho-Oh...
Every excuse vanished.
Instead...
It obediently confessed the entire truth.
Including...
The effects of the chocolate.
"The Rainbow Wing... became this?"
Ho-Oh's expression grew stranger with every sentence.
When its eyes finally rested upon the chocolate in Marshadow's hands...
Not only was it visibly stunned...
Even its tone had become rather peculiar.
"Marsha..."
"Yes..."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Neither Ho-Oh nor Marshadow spoke.
Eventually...
Ho-Oh broke the awkward atmosphere.
"He also asked you... to let Me taste it?"
"Marsha..."
"Yes..."
Marshadow quietly let out a sigh of relief.
At least...
Lord Ho-Oh didn't seem nearly as angry as it had feared.
Ho-Oh gazed thoughtfully at the chocolate drifting toward it.
Throughout countless generations...
This was the first Rainbow Hero it had ever encountered like this.
Not only had the human taken its Rainbow Wing...
He had turned it into food.
Even more unbelievable...
He had actually asked Marshadow to bring some back for Ho-Oh itself.
What kind of absurd situation is this?
Still...
Judging from Marshadow's description...
Ho-Oh couldn't deny its curiosity.
That chocolate had allowed Marshadow to break through a bottleneck that had lasted countless years.
If it worked on Marshadow...
Would it work...
On Ho-Oh itself?
Contrary to Lin Feng's earlier assumptions...
Ho-Oh didn't find the idea of eating food made from one of its own feathers disgusting in the slightest.
Instead...
It felt something else.
An incredibly powerful attraction.
Without further hesitation...
Ho-Oh swallowed the chocolate in one bite.
The instant it melted...
Something happened.
The divine energy within Ho-Oh began to move.
It was as though an immense block of ice had collided with molten steel.
Ancient restraints rapidly dissolved.
Its stagnant power flowed once more.
Brilliant rainbow light erupted across its body.
Radiant streams of seven-colored brilliance illuminated the heavens.
Every Pokémon touched by that sacred glow...
Felt the energy inside their bodies rise simultaneously.
The entire mountain became enveloped by divine radiance.
It truly resembled the ancient saying...
"When one attains enlightenment, even those around them ascend together."
The Pokémon surrounding Ho-Oh cheered joyfully.
They believed...
This was Ho-Oh's blessing upon them.
"Marsha?"
"Marsha!"
Marshadow stared in utter disbelief.
It had expected the chocolate to have some effect on Lord Ho-Oh...
But...
It had never imagined the effect would be this overwhelming.
Compared to its own breakthrough...
This was on an entirely different level.
Rainbow-colored divine light pierced the skies.
Far below...
The mountain ranger watched the dazzling spectacle above.
He inhaled sharply.
Then released his Arcanine.
"Go!"
"Run to the summit!"
"Wooof!"
Arcanine barked twice before charging toward the mountaintop at full speed.
Meanwhile...
Across the foothills...
Wild Pokémon from every direction gathered beneath the glowing sky.
But they weren't the only ones who noticed.
Far out upon the endless sea...
The ruler of the oceans, Kyogre, slowly opened its eyes.
It gazed eastward across the vast waters.
It sensed...
That Ho-Oh had taken another step forward.
Deep within a volcanic abyss overflowing with molten magma...
A pair of enormous crimson eyes opened.
Groudon stirred.
It too turned its gaze toward the east.
High above the clouds...
The great black dragon sleeping among the heavens lazily opened one eye.
Rayquaza glanced toward the distant horizon...
Then quietly closed its eye once more.
...
In the Kalos Region...
Within an ancient, flourishing forest...
Leaves began falling from a colossal sacred tree.
Each leaf that touched the forest floor released waves of vibrant life energy, washing over the land itself.
When the final leaf had fallen...
The gigantic tree vanished.
In its place...
A magnificent stag with radiant rainbow-colored antlers gracefully stepped into the world.
Xerneas...
Had awakened ahead of time.
Yet none of those legendary Pokémon were the most significant observers.
For somewhere...
Hidden within eternal darkness...
Another ancient existence slowly turned its attention...
Toward the same distant mountain.
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