Chapter 279: Rainbow Hero (Prologue)
After the Silver Conference concluded, Ash's group prepared to embark on the journey back to Pallet Town.
However, plans change faster than expected; the group hadn't traveled far from Silver Town when a rumble of Thunder echoed out.
"Pika?"
Pikachu looked in the direction of the Thunder with a grave expression.
Eevee also seemed to sense something, turning its little head as well.
Immediately after, a powerful Aura reaction appeared within Ash's detection range.
He looked in the direction the Aura reaction was coming from, unable to believe it. "No way?"
"What's wrong, Ash?" Misty asked, looking at Ash in confusion.
Ash gave a wry smile. "Misty, Brock, I'm afraid we'll have to delay our return trip. Raikou is here."
"Raikou?!"
Misty and Brock were extremely surprised.
Brock was even more excited. "Where is it?"
He had already seen the other two of the Johto region's Sanctuary Beasts; now that the final one had appeared, it would be strange if he weren't excited.
"It's already here!"
As soon as Ash finished speaking, a bolt of yellow lightning shot out from the nearby forest and landed on a boulder not far in front of the three of them.
The lightning dissipated, and a Pokémon resembling a saber-toothed tiger, with golden fur, a black steel headpiece on its forehead, and an X-shaped mustache appeared before Ash and the others.
[Pokémon: Raikou]
[Type: Electric]
[Gender: Genderless]
[Level: Secondary God]
[Ability: Pressure (Gives the opponent a sense of Pressure, greatly reducing the PP of the moves they use)]
[Potential: Secondary God]
[Moves: Extreme Speed, Charge, Quick Attack, Extrasensory, Thunder, Zap Cannon, Rain Dance, Crunch, Electric Terrain...]
"This is Raikou?!"
The Pressure of the Secondary God gave Misty and Brock the illusion of being crushed by a great mountain.
Unlike Suicune and Entei, Raikou does not actually trust humans; it only builds friendships with those who can help it.
Normally, it only appears during thunderstorms or when Electric-type Pokémon are in danger.
Raikou stared at Ash and communicated telepathically, "Rainbow Hero, Lord Ho-Oh is calling for you!"
Hearing this, Ash's expression froze, and he asked uncertainly, "Ho-Oh is calling me?"
"That is correct! Accept the guidance of the Rainbow Feather and go meet Lord Ho-Oh!"
After Raikou finished speaking, it turned into a bolt of lightning again and vanished into the forest.
Ash was left bewildered by Raikou's actions and could only take the Rainbow Feather out of his backpack.
Looking at the glowing feather in Ash's hand, Misty asked, "Ash, what is this feather?"
"This is the Rainbow Feather that Ho-Oh gave me on the day I set out," Ash explained.
Brock examined it and said, "So this is the Rainbow Feather? I heard people in Ecruteak City say that whoever possesses the Rainbow Feather can follow its guidance to meet Ho-Oh..."
"It's true that someone with the Rainbow Feather can meet Ho-Oh, but one also needs to gain the recognition of the Sanctuary Beasts and have their state of mind meet the requirements," Ash said.
After listening, Misty looked at Ash and asked, "Ash, so are we going to look for Ho-Oh now?"
Ash nodded. "Yeah, Raikou just told me that Ho-Oh is waiting for me."
"That's great, let's go!" Misty said excitedly.
Just like that, the group changed their goal and intended to head to the Raizen Mountains to find Ho-Oh.
However, when they arrived at a Pokémon Center, another complication arose.
"You must be Misty, right?" Nurse Nurse Joy suddenly asked Misty.
Misty nodded. "Yes!"
"Your sisters in Cerulean City asked me to tell you to contact them immediately."
"Huh? Is something wrong?"
With confusion, Misty walked over to the phone and dialed the number for the Cerulean Gym.
"Misty, why did it take you so long to call back? I almost thought we wouldn't make it!" Sakura complained slightly.
Misty replied speechlessly, "Sister Sakura, I remember giving you my phone number, right? You didn't call my cell phone or send me a message, so how was I supposed to know?"
Hearing this, Sakura immediately felt awkward. "Ah! I forgot until you mentioned it."
"Tell me, did something happen at the Gym again?"
"Nothing happened. Look, round-the-world travel vouchers!"
Sakura showed Misty a prize voucher, and in the video on the phone, Misty's other two sisters were busy packing clothes.
"This is a grand prize I won at the supermarket. Three people from the family get to go on a trip!"
As she spoke, the three sisters of the Cerulean Gym, as if to rub salt in the wound, showed Misty their three packed suitcases.
"Misty, if we couldn't reach you, we might not have been able to leave. Before we get back, the Cerulean Gym is in your hands to look after, since you've always been clamoring to inherit the Gym anyway."
After saying that, the three of them hung up the phone without giving Misty any chance to refuse.
Misty hurriedly redialed, but it was clear that the other party had already left. She tried contacting her three sisters with her cell phone, refusing to give up.
The final result was that the phone calls wouldn't go through; messages were read but not replied to; and video calls showed the exclamation mark indicating she had been deleted from their friends list.
"They left!"
"Ah!!!"
"How hateful!"
Misty was beside herself with frustration.
She had been planning to go to the Raizen Mountains with Ash to see Ho-Oh, but now...
Wuwuwu~ || Φ || (|T|Д|T|) || Φ ||
On the other side, Brock was also calling his family to let them know he was safe.
However, less than three minutes later.
There was another heartbroken person.
The reason was that Brock had written a plan to revitalize the Gym for the League, as requested by Mr. Goodshow, and the League had agreed. However, as the Gym Leader, he had to undergo a small test, which required demonstrating the strength of his Steelix, especially whether it could support Mega Evolution.
The second reason was that his unreliable father, Flint, after serving as an emergency Gym Leader for a few days, was about to force his younger brother, James, to take over.
Although the League usually turned a blind eye to such things, someone brought in for an emergency couldn't do it long-term, right?
It had been over a year of "emergency" duty, to the point where most Trainers who went to challenge the Gym almost thought the Pewter Gym was just going to give up and didn't want the Gym status anymore.
And Brock himself wanted to continue traveling and learning, so he needed to get his brother James the status of a secondary Gym Leader.
With these two things combined, Brock also had to return to the Gym.
Misty and Brock looked at each other and could only helplessly say to Ash, "Ash, it looks like we can't go to the Raizen Mountains with you."
"It's okay. Gym matters are quite important too. When I return from the Raizen Mountains, I will go to Cerulean City and Pewter City to find you guys."
There is no banquet in the world that doesn't end; it was an indisputable fact that Misty had to return, and Ash had been mentally prepared for this for a long time.
It was just a pity that Brock, this nanny, had to temporarily part ways.
Hearing this, Misty felt a bit better inside, but she still said, "Ash, it's a promise. You have to come to Cerulean City to find me. If you don't come, I'll go to Aunt Delia and complain that you bullied me!"
"Don't worry, as soon as I finish meeting Ho-Oh, I'll return to Pallet Town, and I'll come find you then."
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