Eventually, Naoki decided not to open the remaining wedding gifts. Instead, he dimmed the lights, settled on the sofa beside Iono and the Pokémon, and put on a spooky film starring Ghost-type Pokémon.
The movie followed the tale of an old castle and the Pokémon that once lived there with its noble owner. After the owner passed away, the Ghost Pokémon never left. They stayed behind, faithfully watching over the empty halls of the castle he once called home.
Decades later, a group of thrill-seeking young Trainers stumbled across the long-forgotten estate and decided to explore it...
On-screen, the Ghost-types were more adorable than terrifying. Several Gengar and Haunter played mischievous pranks on the intruders, making silly faces, phasing through walls, and cackling in the shadows.
The Pokémon watching with Naoki huddled close, trembling as they peeked over the couch cushions. Sylveon clung to Iono, and even the usually fearless Pawmot buried its face in Naoki's sleeve.
But Naoki didn't find the movie scary at all. Those big, purple goofballs were too cute to be frightening.
His gaze drifted away from the screen.
With Iono at his side and the Pokémon he loved all around him, Naoki felt like he was wrapped in a warm cocoon of joy. In that moment, he was entirely content.
...
Meanwhile, far away in the Johto region.
High atop the wind-swept peak of Bell Tower, three majestic silhouettes stood on the edge of a cliff.
Entei. Raikou. Suicune.
The three Legendary Beasts stood motionless beneath the fading sky, their eyes scanning the horizon with solemnity.
The icy northern wind whipped through their manes, ruffling Entei's fiery fur, Raikou's crackling cloud, and Suicune's flowing ribbons.
The tension was thick.
Entei, strong and commanding, was the first to speak.
"Why has Lord Ho-Oh summoned us here all of a sudden?"
Suicune, serene and quiet as always, shook its head. "I cannot sense any danger in the world. Nothing appears to be out of balance."
Raikou narrowed its eyes, its deep voice low and thoughtful. "Could something be stirring in the human world?"
The other two turned to look at it, eyes serious.
They all remembered.
Hundreds of years ago, when humans brought war and chaos, the Bell Tower had burned in flames. Ho-Oh's sacred roost had been lost, and tragedy had unfolded beneath the smoke-filled skies.
"If it's the same as back then," Entei growled, "then the world may be heading toward ruin once more. Pokémon everywhere could lose their homes."
Suicune's gentle demeanor hardened like ice. Its breath seemed colder now, like the sharp air of an incoming blizzard. But it said nothing.
Raikou, tail crackling with thunder, let out a harsh bark. "Humans can't be trusted."
From the shadows nearby, a sleek shape emerged—silent and graceful.
It was Marshadow, the fourth guardian of Ho-Oh.
Dark and unreadable, Marshadow stepped from the darkness and watched the three Legends silently, its eyes glimmering like distant stars.
Entei turned its head. "What's your opinion?"
Suicune and Raikou followed his gaze, also looking to Marshadow for insight.
But the ghostly warrior remained still and quiet.
Marshadow had already sensed it.
There was no rage in the skies. No flames of judgment. No boiling thunderclouds or icy despair.
Ho-Oh was not angry.
Without a word, Marshadow slipped back into the shadows, deciding this argument wasn't worth its time.
The three Legendary Beasts exchanged awkward glances.
Just then, a piercing, echoing cry split the sky.
From the heavens, a rainbow blazed across the clouds.
Ho-Oh had arrived.
The moment that piercing cry rang out, the three Legendary Beasts visibly shuddered and whipped their heads toward the horizon.
There, stretching magnificently across the heavens, was a radiant rainbow.
And at the end of that rainbow, a divine, awe-inspiring figure flew steadily toward the mountaintop, its multicolored wings trailing light with every beat.
Ho-Oh.
The Sacred Flame Pokémon.
As it descended in a glorious arc, the three Beasts immediately adjusted their postures, standing tall with solemn reverence to welcome their master.
Landing gracefully upon a wide stone outcrop, Ho-Oh looked over its guardians. Its golden eyes swept across them, filled with pride and quiet approval.
Entei stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Lord Ho-Oh," he said in his booming, respectful voice, "what has brought you to summon us here today?"
Suicune and Raikou also watched attentively, waiting for their master's response.
Ho-Oh's voice, ancient and sonorous, resonated across the mountaintop.
"I've summoned you here… to meet a human."
A human?
All three Beasts froze in surprise.
That was it?
Not a looming catastrophe or imbalance in nature? Not a threat from the underworld or a crisis between regions?
They blinked.
"What… kind of human?" Suicune asked, its tone curious now, ears perked and nose twitching slightly in the breeze.
Ho-Oh raised its head with a regal calm and said,
"His name is Naoki. Of all the humans I've observed over the centuries, he is the one most worthy to carry the title of Rainbow Hero."
To the Phoenix King, this wasn't just a compliment, it was high praise from a divine being. In truth, Ho-Oh thought Naoki wasn't just worthy. He was perfect.
But the Legendary Beasts didn't know what to think.
Naoki?
Who?
Entei, Raikou, and Suicune all looked at each other, puzzled. This name meant nothing to them.
But the context was clear now.
Ho-Oh hadn't summoned them because something terrible was happening in the human world, he had called them to deliver a trial. Just as they once did for another chosen human years ago: Ash Ketchum.
"I understand," Entei rumbled with a nod. "By your command, Lord Ho-Oh, we shall test this Naoki and guide him to the Bell Tower."
Raikou and Suicune also bowed slightly, signaling their readiness to depart and begin the sacred trial.
But just as they turned to leap from the cliff—
"Wait a moment," Ho-Oh said with a sigh.
The trio stopped, heads tilted in confusion, glancing back toward their master.
Ho-Oh looked slightly exasperated.
"Who said anything about bringing him here?"
The three Legendary Beasts stood in stunned silence.
Ho-Oh, with its shimmering wings still casting rainbow light across the mountaintop, continued calmly, "That human has already become my chosen Rainbow Hero. I summoned you, so you could meet him—and recognize him."
Entei, Suicune, and Raikou: "...???"
It felt as if three giant exclamation marks popped into the sky above their heads.
What was going on?
Hadn't the trials always come before someone was deemed worthy of the Rainbow Hero title? Hadn't they—the legendary guardians—always been the ones to judge whether a human deserved Ho-Oh's blessing?
And now… the title was already given?
And more than that, Ho-Oh wanted them to simply go meet him?
Who in the world was this human?
Ho-Oh, with a warm but commanding presence, continued, "His name is Naoki. He's a kind, courageous soul. You'll find him in the Paldea region, at a place called Naoki Ranch."
With that, the divine bird gave a final sweep of its wings and soared off into the clouds, leaving the winds to echo faintly behind it.
The three Beasts stared into the empty sky.
Paldea?
Naoki Ranch?
Where even was that?
"That doesn't sound like it's even on this continent," Raikou muttered.
Suicune, still serene, considered the options. As the embodiment of the north wind, traveling across oceans and rivers was effortless—it could literally run across water if needed. This would not be a problem.
Raikou grinned and summoned a low rumble of thunder in its mane. "If I can ride storm clouds, I can ride them across continents too."
The two exchanged glances and nodded with mutual determination.
"I'll be going ahead," Raikou said with a competitive gleam in its eyes.
"Me too," Suicune replied calmly.
With a leap and a flash of movement, they dashed off in opposite directions—one streaking across the sky like lightning, the other gliding across rivers like a silver current.
Entei, however, remained rooted on the cliff of the Bell Tower, gazing out into the horizon.
The regal volcano lion narrowed its eyes.
"How am I supposed to get to another continent?"
...
Bonus @500
60 chapters 👉patreon.com/Keepsmiling818