Meeting Ho-Oh!

Winter gave way to spring, the snow melted, and all things began to revive.

The Wild Pokémon that had hibernated through the winter started to stir once more in the world.

And Dongshu, with the company of Fire Emperor, Raikou, Suicune, and Marshadow, had safely weathered the cold season.

This year, Dongshu turned two.

One day, Dongshu and the three great cats gathered around the fireplace as usual, warming themselves by the flames.

The cozy atmosphere made Dongshu yawn repeatedly, his whole body growing drowsy.

Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, Suicune suddenly snapped open its eyes.

It looked at Fire Emperor and Raikou, who had the human child surrounded between them, and spoke through telepathy:

"Lord Ho-Oh has returned."

At those words, Fire Emperor and Raikou, who had been resting with their eyes closed, also shot their eyes open.

Because they had been revived by Ho-Oh's power, all three—Fire Emperor, Raikou, and Suicune—shared a subtle connection with Ho-Oh.

Lord Ho-Oh's aura... is rapidly approaching Heavenly Green Mountain!

It's back!

A hint of tension crept onto Fire Emperor's dignified and solemn face.

It couldn't help but glance at the Little One beside it. How would Lord Ho-Oh deal with the Little One?

"What's wrong, Fire Emperor?" Dongshu mumbled, blinking awake.

Fire Emperor didn't hide it from him and said directly in a deep voice, "Lord Ho-Oh has returned. We need to go see it now."

Ho-Oh is back?!

Hearing this, Dongshu snapped fully awake.

He quickly scrambled out of Fire Emperor's embrace, looked at the great cats around him, and asked, "Do I have to go too?"

Fire Emperor nodded. "Mm."

Its gaze then shifted to Raikou and Suicune, and it spoke to them through telepathy:

"If Lord Ho-Oh lays blame, I alone will bear it. Also, if Lord Ho-Oh orders me to drive the Little One away, then I will leave with the Little One."

Hearing this, Suicune's pupils trembled. "You've lost your mind!"

Raikou remained silent, saying nothing.

"I will raise the Little One on my own. Once he grows up, I will return to Heavenly Green Mountain and beg Lord Ho-Oh for forgiveness. Whatever punishment Lord Ho-Oh decrees, I will accept."

"You..." Suicune found itself at a loss for words. Fire Emperor was willing to go this far for this human child...

Suddenly, a cold snort came from Raikou beside them.

"Hmph. You want to take the Little One away alone? It won't be that easy."

Fire Emperor's expression instantly turned serious. It fixed its gaze on Raikou and said, "Raikou, will you stop me?"

Raikou, however, looked at Dongshu. "You can't take care of my child all by yourself."

Fire Emperor was taken aback, then quickly caught on.

This guy...

And Suicune, hearing this, was even more stunned.

Raikou had lost its mind too!

No... Suicune suddenly recalled everything that had happened over this entire winter.

Its mind flashed back to the human child, unable to bear leaving it out in the cold alone, inviting it into the Cave, and preparing a lavish meal for it.

And the days they had spent holed up in this Cave.

Suicune was no cold-hearted Pokémon; it, too, had a heart.

If it were in their place, it would probably make the same choice as Fire Emperor and Raikou.

"If Lord Ho-Oh lays blame, I will plead for you," Suicune said.

Gratitude flickered in the eyes of Fire Emperor and Raikou.

The three beasts immediately rose and left the Cave, racing along the mountain path toward the peak of Heavenly Green Mountain.

Meeting Ho-Oh so soon?

Dongshu rode on Fire Emperor's back, his heart unable to stop racing with nervousness.

Ho-Oh—the most mysterious Pokémon in the Pokémon world, a presence that had run through nearly all of Ash's journey.

Its existence symbolized happiness and good fortune, and it seemed to possess the ability to see into the hearts of humans.

Ho-Oh flew all over the world, bestowing its Rainbow Feather upon those with pure hearts, who could get along with Pokémon and loved them deeply.

If the chosen one resolved to embark on the trial to become the Rainbow Hero, then Ho-Oh would send Suicune, Raikou, Fire Emperor, and Marshadow to guide and test them.

And those who ultimately passed the trial would become Ho-Oh's appointed Rainbow Hero, earning the chance to challenge it, as well as gaining the friendship and trust of Ho-Oh's family.

And the Rainbow Hero would also take up the mission of protecting the weak and safeguarding the world.

But... none of that seemed to have much to do with him right now.

Dongshu's mind was a mess.

The three Legendary Beasts moved swiftly, and before long, they had already climbed to the peak of Heavenly Green Mountain.

They stopped and gazed into the distance.

There, on the far horizon, a brilliantly colored rainbow suddenly appeared.

A large bird Pokémon with golden-red feathers, a yellow tail, and a golden crest on its head was rapidly flying toward Heavenly Green Mountain. Wherever it passed, a beautiful rainbow formed in the sky.

That was... the legendary Pokémon, Ho-Oh!

Soon, Ho-Oh landed on a protruding rock.

The three Legendary Beasts bowed their heads slightly, showing respect to Ho-Oh.

Ho-Oh swept its fiery red eyes, as blazing as flames, over the Pokémon, finally stopping at Fire Emperor's back.

There, it sensed an utterly unfamiliar presence and saw a little one it had never seen before.

That was... a human child?

Even Ho-Oh was taken aback for a moment at the sight.

Noticing Ho-Oh's expression, Fire Emperor tensed up and immediately reported in a deep voice:

"Lord Ho-Oh—"

Ho-Oh's gaze turned to it.

"This human child is one I brought back to Heavenly Green Mountain from outside. At the time, I was chasing a group of Pokémon Hunters."

"The child's parents encountered those people before I did. They tried to stop them and save the captured Pokémon, but were brutally killed by the Pokémon Hunters."

"By the time I arrived, only this child was left alone. His parents died protecting Pokémon. I thought that, as a Pokémon myself, it was only right to take care of their child for them!"

With that, Fire Emperor fell silent, waiting quietly for Lord Ho-Oh's judgment.

But unexpectedly, Lord Ho-Oh was not angry or furious. Instead, it looked at Dongshu with curiosity—at the human child on Fire Emperor's back.

"What is his name?" Ho-Oh asked.

Its voice rang directly in Fire Emperor's mind. The sudden question caught all three Legendary Beasts off guard.

"Dongshu. His name is Dongshu. Raikou, Marshadow, and I gave him that name," Fire Emperor replied.

Ho-Oh nodded slightly. It looked at Fire Emperor and said, "Since you've decided to adopt him, then raise him well."

Hearing this, Fire Emperor was overjoyed.

Lord Ho-Oh wasn't punishing them—instead, it was allowing Dongshu to stay on Heavenly Green Mountain and be raised by them?!

"Lord Ho-Oh..." Fire Emperor wanted to say something, but didn't know how to put it into words.