Ho-Oh... Was Captured?!

The uproar caused by Ho-Oh's appearance didn't end with its departure.

That night, a host in Ecruteak City spread the shocking news through the radio.

"Welcome to Ecruteak Radio! It's seven-fifteen in the evening!"

"This afternoon, the legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh appeared in Ecruteak City! It seems to have answered the call of the monks inside the Bell Tower."

"Even more astonishing, a human was riding on Ho-Oh's back! Who is he? Is he Ho-Oh's trainer? If so, just how powerful must that trainer be?"

"But this ancient city of Ecruteak seems to have a deep history with a Pokémon like Ho-Oh. What does Ho-Oh's appearance today mean?"

"Hey!"

Outside the broadcast booth, the assistant Xiao Sha opened her mouth and silently gestured to the host Elsa, asking if saying that was really okay.

Elsa switched the program to a piece of music and said:

"Alright, by now everyone should have just finished dinner. Let's listen to some music and relax!"

Taking off her headphones, Elsa looked outside.

Xiao Sha couldn't help asking: "Elsa, is it really okay for us to say that?"

"According to reports from witnesses, the person riding on that legendary Pokémon's back was clearly a boy about two years old..."

"Heh, you just don't get it, do you?" Elsa said with confidence. "Only by doing this can we pique the curiosity of the trainers listening to the program. Maybe we can even attract some people to Ecruteak City."

After all, whether for ordinary people or trainers, anything related to legendary Pokémon is something not to be missed.

They are powerful, rare, and precious.

If someone could capture a legendary Pokémon, it would definitely cause a huge stir. The moment of fame might come right then!

"Alright then." Xiao Sha listened with a half-understanding look.

Elsa smiled faintly and continued recording the program.

In this era where information didn't flow easily and travel was always slow.

Most trainers and ordinary people, while traveling or resting at night, would habitually turn on their Pokédex or radio to listen to broadcasts.

Meanwhile, in a wilderness far from the city.

A young man with fiery red hair, a flowing cape, a handsome face, and a resolute brow sat by a campfire with a Dragonair, listening to the broadcast.

"Ho-Oh..."

Lance, raised in the Dragon Clan, wasn't like ordinary trainers who knew nothing about legendary Pokémon.

He knew that legendary Pokémon were incredibly powerful and rare existences in the Pokémon world.

Some powerful Pokémon were even the only one of their kind in the entire world.

And Ho-Oh was one of them.

"Ho-Oh appeared in Ecruteak City?" Lance murmured to himself.

The female voice on the radio continued.

[Even more astonishing, a human was riding on Ho-Oh's back! Who is he? Is he Ho-Oh's trainer?]

"What?"

Lance's pupils contracted. A Pokémon of Ho-Oh's level had already been captured by a human?

Based on his understanding of legendary Pokémon, most of them were inherently proud. They would never allow humans to trample on their dignity like this.

There were only two ways this could happen.

One was that the person had earned the legendary Pokémon's recognition and had a very close relationship with it.

The other was that they had conquered it through sheer strength and become its trainer.

"Someone actually captured Ho-Oh...?"

Would that person compete in this year's Quartz Conference?

At that moment, Lance's heart suddenly filled with anticipation.

In the Kanto Region, next to Johto, in a small rural town called Pallet Town.

Inside Professor Oak's lab, Professor Oak sat in a chair eating instant noodles.

Suddenly, the broadcast came through with words like "Ho-Oh appears" and "Ho-Oh captured."

Professor Oak nearly spat out the noodles in his mouth.

"What? Ho-Oh was captured? That can't be, right?"

Professor Oak was quite shocked.

As far as he knew, neither the Kanto Region nor the Johto Region had a trainer strong enough to do that.

"Who could it be...?"

Could it be a trainer from another region?

"Professor Oak! Pokémon, I want to see Pokémon!"

Suddenly, a childish voice cut through Professor Oak's thoughts.

He turned to see a toddler just over two years old charging toward him with excitement.

The kid got too worked up, stumbled, and flopped face-first onto the ground.

"Wahhh..."

"Ha, it's Ash? You need to be more careful next time!" Professor Oak laughed as he walked over and helped Ash up.

"I'm so sorry, Professor Oak, for bothering you this late... Ash wouldn't stop crying and insisting on coming here to see Pokémon." Delia looked apologetic.

"It's fine. It just shows how much Ash loves Pokémon." Professor Oak scooped Ash up and said with a smile, "Alright, let's go to the yard and see some Pokémon!"

"Yeah!" Ash beamed.

Watching Ash like this, Professor Oak's face took on a nostalgic expression.

In a daze, he saw again those events from that summer in the forest.

Back then, he was still a boy named Samuel Oak. Due to an accident, he had traveled through time with a mythical Pokémon, Celebi. At the end of time, he met a boy named Ash and became friends with him.

The boy had introduced himself: "I'm Ash from Pallet Town!"

So, after graduating from Rainbow University, Samuel Oak turned down offers from other places and, to the bewilderment of his peers in the field, came to this remote country town called Pallet Town, where he founded Professor Oak's Research Lab.

"Ash..." Professor Oak looked at the boy, his heart full of emotion.

It's good to see you again.

*

[Lance is extremely shocked that you have captured Ho-Oh. Shock Points from Lance +200!]

[Professor Oak is utterly shocked that you have captured Ho-Oh. Shock Points from Professor Oak +100!]

On Heavenly Green Mountain, Dongshu had just returned home with Ho-Oh and was busily preparing to renovate the place when two notifications popped up on his panel.

The sudden appearance of two familiar names left him frozen in place.

Lance, Professor Oak... were they the ones he knew?

But how did they find out?

Dongshu tried scrolling through the notification records on the panel.

In fact, the supply of Shock Points hadn't stopped after they left. It had been trickling in slowly and steadily from various people.

The rate had already slowed down, but just now, a massive wave of Shock Points hit, almost flooding the screen.

He hadn't checked, and now he was shocked by what he saw.

Every single person after that was expressing shock at his capture of Ho-Oh.

A bead of speechless sweat dripped down Dongshu's forehead.

This rumor was getting more and more exaggerated!