John stepped through the doorway onto the tenth floor of the Bell Tower.
The space wasn't particularly large. In the center of the highest floor stood a wooden altar, upon which rested a single feather radiating seven-colored light.
John approached and picked up the feather. Its attributes immediately appeared before him.
[Rainbow Feather: Legendary-tier item. Fire-type move power increased by 200%. When held by a Fire-type Pokemon, flames automatically transform into Sacred Fire.
(Sacred Fire: Attacks against allies produce healing effects. Attacks against enemies increase damage by 100%. Attacks against Ghost-type Pokemon increase damage by 200%.)
(Legend says the holder of the Rainbow Feather is chosen by Ho-Oh as a Rainbow Hero and will be guided to stand before Ho-Oh to challenge it.)]
John held the feather and waited expectantly. According to legend, possessing pure intentions and ringing the Clear Bell while holding the Rainbow Feather should summon Ho-Oh.
He pulled out the Clear Bell and rang it, the chime echoing through the empty chamber with crystalline clarity.
Nothing happened.
John waited another ten minutes. Still nothing.
"I must be doing something wrong," John muttered, refusing to accept that his heart might not be pure enough. That couldn't possibly be the issue.
"Guess I'll have to use another method." John stroked his chin thoughtfully.
There were three basic ways to encounter Ho-Oh.
The first was what he'd just attempted, using the Clear Bell at the tenth floor of the Bell Tower to summon it. Unfortunately, his summoning posture must have been wrong, because the legendary bird wasn't interested in showing up.
The second method relied purely on luck, like the famous Pokemon world photographer who'd randomly encountered Ho-Oh in the wild. The odds of stumbling across Ho-Oh were slightly higher than other legendary Pokemon, but not by much. The problem was this method was completely unreliable.
The third method involved using the Rainbow Feather he'd just obtained. According to legend, the Rainbow Feather would guide its holder to Ho-Oh's location for a proper challenge, the traditional Rainbow Hero trial.
"Kekeke!" Gengar suddenly burst from its Pokeball, happily floating around the chamber and exploring.
"Gengar, I need you to stay in my shadow for a while," John instructed. "If any other Pokemon tries to enter my shadow, grab it and pull it out immediately." He wanted to make sure no unwanted guests hitched a ride.
After thinking it over, John realized that failing to summon Ho-Oh at the Bell Tower but instead having to complete the Rainbow Hero trial might actually work in his favor. This way, he could potentially capture not just Ho-Oh, but also its guardian trio and Marshadow in one expedition.
Entei, Suicune, and Raikou didn't particularly interest him for team building, they'd mostly satisfy his collector's instinct. But Marshadow was genuinely worth training. As the only Pokemon in existence with both Ghost and Fighting typing, it was completely unique. That combination alone made it valuable.
Before heading out on his Hero journey, John decided to make a quick stop at the Hoenn League headquarters in Slateport City to turn in some completed missions.
Upon checking his contribution points, he discovered he'd accumulated enough to exchange for another legendary-tier item. John headed straight to the legendary item treasury, ready to make another purchase.
Last time he'd been here, he'd claimed the Silver Wing, a legendary item specifically for Lugia.
This time, John didn't deliberate long. He chose between two options: Primal Sea Water and Primal Earth Mud. Both legendary items originated from Hoenn's native legendary Pokemon, Kyogre and Groudon respectively. He ultimately selected the Primal Sea Water.
Honestly, these legendary items didn't offer much practical use for his current team. He only chose legendary-tier items because everything else in the treasury looked even less appealing.
John examined the small plastic bottle in his hand, about the size of a convenience store water bottle, containing the Primal Sea Water. "When I eventually catch Kyogre, I'll at least be able to fill a swimming pool for Greninja and Gyarados," he mused. "And when I catch Groudon, I can make Garchomp a nice sandbox."
For now, this amount of Primal Sea Water would maybe give Greninja a decent meal. For Gyarados, it wouldn't even be a single gulp.
Before leaving the Hoenn League headquarters, John checked the mission board one more time. Confirming no new missions had been posted, he exited the building, mounted Lugia, and took flight toward Wyndon City in the Galar Region.
On his Gameboy during the flight, John navigated his character to Wyndon City's iconic landmark, Wyndon Stadium, to register for the tournament.
An NPC resembling a Nurse Joy greeted him at the registration desk, recording John's personal information and his Pokemon roster, similar to the Champion Path registration process he'd completed before.
[Registration Successful. The World Pokemon Tournament will begin in 18 days, 5 hours, and 20 minutes. Please arrive at Wyndon Stadium on the scheduled date to participate.]
"So I've got a little over two weeks," John calculated. "I can spend my days training in reality and my nights competing in the tournament inside the game. That actually works out pretty well."
He had just enough time to complete the Rainbow Hero trial, catch Ho-Oh and whatever else he could find, and still make it to the tournament with time to spare. The timing was perfect.