It was the dead of night.
Aiden had been deep in a dream—visions of becoming the world-renowned, five-star chef "Ultra-Mega Charizard Gourmet," showered in universal acclaim—when a sudden explosion outside jolted him awake.
He was, admittedly, a little annoyed.
But the moment he opened his bedroom door—still groggy and irritated—and saw a pitch-black, humanoid Pokémon poking only its small head out from the floor…
…his terrible night instantly transformed into something magical.
"Ma… Marshadow?!"
Surprise and delight burst from him before he could stop himself.
This was Marshadow—the Gloomdweller Pokémon, Fighting/Ghost type!
As Ho-Oh's emissary and guide of the Rainbow Hero, legend claimed it only appeared beside those chosen by Ho-Oh itself—silently shepherding them through trials to become the revered "Rainbow Hero."
Because of this, humans had almost no knowledge of it—only a few vague mentions scattered across ancient myths.
Beyond its noble role as Ho-Oh's chief examiner and leader of the Ho-Oh Guard, Marshadow was also one of the rarest Mythical Pokémon in existence.
If it had been just any Mythical Pokémon, Aiden might not have gotten this excited.
But Marshadow was different!
In terms of pure competitive viability—setting aside the utterly broken Arceus—Marshadow was arguably the strongest fighter among all Mythicals.
Its Fighting/Ghost typing had virtually no offensive blind spots. Unlike most Mythicals burdened with "jack-of-all-stats" builds, Marshadow boasted a speed-attack template—elevating its battle prowess to another level.
But its true standout feature?
Its signature move.
Everyone knew Ghost-types sorely lacked powerful offensive options—stuck with 70-power Shadow Claw or 80-power Shadow Ball, lagging far behind other offensive types.
But Marshadow's Spectral Thief?
Not only was it a 90-power physical move—it came with a broken secondary effect:
As the name implied, it stole the opponent's stat boosts before dealing damage—and could even pierce through Substitute.
That meant any team facing Marshadow would instinctively hesitate before using setup moves, paralyzed by fear of losing their hard-earned boosts.
And its exclusive Z-Move, Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike? A textbook example of raw, unstoppable power—a guaranteed-hit nuke that terrified opponents.
In short—
How could a Pokémon be this cool and this cute?!
If forced to choose between Ho-Oh and Marshadow in-game, Aiden wouldn't hesitate—he'd pick Marshadow every time.
Hehe… Marshadow… hehe…
His burning, adoring gaze quickly sent Marshadow into visible panic.
Beside him, Mewtwo also noticed Aiden's expression—and its own face twisted into something… complicated.
Does Aiden really like this Pokémon… this much?
For some reason, Mewtwo—who'd just moments ago planned to proudly present this "undiscovered" Pokémon to Aiden—suddenly felt… conflicted.
Now that its cover was blown, Marshadow dropped the act. It fully emerged from the shadows, stepped forward with solemn dignity, and looked up at Aiden.
"This is our first meeting, Hero Candidate Aiden—chosen by Lord Ho-Oh."
"Hello, Marshadow."
Aiden blinked, dazed for a few seconds before processing its words.
Is it… here for a formal talk?
He smiled and nodded—then frowned in confusion.
"So… the legend is true? Just holding the Rainbow Wing makes you a Rainbow Hero?"
"But I've never even seen Lord Ho-Oh. I got this feather from someone else…"
Marshadow's arrival sparked curiosity:
Wait—you don't need to meet the "final boss" Ho-Oh to qualify? Just grab the feather and skip straight to the trial?
Then… what exactly does Ho-Oh do in this whole process?
"…"
Clearly, Aiden's very first question had left Marshadow just as baffled.
After a moment of serious thought, it replied:
"The process matters less than the result."
"The previous Hero Candidate declined the trial. Thus, he effectively transferred his qualification to you."
"I see."
Aiden nodded gravely.
Giovanni as the Rainbow Hero? That was a timeline he couldn't even imagine.
But honestly… he wasn't that eager to become a Rainbow Hero.
It sounded… troublesome.
"Before I commit—can I ask what benefits come with being a Rainbow Hero?"
Aiden blinked at Marshadow innocently.
Sure, the title sounded cool—but if it was all responsibility and zero perks, he'd need to think hard.
"Benefits?"
Marshadow stared up at him, eyes now sharp with scrutiny.
What's wrong with this human? Being acknowledged by Lord Ho-Oh—witnessing its divine beauty—was the ultimate honor for mortals!
Past candidates accepted the trial without hesitation.
(…Giovanni aside.)
But… there were benefits.
"If you complete the trial and become the new Rainbow Hero, you'll receive Lord Ho-Oh's blessing—your body fortified by Sacred Fire. You'll also gain authority over the Ho-Oh Guard."
It paused, then added:
"Humans… call them the 'Three Beasts,' correct?"
"Ho-Oh Guard…"
Aiden repeated the phrase under his breath—then his expression turned oddly amused.
A few years ago, hearing that name would've made him ecstatic.
After all, Raikou, Entei, and Suicune were iconic—Ho-Oh's emissaries, frequent cameos in the anime.
But they appeared so often… problems arose.
Especially that ultra-handsome, wildly popular Saint Beast—Suicune.
Who didn't dream of catching the "Messenger of the North Wind"?
Sadly…
…Well, those who know, know.
But speaking of the Ho-Oh Guard—Marshadow was part of it too, right?
Aiden smiled again.
"So… are you part of the Ho-Oh Guard, Marshadow?"
Eh?
Marshadow, expecting a reply to its offer, froze.
It's confirmed. This Rainbow Hero was absolutely targeting me!
How did he even know of my existence? And now he's naming me specifically?
Marshadow's mind churned.
A Hero Candidate fixated on their examiner? Unprecedented.
For millennia, it had stayed hidden to ensure impartial judgment—yet here stood a human with clearly… unusual priorities.
The "Shadow" behind Ho-Oh… being chosen by a human as a partner?
This feeling…
Why doesn't it feel bad?
"If you pass the full trial," Marshadow said carefully, "the Ho-Oh Guard will aid you when the world faces crisis."
"…Of course, that includes me."
Resisting the urge to facepalm, Marshadow vanished with Shadow Sneak.
By the time Aiden turned around, only a black blur remained—then nothing.
"Marshadow?"
He called out—but silence answered.
As a Ghost-type, Marshadow could phase into dimensional rifts at will. If it didn't want to be found… there was nothing he could do.
Aiden shook his head, smiling.
Though woken abruptly, the night's reward was worth it.
At least he'd confirmed his legitimacy as a future Rainbow Hero—and maybe, just maybe, he could still "recruit" Marshadow someday.
Even if it stayed hidden now, it wouldn't abandon him in true danger.
Basically… a legendary bodyguard, free of charge.
Wait…
If I count Marshadow as part of my team…
…is my "Legendary density" getting ridiculous?
Ignoring Miraidon (a "paradox species" that technically shouldn't exist), he already had Mewtwo and Ogerpon.
Add Mew (whom he'd met), Marshadow (lurking in his shadow), and that friendly Black Rayquaza that occasionally dropped by…
That's practically a full team of Legendaries!
Could I really be a Legendary Magnet?
But aside from Ogerpon, he'd never actively sought out a single Legendary…
Do I have some innate "Legendary-attracting" trait? Did visiting Johto really drag Marshadow all the way to Paldea?
Aiden fell into deep contemplation.
…
Marshadow's appearance, while thrilling, was just a brief interlude.
He still had no concrete details about the Rainbow Hero trial—Marshadow hadn't explained a thing.
Probably scared off by his blunt "what's in it for me?" approach. Since that night, Marshadow had vanished completely. Only Mewtwo's faint psychic sense confirmed it hadn't fled entirely.
So… he'd take it one step at a time.
Besides, being a "hero" was just a side gig. His real job as Gym Leader came first.
Over the next two days, Aiden focused on testing stronger students—exposing them to Elite Four-level intensity before Victory Road began.
Badge-earning trials? Fully delegated to his two apprentices: Mewtwo and Nemona.
Yes—Nemona, back in her Cabo Poco villa with nothing better to do, showed up the moment the Gym opened. Aiden simply put her to work—letting her indulge in her battle addiction against students.
Nemona, of course, accepted eagerly.
She occasionally used her own Pokémon, but mostly stuck to the Gym's standard rentals—refining her understanding of set tactics while expanding her strategic knowledge.
Her presence also triggered a… chemical reaction.
Mewtwo—already diligent—suddenly developed a fierce competitive streak. A silent arms race between the two apprentices had begun.
Aiden, naturally, approved.
He even wanted to give Nemona a thumbs-up.
Competition really does accelerate growth. With Nemona as a rival, Mewtwo's progress would skyrocket.
Time flew—April arrived.
On his first weekend back, Aiden finally got a day off.
Sunday, April 5
He sat at his computer, pondering tonight's stream lineup.
His long-running weather series was finally complete—but countless advanced strategies remained. Still, he preferred accessible, cohesive tactics that new players could actually learn.
Extending weather concepts further could yield classic systems… but their complexity would betray his original goal: teaching beginners.
As he deliberated, Mewtwo entered—holding a tablet playing a video.
"Aiden… what do you think your opponent was thinking here?"
It handed him the tablet and asked.
Aiden glanced—his Psychic Masters match!—and instantly understood.
Reviewing high-level (Master Ball tier!) footage was excellent for refining strategy.
(And his victory made it even more valuable!)
The clip showed his group-stage battle against his fan, David.
What stood out? That Blunder Policy + Hypnosis Exeggutor…
—a meme combo Aiden himself once used for fun. Seeing it in serious play had genuinely shocked him.
"While Blunder Policy + Hypnosis has niche value… aren't there better options?"
Mewtwo's question hung in the air.
"Better options?"
"Sure—plenty of more scientific sleep methods…"
Aiden started to answer—then froze.
He looked up at Mewtwo, eyes suddenly alight.
That offhand question… just gave me brilliant ideas!
The Masters was full of improvable tactics!
Sleep strategies, Minimize, Trick Room, even the Mega Metagross and Gengar from semifinals/finals—each could spawn its own fun, streamlined system.
Perfect. I'll cover them one by one.
"My stream content for the next few weeks is all set!"
"Thanks for the reminder, Mewtwo!"
Aiden grinned—then instinctively ruffled Mewtwo's head.
Tonight's stream?
Gravity-Hypnosis—a tactic far more creative and powerful than Blunder Policy shenanigans!
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