The journey from Rustboro City to Fallarbor Town would take a full two days by sea. While the ferry wasn't quite the S.S. Anne, it had all the basic amenities: passenger cabins for rest, a shopping area selling various souvenirs and local specialties, and a bar for relaxation. Interestingly, Pokémon battles were strictly forbidden onboard. Probably because they were afraid a stray Hyper Beam might sink the ship.
With battling off the table, Zane found himself leaning against the deck railing with Gengar, staring blankly out at the ocean. Roselia had evolved, but its final evolution, Roserade, required a Shiny Stone. Compared to common items like Fire Stones and Thunder Stones, Shiny Stones were much harder to obtain and significantly rarer. As such, their market price was many times higher than that of ordinary evolution stones. With his current savings, even if he sold himself into indentured servitude, he probably couldn't afford one.
The sky was blue, the clouds were white. The ship cut through the water, leaving ripples in its wake.
Being poor sucks. Zane let out a long sigh.
That night, the sea grew rough. A storm rolled in. Lightning struck the ship's generator, plunging the entire vessel into darkness. To calm the passengers, the ship's crew went room to room, handing out emergency candles and informing everyone that they were working on repairs.
A warm candlelight flickered in the small cabin, but compared to the raging storm outside, its light felt incredibly fragile. Through the porthole, Zane could see the ocean, black as ink under the night sky. Waves crashed against the hull, one after another, rocking the ship violently. The candlelight swayed with the motion.
Zane suddenly felt a prickle of unease. He hugged Cramorant and Roselia closer, staring out at the dark world. The flickering candle seemed like it could be swallowed by the black water at any moment.
"Gah."
Perhaps sensing its trainer's anxiety, Cramorant did something completely unexpected. It spread its wings and gently wrapped them around Zane's body, shielding him.
"Roselia!" Roselia was scared too, but it mustered its courage and hugged Zane's arm tightly.
Zane paused, startled. He suddenly felt like a character from a medieval story in one of his old literature textbooks—a poor widow who had lost her husband, clinging to her children for comfort.
"..."
Thinking about it that way, he somehow didn't feel quite as scared anymore.
Rain lashed against the porthole. He held his two Pokémon close and watched Gengar carefully shield the candle flame with its body, as if terrified it would go out.
"Gengar," Zane called out softly.
The ghost looked up. "What?"
Zane smiled. "Nothing. Just wanted to say your name."
Gengar was speechless. "..."
"It'd be nice if I could actually touch you," Zane added wistfully.
Gengar froze, looking down at its own translucent body, an unreadable emotion flickering across its face.
...
The ship-sinking disaster Zane had half-imagined never materialized.
When he woke up the next morning, the rain had stopped, and the sea was calm again. The cloudless sky promised a clear, sunny day. The ship's power had been successfully restored. Chefs were already preparing breakfast in the galley, and the crew members who had worked through the night were yawning as they headed back to their bunks to rest.
Just then, a chorus of gasps came from outside on the deck.
"Look! What is that?!"
"Oh my gosh, what a beautiful rainbow!"
Zane turned his head and saw a creature resembling a mix between a phoenix and a peacock flying across the distant sky. Its wings shimmered with multicolored light, leaving a beautiful rainbow in its wake.
That's... Ho-Oh!
A surge of excitement coursed through Zane, especially after the terrifying night they'd just endured. Ho-Oh radiated an unparalleled sense of holiness. Just seeing it seemed to clear his mind, sweeping away any lingering fear or negativity.
Is this a good omen? he thought. Like when Ash saw Ho-Oh right at the start of his journey?
"Gah?"
Suddenly, Cramorant lifted its head, its gaze fixed on the end of the rainbow. Then, flapping its wings, it took off, flying straight towards it.
Zane gasped. He reached out to grab it, but he was a fraction of a second too late. He could only watch helplessly as his bird chased after the direction where Ho-Oh had disappeared. He wanted to follow, but unfortunately, like Groudon, he couldn't fly. All he could do was stand there awkwardly and shout, "Cramorant!"
Damn it, that stupid bird better not mistake some photographer for food and bring them back!
But Cramorant didn't respond. It flew incredibly fast. Within three minutes, its figure had shrunk to a tiny black dot and then vanished completely.
Gengar stared after it, dumbfounded. "What is it doing?"
"Roselia..." Roselia whimpered, worried.
The other passengers on deck were staring at Zane, mouths agape.
He covered his face with his hand and sighed. "...Don't look at me. I have no idea."
By noon, Cramorant still hadn't returned. Zane was genuinely worried it had gotten lost. He spent the entire day on deck, staring in the direction it had flown, waiting. But even after hours, there was still no sign of it. He stood there like a statue, a "bird-watching rock," waiting until nightfall. Cramorant never came back.
Gengar didn't know what to say. It looked out at the dark horizon and hesitated. "It... it will come back, right?"
"I wish I knew," Zane said, feeling like he wanted to cry. He should have just kept the stupid bird in its Master Ball.
Night fell. The sea was calm tonight, no repeat of the previous night's storm. Late into the night, Zane was the only one left on deck. Gengar and Roselia stayed with him, waiting.
"Did it really get lost?" Zane muttered, his face grim.
But just then, he heard a familiar cry from behind him. He whipped around and saw a drenched figure descending from the sky.
"Gah?"
Cramorant landed, a single rainbow-colored feather held gently in its beak. It tilted its head, looking at the three of them with its usual dopey expression.
A wave of joyous relief washed over Zane, quickly followed by a surge of anger at the bird's reckless behavior. But one look at Cramorant's vacant stare, and all his anger evaporated.
Sigh.
"Don't you ever just fly off like that again," Zane said, picking up the feather Cramorant had dropped on the deck.
[Rainbow Wing]: A mysterious feather that shines with rainbow-colored light. Legend says that those guided by the Rainbow Wing who complete Ho-Oh's trial will become Rainbow Heroes.
Effect: Place this feather on the Rainbow Rock atop Mt. Tensei to summon Ho-Oh.
[###]
T/N: Read More Advance Chapters On Patreon.
[Link]: Patreon.com/MightyJahseh