"..."
Staring at the feather in his hand, Zane suddenly found it hard to breathe.
This... this... this...
Don't tell me Cramorant literally plucked this thing right off Ho-Oh's back?
"Gah!"
The bird looked exhausted. It let out a big yawn.
Zane recalled it to its Master Ball, his expression complicated as he took the Rainbow Wing back to his cabin.
It's just one feather, he thought nervously. Ho-Oh won't hold a grudge against me for it, right?
He tried to remember everything he knew about Ho-Oh from the lore. Legend said it had the power to resurrect the dead. Rainbows would appear wherever it flew, and seeing one was said to bring eternal happiness. According to Johto legend, it once resided atop the Bell Tower in Ecruteak City. But after the neighboring Brass Tower burned down, Ho-Oh left and began flying around the world, searching for Pokémon trainers with pure hearts.
In the anime, Ho-Oh rarely appeared. The only movie centered around it was I Choose You!, where it left a feather for Ash, sending him and Pikachu on a bizarre adventure that ultimately led to Ash becoming the Rainbow Hero. Though from what Zane remembered, the title itself didn't seem to do much. If you didn't tell anyone, they'd never know. The Rainbow Wing's only real purpose seemed to be summoning Ho-Oh for another meet-and-greet.
Zane currently had zero interest in meeting Ho-Oh again. He was broke. He'd probably starve to death halfway up whatever mountain he needed to climb. Instead of using the feather to take some pointless "hero's trial," he needed something practical.
Like cash.
If this thing were valuable, he was seriously considering selling it. Then he could afford to catch a few more Pokémon.
Of course, besides summoning Ho-Oh, maybe the Rainbow Wing also symbolized its favor, or brought good luck? And it wasn't like Ash was the only one who got one. In the Johto arc, Ho-Oh had also given a feather to some guy named Jaye in Ecruteak City, and then promptly ghosted him until he was on his deathbed. Even though he knew those were probably parallel universes, Zane couldn't help but feel like Ho-Oh was kind of a deadbeat dad of the Pokémon world.
"What do you guys think?" he asked Gengar and Roselia after mulling it over.
"Roselia..." Roselia looked helpless. It had never even heard of Ho-Oh.
Zane turned his gaze to Gengar.
The ghost shrugged. "Don't look at me, I don't know it either."
Zane sighed. "..."
"I'm asking if you think Cramorant plucked this feather from Ho-Oh."
"Roselia..."
Roselia and Gengar exchanged a look. Thinking back on the stupid bird's past actions, they nodded in perfect sync.
"I think it's possible," Gengar said. It paused, a mischievous grin spreading across its face. "You could have the bird go back and pluck a few more. You could make a feather duster."
Zane stared. "..."
The absolute audacity! A Gengar, showing such disrespect to the legendary Ho-Oh! Didn't it fear being smote by Sacred Fire?! Zane desperately wanted to ask. But Pokémon weren't like humans; they didn't have the same concept of civilization or reverence. Roselia, for example, if it hadn't been caught by him, might have lived its entire life without ever seeing the ocean, let alone knowing about the existence of Legendary Pokémon.
Still, he had to admit, the Ho-Oh feather was really beautiful. It was waterproof, and it refracted the light like a rainbow.
Just then, Zane caught a flicker of movement in Roselia's shadow out of the corner of his eye.
!
Don't tell me it's Marshadow, the Gloomdweller Pokémon, here to guide the Rainbow Hero?
But no, it was just a light-loving moth fluttering near the lamp. Zane let out a breath of relief. Ho-Oh's attendants weren't just the three Legendary Beasts of Johto. Marshadow, the one responsible for guiding the chosen trainer to meet Ho-Oh, counted too. Back in his old world, fans had jokingly called them "Ho-Oh's sidekick." Zane worried that Marshadow might overhear someone badmouthing Ho-Oh and attack them.
Wait a minute, he thought. In the movie, Marshadow only appeared in Ash's shadow after he met Entei. Right now, forget Entei, he hadn't even seen a Suicune—a Pokémon weak enough to be caught in a net by regular humans. So Marshadow couldn't possibly be here.
He relaxed, but then another thought occurred to him. He still didn't know which version of the Pokémon world this was—anime, manga, or games?
Crap, I need to find out what Professor Oak's grandson's name is. After months of just going with the flow, Zane felt a sudden urge to get his bearings. If the kid's name was Gary and not Blue, it meant he wasn't in the ridiculously dangerous world of the Pokémon Adventures manga. Though based on his experiences so far, this world didn't seem that dangerous.
...
Before Zane's thoughts could spiral further into wild speculation, the ferry finally arrived at its destination. Standing on the deck, he looked out at the massive volcano towering over the distant jungle, its peak shrouded in clouds. Three words instantly popped into his mind: Mt. Chimney.
Mt. Chimney... Isn't Groudon supposed to be sleeping inside that volcano? He wasn't sure. According to the lore, Groudon usually slumbered within volcanoes all over the world. Hoenn had more than just Mt. Chimney. As for Kyogre and Rayquaza, they were probably chilling in the Seafloor Cavern and patrolling the ozone layer, respectively.
After disembarking, Zane slung his backpack on, Gengar floating behind him, and made a beeline for the bus station. The port was still a long way from Fallarbor Town. Besides walking, taking a bus was the only option. It was freezing cold in the middle of winter, and he didn't want to spend a second longer outside than necessary. The bus's heater was blasting, making the inside feel like a different world compared to the frigid outdoors. Zane sank into a seat and let out a sigh of contentment.
The moment he opened his eyes, however, he found a large Gengar trying to squeeze itself into his lap.
"So many humans! I'm getting crushed!" it complained.
Zane gave it a deadpan look. "...You could go back into your orb. And besides, they can't even touch you, right?!"
"No way!" Gengar refused without even thinking about it.
Zane just sighed. "..."
Fifty minutes later, they got off the bus at the Fallarbor Town station.
It was snowing. As far as the eye could see, the entire town was blanketed in white. This weather was definitely not suitable for outdoor activities. The moment he stepped off the bus, Zane headed straight for a nearby inn and spent sixty Pokédollars on a single room.
The inn had a traditional Japanese style. A small, warm stove burned in the corner of the room. Sitting on the tatami mats, he could look out through the transparent floor-to-ceiling windows at the beautiful snowy landscape. The innkeeper kindly brought him some complimentary tea and snacks. Zane thanked her, then let his Pokémon out to play. He took off his coat and burrowed under the thick covers. This kind of weather was perfect for sleeping in.
Gengar stared at him, shocked. "Did you come all this way just to sleep?! Couldn't you sleep at home?!"
Zane ignored it, turned over, and presented the ghost with his back.
Gengar was speechless. "..."
<><><><><><>
Binge Read 15+ Chapters On Patreon.com/MightyJahseh