The forest stretched on endlessly; the Johto region was truly abundant with them.
As a Grass type Pokémon, Bayleef was in high spirits, singing songs with Molly all along the way, looking quite cheerful.
However, dark clouds suddenly gathered over the forest, and a torrential downpour began to lash down.
Ash looked up at the overcast sky and frowned.
"What's going on? It was perfectly sunny just a moment ago!" Misty complained as they hurried toward a large tree with a dense canopy to seek temporary shelter.
Molly was fine, as the leaf on Bayleef's head provided some shade, keeping her dry. Ash quickly took out her small raincoat and put it on her; it wouldn't be good if the little girl caught a cold.
Among Ash's group, Molly was the only one with a complete set of gear.
"It's raining, it's raining..."
Once she had her raincoat and boots on, the little girl eagerly hopped down from Bayleef's back. But before she could start playing, a sudden bolt of thunder cracked across the sky, scaring her so much she scrambled back into Ash's arms.
"Big brother Ash, it's thundering! I'm scared!"
"Pika!"
Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder and patted Molly's leg, seemingly comforting her and telling her not to be afraid.
What's there to be afraid of? I crackle and pop all the time!
"This isn't good," Brock said worriedly as the rain intensified. "We should find a proper place to take shelter!"
"Over there!"
A flicker of blue light pulsed around Ash as he pointed toward a hillside behind them. To their surprise, a luxurious villa stood there. Against the backdrop of the flashing lightning, it had an eerie, almost gothic feel.
But there was no other choice now. As Trainers, how could they be afraid?
Ash and his friends quickly climbed the slope and arrived at the front of the villa.
"Excuse me, could we take shelter from the rain here?" After Ash knocked, the door actually swung open on its own.
The interior was pitch black, and the sound of muffled screams echoed from within. Ash and the others hurried toward the source of the noise. When they pushed open a door, the scene was not at all the crime scene they had imagined.
It felt as though they had walked into a different show entirely.
The room was brightly lit. A Machoke was giving someone a shoulder massage, a Spinarak was spitting silk to bandage a wound on a person's arm, and a Mareep was using a controlled Thunder Shock to provide electrotherapy.
Standing at the center of it all was a young woman in a white coat. She was a doctora human doctor!
As Ash's group entered, the young lady turned around and said, "Treatment is by queue only! Please wait a moment until I call you!"
"I'm very sorry, actually, we came here to seek shelter..."
"A pleasure to meet you, miss! My name is Brock! To be summoned by a lady as beautiful as yourself, I would wait ten years, a century, even a millennium!" Before Ash could finish explaining their presence, Brock had already vanished and reappeared right in front of her.
His old habit was acting up again.
"Might I ask your name?"
"My name is Anna, and I am the doctor here!" Anna understood their situation and not only agreed to let them stay but also gave them a detailed introduction to how the Pokémon here assisted with examinations and treatments.
It truly showcased the miraculous nature of Pokémon.
Seeing this, Brock, who aspired to be a top Pokémon Breeder, decided to use the rainy day to study and help out. Of course, Ash and Misty knew him well; there was definitely a heavy dose of trying to curry favor involved.
"In that case!" Ash picked Pikachu up and placed him back on his shoulder. "Misty, please look after Molly for a bit!"
"Ash, where are you going?"
Ash recalled Bayleef into its Poké Ball. "This rain feels wrong. I need to go check it out!"
Heavy storms weren't uncommon, but the moment the rain started, Ash had clearly felt a familiar Aura!
"Molly, be a good girl and stay here with big sister Misty to stay dry, okay?" It was pouring outside; it was best for the little girl to stay here.
Molly was very obedient.
Stepping out of the villa's main doors, a blue light flashed across Ash's body. He turned his head toward the direction of the lightning, and with a sudden blur of motion, he vanished into the heavy rain.
"Pika!"
Amidst the thunder and the cascading rain, Pikachu's cheeks frequently flickered with electricity.
"Pikachu, do you feel something too?"
Pikachu's perception was incredibly sharp; it was always the first to notice things.
Looking at Pikachu's expression, it didn't seem too solemn, so Ash remained relatively relaxed.
Boom!
In that instant, a crack of thunder roared, illuminating the darkness of the forest. A familiar azure silhouette appeared before Ash.
"I knew it was your Rain Dance!"
Appearing before Ash was none other than Suicune!
Unlike the blue phantom from before, this Suicune appeared in its true physical form.
With a graceful leap, Suicune landed in front of Ash and Pikachu, its red eyes fixed on the boy.
In legend, Suicune was the embodiment of the North Wind. It possessed a blue, jewel-like headpiece surrounded by white, wind-like streamers that showcased its lithe form.
The blue and white patterns on its body represented the image of water and wind!
Johto legends said that Suicune raced around the world like the North Wind, purifying polluted waters.
This Suicune seemed to have been following Ash from a distance ever since he arrived in the Johto region. Today, it had suddenly summoned a storm to block their path, though its intentions remained a mystery.
Ash couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke the fur around Suicune's neck. "Suicune, is something the matter?"
Suicune looked at Ash, and a sudden splash of water manifested on its body. In the next second, Ash found something sitting in the palm of his hand.
Holding it up to his eyes, he saw a bell the size of a fist. It was translucent and tinged with blue.
Unfortunately, it didn't ring. It was supposed to emit a sound that could bring peace to one's heart.
"Is this the Clear Bell?"
Their next destination was Ecruteak City, an ancient capital in the northern Johto region and a famous city of history and culture!
Seven hundred years ago, two towers were built in Ecruteak City, standing on the east and west sides: the Bell Tower and the Brass Tower.
These two towers were built to celebrate the friendship between humans and Pokémon, and the view from the top was magnificent. The legendary bird Ho-Oh was said to reside at the top of the eastern Bell Tower.
However, 150 years ago, the western Brass Tower was engulfed in a sea of flames. The fire burned for three days and three nights until a sudden downpour extinguished it. Very little of the tower remained, and it was now known as the Burned Tower.
In that great fire, three unknown Pokémon were trapped and burned to death. Fortunately, Ho-Oh descended from the heavens and resurrected them. This marked the birth of the three legendary beasts: Suicune, Entei, and Raikou!
And this Clear Bell was rumored to have the power to summon Ho-Oh!
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