Chapter 476:
The weather in May should have been clear and sunny.
But across these continuous mountain peaks, it felt as if a fresh rain had just passed—the vegetation lush and still holding new dew.
A group of Pokémon, seemingly summoned by some call, climbed toward the mountaintop. Above, a rainbow arched across the sky like a bridge.
As Pokémon living long-term in this area, they had heard that often after a new rain, when a rainbow bridge hung in the sky, a phoenix would come soaring, bestowing blessings and gifts of power.
The mountain warden here naturally knew this legend too.
But the wardens, passing down the knowledge through generations, actually knew more.
For instance, such phenomena were set up by the Legendary Pokémon specifically to select the Rainbow Hero through the Rainbow Trial.
Generation after generation of wardens passed this message down, then told the young Rainbow Heroes.
Although some wardens might wait here their entire lives and never meet the chosen Rainbow Hero of legend.
But it was very strange.
This Rainbow Trial had clearly been going on for a long time.
Yet, he hadn't seen Marshadow—that was one thing—but he also hadn't seen Suicune, Entei, or Raikou, those Legendary Pokémon, let alone the legendary Rainbow Hero.
He hadn't seen even a shadow of them!
Ho-Oh was about to descend, and still no Rainbow Hero. Was this legend false?
The warden couldn't help but begin to doubt.
Meanwhile, Marshadow, carrying the two chocolates toward the mountaintop, also seemed dazed and bewildered.
Was it really going to meet Lord Ho-Oh with these two chocolates?
Would Lord Ho-Oh... beat it up?
And those other guys—vanishing all of a sudden. Otherwise, it could have brought them along. That way, if there was blame, they could share it.
But no, it was alone, just a solitary ghost.
Following the Pokémon ascending the mountain, it wasn't long before rainbow light seemed to surge within the clouds, dispersing the white mist. Colored rays spread across the mountain, bringing expressions of comfort and anticipation to all the Pokémon bathed in the light.
Then, a great bird, five or six meters long, adorned with rainbow patterns, broke through the cloud layer and landed atop a tall, stacked stone pillar.
It looked around. There were only Pokémon, no humans.
And the aura of its scattered Rainbow Feather... was nowhere to be felt.
Only the small figure of Marshadow appeared.
Its gaze fell upon Marshadow.
[Where is the Rainbow Hero?]
From the feedback through the Rainbow Feather, it could sense that this generation's chosen human, while not purely of heart, was nonetheless kind and sincere at their core—qualities that were also excellent for a human.
The voice sounded in Marshadow's mind, startling it. It quickly presented the chocolates in its hand. "Marshadow, Marshadow..." (He said he isn't participating in this Rainbow Trial, and then he used the Rainbow Feather you gave...)
Although it had thought of many excuses and reasons on the way up, upon seeing Ho-Oh, all of them vanished. It obediently stated the real reason and explained the chocolate's effects.
[The Rainbow Feather was made into this?]
As Marshadow recounted, Ho-Oh's expression grew increasingly strange. Finally, looking at the chocolate in Marshadow's hand, beyond the shock on its face, its tone also became one of astonishment.
"Marshadow..." (Yes.)
"....."
"....."
The silence wasn't just Ho-Oh's; Marshadow was silent too.
Finally, Ho-Oh broke the quiet atmosphere.
[And he asked for me to try it?]
"Marshadow..." (Yes.)
Marshadow breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Ho-Oh wasn't as angry as imagined.
Watching Marshadow float closer and looking at the chocolate in its hand, Ho-Oh fell into contemplation.
In all these years, this was the first time it had encountered such a Rainbow Hero candidate.
Not only taking its Rainbow Feather but also using it to make food... and most importantly, sending Marshadow to deliver it for Ho-Oh to eat?
What kind of joke was this?
Yet, hearing Marshadow's description, it did indeed feel a spark of curiosity about this food. To allow Marshadow, stuck at an energy plateau, to advance like that... could it have an effect on Ho-Oh itself?
Clearly, Ho-Oh did not share the aversion Kaede had imagined towards food made from its own feathers.
Moreover, it genuinely sensed a strong attraction to this food!
It swallowed the chocolate in one gulp.
Immediately, the energy within its body began to stir, like a layer of ice and snow meeting a scalding iron ball—rapidly melting into flowing water. Then, rainbow light radiated from its form. This light, like multicolored rays, caused the energy within all the surrounding Pokémon bathed in it to simultaneously rise.
The entire mountaintop was enveloped in this radiance.
The scene resembled the saying, "When one attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven"!
The Pokémon cheered for Ho-Oh at the center, thinking this was Ho-Oh's gift to them.
"Marshadow?"
"Marshadow!"
Marshadow's gaze grew even more astonished.
It had considered that the "food" might have some effect on Lord Ho-Oh, but it never imagined the effect would be this immense!
This energy fluctuation was far more powerful compared to its own change.
Rainbow energy shook the sky. The mountain warden below, seeing the light showering down, took a deep breath and released his Arcanine. "Go! Run to the summit!"
"Woof! Woof!" Arcanine barked in agreement and immediately sprinted towards the mountaintop.
And below the mountain, across the sky... from various places, ordinary Pokémon gathered and came.
But it wasn't just them. Deep in the ocean, the ruler of the seas, Kyogre, opened its eyes, gazing eastward across the endless sea. It sensed Ho-Oh taking another step upward.
Within a volcano brimming with magma, deep and scorching, a pair of fierce, enormous eyes opened, shifting their gaze eastward as well.
High in the sky, a slumbering black dragon blinked its eyes, then closed them again.
Kalos Region.
In a lush forest, leaves began to fall from an ancient, towering tree. Each leaf falling into the forest seemed to wash the earth with an intangible energy of life. When all the leaves had fallen, the great tree vanished. In its place, an elegant giant stag with multicolored antlers began to walk the world.
Seemingly influenced by something, it had also awakened ahead of time.
Leaving aside these Pokémon, the most significant was a certain existence slumbering in the shadows, which also seemed to turn its gaze in this direction.