Chapter 312: Ho-Oh: Ugh! What rotten luck, seriously!
"I keep getting the feeling Ho-Oh isn't looking at us all that friendly?"
Platinum tilted her head, puzzled.
Meanwhile, Marshadow, pinned under the full weight of Ho-Oh's glare, could only tremble in silent, tearless despair. It didn't want this either!
But this human absolutely insisted on holding it — what was it supposed to do? If it refused to let itself be held, what if the guy standing behind this human — the one with the black, empty eyes glowing purple — decided to smack it around instead?
Marshadow had always been the timid type. This just made it timider.
But fortunately, Ho-Oh had excellent emotional control — now was not the time to settle scores with Mammon.
Its body glimmering with soft golden light, Ho-Oh circled once above the group before slowly folding its wings and landing atop the Rainbow Rock.
"Ho-Oh!!"
Ash stepped forward eagerly, calling out to it.
Seeing Ash's excited, beaming face, Ho-Oh's own expression softened into something warmly human, and it inclined its head toward him with dignified, reserved grace.
"So this is Ho-Oh! The legendary Pokémon!"
Misty was just as thrilled, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
"Yeah — a Pokémon straight out of mythology, its wings shining in seven colors. Legend says anyone who sees it is blessed with eternal happiness!"
Brock's voice wasn't exactly steady either. As a Kanto native born and raised, he'd grown up on the legends of Ho-Oh and Lugia.
Getting to see the legendary Ho-Oh with his own eyes — how could he not be excited?
Platinum blinked, her large eyes a mix of delight and curiosity. How to put it... From a distance, Ho-Oh really had radiated divinity and beauty. But up close like this, its build seemed almost a little—
No. Stop. That thought wasn't polite. Don't finish it.
Ho-Oh, meanwhile, was watching Ash with a gentle gaze. Sure, there was one unwelcome scoundrel tagging along it would rather not look at, but never mind that.
Its good mood held steady with Ash's arrival — it could sense that his heart remained pure and clean, still overflowing with love for Pokémon.
This is right. This is exactly the kind of human it had been waiting for.
"Ash, go on, tell Ho-Oh your wish," Mammon said, scratching Marshadow's little belly, smiling at Ash.
"Huh? Is that allowed?"
Ash blinked at that, turning to Mammon a little sheepishly.
"Wait, hold on — Mammon, where did that Pokémon in your arms even come from?"
But the moment he turned, Ash froze, staring at the Marshadow tucked in Mammon's arms. Hang on — where had a whole extra Pokémon suddenly come from?
Ash's question instantly drew everyone else's eyes too.
Four or five people all staring at it at once made Marshadow feel like it was about to melt into the ground — its social anxiety was flaring up hard.
"Oh, this? Just found it lying around," Mammon said, perfectly composed.
Marshadow: (° °)
Ho-Oh: ...
"Anyway, never mind me — as the Rainbow-Chosen Hero, you've completed Ho-Oh's trial and made it here. Naturally you're entitled to ask it for a wish."
"Isn't that right, Ho-Oh?"
Mammon said, turning to look at Ho-Oh as he asked.
"Is that true, Ho-Oh?" Ash's eyes lit up instantly.
Ho-Oh shot Mammon a subtle glare, but the moment its gaze met Ash's, it switched right back to warm and gracious, nodding once more with a smile. Mammon's words weren't technically wrong, after all — since Ash had made it here, Ho-Oh was more than willing to grant him a wish within reason.
Well — as long as Ash didn't wish for it to go fight something ridiculous like Black Rayquaza or Complete Kyurem, putting the poor bird through the wringer.
Then again, that was never going to happen. Ash was nothing like that scoundrel.
"Whoa, you can really do that, Ash! Think hard about it!"
Seeing this unfold, Misty was practically vibrating, urging Ash on.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, let me think..."
Ash fell into deep thought.
But did he even have a wish? Yes. And also, somehow, not really.
His goal had only ever been one thing: to become a Pokémon Master. But at the end of the day, "Pokémon Master" was a vague sort of dream to begin with.
So for now he was just walking the road toward becoming the strongest trainer he could be.
Setting that dream aside — what else did he actually want?
"Ash, if you're stuck on what to wish for, let me help — you could—"
"HUMAN!!"
Before Mammon could even finish, a certain giant flaming turkey's shriek went off directly inside his skull.
"I forbid you from corrupting this child!"
"Ho-Oh, that's a little uncalled for, don't you think? You're straight-up denying me my freedom of speech here, and I was just offering some friendly advice. This is pure, unfiltered prejudice on your part."
"Oh, cut it out. I haven't even gotten to ask you why MY Marshadow is sitting in your arms." Ho-Oh was not pleased.
"What do you mean, your Marshadow? I already told you — I found this Pokémon. It's my Marshadow now."
Mammon felt his logic here was airtight.
Ho-Oh laughed, furious. Found it, my ass. Do you not SEE it's too scared to even breathe loudly in your arms? That's clearly a hostage situation!
Damn it. Every single time I run into this human, nothing good ever comes of it.
Ugh. Rotten luck.
Fine. I'm not going to argue with you. Just — don't you dare mess with this child's own thinking.
Ash is my good friend. I'm the one who brought him here to meet you — why in the world would I mislead him? Honestly, Ho-Oh, that's a bit unfair of you.
"What exactly do you WANT?" Ho-Oh had lost all appetite for continuing this argument with such a shameless, sophist human. It decided to end the conversation right there.
Mammon's face broke into a satisfied grin.
The two of them had been conversing entirely through a private telepathic link — no one outside had any idea what had just been said between Mammon and Ho-Oh.
And no one noticed, either, just how thoroughly irritated Ho-Oh's avian face had become.
"Mammon, go on, keep talking," Ash said, watching him curiously.
"I think you should just follow your own heart on this one, Ash. No need to overthink it or get too calculating about it — just go with whatever's speaking loudest, deep down."
Mammon said with a smile.
Ash blinked at that, staring at Mammon for a moment, a little dazed.
Follow the voice deep in his heart, huh? Yeah. He really didn't need to overthink this at all.
Ho-Oh gave a subtle nod. Well — this scoundrel really is infuriating sometimes, but credit where it's due, he does get results.
That's the one. That's it exactly.
"I know what I want now."
Ash let out a long breath, a huge, signature grin spreading across his face as he turned to Ho-Oh.
"Ho-Oh! Please — battle me!"
Ash straightened his cap and declared his wish to Ho-Oh, loud and clear.
That's right — he wanted to fight Ho-Oh.
It was the thought that had struck him the very day he first became a trainer, the moment he'd laid eyes on Ho-Oh's silhouette — and it had never once changed since.
Misty and Brock both startled at that, then broke into helpless, fond smiles.
Mammon chuckled softly. Caitlin and Platinum exchanged an odd sort of look.
Ho-Oh's face lit up once again with that unmistakably human smile.
"Fweee~!"
A high, ringing cry sounded out as Ho-Oh spread its wings and took flight, brilliant blossoms of colored flame erupting to life along both sides of its wings.
There was no mistaking it — this was Ho-Oh's battle stance. It had accepted Ash's request.
A wild Ho-Oh has challenged you!
"Pikachu! I choose you!"
Ash's blood was pumping. He straightened his cap and called out to Pikachu.
"Pika-chu!"
Pikachu leapt down from Ash's shoulder, staring straight up at the legendary Ho-Oh in the sky without a trace of fear, its fighting spirit blazing.
"Wow, incredible..."
Watching Ash and Pikachu face down the legend without so much as flinching, Platinum suddenly felt like she understood a little better why Mr. Mammon valued him so highly — anyone with eyes could tell Mammon's attitude toward Ash was genuinely different from how he treated most people.
Just the fact that he'd spend such a precious wish-granting opportunity on "Ho-Oh, please battle me" already set him apart from most people she knew.
And facing down this mythical, legendary creature with not even a hint of hesitation or fear — the sight of it, a Pokémon of myth and legend on one side, and on the other a Pikachu about as common as a stray dog on the roadside, locking horns like equals — that was the kind of matchup an ordinary person could never even conceive of.
"Ash has the kind of untainted, childlike heart that modern people are most sorely lacking — that's the main reason Ho-Oh chose him in the first place."
Mammon watched Ash, and without quite meaning to, his own smile widened.
"That kind of expression... it's really something, isn't it."
Mammon mused. How to put it — the thing you lack most is always the thing you end up chasing hardest.
Mammon knew he would never possess that kind of pure, blazing sincerity the way Ash did. But that didn't stop him from wanting to see it in someone, or to be near someone who had it.
Honestly, part of the reason he'd gone to such lengths to recruit Ash into Team Rocket in the first place had been exactly that kind of impulse.
"But Ash isn't really a match for Ho-Oh, is he?" Misty said, watching the battle now underway between Ho-Oh and Pikachu.
"No chance. Ash just isn't there yet, strength-wise."
Mammon shrugged. There wasn't the slightest room for surprise in how this fight would end.
And sure enough, it didn't take long — with a single blast of Sacred Fire, Pikachu's whole small body was sent flying by the explosive force of the flames, unable to get back up.
The battle didn't last long at all. Ho-Oh might technically be weak against Pikachu's type, and Ash's Pikachu was genuinely something special — but none of that could bridge a gap in raw power this massive. Ho-Oh was simply, overwhelmingly stronger than Ash and his Pikachu were right now.
"Lost, huh — man, Ho-Oh's so strong!"
Ash hurried to scoop up his injured Pikachu, and once he'd confirmed it was okay, he tilted his head back to look up at Ho-Oh, now perched again atop the Rainbow Rock, and flashed it a huge grin.
Ho-Oh returned the smile, its eyes full of warmth and approval.
It genuinely liked this Ash. But — as expected — he was still much too weak, for now. No matter; it hoped he'd grow stronger down the road.
Beautiful motes of light drifted down as Ho-Oh gave its wings a light flap, and the visible wounds on the badly-hurt Pikachu in Ash's arms began healing before everyone's eyes.
Before long, the little electric mouse was back on its feet, full of energy once more.
"Bit of a shame, Ash — if you'd managed to beat Ho-Oh, you might've actually been able to catch it."
Mammon walked up beside Ash, sounding almost regretful.
At the sight of Mammon, the warm, human-like smile slowly drained from Ho-Oh's face.
"Ha, well, can't help it. Ho-Oh's just way too strong." Ash scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
"There'll probably be another chance down the road. Anyway—"
Mammon's grin widened as he turned toward Ho-Oh.
"Ho-Oh. That thing you promised me?"
At that, Ash and the others all startled. What had Ho-Oh promised Mammon?
Ho-Oh shot Mammon a glare. This damn scoundrel!
"Chweee~!"
Ho-Oh lifted its head and cried out, the resonant sound carrying far into the distance.
Two blurs of incredible speed came rushing in, landing heavily in front of the Rainbow Rock.
"The legendary Raikou and Entei!" Brock gasped.
Sure enough — it was Raikou and Entei of Ho-Oh's guardian order. Suicune had already been caught by Mammon, so now only these two remained of Ho-Oh's original trio.
Raikou and Entei carried themselves with dignified authority — but the moment they laid eyes on Mammon, Entei's expression visibly flickered.
Raikou even took a subtle half-step back, quietly shifting its companion Entei in front of itself.
Yeah. There was some trauma there.
Last time, if Lord Ho-Oh hadn't personally stepped in, this human would have straight-up bagged the both of them. And even so, they'd still lost their most important companion — Suicune — in the end.
"What's going on?" Misty stared at Ho-Oh's blank expression, thoroughly confused. Why had it suddenly summoned Raikou and Entei out of nowhere?
"Dawn, come here, come here — pick whichever one you like, and go ahead and start your capture attempt."
Mammon waved Platinum over.
"This is an opportunity from the great and generous Ho-Oh, you know — make sure you make good use of it."
That's right — this was the result of the little back-and-forth negotiation he'd just had with Ho-Oh telepathically. Sure, he personally had no interest in Raikou or Entei himself — the whole point of coming here today had been for his adorable little Marshadow.
And now that Marshadow was already in the bag, securing one more member of Ho-Oh's guardian trio for one of his own people wasn't a bad deal either.
"Really? Thank you so much, Ho-Oh!"
Platinum was delighted, and — ever polite — even offered Ho-Oh a proper, grateful bow.
Raikou and Entei — both legendary Pokémon!
Raikou: "???"
Entei: (°一°)
Ho-Oh: "..."
Ho-Oh's face twisted into an extremely strained, painfully human smile.
Waaah. My guardian order's about to lose another member.
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