After seeing the feather clearly, Albus suddenly felt his breath catch.
This… this… this…
Could it be something that the Ancient Moon Bird had pulled from the Phoenix King's body?
"Gah!"
Will Young yawned, looking tired.
Albus recalled it into the Master Ball, holding the iridescent feather with a complicated expression as he returned to the cabin.
It was just a feather. Surely, the Phoenix King wouldn't hold a grudge over it, right?
He carefully recalled the Phoenix King from the stories.
According to legend, the Phoenix King had the ability to resurrect the dead. Wherever it flew, it left a rainbow, and those who saw it would gain eternal happiness.
Legends from the Johto region said that the Phoenix King once lived in the Bell Tower of Enzhu City.
Later, after the neighboring tower burned down, Ho-oh left and began wandering the world, searching for Pokémon trainers with pure hearts.
In the anime, Ho-oh appeared only a few times.
The only movie featuring Ho-oh was "The Show is You!".
There, the Phoenix King left a feather for Sammy, and he and Pikachu embarked on a fantastic journey, eventually becoming the Hero of the Rainbow.
However, the title seemed to hold little significance. Even if Sammy never mentioned it, nobody would know he was the Hero of the Rainbow.
Thinking about it, the Rainbow Feather had no apparent use beyond summoning the Phoenix King again.
Albus had no intention of meeting the Phoenix King.
He had no money and could starve before reaching his destination.
Rather than taking the feather to undergo a hero's trial, he figured he might as well do something practical.
Like selling it.
If it was valuable, he could sell it to afford capturing more Pokémon.
Of course, aside from summoning the Phoenix King, the feather could also signify its approval and bring good luck.
More importantly, the Phoenix King had given feathers to more than one person.
Aside from Sammy, in the Johto chapter, it had also left a feather for a man named Elwood from Enzhu City. But after that, it never appeared to him again—not until he was old and near death.
Even if they were from different timelines, Albus couldn't help but feel like the Phoenix King was a Pokémon version of a scumbag.
"What do you think?" he asked Lorcan and Magical Leaf after pondering for a while.
"Rao Lili…" Magical Leaf looked helpless. It had never even heard of the Phoenix King!
Albus turned to Lorcan.
The Gengar spread its claws. "Don't look at me. I don't recognize it either."
Albus: "..."
"I'm asking if this feather was plucked by Will Young from the Phoenix King."
"Rollili…"
Magical Leaf and Lorcan looked at each other. Thinking about what that stupid bird had done, they nodded.
Lorcan smirked. "Seems possible."
Then, with a mischievous grin, it added, "You could have the stupid bird pluck a few more. Just enough to make a feather duster."
Albus: "..."
How bold!
A mere Gengar, daring to be so disrespectful to the legendary Phoenix King!
Wasn't it afraid of being incinerated by its Sacred Fire?!
Albus wanted to ask that question but stopped himself.
Pokémon weren't like humans—they lacked civilization.
Like Magical Leaf, if he hadn't caught it, it might never have seen the ocean and wouldn't have known about legendary Pokémon.
That said, the Phoenix King's feather was truly beautiful.
It was waterproof and reflected vibrant colors under the light.
At that moment, Albus noticed Magical Leaf's shadow shifting.
"!?"
Was this Marshadow, the shadow Pokémon guiding the Rainbow Hero?!
No, it was just a moth fluttering past the lamp.
Albus exhaled in relief.
After all, the Johto region had more than just the Phoenix King's three messengers.
If he counted them all, there was also Marshadow, responsible for guiding trainers who obtained the feather to meet the Phoenix King.
In his previous life, some fans had even jokingly called them "Phoenix King's watchdogs."
Albus worried that Marshadow wouldn't take kindly to him speaking ill of the Phoenix King and might attack him.
But in the movie, Sammy only met Marshadow after encountering Entei.
Now, not only had Albus never met Entei, but he hadn't even seen Suicune, which could supposedly be caught in a human net.
So, there was no way Marshadow would appear here.
Feeling reassured, Albus suddenly realized he still didn't know if this world followed the anime, the special episodes, or the game's storyline.
"No, I need to find out what Professor Oak's grandson is called."
After all this time, he figured it was finally time to take action.
If the name was Gary instead of Green, it meant he wasn't in the most dangerous version of the world.
Based on his experiences over the past few months, the world didn't seem that dangerous.
…
Before Albus' thoughts could spiral further, the passenger ship finally arrived at its destination.
Standing on the deck, he looked at the enormous volcano towering above the jungle.
The words "Chimney Mountain" immediately popped into his mind.
"Chimney Mountain… Groudon should be inside that volcano, right?" Albus muttered to himself.
But he wasn't sure.
According to lore, Groudon usually slept in volcanoes around the world.
And there was more than one volcano in the Hoenn region—not just Chimney Mountain.
As for Kyogre and Rayquaza, one was likely sleeping in an underwater cave, and the other was patrolling the ozone layer.
After disembarking, Albus slung his bag over his shoulder and headed straight for the station, Lorcan floating behind him.
The port was still quite far from Manchester Town.
If he wanted to get there, he had two options: walk or take a bus.
It was winter, and the freezing weather made him reluctant to stay outside any longer than necessary.
Inside the bus, the heater was running, making it a completely different world from the cold outside.
Albus sank into his seat with a satisfied sigh.
But as soon as he opened his eyes, he saw the bossy Lorcan crawling onto his lap.
Lorcan: "Too many humans! They're squishing me to death!"
Albus rolled his eyes. "You can just go back into your Pokéball. No one can touch you there."
Lorcan rejected the idea instantly. "No way!"
Albus: "..."
Fifty minutes later, the two got off at the Manchester Town stop.
Snow blanketed the town, covering everything in white.
The weather was too cold to wander around.
As soon as they arrived, Albus headed straight for a roadside hotel, paying 60 Dollars for a single room.
The hotel had a Japanese-style theme, with a cozy little stove burning inside. Sitting on the tatami, he could see the breathtaking snowy scenery through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
A waiter thoughtfully brought complimentary refreshments.
Albus thanked them and let his Pokémon out to roam freely.
He, however, wrapped himself in a thick quilt.
This kind of weather was perfect for sleeping.
Lorcan gawked. "You came all this way just to sleep?! Can't you do that at home?!"
Albus: "..."
Ignoring Lorcan, he turned away, showing the Gengar his back.
Lorcan: "..."
Phoenix King: I gave you a lucky feather, and you want to sell it for money?!
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