"This doesn't make sense…"
Held firmly in Ho-Oh's powerful claws, Ryuu Shiro helplessly gazed down at the night scenery below.
Although he wanted to have a proper conversation with this legendary Pokémon, Ho-Oh completely ignored him after he tried to greet it.
After two attempts, Ryuu Shiro gave up.
Ho-Oh's flight was incredibly fast, but perhaps out of consideration for its passenger, Ryuu Shiro didn't feel the impact of the strong wind or any discomfort.
"Where is Ho-Oh taking me?"
Time passed quickly, and Ryuu Shiro noticed that Ho-Oh's speed was slowing down, and it was descending.
Frowning, Ryuu Shiro carefully observed the area below, but he didn't recognize it.
However, he knew it couldn't be too far from Blackthorn City, as Ho-Oh had only been flying for less than half an hour.
In other words, they were still within the Johto region.
"There are quite a few people… and they've been kidnapped too."
Ryuu Shiro looked down. From this height, he could see clearly. There were several children on the ground, all around seven or eight years old. Some looked around in confusion, while others were quietly crying.
Ho-Oh gently landed and released Ryuu Shiro before taking off again, not even glancing at the children on the ground.
"Why is Ho-Oh kidnapping these kids? Ho-Oh is supposed to be a benevolent Pokémon."
Ryuu Shiro glanced at his fellow "prisoners," both boys and girls, still puzzled but starting to form a rough guess.
At the pinnacle of the Pokémon world are the legendary Pokémon, or "Legendary Beasts," as they were commonly referred to in his previous life. Even in this real world, these high-level legendaries, whose life and species levels are almost at the world's limit, are revered as gods!
Legendary Pokémon have diverse personalities, but aside from those like Yveltal and Kyurem, who are extremely difficult to get along with, most legendaries remain dormant in some corner of the world, indifferent to humans and keeping to themselves. Some are even quite friendly toward humans.
The most famous ancient legendaries in Kanto are Mew, Ho-Oh, and Lugia. Although Ho-Oh was deeply disappointed in humans hundreds of years ago and left its habitat, the Bell Tower in Ecruteak City, it still holds some hope for humanity.
The best proof of this is the Three Legendary Beasts, who roam the world on Ho-Oh's behalf, searching for pure-hearted children to become Rainbow Heroes.
Ho-Oh may despise humans with dark hearts, but it would never harm innocent people, let alone resort to kidnapping. This is why Ryuu Shiro couldn't understand what was happening.
"Hmm~"
Just then, a deep, resonant cry echoed through the air. Ryuu Shiro looked up, his red eyes widening as another massive Pokémon came into view. Its elegant white body was breathtakingly beautiful even under the night sky. It was Lugia, the legendary Pokémon revered by devout humans as the "Guardian of the Seas"!
Lugia descended, gently placing a young child on the ground using its psychic powers…
Is Lugia also a kidnapper?
Seeing this, Ryuu Shiro's eyelids twitched. He was starting to piece things together.
Being suddenly kidnapped was undoubtedly terrifying for these young children, especially when their kidnapper was a man wearing an ice-carved mask, exuding a cold and sinister aura.
Yes, the mastermind behind this extravagant use of two high-level Kanto legendaries as kidnappers had finally appeared.
"It's that old monster, after all."
Ryuu Shiro sighed inwardly. While being kidnapped by Ho-Oh was confusing, seeing Lugia confirmed his suspicions. Both Ho-Oh and Lugia stood at the pinnacle of the world, their power immense. The only person capable of taming both and forcing them to kidnap innocent children was the man standing before them.
Yes, it was none other than Pryce, the Masked Man, the most terrifying boss in the Pokémon Special manga!
In the original story, it was Pryce who captured Ho-Oh and Lugia, using them to search for talented children across Kanto to further his plans. Among these children were Green, Silver, Karen, and Will.
"But this would become his greatest failure, something Pryce likely never anticipated."
As Ryuu Shiro observed the gray-robed Pryce, his eyes gleamed with insight.
Defeating and capturing Ho-Oh and Lugia was undoubtedly Pryce's greatest achievement.
However, later on, both Ho-Oh and Lugia abandoned him.
Why?
In Ryuu Shiro's view, both Ho-Oh and Lugia were benevolent legendaries.
Being forced to kidnap innocent children and destroy families went against their nature, leaving them deeply dissatisfied.
While Pryce's strength had earned their respect, his character clearly didn't meet their standards.
Thus, after this incident, both legendaries turned their backs on Pryce.
In the Pokémon world, it's not just humans who choose Pokémon as companions—Pokémon also choose their partners. And legendaries, with intelligence rivaling humans, are no exception!
Even if they are defeated and captured, if the trainer doesn't meet their expectations, legendaries will leave!