Chapter 5: A Shiny Fearow?! Ho-Oh Would Be Insulted! Ho-Oh's Luxurious Trait Set and the Rainbow Feather!
---
Public System Info:
The higher a Pokémon's level, the higher the minimum rarity of trait drops:
Beginner & Basic: White trait guaranteed
Intermediate: Blue trait guaranteed
Advanced & Pro: Purple trait guaranteed
Gym Leader: Orange trait guaranteed
Elite Four: Red trait guaranteed
Champion: Gold trait guaranteed
Legendary Domain: Rainbow trait guaranteed
Trait quality and rarity are affected by the Pokémon's species, evolutionary stage, and rarity.
Final evolutions, pseudo-legendaries, mythical, and legendary Pokémon all have higher chances of dropping rare traits.
---
Time passed swiftly—soon it was dusk.
The distance between Pallet Town and Viridian City wasn't too far, but wasn't particularly close either.
If traveling on foot, it'd usually take a full day.
Pushing through the night might just get you there by midnight.
But this was a journey—there was no need to rush.
Plus, Ash could take advantage of the time to train Froakie against other wild Pokémon.
It would help him grow stronger and—most importantly—generate trait drops.
While trait drops are random, Ash had figured out the general pattern over the years:
The higher level the wild Pokémon, the higher the chance of rare traits.
Intermediate-level Pokémon usually dropped Blue traits.
Advanced Pokémon dropped Purple traits.
Ash hadn't fought many Advanced-tier Pokémon, but every time he did, he never got anything lower than a Purple trait.
That's the minimum guarantee system in action.
So far, he had only obtained two Red traits total—and only one Orange trait.
It wasn't that Ash had bad luck.
It's just that low-level Pokémon rarely drop high-rarity traits—it was painfully rare!
Not to mention, low-level traits are usually bad quality too.
He'd seen plenty of traits like [Jump Boost] or [Arm Strength Up], and even some with negative effects.
Ash had grinded for years but still hadn't seen a random trait stronger than what Pikachu already started with.
He assumed it was also related to species rarity.
---
As the sun began to set, a soft rain started falling.
Luckily, Ash and Serena had already set up their tents, avoiding getting drenched.
The rain didn't last long, or they would've still ended up soaked even with a tent.
After the rain passed, the skies cleared beautifully.
Serena stretched lazily as she stepped out of the tent.
"Ahhhh—so pretty! The sky looks amazing after the rain! Look, Ash, there's a rainbow!"
She pointed at the gorgeous, multi-colored arc in the distance, eyes sparkling with excitement.
Ash, following behind her, was also stunned by the beauty of the post-rain sky.
But soon… his eyes were drawn to something else.
"Serena, look over there!"
She turned in the direction Ash pointed—
A massive bird, trailing behind it seven-colored light, was flying along the rainbow.
"That's… a Fearow?"
Ash: ???
Excuse me—did you just call that a Fearow?
When I raise a question mark like this, it's not that I'm confused. It's that you clearly have a problem!
"…You might want to look again."
"Uhh… Shiny Fearow?"
"Ha… ha ha…"
Ash didn't know how to respond.
Instead, he let Froakie out of his Pokéball and pointed at the flying Pokémon.
"Pikachu, Froakie, you see that? That's our future target!"
"Pika!"
"Kie no!"
They may not have seen that Pokémon before,
But even from this distance, they could feel the overwhelming pressure it radiated.
Especially Pikachu, a seasoned fighter—
He could sense just how ridiculously powerful this so-called "Shiny Fearow" really was.
This wasn't just a difference in level.
It was a difference in existence itself.
Ash stared deeply at the majestic figure soaring away.
Suddenly, a data window appeared in front of his eyes:
---
[Name]: Ho-Oh
[Gender]: Female
[Trainer]: None
[Type]: Fire / Flying
[Level]: Peak of Legendary Domain
[Ability]: Pressure
[Moves]: Sacred Fire, Brave Bird, Fire Blast, Overheat, Future Sight…
[Talent]: Legendary Domain
[Signature Move]: Light of Life
[Traits]:
God of Life (Rainbow)
Sky Sovereign (Gold)
Phoenix of Flame (Gold)
Divine Pressure (Gold)
Divine Benevolence (Gold)
Divine Inheritance (Gold)
Power of Devotion (Gold)
Battle Instinct (Gold)
Peerless Talent (Gold)
---
Ash's pupils shrank instantly.
What kind of absurdly luxurious trait set is this?!
Nine traits—all Gold or higher.
One of them was even Rainbow!
According to the system's rules, not all Legendary Pokémon possess Rainbow traits.
Only the absolute peak of the Legendaries do.
And Ho-Oh?
Was obviously one of them.
Ash wasn't unfamiliar with Rainbow traits at this point, but compared to this…
The entire lineup of Gold traits nearly blinded him!
Regular Pokémon under Elite Four level could only hold five traits.
Legendary-tier Pokémon could hold up to nine.
This… this was a creature at the very top of the world!
As Ash gazed at the majestic Ho-Oh, it turned slightly—
Its eyes met his.
Just that one glance carried endless weight.
Then, one of its radiant rainbow feathers detached and drifted downward—
Before Ash or Serena could react, the Rainbow Feather floated gently…
And landed right in Ash's hands.
He reached out instinctively and caught it.
A warm, divine energy surged through his body.
Could it be… the legendary Rainbow Wing?