…
It was hard to rest easy knowing there was going to be a catastrophic attack against humanity for the sins it had caused.
Then I asked myself that night, 'What sins?'
Pokémon were abused, they always were. But I wondered, just why though?
It had to be because Mew's own image was bastardized for power. I had no idea where Mewtwo was, but the only reason I could gather that Ho-Oh was going to attack when it never had any reason to otherwise, was because Mew's existence in this world was different.
Mew was never viewed as a deity in the original Pokémon series, at least, it wasn't seen as the savior of all of humanity, and serving as the symbolic link between mankind and all Pokémon. So for Mew's image to be turned into a living weapon, a thrall for humanity's power, made a whole lot of sense.
But what troubled me wasn't the reason for Ho-Oh's attack. That much was inevitable.
It was why? And when?
About twelve hours later, after some uncomfortable silence as I cautiously prepared to challenge my fifth Gym, I got my answer.
The strike wasn't in Johto. It was in Kanto.
I had prayed to Mew for every night for fifteen days straight, every morning when I woke up, and every night when I went to bed.
And the message was clear, I don't know why. But I could see it.
Fuchsia City.
…
Blue Oak lived a relatively straightforward life.
He had no girlfriend, despite being well into his twenties he barely had a social life.
His sister Daisy popped into his gym in Viridian City every now and then, but besides her, he didn't talk to anyone outside of everyone he was training.
It was his duty to train the best kids in Kanto to follow in his footsteps.
Following his victory at the last World Championships, Blue decided he was going to focus more on his team of up and coming Trainers.
Blue's team consisted of several Pokémon, he had captured hundreds over the years since his youth, but his main six were mostly the same he used since he battled Red when they were ten.
He had Blaistoise, Arcanine, Pidgeot, Alakazam, Rhydon, and Exeggutor.
Each of his Pokémon were so skilled, strong, and experienced, that on their own with light instruction from Blue he could help his younger brother, Gary, Ash Ketchum, and a few other kids from Kanto trying to become the next best in the world like him.
One morning, he got a phone call.
As he watched training from the stands, Blue spoke.
"Hey gramps."
Oak spoke seriously, not even bothering with formalities. "Blue, you're needed in Fuchisa city immediately."
"What for?"
"I don't know, the message came in from Pokémon League high command. Rocket activity has spiked dangerously, whatever they were stealing it was high grade chemicals, and they're still around. Something to do with Pokémon genetics."
Blue sighed. "Wait, Rockets stealing chemicals? How come this is the first I'm hearing about it?"
"I can't say, but you need to go. Now."
Blue understood his tone.
…
Ash and the other kids were confused as Blue suddenly canceled training for the day and had them standing around the front entrance.
"Is it Team Rocket?" he said.
"I can't say," Blue muttered, releasing his Pidgeot, her harness already drawn.
Gary was curious too. "I get that it's League business, but you look worried out of your mind big bro. Can't you tell us anything? Anything at a-"
"Go home tonight everyone, tomorrow morning. I'll be able to speak to you all."
No one dared say anything, Blue was done fixing his harness to his Pidgeot in under a second.
In a flash, Pidgeot spread her wings, and Blue was flying south from Viridian City Gym's front lawn.
"What the heck is going on?" asked a girl on Blue's team of Trainers.
"It can't be good, whatever it is." said Gary. "Daisy said he's been running this Gym for over ten years. And he's never cancelled class or skipped training, not even one day."
…
The second Blue arrived in Fuchisa City, something was very off.
There weren't Team Rocket posters or graffiti hidden in the alleyways, nor too much crime. In fact, other than police reports showing Rockets did in fact manage to steal lab supplies, there was almost no sign of them.
But Blue knew right away there was a very good reason why he was called, and it wasn't just Team Rocket.
Something was seriously wrong with Fuchisa City.
Pokémon were acting strange, even people too. More on edge, stressed, and anxious.
Pokémon rangers had been deployed, as missing Pokémon were reported all over the city. Calls across the Kanto region began to reach Pokémon ranger centers of typical Pokémon bird migrations specifically avoiding Fuchisa City, and other wildlife was affected also.
A fistfight even broke out over a small disagreement near the Safari zone over haggling prices for a roving trader's goods.
Blue and the local Gym leaders, Koga and his daughter Janine, spent all day, until the middle of the day, just trying to figure out just what was going on.
There was speculation of Team Rocket putting some sort of simulant in everyone's food and water, Pokémon's included, but then they realized what it was, and it was something no one had seen for centuries.
Almost thousands of years.
…
I had arrived in Fuchsia City in the nick of time.
It was unlike what I was expecting.
Even though it was certainly a regular Kanto village, with a few thousand people, only one tower stood up among the rest. A large belltower near the town center completed with a large clock. Just after it struck midday, Ho-Oh had appeared.
Crystal and Gold asked me on the whole bullet train ride over just why we were heading out to Kanto for no particular reason at all in the middle of the morning.
But all I told them and Ino was 'I needed their help.'
Ino asked one question. "Are the spirits involved?"
I gave him a nod, and Gold and Crystal both were mostly silenced. Inoru was the only adult in the group and that was reason enough for both of them.
We reached Fuchisa City and barely had enough time to leave the train station by the time we felt it.
I realized immediately what it was.
Ho-Oh's Pressure.
Pressure was a Pokémon ability held mostly by Legendaries, but in some cases others. But until now, I had no idea how powerful it could be depending on the Pokémon.
It allowed Pokémon, or Mythical Pokémon in this case, to exert their feelings. The entire world around them, all their emotions, all their stresses, were felt by everything around them.
In this case, Ho-Oh's rage was so massive that even before it arrived, people were fighting a bit in the streets. Not too much that Fuchsia City was a madhouse, but still.
Then, as Ino, Gold, Crystal and I all stood in the old paved streets of Fuchisa City, a shadow appeared over the town.
No one had seen the bird all day, despite how large and bright it was, because it able to fly so high that no one could see it for miles. Mythical Pokémon were able to do things like that, things that even by Pokémon standards, were supernatural.
When Ho-Oh soared out of the clouds and down into the ground, I witnessed just how large and strong the bird was.
Each Mythical Pokémon represented an aspect of humanity's connection to something. Spirits, time, mind, matter. Ho-Oh's connection, was between the sun, and society. No wonder, because even for a regular summer's day, it was unbearably hot for hours, the sun was unnaturally bright.
Kanto's summers were mild at best, today it was easily well into the 110 Farenheit range, if not above that.
And when Ho-Oh appeared, the way the sun reflected off its wings created dazzling displays of colors, tiny funneled rainbows in all directions. At first people didn't even know what they were looking at.
Some were shocked, others amazed, some fearing for their life being confused beyond reason.
No one knew what Ho-Oh was really supposed to look like, only stories. It was so large that its full wingspan offered shade for the entirety of a well sized village like Fuchsia City. It had gorgeous red wings, a long golden beak, and a layer of white and green feathers beneath it.
Its white underbelly was so incredibly clean that one could be mistaken for appearing to spot it as the whitest thing in existence. Every one of its colors was striking, more vibrant, elegant, powerful, and unique than anything else I'd ever seen.
Ino could tell what it was, and he dropped to his knees.
I would've followed suit, but what happened next stopped him and everyone in seconds.
When Ho-Oh perched itself sideways on Fuchisa's main belltower, the ground shook slightly. A third of the town was blanketed in a golden reflection from its tailfeathers. Then, Ho-Oh released a sound, one so powerful a small earthquake occurred around the entire town, Fuchsia City was shaking for almost six seconds straight.
Ho-Oh's warcry was so strong that every wild Pokémon fled instantly. Even a few people began to scream and run for their lives.
The Sun God spread its wings and dove high up for a second, and when it dove down again, it began to blanket the entire town in fire.
Raging, giant, vicious bright red plumes of flames so strong they made Ho-Oh's own appearance appear miniscule by comparison.
"What in the!?" Ino jumped up. "By the name of Mew-"
"Why is that Pokémon attacking!? What even is it!?" barked Gold.
Crystal turned to me. "Is that why we're here?"
"I wasn't sure if it would happen today, er. Doesn't matter, point is, we have to save as many people as possible before Ho-Oh consumes the entire town."
Ino shook his head. "It's one of the Holy Spirits, the sign of humanity's connection to the sun and rainbows themselves. I've read scrolls on it, it is the spiritual embodiment of color! It cannot be evil, it must be reasoned with!"
"Whatever it is," Gold was already releasing Quilava, and a Quagsire he'd caught. "It's not friendly!"
A woman gripped her baby to her chest and began to run right out of town in the street next to us.
"You always have a plan." said Crystal. "Right?"
"This isn't Gym practice," I noted obviously. "We have to save as many people as we can."
…
Police officers were guiding people out of the town, but several streets were cut off by destroyed cars, and giant walls of flames. Whatever Ho-Oh breathed, it wasn't normal. It had a level of destructive and flame potent capacity beyond any regular fire, even by Pokémon standards.
Sacred Fire, was part of Ho-Oh's own will, not meant able to be extinguished by any normal methods.
The 'battle' Blue, the best Trainer I'd ever met was having against Ho-Oh was more like a one sided beatdown.
He began to throw out as many Pokémon as he could, Water types that weren't even on his regular team, and none of them could leave a dent against him.
Blastoise's fully powered Hydro Pump should've sent Ho-Oh packing, but it barely seemed to annoy it.
Crystal's Crocnaw was having trouble putting out the fires at all, as well as the entire town's fire capacity.
"Help me!"
I turned from ordering Ursaring to move aside cars and debris to help people trapped in an alleyway escape.
"Oro!"
Vigoroth was able to help me climb up a burning building, and we managed to rescue a small girl with her baby Rattata.
I looked to the sky, watching Ho-Oh shriek and bask another section of the town in flame. If it was mad at Team Rocket alone, I'd get it, but the docks of Fuchsia city were destroyed by the beginning of this.
Gold appeared to be on the verge of tears halfway through. Almost all of his Pokémon had fainted, and several were very seriously injured.
Quilava was meant to withstand a volcano's worth of heat, and it was beaten to a pulp from the amount of Sacred Fire it had to go through to rescue civilians and Pokémon from the buildings around. It wasn't burned, just simply hurt from the sheer amount and degree of the fire it was running through.
Crystal's Crocnaw was starting to run out of juice, it could only spray water for so long, and Blue's Pokémon were dropping like flies. One by one, against Ho-Oh itself.
Inoru gripped my shoulder as we stood in the center of the burning town. "Nico. We have to go. Now!"
"You know me. I will never, turn my back on those who need me!"
"But if we stay here, we'll die!"
It hurt to admit it, but he was probably right.
The Sacred Fire from all around us began to reach the streets, Crystal and her Crocnaw pulled back, and back, and back. Both of them exhausted. Gold was so upset over seeing his exhausted and bruised Quilava that he was kneeling, holding him in his arms.
Ho-Oh's Fire Blast was so powerful that its plume of flames struck a tall tower over, cutting us off completely from the town center. Its fire attacks were so strong that it could cut through several layers of brick, concrete, steel.
Throughout all of this, Espeon wasn't here, prior to the battle, he told me that 'my instincts would guide me.'
Not that I blamed him, there was very little for him to do.
I thought all was lost, until Leaf arrived from Pallet Town.
She began to release Pokémon from the air, riding the back of a Togekiss.
Togekiss and someone's Fearow hit Ho-Oh at the same time with Hyper Beam. Togekiss, despite its decently high Special attack stat and years of experience, couldn't leave a dent in Ho-Oh.
It didn't even try to block or dodge, Togekiss might as well as have been using Lovely Kiss or something.
Ho-Oh turned, somewhat annoyed, and sprayed Leaf with a Flamethrower plume the size a decently average oil pipeline. She certainly would've died atop her Togekiss if it didn't pull away and dodge by spinning at the last second.
I noticed something.
"Where's Growlithe!?"
I turned, seeing a huddled group of civilians a Nurse Joy and a few others were attending to near the relative safety of the town's exit at the end of the street I stood upon.
"My Growlithe! I just sent it into these buildings, where is it!?"
"It's in those apartments, right down that block!" an old lady called back out.
I sprinted at full speed in the other direction.
"Nico!" I heard Ino yell when I ran into the apartment building.
Ursaring was available as Vigoroth was probably still rescuing others.
He cleared a massive amount of rubble out of the way near the apartment buildings entrance, and four seconds later I realized how hot it was in here.
The walls were on fire, everything was on fire. There was so much smoke that it was hard to see anything that well.
"Growlithe!? Growlithe are you in here!?" I asked, narrowly avoiding falling through a wooden staircase that was collapsing from all the flames.
I heard the pup's yelps.
As I started to walk up, Ursaring's weight collapsed the lower part of the staircase with a deafening 'crack.'
We were momentarily split up, and he remained behind.
"I'll be fine!" I said, seeing the bear Pokémon fail to leap up to my spot near the exit to the fourth floor. "Just get back to the others, we're all getting out of here!"
I saw large amount of burning debris fall from above, blocking my view of Ursaring when he stepped back into the other floor.
I turned, and began to chop, push, punch and kick aside some planks and furniture that trapped the entrance to someone's one bedroom apartment.
Stolen story; please report.
A little boy was gripping Growlithe for dear life, the two pinned beneath a couch that had fallen from the hole in the roof above them.
With great effort, I pushed the entire thing off of them and they pulled away.
I rubbed Growlithe's head, grateful to see him alive as the little boy whimpered.
"I-I can't find my momma."
His leg was definitely broken.
"It'll all be okay, here."
I loaded the kid onto my shoulder as Growlithe was in enough shape to follow us.
"Do you know the way out boy!?" I said.
Growlithe had no defense against the piles of debris between holes in the walls and roofs, and the exit out of the apartment was blocked when I returned to the door I had busted through.
I ran over to, and kicked open a glass window by the balcony. The fire escape was melted apart, hard steel would melt apart from even being close to the heat blasts Ho-Oh unleashed.
I turned, there was only one way off this balcony and this building had maybe another twenty minutes tops before it collapsed.
I looked around, there were no flying Pokémon nearby that could help me.
Did I jump? Between a broken pair of legs and near certain death, I'd rather have crutches for a few weeks.
Then, I suddenly began to float into the air, Growlithe along with me.
The boy on my shoulder began to wail in surprise, when suddenly, we were lifted off the ground of the balcony and onto the street safely nearby.
I thought it was Blue's Alakazam at first, but it appeared to be Leaf's Espeon instead.
"Thank you." I breathed out.
As if to say 'you're welcome' the Espeon licked the back of her paw and bounded away, likely to help other folks.
I followed her to the town square, which was beyond ruined at this point.
Blue dismounted his Pidgeot, whose wings had been singed from even being close to Ho-Oh's rage at this point.
"Nico!?" Blue appeared both disapproving and worried for my life at the same time. "Get out of here!"
"I came to help, you-"
"There is no helping! Get out of here before you die! Save your friends!"
He wasn't wrong. Growlithe and I could barely help Blue escape, but I could at least talk Blue out of guiding Ho-Oh away from the town instead of battling him here with everything Blue had.
Blue had no opportunity to argue, Ho-Oh blazed a path of fire so powerful that if he hadn't dodged with help from his pair of Arcanines, he would've died. The earth, stone, and debris around the town square was charred to pieces, the very ground shattered by the weight of the Fire Blasts.
All of Blue's Pokémon using ranged Special attacks were mostly being recalled, Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire, Flamethrower, and even the state of the town began to take a massive toll on his team.
Before long, even Blastoise remained as I helped his team rescue other people from Fuchsia City's town square and the decimated buildings around.
One of his Arcanines, I think the mother of the litter I'd adopted from, had to be recalled safely to Blue's Greatball.
It was Blue, Arcanine, Growlithe, and I against the might of Ho-Oh. Leaf and the other Trainers in the air were just pestering it at this point.
I had to recall Growlithe after he was exhausted, the pup had already helped save dozens of people, he had been pushed well past his limits. Both Vigoroth and Ursaring showed up soon after, and even they were done, I had to Return them as well.
Leaf's Espeon was returned, as were most of her best Pokémon. If I wasn't mistaken, a few died, although not from the teams of the World Champions.
Leaf fell, at least, she had to catch her breath in a part of the town in deep cover from Ho-Oh's attacks.
Blue's Pidgeot was recalled too, and now he faced Ho-Oh almost alone.
The gigantic bird's Body Slam was just a swooping attack with its claws. It rushed forward, diving out of the air and trudging up debris, cars, and causing Blue and Arcanine to be sent spiraling backward.
'Nico!' I heard the spirit of Espeon say in my head. 'The wing!'
I remembered, pulling the silver feather from my pockets.
I looked up, Ho-Oh was facing off against Blue on the ground, right in the middle of the square.
Arcanine rushed to defend his master, but Ho-Oh batted it away with its beak, barely needing any effort in its neck to flick it away.
"Arcanine!"
It slumped with probably several broken bones over a nearby wall of a building.
Blue was defenseless, what was he going to do? Rush Ho-Oh with punches and kicks?
But Blue showed no fear, just pure hatred as he stared down Ho-Oh with sheer anger at the scene he'd caused. Saying nothing, Blue staring off against Ho-Oh was probably one of the most badass things I've ever seen anyone do.
I had already cut the distance between the two of them in seconds during all of this, and I had no thoughts only feelings.
Just three words.
"Lugia! Protect me!"
In a giant flash of light, a white Barrier activated around Blue and I.
Releasing a massive screech first before the attack, the mythical Pokémon attempted to scorch us away into ashes. Ho-Oh was blasting us both at point blank range with Flamethrower. The fire formed beautiful colors and rainbow lights all around us.
My fist clenched around the Silver Wing, the barrier continued well through Ho-Oh's blast, fire continuing to stream past us as if we were in standing in a glass tube, underwater in a river of flame.
Ho-Oh stopped breathing fire, looking at us. Confused for half a second, almost wondering why we weren't dead.
Still feeling Lugia's presence through my hand and my entire body, I yanked forward punching towards Ho-Oh itself, as if I could feel invisible strings attached to each of my fingers. Suddenly, the waters surrounding all of Fuchsia City engulfed the burning town, killing all the fires Ho-Oh created around us.
I looked right at Ho-Oh as if to say:
Your move.
Something struck Ho-Oh's back several strikes from Flying Pokémon I believe.
I lifted my eyes, seeing several other Trainers in the dozens, arrive on the backs of flying Pokémon, even a Dragon or two, and by that point Ho-Oh left, fleeing the city as quickly as it had appeared.
I don't think Ho-Oh felt it was in any real danger, more than it was too much of an annoyance to it to keep fighting at this point.
The God of Rainbows and Sun spread its wings and left, and in its wake, left a devastated town.
I don't think Kanto, Johto, or even the world would ever be the same ever again.
Blue spoke to me. "How did you do that?"
"Same way I managed to do everything in the Pokémon League until now. What I learned from the monks." I nodded a bit. "Trust in the spirits."
Blue, almost too confused to say anything for a second, typically a bit stoic and snarky sometimes, moved forward.
And the man hugged me.
Then he collapsed. He had no energy left from battling, and he was severely burned all over his back.
"Blue?"
I looked him over, extremely worried. "Blue!?"
"Blue!"
…
"2,336."
There was what was called an 'Emergency Peace Summit' typically called when two regions of the Pokémon world experienced war, great instability, or events like what just happened.
Professor Oak stood in a large room in Goldenrod City, meant for debates like this.
The world's best Trainers, politicians, Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, Pokémon champions, and those in charge of several organizations were in attendance. The leaders of the Pokémon Rangers, my own religion, the Sprout Order, groups of all kinds were here.
"2,336." repeated Samuel Oak. "That's the final death count we have for this ordeal."
He began to speak, using a powerpoint presentation of sorts through a large blue screen, the rest of us sitting in darkness and silence.
"At 13:06 two days ago, a massive bird Pokémon appeared out of the sky. And without warning nor reason, completely burned down Fuchsia City." Oak turned a slide over. "This Pokémon has never been seen by any Trainer or person alive, in fact, most have gone their lives without catching a glimpse of it."
He went on. "Records of this beast date back hundreds of years, using sources provided by the Sages, this Pokémon is named Ho-Oh."
A picture of Ho-Oh screeching as it nested on Fuchsia's clock tower as the town burned all around it was shown on screen. "We have, as of now, no idea where it came from, what its motives were. Nor how a Pokémon of this size and power can even exist. Within an hour and a half, nothing but rubble remained of the entire town."
Oak paused.
"The only thing we have at our disposal as of now, is one question. What do we do next?"
"We pray for Mew's forgiveness."
A few gasped, lights returned to the room when Oak ended his presentation and a few monks entered through the hallway.
Elder Toji had removed himself from Takujimi, the first time in history most likely. A few people were following him, including the Sage who I recognized officiated Muchmoney's wedding.
Oak was curious. "What do you mean pray for forgiveness?"
"The spirits only reveal themselves for a reason. They only attack for a reason, and they will only pass judgement for a reason." explained Toji. "For Ho-Oh to raze a town, it must be furious with humanity."
"But why?" asked Champion Cynthia.
A few began to murmur to each other, and Toji passed by me.
"Toji, I'm so sorry if-"
"You've done beautifully child." Toji said calmly, smiling at me lightly. "Don't worry, you've done nothing wrong."
"Who cares why the bird did it!?"
A big booming voice erupted, a man resembling Guile from Street Fighter in both height, muscle, hair, and clothes stood up.
Oak spoke quietly. "The assembly recognizes the Gym Leader from Vermillion City." he said, almost an afterthought.
"Over twenty three hundred innocent people were murdered. It doesn't matter if a Pokémon, or a myth, or anything did it. We need to put together an army. And destroy it! Now!"
Surge had emphasized his words by pounding on the table Oak had his presentation with both fists. The man was so strong he had left indents.
There was a strong amount of murmuring of agreement.
"You may try. And you will fail," advised Toji quietly.
Surge crossed his arms. "I've never lost a battle in over thirty years. The twerps who show up at my Gym win one time in three hundred and seven. What makes you think Ho-Oh will be any different?"
"The Spirits represent aspects of our very existence. Of humanity's connection to the physical world around us. They are the measures of our character as a species." explained the Elder of Takujimi Shrine.
"Really?" Surge grinned widely. "Tell me old man, if this supposed God is so fair? Why did he just burn a town to the ground? How can it keep our world in balance?"
"Has anyone noticed how much hotter it's gotten since yesterday?" Toji sighed as the room realized his point, stroking his long white beard, resting his staff on the ground. "Summer will last longer, and until the Gods are placated. We will only continue to suffer."
Cynthia rubbed her chin. "I understand why Pokémon that haven't existed for centuries would come out to punish humanity. If, and only if we actually committed sins worthy of that. That begs the question, which sins?"
Toji spoke. "I believe my student will be able to explain."
All eyes turned to me.
"Um."
"Go on." I heard Ino whisper behind me.
"My name is Nico, I'm from Takujimi Temple. This is hard to explain, but I saw Ho-Oh attacking a town through a vision."
A few murmurs were spread but Oak spoke. "What vision?"
"It was in a cave where I found this."
I revealed part of Lugia's wing.
I handed it to the Professor, and Oak observed it. "I've studied Pokémon all my life, no Pokémon possesses a wing made of this material." he held it up to the light. "It's not platinum, nor silver, nor any other kind of metal. Yet, a metal all the same."
"No Pokémon would have it but Ho-Oh's exact opposite. His water type counterpart." I said. "I was at the beach, and a spirit lead me to a shrine to Lugia."
"Why not tell anyone the attack was going to happen?" challenged Surge instantly.
I nodded. "I did, I told Oak something very dangerous was going to happen from Ho-Oh and to alert the Pokémon League. I knew nothing else except that it was going to happen soon and somewhere in Johto. I was wrong, and he made the right call in sending people to where Rockets were last spotted."
Cynthia shook her head, putting her hands on her hips. "So you foretold the attack? Not impossible. But what about the reason for it?"
"And why not say anything until now?" asked Oak.
I thought of Rocket's creation of Mewtwo.
"Team Rocket was able to recompose Mew's genetic matrix. They collected DNA samples from every Pokémon on Earth, to reconstruct Mew's genes in a computer. Then they built a weapon."
Surge spoke up first amidst the chatter. "What kind of weapon?"
Sabrina, the Psychic type Gym leader, looked at me cautiously, oddly silent despite everyone around her being so vocal.
"The kind so strong, that if it matures, it could probably reshape the planet as we know it." I admitted. "His name is Mewtwo, and it probably explains Team Rocket's revival and success."
There was some light chatter and Oak looked to me. "What makes you gather that?"
"Ever wonder why Team Rocket was able to do so well? To make people and Pokémon disappear so easily? To hide in plain sight? It was something I realized when Ho-Oh attacked. Some Pokémon are so powerful, that their presence, their mind, can shape everyone's thoughts, feelings, and knowledge around them."
Oak scratched his chin. "That much we already knew. But you're saying Mewtwo's power is beyond that? Several factors above the abilities of the average psychic Pokémon."
"That's exactly what I'm saying. Team Rocket was able to design a Pokémon as powerful as Mew itself and if not, far stronger."
"Then why doesn't it break free of Rocket's control? Think for itself? Act for itself?" asked Cynthia.
"Because it doesn't yet understand what freedom means," I said. "When I saw it in my vision, it was small, like a baby. It probably views Team Rocket like some sort of parental figure. And when kids grow up, they stop listening to their parents."
I imagined the peril of Mewtwo going off on his own, and what that would mean.
"They rebel."
"A Pokémon of this caliber, is it possible to even exist? Can it be worthy of so much suffering to upset, as the monks say. Gods?" asked Oak. "Pokémon have indeed several unique and world altering qualities, but none I've found to such an extent."
I agreed with his qualms. Until Ho-Oh, who only appeared ultra destructive, no one knew much about Pokémon's mythos outside of old scrolls and legends.
Eventually, after several Psychic Pokémon specialists discussed for a minute or two, they reached an agreement.
Sabrina nodded silently, fixing the whip strapped to her waist from where she sat in the white briefing room.
"Then we're all in agreement," said Oak. "Everything the monks have said is true. And we should do what they advise next."
"Hold on." Surge crossed his massive arms. "We don't have to follow them for a thing. Their entire job is to make sure stuff like this never happens."
Toji shook his head. "As Nico has explained, this new Pokémon lies well outside the capabilities of any. Detecting it and the suffering it has caused to draw the judgment of the gods. It is, impossible."
"Organized crime around the world is at an all time high." said Surge in his gruff angry voice. "Mythical Pokémon have come back into existence after thousands of years of being shrouded in legend. And at any time, some rampaging fire bird God can kill our children, our friends, everything we know, and you're saying it was impossible to stop? That we deserved it?"
Toji just nodded.
There was some arguing before Oak called for order.
"Nico, you've seen these Pokémon through your visions," said Oak. "What would you advise?"
"I have no idea where Mewtwo is. I don't know how Team Rocket is using it exactly, or how abusive to Pokémon Mewtwo is letting them be. All I know is, they caused so much suffering, they perverted Mew's image so well by their creation and use of Mewtwo. That it reflected this poorly on humanity as a whole."
Toji nodded. "My student is correct. The gods aim to teach us all a lesson, our existence is a blessing. A harmony given to us by the spirits, that can be given as easily as it can be taken away."
"Oh give me a break."
A few took Surge's side as he waved a hand. "This isn't rocket science. We rally every Trainer strong enough to fix this, find this Psychic superweapon, set it free, or kill it if it wants to keep causing more harm. Then we find the Pokémon that burnt down Fuchsia City, and either capture or kill it."
"Weren't you paying attention?" asked Cynthia. "It was just proven it's the reason why the sun functions normally."
Surge sat back down with a sigh. "Ah. No sun in my book should murder thousands just because some lab rats butchered Mew's power for their own gain."
Oak looked at me. "Again, what are you-"
"Why're you listening to him? He's like thirteen."
"Fourteen." I said. "I think I-"
"He has four Gym badges, the only person here who trained him at all were the monks." Surge interrupted again. "Sure he can see some spooky shit through the spirits or whatever. But it doesn't solve our immediate problem. We have no defense against these kinds of Pokémon."
"That isn't the problem." said Cynthia. "We have to fix crime. We stop Team Rocket, and the Gods will be calm again."
"These are false gods!" claimed Brawly, a Gym Leader from Hoenn. "We shouldn't be burned alive because such a small fraction of us only abuse Pokémon for profit."
"False gods?" asked someone else. "They just showed that these gods are real."
"One vicious bird and some promises about visions don't prove jack." Surge rubbed his eyes. "Sorry sweetheart."
"I'm with him. This is all way too convenient," said Volkner respectfully. "Nico of Takujimi begins to climb the ranks of the Junior Pokémon League faster than anyone ever has, the entire time, bringing attention to the Sages, experts on myths, for the first time in centuries. Now, right after a massive Spirit attack, all of a sudden he's supposed to be an expert on world affairs?"
Agatha of the Elite Four scoffed. "Not world affairs, just the matters of spirits. I'm with them and I've raised Ghost Pokémon my whole life."
Oak began to call for order soon after someone insulted Agatha under her breath causing an uproar.
"Nico, ignore the arguments on both sides. Tell us what you want to do next to deal with this Mewtwo situation."
I was a bit shocked.
I doubted Oak had the ability to get everyone to help me. But from what I understood, he would fully take my advice.
I also got why he did it, no one in the room could agree on anything.
"I think I need to train. I need to raise my resiliency and capacity with my visions until I can locate Mewtwo himself. Then we can at least stop Team Rocket from drawing so much blame for us from the Gods."
"Gods." scoffed Surge. "They're Pokémon like any other. Just more powerful and angrier, what's the big deal?"
Agatha thwacked him over the back of the head with her cane. "By Mew! Let the boy speak."
"Why you ratchety hag!-"
When Surge stood up, Gengar appeared out of the white floor of the briefing room. Despite the sight, Surge didn't back down.
Instantly, his Pokémon appeared, ready to fight.
Raichu, resting silently at Surge's feet this whole time curled up in a ball, burst between them, electricity sparkling within his cheeks as he growled. In a fighting stance, tail curled up high.
"Enough of this!" demanded Oak.
"You and this witch are working together for once." Surge balled his fists. "I just can't figure out why yet. This kid shouldn't have a say in anything! I'm putting together a group of my own to deal with this! And you can't stop me!"
"He can! And he should."
Everyone in the room froze.
Blue was being wheeled in on a wheelchair drawn by a Chansey.
The state of a World Champion was enough to make everyone calm down. Most of Blue's body was bandaged from all the burns, a decent bit of his face still covered from soot. I doubt the doctors were able to get it off given that Ho-Oh's fire magic was so strong that regular water had no effect.
"B-Blue, you should be-"
"That wing you're holding Gramps," he interrupted him calmly. "I saw Nico do something with it."
I shook my head slowly. "Look you don't have to say anything."
"You're too modest for your own good," said Blue. "I'm sure you're all wondering why Janine couldn't be here."
That wasn't on my mind until now, but she was one of three Gym leaders unable to attend.
"Koga has passed. They found his body buried close to where I was battling Ho-Oh. I thought he was catching his breath or saving his town halfway through the battle but, I was wrong. Janine is grieving, she left the hospital at four in the morning." announced Blue.
There was silence.
Cynthia was curious. "Blue. You said Nico did something with that wing. Tell me what it was."
"He did some sort of spell with the feather. Ho-Oh was going to douse me in fire, my entire team was down, Leaf was injured and had needed a second to jump back in the fight. Nico ran up to it, stood right in front of that thing with nothing but a piece of silver in his hand, and stopped the fire. Then he put out the flames all over the whole town by enchanting the water."
"How?" asked Surge.
"Barrier," explained Blue. "I don't know how he did it, but the flames didn't touch us."
Oak looked down at the Silver Wing in his hand, now understanding what it meant, handing it back to me.
"Did you know you could do that?" asked Ino.
I shook my head. "All I knew was that if I didn't act, Blue was going to die, I knew the Wing was special too."
"Great instincts." admitted a Gym Leader from Kalos.
Oak then spoke. "Then it's decided. Nico will choose, if you said you wanted to train. I will make the arrangements for you to train wherever you choose until this is resolved."
Everyone agreed, Surge and the semi faction that had formed through all of this merely stayed quiet or looked disapproving but silent.
I made eye contact with Sabrina. "Would you be able to help me with my visions?"
"Not yours. Yours have a psychic element to them, but lie beyond my abilities," she said in a soft, ethereal, yet somehow striking voice. "This new kind of Pokémon, the mythical or legendary kind, the kind you seek. It's not something I would know how to connect to or understand."
I began to turn away from her but she spoke.
"You're always welcome in Saffron City, our doors are open for any advice you might need."
After Clair, I think I had enough of sexy older Gym Leader girls trying to sway me to their side thank you very much. Granted I don't think Sabrina meant it as a flirt, given the severity of the situation.
"Then, who would help me?"
"What about your teachers?" offered Oak.
Ino shook his head. "I'm no expert on the spirits, despite how much I've studied them."
"The precise training Nico is looking for is Aura training." said Toji. "It's something that no one can really master within just a few years. And it's not something I can teach to Nico right away."
"Well why not?" asked one of Misty's sisters.
"With the right control of Aura, as shown with how Nico saved Blue's life," explained Elder Toji. "One can become more powerful than anyone else alive. The things that they'd be capable of are, well. Limitless. It's too much for anyone to have knowledge of, even Nico."
"Don't think we have much of a choice in the matter. He's the only one who can see stuff like this coming," admitted Elesa, of Nimbasa City.
Oak asked Toji directly. "You're refusing to teach your own student this? Even with the consequences being as disastrous as Ho-Oh just proved?"
"You forget," muttered Toji. "It was straying from Mew's teachings of patience, virtue, honesty, and humility that led humanity down this path in the first place. Nico is talented, and kind, and as he has shown, able to risk his life for others. But he is still young, teaching the use of Aura is restricted to those who have committed decades of their lives to the Sprout Order."
The outcry over this was massive.
"Master," Ino whispered.
"Every Sage you'll meet will agree with me on this. Even if I taught Nico everything I knew about Aura it would undermine its purpose. You are not taught the lessons of the spirits for power, even to defend others. You do it for its own sake."
"Then you're a shittier teacher than I initially expected," Surge muttered, standing up.
"Where are you going?" asked Clair.
"To find Team Rocket and this freakshow they have locked up spreading enough chaos to bring the spirits back. I have only two words for how people who mess things up that badly deserve mercy."
He balled his fists as he began to leave the room. "Fuck. That." he grunted out.
People began to follow him.
Volkner. A few other Gym leaders, mayors, and a governor or two followed him as well.
Chuck, a beefy but good natured Gym Leader from Cianwood City began to laugh, surprising everyone throughout all this.
He slapped his knee as he chuckled loudly. "I know who you should train with!"
I was confused. "You do?"
"Sure, me!"
"You?"
"I don't know anything about the spirits. But I know you love karate! So long as Oak gets the paperwork to prove it, I can help you get back in touch with yourself. Then, I'm sure you could get the right visions to find that Mewtwo. And er, save the world and what have you."
Oak sighed. "I don't think that-"
"Let me think about it." I smiled lightly.
"Really? Awesome kid, let me know."
"Are you sure you want to train with Leader Chuck?" asked Oak.
I nodded silently. "I'll have to think about it for a bit, but I'll let you both know."
"Very well it's settled. We'll be on our highest alert for signs of Team Rocket and their experiment on Mew," I began to stand up, and Oak spoke. "Meeting adjourned. If you need more information about Cianwood or anything else, I can help you Nico."
"Thanks, Professor."
I wanted to thank Blue for what he did, but he had a question.
Blue knew the Silver Wing still offered the only real method of countering Ho-Oh. "They've been unable to clean my face. Think you could-"
"Definitely," I said instantly, smiling.
I don't know why, but I had the feeling Blue and I were going to always be friends after what I went through today.
I still wanted to be friends with his students though. I think I'd reach out to them after I found a good way to find Mewtwo.
…
That night when I slept in the Pokémon center, I woke up and was still asleep, clearly still in my bedroom.
"Hello?"
A pair of red eyes were staring back at me. An Umbreon was sitting on Inoru's bed.
"Hello," Umbreon spoke in my mind, blinking at me. "You seek a Master, a Sensei for your karate and your Aura right?"
A Pokémon spirit appearing in a vivid dream was nothing new to me. The only surprising part was meeting an Umbreon for the first time.
"For sure, I have no idea how to find Mewtwo or stop Team Rocket. Or bring balance again to stop Ho-Oh and the other Legendaries from being so angry again."
Umbreon nodded. "I do know someone, someone who has fully mastered Aura and would be willing to teach you."
"Mastered Aura? But like, that's impossible. Elder Toji is the only master of Aura in the world, and he's like a million years old."
"Never doubt the impossible Nico," Umbreon said in my mind with a smooth, masculine voice similar to the Espeon I was used to. "After today, you shouldn't."
Right.
"If you're interested, go to Mount Li-Yan, it's near a village just a few miles west of Olivine City towards Hoenn."
"But what's there- Hey, wait!"
I woke up again, this time, I knew I was back in the real world and not the spirit type version of it as Inoru was in his bed asleep and there was a digital clock.
I ran to the wall the Umbreon had phased through.
The window was facing west from here in Goldenrod City. That meant, the Umbreon spirit was someone's Pokémon. Or at least, another spirit guardian with some sort of connection to a real mountain, same way Espeon had a connection in the past too.
I mumbled quietly beneath my breath. "Mount Li-Yan, is that even real?"
Espeon spoke in my mind. 'It is, just. Be careful.'
"Be careful? So it is real?"
No response. Man, these spirits were annoying sometimes.
If there was something I needed right now, it was Aura training. People had died, I needed to act.
And despite all their flaws, spirits never lied.
…
…
…