In the eyes of Silas, the others, and their Pokémon, the entire process from the Sacred Fire turning into red light and covering Pidgeot's body to the moment flames engulfed it happened in the blink of an eye.
Hearing Pidgeot's pained cry, Silas instinctively shouted:
"Pidgeot?!"
"It's fine. The aura fluctuations are normal. Its life force is strengthening."
Blaziken's eyes blazed with blue light. After several flashes of aura detection, it gave a conclusion that slightly reassured Silas.
Watching Pidgeot's silhouette flicker within the flames, Silas felt a trace of regret.
"As one of the strongest Legendary Pokémon in the world, Ho-Oh's power might be too overwhelming for Pidgeot, I should have consulted Professor Oak first."
There was no denying it, he had been somewhat carried away by the Sacred Fire.
On one hand, few people or Pokémon could resist the temptation of Legendary power. On the other hand, Morty's sudden appearance had heightened a subtle sense of instability.
As a result, Silas had made the decision after only brief consideration to let Pidgeot absorb the Sacred Fire.
Yes, keeping and carrying it posed certain risks. But thinking about it now, compared to the possible danger and suffering Pidgeot might endure, those risks seemed insignificant.
"At worst, I'll just expose Giovanni's identity and strength outright."
Silas's thinking was simple.
Compared to Sacred Fire of which there might still be remnants the revelation that a Champion-level Trainer who was simultaneously a Gym Leader and the chairman of a publicly listed corporation was the leader of a criminal organization would certainly attract more attention.
Especially when that organization was Team Rocket, which had been particularly active recently.
Given Silas's current backing, unless Giovanni wanted Team Rocket, still in its developmental stage to openly clash with the Pokémon League, he wouldn't dare act against Silas directly.
At most, there would be secret plots targeting him.
Silas had never intended to join Team Rocket anyway. It didn't matter.
As for poachers and the like once Pidgeot broke through to Elite Four level, combined with Kirlia's psychic protection, Silas was confident that even if they couldn't win, they could escape.
Under Telekinesis, an Elite Four-level Pidgeot wouldn't need to worry about the Trainer's physical endurance and could unleash its maximum speed.
That was a terrifying velocity, fast enough to circle the Earth's equator in just over half a day.
Even if that top speed were reduced due to stamina limits and Kirlia's psychic output, it would still be enough to escape danger instantly.
But now that the choice had been made, all Silas could do was pray.
"Please don't let anything happen, Pidgeot."
He stared anxiously at the Pidgeot wreathed in flames.
Time passed slowly.
The fire surrounding Pidgeot continued to burn steadily.
Strangely enough, despite the flames clearly being of immense temperature, the interior of the Burned Tower remained as cool as ever, as if none of the heat from Sacred Fire radiated outward at all.
Silas glanced at Blaziken.
Understanding immediately, Blaziken's eyes once again shone blue.
"No change."
It relayed its perception through aura.
Since peaking ten minutes ago, Pidgeot's aura had shown no further changes.
Neither Blaziken nor Silas knew whether that was good or bad.
"Gengar…"
At some point, Morty had released his Gengar, which gave a soft cry behind its Trainer.
"Is that so? As long as it's sealed off."
Morty nodded solemnly.
Although Sacred Fire produced no heat leakage, its glow was clearly visible even in daylight.
The Burned Tower's complex interior blocked much of it, but signs could still be seen from outside.
And this was the Burned Tower. Morty didn't believe no one would be watching, especially if there was any chance of another fire breaking out.
For safety and secrecy, he had Gengar use Ghost-type energy to form a barrier-like shroud around the exterior.
Most people would likely assume it was just Ghost-type Pokémon playing tricks again.
Morty fixed his gaze on the scene at the center.
"What kind of result will Ho-Oh's flame produce when used on a Pidgeot?"
Suddenly, his pupils shrank.
What was that?
Silas noticed it too.
Within the flames, Pidgeot's form was shrinking.
Before Blaziken could even finish sensing, an oval-shaped shadow instantly replaced Pidgeot.
"That's a Pokémon Egg?"
Silas immediately recognized the silhouette.
As an experienced Trainer who had hatched many Pokémon, he was extremely familiar with the shape of Eggs.
Combining it with the legends from his previous life, Silas quickly made the connection.
"Is this Nirvana? Rebirth, then hatching again stronger, is that what resurrection means?"
Before he could think further, the shadow inside began changing again.
This time, it shifted from an Egg into a Pidgey.
But no matter how he looked at it, this Pidgey silhouette seemed slightly larger than normal, and its crest and tail feathers were subtly different.
"Pidgey—!"
An energetic cry rang out from within the flames.
Silas's face lit up.
With that call, the shadow evolved into the shape of Pidgeotto.
Aside from a larger body and more pronounced crest and tail feathers, the difference between the two silhouettes wasn't dramatic.
Then, before Silas could even catch his breath, the flames suddenly contracted inward.
A brilliant white light erupted from the center.
"Gengar, go outside and use Black Fog to cover the Burned Tower!"
Seeing the sudden surge, Morty reacted immediately, sensing trouble, and ordered Gengar to reinforce the outer barrier.
"Gengar!"
The solid form of Gengar quickly melted into the darkness and vanished.
In Ecruteak City
"Hey, why does the Burned Tower look so dark over there?"
A street vendor chatted casually with nearby people.
Another citizen waved dismissively.
"Oh, what else? Some Trainer probably went in and got messed with by those Ghost-types again."
"Young people these days don't value their lives. Good thing the Ghost-type Pokémon in Ecruteak's Burned Tower don't actually kill anyone. Let them learn a lesson."
A weary middle-aged man added his opinion.
Touring Trainers who overheard the conversation immediately abandoned the idea of heading over.
Rumor had it that the feeling of having your energy drained by Ghost-types was extremely unpleasant.
Even without life-threatening danger, no one wanted to risk their physical condition.
Silas noticed Morty and Gengar's actions, but Blaziken had already explained their purpose earlier, so he remained at ease.
To a certain extent, Morty was helping him.
The white light gradually faded.
Before Silas and his Pokémon stood a Pidgeot unlike any they had seen before majestic and extraordinary.
"Pidgeot—!"
Its clear, resonant cry echoed throughout the Burned Tower.
A violent gust of wind erupted.
The next second, Silas felt himself crushed under an unexpected weight.
"Pidge, pidge~!"
Pidgeot sprawled across Silas's body, rubbing its head vigorously against his chest while chirping joyfully.
"Alright, alright as long as you're fine."
Silas happily stroked Pidgeot's feathers.
"Blazi."
Blaziken stepped closer and carefully examined Pidgeot's current appearance.
Not bad but you're still not better-looking than me.
Pidgeot immediately smacked it with a wing.
Watch how you talk to your senior.
Ampharos trotted over as well, its tail orb glowing brightly. Its eyes were full of envy.
So much fluff…
The three Pokémon quickly began playfully scuffling with each other.
Only now did Silas have the time and energy to properly observe Pidgeot's changes.
First: Size
After bathing in Sacred Fire, Pidgeot's size had increased dramatically, nearly twice its previous bulk.
While larger size wasn't always better for aerial Pokémon, Silas believed this was undoubtedly good news for his Pidgeot.
Judging from its coordination, the significantly larger body hadn't reduced its agility or speed in the slightest.
That meant a major advantage in aerial combat.
The only drawback might be becoming a larger target, but that was unavoidable.
Overall, the benefits clearly outweighed the disadvantages.
Second: Appearance
The most noticeable changes were in its crest and tail feathers.
Silas's earlier observation through the flames hadn't been wrong, these areas differed greatly from ordinary Pidgeot.
Normally, Pidgeot's crest is red in the middle with yellow on both sides. Now, the red and yellow were split evenly, and the length was slightly shorter.
Most strikingly, a long, vivid crimson feather extended prominently from the center of its crest.
"Hmm… a partial atavistic return?" Silas mused.
Its head now somewhat resembled Mega Pidgeot, though with subtle differences.
To Silas, it looked exceptionally cool.
As for the tail feathers, the color had shifted from pure red to a red–gold gradient.
Combined with the crest changes, a strange thought crossed his mind:
"Is this some kind of non-mainstream Pidgeot?"
Of course, the current Pidgeot looked infinitely more majestic than before, truly like a sovereign of the skies.
The "non-mainstream" remark was purely a joke.
Finally: Zero's Status Panel
Pidgeot
Category: Bird Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Height: 2.36 m (Average: 1.5 m)
Weight: 72 kg (Average: 39.5 kg)
Ability: Keen Eye
Hidden Ability: Big Pecks
Moves: (omitted), Sunny Day, Mystical Fire, Flare Blitz, Brave Bird, Defog, Dual Wingbeat, Sacred Fire (Sealed)
Level: 66 (Elite tier)
Potential: Champion
Training Plan: Omitted
After reading it, Silas immediately declared:
"This shouldn't even be called Pidgeot anymore. I should just call it Little Ho-Oh!"
He was absolutely swelling with pride.
The increase to Champion-level potential and the multiple level jumps were expected.
If Ho-Oh's flame couldn't even accomplish that, he would have doubted its authenticity.
But the move list truly shocked him.
Aside from Brave Bird and Sunny Day, the other moves theoretically shouldn't be learnable by Pidgeot.
Defog and Dual Wingbeat aside, the addition of Fire-type moves gave Pidgeot powerful counterplay against Ice-type Pokémon, which normally threaten it.
But the most critical move was the last one, the reason Silas dared to call it "Little Ho-Oh."
Sacred Fire.
Ho-Oh's signature move, capable of burning anything.
Aside from Ho-Oh itself, the only known Pokémon capable of using Sacred Fire was Entei, one of the Legendary Beasts.
As Ho-Oh's resurrected guardian, Entei being granted that power made sense.
But beyond that, no other Fire-type Legendary Pokémon could use Sacred Fire.
For a Normal/Flying-type Pidgeot to possess it was astonishing.
As for "Sealed," that wasn't a major concern.
In Silas's understanding, it was simply because Pidgeot wasn't strong enough yet.
Yes an Elite-level Pidgeot was still too weak.
It might sound strange, but compared to Ho-Oh's signature move, Level 66 was far too low.
If Pidgeot attempted to unleash Sacred Fire now, it might burn itself before burning the enemy or simply lack the energy to release it.
So sealing it was actually a good thing.
Silas firmly believed Pidgeot would one day be able to use it properly.
The Rainbow Wing slowly drifted down.
Silas reached out and caught it.
Perhaps it was just his imagination, but it seemed slightly dimmer than before.
He fell silent, then carefully stored it close to his body.
He didn't believe he was the only one who had ever tried to absorb Sacred Fire.
Yet only he had succeeded.
Surely the Rainbow Wing and Ho-Oh's recognition had played a crucial role.
Morty, meanwhile, was so emotional he could barely contain himself.
Silas tilted his head and saw the powerful Gym Leader kneeling on the ground, prostrated, murmuring prayers.
Faith was indeed powerful.
If Silas, holder of the Rainbow Wing, was a Trainer chosen by Ho-Oh, then Pidgeot being able to absorb Sacred Fire was a Pokémon chosen by Ho-Oh.
Together, that wasn't merely 1 + 1 = 2.
Silas suspected that even if he demolished the Burned Tower right now, the ascetics would interpret it as a sign of Ho-Oh's imminent return.
"Pidgeot, Blaziken, Ampharos return."
After estimating the time, Silas decided it was best to leave.
The disturbance had been significant. Even with Gengar's concealment, it wouldn't stop curious Trainers forever.
He approached Morty, who was still praying.
"Gym Leader Morty, how about I visit the Ecruteak Gym?"
"Yes! Yes!"
Morty snapped back to his senses, remembering his original purpose, and hurriedly led Silas out of the Burned Tower.
Soon after they left, Trainers began arriving.
"You heard that bird cry too, right?"
A middle-aged man asked.
No one answered. They all stared thoughtfully at the half-open doors of the Burned Tower.
As the first person stepped inside, the others followed silently.
"Ahhh!!"
"Help!!"
"Ghost!!"
Screams echoed from within.
It was worth noting that, for cleanup purposes, Morty had deliberately left his main Gengar inside, leading Gastly and Haunter in mischievous pranks.
Let alone these relatively weak Trainers even someone with Elite-level Pokémon might struggle against such a group of Ghost-types.
Silas couldn't see their miserable state directly, but he could imagine it.
He silently prayed they wouldn't suffer lasting psychological trauma.
Under Morty's guidance, Silas soon arrived at the Ecruteak Gym in a quiet corner of the city.
From the outside, the traditionally styled Gym looked simple, almost like an ordinary dojo.
But the eerie atmosphere emanating from within constantly reminded visitors that this was a Ghost-type Gym renowned for cultivating Ghost-type Pokémon.
"Please wait here, sir. I will inform the Three Wise Men to come meet you."
After escorting Silas to a luxurious room, Morty hurried off.
Silas didn't mind and casually admired the murals depicting the legend of Ho-Oh.
Within minutes, Morty returned with three monks.
"Greetings, Envoy of Ho-Oh."
Before Silas could greet them respectfully, they performed a full ceremonial bow.
Startled, Silas jumped aside.
"Uh… seniors, perhaps we could stand and speak?"
When they remained kneeling, he had no choice but to persuade them.
"No. Before Ho-Oh's Envoy, we must show proper reverence."
The sage in the center spoke.
"I am Gaku, current head of the Ecruteak ascetics."
"I am Masa."
"I am Koji."
These were the Three Wise Men, spiritual mediators of Ho-Oh's legend.
In the past, communication between people and Ho-Oh was said to pass through them.
The eldest, Gaku, was slightly out of breath. After hearing Morty's account, they had rushed here eagerly to "pay homage."
"Sir Silas—"
Before he could continue, Silas quickly interrupted.
"Elder Gaku, please just call me Silas."
"Very well, Sir Silas."
Silas rubbed his forehead.
"…Forget it. If you call me 'sir,' I won't answer."
"Then may I ask do you know when Lord Ho-Oh will return?"
Gaku corrected his wording smoothly.
Silas sighed.
"I don't know. I haven't even seen Ho-Oh's true form."
The light in the Three Wise Men's eyes visibly dimmed.
"I see… I see…" Gaku murmured.
"But since you have appeared, Ho-Oh will surely return to the human world in the near future!"
..
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