Winter faded into spring. The snow melted, and everything slowly came back to life.
Wild Pokemon that had lain low through the long winter began to stir again.
With Entei, Raikou, Suicune, and Marshadow by his side, Fuyuki had made it through the cold season safely.
This year, Fuyuki turned two.
That day, as usual, Fuyuki sat by the fireplace with the three big cats, warming themselves by the fire.
The cozy heat made him yawn again and again, his eyelids drooping until he was on the verge of falling asleep.
Just as he was about to drift off, Suicune suddenly opened its eyes.
It looked at Entei and Raikou, who had the human child nestled between them, and spoke through telepathy.
"Ho-Oh has returned."
The moment those words sounded, Entei and Raikou, who had been resting with their eyes closed, snapped them open.
Because they had been revived by Ho-Oh's power, Entei, Raikou, and Suicune all shared a subtle, indescribable connection with it.
Ho-Oh's presence was drawing closer to Mount Tensei.
It was back.
Tension flickered across Entei's usually solemn face.
Without thinking, it glanced at the little one beside it. How would Ho-Oh deal with the child?
"What is it, Entei?" Fuyuki rubbed his eyes and looked up, still half-asleep.
Entei didn't hide anything and answered in a low voice, "Ho-Oh has returned. We're going to meet it."
Ho-Oh was back?!
That snapped Fuyuki fully awake.
He hurriedly climbed out of Entei's embrace and looked at the three big cats. "Am I going too?"
Entei nodded. "Yes."
Its gaze shifted to Raikou and Suicune as it spoke through telepathy.
"If Ho-Oh places the blame on someone, I'll take responsibility alone. And if Ho-Oh orders me to drive the little one away, I'll leave Mount Tensei with him."
Suicune's eyes widened in shock. "Are you out of your mind?!"
Raikou stayed silent.
"I'll raise the little one on my own. Once he grows up, I'll return to Mount Tensei and beg Ho-Oh for forgiveness. No matter what punishment it gives me, I'll accept it."
"You…" Suicune didn't know what to say. Entei was willing to go that far for a human child.
A cold snort suddenly came from the side.
"Hmph. If you think you can take the little one away by yourself, it won't be that easy."
Entei's expression hardened as it stared at Raikou. "Raikou, are you trying to stop me?"
Raikou looked past it, straight at Fuyuki. "You can't take care of my child alone."
Entei froze, then immediately understood.
This idiot…
Suicune looked even more stunned.
Raikou had lost its mind too?
No. As memories from the winter surfaced, Suicune paused.
It remembered the human infant refusing to let it freeze outside, inviting it into the cave and preparing warm, plentiful food.
It remembered the days they had spent sheltering together in this cave.
Suicune wasn't a cold, unfeeling Pokemon. It had a heart too.
If it were in their place, it would probably make the same choice.
"If Ho-Oh is angry, I'll help you plead with it," Suicune said.
Gratitude flickered in Entei's and Raikou's eyes.
The three beasts rose at once and left the cave, racing up the mountain path toward the peak of Mount Tensei.
So soon… he was really going to meet Ho-Oh?
Fuyuki clung to Entei's back, his nerves twisting into knots.
Ho-Oh was the most mysterious Pokemon in the world, a presence that had almost defined Ash's journey.
It symbolized happiness and good fortune, and was said to see straight into the human heart.
Ho-Oh flew across the world, granting its Rainbow Feather to those with pure hearts, who loved Pokemon and treated them as friends.
If the chosen one decided to undergo the trial to become the Rainbow Hero, Ho-Oh would send Suicune, Raikou, Entei, and Marshadow to guide and test them.
Those who passed would be personally acknowledged as the Rainbow Hero, earning the chance to challenge Ho-Oh and gaining the trust and friendship of Ho-Oh's family.
And the Rainbow Hero would bear the responsibility of protecting the weak and safeguarding the world.
But… none of that really had much to do with him right now.
Fuyuki's thoughts were a mess.
The Legendary Beasts moved with incredible speed. Before long, they reached the summit of Mount Tensei.
They stopped and looked into the distance.
On the far horizon, a brilliantly colored rainbow appeared out of nowhere.
A massive bird Pokemon with golden-red plumage, yellow tail feathers, and a golden crest on its head was flying straight toward Mount Tensei. Wherever it passed, a beautiful rainbow formed across the sky.
That was… a Legendary Pokemon, Ho-Oh!
Ho-Oh soon landed atop a jutting stone.
The three beasts lowered their heads slightly in respect.
Ho-Oh swept its blazing red, flame-like eyes over them, then paused behind Entei.
There, it sensed a completely unfamiliar presence and saw a tiny being it had never encountered before.
A human infant?
Even Ho-Oh froze for a moment at the sight.
Noticing its reaction, Entei's body tensed. It immediately reported in a deep voice.
"Ho-Oh—"
Ho-Oh looked at it.
"I brought this human child back to Mount Tensei from outside. At the time, I was pursuing a group of Pokemon Hunters."
"The child's parents encountered them before I did. They tried to stop them and save the captured Pokemon, but were killed by the Pokemon Hunters."
"When I arrived, only this child was left. His parents died protecting Pokemon. As a Pokemon myself, I believed it was my duty to care for their child."
With that, Entei fell silent and waited for Ho-Oh's judgment.
To its surprise, Ho-Oh showed no anger at all. Instead, it studied Fuyuki with curiosity, its gaze resting on the human infant on Entei's back.
"What is his name?" Ho-Oh asked.
Its voice echoed directly in Entei's mind, catching all three beasts off guard.
"Fuyuki. His name is Fuyuki. Raikou, Marshadow, and I chose it together," Entei replied.
Ho-Oh nodded slightly and looked at Entei. "Since you've already decided to adopt him, then raise him well."
Joy surged through Entei.
Ho-Oh wasn't punishing them. It was allowing Fuyuki to stay on Mount Tensei and be raised by them?
"Ho-Oh…" Entei wanted to say more, but didn't know how to put it.
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