Mt. Chimney.
Its peak soared high into the clouds.
For millennia, the drifting volcanic ash had nourished the northern reaches of the Hoenn continent, transforming the once-barren Fallarbor region into a land teeming with life—and eventually, a major agricultural hub.
At the same time, it was one of Hoenn's premier tourist attractions. Visitors frequently rode the cable cars, admiring the scenery of Mt. Chimney from a bird's-eye view.
However, the cable car staff certainly didn't expect to welcome such a "distinguished guest" today.
"Is that... Raikou?"
"Definitely. Doesn't look like a plushie to me!"
"A Legendary Pokémon... it's the first time I've seen one in the flesh. I've only ever seen blurry photos online."
The staff members managing the cable cars whispered among themselves, their eyes repeatedly darting toward Kashiwagi. He was pushing a large flatbed cart and wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a heavy mask—effectively concealing every inch of skin on his face.
For safety check, they had briefly lifted the cloth covering the cart, catching a startling glimpse of Raikou, who happened to be staring right back at them.
They nearly cried out in shock.
Fortunately, they were professional enough to realize Kashiwagi likely wanted to keep Raikou's presence a secret. They considerately kept quiet, though they found it odd that he didn't simply return the Pokémon to a Poké Ball.
The other tourists waiting in line occasionally glanced at the cart with curiosity, but since they had no idea a Legendary Pokémon was inside, they didn't pay it much mind.
A short while later.
Kashiwagi finally boarded an empty cable car. With Galarian Corsola perched on his shoulder, he quickly pushed Raikou inside.
Though the interior was fairly spacious, the various corners and obstacles almost caused the cart to get stuck. Once the mechanical doors closed with a metallic groan and the car began to move, he finally pulled the cloth off Raikou.
The legendary beast flicked its tail irritably.
It wasn't the type to hide away, and being forced to skulk around like this felt beneath its dignity as a member of Ho-Oh's guard.
"Can't be helped. If we crossed the mountain on foot, the target on our backs would be even bigger. Look out there—look at this view!" Kashiwagi seemed to sense its displeasure and tapped on the glass.
There was a significant gap between the cable cars, so there was no need to worry about the cars in front or behind seeing Raikou, though a car passing from the opposite direction might catch a glimpse.
Raikou stood up lazily and peered out the window.
As Kashiwagi said, the scenery of Mt. Chimney was laid bare beneath them, though a trace of grumpiness still lingered in the cat's heart.
That displeasure intensified when it saw Kashiwagi suddenly pull out a comb with a mischievous grin.
"Roar..."
The iron-black headpiece on Raikou's brow shimmered with a faint blue light. Jumping sparks of electricity flickered dangerously as it locked its gaze onto Kashiwagi with a clear sense of threat.
"Your fur is tangled. You can either lick it out or let me comb it out. Your choice."
He stayed where he was, not moving closer, simply holding the comb and watching with a playful smile.
While the big cat didn't have a cleanliness obsession, it couldn't stand seeing its fur knotted. Now that Kashiwagi had specifically pointed it out, the thought would prick at its mind like a thorn.
As expected.
Upon hearing its fur was tangled, Raikou quickly inspected its body. Discovering two knotted patches, it moved its head to address them, but then froze in place.
No!
Licking myself in front of him would ruin my majesty!
It could feel Kashiwagi's burning gaze. It silently turned its head back, pretending as if nothing was wrong.
However, the more it tried not to think about it, the more uncomfortable those two knots felt. It stood up and began pacing around the cable car, trying to rub the knots out against the interior walls.
Kashiwagi let out a teasing chuckle. "You can't rub those out like that. You'll just end up covered in dust. Why don't you just give in and let me help?"
"..."
Raikou stared silently at the unhurried Kashiwagi. In the end, its minor case of OCD won out. It lay down on the cart and turned its head to the other side, yielding.
Heh.
If you're going to agree, just agree. No need for the theatrics.
Kashiwagi felt like he was looking at Mawile back in the day, though she was pretty much all "dere" and no "tsun" now. Come to think of it, Mawile hadn't even been that stubborn to begin with; she'd softened up within a few days. Raikou, on the other hand, was a real piece of work.
He picked up the comb and began slowly brushing down Raikou's spine.
"Raooor..."
Not there!
Raikou let out a low, protesting growl, but Kashiwagi kept brushing as if he hadn't heard a thing. It wasn't until static started dancing across the fur that he spoke up.
"If I'm going to brush you, I'm doing the whole thing. We want it to be even so we don't miss any spots, right?"
The golden electricity finally flickered out.
For a fluff-enthusiast, grooming is a peak therapeutic experience—and grooming without interruptions is even better.
Sensing an oncoming cable car from the opposite direction, Kashiwagi didn't even look up.
"I'm counting on you, Galarian Corsola."
"..."
Corsola opened her eyes. Under Raikou's confused gaze, she used her smoke-like tentacles to snatch the black cloth used to cover the legendary beast. Stretching her tentacles to their limit, she pinned the cloth against both sides of the glass like a makeshift curtain.
The two cable cars passed each other.
A tourist in the other car: "???"
How come that car gets curtains? That's not fair!
The cars drifted further apart. Corsola immediately dropped the cloth and returned to her spot on her Trainer's shoulder to continue her slumber, refusing to waste another second of time or ounce of energy.
"Thanks," Kashiwagi said with a smile.
"..."
Raikou, watching quietly, was at a loss for words. It didn't know whether to call Corsola diligent or lazy. If you called her lazy, she did plenty of training and followed orders. But if you called her diligent... have you ever seen a Pokémon sleep from morning to afternoon without moving, not even retaliating when hit?
A perfect paradox of hard work and lethargy. Truly a Pokémon fitting for a strange kid like Kashiwagi... Oh~
Raikou suddenly felt a wave of bliss hit its back. The comb had hit a particularly itchy spot, making its hind leg twitch instinctively as if it wanted to scratch along. And once that spot was satisfied, everywhere else suddenly started itching too.
It felt restless, wanting to shift positions.
But a split second later, a large hand scratched exactly where it itched. With just the right amount of pressure, the hand brought instant relief, moving from one spot to the next with expert precision.
Finally, the hand settled under its chin.
Raikou froze instantly, turning its head to lock eyes with an innocent-looking Kashiwagi.
"Were you itchy? You looked itchy. Your tail was whipping around all over the place," Kashiwagi said, holding his hands up in a "surrender" gesture.
Only then did Raikou realize its lightning-bolt tail was indeed lashing about, thumping against various uncomfortable spots on its body—and it hadn't even noticed!
Raikou: "!"
How can you just move on your own?!
Raikou's tail: "!"
I don't know, man!
Watching the internal struggle, Kashiwagi was nearly dying of laughter. A cat's tail and the cat itself really are two different species!
He quietly moved his hand back under Raikou's chin and started scratching again. As he did, he started a mental "death countdown."
Am I getting zapped?
Is it coming?
...No zap!
Kashiwagi's hand didn't stop. He peeked at Raikou's face and realized with a start that he wasn't being electrocuted. The big cat had seemingly accepted his behavior!
Excitement surged through him. He was one step closer to a 100% completion rate on petting Raikou's body parts! The dream of burying his face in that belly fluff was definitely within reach!
In a great mood, Kashiwagi began humming a little tune as he plucked Raikou's shed fur from the comb. He'd assumed Legendary Pokémon didn't shed, but clearly, he'd thought too highly of them. Hair is hair, after all.
Maybe I should collect it and make a mini-Raikou felt doll to give him on the day we part ways?
Kashiwagi thought it was a solid plan, and his humming grew more rhythmic. Between his daily guitar practice in his dreams from musician reward—which was starting to make him sick of the same few songs—and his recent lifestyle, he felt like a budding musician.
It was just a shame he hadn't found a guitar shop when they were out earlier.
What a pity.
...
...
About half an hour later.
The cable car docked at the summit of Mt. Chimney.
The area wasn't particularly large, but it was much livelier than expected. Trainers with their Pokémon were everywhere, and street vendors had set up various stalls. Clearly, many people had hiked up the Jagged Pass rather than paying for the cable car.
If his target hadn't been so large, and if pushing a flatbed cart up a mountain path wasn't impossible, Kashiwagi would have hiked too. At his pace, his legs were definitely faster than a cable car.
He pushed the cart carrying Raikou off the platform, intending to bypass the crowds and head for the cable station on the north side.
Once they reached the northern foothills and cut through the Fiery Path, Fallarbor Town would be just a stone's throw away.
If Ash and his friends hadn't run into so many detours—like getting tangled up with a Pokémon assistance group or accidentally provoking a horde of Slugma in the Fiery Path—it wouldn't have taken them nearly so long.
"Step right up! Don't miss out! Stone gambling! We've got meteorites from the heavens! If you like meteorites or rare stones, come have a look—"
A loud hawking cry rang out nearby.
Kashiwagi had no intention of joining the crowd for fun, but Raikou's tail snuck out from under the black cloth and delivered a sharp zap to his foot.
"Ow! What was that for!?"
He glared at the cart. Even behind the thick cloth, he knew the big cat could see him perfectly.
He tried to keep walking.
Zap. Another shock.
Kashiwagi looked down and noticed Raikou's tail was subtly pointing toward the source of the shouting. Thoughtfully, he turned his gaze in that direction.
The vendor was a rather sleazy-looking, buck-toothed middle-aged man. Beside him stood a Spoink with a pink pearl on its head, and in front of them were piles of stones in all shapes and sizes. Many were pockmarked and craggy, looking exactly like the surface of the moon.
[Scammer Detected]!
Kashiwagi noticed the surrounding vendors had expressions that clearly said, "Here we go, let's see which sucker falls for it this time." It was obvious this guy was mostly selling roadside junk.
Pure garbage picked up off the ground.
Was he like the Magikarp Salesman, just trying to swindle whoever walked by?
But why had Raikou stopped him? Could there actually be something valuable in that pile of gravel?
Kashiwagi trusted the big cat implicitly. Besides, even if Raikou was wrong, it didn't matter; he wasn't exactly hurting for twenty or thirty thousand yen. If they got scammed, maybe Raikou would feel a bit of guilt for once...
Wait...
Why does it feel like I'm trying to woo a girl?
He paused, struck by the sudden realization that trying to win over a Pokémon whose friendship level was still climbing was remarkably similar to dating. The only difference was the nature of the desire—the desire to pet something fluffy.
Lost in thought, Kashiwagi pushed the cart over to the stall.
The buck-toothed man's eyes lit up. A collective sigh went up from the surrounding area, as if the onlookers were mourning another fish getting hooked.
"Hehehe, what an eye you have, young man! Come, look at my stones! One hundred percent authentic meteorites from outer space! Each one of these contains enough energy to change the world of Pokémon!"
The man started lying through his teeth immediately, picking up a rock. "Look at this one! You know about Deoxys? It was a big deal a few years back. Experts have proven they arrived on the Hoenn continent inside meteorites! We're talking about a Pokémon that can go toe-to-toe with Rayquaza! You get what I'm saying, right?"
The man waved the "meteorite" back and forth.
Kashiwagi wasn't swayed. Looking around, he asked, "You said stone gambling... how does it work? I don't see any equipment here for cutting stones."
"Cutting? What cutting?"
The man blinked, looking genuinely confused. "You just pick one, buy it, and take it to a professional for appraisal. If you find something good, you win! That's the gamble!"
"..."
Kashiwagi stared at the man in disbelief.
After a few moments of internal struggle, he asked cautiously, "Do you think I look like someone who doesn't have a brain?"
"Pfft!"
A snort of laughter erupted nearby, followed by a chorus of guffaws from the neighboring vendors. The outburst drew the attention of several passing tourists.
The man's expression quickly shifted from oily to awkward and irritated.
"Listen, kid, I'm running a business here! If you're just here to cause trouble, move along!"
"Who's causing trouble? I really want to buy. What's the price? Per piece?"
Kashiwagi waved him off, his eyes darting toward Raikou's tail. He saw it twitching like it was having a spasm, pointing in several directions in quick succession. It seemed there was more than one target. He couldn't help but find it strange—was there actually something good in this junk?
Could this guy actually not be a scammer?
Hearing Kashiwagi ask for a price, the man's fawning expression returned instantly. "Not expensive at all! Ten thousand yen per stone, regardless of size."
"Ten thousand?"
"It's a bargain, kid! Think about it—even if you don't find a Deoxys, what if you find an Evolution Stone hidden inside?"
"I still think the price isn't right."
"Hey! Stone gambling is all about sincerity! If you don't have sincerity, you're never going to find the good stuff!"
"Then you can keep that sincerity for yourself—" Kashiwagi started pushing the cart away without a second thought.
The middle-aged man hadn't made a single sale in days and couldn't let this one slip away. He hurriedly called out, gritting his teeth. "Fine! You say it! What's a fair price!"
Kashiwagi turned his head. "Five thousand a piece. Let me pick six of them. That's my offer—take it or leave it."
"Six!"
The man hadn't expected Kashiwagi to buy a whole batch. Most people just bought one to test their luck. He'd never encountered such a "fat sheep" (sucker) before, and he froze for a moment in shock.
Then, he rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Deal! It's a deal!"
The smiles on the surrounding vendors' faces instantly stiffened. Kashiwagi had just said he wasn't a fool, and now he was buying six rocks in the blink of an eye?
If you're not a fool, then who is?!
Those are just rocks picked up randomly from the mountainside!
One vendor was dying to expose the man's scam, but since they all worked the same turf, he couldn't be too blunt. He could only keep shooting meaningful "hints" with his eyes toward Kashiwagi.
But the latter was busy picking out stones; he had no time to notice a man tossing "flirtatious" glances his way.
The stones Raikou pointed out with its tail were actually quite hard to find, forcing Kashiwagi to buy up every stone in the general direction the tail had flicked.
Finally.
Kashiwagi left with six stones of varying sizes. Seeing that Raikou had stopped poking, he turned and walked away satisfied. The buck-toothed stall owner, meanwhile, was beaming as he counted the cash with his Spoink, looking like he'd just made the score of a lifetime.
Only the neighboring vendor was left trembling with rage.
Watching a scammer trick a fool out of their money was honestly more painful than losing money himself!
"Sigh! How can someone be that stupid?"
He sighed and shook his head as he watched the buck-toothed man quickly pack up his remaining junk and bolt—clearly trying to vanish before Kashiwagi could come back for a refund.
...
...
Successfully on board the cable car heading down the north side of Mt. Chimney.
Kashiwagi pulled back the black cloth covering Raikou and asked, "What's the deal with these stones?"
The legendary beast hopped off the cart and looked at the strangely shaped rocks. It nudged three of them to the side with its paw, leaving the other three in the center.
"Raooor~"
It swung a claw and shattered one of the rocks, revealing a dusty, orange-red crystal inside.
"A Fire Stone!"
Kashiwagi was a bit surprised. That middle-aged guy had actually mentioned the possibility of finding a Fire Stone—turns out he wasn't entirely full of it?
Then.
Raikou moved to a slightly larger rock. With a loud crack, its claw smashed the stone into three pieces, revealing a shimmering, bright orange-red glow inside.
Kashiwagi squinted at it. "A gemstone? Or some kind of common mineral? It looks like a gem."
Ever since he'd received that haul of stones from the Sableye, he had been trying to cram knowledge about gems—unfortunately, without systematic study, identification was proving difficult. So many gems looked exactly the same.
Kashiwagi decided to call for "outside help."
Luckily, Lyra, the lovely Devon Corporation employee, didn't seem busy. She saw his photo and message almost immediately, replying first with a long string of ellipses.
[Lyra]:Another gift from a Pokémon?
[Kashiwagi]:...You could say that. Is this a gemstone?
[Lyra]:Of course. This is an Elemental Gem, which is different from a regular gemstone. It contains elemental energy that can significantly boost a Pokémon's attack. Based on the color in your hand... that's a Fire Gem.
[Kashiwagi]:How do I use it? Just have the Pokémon hold it?
[Lyra]:Yes, but I suggest you have it cut first. In its current shape, the energy output could be too volatile and hurt your Pokémon... You can find a place to cut gems, right?
[Kashiwagi]:Ahem, of course. By the way, are you interested in this Fire Stone?
Snap.
He sent the photo of the Fire Stone over.
Lyra didn't reply for a long time. It wasn't until Kashiwagi looked up somewhat nervously at a puzzled-looking Raikou that he finally received a "helpless" emoji from her,
[Lyra]:Just mail them both to me. I honestly don't know where you get this kind of insane luck.
[Kashiwagi]:Hehehe... wait, don't go yet. There's one more thing I can't figure out.
After sending a silly laughing emoji, he turned to Raikou and nudged his chin toward the last rock—the basketball-sized one. Unlike before, Raikou didn't smash this one with its claws. Instead, it gave the rock an extremely gentle push, making it wobble back and forth.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Kashiwagi looked at Raikou in confusion. "What is this?"
The legendary beast shook its head.
"You don't know? If you don't know, why did we keep it..."
His eyes drifted from the Fire Stone to the Fire Gem, and a realization hit him. "Wait, was this rock the main reason you wanted me to go over there and buy the lot?"
"Raooor~"
Raikou gave a slight nod of affirmation.
This piqued Kashiwagi's interest. He snapped a photo and sent it to Lyra.
[Kashiwagi]:Do you recognize this thing?
After a few seconds with no response, he began to observe it himself.
Raikou was equally curious about the object. It had triggered a subconscious reaction in the legendary beast, yet Raikou couldn't tell what it was. The reason it hadn't smashed it was simple—
"So hard!"
Kashiwagi clicked his tongue in amazement, holding a small hammer. One strike had only managed to flake off a tiny bit of the surface rock, but it looked like there was something else entirely hidden inside.
After a few more heavy swings, the outer layer of rock finally fractured and fell away, revealing a jagged, pitch-black crystalline body.
"This shape..."
Kashiwagi stared blankly at the crystal. It felt as though a memory was tugging at him, but he couldn't quite grasp it. He hurriedly took a photo to ask Lyra, and her reply popped up right at that moment.
[Lyra]:!!!
[Lyra]: Try to see if you can break open the rock a little bit.
[Kashiwagi]:(Image)
[Lyra]:Ah! That's it! What kind of devil's luck do you have?! That's a sleeping Jirachi!
"—What!?"
Kashiwagi stared at the crystal in his hands in total shock. Memories of the movie Jirachi: Wish Maker began to flood back. The image of the crystalline form Jirachi takes during its long slumber perfectly matched the object in his hands.
But then, a hint of regret washed over him.
Jirachi had already awakened once a few years ago—unless this wasn't the same Jirachi that Ash and Max had encountered in the movie.
It wasn't impossible.
When Ash traveled through Unova, he had encountered a second Jirachi in the Decolore Islands. Since this animated world combined the movies and the main series, it proved that there were multiple Jirachi in existence.
The frustrating part was that Mt. Chimney was quite close to Forina, the site of the "Seven Nights' Wishing Star" event. It was very likely the buck-toothed middle-aged man had picked up this Wishing Star from Forina.
"Can you hear me?"
Kashiwagi tapped on the stone, but there was no response.
Legend says that Jirachi only comes to the surface to be active for the seven days when the Millennium Comet is visible, choosing a pure-hearted youth to be its temporary partner.
In the movie, Jirachi chose Max.
As for the one he had encountered... well, it wasn't talking. He didn't know if it was just dead tired or if his own heart wasn't "pure" enough.
Meanwhile, Galarian Corsola, perched on his shoulder, felt a twinge of envy hearing that Jirachi could sleep peacefully for a thousand years. Not only could she not sleep that long, but she had to wake up to "forage" once her energy reserves ran low.
She couldn't even sleep that soundly!
While Corsola appeared to sleep for long stretches, she was actually a very light sleeper. Most of the time, she just kept her eyes closed and spaced out.
Otherwise, how could she have responded to her Trainer's request so quickly?
She couldn't help but overthink it.
To her, Jirachi wasn't a Mythical Pokémon—it was a career role model.