[Yan Kai: What the heck is this? Why do I feel like I didn't quite understand it?]
[Volkner: What's there not to understand? Didn't Pikachu just command Ash to use Quick Attack? That's a pretty simple tactic, isn't it?]
[Flint: ???]
[Flint: You're definitely not Volkner! Something this simple—Volkner would never fail to understand it! This is clearly a Pokémon commanding a Trainer! A total reversal of heaven and earth!]
[Hala: You're still too young. Volkner was just overstimulated by the scene. He simply can't comprehend how the relationship between Trainer and Pokémon could be flipped like this.]
[Bea: That's not the point! I just want to know whether Ash can actually use Quick Attack!]
[Lance: Didn't we just say Ash is a legendary-tier Pokémon? And now he immediately stops pretending! He's even using Quick Attack—of all moves!]
This was a bit absurd!
What kind of kid uses Quick Attack?!
...
On the screen—
It wasn't just the viewers watching the livestream.
Even Pikachu, the poachers, and Chloe were completely dumbfounded.
"Boss, this kid isn't stupid, is he?"
"Who cares if he's stupid! We need to get out of here—didn't you hear him say the cops are coming?"
"Hurry up and pack up Suicune! Since this brat is asking for death, let him die!"
As he spoke, the poachers' leader shot Ash a vicious glare.
However—
Ash, who had been right in front of him just a moment ago, vanished in the next instant.
The figure didn't disappear abruptly; it faded bit by bit, like an afterimage.
An afterimage?
The poachers' leader immediately realized something was wrong.
This kid might be some kind of Pokémon in disguise!
There was no way a human could possess that kind of speed!
"Watch out for Suicune!"
Before the warning even finished—
The fishing net trapping Suicune was torn away by Ash with a single pull.
Even the poachers pressing down on the net were flung away together.
The leader turned back in shock.
At some point, Ash had already arrived beside Suicune.
His legs went weak as he stumbled backward.
Today was truly haunted!
However, Ash didn't even bother with him.
Instead, he began checking Suicune's injuries.
At this moment, Suicune's entire body was covered in deep marks from the nets, as well as burns, poison stings, and frostbite.
"You little brat, don't get so arrogant!"
Seeing himself being ignored,
the poachers' leader was clearly displeased. Sure, Ash's performance was outrageous—
But so what?
These people were desperadoes to begin with!
"Cloyster! Ice Beam!"
Without the slightest hesitation,
he immediately ordered his Pokémon to attack Ash.
At that moment—
The reassuring butler, Gengar, appeared.
Gengar, who had been hiding in Ash's shadow all along, slowly poked its head out.
Facing the Ice Beam rushing toward Ash,
Gengar countered with a Shadow Ball.
Although Gengar wasn't among the most outstanding of Ash's Pokémon,
that was only in relative terms.
At this stage, Gengar's strength was firmly above Gym Leader level, even barely reaching Elite Four tier.
Dealing with a poacher's Pokémon was effortless.
Seeing their Trainer under attack,
Dragonite and Pikachu immediately joined in the encirclement.
Lightning, shadow, and storm converged.
The entire poacher gang was instantly shredded.
The poachers witnessed the most terrifying sight of their lives.
A raging gale wrapped in lightning,
and beneath that lightning lurked a horrifying dark shadow.
Their Pokémon were like candles in the wind—snuffed out at a single blow.
Against such an assault, they had absolutely no power to resist.
The poachers and their Pokémon together weren't even a match for Pikachu's side in a single exchange.
It wasn't until Officer Jenny arrived with her Arcanine, having received the call,
that she witnessed the shocking scene before her.
The poachers and their Pokémon were piled together.
And sitting atop them was a massive Gengar.
Seeing Officer Jenny, Gengar even raised a hand and waved at her gracefully.
"Officer Jenny, these should be the poachers active in this area."
As Officer Jenny stood there stunned,
Chloe briefly recounted what had just happened, then hurried over to Ash.
At this moment—
Ash was channeling his Aura power into Suicune's body.
"Suicune, don't resist. Relax! I'm going to heal you!"
Suicune's condition was extremely dire.
After purifying the water sources of this entire region,
the once-mighty Suicune had expended a massive amount of its Origin power.
On top of that came the shameless ambush by the poachers.
That was why Suicune had become so weak it couldn't even break free from a fishing net.
Under such circumstances, the only thing Ash could do
was pour his Aura power into Suicune's body.
Aura wasn't as effective as Viridian Force, which specialized in healing,
but at least it could restore some strength.
As for Suicune's external injuries,
they had already been roughly treated with medicine from Gengar's medical kit.
Those weren't the most critical issue.
Wounds could heal.
Vital energy could slowly recover.
But Suicune's most severe injury was the loss of its Origin.
What was Origin?
Naturally, it was the power bestowed by Ho-Oh.
'Stop. This is meaningless. If you continue like this, you'll put your own life in danger.'
Even weakened to this extent,
Suicune still gently tried to persuade Ash to stop.
"Suicune, don't worry. I'll definitely save you."
As he spoke, the Aura in Ash's hands not only didn't stop—it intensified.
Then—
Under these circumstances,
Suicune took the initiative to sever its connection with Ash.
Just like when they first met,
a layer of blue light enveloped Suicune's body.
'Don't do something so pointless anymore! My injuries aren't something your power can heal!'
Suicune spoke with absolute certainty.
From the moment it decided to reveal itself,
it had already prepared for this outcome.
It only felt somewhat sorry toward Ho-Oh and the boy before it.
"But… but… if this goes on, you'll die."
'I do not fear death.'
Suicune didn't answer Ash directly.
Instead, it lifted its gaze toward the rainbow shining through the clouds above.
Its life had already ended in that great fire long ago.
To guard Ecruteak City for Lord Ho-Oh had been an honor in itself.
"No! You won't die! You can't die!"
Ash was clearly panicking.
When it came to the death of Pokémon, he truly didn't know how to cope.
Suicune, however, remained calm.
'Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural cycle of all things. To have received your help is already something I'm deeply grateful for.
Young one, if fate allows it, perhaps we'll meet again in the next life.'
The light in Suicune's eyes was visibly dimming.
To die in the place it loved most—
wasn't that a kind of blessing?
Ash's face was filled with sorrow.
Suicune's state reminded him of that scene inside the World Tree.
Following Suicune's gaze,
Ash looked up at the sky.
A rainbow!
Right—how could he forget?!
Under Suicune's puzzled gaze,
Ash reached into his clothes and took out a brilliantly radiant feather shimmering with seven colors.
This was the symbol of the Hero of the Rainbow—
Ho-Oh's token: the Rainbow Wing.
[Siebold: Is it finally happening?! Ash is going to use his connections to save Suicune! As expected, the glory of Water-types still needs Ash to protect it!]
[Bruno: Hands on hips! Do you even understand what it means to be connected to Legendary Pokémon?!]
[Misty: That's great! So it wasn't because Suicune was weak that it got trapped in the net! The most elegant Suicune in my heart is still as compassionate as ever! I knew it—I didn't give up for nothing! Ash, you have to save Suicune!]
Misty was a pure Water-type Trainer.
As a pure Water-type Legendary Pokémon, Suicune held a special place in her heart.
She could say without hesitation that her love for Water-type Pokémon surpassed anyone else's.
Just moments ago,
when she saw Suicune trapped in the net,
the majestic image of Suicune in her heart had almost collapsed.
Fortunately, the misunderstanding was finally cleared up.
Suicune was still Suicune!
Everything was the poachers' fault!
[Cynthia: If Ash really can summon Ho-Oh, then theoretically, Suicune might still be saved.]
[Steven: I have a bad feeling about this. Cynthia, what do you mean by 'theoretically'? Are you saying that even if Ho-Oh intervenes, Suicune could still die?]
[Cynthia: As much as I hate to admit it, that's the truth.
When Ho-Oh granted them power, it also fused in the natural forces present when the Burned Tower was set ablaze.
For example, Entei incorporated the flames that burned the tower. Raikou incorporated the lightning that ignited it. As for Suicune, it incorporated the rain that extinguished the fire.
In mythological terms, rain represents purification. When Suicune first purified the waters, it consumed its divine Origin—that's why it's so weak now.
Ho-Oh's authority is the rainbow. The rainbow represents miracles, yes—but that doesn't mean Ho-Oh can restore the Origin Suicune has already expended!]
Cynthia's few short words plunged the entire livestream into silence.
As a scholar of mythology,
Cynthia's words essentially represented authority.
If even the greatest authority believed Suicune might not be saved,
wasn't that an indirect death sentence?
If even Ho-Oh couldn't save it,
then who else could?
Could it really come down to Ash?
Like when he saved the World Tree—
using all of his Aura in exchange for a sliver of Origin.
But that path had already been rejected by Suicune itself.
The blue barrier covering Suicune's body
was its way of protecting Ash.
There truly seemed to be no solution.
[Ash: I believe that my future self will definitely save Suicune!]
...
On the screen—
When Suicune saw the Rainbow Wing in Ash's hand,
the light in its eyes clearly brightened.
It naturally understood what that feather represented.
But… why did the Rainbow Wing in this boy's hand feel different from the one it had seen before?
This one was way too big—and way too thick!
Was he sure he hadn't ripped off one of Ho-Oh's tail feathers?
"Ho-Oh! Please help me!"
Ash raised the Rainbow Wing high,
infused it with Aura,
and called out to the rainbow in the sky.
Officer Jenny and Morty, who had rushed over after hearing the news,
both focused their gazes on the distant rainbow.
What was Ash trying to do?
Summon Ho-Oh?
Was that even possible?
No one knew.
Although there had been rumors of Ho-Oh appearing some time ago,
they were just rumors.
(Ash: That was me too.)
Under Ash's call,
the rainbow hanging across the horizon began to expand.
Even the Rainbow Wing in Ash's hand shone with dazzling prismatic light.
"Ang—!"
A phoenix's cry rang out from the clouds.
From within the rainbow flew a dazzling figure.
It was none other than the legendary Ho-Oh.
Wherever Ho-Oh passed,
the rainbow drifted down like gentle rain.
The entire forest was bathed in color.
That radiant figure drew closer and closer,
eventually circling above Ash and the others.
Seeing this scene,
not just Morty and Officer Jenny—
even Trainers searching the forest for Suicune were frozen in shock.
Ho-Oh had descended!
This was a sight rarely seen in a lifetime!
Ho-Oh was the most mysterious of all deities!
"Ash… this… Ho-Oh!"
Morty was utterly overwhelmed.
As a devout follower of Ho-Oh, this was the first time he had ever seen it with his own eyes.
However—
Ash didn't explain anything.
Suicune was already on the brink of death!
"Ho-Oh, please save Suicune!"
Ash's voice was filled with urgency.
Aura sensing showed that Suicune's body was gradually stabilizing,
yet the bone-deep weakness was something Aura simply couldn't dispel.
Ho-Oh did not land.
It gazed down at Ash and Suicune from midair.
'Sigh… Suicune, why are you still like this? Has that old obsession never faded?'
'Lord Ho-Oh, I'm sorry. I can't let go of my fixation on water.'
The agony of being burned in the Burned Tower was something it could never forget.
Only the torrential rain that followed had purified its heart.
Water was everything—even more important than its own life.
As the one tasked with purification, Suicune could not stand by and allow the poachers to pollute the water sources.
'You're still as willful as ever. Even if it costs you your life?'
'…I'm sorry.'
At that point, Ho-Oh understood Suicune's resolve.
A heart set on death could not be saved by anyone—
especially when Suicune had already used its Origin to achieve the fastest possible purification.
'Ash, I'm sorry. I'm afraid even I cannot save Suicune.'
Ho-Oh's ethereal voice carried a trace of sorrow,
mourning the imminent passing of Suicune.
"No—no way! You're Ho-Oh! You have to be able to save it!"
Ash cried out desperately.
It hurt—far too much.
Ash couldn't bear to watch a Pokémon die before his eyes.
So he wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes
and poured all of his Aura into Suicune's body.
"Please! Even if it's for me—don't die like this!"
Aura—fully unleashed!
"Stop it, Ash! You can't do this! You'll die!"
Chloe panicked.
She had heard that exhausting one's Aura could be fatal! Ash himself had told her about his experience in the World Tree!
'Cough… stop, Ash. I no longer have the will to live.'
"No! I won't let you die! Even if I have to gamble my own life!"
"Pikachu."
Pikachu tugged at Ash's clothes, trembling with fear.
"Please! Live! Even if it's for me! Even if—"
Thud.
Ash's body suddenly lost all strength and collapsed to the ground.
"Ash!"
"Pika!"
Chloe and Pikachu rushed to support him.
But Ash had already passed out
from overusing his Aura.
Seeing this, Ho-Oh let out a sigh.
A stream of flame poured from its beak
and enveloped Ash's body.
Ho-Oh's sacred fire replenished the life force Ash had lost,
and his deathly pale face gradually regained color.
'Ho-Oh… I want to live.'
'Your Origin power has already been damaged. Even I am powerless.'
'Is there truly no way?'
'Not entirely. I can use Sacred Ash to stabilize what remains of your Origin. But to fully recover, you must find Terapagos—it can awaken the Dragon-type Origin you once possessed. Remember, you do not have much time.'
'Even so, I want to try. If only for this child.'
'Very well.'
Ho-Oh spread its wings and left behind a single feather.
The feather fell onto Suicune's body, turning to ash and merging into it.
The Suicune that had been unable to even stand now slowly rose to its feet.
It walked over to Ash,
leaned against his body,
and sat down beside him.
[Caitlin: Ash… he really— I'm crying. To save Suicune, he was even willing to give up his own life. He truly loves Pokémon.]
Ash's love for Pokémon was deeply moving.
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