The sun rose and set over Mount Tensei. Time here was leisurely and drawn-out, so much so that Fuyuki often forgot the very concept of it.
He and Ho-Oh lived a life of rising with the sun and resting with the moon.
Every morning, they would wake up early. Ho-Oh would carry him across the mountains and fields, observing the lives of the Pokemon that called this land home.
By evening, Ho-Oh would carry a Fuyuki, exhausted from a full day of playing and fast asleep, back to the nest, where they would drift off to sleep together in that cave.
This kind of life was something even a Pokemon of Ho-Oh's caliber had never experienced before.
It had never imagined that one day it would personally raise a human child.
If Lugia next door found out about this, it would surely be shocked beyond belief.
The Legendary Beasts and Marshadow returned to Mount Tensei on a day of steady spring rain.
Since it was raining outside, Fuyuki and Ho-Oh had stayed indoors.
Ho-Oh rested with its eyes closed nearby, while Fuyuki lay sprawled against the windowsill, gazing out at Mount Tensei in the rain.
The moment Entei and the others appeared, Fuyuki spotted them instantly.
"Entei's back!"
He rushed downstairs without a second's hesitation. By the time he reached the ground floor, the Legendary Beasts had already walked inside the cave.
"Entei!"
Fuyuki threw himself at Entei, wrapping his arms around its front legs.
Back in this place where his Little One waited, Entei felt every muscle in its body relax involuntarily.
It gently rested its large head on Fuyuki's shoulder, its majestic voice resonating through telepathy: "Mm. I'm home."
During all those days away, even while carrying out its mission, Entei's heart had never stopped worrying about Little One.
It worried he might bump into something or hurt himself. It worried that after being gone for so long, Little One might have cried.
Now, seeing Little One safe and sound, even a little chubbier and taller, Entei felt a massive weight lift from its chest.
This Pokemon of few words lowered its great head, making it easier for its Little One to hug.
"Hmph."
Just then, a snort sounded from the side.
Fuyuki and Entei turned to see Raikou staring at them with a sulky expression.
When it noticed them looking, Raikou immediately turned away, its voice cold: "We should go see Ho-Oh."
"And Raikou too!"
Having finished hugging Entei, Fuyuki ran over to Raikou and wrapped his arms around its leg, expressing how much he'd missed it.
Hearing this, Raikou's expression stiffened for a moment before softening slightly. It lowered its head, looking down at the human child before it.
Fuyuki could feel that it wasn't just Entei. Raikou was good to him too. There was even a sense that it regarded him as its own child to raise.
Seeing that Raikou seemed a bit unhappy, Fuyuki immediately ran over to hug the big tiger, carefully inspecting its fur.
"Did Raikou get hurt this time?"
Little One was worried about it! Raikou shot Entei a provocative glance, showing off, though its voice still carried that aloof edge: "My power far surpasses Entei's. How could anyone possibly hurt me?"
Entei: "..."
"Mm-hm!"
Fuyuki nodded enthusiastically, humoring the somewhat tsundere big tiger.
Then he turned his gaze toward Suicune and Marshadow nearby, greeting them as well.
Seeing that the human child didn't rush to embrace it the way he had with Entei and Raikou, Suicune felt a twinge of disappointment.
But it said nothing, simply offering Fuyuki a gentle nod. Its voice was soft and elegant: "Mm, it's been a while, little Fuyuki."
"Mar-sha~"
Even Marshadow's usually expressionless face showed a faint hint of a smile.
And then, Ho-Oh finally appeared.
It flew down to the first floor, surveying the gathered Pokemon.
Entei and the others immediately grew serious.
"Ho-Oh, thank you for taking care of things while we were away!" Entei expressed its gratitude.
Seeing Entei's demeanor, Ho-Oh narrowed its eyes, its gaze sharpening.
This Entei, the moment it gets back, it wants to claim little Fuyuki for itself? So eager to wash its hands of Ho-Oh already.
Next time, it would scatter a few more feathers, find more chosen ones for these lot to go guide. That way, little Fuyuki would be all its own. Ho-Oh's inner thoughts were somewhat... "evil."
Entei was a bit confused by the look.
Still, Ho-Oh understood in its heart. After all, it was Entei who had brought this human child back to Mount Tensei.
Its gaze swept over the Pokemon before it. Without even needing to ask, it already knew: this latest chosen one had failed the trial once again.
"Ho-Oh, the chosen one did not meet our requirements. The Rainbow Feather on his person has already lost its luster," Suicune stepped forward to report.
"I am already aware."
Ho-Oh let out an inward sigh.
How many times now?
How many chosen ones had failed the trial at this point?
Over the past hundred years, it had bestowed feathers upon who knows how many humans. It had lost count even of the number itself.
Not a single one of them had passed.
Ho-Oh's heart was weary beyond measure.
As expected, outsiders couldn't be relied upon. Rather than this approach, it was far more dependable to raise a human from scratch into a Rainbow Hero themselves.
Ho-Oh's hopeful gaze fell upon Fuyuki.
Meanwhile, Fuyuki was pulling Entei and the others toward the backyard.
"Entei, Marshadow, Raikou, Suicune, come look!"
The group of Pokemon were somewhat bewildered, but as they passed through the room and beyond that ordinary wooden door, the scene before their eyes underwent a complete transformation.
A hidden realm brimming with natural energy, complete with grasslands, forests, flowers, lakes, and snowfields, slowly unveiled itself before them.
When Entei and the others took in the sight, their pupils contracted sharply.
"Little One, what is this...?" Entei asked in a deep voice.
"This is a place I created for all of us to play together and live together!" Fuyuki declared, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
This astonishing power genuinely shocked Entei and the others to their core.
This power was truly extraordinary!
"Fuyuki is a child blessed by the power of nature," Ho-Oh's voice resonated within the minds of the gathered Pokemon.
Entei and the others all froze for a moment.
"The natural energy in this place is so abundant that even I find myself involuntarily drawn to it."
"If Pokemon were to stay here for extended periods, it would be greatly beneficial for any of them."
Ho-Oh's voice continued.
Natural energy helped Pokemon grow and become stronger.
Having traversed the world for so many years, Ho-Oh had visited countless places.
To put it in human terms, this was the kind of place where exceptionally powerful individual Pokemon could be born. Alpha Pokemon, or perhaps Totem Pokemon.
But more than any of that, what truly moved Ho-Oh's heart was this:
Fuyuki had created this place for them. So that they could live together, rest together.
Ho-Oh was deeply touched.
"Entei, Suicune, Raikou, Marshadow," it spoke softly.
All four Pokemon turned to look.
Ho-Oh continued: "Should I depart from this place hereafter, I entrust Fuyuki to your care. No matter what, you must protect him. He is our hope, the Rainbow Hero bestowed upon us by the heavens."