Chapter 125: Houndoom, Crush It!
"Hmm?"
The Rainbow Feather had changed! Sato instinctively leaned forward, carefully examining it again.
It was indeed different!
Originally, the Rainbow Feather had a mix of red, white, and green, but now it had turned into a blazing crimson and was faintly radiating heat!
"You must have encountered Entei, one of the Legendary Beasts, correct?" Reverend Mingguang asked with a smile. Though phrased as a question, his tone was completely certain.
"Yes, we saw it at a volcanic crater deep within Mt. Silver. Everyone in my team witnessed it," Sato nodded without hiding anything, his gaze fixed on the Rainbow Feather in thought.
"That explains it. The Rainbow Feather only changes under two circumstances, either Ho-Oh appears in person, or one of the Legendary Beasts actively approaches. Have you ever heard the legend regarding Ho-Oh and the Three Legendary Beasts?"
"I've heard bits and pieces. It's said that when the old Bell Tower burned down, three Pokémon perished in the flames. Using its own life energy, Ho-Oh revived them, and they became Entei, Raikou, and Suicune."
"
Sato was stunned, but after considering the similarities between the Pokémon, it wasn't too hard to believe.
Still, this wasn't just revival, it was practically a complete transformation of life itself!
"Ho-Oh left its perch and entrusted the Three Legendary Beasts with observing humanity. Anyone who wishes to meet Ho-Oh must first pass their trials!"
Mingguang's tone shifted, his eyes lighting up with fanaticism as he spoke.
"And you, Sato, have already passed Entei's trial, that is why the Rainbow Feather has changed!"
"A trial? When?"
Sato mentally revisited everything that had happened in Mt. Silver, but he couldn't recall anything unusual.
"Each of the Three Legendary Beasts administers their trials differently. Perhaps Entei has been watching you for some time, or maybe one of your actions or decisions earned its recognition, this is entirely possible."
"..."
Hearing this, Sato's body tensed, his gaze turning sharp with anger as he looked at Mingguang.
"Reverend Mingguang, you never told me that carrying the Rainbow Feather would attract the attention of Legendary Pokémon!" Sato's tone was cold, making it obvious that he was furious.
This was Entei, an actual Legendary Pokémon!
Sato never considered himself a good person. Ever since being reborn, he had used his foreknowledge to plan extensively, and his secrets were not few.
But now he was being told that a Pokémon capable of wiping him out with a single move had been watching him all along?!
"Are you concerned that Entei might cause you trouble? Or perhaps that it has discovered your secrets?" Mingguang remained smiling.
"..."
Sato didn't respond, but his furrowed brows and hostile gaze spoke volumes.
"You have nothing to worry about. The Three Legendary Beasts are merely observers of the world, they have never been known to actively attack humans."
Mingguang's words were reassuring, but Sato was still far from satisfied.
"Apologies, but I will no longer carry the Rainbow Feather with me. This conversation ends here. Goodbye!"
Without waiting for a response, Sato grabbed the utterly confused White, turned on his heels, and walked away.
"Young benefactor, may I say just one more thing?" Mingguang stood up as well, his expression earnest.
"..."
"For every Legendary Beast's recognition you obtain, you can use the Rainbow Feather to directly enhance your Pokémon's abilities. If you don't mind, could you release your Fire-type Pokémon?"
Direct power enhancement?
After some thought, Sato decided to release Houndoom.
Mingguang stepped forward and placed the Rainbow Feather before Houndoom.
A miraculous scene unfolded, a soft red glow bathed Houndoom's body, and in an instant, its aura surged with newfound strength!
Wait it was still growing stronger!
Houndoom's body visibly expanded, its devilish horns slightly lengthening, its musculature subtly reinforcing itself!
"Howl!"
Suddenly, Houndoom threw its head back and let out a fierce roar, its power had just broken through a bottleneck.
Elite Intermediate
Sato, White, and the young monk all widened their eyes in disbelief at the scene before them.
Just a single flash of red light… And Houndoom broke through? You've got to be kidding!
Suddenly, Houndoom's throat convulsed, as if something was about to erupt from within.
Boom!
A massive, kanji-shaped burst of flames roared into the sky, lingering for a long time before slowly shrinking and fading away.
Fire-type ultimate move: Fire Blast!
"Hwoo~"
It wasn't until Houndoom trotted over and affectionately hummed at Sato that the group snapped out of their shock.
"Are you satisfied, young benefactor?" Reverend Mingguang asked as he returned the Rainbow Feather, now restored to its original colors, gently placing it back into the wooden box before handing it toward Sato.
Sato stroked Houndoom, who was rarely this affectionate, then turned to stare at the Rainbow Feather, eyes filled with conflicted emotions.
To be honest... he couldn't refuse this!
There was an old saying among Trainers:
"Elites require endurance, Pseudo-Elite Four depends on talent, Elite Four relies on luck, and Champions… don't exist."
The meaning was simple. to break through the Elite rank, a Pokémon had to endure endless training, grinding through time, and steadily accumulating power.
Only when it could fully control and utilize every ounce of its strength would it reach the pinnacle of Elite rank.
There were no shortcuts for this stage.
This was why, despite everything, the strongest Pokémon in Sato's team had only reached Mid Elite.
Reaching Pseudo-Elite Four depended entirely on a Pokémon's innate potential.
Once a Pokémon reached the peak of Elite rank, if its talent was sufficient, breaking through to Pseudo-Elite Four was usually not difficult.
This was why there were cases where a Pokémon spent seven to eight years stuck at Elite before breaking through, but after reaching Pseudo-Elite Four, it could take as little as one to two years to reach its peak.
As for the Elite Four rank, Sato never reached that level in his past life, but the fact that "luck" was a determining factor meant that most people never even made it to the starting line.
If you didn't know how to break through, then you were left waiting for luck.
But the Rainbow Feather. this thing could accelerate time itself at the Elite stage! And after Houndoom's breakthrough, there wasn't even a hint of excess energy leakage.
It was as if the power-up was perfectly natural, without a single side effect.
And now, Sato had two more chances to use it!
He glanced at Mingguang, still grinning like a fool, and for some reason, a wild thought popped into his head. What would happen if I punched him?
Sato immediately shook his head, forcing the ridiculous idea away, and took the Rainbow Feather back.
As for his previous refusal. well, no one would care. They were all adults, after all…
"You turned it down so decisively, but now you're taking it back…" White muttered quietly behind him.
"Houndoom, crush him!"
"Awoo!"
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Extra chapter cuz top 100 this week, salud!
22+ ch on p@treon/Romeloff. Join for free, all chapters here are public on patreon.