"Let's go meet Ho-Oh."
John prepared to depart.
"I cannot come with you. I trust Lord Ho-Oh will approve of my methods." Suicune chose not to follow, instead continuing to race across the ocean's surface, using its power to purify the polluted waters.
John shook his head slightly. "It's meaningless. Once I capture Ho-Oh, whether I capture you or not makes little difference."
The Ho-Oh Guard Squad. The Phoenix Guard. Even though Raikou had become Magnus's partner, if Ho-Oh issued a single command, Raikou would have to obediently leave Magnus and return to serve under the Phoenix's banner.
Therefore, John actually felt no urgency about capturing the three Legendary Beasts. As long as he captured Ho-Oh, it would effectively be equivalent to capturing all three Sacred Beasts simultaneously.
John handed the Rainbow Wing to Mega Gardevoir, instructing it to sense the feather's connection and transport him to meet Ho-Oh.
Mega Gardevoir quickly locked onto that warm energy signature, Ho-Oh's location.
A moment later, John materialized in an impossibly high sky.
The boundless, endless heavens held not a single cloud. Below his feet stretched endless overlapping mountain peaks, yet these mountains showed not a trace of vegetation, greenery, or life.
"Gardevoir~" Mega Gardevoir pointed toward an unremarkable cave within the layered mountain ranges.
"Ho-Oh is in there?" John asked.
Mega Gardevoir nodded.
"Let's go pay the bird a visit!" John prepared to dive straight down from the heights toward Ho-Oh's mountain cave dwelling.
Entei hurriedly interjected. "Trainer, please allow me to wake Lord Ho-Oh first!"
Despite being captured by John, Entei still needed to consider its old leader's dignity, at minimum, they couldn't completely lose face.
Otherwise, it would look far too much like a traitor.
"Fine, go ahead." John didn't particularly mind either way.
Entei hastily transformed into a massive fireball and flew toward Ho-Oh's mountain cave.
John, Mega Gardevoir, and Marshadow found a relatively large clearing not far from the cave entrance, suitable as a battle arena. Though the upcoming fight wouldn't necessarily stay grounded.
"The Rainbow Hero?"
Receiving the Rainbow Wing, Ho-Oh immediately grew suspicious.
The aura matched perfectly, there was no discrepancy. Unless two Ho-Oh existed in this world, this was definitely its own feather. But... how could it not remember giving the Rainbow Wing to this particular human?
Ho-Oh examined the Rainbow Wing, then studied John carefully.
"I have come following the Rainbow Hero's protocol to challenge Ho-Oh!"
After all these years, John had certainly developed sufficient shamelessness. His expression remained righteously indignant, perfectly matching his heroic declaration.
Actually, he'd considered whether Ho-Oh might recognize that this wasn't actually its feather.
But that hardly mattered. As long as he'd found Ho-Oh, the outcome wasn't something the Phoenix could avoid through wishful thinking alone.
"I accept your challenge!" Ho-Oh pondered endlessly without clarity, but naturally, since the Rainbow Hero had appeared before it, the Phoenix wouldn't refuse the challenge.
For the Pokemon he'd use in this battle, John had already decided during the journey here.
The Pokeball opened mid-air. Light flashed, and a massive pitch-black monster emerged, its enormous body dominating the surrounding landscape, bringing with it a terrifying sense of oppressive power!
The Pokemon John intended to use against Ho-Oh was none other than Shiny Rayquaza!
Ho-Oh felt increasingly bewildered. Had it actually given the Rainbow Wing to a trainer who commanded Rayquaza as their partner?
Could this Rayquaza be fake?
What was happening here?
"Rayquaza, Mega Evolution, then Dragon Ascent!"
"Wait... wait, hold on!" Hearing those two commands, Ho-Oh immediately panicked, frantically flapping its wings and waving to signal a timeout.
Instantly, Mega Rayquaza transformed completely into a golden beam of light, like a divine spear descending from the horizon, piercing straight toward the earth, intent on impaling Ho-Oh directly!
The sheer speed was apocalyptic. Mega Rayquaza's Dragon Ascent didn't just fall from the sky, it became the sky's wrath made manifest, a lance of pure draconic fury that could split mountains and reshape continents.
Ho-Oh barely managed to dodge, its rainbow-hued wings creating prismatic afterimages as it desperately evaded. The impact point where Mega Rayquaza struck the mountainside erupted in catastrophic devastation, the entire peak simply ceased to exist, vaporized by the collision's sheer kinetic force.
"WAIT! STOP! TIMEOUT!" Ho-Oh shrieked, abandoning all divine dignity in favor of pure survival instinct.
John raised one hand casually. "Rayquaza, hold."
The black serpentine dragon halted mid-coil, hovering menacingly as it tracked Ho-Oh's movements with predatory focus. Every muscle in its elongated body radiated barely-restrained violence.
"You... you're the Rainbow Hero?" Ho-Oh panted, trying to process what had just nearly ended its immortal existence. "Rainbow Heroes don't typically try to assassinate me with Dragon Ascent within the first five seconds of meeting!"
"I followed the proper ritual" John replied evenly. "I presented the Rainbow Wing. I issued a challenge. You accepted. Where exactly did I deviate from tradition?"
Ho-Oh opened its beak, then closed it, then opened it again. Technically, the human was correct. The ritual said nothing about what Pokemon the Rainbow Hero should use, nor any restrictions on opening moves.
Still, there were unspoken conventions! Basic courtesy! A warm-up period!
"Your Rayquaza is... unusual," Ho-Oh observed carefully, maintaining maximum distance. The black coloration, the sheer overwhelming power, this wasn't some random Rayquaza. This was a specimen that had reached the absolute pinnacle of its species' potential.
"Shiny variant. Trained personally," John said with casualy. "Now, shall we continue? Or would you prefer to concede?"
"Concede?" Ho-Oh's divine pride flared despite its fear. "I am the Rainbow Phoenix! Guardian of the skies! I do not concede to—"
"Dragon Ascent."
"I CONCEDE! I CONCEDE!" Ho-Oh squawked immediately as Mega Rayquaza began moving again.
John smiled coldly. Sometimes, overwhelming force simplified negotiations wonderfully.
Marshadow watched from the sidelines, thoroughly entertained. This human's approach to capturing Legendaries was absolutely unprecedented in all of history.
And somehow, it was working perfectly.