Luther had always been trying.
Ever since Evergreen appeared before him, he had sworn never to experience that feeling of helplessness again. Step by step, he had come this far. He had overcome countless obstacles, climbed higher and higher, and even claimed victory at the Lily of the Valley Conference.
But when faced with life and death, Luther was still powerless.
His body felt weak as he looked at the sleeping Mira. Suddenly, a fire ignited in his heart. Guided by that burning feeling, a dizzy Luther reached into his pocket and pulled out the carefully wrapped Rainbow Wing.
Ever since Darkrai had appeared and the Rainbow Wing had given its warning, Luther had kept it with him at all times. At first, he had treated it like a lucky charm. Later, he found himself hoping more and more that it would shine for him just once.
When he earned all eight Badges, it didn't shine.
When he entered the Lily of the Valley Conference's main tournament, he didn't shine.
Even when he won the entire conference, it remained the same.
Now, resting in his palm, the Rainbow Wing looked no different from an ordinary feather, dull and lifeless.
Using every ounce of strength he had left, Luther raised the Rainbow Wing toward the sky that seemed torn open and shouted, "I'm not from this world, so you've never shared your light with me. I know. I understand. I get it! To you, I'm just a visitor from another world. A traveler who wandered here by accident. An outsider. But does that really matter?"
Staring at the Rainbow Wing, Luther shouted until his voice was hoarse.
"Here, I've met Mai, Ash, Brock, Dawn, Etorre, Dakota, Cynthia, Diantha..." He counted the people he had met along the way, recalling everything he had experienced. "They trusted me. Helped me... They're my best friends. I believe that even if I told them the truth, they'd still stand by my side. My Pokémon are the same."
Gardevoir, Azumarill, Jumpluff, Mismagius, Houndoom, Chansey, and Darkrai gathered around Luther, all staring at the Rainbow Wing.
"People call you a god. Humans deceived you before, and you don't trust them anymore. Then listen to their voices."
Luther knew his words were a mess. Breathing had become difficult, and his ability to organize his thoughts was falling apart. He could collapse at any moment, but he fought to stay conscious.
Gardevoir softly spoke of all the memories she shared with Luther.
Azumarill loudly called out Ho-Oh's name.
Jumpluff squeezed its eyes shut and repeated the call again and again.
Mismagius leaned against Luther and quietly whispered something.
Every one of Luther's Pokémon was raising its own voice, helping him call out to the divine being who had stayed away from humanity for three hundred years.
"I don't seek your power. Right now, as a person, I'm asking you... descend!" Holding the Rainbow Wing in both hands, Luther lifted it toward the sky.
Rain poured down in torrents. Luther maintained that posture without moving, as though he had turned to stone.
The sky remained pitch-black. The storm continued to rage, as if it intended to wash everything from the earth. The Rainbow Wing did not shine.
Luther, barely able to stay standing, clenched his teeth.
Then, a faint light slowly stretched across the distant heavens. Like a ribbon of silk dancing through the sky, it swept forward. Wherever it passed, darkness retreated and rainbow-colored light spread outward.
The curtain of rain was cut apart by the rainbow radiance spanning the heavens. Warm light enveloped Luther and his Pokémon. Just one step beyond that glow, the night, wind, and rain still raged wildly.
The Rainbow Wing, which had never once emitted light, floated free from Luther's hands and rose into the sky. Luther's gaze followed it upward. The feather merged with the surrounding rainbow light and gradually began to glow with a mesmerizing brilliance.
Rings of light blossomed across the air. Invisible waves pushed the storm clouds aside. The sky split open.
Luther stared blankly at the pair of red eyes that suddenly appeared. The moment their gazes met, it felt as though he had been seen through completely. At the same time, a warm current spread through his entire body.
Bathed in a seven-colored radiance, Ho-Oh gently beat her wings and descended, stopping less than a meter from Luther as she looked down at him.
Luther had always joked about Ho-Oh being a photographer, but only now, with her standing before him, did he realize that simply meeting her gaze required all of his courage. Every look from her felt like a question.
Luther and Ho-Oh looked at each other for a long time before he finally gathered the courage to speak. "Sandgem Town. Luther."
The Pokémon who had been staring in awe also greeted Ho-Oh one after another.
"Since the Bell Tower incident, the years have passed by. I never expected that the one who would resonate with me would be an outsider." Ho-Oh's gentle voice echoed through the minds of Luther and his Pokémon.
The Rainbow Wing drifted down and came to a stop before Luther's eyes.
"The feather never acknowledged you, yet through the strength of your own heart, you called me here." A hint of admiration appeared in Ho-Oh's eyes as she looked directly at Luther. "Luther of Sandgem Town, is it?"
The Rainbow Wing drifted down into Luther's palm, and a brilliant rainbow light burst forth instantly.
"You showed me your love for this world. In return, I give you my recognition."
Luther clenched the Rainbow Wing tightly, his body trembling slightly.
"With nothing but the strength of your heart, you summoned me here. You remind me of the people of Ecruteak City... though that is long in the past."
Ho-Oh sighed softly before asking, "Luther, tell me why you called for me."
Luther took a deep breath and stepped aside, allowing Ho-Oh to see Mira's body. "Please," he pleaded, "give Mira a chance."
Ho-Oh did not respond. Her gaze remained calm as she looked at Luther, though it seemed deeper than before.
"She always held onto her principles. She lived in darkness, but longed for the light. She was willing to give her life to protect what she believed in. She never had a choice before, just surviving forced her to do things she knew were wrong..." Luther took a step forward. "Please give her a chance. Let her have the opportunity to atone!"
Ho-Oh remained silent.
"I'll trade your recognition of me for that chance!" Luther had made up his mind.
Ho-Oh beat her wings. The scenery around Luther changed in an instant.
In a daze, he found himself standing before two towering spires. The Bell Tower was engulfed in flames. The clash of weapons echoed without end.
"This is the Bell Tower, the place where I first formed a lasting bond with humanity. They showed me the power of the human spirit, and I entrusted them with my trust. And this is what that trust brought me." Firelight reflected in Ho-Oh's eyes.
Within the flames, three Pokémon were born. But what awaited Suicune, Entei, and Raikou was hatred and hostility.
The power to bring back the dead was far beyond human understanding. It made people uneasy. It frightened them. And so, driven by ignorance and fear, they once again attacked a Legendary Pokémon.
The vision faded. Ho-Oh looked at Luther kindly.
"Three hundred years may be a long time for humans. To me, it feels like yesterday. Luther, I do not trust humanity. I appeared here only because I admire you. I entrusted you with that feather because I saw your heart and felt the strength within it. I am willing to trust you. Nothing more."
Luther lowered his head. The weight of Ho-Oh's words was overwhelming.
What Ho-Oh had placed in his hands was her first act of trust in three hundred years. If he continued asking for more, perhaps that trust would crack once again.
Tormented by the choice before him, Luther bit down hard and forced himself to decide.
Then, a gentle light suddenly appeared around Mira. Bathed in that radiance, her wounds healed rapidly. Warmth returned to the body that had long since gone cold.
Luther's head snapped up. He stared at Ho-Oh in disbelief.
It was like looking directly at the sun; he could barely keep his eyes open. Streams of flame flowed endlessly from Ho-Oh's body and entered Mira's. Color gradually returned to Mira's pale face, and her chest began to rise and fall once more.
"Humans are different from Pokémon. I can restore her vitality, but I cannot bring her back to life. The rest depends on her. Luther, I hope you understand. This is not a reward. It is a gift." Ho-Oh spoke softly. "I have paid a small price, but I hope it will be worth it."
Luther's voice caught in his throat. "Ho-Oh... thank you!"
"Three years is not very long for humans, is it? When that time comes, I will visit you again. I hope that by then, you and this young woman will have given me a new understanding." As she spoke, Ho-Oh beat her wings and rose higher and higher into the rainbow-colored light.
Luther was about to wave goodbye when his vision suddenly blurred. A violent wave of nausea hit him. He collapsed toward the ground, but Darkrai caught him before he could fall. The other Pokémon rushed over anxiously.
"Humans are still as fragile as ever..." Ho-Oh let out a quiet sigh. With a sweep of her wings, she wrapped Luther, Mira, and the Pokémon in her light and carried them out through the opening in the sky.
After Ho-Oh departed, the hurricane-like storm resumed its rampage. Only the clouds slowly closing overhead remained, marking the place where a miracle had occurred.
(End of Chapter)
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